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HARVARD 
COLLEGE 
LIBRARY 


UNITED   STATES 

EXPLORING  EXPEDITION. 


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.    NARRATIVE 


OF  THE 


UNITED    STATES 


EXPLORING  EXPEDITION. 


DURING  THE  TEARS 


1838,  1839,  1840,  1841,  1842. 


BY 


CHARLES   WILKES,    U.  S.  N. 

COMMANDEE  OF  THE  EXPEDITION, 
MEMBCB  or  THC  AMntlCAH  rBILCMOrHICAL  aOOIKTT,  KTC. 


IN  FIVE  VOLUMES  WITH  THIRTEEN  MAPS. 

VOL.    V. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
1849. 


S^o  'Xlc'i,  i^tf/T 


EMTDIXD,  ACCORDUfO  TO  THE  ACT  OF  OOKGKESS,  IN  THE  TEAE  1844, 

BY  CHARLES  WILKES,  U.  S.  N. 
IN  THE  clerk's  OFnCE  Or  THE  DISTRICT  COURT  FOR  THE  DISTRICT  OF  COLUHBU 


f       I 


CONTENTS    OF   VOL.    V- 


CHAPTER    I. 

DBPAETUUE  FROM  0AH17  —  WA8HINOTON  ISLAND  —  JAEVIBtl  ISLAND  —  MAONETIC 
EaUATOR  —  ENDEUBURra  ISLAND  —  BIRNIF8  ISLAND— HULL'S  ISLAND— DUKE  OF 
TORK«  ISLAND-ITS  NATIVES  VISIT  THE  SHIP-'THEIR  ALARM  AT  THE  FIRING  OF 
CANNON  — A  PARTY  LANDS— ITS  RECEPTION  —  TATTOOING— VILLAOB-aU AYS- AB 
SENCE  OF  CULTIVATION— MUSIC-CHARACTER  OF  THE  NATIVES  —  PRODUCTIONS — 
DUKE  OF  CLARENCE'S  ISLAND  —  BOWDITCH'S  ISLAND  -  NATIVES  SEEN  FISHING- 
INTERVIEW  WITH  THEM -A  PARTY  LANDS-PRIEST-CAPTAIN  HUDSON  LANDS  — 
INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  KING— VILLAGE  AND  TEMPLE-RELICS  OF  A  VESSEL-WELL 

—  DRUMS-DRESS  AND  ORNAMEBTTS-MANUFACTURES  AND  TOOLS  -  POPULATION — 
GENTE  HERMOSAS-SAVAII—UPOLU— APIA-STORM  OF  DECEMBER  1810-HURRICANBB 

—  HAL06  — PEA,  THE  CHIEF  OF  APIA -MODE  OF  TRADING-IMPROVEMENTS-NEW 
EFFORTS  OF  THE  BHSSIONARIES-MALIETOA'S  ILLNESS.  AND  ITS  CAUSE— MOLE  — 
STRONG  GALE-DESERTION  FROM  THE  SURVEYING  PARTY-DESERTERS  RECOVERED 
—DEMAND  FOR  THE  MURDERER  OF  SMITH-IT  IS  REFUSED- EXCURSIONS  OF  THE 
NATURALISTS-JOE  GIMBLET— VISIT  TO  MALIETOA— RETURN  OF  THE  BOATS-CAP- 
TAIN  HUDSON  PROCEEDS  TO  SALUAFATA.  AND  DESTROYS  IT-RESULTS  OF  THE 
PUNISHMENT- FRUITLESS  ATTEMPT  TO  CAPTURE  OPOTUNO— MATAATU-MALIETOA 
—FAREWELL  VISIT  FROM  THE  CHIEFS-THE  VESSELS  SAIL  FROM  M ATA ATU....  1-34 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  PEACOCK  AND  TENDER   LEAVE  THE  SAMOAN  GROUP-ELLICE*8  OROUP-CANOBS 
—ITS  NATIVES-THEIR  LANGUAGE-DEPEYSTER*S  ISLAND— ITS  NATIVES— ALBINOS- 

1*  (») 


vi  CONTENTS. 

CLOTHING  OF  1TB  INHABITANT8-THEIR  SYMBOL  OP  PEACE-WOMABr  ABTD  CBTET 
OF  THE  ISLAND-FOOD  OF  THE  NATIYES-HARBOUR-VIBIT  FROM  THE  KING-TIIB 
NATIVES*  KNOWLEDGE  OF  OTHER  LAND8-THEIR  EELIGION-SFEIDEN'B  ISLAND^ 
HUDSON^S  I8LAND-8T.  AUGUSTINE -DRUMMOND'S  ISLAND- ITS  NATIVES— THBIB 
HEADDRESS— THEIR  LANGUAGE— THEIR  WEAPONS- THEIR  DEFENSIVE  ARMOUR— 
THEIR  ORNAMENTS— THEIR  CANOES-A  PARTY  LANDS  AT  UTIEOA— ITS  RECEPTION 
—RUDENESS  AND  PILFERING  OF  THE  NATIVES— DANCE-SECOND  VISIT  TO  UTIROA 
-RECEPTION  IN  THE  COUNCIL-HOUSB-INCEEASED  RUDENESS  OF  THE  NATIVES- 
ONE  OF  THE  SEAMEN  MISSING— MESSAGE  SENT  TO  THE  UTIROANS -TOWNS  ON 
DRUMMOND'S  ISLAND-DETERMINATION  TO  PUNISH  UTIROA  FOR  THE  MURDER- 
EXPEDITION  AGAINST  THAT  TOWN  — PARLEY  WITH  ITS  INHABITANTS  -  UTIROA 
BURNT  — CONDUCT  OF  THE  NATIVES  OF  ETA  —  CHARACTTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF 
DRUMMOND'S  ISLAND  —  SUPPLIES  FOR  SHIPS  —  BISHOPS  ISLAND  —  HENDERVILLB 
ISLAND— HALL'S  ISLAND— APAMAMA  —  JOHN  KIRBY  TAKEN  ON  BOARD-WOODLE'S 
ISLAND— DISGRACEFUL  CONDUCT  OF  AN  ENGUSH  WHALER— ERRORS  OF  CHARTS- 
TAR  AW  A— APIA— IDOL— THE  TENDER  GROUNDS— DRIFT  OF  THE  PEACOCK— THREAT^ 
ENED  ATTACK  ON  THE  TENDER— MATTHEWS  ISLAND— PITTS  ISLAND— MAKIN— 
ROBERT  WOOD  TAKEN  ON  BOARD— NATIVES  OF  PITTTS  IBLAND-TUEIR  CANOES- 
THEIR  TREATMENT  OF  FEMALES— KING  TEKERE  AND  HIS  RELATIVES— A  NATIVE 
DESIRES  TO  BE  TAKEN  FROM  THE  ISLAND. JS-7S 

CHAPTER    III. 

SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  KIN6SMILL  GROUP-ISLANDS  OF 
WHICH  IT  IS  COMPOSED— THEIR  GENERAL  CHARACTER-THEIR  SOIL— TARO-PONDS- 
TRADITION  OF  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PEOPLE- ANCIENT  INTERCOURSE  BETWEEN 
THE  ISLANDS— PHYSIOGNOMY  AND  APPEARANCE  OP  THE  NATIVE3-THEIR  SOCIAL 
STATE-GOVERNMENT-DESCENT  OF  PROPERTY-RELIGIOUS  BELIEF- PRIESTS-ORA- 
CLES-OMENS—PRETENDED  COMMUNICATION  WITH  SPIRITS— BELIEF  IN  A  FUTURE 
STATE— THEIR  ELYSIUM— THEIR  MODE  OF  LIFE-THEIR  CHARACTER— THEIR  TREAT- 
MENT OF  CHILDREN,  OF  THE  AGED,  AND  OF  WOMEN-THEIR  WARS-CANNIBALISM 
NOT  PRACTISED  — THEIR  WEAPONS  — THEIR  HOUSES  AND  CANOES-THBIR  MANU- 
FACTURES—DRESS-ORNAMENTS—THEIR FOOD— THEIR  MODE  OF  COOKING— THEIR 
AMUSEMENTS-THEIR  MARRIAGES-MODE  OF  GIVING  NAMES-PRACTICE  OF  ABOR. 
TION— TATTOOING -FUNERAL  CEREMONIES- DISEASES-CLIMATE  OF  THE  GROUP- 
EARTHQUAKES  -  POPULATION  —  THEIR  INTERCOURSE  WITH  STRANGERS  — THEIR 
PRONENESS  TO  SUICIDE— THEIR  IDEA  OF  AN  ACCOMPLISHED  PERSON— CONTRAST 
BETWEEN  PITT'S  AND  THE  OTHER  ISLANDERS-DEPARTURE  OF  THE  PEACOCK  AND 
FLYING-FISH  FROM  THE  KINGSMILL  GROUP— THEIR  CREWS  PUT  ON  SHORT  ALLOW- 
ANCE-PESCADORES—KORSAKOFF— OBJECTS  REMAINING  UNACCOMPLISHED-SEPA- 
RATION OF  THE  VESSELS— LARGE  QUANTITIES  OF  M0LLUSCJ3-SHIP  MAGNOLIA— 
OAHU-ARRIVAL  AT  AND  DEPARTURE  FROM  HONOLULU -REACH  COLUMBIA  RIVER 

77—110 


CONTENT&  Til 


CHAPTER    IV. 

REPARATION8  TOR  THE  SURVKY  OF  THE  GOLUMBIA—DIPFICULTIES  AND  DANCERS^ 
BAKEina  BAY— LIEUTENANT  DE  HAVEN  BENT  TO  MEET  MR.  ELD-RAMSEY  AND 
GEORGE,  THE  PILOTB-RETURN  TO  ABTORIA-PURCHABE  OF  A  BRIG-MESBRB.  HALE 
AND  DANA  GO  WITH  DR.  M*LAU6HLIN-TRADE  WITH  THE  INDIANS-BUPERSTITIONB 
OP  THE  INDIA N8--8URVEY  RESUMED— TONGUE  POINT  — THE  YE88EL8  GROUND  — 
WAIKAIKUM-PREVALENCE  OF  FEVER  AND  AGUE— PILLAR  ROCK-BOAT  CAPSIZED 
-KATALAMET  POINT-LIEUTENANT  BMMON8  ORDERED  TO  BAN  FRANCISCO-FIR B 
ON  MOUBIT  COPHN-PORPOIBE  GROUNDS  AGAIN-WARRIOR*8  POINT— VANCOUVER- 
SIR  GEORGE  SIMPSON-DIVIDENDS  OF  THE  HUDSON  BAY  COMPANY— FORMAL  DINNER 
-CHANGED  APPEARANCE  OF  VANCOUVER-OBSERVATIONS  AT  VANCOUVER- ARRI- 
VAL OF  MR.  ELD*S  PARTY— HIS  EXPEDfnON-HIS  DEPARTURE  FROM  NISQUALLY— 
BdUAW  CHIEF- PORTAGE  TO  THE  SACHAL-LAKEB-EMBARKATION  AND  DESCENT 
OF  THE  SACHAL  — COITNTRY  ON  THE  CHICKEELE8— CARVED  PLANKS— MR.  ELD 
ENTERS  GRAY'S  HARBOUR-THE  INDIANS  REFUSE  HIM  AID— DIFFICULTIES  ATTEND^ 
ING  THE  SURVEY— MR.  ELDS  PARTY  IS  RELIEVED  BY  LIEUTENANT  DB  HAVEN- 
SURVEY  OF  THE  RIVER  COMPLETED-CHARACTER  OF  GRAY'S  HARBOUR-INDIANS 
OF  THE  NEIGHBOURHOOD— DEPARTURE  FROM  GRAY'S  HARBOUR-PASSAGE  ALONG 
THE  COAST-ARRIVAL  OF  BffR.  ELD  AT  'ASTORIA-ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  EXPEDI- 
TION TO  CALIFORNIA— DEPARTURE  FROM  VANCOUVER-POSTS  OF  THE  HUDSON  BAY 
COMPANY— TRADE  OF  THE  HUDSON  BAY  COMPANY-CLIMATE  OF  OREGON-WINDS— 
FEVER  AND  AGUE-INDIAN  POPULATION-PROGRESS  DOWN  THE  RIVER  —  LETTERS 
FROM  THE  UNITED  STATES- DEElP  WATER— SURVEY  OF  THE  COWUTZ  — PUGET 
ISLAND-PILLAR  ROCK-CHANNEL  AT  TONGUE  POINT-RETURN  TO  ASTORIA— POR- 
POISE ANCHORS  AT  ASTORIA-PRIMEVAL  FOREST  —  PREP ARATIONS  FOR  PASSING 
THE  BAR— DISPOSFTION  MADE  OF  THE  PEACOCK'S  LAUNCH-BAR  PASSED-SURVEYS 
COMPLETED- ORNAMENTS,  NORTHWEST  COAST -WE  SAIL  FOR  SAN  FRANCISCO- 
LETTER  OF  THANKS  TO  DR.  M'LAUGHLIN- VOYAGE  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO— ARRIVAL 
THERE— LAUNCH  DESPATCHED  TO  MEET  LIEUTENANT  EMM0N8 113— I4B 


CHAPTER    V. 

ABRIVAL  OF  THE  VTNCENNES  AT  SAN  FRANdSOO-PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  SUR- 
VEYS -  BAUBALTTO  —  LONG  DROUGHT -PRESIDIO -ALCALDE  OF  VERBA  BUENA- 
TOWN  OF  VERBA  BUENA-UNSBTTLED  STATE  OF  CALIFORNIA-CLIMATE  OF  SAN 
FRANCISCO-80II^-<7LIMATE  OF  CAUFORVIA-RIVERS-HARBOURS-TRADE— MANU- 
FAGTURB  OF  WINE  -  INDUSTRY  -  MILLS  -  SHBEP-SWINE-MAGISTRATES  AND  AD 
MINISTRATION  OF  JUSTICE— REVOLUTIONS  OF  CAUFORNIA-OPINIONS  IN  RELATION 
TO  THEM-RBLATI0N8  WITH  MEXICO-MODE  OF  RECRUITING  FOR  THE  MISSIONS- 


viii  CONTBNTa 

PRESENT  CONDITION  OP  THE  INDIANB-^HANOB  IN  THE  ADMINISTRATION  OP  THE 
MISSIONS— ITS   EPPBCTS  ON  THE  INDIANS  -  THEIR   NUMBERS— NUMBERS  OP  THB 
WHITE8-THEIR  HEALTH— THEIR  CHARAGTER— THEIR  MORALS— THEIR  HOSPITALITir 
—THEIR  CRUELTY-EXPEDITION  UP  THE  SACRAMENTO— BAY  OP  SAN  PABLO-DELTA 
OP  THE  SACRAMENTO-CAPTAIN  SUTER-NEW  HELVBTIA-OAPTAIN  SUTER'S  PARM 
IN6   AND  OTHER   AVOCATIONS— INDIAN  DANCE— DISEASES— ROUTE  TO  OREGON- 
DEPARTURE  PROM  NEW  HELVETIA— PEATHER  RIVER-QAME-THE  TULA— INDIANS 
—BEARS— INTERVIEW  WITH  A  CHIEF— MANNERS,  ETC.,  OP  THB   INDIAN8-THEIR 
RANCHERIA— THEFT  BY  AN  INDIAN  — BUTE  PRAIRIE-FISH-WBIR-KINKLA  TRIBE- 
HUNTING— RETURN  TO  NEW  HELVETIA-AMERICAN  SETTLERS-INDIAN  VILLAGES- 
OCCUPATIONS  OP  THE  TWO  SEXES— ARIDITY  OP  THE  COUNTRY— CROPS— ANIMALS— 
RETURN  OF  SURVEYING  PARTY  TO  THE  VINCENNE8-VISITB  OP  THE  INHABITANTS 
TO  THE  SHIP— MARTINEZ  FAMILY— AMUSEMENTS-CAPTAIN  RICHARDSON— VALLEY 
OF  NAPPA-TOWN  OF  ZONOM A  -  GENERAL  VALLEJO-IHSBION  OF  SAN  RAFAEL- 
FETE  IN  HONOUR  OF  A  SAINT— BEAR  AND  BULL  FIGHT— EXCURSION  TO  SANTA 
CLARA-EMBARCADERO-ESTANCIA  OF  PERALTOB-DON  MIGUEL  DB  PEDRORENA— 
MISSION  OP  SANTA  CLARA— PADRE   MERCADOR-CHURCH  OP  SANTA  CLARA-GAR- 
DEN-PUEBLO OP  SAN  JOSE  — ITS   ALCALDE  — MODE  OF  CONDUCTING   BUSINESS  IN 
CALIFORNIA  -  DIFFICULTY    IN    PROCURING    HORSES  —  DEPARTURE    FROM    SANTA 
CLARA  -  CALIFORNIAN    HORSEMAN  -  RANCHER06  —  LAS    PULQ AS  —  EffTANCIA    OF 
8ENOR  SANCHEZ-YERBA  BUENA— RETURN  TO  THE  SHIP 14»-il4 


CHAPTER  VI. 


EaUIPMENT  OF  LIEUTENANT    EBIMONS'B   PARTY  -  MULTUNOMAH    ISLAND  -  DIFFI- 
CULTIES -  SICKNESS  —  INEFFICIENCY  OF  SOME  OF  THB  MEN-SETTLERS  ON  THE 
WILLAMETTE -MISSION  ARIES— THOMAS  BTK  AY- DEPARTURE  FROM  THE   WILLA- 
METTE-ENCAMPMENT  AT  TURNER'S  — UPPER  VALLEY   OP   THB   WILLAMETTE  — 
CREOLE    AND   ION  AS  CREEKS -LAKE  GUARDIPII  —  WOLVES  -  MALE  CREEK— ELK 
MOUNTAINS- ELK  RIVER -PORT  UMPaUA-HOSTILB  BEARING  OF  THE  INDIANS - 
PREPARATIONS  FOR  DEFENCE-NEW  SPECIES  OF  OAK— DISCCMO'ENT  OF  THE  TRAP- 
PERB-FIRE  IN  THE  PRAIRIES-BILLEY*S  CREEK— FORD  OF  THE  UMPaUA-ANIMALB 
-INDIAN  SCOUTS-GRISLY  BEARS-INDIAN  FOUND  IN  THE  CAMP-UMPaUA  MOUN- 
TAINS-SHASTE   COUNTRY-YOUNG'S  CREEK— PINE  SUGAR— ROGUES'  RIVER-INAS8 
SURPRISED  BY  INDIANS-SCENES  OP  FORMER  CONFLICTS  WITH  INDIANS-FRIENDLY 
INDIANS -SUPPfiRINGS   FROM  THE  AGUE- THREATENED   ATTACK  —  ANTELOPES — 
RABBITS -BOUNDARY  MOUNTAINS  -  EMMONS'S  PEAK -MOUNT  SHASTB  -  KLAMET 
RIVER— INTERVIEW  WITH   INDIANS-8HASTE  INDIAN6-THEIR  SKILL  IN  ARGHBEY— 
SHASTE   RANGE  — LARGE   PINES  —  CHALYBEATE   SPRING  —  DESTRUCTION   RIVER  — 
VALLEY  OF  THE  SACRAMENTO-KINKLA   INDIANS— THEIR  VILLAGE-FAILURE  TO 
OBTAIN  CANOES-FORD  OP  THE  SACRAMEBTTO—BUTES— FEATHER  RIVER-CAPTAIN 
SUTER'B-RELICS  OF  AN  EXTINCT  TRIBE— THE  PARTY  DIVIDBD— RIVER  SAN  JOA- 


CONTENTa  ix 

OHIM— MISSION  OF  SAN  JOBE-SANTA  CLARA— TERBA  BUENA— NOSTRA  SENORA  DE 
JiOS  DOLORES-THE  LAND  DIVISION  REACHES  THE  VINCENNES-REBULTS  OF  THE 
EXPEDITION-CLOSING  SCENE. SU-SM 


CHAPTER    VII. 

FREPARATIONB  FOR  SAILING— NEW  DISTRIBUTION  OF  OFFICERS-LIEUTENANT  CARE 
APPOINTED  TO  THE  COMMAND  OF  THE  OREGON-PLAN  OF  OPERATIONS-DEPAR- 
TURE PROM  SAN  FRANCISCO-DANGEROUS  POSITION  OF  THE  VINCENNES-DEATH 
OF  A  MARINE-HIS  BURIAL-SEARCH  FOR  COPPER'S  ISLABTD-PAILOLO  CHANNEL- 
ARRIVAL  AND  RECEPTON  AT  HONOLULU-CASE  OF  HERRON.  THE  COOPER-TRADE 
OF  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLAND6-THEIR  POLITICAL  RELATIONS-THEIR  FUTURE  PR06- 
FBCT8-FINAL  DEPARTURE  FROM  THEM— THE  BRIGS  PART  COMPANY— INSTRUCTIONS 
TO  MR.  KNOX— THE  FLTING-FISH  PARTS  COMPABTY— SEARCH  FOR  MALOON'S,  JANFS 
AND  CORNWALLIS  ISLANDS  —  WAKE'S  ISLAND-SEARCH  FOR  HALCYON  AND  FOL- 
OER*S  ISLANDS  — LADRONE  ISLANDS- GRIGAN— SEARCH  FOR  COPPER'S  ISLAND  — 
BABTANG  AND  BATAN-CAPE  C  A  PONES— FLYING  FISH  REJOINS  THE  VINCENNES- 
WE  ANCHOR  IN  THE  BAY  OF  MANILLA-GOVERNMENT  GALLEY t- CRUISE  OF  THE 
FLYINGFISH-SEARCH  FOR  CORNWALLIS  ISLAND-REEF  DISCOVERED-SEARCH  FOR 
SAN  PABLO-MULGRAVE  IBLANDS-BAPHAM'S,  HUNTER'S.  AND  BARING'S  ISLANDS- 
M'KENZIE'S  GROUP 851-879 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

ARRIVAL  AT  MANILLA-VISIT  FROM  THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  PORT -VIEW  OF  THE 
CITY  — LANDING  AT  MANILLA  —  ANCHORAGE  —  FORT  OF  CAVITE— CITY  AND  ITS 
BUILDINGS-ITS  POPULATION-KIND  RECEPTION  BY  THE  AMERICAN  CONSUL— WANT 
OF  FACILITIES  FOR  REPAIRS-CITY  GOVERNMENT  —  DISCOVERY  AND  OCCUPATION 
OF  THE  PHILIPPINES— POLICY  OF  THE  CONaUERORS- GEOLOGICAL  FEATURES  OF 
THE  ISLANDS-PRODUCTIONS  AND  AGRICULTURE  —  AGRICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS  — 
USE  OF  THE  BUFFALO-CULTURE  OF  RICE-MANILLA  HEMP-COFFEE— SUGAR-COT- 
TON-MODE OF  TAKING  PRODUCE  TO  MARKET— PROFITS  OF  AGRICULTURE— LABOUR 
—RAVAGES  OP  LOCUSTS-INHABITANTS— NATIVE  TRIBES— POLICY  OF  THE  GOVERN- 
MENT-CAPABILITIES FOR  COMMERCE— MILITARY  FORCE-INTERNAL  DISTURBANCES 
—VISIT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR-TENURE  AND  EMOLUMENTS  OF  HIS  OFFICE— VISITS 
TO  GOVERNMENT  OFFICERS  —  CAPTAINS  SALOMON  AND  HALCON  — ROYAL  CIGAR 
MANUFACTORY— MANUFACTURES  -  PIN  A  -  DANCING-MASTER  AND  PUPIL — OCCUPA- 
TIONS OF  THE  HIGHER  CLASSES— MARRIAGES— DRIVE  ON  THE  PRADO— THEATRE— 
TERTULIA  — DRESS  OF  THE  NATIVES— COCK-FIGHTING— MARKET- FISHING-BOATS— 
BANCA— TRADE  OF  MANILLA-EBTVIRONS  OF  THE  CITY-CAMPO  SANTO-BELLS  AND 
BELFRTES-CONVENT— TAGALA  TRIBE-TAGALA  GRAMMAR— REVENUE  OF  THE  PHI- 
LIPPINES-SYSTEM OF  GOVERNMENT-EXPEDITION  TO  THE  INTERIOR-SANTA  ANNA 
VOL.  V.  B 


X  CONTENTa 

—PATCVAB-FIBHERIES  ON  THB  RIVER  AND  LAKK-LA6UNA  DE  VAT-JALUJALD  ^ 
SANTA  CRUZ-MISSION  OF  MAGJAIJAI-A8CENT  OF  MOUNT  MA6JAIJAI-RBTURN  TO 
THE  anSSION— INSTANCE  OF  ECCLESIASTICAL  DISCIPLINE— BAIA~HOT  SPRINQS  OP 
BANOS-ASCENT  OF  MOUNT  MAaUILING— LAKE  DE  TAAL— BAllrOS-MULTlTUDE  OP 
BIRDS-SCENERY  ON  THE  PASIG-RETURN  TO  MANILLA-PREPARATIONS  FOR  SAIL- 
ING—DEPARTURE FROM  MANILLA » 87^319 

CHAPTER    IX. 

DEPARTURE  FROM  MANILLA-INSTRUCTIONS  TO  MR.  KNOX— MIND0RO-8EMARARA— 
PANAY— FLTINGFIBH  LEAVES  US— BAY  OF  ANTiaUE-SAN  JOSE-BnNDANAO-OAIr 
DERA— FORESTS  OF  MINDANAO-SANGBOYS-SOOLOO—BOUNO— CANOES  OF  SOOLOO- 
WE  LAND  AT  SOOLOO-VISIT  TO  THE  DATU  MULU— HIS  RESIDENCE— VISIT  TO  THE 
SULTAN— HIS  RESIDENCE-HI3  PERSON  AND  DRESS— TREATY  MADE  WITH  HIM-TRB 
HEIR  APPARENT— WE  ARE  REFUSED  PERMISSION  TO  VISIT  THE  INTERIOR— PISTOL 
6TOLEN-CHINESE  QUARTER— THE  KRIS-MARKET-BLOCKS  OF  AMERICAN  GRANITE 
—STOLEN  PISTOL  RETURNED— VISIT  OF  THE  NATURALISTS  TO  MARONGAS-FIBHINO 
APPARATUS  — SURVEY  OF  THE  HARBOUR  OF  SOUNG- SLAVES  EMPLOYED  AS  AC- 
COUNTANTS-BEASTS OF  BURDEN-PROHIBITION  OF  SWINE-CHARACTER  OF  THE 
PEOPLE  OF  SOOLOO-THEIR  DRESS-OCCUPATIONS-STATE  OF  SOCIETY-MOUNTAIN 
TRIBES— FORTS-POPULATION-COMMERCE— DUTIES— ADVICE  TO  TRADERS-POSSIBLE 
EXTENSION  OF  TRADE-HISTORY  OF  SOOLOO— ATTEMPT  OF  THE  ENGLISH  EAST 
INDIA  COMPANY  TO  OPEN  A  TRADE— ATTEMPTS  AT  CONQUEST  BY  THE  SPANIARDS 
—GRANT  OF  BALAMBANGAN  TO  THE  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY— ENGLISH  SETTLEMENT 
—ITS  FATE— FORMER  PROSPERITY  OF  SOOLOO-PIRACIES  OF  THE  BOOLOOS-MALAY 
PIRATES -THE  BAJO^VS- THEIR  CHARACTER -CLIMATE  OF  SOOLOO  —  DISEASES— 
REI JOION  —  DEPARTURE  FROM  SOOLOO- PANGOOTA  AR  A  ANG — CAG  AY  AN  SOOLOO  — 
MANGSBE  ISLANDS  —  SURVEYS  -  BALAMBANGAN  —  BORNEO — THE  DYACKS  -  THEIR 
CHARACTER,  MANNERS,  AND  CUSTOMS -NAVIGATION  OF  THE  SOOLOO  SEA— PAS- 
SAGE  TO  SINGAPORE— ARRIVAL  THERE— REUNION  OF  THE  SQUADRON  -  PROCEED- 
INGS OF  THE  PORPOISE  AND  OREGON— NECKER  ISLAND— FRENCH-FRIGATE  SHOAL- 
MARO  REEF 321-367 


CHAPTER    X. 

