We had a pleasant run for two days, with a light wind, and hoped the
next morning to land at Kailua, the capital of the island of Owhyhee;
but at sunset a sudden squall struck the little vessel, and had not Ben
Yool been at the helm, and instantly luffed up, while Jerry and I let
fly the foresheet, we should in all probability have been over, and
become food for the sharks. It came on very dark and blowy; and as it
was too late to make a harbour, we gave the shore a wide berth, and ran
on. The next forenoon, when we made the land, we found that we were to
the southward of Kailua. As we stood in, Mr Callard told us that on
the shore of Karakakooa Bay, which was before us, Captain Cook met his
death, and that he would show us the very spot where that event
happened. I felt as interested as if I were about to visit classic
ground. Often and often as I had been reading through Cook's Voyages
with delight, I little thought that I should see the very spots he
describes, much less that one which has become sacred in our memory.
Before us appeared a line of volcanic cliffs, of considerable height,
the land rising again above them, covered with the richest verdure;
which makes the summits of the rocky and lofty mountains beyond appear
still more sterile and uninviting. To the right, among groves of palms
and cocoa-nut trees, appeared the steep, sloping roofs of a native
village; while on the left, where the cliffs sink towards the water, and
groves of various tropical trees appear scattered about, our friend
pointed out to us the very spot where Cook was killed. The cliffs near
are full of caves, which are used by the natives as places of sepulture;
and in one of these, it is said, the bones of the great navigator were
deposited by the priests, and valued by them as relics. Our friend told
us that he had constantly made inquiries among the chiefs and natives as
to the affair, and that he is certain the attack on the whites was not
premeditated. Some of the people had stolen a boat for the sake of the
nails in her, with which they wished to make fish-hooks. He landed with
some boats to recover it. While speaking to some of the chiefs on the
subject, a number of natives collected; and without his orders the
marines, believing that he was about to be attacked, fired. A chief was
killed. The natives advanced, and, while he was in the act of ordering
his people to desist, he was pierced through the body by a spear. Grief
and dismay took possession of the hearts of both parties when he fell.
By the then superstitious natives he had been looked upon as their
deified and long-lost sovereign, Rono. This Rono (so their legends
asserted) had in a fit of anger killed his wife, when, repenting of the
act, his senses deserted him, and he went about the islands wrestling
with whomsoever he met. At last he took his departure in a vessel of a
strange build, and no one knew where he had gone, but all expected him
to return. When Captain Cook appeared, the priests believed that he was
Rono, and, clothing him with the garments kept for their god, led him to
their temples, and offered sacrifices to propitiate his favour, while
the people prostrated themselves before him--he all the time little
suspecting the reason of the honours paid him. After his death some of
the people naturally doubted that he could be Rono, but others still
affirmed that he was; and it is believed that the priests took some of
his bones and preserved them in a wicker basket covered over with red
feathers, which are highly prized by the natives. In this they were
every year carried about from temple to temple, when the priests went to
collect tribute of the people. After the abolition of idolatry in 1819,
it is not known what became of them; perhaps they were concealed by some
old priest who still clung secretly to the ancient faith.
Talking of nails, it is extraordinary what excellent fish-hooks the
natives will manufacture out of them. They prefer them to the best made
in England. They still set a high value on them; but they are not quite
so simple-minded as some of the Friendly islanders we heard of, who, on
obtaining some nails, planted them, in the hope of obtaining a large
crop from the produce! Scarcely had we dropped our anchor when we were
surrounded by the canoes of the natives, who wore but the primitive
maro. They brought off bread-fruits, cocoa-nuts, bananas, and other
products of the soil, in the hope of thus making themselves welcome.
One of them, who spoke English tolerably, undertook to pilot our boat on
shore. We were eager to land. As we pulled in, a number of men, women,
and children, came down to welcome us. The men, like those in the
canoes, wore the taro, but the women were dressed with the loose blue
gowns I have described, and with wreaths of flowers round their heads.
We ran in among the masses of lava which lined the shore, and were
kindly helped by the people to land. We observed that they were all
especially grave, for nowhere are more merry creatures found than the
native women. As we walked along they followed us in silence. At
length our guide stopped and pointed to the ground on which we stood.
