westward, was a narrow islet, made up of dry reefs, and verdant
spots, from one to two miles long, and two hundred yards wide. On
most of the islets grew cocoa-nut, and bread-fruit trees,--the
invariable indication of inhabitants. They were, however, but thinly
inhabited. Some of the reefs that connected them were covered with
water sufficiently for the passage of a boat. The captain landed
upon the eastern extremity, where he found a few people, most of whom
fled at his approach, and such as remained, were so timid, that we
could hardly look upon them as the countrymen and near neighbours of
the natives, who had treated us with so much kindness at our
anchorage.
A small canoe came off, paddled by one man, who ventured on board,
and looked round for a few minutes, when he departed, without seeming
to have had any other object in view than to gratify his curiosity.
We should have suspected him of being a spy, had we not believed
these people too simple, to adopt such an expedient of civilization.
This we, however, afterwards ascertained was the capacity in which he
came, having been sent by the principal chief of all the Mulgrave
Group.
The schooner coasted along the islands, keeping way with the captain,
who continued on to the westward, examining all parts of it. Beyond,
in what we afterwards ascertained was an inland sea of great extent;
several large sail canoes were discovered coming from a distant
islet. The captain crossed the reef into the inland sea, where he
found the water smooth, but every where filled with shoals of coral.
Without indicating a wish to examine the canoes, which might have
caused them to put back, he soon afterwards returned on board, and
another boat was sent to continue the examination of the islet, as we
advanced. The officer prevailed upon some natives, that he met with,
to come near him, and one of them gave him, in return for a present,
some glass beads. Upon arriving at the western extremity of the
islet, the captain put off for the shore, where he found four large
canoes hauled up on the beach, and those he had seen before, coming
over the inland sea, just in the act of landing. As we afterwards
ascertained, it was the high chief of the Mulgrave Group, with from
fifty to a hundred of his chiefs and warriors, on a cruise of
observation, to satisfy himself who, and what we were, and what was
the object of our visit to his lonely and unfrequented isle. None of
the chiefs had any thing to distinguish them, so that we knew not but
that they were here upon some ordinary pursuit, otherwise, their
presence would have excited in us a much more lively interest. As it
was, we were gratified to have an opportunity of seeing so many of
the natives, with their canoes, which we could examine, for proofs of
the crew of the Globe having landed upon these islands, of which we
were already pretty well satisfied from what we had seen. The fact
was satisfactorily proved in a few minutes afterwards, by our
discovering upon the platform of their canoes the lids of several
sailors' chests. On a farther examination, pieces of cloth and
ash-spars were also found. The natives were watching our every look
and motion, and notwithstanding their pretended apathy and
indifference, could not conceal the intense excitement that our close
examination produced amongst them, It soon gave rise to an animated
conversation, which was accompanied with angry looks, and the only
satisfaction they gave us, when we pointed to the chest-lids, was a
vacant stare, or a few words of their island language not more
intelligible. Not far from the beach was a pleasant grove of
cocoa-nut and bread-fruit trees, through which was scattered a number
of neat little Indian huts. One of them, near the shore, was
frequented by a great many of the natives, with whom our people
freely mingled. It was about ten feet high, and above the ground;
had a small garret, which was screened from observation by a floor of
sticks, thickly interwoven with leaves. Although most of the huts
had been examined by our men, it was our good or ill fortune, that
this, where so many were constantly assembled, should escape
observation. We should there have found one of the men, as he
afterwards informed us, for whom we were so anxiously looking; but
the discovery might have been attended with bloodshed, and, perhaps,
fatal consequences to our shore party, than whom the natives were
much more numerous.
William Lay, one of the Globe's crew, had been brought to this islet,
by the chiefs, to be used as circumstances might suggest. He was
concealed in the garret of the hut, and guarded by a number of old
women, who were directed, the first whisper of noise that he made, to
put him to death, the chiefs having also denounced their heaviest
vengeance upon him, if he should, in any way, disclose the secret of
his being there. He lay in this unhappy situation for several hours,
listening to the interchange of opinion amongst his countrymen, from
whose conversation he was informed of the character of our vessel,
and the object of her cruise.
