This chapter, and the concluding remarks of the narrative, will be
collated from a Journal kept by Cyrus M. Hussey; and if there appear
occasionally some incidents similar to those recorded in the preceding
account, it is believed the value and interest of this history will
not be diminished by them.--Hussey commences thus:
About the last of April, myself and Lay were separated, destined to
different Islands, not knowing whether we should ever see each other
again. At night we arrived at an Island, and hauled up our canoe. We
found but few natives, but among the number was the mother of the
chief with whom I lived. She was very inquisitive respecting me, and
talked so incessantly through the night that I could not sleep. The
next morning we were employed in gathering breadfruit, for the purpose
of curing it for the winter. This employment continued about three
months, during which time I was very uneasy about my situation. At
intervals of leisure, when the old chief had no particular engagements
to engross his attention, he would launch his canoe and go and search
for fish; but my shoes having been taken from me, whenever I was
employed round the rough shores of the Island, my feet were so wounded
that I could hardly walk. The natives now commenced the destruction
of my clothing, and not being able to converse with them, I found it
very difficult to preserve my apparel. They often requested me to
divest myself of my clothing, and dress as they did, or rather not
dress at all. I made signs that the sun would burn me, if I should
expose myself to its scorching rays. When they found that persuasion
would not induce me to divest myself of clothing, they began to
destroy my clothes, by tearing them in pieces. It was some time before
I could understand their language, so as to inform them that the sun
would burn my back; and being robbed of my clothes, the powerful
influence of the sun soon scorched me to such a degree that I could
scarcely lie down or take any rest.
About the latter part of July, William Lay and others came to the
Island in a canoe, to see me, being the first interview we had enjoyed
since our separation, which was about three months previous. Lay
informed me that the natives had taken his bible from him and torn it
up, and threatened his life. He informed me that it seemed to him as
though he was robbed of that comfort which none in a christian land
are deprived of. We were soon parted; he in a canoe was taken to an
Island by the natives called _Dilabu_, and I went to my employment,
repairing a canoe which was on the stocks. After I had finished the
canoe, the natives prepared a quantity of bread fruit and fish for the
chiefs, and on the following morning we set sail for an Island called
_Milly_, one of the largest in the group, at which resides the
principal chief. We arrived just at night and were cordially received
by the natives, who had assembled on the beach in great numbers, for
the purpose of getting some fish which the old chief had brought with
him. He then hauled his canoe on shore; and I had again the pleasure
of seeing my fellow sufferer, William Lay, after a month's separation.
Since our first meeting we were not allowed to converse much together.
The old chief tarried at this Island but a short time, and Lay and
myself were once more separated. The old chief, his family, and
myself, returned to the Island which we had left two or three days
before, called, in the language of the natives, _Tabarawort_; and he
and his family commenced gathering bread fruit. As the old man with
whom I lived had charge of several small Islands, we found it
difficult to gather the fruit as fast as it ripened, so that a
considerable part fell to the ground and perished. In the mean time,
while we were employed in gathering in the fruits of the earth, news
came to the Island, to inform the chief with whom I lived, that it was
the intention of the highest chiefs to destroy us both, (that is
myself and Lay,) because a severe sickness prevailed among them, and
they being superstitious, supposed we were the occasion of it. I
informed them that _we_ could not have been the cause of the sickness,
as no such sickness prevailed in our country, and that I never before
had seen a similar disease. But still they talked very hard about us;
and the highest chief sent to the chief I lived with, to have me
brought to the Island of Milly, where Lay lived, in order that we
might be killed together. Preparations having been made, the old
chief, whom I called father, with his family and myself, set sail the
next morning for Milly, where we arrived about sun set. He immediately
went to see the chief of Milly, to inquire the circumstances relating
to the necessity of taking our lives, leaving me and the rest of the
family in the canoe. I shortly perceived William Lay and his master
coming towards the canoe, which produced sensations hard to be
described. Affectionate and sympathizing reader, what must have been
our feelings and conversation at that moment, when nothing seemingly
was presented to our view but _death_? We were allowed an interview of
only a few minutes, when we were again separated.
