named Tibu; the owner also of another hut some miles further up, where
his wife lived with the pigs and dogs! This being the last station on
the road to the Wahiria Lake, it was determined to spend the night here.
Before they set forward in the morning, a large pig was tied up, to be
prepared for killing on the expected return of Mr. Hoffman and his
associates, whom the hospitable Tibu accompanied on the remainder of
their journey.
Here every vestige of a path disappeared. At a height of seven hundred
and eleven feet above the level of the sea, the travellers found
enormous blocks of granite lying in a south-easterly direction. The way
to Wahiria lay towards the south-south-west. They continued ascending
till they reached a marsh in a rocky basin, where wild boars were
running about.
Another steep precipice was to be climbed before they could reach the
Valley of the Wahiria. This stretches from north to south, and forms an
oval, in the centre of which lies the lake, according to barometrical
measurement, one thousand four hundred and fifty feet above the level of
the sea. The surrounding rocks rise perpendicularly more than two
thousand feet. The lake is above a mile and a quarter in
circumference,[4] and receives the springs from the mountains. A little
brook also flows into it from the north, but no channel could be found
by which its waters might be carried off. The depth of the lake near the
shore is eleven, and in the middle not more than seventeen toises. After
Mr. Hoffman had satisfied his curiosity, he returned with his companion
to Tibu's hut, and happily reached its shelter before a heavy storm that
followed them had begun to discharge its fury. Exhausted by the fatigue
of the march, and the oppressive heat, Mr. Hoffman threw himself on his
couch to take a little repose, while his companions killed and roasted
the pig. The storm now burst in tremendous violence over the hut. The
thunder rolled fearfully along the valley, and reverberated from the
rocks; the lightnings gave to the thick darkness a momentary
illumination equal to the brightness of mid-day, and the rain pouring
down in torrents, suddenly swelled the rivulet, near which the frail
dwelling was erected, far above its natural channel. Whoever has
witnessed a violent storm in the high mountains of a tropical country,
will never lose the impression of its awfulness.
The following day being Sunday, Tauru, immediately on rising, repeated a
long prayer, and then read a chapter of the New Testament, of which at
least one copy was to be found in every hut. After a good breakfast, Mr.
Hoffman wished to proceed, but his guides were not to be moved, and
threats and entreaties were equally unavailing. They assured him that a
continuation of the journey would be a profanation of the Sabbath, a
crime for which they would be hanged, should it come to the knowledge of
the Missionaries. This was a little too strongly expressed; and the
tempting remains of the roasted pig had, no doubt, as much influence in
supporting their resolution, as their religious scruples, or their fears
of the Missionaries. The next morning they made no objection to setting
out. Our travellers were joined on the road by many families, laden
with mountain bananas, so that they arrived in a large company at
Matarai.
Mr. Hoffman made several other journeys into the interior of the island,
and visited Arue, the present residence of the Court. The mineralogical
and geological observations made on these excursions, are reserved for a
separate treatise; but some particulars concerning his intercourse with
the inhabitants, may be properly introduced here.
The houses are merely built of perpendicular bamboo-canes, standing at
some distance apart, to give free admission to the air. The roofs of
palm-leaves are strong enough to defy the heaviest rain.
As curious after novelty as more civilized infants, the heads of the
children were thrust out from every hut he passed, and the parents
hospitably asked him in. When he accepted the invitation, he was always
conducted to the seat of honour, a raised bench covered with matting and
tapa stuff; and, after freely partaking of the best the house afforded,
was considered to have paid handsomely for his entertainment with a
knife. Bedsteads made of bamboo-canes, and filled with soft matting, are
placed along the walls, and make very comfortable, easy couches. These
pleasant little abodes, in which the greatest cleanliness is everywhere
observable, are all surrounded by cultivated gardens. In the evening,
they are lighted by the oily nuts of the taper-tree, fastened in rows on
splinters.
Mr. Hoffman's visit to the house of his friend Maititi, excited the
greatest joy. His host presented to him his wife and children, and
entertained him in the most splendid manner his means would allow.
