Have I a reader who has not heard of the "King of the Cannibal Islands?"
I think I may take it for granted that there is not one in my large
circle of boy-readers who has not heard of that royal anthropophagist,
that "mighty king" who,--
"In one hut,
Had fifty wives as black as _sut_,
And fifty of a double smut--
That King of the Cannibal Islands."
And yet, strange as it may appear, the old song was no exaggeration--
neither as regards the number of his wives, nor any other particular
relating to King "Musty-fusty-shang." On the contrary, it presents a
picture of the life and habits of his polygamous majesty that is, alas!
too ludicrously like the truth.
Though the king of the Cannibal Islands has been long known by
reputation, people never had any very definite idea in what quarter of
the world his majesty's dominions lay. Being, as the name implies, an
island-kingdom, it was to be looked for of course, in some part of the
ocean; and the Pacific Ocean or Great South Sea was generally regarded
as that in which it was situated; but whether it was the Tonga Islands,
or the Marquesas, or the Loo-Choos, or the Soo-loos--or some other
group, that was entitled to the distinction of being the man-eating
community, with the man-eating king at their head--was not very
distinctly ascertained up to a recent period. On this head there is
uncertainty no longer. Though in several groups of South-Sea Islands
the horrible propensity is known to exist, yet the man-eaters, _par
excellence_, the real _bona-fide_ followers of the habit, are the
_Feegees_. Beyond doubt these are the greatest cannibals in all
creation, their islands the true "Cannibal Islands," and their king no
other than "Musty-fusty-shang" himself.
Alas! the subject is too serious to jest upon, and it is not without
pain that we employ our pen upon it. The truth must needs be told; and
there is no reason why the world should not know how desperately wicked
men may become under the influence of a despotism that leaves the masses
in the power of the irresponsible few, with no law, either moral or
physical, to restrain their unbridled passions.
You will find the Feegee Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, in the latitude
of 18 degrees south. This parallel passes nearly through the centre of
the group. Their longitude is remarkable: it is the complement of the
meridian of Greenwich--the line 180 degrees. Therefore, when it is noon
in London, it is midnight among the Feegees. Take the intersection of
these two lines, 18 degrees latitude and 180 degrees longitude as a
centre; describe an imaginary circle, with a diameter of 300 miles; its
circumference, with the slight exception of a small outlying group, will
enclose, in a "ring fence," as it were, the whole Feegee archipelago.
The group numbers, in all, no fewer than 225 islands and islets, of
which between 80 and 90 are at present inhabited--the whole population
being not much under 200,000. The estimates of writers differ widely on
this point; some state 150,000--others, more than double this amount.
There is reason to believe that 150,000 is too low. Say, then, 200,000;
since the old adage: "In medias res," is generally true.
Only two of the islands are large,--"Viti," and "Vanua." Viti is 90
miles long, by 50 in breadth, and Vanua 100 by 25. Some are what are
known as "coral islands;" others are "volcanic," presenting all
varieties of mountain aspect, rugged and sublime. A few of the
mountain-peaks attain the elevation of 5,000 feet above sea-level, and
every form is known--table-topped, dome-shaped, needle, and conical. In
fact, no group in the Pacific affords so many varieties of form and
aspect, as are to be observed in the Feegee archipelago. In sailing
through these islands, the most lovely landscapes open out before the
eye, the most picturesque groupings of rocks, ridges, and
mountain-peaks, ravines filled with luxuriant vegetation, valleys
covered with soft verdure, so divinely fair as to appear the abode of
angelic beings. "So beautiful was their aspect," writes one who visited
them, "that I could scarcely bring my mind to the realising sense of the
well-known fact, that they were the abode of a savage, ferocious, and
treacherous race of cannibals." Such, alas! is the fact, well-known, as
the writer observes.
Perhaps to no part of the world has Nature been more bountiful than to
the Feegee Islands. She has here poured out her favours in very
profusion; and the _cornucopia_ might be regarded as an emblem of the
land. The richest products of a tropic vegetation flourish in an
abundance elsewhere unknown, and the growth of valuable articles of food
is almost spontaneous. Many kinds are really of spontaneous production;
and those under cultivation are almost endless in numbers and variety.
