About the last of April, myself and Lay were separated, destined to different Islands, not knowing whether we should ever see each other again. At night we arrived at an Island, and hauled up our canoe. We found but few natives, but among the number was the mother of the chief with whom I lived. She was very inquisitive respecting me, and talked so incessantly through the night that I could not sleep. The next morning we were employed in gathering breadfruit, for the purpose of curing it for the winter. This employment continued about three months, during which time I was very uneasy about my situation. At intervals of leisure, when the old chief had no particular engagements to engross his attention, he would launch his canoe and go and search for fish; but my shoes having been taken from me, whenever I was employed round the rough shores of the Island, my feet were so wounded that I could hardly walk. The natives now commenced the destruction of my clothing, and not being able to converse with them, I found it very difficult to preserve my apparel. They often requested me to divest myself of my clothing, and dress as they did, or rather not dress at all. I made signs that the sun would burn me, if I should expose myself to its scorching rays. When they found that persuasion would not induce me to divest myself of clothing, they began to destroy my clothes, by tearing them in pieces. It was some time before I could understand their language, so as to inform them that the sun would burn my back; and being robbed of my clothes, the powerful influence of the sun soon scorched me to such a degree that I could scarcely lie down or take any rest.
About the latter part of July, William Lay and others came to the Island in a canoe, to see me, being the first interview we had enjoyed since our separation, which was about three months previous. Lay informed me that the natives had taken his bible from him and torn it up, and threatened his life. He informed me that it seemed to him as though he was robbed of that comfort which none in a christian land are deprived of. We were soon parted; he in a canoe was taken to an Island by the natives called Dilabu, and I went to my employment, repairing a canoe which was on the stocks. After I had finished the canoe, the natives prepared a quantity of bread fruit and fish for the chiefs, and on the following morning we set sail for an Island called Milly, one of the largest in the group, at which resides the principal chief. We arrived just at night and were cordially received by the natives, who had assembled on the beach in great numbers, for the purpose of getting some fish which the old chief had brought with him. He then hauled his canoe on shore; and I had again the pleasure of seeing my fellow sufferer, William Lay, after a month’s separation. Since our first meeting we were not allowed to converse much together.
The old chief tarried at this Island but a short time, and Lay and myself were once more separated. The old chief, his family, and myself, returned to the Island which we had left two or three days before, called, in the language of the natives, Tabarawort; and he and his family commenced gathering bread fruit. As the old man with whom I lived had charge of several small Islands, we found it difficult to gather the fruit as fast as it ripened, so that a considerable part fell to the ground and perished. In the mean time, while we were employed in gathering in the fruits of the earth, news came to the Island, to inform the chief with whom I lived, that it was the intention of the highest chiefs to destroy us both, (that is myself and Lay,) because a severe sickness prevailed among them, and they being superstitious, supposed we were the occasion of it. I informed them that we could not have been the cause of the sickness, as no such sickness prevailed in our country, and that I never before had seen a similar disease. But still they talked very hard about us; and the highest chief sent to the chief I lived with, to have me brought to the Island of Milly, where Lay lived, in order that we might be killed together. Preparations having been made, the old chief, whom I called father, with his family and myself, set sail the next morning for Milly, where we arrived about sun set. He immediately went to see the chief of Milly, to inquire the circumstances relating to the necessity of taking our lives, leaving me and the rest of the family in the canoe. I shortly perceived William Lay and his master coming towards the canoe, which produced sensations hard to be described. Affectionate and sympathizing reader, what must have been our feelings and conversation at that moment, when nothing seemingly was presented to our view but death? We were allowed an interview of only a few minutes, when we were again separated.
My master soon returned to the canoe, and entered into very earnest conversation with his family, which, at the time, I did not fully understand; but found afterwards it was a relation to his family of his interview with the natives on the subject of taking our lives; and that if they killed me, they would first have to kill him, (my master,) which they were unwilling to do. My kind old master told them he had preserved me, and always should. Night now coming on, I lay down to sleep, but fear had taken such possession of my mind, that the night was spent in wakeful anxiety.
The next morning I asked leave of my master to visit Lay, which he readily gave. I set out for the hut in company with my master’s son; but on approaching it, Lay called out to me, to inform me that I must not come—that the natives did not like to have us together. On my turning to go back, Lay’s master called to me to come. I went and sat down, and entered into conversation with Lay, to ascertain what the intention of the natives towards us were. He told me it was the design of the high chief to kill us. I observed to him, that we were in the hands of the natives; still there was a higher and more powerful Hand that could protect us, if it were the Divine pleasure so to do. I then bade him farewell, and returned to the canoe, never expecting to see each other again till we should meet on the tranquil ocean of eternity.
My master being now ready to return to his Island, the canoe was launched, and we set sail, and arrived the same night, having been absent two days.—The natives expressed much joy on seeing me return, and asked many questions respecting the chief of Milly; but as I was unable to speak their language intelligibly, I could give them but little information. We then went on with our work as usual, which was fishing, &c. &c.
After having been at this Island some time, my master’s wife manifested an inclination to go and visit her friends, who lived at an Island called in their language Luguonewort. After a successful excursion in fishing, we cooked a part, and took some breadfruit, and embarked, agreeably to the wishes of my master’s wife, and arrived at Luguonewort in two days. The natives of that Island gave us a cordial reception. We hauled up our canoe and remained some time among them. After our agreeable visit was ended, we returned to the other Island, found the natives well, and that good care had been taken by the chief’s mother, an old woman to whom the superintendence of things had been left.
