BURNING OF THE VESSEL--COMMENCEMENT OF JEWITT'S JOURNAL
Early on the morning of the 19th the ship was discovered to be on fire.
This was owing to one of the savages having gone on board with a
firebrand at night for the purpose of plunder, some sparks from which
fell into the hold, and, communicating with some combustibles, soon
enveloped the whole in flames. The natives regretted the loss of the
ship the more as a great part of her cargo still remained on board. To
my companion and myself it was a most melancholy sight, for with her
disappeared from our eyes every trace of a civilised country; but the
disappointment we experienced was still more severely felt, for we had
calculated on having the provision to ourselves, which would have
furnished us with a stock for years, as whatever is cured with salt,
together with most of our other articles of food, are never eaten by
these people. I had luckily saved all my tools, excepting the anvil and
the bellows, which was attached to the forge, and from their weight had
not been brought on shore. We had also the good fortune, in looking over
what had been taken from the ship, to discover a box of chocolate and a
case of port wine, which, as the Indians were not fond of it, proved a
great comfort to us for some time; and from one of the natives I
obtained a Nautical Almanack which had belonged to the captain, and
which was of great use to me in determining the time.
About two days after, on examining their booty, the savages found a
tierce of rum, with which they were highly delighted, as they have
become very fond of spirituous liquors since their intercourse with the
whites.[60] This was towards evening, and Maquina, having assembled all
the men at his house, gave a feast, at which they drank so freely of the
rum, that in a short time they became so extremely wild and frantic that
Thompson and myself, apprehensive for our safety, thought it prudent to
retire privately into the woods, where we continued till past midnight.
On our return we found the women gone, who are always very temperate,
drinking nothing but water, having quitted the house and gone to the
other huts to sleep, so terrified were they at the conduct of the men,
who lay all stretched out on the floor in a state of complete
intoxication. How easy in this situation would it have been for us to
have dispatched or made ourselves masters of our enemies had there been
any ship near to which we could have escaped, but as we were situated
the attempt would have been madness. The wish of revenge was, however,
less strongly impressed on my mind than what appeared to be so evident
an interposition of Divine Providence in our favour. How little can man
penetrate its designs, and how frequently is that intended as a blessing
which he views as a curse. The burning of our ship, which we had
lamented so much, as depriving us of so many comforts, now appeared to
us in a very different light, for, had the savages got possession of the
rum, of which there were nearly twenty puncheons on board,[61] we must
inevitably have fallen a sacrifice to their fury in some of their
moments of intoxication. This cask, fortunately, and a case of gin, was
all the spirits they obtained from the ship. To prevent the recurrence
of similar danger, I examined the cask, and, finding still a
considerable quantity remaining, I bored a small hole in the bottom with
a gimblet, which before morning, to my great joy, completely emptied it.
By this time the wound in my head began to be much better, so that I
could enjoy some sleep, which I had been almost deprived of by the pain,
and though I was still feeble from the loss of blood and my sufferings,
I found myself sufficiently well to go to work at my trade, in making
for the king and his wives bracelets and other small ornaments of copper
or steel, and in repairing the arms, making use of a large square stone
for the anvil, and heating my metal in a common wood fire. This was very
gratifying to Maquina, and his women particularly, and secured me their
goodwill.
In the meantime, great numbers from the other tribes kept continually
flocking to Nootka, bringing with them, in exchange for the ship's
plunder, such quantities of provision, that, notwithstanding the little
success that Maquina met with in whaling this season, and their
gluttonous waste, always eating to excess when they have it, regardless
of the morrow, seldom did the natives experience any want of food during
the summer. As to myself and companion, we fared as they did, never
wanting for such provision as they had, though we were obliged to eat it
cooked in their manner, and with train-oil as a sauce, a circumstance
not a little unpleasant, both from their uncleanly mode of cooking and
many of the articles of their food, which to a European are very
disgusting; but, as the saying is, hunger will break through stone
walls, and we found, at times, in the blubber of sea animals and the
flesh of the dog-fish, loathsome as it generally was, a very acceptable
repast.
But much oftener would poor Thompson, who was no favourite with them,
have suffered from hunger had it not been for my furnishing him with
provision. This I was enabled to do from my work, Maquina allowing me
the privilege, when not employed for him, to work for myself in making
bracelets and other ornaments of copper, fish-hooks, daggers, etc.,
either to sell to the tribes who visited us or for our own chiefs, who
on these occasions, besides supplying me with as much as I wished to
eat, and a sufficiency for Thompson, almost always made me a present of
a European garment, taken from the ship, or some fathoms of cloth, which
were made up by my comrade, and enabled us to go comfortably clad for
some time; or small bundles of penknives, razors, scissors, etc., for
one of which we could almost always procure from the natives two or
three fresh salmon, cod, or halibut; or dried fish, clams, and herring
spawn from the stranger tribes; and had we only been permitted to cook
them after our own way, as we had pots and other utensils belonging to
the ship, we should not have had much cause of complaint in this
respect; but so tenacious are these people of their customs,
particularly in the article of food and cooking, that the king always
obliged me to give whatever provision I bought to the women to cook. And
one day, finding Thompson and myself on the shore employed in boiling
down sea-water into salt, on being told what it was he was very much
displeased, and, taking the little we had procured, threw it into the
sea. In one instance alone, as a particular favour, he allowed me to
boil some salmon in my own way, when I invited him and his queen to eat
with me; they tasted it, but did not like it, and made their meal of
some of it that I had cooked in their country fashion.
