one of the attendants of the late king Rio Rio, on his visit to the
king of England. He was a man of about thirty years of age, upwards
of six feet, and stout in proportion. He had a flat nose and thick
lips, but the general expression of his face was that of benevolence
and good nature--an expression truly characteristic, according to the
testimony of those who have had an opportunity of knowing him well.
We found him sitting in a chair at a table, with a desk before him,
upon which he was making pot-hooks after a copy, having just
commenced learning to write. He got up and shook hands with us, as
did also his wife, who was seated on some mats at the other end of
the hut. Boque was dressed in a coarse linen shirt and trowsers,
having a pair of heavy shoes on his feet, without any stockings.
Queen Boque was nearly as large as her husband, and looked a good
deal like him. She had on a plain white muslin cap and dress,
neither of which were very clean or neatly put on. It was, however,
in as good taste as could be expected in so rude a state of society,
but I thought it less becoming than would have been her native dress.
She invited us to be seated, and made an attempt at politeness, such
as she had seen practised in England, having accompanied her husband
thither. The hut was an oblong building, about sixty by forty feet.
Its simple structure was the same that has been in use in the islands
from time immemorial, being poles laid over crotches, upon which the
rafters rested, and differing in nothing from the habitations of the
poorest people, except that the crotches, poles, and rafters, were
longer, and there were more of them. It was thatched from the top
all the way to the ground, with a thick covering of grass. The
interior was all in one apartment, from the top of the rafters to the
hard beaten ground floor. There was nothing ornamental, and no
superfluous furniture. A bedstead standing in one corner, with some
pieces of white tappa cloth of the island for curtains, whereon was
laid a pile of mats for a bed; two or three piles of mats laying
along near the centre of the hut, raised one or two feet from the
floor, by being piled one above the other, for beds or lounging
places; two or three old chairs; a plain table of small dimensions,
and a dressing-case with a mirror in it, was all of Boque's
furniture, either useful or ornamental. Besides these may be
mentioned a few hollow gourds for poye, (a favourite food of the
Sandwich Islanders, made from the tarrow,) hanging at the side of the
hut.
Leaving Boque's palace, we went with the intention of making a
similar call upon the high chief Crimacu, known to strangers who have
visited the island, by the name of Billy Pitt. He was the high
carnie, or great friend of Tamahamaha, in whose wars he was greatly
distinguished for personal prowess, sagacity, and wisdom. When we
came to his hut, we found him sleeping in a swinging cot, with
several attendants sitting round, one of whom was fanning him. He
was in very ill health, having for a long time been afflicted with
the dropsy, and we departed without waking him. His hut differed in
nothing from that of Boque, except that it was not so large, and had
a greater profusion of mats in it. It was standing in one corner of
an extensive plain, that was partially enclosed by a wicker fence
just at the outskirts of the town of Onaroora, and all around it was
growing wild grass and weeds, except where the footsteps of the
people, who passed to and from the hut, had trodden them down. It
looked but little like the habitation of a man who had been a great
warrior, and associated as second in authority with one who had
conquered and ruled over thousands of men. One would naturally
suppose that in emerging from a savage state, with absolute power, he
would have made an attempt, at least, to imitate the style and
manners of the white men with whom he was constantly meeting, and
always on terms of friendship.
After we had interchanged salutes with the shore, chief Boque came on
board on the 17th, to make us a visit of ceremony. He was dressed in
a splendid English major-general's uniform, and made a very handsome
appearance. He remained and partook of a collation with us, at which
several gentlemen were invited to meet him, and in all respects
acquitted himself in a more polite and becoming manner than could
have been expected from one whose opportunities had been so limited.
He drank sparingly of wine, and left us at an early hour,
notwithstanding the solicitations of the company for him to remain.
A few hours after he had landed, I met him again, and should hardly
have recognized him but for his large stature and good-natured face.
He had stripped himself of all his finery, and was walking over the
plain from his house with nothing on but his marrow, and a piece of
tappa cloth of the island thrown loosely over his shoulders. I asked
him why he had taken off his uniform, to which he replied, that it
was too warm.
Our countrymen, to vary the entertainments they were constantly
giving us, and thereby make them the more acceptable, proposed that
we should make an excursion to a valley, called by them Pearl River,
from the pearl frequently found in a small stream that passes through
it. As horses could not be obtained for all, part of the company
went by water, whilst the rest, four or five, mounted on horseback.