About six months after the massacre of my shipmates, the brother of the native in whose possession I was, came to the Island, and informed us that a ship had been seen to pass a day or two before, and that it caused great disturbance among the chiefs—that they thought it was the ship that left the Islands, (the Globe,) and that she was in search of us. My old master immediately prepared his canoe to visit the chiefs, and he wanted also to inquire of me what I thought respecting the ship. We loaded our canoe and made sail for Milly, where the chiefs were. We arrived at night, and found a great number of natives collected on the beach, to see if we had any fish. We hauled up our canoe for the night, and the natives began to question me about the ship.—I told them I did not know, concluding it would be good policy to say but little on the subject. The natives crowded round me in great numbers; and I did not see Lay till he came to me. I inquired of him what he had seen, and he informed me that there had been a ship in sight about half an hour before sun set, and that she was near enough for him to see them take in their fore and mizen top gallant sails, but could give no definite account of her, as she was soon out of sight. We were not allowed to be together long; and I went to rest as usual, but could not sleep.—“Hope springs eternal in the human breast”—and hope that the ship which had been seen had come to deliver us from savages and transport us to our native country and dear friends, had an influence on my feelings more powerful than sleep, and imagination was busy through the night in picturing scenes of future happiness.
But the prospect of our being released from our unpleasant situation was not very flattering. Early next morning I asked and obtained permission from my master, to pay a visit to Lay, before passing round to the opposite side of the Island. Accompanied by my master’s son and several others, I went to the hut where Lay lived, and we had the pleasure of another interview; but it was of short duration, for we were not allowed to be together more than a quarter of an hour. I returned to my master’s canoe, and there continued till the middle of the day; we then launched and set sail for Tabanawort, where we arrived the fore part of the night.—Early next morning we prepared for a fishing cruise, had pretty good success, and returned just before night, made a fire, cooked some fish, and ate a delicious supper.
Our canoe being leaky and very much out of repair, my master and I commenced taking her to pieces, for the purpose of re-building her; and we were occasionally employed upon her nearly two months, when we launched her, and commencing fishing business, had alternately good and bad success. One day we had the good fortune to enclose, in a kind of wear made for the purpose, a large quantity of fishes, and with a scoopnet we caught a plentiful supply. After cooking them, we set out with a quantity to dispose of to the chiefs of Milly, where we arrived before night, on the same day of sailing. Very soon after our arrival I saw Lay and his master approaching the canoe, and we once more had a short but pleasant interview. I inquired of Lay how he fared, as to food, &c. His reply was, better than he expected, and that the natives were kind to him, always giving him his part. I informed him I had a basket of fish reserved for him as a present, which he requested me to keep till dark, that he might be enabled to carry them home without having them all begged by the natives. He came at night for the fish, and I retired, agreeably to my master’s wishes to sleep in the canoe, to prevent the natives from stealing the remainder of the fish that were on board. The next morning my master was highly pleased to find that nothing was missing; and gave me liberty to go and see Lay. I went to the hut and found him with his master. They gave me a cordial welcome, and presented me with some cocoanuts in return for the fish. Lay’s master inquired of me very particularly respecting my master, and the quantity of fish we caught. I then returned to the canoe, carrying the cocoanuts, to deposite in the hold. My master asked me where I got them; I told him Lay’s master gave them to me. If this minute detail should appear unimportant to the reader, he may draw a moral from it; for it evinces that my master was like other masters, desirous to know if his servant came honestly in possession of the cocoanuts. He then ordered me and his son to launch the canoe, which we did, got under sail for the Island we left the day before, and arrived back at night. We learned that during our absence the natives had caught a considerable quantity of fish; and in a few days we caught a large quantity more; loaded our canoe, and embarked for one of the head Islands to pay a visit, where we stopped some time. On our return, we commenced catching a kind of fish called by the natives kierick. They are about the size of a small codfish; and the manner of taking them is very curious—they make a line of the husk of cocoanuts, about the size of a cod line; they then in the canoe pass round the fish to the windward of the flat, then lie to till a considerable quantity of them get on the flat, then square away by the wind and run down and go round the flat with this line, and thus catch them, men, women, and children being employed. I have known them catch one hundred at a draught. The fish are afraid of the line, and when enclosed, taken by a scoopnet. After taking a sufficient quantity, they go on shore to prepare for cooking them, which is done by digging a large hole in the earth, filling it with wood, covered with stones. The wood is then consumed, which heats the stones—the fish are wrapped in leaves to prevent them from falling to pieces, then covered with green leaves, and cooked by the heat of the stones. About an hour is required to cook them sufficient for eating. Their manner of curing fish, is, to split them and dry them in the sun, without using salt. Thus cured, they will keep some time. While we were employed in fishing, Lay came to the Island, in company with a native, to visit me; but did not stay long, for the chief sent for him, fearing, as I afterwards found out, that they should lose us. From some hints that had been dropped, a report had got in circulation that my master and Lamawoot, (Lay’s master,) intended to leave their Islands, and embark for an Island to the north west, where the king lived, and carry us with them as a great curiosity. Lay was carried back to the chiefs—the head one sent an express to my master and Lay’s to come and see him—they made preparations and set sail for Milly; where they were closely questioned respecting their going to the other Island, &c. &c. They denied that they had even intimated any such design; which was false, for I had frequently heard them talking on the subject myself, but kept silent, as it appeared to be a great crime for any to desert their Islands; and I feared the consequences of making it known.—They then parted in peace and friendship, and I and my master returned to our habitation.