Yams grow to the length of six feet, weighing one hundred pounds each!
and several varieties are cultivated. The sweet potato reaches the
weight of five or six pounds, and the "taro" (_Arum esculentum_) also
produces a root of enormous size, which forms the staple article of the
Feegeean's food. Still another great tuber, weighing twenty or thirty
pounds, and used as a liquorice, is the produce of the "massawe," or
ti-tree (_dracaena terminalis_); and the root of the _piper methisticum_
often attains the weight of one hundred and forty pounds! This last is
possessed of highly narcotic properties; and is the material universally
used in the distillation, or rather brewing, of the native drink called
"yaqona"--the "kava" of the South-Sea voyagers. Breadfruit grows in
abundance: there being no less than nine varieties of this celebrated
tree upon the different islands of the group, each producing a distinct
kind of fruit; and what is equally remarkable, of the _musaceae_--the
plantain and banana--there are in the Feegee isles thirty different
kinds, either of spontaneous growth, or cultivated! All these are well
distinguished from one another, and bear distinct appellations. Three
kinds of cocoa-palm add to the extraordinary variety of vegetable food,
as well as to the picturesqueness of the scenery; but there is no lack
of lovely forms in the vegetation, where the beautiful ti-tree grows,--
where the fern and the screw-pines flourish,--where plantains and
bananas unfold their broad bright leaves to the sun; where _arums_
spread their huge fronds mingling with the thick succulent blades of the
bromelia, and where pawpaws, shaddocks, orange and lime-trees exhibit
every hue of foliage, from deep-green to the most brilliant golden.
Fruits of a hundred species are grown in the greatest plenty; the orange
and the Papuan apple, the shaddock and lemon; in short, almost every
species of fruit that will flourish in a tropical clime. In addition,
many indigenous and valuable kinds, both of roots and fruits, are
peculiar to the Feegee group, yet unknown and uncultivated in any other
part of the world. Even the very cloth of the country--and a beautiful
fabric it makes--is the product of an indigenous tree, the "malo" or
paper-mulberry (_Brousonetia papyrifera_), the "tapa" of voyagers. Not
only the material for dresses, but the tapestry for the adornment of
their temples, the curtains and hangings of their houses, are all
obtained from this valuable tree.
We have not space for a more detailed account of the productions of
these isles. It would fill a volume to describe with any degree of
minuteness the various genera and species of its plants alone. Enough
has been said to show how bountiful, or rather how prodigal, nature has
been to the islands of the Feegeean Archipelago.
Of the animal kingdom there is not much to be said. Of quadrupeds there
is the usual paucity of species that is noticed everywhere throughout
the Polynesian islands. Dogs and pigs are kept; the latter in
considerable numbers, as the flesh forms an important article of food;
but they are not indigenous to the Feegee group, though the period of
their introduction is unknown. Two or three small rodents are the only
quadrupeds yet known to be true natives of the soil. Reptiles are alike
scarce in species,--though the turtle is common upon the coasts, and its
fishery forms the regular occupation of a particular class of the
inhabitants. The species of birds are more numerous, and there are
parrots, peculiar to the islands, of rich and beautiful plumage.
But we are not allowed to dwell upon these subjects. Interesting as may
be the zoology and botany of the Feegeean Archipelago, both sink into
insignificance when brought into comparison with its ethnology,--the
natural history of its human inhabitants;--a subject of deep, but alas!
of a terribly painful interest. By inquiry into the condition and
character of these people, we shall see how little they have deserved
the favours which nature has so bounteously bestowed upon them.
In the portrait of the Feegeean you will expect something frightfully
hideous,--knowing, as you already do, that he is an eater of human
flesh,--a man of gigantic stature, swarthy skin, bloodshot eyes, gaunt,
bony jaws, and terrific aspect. You will expect this man to be
described as being naked,--or only with the skin of a wild beast upon
his shoulders,--building no house, manufacturing no household or other
utensils, and armed with a huge knotted club, which he is ever ready to
use:--a man who dwells in a cavern, sleeps indifferently in the open air
or under the shelter of a bush; in short, a true savage. That is the
sort of creature you expect me to describe, and I confess that just such
a physical aspect--just such a condition of personal hideousness--would
be exactly in keeping with the moral deformity of the Feegeean. You
would furthermore expect this savage to be almost devoid of intellectual
power,--altogether wanting in moral sense,--without knowledge of right
and wrong,--without knowledge of any kind,--without ideas. It seems but
natural you should look for such characteristics in a _cannibal_.