The distance was about fifteen miles. I made one of the land party,
and we set off early in the afternoon. There was no road, and in
many places not even a footpath. The whole way was over hill and
dale, and through swamps. We had to jump fences and ditches made
through tarrow-patches, and ascend by narrow paths, difficult and
dangerous cliffs. All the afternoon was occupied in this manner, and
it was sundown when we arrived at our place of destination. One old
native made bold to oppose us in jumping our horses over his fence,
and was so obstinate in his refusal to let us pass, that for a time
we thought we should have to relinquish our excursion--a reflection
not very agreeable, after having advanced more than half way over so
wretched a road. Finally, when all other arguments had failed, some
one of the party, thinking that the native opposed our trespass upon
his premises with no other object than to lay us under contribution,
gave him half a dollar, which did more for us than all our threats or
persuasion. Instead of opposing, he afterwards pointed out to us the
best way. From Onavoora to Pearl River, the country was thinly
inhabited. We met with no considerable village or rich valley. Our
road lay near the edge of a wide marsh, that intervened between us
and the sea, in the opposite direction from which, an undulating
country extended three or four miles, when it was interrupted by the
high and uninhabited range of mountains that run through the centre
of the island from one end to the other. It was Saturday evening,
when we arrived at Pearl River, and, according to the doctrine in
which the missionaries had instructed the Sandwich islanders, their
sabbath had commenced. The hut that we were to occupy belonged to
Captain Dana, an American gentleman, to whom we were indebted for
many hours of agreeable pastime. Besides the hut, he possessed other
property in the valley, which gave him an influence with the chief of
it, that enabled him to command whatever it produced. When we
arrived, the chief was seated on a mat, near Captain Dana's hut,
moody, and, apparently, very stupid. The arrival of so many
strangers, in a place where a visiter was scarcely ever seen,
produced a lively interest amongst the villagers. All of them seemed
to partake of the general excitement, but the chief, though
celebrated for his hospitality, was now sunk in the most listless
apathy, and apparently scarcely sensible of our presence. When he
was told that we wanted supper, and preparation made for our
accommodation on the morrow, he replied, that it was the sabbath, and
neither then nor on the morrow could fire be made, as it was
forbidden by the Almighty. Upon being asked how he knew that it was
forbidden by the Almighty, he said, that Mr. Bingham had seen the
Almighty, who told him so. This was a great check to our promised
enjoyment, and one that we were quite unprepared for, as no
prohibition of making fire on Saturday, or any other night, was in
existence at Onavoora. We saw but a poor prospect of getting supper
or any thing, indeed, until we returned, unless we fasted on Sunday,
and that our religious scruples did not call for, if it were not
unavoidable. We were unwilling, however, to interfere with the
established observances, which had been thought necessary to civilize
and improve the condition of the people, and bore our disappointment
in silence. After wandering about the village for a while, which was
small, and scattered over a sterile ridge, we were relieved from our
unpleasant dilemma by a native, we had taken with us as cook and
interpreter, who was commonly known upon the island by the name of
Joe Banks. He had received some education, and had been a convert to
the missionaries, from whom he afterwards seceded. He did not like
fasting any more than ourselves, and set about haranguing the chief,
to convince him of the error of his opinion, with respect to the
making of fire. Joe was not wanting in either talent or volubility;
and, to our great satisfaction, we soon found him on good terms with
the chief; a fire was made, and soon after a kid and a pig brought up
for slaughter. I observed, that the chief's skin was very rough and
in scales, resembling somewhat the shell of a small terrapin. Upon
inquiring the cause, they told me, it was the effect of the ava-root,
of which he was undergoing a course. He had almost finished the
course, and his skin was all peeling off. It was the effect of the
ava, that made him so stupid, and under its operation he was a most
disgusting looking object. The natives of the Sandwich Islands are
very much subject to cutaneous irruptions, which are troublesome,
and, when of long standing, often dangerous. To eradicate this, and
some other offensive diseases, with which they are afflicted, they
sometimes go through a course of the ava. It is taken in quantities
from a gill to half a pint, of the juice of the green root. It is
chewed, and the juice spit into a gourd, if intended for the use of
another person than the one who prepares it, and is said, when taken,
to deprive the person of muscular power. In a few moments after
swallowing the potion, he loses the use of all his limbs. He
experiences an agreeable sensation, and is conscious of every thing
that transpires, but without the power of speech. He lies in this
helpless condition for several hours, when he recovers his strength
in a measure, and is left in the condition of a man that has been
very much intoxicated. This, to have the desired effect, is repeated
daily for about a month; when the disease is cured, the skin all
comes off, and a fair and shining one is left in its place. When
once it was settled between Joe Banks and the chief of Pearl River
Valley, that fire should be made, and our supper cooked, he provided
for us in the most sumptuous native style. We had pigs, goats, fish,
tarrow, and potatoes, in the greatest profusion. All was cooked
after the manner of the natives, and as the same method is practised
generally amongst the islanders of the Pacific Ocean, and knowing,
from experience, that it is a very good one, I will here describe it.