VARIETY  OF  SHIPPING  IN  THE  R0AD9  — VIEW  OF  THE  TOWN  —  AMERICAN  CONSUL 
—ENTRANCE  OF  THE  RIVER  —  LANDING  —  VIEW  FROM  THE  CONSULATE  —  GREAT 
VARIETY  OF  COSTUMES,  RACES.  RELIGIONS,  AND  LANGUAGES— POLICE  AND  MILI- 
TARY FORCE-HISTORY  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  SINGAPORE-ITS  GOVERNMENT- 
TREATY  OF  1884 -POLICY  OF  HOLLAND  -  CHEAPNESS  OF  BUILDING  -  SOCIETY - 
ISLAND  OF  SINGAPORE-TIGERS  — BOTANY  AND  CULTIVATED  PLANTS  — MODE  OF 
CONVEYANCE -CHINESE  INHABITANTS  -  THEIR  OAMBUNG- THEIR  APPEARANCE 


CONTENTS.  Xi 

AND  IMtESS-THBim  TBMPLB-THBIR  FESTIVAL  OF  THB  NBW  TEAR>-THEIR  THBATRI. 
OAIi^-THEIR  FUlinBRAUI-.FBSTIVAL  OF  THE  SUIITfi  MAHOMEOANB-AMUSEMBNTB 
OF  THE  OBNTOOS-BANISHED  BEAHMIN-MAHOMEOAN  8ECTS--CONVICTB-MARKET— 
CURRENCY-TRADBB-MALATB-ARMElfIAN8-PAR8BB8-ARABS-«AFFRE8~MIXTURE 
OF  RA0BS--CHINB8E  OEMETERT-^BHrroO  BURIAL-PLAOB-MAOirBTIO  OBSERVATORY 
— AM  ERIOAN  MISSION  ARIES-PAPUAN  SLAVES— MAlfUSCEIPTB-SHIP  OF  THE  KINO  OF 
OOOHIN-CHINA-CHINESB  J(7NKS^  TRADE  OF  SINOAPORB— TAZBB-^LAVBRT-^PIUM 
SHOPS— SMALL  PROPORTION  OF  FEMALES  IN  THE  POPULATION  —  PENINSULA  OF 
MALACCA  — ITS  GOVERNMENT— ITS  RELIGION  -  MALAT  CEREMONIES  AT  BIRTBS. 
MARRIAGES,  AND  FUNERALB-MALAT  SACRIFICES-ANIMAUI  OF  MALAYAN  PENIN. 
8ULA-PR0BABLB  INFLUENCE  OF  STEAM  ON  THE  TRADE  OF  THE  BAST-RAVAGES 
or  THE  WHITE  ANTS-CUMATE  OF  SINGAPORE -SALE  OF  FLTINOFISH-DBPAR. 
TORE  FROM  SINGAPORE. 871-4iB 


CHAPTER   XL 

DEPARTURE  FROM  SINGAPORE-STRAITS  OF  RHIO-STRAITB  OF  BANCA-BTRAITS  OF 
BUNDA-INDIAN  OCEAN-CURRENTS  AND  METEOROLOGICAL  PHENOMENA  OFF  THE 
CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE— ARRIVAL  IN  TABLE  BAY— CAPE  TOWN-GOVERNMENT  OF  THE 
COLONY— TAXES— BANKING— WINE  TRADE-CATTLE-IMPORT  TRADE— HOTTENTOTS 
— CAFFRE  TRIBES-VISIT  TO  CONSTANTI A— ASTRONOMY  AND  MAGNETIC  OBSERVA- 
TIONS—ASCENT OF  TABLE  MOUNTAIN— GREEN  POINT— UGHTHOUSE-EZCHANGK- 
OARDEN  OF  THE  BARON  VON  LUDWIG-CLIMATE  OF  THE  CAPE-PHENOMENA  OF 
REFRACTION— TENURES  OF  LAND— DEPARTURE  FROM  TABLE  BAY— VOYAGE  TO  ST. 
HELENA  — JAMESTOWN— VISIT  TO  THE  TOBfB  OF  NAPOLEON  AND  LONGWOOD— 
MAGNETIC  OBSERVATORY-PLANTATION-HOUSE-DEPARTURE  FROM  ST.  HELENA - 
PASSAGE  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES-ARRIVAL  AT  NEW  YORK-CONCLUSION..  413-483 

CHAPTER   XIL 

CONNEXION  OF  THE  SUBJECTS  -  OPPORTUNITIES  AND  MEANS  OF  OBSERVING  CUR- 
RENTS-DISTINCTION BETWEEN  STREAMS  AND  CURRENTS -CURRENTS  OF  THE 
NORTH  ATLANTIC-LABRADOR  STREAM-GULF  STREAM-REBTNELL  CURRENT-SUB- 
MARINE POLAR  STREAMS-GUINEA  STREAM-EaUATDRIAL  STREAM-RBCAPITULA. 
TION— SARGASSO  SEA  — STREAMS  OF  THE  SOUTH  ATLANTIC— BRAZIL  STREAM  — 
PATAGONIAN  STREAM-SOUTH  AFRICAN  STREAM-PHENOMENA  OF  THE  NEIGHBOUR- 
HOOD OF  ST.  HELENA— POLAR  STREAM  OFF  CAPE  HORN -ITS  LOW  SUBMARINE 
TEMPERATURE-CHIU  STREAM— PHENOMENA  AT  THE  GALUPAGOS  ISLANDS-INDI- 
CATION  OF  SUBMARINE  POLAR  STREAfilB-PHENOMENA  AT  THE  SOCIETY  ISLANDS- 
AT  THE  SAMOAN  GROUP— AT  THE  FEEJEE  GROUP— AUBTRAU AN  STREAM-SOUTH- 
ERN POLAR  STREAM-NEW  ZEALAND  CURRENTS-CURRENTS  BETWEEN  TONGA  AND 
FEBJEB-8UDDBN  RUSH  OF  WATERS  ON  THE  POLYNESIAN  ISLANDS-SPACE  OF  VERY 


xu  CONTENTS. 

KLEVATED  TEMPERATURE-PACIFIC  EaUATORIAL  BTREAMa-PHENOMBNA  OP  TUS 
SANDWICH  ISLANDS-STREAMS  OP  THE  NORTHWEST  COAST-JAPAN  STREAM-CUS^ 
RENTS  OF  THE  CHINA  SEAS— OP  THE  EAST  COAST  OF  AFRICA  -  EaUATOEIAI. 
STREAM  OF  THE  INDIAN  OCEAN-CURRENTS  OF  THE  MALABAR  COAST,  CHAGOfl^ 
AND  COMORRO  ISLANDS-STREAMS  OF  THE  MOZAMBiaUE  CHANNEL-BUUATORIAL 
STREAM  OF  THE  SOUTH  ATLANTIC-GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  PACTS— ZONES  OP 
OALMS  AND  STILL  WATERS-BUG6H8TIONS  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  THEORY  OF  CUR- 
RENTS—CONNEXION OP  THE  OCEAN  STREAMS  WITH  THE  MIGRATIONS  OP  THE 
SPERM  WHALE-IMPORTANCE  AND  EXTENT  OP  THE  WHALING  INTEREST— GRUIB- 
ING-GROUNDS  OF  SPERM  WHALEES-IN  THE  PACIPIC-IN  THE  ATLANTIC -IN  THE 
INDIAN  OCEAN-DIRECTIONS  FOR  WHALING  IN  THE  PACIFIC-RELATIVE  TO  THE 
DECREASE  OF  WHALES-RIGHT  WHALE  FISHERY-DEPRAVED  CHARACTER  OP  TBB 
NEW  ZEALAND  AND  AUSTRAUAN  WHALERS-CASE  OF  THE  AMERICAN  WBALB- 
BHIP  ADEIJNE- RIGHT  WHALE  FISHERY  IN  HIGH  LATITUDES -EXCITEMENT  OT 
THE  FISHERY— SLAUGHTER  AND  TREATMENT  OF  THE  PRODUCTS-PROFTrS  OF  THS 
BUBINESS-FREaUENCY  OP  DISPUTES  BETWEEN  THE  MASTERS  AND  CREWS-REMB- 
DIES  SUGGESTED— PROPOSAL  FOR  THE  IMPROVEMENT  Op'tUE  MORALS  AND  CONDI- 
TION OF  THE  CREWS 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTEATIONS. 


VOLUME  V. 


PLATES. 


Oatapu  Island. 


Faxaafo  oa  Bowditch  Islandw 


F^cus  OB  BAiirAii  Trix. 


Utikoa. 


MUriafa. 


Cbixp  of  Eta. 


Abtobia. 


Pun  FoKXSTf  Quaooii. 


Bhaste  Piak. 


GNCAMrMrarr,  Sacramento. 


Uaniixa. 


Manuxa  Cottagb. 


MoidirB,  SooLoo. 


Son  op  Sultan,  Sooloo. 


Chikuz  Tkmple. 


Sketched  bj  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  bj  W.  £.  Tucker,  3 

Sketched  hj  A,  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  J,  Smillie,  14 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  Rawdoo,  Wright  and  Hatch,      26 
Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Ekigraved  by  T.  House,  58 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Ekigraved  by  Rawdoo,  Wright  and  Hatch,      56 
Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  J.  Paradise,.  79 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  Rawdon,  Wright  and  Hatch,    113 
Sketched  by  J.  Drayton. 

Engraved  by  W.  E.  Tucker,  116 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  G.  B.  EUis,  d40 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  J.  W.  Steel,  245 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  J.  A.  Rolph,  275 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  J.  Smillie,  292 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  J.  B.  Neagle,  333 

Sketched  fay  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  F.  Halpin,  337 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  J.  A.  Rdph.  371 

(HII) 


XIV 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONa 


Trading,  Apia. 
Indian  Burial-Placb. 

f  INCENNE3  ON  BaR. 

Rice  Stacks, 
Long  WOOD. 


VIGNETTES. 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  E.  Gallaudet,  92 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  J.  Smillie,  219 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  A.  W.  Graham,  256 

Sketched  by  J.  Drayton. 

Engraved  by  J.  Smillie,  287 

Sketched  by  A.  T.  Agate. 

Engraved  by  Smillie  and  Hinchelwood,         445 


WOOD-CUTS. 


Union  Island  Canoe. 
BowDiTCH  Islander. 
Drill. 
Matetad. 

Bowditch  Islanders. 
Ellice^s  Islander. 


Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  H.  Pease,  II 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  H.  Pease,  12 

From  the  Collection.*    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  17 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  30 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler,  34 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  H.  Pease,  38 

Costume,  Eluce's  Group.    Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*    Engraved  by  R.  H.  Pease,  39 

Drummond*s  Islander.   Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  46 

Drummond's  Island  Warriors.     Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  48 
KiNGsuiLL  Camok.  Dmwn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  49 

Woman,  Drdmmond*s  Island.     Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,    51 
Girl,  Peru  Islamo.        Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert, 
Makin  Islander.  Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.     Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert, 

KiNGSMiLL  Arms.  From  the  CoUection.*    Engraved  by  T.  H.  Mmnford, 

Inhabitant  op  Makin.    Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  T.  H.  Mmnfbrd, 
KiNosMiLL  Idol.  Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 

Ramsey.  Drawn  by  C.  Wilkes,  U.  S.  N.t    Engraved  by Clarke, 

George.  Drawn  by  C.  Wilkes,  U.  S.  N.t    Engraved  by  R.  O'Brien, 

Carved  Planks.  Drawn  by  H.  Eld.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert, 

Masks,  Northwest  Indians.     From  the  Collection.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 
Pipes,  Northwest  Indians.    From  the  Collection.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 
Hats,  Northwest  Coast.    From  the  Collection.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler 


FlSH-WEIR. 

Founding  Acorns. 
Indians  Gambuno. 
Pack-saddles,  d&c, 
Callaputa  Indian. 


Drawn  by  Dr.  Pickering.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert, 
Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 
Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 
Drawn  by  C.  Wilkes,  U.  S.  N.t    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert, 
Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*     Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert, 
Umpqua  Indlln  Girl.    Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 
Sacramento  Indian.       Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  H.  Pease, 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*  Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 
Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.  Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert, 
Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*  Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 
Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler, 


Shaste  Hut. 
Japanese. 

Bamca,  Manilla. 
Native  of  Luzon. 


67 
73 
75 

83 
110 
114 
114 
128 
146 
146 
148 
188 
192 
214 
217 
223 
226 
242 
250 
260 
272 
292 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XV 


Manilla  Costume. 
Manilla  Banca. 
Negrito  Bot. 
Sword,  Manilla. 
Haix^het,  Manilla. 
Environs,  Manilla. 
Saraboa,  Manilla. 
Caldera  Fort. 
Sooloo  Canoe. 
Houses,  Souno, 
Riding,  Sooloo. 
Sooloo  Arms. 
Gentoo  Monument. 
Hottentots. 
Refraction. 
Cape  or  Giood  Hon. 


Drawn  by  A.  T.  A^te.*    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler,  300 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  303 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  306 

From  the  Collection.*    Engraved  by  R.  S.  GUbert,  306 

From  the  Collection.*    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  306 

Drawn  by  F.  D.  Stuart     Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  312 

Drawn  by  J.  Drayton.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler,  319 

Drawn  by  J.  Drayton.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler,  326 

Drawn  by  J.  Drayton.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  333 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert,  333 

Drawn  by  J.  Drayton.*    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler,  341 

From  the  CoHectko.    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler,  367 

Drawn  by  T.  R.  Peale.*    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler,  41 0 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.*    Engraved  by  J.  J.  Butler,  431 
Drawn  by  C.  Wilkes*  U.  a  N.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  Gilbert.      440 

Drawn  by  A.  T.  Agate.    Engraved  by  R.  S.  GUbert,  453 


MAPS. 


Western  Groups,  Facipic.    EIngraved  by  William  Smith, 

Caupoenia.    Engraved  by  Sherman  and  Smith, 

Sooloo  Sea.    Engraved  by  Edward  Yeager, 

CuERENTS  and  Whauno-Grounos.    Engrsvod  by  Sherman  and  Smith, 


Title  Paqb. 
151 
323 
457 


Those  marked  with  a  *,  were  drawn  on  the  wood  by  G.  Armstrong ;  those  marked  with 
a  t,  by  J.  H.  Manning.    Those  not  marked,  by  the  Artists  of  the  Expedition. 


CHAPTEE  I. 


CONTENTa 


DEPABTUUB  ROM  OAHU  -  WASH1NOTON  ISLAND  -  JAB VOMI  ISLAlfD  -  MAONVnO 
BUUATOK  -  KNDERBURT8  ISLAND  —  BIRNUra  ISLAND  -  HULL'S  IBLAND  —  DUKS  OF 
YORK'S  ISLAND-ITS  NATIVSS  VISIT  THB  SHIP-THUS  ALARM  AT  THE  FIRINO  OF 
CANNON— A  FARTT  LANDS— ITS  RECEPTION— TATTOOINO—VILLAOE- QUAYS- AB- 
SENCE OF  CULTIVATION  — MUSIC- CHARACTER  OF  THB  NATIVES  -  PRODUCTIONS - 
DUKE  OF  CLARENCEtl  ISLAND  —  BOWDITCffS  ISLAND  -  NATIVES  SEEN  FISHINO — 
INTERVIEW  WITH  THEM  — A  FABTY  LANDS— PRIEST -CAPTAIN  HUDSON  LANDS  — 
DfTEEVIEW  WITH  THB  KINO— VILLAGE  AND  TEMPLE-RELICS  OF  A  VESSEL-WELL 
-DRUMS— DRESS  AND  ORNAMENTS -MANUFACTURES  AND  TOOLS  -  POPULATION - 
OBNTB  HERMOSAS-SAVAn—UPOLU— APIA— STORM  OF  DECEMBER  1840— HURRICANES 
— HAL08-PBA.  THB  CHIEF  OF  APIA-MODB  OF  TRADING -IMPROVEMENTS -NEW 
EFFORTS  OF  THE  MISSIONARIES— MALIBTOA*S  ILLNESS^  AND  ITS  CAUSE— MOLE- 
STRONG  GALB-DBBERTION  FROM  THB  SURVEYING  PARTY— DESERTERS  RECOVERED 
—DEMAND  FOR  THB  MURDERER  OF  SMTTH-rr  IS  REFUSED -EXCURSIOirS  OF  THB 
NATURALISTS-JOE  OIMBLET— VISIT  TO  MALIBTO A  —  RETURN  OF  THB  BOATS-CAP- 
TAIN  HUDSON  PROCEEDS  TO  SALUAFATA,  AND  DESTROYS  IT -RESULTS  OF  THB 
PUNISHMENT-FRUITLESS  ATTEMPT  TO  CAPTURE  OPOTUNO-MATAATU— MAUBTOA 

—FAREWELL  VISIT  FRCM  THB  CHIEFS-THB  VESSELS  SAIL  FROM  MATAATU. 

A 


NARRATIVE 


OP 


THE  EXPLORING  EXPEDITION. 


CHAPTER  L 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 


1840. 


As  has  before  been  stated,  the  Peacock  and  Flying-Fish  left  Oahu 
CD  the  2d  December,  1840,  under  instructions  which  will  be  found  in 
Appendix  VIIL,  Vol.  IV.  They  steered  off  to  the  southward  until 
they  reached  the  latitude  of  6°  N.,  and  longitude  160®  W,,  a  position 
in  which  it  was  thought  that  an  island  existed.  This  position  was 
careiully  examined,  until  they  were  satisfied  that  there  was  no  land  at 
or  near  the  locality.  They  then  steered  for  Washington  Island,  known 
on  the  chart  of  Arrowsmith  as  New  York  Island,  which  was  found 
and  surveyed.  Its  position  is  in  latitude  4®  41'  85"  N.,  and  longitude 
160®  15'  37"  W.  It  is  three  and  a  quarter  miles  long  by  one  and  a 
fourth  wide,  and  is  entirely  covered  with  cocoa-nut  and  other  trees, 
exhibiting  a  most  luxuriant  growth.  There  is  a  reef  off  its  eastern 
point,  which  extends  for  half  a  mile.  At  the  western  end,  a  coral  ledge 
extends  two  miles  in  a  northwest-by-west  direction,  on  which  the 
water  appears  much  discoloured,  but  the  sea  was  not  seen  to  break 
upon  it,  except  close  to  the  point  of  the  island.  The  island  is  elevated 
about  ten  feet  above  the  sea.    The  surf  proved  too  heavy  to  allow  of 


(3)  I 


4  BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 

their  landing,  and  the  island  affords  no  anchorage.  While  off  this 
island,  the  current  was  found  setting  to  the  northeast,  at  the  rate  of 
twelve  miles  in  the  twenty-four  hours. 

The  positions  in  this  neighbourhood  where  five  islands  have  been 
reported  to  exist,  were  diligently  searched  for  eight  days ;  but  no  land 
was  seen,  and  Captain  Hudson  became  satisfied  that  none  but  Wash- 
ington Island  is  to  be  found. 

On  the  20th  December,  they  made  Jarvis's  Island,  in  latitude  0^  22' 
33"  S.,  and  longitude  159''  54'  11"  W.  This  is  a  small  coral  island, 
triangular  in  shape,  a  mile  and  three-fourths  in  length  east  and  west, 
and  a  mile  wide  north  and  south.  It  exhibits  the  appearance  of  a  white 
sand-beach,  ten  or  twelve  feet  above  the  sea,  without  a  tree  or  shrub, 
and  but  a  few  patches  of  grass.  The  sea  breaks  violently  around  its 
shores,  but  no  reef  extends  to  any  distance  from  the  island,  which  may 
be  closely  approached.  A  few  sea-birds  were  seen  about  the  island. 
No  landing  could  be  attempted,  the  surf  being  too  heavy.  Captain 
Hudson  considers  this  a  dangerous  island  for  navigators. 

The  Peacock  and  Flying-Fish,  for  the  next  fifteen  days,  were  en- 
gaged in  searching  for  Brooks's  Island,  Clark's  Reef  and  various 
shoals;  but  without  success,  and,  after  examining  the  neighbouring 
sea,  left  the  locality,  fully  satisfied  that  if  any  islands  or  shoals  had 
existed,  in  or  near  the  places  assigned  to  them,  they  must  have  been 
seen.  They  experienced  here  a  current,  setting  to  the  westward  at 
the  rate  of  a  mile  an  hour.  Captain  Hudson  remarked,  that  although 
they  had  experienced  generally  a  current  setting  to  the  westward,  yet, 
almost  invariably,  the  current-log  gav«  a  contrary  result 

In  latitude  2^  55'  S.,  longitude  160°  26'  W.,  they  found,  by  the 
dipping-needle,  that  they  had  reached  the  magnetic  equator,  which 
they  followed  until  they  reached  longitude  171°  W. 

On  the  9th  January,  1841,  they  made  Enderbury's  Island,  of  the 
Phoenix  Group,  which  has  before  been  spoken  of,  as  seen  in  the  route 
pf  the  Vincennes  from  the  Feejee  to  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
'  On  the  11th,  they  made  and  surveyed  Birnie's  Island,  which  lies 
southwest  firom  Enderbury's,  in  latitude  3°  34'  15"  S.,  longitude  171° 
33'  W.  It  has  an  elevation  of  no  more  than  six  feet  above  the  sea ;  is 
about  one  mile  long  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  trending  about 
northwest  and  southeast.  It  is  but  a  strip  of  coral,  apparently  uplifted, 
and  is  exceedingly  dangerous  for  vessels,  as  it  cannot  be  seen  from  a 
distance,  and  a  vessel,  in  thick  weather,  would  scarcely  have  time  to 
avoid  it  after  it  was  discovered. 

A  number  of  islands  and  reefs,  reported  to  exist,  were  searched  for 
in  this  neighbourhood,  viz.:  Mary  Balcout's,  Brothers',  Robertson's, 


BOWDITOH    ISLAND.  5 

Pbcenixy  Harper's,  and  others,  laid  down,  but  not  named,  all  of  which 
are  believed  to  have  no  existence  whatever. 

On  the  17th  January  they  made  Hull's  Island,  which  has  already 
been  described,  and  was  surveyed  by  the  Vincennes.  The  party  of 
Tahitians  employed  in  taking  turtles  had  left  it  Captain  Hudson, 
believing  this  to  be  Sydney  Island,  ran  off  forty-five  miles  to  the  west- 
ward, for  Hull's  Island,  but,  of  course,  saw  nothing  of  it,  as  it  lies  that 
distance  to  the  eastward,  in  the  same  latitude. 

The  position  of  an  island  supposed  to  exist  in  latitude  5^  23'  S., 
and  longitude  173^  25'  W.,  was  passed,  but  no  signs  of  land  were 
seen.  They  then  ran  over  the  supposed  place  of  Fletcher's  Island, 
in  latitude  T  02'  S.,  longitude  178''  22'  W.,  without  seeing  any  shoaL 
island,  or  ree£ 

The  effects  of  the  rainy  season  were  now  felt  in  these  latitudes,  in 
sudden  gusts  of  wind,  with  torrents  of  rain,  that  continued  for  a  few 
hours  of  the  night,  and  cleared  up  partially  towards  sunrise,  after 
which  the  weather  continued  cloudy  throughout  the  day,  with  squalls 
visible  in  various  parts  of  the  horizon.  Our  experience  corroborated 
the  generally  conceived  idea  that  this  kind  oC  weather  usually  occurs 
near  small  islands ;  but  that  these  isolated  spots,  of  such  comparatively 
small  size,  can  exert  so  great  an  influence  in  arresting  and  condensing 
the  vapour,  is  not  to  me  a  satisfactory  explanation.  I  am  rather 
inclined  to  believe  that  it  results  more  from  the  fact  of  the  high  tem- 
perature of  the  ocean  in  the  neighbourhood,  it  being  here  nearly  90^, 
or  several  degrees  greater  than  that  of  any  other  part  of  the  ocean ; 
consequently,  the  evaporation  would  go  on  much^more  rapidly,  which, 
becoming  condensed  in  the  higher  portion  of  the  atmosphere,  is  again 
thrown  down  in  copious  streams  at  night  This  is  particularly  the 
case  when  the  trade-winds  are  interrupted,  that  would  otherwise  carry 
off  the  vapour.  As  far  as  respects  the  interrupting  or  arresting  the 
flow  of  currents,  these  islands  may  exert  some  influence ;  but  the  main 
cause  I  should  be  inclined  to  impute  to  the  high  temperature  acquired 
by  the  water  in  consequence  of  there  being  no  currents. 

The  next  day  they  proceeded  to  the  Duke  of  York's  Island,  which 
they  made  on  the  25th,  in  latitude  ^  36'  S.,  longitude  172""  23'  52' 
W.  This  is  a  lagoon  island,  of  coral  formation :  its  length  east  and 
west  is  three  miles,  and  its  width  two  and  a  half  miles,  north  and 
couth.  There  is  no  passage  into  the  lagoon ;  the  sea  breaks  on  the 
reef  with  violence ;  but  at  high  water  a  boat  may  pass  over  without 
difliculty,  if  proper  care  is  taken.  The  islets  that  have  been  formed  on 
the  reef  are  eight  or  ten  feet  above  the  water,  and  are  covered  with 
cocoa-nut  and  pandanus  trees. 

AS 


e  BOWDITCH   ISLANIX 

As  they  approached  the  islandy  three  double  canoes  were  seen 
coining  towards  the  ship,  but  with  great  caution ;  the  mizzeo-topsail 
was  backed  to  allow  them  to  come  up,  which  they  did,  singing  and 
shouting,  makinjf  many  gestures,  and  waving  pieces  of  matting.  A 
white  flag  was  waved  in  return,  and  various  articles  exhibited  to  induce 
them  to  come  alongside,  which  they  at  last  .did ;  but  no  inducement 
could  prevail  on  them  to  come  on  board* 

The  canoes  were  all  double,  made  of  pieces  of  wood  sewed  together 
like  those  of  Samoa,  and  were  ornamented  in  like  manner  with  white 
ovula-shells.  The  blades  of  their  paddles  also  resembled  those  of 
the  Samoans,  being  oblong  and  slender.  The  colour  and  features 
of  these  people  showed  that  they  belonged  to  the  Polynesian  race,  and  it 
was  observed  there  was  little  or  no  difference  between  their  appearance 
and  that  of  the  Samoans,  to  which  dialect  their  language  was  allied. 
A  Samoan  who  was  on  board  the  Peacock  could  partially  understand 
them,  but  not  unfrequently  was  entirely  at  a  loss ;  Mr.  Hale,  however, 
was  enabled  to  comprehend  many  of  the  words.  It  appeared  that  their 
refusal  to  come  on  board  proceeded  from  the  singular  apprehension 
that  the  ship  would  be  lifted  out  of  the  water,  and  taken  up  to  the  sky, 
from  which  they  believed  she  had  descended.  Some  few  of  them  got 
as  far  up  as  the  gangway,  one  of  whom  had  an  ulcerated  arm,  which 
he  desired  might  be  cured. 

In  each  canoe  there  were  ten  men,  who  wore  the  maro,  which  was 
braided  like  matting.  On  their  head  was  a  piece,  made  in  some  cases 
of  matting,  in  others  of  tortoise-shell,  and  occasionally  this  ornament 
resembled  an  eye-shade,  or  the  front  of  a  cap,  to  protect  the  face  from 
the  sun ;  their  hair  was  cut  short,  and  was  the  same  in  character  as 
that  of  the  Polynesians ;  they  wore  necklaces  of  shells,  and  small  pieces 
of  sponge,  and  wreaths  of  pandanus-^loBives  around  the  neck.  Only  one 
of  those  in  the  canoes  seemed  to  be  a  person  of  note:  in  his  shade  were 
stuck  several  of  the  tail-feathers  of  the  tropic-bird.  A  plane-iron  and 
some  blue  beads  were  seen  in  their  possession :  this,  with  their  know- 
ledge of  trade  and  desire  of  carrying  it  on,  proved  that  they  had  before 
had  intercourse  with  ships.  They  exhibited  great  expertness  in  show- 
ing off  their  various  articles  to  view,  and  were  very  eager  to  sell  in 
order  to  obtain  our  articles. 

They  had  matting,  nets,  fish-hooks  of  bone,  wooden  boxes,  paddles, 
and  miniature  canoes.  Whilst  the  bartering  was  going  on,  the  ship 
fired  a  great  gun,  for  the  base  by  sound,  with  the  tender.  This 
created  much  consternation,  and  they  all  scrambled  into  their  canoes 
under  strong  excitement,  making  a  prodigious  clamour,  seized  their 
paddles,  and  pulled  for  the  island,  in  great  trepidation. 


