After we had interchanged salutes with the shore, chief Boque came on board on the 17th, to make us a visit of ceremony. He was dressed in a splendid English major-general's uniform, and made a very handsome appearance. He remained and partook of a collation with us, at which several gentlemen were invited to meet him, and in all respects acquitted himself in a more polite and becoming manner than could have been expected from one whose opportunities had been so limited. He drank sparingly of wine, and left us at an early hour, notwithstanding the solicitations of the company for him to remain. A few hours after he had landed, I met him again, and should hardly have recognized him but for his large stature and good-natured face. He had stripped himself of all his finery, and was walking over the plain from his house with nothing on but his marrow, and a piece of tappa cloth of the island thrown loosely over his shoulders. I asked him why he had taken off his uniform, to which he replied, that it was too warm.
Our countrymen, to vary the entertainments they were constantly giving us, and thereby make them the more acceptable, proposed that we should make an excursion to a valley, called by them Pearl River, from the pearl frequently found in a small stream that passes through it. As horses could not be obtained for all, part of the company went by water, whilst the rest, four or five, mounted on horseback. The distance was about fifteen miles. I made one of the land party, and we set off early in the afternoon. There was no road, and in many places not even a footpath. The whole way was over hill and dale, and through swamps. We had to jump fences and ditches made through tarrow-patches, and ascend by narrow paths, difficult and dangerous cliffs. All the afternoon was occupied in this manner, and it was sundown when we arrived at our place of destination. One old native made bold to oppose us in jumping our horses over his fence, and was so obstinate in his refusal to let us pass, that for a time we thought we should have to relinquish our excursion—a reflection not very agreeable, after having advanced more than half way over so wretched a road. Finally, when all other arguments had failed, some one of the party, thinking that the native opposed our trespass upon his premises with no other object than to lay us under contribution, gave him half a dollar, which did more for us than all our threats or persuasion. Instead of opposing, he afterwards pointed out to us the best way. From Onavoora to Pearl River, the country was thinly inhabited. We met with no considerable village or rich valley. Our road lay near the edge of a wide marsh, that intervened between us and the sea, in the opposite direction from which, an undulating country extended three or four miles, when it was interrupted by the high and uninhabited range of mountains that run through the centre of the island from one end to the other. It was Saturday evening, when we arrived at Pearl River, and, according to the doctrine in which the missionaries had instructed the Sandwich islanders, their sabbath had commenced. The hut that we were to occupy belonged to Captain Dana, an American gentleman, to whom we were indebted for many hours of agreeable pastime. Besides the hut, he possessed other property in the valley, which gave him an influence with the chief of it, that enabled him to command whatever it produced. When we arrived, the chief was seated on a mat, near Captain Dana's hut, moody, and, apparently, very stupid. The arrival of so many strangers, in a place where a visiter was scarcely ever seen, produced a lively interest amongst the villagers. All of them seemed to partake of the general excitement, but the chief, though celebrated for his hospitality, was now sunk in the most listless apathy, and apparently scarcely sensible of our presence. When he was told that we wanted supper, and preparation made for our accommodation on the morrow, he replied, that it was the sabbath, and neither then nor on the morrow could fire be made, as it was forbidden by the Almighty. Upon being asked how he knew that it was forbidden by the Almighty, he said, that Mr. Bingham had seen the Almighty, who told him so. This was a great check to our promised enjoyment, and one that we were quite unprepared for, as no prohibition of making fire on Saturday, or any other night, was in existence at Onavoora. We saw but a poor prospect of getting supper or any thing, indeed, until we returned, unless we fasted on Sunday, and that our religious scruples did not call for, if it were not unavoidable. We were unwilling, however, to interfere with the established observances, which had been thought necessary to civilize and improve the condition of the people, and bore our disappointment in silence. After wandering about the village for a while, which was small, and scattered over a sterile ridge, we were relieved from our unpleasant dilemma by a native, we had taken with us as cook and interpreter, who was commonly known upon the island by the name of Joe Banks. He had received some education, and had been a convert to the missionaries, from whom he afterwards seceded. He did not like fasting any more than ourselves, and set about haranguing the chief, to convince him of the error of his opinion, with respect to the making of fire. Joe was not wanting in either talent or volubility; and, to our great satisfaction, we soon found him on good terms with the chief; a fire was made, and soon after a kid and a pig brought up for slaughter. I observed, that the chief's skin was very rough and in scales, resembling somewhat the shell of a small terrapin. Upon inquiring the cause, they told me, it was the effect of the ava-root, of which he was undergoing a course. He had almost finished the course, and his skin was all peeling off. It was the effect of the ava, that made him so stupid, and under its operation he was a most disgusting looking object. The natives of the Sandwich Islands are very much subject to cutaneous irruptions, which are troublesome, and, when of long standing, often dangerous. To eradicate this, and some other offensive diseases, with which they are afflicted, they sometimes go through a course of the ava. It is taken in quantities from a gill to half a pint, of the juice of the green root. It is chewed, and the juice spit into a gourd, if intended for the use of another person than the one who prepares it, and is said, when taken, to deprive the person of muscular power. In a few moments after swallowing the potion, he loses the use of all his limbs. He experiences an agreeable sensation, and is conscious of every thing that transpires, but without the power of speech. He lies in