The portrait I am about to paint will disappoint you. I do not regret
it, since it enables me to bring forward another testimony that man in
his original nature is not a being of such desperate wickedness. That
simple and primitive state, which men glibly call _savage_, is _not_ the
condition favourable to cannibalism. I know that it is to such people
that the habit is usually ascribed, but quite erroneously. The Andaman
islander has been blamed with it simply becauses he chances to go naked,
and looks, as he is, hungry and emaciated. The charge is proved false.
The Bushman of South Africa has enjoyed a similar reputation. It also
turns out to be a libel. The Carib long lived under the imputation,
simply because he presented a fierce front to the Spanish tyrant, who
would have enslaved him; and we have heard the same stigma cast upon a
dozen other tribes, the _lowest savages_ being usually selected; in
other words, those whose condition appeared the most wretched. In such
cases the accusation has ever been found, upon investigation, to be
erroneous.
In the most primitive state in which man appears upon the earth, he is
either without social organisation altogether, or if any do exist, it is
either patriarchal of republican. Neither of these conditions is
favourable to the development of vice,--much less the most horrible of
all vices.
It will not do to quote the character of the Bushman, or certain other
of the low tribes, to refute this statement. These are not men in their
primitive state ascending upward, but a condition altogether the
reverse. They are the decaying remnants of some corrupt civilisation,
sinking back into the dust out of which they were created.
No--and I am happy to say it--man, as he originally came from the hands
of the Creator, has no such horrid propensity as cannibalism. In his
primitive state he has never been known to practise it,--except when the
motives have been such as have equally tempted men professing the
highest civilisation,--but this cannot be considered cannibalism. Where
that exists in its true unmitigated form,--and unhappily it does so,--
the early stages of social organisation must have been passed; the
republican and patriarchal forms must both have given place to the
absolute and monarchical. This condition of things is absolutely
necessary, before man can obtain sufficient power to prey upon his
fellow-man to the extent of eating him. There can be no "cannibal"
without a "king."
So far from the Feegeean cannibals being _savages_, according to the
ordinary acceptation of the term, they are in reality the very reverse.
If we adhere to the usual meaning of the word civilisation,
understanding by it a people possessing an intelligent knowledge of
arts, living in well-built houses, fabricating fine goods, tilling their
lands in a scientific and successful manner, practising the little
politenesses and accomplishments of social life,--if these be the
_criteria_ of civilisation, then it is no more than the truth to say
that the standard possessed by the Feegee islanders is incomparably
above that of the lower orders of most European nations.
It is startling to reflect--startling as sad--that a people possessed of
such intellectual power, and who have ever exercised it to a wonderful
extent, in arts, manufactures, and even in the accomplishing of their
own persons, should at the same time exhibit moral traits of such an
opposite character. An atrocious cruelty,--an instinct for oppression,
brutal and ferocious,--a heart pitiless as that of the fiend himself,--a
hand ever ready to strike the murderous blow, even though the victim be
a brother,--lips that lie in every word they speak,--a tongue ever bent
on barbaric boasting,--a bosom that beats only with sentiments of
treachery and abject cowardice,--these are the revolting characteristics
of the Feegeean. Dark as is his skin, his soul is many shades darker.
It is time, however, to descend to a more particular delineation of this
man-eating monster; and first, we shall give a description of his
personal appearance.
