One fine morning we found the _Triton_--one of a crowd of vessels of all
rigs and sizes--standing in with a fair breeze towards the far-famed
harbour of San Francisco. High black rocks ran out of the sea before
us, like monsters guarding the entrance to that domain of boundless
wealth. Loud roars, too, saluted our ears, which, on a further
examination of the rocks, were found to proceed from a large
congregation of sea-lions assembled at their bases. As we glided by,
not fifty fathoms from some of the rocks, they looked up at us with
inquiring eyes, as if to know why we had come there; and, certainly,
from their formidable heads, they appeared as if they were well able to
defend their native territory. Jerry could not resist the temptation of
firing his rifle among them. It had a wonderful effect on the whole
body; big and little sea-lions, and cows, and seals, all began
floundering away in the greatest dismay into the water--their
awkward-looking movements being very amusing; at the same time,
thousands of birds, which had been perched on the rocks, or floating in
the water, rose into the air, with loud screams, circling round our
heads; while porpoises, or some other huge monsters of the deep, kept
gambolling around us, and now and then leaping out of the water in
sportive humour.
All this exhibition of wild animal life was, it must be remembered,
within a few miles of the rich and populous city of San Francisco. The
transition was very great; yet but a short time back a rude fort and a
few small huts were the only settled abodes of man. The actual harbour
begins at a spot called the Golden Gate, where a high rock with a flat
summit projects into the water. On it the American Government are
constructing a fort, which no hostile vessel will be able to pass with
impunity. Passing this point, we saw before us on the right a perfect
forest of masts, with every flag under the sun flying aloft; and behind
them appeared, on a low hill rising like an amphitheatre from the
harbour, the far-famed city itself. It was a busy, exciting scene.
Some of the vessels brought bands of English adventurers; others crowds
of Chinese, with round felt hats and long tails; others Malays; and some
even seemed to have blacks on board. At a short distance from the city
were moored several large ships, their masts struck, their rigging
unrove, deserted by their crews, and some by their officers likewise.
The doctor, Jerry, and I, were the only persons who accompanied the
captain on shore. The mates remained to guard against all risk of any
of the crew deserting. It was only just daylight when we landed, but
all the world was astir. Time is considered too precious here to lose a
moment. The town itself presented an extraordinary collection of strong
contrasts: there were wooden sheds, and tents, and mud hovels, mixed up
with vast stores and large dwelling-houses; while carts, and waggons,
and coaches of every variety of build were moving about in all
directions, among people from every part of Europe--Germans, Italians,
French, Greeks, and English--the latter, of course, predominating as to
numbers; Yankees, with their keen, intelligent looks; Californians, in
their serapes; Mexicans, with their laced breeches and cuffs; and
Chilians, in broad-brimmed hats; Sandwich Islanders, and Negroes from
every part of Africa; Chinese, with their long tails and varied coloured
robes; and Malays and other people from the East. Indeed, Europe, Asia,
Africa, and America were there fully represented,--all brought together
for the one object--a search for gold--all thinking of their own
business, and caring little or nothing for anybody else, so that their
aims were not interfered with. Those who had been to the diggings were
pretty clearly to be distinguished by the one dark brown earthy hue
which pervaded their dress, and such parts of their countenances as
their huge tangled beards and whiskers allowed to be visible.
We first went to the market, to obtain provisions for the ship. It was
already crowded with purchasers. There was a magnificent display of
fruit and vegetables, and fish of all sorts and strange shapes, and huge
lobsters and turtle of a size to make an alderman's mouth water; and
then in the meat-market there were hung up before the butchers' stalls
huge elks with their superb antlers, and great big brown bears--just
such monsters as the one we saw captured, for they are considered
dainties here--and beautiful antelopes, and squirrels, and hares, and
rabbits in vast heaps--not to speak of pigs, and sheep, and oxen. The
beef, we heard, was, and found to be, excellent. I mention these things
to show how the inhabitants of a vast city like San Francisco, though
just sprung into existence, can, by proper arrangement, be fed. A large
number of the shops are kept by Chinese, who sell all the fancy and
ornamental work, and act as washerwomen. They are said to be great
rogues, and are, under that pretext, often cruelly treated by greater
rogues than themselves. It is a sad thing to see heathen people coming
among nominal Christians, who, paying no regard to the religion they are
supposed to profess, prevent them from wishing to inquire into the truth
of a faith they might, with a good example before them, be tempted to
adopt. One Chinese appeared to us so much like another, with their
thick lips, little slits of eyes, ugly parchment faces, in which age
makes no perceptible difference, that it seemed as if we were meeting
the same person over and over again. The signs over their shops are
written in Chinese, and translated into the oddest English and Spanish I
ever saw. One of the features in the street population of this city
which struck us were the shoe-blacks. Each is provided with a
comfortable arm-chair and a newspaper. He slips his employer into the
chair, hands him the paper to read, and then kneeling down, works away
till he has polished the leather boots; for which his demand is a
quarter of a dollar--the smallest coin in circulation, it seemed to us.
