entirely in the European fashion. He wore a dark surtout, and black
waistcoat, and pantaloons, both of very fine cloth. He was still in
mourning for his beloved Tameamea, and his hat was bound with crape. The
lady's dress was of black silk. A crowd of people of both sexes
assembled to welcome the Regent. His foot had scarcely touched the
shore, when they all began to rub each other's noses, and at a given
signal, to weep aloud. This is the established etiquette in welcoming a
great chief. Some of the old women of rank surrounded Karemaku, under
Chinau's direction, and rubbing each other's noses, sang in a plaintive
tone a song to the following effect:
"Where hast thou stayed so long, beloved ruler? We have wept for thee
every day. Heaven be praised that thou art here again! Dost thou feel
how the earth rejoices under thy footsteps? Dost thou hear how the pigs
which scent thee, joyfully grunt their welcome? Dost thou smell the
roasted fish that waits thy eating? Come, we will cherish thee, that
thou mayest take comfort among us." It must be confessed, that if the O
Wahi language be peculiarly adapted for poetry, this composition does
not do it justice. Karemaku laughed at this reception, and allowed
himself to be conducted in grand procession to Nomahanna, who had not
condescended to meet him. The excitement lasted the whole day. Nothing
was spoken of but Karemaku's heroism, and the rebel son of Tamaris, whom
he had brought with him a prisoner. This young man is called Prince
George; he is about five-and-twenty, and not of a prepossessing
appearance. He dresses like a European; but although educated in the
United States of America, he scarcely equals a common sailor in moral
attainments, and is remarkable only for his vices. Karemaku never loses
sight of him. Two Yeris are appointed for his keepers; and he knows that
he should be strangled if he attempted to escape.
Kahumanna still remained in O Tuai, to maintain the newly-restored
tranquillity. This female, who had already distinguished herself in
Vancouver's time, unites a clear understanding with a masculine spirit,
and seems to have been born for dominion.
Karemaku's arrival proved extremely useful to us. We had made the
disagreeable discovery that a great part of the copper with which the
ship was bottomed had become loose, and the hull thereby liable to
injury from worms. To repair this damage in the ordinary way, the
laborious task of unlading and keel-hauling must have been undertaken;
but our noble friend, on hearing of our difficulties, put us upon an
easier method of managing the business. He sent me three very clever
divers, who worked under the water, and fastened new plates of copper on
the hull, two of them provided with hammers to drive in the nails, while
the third held the materials. We found that these men could remain at
work forty-eight seconds at a time. When they emerged, their eyes were
always red and starting; the effect of the violent strain upon the optic
nerve which the use of the sight under water produces. We had some
skilful divers among our own sailors, who, although they could not have
attempted this work, were able to inspect what was done by the
Wahuaners, and to report that it was properly executed.
Some days after Karemaku's arrival, came an ambassador from Nomahanna,
with instructions to demand an audience of me. I received him in the
cabin. His only clothing, except a pocket of plaited reeds that hung
round his neck, was a shirt, and a very broad-brimmed straw hat. The
fellow looked important and mysterious, as if he had a mighty secret to
impart; but converse with each other we could not, for he understood
only his mother-tongue, of which I was entirely ignorant; he therefore
informed me by signs that his pocket contained something for me, and
drew from it a packet. One by one, a multitude of envelopes of the paper
manufactory of the country were removed, till at length a letter came to
light, which he handed to me with the words, "Aroha Nomahanna!" a
salutation from Nomahanna. He then explained to me, in pantomime, that
it was the Queen's intention to visit me to-day, and that she requested
I would send my boat to fetch her. After saying a great deal about "Pala
pala," he left me, and I summoned Marini, who gave me the following
translation of the letter.
* * * * *
"I salute thee, Russian! I love thee with my whole heart, and more than
myself. I feel, therefore, on seeing thee again in my country, a joy
which our poor language is unequal to express. Thou wilt find all here
much changed. While Tameamea lived, the country flourished; but since
his death, all has gone to ruin. The young King is in London. Karemaku
and Kahumanna are absent; and Chinau, who fills their place, has too
little power over the people to receive thee as becomes thy rank. He
cannot procure for thee as many hogs and sweet potatoes, and as much
tarro as thou hast need of. How sincerely do I regret that my great
possessions lie upon the Island of Muwe, so far away across the sea!