The Feegeeans are above the average height of Europeans or white men:
men of six feet are common among them, though few reach the height of
six feet six. Corpulent persons are not common, though large and
muscular men abound. Their figure corresponds more nearly to that of
the white man than any other race known. The proportions of their limbs
resemble those of northern Europeans, though some are narrower across
the loins. Their chests are broad and sinewy, and their stout limbs and
short, well-set necks are conspicuous characters. The outline of the
face is a good oval; the mouth large, with white teeth regularly
arranged--ah! those horrid teeth!--the nose is well-shaped, with full
nostrils; yet quite distinct, as are the lips also, from the type of the
African negro. Indeed, with the exception of their colour, they bear
very little resemblance to the negro,--that is, the thick-lipped,
flat-nosed negro of our fancy; for there are negro tribes in Africa
whose features are as fine as those of the Feegeeans, or even as our
own. In colour of skin the Feegeean is nearly, if not quite, as dark as
the negro; but it may be remarked that there are different shades, as
there are also among pure Ethiopians. In the Feegee group there are
many men of mulatto colour, but these are not of the original Feegee
stock. They are either a mixed offspring with the Tonga islander, or
pure-bred Tonga islanders themselves who for the past two hundred years
have been insinuating themselves into the social compact of the
Feegeeans. These light-coloured people are mostly found on the eastern
or windward side of the Feegee group,--that is, the side towards Tonga
itself,--and the trade-winds will account for their immigration, which
was at first purely accidental. They at present play a conspicuous part
in the affairs of the Feegeeans, being in favour with the kings and
great chiefs, partly on account of their being better sailors than the
native Feegeeans, and partly on account of other services which these
tyrants require them to perform. In some arts the Tongans are superior
to the Feegeeans, but not in all. In pottery, wood-carving, making of
mats or baskets, and the manufacture of the tapa cloth, the Feegeeans
stand unrivalled over all the Pacific Ocean.
We need say no more of the Tongans here; they are elsewhere described.
Those dwelling in Feegee are not all fixed there for life. Some are so,
and these are called Tonga-Feegeeans; the others are only visitors,
giving their services temporarily to the Feegeean chiefs, or occupied in
ship-building,--in constructing those great war canoes that have been
the astonishment of South-Sea voyagers, and which Feegee sends forth
from her dockyards in the greatest perfection. These, when finished by
the Tongan strangers, are used to carry them back to their own islands,
that lie about three hundred miles to the windward (southeast).
But to continue the portrait of the Feegeean. We have touched almost
every part of it except the hair; but this requires a most elaborate
limning, such as the owner himself gives it. In its natural state the
head of the Feegeean is covered by a mass of black hair, long, frizzled,
and bushy, sometimes encroaching on the forehead, and joined by whiskers
to a thick, round, or pointed beard, to which moustaches are often
added. Black is, of course, the natural colour of the hair, but it is
not always worn of this hue. Other colours are thought more becoming;
and the hair, both of the men and women, is dyed in a variety of ways,
lime burning it to a reddish or whitey-brown shade. A turmeric-yellow,
or even a vermilion-red are not uncommon colours; but all these keep
varying, according to the change of fashions at court!
Commodore Wilkes, who has given a good deal of his time to an
exploration of the Feegee Islands, states that the Feegee hair, in its
natural condition, is straight, and not "frizzled," as described above--
he says that the frizzling is the work of the barber; but the Commodore
is altogether mistaken in this idea. Thousands of Feegeeans, whose hair
was never touched by a barber, nor dressed even by themselves, exhibit
this peculiarity. We regret to add that this is only one of a thousand
erroneous statements which the Commodore has made during his gigantic
exploration. He may have been excellent at his own speciality of making
soundings and laying down charts; but on all matters pertaining to
natural history or ethnology, the worthy Commodore appears to have been
purblind, and, indeed, his extensive staff of naturalists of every kind
have produced far less than might have been expected from such excellent
opportunities as they enjoyed. The observation of the Commodore will
not stand the test of time, and cannot be depended upon as safe guides,
excepting in those cases where he was an actual eye-witness. About his
truthful intentions there can be no doubt whatever.
Of one very peculiar performance among the Feegees he appears to have
had actual demonstration, and as he has described this with sufficient
minuteness, we shall copy his account; though, after what we have said,
we should apologise largely for the liberty. The performance referred
to is that of "barberising" a barbarian monarch, and may be taken as a
proof of high civilisation among the Feegees. It will be seen that,
with the exception of the tabooed fingers, there is not much difference
between a barber of Bond Street and an artist of like calling in the
Cannibal Islands.
"The chiefs in particular," writes Commodore Wilkes, "pay great
attention to the dressing of their heads, and for this purpose all of
them have barbers, whose sole occupation is the care of their masters'
heads. These barbers are called _a-vu-ni-ulu_. They are attached to
the household of the chiefs in numbers of from two to a dozen. The duty
is held to be of so sacred a nature, that their hands are tabooed from
all other employment, and they are not even permitted to feed
themselves. To dress the head of a chief requires several hours. The
hair is made to spread out from the head, on every side, to a distance
that is often eight inches. The beard, which is also carefully nursed,
often reaches the breast, and when a Feegeean has these important parts
of his person well dressed, he exhibits a degree of conceit that is not
a little amusing.