The sum is paid without a word; off walks the man with the clean boots,
and one with a dirty pair soon takes his place.
There is no want of restaurants and cafes, or of places where food in
abundance could be procured, though the price was rather astonishing.
Captain Frankland had some business to transact with a merchant--he left
us at one of them to dine. When he rejoined us, he told us that he
would take us to a scene in which he hoped we should never be tempted to
mix. We went out, and soon reached a magnificent building, full of
spacious halls, with an orchestra keeping up a succession of attractive
airs. Making our way, not without difficulty, through the crowd, we saw
before us several long, green-covered tables, surrounded by people, who
appeared to be engaged in playing, on a grand scale, every conceivable
game of chance. Never did I see countenances so palpably expressive of
the worst passions of our evil nature. The keepers of the banks were
evidently villains of the darkest dye. They sat with their revolvers on
the table, guarding the heaps of gold before them, as they skilfully
managed the cards and dice over which they presided. The captain
assured us that they and those in league with them--the professional
players--always contrived to collect the largest proportion of the gold
in circulation--many of their foolish victims dissipating in one evening
all the hard-earned gains of a year. There were ladies, too, among
them, gambling as eagerly as the men--dishonouring their sex. The sight
of those countenances and the whole air of the place was sickening.
"Fifty ounces"--"A hundred"--"Two hundred ounces"--were the words we
heard repeated on every side. Presently a man started up--a fine,
handsome young fellow--from before whom a heap of gold had been swept,
clutching his hair. "And I was to have started for home to-morrow. O
Mary!" he exclaimed, unconsciously, as he passed us. There was the
report of a pistol--a cry. The young man was picked up dead at the
door. The players went on as before, scarcely turning their heads to
hear the account. Who the unhappy youth was, no one knew. We had seen
enough to answer the captain's object in taking us to the place. We
strolled on through the city till we reached the Chinese quarter.
There, also, we were attracted by a strange noise intended for music,
produced by two stringed-fiddles, violoncellos, drums, and gongs, into a
building--a very shabby place; yet in the centre was a table with heaps
of gold upon it, and surrounded by a number of odd little men in wide
jackets, short trousers, long tails at their backs, huge embroidered
slippers on their feet, all deeply engaged, as if some most serious
matter were going forward--their queer eyes twinkling with mistrust as
they followed the course of a game which was being played. In the
middle of the table was a heap of counters covered by a bowl, under
which the players put their hands, and drew out a number of them at a
time, which they counted with a long stick, and then the heaps of money
changed owners, but on what grounds we could in no way discover.
"You laugh at those odd little Chinese, and think them fail objects to
joke about," observed the captain; "but we must remember that they are
men with souls to be saved, responsible beings, like the unhappy people
in that gorgeous saloon we were in just now. The vice in which we have
seen them indulging is the same, though, as their light is less, they
may be less to blame. My hope is, that what you have seen to-night will
make you wish never to see the same sights again."
In the public room of the hotel, where we remained for the night, a
number of people were collected from all parts of the world. Some had
been at the diggings; some had made money; several had come back as poor
as they went, and much the worse in health; others were about to go up
to try their fortunes, with secret hopes of succeeding where others had
failed. The conversation of many of them was very amusing. One man
especially interested us by the account he gave of his first journey up
the country. He was evidently, from the tone of his voice and manners,
a gentleman by education, though in appearance as rough and
weather-beaten as a navvy who has put on a black coat for Sunday. He
addressed himself to us, as he probably thought that we had come out to
turn gold-diggers, and he wished to warn us of the dangers to be
encountered.
