Life and Adventure in the South Pacific

by John D. Jones

Kinau, with firm determination, commenced her task. Passing alone, away from her friends and neighbors, over the dark plains in the valley of Menoa, she soon began to ascend the steep and rugged mountain of Nuanu, and, after excessive exertion, reached its summit. She cast her wild eyes around, and saw the dark ocean which encompasses Wauhoo; she could hear its distant roar as it broke with violence on the weather side of the island; the chilly and unruly blast of the night-wind almost forced her slender figure from the pointed rock on which she, for a moment, rested; her loose hair lashed her burning forehead with its violence. Behind her was the valley of Menoa, in which she had met the last look of her beloved Tuanoa; before her was the valley of Nuanu, four thousand feet in depth. Midway dashing its white foam, she could just observe the enchanted stream gushing out of a small division in the rocks, and falling two thousand feet into the valley below, at the bottom of which the enchanter resided. Still determined to visit him or die in the attempt, she began the fearful descent of the Pelé of Nuanu, and after great difficulties—now clinging to the branches of some friendly tree, and now sliding in various positions—she succeeded in reaching the source of the waterfall. Almost overcome with fatigue and contending emotions, she here rested. A torrent of tears relieved her aching heart, and she again commenced the arduous task of descending, by the side of the foaming stream, over slippery rocks and sharp craggy points, her feet torn and bleeding, her heart almost broken, and her weary frame nearly exhausted. Her disordered imagination, blinded by her tears, saw visions of darkness and despair hanging from every rock; and the murmuring of the trees, as they were moved by the wind, appeared like the voices of her foes imploring for her destruction. But still Kinau wended her way—yes, the tender yet powerful passion of love supported her—the passion of love in woman, invincible love, which has caused the “change of empires and the loss of worlds,” has “inspired heroism and subdued avarice.” She succeeded in reaching the glen, where she bathed her bleeding feet for a moment in the waters of the cascade. The moon, which had before been hidden behind dark clouds, now peeped through an opening in them, as if anxious to look upon the devoted girl and admire her fortitude. The large gray owl, which inhabits the valleys, flapped his broad wings over her head as he moused among the rocks; and the quick-flying bat darted in and out of his caves, as if disturbed by the intruder. Lifting up her eyes, Kinau beheld a tall old man descending the Pelé. Quickly he took advantage of each jutting point of rock to secure his footsteps, and he descended with apparent ease to the spot where Kinau rested. Long gray hair fell over his shoulders, and he thus addressed the maiden:

“Daughter of Kuakini, and the beloved of Tuanoa, I am he whom you seek. I have followed you from the valley of Menoa; I have watched and feel astonished at your strength, fortitude, and love. I know the spirit of darkness has come over you when the gladness of your heart was taken from you. Your love for the brave Tuanoa is like the mountain of Nuanu, fixed forever, and can not change; it is clear and bright as the water that falls from the Pelé; it is like the fire of the volcano of Waikukii, which is unquenchable. Daughter of Kuakini, arise! go to the valley of thy fathers, and rest in the bosom of thy neighbors; for I have seen a Great Spirit, who, before to-morrow’s sun reacheth the valley of Nuanu, shall come and save thy Tuanoa from the blood-consuming fire.”

“Oh great Kelkuewa,” said Kinau, “your words are like water to the parched tarro; they are like the waters of the ocean to the expiring fish, which the fisherman returns to its element. I feel my heart lightened; the cold hand of the spirit of darkness has moved from my heart. Oh Kelkuewa,” continued the enraptured girl, “they say you have no daughter. I will be your daughter; I will make your tappas; I will water your tarro-patches, though I bring the water from the other side of the mountain of Nuanu.” The enchanter seized the hand of Kinau, assisted her over the Pelé, and saw her descend to the valley of her fathers.

The morn of the day on which the tragedy was to be ended appeared. Before the sun had risen, thousands of the islanders were moving toward the plains of Whyteetee, on which the immolation of the victims was to take place. Lamentations were heard over the whole island. The plains of Whyteetee were soon covered with countless multitudes, and five immense fires were lighted. As the sun rose, the odor from the burning sandal-wood perfumed the whole of Wauhoo. In an inclosure about one hundred feet long and fifty from front to back, the front wall of which was about six feet high, and the back about twelve, formed of loose stones or masses of lava piled upon each other, and situated upon a rise of ground at the end of the plain, facing the sea, the five victims were placed.