BOWDITCH    ISLAND.  7 

After  the  Datives  had  thus  made  a  precipitate  retreat,  the  boats 
were  lowered,  and  a  large  party  proceeded  to  land  at  the  nearest 
point  The  landing  was  effected  on  the  coral  shelf  with  some  diffi- 
culty, and  they  found  the  natives,  who  had  come  alongside,  ready 
to  receive  them,  with  every  sign  of  friendship.  They  had  apparently 
recovered  from  their  alarm,  and  met  the  officers  before  they  reached 
the  beach,  greeting  them  by  rubbing  noses  and  throwing  their  arms 
around  their  necks.  Their  excitement  seemed  to  be  so  great  that  it 
was  difficult  for  them  to  continue  still  for  a  moment,  distracted  by 
the  numerous  novel  things  around  them.  Some  of  them,  however, 
were  exceedingly  shy,  and  would  not  sufier  themselves  to  be  ap- 
proached ;  others  had  greater  confidence,  but  at  the  same  time  showed 
a  respectful  fear;  while  a  few  put  their  arms  round  the  officers'  necks, 
and  exhibited  a  boldness  devoid  of  dread  of  any  kind.  The  latter 
urged  the  party  to  accompany  them  to  their  village.  These  difierent 
states  of  feeling  were  associated  with  a  peculiar  mode  of  singing, 
which  they  would  continue  for  some  time,  during  which  nothing  could 
induce  them  to  stop;  this  ended,  their  astonishment  and  excitement 
would  again  appear  to  find  relief  in  vociferating  with  great  volubility 
for  several  minutes,  at  the  end  of  which. they  would  break  out  in  a 
hearty  laugh,  without  the  least  apparent  cause.  These  islanders  are 
tattooed  on  the  cheeks,  breast,  legs,  and  above  the  hips. 

A  part  of  these  marks  consisted  of  two  rows  of  lines  running  from 
the  tip  of  the  ear  across  the  cheek  and  nose,  with  small  crosses 
between.  There  were  others  passed  around  the  body  below  the 
chest;  many  marks  resembling  fish  were  on  the  arms,  and  a  sort 
of  triangle,  together  with  figures  of  turtles,  on  the  breast  On  the 
legs  were  many  concentric  rings.  The  markings  were  distinct  and 
peculiar. 

Their  village,  to  which  our  party  went,  was  on  the  inner  or  lagoon 
side  of  the  island,  and  contained  about  thirty  houses,  which  were 
raised  about  a  foot  above  the  surrounding  earth :  they  were  of  oblong 
shape,  about  fifteen  feet  high  to  the  ridge-pole,  sloping  gradually,  and 
of  a  convex  form  to  within  two  or  three  fbet  of  the  ground ;  the  roof 
was  supported  on  high  posts,  whilst  the  lower  part  rested  on  short 
ones,  three  feet  within  the  eaves,  having  a  strong  piece  extending 
around,  on  which  the  rafters  are  tied;  the  gable-ends  were  over- 
topped by  the  roof,  and  seemed  necessary  to  protect  them  firom  the 
weather.  Below  the  eaves,  the  whole  was  open  from  the  ground  to 
the  roof.  The  thatching,  made  o(  pandanus-leaves,  was  of  great 
thickness,  and  put  on  loosely.  The  interior  of  the  houses  was  very 
clean,  but  there  was  no  furniture  except  a  few  gourds,  and  a  reclinii^ 


8  BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 

Stool,  cut  from  a  solid  block  of  wood,  having  two  legs  at  one  end, 
which  inclined  it  at  an  angle  of  nearly  forty-five  degrees :  to  shoxv 
the  manner  of  lying  in  it,  they  imitated  a  careless  and  comfortable 
lounge,  which  they  evidently  considered  a  luxury.  It  was  conjec- 
tured that  they  had  removed  their  various  household  utensils  to  a 
secret  place. 

The  most  remarkable  constructions  of  the  islanders  near  the  village, 
were  three  small  quays,  five  or  six  feet  wide,  and  two  feet  above  the 
water,  forming  slips  about  ten  feet  wide:  at  the  end  of  each  of  these 
was  a  small  house,  built  of  pandanus-leaves,  partly  on  poles  in  the 
water.  These  appeared  to  be  places  for  securing  their  canoes,  and  for 
the  purpose  of  keeping  their  fishing  implements.  Three  canoes  were 
seen  lying  a  short  distance  off  in  the  lagoon,  filled  with  the  women 
and  children.  This  was  a  precaution  adopted  to  enable  them  to 
escape  if  it  became  necessary ;  yet  they  did  not  seem  to  apprehend 
any  hostility.  No  kind  of  war  implements  was  observed  among  them, 
and  their  bodies  exhibited  no  marks  of  strife  with  each  other. 

There  was  an  open  space  in  the  town,  covered  with  coral-sand 
and  pebbles,  which  they  called  malse.  When  they  were  asked  by 
Mr.  Hale  for  their  **  fale  atua,"  (house  of  Gk)d,)  they  pointed  to  a 
place  at  a  distance,  and  evidently  understood  the  meaning  of  the 
question. 

There  was  no  cultivation  whatever,  and  their  only  food  appeared 
to  be  the  cocoa-nut  and  fish.  There  were  no  animals  seen,  no  fowls, 
dogs,  or  hogs.  Captain  Hudson  left  there  a  few  young  pigs,  of  which 
the  natives  took  charge,  but  they  did  not  evince  that  surprise  which 
was  expected  at  the  sight  of  an  unknown  animal. 

They  have  no  water  on  the  island,  and  the  supply  is  wholly  obtained 
from  excavations  made  in  the  body  of  the  cocoa-nut  trees,  two  feet 
from  the  ground.  These  trees  are  all  dug  out  on  the  lee  side,  towards 
which  all  are  more  or  less  inclined.  These  excavations  are  capable 
of  containing  five  or  six  gallons  of  water. 

Our  gentlemen  were  under  the  impression  that  they  saw  the  whole 
population,  and  counted  forty  male  adults,  which,  on  the  supposition 
that  they  were  one-third,  would  make  the  population  one  hundred  and 
twenty. 

This  island  was  discovered  by  Byron,  in  1765,  who  reported  it  as 
destitute  of  inhabitants.  The  natives  gave  the  name  of  their  island 
as  Oatafu,  and  acknowledged  themselves  the  subjects  of  a  chief  who 
lived  on  a  neighbouring  island,  called  Fakaafo,  pointing  to  a  southerly 
direction.  With  this  exception,  they  did  not  appear  to  possess  the 
knowledge  of  any  other  islands  but  their  own. 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND.  9 

Their  idea  was  that  the  ship  had  come  from  the  sky,  and  that  the 
officers  were  divinities ;  the  question  whether  they  were  so  was  con- 
stantly repeated,  and  although  every  endeavour  was  made  to  convince 
them  to  the  contrary,  yet  the  disclaimer  produced  no  effect.  Their 
continual  singing  and  chaunting  was  supposed  to  arise  from  the  desire 
to  propitiate  us. 

Wbsn  a  number  of  the  officers  had  collected  in  the  malse,  the  two 
oldest  of  the  men,  seating  themselves  on  the  ground,  with  two  short 
sticks,  commenced  chaunting  and  drumming  on  a  large  stick,  whilst 
another  wrapped  a  net  about  his  middle,  and  began  to  dance:  the  more 
they  were  interrupted,  the  more  vigorous  became  their  efforts,  both  in 
the  song  and  dance. 

These  islanders  were  thought  by  all  to  be  a  docile,  harmless  people, 
although  they  possessed,  in  common  with  all  other  savages,  a  strong 
propensity  to  theft.  Many  of  the  officers  lost  small  articles  out  of 
tbeir  pockets,  which  were  no  doubt  taken  at  the  time  of  their  aflec- 
tionate  embraces.  Just  as  they  were  leaving  the  island,  a  hatchet  was 
missed,  which  was  supposed  to  be  stolen;  on  the  loss  being  made 
known  to  them,  a  prodigious  excitement  ensued.  The  old  chief,  or  he 
who  had  been  pointed  out  as  the  **  alike,*^  jumped  up  with  much  energy, 
and  made  a  speech  with  a  stentorian  voice  and  excessive  volubility, 
while  his  whole  frame  was  agitated.  The  natives  immediately  sepa- 
rated in  all  directions,  and  in  a  short  time  the  missing  hatchet  was 
produced.  ^ 

They  had  no  knowledge  of  the  use  of  tobacco,  so  general  among  the 
other  islanders  of  Polynesia,  and  when  shown  some,  they  made  signs 
to  know  if  it  was  edibia  On  being  given  a  cigar,  they  examined  it 
very  closely,  and  being  induced  to  light  it,  attempted  to  imitate  the 
motions  of  smoking;  but  instead  of  drawing  in  the  breath  to  ignite 
it,  pursued  a  directly  opposite  course,  and  very  soon  returned  it  with 
some  agitation,  apparently  rejoiced  to  get  rid  of  it  The  natives  ac- 
companied them  in  a  body  to  the  beach,  and  saw  them  safely  into  the 
boats. 

Dip  and  intensity  observations  were  made  here ;  they  likewise  had 
a  perpendicular  cast  of  the  lead,  half  a  mile  from  the  shore,  with  three 
hundred  fathoms ;  but  they  found  no  bottom. 

Ninet^n  varieties  of  trees  were  found,  some  of  which  were  of  a 
large  growth;  among  which  were  seen  large  Toumefortia,  covered 
with  Asplenium  aiid  Polypodium,  species  of  ferns,  which  gave  it  quite 
a  venerable  appearance ;  a  pandanus  more  than  thirty  feet  high.  A 
tree,  believed  to  be  a  Pisonia,  was  more  than  twenty  feet  in  circum- 
ference at  its  base,  and  about  forty  feet  high.     A  beautiful  species  of 

VOL.  V.  2 


10  BOWDITCH    ISLAND. 

ficus,  the  Cape  jessamine  of  Tahiti,  and  the  "  nono,"  used  as  a  dye, 
were  both  growing  wild. 

Some  tame  oceanic  pigeons,  plovers,  and  a  noddy,  were  seen  about 
their  town,  with  numerous  water-fowl,  but  no  land-birds.  Rats  were 
numerous,  as  was  also  a  large  black  lizard. 

On  the  26th,  the  vessels  sailed  for  the  Duke  of  Clarence  Island,  but, 
owing  to  the  unfavourable  state  of  the  weather,  they  did  not  reach  it 
until  the  28th,  though  only  a  few  miles  distant,  when  it  was  surveyed, 
and  found  to  be  seven  and  two-tenths  miles  long,  in  a  north  and  south 
direction,  and  five  miles  wide  from  east  to  west  It  is  of  a  triangular 
shape,  with  the  apex  to  the  north.  It  has  a  lagoon  similar  to  that  of 
the  Duke  of  York's,  with  islets  in  it ;  the  northwest  side  is  a  bare  reef, 
or  wash,  on  which  the  sea  breaks  heavily.  After  the  survey  was 
effected,  Captain  Hudson  found  it  impossible  to  land  to  hold  communi- 
cation with  the  natives,  but  has  no  doubt  of  its  being  inhabited,  as  it 
wa%  spoken  of  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  Duke  of  York's  Island  as 
belonging  to  the  same  people,  and  was  called  by  them  Nukunono.  No 
opening  was  perceived  into  the  lagoon,  and  tliere  were  many  cocoa-nut 
and  other  trees  on  the  island. 

On  the  28th,  in  the  afternoon,  they  bore  away  for  the  purpose  of 
looking  for  the  islands  of  Gente  Hermosas  of  Quiros.  During  the 
night  the  weather  was  squally,  with  heavy  rain,  accompanied  with 
thunder  and  lightning ;  aud  it  is  a  source  of  regret,  that  at  this  time 
the  rain-gauge  was  out  of  repair,  and  fto  observations  were  made  as  to 
the  quantity  which  fell,  or  its  temperature. 

At  2**  30°*  A.  K.,  whilst  Lieutenant  Emmons  had  the  deck,  the  night 
being  very  dark,  and  the  weather  clear,  he  heard  the  distant  sound  of 
surf;  soon  afterwards  the  wind  changed,  when  land  was  discovered 
close  to  the  vessel,  bearing  northeasL  They  made  signal  to  the  tender, 
and  hove-to  till  daylight,  when  the  largest  island  they  had  yet  seen  was 
within  two  miles  of  the  ship. 

This  proved  to  be  a  new  discovery,  as  it  was  not  to  be  found  on  any 
chart  The  island,  which  I  have  named  Bowditch,  agreeably  to  the 
wish  of  Captain  Hudson,  was  of  coral  formation,  and  its  shape  is  that 
of  a  triangle,  with  the  apex  to  the  south.  From  north  to  south  it  is 
eight  miles  long,  and  in  width,  from  its  west  point,  four  miles.  On  its 
southwest  and  north  points  the  land  is  of  considerable  elevation,  and 
the  more  elevated  parts  are  connected  by  an  extensive  coral  reef,  that 
is  awash.  On  the  east  side  the  land  is  more  continuous,  and  on  three 
parts  there  are  extensive  groves  of  cocoa-nut  trees  and  shrubbery. 
There  is  no  entrance  for  a  vessel  to  the  lagoon,  which,  from  the  appear- 
ance of  the  water,  has  but  little  depth. 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND.  H 

At  daylight,  eighteen  canoes,  with  four  or  five  persons  in  each,  were 
seen  off  the  end  of  the  island,  apparently  on  a  fishing  excursion :  they 
disregarded  the  vessels  altogether,  and  continued  their  occupation,  with- 
out taking  any  notice  of  them,  and  as  if  unwilling  to  lose  the  opportunity 
of  taking  the  fish.  The  fish  seemed  to  be  extremely  numerous,  if  the 
actions  of  the  birds  were  to  be  taken  as  an  indication,  for  immense 
numbers  of  them  were  seen  darting  into  and  rising  firom  the  sea  every 
moment 

As  the  natives  refused  to  come  near  the  ship,  Captain  Hudson  ordered 
two  boats  to  be  sent  to  open  a  communication  with  them.  They  were 
taking  fish  afier  the  manner  of  the  Samoans,  by  trolling  a  line,  it  being 
fastened  by  a  pole  eight  or  ten  feet  long  to  the  stem  of  the  canoes,  and 
elevated  above  the  surface  to  a  sufficient  height  to  allow  the  fish-hook, 
which  was  made  of  shell  or  bone,  to  drig  along  the  surface  of  the 
water ;  as  their  canoes  were  propelled,  the  fish,  attracted  by  the  glisten- 
ing of  the  hook,  eagerly  caught  at  it,  and  were  taken. 

The  canoes  were  single,  with  out-riggers,  and  resembled  those  of 
Samoa,  being  partly  decked  over  the  fore  part,  and  with  the  same 
small  protuberances  or  pegs,  to  which  were  fastened  the  ovula-shelL 
No  sails  were  observed,  but  a  small  model  of  a  canoe,  purchased 
among  the  curiosities,  had  the  usual  triangular  sail. 


UNION  GROUP  CANOX. 


The  natives  were  at  first  very  shy  of  the  boats ;  but  the  Hawaiians 
who  were  in  them,  soon  induced  them  to  approach,  and  enter  into 
trade,  and  finally  enticed  them  alongside  the  ships.  On  coming  near, 
they  began  a  song  or  chaunt,  holding  up  their  paddles  and  mats,  and 
shouting  **  kafilou  tamatau."  They  resembled  the  natives  of  Oatafii,  or 
Duke  of  York's  Island,  wore  'the  same  kind  of  mats,  eye-shades,  and 
ornaments,  and  some  were  tattooed  after  the  same  manner.  Some, 
however,  were  tattooed  in  a  different  style,  being  ornamented  with  a 
variety  of  arrows  on  the.  forehead  and  cheeks.  They  were  all  finely 
formed,  and  manly  in  appearance,  with  pleasing  countenances  that 
expressed  good-nature. 

They  seemed  eager  enough  for  trade,  and  soon  disposed  of  all  they 
had  to  exchange ;  a  few  presents  were  also  made  them,  but  all  induce- 
ments failed  to  entice  them  on  board.  They  appeared  very  cheerful, 
laughing  heartily  at  any  thing  that  struck  them  as  ridiculous. 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 


Tbe  annexed  wood-cut  is  froni  aa  accurate  sketch  by  Mr.  Agate,  and 
exhibits  the  tattooing  above  spoken  of. 


w  w 


There  waa  a  necessity  now  for  beginning  the  duties  of  the  survey, 
and  guns  were  to  be  fired  for  bases  by  sound.  Attempts  were  made 
before  the  firing,  to  explain  to  ihem  whai  was  to  be  done,  in  hopes 
their  fears  mi^t  not  be  excited,  and  thus  cause  their  desertion,  as  at 
the  Duke  of  York's  Island ;  but  the>  moment  the  first  gun  was  fired, 
they  hurried  off  for  a  short  distance  to  hold  a  parley.  The  second 
gun  caused  Ihem  to  start  at  full  speed  for  the  land,  and  they  did  not 
slacken  their  efibrts  until  they  reached  it. 

Three  boats,  with  several  of  the  officers,  landed  on  the  southwest 
point  of  the  island,  whither  four  or  five  canoes  accompanied  them, 
the  confidence  of  the  natives  being  restored.  When  they  came  near 
the  reef,  the  surf  was  found  to  be  breaking  heavily  on  it,  which 
caused  them  to  hesitate  in  attempting  to  land  at  that  place ;  but,  after 
looking  for  some  distance,  and  finding  no  better  place,  they  deter- 
mined to  try  it.  The  natives,  in  the  mean  time,  had  been  passing 
through  (he  surf,  by  placing  their  canoes  on  the  heaviest  roller,  and, 
paddliag  with  great  energy,  reached  the  beach  upon  it,  without  diffi- 
culty. 

Following  their  example,  our  boats  landed  with  the  same  ease  and 
safety. 

The  islet  oo  which  they  now  were  was  covered  with  cocoa-nut 
trees,  but  there  were  oo  houses  upon  it.  They  called  it  Fakaafo. 
which  was  the  same  as  the  natives  of  Oatafu  had  designated  as  the 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND.  ]8 

island  where  their  great^^ief  lived.  Oatafu  was  \^ell  known  here,  as 
well  as  the  Duke  of  Clarence's  Island,  which  they  called  Nukunono. 
It  was  observed  that  they  spoke  of  their  own  island  as  the  Fanua  Loa, 
or  the  Great  Land ;  and  it,  with  the  two  islands  just  referred  to,  were 
all  the  lands  of  which  they  had  any  knowledge. 

The  only  person  our  officers  saw  who  appeared  to  have  any 
authority,  was  an  old  man,  whom  they  called  Taufaiga,  and  desig- 
nated as  a  priest,  and  who  was  considered  fakatapa  (sacred).  The 
name  they  gave  to  the  god  of  the  island  was  Tui-Tokelau,  whose 
residence  was  pointed  out  as  being  in  the  skies.  Mr.  Hale,  by  his 
questions,  elicited  that  they  called  their  great  deity  by  the  same 
name,  with  the  customary  addition  of  Tagaloa  ilaya-i-te-layi — Tagaloa 
above  in  the  heavens.  They  ascribed  our  origin  to  the  same  place, 
and  could  not  be  convinced  that  we  were  not  deities,  but  only  men 
(tagata  lava). 

Near  the  south  end  of  the  island  was  a  small  lagoon  of  salt  water. 

Towards  sunset,  the  natives  gave  them  notice  that  it  was  time  for 
them  to  return  to  their  town,  upon  which  our  party  embarked  and 
joined  the  ship. 

During  the  night,  they  had  heavy  rains,  and  stood  on  and  off  the 
island.  In  the  morning.  Captain  Hudson  landed,  opposite  the  islet  on 
which  the  town  was  situated,  with  four  boats.  The  surf  was  breaking 
heavily,  and  they  were  well  drenched,  being  obliged  to  wade  over  the 
reef,  which  was  from  knee  to  waist  deep. 

The  king  and  about  two  hundred  natives  awaited  their  approach. 
The  former  was  seated  in  advance,  with  about  twenty  old  men ;  the 
rest  stood  behind,  and  all  began  to  gesticulate  and  chaunt,  as  if  under 
great  excitement.  They  pointed  to  the  sun  and  howled,  spreading 
mats,  and  making  motions  for  our  party  to  be  seated.  Our  gentlemen 
complied  with  their  request,  and  the  king,  after  embracing  Captain 
Hudson,  rubbed  noses,  pointed  to  the  sun,  howled,  moaned,  rubbed  his 
nose  over  the  captain's  chin,  hugged  him  again  and  again,  put  a  mat 
around  his  waist,  securing  it  with  a  cord  of  human  hair,  repeating  the 
rubbing  of  noses,  and  howled  for  twenty  minutes.  The  same  ceremony 
was  gone  through  with  by  minor  chiefs,  with  the  other  officers. 

The  king,  whose  name  was  Taupe,  was  somewhat  advanced  in 
years,  with  a  grave  countenance.  He  had  a  sickly  look,  and  his  legs 
were  much  affected  with  the  elephantiasis.  Notwithstanding  this, 
however,  he  would  have  been  deemed  a  fine-looking  man.  He  was 
thought  to  be  under  much  greater  agitation  from  fear  than  any  of  his 
subjects.  The  moment  Captain  Hudson  attempted  to  leave  his  side,  he 
would  set  up  a  most  piteous  howl  and  point  to  the  men.    He  continued 

B 


14  BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 

to  repeat,  in  a  tremulous  and  agitated  tone,  **  Nopo  kilalo,  mataku  au" 
(sit  down,  I  am  afraid).  A  continued  desire  was  manifested  that  our 
people  should  depart,  and  take  the  presents  they  had  offered. 

Every  endeavour  was  made  to  quiet  their  fears,  and  to  convince 
them  that  our  people  did  not  come  from  the  sun ;  but  nearly  an  hour 
elapsed  before  they  were  tranquillized.  After  this,  they  became  more 
familiar ;  but  their  manners  continued  to  evince  the  same  mixture  of 
timidity  and  friendliness  that  had  been  observed  at  Oatafu.  They  were 
induced  to  trade  after  they  were  quieted,  when  fish-hooks  and  knives 
were  in  great  request,  for  which  mats,  fishing  implements,  model  canoes 
two  or  three  feet  long,  wooden  boxes  with  covers,  cut  out  of  the  solid 
wood,  and  cocoa-nuts,  were  given. 

When  the  king  had  been  presented  with  a  variety  of  articles,  he  gave 
in  return  a  mat  and  maro,  after  which  he  made  a  move  towards  his 
town,  a  few  hundred  yards  distant,  whither  the  whole  party  followed 
him.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  he  could  walk,  in  doing  which  he 
required  the  aid  of  an  assistant.  He  at  first  objected  to  their  accom- 
panying him,  saying  it  was  **  e  sa"  (sacred).  The  whole  islet  was 
covered  with  a  grove  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  under  whose  shade  about 
sixty  houses  were  scattered,  only  a  few  yards  from  each  other,  and 
resembling  those  described  at  Oatafu,  though  better  built  and  larger. 

The  most  remarkable  building  was  that  which  they  said  was  their 
"  tui-tokelau"  (house  of  their  god).  This  stood  in  the  centre,  and  was 
of  an  oblong  shape,  fifty  by  thirty-five  feet,  and  about  twenty  feet  in 
height.  The  roof  was  supported  in  the  centre  by  three  posts,  two  feet 
in  diameter,  while  under  the  place  on  which  the  rafters  rested,  were 
many  short  and  small  posts :  all  were  very  roughly  hewn,  and  placed 
only  a  few  feet  asunder.  The  roof  was  concave,  and  extended  beyond 
the  posts  at  the  eaves ;  the  thatching  was  tied  together,  which,  hanging 
down,  resembled  at  a  distance  the  curtain  of  a  tent  or  marquee.  All 
the  sides  were  open,  excepting  a  small  railing,  about  fifteen  inches  high, 
around  the  foundation,  which  allowed  the  free  passage  of  the  air 
through.  It  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  pleasant  spots,  and  is 
well  represented  in  the  opposite  plate,  from  a  drawing  by  Mr.  Agate. 
They  were  at  first  unwilling  that  the  officers  should  enter ;  but  upon  the 
explanation,  that  what  was  taboo  for  them,  would  not  be  so  for  the 
Papalangis,  they  were  admitted  by  an  old  priest,  but  not  without  reluc- 
tance. 

The  edifice  contained  but  little  furniture.  Around  the  eaves  a  row 
of  mother-of-pearl  shells  was  suspended,  giving  the  appearance  of  a 
scolloped  curtain.  The  whole  was  covered  with  mats.  In  the  centre, 
around  the  largest  pillar,  a  great  number  of  enormous  benches,  or 


14 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 


BOWDITCH  ISLAND.  15 

tables,  were  piled,  which  were  carved  out  of  the  solid  wood,  and  being 
of  rude  workmanship,  were  clumsy  and  ill-shaped.  In  all  probability 
these  were  the  reclining  stools  before  spoken  of.  The  natives  termed 
them  "the  seats  of  their  god."  Their  gods,  or  idols, — tui-tokelau, — 
were  placed  on  the  outside,  near  by.  The  largest  of  these  was  fourteen 
feet  high  and  eighteen  inches  in  diameter.  This  was  covered  or 
enveloped  in  mats,  and  over  all  a  narrow  one  was  passed,  shawl* 
fashion,  and  tied  in  a  knot  in  front,  with  the  ends  hanging  down.  The 
smaller  idol  was  of  stone,  and  four  feet  high,  but  only  partially  covered 
with  mats.  About  ten  feet  in  front  of  the  idols  was  one  of  the  hewn 
tables,  which  was  hollowed  out :  it  was  four  feet  long  by  three  broad, 
and  the  same  in  height  Near  these  was  seen  the  barrel  of  a  small 
windlass,  which  the  natives  said  had  belonged  to  a  small  vessel 
formerly  wrecked  on  the  island,  and  that  only  two  of  the  men  had  been 
saved,  who  had  since  died.  This  was  not  the  only  relic  of  the  disaster, 
for  some  of  the  beams  were  also  seen.  Mr.  Hale  made  many  inquiries 
relative  to  this  matter,  and  they  gave  him  the  names  of  the  men  who 
were  saved.  He  surmises,  from  their  having  Polynesian  terminations, 
that  it  might  have  been  a  vessel  with  Sandwich  Islanders  on  board, 
and  he  is  somewhat  strengthened  in  this  opinion  by  finding  the  word 
^  debolo"  in  use  among  them.  The  word  had  puzzled  him  at  first,  for 
the  Sandwich  Islanders  had  adopted  it  to  express  <'  the  devil."  There 
it  was  used  as  **  o  debolo,"  and  signified  an  ancient  god,  Atua  tafito. 

In  the  mate,  around  the  largest  pillar,  were  many  spears  and  clubs, 
all  much  battered  and  worn,  which  had  likewise  been  picked  up  from 
the  sea,  and  resembled  those  of  Feejee  and  Samoa.  These  were  called 
"  la-kau-tau"  (wood  of  war) ;  but  they  had  no  specific  name  for  the 
different  kinds.  These  were  the  only  warlike  weapons  seen  among 
them.    A  number  of  war-conchs  were  on  the  tables. 

The  well  which  supplied  water  was  a  short  distance  from  the  raalae. 
It  was  walled  up,  was  about  fifteen  feet  deep,  and  surrounded  on  the 
top  by  a  high  fence.  The  water  was  about  two  feet  deep,  and  great 
care  was  taken  to  preserve  it  clean  and  pure. 

The  part  of  the  town  facing  the  sea  was  built  up  with  a  very  good 
stone  wall ;  along  this  were  several  small  houses,  while  on  the  shore 
of  the  lagoon  was  a  row  of  canoe-houses,  some  fifty  in  number.  The 
canoes  were  some  distance  off  in  the  lagoon,  filled  with  the  women  and 
children. 

Although  they  showed  a  decided  disapprobation  of  the  presence  of 
our  officers,  yet  they  made  no  opposition  to  their  examining  the  village. 
In  some  of  the  houses  were  found  children  and  a  few  women ;  the  old 
queen  was  discovered,  hid  under  a  mat,  who,  when  found,  was  in  great 


16  BOWPITCn   ISLAND. 

terror.  In  contrast  vfith  the  old  queen,  the  younger  females  appeared 
very  good-looking  and  well  shaped. 

