STRONG’S ISLAND CANOE.
On this island is a root, which grows wild, called “carva.” They pound this root, extract the juice by squeezing it in their hands into cocoanut-shells, and then drink it. By taking a sufficient quantity, it operates very similarly to opium, causing a sleepy intoxication. It tastes very much like the extract of sarsaparilla root. This is a great article with them, and, on calling from house to house, you are first presented with a shell of carva. There are those on the island who have used it so much that they resemble in appearance the worst class of opium-eaters.
There is a tree here which is a great curiosity, being a species of the banyan-tree of India. Its branches, bending to the ground and taking root, make beautiful shady groves, and pleasant retreats from the sultriness of the scorching sun.
In the matter of religion the natives have a singular belief. Their deity, whom they call “Blueskin,” was thus described to us by Aleck: “All the same white gal, only he got wing all the same pigeon,” which is as near a description of an angel as we could have given him. They say, “If man be good, he go there,” pointing to the sky; “s’pose he no good, he stop here,” pointing to the earth. It is certainly very singular where or from whence they received these ideas; nevertheless, they sincerely believe them. They have no regular places of worship, neither have they any prescribed form. Some years since a famine visited the island, and swept off many of the inhabitants. According to their traditions, a great quantity of eels, which had never before been seen by them, suddenly made their appearance, and prevented them from entirely perishing with hunger. They have now great veneration for these eels, and they are tabooed, as they believe Blueskin sent them; and, although the waters abound with them, they will neither harm them nor suffer them to be harmed, if in their power to prevent it.
They also believe in evil spirits. Once per year, or oftener, if any thing remarkable transpires, the high-priest is followed by his train of natives, carefully and plentifully oiled with cocoanut oil, wreathed with flowers, and each one carrying fruit of some description to appease the angry spirit, while the priest blows away upon a large conch-shell, making a most hideous noise, to which is added a continual wail by his train, which sounds truly mournful. They go along the beach, and to each chief’s house, taking what has been collected as an offering to Blueskin, generally consisting of pure white tappas and the general productions of the island. These articles are deposited by the priest in a house, tabooed to all but himself, on the mountain, and are left there for Blueskin to take whenever he chooses. The priest only enters this place once a year, or when the island appears to be threatened with some dire calamity. At such times he goes in and has a talk with Blueskin.
On the death of any person, all the friends and relatives meet at the house of the deceased, where they join in singing, wailing, screeching, and weeping for about twenty-four hours, after which the body is buried with much solemnity, with the head to the west. We inquired the reason of this, and were answered, “Very good; ’nother day’s sun he come all right.” The articles most highly prized by the deceased while living are always buried with them. A small fence is erected around the tomb of a native, and the friends every morning carry fruits and flowers, and place them on the grave, for they believe the spirits of the dead linger for a time upon the earth before departing for the skies. If the deceased is a chief or a member of the royal family, a house is erected over the grave, and all the chiefs on the island remove to the place, build small houses, and remain there for three months, the usual term of mourning, during which time they present offerings very bountifully, and with a great deal of state. After the ceremony of offering the fruit every morning, the nearest related chief makes a feast, and all the chiefs gather and eat, and drink carva. The females are excluded from these and all other public feasts. The women belonging to the departed chief have their heads shaved, and present a most comical appearance; also all the relatives cut their hair short.
One Saturday evening a native from the island of Rotumah, called Rotumah Tom, came on board with a large number of fine pigeons for our Sunday dinner, which we found very fat, and fine eating. We received a present of a mess of flying-fish also, on Sunday morning, from the king, which were caught the previous night. He is very kind to us, sending bread-fruit, smoking hot, every meal, for all hands, and other food which the island produces. A favorite dish with them is “poey,” and is prepared as follows: They bake a quantity of tarra (which is something like our potato), and then pound it on a large flat stone, mix in some roasted bananas, and, after working it sufficiently, grate up the meat of old cocoanuts, and, inclosing the gratings in leaves, by squeezing extract the white milky substance, and cover the poey in such a manner as to resemble frosting. Some of the poey is made from the banana and bread-fruit, and is truly excellent. After it is prepared it is placed on large banana leaves, and is then ready for consumption.