this helpless condition for several hours, when he recovers his strength in a measure, and is left in the condition of a man that has been very much intoxicated. This, to have the desired effect, is repeated daily for about a month; when the disease is cured, the skin all comes off, and a fair and shining one is left in its place. When once it was settled between Joe Banks and the chief of Pearl River Valley, that fire should be made, and our supper cooked, he provided for us in the most sumptuous native style. We had pigs, goats, fish, tarrow, and potatoes, in the greatest profusion. All was cooked after the manner of the natives, and as the same method is practised generally amongst the islanders of the Pacific Ocean, and knowing, from experience, that it is a very good one, I will here describe it. A hole is first dug a foot or two deep, and large, according to the size of the thing to be cooked. A fire is then made in the hole, and, when it is burning well, covered over with stones of a convenient size. When every thing is in readiness, the stones being well heated, they are taken off, and the hole cleared out. A layer of stones is then placed all round the interior, upon which is lain the meat, after being well wrapped up in green leaves. Over this is placed a thick layer of stones, which is covered with grass, or something dry, and then with earth. If vegetables are to be cooked, they are lain on the top of the upper layer of stones. The young tops of the tarrow are usually wrapped up in leaves, and cooked with the meats in the manner above described. It is a very excellent green, and called by the natives lewoca, from which the method of cooking takes its name. Early in the morning after our arrival, we arose, to look upon the wild beauty of the valley, and wander through what, at a distance, appeared to be its meadows and lawns; but, to our great disappointment, in descending from the hills, the green level fields that looked so pleasant at a distance, were all cut up in tarrow patches, flooded over, and intersected in every direction with ditches and embankments. A scene, so uninviting, soon induced us to relinquish our anticipated pleasure, and return.
In the course of our morning's walk we came to the house of an Englishman, who, a few years previous, arrived at the island in a Peruvian man-of-war, the seamen of which had risen upon their officers, and ran away with the vessel. He had taken to himself a native wife, and, to all appearance, had fixed here his abode for life. His hut looked extremely comfortable—not less so, indeed, than that of the chief, and besides other property that he had acquired, he had a fine flock of sheep feeding near his residence. He politely invited us into his house, which we declined, as we were returning late to breakfast.
After breakfast we set off in our boat to visit a small island near the sea shore, where there were a great many rabbits. We passed along several miles of an inlet of the sea, before we came to it. It was half a mile long, level, and overgrown with high weeds. The rabbits were so numerous, that the island was every where perforated with their burrows, and one or more would be found in almost every bunch of high grass that we came to,—so tame, that we could frequently take them up in our hands. We caught more than a dozen of them in this way, in the short time that we remained. Some years previous, an old Spaniard, by the name of Menini, who had settled at Onavoora, put one or more pairs of rabbits upon this small island, and prevailed upon the chiefs to tabboo them. From that time they had not been disturbed.
After returning to our dinner, we all set off on our way back to Onuvoora. To vary the scene, I relinquished my horse and took passage in the boat. We sailed for several miles among marshes and barren islands, upon a salt water inlet, up which a ship of heavy burthen might pass for a considerable distance. The whole way was quite void of interest. When we got to the sea, we had a head wind to row against all the way. A reef extended out from the shore, beyond which we were compelled to go, making the distance so great, that the evening was far advanced before we got to the Dolphin.
Not long after our return from Pearl River, I set out one day with an American gentleman, to ascend a high and steep mountain, that rises back of the village, which the natives, many years ago, fortified with a few heavy pieces of cannon. We crossed the plain, which is a mile or a mile and a half wide, when we came to the base of the mountain. It was seven or eight hundred feet high, and from below, seemed to rise almost perpendicular from the plain. A winding footpath, however, showed us that it had long and frequently been ascended by the natives, and encouraged us to make the attempt. We had often to stop and get breath, but at last accomplished our object, by gaining the summit and entering upon a small plain. Here we found several huts, that were occupied by the families of the men appointed to guard this important post, into which we entered to obtain leave to examine the fortification. The people were very friendly; they not only granted us permission, but hospitably proffered us some excellent melons, which were very refreshing after our laborious ascent. There were only three men in the fort, one of whom, that appeared to have the command, politely waited upon us in our walk round. The guns were mounted on a platform, at the very edge of the precipice that overlooked the harbour and town. They were of thirty-two pound caliber. It must have been a work of inconceivable labour for the natives to get them upon this great eminence. The carriages and all their fixtures were very much decayed, and totally unfit for use. The situation is very commanding, and notwithstanding the distance, the battery would be formidable to an enemy in the harbour. From this eminence, we had an extensive and beautiful prospect, comprehending the valley and harbour, many miles at sea, and along the sea-coast in either direction. The river, that waters the valley, broken in cataracts as it rapidly descended to the sea, showed to its greatest advantage, and the valley, covered with its tarrow patches, corn, and potatoes, presented a landscape resembling finely cultivated fields and waving green meadows. In front, was the thatched village of Onavoora, the huts looking like heaps of dry straw; beyond it, the harbour and shipping; and still farther, at sea, a long range of white foaming breakers. On the extreme right, was the valley of Pearl River, bounded by high and rugged mountains; and to the left, the cocoa-nut groves of Whytete and Diamond Rock, with its adjacent sterile hills, covered with volcanic cinders.