Towards sun-down, when our parties were weary with the labour of the
day, they repaired on board for the night, and the natives, getting
into their canoes, took their departure from the islet, and steered
away, over the inland sea, until they were lost in the horizon. We
stood off and on during the night, and, at nine in the morning,
anchored in nine fathoms water, near our place of landing. Here
there was a channel into the inland sea, having nearly water enough
for the schooner, and through which we made an unsuccessful attempt
to pass. Our situation was now becoming very unpleasant. It was
necessary for us to have parties on shore, exploring the islands, and
the remainder of the crew was quite insufficient to get the vessel
underway,--an expedient indispensable, whenever the wind came on
shore, as the anchorage hardly ever extended more than half a cable's
length from it. That we might lose nothing from delay or want of
perseverance, however, soon after we came to, an officer, with a
party of eleven men, attended by a boat to take them over the drowned
reefs, was sent to march round, and explore the islets, that formed a
continued chain to the southward and westward of us. We felt a
conviction, from the conduct of the natives, that they were unwilling
to give us the intelligence we required, and that we must depend
entirely upon our industry and good fortune, for any discovery we
might make. In the evening we sent a boat to communicate with our
party, but they had advanced so far, that she returned without seeing
any of them.
On the following day, November the twenty-fifth, the weather clear
and pleasant, a boat was sent with refreshments to our exploring
party, who were overtaken at the distance of ten miles from us, just
commencing their morning's march. The islets, thus far, were narrow,
not averaging a quarter of a mile in breadth, and but thinly
inhabited. Our party were pleased with the conduct of the natives
they had seen. They gave them cocoa-nuts, without receiving any
thing in return, and in the evening, when they stopped to repose for
the night, provided them with huts to sleep in. The officer of the
party, in the course of the day's march, found a mitten, with the
name of Rowland Coffin marked on it, who, by referring to a list of
the Globe's crew, proved to be one of the boys left with the
mutineers. From the place where the party was found, the extent of
the island could not be seen. I landed at the settlement where we
were anchored, and found the hats nearly all deserted. Such of the
natives, as remained, seemed disposed to be very friendly, and
followed me to the beach, where I shot a few sand-snipe, which drew
from them loud shouts of applause, on witnessing the effect of my
musket. Near the huts I observed a number of small white cranes, one
of which I shot, supposing them to be wild, but afterwards regretted
it very much, on learning that they were domesticated, and held in
great reverence by the natives.
At five in the morning, November the twenty-sixth, a squall arose
from the eastward, which struck the vessel adrift, in the direction
of the trending of the land, and, dragging off the bank, we hove the
anchor up, and stood along shore to the westward. When we had run
fifteen or twenty miles, we came up with our party, to whom we sent
refreshments, and proceeded on, passing several remarkable points.
At three, P.M., we came to, under a point, by which we were somewhat
protected from the sea, in ten fathoms of water, and about thirty
fathoms from the coral rocks, where there was but three feet. We
were considerably in advance of our party, whom we had now determined
should march round the whole circle of islets, if information of the
mutineers should not sooner be obtained. In front of us the islet
was wider than any we had seen elsewhere, and presented a noble
forest of cocoa-nut, interspersed every where with the broad green
leaves of the bread-fruit tree, which indicated a most luxuriant
growth. Huts were scattered about through the trees, and some close
to the shore, forming a peaceful and romantic scene. The landing was
good at low water, and practicable at high tide. As far as we could
see to the westward, the land still continued.
The surgeon, who was very much debilitated, when we sailed from the
coast of Peru, had gradually, and almost imperceptibly, become more
feeble, and for some time past believed that he had a disease of the
liver. Until within two days of coming to our present anchorage, he
discharged his ordinary duties, in attending the sick, when his mind
began to fail, and it was evident to us that the period of his
existence was near its close. He lay for a time in a state of
insensibility, receiving the little aid that his friends could afford
him; and at forty-five minutes after four, P.M., November the
twenty-seventh, breathed his last, deeply lamented by all the crew,
to whom he had greatly endeared himself, by kind and assiduous
attentions, even when he was extremely ill, and knew that he was fast
hastening to the close of life. In the morning, I took a party of
men on shore, and in a grove, at the foot of a wide-spreading
bread-fruit tree, made the narrow bed of our departed messmate. At
nine, the vessel struck adrift, and dragged off the bank. When she
again stood in towards the shore, we landed, with as many of the
officers and men as could be spared to bury the doctor's remains,
with the honours of war. The natives assembled, to the number of
twenty or thirty, and followed us to the grave, watching all our
motions with an expression of great surprise. They were silent until
the first discharge of musketry, when they burst into loud shouts and
laughter, for which we drove them back, with threats of punishment, a
considerable distance from us, where they afterwards remained quiet.
