At the back of the world

by George Pugh; Jennie Pugh

We left the port at sunrise. The weather was fine, one of those lovely tropical days when the sky blends its prismatic hues and the easterly breeze, as it whistles through the shrouds, brings new life and energy into one’s veins. The sea all around was covered with silver-crested waves and as the little “Pelew” cut her way through the sparkling waters she sent them like showers of jewels along her painted sides. What a joy it was to me to be once more on the ocean, to feel once more the motion of the vessel beneath my feet, and to quaff the salt breeze that was like the wine of life. We had a delightful passage, but owing to the numerous reefs and shoals we were kept constantly on the lookout. These seas require the most careful navigation, and I was surprised to find that Captain Brown seemed quite at his ease among the reefs, although, when I mentioned this and asked him about his life in these regions, I could never get any very definite answers from him. However by putting two and two together, from his chance remarks, I came to the conclusion that he had been what is known as a “blackbird catcher,” an “island scourger,” a “dealer in living ebony,” or a “sandlewood thief.”

We made the passage to Port Moresby in five days. As soon as we anchored in the bay three native crafts came off for our cargo, the agent who was in the first boat seemed half a savage himself, and had a most repulsive face. Captain Brown gave orders that no one was to leave the ship on any pretext whatever, except the German passengers, and they did not seem to like the job either, but that was what they had come out for. No natives were allowed to come on board. Their appearance was not very inviting, they were quite naked, with the exception of a strip of pounded bark or cocoanut fibre round their waist, their woolly heads were decked with shells and tufts of grass, while round their necks each had a necklace of shark’s teeth. Though fine, well-built, powerful looking fellows, their features were not what we should call handsome, as their foreheads are low and retreating, the face broad, the cheek-bones prominent, the nose flat and the lips thick. We heard that there was an English missionary living amongst them and doing a good work.

After delivering what goods we had for the store-keeper, we received orders to proceed to Gaurdalcana in the Solomon Islands, and deliver the balance to the store-keeper there.

Captain Brown then told me that the natives of the Solomon Islands were cannibals, “so you had better be careful while we are amongst these islands, and,” he continued, with a sly twinkle in his eyes “you have to be very cautious in dealing with them, for they are very partial to roast sailor. I had a terrible experience on one of the islands some years ago. I was in a smart little brig, cruising among the Islands. We were out on a blackbird (native) catching expedition. We sailed into the bay at the south-east point of San-Christobal. The brig ‘Carl’ of blackbird notoriety, had been there a few times, and after getting a number of the natives on board to trade as they thought, they had been invited into the saloon, and their eyes were dazzled by the beads and toys and other things spread on the table. Unsuspecting of any treachery they stayed until the gentle rolling of the vessel caused them to ask with some surprise what it meant, by this time the ship was well under way, and fast leaving San-Christobal behind them. They tried to rush on deck, but found themselves covered with the rifles of some of the ship’s crew, they were soon overpowered and made prisoners and put into the hold with others who had been lured to the vessel by the same device—all to be sold as slaves to the North Queensland planters—but we were not aware of this at the time.

“Well, as we drew up towards the head of the bay we suddenly grounded on a reef, and while we were rushing about backing and filling the sails, the natives swam off in hundreds and boarded the vessel on all sides. We let go the ropes and seized whatever we could lay our hands on to defend ourselves, but in a minute three of our men were beaten to death with clubs. The captain was aft by the wheel, and as soon as I saw the natives climbing over the rail I drew my knife and sprang aft near him, and together we fought like demons. But the copper-coloured fiends thronged round us, and one big fellow at last got a blow in with a club that laid the captain senseless on the deck. But his triumph was short, and mine too, for I ripped him open with my knife, and the next minute was knocked senseless on the deck myself. When I came to, I was on the floor of a hut on shore, trussed like a fowl, with my arms and legs bent behind me and lashed together. I struggled and twisted to get my hands free, but it was no use, I could not do it. I raved and shouted for some one to come and put me out of my misery. At last, as if in answer to my cry, one of the women came and looked in, and seeing me struggling, she picked up a club, and smashed me on the head with it, and again I became senseless. The next thing I remembered was being rolled over and over and my flesh being pinched by two or three natives. After jabbering among themselves for a few minutes they left me, and directly afterwards I heard the captain’s voice shouting not far off, and a lot of jabber among the natives. I could not see what was going on, but I knew that they were taking the poor fellow to kill and roast him. I tore at my bonds, until the lashings cut into the flesh. Suddenly a horrible yell burst on my ears, and I knew it was the captain’s death cry. I shook like a leaf, and the perspiration rolled off me like raindrops. I was on the rack with torture, knowing full well what was before me, and that at any minute my turn might come. I swooned away with horror at the thought, to be brought to later by a burning stick being thrust into my face. I saw four of the devils were in the hut, and a whole crowd outside. They put a small spar through my arms, and two of them lifted me up between them, like a Chinaman carrying a load. As they carried me along towards a large fire in the middle of a clearing, near a large hut, like a meeting house, my stomach and face were scraping the ground, and, oh! God, what a terrible sight met my eyes. There just in front of me was the roasting body of the poor skipper. He had been a bad devil in his time and many an islander had suffered at his hands, but they had got their revenge on him for it.

