low water, the coral-bank was nearly dry. This was the case when we
landed, and, having remained there several hours, our fishing party
was surprised with a rise of the water, that made it difficult, and
somewhat dangerous for them to retrace their steps to the edge of the
bank, the holes in many places not being perceptible, and the water
in them over their heads. What made their situation the more
disagreeable was the number of sharks that had come in with the tide,
and which occasionally made a bite at their feet or legs. One man,
who had a large bunch of fish which he trailed through the water, was
so closely pursued, and fiercely attacked by them, that he was
compelled to take refuge upon a rock that lay in his way, from which
he could not again be prevailed upon to descend, until the boat went
to his relief. Caroline Island is uninhabited. It is from five to
eight miles long, and no where in the vicinity of our anchorage more
than from a quarter to half a mile wide. There are some trees of a
large size upon it, and in most places a thick growth of underwood.
It is every where bounded by a bed of coral, which generally extends
several hundred yards from the shore. We saw no animals on it, and
no other reptiles than small lizards. Sea birds were tolerably
numerous, and a few sand snipe were seen. On the weather side of the
island, we found a cocoa-nut tree, that, to all appearance, had but
recently drifted on shore. Besides the cocoa-nut tree, we found two
articles of Indian furniture. That they came from an inhabited
island, there can be no doubt, and it is equally certain that the
island has never been discovered, as there is none laid down upon the
chart, in the direction of the trade winds, from Caroline Island,
nearer than the Society Islands. The Marquesas are the nearest to
Caroline, of any land known; and they are distant upwards of six
hundred miles, and differ in their bearing a little from the general
direction of the trade winds. On the cocoa-nut tree there were two
nuts, which had the appearance of having been but a short time in the
water. We planted them near our anchorage. Caroline Island is low,
and every where flat, with the exception of a few sand hillocks, that
rise a little above the ordinary level. It is no where more than
four or five feet above the sea. We obtained a boat-load of
pepper-grass and pursely, of which there was a great abundance; and
on the 13th, at meridian, unhooked our kedge, and made sail to the
westward. Our place of landing at Caroline Island, was south
latitude nine degrees fifty-four minutes thirty seconds; west
longitude, one hundred and fifty degrees eighteen seconds.
Previous to taking our departure from the coast of Peru, the
commander of the station had furnished us with a long list of
islands, said to have been recently discovered by whalers, and we
were now in the vicinity of two of them, one of which was laid down
in south latitude eight degrees forty minutes; and west longitude one
hundred and fifty-nine degrees fifty minutes. The other, in south
latitude, six degrees forty-two minutes; went longitude one hundred
and sixty-six degrees ten minutes. After our departure from Caroline
Island, we steered for the supposed new discovery, that was nearest
to us, being that in latitude eight degrees forty seconds; and,
having cruised two days in the vicinity, bore away, under a full
conviction that it did not exist, or had been laid down incorrectly.
In our search for the other island, we were equally unsuccessful; and
after running down a degree or two of longitude, in its parallel of
latitude, continued on to the southward and westward, shaping our
course for the Duke of Clarence Island. Whilst we were looking for
these new discoveries, we were frequently deceived by the same false
appearance of land, that I have noticed soon after our departure from
the Marquesas, and several times we saw land-birds[8] flying about
the vessel.
At four, A.M., on the 29th of October, we discovered the Duke of
Clarence Island ahead, twelve miles from us. At day-light, the N.W.
end was full in sight, and on each side of it, apparently at a great
distance, the tops of the trees could but just be seen through the
haze of the morning, looking as though they rose from the ocean. As
we approached nearer, a great many islets rose to view, connected
with each other by a chain of coral reefs. In sailing round them, we
discovered that they formed a polygon, the sides of which were narrow
strips of land and coral reefs, comprehending within them a lake of
many miles in circumference. When we first got close in with the
island, this lake, intervening between us and the most distant islets
that rose at the utmost limit of our vision, almost persuaded us, for
a time, that it was an extensive group, instead of one little island
that looked like a speck upon the general chart. The lake was
everywhere protected against the ocean, and so smooth, that not an
undulation could be seen upon its surface. The wind was light, the
sea smooth,--the air had the mildness and elasticity of a spring
morning; and these deep green spots, upon the wide waste of ocean,
were truly beautiful. The islets were low, rising but a few feet
above the water, and all covered with a thick growth of cocoa-nut
trees. When we run down within a few miles of the shore to the
westward, where, near the beach, were a few huts, two canoes put off,
and pulled for us with great rapidity, and shortly afterwards not
less than twenty were in sight.