At the foot and head of the grave we planted seeds of orange, lemon,
and cheramoya, and upon the bread-fruit tree, at the head of it,
carved his name, rank, and the vessel to which he belonged. Below
this we spiked, firmly upon the tree, a brass plate, with his name,
age, the vessel to which he belonged, and the day of his death
inscribed upon it. A little to the eastward of the grave we had the
satisfaction to find two springs of excellent water.
On the following morning our party arrived, and, after receiving
refreshment, continued on to the northward and westward. They
crossed a long reef, that connected the islet abreast of us with
another, at the distance of a few miles, that had the appearance of a
large settlement, from the immense cocoa-nut forests that rose in
that direction. Soon after crossing the reef, and arriving at the
extreme east end of the islet, where it was narrow and sandy, they
suddenly came to a place that was strewed with several hundreds of
staves of beef and pork barrels, and old pieces of canvass and cloth.
In advancing a little further, they found a skeleton, lightly covered
with sand, and a box, containing a few Spanish dollars. The natives,
some of whom had been constantly following our party, and
occasionally mingling with them, and administering, as well as they
could to their wants, upon approaching this place disappeared, or
were seen at a distance, skulking through the bushes. These
discoveries excited the liveliest expectation of soon making others
more satisfactory, and proceeding a mile further, they found an
unoccupied hut, where, night approaching, they encamped. Early in
the morning they took up their line of march, and had not gone far,
when it was evident that the natives were preparing for hostilities.
Groups of them were frequently seen at a distance, armed with spears
and stones, and holding animated discussions. They were much more
numerous than our party, who, upon examining their ammunition, found
it was wet, and that the few arms they had, which were no other than
a pistol, for each man, were also wet, and unfit for immediate use.
The officer, therefore, determined to retreat to the place of his
night's encampment, until he could despatch information of his
situation, and ask for a reinforcement and ammunition. On arriving
where he had spent the night, he found that the hut he had occupied
was gone, and also that a large sail canoe, he left there, had been
taken away. Not a single person was any where to be seen. Here he
remained, sending two of his party to the schooner, which was now
several miles from him. A little after meridian, we received them on
board, and heard, with great interest, the information they gave.
There was no doubt in our minds, that this was the place where the
mutineers, and others of the Globe's crew, had been left,--but where
are they now?--was a question, which naturally occurred to us. We
had given the natives no cause, to excite them to hostility; but, on
the contrary, had taken every means that suggested itself, to gain
their confidence and esteem. If they wished to make war upon us,
opportunities had been frequently presented, when our exploring party
might have been assailed by overpowering numbers, with a prospect of
success, of which they had not availed themselves, and here they were
now apparently wavering between peace and war, just at the moment of
our discovering the place where our countrymen had been. We knew not
how to account for this change in their conduct, but by supposing
that the mutineers were amongst them, and that, from our near
approach, they were becoming alarmed for their safety, and had roused
the natives to war, with the hope of defending themselves by open
combat. If this supposition were true, and it seemed very probable,
the situation of our party was very critical, and no time was to be
lost in giving them the aid they asked for, and renewing our search
with redoubled activity. The launch was hoisted out, and fitted with
all possible expedition, and at four, P.M., November twenty-ninth,
sailed with two officers and eleven men, together with the three
belonging to the party, being all that we were willing to spare from
the schooner, as a bold attempt upon her by a large party of the
natives, led on by an enterprising and desperate chief, might have
placed her and the lives of all her crew in the greatest jeopardy. I
crossed the reef, which was sufficiently overflown by the high tide,
to admit of it, and ran down in the inland sea to the encampment of
our party, where I arrived at eight in the evening, and found them
all safe; but looking for our appearance, with the greatest anxiety.
I allowed the boat's crew to land, and get their supper in company
with those on shore, preparatory to commencing their night's work.
When we were prepared for our departure, and had embarked, I was
greatly chagrined on examining the boat, to find that the shore
party, to whom I had brought fresh arms and ammunition, had, in their
over-anxiety to be well supplied, deprived me of part of mine, and I
was under the necessity of landing, and searching, not only the men,
but even the bushes, before I found them.
