Curious Effect Produced on French Newspapers By the Series of Successes
That Attended the Emperor's Progress from Elba to Paris.
There are instances on record of cases in which distance did not "lend
enchantment to the view." Of these instances Napoleon's advance to Paris
after his escape from Elba affords a striking example.
In 1815 the French newspapers announced the departure of Bonaparte from
Elba, his progress through France, and entry into Paris, in the following
manner:
March 9. The Anthropophagus has quitted his den.--March 10.
The Corsican Ogre has landed at Cape Juan.--March 11. The
Tiger has arrived at Gap.--March 12. The Monster slept at
Grenoble.--March 13. The Tyrant has passed through
Lyons.--March 14. The Usurper is directing his steps toward
Dijon, but the brave and loyal Burgundians have risen _en
masse_, and surrounded him on all sides.--March 18.
Bonaparte is only sixty leagues from the capital; he has
been fortunate enough to escape the hands of his
pursuers.--March 19. Bonaparte is advancing with rapid
steps, but he will never enter Paris.--March 20. Napoleon
will, to-morrow, be under our ramparts.--March 21. The
Emperor is at Fontainebleau.--March 22. His Imperial and
Royal Majesty yesterday evening arrived at the Tuileries,
amid the joyful acclamations of his devoted and faithful
subjects.
The Story of the Snow Elinora.
A True Tale of the South Seas That Tells of the Remarkable Experience
of an American Trading-Vessel and Its Skipper's Terrible
Revenge, More Than a Century Ago.
At the time that Commodore Dewey's squadron hurled its showers of lead and
steel upon the doomed ships of the Spanish admiral in Manila Bay, scores
of mushroom bards uncovered their lyres and described the sensations of
the echoes that had the honor of bearing, "for the first time in the
history of the world," the sounds of Yankee guns among the startled
islands of the Pacific. But the bards were wrong. The echoes performed
that office during the first administration of George Washington as
President of the United States.
The incident is one which apparently has escaped the notice of historians,
else it would have been recalled shortly before the close of last year
when political circles in France were somewhat fluttered by a rumor that
as a result of a series of secret negotiations the French government had
expressed its willingness to sell to the United States the island of
Tahiti.
The rumor was soon denied officially, but in the meantime thousands of
Americans had taken down their atlases, looked up the situation of the
island, and asked themselves what the United States wanted with it anyway.
But there was a little story concerning the island of Tahiti, formerly
known as Otaheite, that the atlases and gazetteers did not give them--the
story of a Yankee skipper's revenge. It tells how American guns commanded
respect for the flag in the South Seas in the year 1790.
The Yankee skipper was Captain Metcalfe, who then was in command of an
armed trading vessel named the Elinora. The Elinora was a snow--which, it
may be worth while to explain, was an old-fashioned variety of brig. Her
crew consisted of Americans, Portuguese, and some natives picked up at
Manila. The account of the remarkable adventure is printed in _The
Gentleman's Magazine_, published in London, April, 1791. The writer, who
was one of the officers of the Elinora at the time, relates his story with
brutal frankness, and his narration resulted in a vast deal of comment
abroad that was somewhat galling to the citizens of the new-born republic
of the United States.
The account, as published in _The Gentleman's Magazine_, is as follows:
Story Told by an Officer.
Mobee, Lat. 19 N., Long. 168 E.
On or about the 30th of January, 1790, we anchored under
Ladrone Mount, and commenced a trade with the natives for
hogs, fruit, limes, fish, etc.; but not liking the
situation, we weighed anchor and went two miles farther up
into a bay, and came to anchor about 4 P.M.
At eleven or twelve o'clock, midnight, some of the natives
swam off and cut away the cutter from astern. At 1 P.M. we
discovered that she was missing, and immediately called all
hands aft on the quarter-deck and found none missing except
the man who was in her as boat-keeper. We then hoisted the
small boat out to go in search of her, but found, on
lowering her into the water, she leaked in such a manner as
obliged us to hoist her in again, which rendered it
impossible to search that night.
