CAPTAIN ERSKINE'S CRUISE AMONG THE ISLANDS OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 775, 17 September 1853, Page 2

CAPTAIN ERSKINE'S CRUISE AMONG THE ISLANDS OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC.

(From the " Spectator," April 30.) Journal of a Cruise among the Islands of the Western Pacific, including the Feejees and others inhabited by the Polynesian Negro Races, inH.MS. " Havannah." By . jonx ..Elfiiixstonk Erskine, Capt. R.N. With Maps and Plates. Published by Murray. The scene of Captain Erskine's cruise in "those groups of islands and single islets in the Western Pacific which extend from the Navigator's Islands in longitude 170 degrees, west, to New Caledonia, in 105 degrees, east, and which may rank among the most interesting and little known regions directly accessible by sea. The genius of Cook recorded their natural and social traits with a discriminating sagacity which even now excites the admiration of those who follow in his.track. Since Cook's day not much has been done to extend his observations, beyond Mariner's account of the Tonga or Friendly Islands. Navigators have touched at many of the places, missionaries have settled, or attempted to settle at them, and traders between Sydney and China have frequented the most interesting portion of the whole—the region which forms the.easterly extreme of Australasia, consisting of New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands, and the New Hebrides. The results, however, have not corresponded with the apparent opportunities. From the traders, indeed, we were not likely to learn much: they were as corrupt, as bloody, and for all purposes of philosophical observation as ignorant, as the savages they visited and slaughtered. The missionaries, with some rare exceptions, were deficient in native penetration and largeness of mind, while their primary object naturally gave a colour to everything they saw, and as natuially predominated in their narratives. Some of them, however, have left valuable pictures of the mental state of the natural man, though theology may be more conspicuous than philosophy. Either want of time or of taste has rendered many of the navigators less discriminating, and, perhaps, less impartial than might be wished. It has been reserved for Captain Erskine to exhibit the fullest and most interesting account of these islands since the great circumnavigator first described them. The object of the voyage and the change of circumstances may be noted as advantages in Captain Erskine's favour ; but opportunities are useless to those who cannot use them.

The cruise was one of the first of its kind; being intended as a sort of judicial circuit. Owing in part to the cupidity and treachery of the islanders, but a good deal more to the unprincipled and brutal character of whalers and other traders in these seas, the massacre of savages and sailors has gone on among the islands, especially among those that form the frontier lands of Australasia. The visits of ships of war to these places have hitherto been casual. Captain Erskine's was a regular cruise for the purpose of observation and justiciary objects ; and seems to be the beginning of an annual series, which, efficiently carried out, will be beneficial both to knowledge and humanity. The greater groups visited by Captain Erskine in his voyage of 1849 (for he made a second in 1850), were the Navigators, Friendly, Feejee, and Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, and some of the New Hebrides. A careful study of the works of his predecessors had made him familiar with the history and characteristics of the people, so far as they could be ascertained from books. ; The size and equipment of his frigate, the absence of trading pursuits, and his position as a Queen's officer (tor none are better judges of character than many of these savages), gave him great advantages in point of prestige ; his own bearing, equally removed from undue familiarity and from the hauteur of the service, and above all, his reasonable sense of justice, appear to have made a favourable personal impression upon the native chiefs. Every commander who visits the less frequented islands of the Pacific has opportunities of observation in plenty if he can benefit by them. The confidence inspired by a man whom the savage feels he can trust, gives greater opportunities by more freely eliciting his traits. The opinion formed by Captain Erskine of the moral capability of the worst islanders whom he e countered is more favourable than that of many other navigators ; if they were property treated, he sees in them the germ of goodness. As regards their actual vices, especially, their bloodiness, cruelty, and cannibalism, .his .picture is darker than that of most other men. With that instinctive )u<lf»meiit of character whick they possess, theyhave quickly seen that Europeans hold cannibalism in abhorrence, and have denied or softened the circumstances of the practice. The residence of the missionaries and other white men amongst them has enabled more information to be acquired about the real facts of the case. If truly reported —and there appears no reason for doubt—a dinner of human flesh, in some of the islands, seems as common a thing as. game in Europe ; and the more unsophisticated justify the practice on the plea of the want of the larger animals which Europeans have got. In the interior even of the Feejee Islands, and on state occasion's, there are regular sacrificial feasts. Like other national customs, man-eating exists without injury to individual character beyond the range of its own, effects. Navindi,..one of the. mildest-mannered and most respectable of the Feejeeau chiefs, not