"I had a good appointment in England, but I wanted to become rich in a
hurry, so I threw it up, and came out here," he began. "You may doubt
the wisdom of the proceeding; so do I now. I had a companion, and with
him and the mate of the ship I arrived in, as also her carpenter and a
Chinese boy, I arranged to go up the country. With the implements we
had provided, and as much food as we could carry, we got on board a
small schooner, bound up the river to Stockton. We had on board a
strange assemblage of people. Many of them looked quite capable of
cutting our throats. They were mostly armed, and bowie-knives and
revolvers were constantly exhibited. When after two days' voyage we
landed, we were glad to get into a wretched hut, where we could obtain
food, and rest, and shelter, to prepare ourselves for our tramp to the
diggings. We remained only one day, for the charges were so high at the
inn that we should have been ruined had we stayed longer. Of the forty
people who had come up in the schooner, very few accompanied us. We
found a party of about thirty starting, with five or six mules carrying
provisions. We joined ourselves to them. Each of us had a rifle slung
to his back, in addition to a week's provisions and our mining utensils,
while our pistols and knives were stuck in our belts. We went on for
two days pretty easily. I shall never forget the appearance of some
people we met, who had come overland from the western states of
America,--their haggard eyes, long matted hair, shrunk forms, and
tattered clothes, which hung on them like loose rags fluttering in the
wind. They were the remnants of a large party, the greater number of
whom with their horses and cattle had died on the way, from the
hardships they had to encounter. The latter part of the road, they
said, was strewed with the whitening bones of men and animals,
broken-down waggons, and abandoned furniture. The next day's journey
gave us a specimen of what those poor fellows had endured. The sun came
out with intense fury, and struck scorching down on our heads. Not a
drop of water could be got. There was a pool, we were told, some way
on. We reached the spot: it was dry. Our thirst grew intolerable.
Those who had been accustomed to take spirits suffered more than the
rest. We lay down that night at a place where there was no wood. We
had no fire, therefore, to cook our provisions. We could not eat the
meat we had brought with us raw. All night long the wolves howled
horribly in our ears. At daybreak we arose and pushed on. There was a
water-hole, we were told, a few miles ahead. We reached the spot: it
was dry. Many who had hitherto held out gave way to despair. The
muleteers had skins with water, but they guarded them, revolver in hand,
to moisten their own and their mules' lips. Their lives depended on
those of their animals. A few of us had flasks, but we could only
venture to take a drop of the precious fluid at a time. One man had a
bottle of brandy. He boasted at first of his cleverness in having
secured it. Now, he went about offering the whole of it for a drop of
water. Several of the brandy drinkers sank down. They had agreed to
keep together. They implored us to help them. A deaf ear was turned to
their entreaties. Our own lives depended on our hastening on. Three or
four others dropped by the way, one by one. No one waited for them.
`On, on, on!' was the cry; `Water, water, water!' At length, towards
evening, the mules pricked up their ears: trees appeared in the
distance. We hurried on. A glittering stream gladdened our sight. We
rushed into it, greedily lapping up the water. Our mules drank eagerly.
We felt revived and strengthened. There was abundance of wood: we
lighted a fire and dressed our provisions. Several birds, and two or
three animals were shot to increase our feast.
"Ha, ha, ha, how we laughed. To-morrow, we said, we shall be able to
push on to the mines, and begin to dig for gold. In an instant every
one was talking of gold. `Gold, gold, gold,' was heard on every side.
Did any one think of the poor wretches we had left dying on the road--
men--brethren by nature, by a common faith--men with souls? Not one of
us thought of going back. At all events, not one of us offered to go
back. An all-powerful loadstone was dragging us on--the lust of getting
gold. Had we gone back to relieve our fellow-beings, we should have
been unable to proceed the next day for the diggings. A whole day would
have been lost. Oh, most foul and wretched was the mania which inspired
us! Unnatural! no; it was that of fallen, debased human nature; it was
too true to that nature. Those miserable men must have died horribly--
devoured by wolves or scalped by Indians. The next day we pushed
eagerly on; yet we had to sleep high up on the side of a snow-capped
mountain; thence we were to descend to the scene of our labours.
