A Voyage Round the World, from 1806 to 1812

The making of the loom, from want of assistance, and want of practice, proved a very tedious job. I succeeded tolerably well at last; and having procured a supply of thread, spun by the women from the fibres of the plant of which their fishing lines are made, I began my operations.21 After working a small piece, I took it to the king as a specimen. He approved of it in every respect except breadth, which was only about half a yard, saying, he wished it made wide enough for an awning to a ship. This was beyond my power; but I told him I could make it a yard wide, and then sow it up into any size. He accordingly ordered me to make a loom of the necessary dimensions. – The small piece I wove he kept, and showed it to every captain that arrived as a specimen of the manufacture of the country. I had nearly finished the other loom, when the ship arrived in which I quitted the island.

During the time I resided with Davis, Terremytee, the king’s brother, died. His body lay in state for a few days, in the morai; and was afterwards buried, according to custom, in a secret manner.

The public mourning that took place on this occasion was of so extraordinary a nature, that, had I not been an eye-witness, I could not have given credit to it.

The natives cut off their hair, and went about completely naked. Many of them, particularly the women, disfigured themselves by knocking out their front teeth, and branding their faces with red hot stones, and the small end of calabashes, which they held burning to their faces till a circular mark was produced; whilst, at the same time, a general, I believe I may say an universal, public prostitution of the women took place; the queens and the widow of the deceased alone exempted.

When the captain of a ship that lay in the harbour remonstrated with the king upon these disgraceful scenes, he answered that such was the law, and he could not prevent them.

About this time an immense water-spout broke in the harbour. It was first observed in the south, about noon. The day was fine, with a clear atmosphere, and nearly calm. When I saw it first, it appeared about the thickness of a ship’s mast, reaching from the sea to a heavy dark cloud that hung immediately over it. It approached slowly, the cloud gradually increasing in size. When it came near, we could observe the water ascending in a spiral direction, and the sea round its base boiling up in great agitation. At this time it seemed about the thickness of a hogshead. The tide was fortunately out; and upon crossing the reef, about an hour after its first appearance, the column broke, and such a mass of water fell, that the sea in the harbour was raised at least three feet upon the beach. No squall was experienced, nor did any rain fall. Hundreds of dead fish were picked up upon the reef, and along shore after it broke. I have seen several water-spouts at sea, and one that was nearly on board the ship in which I was, but none of them at all equal in magnitude to this.

The natives quitted their houses, and fled with the utmost precipitation in a direction opposite to that in which it approached. I was informed, that a few years before, one had broken on the north side of the island, by which a number of houses were washed away and many people drowned.

In the month of November the king was pleased to grant me about sixty acres of land, situated upon the Wymummee, or Pearl-water, an inlet of the sea about twelve miles to the west of Hanaroora. I immediately removed thither; and it being Macaheite time, during which canoes are tabooed, I was carried on men’s shoulders. We passed by foot-paths, winding through an extensive and fertile plain, the whole of which is in the highest state of cultivation. Every stream was carefully embanked, to supply water for the taro beds. Where there was no water, the land was under crops of yams and sweet potatoes. The roads and numerous houses are shaded by cocoa-nut trees, and the sides of the mountains covered with wood to a great height. We halted two or three times, and were treated by the natives with the utmost hospitality. My farm, called Wymannoo, was upon the east side of the river, four or five miles from its mouth. Fifteen people, with their families, resided upon it, who cultivated the ground as my servants. There were three houses upon the property: but I found it most agreeable to live with one of my neighbours, and get what I wanted from my own land. This person’s name was William Stevenson, a native of Borrowstounness. He had been a convict, and escaped from New South Wales; but was, notwithstanding, an industrious man, and conducted himself in general with great propriety. He had married a native, and had a family of several children. – He was the first who introduced into the island the mode of distilling a spirit from the tee-root, of which, however, he became so fond, that the king was obliged to deprive him of his still. When I knew him he had bound himself by an oath, not to taste spirits except at the new year, at which time he indulged to the greatest excess. He chiefly employed himself in his garden, and had a large stock of European vegetables.