"There, white men--there, friends--there it was your great sea-chieftain
fell." He repeated, we found, the same words in his own language. The
natives listened to what he said, and then hung their heads ashamed, as
if they had been guilty of the sad deed. We broke off several pieces of
the lava from about the spot, to take to our friends at home, and sent
them on board the schooner. We were to accompany the missionary
overland to Kailua, where the schooner was to meet us. After the
missionary had spoken to the people, we were anxious to proceed on our
journey, and one of the principal natives, who lived a few miles to the
north, insisted that we should remain at his hut for the night; and we,
accordingly, gladly accompanied him. We found the feast preparing
outside the door, in the usual oven. Knowing that Englishmen have an
objection to eat dogs, he had killed a fatted pig. The oven was a
simple affair. A hole was dug in the earth, in which a large fire was
lighted upon some stones, till all the earth around was hot; piggy was
then put in, and the hole was covered up with loose earth; clouds of
steam then issued from the earth, and when no more was perceptible the
meat was declared to be cooked properly. We all sat round on mats in
the primitive fashion, the food being placed before us either in
calabashes or on large leaves. Instead of bread we had the bread-fruit.
It has somewhat the flavour of bread, and answers its purpose, but has
neither the appearance nor consistence of our staff of life. It is
about the size of the shaddock, and, when fresh gathered, the flavour of
the citron; but it is always eaten baked, when it has the solidity of a
roasted chestnut. Besides these luxuries, we had some fish nicely
cooked, which we ate with the thick interior of the cocoa-nut, which may
truly be called the cream, while the juice served to quench our thirst.
We had a number of visitors, who all, both men and women, chatted away
most merrily, especially the women, who kept up a continued peal of
laughter. At night the hut was lighted up with chips of a resinous
wood, called kukia, which were stuck all round on the posts which
supported the roof; and when we expressed a wish to retire to rest, mats
were hung up to partition off our sleeping chambers.
It is, I find, impossible to describe all the interesting habits and
customs we observed of this primitive people. The next day about noon
we found ourselves, on issuing from a grove of cocoa-nut trees, on the
shore of a beautiful bay, with high black rocks running out on either
side, and a yellow, sandy beach. From the way the sea broke, first with
great violence, and then a second time with diminished force, there were
evidently two lines of coral reefs, one without the other. A number of
people were seated on the rocks watching with great interest what was
going forward. Some men, women, and children were in the water, while
others with their boards, about a foot wide and four feet long, in their
hands, were preparing to follow them. Placing the boards on the water,
they threw themselves on them, and then swam out, diving under the
breakers of the inner bar, and appearing on the in-shore side of the
outer one. The great art appeared to be, to remain on the steep slope
of the outer sea-roller as it swept majestically on towards the land,
and then, just before it broke, to dive under it, and to reappear
mounting up the side of the following watery hill. Sometimes a lad
would keep above water too long, and the surf would roll him over, and
carry away his board; but he quickly recovered it, and soon regained his
credit. Shouts of laughter bursting forth on all sides when any such
mishap occurred, showed that there was little fear of damage. The women
and children kept generally on the inner bar, but were quite as expert
as the men. On mounting to the top of the rocks we saw two of the men
swim out beyond the rest, on the further side of the breakers. The
natives seemed to be watching them attentively. Soon one of them was
seen to dive, then the other. In a little time they both appeared,
flourishing their knives above their heads, and at the same moment two
huge black bodies floated to the surface, and were borne in by the
rollers towards the shore.
"What can they be?" I exclaimed to Jerry.
"Sharks," he answered, watching them. "Well, I should like to know how
to tackle to with one of these monsters. I own that I shouldn't much
like to have to fight one of them with a suit of armour on, and a spear
or battle-axe in my hand. I suspect even Saint George who killed the
dragon would have found it somewhat a tough job, and yet these naked
fellows make no difficulty about the matter."
"It is just what a man has been used to," I answered. "I daresay one of
them would be very unhappy with a suit of armour on and a battle-axe."
No surprise seemed to be created by the achievement, and the bold
swimmers took their places among the rest on the rollers as if nothing
had happened. When swimming out in this way, every man has a knife
secured to his board. As soon as he sees a shark, he swims away a short
distance. The shark approaches--he pretends to be very awkward.