In the capital Mr. Hoffman found nothing remarkable. The palace
inhabited by the Royal Family, was a spacious hut, with an ante-chamber
or outer house, in which eight of the guard kept watch. Their only
weapon was an old pistol fastened on a plank; this was frequently fired,
probably to accustom the young King to the tumult of battle. The old
King lies buried under a stone monument, in front of which three guns
are kept; but, to prevent accidents, they are nailed up.
We have already mentioned the trade in cocoa-oil carried on by the
Tahaitians, and the ship possessed by the Queen. This is commanded by an
Englishman, and a part of the crew is also English. It was just returned
from a voyage among the Society Islands, where it had been to collect
tribute, and was preparing to carry a cargo of cocoa-oil, stowed in
thick bamboo-canes, to Port Jackson. From the Captain, who visited me, I
gained much information concerning the present state of affairs in these
seas. He had learnt from ships returned from the Friendly Islands, that
their King had recently conquered the Navigator Islands, which now paid
tribute to him.
The map of Matarai, and of the bay which bounds it on the north-east,
completed by us with the utmost care from trigonometrical surveys, is
attached to this volume, and renders any further description of the
coast it embraces unnecessary. In December and January, the Tahaitian
summer months, the trade-wind is often interrupted by violent
north-westers. Rain and storms are then frequent, and often last till
April; in the other months the trade-winds blow without intermission,
and the sky is always serene. For this reason, what is here called the
summer, might pass for the actual winter; and as the roads of Matarai
are open to the west wind, it is advisable for ships visiting Tahaiti at
this season, to run into the harbour, which lies eight miles west of
Venus Point. It is spacious, formed by coral reefs, protected against
all winds, and has two entrances so convenient, that ships may sail
either in or out with almost any wind.
The ebb and flow of the tide in the Matarai Bay differs entirely from
the ordinary rules, and appears wholly uninfluenced by the moon, to
which it is everywhere else subject. The rise and fall is very
inconsiderable. Every noon the whole year round, at the moment the sun
touches the meridian, the water is highest, and falls with the sinking
sun till midnight. This phenomenon serves, as well as the sun's motion,
to supply the place of clocks to the inhabitants.
According to Humboldt, the altitude of the highest mountain in Tahaiti
is ten thousand feet; according to the barometrical measurement of Mr.
Long, only eight thousand feet above the level of the sea.
Our first observation by chronometers, on our arrival at Matarai, gave
the longitude of Venus Point as 149° 20' 30"; the true one, as given by
Admiral Krusenstern on his map, is 149° 27' 20"; consequently, the error
of our chronometers was 6' 50". This correction has been made in all the
longitudes taken by us in the dangerous Archipelago. From our
observatory on Venus Point, we found its latitude 17° 29' 17", and its
longitude 149° 29'.
The variation of the needle was 6° 50' east, and its inclination 29°
30'.
The barometer ranged from 29' 80" to 29' 70"; Reaumur's thermometer from
twenty-three and a half to twenty-four and a half.
The islands which I discovered on my former voyage in the ship
Rurik,--the Romanzow, Spiridow, Dean's Islands, the Rurik's Chain, &c.
whose longitude I had not then an opportunity to rectify upon Venus
Point, lie 5' 36" more to the west than I at first supposed.
The longitude given by Captain Bellingshausen for the island which he
discovered, appeared to us by 3' 10" too great.
On the morning of the 24th of March, we broke up our tent on the Venus
Point, left our dwelling-house, and shipped all our instruments and
effects. The afternoon was appointed for our departure. The Tahaitians
now boarded the ship, bringing as many provisions as they could carry.
They expressed great regret at losing us; and, to prove the
disinterestedness of their good-will, would accept no presents in
return. They unanimously assured us, that of all nations whose ships had
visited their island, none pleased them so well as the Russians. They
took leave of us with the most cordial embraces, and many of them shed
tears. They accompanied us in their canoes to the mouth of the Bay, and
were standing out to sea, when a sudden and violent gust of wind forced
them to return. The same gust very nearly carried away one of our sails,
and the proximity of the land placed us for a minute or two in a
critical situation, but the coolness and skill of our officers and men
relieved us from the momentary danger. In half an hour the regular
trade-wind returned, and with the liveliest wishes for the future
welfare of the good Tahaitians, we lost sight of their lovely island.
