On the following day, however, accompanied by natives, we met at the
scene of destruction, and truly it was an appalling one to us. The
mangled corpses of our companions, rendered more ghastly from the
numerous wounds they had received, the provisions, clothing, &c.
scattered about the ground, the hideous yells of exultation uttered by
the natives, all conspired to render our situation superlatively
miserable.
We asked, and obtained leave from our masters, to bury the bodies
which lay scattered about. We dug some graves in the sand, and after
finishing this melancholy duty, were directed to launch the canoes,
preparatory to our departure, (for we had come in canoes) when we
begged permission, which was readily granted, to take some flour,
bread and pork, and our respective masters assisted us in getting a
small quantity of these articles into the largest canoe. We also took
a blanket each, some shoes, a number of books, including a bible, and
soon arrived at the landing place near the village. As the natives
seemed desirous of keeping us apart, we dare not make any inquiries
for each other, but at my request, having boiled some pork in a large
shell, Hussey was sent for, and we had a meal together; during which
time, the natives assembled in great numbers, all anxious to get a
sight, not only of our _novel mode of cutting the meat and eating it_,
but of the manner in which we prepared it. One of them brought us some
water in a tin cup, as they had seen us drink frequently when eating.
The natives now began to arrive from distant parts of the islands,
many of whom had not yet heard of us, and we were continually
subjected to the examination of men, women and children. The _singular
colour_ of our skin, was the greatest source of their admiration, and
we were frequently importuned to adopt their dress.
On the 28th Feb. early in the morning the whole village appeared to be
in motion. All the adults commenced _ornamenting_ themselves, which to
me appeared to render them _hideous_. After greasing themselves with
cocoanut oil, and hanging about them numerous strings of beads, they
set off, taking us with them, to a flat piece of ground, about half a
mile distant, where we found collected a great number, and all
ornamented in the same fantastic manner.--Knowing that many of the
natives inhabiting Islands in the Pacific Ocean, are cannibals, we
were not without our fears that we had been preserved to grace a
feast! Our apprehensions, however, were dissipated, when we saw them
commence a dance, of which we will endeavour to give the reader some
idea. The only musical instrument we saw, was a rude kind of drum; and
the choristers were all females, say twenty or thirty, each having one
of these drums. The music commenced with the women, who began upon a
very low key, gradually raising the notes, while the natives
accompanied them with the most uncouth gesticulations and grimaces.
The precision with which about three hundred of these people, all
dancing at a time, regulated their movements, was truly astonishing;
while the yelling of the whole body, each trying to exceed the other,
rendered the scene to us, not only novel, but terrifick.
The dance ended near night, and those natives who lived in a distant
part of the Island, after gratifying their curiosity by gazing upon
us, and even _feeling of our skins_, took their departure.
After our return to the village, we cooked some meat upon the coals,
and with some bread, made a hearty meal. One source of regret to us,
was, that the natives began to like our bread, which heretofore they
had scarcely dared to taste; and particularly the woman whom I called
mistress, ate, to use a sea phrase, her _full allowance_.
The natives expressed great dislike at our conversing together, and
prohibited our reading, as much as possible. We never could make them
comprehend that the book conveyed ideas to us, expressed in our own
language.
Whether from a fear that we might concert some plan of escape, or that
we might be the means of doing them some injury while together, we
know not;--but about the first of April, we discovered that we were
about to be separated! The reader may form some idea of our feelings
when we were informed that Hussey was to be taken by his master and
family, to a distant part of the Island! Not having as yet become
sufficiently acquainted with their language, we were unable to
comprehend the distance from our present location.
It now becomes expedient to present the reader with our _separate
accounts_, in which we hope to be able to convey an idea of the
manners and customs of these people. We had experienced in a very
short time so many vicissitudes, and passed through so many scenes of
distress, that no opportunity was afforded to keep a journal, and
notwithstanding we had even lost the day of the week and month, yet
with such force, were the principal incidents which occurred during
our exile, impressed upon our minds, that we can with confidence
proceed with our narrative, and will commence the next chapter with an
account of the adventures of _William Lay_.