The  natives  all  showed  a  constant  anxiety  for  the  departure  of  our 
people,  frequently  repeating  expressions  which  were  interpreted  that 
they  were  tired  of  their  company ;  but  all  this  time  they  carried  on  an 
active  trade,  and  exhibited  their  thieving  disposition  very  strongly. 
The  officers  lost  many  small  articles,  which  were  pilfered  very  dexter- 
ously ;  and  if  any  things  were  dropped  or  suffered  to  be  out  of  sight  a 
moment,  they  were  instantly  concealed  or  made  away  with.  Mr.  Rich, 
when  near  the  boat,  gave. his  botanical  collecting-case  to  a  native  to 
hold,  who^  the  moment  his  back  was  turned,  ran  off  with  it ;  and  it 
required  a  hard  chase  to  overtake  him. 

In  one  part  of  the  village,  two  drums  were  seen :  one  of  these  was 
a  trough  resembling  those  at  the  Feejee  and  Tonga  Islands ;  the  other 
was  a  cylindrical  frame,  set  upright  in  the  ground,  with  a  piece  of 
shark's  skin  drawn  tightly  over  it,  like  those  of  Hawaii :  the  latter  was 
beaten  like  our  drums,  with  two  sticks,  and  was  intended  as  an  accom- 
paniment to  dancing ;  for  when  it  was  beaten,  the  natives  began  that 
exercise.  The  motions  of  the  dance  were  similar  to  those  observed  in 
other  parts  of  Polynesia,  only  more  varied. 

The  younger  portion  of  the  community,  of  both  sexes,  were  naked ; 
while  those  more  advanced  in  life  wore  the  maro,  which  in  the  men 
was  from  six  to  eighteen  inches  wide.  Some  of  these  were  very  fino 
in  texture,  and  bordered  with  fringe.  The  maro  worn  by  the  elder 
and  it  was  presumed  married  women,  consisted  of  a  great  number  of 
leaves  tied  to  a  cord,  and  then  slit  into  fine  threads.  These  were  kept 
well  oiled  and  perfectly  pliable,  and  formed  a  huge  apron,  resembling 
a  bundle  of  straw  tied  around  the  loins:  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  conceive  a  more  unwieldy  or  ridiculous  dress;  its  weight  was 
about  fifly  pounds,  which  may  give  some  idea  of  its  size ;  if  it  were 
rolled  up,  it  would  never  have  been  recognised  as  a  part  of  female 
attire. 

Their  ornaments  consisted  of  necklaces  of  shells  and  bone,  ear-rings 
of  the  same,  and  false  curls  in  front.  It  was  observed,  that  their  hair 
appeared  to  be  thinner  than  that  of  the  other  islanders,  though  their 
heads  did  not  approach  to  baldness. 

In  manufactures  they  seemed  quite  apt  They  had  two  kinds  of 
mats,  the  one  about  four  feet  square  for  sleeping,  the  other  for  clothing: 
they  evinced  some  ingenuity  in  these,  as  well  as  in  their  fish-hooks, 
which  were  made  of  bone,  shark's  teeth,  and  shell ;  many  of  these  were 
small  and  remarkably  neat.  They  also  had  saws  and  files,  formed 
of  shark's  skin  stretched  on  sticks,  which  in  their  hands  were  quite 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 


17 


DRILL. 


efiective  in  wearing  away  the  soft  wood,  &c.  The  construction  of 
their  drill  was  ingenious:  it  was  pointed  with  a  hard  stone,  and  the 
mode  of  using  it  and  producing  the  circular  motion  can  be  more 
readily  comprehended  by  reference  to  the  wood-cut. 

The  motion  is  communicated  by  a  vertical  movement  of  the  hand, 
and  when  practised  by  a  native,  is 
exceedingly  rapid.  Their  boxes  or 
buckets  are  of  various  sizes,  from  the 
capacity  of  a  gill  to  that  of  a  gallon ; 
they  are  cut  out  of  the  solid  wood,  and 
the  top  or  lid  is  fitted  in  a  neat  manner. 
These  are  used  to  keep  their  fish-hooks 
and  other  small  articles  in,  to  preserve 
them  from  the  weU  Like  the  natives 
of  Oatafu,  they  do  not  appear  to  culti- 
vate any  thing,  but  derive  their  food 
from  the  cocoa-nut  and  pandanus, 
which  are  the  only  edible  vegetable 
articles  that  grow  on  the  island;  but 
the  far  greater  portion  of  their  food  is 

drawn  from  the  sea.  That  they  have  sufiicient  nutriment,  is  amply 
proved  by  their  robust  and  healthy  looks. 

The  population  of  this  island  is  supposed  to  be  about  six  hundred 
souls,  most  of  whom  dwell  in  the  town.  Those  that  were  seen  on 
Oatafu  are  supposed  to  belong  to  this  island  also;  and  it  will  be 
remembered  that  their  canoes  were  there  double  ones,  while  all  those 
seen  at  Bowditch  Island  were  single.  Throughout  all  Polynesia  the 
double  canoe  is  used  in  navigating  from  island  to  island.  This  will 
reconcile  the  fact  that  Oatafu,  or  Duke  of  York  Island,  when  first 
visited,  was  found  uninhabited,  as  is  particularly  mentioned  by  its 
discoverer. 

After  a  stay  of  three  hours  at  their  town.  Captain  Hudson  yielded 
to  the  pressing  desire  of  the  natives  to  get  rid  of  him,  and  ordered  all 
the  officers  and  men  to  the  boats.  The  natives  showed  their  delight 
at  this  move,  and  were  very  assiduous  in  assisting  their  visiters  to 
embark.  The  confusion  of  embarkation  was  taken  advantage  of  by 
them,  and  numerous  small  articles  were  stolen,  which  were  not  missed 
till  afterwards.  Many  of  these  thefts  were  committed  in  the  most 
barefaced  manner,  and  it  is  believed  that  they  would  have  gone  to 
much  greater  lengths,  if  they  had  not  been  restrained  by  their  fears. 

Along  the  coral  reef  were  walls  of  coral,  in  the  form  of  piers,  eight 
or  ten  feet  high,  and  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  long. 


VOL.  V. 


BS 


A 


18  BOWDITOH   ISLAND: 

There  was  no  sign  of  places  for  cooking,  nor  any  appearance  of  fire, 
and  it  is  believed  that  all  their  provisions  are  eaten  raw.  What 
strengthened  this  opinioni  was  the  alarm  the  natives  felt  when  they 
saw  the  sparks  emanating  from  the  flint  and  steel,  and  the  emission  of 
smoke  from  the  mouths  of  those  who  were  smoking  cigars. 

Dip  and  intensity  observations  were  made  here. 

Upon  reaching  the  ship,  Captain  Hudson  determined  to  bear  away 
for  the  situation  of  the  island  of  the  Gente  Hermosas  of  Quiros. 

They  had  reached  the  vicinity  on  the  31st  of  January,  where  they 
searched  until  the  following  day,  when  they  made  land,  but  were 
unable  to  finish  the  survey  of  the  island  for  four  days.  Boats  were 
sent  to  effect  a  landing,  but  the  surf  was  found  to  be  too  heavy,  and 
one  that  approached  too  near  was  caught  in  the  rollers  and  thrown  on 
the  coral  reef,  fortunately  without  harm  to  any  of  the  crew ;  the  boat, 
however,  was  somewhat  injured. 

The  position  of  this  island  is  in  longitude  170°  55'  15"  W.,  and. 
latitude  11°  05'  S. ;  it  is  of  coral  formation,  but  has  no  lagoon;  it  is 
nearly  round,  and  four  miles  and  three-tenths  in  circumference;  it 
may  be  classed  with  the  high  coral  islands,  and  is  elevated  from 
fifteen  to  twenty-five  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea ;  it  is  well  wooded 
with  cocoa-nuts,  pandanus,  and  other  trees  and  shrubs.  The  sea 
breaks  constantly  on  all  parts,  and  no  safe  landmg  exists.  Its  situa- 
tion differs  from  the  position  laid  down  for  that  of  Quiros.  Captain 
Hudson  therefore  called  it  Swain's  Island,  after  the  master  of  a 
whaler,  who  had  informed  him  of  its  existence.  When  within  a  mile 
of  the  island,  no  bottom  could  be  had  with  two  hundred  fathoms  of 
line.  This  isolated  spot  gave  no  other  evidence  of  its  ever  having 
been  inhabited,  except  the  groves  of  cocoa-nut  trees.  Pigeons,  similar 
to  those  seen  at  the  Samoan  Group,  were  observed. 

After  securing  observations  for  its  position,  the  vessels  bore  away 
for  Upolu,  with  the  westerly  breeze,  which  had  continued  for  the  last 
eight  days,  and  been  almost  constant.  This  will  i^erve  to  show  that 
there  is  no  real  difficulty  in  the  population  of  Polynesia  migrating 
from  west  to  east  during  this  season  of  the  year,  when  the  trade-winds 
are  almost  entirely  interrupted. 

Until  the  4th  of  February  they  had  bad  weather,  and  heavy  squalls 
accompanied  with  thunder  and  lightning. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  the  mountains  of  Savaii  were  dimly 
visible,  ahhough  they  were  between  fifty  and  sixty  miles  ofK  Chi 
the  6th,  they  were  off  the  island  of  Upolu,  when  Captain  Hudson, 
to  lose  no  time,  despatched  the  tender,  with  two  boats,  to  survey  the 
south  side  of  the  island,  while  the  launch,  with  the  first  cutter,  was 


BOWPITGH   ISLANn  19 

to  be  sent  round  its  east  end,  in  order  to  complete  the  work  in  the 
least  possible  time.  In  the  afternoon,  the  Peacock  anchored  in  Apia 
Harbour.  ^ 

Many  minor  things  at  Apia  had  changed,  after  an  absence  of  fifteen 
months.  Much  of  this  was  to  be  imputed  to  the  diflerent  season  of 
the  year,  it  being  now  the  rainy  season;  and  from  this  cause,  the  luxu- 
riance of  growth  had  enveloped  every  thing  in  a  sprightly  green,  that 
embosomed  the  village  and  white  walls  of  the  new  church,  of  which 
the  foundation  was  just  laid  at  our  former  visit 

The  day  of  their  arrival  was  the  Samoan  Sabbath,  and  all  was  quiet 
and  peaceful.  Some  of  the  officers  landed  in  the  afternoon,  and  were 
greeted  by  many  of  their  old  friends. 

The  improvements,  beside  the  church,  were  a  store  and  dwelling- 
house,  built  by  Mr.  Cunningham,  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  Yice-Con- 
sul,  who  is  likewise  about  erecting  a  saw-mill.  The  church  is  a  very 
creditable  building,  and  quite  neat  in  its  appearance,  with  walls  of 
stone,  and  roofed  after  the  native  fashion.  Near  by  are  deposited  the 
bones  of  the  lamented  missionary,  Mr.  Williams,  and  of  Mr.  Harris, 
which  were  brought  here  from  Erromango  by  H.  R  M.  sloop  Fa- 
vourite, Captain  Croker,  who  himself  has  since  fallen  in  his  endea- 
vours to  forward  the  missionary  cause. 

The  missionary  bri^  Camden,  which  had  just  returned  from  a  cruise 
to  Raratonga  Island,  was  at  anchor  in  the  harbour. 

As  this  was  the  season  of  bad  weather,  Captain  Hudson  made  every 
arrangement  to  meet  it ;  for  the  harbour  of  Apia  is  somewhat  exposed 
to  both  the  sea  and  the  north  wind,  from  which  quarter  it  is  said  to 
blow  most  violently. 

On  the  12th  of  December  preceding,  they  had  experienced  there  a 
violent  hurricane,  which  had  blown  down  many  trees,  and  done  a 
great  deal  of  damage  to  the  fruit 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Cunningham  for  some  observations  on  this 
storm,  which  are  as  follows. 

On  the  12th  of  December,  1840,  they  had  light  winds  from  the 
southeast,  the  upper  strata  of  clouds  flying  from  southwest.  The 
wind  continued  to  increase  until  the  16th,  when  heavy  squalls  were 
experienced  from  the  northeast  At  2  a.  m.  the  wind  was  very  heavy 
from  the  southeast,  accompanied  with  rain,  and  some  houses  were 
blown  down ;  at  half-past  two,  the  gusts  were  very  heavy  from  the 
south-southeast  The  barometer,  although  an  injured  one,  fell  as  low  as 
24  in.,  its  ordinary  standing  being  28  in. ;  the  temperature  was  88^ 
At  6  A.  v.,  the  wind  again  rose  with  rapidity,  blowing  down  houses 
and  trees,  stripping  them  of  their  leaves,  which  filled  the  air  in  all 


20  BOWDITCH  ISLAND. 

directions;  the  blasts  were  very  severe  at  intervals  of  ten  minutes. 
At  8  A.  M.,  a  sudden  shift  of  wind  took  place  to  the  southwest ;  after 
which  it  moderated,  and  at  noon  the  weather  became  clear,  the  wind 
still  continuing  from  the  southwest,  while  the  upper  stratum  of  clouds 
was  now  seen  to  pass  over  from  the  northeast  The  following  day 
the  wind  was  in  the  same  direction,  with  fine  clear  weather.  Mr. 
Cunningham  observes,  that  the  houses  were  generally  blown  down 
after  the  change  of  wind  occurred. 

The  natives  relate  the  occurrence  of  a  similar  gale,  which  did  great 
damage,  about  nine  years  before,  destroying  all  the  plantations ;  and, 
from  their  account,  its  changes  took  place  in  a  similar  manner,  from 
the  northeast  to  the  southwest 

From  the  great  fall  of  the  barometer,  and  the  fury  and  sudden  change 
of  the  gale  of  the  16th,  its  centre  must  have  passed  over  Apia. 

Although  these  severe  hurricanes  do  not  happen  very  frequently  at 
the  Samoan  Islands,  yet,  from  reports  that  I  received,  I  am  disposed 
to  believe  that  they  occur  very  frequently  between  them  and  the 
Friendly  Islands,  where  scarcely  a  season  passes  without  some  one  of 
the  islands  suffering  from  one  of  these  awful  calamities. 

It  would  therefore  be  advisable  for  our  whale-ships  to  avoid  cruis- 
ing in  the  neighbourhood  of  these  groups,  during  the  season  of  the 
year  that  these  storms  are  liable  to  occur,  viz.,  from  the  middle  of 
December  to  the  end  of  March.  Some  ships  have  been  almost  made 
complete  wrecks  of,  that  were  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  overtaken  by 
them. 

At  the  Samoan  Islands,  curious  atmospheric  phenomena  are  not 
uncommon.  I  am  indebted  to  the  same  source  for  several  notices  of 
halos,  and  of  one  in  particular,  which  happened  at  Fasetootai,  about 
twenty  miles  to  the  westward  of  Apia,  on  the  1st  March,  1840.  The 
day  was  very  clear,  and,  till  near  noon,  no  clouds  were  seen ;  the  sky 
was  azure  blue  in  the  zenith,  deepening  into  dark  purple,  or  nearly 
black,  on  the  horizon.  At  thirty  minutes  past  noon,  there  was  a 
white  ring  around  the  sun,  of  dazzling  brightness,  of  five  degrees 
width ;  beyond  it,  a  ring  of  white  hazy  appearance,  of  the  radius  of 
fifteen  degrees,  a  deep-blue  colour  still  continuing  between  the  sun 
and  halo.  At  1  p.  m.,  prismatic  colours  spread  over  the  whole,  and 
were  very  bright.  At  two  o'clock,  they  had  heavy  squalls  at  Fase- 
tootai, with  the  wind  at  east-northeast  This  phenomenon  appears 
to  have  been  local,  for  it  was  not  observed  at  Apia,  only  twenty  miles 
distant  The  wind,  however,  during  its  continuance,  was  found  to 
have  changed  to  northwest-by-north,  attended  with  heavy  rain,  and 
bad  weather  continued  for  a  fortnight    Both  Mr.  Cunningham  and 


BOWDITGH   ISLAND.  21 

Mr.  Williams  assured  me  that  the  halos  and  parhelia  were  usually 
followed  by  bad  weather. 

At  Apia,  among  their  old  acquaintances,  they  encountered  Pea,  the 
ruling  chief  of  the  place,  whose  begging  propensities  still  existed  in 
all  their  force.  His  form  was  equally  rotund,  and  his  desire  of  being 
of  service  quite  as  great  Report  spoke  of  him  as  having  become 
very  religious  of  late,  but  his  covetousness  had  not  diminished  in  con- 
sequence, at  least  in  the  opinion  of  our  officers.  He  was  generally 
full  of  business,  among  his  friends  and  relatives,  all  of  whom  he  con- 
siders more  or  less  as  his  dependants.  He  was  very  anxious  to  be  in- 
formed what  had  become  of  his  relative,  Tuvai,  the  murderer,  whom 
we  had  carried  away  from  these  islands  on  our  former  visit. 

The  missionaries  were  as  attentive  as  formerly  to  the  officers,  and 
gave  them  every  facility  that  lay  in  their  power  of  spending  their  time 
usefully.  They  have  been  making  progress  in  their  efforts  to  civilize 
these  natives,  by  establishing  schools,  and  stimulating  them  to  improve 
their  condition.  Almost  every  village  now  has  its  substantial  white- 
washed church,  \yhich  also  serves  for  a  school-house ;  and,  from  the 
reports,  both  continue  to  be  well  attended.  Some  improvements  were 
seen  to  have  taken  place  in  the  dwellings,  the  arrangement  of  the 
interior  having  a  more  civilized  look,  not  only  from  the  numerous 
articles  of  European  manufacture,  but  in  an  improved  state  of  ventila- 
tion. The  cattle  and  horses  were  on  the  increase,  and  there  are  few 
natives  but  have  supplies  of  pigs,  poultry,  and  the  vegetables  of  the 
island. 

Purser  Speiden,  who  was  the  officer  charged  with  procuring  sup- 
plies, and  superintending  the  trade  with  the  natives,  having  found 
much  difficulty  in  obtaining  them  alongside  the  ship,  received  per- 
mission to  make  arrangements  for  a  suitable  place  on  shore.  For  this 
purpose  be  procured  a  place  to  erect  a  pen  for  the  pigs,  &c.  To 
show  the  exorbitant  demands  of  the  natives,  and  their  desire  to  prac- 
tise imposition,  I  will  state  the  difficulties  he  encountered.  In  the 
first  place,  he  had  to  pay  for  the  site  on  which  to  build  a  pen; 
secondly,  for  the  logs  and  poles  to  build  it  with;  thirdly,  for  going 
after  the  timbers;  fourthly,  for  building  the  pen;  fiflhly,  for  trans- 
ferring the  live-stock  to  it;  sixthly,  for  services  to  a  native  to  watch 
the  pigs  during  the  day  and  see  that  they  did  not  escape ;  seventhly, 
to  pay  a  roan  to  collect  cocoa-nuts  for  food ;  eighthly,  to  pay  a  woman 
to  feed  them ;  and  ninthly,  to  pay  a  man  to  watch  the  pigs,  taro>  &c., 
during  the  night.  Besides  this,  there  was  a  charge  made  for  trading 
under  the  large  tree!  This  traffic  seldom  failed  to  afford  much 
amusement  to  the  lookers-on.    In  the  centre,  near  the  trunk  of  the 


82  BOWDITCH  ISLAND. 

tree,  was  the  trade-box,  and  near  to  it  stood  the  trade-master,  i 
ing  the  fathoms  of  cloth.  On  one  side  were  natives,  seated  with  their 
cocoa-nuts  and  pigs,  and  others  loolcing  on ;  some  again  sitting  aloof, 
because  they  could  not  obtain  their  price,  or  the  article  they  wanted ; 
and  others  watching  their  opportunity  to  obtain  a  small  reward  for 
some  service.  The  vignette  is  from  a  sketch  by  Mr.  Agate,  of  one  of 
these  parties  at  Apia. 


In  the  account  of  my  visit  (o  this  island  the  year  previous,  I  have 
mentioned  the  intention  of  Mr.  Williams  to  extend  the  missionary  field 
to  the  groups  west  of  the  Feejees,  and  had  occasion  to  refer  to  his 
melancholy  end  in  carrying  out  this  intention,  and  the  recovery  of  his 
bones  by  H.  B,  M.  sloop  of  war  Favourite. 

That  OQCurrence,  instead  of  damping  the  ardour  of  the  survivors, 
has  been  the  means  of  giving  it  a  fresh  impetus.  Mr.  Heath,  who  has 
become  the  successor  to  Mr.  Williams,  has  made  a  cruise  with  a 
number  of  native  missionaries,  and  succeeded  in  placing  them  in  (he 
very  island  which  was  the  scene  of  the  massacre,  with  every  prospect 
of  success. 

The  Camden  was  fitting  out  for  another  cruise,  under  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Murray,  of  Tutuila.  Captain  Hudson  pressed  upon  them  the  expe- 
diency of  a  visit  to  the  bland  that  he  had  just  discovered,  Fakaafo  or 
Bowditch ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  ere  long  their  enterprise  may 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND.  28 

lead  them  among  this  as  yet  uncontaminated  people,  who  will  then 
receive,  coeval  with  their  discovery,  and  prior  to  any  contaminating 
injQuence,  the  truths  of  the  gospel. 

The  plan  adopted,  of  using  native  pioneers,  seems  to  be  one  well 
calculated  to  succeed ;  and  I  am  satisfied,  from  the  view  I  have  had 
of  missionary  operations,  that  it  is  the  only  one  likely  to  give  a  founda- 
tion on  which  to  raise  any  permanent  superstructure. 

The  white  missionaries  have  a  vast  many  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  and  are  very  likely  to  be  deceived  in  some  respects,  in  conse-  ^ 
quence  of  their  general  want  of  knowledge  of  the  world.  These  diffi- 
culties are  principally  the  hypocrisy  and  deceit  of  the  natives,  who  are 
adepts  in  the  art^  giving  a  false  impression  relative  to  their  feelings  and 
designs,  particularly  when  they  think  their  personal  interest  may  be 
promoted  by  their  dissimulation.  This  trait  of  character  is  not  con- 
fined to  individuals,  but  frequently  extends  to  whole  districts. 

Influential  natives,  brought  up  as  teachers,  are  well  calculated  for 
the  duties  of  missionaries,  and  take  pride  in  the  performance  of  them, 
and  being  fully  aware  of  the  native  character,  understand  well  where 
to  place  their  confidence.  I  have  had  occasion  to  speak  of  the  enthu- 
siastic manner  in  which  they  enter  upon  their  duties. 

I  would  not  be  understood  as  throwing  any  doubt  over  the  expe- 
diency of  the  missionary  operations  in  these  islands,  but  my  intention 
is  to  express  my  preference  of  the  mode  they  are  now  adopting  to 
spread  the  gospel  into  the  other  islands,  a  mode  which  I  am  well 
satisfied  wilt  be»  of  infinite  advantage  in  facilitating  the  desired  effect, 
and  at  a  much  less  cost,  both  of  time  and  money. 

No  political  change  had  taken  place  in  the  government.    Malietoa 
and  the  Manono  party  still  have  the  power  in  their  hands,  but  reports 
were  rife  that  the  chief  had  been  a  backslider  from  his  professions  of 
Christianity,  by  attending  some  of  the  feasts  of  the  devil's  party. 
The  consequence,  as  at  his  time  of  life  may  be  readily  imagined,  was 
a  fit  of  sickness,  which  has  been  considered  as  a  judgment  upon  him, 
and  caused  his  return  with  much  contrition  to  his  religious  duties  and 
observances.    It  is  said,  that  during  his  illness  there  was  much  excite- 
ment among  the  high  chiefs,  in  relation  to  the  succession  to  his  title, 
that  of  <<Tupu,"  or  sovereign;  and  some  fears  were  entertained  that 
an  outbreak  might  occur,  that  would  place  the  power  in  the  hands  of 
some  of  the  restless  spirits  that  are  known  to  be  averse  to  the  mis- 
sionaries.     If,  however,  they  have  established  themselves  as  firmly 
as  appearances  warrant  one  in  believing,  there  cannot  be  much  danger 
that  their  exertions  will  be  retarded,  much  less  put  a  stop  to. 

Among  the  visiters  to  the  ships,  was  Mole,  the  second  son  of  Malietoa, 


24  fiOWDITCH   ISLAND. 

of  whom  we  had  formed  a  good  opinion  during  our  former  visit,  and 
who,  it  was  then  generally  supposed,  would  succeed  his  father   in 
authority.   He  is  warmly  attached  to  the  missionary  cause,  and  afibrds 
important  aid  in  carrying  out  their  plans,  having  much  influence  w^ith 
his  father,  and  restraining  his  evil  propensities.    He  has  the  reputation 
of  being  very  popular  with  the  common  people  in  the  town  of  Sagana, 
where  he  resides  and  is  a  teacher.    From  him  our  gentlemen  obtained 
the  news  of  our  friends  among  the  nobility.    Emma,  his  sister,  whom 
we  had  all  admired  so  much,  and  whose  portrait  is  given  in  the  second 
volume  of  this  Narrative,  was  married  to  Samuel,  the  tall  and  hand- 
some chief  of  Faleatii.    The  haughty  Yavasa  was  in  Manono,  which 
was  the  case  also  with  Malietoa.    Tooa  was  absent,  and  many  other 
chiefs  who  have  attended  the  fono,  were  at  their  districts.    Opotuno 
was  still  in  Savaii,  on  the  alert  to  prevent  surprise,  and  it  was  reported 
that  he  had  made  some  advances  to  join  the  missionaries  with  his  peo- 
ple ;  but  little  credit  was  given  to  this  story.    They  also  learned  that 
at  the  time  Captaia  Hudson  was  in  search  of  him  he  was  concealed, 
with  a  few  of  his  followers,  at  a  short  distance. 

For  the  first  eight  days  after  the  Peacock's  arrival,  they  had  almost 
continual  rain,  with  the  wind  varying  from  the  north  to  west,  and  with 
a  disagreeable  swell  setting  into  the  harbour. 

Tents  were  erected  on  shore  to  afford  an  opportunity  for  the  neces- 
sary repairs  to  be  made  to  the  boats,  and  others  for  the  use  of  the 
magnetic  instruments. 

On  the  10th,  they  experienced  a  strong  gale  from'  the  northwest- 
ward, with  a  heavy  sea  and  torrents  of  rain.  One  of  their  anchors 
started,  but  they  soon  brought  up  with  their  sheet-anchor,  although  a 
ship  would  usually  ride  with  very  little  strain  upon  her  cables,  owing 
to  the  strength  of  the  tide,  which  causes  her  to  lie  nearly  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea,  and  to  roll  very  heavily.  The  stream  of  fresh  water  which 
empties  into  the  harbour,  has  some  tendency,  when  it  is  much  swollen, 
to  maintain  a  ship  in  this  disagreeable  position,  by  the  force  of  its 
current.  The  harbour,  through  its  discharges,  is  at  times  strewed  with 
quantities  of  drift-wood. 

The  rain  continued  without  intermission  for  nearly  the  whole  time 
of  their  stay,  so  that  no  opportunity  could  be  had  of  airing  or  drying 
the  sails.  So  long  a  duration  of  wet,  together  with  the  heat,  caused 
some  fears  relative  to  the  health  of  the  crew,  and  particularly  those 
who  were  away  in  the  boats,  from  their  being  more  exposed  to  the 
weather.    Every  precaution  was  taken  to  prevent  sickness. 

A  few  days  after  they  had  been  at  anchor.  Captain  Hudson  received 
a  letter  from  Lieutenant  Perry,  who  was  of  the  surveying  party,  stating 


fiOWpiTCH   ISLAND.  25 

that  the  chiefs  of  Sanapu  had  enticed  away  and  secreted  two  of  the 
men,  intending  them  for  pilots  of  that  harbour  after  the  Peacock  should 
depart,  and  had  promised  to  protect  them.  A  messenger  was  at  once 
despatched  across  the  island  by  Pea,  the  chief  of  Apia,  demanding  the 
two  deserters  from  the  Sanajpu  chiefs ;  at  the  same  time  assuring  them 
that  if  the  men  were  not  immediately  delivered  up,  the  Peacock  would 
be  removed  to  their  harbour,  and  their  town  destroyed.  This  had  the 
desired  effect,  and  the  deserters  were  brought  back  to  the  ship  by  the 
chiefs  of  Sanapu* 

Captain  Hudson,  after  rebuking  the  chiefs  for  the  part  they  had  taken 
in  the  transaction,  and  giving  them  some  advice  in  regard  to  their 
future  intercourse  with  the  whites,  paid  them  the  reward  Lieutenant 
Perry  had  offered  for  the  apprehension  of  the  deserters. 