In May the weather became uncommonly mild and pleasant, and so forward
was vegetation, that I picked plenty of strawberries[62] by the middle
of the month. Of this fruit there are great quantities on this coast,
and I found them a most delicious treat.
My health now had become almost re-established, my wound being so far
healed that it gave me no further trouble. I had never failed to wash it
regularly once a day in sea water, and to dress it with a fresh leaf of
tobacco, which I obtained from the natives, who had taken it from the
ship, but made no use of it. This was all the dressing I gave it, except
applying to it two or three times a little loaf sugar, which Maquina
gave me, in order to remove some proud flesh, which prevented it from
closing.
My cure would doubtless have been much sooner effected had I have been
in a civilised country, where I could have had it dressed by a surgeon
and properly attended to. But alas! I had no good Samaritan, with oil
and wine, to bind up my wounds, and fortunate might I even esteem myself
that I was permitted to dress it myself, for the utmost that I could
expect from the natives was compassion for my misfortunes, which I
indeed experienced from the women, particularly the queen, or favourite
wife of Maquina, the mother of Sat-sat-sok-sis, who used frequently to
point to my head, and manifest much kindness and solicitude for me. I
must do Maquina the justice to acknowledge, that he always appeared
desirous of sparing me any labour which he believed might be hurtful to
me, frequently inquiring in an affectionate manner if my head pained me.
As for the others, some of the chiefs excepted, they cared little what
became of me, and probably would have been gratified with my death.
My health being at length re-established and my wound healed, Thompson
became very importunate for me to begin my journal, and as I had no ink,
proposed to cut his finger to supply me with blood for the purpose
whenever I should want it. On the 1st of June I accordingly commenced a
regular diary, but had no occasion to make use of the expedient
suggested by my comrade, having found a much better substitute in the
expressed juice of a certain plant, which furnished me with a bright
green colour, and, after making a number of trials, I at length
succeeded in obtaining a very tolerable ink, by boiling the juice of the
blackberry with a mixture of finely powdered charcoal, and filtering it
through a cloth. This I afterwards preserved in bottles, and found it
answer very well, so true is it that "necessity is the mother of
invention." As for quills, I found no difficulty in procuring them
whenever I wanted, from the crows and ravens with which the beach was
almost always covered, attracted by the offal of whales, seals, etc.,
and which were so tame that I could easily kill them with stones, while
a large clam-shell furnished me with an inkstand.
The extreme solicitude of Thompson that I should begin my journal might
be considered as singular in a man who neither knew how to read or
write, a circumstance, by the way, very uncommon in an American, were we
less acquainted with the force of habit, he having been for many years
at sea, and accustomed to consider the keeping of a journal as a thing
indispensable. This man was born in Philadelphia, and at eight years old
ran away from his friends and entered as a cabin boy on board a ship
bound to London. On his arrival there, finding himself in distress, he
engaged as an apprentice to the captain of a collier, from whence he was
impressed on board an English man-of-war, and continued in the British
naval service about twenty-seven years, during which he was present at
the engagement under Lord Howe with the French fleet in June 1794, and
when peace was made between England and France, was discharged. He was a
very strong and powerful man, an expert boxer, and perfectly fearless;
indeed, so little was his dread of danger, that when irritated he was
wholly regardless of his life. Of this the following will furnish a
sufficient proof:--
One evening about the middle of April, as I was at the house of one of
the chiefs, where I had been employed on some work for him, word was
brought me that Maquina was going to kill Thompson. I immediately
hurried home, where I found the king in the act of presenting a loaded
musket at Thompson, who was standing before him with his breast bared
and calling on him to fire. I instantly stepped up to Maquina, who was
foaming with rage, and, addressing him in soothing words, begged him for
my sake not to kill my father, and at length succeeded in taking the
musket from him and persuading him to sit down.