Bitterly cold it was; yet we dared not move, for frightful precipices
yawned around. We reached the first diggings that evening. The miners
had just knocked off work, and crowded round us to hear the news, and to
see what we had brought. Rough as they looked, by far the greater
number, I judged by the tone of their voices, belong to the educated
classes. And shall I become like one of these men? I thought. I soon
became like one of them, and rougher still. `I expected a friend about
this time,' said one, describing him. He was among those who had fallen
and been deserted. He made but few other inquiries. He knew that such
events were too common to complain. I saw him brush away a tear, as he
turned from us. That man was too good for the company he was among. We
encamped by ourselves, we knew not whom we must trust. After this our
travelling party broke up. My companions from the ship and I were to
work together. We fixed on a spot, and erected our rude hut; then we
bought a rocker and shovel, pick-axe and spade, with two tin pans, and
set to work. I dug out the earth, another carried it, and a third
washed it in the rocker. Our success was tolerable; but it was many
days before we got enough to pay for the articles we had purchased, and
our provisions. In the meantime, what scenes of wretchedness, misery,
dissipation, and violence, did I behold! In every direction men were
dying of fever and dysentery. At night the gambling booths were filled
with those who rapidly got rid of the earnings of many days. I was
witness, too, of an encounter between two large parties of diggers. One
party had encroached on the ground prepared by the other, and refused to
quit it. Bowie-knives, and pick-axes, and hatchets, rifles and pistols,
were instantly brought into play. A sanguinary encounter ensued.
Numbers fell on both sides; at last one party turned and fled. I
visited the scene of the strife soon after. A dozen or more human
beings lay on the ground dead, or dying--arms cut off--pierced through
and through with knives--skulls fractured with spades and pick-axes, and
many shot to death. The dying had been left to die alone without aid or
pity, while their companions returned to their gold digging. Often and
often I sickened at the sights I beheld, but still I continued at the
work. I was compelled to continue at it. I had given up everything for
it. I was like a slave chained to it by the leg. Gladly would I have
gone back to my steady occupation and quiet life, surrounded by those I
respected and loved. I have only partly described the hardships we
endured. We had famine, and cold, and rain. Often we were without
fuel, our clothing was ragged and insufficient, and sickness in every
form came among us. Besides desperate quarrels among the diggers, the
Indians came down upon us--fierce, sanguinary warriors, eager for our
scalps. Their vengeance had been excited by aggressions made on them by
the whites. We could scarcely leave the camp without risking an attack
from them. Many diggers became their victims. Such was our life for
months. At length my companions and I, by unexpected good fortune,
saved a sufficient amount of gold dust to enable us to return to San
Francisco. Steady work at home would have enabled me to lay by nearly
as much, while my health and spirits would not have been broken as they
now are. We kept together to defend each other. Many diggers on their
way to the city, after labouring for years, have been robbed and
murdered. My companions spent most of their hard won wealth, and
returned to the diggings, where, one after the other, they fell victims
to disease, or the knives of assassins. I had had enough of the life,
and my knowledge of business enabled me to procure a situation in a
merchant's office in this place, where, by employing the sum I had
scraped together, and by stript attention to business, I have realised
an amount four times as large, in a quarter of the time it took me to
collect it at the diggings."
"What you have said, sir, is very true," observed another gentleman
present. "Things, however, have somewhat mended of late. Still, a
gentleman has to lead little better than a dog's life in those regions.
For my part, although I was what is considered very lucky, I soon
sickened of it, and considered myself fortunate in being able to get
away with my gold in my pocket and a whole skin on my back. Still this
is a wonderful country, and will become a great country some day. I
have travelled over a good deal of it. Not long ago I travelled up one
of the most beautiful valleys in the world. At the bottom was a green
grassy sward with a pure bright stream running rapidly through it, over
a clear, pebbly bottom. The hills on either side were clothed with
trees of various descriptions, rocks here and there jutting out between
them of many fantastic forms, while my ears were assailed with the
cheerful sound of falling water, and my eyes gladdened by the sight of
sparkling cascades flowing into basins, whence arose masses of white
foam. Further on arose, appearing at the end of the valley, range
beyond range of mountains, the higher capped with snow. Though the sun
was hot, the air was pure and cool as it came off the mountains,
tempered by the numerous cascades. At length I reached a spot where the
valley widened, and there, spread out before me, lay a blue shining lake
fringed by lofty trees, with the hills rising gradually behind them,
while the water seemed alive with fish, which leaped from its calm
depths, and with the water-fowl which skimmed over its surface. You'll
all say that was a lovely spot."
We all agreed that it must be, and that we should like to take up our
abode there.