We were fortunate in being at the island at this time, as Monday, December 16th, was the day for the annual visit of the high-priest of Blueskin, with his train, and we had an opportunity of witnessing the whole affair. The occasion was one of great excitement among the natives, they looking upon the proceedings with a great deal of solemnity and awe. Our crew were all ashore, and appeared to be highly amused, nearly all going to the opposite side of the small island from the harbor to meet “Blueskin” and his train as they arrived from the large island. When we expressed to some of them our intention of joining the procession, they exclaimed, almost horror-stricken, “What for? ’spose you do all the same, Blueskin he strike; kill ’em very quick!” Nevertheless, some ten or twelve of our men did join the procession, and “howled” in the most scientific manner possible, to assist in driving the evil spirits from the island, without interruption from Blueskin. Yet we imagine the high-priest thought if there were any greater “evil spirits” than some of the “Emily Morgan’s” men, it was high time they were driven off. After making the tour of the island, and consigning every thing evil to the spirits of the deep, the priest proceeded to the house of young Aleck, and, after many ceremonies, gave him a new name, “Zegrah,” which is considered a great honor, and raises his rank a peg or two.
Our Pitt’s Island native, Friday, could hardly suppress his astonishment and laughter during the whole proceeding, and, on our asking him his opinion of the show, exclaimed, “What for all the same? All the same Kanaka pool!” We proceeded to the house of Cæsar, where a feast was to be held after the ceremonies at Zegrah’s, as we will now call him. We had received an invitation the day before, so that we felt ourselves “perfectly at home” among the “nobility.” On arriving, we found his large cook-house filled with natives, who were waiting for the ceremonies to commence. Cæsar was seated on a mat in one corner, with some of his petty chiefs about him. He very kindly offered us seats at his right on the mat, and we accordingly “squatted.” He asked us, “You been see Blueskin?” and on our replying in the affirmative, he wished to know how we liked him. We gave him our opinion in as few words as possible, and expressed ourselves as being highly pleased with the performances. He laughed heartily, and appeared to treat the whole thing as a good joke—an excellent humbug. He now clapped his hands twice, and, speaking in his native language, the petty chiefs passed the leaves of different articles to him, and at the same time others helped the natives. We ate heartily of poey, baked bananas, bread-fruit, sugar-cane (which we had forgotten to mention grows here in great abundance), cocoanuts, fish (which were baked for our company, as they know white men will not eat them raw), with large shells of carva to wash it down. After these courses had disappeared, the dessert made its appearance in the shape of an animal of some kind, piping hot, which had been baked whole. We supposed it to be a wild hog, and were about to partake, when, curiosity getting the better of our appetites, we inquired if it was “hog.” Cæsar replied, “No, dog;” at the same time urging us to help ourselves, and saying “very good.” We did not doubt it; but, suddenly recollecting that we had eaten very heartily, concluded that we wouldn’t “indulge,” and excused ourselves by saying we were full, and could eat no more. He seemed loth to let us off in this manner, but, finding it no use to urge us, gave it up. It was evident he was not pleased in our refusing to partake of his favorite dish, but we could not go “dog.” After he finished his “dessert” of baked dog, he sent several choice parcels to his wife and daughters, and women belonging to his tribe, and after washing, which they always do at the close of a meal, we retired to his house, and enjoyed a quiet smoke, spinning yarns, singing songs, etc., which appeared to greatly amuse Cæsar, and then stretching ourselves upon the large cool mats, enjoyed a refreshing sleep.
The next day we called upon Zegrah, and, after talking with him some little time, he urged us to take up our quarters with him as long as the ship remained; said he had a nice, comfortable house, which he would taboo to the natives, and give us, and we should have every thing at our command. When we wished to go aboard the ship a large canoe was at our service, with natives to paddle. Of course we thanked him for his kindness, and accepted his generous proposals. We accordingly went into our “hotel,” and arranged our beds, etc., which consisted merely of mats spread upon the bamboo floor, with pillows which we had brought from the ship, and soon found ourselves in comfortable, pleasant quarters, but a short distance from the beach, with a fine sea-breeze, and the never-ceasing roar of the breakers sounding in our ears, as the huge rollers come combing, dashing, breaking along over the rocks. It was, indeed, to the lover of nature a magnificent scene.