Were they nearer, thou shouldst daily be surrounded by hogs. As soon as
Karemaku and Kahumanna return, all thy wants shall be provided for. The
King's brother comes with them; but he is yet only an inexperienced boy,
and does not know how to distinguish good from evil.
"I beg thee to embrace thine Emperor in my name. Tell him, that I would
willingly do so myself, but for the wide sea that lies between us. Do
not forget to carry my salutations to thy whole nation. Since I am a
Christian, and that thou art also such, thou wilt excuse my indifferent
writing. Hunger compels me to close my letter. I wish that thou also
mayst eat thy hog's head with appetite and pleasure.
I am,
With royal constancy
And endless love, thine,
NOMAHANNA."
* * * * *
This curious epistle is very neatly written in a firm hand. The letters
are large, well-formed, and very intelligible. The superscription bears
only the words with which the letter begins--"Aroha Rukkini!" The
composition had taken her many weeks to complete; she made some progress
in it every day; but what was once inserted she never altered; the same
clean page that had been transmitted to me, being the identical one on
which the letter was commenced.
It was soon known in Hanaruro that the Queen had written to me; and as
all she did was imitated, I was presently in a fair way for being
honoured with many similar letters. All my intended correspondents,
however, would require at least as much time to express their thoughts
on paper, as Nomahanna had taken; I must therefore have waited for their
favours much longer than would have been convenient.
According to Nomahanna's request, I sent off an officer with the shallop
to fetch her: some hours, however, elapsed before she came, her
Majesty's toilette having, said my officer, occupied all this time. When
at length it was completed, she desired him to give her his arm and
conduct her to the shallop. This is another imitation of European
customs.
For a lady of the Sandwich Islands, Nomahanna was this day very
elegantly attired. A peach-coloured dress of good silk, trimmed at the
bottom with black lace, covered her Majesty's immense figure, which a
very broad many-coloured sash, with a large bow in the front, divided
exactly into two halves. She had a collar round her neck of native
manufacture, made of beautiful red and yellow feathers; and on her head
a very fine Leghorn hat, ornamented with artificial flowers from Canton,
and trimmed round the edge with a pendant flounce of black lace; her
chin lying modestly hidden behind a whole bed of flowers that bloomed
on her mountain bosom. In somewhat striking contrast to all this finery
were the clumsily accoutred feet, and stout, ill-shaped, brown,
unstockinged legs, which the shortness of her Majesty's petticoats,
proportioned originally to the stature of a European belle, displayed to
a rather unsightly extent.
As yet, the shoemaker's craft does not flourish in the Sandwich Islands;
so that all the shoes and boots worn there are imported from Europe and
America. But as neither of these Continents can produce such a pair of
feet as those of Queen Nomahanna, the attempt to force them into any
ready-made shoes would be hopeless; and her Majesty is therefore
obliged, if she would not go bare-foot, which she does not consider
altogether decorous, to content herself with a pair of men's galloshes.
Such trifles as these were, however, beneath her notice, and she
contemplated her dress with infinite complacency, as a pattern of
princely magnificence. In these splendid habiliments, with a parasol in
her hand, slowly and with difficulty, she climbed the ship's stairs, on
which, with some of my officers, I was in waiting to receive her; on
the highest step she endeavoured already to give us a proof of her
acquaintance with our customs, by making a courtesy, which was intended
to accord with the most approved rules of the art of dancing, though the
feet, not perfectly tutored in their parts, performed in rather a comic
style. In attempting this feat, she lost her balance, and would have
fallen into the water, if a couple of strong sailors had not caught her
illustrious person in their arms.