"So I thought," he answered. "But as a man cannot well live on fish and
water-fowl without corn, and potatoes, and vegetables, not to speak of
beef and mutton, and none of these things were to be procured within a
hundred miles of the place, I was glad to get out of it. There's
another wonderful spot away to the south, near Sousa, where I have been.
There is a stream called the Stanislas river. Up it I went, and then
journeyed along one of its tributaries, the high banks of which are
covered with trees, till I reached a broad valley. I could scarcely
believe my eyes. There arose before me a number of trees larger and
taller than any I supposed existed on the face of the globe. It is
called the Mammoth-tree Valley, and is 1500 feet above the level of the
sea. There were no less than ninety of them scattered over a space of
about forty acres, and rising high above the surrounding pine forest.
They are a species of pine or cone-bearing trees. [Coniferae
(Wellingtonia gigantea.)] In the larger ones the branches do not begin
to spread out till the stem has reached a height of 200 feet, and some
are upwards of 300 feet high. One was 32 feet in diameter--that is, 96
feet in circumference--while the smallest and weakest is not less than
16 feet in diameter. The tops of nearly all have been broken off by
storms, or by the snow resting on them. The Indians have injured others
by lighting fires at their bases, while the white men have cut down one
and carried away the bark of another to exhibit in far-off lands. It
took five men twenty-five days to cut down the `Big tree,' for so it was
called. They accomplished their work by boring holes in the stem, and
then cutting towards them with the axe. The stump which remains has
been smoothed on the top, and the owner of the property, who acted as my
guide, assured me that sixteen couple could waltz on it. In one a
spiral staircase has been cut, so that I was able to ascend to a
considerable height by it. My acquaintance, the owner of the estate on
which these monsters grow, has given names to all of them. One he calls
Uncle Tom's Cabin, because there is a hollow in the trunk capable of
holding from twenty to thirty people. One hollow trunk has been broken
off and lies on the ground, and a man on horseback can ride from one end
of it to the other. There are two trees called Husband and Wife, and
another he called the Family Group, consisting of father, mother, and
rather a large progeny of twenty-five children, regular sons of Anak.
The father fell some time ago, and striking another tree broke off the
upper part. That portion measures 300 feet, and the part which still
stands 150--so that the whole tree was 450 feet in height. Three
hundred feet is the ordinary height of the giants of the forest. From
various calculations it would seem that these trees must have existed
for three thousand years at least--perhaps more; I can only say that I
considered the spectacle well worthy of the long journey I took to
behold it."
We thanked the stranger for the account he had given us. We heard many
other wonderful stories, the truth of some of which we had reason to
doubt, so I have not repeated them here. Captain Frankland was very
glad to get away from San Francisco without losing any of his own crew.
Probably, had he allowed them to have any communication with the shore,
this would not have been the case.
On our return on board, the first mate told the captain that a strange
brig had come into the harbour and anchored near us--that soon afterward
Manuel Silva was seen holding some communication with the people on
board. In a little time a boat came off from her, and after some
conversation with a man in the boat, he said that he must bid us
good-bye. No persuasions the mate used could induce him to stop, and he
stepped into the boat, and nothing more had been seen of him. We were
very sorry to lose him, and it struck us at the time, I remember, that
there was something mysterious in his way of departure.
We were at sea about twenty-two days without falling in with land. It
was late one evening when we sighted Woahoo, the largest of the Sandwich
Islands, of which Honolulu is the chief port and capital of the kingdom.
It was dark by the time we brought up in the roadstead outside the
harbour. As I, of course, had read how Captain Cook was killed by the
Sandwich Islanders, and had often seen prints in which a number of naked
black fellows are hurling their spears and darts at him, I had an idea
that I knew all about them, and had pictured to myself exactly what I
should see when next morning we went on shore with our boat's crew
well-armed to trade with them. The next morning at daybreak the anchor
was hove up, and with a light breeze we stood in through a narrow
passage in a coral reef, which extends from one point of land to
another, and forms the harbour. What was my surprise to see before us,
when we dropped our anchor, a neat, pretty-looking town, with a fort on
the right side bristling with cannon, a fertile valley extending far
into the country on the left, and lofty mountains rising in the
distance. Over the fort flew the Hawaian flag. It is formed of the
British union-jack, with alternate blue, red, and white stripes. The
streets are broad, and run at right angles to each other. There were
numerous hotels, some of them really very handsome buildings on an
extensive scale, and managed after the American fashion, while in the
streets were a number of large and well-furnished shops. There are
several churches and chapels of very respectable architectural
pretensions. The Custom House is a handsome stone building near the
fort, and the regulations as to duties are strictly observed. The chief
place of business is in the centre of the town; and the most fashionable
locality, where the residences of the leading people among the natives
are situated, is a green sward skirted by the beach and shaded by lofty
cocoa-nut and plantain trees. The European villas are generally further
back--many of them very prettily built, and surrounded by gardens full
of the most delicious fruit and flowers. Many of the foreign consuls
and merchants live in villas a few miles up the country. Good wharves
have been built, and ships of 700 tons can refit alongside them.
