CHAPTER VIII.
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CHAPTER VIII.
MONDAY, July 17. --At daylight we saw the Island of Eoa and Catto ahead, and soon after Tongatabu, with the outlying reefs and small coral islands, which are almost beyond number. The land is low, the highest part being not over fifty or sixty feet above water-mark. We had some intricate navigation to go through, the Master and Commodore standing on the bowsprit to pilot the ship, as no pilot came off. On the following day the Master was sent to re-survey the several channels, &c
We anchored about 12.30 off the capital, which is called Nukualofa, and it is here that King George I. resides. He is king of all the Tonga Islands, and the neighbouring groups are very much afraid of him. I went on shore about 3 P. M. for a stroll with some others: we first went to call on King George. He is a fine old man, tall and well built, about sixty
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years of age, and not bad-looking. He is dressed in European fashion, and his house well furnished, though I believe the traders make him pay through the nose for all he wants. His prime-minister is an Englishman, who acted as interpreter (for the King cannot speak much English), and has been here eleven years. The King has a pony-carriage and a six-oared gig, for which last they made him pay 175l., I believe; and he has also two schooners and one cutter, one of which was lying here. There was a Hamburg schooner, the Alfred, here, too, collecting cocoa-nut oil. The King's palace is little better than the other houses outside, but a new weather-boarded house is building for him, with a shingled roof. It has twelve rooms.
After seeing his Majesty, we called on the Rev. Messrs. Ewell and Moulton, Wesleyan missionaries, and saw the church, &c, and the grave of Capt. Croker, of H. M. S. Favorite, who was killed here in 1840, whilst attempting to settle some disputes between the natives and traders. After this we strolled along the beach until 6, when a boat came on shore for us. We found the ship surrounded by canoes, bartering cocoa-nuts, bananas, shells, coral, oranges, clubs, spears, &c, for tobacco and calico, but
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I think they liked money better than anything else at this place.
Tuesday, July 18. --At 1 P. M. I went and took a walk inland to a lagoon about two miles off, to see if there were any ducks on it: not seeing many, I returned and strolled about the beach till about 3.30. I saw smoke in the horizon, and at 5.30 the Falcon anchored, from Vavau, though originally, of course, from Sydney. It was the Falcon that we saw on Sunday, but she did not make us out, as she was shifting her foretopmast, which had been sprung.
Wednesday, July 19. --This morning was fixed for the King to visit the ship. He came in his gig at 9.30 A. M., and we manned yards, and had a guard of marines, and the band ready to receive him. We fired three Armstrong shells, to show him the manner of loading, &c. He went all over the ship, to the engine-room, and saw the men exercising at general quarters. He was very much pleased with everything he saw, and left at 11.30, when we saluted him with twenty-one guns and manned yards.
After dinner I went on shore and walked out to the town of Bea, about fourteen miles off--it is where Captain Croker was killed; the remains of
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the stockade are there now, but all grown over with trees, creepers, &c. The village is surrounded by a double wall of earthwork, and a wet ditch between the two, which is nearly dry now. I walked about a mile beyond the borders of a lagoon, but its waters are brackish, and I think it is connected with the sea.
Thursday, July 20. I started at 7 A. M. with my gun, and had a long cruise after the pigeons; we then went on the lagoon after the ducks in a canoe. We bagged twenty-four pigeons and thirty-two ducks, and got on board at 6 P. M.
Friday, July 21. --I went in a boat to the back of the island. There is a curious thing there: two
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immense stone columns and a cross piece, with a large bowl on the top, of the same stone, which kind of stone is not found in any part of the island; and the oldest men do not know the history of this curious building; but it is supposed that some great chief used it for some heathen rites of kava drinking. We had a fine breeze and sailed, getting
back at 6 P. M. On our way we saw a sailing double canoe, and she sailed at a great rate.
We left Tongatabu under sail at 12, noon, on Saturday the 22nd, the Falcon having left half-an-hour sooner, she presently signalled that the Juno Reef bore east-by-south a short distance, so we altered course to clear it. Both ships then made all sail to a light breeze from the eastward; the
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Falcon running to the south or south-west, whilst we stood before it to the west-north-west, with studding sails set both sides. In the evening, we passed the two rugged islands of Hunga Hapai, and Hungatonga. On the 23rd the wind being very light, we did not sight land till the evening, the islands composing the sides of the Oneata Passage to the Fiji Group, namely Ongea, Motha and Oneata; we stood on and off during the night, and in the morning got up steam and passed through the Passage, arriving off Lakemba Island about noon. We did not anchor, but remained off and on till half-past four in the afternoon, when I went on shore, and after calling on Mr. Lyth, the missionary, took a stroll along the beach, and went up one of the hills. This island is altogether different from Tonga, as it is hilly, while the latter is quite flat. I returned on board at 5.
The patterns of the tapa, or native cloth, are very good here, and it is in larger pieces. I got a small roll of it before leaving, besides gathering some ferns and plants for myself and Mr. Veitch, who did not land. We made sail at 5, and as we had a fine breeze, we got to Ovalau the next day at 12, noon, and anchored off the village of Levuka,
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which is a secure anchorage inside a coral reef, which encircles the whole island, and there are only two passages through it. There are a good many white men here, and a British Consul, Mr. Jones, who was in the army, and has the Victoria Cross, but unfortunately he was away when we arrived, having gone up to the interior of the large island, Viti Levu (Great Fiji). It appears that an English man had done something that the natives did not approve of, and they had clubbed him, and seriously injured his skull. The Consul's clerk came on board, requesting that the Commodore would either take him round the island, or send another man-of-war for his official tour; however, as we had no time to lose, we were unable to do so, and the Esk is to come here instead.