She was much delighted with all that she saw on board, especially with
my cabin, where the sofa paid dearly for the honour of her
approbation,--she sat upon it, and broke it down. The portrait of the
Emperor Alexander attracted her particular attention; she sat down
opposite to it upon the floor, where she could cause no farther
destruction, and said, after gazing upon it for some minutes with much
interest, "Maitai, Yeri nue Rukkini!" (the great Governor of the
Russians is beautiful!) She told me, that she knew a great deal about
Russia. A Sandwich Islander, named Lauri, who, in 1819, had made the
voyage thither, in the Russian ship Kamtschatka, with Captain Golowin,
and had afterwards returned to his own country, had told her many things
concerning Petersburg and the Emperor. She said she would have liked to
make the voyage herself, but that Lauri's fearful description of the
cold had terrified her. He had told her, that it was necessary to
envelope the body entirely in fur, and that even this would not obviate
all danger of losing the nose and ears; that the cold changed the water
into a solid substance, resembling glass in appearance, but of so much
strength that it was used for a high road, people passing over it in
huge chests drawn by horses, without breaking it; that the houses were
as high as mountains, and so large, that he had walked three days in one
of them without coming to the end of it. It was evident that Lauri had
stretched a little; but Nomahanna had no notion of incredulity. She
approved of our inventions for warming the inside of our houses, and
thought, that if she were at Petersburg, she would not go out at all
during the cold weather, but would drive her carriage about the house.
She inquired how it could possibly be so warm at one season of the
year, and so cold at another. I endeavoured to accommodate my answer to
her powers of comprehension, and she seemed satisfied.
"Lauri was in the right," she observed; "there are very clever people in
Russia." Her acknowledgment of my abilities, however, proved rather
inconvenient, for she now overwhelmed me with a host of questions, some
of them very absurd, and which to have answered with methodical
precision, would have required much time and consideration. For
instance, she desired me to tell her how much wood must be burnt, every
year, to warm all the countries of the earth? Whether rain enough might
not fall, at some time or other, to extinguish all the fires? And
whether, by means of such a rain, Wahu might not become as cold as
Russia? I endeavoured to cut the matter as short as possible; and, in
order to divert her thoughts to other subjects, set wine before her; she
liked it very much, and I therefore presented her with a bottle; but her
thirst for knowledge was not thus to be quenched, and during a visit of
two hours, she asked such incessant questions, that I was not a little
relieved when, at length, she proposed to depart. In taking leave, she
observed, "If I have wine, I must have glasses, or how can I drink it?"
So saying, she took the bottle that had been given her, in one hand,
and, with the other, seizing without ceremony the glasses that stood on
the table, she went upon deck. There she made a profound courtesy to all
present, and again took her seat in the shallop. Thus ended this
condescending visit, with the royal appropriation of my wine glasses.
Nomahanna had, however, been so liberal to us, that she had a right to
suppose she would be welcome to them.
The illness of Karemaku had very much increased since his arrival in
Wahu; he had every symptom of dropsy. Our physician, however, succeeded,
in a great measure, in restoring him to health, and when I paid him a
congratulatory visit, I found him very grateful for the benefit he had
received, full of spirits, and very facetious. I adopted his tone, and
jestingly told him, that we would certainly complete his cure, even if
we should be obliged to rip open his stomach, take out the bowels,
clean them, and replace them. Karemaku laughed, and said he would submit
to the operation, if it was necessary to his perfect recovery. Some old
women, however, who were present, took the matter in sober seriousness,
and spread among the people a report of the dreadful treatment their
beloved Karemaku was threatened with; a terrible disturbance in Hanaruro
was the consequence. The people believed I intended to kill him, and
were excessively irritated against me. Karemaku himself sent me this
intelligence through Marini; adding a request, that I would not come
ashore again till he had overcome this foolish idea, which was
accomplished in a few days. The feeling manifested on this occasion was
certainly honourable both to the governor and the governed.
An epidemic disease prevailed this year throughout the Sandwich Islands.
It produced a great mortality, death generally following the attack
within a few days. In Hanaruro I saw many corpses daily carried to their
burial; but nowhere is recovery from serious illness so improbable as
here. As soon as the patient is obliged to take to his bed, he is
immediately surrounded by his nearest relations, especially of the
female sex, who, weeping, and singing mournful songs in a most
lamentable tone, propose to themselves, by this means, to effect his
recovery, or at least to procure him some relief from his sufferings.
