CHAPTER VIII.
A war breaks out. Its causes. Awful Massacre. The Author is tattooed. Manner of its accomplishment. An attack is made upon the Cohapha. Disposition of the prisoners. Continuance of the war. A ship comes to anchor. Our fond hopes blasted. Purchase a gun. Departure of the ship. The author builds a hut and takes a wife. Effect of the gun upon the Cohaphas. They attempt another night attack. Its results. The grand appearance of our army. Result of a single shot. The Author is wounded. Kill the native and take possession of the body and gun. The king rewards us. The body is roasted. Singular adventure with a wild hog. The Cohaphas wish for peace. The place of skulls. Peace is declared.
We lived as happily as might be expected until the first of May, when a war broke out between our tribe and the Cohapha. These broils and dissensions existing between the different tribes, are often caused by some trivial affair, perhaps a trifling theft, an injury or insult offered an individual, the resentment of which calls the power of the whole tribe into action.
Oftentimes the friendly visit of one party to another results in a fierce contest through some trifling circumstance by which they become embroiled, although the person injured or killed may have been greatly the aggressor.
A king at death becomes a god, and is supposed to watch over the destiny of the tribe, and if there should any trouble exist, or a scarcity of bread fruit, or of other crops occur, he is supposed to be angry, and, to appease his anger, a sacrifice is made of one or more human beings, who, if they are at peace with the neighboring tribes, so as to render the capture of them in battle uncertain, are stolen. This last was the cause of the war in which our tribe at this time was engaged.
A king dying in the Cohapha, rendered the seizure of victims from some other tribe necessary.
Stealing into our bay at the dead of night, while all were fast in sleep, they cautiously entered the first huts they came to, and before the alarm could be given had killed and were carrying away twelve men, three women and two children.
So expert were they that even their bodies could not be recovered.
We being then at peace with all other tribes and fearing nothing, were consequently off our guard.
This was within a very few feet of the hut in which I was sleeping, and when I reflect upon my own narrow escape, my blood almost chills in its current of life.