From the top of the hill, we descended in a different direction on our return, with a view of passing through a part of the valley that runs far back from the shore between the mountains, where it appeared to be finely cultivated and well inhabited. We had not gone far from the fort, when we found ourselves near the centre of what had been the crater of a volcano, and which, from its resemblance, has given the eminence the name of the Punch Bowl, by which it is familiarly known amongst foreigners. The crater is about a quarter or half a mile in diameter, and from one to two hundred feet deep. When we descended to the valley, which was not without difficulty, our way was every where interrupted by tarrow patches, their ditches, and embankments. After crossing a small valley, we came to an elevated piece of ground, where the natives who cultivated the tarrow below, had built their habitations, and around them planted groves of Banana. It was a fine morning, and the people of both sexes were industriously engaged in their appropriate occupations. Some of the women were roasting tarrow, and others making it up in poye. The latter operation was interesting to me, as I had never seen it before. When the tarrow is roasted, and the skin taken off, it resembles a potatoe; it is then put into a tray, and with a long, smooth stone, beaten up as fine as possible, occasionally mixing a small quantity of water with it; after it has been beaten in this way, it is worked over a number of times, to get all the lumps out; it then has the appearance of a thick paste or starch. A soon as it foments a little and becomes slightly acid, it is used. When in this state, it will not last long before it becomes very sour, and is then considered so unwholesome, that unless the people are very poor, it is thrown away.
After satisfying our curiosity in seeing the women make poye, we descended the hill where several men were preparing a tarrow patch. It was forty feet square, excavated a little, and an embankment two feet high thrown up all around it, descending with a considerable angle from the top to the base, making it very broad at the bottom. The labourers had advanced thus far, and were beating the area and inner sides of the embankment with broad heavy paddles, going over it a great many times. It appeared very hard and firm when we saw them at work; but still, they told us, that they had to beat it a great deal more. When this is completed, the tops of the tarrow that have been cut off for the purpose, are set in the ground and lightly flooded with water; after it has taken root and began to grow thriftily, more water is let in upon it; the tarrow well grown, will generally be covered with water to the depth of one or two feet. It is about the size of a beet, and takes a year or more to come to its greatest perfection. It has clusters of broad bright green leaves, that in shape and appearance are a good deal like the common pond lilly. It is a very nutricious vegetable, and constitutes the principal means of subsistence of the Sandwich Islanders.
The huts of the natives were very small, and although in the midst of cultivation and fertility, the inhabitants seemed to be wretchedly poor. They did not appear much more civilized than the natives of the Marquesas; their habitations were certainly less comfortable. Returning to the village, we saw a number of people scraping sticks that looked like our elder, and preserving the inner bark. Upon inquiring its use, they told us it was to catch fish with. When eaten by the fish, they come to the top of the water and are taken out by hand. It is said, the fish are not the worse for this.
On our arrival at Oahoo, the Dolphin was out of repair in every respect, and it was indispensably necessary to refit her, before we proceeded further on our return to the coast of Chili or Peru. Whilst the masts were out, and the vessel was undergoing general repairs, the captain received a letter from Captain Edwards, of the ship Loudon, of New-York, stating that he had ran upon a reef, on the Island of Ranai; besides a valuable cargo, he had a large amount of specie and bullion on board. The chief Thunder, (chief of Ranai,) was encouraging the natives of the island to plunder him, and finally, that his life and treasure was in the greatest jeopardy. Although not incumbent upon him as a duty, Captain Percival, with a promptitude highly creditable to himself and the service to which he belonged, chartered a vessel, and with the crew of the Dolphin, and Boque, the Governor of Oahoo, sailed on the same day that he received the letter. He found the situation of Captain Edwards not less critical than he had described it to be. The natives had already plundered him of a part of his cargo, and his own crew was in a state of mutiny. Employing the authority of Chief Boque, and the indefatigable industry of his own crew, Captain Percival caused the stolen goods to be restored, and the cargo and treasure of the Loudon to be safely landed at Oahoo. When all this had been accomplished, Captain Edwards refused to pay the charter of the vessel that was employed for his relief, in consequence of which, a quarrel arose between himself and Captain Percival, that eventuated in consequences injurious and disagreeable to both parties, and after our return home, became a subject of judicial investigation. By this investigation, which was brought on at the instance of Captain Edwards, an opportunity was afforded to Captain Percival and the officers of the Dolphin, to vindicate their characters, which they did, in every instance, to the entire satisfaction of their government and countrymen.