Wrecked on the Feejees

by William S. Cary

The next day we went on shore to the beche de mer house and found the trading officer busy purchasing beche de mer, with which he was already over-stocked. We loaded our boat with the cured and returned to the ship. The natives were continually bringing fruit and vegetables, which we bought very reasonably. The king and his officers having had their visit, next came the queen and her retinue, to whom all requisite attention was paid. They were invited into the cabin. They were at first rather timid, fearing some evil was intended, but upon my assuring them that they would not be harmed they ventured down. They appeared delighted with the cabin furniture and indeed with everything they saw. The captain made them some trifling presents, but they thought as they were persons of the first rank he had ought to have given them more. One of them asked me why the captain was so stingy—said he was a great captain and ought to be liberal, but he wasn't like massa Raver (Mr. Driver) who gave them a great many presents and was the best white man that ever traded among them.

Mr. Driver on shore was continually crowded from morning till night with women and children bringing beche de mer, mats for bags, fruit, vegetables and everything which they thought he would buy. The price of a musket was sixteen hogsheads full of beche de mer, which it took them five or six days to get from the reefs. Some of it they got in two or three fathoms of water, diving for it, and bringing up one or two at a time. That obtained in deep water is the most valuable kind to the Chinese. When first taken it is about a foot in length and from three to four inches wide. The under side or belly is flat, and the back rounding. When taken it is quite soft, and if not boiled soon spoils. The entrails and water which comes from the fish is of a bright purple and those employed in opening them get their hands so stained that it is impossible to wash it off. It is quite lifeless. We never found anything inside but this purple water and coarse sand and gravel. The back is covered with prickles from an inch to an inch and a half in length. When taken it is of a reddish cast intermingled with white, but when properly cured is entirely black.

To procure it the natives go out on the reef, let the canoe drift, with their eyes fixed on the bottom, and when they see one, dive and secure it. When cured the prickles become hard and brittle as glass. Captain Vandaford took one of this kind on board and weighed it green. It weighed five pounds, but when cured it only weighed three quarters of a pound. There are five or six different kinds of beche de mer. One kind is about a foot long and three inches in diameter, smooth, and of a reddish black color. The mouth is very small and round and has four or five teeth. It is not as soft as the prickly kind but is generally found with it in deep water. The two kinds are scarce and hard to get, but are much more valuable than the kind we got at Myambooa, which were of the same form, but much smaller and black, being found in much greater abundance and more easily obtained, as it is found in shallow water.

After being here some time we experienced a heavy gale of wind from the southward. We put out three anchors and sent down our light spars. We were surrounded with reefs, one not more than a cable's length astern, but having good holding ground we rode out the gale without material damage. Many of the houses at Ambow were blown down. The gale lasted about twelve hours, then moderated and shifted to the northward, blowing as hard as before, but did not last long. When it abated we sent a boat ashore after beche de mer. Mr. Driver had all he could do during the gale to prevent the house from blowing down but by the aid of guys and shores had kept it up. Most of the thatch had blown off, however, and the house was flooded with water. He had led the water off by means of a ditch and was now ready for business again. When we had procured six or seven hundred piculs the captain thought it best to start for Manila, so as to get there before the change of the N. E. monsoon, so we broke up the establishment, paid off the natives, made the king and chiefs suitable presents and got underway for Ovalau where we arrived the same afternoon.

I then concluded to leave the ship. It was now the 17th of February, 1828. I wrote a few lines to the owner of the Oeno, informing him of her loss and the fate of the captain and crew, which I gave to Capt. Vandaford, informing him that I should remain at the islands till his return from Manila. David Whippey was on board, and we stopped for the night. The next day the ship got under way and stood clear of the land and backed her maintopsail.

The captain gave us (David and me) a boat into which he put a keg of powder and musket for each, besides several small articles. He requested us, if he got in any trouble or was in sight next morning, to come off, which we promised to do, and shoved off. The ship fired a gun and gave us three cheers, which we answered; she then squared away and stood on her course, and we made the best of our way ashore, arriving at the village of Labooca about sunset. David's chief was almost beside himself with joy when he found that he had not gone in the ship, but he had not the remotest idea of leaving.

After stopping a while with David I made a visit to Ambow. The king was surprised enough to see me, supposing I had gone in the ship. Seeing my musket he examined it attentively for some time, then said, smiling: "White folks know how to pick out good things for themselves." He then showed me his and asked me if they were as good as mine. I told him they were exactly the same—they only wanted cleaning. I offered to clean them for him, and while I was taking the locks apart and putting them together the old man watched me with the keenest interest. When I had finished he said: "Are you a spirit?" I told him no, that I was flesh and blood the same as himself. "Well," said he, "if you are the same as me, what makes you so white?" I told him it was because I belonged to a colder climate and had always worn clothes. But he seemed to think I must have some supernatural aid or I could not take the locks apart and put them together again so readily.

I finished my visit and returned to Labooca to stop awhile with David. I had not been here long before war was declared against one of the villages on the island of Thowcanrover. David and I were invited to join the expedition and messengers were sent to the different villages to warn the inhabitants to appear at the chief town armed and equipped for war early the next morning. When all the warriors were assembled and ready for duty twelve canoes were prepared for the expedition and we embarked for the village of Navarto, where we obtained reinforcements. The next morning a consultation was held as to the best mode, and it was decided to divide our forces, one party to march by land and the other to proceed by water. We soon arrived near the enemy's village, and after going through with the usual ceremony we commenced our march toward the town, and attacked them with arrows. They returned the attack with interest, adding to their arrows showers of stones which seemed to be mostly directed at me. On account of my having clothes on, they apparently selected me for a mark.

Chapter VI.

DEFEAT OF THE ENEMY—ANOTHER CARGO OF BECHE DE MERE—A TRIP TO MANILA—CARY RECEIVES LETTERS FROM HOME.