Our party had acquired no information since morning, but from the
discoveries that had already been made, we felt satisfied, that on
the following day, we should find other traces of the mutineers. In
taking my departure, I stretched off with a fine breeze, but it was
blowing directly from the point to which I wished to steer. I
suffered the men to lay down and refresh themselves with sleep,
whilst midshipman S. and myself steered the boat, and to my regret,
in returning back towards the shore from whence I had started,
discovered that we had lost ground; besides, our boat being clumsy
and badly fitted, we found that we had to contend with a strong
current. I got the oars out, therefore, and pulled dead to windward
until day-light, when having proceeded about six miles, we again made
sail to the northward and eastward, close haul upon a wind; it
gradually veered, until I could head for an island eight or ten miles
from us, which just appeared above the horizon, and where I designed
to land and give the men breakfast. When within two or three miles
of the island, I observed a number of canoes leaving places nearer to
me and landing upon it. Two canoes had put off from thence, and were
standing for me as I was beating with my clumsy boat to weather an
intervening coral reef; they were manned with about twenty natives,
all armed with spears and stones. When they had approached me pretty
near, and were passing under my lee, I ran alongside to examine them,
for which they gave us a great many cross looks. As soon as I
suffered them to depart, they immediately returned to the shore from
whence they came, and where I not long afterwards discovered about
twenty canoes that would carry from twenty to forty men each.
The canoes I had boarded, sailed at least three miles to my one, and
I now discovered the impossibility of possessing ourselves of the
mutineers of the Globe, whilst they, or the natives, if friendly, to
them, had the disposal of such fleet vessels, with which to avoid us
whenever our too near approach endangered their safety. I
determined, therefore, to take possession of all that were now
assembled, even though I should be opposed by the natives, and
reduced to the necessity of measuring our strength with them.
The island was small, producing but few nut trees, and having but a
small number of huts upon it, notwithstanding which, there were
several hundreds of people assembled;--a great crowd, considering the
thinly populated state of the islands. But as this large assemblage
could only have been brought together from some extraordinary cause,
I determined to land and search their huts, and look round, before I
made so wide a breach with them, as must necessarily result from the
seizure of their canoes. I was sorry to see, on our coming near
them, that they were sending their women and children towards the
huts, which were at a short distance from the assemblage of natives;
a movement that indicated a want of confidence in us on their part,
or what was still less agreeable to us, a disposition to hostility.
There was some surf on the shore where we were about to land near the
canoes, and that the boat might be the more readily at our disposal
when we should have occasion for her after landing, I dropped an
anchor, and was in the act of veering to through the surf, when, to
my astonishment, a person dressed and looking like a native,
addressed us in our own language. He was standing upon the beach
thirty or forty yards distant, and half way between us and the
natives, all of whom had seated themselves. The first words that we
understood, were, "The Indians are going to kill you: don't come on
shore unless you are prepared to fight." The scene now presented to
us, inspired an indescribable sensation; for, although we were
convinced that this was one of the men we were so anxiously looking
for, his sudden and unexpected appearance, his wild attire, and above
all, his warning, seemed like an illusion of fancy. His hair was
long, combed up, and tied in a knot on the top of his head; round his
loins, he wore a large mat, finely wrought, and the use of cocoa-nut
oil, and the action of a tropical sun, for nearly two years, had made
his skin almost as dark as that of the natives. He earnestly
repeated, several times, that we must not land unless we were
prepared to fight, and described the plan the natives had concerted
with him, which was, to prevail upon us to come on shore and seat
ourselves amongst them, when, at a given signal, they would all rise
and knock us on the head with stones. This statement was probable
enough, but the suspicion that this was one of the mutineers, very
naturally occurred to our minds, with the questions, "Why have we not
found him before? and, why does he not now fly to us for protection,
if he is innocent?"--forgetting that our contemptible numbers
precluded all idea of safety to him, if opposed by the numerous
assemblage of natives by whom he was surrounded. I asked his name,
which he told me was William Lay, and that he was one of the crew of
the Globe. His stature and juvenile appearance, answered the
description we had of him. I told him to come to the boat, but he
said that he was afraid of the natives, who had directed him not to
advance any nearer to us. I then directed him to run to us and we
would protect him; but he declined, saying, that the natives would
kill him with stones before he could get there. During all this
time, they thought he was arranging their plan for us to come on
shore, and called out frequently to him to know what we said; to
which, he replied in a way calculated to suit his purpose.