“The head man or chief now spoke to a big powerful savage, and the latter approaching me with a large knife, was about to plunge it into me to rip me open, when the head man, who was jumping about before me, suddenly fell forward on his face and lay still. The others looked on and shouted. Then some of the elder ones, seeing there was something wrong, walked up to the prostrate chief, and touched him. Finding he did not move, they turned him over, but he was dead. I thought they would fall on me at once when they realized this, but they only set up a great wail and beat their breasts with their hands. Then two of the old men spoke up, and all was quiet. After they had done speaking several of the men came to me, and I thought my last moment had come, but, to my surprise, they gently untied my hands and feet. For a few minutes I was unable to stand, but as soon as I could, one of the old men picked up the spear and club of the dead chief, placed them in my hands, and pointed to the hills. I was not long in taking advantage of my freedom, and made tracks at once. I could hardly believe that I was free, and expected every minute to hear them coming after me.

“Why I had been spared was a mystery to me then, but I afterwards learned that they released me through some superstitious fear, and a belief that the spirit of their dead chief had entered into me, had I been so minded they would have made me chief of the tribe; this they tried to make me understand when the old man placed in my hands the spear and club belonging to the dead chief. It would have made no difference to me had I known, all I wanted was to put as many miles as possible between the cursed place and myself.

“I remained in hiding for a couple of days up among the hills, and, strange to say, I never saw a single native come near to the place where I was. Another thing I noticed in my wanderings was the absence of children. I don’t remember seeing a single youngster. As a rule there are plenty of them knocking about on most of these islands, so I came to the conclusion that this was an island where it is the custom for nearly all the children of both sexes to be killed by their parents, perhaps eaten, too. I lived on bananas, cocoanuts, and other fruit that grew in abundance, but my mind was still racked with fear lest the natives should come after me, and, after all, put me to death in the same horrible manner as my shipmates.

“On the third day, after having been given my freedom I found my way down to the coast. As soon as I got down to the rocks my heart leaped for joy, for there, just rounding the point, was a vessel coming close along the coast. I looked cautiously around and along the shore in both directions, but not a sign could I see of a single native. The schooner by this time was close in to the shore, and those in charge seemed to be scanning the coast closely. I shook with excitement, for fear the vessel should haul out more to the east before I could make my presence known, but on she came like a seabird floating on the water, with her sails spread to the gentle southerly breeze. Then a new horror presented itself to my gaze, for right opposite to where I stood in the shelter of the rocks, two large sharks were gliding about among the gentle undulations of the sea, their dorsal fins standing up like knives, and cutting a ripple on the surface of the water as they moved along. When the schooner was about two miles off, I rushed out and dashed into the sea, swimming with all my might out to seaward to intercept her. I had only got about fifty feet from the shore when I heard several shots fired from the ship, followed by shouts from the beach. I swam out with all my strength, and my heart was gladdened and my hopes raised as I saw the schooner’s head pay off towards me, and after swimming about ten minutes I was picked up and drawn on board, and the schooner was hauled out to the seaward.

“As soon as I had got my breath, I told the captain of the horrors that had befallen our crew; his face set grimly as I related the captain’s death and my own narrow escape, and he asked if there were any of my shipmates still alive. I said I thought not, as the captain and myself seemed to be the only two brought on shore by those who had attacked us. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘we will put the ship on her course again, but I always have a look out for castaways near these shores. I know of several crews who have come to grief on that island. We are recruiting among the islands, and if you like I will put you on the articles and you can make this trip, or if we come across anything bound for Sydney way I will transfer you.’