On  the  21st,  Captain  Hudson  hearing  that  the  noted  Sangapolutale, 
principal  chief  of  the  towns  of  Saluafata,  Fusi,  and  Salelese,  who  had 
protected  and  refused  to  give  up  the  murderer  of  Gideon  Smith,  Tagi, 
before  mentioned,  was  at  one  of  the  towns  near  by  on  a  visit,  deter- 
mined, if  possible,  to  surprise  and  take  him  prisoner,  to  be  held  until 
such  time  as  the  murderer  were  given  up.  For  this  purpose  he  visited 
the  town  before  daylight  of  the  22d,  with  a  few  officers  and  men,  but 
without  success. 

Previous  to  this  time.  Captain  Hudson  had  had  intercourse  with  this 
chief  through  our  consul,  Mr.  Williams ;  and  had  demanded  of  him  the 
punishment  or  delivery  of  the  murderer,  TagL  In  the  course  of  the 
communications,  Sangapolutate  acknowledged  that  the  murderer  ought 
to  be  punished  or  given  up ;  said  he  once  wanted  to  kill  him  himself; 
but  being  a  petty  chief,  he  was  backed  and  protected  by  the  chiefs  and 
the  people  of  the  three  towns  before  named,  who  were,  promised,  in 
case  of  necessity,  assistance  from  some  of  the  neighbouring  chiefs,  as 
well  as  others  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  island.  He  further  said,  that 
he  was  desirous  of  giving  him  up,  a  few  months  before,  to  the  com- 
mander of  the  Porpoise.  It  was  distinctly  stated  to  Sangapolutale,  that 
the  nnurderer  must  be  either  punished  or  given  up,  in  conformity  to  the 
regulations  adopted  in  their  fono,  composed  pf  all  the  principal  chiefs  in 
the  island,  and  that  if  neither  of  these  stipulations  were  complied  with, 
Captain  Hudson  would  be  compelled  to  employ  the  force  under  him  in 
burning  the  towns  that  concealed  and  protected  the  murderer,  and  set 
their  own  laws  and  us  at  defiance. 

Three  days  were  given  him  from  the  time  of  the  interview,  to  comply 
with  the  demand.  He  promised  to  do  what  he  could,  but  he  was 
fearful  of  the  result,  as  his  people  wanted  to  fight,  and  had  been 
promised  aid  from  many  quarters. 

VOL.  y.  ^  4 


2d  BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 

On  the  third  day,  his  messengers  arrived  at  Apia,  and  brought  ^?ord 
that  the  chiefs  and  people  were  determined  that  the  murderer  should 
not  be  given  up  or  punished ;  that  they  defied  the  Papalangis  and  their 
power;  and  that,  if  Captain  Hudson  chose  to  come  and  take  him,  they 
would  give  him  a  fight  The  messenger, further  stated,  that  they  ^rell 
knew  he  would  be  demanded  according  to  their  own  regulations,  but 
they  would  take  care  he  should  not  be  punished  or  given  up,  for  they 
Y^ere  prepared  to  resist  any  attempt  that  would  be  made.  Many  other 
insulting  messages  were  received ;  among  them,  one  from  the  murderer 
and  bis  friends,  that  when  *^  he  could  kill  a  few  more  white  men,  he 
would  be  given  up." 

Such  were  their  threats  and  boasting :  their  conduct  was  conforma- 
ble to  them,  as  represented  by  our  consul,  the  missionaries,  and  Mr. 
Cunningham,  H.  R  M.  vice-consul.  Captain  Hudson  now  saw  the 
necessity  of  taking  some  steps  that  would  check  this  criminal  and 
audacious  spirit,  and  prove  to  the  natives  that  we  had  the  power  to 
punish  these  aggressions  on  our  citizens. 

The  attempt  to  take  the  chief  was  designed  to  bring  them  to  terms, 
without  any  further  difficulty ;  but  not  being  successful,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  take  some  effectual  measures  for  their  punishment,  particularly 
as  the  three  towns  had  now  united  with  their  chiefs  in  setting  our  force 
at  defiance.  The  missionaries  also  saw  the  necessity  of  doing  some- 
thing to  insure  the  safety  of  those  who  may  hereafler  have  communi- 
cation with  the  natives,  by  renewing  in  their  minds  the  fear  of  our 
power.  ♦ 

Notwithstanding  the  weather  was  so  very  unpropitious,  the  natural- 
ists made  excursions  to  the  different  parts  of  the  island.  They  all 
describe  the  juxuriance  of  the  vegetation  as  exceeding  any  thing  they 
had  before  witnessed :  the  rich  soil,  combined  with  the  heat  and  copious 
rains,  rendered  every  spot  fertile,  and  seemed  to  give  new  life  to  the 
vast  variety  of  parasitic  plants  with  which  all  the  trees  were  covered, 
and  which,  in  the  groves,  were  so  thick  as  to  form  masses  impene- 
trable to  the  rays  of  the  sun.  A  remarkable  ficus  was  passed  on  this 
trip,  of  which  Mr.  Agate  made  a  characteristic  drawing,  and  which 
will  give  a  good  idea  of  their  size  and  manner  of  growth :  the  road  or 
path  passes  through  its  trunk.  A  number  of  other  trees  were  remark- 
able :  among  them  the  "  ife,*'  a  gigantic  chestnut,  with  its  projecting 
buttresses  around  the  trunk.  The  woods  were  enlivened  by  many  birds, 
and  the  air  filled  with  their  songs  and  chirpings. 

At  Siusinga,  a  devil's  town,  Messrs.  Rich,  Feale,  and  Agate,  saw 
Seeovedi,  better  known  as  Joe  Gimblet,  the  great  priest  of  his  creed. 
He  lay  on  a  mat  by  himself,  no  one  speaking  or  going  near  him,  and 


A 


u 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND.  27 

was  pretending  to  read  his  sacred  book,  which  our  gentlemen  disco- 
vered was  a  volume  of  the  Rambler !  This  was  obtained  from  him,  by 
Mr.  Agate,  in  exchange  for  a  treatise  on  rail-roadSf  which  had  a  flashy 
red  cover,  and  therefore  calculated  to  inspire  his  flock  with  additional 
reverence  for  their  priesL  He  also  made  use  of  a  kind  of  gibberish  in 
talking  to  them,  wishing,  as  was  supposed,  to  give  his  followers  the  idea 
that  he  could  speak  the  Papalangis'  language.  How  be  had  contrived 
to  propitiate  the  ^ger  of  the  old  chief  Leiomiava,  was  not  ascertained ; 
but  a  story  was  told  of  him,  that  about  a  year  before  he  had  lost  his 
two  wives,  and  disappeared,  informing  his  followers  he  was  going  to 
heaven  to  procure  a  third.  He  absented  himself  about  a  week,  no  one 
being  informed  where  he  had  gone.  On  his  return  without  a  wife,  he 
was  asked  where  she  was.  His  reply  was,  that  the  Great  Spirit  had 
told  him  that  he  was  too  old  to  marry  a  young  wife,  and  must  return 
to  his  people,  who  would  take  care  of  him,  provide  him  with  food,  and 
do  for  him  all  that  a  wife  could  do.  He  accordingly  returned,  in 
obedience  to  the  Spirit's  directions,  and  appears  to  live  contented,  all 
his  wants  being  supplied  without  any  care  or  trouble  to  himself.  One 
of  the  most  ridiculous  parts  of  this  fellow's  proceedings,  was  a  native 
bringing  to  him  an  old  tea-kettle,  which  was  tabooed  and  held  sacred, 
on  which  he  began  beating  with  an  iron  knife,  making  much  noise,  his 
face  assuming  a  contemplative  expression,  until  he  had  done  with  his 
mummeries.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  he  has  many  proselytes,  and 
nearly  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  district  of  Sagana  are  followers  of  his 
doctrine.  Their  appearance  contrasts  very  strongly  with  that  of  the 
Christian  villages,  while  the  heathens  are,  to  appearance,  almost  a 
different  race  of  people ;  the  one  with  long  hair,  gathered  in  a  knot  on 
the  top  of  the  head,  and  only  clothed  in  the  maro ;  the  other  with  short 
hair,  and  dressed  in  a  clean  shirt  and  pareu.  To  strangers,  both  are 
generally  kind  and  hospitable,  and  continue  the  Samoan  custom  of 
offering  food  to  travellers  as  they  pass  throtigh  the  village. 

Since  our  visit  in  1839,  Mr.  Day  hajd  taken  up  his  residence  within 
two  miles  of  Malietoa's  town,  where  Mr.  Hale  and  Dr.  Whittle  spent 
an  hour  or  two  with  him,  and  proceeded  thence  to  visit  Malietoa.  Near 
the  new  church,  the  house  of  Mole  was  pointed  out,  in  which  he  had 
adopted  many  of  the  conveniences  introduced  by  foreigners :  the  floor 
of  his  house  was  of  boards,  raised  above  the  ground,  and  his  doors 
were  made  to  turn  on  hinges.  The  interior  was  divided  by  partitions 
into  four  rooms.  A  table  and  some  rude  seats  composed  the  furniture. 
How  far  this  example  will  be  followed  by  the  Efatives,  time  alone  can 
determine.  I  believe  that  all  those  who  have  examined  and  reflected 
upon  the  condition  of  the  natives  of  the  South  Sea  islands,  will  be  satis- 


28  BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 

fied  that  it  will  be  a  very  desirable  improvement,  both  for  their  comfort 
and  health,  if  they  can  be  induced  to  abandon  their  modes  of  sleeping 
on  the  damp  ground  ;  and  some  endeavours  have  already  been  made  to 
effect  a  change  in  this  respect,  as  one  of  the  best  means  to  prevent  the 
diseases  of  the  climate,  which  are  thought  to  arise  principally  from  this 
cause. 

These  gentlemen  also  visited  Malietoa,  who  was  still  occupying  the 
same  small  house,  directly  opposite  to  the  fale-tele,  in  lyhich  I  saw  him 
during  my  visit.  On  entering,  they  were  greeted  by  his  two  wives,  the 
matronly  Lauilupa,  and  Siona,  the  younger,  both  of  whom  still  main- 
tained their  fleshy  appearance.  They  recognised  Mr.  Hale,  and  gave 
him  a  warm  greeting.  The  old  king,  who  had  been  sleeping  on  his 
divan  or  raised  floor,  now  came  forward.  He  appeared  greatly 
changed,  and  was  scarcely  to  be  recognised  as  the  same  person. 
Instead  of  his  dignified  and  upright  carriage,  which  struck  us  all  so 
much  at  our  former  visit,  his  form  had  become  meagre  and  shrunken, 
and  he  was  apparently  bowed  down  with  years,  and  trembling  with 
infirmities. 

He  saluted  our  gentlemen  with  his  usual  courtesy,  and,  after  seating 
himself,  listened  to  the  account  of  their  visit,  and  of  the  news  at  Apia. 
He  still  retained  much  of  his  former  air  of  command  and  sternness, 
which  caused  him  to  be  likened  by  Dr.  Whittle  to  a  sick  lion.  He  was 
unable  to  sit  up  long,  and  was  soon  again  asleep.  Old  Lauilupa  now 
entertained  them  by  complaining  of  her  sufferings  from  rheumatism, 
which  Dr.  Whittle  gave  her  directions  how  to  treat. 

The  two  wives  began,  in  a  short  time,  to  beg  for  presents — the  elder 
one  for  needles  and  thread,  the  younger  for  jews-harps,  rings,  and  look- 
ing-glasses. These  were  promised,  on  their  sending  to  the  ship  for 
them.  They  supplied  their  guests  with  food,  which  was  served  on  an 
eating-mat,  and  consisted  of  pork,  fish,  taro,  and  yams.  The  queens 
sat  by,  pointing  out  the  choicest  bits,  and,  had  not  our  gentlemen 
declined  the  honour,  seemed  disposed  to  use  their  royal  fingers  for  its 
conveyance  to  their  mouths. 

In  the  evening,  they  took  a  stroll  around  the  village,  where  every 
house  was  found  lighted  up  with  a  cocoanut-oil  lamp,  or  a  torch  of  the 
candle-nut,  strung  upon  a  stick,  and  some  with  the  fire  of  dry  cocoa- 
nut  leaves.  In  each  house  a  family  circle  was  usually  seen,  variously 
employed,  some  eating,  some  talking,  others  braiding  sennit,  but  no 
amusements ;  for  it  was  Saturday  evening,  and  they  were  preparing  for 
the  Sabbath.  Wherever  they  went,  they  were  received  with  civility, 
and  invited  to  eat. 

Returning  to  Malietoa,  another  meal  was  found  provided  for  them, 


BOWDITCH    ISLAND.  29 

after  which  they  were  taken  to  a  neighbouring  house,  which  had  been 
prepared  as  their  sleeping  apartment. 

In  the  morning,  they  were  awakened  early  by  a  little  boy,  who 
brought  them  water  for  washing,  which  showed  an  attention  to  their 
comforts  scarcely  to  have  been  expected  amohg  those  who  are  con- 
sidered as  only  half  civilized. 

When  they  rose  in  the  morning,  although  but  a  little  afler  sunrise, 
they  found  the  natives  already  collected,  at  morning  prayers,  in  the 
church,  under  the  ministration  of  Mole;  and,  after  the  service  was 
finished,  they  were  invited  to  breakfast  with  him. 

The  return  for  Malietoa's  hospitality  was  now  to  be  made,  prior  to 
their  departure ;  and  all  they  had,  consisted  of  but  a  few  small  articles ; 
but  these  were  joyfully  received,  with  many  thanks ;  and  our  gentlemen 
took  their  leave,  and  returned  to  the  ship. 

Subsequently  to  this,  Mr.  Hale  made  a  visit  to  the  village  of  Mata- 
fayatele,  where  he  was  fortunate  in  being  a  witness  to  a  little  festival, 
called  **  faausi."  A  procession  of  about  twenty  men  issued  from  a 
grove,  bearing  on  their  shoulders  large  wooden  trays,  shaped  like 
shallow  troughs.  They  were  all  dressed  in  gala-dresses,  having  wreaths 
of  leaves  and  flowers  about  the  neck  and  breast,  with  plumes  of  sugar- 
cane blossoms  in  their  hair.  They  marched  forward  in  quick  time,  to 
a  lively  song,  which  they  sang  in  unison,  until  they  reached  the  fale- 
tele,  where  a  crowd  appeared  to  be  expecting  them.  In  the  house  there 
were  thirty  or  forty  elderly  men,  seated  around  the  sides,  while  in  the 
centre  a  number  of  youths  Were  busy  in  serving  to  each  a  mess  of  food 
from  the  trays.  The  chief  who  was  the  head  of  the  feast,  was  recog- 
nised by  Mr.  Hale  as  having  been  named  Tongipavo  on  our  former 
visit,  which  name,  he  was  informed,  had  been  exchanged  for  that 
of  Benjamin,  since  his  conversion  to  Christianity.  He  gave  Mr.  Hale 
a  seat  near  him,  and  ordered  a  mess  of  food  to  be  served.  It  proved 
to  be  mashed  taro,  mixed  with  grated  cocoa-nut  and  soaked  in  cocoa- 
nut-oil.  The  whole  had  been  wrapped  in  banana-leaves  and  cooked. 
Mr.  Hale  found  it  quite  palatable,  and  somewhat  like  cold  mush  fried 
in  butter.  After  those  present  had  satisfied  their  hunger,  each  wrapped 
up  a  portion  of  it  in  banana-leaves,  to  carry  to  his  family.  The  whole 
was  a  pleasing  sight,  exhibiting  one  of  the  social  customs  of  their 
primitive  mode  of  life. 

The  surveying  boats  having  returned,  and  the  ship  having  reple- 
nished her  stores  of  wood  and  water,  and  finished  the  repairs,  Captain 
Hudson  prepared  for  his  departure,  having  determined  to  proceed  to 
Saluafata  Harbour. 

As  their  time  of  departure  had  become  known,  and  it  drew  near, 
est 


30  BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 

their  friends  and  acquaintanceB  of  rank  did  not  omit  to  pay  them  fre- 
quent visits.  Among  these  was  old  Pea  of  Apia,  Mole,  and  others. 
These  calls  ought  to  have  been  termed  begging  visits,  as  they  seldom 
saw  a  thing  that  pleased  them  that  they  did  not  ask  for.  Mole  brought 
a  complaint  to  Captflin  Hudson,  of  an  outrage  by  a  white  vagabond 
on  shore;  but  it  was  shrewdly  suspected  that,  notwithstanding  his 
being  a  missionary  teacher,  his  design  was  to  get  more  presents  "from 
his  parting  friends. 

On  the  23d,  Captain  Hudson  was  visited  by  Matetau,  the  cele- 
brated war-chief  of  Manono.  In  coming  to  the  ship,  he  and  his 
numerous  retinue  were  overtaken  by  a  violent  shower  of  rain,  which 
completely  wet  them.  As  the  old  chief  was  somewhat  chilled  and 
cold.  Captain  Hudson  supplied  him  with  a  clean  and  dry  shirt  He 
professed  himself  delighted;  all  was  "very  good,"  captain,  officers, 
and  ship.  His  visit,  like  that  of  all  the  other  chiefs,  was  evidently 
to  receive  his  quantum  of  presents,  and  hence  his  desire  to  make 
himself  as  agreeable  as  possible.  His  features  were  more  strongly 
marked  than  those  of  the  islanders  usually  are;  he  is  above  the 
middle  size,  has  an  aquiline  nose,  and  a  high  and  retreating  fore- 
bead,  with  the  frontal  portion  narrow,  but  widening  behind  the  ears, 
having,  as  some  thought,  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  chiefs  of  New 
Zealand.    Mr.  Agate  succeeded  in  getting  a  good  sketch  of  him. 


He  adopted  the  usual  Samoan  custom  of  pleasing  by  flattery,  gri- 
maces, and  gesticulations,  enacting,  as  was  thought,  a  fight.  He  had 
picked  up  a  few  words  of  English,  which  he  did  not  fail  to  make  use 
of  to  attract  attentioa     Owing  to  the  necessity  of  getting  under  way. 


BOWDITCH   ISLAND.  81 

his  visit  terminated  at  an  early  hour.  He  left  the  ship  apparently  very 
much  gratified  with  his  visit,  or,  in  other  words,  with  the  presents  he 
had  received. 

On  the  22d,  they  took  leave  of  their  kind  friends,  the  missionaries 
and  residents,  with  many  wishes  that  they  might  be  successful  in  their 
operations.  The  winds  were  light,  and  two  days  were  spent  before 
they  reached  the  harbour  of  Saluafata,  where  they  anchored  on  the 
evening  of  the  24th. 

At  daylight,  orders  were  sent  to  Acting-Master  Knox,  in  charge  of 
the  tender,  to  anchor,  with  the  assistance  of  the  boats,  abreast  of  the 
town  of  Saluafata,  to  cover  the  landing  party,  and  clear  the  town. 
At  the  same  time,  special  orders  were  given  by  Captain  Hudson 
to  the  first  lieutenant  (Mr.  Walker)  of  the  Peacock,  placing  undei 
his  direction  the  boats  of  that  ship.    These  will  be  found  in  Appendix  I 

On  an  examination  of  the  passage  through  the  reef,  Mr.  Knox 
reported,  contrary  to  the  account  given  by  Lieutenant  Emmons  when 
he  surveyed  the  harbour,  that  there  was  not  water  enough  for  the 
tender.  Fearing  some  difficulty,  Captain  Hudson  had  anchored  the 
Peacock  as  near  the  reef  as  possible,  and  not  wishing  to  risk  the  tender 
in  any  way,  countermanded  part  of  his  orders,  and  determined  to  clear 
the  town  with  the  Peacock's  guns,  being  aware  that  none  but  the 
fighting  men  remained,  and  that  all  their  valuables  and  movable  pro- 
perty had  been  removed. 

Preparations  were  therefore  made  for  swinging  the  l)^oadside  to  the 
town,  and  the  necessary  arrangements  for  landing  completed.  Captain 
Hudson,  however,  still  thought  it  proper  to  wait  a  few  hours,  in  the 
hope  of  receiving  some  communication  from  the  natives,  and  that  they 
would  at  the  last  moment,  agree  to  give  up  or  punish  the  murderer. 
But  no  overtures  whatever  being  made,  at  nine  o'clock  the  boats  were 
manned,  and  lay  on  their  oars,  ready  for  the  signal  to  proceed.  A  fire 
was  now  opened  from  the  ship,  the  balls  being  elevated  so  as  to  pass 
over  the  town ;  after  which  the  boats  pushed  for  the  shore,  the  party 
landed,  and  the  town  of  Saluafata,  which  consisted  of  about  seventy- 
five  houses,  was  reduced  to  ashes.  The  towns  of  Fusi  and  Salelese, 
of  some  fifty  more,  shared  the  same  fate.  The  party  then  returned  to 
the  ship,  without  any  accident  to  themselves  or  the  natives,  having 
met  with  no  opposition  whatever,  notwithstanding  the  great  boastings 
and  bravado  messages  which  had  been  sent  by  the  chiefs  and  in- 
habitants. 

This  act  was  performed  with  great  reluctance,  and  not  until  the 
most  perfect  conviction  of  its  being  absolutely  necessary  to  secure  the 
safety  of  the  crews  of  such  of  our  whaling  fleet  as  touch  at  this  island. 


32  BOWDITCH   ISLAND. 

as  well  as  to  restore  the  respect  due  to  our  flag  and  those  who  sail 
under  it,  and  to  correct  the  erroneous  opinion,  that  our  forbearance 
was  the  result  of  fear  of  their  prowess  and  numbers.  In  their  transac- 
tions, and  outrages  committed  on  strangers,  they  had  exhibited  a 
fearlessness  and  spirit  of  daring  that  it  was  time  to  put  a  stop  to.  By 
this  attack  upon  them,  they  became  fully  sensible  that  they  were  not 
our  equals  in  war,  nor  capable  of  resisting  attacks  that  might  be  made 
on  them ;  they  have  in  consequence  become  much  more  humble,  so 
that  the  general  opinion  throughout  the  islands  is,  that  hereafter  they 
must  conform  to  the  regulations  they  made  on  our  former  visit,  and 
maintain  them  with  strict  integrity  towards  foreigners. 

Since  this  transaction,  I  have  received  letters  from  the  island  of 
Upolu,  which  inform  me  that  this  well-deserved  punishment  has  had  a 
most  happy  effect,  and  has  put  a  termination  to  evils  that  had  formerly 
been  of  common  occurrence. 

Communication  was  had  with  Apia  the  day  after,  the  natives  of 
which  town  rather  exulted  in  the  punishment  that  had  taken  place. 

In  leaving  the  harbour  of  Saluafata,  the  Peacock  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  wreck ;  for,  as  they  were  standing  out  of  the  passage, 
,  they  were  overtaken  by  a  heavy  squall,  with  torrents  of  rain,  and  it 
being  near  the  close  of  the  day,  pitchy  darkness  ensued,  and  breakers 
were  unexpectedly  found  under  their  lee.  There  was  no  possibility 
of  returning ;  but  by  carrying  a  press  of  canvass,  they  succeeded  in 
getting  clear,  and  an  offing  was  attained  by  ten  o'clock,  when  it  fell 
calm. 

During  the  day  they  were  at  anchor  in  Saluafata  Harbour,  the 
thermometer  stood  on  board  the  ship  at  93°  in  the  shade,  and  at  150° 
in  the  sun.  It  was  found  oppressively  warm,  notwithstanding  there 
was  a  fine  breeze  blowing. 

The  chief  Opotuno,  who  had  committed  so  many  murders,  was  still 
at  large,  and  it  was  conceived  that  if  he  could  be  taken,  it  would  be 
an  example  that  would  be  long  remembered.  For  this  purpose,  it  was 
believed  that  by  obtaining  Pea,  the  chief  of  Manono,  to  whom  Opotuno 
was  related,  the  latter  would  be  given  up. 

Th^  duty  of  taking  the  former  was  entrusted  to  Lieutenant  Em- 
mons, under  whose  charge  the  tender  was  put,  and  instructions  given 
him  to  proceed  to  Manono,  make  the  chief  prisoner  without  injury  to 
him  or  the  inhabitants  of  that  island ;  and  in  case  of  his  capture,  to 
proceed  to  Savaii,  and  there  ofier  an  asylum  to  Mr.  M'Donald,  the 
missionary  resident  in  Opotuno's  district.  Lieutenants  Walker  and 
De  Haven,  were  employed  the  same  night  to  capture  Malietoa,  and 
the  chief  George,  of  Cocoa-nut  Point    Captain  Hudson's  instructions 


BOWDITCH    ISLAND. 

to  this  party,  as  well  as  those  to  Lieutenant  Emmons,  will  be  found  in 
Appendix  II. 

Neither  of  these  parties  succeeded  in  their  attempts.  The  reports 
of  the  officers  are  also  included  in  Appendix  II. 

On  the  evening  of  the  5th,  they  anchored  in  the  roadstead  of  Ma- 
taatu,  island  of  SavaiL  They  had  constant  rain  and  squally  weather, 
with  a  strong  gale  of  wind  from  the  northwest 

I  was  somewhat  in  hopes  that  this  visit  would  have  led  to  a  further 
knowledge  of  the  interior  of  Savaii,  and  of  its  numerous  craters,  which 
would  have  enabled  us  to  make  a  comparison  with  those  of  Hawaii, 
for,  from  appearances,  and  so  &r  as  information  could  be  obtained,  the 
discharges  from  the  terminal  crater  of  Savaii  must  be  similar  with 
those  of  Mauna  Loa.  It  will  be  recollected  that  Dr.  Pickering  endea- 
voured, during  our  first  visit  to  the  Samoan  Group,  to  reach  what  was 
termed  the  ^  run''  or  burnt  district,  and  which  no  doubt  resembles  the 
flows  of  lava  that  have  taken  place  on  Hawaii,  of  which  particular 
descriptions  have  been  given. 

The  weather  was  so  unfavourable,  that  Captain  Hudson  deemed  it 
imprudent  to  make  any  delay  in  so  exposed  a  roadstead,  and  they  ac- 
cordingly left  it,  after  ascertaining  its  position,  and  making  a  farther 
survey  and  examination  of  it 

The  town  of  Mataatu  is  beautifully  situated  on  a  bay,  which  is 
DO  more  than  a  mere  indentation  of  the  coast  It  is  surrounded  by 
extensive  cocoa-nut  groves,  behind  which  the  houses  are  built,  in 
number  about  four  hundred.  The  town  contains  about  two  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  most  of  whom  are  still  heathens,  and  their  conduct 
proved  it  as  much  as  their  looks,  for  they  were  more  rude  and  ill- 
looking  than  any  other  natives  observed  in  the  group,  and  reminded 
the  officers  of  the  Feejeeans.  This  place  is  the  residence  of  Mr.  Pratt, 
a  missionary,  who  has  been  established  here  since  the  visit  of  the  Por- 
poise. 

Captain  Hudson  considers  the  bay  of  Mataatu  as  much  exposed  at 
all  seasons;  but  between  the  1st  of  December  and  the  end  of  March, 
when  the  north  and  northwest  winds  and  gales  prevail,  it  is  quite  dan- 
gerous, and  should  not  be  visited. 

The  natives  of  Savaii  are  well  acquainted  with  Uea  or  Wallis  Island, 
to  the  westward.  The  west  point  of  the  bay  is  called  Matauea,  **  face 
of  Uea,"  after  the  name  of  the  island  in  that  direction* 

Some  of  their  spears,  clubs,  &c.,  were  quite  different  from  those 
used  among  the  other  Samoans,  and  were  in  all  probability  derived 
from  the  above  island.  These  facts,  in  connexion  with  the  winds  at 
this  season,  are  satisfactory  evidence  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in  the 

VOL.  V.  5 


34  BOWDITCH    ISLAND; 

natives  migrating  to  the  eastward ;  indeed,  if  they  are  driven  off  by 
unforeseen  storms,  this  is  the  seasoD  that  these  accidents  would  be  most 
likely  to  happen,  and  their  migrations  to  take  place.  On  reference  to 
the  currents  and  winds,  as  exhibited  throughout  the  progress  of  the 
voyage  on  the  Track  Map,  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
these  migrations  being  made  from  west  to  east 


CHAPTER  11. 


CONTENTS. 

