After the catastrophe I have described, the ship continued to burn
furiously--the oil in her hold helping to feed the conflagration. The
savages who were already in their canoes paddled rapidly away; many must
have lost their lives, as several canoes appear to have been destroyed.
Numbers of the unfortunate wretches, wounded by the explosion, were
swimming about, trying to get hold of their canoes or of pieces of the
wreck; while others, who had escaped injury, were making for the shore.
But they had watchful enemies in the sea looking for them; the water
swarmed with sharks, and several, unable to defend themselves, were
caught by the voracious monsters. What became of our poor countrymen--
whether they were blown up with the ship or carried off by the savages--
we could not tell.
By this accident our numbers were sadly diminished, as was our hope of
obtaining what we might require from the wreck. Cousin Silas took
occasion to urge upon the remainder of the men the importance of keeping
together for mutual support; but, from the way the whaler's crew took
his advice, I saw that they were in no way inclined to follow it. It
was with difficulty even that he could persuade them to keep watch at
night. That was a trying period with us. Cousin Silas and I, with two
of the crew kept our watch; and Ben, and the doctor, and Jerry, with two
others, watched the rest of the night. We kept our ears and eyes wide
open, and fancied that we could see under the shadow of the trees the
savages prowling about us, and could hear their suppressed whispers; but
if such was the case, when they found that we were on the alert, they
refrained from attacking us.
That first night the captain awoke from his stupor, and, sitting up,
inquired what had occurred. When he was told, somewhat abruptly, by one
of his crew that the ship was cast away, that the mates and several of
the men were lost, and that we were surrounded by savages ready to
destroy us, the account had so great an effect on him that it seemed to
drive him out of his mind. He shrieked out, "It is false! it is false--
mutiny! mutiny!" and continued to rave in the most outrageous and
dreadful manner. Thus he continued for many hours. The doctor said he
was attacked with delirium tremens, brought on by his intemperate
habits; and thus he continued, without being allowed a moment of
consciousness to be aware of his awful state, till he was summoned hence
to stand before the Almighty Judge, whose laws, to the last moment of
his earthly probation, he had systematically outraged. We buried him
just outside our fort, at night, that the savages might not observe that
our number was still further reduced.
Three or four days passed away. Both night and day we were equally on
the alert, but the stock of provisions we had brought with us from the
wreck was growing very low, and it was necessary to devise some plan for
obtaining more. The savages, on the other hand, finding that they could
not easily surprise us, changed their tactics, and once more came
towards us in friendly guise, bringing fruits and vegetables, and pigs
and poultry. Had they been aware of our starving condition, they could
not have hit upon a better plan to win our confidence. Still, however,
Cousin Silas did not trust to them.
"They may really be friendly," he remarked, "and let us behave towards
them as if they were; but never let us for a moment be off our guard."
When, however, the natives began to spread out their banquet before the
very eyes of the famished sailors, and invited them to come down and
partake of it, very few could resist the temptation. One after another
went down, till only the doctor and Ben, Jerry and I, with Cousin Silas,
remained on the hill. Even old Surley thought he might as well join the
party, but after he had gobbled up a good supply of pork, which some of
the sailors gave him, he hurried back to us. We watched anxiously what
would next happen. In a short time Jerry exclaimed that he thought it
was a pity we should not benefit by the feast, and before Cousin Silas
could stop him he had run down the hill and was among the savages. At
that moment, what was our horror to see the natives start up, each
dealing the white man nearest him a terrific blow on the head. No
second one was needed. Every one of our late companions lay killed upon
the ground. Jerry started back, and endeavoured to run to us, but a
savage caught him by the shoulder, and (how my blood ran cold!) I
thought would brain him on the spot. Jerry looked up in his face with
an imploring glance. Something he said or did, or the way he looked,
seemed to arrest the savage's arm. Perhaps he may have reminded him of
a son he had lost. He lifted up his club, but this time it was to
defend his young prisoner from the attack of another savage. He then
took him by the hand, and led him to a distance from the rest. Jerry
looked back earnestly at us, but he saw that if he attempted to escape
from his protector he should probably be killed by one of the others, so
he accompanied him without resistance. The rest of the savages,
collecting the dead bodies, fastened ropes to their legs, and dragged
them away, with loud shouts and songs of triumph. To our surprise, they
did not molest us. They saw that we retained the fire-arms, and
probably thought that they might take us at an advantage another time
without risk to themselves. We had still a good supply of powder and
balls, so, loading all the muskets, we prepared for an attack.
