Wrecked on the Feejees

by William S. Cary

The next morning we set sail from Turtle Island and steered for Ono, I being in the canoe with the chief, and arrived the following morning. The natives were expecting us, it being the time for their annual visit to collect tribute, and had large quantities of provisions cooked and all things prepared for their annual feast. All the inhabitants of the island seated themselves in a large circle leaving an opening through which our party passed to the center, each one carrying a bundle of tappah cloth, which I found was intended for a present in token of respect and friendship. When they got inside the ring our chief stood in the center with the rest of the party around him, each one having a spear in his hand. These they commenced brandishing in the air, accompanying their movements with sundry antics and gestures which at first alarmed me, thinking they were hostile demonstrations, but I soon perceived it was only a kind of dance which was always performed on such occasion.

At the conclusion of the dance they threw down their spears and cloth and retired to a house prepared for us, after which the natives divided our presents among the chiefs, each one taking a share according to his rank. When this was settled they brought us the provisions they had prepared and presented them with a great deal of ceremony, then left us to feast upon them, which we did with good appetites. We remained here some ten or twelve days receiving tribute, which consisted of tappah, sinnet, oil and mats, and sometimes a few whales' teeth, which is the most valuable article they have among them. By this time we had received all they had to give, so took our leave of them and proceeded to Lahcameber, stopping on our way at Turtle Island and several others.

On the third day we arrived at Lahcameber. The landing was thronged with natives of both sexes, who received us with great joy. I was dressed in the Feejee costume (that is, no dress at all—only a strip of cloth around my body). I was accompanied to the palace, which was about half a mile from the landing, by the multitude, who gazed at me with much curiosity. The king's residence was situated in the center of the town, with a large square in front of it, neatly fenced in with reeds. The houses were neatly built, similar to those at Turtle Island.

I was led into the palace and found the king entertaining a party, with a kind of drink called carver. I was presented to the king and a Friendly Island chief, who could talk some English, through whom the king inquired who I was and where I came from. I gave him the full particulars of the loss of the ship and the massacre of the crew. He then offered me a cup of carver, which I dared not refuse, although my stomach loathed it, and it was with much difficulty that I kept it down. This beverage is made from a root. It is first chewed by the natives. Each person except the chief takes a piece of the root and, after chewing it sufficiently, spits it into a wooden bowl. It is then mixed or kneaded with the hands, a little water added, and strained through the thin bark of the coconut tree, when it is ready for use. It is then poured into coconut shells and handed round, each one having a shell of his own. After drinking heartily of it, it leaves them in a kind of stupor, similar to the effect of opium. Disgusting as this beverage was to me at first, my repugnance gradually wore away and after a while I could drink it with as good a relish as I can now swallow a glass of beer, though as I look back it makes my stomach turn to think of it.

After our visitors departed, the king, with the aid of the Tongataboo chief, asked if my chief at home would send out an armed vessel to punish those savages who had killed the crew and I told him I thought he would. He then wanted to know if I could clean his muskets—he had seven which came out of the Oeno which were very rusty. I told him yes, so he brought me some tools and I took them to pieces, he watching me all the time with considerable interest. After I had cleaned them and put them together, he expressed his satisfaction as well as he could by signs, frequently repeating the word caloo, saying if I had not have been a spirit I would have shared the fate of the rest of the crew.

The king then requested me to fire them, which I did several times, loading and firing as fast as I could, which frightened them very much. They all fell at every discharge as though they had been shot. The king then invited me to eat with him. The food was brought in a dish made from the leaf of a coconut tree, and consisted of yams and tarrow. I was seated beside the king. One of his wives brought in a large earthern pot of boiled fish, and six female attendants were in readiness to wait on us. One sat by the king to feed him and another was appointed to feed me. I at first objected to being fed, but the king insisted on my conforming to his rules as I was his son and ought to do just as he did, so rather than displease him I submitted. The water in which the fish was boiled was dipped out in coconut shells which were held to our mouths to drink. The fish was then taken out in a wooden dish and divided equally. While eating, all present held a green leaf in their hands, as a token of respect to the king. When the repast was finished all clapped their hands, repeating the word Hamdoo, which means give thanks to the king. A basket of coconuts was then brought in and each one treated to a share of the milk. The men having finished, the women were allowed the fragments. The women are never allowed to eat with the men.

The next day, after walking around the town and satisfying my curiosity, the king asked me to accompany him shooting and I, of course, accepted. We were accompanied by three of the natives and shot a few wild pigeons and a number of sea fowl which we found in abundance. Having no clothes on I was badly sunburnt and had a very sore back for a long time. Sea fowl were very plentiful about the shores and fish of excellent quality abounded around the island. These were caught by the women mostly, who were very expert, but the men considered it beneath their dignity.

Preparations were now making for a grand feast. The king sent people out in all directions to collect and cook yams, tarrow and all kinds of vegetables, also pigs, fowl, etc. The natives brought provisions from all parts of the island and deposited them on one side of a square before the king's house and retired to the other side to await the performance which was about to take place by visitors from the Friendly and Navigator Islands. They collected provisions enough for two or three thousand people, and when several thousand spectators had assembled, the king, with me by his side, was seated on an eminence built of stone on one side of the square. After all was arranged the actors made their appearances in two parties and took their stations in the square about twenty-five or thirty feet apart. One of them then stepped out into the open square and, brandishing a coconut stalk in his hand, challenged anyone to come out and fight him. His challenge was promptly accepted by a young native from the same party and a smart fencing match ensued. At last one gave up and the conqueror was greeted with shouts of applause by the spectators. Two others then took their places and so the sport went on. After one party had their turn the other came on and fought with their fists muffled with tappah, which seemed to delight the spectators quite as much as the club fight. They frequently shouted Wooa venaka! Suka venaka! (Very well done. Thank you, sirs!) After about two hours of this exercise one of them used some unfair play, which so enraged all parties that they flew to their clubs and spears, and I expected to see something besides a sham fight; but the king jumped from his throne, rushed into the midst of them and quelled the disturbance. They then seated themselves and the provisions were shared amongst them. After feasting they left us, some badly bruised and many with broken limbs.

When all had become quiet the king and myself, accompanied by his life guard and servants, went to a pond of fresh water to bathe. When the king leaves his palace he is always accompanied by his guard who goes ahead to inform all whom they may meet of his approach, as all are required to bow down until he has passed. They pay great respect to the king, whom they reverence as a superior being guarded by the spirits of his forefathers. This they are caught by the priests, called Umbaty, whom the king always consults before undertaking a voyage or any enterprise. The old priest (for they are always very old) commences shaking himself until every part of his body is in motion, pretending meanwhile to be talking to the spirits. He then takes a stalk with two or three coconuts on it brought to him by the king and beats it on the mats. If the fruit comes off easily it is a good omen, but if not the king postpones his undertaking till a more favorable time. After the Umbaty gets through with his ceremony he takes a drink of sea water which stops his shaking and drives the spirits out of the house.

While I was on this island we were visited by a party of chiefs from Ambow, bringing with them six or seven Manila men—mutineers from a Manila brig. They had killed the captain and officers and given themselves up to the natives at Ambow. I inquired if there were any Europeans in the brig. They told me there were three. One came from the Ladrone Islands and left the vessel before the mutiny. The others acted as interpreters for the captain and came near sharing his fate, but were protected by some of the crew who were not so bad as the ringleaders.