My master soon returned to the canoe, and entered into very earnest
conversation with his family, which, at the time, I did not fully
understand; but found afterwards it was a relation to his family of
his interview with the natives on the subject of taking our lives; and
that if they killed me, they would first have to kill him, (my
master,) which they were unwilling to do. My kind old master told them
he had preserved me, and always should. Night now coming on, I lay
down to sleep, but fear had taken such possession of my mind, that the
night was spent in wakeful anxiety.
The next morning I asked leave of my master to visit Lay, which he
readily gave. I set out for the hut in company with my master's son;
but on approaching it, Lay called out to me, to inform me that I must
not come--that the natives did not like to have us together. On my
turning to go back, Lay's master called to me to come. I went and sat
down, and entered into conversation with Lay, to ascertain what the
intention of the natives towards us were. He told me it was the
design of the high chief to kill us. I observed to him, that we were
in the hands of the natives; still there was a higher and more
powerful Hand that could protect us, if it were the Divine pleasure so
to do. I then bade him farewell, and returned to the canoe, never
expecting to see each other again till we should meet on the tranquil
ocean of eternity.
My master being now ready to return to his Island, the canoe was
launched, and we set sail, and arrived the same night, having been
absent two days.--The natives expressed much joy on seeing me return,
and asked many questions respecting the chief of Milly; but as I was
unable to speak their language intelligibly, I could give them but
little information. We then went on with our work as usual, which was
fishing, &c. &c.
After having been at this Island some time, my master's wife
manifested an inclination to go and visit her friends, who lived at an
Island called in their language _Luguonewort_. After a successful
excursion in fishing, we cooked a part, and took some breadfruit, and
embarked, agreeably to the wishes of my master's wife, and arrived at
Luguonewort in two days. The natives of that Island gave us a cordial
reception. We hauled up our canoe and remained some time among them.
After our agreeable visit was ended, we returned to the other Island,
found the natives well, and that good care had been taken by the
chief's mother, an old woman to whom the superintendence of things had
been left.
About six months after the massacre of my shipmates, the brother of
the native in whose possession I was, came to the Island, and informed
us that a ship had been seen to pass a day or two before, and that it
caused great disturbance among the chiefs--that they thought it was
the ship that left the Islands, (the Globe,) and that she was in
search of us. My old master immediately prepared his canoe to visit
the chiefs, and he wanted also to inquire of me what I thought
respecting the ship. We loaded our canoe and made sail for Milly,
where the chiefs were. We arrived at night, and found a great number
of natives collected on the beach, to see if we had any fish. We
hauled up our canoe for the night, and the natives began to question
me about the ship.--I told them I did not know, concluding it would be
good policy to say but little on the subject. The natives crowded
round me in great numbers; and I did not see Lay till he came to me. I
inquired of him what he had seen, and he informed me that there had
been a ship in sight about half an hour before sun set, and that she
was near enough for him to see them take in their fore and mizen top
gallant sails, but could give no definite account of her, as she was
soon out of sight. We were not allowed to be together long; and I went
to rest as usual, but could not sleep.--"Hope springs eternal in the
human breast"--and hope that the ship which had been seen had come to
deliver us from savages and transport us to our native country and
dear friends, had an influence on my feelings more powerful than
sleep, and imagination was busy through the night in picturing scenes
of future happiness.
But the prospect of our being released from our unpleasant situation
was not very flattering. Early next morning I asked and obtained
permission from my master, to pay a visit to Lay, before passing round
to the opposite side of the Island. Accompanied by my master's son and
several others, I went to the hut where Lay lived, and we had the
pleasure of another interview; but it was of short duration, for we
were not allowed to be together more than a quarter of an hour. I
returned to my master's canoe, and there continued till the middle of
the day; we then launched and set sail for _Tabanawort_, where we
arrived the fore part of the night.--Early next morning we prepared
for a fishing cruise, had pretty good success, and returned just
before night, made a fire, cooked some fish, and ate a delicious
supper.