"In the process of dressing the hair it is well anointed with oil, mixed
with a carbonaceous black, until it is completely saturated. The barber
then takes the hairpin, which is a long and slender rod, made of
tortoise-shell or bone, and proceeds to twitch almost every separate
hair. This causes it to frizzle and stand erect. The bush of hair is
then trimmed smooth by singeing it, until it has the appearance of an
immense wig. When this has been finished, a piece of tapa, so fine as
to resemble tissue-paper, is wound in light folds around it, to protect
the hair from the dew or dust. This covering, which has the look of a
turban, is called _sala_, and none but the chiefs are allowed to wear
it; any attempt to assume this head-dress by a kai-si, or common person,
would be immediately punished with death. The sala, when taken proper
care of, will last three weeks or a month, and the hair is not dressed
except when it is removed; but the high chiefs and dandies seldom allow
a day to pass without changing the sala and having the hair put in
order."
With this account, we conclude our description of the Feegeean's person.
His costume is of the simplest kind, and easily described. With the
men it is merely a strip of "tapa" or "malo" cloth passed several times
round the waist, and the ends left to hang down in front. The length of
the hanging ends determines the rank of the wearer, and only in the case
of kings or great chiefs are they allowed to touch the ground. A turban
of the finest tapa cloth among the great mop of hair is another badge of
rank, worn only by kings and chiefs; and this head-dress, which adds
greatly to the dignified appearance of the wearer, is not always coiffed
in the same fashion, but each chief adapts it to his own or the
prevailing taste of the court. The dress of the women is a mere
waist-belt, with a fringe from six to ten inches in length. It is worn
longer after they have become wives, sometimes reaching near the knee,
and forming a very picturesque garment. It is called the "liku," and
many of them are manufactured with surprising skill and neatness, the
material being obtained from various climbing plants of the forest.
Under the "liku" the women are tattooed, and there only. Their men, on
the contrary, do not undergo the tattoo; but on grand occasions paint
their faces and bodies in the most fanciful colours and patterns.
The kings and some chiefs suspend from their necks shell ornaments--
often as large as a dining-plate--that down upon the breast. Some,
instead of this, wear a necklace of whales' teeth, carved to resemble
claws, and bearing a very close resemblance to the necklaces of the
Prairie Indians, made of the claws of the grizzly bear. Another kind of
necklace--perhaps more appropriate to the Feegee--is a string of human
teeth; and this kind is not unfrequently worn by these ferocious
dandies.
It must not be supposed that the scantiness of the Feegeean costume
arises from poverty or stinginess on the part of the wearer. Nothing of
the kind. It is simply because such is the fashion of the time. Were
it otherwise, he could easily supply the materials, but he does not wish
it otherwise. His climate is an eternal summer, and he has no need to
encumber his body with extraneous clothing. With the exception of the
turban upon his head, his king is as naked as himself.
You may suppose that the Feegeeans have but little notions of modesty;
but, strange as it may appear, this is in reality not one of their
failings. They regard the "malo" and "liku" as the most modest of
garments; and a man or woman seen in the streets without these scanty
coverings would be in danger of being clubbed to death!
It must be acknowledged that they are not _altogether_ depraved--for in
this respect they present the most astounding anomaly. Certain virtues
are ascribed to them, and as I have painted only the dark side of their
character, it is but fair to give the other. Indeed, it is a pleasure
to do this--though there is not enough of the favourable to make any
great alteration in the picture. The whole character is so well
described by one of the most acute observers who has yet visited the
South Seas--the Wesleyan missionary Williams--that we borrow the
description.