very long before Captain Erskine'i out to procure victims, as they ran short fo* «I ceremony-, and by means of a skilful ambus? tS? napped fourteen women. Their cruelty as! av ferent as that of ignorant. children animals, is horrible as described. Superstt? usage is at tbe bottom of much of their barbari!!!? though sometimes it may save life. l0a ««n, " The former Queen of Rewa, whose hnaWj had been put to death during the war, out to us at a neighbouring house: shfc* half-sister to Thakombau, and had escaned ,* usual death awarded to widows, in consem of their being present no chief of higherß9 than herself to perform the duty of sfcraaeul!? which cannot be executed in such a case hj > inferior. This woman;- now -of middle ae very corpulent, bore marks nevertheless of former beauty for which she was celebrated ! which may be judged of from the likenes?mf duced into Captain "Wilkes's narrative. Evid of the extraordinary bloodthirsty cbaraP e this people's institutions met us atHaving pointed out to Mr. Calvert, when o n iS' hill, two blocks of stone, which had' beenh into rude pillars by apparently an Euri workman, nearly overgrown with grass sought me earnestly to take no notice of twf* adding, afterwards, that they were intended*!?' monument or mausoleum to the memory of T noa's father, but that their erection if!? should take place, would most certainly be aw*!!* panied by the sacrifice of at least two tomf* victims, it being considered necessary that • works of such a nature, or even in the const * tion of the house of a ruling chief, a nwn-S be buried ah ye at the foot of each do&. *a ;» the stability of the edifice." , Thakombau, alluded to in the above extract • the most powerful chief in the Feejee Islands > U man of magnificent presence, great moi ution 8 and natural sagacity. There are among the upper classes even at Feejee, andTy! kombau is known "frequently to deride and probate many points of his people's faith as delusions." Policy or habit has prevented hh» from adopting Christianity, though he tolerate* the missionaries, and he continues the practiced cannibalism ; in fact, it was by his orders (ha Navindi carried off the ladies. After receMap Captain Erskine, and committing the great m. propriety (according to Feejeean ideas) of inter! rupting a speech, when it touched too closely on cannibalism', he accompanied his guest on board the frigate.