Our canoe being leaky and very much out of repair, my master and I
commenced taking her to pieces, for the purpose of re-building her;
and we were occasionally employed upon her nearly two months, when we
launched her, and commencing fishing business, had alternately good
and bad success. One day we had the good fortune to enclose, in a kind
of wear made for the purpose, a large quantity of fishes, and with a
scoopnet we caught a plentiful supply. After cooking them, we set out
with a quantity to dispose of to the chiefs of Milly, where we arrived
before night, on the same day of sailing. Very soon after our arrival
I saw Lay and his master approaching the canoe, and we once more had a
short but pleasant interview. I inquired of Lay how he fared, as to
food, &c. His reply was, better than he expected, and that the natives
were kind to him, always giving him his part. I informed him I had a
basket of fish reserved for him as a present, which he requested me to
keep till dark, that he might be enabled to carry them home without
having them all begged by the natives. He came at night for the fish,
and I retired, agreeably to my master's wishes to sleep in the canoe,
to prevent the natives from stealing the remainder of the fish that
were on board. The next morning my master was highly pleased to find
that nothing was missing; and gave me liberty to go and see Lay. I
went to the hut and found him with his master. They gave me a cordial
welcome, and presented me with some cocoanuts in return for the fish.
Lay's master inquired of me very particularly respecting my master,
and the quantity of fish we caught. I then returned to the canoe,
carrying the cocoanuts, to deposite in the hold. My master asked me
where I got them; I told him Lay's master gave them to me. If this
minute detail should appear unimportant to the reader, he may draw a
moral from it; for it evinces that my master was like other masters,
desirous to know if his servant came honestly in possession of the
cocoanuts. He then ordered me and his son to launch the canoe, which
we did, got under sail for the Island we left the day before, and
arrived back at night. We learned that during our absence the natives
had caught a considerable quantity of fish; and in a few days we
caught a large quantity more; loaded our canoe, and embarked for one
of the head Islands to pay a visit, where we stopped some time. On our
return, we commenced catching a kind of fish called by the natives
_kierick_. They are about the size of a small codfish; and the manner
of taking them is very curious--they make a line of the husk of
cocoanuts, about the size of a cod line; they then in the canoe pass
round the fish to the windward of the flat, then lie to till a
considerable quantity of them get on the flat, then square away by the
wind and run down and go round the flat with this line, and thus
catch them, men, women, and children being employed. I have known
them catch one hundred at a draught. The fish are afraid of the line,
and when enclosed, taken by a scoopnet. After taking a sufficient
quantity, they go on shore to prepare for cooking them, which is done
by digging a large hole in the earth, filling it with wood, covered
with stones. The wood is then consumed, which heats the stones--the
fish are wrapped in leaves to prevent them from falling to pieces,
then covered with green leaves, and cooked by the heat of the stones.
About an hour is required to cook them sufficient for eating. Their
manner of curing fish, is, to split them and dry them in the sun,
without using salt. Thus cured, they will keep some time. While we
were employed in fishing, Lay came to the Island, in company with a
native, to visit me; but did not stay long, for the chief sent for
him, fearing, as I afterwards found out, that they should lose us.
From some hints that had been dropped, a report had got in
circulation that my master and Lamawoot, (Lay's master,) intended to
leave their Islands, and embark for an Island to the north west, where
the king lived, and carry us with them as a great curiosity. Lay was
carried back to the chiefs--the head one sent an express to my master
and Lay's to come and see him--they made preparations and set sail for
Milly; where they were closely questioned respecting their going to
the other Island, &c. &c. They denied that they had even intimated any
such design; which was false, for I had frequently heard them talking
on the subject myself, but kept silent, as it appeared to be a great
crime for any to desert their Islands; and I feared the consequences
of making it known.--They then parted in peace and friendship, and I
and my master returned to our habitation.
We then went to an Island to catch fish, and a disagreement taking
place between two of the natives, about some trifling affair, the
particulars of which I did not learn, one of them took a spear
belonging to the other, and after breaking it across his knee, with
one half of it killed his antagonist, and left him. The parents of the
man killed, being present, laid him out on some mats, and appeared to
regret their loss very much. They kept a continual drumming over the
body of the deceased for two or three days; after which he received a
decent burial on another Island at some distance from the Island where
he was killed.