To the remarks concerning them already made, I will add some on their
language, from the work on this subject which I have before mentioned.
The author says, "The language spoken on most of the islands of the
South Sea, and therefore called the Polynesian, may be considered either
as primitive, or as related to, and descended from, a common source with
the Malay." It is undoubtedly very old, for these people have been from
an unknown period separated from all others, and before the arrival of
Europeans among them, considered themselves as the whole human race.
Although, in comparison with European languages, that of Tahaiti, as
belonging to an ignorant and uncultivated people, is necessarily very
defective, it perhaps surpasses all others in strength, precision, and
simplicity,--in the personal pronouns especially. Its resemblance to the
Hebrew, in the conjugation of the verbs, as well as in the roots of
some of the words, can easily be proved. Many of the words really appear
of Hebrew origin: as for example, _mate_, dead; _mara_, or _maramosa_,
bitter; _rapaon_, to heal, &c.
The Polynesian language being so widely extended, and spoken by the
inhabitants of so many islands, who have little or no intercourse with
each other, it naturally branches into many dialects. These are indeed
so various, that they cannot readily be recognised as derivatives from
the same stock.
The principal dialects are,--that spoken in the Sandwich Islands, or the
Hawaiian; that of the Marquesas; that of New Zealand; the Tongatabuan,
spoken by the inhabitants of the Friendly Islands, and the Tahaitian.
All the others, as far as they are known, are more or less related to
these.
The Tahaitian dialect is distinguished by its melody, as it has no broad
or hissing consonants. The pronunciation is rendered difficult by its
numerous diphthongs.
The substantives do not change their terminations in declension; but
the cases, of which there are but three, are formed by syllables
prefixed: for example--
SINGULAR.
Nom.--_Te taata_--the man.
Poss.--_No te taata_--of the man.
Object.--_He taata_--to the man--and the man.
PLURAL.
Nom.--_Te mau taata_--the men.
Poss.--_No te mau taata_--of the men.
Object.--_He mau taata_--the men--and to the men.
The Tahaitians have a great number of definite and indefinite articles,
and prefixes, which they apply in a peculiar manner. The article te
often stands before proper names; also before God, _Te Atua_; sometimes
_o_, which then appears to be an article; as, _O Pomare_, _O Huaheine_,
_O Tahaiti_. Sometimes this o is placed before the personal pronouns in
the nominative case.
_O vau_, I; _o oe_, thou; _o oia_, she, he, it. In these pronouns the
Tahaitian, and those languages to which it bears affinity, are
particularly rich. They have not only the dual of the Orientals, but
two first persons in the singular as well as plural: for example--
_O Taua_--thou and I.
_O Maua_--he and I.
_O Tatou_--you and I.
_O Motou_--we three, or several.
By this the conjugation of the verbs is made more complicated than in
other languages, but it again becomes easier from neither the person nor
the tense changing the word itself, but all the variations being
expressed by particular particles: for instance--_motau_, to fear; _te
matau nei au_, I fear; _te matau ra oau_, I feared; _i motau na oau_, I
have feared; _e matau au_, I shall fear.
Since my readers will hardly wish to study the Tahaitian language very
thoroughly, I here close my extracts from its grammar.--Whoever really
desires to learn it must go to Tahaiti. I must, however, warn him to arm
himself with patience; for though the Tahaitians are very ready with
their assistance, they have quite as bad a habit as ourselves of
laughing at any one who speaks their language ill,--I say this from
experience.
Some months before us, the French Captain Duperré had visited Tahaiti
upon a voyage of discovery, in the corvette Coquille. He returned home
in safety, and is about to publish his travels, of which he has already
had the goodness to send me some portions. An important acquisition to
science may be expected from this work.
THE PITCAIRN ISLAND.
THE PITCAIRN ISLAND.