The worse he grows, the larger the assembly, and the louder the noise
becomes; even his friends and acquaintances come flocking in: when there
is no more room within the house, they congregate round the door, and
continue mourning, crying, and howling, inside and outside, till the
sufferer expires. This perpetual disturbance, the constant remembrance
of death it occasions, and the infection of the air from the number of
breaths in the crowded apartment, naturally produce a very prejudicial
effect, and no doubt many die rather in consequence of these proofs of
sympathy than of their disease.
Kahumanna, having concluded her business in O Tuai, arrived at length in
Hanaruro with the King's brother, a handsome boy of thirteen. I paid her
a visit, and was very graciously received. She is considerably older
than Nomahanna; but, though large and corpulent enough, not by much such
a prodigy of size. Her countenance bears traces of former beauty; she
dresses entirely like a European, and has a more intimate knowledge of
our customs and manners than Nomahanna. Her house, built partly of wood
and partly of stone, is larger than the one I have described as the
habitation of the other Queen; like that, it has two stories and a
balcony, and it is similarly furnished. Near it is the abode of the
missionary Bengham. Kahumanna, as well as Nomahanna, has the date of
Tameamea's death marked upon her arm; otherwise they are not tattooed,
which indeed few are, and those only the most aged people.
Kahumanna honoured me several times with visits on board, and
condescended to write me a letter, which, Marini assured me, contained
nothing but expressions so inflated and pompous that he could not
understand, and therefore could not translate them.
The appointed time for our return to New Archangel now approached. Our
vessel had been fully prepared for encountering the violent and
continued storms of the North, and I waited the return of our
mineralogist, M. Hoffman, who had gone to O Wahi, for the purpose of
climbing the mountain Mou-na-roa, in which however he did not succeed.
By command of Queen Nomahanna, assistance had indeed been afforded him;
but the two Kanackas, who accompanied him as guides, refused to proceed
farther than seven thousand feet above the level of the sea, or about
half-way up the mountain; a height to which the most courageous O Wahian
will scarcely venture, from fear partly of the spirits which haunt the
summit of the mountain, partly of the cold, which is almost too severe
for an inhabitant of the tropics to endure. At this point the Kanackas
threw themselves flat upon the earth, nor would they stir another step,
although certain of punishment for their refusal. In vain M. Hoffman
tried to shake their resolution, first by offering them large presents,
and then by threatening them with a loaded pistol; they were immoveable,
and he was forced to return. His expedition, however, was not altogether
fruitless: besides his mineralogical observations, he discovered an
extraordinary cave, running at an acute angle several hundred feet deep
into the mountain, where he found a sheet of water, which stretched as
far as the light of the torches permitted the light to reach through the
fearful darkness. It would have been interesting to have traversed this
subterranean sea in a boat. It is most remarkable, that the water of
this lake is salt, and that the alternate ebb and flow of the tide is as
perceptible here as on the coast. M. Hoffman will probably publish other
particulars respecting this natural curiosity.
On the 31st of January 1825, we left the harbour of Hanaruro, having the
pleasure to be accompanied by our friend Karemaku, who, by the help of
our physicians, felt himself well enough to venture thus far. He brought
with him several double canoes, which, as there was no wind, towed the
ship quite out of the harbour, and far enough to sea to obviate any
danger from the reefs; Karemaku then took leave of us with the most
cordial expressions of friendship, wishing us a prosperous voyage and a
speedy return. On a signal from him, the fortress fired five guns, which
salute we immediately returned. Karemaku waved his hat from his boat,
and continuing his "Arohas" so long as we were within hearing, was rowed
back to the harbour. A fresh wind at this moment springing up, we lost
sight of the beautiful island where we had passed our time so agreeably,
and prepared, with far less prospect of satisfaction, to encounter the
wintry storms of the North. I chose the channel between the islands of
Wahu and O Tuai, as the most convenient outlet into the open ocean, for
ships going northward from Hanaruro. We passed through it on the
following day, and sailed direct for New Archangel.
The reader will willingly spare me any particular description of this
troublesome voyage: I must only mention that, on the 14th of February,
in latitude 35° and 155° longitude, we sailed over a point where,
according to the assertion of some whale-fishers in Wahu, an island
lies; but though the horizon was perfectly clear, we could discover no
sign of land. Our voyage proved safer and more expeditious than is usual
at this season.