The morning after our arrival, the Commodore sent the master in the whale-boat, to Mbau, to survey the channel, in order to take the ship over there. It is the chief town in Fiji. But I must first describe Ovalu. --It is a mountainous island, eight miles by seven; in height 2080 feet. The population is not correctly known, but is, I believe, considered to be 5000. The mountain tribes have not been much visited. Tui Levuka is the princi-
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pal chief here, but is subject to Bau or Mbau. There are seven ruling districts in Fiji, over which Bau is acknowledged to be supreme; 2nd, Viwa, 3rd, Rewa; 4th, Naitasiri; 5th, Mbua; 6th, Somo Somo; 7th, Mathuata, but sometimes one of these others gains the ascendancy. They have now established a Presidency, very much after the American style, of which Thakombau is elected president for one year. He is the greatest chief in the group, but Thakombau (or ruin to Bau) is a name given to him by his enemies, as he thwarted Christianity very much at first, and then tried to bring forward cannibalism again in that part of the country. His friends and supporters call him Tui Viti (king of Fiji). He is now a professed Christian. I went several times on shore at Levuka, and on the 26th had a charming bathe under a fine waterfall, which is about a mile and a half to the northward of the settlement.
From it there was a very fine view. The natives commenced jumping from pool to pool, right to the bottom, so we followed their example, and very pleasant it was. The jumps are from 20 to 30 feet high, and the pools are very deep, though rather small for swimming in. We also went up the
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gorge to the top of a rugged mountain, and hard work it was to ascend it. It was a very rocky and slippery track, and overgrown with bushes and creepers. We returned and took tea with Mr. Calvert, the missionary, and then weni on board. We found that Tui Levuka had been on board, and nearly all the white people besides, to hear the band.
On the 27th we weighed at daylight, and steamed to Nandi Bay, where we stayed a few hours, and proceeded to Somo Somo, where we arrived in the evening, leaving again next morning, the 28th, for Bua Bay, and arrived there at 11 A. M. Thence in the evening we went to Mathuata, returning to
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Ovalau at 12 on the 29th. This little cruise was very hurried, as the Commodore had but little time to spare, and wished to make the acquaintance of all the missionaries. I got some ferns and seaweed, and some curiosities in the shape of spears, clubs, bows and arrows, tapa, &c.
All these places are very much like Ovalau in the characteristics of the country, and are no great distance apart, and all in the island of Vanua Levu (Great Land).
We did not anchor at Levuka, but picked up the whaleboat and master and proceeded for Verata, Viwa, and Mbau, which three small islands are all close together off Vita Leva. The channel was narrow and tortuous, and thickly studded with reefs and shoals. We anchored off Mbau at 4.30 P. M. Here a boat was to be sent up the river to Rewa, and I was ordered to go in her. Lieutenant Meade had charge of the expedition, and Mr. Brenchley went also.
On Sunday afternoon (30th) we went on shore at Mbau, which is a small island about a mile long, and thickly covered with houses; there is a very large church here, 126 feet in length, and a large house for the use of strangers. Thakombau's bouse,
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too, is a very good one for a native one. Mr. Tait, the missionary, lives on the top of the hill, which however, is only about fifty feet high. There were a great many curiosities to be got here, and some very fine green and red parrots, which the natives offered for sale.
We returned on board at 5.30 P. M., and then I had to get ready for the boat expedition, as we were to start at 11.30 P. M. I hastily thrust some things into a haversack and, taking my gun, laid down on a mat on the main-deck till the time for starting arrived. Then it came on a drizzling rain, which promised us anything but a pleasant cruise; however, we started, though it was so dark, that we could not see the ship one hundred yards off; we steered S. S. E. by compass till close to a point, where we got aground for some time, but we managed to shove her off, and entered the mouth of the river; when we served out an allowance of rum to the men.
Presently we passed a whale-boat, and on hailing her, found that they were white men who had some case for the Commodore to decide upon, and were then on their way to the Curacoa. At daylight, we served out some quinine and wine to the men, and were then able to see a little of the river. The banks
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were low, and covered with mangrove bushes. We shot some ducks, though the same drizzling rain continued to fall as it had done all night. We did not reach Rewa till 10 next day, having had to pull the whole way; it is twenty-six miles up the river.
We met the chief Tui Draketi just about to leave the place on some expedition; and as he could not give us a messenger to send, Mr. Meade ordered me to take the letters up to the chief at Viria, twenty miles up the river, but not to wait for an answer. I got a canoe, and with a native proceeded up that afternoon; the canoes go at a great rate, and we got there by sunset, passing on our way Mr. Baker's mission station, where we entered the mountain district, and further up Naitasiri, a large native settlement. The banks of the river seem to be thickly populated and well cultivated all the way up, and Viria is a good-sized settlement.
I returned by night having completed my mission to Tui na Viria and Koya ma kululu, the two chiefs to whom the letters were addressed. I had something to eat there, and they presented me with some spears, &c.; I, in return, making them some small presents, such as print, calico, red cloth, earrings and beads. I got back about 2 A. M., and was glad to
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turn in at Mr. Carey's (the missionary's) house, where the rest of the party were asleep.
