Barton, they fairly forced me upon the rocky platform. Though by no
means pleased at being obliged to take a part in a farce so little to my
taste, and for which I possessed none of Barton's talent, I saw plainly
that the shortest and least troublesome way, was to comply with their
wishes, and I accordingly endeavoured to recall some fragment of prose
or verse which might serve the present purpose. Supposing that English
would be quite as intelligible and acceptable to them as Barton's Latin,
I was just about to declaim those noble opening lines of Comus--
"`Before the starry threshold of Jove's Court,' etcetera.
"Which used to be a favourite of mine at school, when suddenly another
impulse seized me.
"As I glanced around upon the circle of smiling, upturned countenances,
I was struck by the docile and childlike expression of many of them. I
thought of the sad and benighted condition of this simple people,
without the knowledge of God, or the hope of immortality, given up, as
it seemed, a helpless prey to the darkest and most cruel superstitions.
I thought of the moss-grown marae in the dark wood, with its hideous
idols, its piles of human bones, and its hoary priest--fit minister of
such a religion. I remembered the aged woman at Mowno's house, and the
frightful doom in reserve for her. I felt that perhaps to such
impressible spirits, even a passing word, unskilfully and feebly spoken,
might by God's blessing do good; and yielding to the impulse of the
moment, instead of declaiming the verses from Comus, I began to speak to
them in their own language, of those great truths, the most momentous
for civilised or savage man to know, and the most deeply interesting to
every thoughtful mind, of whatever degree of culture--truths so simple,
that even these untutored children of nature could receive, and be made
happy by them.
"In the plainest and simplest language I could command, and striving to
adapt myself to their habits of thought, and to use those forms of
expression most familiar to them, I announced the great doctrine of the
existence of one God, the sole creator of the world, and the loving
Father of all his creatures. I spoke of his power and his goodness, and
told them that though invisible to our eyes, as the wind which stirred
the tops of the palm-trees above them, he was ever near each one of us,
hearing our words, seeing our actions, reading our thoughts, and caring
for us continually.
"I endeavoured to illustrate these attributes of God, by references and
allusions to the daily aspects of nature around them, and to ideas and
notions with which their mode of life, and the system of superstition in
which they had been trained, rendered them familiar. My especial aim
was to lead them, unconsciously, as it were, and without making any
direct attack upon their religion, to contrast the benignant character
of Him who has permitted us to call Him `Our Father in Heaven,' with
that of the malignant beings they had been taught to worship.
"I next spoke of death, and of a future life, and assured them that the
friends whom they had buried, and they themselves, and all who had ever
lived, should awake as from a brief sleep, and live again for ever. But
when I proceeded to declare that most awful and mysterious doctrine of
our religion, and spoke of the worm that dieth not and the fire that is
not quenched, of eternal happiness, and unending woe, I could see by the
earnestness of their attention, and the expression of their
countenances, how powerfully they were impressed.
"I cannot remember all that I said, or the language I used, but I
endeavoured to set before them in a shape adapted to their
comprehension, the simple elements of the Christian scheme--the great
doctrines of God and immortality, of human sinfulness and
accountability, and of salvation through Jesus Christ. But encouraged
by the attention and apparent interest of the silent and listening
circle, in the glow of the moment, I went beyond this prescribed limit,
and from these vast general truths, I began at last to speak of
particular acts and practices. As I thought once more of the marae in
the forest, and of the unhappy Malola, I told the people that our Father
beyond the sky could alone hear their prayers, and should alone be
worshipped; that he desired no sacrifices of living things; that he was
offended and displeased with all cruelty and bloodshed; and that the
offering of human sacrifices, and the killing of aged persons, were
crimes which he detested, and would be sure to punish; that he had
expressly commanded children to love and honour their parents, and that
it was their duty, the older, the more infirm and helpless they became,
the more faithfully to cherish and protect them. In speaking on this
subject, I grew earnest and excited, and probably my voice and manner
too strongly expressed the abhorrence I felt for such monstrous and
unnatural crimes.