In the end of February, I heard there was a ship at Hanaroora, and went up with a canoe-load of provisions, wishing to provide myself with some clothes, and, if possible, a few books. She proved to be the Duke of Portland, South-sea whaler, bound for England. When I learned this, I felt the wish to see my native country and friends once more so strong, that I could not resist the opportunity that now offered. In addition to these motives, the state of my feet had of late given me considerable uneasiness; the sores had never healed, and I was anxious for medical assistance, in the hopes of having a cure performed. I was, indeed, leaving a situation of ease, and comparative affluence, for one where, labouring under the disadvantage of the loss of my feet, I knew I must earn a scanty subsistence. I was a tolerable sail-maker; and I knew, that if my sores healed, I could gain a comfortable livelihood at that employment. These hopes were never realized; the state of my limbs renders me quite unable to hold a bolt-rope, and necessity has compelled me to betake myself to a more precarious and less agreeable occupation.

The king was on board the ship at the time, and I asked his permission to take my passage home. He inquired my reason for wishing to quit the island, and whether I had any cause of complaint. I told him I had none; that I was sensible I was much better here than I could be any where else, but that I was desirous to see my friends once more. He said, if his belly told him to go, he would do it; and that if mine told me so, I was at liberty.

He then desired me to give his compliments to King George. I told him that, though born in his dominions, I had never seen King George; and that, even in the city where he lived, there were thousands who had never seen him. He expressed much surprise at this, and asked if he did not go about among his people, to learn their wants, as he did? I answered, that he did not do it himself, but that he had men who did it for him. Tamaahmaah shook his head at this, and said, that other people could never do it so well as he could himself.

He sent a handsome cloak of feathers by Captain Spence as a present to his majesty, accompanied by a letter, which I heard him dictate to the captain. The purport of it was to remind him of Captain Vancouver’s promise, that a man of war, armed with brass guns, and loaded with European articles, should be sent to him; and added, that he was sorry he was so far away that he could not help him in his wars; and concluded, by requesting his acceptance of the cloak as a proof of his regard.

Having procured the king’s permission to depart, I went on shore to take leave of my friends; particularly Isaac Davis, and my patroness, the queen, who had always treated me with the utmost kindness. On this occasion she presented me with several valuable mats to sleep upon on board the ship.

It will be believed that I did not leave Wahoo without the deepest regret. I had now been thirteen months upon the island; during which time I had experienced nothing but kindness and friendship from all ranks – from my much honoured master, the king, down to the lowest native. A crowd of people attended me to the boat; unaccustomed to conceal their feelings, they expressed them with great vehemence; and I heard the lamentations of my friends on shore long after I had reached the ship.

We sailed next day, being the 4th of March.

CHAPTER IX

Description of Wahoo – Extent – Whyteete-bay – Account of Tamaahmaah’s navy – Town and harbour of Hanaroora – Bass’s harbour – Wymumme, or Pearl-river – State of cultivation – Breed of cattle – Account of the white people resident on the island.

The island of Wahoo lies about seven leagues to the northwest of Morotai, and about thirty from Owhyhee, in the same direction; it is nearly forty miles in length from northwest to southeast, and almost half that extent in breadth.

Although only of secondary size, it has become the most important island in the groupe, both on account of its superior fertility, and because it possesses the only secure harbour to be met with in the Sandwich islands.

In consequence of this, and of the facility with which fresh provisions can be procured, almost every vessel22 that navigates the north Pacific puts in here to refit. This is probably the principal reason why the king has chosen it as his place of residence; perhaps the vicinity to Atooi and Onehow, the only islands independent of himself, and the conquest of which he is said to meditate, is another and no less powerful motive.