We started at 6 A. M. after a bathe in the river, and a hasty breakfast. We had a prosperous though damp voyage down the river, shooting some ducks on the way. It is curious to see how nearly all the white settlers near the banks skulk away and hide, as if ashamed of themselves. It certainly does not give one a very good idea of them, which is not, perhaps, far from the truth.
We got to the mouth of the river by 1.30 P. M., after five hours' pulling and sailing, and got on board at 3.30 P. M., when we found the ship all ready for sea, with the steam up; so we weighed, and stood out between the numerous reefs, arriving at Moala the next morning at 9 A. M., where we stayed till 4 P. M. at anchor. I went on shore, hut did not see much worthy of note. The native pottery here is better than at the other places; it is, however, very brittle, and is glazed with a, kind of kauri gum. We got to the island of Kandavu the next morning, and anchored at 9.30. I went on shore, and had a good walk among the hills and got a few ferns, &c There were some curious
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wigs worn here, which appear like enormous heads of hair. We returned on board at 3.30 P. M., and sailed at 4 with a fair wind for Aneiteum, New Hebrides, going at the rate of from six to eight knots.
The next day, August the 4th, the breeze freshened from the east, and we increased our speed to eight, nine, and ten knots; and by Saturday, the 5th, we had made 210 miles, and were distant 116 miles from Aneiteum. The total distance at first was 460 miles.
Sunday, 6th. --This morning at 8.30, we arrived in Port Inyang, Aneiteum, and found the Esk here with our mails. She came in nine days and twenty hours from Sydney--a very good passage for 1400 miles. We also found two vessels here, a mission brigantine, and a trading (sandal-wood) brig, which was detained here by the Esk, as the captain had murdered the mate, and to-morrow he is to be tried.
This afternoon I went on shore; the natives do not seem such a fine race of men as the Fijians; however, there were very few moving about as it was Sunday afternoon. We sighted the island at daylight this morning, having been hove to since 2 A. M.
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We had some way to go round the reef, so we did not anchor till 8.30.
Monday, 7th. --To-day I started at 6 A. M. with H. of the Esk, and walked over the island; we had to cross a ridge 3000 feet high, and hard work it was, as the track was narrow, overgrown, and rocky. We reached Mr. Inglis's mission station, at 12.45, had some luncheon there, and returned by 6 P. M. It was a good long-walk, about fourteen or fifteen miles and back. I got some rare ferns here, and a few very beautiful variegated leaved plants, crotons, &c, besides some mosses. The natives here have no such curiosities as the Fijians in the way of spears, chilis, &c, and they make no 'tapa' cloth. They have a few bows and arrows, but since embracing Christianity they have burnt nearly all their weapons. However, this island is exceptional, as in the other islands of New Hebrides it is dangerous to go on shore unarmed. At Tanna and Erromango they have just murdered and eaten two missionaries, and driven all the white traders out of the island.
Tuesday, 8th. -- I have been for another long cruise in the Bush to the eastern side of the island.
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The captain of the Curlew was tried on board the Esk yesterday for the murder of the mate, and is sentenced to be tried for his life at Sydney, and our second master is, I believe, to go in charge of the brig. We left Aneiteum on the 10th, at daylight, the Dayspring, Presbyterian mission schooner, accom-
panying us, she having four or five missionaries on board, who had been obliged to leave different islands. The Rev. Mr. M'Culloch of Aneiteum came with us.
We had a run of forty-eight miles before us to Port Resolution, in the island of Tanna. About 9 A. M. we saw the square, flat-topped, block-shaped island called Futuna, or Erronan, and some canoes
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came off. Soon after, we saw the island of Tanna ahead, and the low island of Niua, or Immer, on the right. There is a volcano on Tanna, but it is not one of the highest peaks, but a low mountain near the harbour. By 12, noon, we were close in, and having the fires lighted, just got up steam enough to move the engines; furled sails, and gave her way enough to shoot between the narrow heads to the anchorage, the Dayspring anchoring a quarter of an hour later. The object of our visit was this: Mr. Paton, the missionary, who resided here three years, was obliged to leave some nine or ten months ago, on account of the natives having turned him out of his house, which they ransacked; and they would have killed him, had not a chief for whom he had done a good turn, hid him, till a sandal-wood vessel came, and he was enabled to escape; so the first thing we did on anchoring was to send on shore, by Mr. Paton, a letter to the refractory chiefs to say, that if they did not come off and render account for what they had done by 12 o'clock next day, the Commodore would take summary means to punish them, namely, open fire on them, and destroy or burn all their villages, cultivations, &c near the place.
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The chiefs did not come by noon next day, so we prepared for action, got everything ready, and shifted our berth nearer in shore.
Next morning, the 12th, the hands were turned up at 4, and everything got ready for landing, boats armed, &c. At 7 A. M. we opened fire with the great guns (with shells), on the villages round the harbour, at the same time sending the cutter away to fire rockets into the bush, with Mr. Bolitho, sub-lieutenant, and he did his work splendidly. A great number of the natives were collected out of bravado, at the head of the harbour, and the first rocket went right amongst them; then we fired a volley with rifles as they (the natives) were retreating into the bush, which the latter were too frightened to return, though they had some muskets.