On a mass of rocks about one hundred feet high, which rise abruptly out of the plains, and command a view for a considerable distance around, sat the princes and chiefs, with all the great men of the island. Among them Nahi was observed in a conspicuous situation, watching the proceedings with great earnestness, for he had heard that Kinau had visited the enchanted glen, and he had heard also of the prophecy of Kelkuewa. Indeed, it was upon the lips of every one, and many hoped that the prophecy would be fulfilled. The more noble of the erics and people began to look upon these cruel exhibitions with disgust, and to long for a pretext for abolishing them. They saw the abuse, if we may so call it, to which it was liable, from the base conduct of Nahi, and yet, being a national custom, it was hard to abolish.

The proceedings of the assembly soon commenced. The first victim, who happened to be an abandoned wretch, was led out of the inclosure by the priests, and thrust among the multitude. There were plenty of the wild and infuriated to commence the attack, by hurling stones and beating the unfortunate victim with any weapon with which they might have provided themselves for the occasion, and he was hunted to and fro like a wild beast, until the spark of life was nearly extinct; then he was hurled upon the funeral pile, amid the wild exclamations of the savage throng, while “liquid fire curled round his limbs, and to his hissing bones and marrow clung.”

Kinau, surrounded by her kindred, was seen in an agitated state, frequently looking toward the Pelé of Nuanu, and wondering how the Great Spirit would interpose to save her beloved Tuanoa. Sometimes, full of hope, her countenance would brighten, and she appeared to possess new life; then again she would doubt the enchanter’s successful interference, and her spirits would sink. Thus was her gentle bosom torn with a thousand conflicting emotions. Despair for a moment shadowed her invincible spirit with his dark and death-hovering wings, and the beloved Kinau felt that she would willingly sacrifice her own life to save that of her lover. Tuanoa observed his adored girl with those acute feelings which the pencil can not paint nor the pen justly describe. He was bound to the insensate stake, which heard not the heart’s flutter or the despairing sigh—which felt not the tremulous shake of the confined but powerful limb that strove in vain to break from its moveless grasp. At last, despairing, he hung from his confinement, apparently a lifeless being.

Another unfortunate but criminal victim was now given to the infuriated multitude and sacrificed; and the next was to be Tuanoa, the beloved and innocent Tuanoa, who was insensible now from the mental anguish he had suffered. To die so young, and such a horrid death—to go and leave his Kinau behind—this was more than he could bear, and he fainted from misery. The brave maiden could no longer bear this uncertainty. She rushed through the crowd of her kindred—scaled the walls of the inclosure—glided between the guards with a supernatural quickness, and encircled with her devoted arms her beloved. But the guards and the priests quickly proceeded to separate them; and now they unbound, and were about to thrust the bewildered Tuanoa among the savage group who thirsted for his blood. The gate of the inclosure was thrown open; already the savage hand was raised to smite with deadly violence; already the maddened and phrensied eyes of fanatic men were gleaming with murderous excitement to grace the royal death; the impatient, loyal crowd, heap upon heap, swayed to and fro in their eagerness to slay one of themselves—one, too, who had been formerly beloved by them, and for whom they would have made great sacrifices, but now hated and condemned; and they impatiently thirsted for his blood.

But the enchanter at this moment appeared among the people. In a loud voice he commanded their attention, and pointed to an object which was seen upon the ocean at a great distance. All eyes were instantly directed, in great wonder, toward it. During the confusion, a stone was hurled by an unseen hand, which struck Nahi, and killed him in an instant; but the event scarcely received attention. The object to which the enchanter still pointed approached the island rapidly. It appeared larger every moment, and in a short time its color was distinguishable. Fear and curiosity increased, for never had the people witnessed such a sight before. At times it appeared of an immense breadth, with wide-spreading wings, and in a moment or two would appear quite narrow, but of great height. Occasionally its apparent wings shook; then anon the whole mass appeared to stoop to the surface of the ocean. Swayed by an irresistible impulse, princes, erics, and people went down to the edge of the sea. The liberated victims, surrounded by their kindred, followed. The prophecy was fulfilled. They were liberated by common consent. Never can poet or painter describe or represent the two enraptured lovers, as they appeared walking together on the beach, having but “one soul in a divided body.”

Reader! the “Great Spirit” which so rapidly approached, and was bringing to those islanders light to disperse their darkness, humanity and religion to abolish their cruelties, the arts and sciences to banish their ignorance, was the great spirit of the immortal navigator Cook, who had just discovered those fertile islands, and whose ship had been observed by the enchanter on the previous evening from the heights of the Pelé of Nuanu.