Keeping his eye on the monster, who begins to fancy he has got a feast
prepared, he watches his time, and suddenly diving, sticks his sharp
weapon with all his might in the under part of the monster. Sometimes
the shark attempted to fly, but generally the blow is fatal, and he is
towed in triumph on shore.
After spending a day at Kailua, the capital of the island, where there
is a fort and a governor, and where several merchants reside to supply
whalers with provisions, we embarked once more on board the schooner,
and ran round the south of the island to a small harbour in the
neighbourhood of Whyhohino, a chief missionary-station. We were
received very kindly by the missionaries, and they procured us horses to
enable us to accomplish one of the chief objects which had brought us to
the place--a visit to the summit of the great volcano of Kilauea. They
also found us two guides who were to accompany us to the crater, while
two other men were to remain with the horses below. Mr Callard himself
had his duties to attend to, so that he could not accompany us. Ben
Yool had been left with the schooner, so our party consisted of Mr
McRitchie, Cousin Silas, Jerry, and I, not forgetting old Surley. He
always kept close to us, suspecting, perhaps, if the natives caught him,
they might cook and eat him. We were well supplied with provisions, and
with bottles of water, which we could replenish on the way. We
travelled at first along the coast, and then struck inland, directing
our course towards the lofty summit of the mountain, whence, even at
that distance, we could see pillars of smoke ascending to the sky. It
was getting dark when our guides told us that close at hand was a cavern
in which we might pass the night sheltered from the weather. Torches of
resinous wood were soon procured, and they led the way down a steep
path, till we found ourselves at the entrance of an immense cavern
formed in the lava. It was some hundred feet square, and from fifteen
to twenty high. When lighted up by the torches, it had a very wild and
picturesque appearance. The horses were tethered in one part, while we
all went out and collected grass and fern leaves for our beds, and a
good supply of fuel for our fire. Having cooked our supper, we sat
round the fire, while one of the natives, who spoke English very well,
told us some of the wonderful tales about Pele, the goddess of the
burning mountain, and her numerous diabolical followers. Though our
guides were now Christians, and professed to disbelieve all these
fables, it was evident that their minds were considerably affected by
them; so difficult is it to get rid of early associations. The cavern
had become rather smoky, and Mr Brand had gone out to enjoy the cool
air, when he called us to him. We looked towards the mountain, which
rose in majestic grandeur before us, the summit crowned by wreaths of
flame, which rose and fell as if impelled by some secret power within.
After admiring it for some time, we returned to our bandit-looking abode
for the night.
The next morning, leaving our horses, we set out on foot towards the
crater. A mass of smoke alone rested on the summit of the mountain.
The road was very rough, vegetation in many places destroyed, and in
general we found ourselves passing over masses of lava, with deep
crevices in some places and huge masses in others, while here and there
the crust was so thin that it gave way beneath our feet. The heat was
very great; but we found a red berry growing on a low bush, which was
very refreshing. At length, after some hours of toil, we found
ourselves standing on the summit of a cliff, while below us appeared a
vast plain full of conical hills, and in the centre of it a mass of
liquid lava like a wide lake of fire. It was what we had come to see--
the crater of Kilauea. Below the cliff, inside the basin, was a ledge
of considerable width of solid lava. We looked about for a path by
which we could reach the plain. At last we found a steep bank where the
cliff had given way. By this we now descended with the help of sticks,
with which we had been provided. The descent was difficult and
dangerous in the extreme, as the lava gave way before us, and huge
masses went rolling and tumbling away, some in front and some behind us,
as we slid down the steep bank. The appearance of the ground was such
that we, with reason, hesitated on trusting ourselves to it. Old
Surley, too, smelled at it, and examined it narrowly, as if very
doubtful about running over it. Still, our guides assured us that other
Englishmen had been there; and where others had been we knew that we
could go. At last we reached the bottom, and walked on, with our staffs
in hand feeling the way. More than once I felt the ground cracking
under my feet. It was not hot, but it struck me--suppose it is only a
crust, and one of us were to slip through into the boiling caldron
beneath! I own that I more than once wished myself back again on cool
and solid ground. To go through the ice is disagreeable enough, but to
slip down under this black cake would be horrible indeed. Not five
minutes after this idea had crossed my mind, I heard a cry. It was
Jerry's voice. I looked round--his head and shoulders only were
appearing above the ground, and his arms stretched out wide on either
side, while with his fingers he tried to dig into the lava, to prevent
himself from slipping further.