This island abounds in small pigs, about the size of a hare, and the sandal-wood traders come here and get the pigs in exchange for muskets. They take them north to Espiritu Santo Island, where they exchange them for sandal-wood. This accounts for the muskets being here. After peppering away till eleven o'clock, the landing party went away in the boats, and on landing fired two or three
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shells into the bush, in case of an ambush, and they soon disappeared from our view. There were two small-arm companies of a hundred men, and twenty men with the twenty-four pound rocket mounted on a field-piece carriage, and forty-five marines, the whole under Captain Dent. We continued firing into the bush from the ship, and as there was hardly any one on board, we had curious gun crews, for instance, a second master had No. 1 gun, main deck, with some stokers to work her; the gun-room steward had No. 2 gun, and some bandsmen: I had No. 3, another midshipman No. 4, and so on, and the cook took one of the others, &e. We blazed away till half-past 12, when the Commodore thought that the landing party had taken the wrong track, as we could not see the smoke of the burning villages; he determined to send and find out the reason, so he sent the galley to communicate with Captain Dent, and point him out the track to the village, the entrance to which was pointed out to me.
On reaching the shore, we found a narrow strip of beach (dark sand), and then plunged at once into the thick forest, The track was so much overgrown and indistinct that we found it impossible to keep to it,
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it was hard work too, going through the creepers, &c. which trained everywhere among; the fallen trees. We came to a village in about half an hour, which was fenced round with wicker work, this consisted of a banana plantation and four huts, which we utterly destroyed. We fired two shots to let Captain Dent know where we were, which was to lie the signal: but not seeing anything of them, we returned as we were ordered to the beach. But now the point was, --where was the beach? The bush was everywhere so much the same, that after striking into it we soon lost ourselves; however, by persevering for some time, we came out near some hot springs which came from the volcano. They are sulphurous, but we had not time to examine them closely. As the other companies had got down to another part of the beach, and were preparing to embark, we went to them, and went on board about 3.30 P. M., very glad to get our dinners. The other party had been very successful, though we had not heard their shots, for they had not only destroyed fifteen villages, but a great many cultivations of bananas and yams.
When they had got some three miles inland, those in advance heard shots behind them, and it
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turned out that a few natives (who had not been driven out by the shelling) were following up the stragglers, and on being discovered had run away, but finding one of our men (named Holland) in their way, (he was cutting some sugar-canes down) they fired at him as he stooped, and one bullet passed through his stomach and liver, passing out at his back.
Heathcote, one of our midshipmen, fired at the men with his revolver, which missed fire four times, being damp; so just as one of the niggers was clubbing his musket, he cut him down with his sword. Next morning: we heard of this man's death during the night, and he was one of the greatest chiefs in that part of the island. This intimidated them a good deal, of course; but I consider the day very dearly gained, on account of Holland's death, for he died soon after we got on board, poor fellow! He was one of our best men, and had been through three naval brigades untouched, Crimea, Indian Mutiny, and New Zealand; and at last to fall by the hand of a savage in this remote place was very sad to think of. However, we killed and wounded a good many of them, and destroyed a great deal of their property; and
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the death of their chief punished them very much.
When they came on our landing party, if, instead of running away, they had fought like the Maories, they might have finished the whole of our men, by surrounding them, for we could not have escaped.
We had to bury Holland at sea,, for as the Tannese are cannibals, we could not trust his body on shore. It was the first funeral at sea since we left England, and may it be the last. These islands are very unhealthy, and so are all those to the north of this; fever and ague are very prevalent, and Europeans cannot stand the summer months at all in the northern islands.
It took us all that afternoon to clean the guns and arms, and get the ship to rights, and at daylight on Sunday (13th) we weighed with the Dayspring, and proceeded for Erromango under sail. Prom Point Resolution to Dillon's Bay it is forty-two miles. Tanna is a large island, being some forty miles from north to south, and about thirty in breadth; the natives speak fourteen or fifteen distinct languages, and are a small, contemptible race, wearing no clothing, and weak to all appearance; besides which they are continually at war one with the other.
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At 4 P. M. wo anchored in Dillon's Bay, Erromango, the scene of the murder of Rev. Mr. Williams in 1839, the father of the present consul at Apia, Samoan Islands. A Mr. Henry has a sandalwood establishment here, but they say that the sandalwood on this island is nearly at an end; the reason of this is, that they have been taking the trees, roots and all, as the roots have a greater degree of scent than the upper parts of the tree. Some weeks ago the natives murdered the Rev. Mr. Gordon, a Scotch missionary, and his brother is now come here to take his place; I do not envy him, poor fellow! for they say that the natives have taken a dislike to the name since they killed his brother.
The Erromangans are treacherous, and unlike the Tannese in this respect, for they do not give one any warning to get away, when they take a dislike to any one, but lay in wait and kill them secretly, whereas the Tannese are said always to give warning. The Erromangans invited Mr. Gordon into one of their huts, and whilst sitting there talking in quite a friendly mariner, out; of them split his skull with a club, and the rest cooked and ate him on the spot. In appearance the men are much like the Tannese, but look more cunning and sly.
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We were going to land, to punish them for Mr. Gordon's death, and indeed prepared to do so, but the Commodore sent a message to say, that he would not do anything at present, but would return and punish them on his way south if they did not behave themselves. We gave Mr. Henry a supply of powder and shot for the six-pounder gun he has for his stockade, and made a carriage for it. Erromango is a large island, but of no great height. The cliffs are terraced in regular steps to the height of two or three hundred feet, and above this are hills rising to 1000 or 1500 feet above the sea level.
