They had a great aversion to hearing us whistle, particularly in their houses, and would invariably run up to any of our people when they were whistling, and with a fearful look, beg them to stop; saying, it would bring spirits about the house that would make them sick and kill them. If one of them has wronged another who has died, or if they were enemies, he never eats without throwing away a portion[[13]] of his food to appease the ghost of the departed.
At a meeting we had with the chiefs on shore, the captain remarked an old man in the circle, whose name and character he asked of Lay or Huzzy; being replied to, he said, in a stern manner that he did not like his face, meaning that he looked like a bad man. The old fellow, seeing himself the subject of conversation, asked the interpreter what the captain was saying about him. On being told, his countenance expressed the utmost dismay, and in a day or two afterwards, he died. There was not a native on the islands with whom Lay or Huzzy conversed, that did not believe the captain's dislike killed the old man. They seemed to entertain the most singular notions of the captain's supernatural powers.
For the purpose of ascertaining what idea the high chief entertained of a God, the captain asked him several questions, to which his answers were vague and unsatisfactory. He thought he had conceived the right one, when he asked the chief who he thought made it thunder. After a moment's hesitation, he looked at the captain and replied, "I suppose you can make it thunder." This was as satisfactory as any thing he could be made to express. Thunder he believed was produced by the agency of a being superior to himself, and the captain he conceived to be infinitely his superior.
Not long after the massacre of the white men, the natives were visited by a disease that caused their limbs to swell, and produced great distress amongst them; it was before unknown, and they ascribed it to Lay and Huzzy, who, they believed, had the power to afflict them in that manner, and had done it to be revenged for the death of their countrymen. They finally charged them with it, and threatened to kill them, which, in all probability they would have done, but for their superstitious fear of some greater evil.
Their huts are not, generally, more than ten by fifteen feet, and from ten to fifteen feet high. They are divided into two apartments, upper and lower; the lower is open all round, without any thatching; the floor is raised a little above the adjacent ground, and covered over with small pieces of the cleanest and whitest coral that can be found. The rafters and small sticks that are laid across them for the thatching, are secured by twine made from the outer husk of cocoa-nut, with which the thatching is also secured. The thatch is the leaves of palm or cocoa-nut. The ceiling of the lower room is generally so low, that one must bend almost double to get into it, and if you remain, it must be in a lying or sitting posture. The garret has a floor of sticks thickly interwoven with leaves; it is higher than the ground floor, and has an air of comfort. The natives keep their provisions in it, and all such things as they would preserve from the rats. They also sleep there in wet weather. In the floor, a hole is left just large enough for a person to crawl through, and so far from the sides that the rats cannot get to it.
Their canoes display the greatest ingenuity, and I have no doubt, that in a civilized country, they would be ranked amongst the rarest specimens of human industry, unassisted but by the rudest implements. The model is most singular, and differs from all that I have ever seen in use, either in the European or American world. Its construction is so remarkable, and in many respects so inconvenient, that it seems improbable the model should have had its origin in any other cause than the want of suitable timber for a more perfect structure. The depth of a Mulgrave canoe, of common size, is four or five feet; its length from thirty to forty. It is so narrow that a man can scarcely stand in it; perfectly flat on one side, and round on the other. It is sharp at both ends. The mast is from twelve to twenty-five feet long, and the sail, (a straw mat,) which is bent to a small yard, is very large in proportion to the canoe. They always sail on the flat side, and have the mast a little inclined forward. It is supported by shrouds and a guy at either end, which is used at pleasure to give the mast its proper inclination. In beating to windward, instead of tacking as we do, and presenting the other side of the boat to the wind, they bring the other end of the boat to it, making that the bow which was before the stern. Amidships there are several light spars extending about ten feet over the round side, and four over the other. Across these are smaller sticks, which are securely lashed above and below, and over them is made a platform. Upon that part of it which extends over the flat side, they have a small thatched cabin, in which they store whatever they wish to preserve from getting wet, or would conceal from observation. The other part of the platform is intended to keep the canoe from being upset; and when hard pressed with carrying sail, several men will sometimes get on it, to keep the canoe upright. They move through the water with astonishing velocity, and, in turning to windward, no boats can surpass them. Although the natives had no other tools to work with than what they made of shells, previous to the visit of the Globe, every article of their workmanship is neat, and as highly polished as though it had been wrought with steel. In the construction of their canoes, the keel-stern and sternpost are solid pieces of hard wood, upon which they are built up of small pieces laid one above the other, and closely seized on with the line of cocoa-husk. The seams are neither caulked or payed, and the canoe consequently leaks so much as to require one man to bail constantly. The steerage is very laborious; they have no rudder, and the only means by which they steer, is with a long flat paddle held in the hands of the helmsman. To steer a large canoe in blowing weather, requires the utmost strength of six or eight men. Upon the outriggers or platforms, and along the masts, they arrange their spears, which are always taken with them, even upon the most ordinary occasions. The canoes are also always ballasted with a quantity of round stones, weighing about a pound each, which forms a material part of their armament. Our carpenter was several days at work upon the canoe of the high chief, caulking and graving her. When he had completed his work, the high chief, after expressing his gratification, earnestly solicited the captain to leave him on the island; he said that he would always provide him an abundance to eat, and that no one should ever hurt him. This, according to the high chief's standard, was the most ample reward that he could promise for useful services.