Altogether Honolulu is a very wonderful place.
Jerry and I and the doctor, as usual, went on shore to see what was to
be seen, and this time we were accompanied by Mr Brand. The ship was
to remain in the harbour for several days, and we were very anxious to
make a journey to some distance into the interior, that we might see the
natives as they were away from the centre of civilisation. We had
introductions here to several gentlemen, who promised to forward our
views. We were amused with the extraordinary appearance of the natives
in the streets--barbarism and civilisation met together. The former
dress of the men was the taro, a kilt joined between the legs, so as to
form a wide and very short pair of breeches. Some to this now add a
blue shirt, sometimes with the tails tucked in, sometimes flowing
gracefully. Some wear cast-off coats, or jackets, or trousers, of
Europeans; but few of the common people have more than one of these
garments on at a time, and still fewer ever encumber themselves with
shoes and stockings. The women had on generally long blue chemises, or
gowns and bonnets of every variety of colour and shape, and put on in
all sorts of ways--some placing them hind part before; indeed, they had
apparently exercised their ingenuity to make them as unbecoming as
possible. Formerly, we were told, their head-dress was a wreath of
flowers, which suited their dark skins, and had a very pretty effect.
The chiefs, however, and their wives, were dressed in European costume,
and the king in public wears the Windsor uniform. It is supposed that
the inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands derive their origin from the
Malays, and that at a very remote period a Malay junk, or fleet of
junks, was cast on those shores. Their skins have the same dark hue,
and their features the same form, as the Malays of the present day. It
is said that this group is becoming rapidly depopulated. The people
themselves have taken up the idea that their race is to become extinct,
and seem willing to yield to their fate without a struggle. The
diseases introduced by Europeans have tended to cause this, but they
themselves have many pernicious customs. Among others, no sooner does a
native feel himself attacked with fever than he rushes into the sea, or
into the nearest cold stream, as he fancies, to cool himself. The
result is that--the pores being closed instead of kept open and
perspiration encouraged--death comes in a few hours. Among our friends
here was Mr Callard, a missionary, who had resided in the island for
some years. He has gone into a hamlet, and found not a person remaining
alive. On one occasion he met an old man sitting at the door of a hut;
he asked where the rest of the people were.
"All dead," was the answer.
"Then do you come with me, and I will provide for your wants."
"No," said the native gloomily; "I will not move. I am preparing to
follow them."
The islands produce the paper mulberry, from which their cloths and
cordage are made; the acacia, used in the construction of their canoes;
the banana, the sugar-cane, the yam, the bread-fruit; and, the most
important of all, the taro root. Of late years, coffee, cotton, rice,
tobacco, indigo, melons, the vine, oranges, peaches, figs, tamarinds,
guavas, and many other plants and fruits have been introduced. The
natives pay the greatest attention to the cultivation of the taro root.
It is planted in square patches, either in swamps or in ground easily
irrigated, with banks and sluices, so that the water can be let on at
pleasure. It takes eleven months to come to perfection. When dried, it
is pounded on a smooth stone by means of another held in the hand, while
a little water is poured on it, when it is reduced to a paste called
poi, which is then fit to eat. Much labour and patience is required to
bring it to perfection; and by the exercise of these qualities, there
can be no doubt that the natives have acquired those habits of industry
which are scarcely known among other savages. The only animals found in
the island were dogs and pigs, undoubtedly brought there by their
ancestors. The roots of the taro are from six inches to a foot in
length, and three or four inches in diameter. In substance it is rather
more fibrous than the potato. It is often eaten whole, like a potato.
The skin is scraped off with a shell, and the taro, split into two or
three pieces, is then placed on leaves in an oven containing stones,
heated as usual, the whole being then covered up with earth to steam for
half an hour.