A hole is first dug a foot or two deep, and large, according to the
size of the thing to be cooked. A fire is then made in the hole,
and, when it is burning well, covered over with stones of a
convenient size. When every thing is in readiness, the stones being
well heated, they are taken off, and the hole cleared out. A layer
of stones is then placed all round the interior, upon which is lain
the meat, after being well wrapped up in green leaves. Over this is
placed a thick layer of stones, which is covered with grass, or
something dry, and then with earth. If vegetables are to be cooked,
they are lain on the top of the upper layer of stones. The young
tops of the tarrow are usually wrapped up in leaves, and cooked with
the meats in the manner above described. It is a very excellent
green, and called by the natives lewoca, from which the method of
cooking takes its name. Early in the morning after our arrival, we
arose, to look upon the wild beauty of the valley, and wander through
what, at a distance, appeared to be its meadows and lawns; but, to
our great disappointment, in descending from the hills, the green
level fields that looked so pleasant at a distance, were all cut up
in tarrow patches, flooded over, and intersected in every direction
with ditches and embankments. A scene, so uninviting, soon induced
us to relinquish our anticipated pleasure, and return.
In the course of our morning's walk we came to the house of an
Englishman, who, a few years previous, arrived at the island in a
Peruvian man-of-war, the seamen of which had risen upon their
officers, and ran away with the vessel. He had taken to himself a
native wife, and, to all appearance, had fixed here his abode for
life. His hut looked extremely comfortable--not less so, indeed,
than that of the chief, and besides other property that he had
acquired, he had a fine flock of sheep feeding near his residence.
He politely invited us into his house, which we declined, as we were
returning late to breakfast.
After breakfast we set off in our boat to visit a small island near
the sea shore, where there were a great many rabbits. We passed
along several miles of an inlet of the sea, before we came to it. It
was half a mile long, level, and overgrown with high weeds. The
rabbits were so numerous, that the island was every where perforated
with their burrows, and one or more would be found in almost every
bunch of high grass that we came to,--so tame, that we could
frequently take them up in our hands. We caught more than a dozen of
them in this way, in the short time that we remained. Some years
previous, an old Spaniard, by the name of Menini, who had settled at
Onavoora, put one or more pairs of rabbits upon this small island,
and prevailed upon the chiefs to tabboo them. From that time they
had not been disturbed.
After returning to our dinner, we all set off on our way back to
Onuvoora. To vary the scene, I relinquished my horse and took
passage in the boat. We sailed for several miles among marshes and
barren islands, upon a salt water inlet, up which a ship of heavy
burthen might pass for a considerable distance. The whole way was
quite void of interest. When we got to the sea, we had a head wind
to row against all the way. A reef extended out from the shore,
beyond which we were compelled to go, making the distance so great,
that the evening was far advanced before we got to the Dolphin.
Not long after our return from Pearl River, I set out one day with an
American gentleman, to ascend a high and steep mountain, that rises
back of the village, which the natives, many years ago, fortified
with a few heavy pieces of cannon. We crossed the plain, which is a
mile or a mile and a half wide, when we came to the base of the
mountain. It was seven or eight hundred feet high, and from below,
seemed to rise almost perpendicular from the plain. A winding
footpath, however, showed us that it had long and frequently been
ascended by the natives, and encouraged us to make the attempt. We
had often to stop and get breath, but at last accomplished our
object, by gaining the summit and entering upon a small plain. Here
we found several huts, that were occupied by the families of the men
appointed to guard this important post, into which we entered to
obtain leave to examine the fortification. The people were very
friendly; they not only granted us permission, but hospitably
proffered us some excellent melons, which were very refreshing after
our laborious ascent. There were only three men in the fort, one of
whom, that appeared to have the command, politely waited upon us in
our walk round. The guns were mounted on a platform, at the very
edge of the precipice that overlooked the harbour and town. They
were of thirty-two pound caliber. It must have been a work of
inconceivable labour for the natives to get them upon this great
eminence. The carriages and all their fixtures were very much
decayed, and totally unfit for use. The situation is very
commanding, and notwithstanding the distance, the battery would be
formidable to an enemy in the harbour. From this eminence, we had an
extensive and beautiful prospect, comprehending the valley and
harbour, many miles at sea, and along the sea-coast in either
direction. The river, that waters the valley, broken in cataracts as
it rapidly descended to the sea, showed to its greatest advantage,
and the valley, covered with its tarrow patches, corn, and potatoes,
presented a landscape resembling finely cultivated fields and waving
green meadows. In front, was the thatched village of Onavoora, the
huts looking like heaps of dry straw; beyond it, the harbour and
shipping; and still farther, at sea, a long range of white foaming
breakers. On the extreme right, was the valley of Pearl River,
bounded by high and rugged mountains; and to the left, the cocoa-nut
groves of Whytete and Diamond Rock, with its adjacent sterile hills,
covered with volcanic cinders.