The south coast of the island extends from Diamond-hill on the east, to Barber’s Point23 on the west, a distance of about twenty-four miles. A range of mountains run almost parallel to the shore, from which it is separated by a fertile plain, which varies in breadth; at Hanaroora, where it is broadest, the distance from the sea to the mountains is about five miles.

A reef of coral runs along the whole extent of this shore, within a quarter of a mile of the land; the greater part of it dries at low water, and in the inside it is in many places too shallow even for canoes, except at full tide.24

Whyteete bay, where captain Vancouver anchored, is formed by the land falling back from the southern promontory of the island, called by the white people Diamond-hill. It is open to the south one half of the compass, and there being no channel, ships are obliged to anchor on the outside of the reef.

Tamaahmaah formerly resided at this place, and great part of his navy were hauled up on the shore round the bay. I counted more than thirty vessels; they are kept with the utmost care, having sheds built over them, their spars laid alongside, and their rigging and cables preserved in stores.

They are chiefly sloops and schooners, under forty tons burden, and have all been built by his own carpenters, principally natives, under the direction of an Englishman of the name of Boyd.

He possesses one ship of about two hundred tons, called the Lily Bird. This vessel was originally an American, which arrived from the coast of California in a leaky condition. He purchased her from the captain, by giving his largest schooner in exchange, and paying the difference in dollars. She was repaired by his own carpenters, and laid up at Hanaroora, along side a wharf built for the purpose. The remainder of his fleet, ten or twelve more, were hauled up at the same place, except one small sloop, which he kept as a packet between Wahoo and Owhyhee. She was navigated by native seamen, under the command of an Englishman, of the name of Clerk, who had formerly been mate of the Lily Bird.

Three miles to the west of Whyteete is the town of Hanaroora, now the capital of the island, and residence of the king. The harbour is formed by the reef, which shelters it from the sea, and ships can ride within in safety in any weather, upon a fine sandy bottom. There is a good channel through the reef, with three or four fathoms water; but if there is a swell it is not easily discovered, as the sea often breaks completely across. Pilots, however, are always to be had; John Hairbottle, captain of the Lily Bird, generally acted as such. The best anchorage is in five fathoms water, about two cables length from the shore, directly in front of the village. Ships sometimes anchor on the outside of the reef, but they run the risk of having their cables cut by the coral.

The entrance to this harbour may probably, at no very distant period, be filled up by the growth of the coral, which must be rapid indeed, if Hairbottle, the pilot, was correct, when he informed me that he knew a difference of three feet during the time he had been at Hanaroora.25

A small river runs by the back of the village, and joins the sea at the west side of the harbour; owing to the flatness of the country, the water is brackish, and there is none fresh to be had within several miles of the place. Ships, however, can be supplied at a moderate rate by the natives, who bring it from the spring in calabashes.

Six miles to the westward is Bass’s harbour, also formed by an entrance through the reef; within it is well sheltered, with good anchorage in five or six fathoms; but there being no village in the vicinity, it is little frequented.26

Wymumme, or Pearl river, lies about seven miles farther to the westward. This inlet extends ten or twelve miles up the country. The entrance is not more than a quarter of a mile wide, and is only navigable for small craft; the depth of water on the bar, at the highest tides, not exceeding seven feet; farther up it is nearly two miles across. There is an isle in it, belonging to Manina, the king’s interpreter, in which he keeps a numerous flock of sheep and goats.

Pearls and mother-of-pearl shells are found here in considerable quantity. Since the king has learned their value, he has kept the fishing to himself, and employs divers for the purpose.

Ten miles to the west of this is Barber’s Point, (so called from the captain of a ship wrecked there,) the northwest extremity of the island. It is very low, and extends a considerable way into the sea.

The tides upon this coast do not rise more than four feet at springs; it is high water about three at full and change of the moon. The force of the current is scarcely perceptible.

The flat land along shore is highly cultivated; taro root, yams, and sweet potatoes, are the most common crops; but taro forms the chief object of their husbandry, being the principal article of food amongst every class of inhabitants.