Monday, 14th, --Went on shore with Messrs. Brenchley and Veitch, shooting; we got some beautiful birds, and the latter got some fine plants with variegated leaves. There is a good-sized stream running down here, where we had a delicious bathe; in the stockade there are about twenty whites, including three females. Mrs. Henry defended the house alone against one hundred natives the other day; she advanced to them, and dared them to touch anything; she pointed a revolver at them, and, strange to say, she succeeded in frightening and driving them off; for, generally speaking, if they have a chance, they do not show much pity either to
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woman or child. Of course we had to inquire into the brutal murders that have been committed here lately, but though, as I have already said, we prepared for landing, we did not do so, as the country was in a bad state for marching. We got a very defiant message from the chiefs.
Tuesday, 15th. --We had some coast natives on board, who were to all appearance friendly, and they allowed themselves after much persuasion to be photographed. It is curious what an objection all these islanders have to be photographed. In most cases, the photographer had to resort to all kinds of plans, to amuse and divert them. Went on shore in the afternoon, but did not dare to go far from the beach and stockade. At 8 P. M. we weighed, and proceeded under sail in company with the Dayspring to the N. N. W. By morning at 9, having run seventy miles, we were close to Vate or Sandwich Island, which at first appeared to be low and wooded; but on nearing it, it proved to be hilly, having low fiats for some miles in extent near the coast. At 10 we got up steam, and anchored in a beautiful landlocked harbour behind an island named Vila at 12.
It is a beautiful anchorage, very deep blue water,
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and surrounded by low islands covered with the most luxuriant tropical vegetation, while on the land side are low thickly wooded hills, and mountains in the distance, forming a beautiful picture with the little coves and beaches of dazzling white sand, and fringe of cocoa-nut trees.
As the natives in all the islands of this group (New Hebrides) are cannibals, it was not of course safe to go on shore; however, the Dayspring had brought a missionary for a station, near which he had been for a year, but had to leave three months ago. His name is Mr. Morrison: so one officer from each mess was allowed to go as well, and I went with Messrs. Brenchley and Veitch.
We landed on a white sandy beach at 1 P. M., and struck at once into the bush, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Morrison and two natives; the thicket was very tangled and the track narrow; on this account Mr. Brenchley got only a few, though some very beautiful birds, several gorgeous parrots. Mr. Veitch also got some valuable plants and a few ferns. After walking about three or four miles over an undulating bush country, we came to an arm of the sea which connects Vila anchorage at another place with the sea, we found Mr. Morrison's boat
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here, untouched, so we pulled across to a native village, and then went to a point where Mr. Morrison's house was, and had tea there, which we were very thankful for, it having been very hot.
The natives here seem a very poor and wretched set, and their houses are low and comfortless. They
wear no clothing, nor do they possess much of any interest or worth, except earrings and nose-rings; we walked back (after crossing in the boat) in an hour, and got on board the ship by 6.30 P. M.
Next morning at 8 A. M. we got under weigh, and after steaming clear of the island made sail, and shaped course for Havannah Harbour, a port discovered by H. M. S. Havannah in 1849, and ten miles N. W. of Vila in the same island. By 10.30 we were off the entrance, which has a very good land-
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mark in the shape of an island, which appears exactly like a broad-brimmed low-crowned hat.
We steamed in and anchored at 12.30 P. M., the Dayspring having to beat up, did not anchor till 3 P. M. It is a very capacious harbour, when once inside, but it is too deep for anchoring, except in several little bays, and then you anchor within 200 yards of the shore in twenty fathoms; it is surrounded
by high wooded hills, and the entrance was very squally, on account of the ravines in the hills.
Some weeks ago, a trading vessel here had two or three hands murdered, but on inquiring into it, it was found to have been partly, if not altogether, the fault of the whites, so we could not well punish them, though the Commodore gave them to understand that he was displeased with them, and should
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punish them severely, if they did anything of the kind again, besides fining them some sandalwood and cocoa-nut oil.
The next morning, the 18th, Mr. Brenchley, Mr. Veitch, and I, went on shore; we started at 7.30 A. M., but did not go more than two or three miles from the beach, and saw several villages; the natives had some curious armlets and ear-rings made of different-coloured shells cut into odd shapes and strung. Some of them also had pig's tusks stuck in their matted hair. We got some fine parrots, and some more rare plants, and returned on board by 1 P. M., quite ready for our dinners.
I think the savage nature of these people is in a great measure brought out by the traders trying to cheat them. There was one white man living here, a German, dealing in sandalwood.
At 3 P. M. we sailed and parted company with the Dayspring, she returning to Vila, Erromango, Aneiteum, &c., whereas we shaped a course to the northward, passing Tasiko (Two Hills Island), and Api, and Paam Islands, where some canoes came off, and brought fruit, and bows and arrows, to barter.
The next morning we were close to Malicolo, and had to beat round a point; so we got to Port Sand-
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wich by 10 A. M. and anchored there; some canoes immediately came off to barter, and I went on shore for a couple of hours. The people are much like the inhabitants of Vate in their appearance and manners; but the language is totally different. The diversity of tongues is something wonderful amongst this group; in some of the islands (even small ones) as many as twelve different languages are spoken, totally unintelligible to each other, which causes many wars.