"Oh, help me! help me!" he shrieked out; "I cannot find any rest for my
feet, and shall sink into some horrible pit."
"Stand back--stand back," shouted Mr Brand, as the rest of us were
running forward; "you will all be going in together. Stay, let me see
first what I can do. Hold on, Jerry; don't move, my boy," he added.
Then taking another pole from one of the guides, he laid himself along
the ground; he gradually advanced, till he had placed a pole under each
of Jerry's arms. "Now, swing your legs up, and I will draw you away,"
he cried out. Jerry did as he was told, and was dragged on to firm
ground. The ground had given way just as if it had been a piece of
egg-shell. Probably it had been formed by a sheet of lava flowing
rapidly over some fissure without filling it up. Jerry was most
thankful for his preservation, but he had too much spirit to wish to go
back, and insisted on proceeding on to the borders of the liquid fiery
lake. Before us, amidst the burning expanse, rose two lofty cones, one
of them insulated, the other joined by a causeway to the ledge of lava.
Besides these, a number of smaller cones were seen in various
directions. The ground was also full of pools of burning sulphur, or
other liquid matter, while huge black shapeless masses of lava lay
scattered about in every direction, thrown out, undoubtedly, from the
mouth of one of the large cones before us. On we pushed our way,
notwithstanding, and at last we stood on the very brink of the lake of
fire! I could not altogether divest myself of the idea that it might
bubble over and destroy us. It was strange that no heat appeared to
proceed from it, and yet the points of our sticks were instantly burned
to cinders when we put them into it. After we had got accustomed to the
strange scene, we agreed that we should like to mount to the top of the
cone by the causeway. Off we set. We reached it, and began the
hazardous ascent. There was an outer crust, which often gave way under
our feet--still we pushed on. Our guides urged us to desist, saying
that no one had ever ventured thus far and returned alive. Still they
followed us. Up the cone they climbed. It was a strangely wild
scene:--the fiery lake below us, around us; the vast masses of lava
piled upon the plain; the high black cliffs on every side; the wild,
hopeless desolation of the country beyond; and the numerous cones, each
the mouth of a miniature volcano, sending forth smoke in every
direction. We had nearly reached the summit of the cone, when a thick
puff of sulphureous smoke almost drove us back headlong. A loud roar at
the same time, louder than a thousand claps of thunder, saluted our
ears.
"Fly! fly!" cried our guides; "the mountain is going to vomit forth its
fiery breath." Not a moment did we delay. Down the side of the cone we
sprung--none of us looked back. Thicker and thicker came forth the
smoke. Rivulets of lava began to flow, streaming down the cone into the
lake below; some came towards the causeway, leaping down its sides. On
we went, every instant dreading a fall through the thin crust. Ashes
came forth and fell around us, and then huge masses of rock came down
with loud splashes into the fiery plain. Some went even before us, and
were buried deep in the ground over which we had to tread. The roar of
the mountain continued. Down we sprung; a blow from a stone would have
killed us--a false step would have sent us into the fiery pool, to the
instant and utter annihilation of our mortal frames. I felt as if I
could not cry out. An unspeakable dread and horror had seized me. At
length the plain of lava was regained. No one was hurt; yet the danger
was not past. Still the lava streamed forth. It might overflow the
banks of the lake, for aught we could tell. Ashes and masses of rock
fell in showers around us. We fled like Lot and his family, nor stopped
till we reached the cliff. Then it was searched in vain for a way to
mount to the summit. We did now look back to see if the lava was
following us, but the glowing lake lay as calm as before. The outburst
seemed to have subsided. Now and then a jet of lava and fire came
forth, and a puff of smoke, but both soon ceased. At last, walking
round under the cliff, we found a practicable way to the top. We were
saved, and grateful for our escape, while our curiosity was amply
satisfied. We were suffering much from thirst, when what was our
surprise to come upon a pool of clear water, with reeds growing round
it, though in the very neighbourhood of hot basins of sulphur, and of
cones spouting forth wreaths of smoke! We expected to find the water
hot, instead of which, it was deliciously cool and refreshing. On
ascending the cliff, we found that it was too late to descend the
mountain that night, so our guides led us to a hut built to afford
accommodation for travellers. It stood overlooking the cones and the
lake of fire, and never shall I forget the extraordinary appearance of
that scene, as we watched it during the greater part of the night, or
the magnificent spectacle which gladdened our eyes when the glorious sun
rose from out of his ocean bed, and lighted up the distant snow-capped
peak of the lofty Mouna Roa, which is 14,000 feet above the level of the
sea.