I did not myself touch on this island, but I met in Chili an American
Captain just returned from it, and in Tahaiti one of the earliest
mothers of its population, who spoke English well enough to carry on a
conversation. The information jointly obtained from both these persons,
will not, I think, be unwelcome to my readers; and those who are
unacquainted with the rise of this interesting colony, will perhaps find
pleasure in a brief account of it.
The English government appreciating the usefulness of the bread-fruit
tree, and desirous of introducing it into the West-Indian colonies, in
the year 1787, commissioned the ship Bounty, under the command of
Lieutenant Bligh, who had already served as master under Captain Cook,
to convey a cargo of these young trees from the South Sea Islands, to
the West Indies. Forty-six men formed the ship's complement.
After an excessively difficult voyage, during which he had vainly
endeavoured, for thirty days, to double Cape Horn, and at length,
yielding to necessity, had effected his passage by the Cape of Good
Hope, he reached Tahaiti in safety in October 1788.
Although the good-natured Tahaitians seem to have given great
assistance, five months were occupied in lading the vessel; perhaps
because Lieutenant Bligh and his crew found their station very
agreeable. During this period the crew lived in the greatest harmony
with the natives, especially the women; and this may probably afford a
key to the subsequent fate of Bligh.
On the fourth of April 1789, he sailed from Tahaiti, touched at one of
the Friendly Islands to replace such of the young plants as had been
destroyed, and on the 27th of the same month continued his course,
cheered by the conviction of his ability to execute his commission, and
to become the benefactor of the West Indies, by extending to them one of
the greatest blessings bestowed by nature on her favourite children.
But it was otherwise written in the book of Fate. The remorseless
severity with which he treated those under his command,--the insults he
offered them, having subjected even his mate, Christian Fletcher, to
corporal chastisement, combined with the recollection of the pleasant
time spent in Tahaiti, produced a conspiracy of some of the crew, headed
by Fletcher, to seize on the ship, remove from it the commander and his
adherents, and, renouncing England for ever, to return to Tahaiti, and
spend there the remainder of their lives in ease and enjoyment.
The conspirators kept their plan so profoundly secret, that neither
Bligh nor any of those who remained faithful to him, imbibed the least
suspicion of the criminal project, which was put in execution at sunrise
on the 28th of April. The mate Christian, who then commanded the watch,
entered, with two petty officers and a sailor, the cabin of Lieutenant
Bligh, whom they found tranquilly sleeping. They fell on him, bound his
hands behind his back, and threatened him with instant death if he
uttered a sound, or offered the smallest resistance. Bligh, perfectly
undaunted, endeavoured to grasp his weapons, and, on finding himself
overpowered, called aloud for help; but the mutineers having, at the
same moment, seized on all who were strangers to the plot, the
unfortunate Commander had no resource but submission to his fate. He was
carried on deck with no other covering than his shirt, and there found
his faithful followers, nineteen in number, bound in a similar manner.
The long-boat was now lowered; Bligh, in the mean time, attempting to
recall the mutineers to their duty by unavailing remonstrances, to which
renewed menaces of immediate death were the only answers.
When the boat was ready, and the officers and sailors had been
separately unbound and lowered into it, Christian addressed himself to
Bligh: "Now, Captain, your officers and crew are ready; it is time for
you to follow; any opposition will cost your life." He was then
liberated, and put into the boat with his companions in misfortune,
amidst the bitterest execrations for his past tyranny, from the
mutineers. After some provisions had been furnished to the boat, and a
compass, quadrant, and a couple of old sabres added, at the entreaty of
its occupants, the mutineers set their sails and abandoned their former
comrades to their fate, with shouts of "Down with Captain Bligh! Hurrah
for O Tahaiti!"
A regular narrative of what afterwards befell these unfortunate outcasts
would not be strictly in place here; but such of my readers as are yet
unacquainted with the facts, may learn with interest, that though
abandoned on the vast ocean, in an open boat only twenty-three feet
long, six feet nine inches broad, and two feet nine inches deep, very
scantily provisioned, and destitute of a chart, they ultimately
succeeded, by unparalleled efforts, in reaching a place of safety. The
boat being, at the period of its desertion, within about thirty miles of
the island of Tofoa, it was determined to land there, and take in a
store of provisions, then proceed to Tongatabu, and solicit permission
from the King of the Friendly Islands to put their boat into a
practicable condition for hazarding a voyage to India.