Horrified as I had been at the slaughter of our late shipmates, my great
anxiety was about Jerry. I hoped that his life might be safe, but it
was a sad fate to be kept in captivity by such treacherous and
bloodthirsty savages as these had showed themselves to be. I asked Mr
Brand where he thought we were. He replied that he had no doubt, from
the appearance and conduct of the savages, that we had been wrecked on
one of the outlying Fiji Islands. He told me that the inhabitants, a
few years back, had all been the very worst cannibals in the Pacific,
but that of late years Protestant missionaries had gone among them, and
that in some of the islands, of which there were eighty or ninety
inhabited, the whole population had, he understood, become Christians.
Still, however, a large number, among whom the light of truth had not
been introduced, retained their old habits and customs; and among some
of these we had unfortunately fallen. Of course, also, we could not but
be excessively anxious about our own fate. How could we hope to hold
out without food, should the savages attack us? The night passed away,
however, in silence. Our enemies were evidently abiding their time.
It was just daybreak when Ben Yool started up. "I can't stand it any
longer," he exclaimed. "I'll just go and see if those savages left any
of their provisions behind them." Without waking Mr Brand to know what
he would say, off he went down the hill. How anxiously I waited his
return! I was afraid that some of the savages might be lying in wait,
and might catch him. My ear watched for the sound of his footsteps.
Five--ten minutes--a quarter of an hour passed away. At last I thought
I heard the breathing of a person toiling up a hill. It might be a
savage, though. I kept my rifle ready, in case it should prove an
enemy. To my great satisfaction it proved to be Ben. He came loaded
with bread-fruits and cocoa-nuts, and what was undoubtedly the hind
quarters of a pig, while a calabash full of water hung round his neck.
"I was afraid that I should have to come back without anything for my
trouble," said he. "Just then, under a tree, I stumbled over these
provisions. How they came there I don't know, but there they are and
let us be thankful."
We roused up Mr Brand and the doctor. They carefully examined the
provisions, and agreed that they were very good of their sort, so we set
to, and made a very hearty breakfast. From the place where Ben found
the food, Mr Brand was of opinion that it had been left there expressly
for us, but whether by a friend or by our enemies, for the purpose of
entrapping us, it was difficult to say.
The day, as it advanced, threatened to be very stormy. The clouds came
driving across the sky, and a gale began to blow, such as is rarely seen
in those latitudes. It gave us rest, however, for the natives are not
fond of venturing out in such weather, and we had less fear of being
attacked. During the night we were aroused by hearing a gun fired. We
peered out seaward through the darkness; another gun was heard, and a
flash was seen. It was evidently from a vessel in distress. It was
just before daybreak. The dawn came and revealed to us a schooner, with
all her canvas gone, drifting towards the breakers, which rolled in with
terrific power, a quarter of a mile from the shore. We gazed at the
vessel; we all knew her at a glance, even through the gloom. She was
the pirate schooner. On she drove. In another instant she was among
the foaming breakers. Her time had come at last. We could hear the
shrieks and despairing cries of the wretched men on board. She struck
very near the spot where the whaler had been lost. Over the reef she
drove. We could see the people one after the other washed overboard,
and engulfed by the foaming waters. To help them would have been
impossible, even had we not had to consider our own safety. At last one
man appeared in the clear water inside the breakers. He seemed to be
swimming, though he advanced but slowly, and we saw that he was lashed
to a piece of timber. At last he drifted on shore.
"I cannot see the poor wretch die without help, pirate though he may
be," exclaimed Cousin Silas, running down to the beach. I followed him.
The log of timber and its freight reached the shore at the moment we
got down to it. There was no look of recognition. We ran into the
water, and cast loose the body; but our undertaking had been useless. A
corpse lay before us; and though the features were distorted, we
recognised them as those of Captain Bruno. We had just time to hurry
back to our fort, when we saw a body of savages coming round a point at
a little distance off.
