Wrecked on the Feejees

by William S. Cary

At sunset it cleared off and we proceeded on our voyage, arriving at Cantab the next morning, but could learn nothing of the ship. We then proceeded to Tarbuca where we concluded to make a stop. While here the chief requested us to assist him to capture a village, the people of which were very troublesome to him. We consented, mustered our forces and started one morning, but found the enemy prepared for us. We had two muskets. I had one and a chief another. We gave the war whoop, and advanced to the attack, firing our muskets and wounding two, whereupon they all fled, taking with them their wounded companions. Some of our men followed them and killed one chief, who they slung on a pole and brought back. They took the dead body to the square and sang songs of victory over it, then carried it away and had a cannibal feast. The following night one of the Tarbuca men went to this village and offered to join them. They readily accepted him. After telling them some fine stories he induced one of them to accompany him on the pretense of securing some plunder. He got him near the town, knocked him on the head, shouldered him and brought him into the town. For this act he was well rewarded by the chief. We started for Raver with our canoe loaded with presents given us for assisting in conquering the village, and arrived the same day, having been absent about a fortnight.

Some time after this I obtained permission to visit Ambow. My chief furnished me with a canoe and two men. We started in the morning and reached Ambow in the afternoon. I went direct to the king, who was delighted to see me and treated me to the best he had. He asked me if I had come back to stop with him, but I told him I should return the next morning, having only come to see him and inquire after his health. He seemed very much flattered that I should have manifested so much interest in him. I also went round and visited the chiefs of my acquaintance, who were exceedingly glad to see me, but all regretted that my visit was to be so short. The next morning we returned to Raver.

A short time after our return we were visited by a party from the big island called by the natives Vechalaboo, bringing with them presents of tappah and salt for the king of Raver. These presents were brought up to the public square, which is used for all grand occasions, and distributed with the usual ceremony. After this our chiefs had a dance by themselves. They formed in a straight line with the head chief in the center and the singers behind. When the singing began (one singing a line or sentence alone, then all repeating) the chiefs kept time with their hands and feet with great regularity. They had no music but singing, though when they went through the spear exercise, they made a kind of drum by resting the ends of a stick of timber some five feet long on blocks, and beating on the middle with sticks about the size of drum sticks.

I always had the privilege, at the time of receiving presents, of selecting whatever I chose, and generally availed myself of it. Sometimes when the natives thought I was helping myself rather too freely they would call out that a certain subject was tabooed, but I would tell them it wasn't tabooed for me to take what I liked. Salt was a scarce article among them and much valued. It was made in artificial ponds by the heat of the sun, and they brought all they had for market to Raver. The king of Raver had married the big island chief's daughter. From Raver the salt was carried to Ambow, and exchanged for tappah, oil, mats, etc., and from there it would get distributed over most of the islands. It was manufactured in large cakes—some of them as large as two men could carry on a pole. When our visitors departed their canoes were loaded with presents from our people consisting of mats, tappah, and oil scented with sandal wood and flowers.

This large island is separated from Raver by a channel only about a mile wide. It was thickly settled and its inhabitants were continually at war with each other. Indeed the principal occupation of the men, when not on the war path, was the manufacture of clubs, spears, bows and arrows, and other implements of war. Their dialect was so different from ours at Raver that I could understand very little they said. (As the reader may surmise, I had by this time quite mastered the language of the natives with whom I had resided.)

There were great numbers of green and hawk's bill turtles around the shores and an abundance of fish which they caught with their nets. They would spread their net in the form of a half moon outside the fish or turtles, secure it by sticking down poles, then drive the game towards it by splashing the water. When these islanders were preparing for a fishing cruise they were highly offended to be spoken to, and when addressed refused to answer, and if anyone stepped on their nets or fishing gear, they would postpone their cruise till another day. They believed that if they conversed with anyone at such times they would be eaten by sharks, or some other dire calamity would befall them.

It now being the planting season I went with the king one day to witness their operations. At planting time it is customary for the neighboring towns to join and assist each other. We went over the river to a town on the opposite bank, where we found all hands employed in breaking up soil and preparing it for the seed. This was done with a kind of shovel made from a large pearl shell with a handle or pole fixed to it. They dug up the earth and hove it up in heaps about four feet apart, each heap being calculated for a hill of yams. The king told me to select a piece of ground for myself, and he would have it dug, which I did. After the ground was thus prepared they returned to Raver and had a feast.

The next day the women went out and planted the yams. These were planted about the same as we plant potatoes. The large ones were cut into several pieces and the small ones planted whole. They put one or more in each of the heaps of earth, covered them lightly with soil, and then put a handful of white sand on each, that they might know when it was all done. At every planting season they plant a piece of ground for the Caloo (God). This is done principally by the chiefs, the women not being allowed to plant this for fear the Caloo will be offended and destroy their crops. The ground for the Caloo is dug up with an ironwood stake and made up in heaps about four feet high with their hands. They plant a hill on each heap and set a white flag on a pole at each hill, thinking that this will insure them a good crop. Tarrow keeps continually growing. They pull up a root and cut it off, then stick the top down and a new root grows. After the yams sprout they stick a reed in each hill for the vine to run up on. After this they are left to the care of the women, who keep them clear from weeds with a hoe made from a pearl shell.

The chiefs at Raver frequently employ themselves in making baskets, which they weave very neatly and handsomely from a kind of grass which they cure and dye various colors. These baskets are traded off to the other islands.

The most of the chiefs had muskets and many of them were excellent shots, but the common people seldom used one. It was very rare for them to have property enough to buy one and if they did, and the head chiefs or king took a fancy to it, they would take it away from them. They sometimes would want to fire my musket, and I generally let them, always putting in a heavy charge. They would hold the gun at arm's length, and when they fired she would jump out of their hands. This puzzled them very much. They could not understand why she did not jump when I fired her. I used to frequently accompany the king on his gunning excursions. He was an excellent shot, and prided himself very much on his skill, and was always highly elated when he beat me.