Islands and was familiar with the manners, customs and language. He was
afterwards master’s mate and pilot on the U.S.S. “Vincennes” during the
Wilkes’ Exploring Expedition and died, March 23, 1842, on the passage
home.
[54] Uvea, northeast of Fiji. Discovered by Maurelle in 1781 and again
by Wallis in 1797.
[55] Brig “Chinchilla” of New York; commanded by Thomas Meek of
Marblehead.
[56] Ship “Braganza” of New Bedford, 217 tons. Owned by Phillips,
Russell & Co.; commanded by Daniel Wood. Altered to a bark in 1859 and
condemned at Honolulu in 1862.
[57] Eimeo, one of the Society Islands about 10 miles north west of
Tahiti.
[58] This account of whaling may have been abstracted by Mr. Endicott
from some now unidentified source.
A CANNIBAL FEAST AT THE FEJEE ISLANDS
BY AN EYE WITNESS
(_Reprinted from “The Danvers Courier,” Aug. 16, 1845_)
MR. EDITOR. Finding myself in possession of a little spare time, I
feel disposed to improve it in overhauling a range or two of memory,
and agreeably to promise to commit such of it to paper as may seem of
interest, touching on incidents which occurred at the Fejee Islands
while on board the Old Ship _Glide_.
It was on a pleasant afternoon in the month of March, 1831, our ship at
anchor off the town of Bona-ra-ra, the crew on board employed in making
senett, spun-yarn, yard mats, and other ship gear to fill up the chinks
of time, and particularly the ship’s lockers with such articles as are
sure to come in play on shipboard, when you have not time to make them.
We were not very busy, neither were we idle; but it was just one of
those sort of days at the Fejees when all hands had been hard at work
all the forenoon, boating oil to the ship, beche-le-mer, weighing, and
stowing it away in the hold, and having once more cleared up decks,
felt released from the regular day’s duty, and indulged ourselves in
a sail privilege of telling tales, singing songs and reflecting upon
“better days gone by.”
Our reveries and yarns were unbroken by any orders from aft except,
to strike the bell every half hour, which if it had no other purpose
reminded us that thirty minutes more had drifted astern upon the sea of
time.
Five bells had been ordered from the quarter deck. I arose to execute
the command, when my attention was drawn to the shore by seeing a large
collection of savages on the beach, walking towards the town. Having
struck the bell, I proceeded to the side of the ship where a canoe
with five or six women had just arrived, to sell us fruit. I enquired
of them what was the matter on shore. They immediately told me that
the men had been to a fight with the Andregette tribe (who lived about
thirty miles in the mountains), were victorious and had killed and
taken three of their enemies, and were now going to have a grand Soleb,
or feast.
I had heard David Whippy, a man who had long been a resident upon
these Islands, tell many a long tale of the manners and customs of the
natives, and especially of their cannibalism, and I had a strong desire
to see the manner in which they prepared and ate human flesh.
While I was considering whether I would ask the liberty I wished, or
not, Capt. Archer came up and stood in the companion way. I went aft,
made known to him my request, when he replied, “I have no objection but
take care of yourself.”
[Illustration: FIJIAN WOMEN
Wearing “maiden locks” indicating that they are unmarried.]
This admonition was gratefully received, yet I felt by no means
alarmed, having spent a great portion of my time on shore among the
natives, with whom I was on terms of perfect friendship and good will,
a circumstance well known to the Capt. or I should probably have
received at once from him a denial of my wish to be absent from the
ship on such an occasion.
I went down to my chest and brought up a few beads, which I gave to
the women in the canoe, telling them I wished to be paddled ashore.
They immediately threw their fruits consisting of a few cocoanuts and
plantains, through one of the ship’s ports upon deck and considering
the beads a compensation for both fruit and passage I was soon on my
way to the shore.
I landed upon the beach just ahead of the savages who were coming
single file to the village, entering it however by a very circuitous
route and in a manner never done except on such occasions.
There were about sixty warriors, though a great many others were in
attendance who had joined them while nearing the village.