We collected several specimens of sulphur and lava, and also a quantity
of what the natives call the hair of Pele. Every bush around was
covered with it. It is produced from the lava when first thrown up, and
borne along by the air till it is spun into fine filaments several
inches in length. It was of a dark olive colour, brittle, and
semi-transparent. In our descent of the mountain we entered long
galleries, the walls and roof hung with stalactites of lava of various
colours, the appearance being very beautiful. They are formed by the
lava hardening above, while it continues to flow away underneath--thus
leaving a hollow in the centre. We might have spent many days in
wandering about that strange, wild region, but we had seen enough to
talk about ever afterwards. We got back safe to the station; and when
there, we found that Mr Callard had resolved to remain some time on the
island. He begged us, consequently, to take back the schooner to
Honolulu, with directions for her to return for him in a fortnight. It
seemed quite strange to us to be at sea again after the wonderful scenes
we had witnessed, and Jerry declared that he was well content to find
himself afloat with a whole skin on his body. The wind came round to
the north-east, and we had to stretch away to the westward to lay a
course for Honolulu. We were about thirty miles off the land when the
wind fell light, and gradually a thick fog arose, in which we found
ourselves completely shrouded. We still stood on, keeping as good a
look-out as we could through the mist, lest we should run foul of any
other vessel--not that such an event was likely to happen just then in
the Pacific. When night, however, came on, the fog grew still thicker,
and the darkness became so great that we literally could not see our
hands held out at arm's-length before us. Mr Brand had kept the middle
watch, and then Jerry and I, with Ben Yool, went on deck, with some of
the native crew, to take the morning watch. We glided slowly on over
the dark waters, the breeze falling gradually, till it was almost a
calm. Jerry and I were walking the deck together, talking of the
strange sights we had lately seen, when, happening for a moment to be
silent, a cry, or it might have been a shriek, struck my ears, as if
wafted from a distance across the water.
"Did you hear it, Jerry?" I asked.
"Yes; did you? What can it be?" he answered. "Ah! there's another--it
cannot be fancy."
"No; I heard it distinctly," I remarked. "There is some mischief going
forward, I fear. What is to be done?" Again that faint, wailing cry of
distress reached our ears.
"You don't believe in ghosts, do you?" said Jerry. "If there were such
things, I should fancy that those cries were uttered by them, and
nothing else."
"Nonsense, Jerry," said I, half vexed with him, for I saw that he was
inclined to give way to superstition. "If those sounds are not the
effect of fancy, they must proceed from some human beings in distress;
but what can be the matter is more than I can say." We found, on going
forward, that Ben Yool had heard the cries, and was still listening,
wondering what caused them. They had also reached the ears of the
native seamen. They declared that they must be caused by the spirits of
the storm roaming over the water, and that we should have a heavy gale
before long. Again a shriek reached us, louder and more thrilling than
before.
"Oh, this is dreadful!" I exclaimed. "There must be some foul mischief
going on somewhere not far off. We must call up Mr Brand, and see what
steps he will think fit to take." I went and roused him up, and told
him of the strange sounds we had heard. Both he and the doctor were
soon on deck. At first he laughed at our description of the sounds we
had heard; but after he had listened a little time, another long,
deep-drawn wail came wafted across the ocean.
"That is the cry of some one in mortal fear or agony," he remarked.
"There is another!" It was a sharp, loud cry, or rather shriek.
"The calmness of the sea and the peculiar state of the atmosphere would
enable a sound to travel from a long distance," observed McRitchie. "It
may come from a spot a mile, or even two miles off."
"We must try and find out the direction, and go to the help of the poor
people, whoever they are," exclaimed Mr Brand.
"How is that to be done?" asked the doctor. "Our cockleshell of a boat
will only hold three or four people, and the chances are that some
ruffianly work is going on, and we shall only share the fate of the
victims."
