CAPTAIN ERSKINE'S CRUISE AMONG THE ISLANDS OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC. [From the Spectator, April 30.]
The scene of Captain Erskine's cruise is those groups of islands and siugle islets in the Western Pacific which extend from the Navigators Islands in longitude 170 degrees West to New Caledonia in IG5° East, and which may rank among tbe most interesting aad 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 tbe Easterly extreme of Australasia, consisting of New Caledonia, the Loyally 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 coind, while their primary object naturally gave a colour to everything they saw, and as naturally predominated in their narratives. Some of them, however, have left valuable pictures of the mental slate of the natural man, though theology may be more conspicuous than philosophy. Either want cf time or of taste has rendered many of the navigators less discriminating, and perhaps less impartial than might be wished. It has bee a reserved for Captain Erskiae to exhibit the fullest and most interesting account of these islands sines the great circumnavigator first described them, The object of the voyage and the change of circumstances may be noted as advantages in Captain Er&kine's favour ; but opportunities are useless to those who cannot use them. The cruise was one of tbe 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 trailers in these seas, the massacre of savages and sailors has gone on among the islands, especially among those that form the frontier landr 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 I80O,) were tbe 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 tbe history and characteristics of the peoples, so iar as they could be ascertained from books. The size and equipment of his frigate, the absence of trading pursuits, and his position as 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 chiets. Every commander who visits the less frequented islands of the Pacific has opportunities of observation in plenty if he can benefit by them. Ihe 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 tbe moral capability of the worst islanders whom he encountered is more favourable than that of many otbsr navigators : if they were properly treated he sees in them the germ of goodness. As regards their actual vices, especially their bloodiness, cruelty, and cannibalism, his picture is darker thai that of any other men. With that instinctive judgment of character which they possess, they have quickly seen that Europeans hold canni- ! ba]ism in abhorrence, and have denied or softened the ciicumstances of tbe 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 occasions, there are regular sacrificial feasts. Like other national customs, man-eating exists without injury to individual character beyond the range or< its own effects. Navindi, one of the mildest-mannered, and most respectable of the Feejeean chiefs, not very long before Captain Eiskine's arrival went out to procure victims, as they ran short for the ceremony, and by means of a skilful ambush kidnapped fourteen women. Their cruelty, as indifferent as that of ignorant children towards animals, is horrible as described. Superstitious usage is at the bottom of much of their barbarism, though sometimes it may save life. "The former Queen of Rewa, whose husband had been put to death during the war, was pointed out to us at a neighbouring house : she was a half-sister of Thakombau, md had escaped the usual death awarded to widows, in I consequence gj there being present no chief of
higher rank than herself to perform the duy of strangulation, which cannot be executed in such a case by an inferior. This woman, now of middltt age and very corpulent, bore marks nevertheless of the former beauty for which she was Celebrated, and which may be judged from the likeness introduced into Captain Wilkes's narrative. Evidence of the extraordinary bloodthirsty character of this people's institutions met us at every step. Having pointed out to Mr. Calvert, when on the hill, two blocks of stone which had been hewn inte rude pillars by apparently an European workmin, nearly overgrown with grass, he besought me earnestly to take no notice of them ; adding afterwards, that they were intended for a monument or mausoleum to the memory of Tanoa's father, but that their, rection, if ever it should take place, would roost certainly be accompanied by the sacrifice of at least two human victims, it being considered necessary that in works of s>uch a uature, or even in the construction of the house of a ruling chief, a man should be buried alive at the foot of each post, to insure the stability of the edifice." Thakombau, alluded to in the above extract, is the most powerful chief in the Feejee Islands ; a man of magnificent presence, great resolution, and natural sagacity. There are freethinkers among the upper classes even at Feejee, and Thakombau is known " frequently to deride and reprobate many of the points of his people's faith as mere delusions." Policy or habit has prevented him from adop-ing Christianity, though he tolerates the missionaries, and he continues the practice of canuibalism ; in fact, it was by his orders that Navindi carried off the ladies. After receiving Captain Erskine, and committing the great impropriety (according to Feejeean ideas) of interrupting a speech, when it touched | too closely on cannibalism, he accompanied his guest on board the frigate. " After we had dined, the chiefs, observing some pisto.s is the boat, and always pleased to see the practice of arms of any description, proposed firing at a ma>k to pass the time. Having thrown 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 he had given to me were at hand. In spite of our efforts to keep ourselves awake, we were all heartily tiled before we reached the ship at eleven o'clock. Our Feejeean friends were astonished at her size, the effect of which was increased by the starlight, and on moanting the side seemed for a moment to lose their selfpossession, crouching under the bulwark, apparently afraid to advance further. Having been informed, in answer to their anxious inquiries, that every person in the ship had been ordered to trsat them as friends, they became reassured, and descended to the cabin, where irats were prepared for their beds, and a space screened in for their occupation. Their curiosity getting (he 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 had seen, and no doubt speculating on what was forthcoming on the morrow. 16th August. — Captain Jenner, who slept in one of the side-cabius, was awoke this morning by the awful-looking vissage of Tbakombau, who had begun early to gratify his curiosity by exploring all the corners of the &hip, gazing intently upon him as he lay in his cot. Some of the officers' ppajackets, 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 dtess, although the heat of the morning caused them to look very uncomfortable, and, soon after breakfast to lay their adopted clothing aside. " In the forenoon we went to quarters, having previously laid out a target (a hammock, with the figure of a man painted on it) against 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 spy-glass, and placed him on the bowsprit, where he was not incommoded by the smoke, Navindi, Tui Levuka, 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 or two others in quick succession. Even the short time necessary for this was too much for Thakombau'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 on the beach, 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, and surprised at our scruples. One or two shells, which burst with great precision, concluded the exhibition, which bad greatly astonished all the chiefs. 