"The aspect of the Feegeean," says Mr Williams, "with reference to his
mental character, so far from supporting the decision which would thrust
him almost out of mankind, presents many points of great interest,
showing that, if an ordinary amount of attention were bestowed on him,
he would take no mean rank in the human family, to which, hitherto, he
has been a disgrace. Dull, barren stupidity forms no part of his
character. His feelings are acute, but not lasting; his emotions easily
roused, but transient; he can love truly, and hate deeply; he can
sympathise with thorough sincerity, and feign with consummate skill; his
fidelity and loyalty are strong and enduring, while his revenge never
dies, but waits to avail itself of circumstances, or of the blackest
treachery, to accomplish its purpose. His senses are keen, and so well
employed, that he often excels the white man in ordinary things. Tact
has been called `ready cash,' and of this the native of Feegee has a
full share, enabling him to surmount at once many difficulties, and
accomplish many tasks, that would have `fixed' an Englishman. Tools,
cord, or packing materials, he finds directly, where the white man would
be at a loss for either; and nature seems to him but a general store for
his use, where the article he wants is always within reach.
"In social diplomacy the Feegeean is very cautious and clever. That he
ever paid a visit merely _en passant_, is hard to be believed. If no
request leaves his lips, he has brought the desire, and only waits for a
good chance to present it now, or prepare the way for its favourable
reception at some other time. His face and voice are all pleasantness;
and he has the rare skill of finding out just the subject on which you
most like to talk, or sees at once whether you desire silence. Barely
will he fail to read your countenance; and the case must be urgent
indeed which obliges him to ask a favour when he sees a frown. The more
important he feels his business the more earnestly he protests that he
has none at all; and the subject uppermost in his thoughts comes last to
his lips, or is not even named; for he will make a second, or even a
third visit, rather than risk a failure through precipitancy. He seems
to read other men by intuition, especially where selfishness or lust are
prominent traits. If it serves his purpose, he will study difficult and
peculiar characters, reserving the results for future use; if afterwards
he wish to please them, he will know how, and if to annoy them, it will
be done most exactly.
"His sense of hearing is acute, and by a stroke of his nail he judges
the ripeness of fruits, or soundness of various substances."
From what source the Feegeean has sprung is purely a matter of
conjecture. He has no history,--not even a tradition of when his
ancestors first peopled the Archipelago in which we now find him. Of
his race we have not a much clearer knowledge. Speculation places him
in the same family as the "Papuan Negro," and he has some points of
resemblance to this race, in the colour and frizzled hair; but there is
as much difference between the wretched native of West Australia and the
finely-developed Feegeean as there is between the stunted Laplander and
the stalwart Norwegian; nor is the coarse rough skin of the true Papuan
to be recognised in the smooth, glossy epidermis of the Feegee Islander.
This, however, may be the result of better living; and certainly among
the mountain-tribes of the Feegees, who lead lives of greater privation
and hardship, the approach to the Papuan appearance is observable. It
is hardly necessary to add that the Feegeean is of a race quite distinct
from that known as the Polynesian or South-Sea Islander. This last is
different not only in form, complexion, and language, but also in many
important mental characteristics. It is to this race the Tongans
belong, and its peculiarities will be sketched in treating of that
people.
Were we to enter upon a minute description of the manners and customs of
the Feegees,--of their mode of house and canoe building,--of their arts
and manufactures, for they possess both,--of their implements of
agriculture and domestic use,--of their weapons of war,--their
ceremonies of religion and court etiquette,--our task would require more
space than is here allotted to us: it would in fact be as much as to
describe the complete social economy of a civilised nation; and a whole
volume would scarce suffice to contain such a description. In a sketch
like the present, the account of these people requires to be given in
the most condensed and synoptical form, and only those points can be
touched upon that may appear of the greatest interest.
It must be remembered that the civilisation of the Feegees--of course, I
allude to their proficiency in the industrial arts--is entirely an
indigenous growth. They have borrowed ideas from the Tongans,--as the
Tongans have also from them,--but both are native productions of the
South Sea, and not derived from any of the so-called great _centres_ of
civilisation. Such as have sprung from these sources are of modern
date, and make but a small feature in the panorama of Feegeean life.
The houses they build are substantial, and suitable to their
necessities. We cannot stay to note the architecture minutely. The
private dwellings are usually about twenty-five feet long by fifteen in
breadth, the interior forming one room, but with a sort of elevated
divan at the end, sometimes screened with beautiful "tapa" curtains, and
serving as the dormitory.
