Wrecked on the Feejees

by William S. Cary

The island of Raver is about five or six miles long and only about two miles across in its widest part. It had five or six different villages, some of them small. The one where the king resided was much the largest, containing upwards of a hundred houses. Those occupied by the common people were very small, but those belonging to the king and chiefs were much larger. The one occupied by the king was about forty feet by thirty wide. At each end he had a temporary floor across from the eaves forming a loft. These lofts he used to deposit his treasure in. One end, where he slept, was raised from the ground with dry grass covered with mats and a curtain drawn across to keep out the mosquitoes, which were exceedingly troublesome.

While I was here the king built a house for their Caloo Laboo (Great Spirit). This was perfectly round. The center of the roof went up to a very high peak, which was supported by a post in the ground. Across this peak a spar was fastened, which projected eight feet beyond the house, and was covered with small white shells, and a string of the same ten feet long was suspended from each end of the spar. This was built as an offering to the Great Spirit, who had given them power over their enemies, and was placed in charge of the Umbaty, who was supposed to frequently see and converse with the great Caloo.

They generally cook in the house, having the fire-place in the middle of the building. They used earthen vessels to cook in, made in the form of a jar. At one of the villages on this island they manufactured this kind of ware and their water jars were very handsomely glazed with the gum of a tree. This labor is all performed by the women. They bake it in a kiln. This ware forms an article of traffic for which they get tappah and oil from the other islands.

One morning the king sent a messenger to the king of Ambow. In the afternoon he returned with a letter to me from David Whippey, informing me that there had been a ship seen by the natives and that some of them had been on board and conversed with the captain, who could talk with them enough to inform them that he was going to Myambooa after sandalwood. He (David) wished me to come to his town and go with him in pursuit of the ship. I informed the king of the contents of my letter and promised him that if he would let me have a canoe and two men to go to Ambow and from there get to the ship, I would procure him a musket and some powder. He was much pleased and promised that he would have the canoe and men ready in the morning. I spent a sleepless night. The thought of once more getting on board a ship drove sleep entirely from my eyes.

Chapter V.

CARY TAKES JOURNEY WITH WHIPPEY—TRADING WITH "BECHE DE MER"—BATTLE WITH HOSTILE NATIVES.

Morning came at last and I found my chief as good as his word. The canoe and men were ready and I immediately embarked for Ambow. I found the old king there as glad to see me and as kind as ever. He told me the white man's vessel had come to one of the islands and inquired if I was going to find her. I told him that was what brought me to Ambow, and that I wanted him to furnish me a canoe to go over to Ovalau to find David, as he had sent for me to go with him. He accordingly procured me one from the fishing people and I was soon under way. The king told me I must come back and not go in the ship, but tell the captain to come and trade with him for beche de mer[1], all of which I readily promised.

When about three miles from Ambow the wind died out, and as night was coming on the natives refused to proceed, despite my entreaties, so we landed on a small island and spent the night. Next morning we got under way and arrived at Ovalau about noon. I found the white man who lived with David Whippey and he told me that David had gone to one of the neighboring islands, but would be back the next day and that he was waiting for me to go to the ship. The next day David returned, but as it was late in the afternoon we decided to wait until the following morning. It was now about a year since I had seen David and we spent the night very pleasantly.

Early in the morning the chief's double canoe was launched and prepared for the voyage. We made sail, having about twenty natives for crew and six of us passengers—three whites and three of the brig's crew who belonged to the island of Yap, one of the Caroline islands. (After the mutiny they attached themselves to David and had been with him ever since.) We ran this day about fifty miles N. E. and arrived before sunset at the island of Booyar, where we stopped at a small village tributary to Ovalau. Here we learned that the ship was at anchor at Myambooa bay and that the captain had been trading at the islands before. The natives brought us provisions as usual. They seemed to be a poor tribe. Their houses were small and poorly built.

We were detained here by head winds for three days, which to me seemed a month, so impatient was I to reach the ship and anxious lest she might leave before we could get there. On the fourth day the wind and weather were favorable and we started for Myambooa. As we neared the mouth of the bay we discovered a canoe steering for us, and supposing it to be enemy we immediately prepared for action. Our muskets were loaded and the natives bent their bows, but on their drawing near we saw it was an Ambow canoe that had been to the ship, and that she had a well-dressed white man and one of the Manila men on board.