"It must be done, though," answered Cousin Silas. "I cannot stay
quietly here when perhaps our appearance may prevent further mischief.
I will go in the boat, and I daresay I shall have volunteers to
accompany me."
"In that case I will go with you, Brand," said the doctor, who was as
plucky as anybody. "I still say, however, that we should be wiser
remaining where we are till daylight."
"No, no, doctor," returned Cousin Silas; "you are not a fighting-man.
Your life is too valuable to be risked. You stay on board and look
after the lads."
"But we want to go with you, Mr Brand!" exclaimed Jerry and I together;
"you won't leave us behind?"
"I daresay, boys!" answered Cousin Silas. "What account should I have
to give to the captain if either of you got knocked on the head and I
escaped? You remain on board the schooner. It will be daylight soon;
and if I do not return before then, you'll be able to see where to pick
me up."
"If you resolves to go, why, d'ye see, sir, I goes with you," said Ben
Yool, stepping up. "One of these brown chaps says he'll go, and that's
all you want. To my mind, if we can frighten the villains from going on
with their murderous work, we may do some good; but as to forcing them
to hold their hands, we couldn't do it if we were even to lay the little
_Dove_ alongside them."
Mr Brand thanked Ben for his promptness in offering to support him, and
accepted his services; and arming themselves, they both, without further
delay, accompanied by a tall, strong Sandwich islander, lowered the
schooner's dinghy into the water.
"What I'd advise, sir, is this," said Ben: "Let us get as close up to
where the cries come from as we can without being seen, and then let us
hail the vessel, or raft, or whatever it may be, in gruff voices, and
say that if they don't knock off their murdering work, and let the
people they are harming go free, we will blow them all up into the sky.
If they don't heed us, we'll shriek and cry, and make all sorts of
noises, as if a thousand demons were about to board them; and, as people
who are about any bad work are certain to have bad consciences, they'll
fancy that the noises are ten times louder and worse than they are. If
that does not succeed, we must try some other dodge; we shall hit off
something or other, I daresay."
While Ben was thus delivering himself, Mr Brand was loading his
pistols. All things being ready, they stepped into the boat and shoved
off. They were immediately lost to sight in the thick darkness which
surrounded us. Their oars had been muffled; but we could hear the
gentle lap of the oars in the water for long afterwards, showing to what
a distance sound could travel, and that the scene of the outrage we had
been listening to might be further off than we supposed. As Mr Brand
had taken the bearings of the _Dove_, and proposed pulling directly to
the south-west, whence the sounds came, and directly in the eye of the
wind, such as there was, which had shifted to that quarter, we knew that
he would have no great difficulty in getting aboard us again. Still we
could not help feeling very anxious about him. The plan, however,
proposed by Ben Yool struck us as likely to prove as effectual as any
that could be conceived;--much more so than had the little _Dove_
herself appeared; for, as she did not measure more than twenty tons, she
was not calculated by her size to command respect, especially as she had
no guns on board, and we had only our rifles. Scarcely had the boat
left the side of the schooner when the shrieks were repeated. They
seemed louder, or at all events more distinct. We could no longer have
any doubt that they were uttered by human beings in distress. Old
Surley thought so too. He kept running about the deck in a state of
great agitation, and then stretched out his neck, and howled in reply to
the cry which reached his ears. We kept slowly gliding on under all
sail, keeping as close to the wind as we could, so as to beat up in the
direction of the sound. It had been arranged that we were to go about
every quarter of an hour, so that Mr Brand would know our whereabouts
and on what tack he was likely to find us on his return. Our ears were
kept open to catch any fresh sound, and our eyes were looking about us
in all directions, in case a break in the mist should reveal any object
to us; but an hour passed away, and no other cry was heard. There was a
little more wind, and it had shifted a point or so to the westward, and
perhaps that prevented sounds reaching us, we thought. Another hour
crept by, but still Mr Brand did not return. We began to be anxious
about him. We constantly went to the binnacle lamp to look at our
watches. It wanted but a short time to daylight. The doctor, I saw by
his manner, was seriously alarmed about the party, though he said
nothing to us. We fancied that we heard a hail, and then a shout and a
cry; but we could not quite agree about it. We kept pacing the deck
anxiously, tacking as we had been directed by Mr Brand; and thus the
night wore on, and dawn once more broke over the world of waters.