The ground-plan of the house is that of an oblong square,--or, to speak
more properly, a parallelogram. The walls are constructed of timber,--
being straight posts of cocoa-palm, tree-fern, bamboo, or breadfruit,--
the spaces between closely warped or otherwise filled in with reeds of
cane or _calamus_. The thatch is of the leaves of the wild or
cultivated sugar-cane,--sometimes of a _pandanus_,--thickly laid on,
especially near the eaves, where it is carefully cropped, exposing an
edge of from one to two feet in thickness. The roof has four faces,--
that is, it is a "hip roof." It is made with a very steep pitch, and
comes down low, projecting fer over the heads of the upright timbers.
This gives a sort of shaded veranda all around the house, and throws the
rain quite clear of the walls. The ridge-pole is a peculiar feature; it
is fastened to the ridge of the thatch by strong twisted ropes, that
give it an ornamental appearance; and its carved ends project at both
gables, or rather, over the "hip roofs," to the length of a foot, or
more; it is further ornamented by white shells, those of the _cyprea
ovula_ being most used for the purpose. The Feegee house presents
altogether a picturesque and not inelegant appearance. The worst
feature is the low door. There are usually two of them, neither in each
house being over three feet in height. The Feegee assigns no reason why
his door is made so low; but as he is frequently in expectation of a
visitor, with a murderous bludgeon in his grasp, it is possible this may
have something to do with his making the entrance so difficult.
The houses of the chiefs, and the great council-house, or temple,--
called the "Bure,"--are built precisely in the same style; only that
both are larger, and the doors, walls, and ridge-poles more elaborately
ornamented. The fashionable style of decoration is a plaiting of
cocoa-fibre, or "sinnet," which is worked and woven around the posts in
regular figures of "relievo."
The house described is not universal throughout all the group. There
are many "orders" of architecture, and that prevailing in the Windward
Islands is different from the style of the Leeward, and altogether of a
better kind. Different districts have different forms. In one you may
see a village looking like an assemblage of wicker baskets, while in
another you might fancy it a collection of rustic arbours. A third
seems a collection oblong hayricks, with holes in their sides; while, in
a fourth these ricks are conical.
It will be seen that, with this variety in housebuilding, it would be a
tedious task to illustrate the complete architecture of Feegeeans. Even
Master Kuskin himself would surrender it up in despair.
Equally tedious would it be to describe the various implements or
utensils which a Feegee house contains. The furniture is simple enough.
There are neither chairs, tables, nor bedsteads. The bed is a
beautiful mat spread on the dais, or divan; and in the houses of the
rich the floors are covered with a similar carpet. These mats are of
the finest texture, far superior to those made elsewhere. The materials
used are the _Hibiscus tiliaceus, Pandanus odoratissimus_, and a species
of rush. They are in great abundance in every house,--even the poorest
person having his mat to sit or lie upon; and it is they that serve for
the broad-spreading sails of the gigantic canoes. In addition to the
mats, plenty of tapa cloth may be seen, and baskets of every shape and
size,--the wicker being obtained from the rattan (_flagellaria_), and
other sources. One piece of furniture deserves especial mention,--this
is the pillow upon which the Feegee lord lays his head when he goes to
sleep. It presents but little claim to the appellation of a _downy_
pillow; since it is a mere cylinder of hard polished wood, with short
arched pedestals to it, to keep it firmly in its place. Its object is
to keep the great frizzled mop from being tossed or disarranged, during
the hours of repose; and Feegeean vanity enables the owner of the mop to
endure this flinty bolster with the most uncomplaining equanimity. If
he were possessed of the slightest spark of conscience, even this would
be soft, compared with any pillow upon which he might rest his guilty
head.
In addition to the baskets, other vessels meet the eye. These are of
pottery, as varied in shape and size as they are in kind. There are
pots and pans, bowls, dishes, cups and saucers, jars and bottles,--many
of them of rare and curious designs,--some red, some ornamented with a
glaze obtained from the gum of the _kauri_ pine,--for this tree is also
an indigenous production of the Feegee Islands. Though no potter's
wheel is known to the Feegees, the proportions of their vessels are as
just and true, and their polish as complete, as if Stafford had produced
them. There are cooking-pots to be seen of immense size. These are
jars formed with mouths wide enough to admit the largest joint. I dare
not mention the kind of joint that is frequently cooked in those great
caldrons. Ugh! the horrid pots!