At 1 P. M. we weighed, and proceeded under sail to the northward. We passed close to the huge rugged mass of hills forming the volcanic island of Amboyna. It was smoking fiercely, especially towards evening; when far astern we could see the glare of it in the sky. We passed Leper's Island, Aurora, and Whitsun or Pentecost Island on our right hand; canoes came off from one or two places, with fruit, spears, &c, for barter.
By daylight (Sunday 20th) we were close to the north extremity of the large island of Espiritu Santo, discovered by Quiros two centuries ago nearly, who wrote home to the King of Spain saying he had discovered a new Southern Continent. The Spaniards tried to found a colony, but it failed owing to fever and ague, We looked into the large bay of
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St. Philip and St. James (which is ten miles across), and numerous canoes came off to barter with us. The coasts are moderately high, and thickly and luxuriantly clothed with tropical vegetation.
We left the place again at 10 A. M., and after church passed Friendly Island and Santa Maria, Here the chart was very much at fault, and we ran
right past Ranks' Island and Bligh Island, mistaking them, for they are wrongly placed. However, on sighting Torres, or Quiros Islands, we discovered our mistake, and to our cost, for having come down with a fair wind, we had now to beat twenty or thirty miles to windward, which we did not accomplish till the next morning, when, having been hove-to part of the night, we stood in to Vanua Lava, the largest of Banks' Group. We passed between the Island of Amota, or the Sugarloaf
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(which is exactly like a high steeple-crowned hat), and a point with two low islands off it, and anchored in Port Patteson at 1 P. M.
Here we found the mission schooner Southern Cross, and Bishop Patteson of Melanesia, for this is the first island where the Church of England
Mission was established; it includes Banks' Island, Santa Cruz, Solomon, and Loyalty Islands; but none of the missionaries are able to live here, as they could not stand the summer or hurricane months.
The Bishop comes once every year, and has a school at Amota. I went on shore the same afternoon that we arrived (Monday 21st), and walked
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some distance round the bay, to the mouth of a river, which is impregnated with sulphur from a volcano above, and in which I had a bathe; the water is unpleasant to one's face, especially to the eyes.
This was the first island where we found the natives completely in a state of nature, both men and women; and they do not possess much beyond a few bows and arrows, wooden knives, bracelets, and nose-rings for barter. We were heartily glad to see the little schooner, she being, as it were, an old friend; and the Bishop is such a very nice person.
On Tuesday morning, 22nd, I started early (after a header out of the main chains, for the sharks seldom enter this bay) with the Bishop and Mr. Veitch for the Sulphur Springs. They are ten miles inland, and it was a very hot walk. The first five or six miles were over flat country, which part is the most unhealthy for Europeans, and then we had to ascend a steep place; on our way up we got several beautiful views of the bay and surrounding islands. On reaching the springs we were well rewarded for our toil, for there were many hundred hot springs or geysers, sounding like so many high-pressure
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steam-engines, and one or two larger ones; the sulphurous vapour was ascending to a great height in the air, and below the springs was a good deal of sulphur incrusted on the lava, and other rocks on the side of the volcano. We returned to the beach in the evening, and went on board about 6 o'clock. The native canoes are very roughly made here from a log hollowed out, and an outrigger to them.
The next morning we left under sail with the Southern Cross, went over to the Sugarloaf, where I landed for an hour or two, and saw the mission school, if two huts may be dignified with that name. The people seem very civil and friendly to us, and a most harmless race. In the afternoon we sailed for the Santa Cruz Group, which is about 140 miles to the northward. As we had a fair wind, we slipped along well, and passing Bligh, Saddle, and Torres Islands, that evening arrived off Vanikoro at 9 A. M.
Thursday, the 24th, we entered Ocili Harbour, Tevai, at 10 A. M., which is a deep basin surrounded by high hills, covered with rich vegetation. It is here that the unfortunate La Peyrouse came to grief; but as no one landed, we could not learn
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much about it; however, we bartered with the canoes for some hours, and then making sail, we ran out through the reefs, passing the Tupua Islands, and sighting Nitendi, the largest Santa Cruz island, just before dark.
We hove to for the night, and next morning, the 25th, ran along the northern side of it, passing the entrances of Swallow, Byron, and Bloody Bays; all
the time there were canoes alongside trading. They are all cannibals at these islands; and it was not considered safe to land at Port Graciosa, where we hove to in the middle of the day. The people had a great many curiosities, such as bows, poisoned arrows, necklaces, armlets, ear-rings, &c. To the northward Swallow or Matema Islands were in sight, and to
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the N. W. Tinakoro or Volcano Island, which is active, and was smoking fiercely; we could hear it rumbling several times in the afternoon, and at 5 P. M. felt a severe shock of an earthquake throughout the ship.
We left for Solomon Islands at 4 P. M. The next day, the 26th, at noon, we had run 216 miles, and were close to St. Anna and St. Catalina, the two smallest and most southern of the Solomon group; they are close to the S. E. end of San Christoval (which is C. Surville). We hove to, and the Bishop landed on both of the small islands, and canoes came off to the schooner, but they seemed afraid of the man-of-war; however, at last a few came to us, and we got some good curiosities. In the evening at 6 P. M. we made sail, and steered N. W. by N. all night, and after running fifty miles hove to.