The mode of culture is extremely laborious, as it is necessary to have the whole field laid under water; it is raised in small patches, which are seldom above a hundred yards square; these are surrounded by embankments, generally about six feet high, the sides of which are planted with sugar-canes, with a walk at top; the fields are intersected by drains or acqueducts, constructed with great labour and ingenuity, for the purpose of supplying the water necessary to cover them.

The ground is first carefully dug and levelled with a wooden spade, called maiai, which the labourers use, squatting on their hams and heels. After this, it is firmly beat down by treading it with their feet till it is close enough to contain water.

The plants are propagated by planting a small cutting from the upper part of the root with the leaves adhering. The water is then let in, and covers the surface to the depth of twelve or eighteen inches; in about nine months they are ready for taking up; each plant sends forth a number of shoots, or suckers, all around. This mode of culture is particularly laborious, and in all the operations those engaged are almost constantly up to the middle in the mud.

Notwithstanding this, I have often seen the king working hard in a taro patch. I know not whether this was done with a view of setting an example of industry to his subjects. Such exertion could scarcely be thought necessary amongst these islanders, who are certainly the most industrious people I ever saw.

The potatoe and yam grounds are neatly inclosed by stone walls, about eighteen inches high. In addition to these native productions, Indian corn, and a great variety of garden stuffs have been lately introduced, and are cultivated with success, chiefly by the white people.

When the islands were discovered, pigs and dogs were the only useful animals they possessed; but Tamaahmaah has paid so much attention to the preservation of the breeds left by Vancouver, and other navigators, that in a short time the stock of horned cattle, horses, sheep, and goats, will be abundant.

At Owhyhee I was informed that there were many hundreds of cattle running wild, and several in a domestic state. The king had introduced the breed into Wahoo; and at the time I was there he had a herd of nine or ten upon the north side of the island.

Sheep and goats are already very numerous. Several individuals had large flocks of them. The queen had one, consisting of about one hundred and fifty; and Manina had several hundreds on the island in Pearl river. – The king had five horses, of which he was very fond, and used frequently to go out on horseback. I was informed there were still more at Owhyhee.

The cattle lately introduced are pastured upon the hills, and those parts of the country not under cultivation, the fences not being sufficient to confine them. The hogs are kept in pens, and fed on taro leaves, sugar canes, and garbage.

The chiefs are the proprietors of the soil, and let the land in small farms to the lower class, who pay them a rent in kind, generally pigs, cloth, or mats, at four terms in the year.

At one time during my stay, there were nearly sixty white people upon Wahoo alone; but the number was constantly varying, and was considerably diminished before my departure. Although the great majority had been left by American vessels, not above one third of them belonged to that nation; the rest were almost all English, and of these six or eight were convicts, who had made their escape from New South Wales.

Many inducements are held out to sailors to remain here. If they conduct themselves with propriety, they rank as chiefs, and are entitled to all the privileges of the order; at all events, they are certain of being maintained by some of the chiefs, who are always anxious to have white people about them.

The king has a considerable number in his service, chiefly carpenters, joiners, masons, blacksmiths, and bricklayers; these he rewards liberally with grants of land. Some of these people are sober and industrious; but this is far from being their general character; on the contrary, many of them are idle and dissolute, getting drunk whenever an opportunity presents itself. They have introduced distillation into the island; and the evil consequences, both to the natives and whites, are incalculable. It is no uncommon sight to see a party of them broach a small cask of spirits, and sit drinking for days till they see it out.

There are, however, a few exceptions to this. William Davis, a Welshman, who resided with Isaac Davis, used to rise every morning at five, and go to his fields, where he commonly remained till the same hour in the evening. This singularity puzzled the natives not a little; but they accounted for it, by supposing that he had been one of their own countrymen, who had gone to Caheite, or England, after his death, and had now come back to his native land.

There were no missionaries upon the island during the time I remained in it, at which I was often much surprised.