"At this point, Barton, who had for some time been looking on in
astonishment at the serious turn which the matter had so unexpectedly
taken, interrupted me with the whispered caution--
"`Be careful, Arthur! I fear from the black looks of one of your
clerical fathers here, that you are giving offence to the cloth, and
trenching upon perilous ground.'
"But the warning came too late. Just as I glanced round in search of
the threatening looks, to which Barton alluded, a frightful figure
sprang up on the outer edge of the circle of listeners, directly in
front of me, and with cries of rage forced its way towards the spot
where I stood. I recognised at once the old priest of the marae, but
how changed since I last saw him! Every sign of age and decrepitude had
vanished: his misshapen frame seemed dilated, and instinct with nervous
energy: his face was pale with the intensity of his fury, and his small
eyes flashed fire.
"`Perish, reviler of Oro, and his priests!' he cried, and hurled at me a
barbed spear, with so true an aim, that if I had not stooped as it left
his hand, it would have struck my face. Whizzing over my head, it
pierced the tough bark of a bread-fruit tree, ten yards behind me, where
it stood quivering. Instantly catching a club from the hands of a
bystander, he rushed forward to renew the attack. He had reached the
foot of the rock where I stood, when Rokoa with a bound placed himself
between us, and though without any weapon, motioned him back, with a
gesture so commanding, and an air at once so quiet, and so fearless,
that the priest paused. But it was for an instant only; then, without
uttering a word, he aimed a blow full at Rokoa's head. The latter
caught it in his open palm, wrenched the weapon from him, and, adroitly
foiling a furious attempt which he made to grapple with him, once more
stood upon the defensive with an unruffled aspect and not the slightest
appearance of excitement in his manner.
"The baffled priest, livid with rage, looked round for another weapon.
Half a dozen of the men who had arrived upon the ground with him,
uttered a wild yell, and pressed forward with brandished clubs and
spears. Barton and I, placed ourselves by Rokoa's side, the former
handing me one of his pistols. All was tumult and confusion. The
outbreak had been so sudden and unexpected, and what I have just related
had passed so rapidly, that the bystanders had not yet recovered from
the first shock of astonishment and terror. Of the women, some shrieked
and fled from the spot, others threw themselves between us and the armed
natives, or invoked the interference of their brothers and friends for
our protection. Only a few, even of the men, seemed to participate in
the feeling of hostility against us.
"But however inferior in number, the party of our foes far surpassed
that of our friends in resolution and energy. Foremost among them were
the priest and the hard-featured chief, who had been so deeply incensed
by what he regarded as the wanton insults offered him by Barton. A
number of the young men also, whose anger and jealousy had been aroused
by his sudden popularity, and the attention which had been paid us,
sided zealously with the priest and his party, and joined in the clamour
against us.
"Meanwhile, Mowno, at Olla's entreaty, strove to calm the tumult, and to
pacify the leader and instigator of it; but his authority was fiercely
spurned, and our good-natured protector quailed before the fury of the
vindictive old man. As yet, however, our enemies, conscious that the
sympathies of a large number of the bystanders were with us, had offered
us no actual violence, confining themselves to menacing cries and
gestures, by which they seemed to be striving to work themselves up to
the requisite pitch of excitement. This was likely to be speedily
attained under the influence of the fierce exhortations and contagious
fury of the priest. Some of the young men, in fact, now commenced a
sort of covert attack, by throwing stones and fragments of wood at us
from the outskirts of the crowd, and Barton was struck violently in the
mouth by one of these missiles, by which his lip was badly cut. In the
midst of all the excitement and tumult, Rokoa stood, with the outward
appearance at least, of perfect composure. Neither the ravings of the
priest, nor the menacing attitude of `Catiline,' nor the brandished
weapons of their followers, deprived him of his coolness and presence of
mind. He steadily confronted them with an unblenching eye, grasping the
club of which he had possessed himself, in readiness to meet the attack,
which he at the same time did nothing, by look or gesture, to provoke.
His calm intrepidity, while it seemed temporarily to restrain our
enemies, served also to reassure and steady Barton and myself; and
endeavouring to emulate his self-possession, we stood ready to act as
circumstances should indicate, looking to him for the example."