Our astronomical observations on the Sandwich Islands gave the
following results:--
Latitude of Hanaruro 21° 17' 57"
Longitude 158° 00' 30"
Longitude of the Eastern point of the
island Muwe 156° 13' 10"
Longitude of the Western point 156° 48' 11"
Latitude of one of the small islands
East of Maratai, which are not
given in Vancouver's map 21° 13' 30"
Longitude 156° 49' 12".
The account of our residence at New Archangel is contained in the tenth
Chapter.
On our return voyage to Wahu, we had constantly fine weather, though but
little wind, so that it was not till the 29th of August we found
ourselves in latitude 34°, where we first, in a clear star-light night,
saw the comet which was then visible in the neighbourhood of Aldebaran;
it had a tail four degrees and a half long. On the 4th of September we
sailed over a point, occupied in Arrowsmith's chart by the island
Laxara, without perceiving the smallest trace of it; the existence
therefore of this island, which is said to have been early discovered by
the Spanish navigators, remains doubtful.
When we reached the tropic, a brisk trade-wind carried us quickly to
the Sandwich Islands, and on the 12th of September we already saw the
Mou-na-roa quite clearly, at a distance of a hundred and twenty-four
miles, rising high above the horizon. On the following morning, we again
dropped anchor before the harbour of Hanaruro, after a sail of
thirty-five days from New Archangel.
As I only intended to take in a supply of fresh provisions and water,
and then continue my voyage without farther delay, I considered it
unnecessary to run into the harbour, and remained in the roads, although
the south-wind to which they are exposed is sometimes dangerous to ships
riding there. This wind, however, blows only at certain seasons, and is
always announced by an over-clouded sky, long enough to afford time for
taking shelter or standing out to sea.
On the morning after our arrival, a remarkable phenomenon occurred, of
which we were witnesses throughout its duration. While the heavens were
quite clear, a thick, black cloud formed itself over the island, resting
its lower verge on the summits of the mountains, the densest portion of
the cloud hanging over the little town of Hanaruro. The wind was
perfectly calm, till on a sudden a violent gust blew from the
north-east, and at the same time a crashing noise proceeded from the
cloud, as if many ships were firing their guns; the resemblance was so
perfect, that we might have supposed we heard alternately the individual
shots of the opposing broadsides. The concussion lasted some minutes;
and when it ceased, two stones shot from the cloud into the street of
Hanaruro, and from the violence of the fall broke into several pieces.
The inhabitants collected the still warm fragments, and judging by
these, the stones must have weighed full fifteen pounds each. They were
grey inside, and were externally surrounded by a black burnt crust. On a
chemical analysis, they appeared to resemble the meteoric stones which
have fallen in many countries.
In the short period of our absence, some important events had taken
place. My readers will remember that the King and Queen of the Sandwich
Islands arrived safely in London, and were there treated with
particular attention by the English Court; and that they both died in
that country, having previously expressed their desire to be buried in
their native land. This wish was fulfilled by the English Government.
The bodies, having been embalmed, were laid in magnificent coffins
decorated with gold, and Lord Byron was appointed to carry them and the
royal suite, back to Wahu. When he arrived there, and the news of the
deaths of the King and Queen transpired, it produced a great but varying
sensation. Some of the people lamented the loss, but the greater number
rejoiced to be relieved of a ruler in whom they had no confidence; our
friend Karemaku seemed much grieved, possibly from old attachment to the
royal family, or from patriotism, as he had hoped that the King's visit
to England would have been very advantageous to him, and no one was at
the moment qualified to assume the reins of government as his successor.
On the 11th of May, both coffins were carried in solemn procession to
the church, the fortress and the English frigate firing their guns. The
people cried and howled, as custom requires on these occasions, but all
the while greatly admiring the magnificence of the coffins; some
remarked that it must be a pleasure to die in England, where people were
laid in such beautiful boxes. The following inscriptions in the English
language were on the coffin-lids:
"Tameamea II., King of the Sandwich Islands, died in London on the 24th
of July 1824, in the 28th year of his age. Respected be the memory of
our beloved King Jolani."
(The King was sometimes known by this appellation.)