Their implements are equally varied and numerous,--some for
manufacturing purposes, and others for agriculture. The latter are of
the simplest kind. The Feegee plough is merely a pointed stick inserted
deeply into the ground, and kept moving about till a lump of the soil is
broken upward. This is crushed into mould, first by a light club, and
afterwards pulverised with the fingers. The process is slow, but fast
enough for the Feegeean, whose farm is only a garden. He requires no
plough, neither bullocks nor horses. With taro-roots and sweet potatoes
that weigh ten pounds each, yams and yaqonas over one hundred, and
plantains producing bunches of a hundred and fifty fruits to the single
head, why need he trouble himself by breaking up more surface? His
single acre yields him as much vegetable wealth as fifty would to an
English farmer!
It is not to be supposed that he has it all to himself; no, nor half of
it either; nor yet the fifth part of it. At least four fifths of his
sweat has to be expended in tax or tithe; and this brings us to the form
of his government. We shall not dwell long upon this subject. Suffice
it to say that the great body of the people are in a condition of abject
serfdom,--worse than slavery itself. They own nothing that they can
call their own,--not their wives,--not their daughters,--not even their
lives! All these may be taken from them at any hour. There is no law
against despoiling them,--no check upon the will and pleasure of their
chiefs or superiors; and, as these constitute a numerous body, the poor
_canaille_ have no end of ruffian despoilers. It is an everyday act for
a chief to rob, or _club to death_, one of the common people! and no
unfrequent occurrence to be himself clubbed to death by his superior,
the king! Of these _kings_ there are eight in Feegee,--not one, as the
old song has it; but the words of the ballad will apply to each of them
with sufficient appropriateness. Any one of them will answer to the
character of "Musty-fusty-shang?"
These kings have their residences on various islands, and the different
parts of the group are distributed somewhat irregularly under their
rule. Some islands, or parts of islands, are only tributary to them;
others connected by a sort of deferential alliance; and there are
communities quite independent, and living under the arbitrary sway of
their own chieftains. The kings are not all of equal power or
importance; but in this respect there have been many changes, even
during the Feegeean historical period,--which extends back only to the
beginning of the present century. Sometimes one is the most
influential, sometimes another; and in most cases the pre-eminence is
obtained by him who possesses the greatest amount of truculence and
treachery. He who is most successful in murdering his rivals, and
ridding himself of opposition, by the simple application of the club,
usually succeeds in becoming for the time head "king of the Cannibal
Islands." I do not mean that he reigns over the whole Archipelago. No
king has yet succeeded in uniting all the islands under one government.
He only gets so far as to be feared everywhere, and to have tributary
presents, and all manner of debasing compliments offered to him. These
kings have all their courts and court etiquette, just as their "royal
brothers" elsewhere; and the ceremonials observed are quite as
complicated and degrading to the dignity of man.
The punishment for neglecting their observance is rather more severe in
Feegee than elsewhere. For a decided or wilful non-compliance, the
skull of the delinquent is frequently crushed in by the club of his
majesty himself,--even in presence of a full "drawing-room." Lesser or
accidental mistakes, or even the exhibition of an ungraceful
_gaucherie_, are punished by the loss of a finger: the consequence of
which is, that in Feegee there are many fingers missing! Indeed, a
complete set is rather the exception than the rule. If a king or great
chief should chance to miss his foot and slip down, it is the true _ton_
for all those who are near or around him to fall likewise,--the crowd
coming down, literally like a "thousand of bricks!"
I might detail a thousand customs to show how far the dignity of the
human form is debased and disgraced upon Feegee soil; but the subject
could be well illustrated nearer home. Flunkeyism is a fashion
unfortunately not confined to the Feegeean archipelago; and though the
forms in which it exhibits itself there may be different, the sentiment
is still the same. It must ever appear where men are politically
unequal,--wherever there is a class possessed of hereditary privileges.
I come to the last,--the darkest feature in the Feegeean character,--the
horrid crime and custom of cannibalism. I could paint a picture, and
fill up the details with the testimony of scores of eyewitnesses,--a
picture that would cause your heart to weep. It is too horrid to be
given here. My pen declines the office; and, therefore, I must leave
the painful story untold.