The schooner had, in the meantime, beaten over the reef, and was
drifting across the channel, when, as she got within a hundred yards of
the beach, she went down, leaving a dozen or more of her crew floating
on the surface. Most of them struck out boldly for the shore; but no
sooner did they reach it, believing themselves safe, than the clubs of
the savages put an end to their existence. In a short time not one
remained alive of the whole pirate crew. It seemed strange that the
savages had allowed so long a time to elapse without attacking us, nor
could we in any way account for their conduct, unless under the
supposition that they were afraid of our fire-arms. To show them that
our weapons were in good order, and that we were likely to use them
effectually, we every now and then, when we saw any of the natives near,
fired a volley in the air.
When we had gone down on the beach, on the occasion of the wreck of the
schooner, we observed a canoe thrown upon the shore. She was evidently
one of those deserted by the savages when the whaler blew up. We agreed
that, if we could get her repaired, she might prove the means of our
escape. The first thing was to cut some paddles. This we had no great
difficulty in doing, from the trees growing around us. Watching their
opportunity, when no savages were near, Mr Brand and Ben went down to
examine her. On their return they reported that she was perfectly
sound, and required little or nothing done to her. It was a question
with us, however, whether we should commit ourselves to the deep at
once, and endeavour to reach some more hospitable island, or wait for
the possibility of a ship passing that way, and going off to her.
We had scarcely consumed our provisions, when at daybreak one morning we
observed a basket under the very tree where Ben had before discovered
what he brought us. He again went down, and returned with a similar
supply. We considered this matter, and could not believe that any
treachery was intended, but, on the contrary, we began to hope that we
had some secret friend among the savages. Who he was, and how he came
to take an interest in us, was the question. Several days more passed
away. Each alternate night provisions were left for us. At length I
resolved to endeavour to discover our friend. My great object was that
I might be able by this means to gain tidings of Jerry, and perhaps to
rescue him from the hands of his captors, for I continued to hope that
he had not been put to death. I explained my plan to Mr Brand. After
some hesitation, he consented to allow me to adopt it. "I feel with
you, Harry, that I could never bring myself to leave the island without
Jerry," he answered; "and probably the savages, should they catch you,
would be less likely to injure you than any of us."
That night, soon after it was dark, I crept down to the tree, and
concealing myself among some bushes which grew near, waited the result.
I felt very sleepy, and could at times scarcely keep myself awake. At
last I heard footsteps, as if a person were cautiously approaching the
tree. A man dressed, as far as I could distinguish, like a chief, with
a turban on his head, deposited a basket in the usual spot. I sprang
out and seized his hand. At first he seemed much surprised, if not
alarmed; but, recognising me, he patted me on the head, and uttered some
words in a low voice, which I could not understand, but their tone was
mild and kind. Then he put out his hand, and I distinctly felt him make
the sign of the cross on my brow, and then he made it on his own. I no
longer had any doubt that he was a Christian. I longed to ask him about
Jerry, but I found that he did not understand a word of English. It was
so dark, also, that he could scarcely see my gestures. I tried every
expedient to make him comprehend my meaning. I ran on, and then seized
an imaginary person, and conducted him back to the fort. I raised my
hands in a supplicating attitude. I shook his hands warmly, to show how
grateful I should be if he granted my request. At last I began to hope
that he understood me. He shook my hands and nodded, and then,
assisting me to carry the basket close up to the fort, hurriedly left
me.
This circumstance considerably raised the spirits of all the party, for
we felt that we had a friend where we least expected to find one. If,
however, we could but get back Jerry, we resolved to embark. Perhaps
the Christian chief might help us. Had we been able to speak the
language, our difficulties would have been much lessened. Here, again,
we had another example of the beneficial results of missionary labours.
How the chief had been brought to a knowledge of the truth we could not
tell, but that his savage nature had been changed was evident. Perhaps
there might be others like him on the island. How it was that we had
remained so long unmolested was another puzzle. Perhaps it was owing to
some superstitious custom of the natives, Mr Brand observed. Perhaps
we were tabooed; or, as we had, as they might suppose, existed so long
without food, they might look upon us as beings of a superior order, and
be afraid to injure us. Our patience, meantime, was sorely tried. We
were afraid also that the natives might discover our canoe, and carry it
off.