"After we had dined, the chiefs, obseninir some pistols in the boat, and always pleased to see the practice of arms of any description pm. posed firing at a mark to pass the time. Havingthrown overboard some of our empty bottles for the purpose, I had much to do to save my specimens of Feejeean pottery from Navindi, .who could not understand why we should throw away articles which appeared to him of great value when such common utensils as those hehad men to me were at hand. In spite of oar efforts to keep ourselves awake, we were all heartily thai before we reached the ship at eleven o'clock. Our Feejeean friends were astonished at her sizcj.the efFect of which was increased by the starlight, and on mounting 1 the side seemed for a moment to lose their self-possession, crouching under the bulwark apparently afraid to advance further. Having been informed, m answer to their anxious inquiries, that every person in the ship had been ordered to treat them as friends, they became reassured, and descended to the cabin, where mats were prepared foT their beds, and a space screened in for their occupation. Their curiosity getting the better of their fears, they proceeded on a cruise about the main deck before repairing to their mats; whence I heard them at intervals during the night discussing the wonders they bad seen, and no doubt speculating on what was forthcoming on the morrow. 16th August.— Captain Jenner, who slept in one of the side-cabins, was awoke this morningby the awful-looking visage of Thakombau, who had begun early to gratify his curiosity by exploring all the corners of the ship, gazing intently upon him as he lay in his cot. Some of the officers' pea-jackets, which had been inadvertently handed from the barge into my cabin, had afforded him and Navindi the opportunity of appearing in what they evidently considered full-dress, although the heat of the morning caused* theni to look very uncomfortable, and, soon after breakfast, to lay their adopted clothing aside. " In the foirenoon we went to quarters, having previously laid out a target (a hammock, with the figure of a man painted on it) againgt the face of a conspicuous rock on the beach, at a distance from the ship of 800 yards. Thakombau was evidently in great anxiety until the firing began, although he tried to conceal it; and when he saw the smallness of the target, expressed some incredulity as to the possibility of our striking such a mark. I furnished him with a spyglass, and placed him on the bowsprit, where he was not incommoded by the smoke, Navindi, Tui Levuk*, and one or two of the latter's followers being also present. Either the first or second shot struck the figure on the head ; and, our men being in beautiful practice, scarcely once missed the rock, and a very few rounds were sufficient to knock the target to pieces, which was replaced by one<r two others in quick succession. Even the short time necessary for this was too much for Thakomban's impatience, who had now worked-himself up into a state of high excitement; and he begged us not to wait, pointing out, first, a man onthe bwich, and afterwards, a canoe with several persons in her,-as more worthy oUr expenditure of ammunition than the inanimate objects we had chosen; evidently considering that his permission would be quite sufficient to satisfy our consciences,, snd was surprised at our scruples. One or two sheHs, which burst with great, precision, concluded the exhibition, which had greatly astonished all the chiefis. Thakombau, approaching Mr. Calvert, said, ' This, indeed, makes me tremble; I feel no longer secure. Should I offend these people, they have to bring their ship to Bau, where, havuie found me out with their long spyglasses, my head would fall at the first shot!' "Notwithstaaufflg j these professed fears, he was most pressing iohis entreaties that I would, take the ship to Bau J being desirous, doubtless, of exhibiting his P 0 ful allies to : his formidable neighbours of «tt Levu. * * *

" At. the request of Thakombau I took him on shore to the rock against which ourtor S et J~f been placed, to examine the effects of &e ,#jr Large fragments had been knocked off, and were lying on. the beach ; some of the shot bavuu? bm broken in pieces, and others, which v#e'ape baring buried themselves for several feet into we earth, which filled the fissures. He jnffwJJ these with a * chuck, chuck 1' of astomsnmeirt, which was increased by an old man few hours later, a 68-pound shot, which, glanced along the .top of the rock, had »!»*s"' the ditch of the ' kolo,' or native village, about» mile distant by the" beach, where he employed in digging his taro. The old «" f made no complaint, although he must have 1 rowly escaped with his life. "At dinner-time the chiefs seemed ■*<» J** lost their appetites ; which was explained tf J fact of-their having already dined i \ gun-room and the midshipmen's berth, ™?Bjg as they told some of the officers, more at *«_ ease among the young people than at the Ctti table. They, however, behaved veiy*e«j_ fecting to praise our cookery and style of and we afterwards made them several return for-those received at Bau. Thw^P^ seemed somewhat disappointed -that . * arms or ammunition to supply them.Wi ample amends were made dv gift of a laced scarlet coat and epaulettes, "jf _ uniform of an officer of the Guards, ceeded in magnificence anything he before, and was put on with great saw 3 a Navindi .was gratified, at the same time, * scarlet hunting-coat; and Tui Levuka, **"£SZ made great friends with all the officers, esps<**£J with the midshipmen, and had recel J*ent them many articles of clothing, had also a P" 8 *" of a few trifles allotted to him." , "" ''_*— . Notwithstanding the highly polished v****!! of the Feejee chiefs, their strict attention w etiquette,and the high rank of forgot himseif before Jjis departure under temptatipn. . &-.,- » _. i^oma "After' M Calvert's departure I we""