The bodies of the three dead savages were carried in front, lashed
on long poles in a singular manner. They were bound with wythes by
bringing the upper and lower parts of the legs together and binding
them to the body, and the arms in a similar manner by bringing the
elbows to rest on the knees, and their hands tied upon each side of the
neck. Their backs were confined to poles which were about twelve feet
long. One was lashed on each pole, with six men, three at each end, to
carry it.
Those who carried the bodies walked with a limping gait, bending their
left knees almost to the ground, but doing it in exact time with the
war song they were singing.
They proceeded immediately in front of the Boo-re (a large hut to be
used only on public occasions) and threw the dead bodies from their
shoulders with the most savage triumph. Two of them were untied from
the poles while the third and smallest one, was by the order of the
King, sent to some particular friends of his belonging to a neighboring
tribe, from whom he had received similar tokens of friendship.
This was a great day at Bona-ra-ra. A day of great rejoicing. This
tribe had not only been successful in their attack upon their enemy,
but had succeeded in securing the slain. Little credit is given to the
warrior who kills his enemies if he does not obtain their bodies; much
more is thought of the savage who kills one man and carries him home,
than of the individual who may kill a hundred and let their dead bodies
fall into the hand of the enemy. Their chief glory consists not so much
in killing, as in eating their enemies.
I noticed that a very particular interest was taken in one of the dead
savages, and there were none present who talked louder or expressed
more vehement gestures, or savage feeling, than an old woman. This
matter I could not understand. I asked a young savage who stood near
me, what was their particular interest in that man more than the
other? He told me that some time previous this tribe had made war with
the Andre-getta people, and the son of this old woman was a young chief
in the fight and was slain; and it was believed that this individual
had killed him. Whether it was so or not, the old woman believed it
and the priest believed it, and that was enough for their purpose, for
they only wished to wreak their revenge on some savage, though it were
a dead one. I had seated myself on the large roots of a cocoanut tree
in front of the whole ceremony. After it was satisfactorily settled
that this was the savage who had killed the young chief, they proceeded
systematically to fill up the measure of their revenge.
This old female savage went to her hut and brought all the property of
her late son; such as sleeping mats, tappa, i-fow carlic, angona-dish,
and some other little furniture which make up the necessaries of a
chief’s dwelling. The angona bowl was placed near the head of the
dead savage; a bamboo of water was brought and laid by his side, when
several young men after well rinsing their mouths, were employed in
chewing and preparing a bowl of angona. After the drink was made ready
this old savage after a short speech from the priest, who had continued
to make low gutteral sounds and shake himself through the whole
ceremony, took her small dish full of the liquor and presenting it to
the lips of the dead savage bade him drink. No sooner was this done
than a general yell ran through the tribe--“Amba cula boy thu-ie,”
he is a stinking dead man. She then dashed the liquor in his face and
broke the dish in pieces upon it. She then took up her bamboo of water,
and removing the tuft of grass from the end placed it also to the mouth
of the dead man and again bade him drink. A repetition of the same
ceremony was gone through with, when she poured all the water upon his
face and then broke the bamboo in pieces upon his head, and told the
men to take it to cut him up with. Bamboo, split to a sharp edge was
called by them isulic (a term applied to knife), which instrument alone
they allowed themselves to use in cutting to pieces a dead body.
The old woman had now gone her way knowing that her orders would be
executed, and well aware of the strict prohibition against her, or any
of her sex either to assist in preparing, or eating human flesh.
The head of the savage on whom this ceremony commenced was first cut
off and laid aside, then the furniture that was brought by the old
woman was broken up and placed around it; and fire set to it so that
the whole was entirely consumed about the head, and rendered thereby in
a fit state for cleansing; the hair being burnt off and the flesh so
singed that it was scraped perfectly white.
As soon as this affair was ended a dance commenced as is customary on
all such occasions. All the warriors who were engaged in the fight, and
some aged men who staid at home, had now prepared themselves for this
savage expression of joy. The Fejeeians wear but little clothing on
ordinary occasions and on this they were in a state of complete nudity.