As may be supposed, our eyes took many an anxious glance seaward, in
hopes of being greeted by the sight of a vessel. Nor were they
disappointed. A large ship was discovered one forenoon standing in for
the land. How the sight made our hearts beat! The time had arrived for
us to endeavour to make our escape--but could we go and leave Jerry?
"Yes; we may induce the captain to come and look for him," said Cousin
Silas.
"But suppose he will not," observed the doctor.
"Then I, for one, will come back in the canoe, and not rest till I find
him," exclaimed Ben Yool. "They can only kill and eat me at the worst,
and they'll find I'm a precious tough morsel."
"I'll keep you company, Ben," said I, taking his hand.
So it was agreed that we were to embark at once. Taking our rifles and
muskets, the paddles in our hands, and some provisions in our pockets,
we hurried down to the beach. We had got the canoe in the water, when a
shout attracted our attention. Old Surley gave a bark of delight, and
ran off. "That is Jerry's voice," I exclaimed, hurrying to meet him.
At a distance were several men and boys in hot pursuit. Jerry was
somewhat out of breath, so I took his hand and helped him along, without
asking questions. He, Surley, and I, leaped into the canoe together;
Mr Brand, Ben, and the doctor seized the paddles, and shoving her off
into deep water, away we steered towards the passage through the reef.
Scarcely had we got a couple of hundred yards off before the savages
reached the shore. They instantly fitted their arrows to their bows;
but I, seizing my rifle, made signs that if they let fly I would fire in
return. They understood the hint, and ran off along the beach to a spot
where a number of their canoes were hauled up. The leading one, with
only three men in her, came dashing close after us through the surf.
One held his bow ready to shoot, the rest had placed their weapons at
the bottom. The other canoes contained more savages, and followed close
after their leader. This made us redouble our efforts to escape. We
darted through the passage just as a dozen canoes or more left the
shore. We had a terribly short start of them, and they paddled nearly
twice as fast as we could.
"Shall I fire and give notice to the ship?" I asked Mr Brand. I was
sitting in the bow of the canoe facing forward.
"Yes, yes, Harry, fire," he answered. "They will hear us on board by
this time." I took one of the muskets and fired in the air. Directly
after, we saw the ship crowding more sail, and standing directly for us.
"I thought so all along, and now I'm certain of it," exclaimed Ben,
almost jumping up in his seat. "I know that starboard topmast
studden-sail, and no mistake. She's the _Triton_! Hurrah! hurrah!"
"You're right, Ben," said Mr Brand. "I felt sure also that she was the
_Triton_, but still was afraid my hopes might have in some way have
deceived me. But give way, give way, or the savages will be up to us
before we are alongside her." The caution was not unnecessary, for the
canoes of the savages had already got within range of our rifles.
"Couldn't you bring down a few of the niggers, sir?" asked Ben. "It
will only serve them right, and mayhap will stop their way a little."
"No, no; never shed blood as long as it can be avoided," answered Cousin
Silas. "These very savages who are now seeking our lives may ere long
be shown the light of truth, and be converted and live. See, I believe
they have already made us out on board the _Triton_. They are firing to
frighten off the savages."
As he spoke, three guns were fired in quick succession from the
_Triton_. The noise and smoke, to which the savages were evidently
unaccustomed, made them desist paddling. We redoubled our efforts, and
shot ahead. After a little hesitation, the savages once more pressed on
after us, but happily at that moment the ship again fired. Mr Brand at
the same time seized the muskets and discharged them one after the other
over the heads of our pursuers. Again they wavered, some even turned
their canoes about, two or three only advanced slowly, the rest ceased
paddling altogether. This gave us a great advantage, and without
waiting to let Mr Brand reload the muskets, we paddled away with our
hopes of escape much increased. Some minutes elapsed, when the courage
of the savages returned, and fearing that we might altogether escape
them, they all united in the pursuit. The breeze, however, freshened,
the ship rapidly clove the waters, and before the canoes had regained
the distance they had lost, we were alongside. Loud shouts of welcome
broke from every quarter of the _Triton_ as we clambered up her side.
