Early in the morning of the 7th, while the ships were unmooring, I went ashore with Captain Furneaux and Mr. Forster, in order to make some return to the king for his last night’s present. We no sooner landed than we found Attago, of whom we enquired for the king, whose name was Kohaghee-too-Fallangou. He accordingly undertook to conduct us to him; but whether he mistook the man we wanted, or was ignorant where he was, I know not. Certain it is, that he took us a wrong road, in which he had not gone far before he stopped; and after some little conversation between him and another man, we returned back, and presently after, the king appeared with very few attendants. As soon as Attago saw him coming, he sat down under a tree, and desired us to do the same. The king seated himself on a rising ground, about twelve or fifteen yards from us: here we sat facing one another for some minutes. I waited for Attago to shew us the way; but seeing he did not rise, Captain Furneaux and I got up, went and saluted the king, and sat down by him. We then presented him with a white shirt (which we put on his back), a few yards of red cloth, a brass kettle, a saw, two large spikes, three looking glasses, a dozen of medals, and some strings of beads. All this time he sat with the same sullen stupid gravity as the day before: he even did not seem to see or know what we were about; his arms appeared immoveable at his sides; he did not so much as raise them when we put on the shirt. I told him, both by words and signs, that we were going to leave his island; he scarcely made the least answer to this, or any other thing, we either said or did. We, therefore, got up and took leave; but I yet remained near him, to observe his actions. Soon after, he entered into conversation with Attago and an old woman, whom we took to be his mother. I did not understand any part of the conversation; it however made him laugh, in spite of his assumed gravity. I say assumed, because it exceeded every thing of the kind I ever saw; and therefore think it could not be his real disposition (unless he was an idiot indeed), as these islanders, like all the others we had lately visited, have a great deal of levity; and he was in the prime of life. At last, he rose up, and retired with his mother and two or three more.
Attago conducted us to another circle, where were seated the aged chief and several respectable old persons of both sexes; among whom was the priest, who was generally in company with this chief. We observed that this reverend father could walk very well in a morning; but, in an evening, was obliged to be led home by two people. By this we concluded, that the juice of the pepper-root had the same effect upon him, that wine and other strong liquors have on Europeans who drink a large portion of them. It is very certain, that these old people seldom sat down without preparing a bowl of this liquor; which is done in the same manner as at Ulietea. We, however, must do them the justice to believe, that it was meant to treat us: nevertheless, the greatest part, if not the whole, generally fell to their share. I was not well prepared to take leave of this chief, having exhausted almost all our store on the other. However, after rummaging our pockets, and treasury bag, which was always carried with me wherever I went, we made up a tolerable present, both for him and his friends. This old chief had an air of dignity about him that commanded respect, which the other had not. He was grave, but not sullen; would crack a joke, talk on indifferent subjects, and endeavour to understand us and be understood himself. During this visit, the old priest repeated a short prayer or speech, the purport of which we did not understand. Indeed he would frequently, at other times, break out in prayer; but I never saw any attention paid to him by any one present. After a stay of near two hours, we took leave, and returned on board, with Attago and two or three more friends, who staid and breakfasted with us; after which they were dismissed, loaded with presents.
Attago was very importunate with me to return again to this isle, and to bring with me cloth, axes, nails, &c. &c., telling me that I should have hogs, fowls, fruit, and roots, in abundance. He particularly desired me, more than once, to bring him such a suit of clothes as I had on, which was my uniform. This good-natured islander was very serviceable to me, on many occasions, during our short stay. He constantly came on board every morning soon after it was light, and never quitted us till the evening. He was always ready, either on board or on shore, to do me all the service in his power: his fidelity was rewarded at a small expence; and I found my account in having such a friend.
In heaving in the coasting cable, it parted in the middle of its length, being chaffed by the rocks. By this accident we lost the other half, together with the anchor, which lay in forty fathoms water, without any buoy to it. The best bower cable suffered also by the rocks; by which a judgment may be formed of this anchorage. At ten o’clock we got under sail; but as our decks were much encumbered with fruit, &c. we kept plying under the land till they were cleared. The supplies we got at this isle were about one hundred and fifty pigs, twice that number of fowls, as many bananoes and cocoa-nuts as we could find room for, with a few yams; and had our stay been longer, we, no doubt, might have got a great deal more. This, in some degree, shews the fertility of the island, of which, together with the neighbouring one of Middleburg, I shall now give a more particular account.
CHAP. III.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS AND THEIR PRODUCE, WITH THE CULTIVATION, HOUSES, CANOES, NAVIGATION, MANUFACTURES, WEAPONS, CUSTOMS, GOVERNMENT, RELIGION, AND LANGUAGE OF THE INHABITANTS.
These islands were first discovered by Captain Tasman in January 1642-3; and, by him, called Amsterdam and Middleburg. But the former is called by the natives Ton-ga-ta-bu, and the latter Ea-oo-we. They are situated between the latitude of 21° 29ʹ and 21° 3ʹ south, and between the longitude of 174° 40ʹ and 175° 15ʹ west, deduced from observations made on the spot.