On the preceding evening an old man requested permission to
sleep on board, which was granted; but after missing the
boat we put him in irons. When daylight approached, no
canoes came off as usual, which confirmed our suspicions
that they had cut the boat adrift.
The women on board wished to go on shore. Captain Metcalfe
told them they might go when they thought proper. They all
immediately leaped into the water and swam to the shore, at
least three miles' distance. The old man also requested
leave to go, but leave was not granted him.
In the afternoon two or three canoes came alongside, with
presents from the chief, consisting of hogs and fruit; but
they were not accepted. The last that came we ordered
immediately away; but they paid little attention to it,
until we fired musket-shots at them, which killed and
wounded three or four.
Tried to Sink Ship with Knife.
Toward night a man swam from the shore to the cable, with a
knife in his hand, and afterward swam under the ship's
counter, where we saw him with the knife; he had once or
twice dived under water and started a piece of copper off
the ship's bottom, imagining, could he get the copper off,
the ship would sink. Captain Metcalfe fired a pistol at him
from the cabin window, but missed him. Three or four of the
people jumped into the boat and caught him. After bringing
him on board, Captain Metcalfe fully determined to hang him,
ordering a rope to be rove at the fore-yardarm and the rope
greased. But, by the persuasion of Mr. Chambers and myself,
he concluded to save his life and keep him prisoner.
The next day we observed four or five thousand people to
come down opposite the ship, all armed with slings, spears,
and arrows. At ten o'clock we hauled the ship within a
quarter of a mile of the shore, and fired round and grape
shot at them, and dislodged them from the village.
At twelve o'clock I went on shore with the boat and six men,
set fire to the village and _morai_ (a place of worship).
Some of them were seen very near, but, by constant firing
from the ship, they did not attempt to attack us.
I came on board and took some small water-casks to fill with
water. But after landing (that attention not being paid to
firing as before) the natives came down--great numbers,
throwing their spears and stones, which obliged us to go on
board again, our object unaccomplished.
They then all went to the summit of a hill, thinking the
shot from the ship could not reach them there. But we fired
two guns with such good aim that they were soon convinced of
their error, and immediately fled to the mountains and low
ditches, where it was impossible for our shot to touch them.
We then desisted from firing, hove up the anchors, and went
farther up the bay in hope of completing our water.
The Chief Accepted Ransom.
Toward evening we again came to an anchor, and on the next
morning two or three canoes came off, who were well treated,
so that more came off and engaged to bring us water, and the
captain purchased a small boy and girl for two axes and a
few beads.
After continuing here three or four days we weighed anchor
and stood from the island.
We had been under way about an hour and a half, with a light
breeze, when the natives came in a canoe alongside and
informed us that the chief of the people who had stolen the
boat lived behind a point to the northward. We then hauled
our wind, went around the point, and came to anchor.
The next day a canoe came alongside with one of their
chiefs. When he came on board we began to expostulate with
him in order to recover our boat and the man. He told us
that for a reward he would bring both of them. Captain
Metcalfe offered him a musket, eight cartridges, one bar of
iron, and a piece of Bengal cloth for the man, and the same
for the boat, which he agreed to.
The next morning he again came on board and said if we would
send a boat on shore, or near the shore, he would bring the
man. Immediately, by order of Captain Metcalfe, I armed the
boat and went near the shore; but after waiting an hour,
paying attention to their proceedings, and their not
bringing the man, I returned on board.
The chief then came off a second time and said if the boat
went again we might depend upon getting the man. I armed the
boat, and again went toward shore, where, after waiting half
an hour, they sent a man, who swam to the boat, with the
thigh bones of the man who was boat-keeper when they stole
the boat.
I received them and came on board, showed them to Captain
Metcalfe, and threw them into the sea. A few minutes
afterward the same chief came on board for the reward. It
was given, and he was also told that if he brought the boat
the reward should be given for that also, for he insisted
that it was not hurt.
Sacrificed Seaman to Gods.