All this part of the shore was bounded by a coral reef, upon which
was breaking a heavy surf, and as we wished to anchor, and look for
water, we continued on for the leeward shore. We were under easy
sail, and the canoes kept way with us, constantly increasing in
number, having, each of them, from four to seven men. One of them
came very near us, and to save the natives the labour of working at
their paddles, we threw them the end of a rope. They laid hold of it
very eagerly, but instead of tying it to some part of their canoe, as
we expected they would have done, they hauled up by it as close to
our stern as they could get, and made motions for us to give them
more. We did so, and they again motioned us to veer to. This, we
thought unnecessary, as they had already sufficient for the purpose
we intended. When they found that their solicitations for more were
not heeded, they very deliberately took a sharp instrument of bone or
shell, and cut the rope off, having several fathoms in their canoe.
As soon as they had done this, they took to their paddles, and pulled
away for us with all their might, and were soon again near enough to
have a rope thrown to them, which they called for as loud as they
could, making, at the same time, significant motions. When they
found that we would not give them the rope again, they paddled up to
our quarter, and one of them, who was a powerful man, came on board,
without seeming to fear us in the least. Several of the officers
spoke to him, and tried to call his attention; but, without taking
the least notice of any body, he walked straight to the
stern-netting, where he commenced most industriously to throw into
his canoe every thing that he could lay hands on. The quarter-master
and others, who were near, remonstrated with him, in vain, against
such outrageous conduct. Their interference seemed only to excite
his indignation, and make him the more active in accomplishing his
design. When we found that nothing else would prevail with him, I
took a musket that lay near me, and gave him a slight blow with it,
calling at the same time on some of the men, who stood near, to lay
hold of him. He seized the musket, when I struck him, and would have
taken me overboard with it, but for the timely assistance of those
who were near. He made his escape before the men could get hold of
him, having succeeded in throwing into his canoe the log-reel and
line, besides a number of other articles, that we could not
conveniently spare. We would have pursued the canoe, and taken from
it the stolen articles, but they all moved with such rapidity, that
we had no hope of overtaking them, if we made the attempt. When the
natives in the other canoes had witnessed the success of their
comrades in carrying off their booty, which they were displaying to
those around them, with great delight, they were encouraged to come
near, and make a similar attempt at plunder. They were somewhat
cautious, however, having witnessed the resistance we made. The next
theft was that of breaking off one of the rudder-irons of the
waist-boat. The captain, who was near, prevailed upon the fellow to
give it up, which he did, without the least hesitation; but,
remaining quietly where he was, he seized the opportunity, when the
captain's face was turned from him, and, snatching the piece of iron
out of his hands, jumped overboard, and swam to the nearest canoe.
We were all the time close in with the shore, getting frequent casts
of the deep sea lead, and the moment it was overboard, and the line
was seen by the natives, they made for it in a dozen canoes, and with
instruments of sharp shells, fastened to sticks, endeavoured to cut
it off. They paid not the slightest attention to our remonstrances
and threats, and the only way in which we could prevent them from
effecting their object, was by hauling the line in as fast as
possible.
After running along the shore for several miles, seeking in vain for
anchorage, we began to examine the reefs, that connected the islets,
with great solicitude, in the hope of finding an opening into the
lake, whore we should be protected from the wind and sea. Of this,
however, we soon despaired, and passing the south-west point of the
island, a bountiful little bay opened to our view, upon the shore of
which the surf beat less violently than we had seen it elsewhere.