Middleburg, or Eaoowe, which is the southernmost, is about ten leagues in circuit, and of a height sufficient to be seen twelve leagues. The skirts of this isle are mostly taken up in the plantations; the S. W. and N. W. sides especially. The interior parts are but little cultivated, though very fit for cultivation. However, the want of it added greatly to the beauty of the isle; for here are, agreeably dispersed, groves of cocoa-nut and other trees, lawns covered with thick grass, here and there plantations, and paths leading to every part of the island in such beautiful disorder, as greatly enlivens the prospect.
The anchorage, which I named English Road, (being the first who anchored there), is on the N. W. side, in latitude 21° 20ʹ 30ʺ south. The bearing we took when at anchor, already mentioned, together with the chart, will be more than sufficient to find this anchorage. The bank is a coarse sand; it extends two miles from the land, and on it there is from twenty to forty fathoms water. The small creek before it affords convenient landing for boats at all times of the tide; which here, as well as at the other islands, rises about four or five feet, and is high water on the full and change days about seven o’clock. The island of Tongatabu is shaped something like an isosceles triangle, the longest sides whereof are seven leagues each, and the shortest four. It lies nearly in the direction of E. S. E. and W. N. W. is nearly all of an equal height, rather low, not exceeding sixty or eighty feet above the level of the sea. This island, and also that of Eaoowe, is guarded from the sea by a reef of coral rocks extending out from the shore one hundred fathoms more or less. On this reef the force of the sea is spent before it reaches the land or shore. Indeed, this is, in some measure, the situation of all the Tropical Isles in this sea that I have seen; and thus nature has effectually secured them from the encroachments of the sea, though many of them are mere points when compared to this vast ocean. Van Diemen’s Road, where we anchored, is under the north-west part of the island, between the most northern and western points. There lies a reef of rocks without it, bearing N. W. by W. over which the sea breaks continually. The bank does not extend more than three cables lengths from the shore; without that, is an unfathomable depth. The loss of an anchor, and the damage our cables sustained, are sufficient proofs that the bottom is none of the best.
On the east side of the north point of the island (as Mr. Gilbert, whom I sent to survey the parts, informed me,) is a very snug harbour, of one mile or more in extent, wherein is seven, eight, and ten fathoms water, with a clean sandy bottom. The channel, by which he went in and out, lies close to the point, and has only three fathoms water; but he believes that farther to the N. E. is a channel with a much greater depth, which he had not time to examine. Indeed, it would have taken up far more time than I could spare to have surveyed these parts minutely; as there lie a number of small islets and reefs of rocks along the N. E. side of the island, which seemed to extend to the N. E. farther than the eye could reach. The island of Amsterdam or Tongatabu is wholly laid out in plantations, in which are planted some of the richest productions of nature; such as bread-fruit, cocoa-nut trees, plantains, bananoes, shaddocks, yams, and some other roots, sugar cane, and a fruit like a nectarine, called by them Fighega, and at Otaheite Ahuya: in short, here are most of the articles which the Society Islands produce, besides some which they have not. Mr. Forster tells me, that he not only found the same plants here that are at Otaheite, and the neighbouring isles, but several others which are not to be met with there. And I probably have added to their stock of vegetables, by leaving with them an assortment of garden seeds, pulse, &c. Bread-fruit here, as well as at all the other isles, was not in season; nor was this the time for roots and shaddocks. We got the latter only at Middleburg.
The produce and cultivation of this isle is the same as at Amsterdam; with this difference, that a part only of the former is cultivated, whereas the whole of the latter is. The lanes or roads necessary for travelling, are laid out in so judicious a manner as to open a free and easy communication from one part of the island to the other. Here are no towns or villages, most of the houses are built in the plantations, with no other order than what conveniency requires; they are neatly constructed; but do not exceed those in the other isles. The materials of which they are built are the same; and some little variation in the disposition of the framing is all the difference in their construction. The floor is a little raised, and covered with thick strong mats; the same sort of matting serves to inclose them on the windward side, the other being open. They have little areas before the most of them, which are generally planted round with trees, or shrubs of ornament, whose fragrancy perfumes the very air in which they breathe. Their household furniture consists of a few wooden platters, cocoa-nut shells, and some neat wooden-pillows shaped like four-footed stools or forms. Their common clothing, with the addition of a mat, serves them for bedding. We got from them two or three earthen vessels, which were all we saw among them. One was in the shape of a bomb-shell, with two holes in it opposite each other; the others were like pipkins, containing about five or six pints, and had been in use on the fire. I am of opinion they are the manufacture of some other isle; for, if they were of their own, we ought to have seen more of them. Nor am I to suppose they came from Tasman’s ships; the time is too long for brittle vessels like these to be preserved.