THE  PEACOCK  AND  TENDER  LEAVE  THE  8AM0AN  0R0UP-ELUCP8  GROUP-CANOBfl 
-ITS  NATIVE8-THEIR  LANOUAGE-DEPETSTER'S  T8LAND-ITS  NATIVEB-ALBINOB- 
CLOTHTNO  OF  ITS  INHABITANTB-THEIR  SYMBOL  OF  PEACE-WOMAN  AND  CHIEF 
OF  THE  ISLAND-FOOD  OF  THE  NATIYES-HARBOaB^VISIT  FROM  THE  KINO-THB 
NATnTEB*  KNOWLEDGE  OF  OTHER  LAND8-THEIR  REUGION-8PBIDBNV  ISLAND- 
HUDSONIi  ISLAND  — ST.  AUGUSTINE  - DRUMMOND*S  ISLAND-ITS  NATIVES -THEIR 
HEADDRESS-THEIR  LANGUAGE -THEIR  WEAPONS-THBIR  DEFENSIVE  ARMOUR^ 
THEIR  ORNAMENTS-THEIE  CANOES-A  PARTY  LANDS  AT  UTIROA— ITS  RECEPTION 
-RUDENESS  AND  PILFERING  OF  THE  NATIVES— DANCB-SECOND  VISIT  TO  UTIROA 
-RECEPTION  IN  THE  COUNCIL-HOUSE- INCREASED  RUDENESS  OF  THE  NATIVES- 
ONE  OF  THE  SEAMEN  MISSING  —  MESSAGE  SENT  TO  THE  UTIROANS  —  TOWNS  ON 
DRUMMOND*S  ISLAND  -  DETERMINATION  TO  PUNISH  UTIROA  FOR  THE  MURDER - 
EXPEDITION  AGAINST  THAT  TOWN -PARLEY  WITH  ITS  INHABITANTS  -  UTIROA 
BURNT -CONDUCT  OF  THE  NATIVES  OF  ETA  -  CHARACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF 
DRUMMOND-S  ISLAND  —  SUPPLIES  FOR  SHIPS  —  BISHOPS  ISLAND  —  HBNDERVILLS 
ISLAND— HALL'S  ISLAND  —  APAMAMA  -  JOHN  KIRBY  TAKEN  ON  BOARIX-WOODLE'S 
ISLAND-DISGRACEFUL  CONDUCT  OF  AN  ENGLISH  WHALER— ERRORS  OF  CHARTS- 
TARAWA-APIA-IDOL-THE  TENDER  GROUNDS-DRIFT  OF  THE  PEACOCK-THREAT- 
ENED ATTACK  ON  THE  TENDER  -  MATTHEWS  ISLAND -PITT'S  ISLAND  -  MAKIN- 
ROBERT  WOOD  TAKEN  ON  BO ARD  —  NATIVES  OF  PITTS  ISLANIX-THEIR  CANOES— 
THEIR  TREATMENT  OF  FEMALES-KING  TEKERE  AND  HIS  RELATIVES— A  NATIVE 
DESIRES  TO  BE  TAKEN  FROM  THE  ISLAlfD. 


m 


CHAPTER  IL 


ELLICE'S   AND   KINGSMILL   QROUP. 


184  1. 


On  the  6th  of  March,  the  Peacock  and  Flying-Fish  sailed  from  the 
roadstead  of  Mataatu,  for  the  islands  known  on  the  chart  of  Arrow- 
smith  as  Ellice's  Group. 

On  the  7th,  they  lost  sight  of  the  Samoan  Isles. 

The  vessels  pursued  their  course  to  the  westward,  with  a  fresh  wind 
from  north-northeast,  until  the  14th,  when  they  crossed  the  meridian 
of  180^,  and  dropped  a  day  in  their  reckoning. 

The  temperature  of  the  air  during  this  part  of  the  passage  from  the 
Samoan  Isles  had  increased  from  76^  to  84°,  and  that  of  the  water 
from  78°  to  86°. 

At  noon,  on  the  I4th,  they  made  land,  and  by  2  p.  m.,  they  were 
close  to  what  proved  to  be  an  extensive  ring  of  small  islets,  situated 
on  a  coral  reef  surrounding  a  lagoon.  These  are  so  far  separated  as 
to  give  the  idea  of  distinct  islands,  which  has  probably  led  to  their 
having  the  name  of  **  group.*'  These  islets  are  well  covered  with 
cocoa-nut  and  other  trees,  which  give  them  a  sufficient  elevation  to 
be  seen  at  ten  or  twelve  miles  distance.  The  reef  which  links  these 
islets  is  awash,  over  which  the  sea  breaks  with  violence.  There  are 
two  openings  in  its  west  side,  and  an  island  off  its  southwest  point,  at 
the  distance  of  a  mile,  five  miles  in  length  by  two  in  width.  The 
island  is  thirteen  miles  long,  in  a  north-by-east  and  south-by-west 
direction,  and  seven  miles  and  two-tenths  east  and  west 

When  the  vessels  had  approached  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
largest  island,  two  canoes  were  seen  coming  towards  the  ship,  only 
one  of  which  came  near.  In  it  were  five  men ;  and  from  the  familiar 
manner  in  which  they  came  alongside,  it  was  evident  they  had  had  fre- 
quent communication  with  vessels.    They  refused  to  come  on  board, 

D  (37) 


S8  ELLICE'S  AND  EINGBMILL  GROUP. 

but  exhibited  various  articles  of  trafRc,  consisting  of  cocoa-nuts,  mats. 
ToDs  of  sennit,  maros,  large  wooden  fish-hooks,  war-knives  and  swords 
fitted  with  sharks'  teeth,  and  some  rough  war-clubs.  Their  canoe 
was  in  construction  much  more  rude  and  rough  than  any  met  with 
of  similar  size:  it  was  about  twenty  feet  long,  dug  out  of  a  single  log, 
and  the  sides  had  strips  lashed  on  to  raise  them  higher.  Il  had  an 
out-rigger  and  paddles  very  similar  to  those  seen  at  the  other  islands. 

These  natives  were,  in  general  appearance,  inferior  to  those  of  the 
Samoan  Islands,  of  middle  size,  and  with  deep  brown  complexions, 
like  the  Hawaiians,  whom  they  were  thought  also  to  resemble  in 
features ;  but  they  were  well  provided  with  beard,  in  which  respect 
tlioy  resemble  the  Feqees.  They  wore  their  hair,  which  was  thick 
and  bushy,  long.  One  of  them  was  observed  to  have  it  parted  into 
five  or  six  large  clubs  of  hair,  hanging  loose  about  his  head,  and 
resembling  large  foxes'  tails. 


They  were  tattooed  differently  from  any  heretofore  seen,  their  arma 
being  covered,  from  the  shoulder  to  the  wrist,  with  small  curved  figures 
or  zigzag  lines.  They  had  this  tattooing  also  on  the  body,  extending 
from  the  armpits  to  the  waist,  and  down,  until  the  whole  body  was 
encompassed  in  the  same  manner.  No  marks  were  observed  on  the 
face  or  legs,  but  on  two  of  them  were  a  few  lines  across  the  small  of 
the  back.  They  wore  no  clothing,  but  a  strip  of  fine  matting,  as  a 
maro,  and  a  coarser  piece  tied  about  the  hips:  the  first,  which  was 
made  of  the  pandanus-leaf,  was  about  eight  inches  wide,  and  ten  feet 
long,  and  was  fringed  on  each  side,  which  increased  its  width.  The 
coarser  girdle  was  worn,  and  attached  to  it  were  slips  of  pandanus- 


ELLICE'S  AND   KINQ8UILL   OEOUF.  M 

leaf,  a  foot  long,  dyed  red,  by  way  of  ornament,  which  at  a  distance 
had  tbe  appearaace  of  ribanda. 

One  of  the  men  was  a  petty  chief,  and  was  held  in  respect  by  his 
companions.  There  was  another,  whose  costume  was  very  peculiar: 
around  the  bead  and  waist  be  bad  a  strip  of  pandanus-leares,  which 
was  so  arranged  as  to  form  a  series  of  points.  The  attitudes  of  these 
natives  were  equally  aingular:  one  of  these  is  represented  in  the 
wood-cut.' 


They  had  no  other  weapons  but  spears  and  knives,  and  seemed  to 
be  equipped  for  a  fishing  party,  from  the  implements  they  had  with 
them.  Some  rolls  of  sennit  were  bought,  and  large  wooden  shark- 
hooks.  Their  spears  were  only  poles  of  cocoanut-wood,  pointed  at  one 
end ;  and  their  knives  made  of  small  shark's  teeth,  inserted  into  a  stick 
with  gum  and  fine  sennit,  and  are  about  a  foot  long. 

It  was  BooD  foun^  that  they  understood  the  Samoan  language,  and 
spoke  a  purely  Polynesian  dialect  The  Samoan  native  easily  con- 
versed with  them.  They  gave  the  name  of  the  island  as  Fanafute. 
Tbev  seemed  perfectly  familiar  with  white  men,  and  when  the  guns 
were  fired  for  a  base  by  sound,  they  showed  no  kind  of  alarm. 


40  ELLICE*S   AND   KIN6SMILL   GROUP. 

The  island  was  surveyed,  and  was  ibund  to  be  in  latitude  8^  30'  45" 
S.,  longitude  179*^  13'  30"  E.  There  appears  to  be  good  anchorage 
within  the  lagoon;  an  abundance  of  wood  is  to  be  had,  but  it  is  believed 
there  is  no  adequate  supply  of  fresh  water. 

From  what  was  ascertained,  the  population  was  put  down  at  two 
hundred  and  fifty  souls. 

The  vessels  left  Ellice's  Group  the  same  evening,  proceeded  under 
easy  sail,  and  at  daylight  made  the  Depeyster  Islands,  distant  three 
and  a  half  miles  to  the  northwest  The  two  following  days,  they  had 
squally  weather,  accompanied  with  heavy  rains,  with  the  wind  north- 
ward, which  obliged  them  to  stand  off  from  the  island,  as  no  i^ork 
could  be  done.  The  island  was  thus  lost  sight  of,  but  on  the  17th  it 
was  again  made  from  aloft,  to  the  northward  and  westward. 

On  The  18th,  the  trade-wind  set  in  and  brought  fine  weather;  but 
exceedingly  warm,  the  thermometer  standing  at  85**  in  the  shade. 

They  surveyed  this  island;  and  on  the  same  day  Tracy's  Island, 
whose  native  name  is  Oaitupu,  was  in  sight  to  the  eastward.  The 
observations  placed  it  in  latitude  l""  28'  Si,  and  longitude  178^  43'  35" 
E.  It  is  well  covered  with  trees,  and  to  all  appearance  as  extensive 
as  Depeyster  Island.  As  the  wind  was  directly  contrary,  and  a  strong 
current  flowing  to  the  west,  Captain  Hudson  thought  it  would  be  a 
waste  of  time  to  attempt  to  reach  it. 

Several  canoes,  with  the  natives  of  Depeyster's  Group  or  Island, 
came  off  to  the  ship :  they  used  triangular  sails,  similar  to  those  of  the 
rest  of  Polynesia.  The  natives  proved  to  be  of  the  same  race  as  those 
of  Ellice's  Group ;  speaking  the  same  language,  and  tattooed  after  the 
same  fashion. 

In  colour,  however,  many  of  them  were  rather  darker;  but  few 
were  above  the  middle  size,  and  none  of  them  had  the  manly  beauty 
of  the  Samoans.  A  greater  variety  of  fashions  prevailed  among  them, 
which  exhibited  itself  more  particularly  in  their  hair.  Some  wore  it 
like  that  of  the  Feejees,  and  the  locks  were  frequently  of  a  reddish 
brown,  although  the  natural  colour  was  black.  Their  skin  was  coarse 
and  rough  to  the  touch;  in  many  it  was  disfigured  after  a  singular 
fashion,  and  in  some  it  appeared  as  if  a  scurf  prevailed,  resembling  a 
person  whose  skin  was  peeling  off  from  the  effects  of  the  sun ;  in  others, 
the  stage  of  the  disease  was  seen  farther  advanced,  the  scurf  having 
disappeared,  and  left  the  skin  marked  with  circular  and  wavy  lines, 
which  the  natives  called  "  tafa."*    About  a  fifth  part  of  the  natives 

*  A  name  the  Samoans  apply  to  the  marks  they  bom  on  the  skin  for  moomin^.    This 
was  imputed  to  the  effects  of  a  disease  somewhat  allied  to  the  ringwonn,  by  ^e  medical 


fiLLICE'S   AND   KINOSMILL   GROUP.  41 

seen  were  affected  io  this  manner ;  and  the  skin  of  these  was  much 
lighter  than  in  any  Polynesian  race  they  had  met  with.  Among  the 
natives  were  two  albinos ;  the  colour  of  their  skin  was  of  a  reddish 
white,  the  hair  of  a  flaxen  white,  with  light-blue  eyes,  so  weak  as  to 
oblige  them  to  use  a  shade,  and  to  keep  their  eyes  constantly  half  closed. 
Their  persons  seemed  also  to  be  quite  tender,  and  they  avoided  expo- 
sure to  the  sun  by  an  additional  mat  over  the  shoulders.  They  were 
covered  in  many  places  with  large  brown  freckles:  their  whole  ap- 
pearance was  any  thing  but  pleasing.  The  account  they  gave  of 
themselves  was,  that  their  parents  were  the  same  as  the  rest  of  the 
islanders,  and  that  their  other  children  were  dark. 

The  tattooing  was  in  great  variety  on  the  body;  but  in  all,  the  arms 
were  tattooed  alike,  for  there  it  varied  only  in  quantity.  On  the  body 
it  was  frequently  extended  across  the  back  and  to  the  abdomen ;  and 
in  many,  the  bodies  and  thighs  were  tattooed  down  as  far  as  the  knee. 
Many  of  the  natives  designated  the  figures  as  intended  to  represent 
pigeons  (lupe). 

These  islanders  wore  three  kinds  of  mats,  made  of  the  pandanus- 
leaf :  one  was  similar  to  that  described  at  Ellice's  Group,  and  worn 
as  a  maro ;  another  was  worn  as  a  girdle,  of  thick  fringe,  from  eight 
inches  to  a  foot  broad,*  tied  about  the  loins  so  as  to  cover  in  part  the 
maro :  to  this  they  gave  the  name  of  **  takai ;"  the  last  was  used  as  a 
wrapper  about  the  body  and  legs.  The  fringes  of  these  mats  were  all 
dyed  of  various  colours,  and  the  wrapper  was  tinged  on  one  side  in 
large  patterns  of  divers  colours,  some  in'  squares,  others  in  diamond 
forms,  which  at  a  little  distance  had  a  pretty  effect  These  mats  were 
worn  for  di^rent  purposes ;  and  the  latter  seemed  to  belong  to  the 
higher  or  privileged  orders,  as  the  only  person  who  was  seen  to  wear 
one  was  the  chief.  A  great  many  of  these  mats  were  brought  off  for 
sale,  and  bought 

On  their  approach  to  the  ship,  every  one  was  seen  to  have  a  cocoa- 
nut  leaflet  tied  around  the  neck, — a  practice  which  attracted  particular 
notice  by  their  endeavour  to  keep  it  constantly  in  view,  from  which  it 
was  inferred,  it  might  be  with  them  a  sign  of  amity  and  peace.  In 
all,  the  lobe  of  the  ear  was  bored,  and  distended  to  the  size  of  an  inch 
in  diameter ;  around  this  they  insert  small  rings  of  tortoise-shell,  so 
neatly  made  that  it  is  difiicult  to  discern  the  place  where  they  are 
joined.  Many  of  them  had  shells  and  mother-of-pearl  ornaments  sus- 
pended round  their  necks. 

officers,  while  othen  thought  it  might  hare  tetnlted  from  ezpOBore  to  the  imi,  and  moisture 
of  the  rJiinatiB. 

VOL*  V.  ns  6 


42  ELLICE*S  AND   KINGSMILL   GROUP. 

Only  one  woman  was  seen  in  the  canoes,  and  every  endeavonr  was 
made  to  induce  her  to  come  on  board,  that  her  likeness  might  be  pro- 
cured, but  without  effect ;  she  could  not  be  prevailed  upon.     She  was 
prepossessing  in  her  appearance,  with  a  pleasing  expression  of  coun- 
tenance, and  had  a  modest  demeanour.    She  wore  a  cincture  around 
her  waist,  and  a  mat  over  her  bosom.    The  cincture  was  made  of 
pandanus-leaves ;  this  was  fastened  to  a  cord  as  a  thick  fringe,  two 
feet  in  length,  and  extended  to  her  knees.    Her  arms  were  beautifully 
tattooed,  of  the  same  figure  as  the  men,  but  the  tattooing  was  con- 
tinued down  the  leg  in  horizontal  stripes,  an  inch  and  a  half  wride. 
This  constitutes  a  great  difference  from  the  Polynesians,  for  with  them 
we  have  never  before  met  with  any  females  who  were  tattooed,  except- 
ing a  few  marks  on  the  fingers  and  feet 

Twenty  or  thirty  of  these  natives  came  on  board,  while  the  rest 
remained  in  the  canoes,  of  which  there  were  about  fifteen,  having  an 
average  of  five  natives  to  each.  Their  desire  was  to  exchange  their 
articles  for  hatchets  and  plane  irons :  iron-articles  of  all  kinds  were  in 
great  demand,  together  with  beads  and  rings. 

After  they  had  exhausted  their  desire  for  trade,  some  few  of  them 
went  below,  and  entertained  the  officers  with  a  dance  and  song,  both 
of  which  resembled  those  of  Polynesia,  which  have  been  heretofore 
described. 

In  the  afternoon  the  chief  paid  the  ship  a  visit  He  was  styled  both 
the  god  and  chief  of  the  island,  and  was  a  very  fine-looking  man,  about 
forty  years  of  age,  and  grave  in  his  deportment  He  reckoned  six 
towns  on  the  island,  five  of  them  on  the  northeast  side,  and  one  on  the 
southwest    The  population  was  estimated  at  one  thousand. 

The  natives  said  that  they  had  pigs  and  taro,  and  brought  off  some 
of  the  latter;  but  it  was  small,  both -in  size  and  quantity.  The  only 
articles  of  food  that  the  natives  had  with  them  in  their  canoes  were 
the  young  cocoa-nut  and  the  fruit  of  the  pandanus.  The  former  were, 
for  the  most  part,  quite  young,  and  fit  only  for  drinking ;  but  there 
were  some  that  were  old  and  filled  with  pulp,  to  which  they  gave  the 
name  of  utanu,  and  of  which  they  seemed  very  fond.  Besides  taro, 
they  said  that  they  had  a  much  larger  root,  called  "  pulaka."  Yams 
and  bananas  they  knew  by  name,  but  had  none  of  them. 

An  opening  being  discovered  as  the  ship  passed  along  the  reef.  Lieu- 
tenant De  Haven  was  sent  to  examine  it,  and  he  found  a  good  ship- 
channel  into  the  lagoon.  The  passage  was  one-third  of  a  mile  wide, 
and  the  least  depth  of  water  in  it  was  five  fathoms.  It  leads  to  an 
anchorage  in  ft'om  seventeen  to  twenty  fathoms,  on  a  sandy  bottom, 
where  a  vessel  may  lie  well  protected  by  the  reef.    The  current  was 


ELLICE'S   AND    KINGSMILL   GROUP.  43 

found  to  be  setting  out  of  this  passage  at  the  rate  of  two  and  a  half 
miles  per  hour. 

When  Lieutenant  De  Haven  returned,  he  was  accompanied  by  the 
chief,  who  called  himself  both  the  chief  and  god  of  the  island,  Foilape. 
He  was  a  fine-looking  man,  about  forty  years  of  age,  with  prominent 
features,  his  hair  cut  short  and  nicely  oiled.  His  legs  were  swollen 
with  the  elephantiasis.  He  was  gaily  dressed,  with  both  the  maro  and 
girdle,  beside  the  square  mat  of  various  colours  around  his  waist.  He 
saluted  the  officers  with  the  rubbing  of  noses,  and  said  that  his  name 
had  been  Faikatea,  which  he  had  changed  with  Lieutenant  De  Haven. 
He  remained  but  a  short  time  on  board,  and  explained  by  his  motions 
the  necessity  of  his  leaving  the  ship  before  the  sun  went  down.  He  was 
very  urgent  that  some  of  them  should  accompany  him,  and  pass  the 
night  at  his  village ;  but  finding  nobody  disposed  to  do  so,  he  departed, 
and  the  rest  soon  followed. 

This  island  was  called  by  the  natives  Nukufetau;  they  were  ac- 
quainted with  Fanafute,  or  £llice*s  Island,  and  also  with  Oaitupu,  or 
Tracy's  Island.  On  being  asked  if  these  were  all  the  lands  they  knew 
of,  they  said,  pointing  to  the  east,  that  beyond  Oaitupu  there  were  three 
islands,  called  Oatafu,  Nukunono,  and  Fakaafo,  which  it  will  be  recol- 
lected are  those  of  the  Union  Group.  Mr.  Hale  pressed  the  inquiry,  if 
this  were  all ;  and  with  some  hesitation  they  added  the  name  of  Oloo- 
singa,  Tvhich  is  one  of  the  small  eastern  islands  of  the  Samoan  Group ; 
but  what  seemed  strange,  they  did  not  understand  the  name  of  Samoa. 
On  mentioning  Tonga  and  Haabai,  the  names  appeared  to  be  recog- 
nised. Some  bananas  attracting  their  attention,  which  they  saw  hanging 
up,  they  called  fuJli  o  rotuma !  Mr.  Hale,  in  his  inquiries,  found  the 
pronunciations  of  these  natives  very  distinct,  and  it  enabled  him  better 
to  understand  the  orthography  of  their  names. 

These  islanders  gave  the  name  of  their  god  as  Foilape :  on  inquiry 
being  made  if  the  Tui-Tokelau  also  lived  there,  they  immediately 
replied,  that  he  was. the  god  of  Fakaafo,  thus  exhibiting  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  Union  Group.  It  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that 
many  of  the  officers  were  struck  with  the  great  likeness  that  the  chief 
of  the  island,  Faikatea,  bore  to  Taupe,  of  Fakaafo.  At  Fakaafo,  mention 
was  made  of  an  island  called  Pokapoka :  this  name  the  natives  of 
Nukufetau  recognised  immediately,  and  said  that  it  was  an  island 
thickly  inhabited.  We  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  with  what 
island  the  name  can  be  associated.  All  these  circumstances  induced  a 
strong  belief  that  these  islanders  were  derived,  at  no  very  remote 
period,  from  those  of  the  Union  Group ;  and  the  fact  of  the  latter  being 
entirely  ignorant  of  other  lands,  would  lead  more  strongly  to  that  belie£ 


44  ELLICE'S   AND   KIN68MILL   GROUP. 

When  Mr.  Hale  pronounced  the  name  of  Tagaioa,  the  great  deity 
of  Polynesia,  it  appeared  to  surprise  and  annoy  them.  One  of  them 
mentioned  that  Tagaloa  was  a  god  taboo  to  their  country,  and  refused 
to  speak  farther  about  him. 

They  reported  that  ten  ships  had  visited  their  island,  and  added  that 
a  ship  of  the  Wiwi  people  had  spent  some  days  about  their  island  in 
fishing :  that  the  captain,  with  five  others,  had  slept  on  shore.  It  was 
conjectured  that  Wiwi  was  the  appellation  by  which  they  distinguish 
the  French  people  or  ships,  this  term  being  made  use  of  in  New 
Zealand.  The  invitations  to  go  on  shore  were  accompanied  by  such 
significant  signs  as  to  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  not  the 
most  virtuous  people,  and  very  unlike  their  ancestors,  or  race  of  the 
Union  Group,  whose  only  desire  seemed  to  be  to  get  rid  of  the  parties 
before  night 

The  extreme  north  island  was  found  in  latitude  7^  56'  11"  S.,  longi- 
tude 178^  27'  32"  E. :  it  is  eight  miles  long,  east^northeast  and  west- 
southwest  ;  its  greatest  width  is  nearly  the  same. 

The  vessels  left  Nukufetau  the  same  evening,  and  steered  away  to 
the  northward.  In  latitude  6"^  10'  S.,  and  longitude  177°  41'  E.,  they 
passed  a  small  island  which  has  no  lagoon,  and  does  not  appear  to  be 
named  on  any  of  the  charts.  This  they  saw  at  some  distance,  and 
although  it  appears  to  have  been  seen  before,  yet  as  the  charts  only 
designate  it  as  an  island,  I  have  bestowed  upon  it  the  name  of  Speiden, 
after  the  purser  of  the  Peacock,  one  of  the  most  valuable  oflicers  of  the 
Expedition. 

On  the  24th,  they  fell  in  with  another  island,  in  latitude  6°  19'  S., 
longitude  176""  23'  15"  E.  This  discovery  I  have  called  Hudson,  aftei 
Captain  Hudson.  It  was  surveyed  and  found  to  be  but  one  mile  and 
four-tenths  long,  north  and  south,  and  nine-tenths  of  a  mile  wide,  east 
and  west  This  island  is  inhabited,  a  few  natives  being  seen  on  the 
beach,  and  several  houses  under  cocoa-nut  trees  on  its  west  side.  It 
is  of  coral  formation,  has  no  lagoon,  and  can  be  seen  about  eight  or  ten 
miles.  There  are  reefs  extending  from  its  north  and  south  points 
nearly  half  a  mile,  on  which  the  surf  breaks  heavily.  They  had  no 
communication  with  its  inhabitants. 

On  the  25th,  they  passed  the  small  island  of  St  Augustine,  whose 
position  as  ascertained  was  in  latitude  5°  35'  S.,  and  longitude  176° 
06'  E.  It  appeared  well  wooded,  but  being  to  windward,  it  could 
not  be  reached  without  much  delay.  The  wind,  thus  far,  among 
these  islands,  had  been  from  the  north,  and  very  unfavourable  for  a 
vessel  .cruising  among  them  for  their  examination ;  and  being  light 
and  variable,  little  progress  could  be  made  in  any  direction. 


ELLICE'S   AND   KINGSMILL   GROUP.  45 

Until  the  3d  of  April,  they  continued  to  sail  to  the  northward 
without  meeting  with  any  islands.  On  that  day  they  made  Drum- 
mood's  Island  of  the  charts,  one  of  the  Kingsmill  Group,  where  they 
eocountered  the  regular  northeast  trades.  This  island  is  called  Tapu- 
teouea  by  the  natives ;  it  is  situated  in  latitude  1^  20'  S.,  and  longi- 
tude 174^  57'  £•  It  is  of  coral  formation,  is  thirty  miles  long  in  a 
northwest  and  southeast  direction,  and  varies  in  width  from  a  half  to 
three  quarters  of  a  mile.  This,  however,  only  includes  the  high  por- 
tions, or  that  which  is  above  the  ocean  level  a  few  feet  It  is  thinly 
covered  with  cocoa-nut  and  pandanus-trees,  and  not  a  patch  of  grass 
is  to  be  seen,  or  any  sort  of  shrubbery  or  undergrowth.  To  the 
leeward,  or  on  its  west  side,  the  reefs  and  sand-banks  extend  off  some 
distance,  gradually  increasing  from  the  northwest  point  to  the  south- 
east, where  they  are  as  much  as  six  and  a  half  miles  in  width. 
This  reef  is  interrupted  in  places,  and  there  is  good  anchorage  off  the 
town  of  Utiroa,  towards  the  northwest  end,  near  a  small  sand-bank, 
which  is  usually  bare.  The  whole  shore  of  the  island  as  they  ap- 
proached it  appeared  covered  with  houses,  presenting  to  the  view 
one  continuous  village.  At  intervals  of  a  mile  there  were  buildings 
of  huge  proportions,  far  exceeding  in  size  any  they  had  before  met 
with. 

As  they  approached,  canoes  were  seen  coming  towards  them  from 
all  parts  of  the  island.  The  appearance  of  these  natives  was  totally 
different  from  those  already  seen  to  the  south.  They  appeared  of  the 
middle  size,  slender,  and  well  proportioned.  Their  colour  was  a 
shade  or  two  darker  than  that  of  the  Tahitians,  and  they  exhibited  a 
greater  variety  of  face  and  features,  with  black  glossy  hair,  finer  than 
in  other  races.  Their  features  were  small,  but  high  and  well  marked ; 
their  eyes  large,  black,  and  bright;  their  nose  straight  or  slightly 
aquiline,  and  always  somewhat  widened  at  the  base;  their  mouth 
large,  with  full  lips  and  small  teeth,  which  were  very  imperfect  from 
decay,  and  they  are  the  only  natives  in  the  Pacific  with  this  defect 
From  the  projection  of  the  cheek-bones,  the  eyes  had  in  some  the 
appearance  of  being  sunken.  They  wore  mustaches,  but  their  beards 
were  scanty.  They  evidently  set  a  great  value  on  these  as  ornaments, 
priding  themselves  much  upon  their  appearance.  The  few  officers 
who  had  whiskers  were  very  much  admired,  the  natives  patting  their 
whiskered  cheeks  with  great  marks  of  admiration. 