They were painted in a most frightful manner, as great a diversity of
painting, or marking was observed by them as could be devised, each
one attempting to outdo the other in the most loathsome obscenity and
savage appearance. They use but three kinds of paint upon their bodies
which are black, red, and yellow. The black is made from a small nut
which grows upon the ground, it is burnt to a coal and pounded up
between flat stones, and prepared by mixing it with cocoanut oil. The
red and yellow paint used by them is a mineral similar to our ochre,
if not precisely the same in substance. The yellow is held by them in
high estimation. It is mixed with cocoanut oil, scented with sandalwood
and fragrant herbs, and is the first dressing received by the new born
infant. It is called by them re-ringer.
There were about one hundred dancers who came upon the ground at one
and the same time with terrific yells. Their dance was made up of the
most violent and distended motion of the limbs, often prostrating
themselves on the ground upon their backs, and springing again
instantly to their places, without however for a moment ceasing to
chant their war song in a very low but distinct manner. Their only
instrumental music on this occasion was that of two savages beating
upon the end of a hollow log four or six feet in length, which is
always heard on such occasions, and also as an alarm for war.
Within the ring of dancers had the old woman’s command been promptly
executed.
They commenced in their usual systematic way of cutting up a dead body.
The heads of both savages being now taken off, they next cut off the
right hand and the left foot, right elbow and left knee, and so in like
manner until all the limbs separated from the body.
An oblong piece was then taken from the body commencing at the bottom
of the chest and passing downwards about eight inches, and three or
four inches wide at its broadest part. This was carefully laid aside
for the King, it being strictly prohibited for anyone else to eat of it.
The entrails and vitals were then taken out and cleansed for cooking.
But I shall not here particularize. The scene is too revolting. The
flesh was then cut through the ribs to the spine of the back which was
broken, thus the body was separated into two pieces. This was truly
a sickening sight. I saw after they had cut through the ribs of the
stoutest man, a savage jump upon the back, one end of which rested upon
the ground, and the other was held in the hands and rested upon the
knees of another savage, three times before he succeeded in breaking it.
This ended the dissection of the bodies.
While this was going on, the lobu or oven was prepared which was made
as follows. An excavation is made in the earth of a concave form about
six feet in diameter and a foot and a half deep in the centre, and
smoothly lined with small stones. A large fire is then made in it,
with small stones placed among the burning fuel for the purpose of
heating them, and as the bodies are cut to pieces they are thrown upon
the fire, which after being thoroughly singed are scraped while hot by
savages, who sit around the fire for this purpose. The skin by this
process is made perfectly white, this being the manner in which they
dress their hogs, and other animal food.
To show their excessive greediness for human flesh, and their savage
thirst for blood, I need only to relate a particular circumstance which
took place at the time. The head of the savage which was last taken
off, was thrown towards the fire, and being thrown some distance it
rolled a few feet from the men who were employed around it; when it was
stolen by one of the savages who carried it behind the tree where I was
sitting. He took the head in his lap and after combing away the hair
from the top of it with his fingers picked out the pieces of the scull
which was broken by the war club and commenced eating the brains. This
was too much for me. I moved my position, the thief was discovered and
was as soon compelled to give up his booty, it being considered by the
others he had got by far too great a share.
The process of cleansing and preparing this flesh, occupied about two
hours. There was no part of these bodies which I did not see cleansed
and put in the oven.
The stones which had been placed upon the fire, were now removed, the
oven cleaned out, the flesh carefully and very neatly wrapped in fresh
plantain leaves, and placed in it. The hot stones were also wrapped
in leaves and placed among the flesh, and after it was all deposited
in the oven, it was covered up two or three inches with the same kind
of leaves, and the whole covered up with earth of sufficient depth to
retain the heat.
It was now about sunset; the oven was completely covered, and a new
dance commenced around it, which continued for some time. I ascertained
by the natives, that it would be past midnight before they would open
their oven, and being desirous of seeing the end of this affair, and
recollecting that I had no anchor watch to stand that night, I resolved
to go to the beche-le-mer house which was on the opposite side of the
village, and spend part of the night, caring only to get on board the
ship the next morning in season to turn to with all hands, in washing
the decks. I therefore proceeded on my way across the village, when
I met with Sina-beatee, a chief with whom I was well acquainted, who
asked me to go with him to his hut, and take something to eat. I
followed my host to his cabin, and made a good supper, after which I
left him and renewed my way across the village to the ship’s house.