At daylight Sunday (27th) we were off Contrarietes Island (native name Ulana), and hove to off it all day. Being Sunday, we did not allow the natives to barter of course, as that would have been setting them a very bad example, so we stood off and on till Monday (28th), when we went on shore; but the Bishop said we had better keep together, as
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it was not altogether safe, and we did not go far from the beach. The island is not more than seven miles in length, and is of no great height, and thickly wooded. There was quite a different style of canoe in these islands, not outriggers, but built of several pieces of thin wood, glued together with a sort of black cement, made from a kind of nut,
and at the bow and stern is a high curved prow, with carved work, and figures of fish, birds, &c, on it, and generally ornamented with red leaves. They are so light that a boy can carry one of twenty or thirty feet long with ease in one hand.
At 3 A. M. next morning (the 29th), we made sail, and stood to the southward, reaching Guelph Islands about 8 A. M.; but being to leeward, we had to beat up, past some low islands called the Three Sisters, and did not anchor off Great Guelph Island (Ugi) till 12 o'clock. I went on shore in
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the afternoon, and went up to the village, in which the houses were better than at Contrarietes Island, and there was a good-sized temple. I had brought my gun, so I went into the bush with B. and got twenty-four pigeons, and thirteen or fourteen parrots for Mr. Brenchley. The former we kept for our mess. In their temple, I noticed some very creditably carved images of birds, fish (sharks), in and outside, and in front were their deities stuck up on pedestals. The Commodore got the front board of the temple, which was covered with carvings of birds and fish. The beautiful bay in which we anchored is to be called 'Curacoa Bay,' as we are the first ship that anchored here; it is nicely under the lee of the island, with S. E. trades, but the water is rather inconveniently deep; we anchored in twenty-four fathoms, two hundred yards off shore. We gave the schooner a hawser over the stern, to save her the trouble of anchoring.
At Guelph Island on the 29th, at 6 P. M., we came off to the ship after shooting, and had hardly sat down to tea when the fire-bell rang; everybody was at his station in a moment, and in the short space of one minute forty-five seconds, all was ready for throwing water on the fire, but
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luckily this was not needed, as it had been extinguished. I had heard an explosion in the after ward-room, and this was caused by the bursting of a cask of brandy, which had ignited. The ward-room steward was drawing off some brandy for use, and incautiously held a candle too close to the bung. Lieutenant Meade ran into his cabin, and seizing his blankets, bedding, &c, threw them on the fire and smothered it. It might have been very serious, for it was close to the after magazine. We ought to be thankful that we escaped becoming a second Bombay, especially on such a wild shore inhabited by uncivilised cannibals.
On Wednesday (the 30th) we went again on shore to shoot, and got thirteen couple of pigeons between us (three guns). We returned on board at 9 A. M., and at 1 P. M. we got under weigh, and proceeded under sail for the Island of San Christoval, which was seven miles off. We arrived and anchored in Wongo or Wano, at 2 P. M., but I did not go on shore till next morning. A great many canoes came off. There is a great deal to be got here. In the Tongan and Fiji Islands nothing went down with the natives so well as common print
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calico, or red flannel and knives. Here they are contented with a very few beads, or a little bit of tobacco.
On Thursday (the 31st) I went on shore at 9 A. M., took my gun with me, and got eight couple of pigeons in about two hours, then went to have a look at the two villages near the beach; there was a fine temple in one, with some very good drawings and hieroglyphics in it, and carved fish, canoes, &c In the centre was a row of columns, supporting the roof, each surmounted by a deity,
with a high-crowned white hat on. Where they got the last idea from I cannot say.
Some of the drawings done on the sides of the temple were very well done for savages. The carvings also of the gods and idols are really very good; they are painted black, white, and red, and
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inlaid with mother-of-pearl, as are also their cooking utensils, bowls, &c These people chew betel-nut, and eat lime with it, which makes their teeth very black and ugly. They are a very different race to the other islanders, being, like the Papuans, black and with rather woolly hair. The ground is covered with hermit-crabs of all sizes, and in shells of every colour and shape, to which they adapt themselves in a wonderful manner. On passing under some trees they fall like a shower of crab-apples, and the beach at times has the appearance of being a moving mass of pebbles.
The Bishop dined on board this evening (the 31st), in the ward-room, and so did the Commodore, and there was a grand spread for them there.
September 1st. --At 10.30 A. M. we weighed, and stood along the coast to the northward. The S. E. trade was very light, so we scarcely made a couple of knots an hour, and at every village we passed, the natives came off in crowds in their canoes to trade, not appearing to be at all afraid of a man-of-war. We had only twenty miles to go, so we were not pressed for time, and at 3 P. M. we saw the Southern Cross becalmed under the land, so we got up steam, and took her in tow, arriving
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in Recherche Bay (so called after the French corvette La Recherche) at 4.30 P. M., just as it came on to rain hard. There is no village here, the settlement is in the next bay to the southward.
The next day, the 2nd, I went on shore early and took my gun with me; there were crowds of
natives on the beach, coming off to the ship, with spears, clubs, parrots, opossums, pigs, fowls, yams, and taro, to sell in exchange for beads, pipes, &c But nothing was taken here more greedily than stick tobacco; one could get almost anything for a small piece, even more than for a tomahawk. I got a pretty little model of a canoe, four or five
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feet long, for six sticks of tobacco and an old knife; the former is beautifully carved at the bow and stern. When on shore I found a delightful mountain stream for bathing in, which rushed down into the sea.