They effected their landing at Tofoa, and secured the boat to the
strand, but were presently attacked by a multitude of savages, who
saluted the defenceless strangers with showers of stones, and would soon
have overpowered them, had not an heroic petty-officer, named Norton,
resolved to sacrifice himself for the safety of his companions. He
sprang on shore, loosened the iron chain which fastened the boat, and
had only time to exclaim, Fly, fly! ere he was seized and murdered by
the savages.
This melancholy occurrence discouraged the fugitives from touching at
Tongatabu, or any other island inhabited by savages. All now applied to
Bligh, with the unanimous entreaty that he would conduct them to some
port in the possession of Europeans; and took a solemn oath of the most
unconditional obedience to him in the execution of this design. In
compliance with their wishes, Bligh adopted the daring resolution of
passing through the Torres Straits to the island of Timor, belonging to
the Dutch. The distance was about four thousand miles; it was therefore
indispensable to observe the most rigid economy in distributing the
provisions. The whole crew submitted, without murmuring, to the daily
allowance of an ounce of biscuit, and the eighth part of a bottle of
water. On the following day a storm arose, which so filled the boat with
water, that the most unremitting exertions were necessary to prevent her
foundering. By a second storm, accompanied with violent rain, the small
remaining provision of biscuit was transformed into a sort of paste,
which now constituted their only food, and even of this they were
henceforward obliged to partake yet more sparingly, as the voyage proved
of longer duration than was at first calculated.
Thus utterly exhausted by hunger, thirst, fatigue, wet, the burning rays
of the sun, and sickness arising from such complicated sufferings, the
unfortunate wanderers, after a voyage of thirty-two days, had the
indescribable joy of beholding the coast of New Zealand, and entering
the Torres Straits. They landed on a little uninhabited island near the
coast, where they found fine flavoured fruits, oysters, and the most
delicious water, all in abundance.
Refreshed by wholesome nourishment, they reposed with rapture for one
night on terra firma; but the rising sun discovered new perils. The
savages, armed with spears, had assembled on the opposite coast, and
threatened them with a powerful irruption, which they thought it prudent
to avoid, by a precipitate retreat from the island.
They sailed through the channel with fine weather, and a tranquil sea.
The natives beckoned from the shore with green boughs, inviting them to
land; but Bligh would not trust the intentions of this little hideous
negro race.
Some other uninhabited islands served them as resting-places, and for
recruiting their stores with fresh water and fruits. Reanimated by the
hope of soon reaching the island of Timor and the term of their
sufferings, the best spirits now prevailed among them.
But the object of their wishes was still far distant. When the boat had
passed the Torres Straits, and regained the open sea, all the
inconveniences and misfortunes to which they had before been subjected,
returned with redoubled severity. The whole crew was sick; some were
ready to expire; almost all had resigned the hope of ever again finding
safety in port, and besought Heaven only for deliverance from their
accumulated sufferings by a speedy death. Bligh, though himself ill, did
his utmost to inspire his men with courage, assuring them that they were
approaching land.
The promise did not fail. On the morning of the 12th of June, at three
o'clock, the high mountains of the island of Timor rose in smiling
majesty before them. This sight operated like an electric shock on the
exhausted sufferers; they raised their hands to Heaven, and never
certainly were thanksgivings more sincere. Two more days brought them to
the Dutch settlement of Cupang, where the Governor received them with
the utmost benevolence. The whole party, except one only, whose strength
was entirely worn out, soon recovered their health, and found means of
reaching England in March 1790.
It might have been supposed, that the terrible lesson Bligh had
received would have taught him caution for the future; but it made
little impression on his character. As commander of a ship of the line,
his severity again provoked a mutiny; and when afterwards Governor of
New South Wales, an insurrection was excited from the same excess of
discipline.