Here we hove to, and sent a boat in shore to look for anchorage. She
soon returned with a report that, within less than half a cable's
length of the shore, no bottom could be found, with upwards of a
hundred fathoms of line. We now gave up all intention of anchoring,
and permitted the natives to come alongside, and exchange whatever we
had, that was mutually acceptable to each other. They had continued
to follow us, and, growing bold with their numbers, frequently threw
on board of the vessel clubs, cocoa-nuts, or whatever they had in
their canoes, that could be used as missiles. This was accompanied
by such a loud shouting, and they had become so numerous, that the
orders for the ordinary duty of the vessel could not be heard. Some
of their clubs were so large, as to be capable of inflicting a fatal
blow by the violence with which they were thrown, and our
apprehensions of suffering some evil consequence from this licentious
conduct of our new acquaintances, were soon realised, by one of them
striking the surgeon upon the head. He was in ill health, and had
just come upon deck to witness the novel spectacle around us, when
the unwelcome salutation was given. It alarmed us at first for his
safety; but, to our gratification, we discovered that his hat had so
far protected his head, that the wound was not severe. As soon as
the natives saw the schooner heave to, they closed around us, and as
many as could get alongside, came with whatever they had to offer.
Nearly a hundred canoes were assembled, and in them several hundred
men. When they saw us hoisting out our boat for the purpose of
sounding, they became alarmed, and took to flight. No inducement
could prevail upon them to come near us, whilst the boat lay
alongside, and as soon as she shoved off, they took to their paddles,
and retreated as fast as they could; but when they saw that she took
a different direction, and it was not her object to pursue them, they
all turned and followed her. They gathered around her at a short
distance, apparently afraid to approach nearer, at first making signs
for her to go on shore, where was a numerous group of men, women, and
children, inviting our people to land. Seeing that the boat would
not go on shore, and after the duty assigned had been accomplished,
that she was returning to the schooner, the natives with one accord
closed more nearly around her, as if to intercept her passage. The
officer in the boat made threats and signs for them to retire, to
which they paid not the slightest attention. A canoe came on each
side of the boat, and the natives laid hold of the oars, a man rising
in each canoe at the same time, with a barbed spear, which he held in
the attitude of throwing. The officer, feeling that his situation
was a very critical one, and thinking that the report of his pocket
pistol would cause them to desist, presented it with a design to fire
ahead of one of the canoes. It did not go off, but the snap was a
signal sufficient for our men to prepare for their defence, believing
they were exposed to the greatest danger. They seized their pistols,
with one of which each man was provided, and before the officer could
interfere to prevent them from firing (the noise and confusion
amongst the natives being such, that he could not be heard) one of
the men discharged his piece, and the ball passed through the hand of
one of the natives. They became alarmed at the extraordinary report
of the pistol, and immediately after it, seeing the blood flow from
the hand of their countryman, discontinued their assault, and retired
with precipitation. The boat then returned to the schooner
unmolested, the natives flying from her in every direction as she
approached them. We were apprehensive that the report of the pistol,
and the wounding one of the natives would produce so great a panic
amongst them, as to interrupt our farther intercourse. But in this
we were agreeably disappointed, for the boat was no sooner hoisted
in, than they came alongside, with as much confidence, as though
nothing of the kind had occurred. In an hour afterwards, the wounded
man was seen in a canoe, fifty or a hundred yards from us, apparently
afraid to come nearer. He was distinguished by having his hand bound
up in green leaves. After making motions to him, and those around
us, and holding up a variety of things for his acceptance, he was at
last prevailed upon to come near us. When he saw the sentinel, in
the gangway, he stopped, and we in vain held up our presents for him,
until the sentinel was removed. He then came on board, and suffered
his wound to be examined and dressed, trembling and staring around
him, like one in the greatest terror. We were gratified to find that
the wound was not so severe as was to have been apprehended, the ball
having passed through the fleshy part of his hand, between the thumb
and forefinger, without breaking any bones, and probably without
inflicting upon him a serious injury. When his wound was dressed,
and he received a few presents of old iron, &c., to him invaluable,
he left us, and jumped from one canoe to another, with the activity
of a monkey, holding up his treasure, and talking with great
vehemence, apparently delighted with his good fortune. The natives
had nothing to exchange with us but a few mats, some of which were
finely wrought, cocoa-nuts, bone and shell ornaments, and
fishing-hooks, for which we gave them, in return, pieces of iron
hoops, or old nails. We witnessed several instances of dishonesty
amongst them, as well as their entire want of confidence in us.