From the top of the hill, we descended in a different direction on
our return, with a view of passing through a part of the valley that
runs far back from the shore between the mountains, where it appeared
to be finely cultivated and well inhabited. We had not gone far from
the fort, when we found ourselves near the centre of what had been
the crater of a volcano, and which, from its resemblance, has given
the eminence the name of the Punch Bowl, by which it is familiarly
known amongst foreigners. The crater is about a quarter or half a
mile in diameter, and from one to two hundred feet deep. When we
descended to the valley, which was not without difficulty, our way
was every where interrupted by tarrow patches, their ditches, and
embankments. After crossing a small valley, we came to an elevated
piece of ground, where the natives who cultivated the tarrow below,
had built their habitations, and around them planted groves of
Banana. It was a fine morning, and the people of both sexes were
industriously engaged in their appropriate occupations. Some of the
women were roasting tarrow, and others making it up in poye. The
latter operation was interesting to me, as I had never seen it
before. When the tarrow is roasted, and the skin taken off, it
resembles a potatoe; it is then put into a tray, and with a long,
smooth stone, beaten up as fine as possible, occasionally mixing a
small quantity of water with it; after it has been beaten in this
way, it is worked over a number of times, to get all the lumps out;
it then has the appearance of a thick paste or starch. A soon as it
foments a little and becomes slightly acid, it is used. When in this
state, it will not last long before it becomes very sour, and is then
considered so unwholesome, that unless the people are very poor, it
is thrown away.
After satisfying our curiosity in seeing the women make poye, we
descended the hill where several men were preparing a tarrow patch.
It was forty feet square, excavated a little, and an embankment two
feet high thrown up all around it, descending with a considerable
angle from the top to the base, making it very broad at the bottom.
The labourers had advanced thus far, and were beating the area and
inner sides of the embankment with broad heavy paddles, going over it
a great many times. It appeared very hard and firm when we saw them
at work; but still, they told us, that they had to beat it a great
deal more. When this is completed, the tops of the tarrow that have
been cut off for the purpose, are set in the ground and lightly
flooded with water; after it has taken root and began to grow
thriftily, more water is let in upon it; the tarrow well grown, will
generally be covered with water to the depth of one or two feet. It
is about the size of a beet, and takes a year or more to come to its
greatest perfection. It has clusters of broad bright green leaves,
that in shape and appearance are a good deal like the common pond
lilly. It is a very nutricious vegetable, and constitutes the
principal means of subsistence of the Sandwich Islanders.
The huts of the natives were very small, and although in the midst of
cultivation and fertility, the inhabitants seemed to be wretchedly
poor. They did not appear much more civilized than the natives of
the Marquesas; their habitations were certainly less comfortable.
Returning to the village, we saw a number of people scraping sticks
that looked like our elder, and preserving the inner bark. Upon
inquiring its use, they told us it was to catch fish with. When
eaten by the fish, they come to the top of the water and are taken
out by hand. It is said, the fish are not the worse for this.
On our arrival at Oahoo, the Dolphin was out of repair in every
respect, and it was indispensably necessary to refit her, before we
proceeded further on our return to the coast of Chili or Peru.
Whilst the masts were out, and the vessel was undergoing general
repairs, the captain received a letter from Captain Edwards, of the
ship Loudon, of New-York, stating that he had ran upon a reef, on the
Island of Ranai; besides a valuable cargo, he had a large amount of
specie and bullion on board. The chief Thunder, (chief of Ranai,)
was encouraging the natives of the island to plunder him, and
finally, that his life and treasure was in the greatest jeopardy.
Although not incumbent upon him as a duty, Captain Percival, with a
promptitude highly creditable to himself and the service to which he
belonged, chartered a vessel, and with the crew of the Dolphin, and
Boque, the Governor of Oahoo, sailed on the same day that he received
the letter. He found the situation of Captain Edwards not less
critical than he had described it to be. The natives had already
plundered him of a part of his cargo, and his own crew was in a state
of mutiny. Employing the authority of Chief Boque, and the
indefatigable industry of his own crew, Captain Percival caused the
stolen goods to be restored, and the cargo and treasure of the Loudon
to be safely landed at Oahoo. When all this had been accomplished,
Captain Edwards refused to pay the charter of the vessel that was
employed for his relief, in consequence of which, a quarrel arose
between himself and Captain Percival, that eventuated in consequences
injurious and disagreeable to both parties, and after our return
home, became a subject of judicial investigation. By this
investigation, which was brought on at the instance of Captain
Edwards, an opportunity was afforded to Captain Percival and the
officers of the Dolphin, to vindicate their characters, which they
did, in every instance, to the entire satisfaction of their
government and countrymen.