Here Arthur paused, as if about to suspend his narrative. Johnny, who
was now broad awake, and listening eagerly, waited patiently a few
moments, expecting him to recommence. Finding, however, that he did not
do so, he at length asked him to "go on."
"It is getting quite late," answered Arthur; "see, those three bright
stars which were high in the heavens when we first sat down here, are
now on the very edge of the horizon, about to sink behind the ocean. As
we expect to be up, and on our way to Castle-hill before sunrise
to-morrow. I think we should now go to rest."
"If we do," replied Johnny, "I am sure I shall not be able to sleep; I
shall be thinking of that terrible old priest, and trying to guess how
you escaped at last."
"I judge," said Browne, "that you are pretty nearly at the end of your
adventures in Angatan, so pray let us have the remainder now."
"Do so," added Morton, "and set Johnny's mind at rest, or he will be
dreaming of cannibals and cannibal-priests all night, and disturbing us
by crying out in his sleep."
"I think it's quite likely," said Johnny, shaking his head in a
threatening manner; "I feel just now very much as if I should."
"Since that is the case," said Arthur, "I suppose I must `go on,' in
self-defence; and as I believe that twenty minutes will suffice for what
remains, I will finish it."
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
THE FLIGHT.
TE VEA--THE VICTIM FOR SACRIFICE--THE ESCAPE AND PURSUIT--THE PRIEST'S
AMBUSH.
"For life, for life, their flight they ply,
And shriek, and shout, and battle-cry,
And weapons waving to the sky,
Are maddening in their rear."
"While the party hostile to us, thus stood hesitating, but to all
appearance rapidly approaching a point where all hesitation would cease,
Olla, with tears streaming down her cheeks, besought us to fly to her
husband's house, where, she seemed to imagine, we should necessarily be
safe from violence. But though no one yet laid hands on us, we were
surrounded on all sides, and could not with any certainty distinguish
friends from foes; and the first movement on our part to escape, would
probably be the signal for an instant and general attack by the priest
and his followers. We thought, therefore, that our best hope of safety
lay in maintaining a firm but quiet attitude, until Mowno, and those
disposed to protect us, could make their influence felt in our behalf.
They, however, confined their efforts to feeble expostulations and
entreaties; and perhaps it was unreasonable to expect them to engage in
a deadly conflict with their own neighbours, relatives, and personal
friends, in the defence of mere strangers like ourselves. They could
not even restrain the younger and more violent portion of the rabble
from carrying on the species of desultory warfare, from which Barton had
already suffered; on the contrary, the stones and other missiles, thrown
by persons on the outskirts of the crowd, fell continually thicker and
faster. At length Rokoa received a staggering blow on the back of the
head, from a clod of earth, thrown by some one who had stolen round
behind the rock for that purpose, and who immediately afterwards
disappeared in the throng.
"`How much longer are we to endure this?' cried Barton. `Must we stand
here and suffer ourselves to be murdered by these cowardly attacks? Let
us shoot a couple of them, and make a rush for the shore.'
"But a moment's reflection was enough to show the utter hopelessness of
such an attempt. However much the natives might be astounded for an
instant by the discharge of fire-arms, all fear and hesitation would
vanish upon our taking to flight. Our backs once turned would be the
mark for a score of ready spears; and except perhaps for Rokoa, whose
speed was extraordinary, there would be scarcely the possibility for
escape. Still it was evident that the audacity of our enemies was
steadily increasing, though their attacks were as yet covert and
indirect, and, as I knew that Rokoa would not hesitate to retaliate upon
the first open assailant, in which case we should be massacred upon the
spot, we might soon be compelled to adopt even so desperate a
suggestion, as the only alternative of instant death.
