Wrecked on the Feejees

by William S. Cary

The white man hailed us and inquired where we were from. We told him, and that we were in pursuit of a ship which we had heard was at Myambooa. He told us that it was the ship Clay, of Salem, Capt. Benjamin Vandaford, and that he was the second officer. He said they were on a trading voyage for sandalwood and beche de mer, and that he was now bound to Ambow, having heard of there being turtle shell and some dollars there. He inquired as to the truth of the report and we told him we knew of none, except what the king had in his possession. David offered to go back with him to assist in trading, and after some hesitation he took him. We then proceeded to the ship. I was invited on board and kindly received by the captain and his officers, and soon acquainted them with my story, and engaged passage in the ship to act as interpreter and assist in procuring a cargo.

This was in October, 1827. The next day the chief of the island visited us, bringing with him some sandalwood for a present to the captain. The captain wished me to tell him that he wanted a house built for curing beche de mer on the south side of the bay. The chief agreed to build the house, but advised having it on the other side of the bay, as there was not timber enough on the south side and it would take some time to transport it. The captain, however, insisted upon having it built on the south side, as it would be nearer the ship and more convenient landing. So he went on shore and selected the site, and the chief soon had the whole tribe at work cutting timber. The location of the house was such that it could be protected by the ship's guns in case of attack from the natives. The work progressed so fast that the house was soon ready. When the pots were set and everything prepared for curing the beche de mer, the captain sent me off to the reef with a boat's crew after the fish, which we found quite plenty and we soon returned with a boat-load. After breakfast they were landed and prepared for cooking and curing.

The method of doing this is as follows: The fish is cut open at the mouth and the entrails squeezed out. It is then boiled for half to three-quarters of an hour, then skimmed out and laid on a flake to drain. When sufficiently cool it is squeezed with the hands, put into baskets and carried to the drying house, where it is spread on flakes built over a trench, in which there is a slow fire. After remaining there twenty-four hours it is shifted to a flake above, where it remains two or three days. It is then put into bags and carried to the ship, where it is carefully picked over, and what is sufficiently cured is sewed up in bags, weighed, and stowed away ready for market.

The natives brought beche de mer in the greatest abundance—quite as much as we could take care of—and the prospect was very good for speedily procuring the desired supply. But one day, while we were on board at dinner, our house was discovered to be afire. The captain ordered two boats to be manned and armed, supposing it had been set on fire by the natives. On reaching the shore, however, we learned that it had caught by accident on the inside, and those in charge were unable to extinguish it. It burned to the ground and also consumed a considerable quantity of our beche de mer. That afternoon David arrived from Ambow, bringing a letter from Mr. Driver, the second mate, which stated that he had built a house and found the beche de mer very plenty. He had got about forty piculs (a weight of 133 1/3 pounds) cured, most of it of a superior quality. He had spent all his articles for trade and wanted more sent.

Upon receiving this intelligence the captain decided to go to Ambow with the ship and not attempt to rebuild here. So he collected what sandalwood he could, paid off the men he had employed, made the chief some presents and got under way. We beat up some five or six miles and came to anchor under the headland of Naviti, where we lay three days. We went on shore with the boat at the town of Naviti to trade for vegetables, etc., and loaded our boat with coconuts, bananas and sugar cane, for which we paid a few beads and trinkets. This island is one of the largest in the group and is laid down on the chart as "Thowcanrover".

Myambooa is the largest and most convenient harbor to be found at these islands. The south side of the bay is formed by a low, narrow point of land. The north side is very high land and there are several villages located there but none near the shore. The village of Myambooa is the principal place in this part of the island. It is situated near the entrance of the bay, but some distance inland, and a river runs past the village. While lying here in the Clay I went up this river with Captain Vandaford and found the water very shallow at the mouth, with a very crooked channel, but after getting over the bar found plenty of water. On each side of the river are large groves of mangrove trees, with their trunks below the surface of the water covered with oysters, some of which we tried and found very good.

Above these trees stood the village of Myambooa, which was a small place and the houses quite inferior. The natives depended upon their neighbors for mats and other domestic articles, for which they paid principally with powder and other articles which they got mostly from ships. Their location gave them much the advantage in ship trade, as it was the only place where sandalwood could be procured in any considerable amount. Captain Vandaford had made two or three voyages here before, found sandalwood plenty and bought it very cheap.

On the fourth day, the wind favoring us, we got under way and ran down to the island of Goro, where we shortened sail and hove to near the shore. The natives came off, bringing us yams and other provisions, which we bought with knives, beads, etc. The next morning we made sail, and proceeded to Ovalau, where we arrived in the afternoon, and anchored off the western side near the shore. After getting the ship snug a boat was sent to Mr. Driver, who was trading at the island of Bever, about two miles from Ambow and ten or eleven miles from the ship. When the boat returned we got under way and went nearer to the island where Mr. Driver was employed and came to about two miles from the shore surrounded with broken coral reefs. All hands were then employed rigging boarding nets and getting ready for trade.

We were soon surrounded by natives from Ambow and adjacent islands. The king and governor of Ambow came on board to inspect the ship, bringing with them a few trifles as presents to the captain. The ship's sides were thronged with natives, but none were admitted on board except those of high rank. To enforce this we had to keep men stationed around the ship to once in a while prick the natives off when they became too bold. After those on board had satisfied their curiosity, the captain directed me to tell them that he was going to Ambow and would like to have their company, to which they consented, so the boat was prepared for their reception, and we finally succeeded in getting them into it.

After we got off from the ship I told them, by the captain's order, that the ship would fire a salute in their honor, which she did, and they were highly delighted. On the way to the shore they commented freely on the ship, her construction and the grandeur of her appearance, and inquired how long it took to build such a noble vessel. They were perfectly astounded when I told them that one could be built and fitted for sea in three or four months. They could hardly credit it, since it took them three or four years to build a canoe. We soon landed at Ambow, where the natives were assembled in great numbers to see the captain. The king's house was the first place we visited. The inside was covered with new mats and everything arranged to show to the best advantage to the visitors. Captain Vandaford gave the king's wives a few small presents. We then took a stroll around the village and I pointed out to him the different chiefs' houses. On our return to the ship we found the natives, whom we left there, still viewing the different parts and objects about the ship with evident interest. They measured her length and breadth, and counted her masts over and over, counting the bowsprit as one. They called it spineringarselar.