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, having found me out with their long spy-glasses, my head would fall at the first shot !' Notwithstanding these professed fears, he was most pressing in his entreaties that I would take the ship to Bau ; being desirous, doubtless, of exhibing his powerful allies to his formidable neighbours of Viti Levu. * * ~ "At the request of Thakorabau I took him on shore to ihe rock against which our target had been placed, to examine the effects of the shot. Large fragments bad been knocked off, and were lying on the beach ; some of the shot having been broken in pieces, and others, which we dug out, having buried themselves for several j feet into the earth, which filled the fissures. He , inspected these with a ' chuck, chuck' of astonish- I ment ; which was increased by an old man , bringing, a few hours later, a €8-pound shot, which, having glanced along the top of the rock, j had fallen into the ditch of the 6 kolo,' or native village, about a, mile distant by the beach, where be had been employed in digging his tare The old lellow made no complaint, although he must have narrowly escaped! with his life. * *
"At dinner-time the chiefs seemed to have lost their appetites ; which vras explained by the fact of their having already dined in both ihe gun-room and the midshipmen's berth, feeling, as they told some of the officers, more at ease among the young people than at the chief's table. They, however, behaved vpry well, affecting to praise our cookery and style of living ; and vre afterwards made them several presents in return for those received at Bau. Thakombau seemed sotnewhatdisappointedthatl bad no arms or ammunition to supply him with ; but ample amends were made by Captain Janner'a gift of a laced scarlet coat and epaulettes, the full uniform of an officer of the Guards, which exceeded iv magnificence anything he had ever seen before, and was put on with great satisfaction. Navindi was gratified at the same time with a scarlet hunting-coat ; and Tui Levuka, who had made great friends with all the officers, especially with the midshipmen, and had received from them many articles of clothing, had also a present of a few trifles allotted to him." Notwithstanding the highly polished manners of the Feejee chiefs, their strict attention to etiquette and the high rank of Thakombau, he forgot himself before his departure, under strong temptation. "After Mr. Calvert's departure I became anxious to get rid of ray visitors, who seemeJ by no means disposed to leave me at leisure. It was intimated to them accordingly by Simpson, whcm I I hnd engaged to accompany us as pilot to Nandi and Bua, that, as I was going on shore to look at some timber which our people were employed in felling, Cheviog been bought by Mr. Hannant from Tui Levuka,) I was desirous of wishing them farewell. A parting request for a bottle of brandy was delicately hinted on the part of Navindi ; which I granted on condition of its not being opened on board, where they had already been fully entenained ; t.nd we took leave, with many mutual professions of friendship. '• On my return to the ship an hour or two afterwards, I. was therefore, not a little surprised at the scene which presented itself on entering the cabin. On an arm-chair, with his naked feet resting on another, sat Thakombau, iv the guardsman's coat ; his turban, which bad nowbeen worn for three da>s without change, dirty and disordered ; whilst a self-satisfied leer on his bold features, proclaimed that the brandybottle, which stood uncorked on the table, had been too great a temptation to withstand. On the deck, at his feet, sat, each with tumbler in hand, his boou companions Navindi and Tui Levuka, in the finest clothes they bad acquired on board ; the group irresistibly reminding.one of that described in " Rob Roy " as encountered by Mr. Osbaldistone and Baillie Jarvie at the clachan of of Abeifoii. I pretended to take no notice of the party ; which probably hastened their departure iv rather an unceremonious manner ; Navindi, after corking up the remainder of the brandy, following Thakombau over the quarter of ' the ship into his canoe ; v. here, 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 periormed by the principal personage on board, but which 1 should have hardly thought him in a fit state to undertake." The halo of romance which hangs over tie Papuw Archipelago, if New Caledonia and the new Hebrides are included in the name, seems likely to be dissipated on further intimacy. The sceoery, as beheld irom the ship or i'rtm a distance, was often bold or beautiful ; but the soil does not appear to be fertile, the climate is not healthy, and the inhabitants haye all the vices ef 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 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 accompauy us for a few miles up the river where 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 very beautiful situations on its banks, with well-constructed 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 beads of friends preserved as a memento. As tlie chief, however, looked somewhat confused on giving me this explanation, I was induced to make further inquiry ; and found they were the heads of persons, generally women, who had been caught in the act of breaking the ' 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 b« taken in its cultivation that I never expected to see among savages. The face of the bills 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 from the streams, which at this season of the year afterwards flow into the river at intervals of a quarter of a mile." Appended to Captain Erskine's narrative is an account of the Feejeeans by a seaman of the name of Jackson, who resided among them for two years. He was employed by the Captain as intepreter, 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 generality of common sailors. His narrative is curious, minute, aud exhibitive of the daily life of the people. It has also an autobiographical interest, as sbowiDg the -strange variety of scenes the European Adventurers or deserters go through in the South Seas.
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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 844, 3 September 1853, Page 4
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3,205CAPTAIN ERSKINE'S CRUISE AMONG THE ISLANDS OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC. [From the Spectator, April 30.] New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 844, 3 September 1853, Page 4
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