Whenever one of them presented any thing for exchange, he held it
firmly grasped in his hand, until he received his pay with the other;
and if he first obtained the old nail or iron hoop, without the
person, with whom he was trading, getting firmly hold of his mat or
whatever it might be, he was sure to keep both. Every man carried a
long spear, and some of them a short weapon, slightly curved like a
sword. Their spears were from eight to twelve feet long, some of
which had one and some two branches near the end. They were pointed
with the hard bone of a large fish, and, from one to two feet from
the point, covered with rows of shark's teeth, that were immoveably
fixed by a neat moulding of twine passing through the teeth, and
round the spear. The short weapons were armed in the same manner all
over, except a small part left for the grasp of the hand. Both were
formidable weapons, and capable of inflicting a mortal wound. A few
of them wore dry wreaths of cocoa-nut leaves round their brows, which
were the only kind of covering we saw any of them have about their
heads, and as the instances were rare, we thought it probable that
they were chiefs. The dress for their loins consisted of two pieces,
one of which was composed of a few plaited leaves, next to the skin,
and the other consisted of a mat, from two to three feet wide, and
four long, beautifully fringed at the bottom, and which served, not
only as a pretty ornament, but was useful as a protection against the
flies, which almost everywhere amongst these islands are very
troublesome. They were strong and robust looking men, of a very dark
copper colour, and most of them, particularly the old men, covered
with scars, that they gave us to understand were occasioned by wounds
from their spears and daggers. They wore their hair long, and in
disagreeable looking matted locks. None of them had heavy beards,
and in general but little. It is not improbable that they pull them
out with fish-scales, as is practised at the Marquesas, and many
others of the South Sea Islands. This is done by compressing the
beard with the fingers between two large fish-scales, in the manner
of applying a pair of tweezers. A great many natives, most of them
women and children, had assembled on the shore, opposite to us, where
they remained all day, singing and amusing themselves. No females
came off in the canoes.
We saw no water, except a small quantity that one or two of the
natives had in cocoa-nut shells, and, much to our regret, from
ignorance of their language, could not inquire where it was to be
obtained. The land no where rose more than from three to seven feet
above the level of the sea, and as we could not land with safety, we
had no means of ascertaining whether any rivulets existed upon it.
The island seemed to produce nothing, but cocoa-nuts, which must be
the only food of the natives, except when they are so fortunate as to
catch fish. Towards evening we stood out of the bay, and hove to off
the south-west point, where we sent a party on shore to collect a
quantity of cocoa-nuts, of which there was a dense forest, that
promised an abundant supply. Our people were no sooner on shore than
they saw the natives approaching them in different directions, armed
with spears and paddles, making signals to each other, and signs, for
the intruders to depart. Every tree had some peculiar mark, from
whence we concluded, it was considered the property of some
individual. It was after sun-down, and night was closing in fast
upon our party, who finding, from the determined manner of the
natives, that, whatever they took, must be by violence, gave up the
enterprise, and returned to the beach. It was fortunate that they
did so, for the tide had risen considerably, and with it the surf had
increased in a dangerous degree. All, however, got off safe, but
with wet jackets, and at eight, P.M., October the 30th, we hoisted in
the boat, and made sail.
We ran off with a fine breeze, and at half-past three, A.M., made the
Duke of York's Island, directly ahead, and sooner than we expected.
It was not more than three or four miles off; the deep hollow roar of
the surf could be distinctly heard, and its foaming white crest seen
through the mists of the night, as it tumbled on the shore. We hove
to until morning, when we made sail along the land, towards the south
end of the island. This island is noted on the chart, as
uninhabited, when discovered by Commodore Byron, in 1791; and it may
be supposed, that we were not a little surprised, on approaching the
southern point, to see two canoes putting off for us. One of them
came alongside, the other kept at a distance. The first had but one
man in it, who exchanged a mat for a piece of iron hoop, and returned
immediately to the shore, followed by his consort. When we got to
the southward of the point, which was the lee side of the island, we
hove to, and sent a boat to look for anchorage. The shores were
similar to those of Caroline and Clarence Islands,--of coral, and
shelving suddenly into deep sea-water. It was somewhat better here,
however, for within half a cable's length of the surf, we let go our
anchor in twenty fathoms water. Although we veered eighty fathoms of
cable, the bottom was so smooth, and its angle of depression so
great, that we drifted off.