"At this critical moment, I noticed a sudden movement of surprise or
alarm, on the outskirts of the crowd. A group, directly in front of us,
no longer giving us their exclusive attention, began to whisper among
themselves, glancing and pointing towards the rising ground in our rear,
while a half suppressed and shuddering exclamation of `Te Vea! Te Vea!'
was heard among the people. Turning round, and looking where all eyes
were now directed, I saw a tall native, with a peculiar head-dress of
feathers, and a small basket of cocoa-nut-leaflets in his hand, running
rapidly towards us. His appearance seemed to awaken in those around us,
emotions of terror or aversion, strong enough to swallow up every other
feeling, for, no sooner was he perceived, than all thought of
prosecuting further the present quarrel, appeared to be abandoned. The
priest, alone, evinced none of the general uneasiness or dread, but, on
the contrary, a gleam of exultation lighted up his hard and discoloured
countenance. The people made way to the right and left, as the
new-comer drew near, and a number of them slunk away into the forest or
to their homes. The stranger proceeded directly towards Mowno, and
taking a small parcel wrapped in leaves, from the basket which he
carried, delivered it to him: then, without pausing an instant, or
uttering a word, he passed on, taking his way at a rapid pace straight
through the village. Mowno received the parcel with a reluctant and
gloomy air, though it seemed to consist of nothing but a rough stone,
wrapped in the leaves of the sacred miro. For several minutes he stood
holding it in his hand, like one deprived of consciousness. Several of
those who appeared to be the principal persons present, among whom were
Catiline and the priest, now approached him, and they began to hold a
whispered consultation, in the course of which the priest frequently
pointed towards Rokoa, as though speaking of him. Mowno seemed to be
resisting some proposal urged by the others, and spoke in a more
decisive and resolute manner than I had thought him capable of assuming.
The discussion, whatever was its subject, soon became warm and angry:
the voices of Catiline and the priest were raised, and even threatening.
Every moment I expected to see Mowno relinquish his opposition; but he
remained firm, and at last, with the air of one resolved to put an end
to further debate, he said--
"`No! it shall not be either of the strangers; it shall be Terano: he is
an evil man, and it will be well when he is gone.' Then speaking to two
of those who stood near him, he said, `Go quickly to Terano's house,
before he sees the messenger and hides himself in the mountains,'
whereupon they seized their spears, and immediately set off in the
direction of the village.
"Olla now renewed her entreaties for us to leave the spot, and go with
her to the house; and Mowno,--by a quick gesture, meant to be seen only
by us, indicated his wish to the same effect. Rokoa nodded to me to
comply, and we followed Olla as she bounded lightly through the grove,
no one offering to oppose our departure. But the priest's restless eye
was upon us, and had we set off in the direction of the shore, we should
not have been permitted to escape, without an attempt on his part to
prevent it. As it was, he appeared to give some direction to those
about him, and four or five young men followed us at a distance, keeping
us in sight, and taking care that they were always in such a position as
to enable them to intercept us in any attempt to recross the island.
After having dogged us to Mowno's house and seen us enter, they withdrew
into the forest out of sight, where they probably remained on the watch.
Rokoa now proceeded to select from Mowno's store of weapons, a club, of
more formidable weight and size, than that which he had wrested from the
priest, and requested Barton and myself to follow his example.
"`We must try to get to the shore,' he said, `there are at present, none
to hinder us, but the young men who followed us hither.'
"`But that demon of a priest, and the rest of his crew, are not
far-off,' said Barton, `and they will be sure to waylay us. For the
present we are safe here; and perhaps Mowno will be able to get us back
to our boat without danger.'
"Rokoa shook his head. `There are others here,' he said, `more powerful
than Mowno, and who are our enemies: we must rely upon ourselves.'
"Olla watched us anxiously during this conversation; and now, as if she
understood its subject at least, she said, with an expression of
intelligence and cordial friendliness in her fine eyes, `Listen to me:
the words of the priest are more powerful with the great chief than the
words of Mowno: to-night, the priest will go to the great chief, and
before he returns you must fly; but not now, for you are watched by the
young men; you must wait until night--until the moon is behind the
grove.'
"This seemed to me a wiser course than to undertake, at present, to
fight our way to the boat; but Rokoa remained of his former opinion; he
apprehended an attack upon our party at the shore during our absence, by
which we might be cut off from all means of leaving the island. This
certainly was a weighty consideration, and one that had not occurred to
me. We were still hesitating, and uncertain what course to pursue, when
Mowno came in, looking much troubled, and carrying in his hand the
mysterious package, the object and meaning of which I forgot to explain.