I found the men curing the fish as usual. Everything looked perfectly
familiar to me. Some were scolding the natives for their laziness
and not bringing the fish to the pots, as they wanted them; others
were dodging the smoke and steam from the pots, with an occasional
oath, and trying to get a snuff of pure air; while the men to the
windward pots, though free from the other annoyances, were compelled
to take a double share of mosquitoes, which was a fair offset to the
grievances of the others. These, with a few of Job’s comforts; dreadful
sores occasioned by frequently burning a poison wood called by the
natives--see-nu, make up some of the rare pleasures of the shore’s crew
on a beche-le-mer voyage.
As the men on shore are obliged to stand watch and watch, I turned in
to the berth of one of my shipmates who had the first watch at the
pots, and slept as sound and as well, perhaps, as anyone else would
have done in a savage land with a host of savage mosquitoes singing
about his ears.
I turned out about midnight, sauntered about the beche-le-mer house
until nearly daylight, and then made my way back again to the Boo-re.
I soon found on nearing the house, by seeing the torches about the
oven, and also by the scent of their cooked flesh, that their feast had
begun; and on my arrival I found they were nearly done. It was soon
reported to the chiefs that a white man was at the door, and after
some enquiry I was invited to the feast. Being well acquainted with
the King, as well as Sina-beatee with whom I had supped the evening
previous, I felt somewhat at home and took a seat beside the last named
personage. It was not yet daylight and there was no light in the house
except a small fire kept burning at each of the three doors to keep
out the mosquitoes, which served for little or no other purpose. I had
been seated but a moment or two when I heard the Chief Sina-beatee (who
was kept on board the ship as a hostage for the men on shore who were
getting a cargo for the ship, but who had been released by the Captain
on this occasion the evening previous), say to the King “Had we not
better give the white man something to eat?” “Yes,” said the King,
“you can send and get him some yam, for he will not eat our meat.”
Sina-beatee replied, “I know he will not, but I consider the meat by
far the best and as a token of good will, having received presents
from him, I wish to present him some.” The King after a mute silence
of a moment, told one of his ki-sees or slaves to give the white chief
(allowing me that title in consideration of the respect shown me by
Sina-beatee) the best piece which was left, it being nearly all eaten
up. He went to the centre of the Boo-re where lay some unbroken bunches
of meat, the savages being placed generally on the sides of the room,
and selected a piece, telling the King what it was before removing it.
The King said it was “slave’s meat,” which he regretted, saying to
Sina-beatee, he wished it was a better piece and ordered the slave to
give it me. It was accordingly brought carefully wrapped in a plantain
leaf as it had been placed in the oven. I unwrapped it and found it to
be a part of a foot taken off at the ankle and at the joints of the
toes. I made an excuse for not eating it, by saying that it had been
kept too long after it was killed, before it was cooked, it being
about thirty-six hours. The King replied, it was not half so long as
you white men keep your bullum-a-cow! meaning salt beef, a name derived
from bull and cow, by American seamen. Salted meat was considered by
them the most unhealthy and loathsome food that could be eaten, and was
the means of creating a strong prejudice against the whites for their
eating it. I had no desire to discuss the question of diet with this
old savage and cannibal, knowing that I could not convince him of the
base impropriety of eating human flesh, and well aware that he could
not prevail upon me to exchange the cured flesh of a well stalled ox
for the jackall food of his murdered victims.
[Illustration: TOOTH OF A FIJIAN CANNIBAL
Presented to The Essex Institute in 1851 by Capt. John H. Eagleston who
stated that it was “A tooth from Na Massa Ngaloa, the greatest cannibal
that ever lived, head chief of Rewa, Fiji Islands. Twenty years since
conquered most of the islands in the archipelago; since died aged about
sixty years. Eleven years ago became Christian--baptised Ratu Mill.”
Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem.]
[Illustration: MODEL OF A BURE OR FIJIAN TEMPLE
Such models were presented to the temples as offerings. Given to the
East India Marine Society of Salem, by Capt. Joseph Winn, Jr., in 1835.
Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem.]
[Illustration: OBJECTS FROM FIJI ISLANDS
1. Comb with top of human bone; collected by John Crandall in 1860.
2. Bracelet of shark’s teeth; collected by Capt. Joshua Kinsman in
1831.
3. Bracelet of roots made by the mountaineers; collected by Capt.
Joshua Kinsman in 1831.
4. Bracelet of human teeth; collected by James B. Williams, U. S.
Consul at Fiji, in 1845.
5. Mat needle made of human bone; collected by Capt. Joshua Kinsman
in 1831.
Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem.]
As the light of day shown into the hut, it revealed a sight seldom
witnessed by civilized man. Around the hut sat sixty or seventy
cannibals, more frightful than ever if possible; their paint being
rubbed together in many instances, gave their bodies such an appearance
as for a moment to lead one to doubt that they were human beings.
Before one savage, would lay a human head, save that part which could
be released from it, the lower jaw; which would be in possession of
another. The bones of these bodies were well distributed among them,
showing conclusively that none had failed to get their share. I had
understood by them that the oven was opened about midnight, and that
they had now done their feast; what was left was to be given to the
boys; the women, as I have before stated, were not allowed to taste of
it though they frequently got it by stealth, as some of them did on
this occasion after the bones and broken meat was given to the boys. My
attention was directed to an old Tonga ta boo savage, whom I had seen,
however, frequently before, who was a Ma-ti or mechanic among them,
whose particular business it was to manufacture sail needles from the
shin bones of their cannibal victims. The sails to their canoes, being
made in a triangular form, of thick mats sewed together with sennet,
renders it necessary to have long and crooked needles, and perhaps
there is nothing among them from which this article could be so well
manufactured as from the shin bone of a man. This old savage sat near
the King, with four shin bones between his own, and feeling himself
entitled by his peculiar occupation to those parts of the victim, never
failed to have his share of the spoils. I had heard through my whole
stay at this place that he was the most notorious cannibal in the
tribe; and his whole appearance conformed well with his acknowledged
character. He was of a large and muscular frame, raw boned, his skin
brawny and dry, and with no nose upon his face; he having lost this
prominent feature some years previous, for the indulgence of a crime
among the wives of a neighboring chief. His nose was bitten off. I knew
of but one crime among these islanders, which a man or woman could
commit, the penalty of which was the loss of this member.
Many of the savages now begun to leave the Boo-re, and among the rest
was Sina-beatee who stated to me that he should go on board the ship
in the boats which came on shore for the beche-le-mer. I rose to go,
but wishing to carry with me some relic as a remembrance of the scene
I had witnessed, I engaged the old Tonga savage to make a pair of sail
needles, one from the limb of each of the devoured victims, promising
him a good compensation for them. He gave them to me in two or three
days after, neatly wrought, which I placed among my curiosities, which
within one month from that time were all together with the ill-fated
ship.
About sunrise, I went to the beche-le-mer house, and finding myself too
late to get on board to assist in washing decks, I set myself to work
collecting the beche-le-mer on the batters, in readiness to be put into
bags when the boats came off, thereby offsetting my duty on board by
doing what I knew would be required of my boatmates on their arrival on
shore.
The boats arrived at their usual time, and after taking on board as
much of the beche-le-mer as was ready for storage on board the ship, we
went on board accompanied by Sina-beatee and his wife Tu-cun-na, who
spent much of her time with the chief on board of the ship.
I am about to the end of my yarn, yet I might lengthen it by knotting
on other strands, but my timepiece reminds me that it is past midnight;
so I shall take the liberty to belay this and turn in.
Yours, etc.,
WILLIAM ENDICOTT
A FEW WORDS OF THE LANGUAGE OF THE FEGEE ISLANDS
The natives always add the word _Sah_, to all words excepting
substantives.
_Fegee_ _English_