Altogether  they  were  thought  to  resemble  the  Malays.  Many  of 
them  were  observed  to  have  the  same  disease  as  exists  at  Ellice's 
Islands,  disfiguring  the  body  and  giving  it  the  same  scurfy  and  dis- 
gusting appearance. 


46  ELLICE'S  AND   KING8M1LL  GROUP. 

The  majority  of  these  iilanders  go  entirely  naked,  excepting  a 
covering  for  the  head,  consisting  usually  of  the  bleached  pandanus- 
leaf.  Mr.  Agate's  sketch  of  one,  represented  in  the  wood-cut,  will 
give  an  idea  of  this  head-dress. 


Although  it  has  been  said  that  the  majority  go  naked,  it  must  not 
be  understood  that  the  rest  are  clothed,  for  they  wear  do  more  than 
a  sort  of  girdle,  which,  however,  serves  no  purposes  of  decency,  only 
covering  the  abdomen,  and  lower  part  of  the  back.  Some  few  had 
over  their  shoulders  a  strip  of  matting,  with  a  hole  in  the  centre  for 
the  head  to  pass  through,  in  order  to  protect  their  bodies  from  the  sun. 
A  few  were  tattooed  very  lightly,  and  in  eome  it  was  scarcely  distin- 
guishable. Those  that  were  so  adorned  had  it  from  the  breast  to  the 
ankles,  consisting  of  short  oblique  marks,  an  inch  or  two  in  length, 
drawn  parallel  a  quarter  of  an  inch  apart:  there  was  a  space  both 
before  and  behind,  of  three  inches  wide,  from  the  neck  down,  that  was 
uncovered.  No  tattooing  was  seen  on  the  face  and  arms.  These 
natives  soon  showed  that  they  were  familiar  and  had  had  frequent 
intercourse  with  vessels,  for  on  coming  alongside,  their  first  cry  was 
for  "  rope."  They  had  also  a  few  Polynesian  words  of  the  diflerent 
islands  and  groups  that  could  be  recognised,  which  they  had  obtained 
from  the  vessels  that  at  various  times  had  visited  their  island. 

Their  own  language  was  totally  di^rent,  and  none  on  board  could 
comprehend  it 


ELLICE*8   AND   KINGSMILL   GROUP.  47 

When  they  arrived  alongside,  they  made  much  clamour  and  many 
gesticulations,  but  refused  to  leave  their  canoes.  After  some  enticing, 
one  was  induced  to  venture  on  board.  They  evidently  comprehended 
that  the  vessel  was  of  a  different  character  from  what  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  see.  The  one  who  gained  the  deck  showed  much  agi- 
tation, but  when  he  saw  the  arm-chest  opened  and  a  musket  taken 
out,  his  fears  were  too  much  for  him,  and  he  at  once  sprang  over  the 
stern  into  the  water,  and  swam  to  his  canoe.  Others  came  on  board, 
but  they  in  their  turn,  were  frightened  in  like  manner,  and  took  to  their 
canoes. 

The  arms  and  legs  of  a  large  proportion  of  the  natives  exhibited 
numerous  scars,  many  of  which  were  still  unhealed.  These  had  been 
made  with  shark's-teeth  swords,  such  as  were  seen  at  the  Depeyster 
Group,  weapons  which  are  calculated  rather  to  make  severe  gashes 
than  dangerous  wounds.  The  spears  are  equally  formidable,  and  four 
rows  of  shark's  teeth  are  inserted  in  them ;  some  are  of  the  uncommon 
length  of  twenty  feet,  but  they  are  usually  about  eight  or  ten  feet  long, 
and  have  prongs  projecting  from  their  sides  also  armed  with  teeth. 
A  drawing  of  these  arms  is  given  in  the  wood-cut  at  the  end  of  the 
chapter. 

They  were  evidently  in  the  habit  of  having  severe  conflicts  with  one 
another,  and  war  seems  to  be  one  of  the  principal  employments  of  this 
people. 

In  order  to  guard  against  the  destructive  effect  of  these  arms,  they 
had  invented  a  kind  of  armour,  which  was  almost  an  effectual  defence 
against  their  weapons,  and  accounted  at  once  for  their  arms  and  legs 
/leing  the  only  parts  where  scars  were  seen.  This  consisted  of  a  sort 
of  cuirass,  covering  the  body  as  far  down  as  the  hips,  and  rising  above 
the  back  of  the  head  three  or  four  inches.  This,  when  taken  off  and 
set  upon  the  deck,  somewhat  resembled  a  high-backed  chair.  It  was 
made  of  plaited  cocoanut-husk  fibres,  woven  into  as  solid  and  compact 
a  mass  as  if  it  had  been  made  of  board  half  an  inch  thick,  and  was  as 
stiff  as  a  coat  of  mail.  For  the  legs  and  arms,  they  have  also  a 
covering  of  netted  sennit  of  the  same  material,  which  they  put  on. 
That  for  the  legs  resembles  a  pair  of  overhauls,  such  as  sailmakers 
use,  with  straps  over  the  shoulders.  The  covering  for  the  arms  is 
drawn  on  in  like  manner.  The  appearance  of  the  body  was  as  if  it 
were  clothed  in  pantaloons  and  jacket  of  a  deep  brown  colour.  This 
they  must  find  a  very  inconvenient  covering  for  their  hot  climate. 
However  singular  the  body-dress  is,  that  of  the  head  is  still  more  so :  it 
consists  of  the  skin  of  the  porcupine-fish,  cut  open  at  the  head,  and 
stretched  sufficiently  large  to  admit  the  head  of  a  man.    It  is  perfectly 


48  £LLICB'6   AND  KINGSHILL  GROUP. 

round,  with  the  tail  sticking  upwards,  and  the  two  fins  acting  as  a 
covering  and  guard  for  the  ears:  its  colour  is  perfectly  white,  and  by 
its  toughness  and  spines  affords  protection  against  the  native  weapons. 


The  omamrats  which  the  natives  wore,  were  strings  of  beads  and 
human  hair.  The  beads  were  strung  alternately,  black  and  white, 
and  were  made  of  shell  and  of  cocoanut-wood.  The  strings  of  human 
hair  resembled  watch-guards,  and  some  of  them  were  of  the  size  of 
packthread.  Although  the  manufacture  of  this  article  must  have  been 
tedious,  yet  a  great  quantity  of  it  was  brought  off,  and  bartered  for 
aome  plugs  of  tobacco,  and  a  few  whales'  teeth.  Their  mats,  likewise, 
constituted  an  oniamenl :  they  were  slips  of  the  pandanus  braided,  and 
some  of  these  had  been  bleached)  and  were  of  a  light  straw-colour; 
others  were  tmbleached  and  brown ;  these  were  interwoven  together, 
so  as  to  produce  many  kinds  of  figures,  in  squares,  lozenges,  and  dia- 
monds. They  wore  these  folded  twice,  so  as  to  form  a  triple  thickness, 
which  they  passed  over  one  shoulder  as  a  scarf,  or  round  the  body, 
securing  it  with  a  cord  of  human  hair;  the  folds  of  this  answered  the 
purposes  of  pockets,  for  putting  away  the  tobacco  and  other  articles 
they  had  obtained  by  barter.  In  default  of  a  mat,  they  used  the  lining 
or  upper  part  of  their  hat  or  cap.  These  mats  are  about  three  feet 
wide  by  six  long. 


•EL  LICE  S   AND   K  I  M  G8  M  I  LL   6  R  O  U  P. 


49 


Their  chief  desire  was  to  obtain  tobacco,  of  which  they  seem  to  be 
extravagantly  fond ;  it  was  their  constant  request,  and  whilst  in  their 
canoes  alongside,  or  on  deck,  the  cry  was  constantly  "  tebake."  It 
was  not  begged. as  a  gift;. for,  what  appeared  singular  enough  for 
South  Sea  islanders,  they  seemed  to  have  no  idea  of  receiving  any 
thing  as  a  gratuity,  but  instantly  made  a  return  of  something  for  what- 
ever was  given  them.  So  eager  were  they  after  it,  that  when  one  had 
put  a  piece  in  his  mouth,  others  would  seize  him,  and  actually  force  it 
out  with  their  fingers. 

Besides  the. mats,  they  had  fans,  fly-brushes,  and  baskets  of  different 
sizes  and  shapes,  with  nets  and  hooks  for  fishing.  Some  had  wigs, 
and  others  carved  images,  all  of  which  were  readily  parted  with  for 
tobacco.  Another  article  which  was  brought  off.  for  sale,  was  a  kind 
of  treacle,  made  from  the  sap  of  the  cocoa-nut  tree,' which  they  had  in 
cocoa-nut  shells:  into  these  they  frequently  thrust  their  fingers,  and 
drawing  them  through  their  mouths,  smacked  their  lips  most  signifi- 
cantly of  its  goodness. 

The  canoes  of  these  natives  were  different  from  those  of  any  other 
islanders:  their  average  length  is  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet;  they 
are  from  two  to  three  feet  deep,  and  vary  from  fifteen  inches  to  two 
feet  in  width.    Each  canoe  has  six  or  eight  timbers  in  its  construction; 


KINOf  MILL  CANOE. 


they  are  well  modelled,  built  in  firames,  and  have  much  sheer.  The 
boards  are  cut  from  the  cocoa-nut  tree,  from  a  few  inches  to  six  or 
eight  feet  long,  and  vary  from  five  to  seven  inches  in  width.  These 
are  arranged  as  the  planking  of  a  vessel,  and  very  neatly  put  together, 
being  sewed  with  sennit ;  for  the  purpose  of  making  them  water-tight, 
they  use  a  slip  of  the  pandanus-leaf,  inserted  as  our  coopers  do  in  flag- 
ging a  casL  They  have  evinced  much  ingenuity  in  attaching  the 
upright  to  the  fiat  timbers,*  which  are  so  secured  as  to  have  all  tbi^ 
motion  of  a  double  joint,  which  gives  them  ease  and  comparative  secu- 
rity in  a  sea-way,  and  thus  renders  them  capable  of  withstanding  the 
waves.  They  use  an  out-rigger,  much  smaller  than  those  of  other 
islands,  and  the  staging  or  platform  covers  less  ^ace.  One  of  the  sides 
is  nearly  flat,  in  which  respect  they  resemble  the  proa  of  the  Ladrones, 
as  figured  in  Anson's  Voyages 

VOL.  X  B  7 


50  ELLICE'S   AND   KINGSMILL   GROUh 

# 

They  are  expert  at  managing  their  canoes,  and  seldom  use  their 
paddles,  which  are  miserably  made,  of  a  piece  of  cocoa-nut  board  bt 
tortoise-shell,  about  six  inches  square,  attached  to  a  found  stick ;  on 
tbis  account  they  prefer  using  ^eir  sails.  These  are  triangular,  with 
an  inclined  or  raking  mast ;  they  are  worked  in  sailing  precisely  as 
those  described  in  the  Peejee  Islands,  keeping  the  out-rigger  alwajrs  to 
windward,  and  tacking  in  the  same  way.  Their  masts  are  in  two  or 
three  pieces,  as  well  as  the  yards,  and  the  whole  construction  shows 
that  wood  is  exceedingly  scarce,  and  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  procure 
enough  of  it ;  as  a  cocoa-nut  tree,  of  which  they  are  made,  will  yield 
only  two  planks,  in  the  mode  in  which  they  saw  them  out  One  of  the 
canoes,  from  the  town  of  Utiroa,  which  came  alongside  the  first  day, 
was  seen  to  be  in  part  constructed  from  the  bulwarks  of  a  merchant 
vessel,  which  had  some  time  before  been  wrecked ;  probably  of  an 
English  ship,  as  a  wreck  was  reported  to  have  been  seen  lying  on  the 
reef  in  the  beginning  of  March,  1639. 

On  the  night  of  the  4th,  they  were  set  strongly  by  the  current  to  the 
westward,  and  by  morning  were  fifteen  miles  to  leeward,  and  out  of 
sight  of  the  island. 

On  the  5th,  they  succeeded  in  regaining  their  position.  Many 
canoes  came  off,  which  continued  increasing  throughout  the  day, 
until  at  one  time  eighty  were  counted  from  the  ship,  some  of  which 
contained  from  ten  to  fifteen  persons.  Many  of  these  ventured  on 
board,  and  became  satisfied  of  the  friendly  intentions  towards  them, 
though  they  still  seemed  to  be  under  some  apprehensions  from  the 
number  of  men  on  board  and  the  size  of  the  ship.  The  guns  fired 
in  the  operation  for  surveying  increased  their  alarm ;  many  junnped 
overboard  at  every  discharge,  and  concealed  themselves  behind  their 
canoes. 

In  the  afternoon.  Captain  Hudson  on  sounding  found  a  bank,  on 
which  he  anchored,  in  fifteen  fathoms  water,  at  the  distance  of  four 
miles  from  the  island. 

The  next  morning,  the  tender  was  despatched,  with  two  boats,  under 
Lieutenants  Emmons  and  De  Haven,  to  continue  the  survey. 

On  the  6th,  soon  after  daylight,  they  had  from  thirty  to  forty  canoes 
alongside  with  different  articles  of  trade ;  and  ninety-two  others  were 
in  sight  from  the  deck,  with  from  four  to  five  natives  in  each. 

Early  in  the  day,  three  boats  were  despatched  for  the  town  of 
Utiroa,  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  place  and  its  inhabitants.  In 
them  were  thirty  men,  well  armed,  which  was  thought  to  be  a  suffi- 
cient force  to  secure  the  oflScers  and  naturalists  from  any  attack. 
Opposite  to  the  town  of  Utiroa  is  a  long  flat,  over  Which,  at  ebb  tide, 


ELLICB-B  AND   KIMOSMILL  OEOOP.  fil 

a  boat  will  not  floa.1;  and,  as  it  was  low  water,  it  became  necessary 
to  walk  through  the  shallow  to  the  beach,  which  was  nearly  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  distant. 

A  very  brisk  trade  was  carried  od  Tor  provisions  and  articles  of 
curiosity.  They  had  some  small  fish,  which  were  much  esteemed. 
The  fowls  ofiered  for  sale,  as  usual  among  the  Folyoesian  islands, 
were  all  cocks,  and  proved  old  and  tough.  These  were  brought  off 
in  neat  cages. 

Several  women  were  among  the  crowd,  with  delicate  features  and 
a  lively  expression  of  countenance,  but  remarkably  small  Their 
covering  wasta  girdle,  made  almost  altogether  of  fringe  fastened  to  a 
string,  which  was  passed  round  the  body.  This  garment  had,  at  a 
distance,  a  more  graceful  look  even  than  the  "  titi"  of  Samoa.  This 
it  obtains  from  being  made  pliable  by  sleeping  it  in  some  peculiar 
mixture,  which  was  thought  by  some  of  the  officers  to  have  the  odour 
of  tobacco  and  molasses.  The  women  were  much  less  tattooed  than 
the  men;  but,  as  at  the  other  southern  islands,  in  the  same  style  with 
tbem. 


The  same  custom  was  in  v<^ue  here  that  prevails  at  most  of  the 
Polynesian  islands,  of  rubbing  noses  and  exchanging  names. 

Along  the  shore  of  this  island,  in  front  of  the  villages  or  towns, 
there  are  long  lines  of  atone  walls,  from  one  to  two  feet  high,  serving 
as  fish-weirs  or  pens.    In  passing  to  the  shore,  they  saw  a  party  of 


52  ELLIC£*S   AND   KIN6SMILL    GROUP. 

men  and  women  engaged  in  driving  a  school  of  fish  into  one  of  them, 
with  long  lines  fringed  with  pandanus-leaves,  used  like  a  seine,  some- 
what resembling  that  before  described  at  Savaii :  these  fishers  took  no 
notice  whatever  of  our  party. 

When  they  had  approached  within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  beach, 
ihe  natives  came  forward  to  meet  them;  and  within  a  short  distance 
from  the  beach  they  passed  a  small,  old,  and  dilapidated  house,  built 
on  piles,  about  eight  feet  above  the  water :  this  old  fabric,  as  v^e  after- 
wards found,  was  made  use  of  for  telegraphic  signals,  in  case  of  de- 
siring assistance  from  their  neighbours. 

The  party  were  cordially  received,  both  by  the  men  and  iTiromen, 
who  did  not  hesitate  to  advance:  all  were  uncovered,  and  the  majority 
were  wx»men  and  children.  Some  of  the  women  were  the  prettiest 
that  had  yet  been  seen  in  the  South  Sea  islands ;  slender  and  grace- 
fully formed.  Their  complexion  was  of  a  clear  brown,  with  full 
bright  eyes,  thick  and  glossy  black  hair;  and  they  appeared  by  no 
means  unconscious  of  their  charms. 

The  men  became  at  once  familiar  and  rude,  seizing  their  arms,  and 
putting  their  own  about  the  officers'  necks,  desiring  to  lead  them  on« 
ward,  until  they  were  obliged  to  use  violence  to  keep  them  off. 

They  reached  the  beach  near  what  the  natives  termed  their  "  mari- 
apa,"  or  council-house,  one  of  the  large  buildings  that  had  been  before 
spoken  of  as  visible  from  the  sea.  This  stands  in  front  of  the  town,  on 
a  broad  wharf,  made  of  coral  stones,  built  out  from  the  beach ;  its 
dimensions,  as  measured,  were  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  by 
forty-five  feet  wide,  and  to  the  ridge-pole  forty  feet  high.  The  ridge- 
pole was  supported  by  five  large  posts,  whence  the  roof  sloped  on  each 
side  and  reached  within  three  feet  of  the  ground ;  the  rafters  descended 
to  a  wall-plate,  which  rested  on  large  blocks  of  white  coral,  and  were 
also  supported  by  smaller  posts,  ten  feet  in  length,  near  the  sides.  At 
the  ends,  the  roof  was  perpendicular  for  eight  or  ten  feet,  and  then  they 
sloped  off  in  the  same  manner  as  the  sides.  The  roof  was  thatched 
with  pandanus-leaves. 

The  crowd  on  the  beach  rapidly  increased,  pressing  around,  shouting, 
gesticulating,  and  catching  hold  of  them,  to  express  their  joy  at  the 
visit :  at  the  same  time  stealing  the  tobacco  they  had  brought  to  barter, 
which  operation  was  performed  very  dexterously. 

No  chiefs,  however,  came  forward  to  receive  them  when  they  ad- 
vanced towards  the  mariapa,  and  entered,  by  passing  under  the  roof. 
Many  natives  were  inside,  who  closed  around  them,  and  set  up  a 
clamour  that  was  deafening.  The  heat  also  was  oppressive,  and  with 
the  rancid  oil  on  their  bodies,  was  almost  stifling. 


ELLICE'S   AND   KINGSMILL   GROUP.  53 

An  old  man  soon  made  his  appearance,  whose  deportment,  and  that 
of  the  crowd,  pointed  him  out  as  the  chief.  He  had,  apparently,  httle 
actual  authority,  for  his  presence  seemed  to  have  no  effect  in  silencing 
the  natives.  He  pointed  to  the  palisade  around  the  town,  whither  he 
invited  them  at  once  to  go,  and  conducted  them  to  his  house.  Very 
few  of  the  natives  followed.  On  entering  the  palisade  of  slender 
stakes,  the  village  was  found  to  be  divided  into  lots,  containing  ten  or 
twelve  houses,  and  enclosed  by  fences.  Each  of  these  enclosures,  it  was 
supposed,  belonged  to  a  separate  family. 

The  chief  led  the  way  to  his  house,  and  invited  them  to  enter,  which 
they  did,  and  found  its  construction  altogether  different  from  any  before 
seen  in  the  South  Seas.  There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  its  exterior ; 
it  was  of  oblong  shape,  and  about  sixteen  feet  wide  by  twenty  feet  long. 
The  interior  consisted  of  two  stories,  of  which  the  lower  was  not  more 
than  three  feet  high,  under  the  floor  of  the  upper  story.  It  was  entered 
by  a  square  hole  at  one  side.  The  apartment  above  was  rather  a  loft 
or  garret,  which  was  high,  and  contained,  apparently,  all  the  valuables 
and  goods  of  the  occupant  The  floor  was  made  of  small  pieces  of 
pandanus-boards,  laid  on  slender  beams  of  cocoanut-wood.  It  was 
afterwards  understood  that  this  arrangement  of  apartments  was  to 
guard  against  the  inroad  of  the  rats.  The  lower  apartment  is  used  for 
sleeping,  while  the  upper  is  entirely  for  storing  their  goods  and  chattels. 
The  wall-plates  rest  on  four  beams  of  cocoanut-wood,  which  are  sup- 
ported  by  four  posts,  one  at  each  comer.  These  posts  are  round,  and 
perfectly  smooth,  so  that  the  rats  ci^inot  climb  them.  The  raAers  and 
cross-pieces  are  mere  poles,  only  an  inch  or  two  thick ;  the  thatch  is 
of  pandanus-leaf,  doubled  over  a  slender  stick,  and  tied  down  with 
sennit 

After  they  were  seated,  cocoa-nuts,  with  treacle  and  water,  were 
brought  them  to  drink.  They  then  requested  the  chief,  whose  name 
was  Tama,  to  show  them  the  fresh-water  wells  and  taro-beds.  Under 
his  guidance,  they  passed  through  the  village,  which  was  situated  on 
a  narrow  strip  of  the  island,  very  close  to  the  beach.  Beyond  it, 
towards  the  interior  (if  the  term  may  be  used  of  that  which  is  but  half 
a  mile  wide)  of  the  island,  was  a  cocoa-nut  grove,  extending  to  the  sea. 
The  tall  cocoa-nut  trees  scattered  about,  with  here  and  there  small 
clumps  of  pandanus,  gave  it  a  cool  and  refreshing  shade,  and  produced 
an  agreeable  impression.  Paths  wound  in  every  direction,  and  were 
quite  visible,  in  consequence  of  the  absence  of  underbrush.  The  sandy 
soil  oflered  only  a  scanty  growth  of  dry  grass  (a  Sida).  Around  the 
houses  of  the  natives  were  found  Cordias,  Hibiscus,  and  Ficus;  but 
they  were  all  of  small  growth.    The  Dracaena,  of  which  the  Samoans 

E9 


54  ELLICE*S   AND   KIN68MILL   GROUP. 

make  the  titi,  was  also  seen.  The  taro-pits  were  dug  to  the  depth  of 
eight  or  ten  feet,  and  were  fifty  feet  long  by  thirty  broad ;  they  were 
planted  with  taro  and  api»  in  rows :  in  the  centre  was  a  few  inches  of 
water,  and  the  whole  earth  was  moist  The  taro,  however,  was  small, 
although  the  natives  gave  an  account  of  its  growing  to  the  length  of 
two  feet  The  wells  were  fifteen  feet  deep ;  the  water  in  them  was 
brackish.  These  excavations  have  been  made  at  much  cost  of  time 
and  labour. 

All  the  party  on  shore  were  much  incommoded  with  the  rudeness  of 
the  natives,  who  did  all  in  their  power  to  pilfer  fi*om  them ;  and,  if  their 
attention  were  diverted  for  a  moment,  the  bands  of  a  native  were  felt 
at  their  pockets.  When  detected,  they  would  hold  up  their  hands,  with 
open  palms,  and  laugh.  This  boldness  was  mdre  especially  confined 
to  a  few,  and  one  in  particular,  a  young  chief,  who  was  a  tall,  good- 
looking  person,  but  had  a  vain  and  impudent  expression  of  countenance, 
which  was  rendered  disgusting  by  the  kind  of  leprosy  before  spoken 
of.  It  is  impossible  to  give  a  correct  idea  of  the  annoyances  that  our 
gentlemen  were  subjected  to  from  the  rudeness  of  some,  the  excess  of 
civility  of  others,  and  the  constant  watchfulness  that  became  necessary 
to  avoid  the  pickpockets.  An  old  man  was  about  smearing  himself  in 
cocoanut-oil,with  a  cup  full  of  salve,  in  which  he  would  dip  his  fingers, 
and  endeavour  to  rub  them  in  their  faces.  This  afforded  much  amuse- 
ment to  the  party,  while  the  natives  seemed  astonished  that  the  attempt 
was  repulsed ;  for  there  was  little  doubt  of  its  being  intended  as  a  great 
compliment  thus  to  anoint  their  guQsts. 

In  many  instances  they  showed  a  disposition  to  get  the  ofiicers  into 
their  power  for  some  evil  design.  Messrs.  Peale  and  Rich,  who  were 
both  well  armed,  had  crossed  the  island  in  search  of  birds,  plants,  and 
shells ;  on  their  return,  they  visited  the  town  next  adjoining  to  Utiroa, 
and  but  a  short  distance  from  it  On  entering  the  town,  their  sus- 
picions were  somewhat  excited  by  the  number  of  armed  men  around. 
Mr.  Peale  describes  the  natives  as  obliging  them  to  sit  down  by 
forcing  their  legs  from  under  them.  These  things  were  permitted  to 
a  certain  extent,  the  natives  all  standing  around  armed ;  but  a  prompt- 
ness  of  action,  and  show  of  using  their  arms,  extricated  them  from 
their  difliculties. 

In  firont  of  the  mariapa  were  three  or  four  houses  of  the  common 
size,  one  of  which  was  called  by  the  natives  te-o-tabu,  or  sacred 
enclosure,  but  it  was  only  distinguished  by  its  being  supported  at  the 
corners  on  blocks  of  coral.  The  natives  were  unwilling  that  any  one 
should  enter  this  enclosure. 

During  the  day,  the  greater  part  of  the  large  number  of  natives  they 


£LLICE*S   AND   KIN68MILL   GROUP.  55 

had  seen,  a&  in  the  case  of  those  who  came  on  board,  were  covered 
with  scars,  and  the  scurfy  disease,  or  leprosy.  Although  the  young 
women  were  quite  pretty,  the  old  were  as  remarkable  for  being 
hideous ;  of  these,  a  few  were  seen  to  be  afflicted  with  ophthalmia  and 
elephantiasis.  The  maro  of  the  men,  although  large,  was  not  intended 
to  serve  the  purposes  of  decency,  but  principally  for  the  protection  of 
the  abdomen.  Their  hair  was  trimmed  short  in  front,  but  was  allowed 
to  grow  long  behind,  where  it  tapered  to  a  point ;  in  both  sexes  it  was 
black  and  fine,  with  a  slight  tendency  to  curl. 

Afler  returning  to  the  mariapa,  Tama  was  asked  to  give  them  an 
exhibition  of  a  dance.  This  he  endeavoured  to  do,  but  without  re- 
ceiving much  attention.  At  length,  the  young  chief,  whom  they  had 
found  particularly  troublesome,  came  forward,  with  an  insolent  and 
swaggering  air,  wrapped  a  mat  round  his  body,  from  the  waist  to  the 
knees,  and  began  a  dance  similar  to  that  of  the  Polynesian  islanders, 
before  described,  consisting  of  movements  of  the  hands  and  body,  but 
with  very  little  motion  of  the  feet  When  the  dance  was  finished,  the 
afternoon  was  far  advanced;  the  party  then  returned  to  the  boats, 
which  they  had  now  been  able  to  draw  near  the  beach,  in  consequence 
of  the  rise  of  the  tide.  On  their  way  to  the  ship,  the  tiny  canoes  of 
the  natives,  with  their  small  white  triangular  sails,  were  seen  in  all 
directions,  coming  to  the  shore.  On  board,  it  was  believed  that  up- 
wards of  a  thousand  had  visited  the  ship  in  the  course  of  the  day. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  7th,  a  large  party  visited  the  town  of  Utiroa, 
equally  well  armed  as  the  day  before,  and  with  the  same  instructions 
and  cautions  that  no  one  should  give  cause  of  offence,  and  if  any  thing 
was  oflered  for  sale,  to  pay  liberally  for  it  These  precautions  were 
enjoined,  in  consequence  of  the  belief  that  the  natives  were  a  treache- 
rous and  dangerous  set  of  fellows,  and  were  inclined  to  believe 
themselves  invulnerable  in  their  armour.  An  opportunity  had  been 
taken,  before  a  large  number,  to  show  them  that  the  cuirass,  &c.,  was 
not  proof  against  our  weapons  at  any  distance ;  for  which  purpose  one 
of  the  coats  of  mail  was  hoisted  up  at  the  yard-arm,  and  fired  at:  the 
holes  were  then  exhibited,  but  did  not  seem  to  produce  much  efiect 
upon  them.  They  manifested  a  decided  disposition  for  warlike  pur- 
suits, and  ferocity  was  the  most  predominant  trait  in  their  character. 