I will not attempt to describe the meeting of Jerry and his father.
Captain Frankland, indeed, received us all most kindly and heartily.
For a long time he had given us up as lost, but still he had continued
the search for us. The _Dove_ had been captured by the American
corvette, and soon afterwards he had fallen in with her. From the
pirates on board the little schooner he discovered that we were on board
the large one. He had pursued her for several months, till at length,
passing our island, he had observed our flag-staff and our hut still
standing. This was, fortunately, after our second visit, when we had
altered the inscriptions on the trees. The gale which had wrecked the
pirate had driven the _Triton_ somewhat to the southward of her course
for the Bonins, whither she was bound to look for us; and thus, by a
wonderful coincidence, she appeared at the very moment her coming was of
most importance to rescue us from slavery, if not, more probably, from a
horrible death.
The savages, when they saw that we were safe on board the ship, finally
ceased from the pursuit. Captain Frankland kept the ship steadily on
her course, ordering five or six guns to be fired without shot over
their heads, as a sign of the white man's displeasure. After the first
gun, the savages turned round their canoes, and, in terror and dismay,
made the best of their way to the shore. The _Triton_ was then steered
for the coast of Japan.
It was not till some days afterwards that Jerry gave me an account of
what had befallen him among the savages. "I was in a horrible fright
when the savage dragged me off," he said. "I thought that he was
keeping me to kill at his leisure, just as a housewife does a pig or a
turkey, when he wanted to eat me. I cannot even now describe the
dreadful scenes I witnessed when the cannibal monsters cooked and
devoured the poor fellows they had so treacherously slaughtered. What
was my dismay, also, when a few days afterwards some more bodies of
white men were brought in! I thought that they had killed you all; and
it was only when I found that there were ten instead of five bodies,
that I hoped I might have been mistaken.
"The man who had captured me treated me kindly, and fed me well. At
first I thought he might have had his reasons (and very unsatisfactory
they would have been to me) for doing the latter; but this idea I
banished (as it was not a pleasant fine, and took away my appetite) when
I found that he did not partake of the horrible banquets with his
countrymen. He was constantly visited also in the evening by a chief,
who evidently looked on them with disgust, and always looked at me most
kindly, and spoke to me in the kindest tones, though I could not
understand what he said. One evening, after he and my master had been
talking some time, he got up and made the sign of the cross on my brow,
and then on his own, and then on that of my master. Then I guessed that
I must have fallen among Christians, and that this was the reason I was
treated so kindly. I understood also by the signs he made that you all
were well, and that he would do his best to protect you.
"One day he came and told me to follow him into the woods. My master's
hut was some way from the other habitations, so that we could go out
without of necessity being observed. It was, however, necessary to be
cautious. What was my delight when he took me to a height, and showing
me a vessel in the distance, pointed to the fort, and signed to me to
run and join you as fast as I could! You know all the rest."
Jerry at different times afterwards gave me very interesting accounts of
various things he had observed among the savages of the Fijis, but I
have not now space to repeat them.
How delightful it was to find ourselves once more on board the fine
steady old ship, with a well-disciplined crew, and kind, considerate
officers! Our sufferings and trials had taught us to appreciate these
advantages: and I believe both Jerry and I were grateful for our
preservation, and for the blessings we now enjoyed.
We had a very quick and fine run till we were in the latitude of
Loo-Choo. A gale then sprung up--rather unusual, I believe, at that
season of the year. It lasted two days. When the weather cleared, we
saw a huge, lumbering thing tumbling about at the distance of three or
four miles from us. It looked, as Fleming the gunner remarked, "like a
Martello tower adrift."
"If you'd said she was one of those outlandish Chinese junk affairs,
you'd have been nearer the truth," observed Mr Pincott the carpenter,
who, as of old, never lost an opportunity of taking up his friend. "By
the way she rolls, I don't think she'll remain above water much longer."