On inquiring into the cause of his anger, I learned that, while Thompson
was lighting the lamps in the king's room, Maquina having substituted
ours for their pine torches, some of the boys began to tease him,
running around him and pulling him by the trousers, among the most
forward of whom was the young prince. This caused Thompson to spill the
oil, which threw him into such a passion, that, without caring what he
did, he struck the prince so violent a blow in his face with his fist as
to knock him down. The sensation excited among the savages by an act
which was considered as the highest indignity, and a profanation of the
sacred person of majesty, may be easily conceived. The king was
immediately acquainted with it, who, on coming in and seeing his son's
face covered with blood, seized a musket and began to load it,
determined to take instant revenge of the audacious offender, and had I
arrived a few moments later than I did, my companion would certainly
have paid with his life for his rash and violent conduct. I found the
utmost difficulty in pacifying Maquina, who for a long time after could
not forgive Thompson, but would repeatedly say, "John, _you_
die--Thompson kill."
But to appease the king was not all that was necessary. In consequence
of the insult offered to their prince, the whole tribe held a council,
in which it was unanimously resolved that Thompson should be put to
death in the most cruel manner. I however interceded so strenuously with
Maquina for his life, telling him that if my father was killed, I was
determined not to survive him, that he refused to deliver him up to the
vengeance of his people, saying, that for John's sake they must consent
to let him live. The prince, who, after I had succeeded in calming his
father, gave me an account of what had happened, told me that it was
wholly out of regard to me, as Thompson was my father, that his life had
been spared, for that if any one of the tribe should dare to lift a hand
against him in anger, he would most certainly be put to death.
Yet even this narrow escape produced not much effect on Thompson, or
induced him to restrain the violence of his temper. For, not many weeks
after, he was guilty of a similar indiscretion, in striking the eldest
son of a chief, who was about eighteen years old, and, according to
their custom, was considered as a Tyee, or chief, himself, in
consequence of his having provoked him by calling him a white slave.
This affair caused great commotion in the village, and the tribe was
very clamorous for his death, but Maquina would not consent.
I used frequently to remonstrate with him on the imprudence of his
conduct, and beg him to govern his temper better, telling him that it
was our duty, since our lives were in the power of these savages, to do
nothing to exasperate them. But all I could say on this point availed
little, for so bitter was the hate he felt for them, which he was no way
backward in manifesting both by his looks and actions, that he declared
he never would submit to their insults, and that he had much rather be
killed than be obliged to live among them; adding that he only wished he
had a good vessel and some guns, and he would destroy the whole of the
cursed race; for to a brave sailor like him, who had fought the French
and Spaniards with glory, it was a punishment worse than death to be a
slave to such a poor, ignorant, despicable set of beings.
As for myself, I thought very differently. After returning thanks to
that merciful Being who had in so wonderful a manner softened the hearts
of the savages in my favour, I had determined from the first of my
capture to adopt a conciliating conduct towards them, and conform
myself, as far as was in my power, to their customs and mode of
thinking, trusting that the same divine goodness that had rescued me
from death, would not always suffer me to languish in captivity among
these heathens.
With this view, I sought to gain their goodwill by always endeavouring
to assume a cheerful countenance, appearing pleased with their sports
and buffoon tricks, making little ornaments for the wives and children
of their chiefs, by which means I became quite a favourite with them,
and fish-hooks, daggers, etc., for themselves.
As a further recommendation to their favour, and what might eventually
prove of the utmost importance to us, I resolved to learn their
language, which in the course of a few months' residence I so far
succeeded in acquiring, as to be able in general to make myself well
understood.
I likewise tried to persuade Thompson to learn it, as what might prove
necessary to him. But he refused, saying that he hated both them and
their cursed lingo, and would have nothing to do with it.
By pursuing this conciliatory plan, so far did I gain the goodwill of
these savages, particularly the chiefs, that I scarcely ever failed
experiencing kind treatment from them, and was received with a smile of
welcome at their houses, where I was always sure of having something
given me to eat, whenever they had it, and many a good meal have I had
from them, when they themselves were short of provisions and suffering
for the want of them.
And it was a common practice with me, when we had nothing to eat at
home, which happened not unfrequently during my stay among them, to go
around the village, and on noticing a smoke from any of the houses,
which denoted that they were cooking, enter in without ceremony, and ask
them for something, which I was never refused.
Few nations, indeed, are there so very rude and unfeeling, whom constant
mild treatment, and an attention to please, will not mollify and obtain
from some return of kind attention. This the treatment I received from
these people may exemplify, for not numerous, even among those calling
themselves civilised, are there instances to be found of persons
depriving themselves of food to give it to a stranger, whatever may be
his merits.
It may perhaps be as well in this place to give a description of Nootka;
some accounts of the tribes who were accustomed to visit us; and the
manners and customs of the people, as far as I hitherto had an
opportunity of observing them.
FOOTNOTES:
[60] It was about this date that Long, an Indian trader, described rum
as the _unum necessarium_ for traffic with the savages. It is still
eagerly asked for, though its sale or gift is illegal.
[61] For sale, of course, to the Indians.
[62] Chiefly _Fragaria chilensis_.