Most of the whites have married native women, by whom they have families; but they pay little attention either to the education or to the religious instruction of their children. I do not recollect having seen any who knew more than the letters of the alphabet.

CHAPTER X

Account of the natives – Personal appearance – Ranks – Power of the king – Priests – Capital punishments – Mode of detecting theft – Religious belief – Places of worship and ceremonies – Macaheite – Houses – Food – Ava – Spirits distilled from the tee-root – State of the women – Marriages – Dress – Manufactures – Nets and lines – Modes of fishing – Trade – Price of provisions – Amusements – Funeral Rites – Military – Progress in civilization – Account of Tamaahmaah and family.

The manners and customs of the Sandwich islanders have been repeatedly described by much abler observers; but my long residence has given me opportunities of noticing many things which have escaped others; and to these I shall, as much as possible, confine my remarks.

The natives, although not tall, are stout and robust in their make, particularly those of the higher rank; their complexion is nut-brown, and they are extremely cleanly in their persons. They are distinguished by great ingenuity in all their arts and manufactures, as well as by a most persevering industry.

They are divided into two great classes: the Erees, or chiefs, and the Cannakamowree, or people. The former are the proprietors of the land, the latter are all under the dominion of some chief, for whom they work, or cultivate the ground, and by whom they are supported in old age. They are not, however, slaves, or attached to the soil, but at liberty to change masters when they think proper.

The supreme government is vested in the king, whose power seems to be completely absolute. He is assisted by the principal chiefs, whom he always keeps about his person; many of these have particular departments to attend to; one chief took charge of the household, and appointed the different surveys to be performed by every individual; another, named Coweeowranee, acted as paymaster; his province was to distribute wages and provisions amongst the people in the king’s service.

An elderly chief, of the name of Naai, took a general charge of the whole, and was, in fact, prime minister. He was commonly called Billy Pitt by the white people, and was by no means pleased when they addressed him by any other appellation.

The principal duties of the executive were, however, entrusted to the priests; by them the revenues were collected, and the laws enforced. Superstition is the most powerful engine by which the latter purpose is effected; actual punishment being rare. I knew only one instance of capital punishment; which was that of a man who had violated the sanctity of the morai. Having got drunk, he quitted it during taboo time, and entered the house of a woman. He was immediately seized, and carried back to the morai, where his eyes were put out. After remaining two days in this state, he was strangled, and his body exposed before the principal idol.

The method of detecting theft or robbery, affords a singular instance of the power of superstition over their minds. The party who has suffered the loss applies to one of the priests, to whom he presents a pig, and relates his story.

The following ceremony is then performed; the priest begins by rubbing two pieces of green wood upon each other, till, by the friction, a kind of powder, like snuff, is produced, which is so hot, that on being placed in dry grass, and blown upon, it takes fire; with this, a large pile of wood is kindled, and allowed to burn a certain time. He then takes three nuts of an oily nature, called tootooee; having broken the shells, one of the kernels is thrown into the fire, at which time he says an anana, or prayer; and while the nut is crackling in the fire, repeats the words Muckeeroio kanaka ai kooee, that is, kill or shoot the fellow. The same ceremonies take place with each of the nuts, provided the thief does not appear before they are consumed.

This, however, but seldom happens; the culprit generally makes his appearence with the stolen property, which is restored to the owner, and the offence punished by a fine of four pigs. He is then dismissed, with strict injunctions not to commit the like crime in future, under pain of a more severe penalty. The pigs are taken to the morai, where they are offered up as sacrifices, and afterwards eaten by the priests.

Should it happen that the unfortunate criminal does not make his appearance during the awful ceremony, his fate is inevitable; had he the whole island to bestow, not one word of the prayer could be recalled, nor the anger of the Etooah appeased. The circumstance is reported to the king, and proclamation made throughout the island, that a certain person has been robbed, and that those who are guilty have been prayed to death.