to pet rid of my visitors* who seemed by ""means disposed to leave me at leisure. It was wimated to them accordingly by Simpson, H m I bad engaged to accompany us as pilot to Smdi and Bua, tbat, as I was going on shore to ii kat some timber which our people were emSvedin felling (having been bought by Mr. Tfanant from Tin Levuka), I was desirous of wishing them farewell. A parting request for a hj ttle of brandy was delicately hinted on the rt of Navindi; which I granted on condition of ■£ n ot being opened on board, Where they had aliv been fully entertained; and we took leave, f many mutual professions of friendship. W «On,my return to the ship, an hour or two fterwards, I was therefore not a little surprised t tie scene which presented itself on entering the abin On an arm-chair, with his naked feet Jesting on another, sat Thakombau, in the guard's\jan's coat; his turban, which had now been worn for three days without change, dirty and disordered ; whilst a self satisfied leer on his bold features proclaimed that the brandy-bottle, which Itood uncorked on the table, had been too great a temptation to withstand. Oa the deck at his Lt sat, each with tumbler in. hand, his boon companions Navinda, and Tui Levuka, in the finest clothes they had acquired on board ; the Loup irresistibly reminding one of that described % Rob Ron as encountered by Mr. Osbaldistone and Baillie Jarvie at the clachan of Aberfoil. I pretended to take no notice of the party ; which probably hastened their departure in rather an Unceremonious manner ; Navindi, after corking ap the remainder of the brandy, following Thafcombau over the quarter of the ship into his canoe; where, seated in a chair (the only one he possesses, and tabued for his use), we saw the chief, after they had shoved off, still dressed in uniform, employed in attending the sheet, —a duty always performed by the principal personace on board, but which I should have hardly thought him in a fit state to undertake." The halo of romance .which hangs over the Papuan Archipelago, if New Caledonia and the jleW Hebrides are included in the name, seems likely to be dissipated on further intimacy. The scenery, as beheld from the ship or from a distance was often bold or beautiful; but the soil does not appear to be fertile, the climate is not healthy, and the inhabitants have all the vices of the Western Polynesians without their strength of character, or the variety and advance of their social condition. This is a picture from New Caledonia. . "We were very civilly .received by Basset and his brother; who had both visited Sydney and spoke a little English, the former sufficiently well to maintain a conversation tolerably without the aid of an interpreter. He willingly agreed to our proposal to accompany us for a few miles up the river, wheie he informed us he had another house, which he would be happy to show us ; and as we had not much time to spare, we started immediately, to profit by his invitation. Although the weather was not favourable, each turn of the river discovered new beauties, neat trimly-kept houses, standing often in Yery beautiful situations on its banks, with well-construct-ed landing-places, and a few trees placed in regular order on what appeared to be mown lawns, In one or two places I observed a human skull, on the top of a pole planted in a provision ground, and was assured by Basset that they were the heads of friends preserved as a memento. As the chief, however, looked somewhat confuted on giving me this explanation, I was induced to make further inquiry, and found they were the heads of person?, generally women, who had been caught in the act of breaking the f tabu,' which, for the purpose of encouraging other cultivation, is periodically placed on the cocoa-nuts. From all we see, it is evident that this part of the country is not generally fertile; but a degree of pains seems to be taken in its cultivation that I never expected to see among savages. The face of the hills above the river is covered with rectangular fields, surrounded by channels for irrigation, which, as far as can be seen from below, is conducted on a careful and scientific system, levels being carried ffom the Streams, which at this season of the year afterwards flow into the river at intervals of a a quarter of a mile." ■ Appended to Captain Erskine's narrative is an account of the EeejeeanjaJby a seaman of the name of Jackson, who resided among them for two years. 'He was employed by the Captain as interpreter, and at his wish wrote down in his intervals of leisure an account of his experiences among that people. Jackson appears to have been of a respectable yeoman's family in Sussex, with more education than belongs to the geneiality of common sailors. His narrative is curious, minute, and exhibitive of the daily life of the people. It has also an autobiographical interest, as showing the strange variety of scenes the European adventurers or deserters go through in the South Seas.