The people of the Mulgraves are in general of moderate stature, and well made. Their complexion is not so dark as that of the natives of the Duke of Clarence and Byron's Island, and their features more comely. They appeared to us like a different race of men. They have not the flat noses and thick lips of the low islanders, except that two or three persons we saw would come under that description. Their hair is long and invariably combed out with great neatness, and tied on the top of their heads. Their deportment is modest and manly, and after one becomes a little accustomed to their dress, they have always an air of gentility. They have a fine majestic walk, which one would hardly suppose, when it is considered that their way is everywhere paved with sharp coral.
After we had given them the pigs, it was amusing to see with what apparent pleasure they carried them about in their arms, nursing them with as much care and tenderness, as though they had been children, whilst the pigs, unused to such treatment, were kicking and scratching the naked bodies of the poor natives, and squealing away most lustily. We had to interfere to keep the pigs from being killed with kindness, and finally prevailed upon the chief to forbid their being petted in this style. It is not improbable that, in a few years, the whalers that may have occasion to cruise, in the vicinity of these islands, will find an abundant supply. It is hoped, however, that until they become numerous, no navigator who may chance to touch there, will encourage the natives to diminish their number.
At 4, A.M., on the 9th of December, we took our departure from the Mulgrave Islands, and stood to the westward. At daylight, we had lost sight of the group, and at 10, A.M., made South Pedder's Island. Having stood a little too far to the southward, we were all day beating up to weather the N.E. point, where, at sun-down, we hove to in the hope that on the following morning we should be able to effect a landing, and get a sight of the great chief, so celebrated amongst the people we had just left. On the 11th of December, having passed all the early part of the day searching in vain for anchorage, we hove to, a little after meridian, opposite to a considerable bay, upon the shore of which was a native village, and large forests of cocoa-nut trees. The captain took Huzzy in the gig, and, followed by another boat, pulled in over a wide coral bank to the village. A few people were attracted to the shore by the appearance of our boats. They immediately conducted the captain to the chief, who was seated on a mat in the open air, in front of his hut. He seemed but little moved at the unexpected appearance of his visitors. He was a very old man, and had a long white beard that came down upon his breast. The natives stood round in respectful silence, as the old chief addressed the captain, whom he soon distinguished as the person of highest rank amongst the strangers. He spoke the same language as the inhabitants of the Mulgraves, and Huzzy was forbidden to let him know that he was understood, but to listen attentively to what he was saying to those around him. For a time his intercourse with the captain was carried on by signs, and Huzzy overheard him say to the natives, standing by, "Don't disturb them yet. Wait until to-morrow, and see what they are going to do. They will look round here to see what they can find, trade a little, and go on board of their vessel, to sleep, and to-morrow they will come again." When the captain told Huzzy to address some questions to the chief in his own language, it seemed to operate as quickly as an electric shock upon the natives, who stared wildly around at him, and at each other, with looks of the utmost astonishment. The chief partially lost his gravity in the sensation it produced, being not less surprised than his subjects. He asked Huzzy, before answering the question put to him, where he had learned to speak the language of Pedder's Island. Huzzy replied, that he had learned it at the Mulgrave Islands, where he had been for two years. The old chief said, that he had been informed of two white men being there, and was then fitting out a fleet of canoes to send after them. He expressed a great deal of disappointment, that we had taken them away, saying, he would have had them brought to his own island, and treated them well. He asked, if Lay was also on board of the vessel. The captain had taken on shore a present for the chief, and a number of trifles, that he thought might be acceptable to the natives. Our people endeavoured to obtain a quantity of cocoa-nuts and bup, of which there was the greatest abundance; but the natives parted with their fruit very reluctantly. When finally the captain addressed the chief, upon the subject of giving or selling us a supply, he said,—No! that his island was thickly inhabited, and produced no more food than was necessary for his people. That, if we were in want of cocoa-nuts and bup, there were other islands, not far to the westward, where there was an abundance, and but few people, and he advised our going there as speedily as possible. Upon being asked, if he had ever seen white men before, he replied,—Yes; that a long time ago there came a large vessel, in which there were white men, who brought their forge on shore, where they remained for several days. This, he said, was the only instance. The young women were all sent away, and concealed in the thickets, or upon a distant part of the island, where they remained during the whole day.
Amongst other presents made by the captain to the high chief, was a battle-axe,—to him an article of the greatest value. He received it, however, with reluctance, expressing his regret, that he had it not in his power to make a suitable return for so valuable a consideration, accompanying his apology with a small present of mats, cocoa-nuts, and a preparation of the ripe bup, that had an agreeable sweet taste. It was after dark when our party left the village, and went to the beach to embark. They had already left the shore a few yards, when some natives came running down, and called for them to return, saying, the chief had another mat for the captain. They landed, when they were told, that the mat was in the village, and that Huzzy must go for it. The captain, not choosing to send for the mat, put off again. In a few moments two or three other messengers came running to the beach, calling for the boat to return. When she had pulled in a few yards from the shore, they said that the chief wanted Huzzy to go up to the village for the mat, and that he did not wish to keep the axe, which he had sent back to the captain, unwilling, as we supposed, to lay himself under so great an obligation as its acceptance implied. The captain refused to take the axe, telling the messenger to say to his chief, that what we had given, we never took back, and, with this, left the shore and returned on board. The tide had risen considerably over the coral bank, and the party found the surf somewhat dangerous in returning, having their boats nearly filled with water.