We stood in again, and running the vessel close in with the edge of
the surf (the wind blowing off shore) came to in eight fathoms. In a
few minutes, a native made his appearance on the coral bank, near us,
with his arms full of cocoa-nuts, which he held up, as if for our
acceptance, waving at the same time a green branch, and frequently
jumping about upon the rocks, in a childish, playful manner. A boat
was sent to bring him off; but when he saw her approaching pretty
near, he threw the nuts in the water towards her, and hastily
retired. A coral bed, like that at Caroline Island, extended off
fifty or a hundred yards from the shore, which, like that, was
perforated every where with holes, and resembled, in its frail
appearance, ice that has been for a long time exposed to rain. The
tide was low, and the surf breaking but lightly upon it, we were
enabled to land without difficulty. At our approach the natives all
ran off, and for a considerable time could not be prevailed upon to
come near us. After a while their timidity relaxed, and they came
round us, one by one, until we had a dozen of them assembled. Still
they were very much afraid, starting with every motion we made, and
if we attempted to touch them, they ran from us, and became as shy as
ever. From our place of landing, we could discover that this island
was similar to the Duke of Clarence, being a narrow chain of little
islets and reefs, of coral formation, covered with bushes and
cocoa-nut trees, and comprehending within the chain a lake of many
miles in circumference.
At our place of landing, the island between the ocean and inland sea,
was not more than two hundred yards wide, and this appeared to be as
wide as any part of the chain that came under our immediate
observation. In passing over to the borders of the lake, we saw near
the centre of it a large raft, and a number of canoes filled with
people. On first landing, we were surprised not to see any women or
children, the mystery of which was now explained, as well as the
singular visit we received on first approaching this part of the
island. The person in the canoe had been sent off as a spy, to
reconnoitre us, and from the report he made, it was thought expedient
to remove the women and children, where we now saw them at a place of
safety. They did not appear to be more than thirty in number, and
the men on the island did not exceed fifteen. The men resembled the
inhabitants of Clarence Island, in dress, colour, and every thing,
except that they had a sickly look, and, in strength and activity,
seemed much their inferiors. Their canoes were also the same. Like
the inhabitants of the Duke of Clarence Island, they had nothing
amongst them that indicated a visit of white men before. The
cocoa-nut, except when they catch fish, is their only food. No
bread-fruit trees were seen growing upon either island. They
exchanged for iron hoop and old nails, their rude shell ornaments,
mats, cocoa-nuts, and fishing nets. We witnessed several instances
of dishonesty, practised by them upon us, and each other. Their
fishing-nets, which were beautifully wrought, they had concealed,
from the apprehension that we would plunder them; but when they had
made acquaintance with us, and found that our disposition towards
them was friendly, persons, to whom the nets did not belong, would
purloin, and bring them to us, in exchange for pieces of iron hoop.
Not long afterwards the owner would discover his net in the
possession of one of our people, and claim it as his property, or
demand a gratuity. In this way, they made us pay in some instances
three or four times for the same thing, frequently (we began to
suspect) pretending a fraud had been committed upon them, whilst they
themselves were the rogues. We saw no animals or birds upon the
island, but presented them with a pair of pigs, male and female, with
which they were very much pleased, and before we left them, so far
acquired their confidence, that they came amongst us without fear,
and, in many instances, became troublesome by their familiarity. The
only water we saw on the island was in a few trunks of cocoa-nut
trees, the stumps of which had been hollowed out, and from whence we
supposed that, in time of drought, if not always, they are supplied
with this important necessary of life. We regretted the more that we
could not find a sufficient supply here, as the thinly populated
state of the island would admit of sending our parties on shore,
without the least apprehension of hostility from the natives, and
because the landing was such, as to permit the embarkation, without
great labour, or risk of losing boats.