Captain Frankland thought the same, and making sail we stood towards
her. By that time she was evidently settling down. The ship was
hove-to, the boats were lowered, and, in spite of a good deal of sea
which then was on, we ran alongside. A number of strange-looking
figures in coloured silks and cottons, dressed more like women than men,
crowded the side. Some leaped into the water in their fright; others we
received into the boats, and conveyed them to the ship. Two trips had
been made, when Mr Pincott, who was in the boat with me, said he did
not think she would float till we came back. At that moment a person
appeared at the stern of the vessel handsomely dressed. He was a
fine-looking old gentleman. He must have seen his danger, and he seemed
to be bidding his countrymen farewell. I could not bear the thought of
leaving him; so I begged Mr Pincott to pull back, and signing him to
descend by one of the rope-ladders hanging over the stern, we received
him safely into the boat. Scarcely had we done so, when the junk gave a
heavy lurch. "There she goes, poor thing!" exclaimed Pincott. "Well,
she didn't look as if she was made to swim. But pull away, my lads--
pull away. We may be back in time to pick up some of the poor fellows."
It was heartrending to see the poor wretches struggling in the water,
and holding out their hands imploringly to us, and yet not be able to
help them. Many very soon sunk; others got hold of gratings and bits of
wreck, and endeavoured to keep themselves afloat, but some of those
monsters of the deep--the sharks--got in among them, and very soon
committed horrible havoc among the survivors. The moment we were able
to get the people we had in the boat up the ship's side we returned to
the scene of the catastrophe. We pulled about as rapidly as we could,
hauling in all we could get hold of still swimming about, but some were
drawn down even before our very eyes, and altogether a good many must
have been lost.
The old gentleman I had been the means of saving proved to be the chief
person on board. We made out that the junk was from Loo-Choo, but that
he himself belonged to some town in Japan. This we discovered by
showing him a map, and from the very significant signs he made. While
we were making all sorts of pantomimic gestures, Mr Renshaw suggested
that a lad we had on board, supposed to be a Chinese, might perhaps be
able to talk with him. Chin Chi had been picked up from a wreck at sea
on a former voyage of the _Triton_, and had now made some progress in
his knowledge of English. Chin Chi was brought aft with some
reluctance. What, however, was our astonishment to see the old
gentleman gaze at him earnestly for some minutes; they exchanged a few
words; then they proved that Japanese nature was very like English
nature, for, rushing forward, they threw themselves into each other's
arms--the father had found a long-lost son!
The son had been seized, like many of his countrymen, with a desire to
see the civilised world, of which, in spite of the exclusive system of
his government, he had heard, and had stolen off, and got on board a
ship which was afterwards wrecked, he being the only survivor. Poor
fellow, he had seen but a very rugged part of the world during his visit
to England, in the Liverpool docks and similar localities. He told his
father, however, how well he had been treated on board the _Triton_; and
the old gentleman, on hearing this, endeavoured to express his gratitude
by every means in his power.
Two days after this we found ourselves anchored off the harbour of
Napha, in Great Loo-Choo. In a short time a boat came off from the
shore bearing two venerable old gentlemen with long beards and flowing
robes of blue and yellow, gathered in at the waist with sashes, and
almost hiding their white sandalled feet. On their heads they wore
yellow caps, something like the Turkish fez in shape, and fastened under
their chins with strings, like a baby's nightcap. Bowing with their
noses to the planks as they reached the deck, they presented red
visiting cards, three feet in length, and inquired what circumstance had
brought the ship to their island. Great was their astonishment when our
old friend Hatchie Katsie presented himself, and said that we had come
to land him and his son, who had been shipwrecked. He had come to give
notice of the loss of the junk, but that he purposed proceeding on in
the ship to Japan.
His first care was to send on shore for proper clothes for Chin Chi, who
looked a very different person when dressed in bright-coloured robes and
a gay cap. He had got a similar dress for Jerry and me. He told
Captain Frankland that he could not venture to invite him on shore, but
that, as we were mere boys, he might take us under his escort.
Highly delighted, we accordingly pulled on shore. We found conveyances
waiting for us, kagos they were called. They were the funniest little
machines I ever saw--a sort of litter; suppose a box open in front and
the sides, with a low seat inside, and the lid shut down. Even Jerry
and I, though not very big, had great difficulty in coiling ourselves
away in ours; and how our portly old friend contrived it, was indeed a
puzzle. We had to sit cross-legged, with our arms folded and our backs
bent double, and were borne jogging along by two native porters, our
heads every now and then bumping up against the roof, till we couldn't
help laughing and shouting out to each other to ascertain if our skulls
were cracked. I suppose the natives have a mode of glueing themselves
down to the seats.