"A stone, folded in the leaves of the miro, sent by the king, or
paramount chief, to the subordinate chiefs of districts or villages, is
the customary method of notifying the latter that they are expected to
furnish a human victim for some approaching sacrifice. The principal
occasions upon which these are required, are at the building of national
maraes, at the commencement of a war, or in cases of the serious illness
of a superior chief. The number of victims sacrificed, is proportioned
to the magnitude of the occasion; as many as a score have sometimes been
offered to propitiate the gods during the severe sickness of a powerful
chief. The priests signify to the chief the number required; the latter
then sends out his runner or messenger, (te vea), who delivers to each
of the subordinate chiefs, one of these packages for each victim to be
furnished from his immediate district. The odious duty of designating
the individuals to be taken, then devolves upon the subordinate, and
having decided upon this, he sends a number of armed men to secure the
destined victims before they secrete themselves or flee into the woods,
as those who have any reason to fear being selected generally do, at the
first appearance of the dreaded messenger, or even as soon as it is
publicly known that an occasion is at hand for which human sacrifices
will be required. When secured, the doomed persons are most commonly
killed on the spot by the chief's men, and the bodies wrapped in
cocoa-nut leaves and carried to the temple. Sometimes, however, they
are preserved alive, and slain by the priests themselves at the altar.
"Upon the arrival of the messenger, as already related, with a
requisition for one victim from the village, the majority of Mowno's
advisers had insisted upon selecting Rokoa for that purpose, and thus
avoiding the necessity of sacrificing one of their own people. The
priest had gone further still, and proposed to seize upon us all, and
send Barton and myself to the two neighbouring villages, to be furnished
by them as their quota of victims. To these councils, Mowno had opposed
a determined resistance, and he had finally sent his followers to
despatch an old man named Terano, whose death would be considered a
general benefit, as he was a notorious and inveterate thief and
drunkard, who, when not stupefied with ava, was constantly engaged in
desperate broils, or wanton depredations upon the property of his
neighbours. It seemed, however, that the old man had taken the alarm
and fled; several of Mowno's followers were now in pursuit of him, and
unless they should succeed in taking him before morning, another person
would have to be designated, as it was required to furnish the victims
at the great marae, by noon of the following day.
"I sickened with disgust, as I listened to details like these. Never
before had I so fully realised the darkness and the horrors of
heathenism--all the more striking in the present instance, because of
the many pleasing and amiable natural qualities of the people who groped
amid much darkness, and were a prey to such horrors.
"Mowno also recommended us to postpone any attempt at flight until a
late hour of the night. He said that he had seen a number of men
lurking in the woods near the stream, and that the priest and others had
remained in the grove after he had left, probably with the intention of
joining them in watching the house.
"Olla now went out into the garden, where she walked about looking up
among the branches of the tree; and calling out, `Lai-evi!' as if in
search of her tame wood-pigeon. After going round the garden, she
passed out of the gate, and wandered away in the direction of the brook,
still looking among the trees, and repeating at intervals her call of
`Lai-evi!'
"By-and-bye she returned, and though without her little favourite, she
had accomplished her real object, and ascertained the number and
position of the spies. She had seen seven of them skulking in the wood
along the brook, and watching the house. They seemed anxious to avoid
observation, and she could not, without awaking suspicion, get more than
transient glimpses of them, so that possibly there might be others whom
she had not seen.
"Rokoa questioned her as to the space along the bank of the stream
occupied by these men, and the distance from one another at which they
were stationed. Then after a moment's reflection he turned to Mowno,
and asked whether he was confident of being able to protect us, while in
his house; to which the latter replied with much earnestness that he
both could and would do so.
"`Wait here, then,' said Rokoa, addressing Barton and myself, `I will
return before the moon sets:' and without affording us an opportunity to
inquire what he designed to do, he passed through the door, and bounded
into the forest, in the direction opposite to that where the spies of
the priest were lurking.
"`Is it possible,' said Barton, `that he intends to desert us?'