I walked round a point on the right, and after a walk of four miles came to the village. We shot some pigeons on the way there. I found the Bishop there, and as he had come by boat, he was quite surprised to see us arrive on foot. I got a few little curiosities here, such as bracelets, ear-rings, &c., and walked back in the afternoon by the beach. On the way I came across a large snake, about four feet long, which the native who was with me killed, and I took it back to Mr. Brenchley, who pronounced it to be a poisonous one. I also got two centipedes six or eight inches long.
The next day, being Sunday, we remained at anchor, and the Bishop preached on board; his sermon was on the missionary work in general, telling us of all the dangers and perils they have to undergo. In the afternoon it came on to rain hard; however, we all went on shore to bathe in our shirts and trousers, and after a good swim came off again.
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The next morning at 6 we got under weigh with the schooner, and stopped at 9 A. M. off Makira Bay for half-an-hour, whilst some canoes came off to trade; we then proceeded before a slacking S. E. trade-wind for Guadalcavar. This was the island where Mr. Boyd was murdered whilst on shore from his yacht the Wanderer, R. Y. S. But though the book (written about it by the master of the yacht) says nothing about his former proceedings, which, as the Bishop tells us, were very questionable, it appears he merited his fate; for some years before he had kidnapped seventy natives from this island, and had taken them to Sydney as labourers; when he returned, the friends of these people inquired after them, and as he did not give a satisfactory answer they took the first opportunity of killing him. On his friends representing, or rather misrepresenting, the case in Sydney, H. M. S. Herald was sent down to punish the murderers, but did not succeed in catching them, though it destroyed several villages and other property.
At noon we entered Marau Sound, at the east end of Guadalcavar, and sixty miles from San Christoval; and at 1 P. M. anchored in a beautiful
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and snug little harbour, perfectly landlocked, which has been named after the ship Curacoa Harbour. I believe we are the first vessel that has ever anchored here.
We found the natives very civil and hospitable, though, of course, they are cannibals, as in all the other islands of this group. I went on shore, and in crossing a creek, by means of an old fallen tree, I had a very narrow escape of putting my hand on a large centipede, about eight inches long. I came across a village in the course of my walk, and joined Mr. B.'s party.
The natives here have some curiously carved articles, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, such as ebony clubs, spears, and black bowls. I got some from the canoes which came alongside directly we anchored; I also got some of their necklaces, bracelets, &c. in the village.
The natives wear a small waistband and a headdress, and the leaves of the pandanus, or dracaena, fastened on a comb, besides numerous bracelets and-rings made from white shells, also nose and ear rings. They also wore a piece of mother-of-pearl, in the form of a crescent, round their necks, which nothing would induce them to part with,
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and I do not think even the Commodore succeeded in procuring one.
Their food is similar to that in all these islands, viz., taro, yams, bananas, and cocoa-nuts; pigs and fowls seem to be only used at feasts and other grand occasions. They chew the betel-nut very much, also the leaf of a tree, mixed with lime, which makes their teeth very black, and their lips to appear parched and sore. The ground here is covered with hermit-crabs, as in the other islands we have visited of this group.
The master made a slight survey of the harbour, and, having no occasion for remaining longer, we sailed at 6 A. M. next morning (Tuesday, 5th), with the schooner in company, and passed close to the Island of Malayta, where we hove to at 11.30, canoes coming alongside as usual to barter; there being no good anchorage on this side, we did not stay beyond a couple of hours, but the land appeared high and thickly wooded. We passed several small rocks and islands; one was of a very peculiar shape, much like a ship; it is called 'Two Tree Island,' and stands quite alone with deep water all round it.
At 4 P. M. we passed the Ass's Ears, two high
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rocks off the south-east end of Florida Island, and steamed along its northern shores, in order to get to an anchor before dark. The island is very pretty,
being wooded, with open, park-like glades on the sides of the hills, and here and there villages, which are all built on the tops of the hills in order to
prevent surprise. We entered a large gulf, where, I believe, there never had been a ship before, so far as the Bishop knows, and anchored at 6.30 P. M.;
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and even though it was just dusk, the natives flocked alongside at once; they had come off in several places along the coast, but we could not stop to let them come alongside.
The natives call this gulf 'Mboli,' but the Bishop has proposed Port Wiseman, and we have so named it accordingly on our chart. The schooner not
getting there till dark, stood off for the night, and came in in the morning and made fast with a hawser from our stern.
Next day the master went away surveying the harbour, and as he did not return by 8 P. M., the Commodore grew uneasy; however, the Bishop
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volunteered to go and look after them. At 9, as neither of the parties returned, we burnt blue lights, and fired a rocket, and soon heard the splash of oars, and both boats appeared a few minutes afterwards; they had been tempted to go on, and finding the water salt, pulled right through and came out on the south side, proving the supposed Florida Island to be two distinct islands, with a channel not less than half a mile in breadth, and eight to fourteen fathoms deep, between them. It is to be called Scudamore Channel, after the master. As no one had ever landed here, it was thought prudent at first, not to give leave; but in the afternoon I went with the Bishop for a short walk to one of the villages; they appear neat and clean.
In the morning I was bartering and made some valuable additions for the museum: three clubs beautifully matted over in different colours, red, blue, yellow, &c, and three spears made of human bones, besides some ebony clubs, bracelets, belts of beads made from shells, and a necklace made of vampire bats' teeth. We left Florida at G A. M.