He then told us the manner in which they had killed the
boat-keeper, as follows: That after cutting away the post,
and she had drifted a distance from the ship, they got into
her and found the man asleep; but he immediately awoke,
and, seeing them, drew his knife upon them. They, however,
overpowered him and took the knife from him, cut his head
off, and took him on shore, and the next night burned him
for a sacrifice to their gods.
We judged the night they stole the boat they killed the man,
and the next day burnt him (as the mountains seemed to be
one continuous blaze), which is their custom on such
occasions, but were not then positive of the above.
After relating the story, he desired of the captain that the
natives might come and trade as usual. Leave being granted,
he went on shore, and just at sunset he came off again in a
large double canoe with twenty-five women. But the captain,
suspecting they had some design in the night to take the
vessel, would not permit them to come on board.
The day following, the canoes, as usual at the other
islands, came alongside with hogs, fruit, limes, etc. The
chief had told them they might come and trade without
molestation.
At 10 A.M. the chief came alongside, with two others, and
had in their canoe the keel of the boat which they had
stolen. After he came, he called and wanted the reward which
was promised. Captain Metcalfe was informed of his being
alongside, and of his having the boat's keel. He then came
on deck and saw it, and, being then perfectly convinced of
the man's being killed and the boat broken, made this
expression--that, "I will now give the reward they little
expect."
The Captain Was Merciless.
Mr. Chambers and myself endeavored to persuade the captain
to entice the three chiefs on board, and afterward to hang
them on the foreyard in view of the whole island; which
might, perhaps, be sufficient warning for them in future
never to attempt distressing any ships which might touch at
their islands.
But our persuasions were of no effect. He was fully
determined to take the following means of punishing them:
First, to decoy those canoes which were on the larboard to
come to the starboard side, then to station one man to each
post lanyard, and others down to the guns, between decks,
while others on the quarter-deck were stationed at the
swivels and four brass guns, and, when everything was in
readiness, to fire immediately into the canoes all at one
command.
The guns that were below had on each of them a hundred
musket-balls and fifty langrage nails. There were seven of
the above guns, each containing the like quantity. The four
guns on the quarter-deck had in them fifty balls each; some
of the swivels had ten balls.
Mr. Chambers and myself strongly insisted that this
punishment was too severe, and only butchering a number of
innocent women and children. But he replied, we were going
to attempt taking the command of the ship from him, and that
the orders should be obeyed, and immediately ordered every
man to his station.
The men wished to fire into the canoes, as the man whom they
had killed was a Manila man and the crew were all Portuguese
or Manila men.
After the people were all stationed he gave orders to
fire--and the whole broadside was aimed direct at the
canoes. To attempt to describe the horrible scene that
ensued is too much for my pen. The water alongside continued
of a crimson color for at least ten minutes; some were
sinking, others lying half out of their canoes, without arms
or legs; while others lay in their canoes weltering in their
blood.
Although the appearance was so horrid, our people wished to
get into the boats and use boarding-pikes to kill those in
the water; but by severely punishing two or three they
desisted from their dreadful purpose.
The Harvest of Death.
Some persons on board said they had counted the canoes
before we fired, the number of which was two hundred and
twelve; but I did not think they were above one hundred and
seventy or eighty. The number killed, we then imagined,
exceeded one hundred, and as many more wounded; but, some
weeks after, they told us the number missing on the island
was eighty and one hundred and fifteen were wounded, the
greater part dead and dying fast.
This information they gave us at the island of Owyhee, about
fifteen leagues to windward; and we judged it to be true, as
canoes are daily passing from island to island. After our
firing ceased we weighed anchor and stood for the island of
Owyhee.
I have sent this account, as those who are acquainted with
the circumstance think Captain Metcalfe much to blame; and
that should any vessels go to these islands from America
they might be particularly cautious, and not pay too much
attention to the friendship professed for them by these
islanders.
P.S.--They cut off a schooner about six weeks after, which
belonged to Captain Metcalfe, and murdered all the people.