We passed over several well-made bridges, and along a paved causeway,
having on either side a succession of beautiful gardens and fertile
rice-fields, while before us rose a hill covered with trees, out of
which peeped a number of very pretty-looking villas. When we reached
the top of the hill we had a fine view over a large portion of the
island--several towns and numerous villages were seen, with
country-houses and farms scattered about. Altogether, we formed a very
favourable opinion of the island and the advanced state of civilisation
among the people of Loo-Choo.
The house to which our friend took us was built of wood, and covered
with earthen tiles. It had bamboo verandas, and a court-yard in front
surrounded by a wall of coral. The interior was plain and neat,--the
rafters appearing overhead were painted red, and the floor was covered
with matting. The owner of the house, an old gentleman very like
Hatchie Katsie, received us very courteously, and after we had sat some
time, ordered food to be brought in. Some long-robed attendants
prepared a table in the chief hall, on which they placed a number of
dishes, containing red slices of eggs and cucumber, boiled fish and
mustard, fried beef, bits of hog's liver, and a variety of other similar
dainties, at which we picked away without much consideration, but which
might have been bits of dogs, cats, or rats, for aught I knew to the
contrary. The people of Loo-Choo must be very abstemious if we judge
from the size of their drinking cups--no larger than thimbles! The
liquor they drank, called sakee, is distilled from rice.
We only spent two days on shore, so that I cannot pretend to know much
of the country. From its elevation, and being constantly exposed to the
sea-breezes, it must be very healthy. It is also very fertile. All the
agricultural instruments we saw were rude. The plough was of the old
Roman model, with an iron point. One of the chief productions of the
island is rice, and as for it a constant supply of water is required,
there is a very extensive system of irrigation. To prepare it for
cultivation, the land is first overflowed, and the labourer hoes, and
ploughs, and harrows, while he stands knee deep in mud and water. It is
first grown in plots and then transplanted. The banyan-tree is very
abundant, and so is the bamboo, which supplies them with food, lodging,
and clothing, besides, from its stately growth, forming a delightful
shade to their villages. The sugar-cane is grown, and much sugar is
made from it. The islands are of coral formation, but, from some mighty
convulsion of nature, the rock on which the coral was placed has been
upheaved, and now in many places appears above it. The sketch I
introduce will afford a better notion of the country-scenery in Loo-Choo
than any mere verbal account which I could give.
The people of Loo-Choo are well formed, and the men have full black
beards, and their hair being well oiled is gathered to the back of the
head, and fastened with a gold, silver, or brass pin, according to the
rank of the wearer. Their dress is a loose robe with wide sleeves,
gathered round the waist with a girdle, in which they carry their
tobacco pouch and pipe. The upper classes wear a white stocking, and
when they go out they put on a straw sandal secured to the foot by a
band passing between the great toe and the next to it, as worn by the
Romans. The peasants go bareheaded and barefooted, and wear only a
coarse cotton shirt. Their cottages also are generally thatched with
rice straw, and surrounded by a palisade of bamboos. The furniture is
of the simplest description. It consists of a thick mat spread on the
plank floor, on which the people sit cross-legged; a table, a few
stools, and a teapot, with some cups, and a few mugs and saucers. Their
food is chiefly rice and sweet potatoes, animal food being only used by
the upper classes. The upper ranks use a variety of soups, sweetmeats,
and cooked and raw vegetables. They are a hard-working people, though
they have their festivals and days of relaxation, when, in open spaces
between the trees, they indulge in their favourite foot-ball and other
athletic sports.
I think what I have given is about the full amount of the information I
obtained. One thing I must observe, that although they are now sunk in
a senseless idolatry, from the mildness of their dispositions, and their
intelligent and inquiring minds, I believe that if Christianity were
presented to them in its rightfully attractive form, they would speedily
and gladly embrace the truth.
As our friend Hatchie Katsie was anxious to return to Japan, Captain
Frankland very gladly undertook to convey him there. He and Chin Chi,
accordingly, once more embarked with us on board the _Triton_.