Honolulu has become a great place of call for ships, from all parts of
the world, since San Francisco sprang into existence. Vessels coming
round the Horn, to make a good offing, steer for it. Others from
Australia, China, and the Eastern Archipelago, touch here; while whalers
have for long been in the habit of putting in here to refit and recruit.
The extreme healthiness of the islands induces many people from
California to come here, and the hotels and lodging-houses are filled
with invalids, often possessors of considerable wealth; but, at the same
time, from their profligate and dissipated habits, they set but a bad
example to the natives. The natives are called Kanakas. They are
generally fine-looking men. The women are fairer, and with regular
features; many of them ride on horseback with men's saddles, dressed in
gay riding habits, and with a wreath of flowers encircling their raven
tresses, which gives them somewhat of a theatrical appearance. The
islands are governed by a sovereign, King Kamehameha the Third, who has
a large family, and an income of about 1500 pounds a-year. He has
likewise an army, clothed in gay uniforms, but there are almost as many
officers as men; indeed, as the kingdom is under the joint protection of
England, America, and France, there can be but little employment for
soldiers. The police are of far more use in apprehending drunken
sailors, and keeping order in the town. They are dressed in a blue
uniform, with a gold-lace cap, and armed with a staff with a brass knob.
The monarchy is hereditary, and limited. The king's ministry consists
of a premier and other officers, similar to those of the English
Government, and many of them are English or Americans, and very
intelligent men. We found that in the town there were all sorts of
places of public amusement, and, among others, a theatre, where English
plays are acted, and where the king constantly attends. We went, and
were not a little surprised to see the boxes filled with very
gaily-dressed people, mostly whites. It was a very hot night. The play
was "Hamlet." Hamlet had been using a pocket-handkerchief very
liberally all the evening, pressing it to his brow and cheeks, and at
last he said, "Oh, that this too, too solid flesh _wouldn't_ melt, and
resolve itself into a dew!" Jerry and I applauded him very loudly. He
gave us a wink, as much as to say, "I see you understand me." He was
evidently a wag, and Hamlet was not suited to him, nor he to Hamlet.
There was no reason, however, because the royal Dane had been murdered,
that his son should murder the Queen's English at the rate he did, or
the character of Hamlet as Shakspeare drew it. Who would have thought
of Shakspeare in the Sandwich Islands? Shakspeare never acted in so
pretty a theatre.
Many of the natives, although able to afford habitations of a European
style, still live on in those used by their ancestors. They are
generally of an oblong shape, with a very high-pitched roof, thatched
with grass and plantain leaves; and as the eaves slant down to within a
short distance from the ground, they have a very picturesque appearance.
They are cool in summer, and are impervious to rain. The ceilings,
which are very elegant, are composed of polished bamboo, neatly
interwoven, while the floors are carpeted with mats of coloured grass.
The walls are decorated with a native cloth, called tapa, which serves
the purpose of tapestry. The house is divided into separate chambers at
night by mats hung up on lines. The beds are primitive; a mat serves
for every purpose, and a wooden roller as a pillow. Many of the Kanakas
are well educated, and read and write not only their own, but several
European languages likewise. There is one newspaper in the Hawaian
language, if not more, and several works have been published in it,
while the translation of the Bible is to be seen in every native hut.
Of course, all this information I picked up from different people during
our stay at Honolulu.
"We have not had any fun for a long time; I wonder what will turn up
next," said Jerry to me, after we had been there a couple of days.
The next morning, Mr Callard, the missionary, who was an old friend of
Captain Frankland's, came on board, and invited Jerry and me and Mr
McRitchie, and Mr Brand, if he could be spared, to accompany him to the
large island of Hawaii, round which he was going to make a visitation
tour. Having to wait here for information on some important matters, he
gave us the leave we asked.
"You may take Ben Yool with you also," said he. "The schooner is rather
short-handed, and you will find him useful at all events."
Jerry and I were highly pleased with this, for Ben was a great
favourite. We were soon ready with our rifles and knapsacks, not
forgetting to take old Surley with us; it was a long time since the poor
fellow had had a run on shore.
"Take care that the natives don't cook and eat him," said Mr Renshaw,
as we shoved off.
The little mission-schooner, the _Dove_, was in readiness to receive us,
and in a few minutes, with a fair breeze, we were standing away to the
southward, towards the large island of Hawaii, or Owhyhee, on the shores
of which the immortal Cook lost his life.