On  the  party's  landing.  Captain  Hudson  moved  towards  the  council- 
house,  where  they  found  a  large  concourse  of  people,  most  of  them 
elderly  men,  who  they  were  informed  were  the  chiefs  of 'the  nation: 
they  were  directed  to  one  corner,  where  sat  the  chief,  whom  they 
called  Nea.  He  was  a  very  decrepit  old  man,  nearly  bald,  with 
shrivelled  skin,  and  had  a  stare  of  vacant  wonder ;  the  nails  of  his 


56  ELLICE'S   AND   KINGSMILL   GROUP. 

fingers  had  grown  to  the  length  of  an  inch.  His  name  was  Fakoro* 
koro.  Some  few  presents  were  given  him,  but  he  took  very  little 
notice  of  them,  appearing  half  stupified,  and  as  soon  as  the  articles 
were  in  his  possession,  they  were  snatched  away  by  the  bystanders, 
without  the  least  shame  or  hesitation. 

The  mariapa  was  a  very  large  building,  and  in  the  interior  its 
architecture  showed  to  much  advantage:  the  ridge-pole,  with  the 
rafters,  were  painted  in  black  bands,  with  points,  and  ornamented 
with  a  vast  number  of  ovula-shells.  Chests,  made  of  the  thin  laths  of 
the  pandanus,  somewhat  resembling  cane,  were  arranged  around, 
about  twenty  feet  apart :  these  contained  only  a  few  mats  and  cocoas 
nuts,  things  of  no  value,  and  are  supposed  to  be  for  the  accommoda- 
tion  of  visiters,  or  used  at  their  feasts.  The  floor  was  in  places 
covered  with  mats  of  the  cocoanut-leafl 

When  the  ceremony  of  reception  was  over,  the  natives  appeared 
extremely  desirous  of  separating  the  party,  by  leading  them  off  in 
different  directions,  under  the  plea  of  showing  them  the  town,  and 
making  them  acquainted  with  some  of  the  females.  As  soon  as  they 
were  on  the  outside  of  the  mariapa,  they  were  surrounded  by  num- 
bers, and  their  pockets  rifled  of  their  contents  in  a  short  time. 

Captain  Hudson,  after  they  had  been  an  hour  and  a  half  on  shore, 
ordered  all  the  officers  and  boats'  crews  down  to  the  beach,  being 
satisfied  that  it  was  quite  time  to  depart,  if  he  would  prevent  the 
collision  which  he  had  become  apprehensive  might  take  place.  As 
they  were  assembling  for  the  purpose  of  embarking,  a  noise  was 
heard,  resembling  a  sudden  assault,  from  some  of  the  houses  near  by, 
and  on  mustering  the  men,  John  Anderson,  a  seaman,  was  missing. 
Lieutenant  Walker  and  Passed  Midshipman  Davis  were  sent,  each 
with  a  few  men,  in  the  direction  whence  the  report  proceeded,  but 
they  saw  nothing  of  him,  and  all  was  quiet  at  the  enclosure.  The 
natives  began  now  to  assemble  in  large  numbers,  armed,  and  things 
looked  somewhat  serious ;  for,  as  Passed  Midshipman  Davis  returned 
to  the  beach,  he  was  stoned,  and  one  of  the  men  received  a  severe 
blow.  This  was  however  borne  without  return.  On  inquiry,  it  was 
found  that  Anderson  had  been  met  but  a  few  moments  before  the 
party  was  mustered.  He  was  armed  with  a  musket,  pistol,  and 
cutlass,  and  was  esteemed  one  of  the  most  correct  and  prudent  men 
in  the  ship.  The  boats  were  now  shoved  off  a  short  distance  from 
the  beach,' and  beyond  the  reach  of  the  native  arms,  when  several 
muskets  were  fired  to  notify  him,  and  his  name  repeatedly  called, 
which  could  have  been  heard  in  any  part  of  the  village;  but  no 
Anderson .  appeared.    Captain  Hudson  finally  came  to  the  conclusion 


J 


ELIilCE'S   AND    KINGSMILL  GROUP.  57 

that  he  had  either  been  enticed  away  by  the  women,  or  that  the 
natives  had  detained  him,  in  the  hopes  of  receiving  a  ransom  for  his 
release,  and  that  he  would  either  return  in  one  of  the  canoes  to  the 
ship,  or  be  given  up  on  a  reward  being  offered.  Under  these  impres* 
sions,  he  ordered  the  boats  to  return  to  the  ship.  Many  of  the  officers 
were  of  the  opinion  that  he  had  been  murdered ;  yet  it  was  scarcely 
to  be  believed  that  they  should  have  been  enabled  to  overcome  with- 
out noise  a  well-armed  man,  and  one  who  had  been  cautioned  against 
their  treachery.  After  they  had  pushed  off  some  distance,  it  was 
thought  that  a  white  man  was  seen  on  the  beach ;  but  on  returning,  it 
proved  that  they  were  mistaken. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th,  it  became  evident  that  something  had 
taken  place,  for  not  a  canoe  came  alongside  before  breakfast,  which 
induced  a  general  belief  that .  Anderson  had  met  with  an  untimely 
end  at  the  hands  of  the  natives.  The  people  of  the  adjoining  town 
of  Eta,  however,  so  far  as  they  could  be  understood  from  their  ges- 
tures and  language,  seemed  to  intimate  that  the  man  was  on  shore 
alive.  Not  a  canoe,  however,  was  recognised  as  belonging  to  the 
town  of  Utiroa.  A  message  was  (notwithstanding  the  two  towns 
were  at  war)  sent  on  shore,  in  hopes  it  would  induce  these  savages 
to  restore  Anderson,  telling  them  that  if  the  man  was  given  back,  a 
large  present  of  tobacco  would  be  paid  for  him.  This  was  shown 
them,  and  every  endeavour  was  made  to  ascertain  his  fate.  On  look- 
ing around  among  the  natives,  attention  was  called  to  one  who  was 
believed  to  belong  to  Utiroa.  Tbe  eagerness  with  which  this  man  was 
regarded  by  all,  caused  him  so  much  alarm,  that  he  at  once  sought 
flight  in  his  canoe ;  but  he  could  not  get  his  sail  arranged,  and  was 
soon  overtaken  by  one  of  the  ship's  boats.  The  countenance  of  the 
native,  on  being  overtaken,  was  one  of  great  fear.  On  finding  he 
could  not  escape,  it  immediately  changed  to  one  the  most  amiable  and 
friendly.  He  began  by  saying  that  the  boat  was  good,  the  ship  was 
good  and  large,  and  all  that  was  in  her  was  good.  Mr.  Hale  ex- 
plained to  him  what  was  required  of  him.  It  was  difficult  to  ascertain 
that  he  understood  these  things  at  the  time,  for  the  native  was  inclined 
to  assent  to  every  thing;  but  Mr.  Hale  has  since  had  reason  to  be 
satisfied  from  the  words  he  used  that  the  object  in  view,  of  obtaining 
Anderson,  was  well  understood. 

The  whole  of  the  day  was  occupied  in  surveying,  and  connecting 
the  work  with  that  of  the  tender,  which  vessel,  with  the  boats,  had 
returned  in  the  morning.  The  surveying  boats,  while  .engaged,  were 
satisfied  that  the  natives  were  disposed  to  be  hostile. 

Their  visiters  during  the  day  were  ail  from  the  other  parts  of  the 

VOL.  v.  8 


BLLIC£'8  AND   KING8MILL   6R0UR 

island,  and  were  unacquainted  with  the  accident  that  had  happened ; 
but  on  being  informed  of  it,  they  made  every  endeavour  to  explain 
that  they  did  not  belong  to  the  guilty  town.  There  are  fourteen  towns 
on  the  island,  as  follows,  beginning  at  the  north,  viz. : 

TOWNS.  CHIiri. 

Maribama  or  Tenaiay, -       •  Tipera. 

Te-niaxolra,         •••••••••  Peia, 

Terikiai,     • Tarentoa. 

Eta,  ••••••••••  Toarimaroa, 

Utiroa, Tama  and  Mdeia. 

Tauma, Tebakoa. 

Kabura, Tepikau. 

Apamarikoio, Payau. 

Parepatu, TentakL 

Tewai, Aiiri 

Taayaia, Tauraanu 

Puari, Tapare. 

Nukutoni, •        •        .        •  Pautua. 

Tako, Putiutoa. 

Basing  the  calculation  for  the  population  of  these  towns  on  that  of 
Utiroa,  which  is  estimated  at  from  one  thousand  to  one  thousand  two 
hundred,  it  would  give  this  small. strip  of  land  as  great,  if  not  a  greater 
number  of  inhabitants  per  square  mile,  than  any  portion  of  the  globe 
that  relies  upon  its  own  resources  for  subsistence. 

The  four  northern  towns  are  apparently  united  together,  and  hostile 
to  the  southern  ones.  Between  Eta  and  Utiroa  there  is  a  considerable 
space  uninhabited,  which  appears  to  form  a  line  of  separation  between 
their  territories. 

Captain  Hudson  made  up  his  mind  that  there  could  be  little  doubt, 
after  so  much  time  had  elapsed  without  intelligence,  and  taking  into 
view  the  conduct  of  the  Utiroans,  that  Anderson  had  been  treache- 
rously murdered.  He  therefore  believed  it  to  be  a  paramount  duty  to 
punish  them,  not  only  for  this  perfidious  act,  but  to  secure  their  good 
conduct  hereafter,  in  case  of  other  vessels  touching  at  this  island. 

In  consequence  of  this  determination,  the  boats  were  prepared  for 
landing,  and  Mr.  Knox  was  ordered  to  anchor  the  tender  in  a  position 
near  the  shore  opposite  the  town,  in  order  to  protect  them. 

The  boat  expedition,  consisting  of  Lieutenants  Emmons,  Perry,  and 
De  Haven,  Passed  Midshipmen  Davis  and  Harrison,  and  Mr.  Free- 
man, the  sailmaker,  was  put  under  charge  of  Mr.  Walker,  the  first- 
lieutenant  of  the  ship,  and  particular  instructions  given  to  him  relative 
to  his  conduct  These  will  be  found  in  Appendix  III.  Messrs.  Peale, 
Hale,  and  Agate,  accompanied  the  expedition. 

The  expedition  consisted  of  seven  boats;  in  them  were  embarked 


BLLICE*8   A17D   KINOSMILL   OROUP. 

about  eighty  officers  and  men.  About  nine  o'clock  they  approached 
the  town.  The  first  object  that  attracted  attention  was  a  column  of 
smoke  arising  from  the  small  building  that  stood  on  piles  in  front  of 
the  town  before  spoken  of.  On  arriving  near  the  beach,  the  three 
divisions  formed  in  a  line  abreast,  according  to  the  directions.  Lieu- 
tenant Walker,  with  Mr.  Hale,  (who  acted  as  interpreter,)  now  showed 
the  white  flag,  and  pulled  in  toward  the  beach  in  front,  in  order  to  hold 
a  parley,  make  further  inquiries  relative  to  Anderson,  and  endeavour 
to  have  him  given  up,  if  alive.  There  were  about  five  hundred  natives, 
well  armed,  on  the  beach,  and  oUiers  were  constantly  coming  in 
from  all  sides :  they  shouted  and  shook  their  weapons  with  threatening 
gestures.  Many  of  them,  however,  seemed  undecided  how  to  act ; 
and  their  whole  appearance,  though  formidable  enough,  was  yet  quite 
ludicrous  in  the  ^es  of  the  men,  equipped  as  the  savages  were  in  their 
cumbrous  coats  of  mail  and  fish-skin  helmets. 

As  the  boat  approached,  several  of  the  natives  advanced  towards  it, 
preceded  by  a  chief  fully  equipped  in  armour,  and  holding  a  spear  in 
his  right  hand.  Mr.  Hale  then  explained  the  object  they  had  in  view, 
and  showed  the  large  quantity  of  tobacco  which  they  had  brought  for 
a  ransom.  The  chief  appeared  to  understand,  atid  pointed  to  the  shore, 
making  signs  at  the  same  time  for  them  to  come  in.  The  savages 
who  attended  the  chief  had  now  increased  in  numbers,  and  were  closfe 
to  the  boat,  while  the  whole  body  was  advan(:ing  slowly  forwards. 
Finding  that  it  was  not  only  useless  but  dangerous  to  continue  the 
parley,  the  boat  was  pulled  back  into  line. 

Having  thus  failed  to  procure  the  desired  end,  the  most  humane 
manner  of  efiecting  their  punishment  was  conceived  to  be  at  once  t6 
show  them  the  power  of  our  arms,  and  sacrifice  some  of  the  most 
prominent  among  the  savages.  Lieutenant  Walker,  therefore,  re- 
quested Mr.  Peale,  the  best  shot  of  the  party,  to  give  them  a  proof  of 
it,  and  thus  prevent  the  farther  effusion  of  blood.  This  was  accord- 
ingly done  by  singling  out  one  of  the  foremost,  and  a  rocket  was  also 
discharged,  which  took  its  flight  towards  the  great  body  of  them. 
The  latter  missile  caused  great  confusion,  and  many  of  them  turned 
to  seek  the  shore,  but  their  terror  did  not  last  long,  and  they  made 
another  stand,  brandishing  their  spears  and  weapons  as  if  bent  upon  a 
trial  of  strength  with  their  opponents ;  the  falling  of  their  chiefs  was 
disregarded',  and  few  seemed  to  consider  the  effects  produced,  except 
those  who  were  wounded.  A  general  volley  soon  followed,  which 
caused  them  all  to  retreat,  some  in  great  haste,  while  others  moved 
more  slowly  towards  the  shore,  seeming  to  be  but  little  impVessed 


60  ELL1CE*S   AND   KIN6SMILL   GROUP. 

as  to  the  character  of  our  arms.  The  wounded  and  dead  were  all 
carried  off.  The  boats  now  pushed  in  for  the  beach,  and  by  the 
time  they  had  reached  it,  there  was  not  a  native  of  the  whole  host  to 
be  seen. 

The  three  divisions  then  landed,  and  the  first  and  second  proceeded 
to  fire  the  mariapa  and  town,  while  the  third  remained  to  guard  the 
boats.  The  whole  was  soon  in  a  blaze,  and  but  a  short  time  sufficed 
to  reduce  it  to  ashes.  The  natives  were  still  to  be  seen  in  small 
parties,  out  of  reach  of  the  guns,  among  the  cocoa-nut  groves.  After 
the  work  of  destruction  had  been  effected,  the  divisions  again  returned 
to  the  boats.  The  place  now  exhibited  a  very  different  picture  from 
that  it  had  presented  only  a  short  hour  before.  The  blackened  sites 
were  all  that  remained  of  the  former  dwellings,  the  council-house  was 
entirely  in  ashes,  the  fences  were  torn  down,  and  the  cocoa-nut  trees 
leafless. 

The  tide  having  fallen,  three  bodies  were  found,  one  of  whom  was 
the  young  chief  who  had  been  so  troublesome  and  insolent  to  our 
gentlemen,  and  who  it  was  believed  had  been  active  in  the  murder  of 
poor  Anderson. 

While  the  party  were  getting  ready  to  embark,  a  small  party  of 
natives  were  seen  coming  towards  them  from  Eta ;  these  were  all  un- 
armed, and  had  cocoa-nut  leaves  and  mats  tied  round  their  necks:  they 
had  come  to  assure  our  party  of  their  good-will,  and  their  joy  at  the 
destruction  of  Utiroa.  One  old  man  in  particular  repeated  frequently 
his  assurances,  with  much  laughter  and  many  grimaces.  No  sooner 
had  they  ascertained  that  the  intentions  towards  them  were  not  hostile, 
than  they  began  to  pillage  the  burning  town. 

The  number  of  houses  destroyed  was  supposed  to  be  about  three 
hundred,  besides  upwards  of  a  dozen  large  canoes.  The  loss  of  life 
was  twelve  on  the  part  of  the  natives:  there  was  no  one  injured  on 
our  side. 

From  the  fact  that. the  natives  had  left  every  thing  in  their  dwell- 
ings, it  was  clear  that  they  did  not  anticipate  the  fate  that  was  to  befall 
them ;  that  they  were  in  hopes  of  being  able  to  cut  off  our  boats,  and 
perhaps  flattered  themselves  with  the  prospect  of  an  indiscriminate 
plunder.  This  would  be  in  perfect  accordance  with  their  customs 
and  constant  practice  of  attempting  to  cut  off  all  vessels  or  boats  that 
may  visit  their  islands.  Although  I  have  no  reason  to  come  to  this 
conclusion  from  our  own  knowledge  respecting  this  island,  yet  from 
all  the  accounts  of  those  who  have  resided  some  time  $imong  like 
savages,  their  first  idea  is  always  to  capture  or  possess  themselves  of 


ELLICE'S  AND  KINGSMILL  GROUP.       61 

the  vessel  or  any  of  the  boats.  We  have  seen  that  this  is  put  in  prac- 
tice among  the  Feejees,  and  others,  who  regard  ail  vessels  wrecked  as 
sent  to  them  as  a  gift  from  the  gods. 

Very  few  articles  escaped  the  general  conflagration,  but  of  these 
some  were  brought  off  to  the  ship ;  among  which  were  two  skulls,  that 
had  been  well  polished  and  cleaned.  These  were  found  in  the  loft  of 
one  of  their  houses,  and  had  evidently  been  preserved,  with  great  care, 
as  relics. 

There  are  but  few  domestic  animals  on  this  island :  a  dog,  two  or 
three  cats,  and  a  few  fowls,  were  all  that  were  seen.  Rats  are  in 
abundance,  as  has  been  shown  by  the  care  the  natives  take  to  protect 
their  loAs  from  these  very  troublesome  creatures. 

The  food  of  the  inhabitants  consists  principally  of  fish,  cocoa-nuts, 
the  fruit  of  the  pandanus,  taro,  and  api;  to  these  may  be  added 
tobacco.  They  have  but  few  modes  of  dressing  these  articles.  The 
fruit  of  the  pandanus  they  use  as  food,  which  was  considered  by  the 
natives  as  a  great  delicacy ;  it  may  be  said  to  be  exceedingly  coarse, 
so  much  so,  that  the  fibres  of  the  pandanus  are  seen  in  their  excre- 
ment in  great  quantities;  even  the  husks  of  the  young  cocoa-nuts 
are  eaten. 

No  land-birds  were  seen  but  curlews,  golden  plovers,  tumstones, 
noddies,  and  white  terns ;  many  w^hales'  bones  were  strewed  over  the 
beach. 

This  was  the  first  place  where  they  had  observed  the  Tridachna 
gigas :  they  were  of  enormous  size ;  the  natives  used  them  for  troughs, 
for  many  purposes,  around  their  houses. 

Necklaces  of  human  teeth  were  also  prized,  and  brought  off  for 
sale. 

During  the  day  of  the  9th,  the  thermometer  stood  in  the  sun  at  159^ 
Fahrenheit 

The  character  of  these  islanders  is  the  most  savage  of  any  that  we 
met  with ;  their  ferocity  led  to  the  belief  that  they  were  cannibals, 
although  no  positive  proofs  were  seen  of  it  They  are  under  no 
control  whatever,  and  possess  little  of  the  characteristic  hospitality 
usually  found  in  savage  nations.  It  was  observed  also  that  their 
treatment  of  each  other  exhibited  a  great  want  of  feeling,  and  in  many 
instances,  passions  and  propensities  indicative  of  the  lowest  state  of 
barbarism.  Their  young  girls  were  offered  to  be  disposed  of,  by  their 
fathers  and  brothers,  alongside  the  ship,  openly,  and  without  conceal- 
ment; and  to  drive  a  bargain  for  them,  was  one  of  the  principal  objects 
of  their  visits  to  thcship. 

Among  their  weapons,  they  have  a  short  spear,  which  is  armed  with 


62  £LLICE*S   AND   KIN68MILL   GROUP. 

half  a  dozen  barbs  from  the  tail  of  the  raja  or  stingray^  which  is  sup- 
posed  to  prove  mortal,  if  broken  off  in  the  wound.  They  have  also  a 
club»  about  four  feet  long,  made  from  the  cocoanut-wood^  which  is 
pointed  at  each  end ;  it  is  used  for  warding  off  a  spear,  to  make  a 
thrust,  or  wielded  as  a  club. 

In  the  use  of  tobacco,  they  are  truly  disgusting,  for  they  eat  it  and 
swallow  it,  with  a  zest  and  pleasure  indescribable.  Their  whole  mind 
seems  bent  upon  obtaining  this  luxury,  and  consequently  it  will  com- 
mand their  most  valuable  articles. 

They  are,  to  all  appearance,  a  lawless  race,  and  no  sort  of  govern- 
ment  seems  to  control  them ;  all  seize  upon  whatever  property  they  can, 
and,  as  has  been  before  mentioned,  the  very  chiefs  themselves  were 
subject  to  the  same  treatment  that  they  observed  towards  our  party; 
the  greatest  villains  and  bullies  among  them  seemed  to  have  the  most 
control ;  while  the  chiefs  had  little  more  than  nominal  authority,  and  if 
they  had  any  privileges,  they  did  not  seem  to  extend  beyond  their  small 
enclosures. 

There  is  neither  wood  nor  water  to  be  obtained  at  this  island,  and 
no  inducement  to  visit  it,  except  to  trade  for  a  few  cocoa-nuts  and 
curiosities. 

Good  whaling-ground  exists  in  the  vicinity,  and  our  whalemen  are 
in  the  habit  of  cruising  in  this  neighbourhood :  those  who  visit  these 
wretches  ought  to  keep  a  constant  guard  against  treachery,  for  their 
numbers  are  large,  and  they  are  prone  to  mischief.  All  intercourse 
with  them  should,  therefore,  be  conducted  with  great  caution,  espe- 
cially in  ships  weakly  manned. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  punishment  inflicted  on  Utiroa  for  the 
murder  of  Anderson  will  be  long  remembered,  and  prove  a  salutary 
lesson  to  the  numerous  and  thickly-peopled  towns  of  Taputeouea,  or 
Drummond's  Island. 

On  the  same  evening,  (the  9th,)  they  weighed  anchor,  and  on  the 
next  day  made  Bishop's  or  Sydenham  Island,  which  they  surveyed  the 
following  day. 

OS  the  north  point  of  Bishop's  Island,  there  is  a  shoal  extending  one 
and  a  half  miles  to  the  northward  and  westward,  the  water  on  which 
is  discoloured,  and  where  the  Peacock  found  nine  fathoms.  The  native 
name  for  Bishop's  or  Sydenham  Island,  is  Nanouti ;  it  lies  in  latitude 
00°  36'  S.,  and  longitude  174°  24'  E. ;  it  is  of  coral  formation,  and  -^ 
mere  ledge  of  land,  like  Drummond's  Island,  with  a  lagoon,  reef,  and 
bank,  on  its  lee  or  southwest  side.  The  survey  made  it  nineteen  miles 
long,  trending  northwest  and  southeast,  and  its  width,  including  lagoon 
and  reef,  eight  and  a  half  miles.    On  the  southwest  and  northwest 


fiLLIC£*S   AND   KIN6SM1LL   GROUP.  eS 

portions  of  it,  there  is  a  coral  bank,  from  one  to  one  and  a  half  miles 
beyond  the  reef,  on  which  there  is  ten  fathoms  water.  At  the  distance 
of  four  miles  from  the  northwest  end  of  the  island,  they  found  soundings 
in  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  fathoms. 

The  island  is  partially  covered  with  cocoa-nut,  pandanus,  and  other 
trees ;  and  the  islets  of  which  it  is  formed  are  nearly  continuous,  con- 
nected by  the  usual  coral  reef.  They  had  no  communication  with 
the  natives  of  Nanouti.  A  daily  intercourse  is  kept  up  between  it  and 
the  Dnimmond  Islanders*  It  was  thought  there  was  no  difference  in 
their  characters.    The  distance  between  them  is  but  fifteen  miles. 

From  the  north  point  of  this  island,  there  was  a  small  island  in  sight, 
which  was  at  first  supposed  to  be  Duperrey*s  Isle  du  Nord ;  but  if  it  be, 
instead  of  being  located  to  the  northward,  as  he  has  placed  it,  it  bears 
nearly  south  of  the  north  extreme  of  NanoutL  They  found,  on  pro- 
ceeding towards  it,  that  it  was  a  hummock,  connected  by  a  reef  with 
Nanouti ;  but  no  Sable  Island  could  be  seen.  The  tender  passed  round 
the  opposite  side  of  Nanouti,  and  did  not  see  any  island ;  and  the 
officers  of  both  vessels  arc  fully  convinced  that  no  Sable  Island  exists. 

On  the  night  of  the  lOttf,  they  had  much  thunder  and  lightning,  with 
a  heavy  swell  from  the  northeast 

At  daylight  on  the  11th,  they  made  Henderville  Island,  called  by  the 
natives  Nanouki.  The  weather  was  too  unfavourable  to  proceed  with 
the  survey.  Simpson  or  Harbottle,  Hopper,  and  Woodle  Islands,  were 
in  sight.  The  weather  continued  stormy,  with  heavy  thunder  and 
lightning. 

On  the  I2th,  they  succeeded  in  surveying  Henderville  Island,  and 
connected  it  with  Woodle  Island.  Towards  night  they  again  had 
stormy  weather,  with  the  wind  from  the  eastward.  Henderville  Island 
was  determined  to  be  in  latitude  00^  11'  N.,  and  longitude  173^  d9' 
20"  E.  This  island  is  six  and  a  half  miles  long,  east  and  west,  and 
five  and  a  half  miles  wide  at  the  east  end,  diminishing  to  two  miles  at 
the  west  end :  it  is  of  coral  formation.  There  are  two  towns  on  the 
west  end,  and  several  on  the  east  and  southeast  parts,  and  it  is  thickly 
inhabited.  The  natives  who  came  on  board  said  that  the  two  ends  of 
the  island  were  at  war  with  each  other.  They  are  very  much  the  same 
in  appearance  as  the  natives  of  Drummond's  Island ;  were  naked,  and 
spoke  the  same  dialect  These  natives  knew  of  the  islands  in  their, 
immediate  vicinity,  as  well  as  the  direction  of  Taputeouea,  or  Drum- 
mond's Island,  and  gave  them  the  name  of  being  inhabited  by  a  savage 
and  hostile  people.  This  island  affords  neither  wood,  water,  nor 
refie^ments :  from  appearances,  its  inhabitants  must  be  at  times  much 
stinted  for  food.    They  brought  off  nothing  except  a  few  cocoa-nuts ; 


64  £LLICE*S   AND   KINGSMILL   GROUP. 

but  the  object  of  their  errand  was  not  to  be  misunderstood*  for  in  each 
canoe  there  was  a  woman,  which  I  think  does  not  speak  much  in  the 
praise  of  the  whalers  or  other  ships  that  frequent  this  cruising-ground. 
While  on  board,  one  of  the  natives  gave  them  an  exhibition  of  a  dance, 
which  was  different  from  those  before  seen,  inasmuch  as  it  consisted 
of  a  variety  of  motions  and  moving  from  one  place  to  another,  in  quick 
steps,  and  in  throwing  about  the  arms,  with  many  contortions  of  the 
body,  and  vehement  gesticulations.  The  dance  was  accompanied  with 
a  kind  of  song  or  chaunt,  consisting  of  the  monotonous  repetition  of 
words,  uttered  in  a  short,  quick,  and  distinct  tone ;  each  dance  was 
finished  with  an  outstretched  hand,  and  an  earnest  cry  of  tebake. 

It  was  next  determined  to  survey  Hall's  Island,  called  by  the  natives 
Maiana,  as  the  fair  wind  and  the  night  would  enable  Captain  Hudson 
to  accomplish  it  and  return  to  complete  that  of  Woodle  Island,  or 
Kuria.  Maiana  is  of  coral  formation;  the  northeast  and  southeast 
parts  are  continuous  land,  whilst  to  the  southwest  and  northwest  it 
consists  of  a  reef  and  bank,  in  some  places  awash,  with  a  sand-spit 
in  its  lagoon.  The  western  sides  of  the  island  are  therefore  very 
dangerous,  and  should  be  approached  with*  caution,  as  the  sea  seldom 
breaks  on  them,  and  the  discolouration  of  the  water  is  not  at  all  times 
to  be  observed.  The  natives  of  this  island  have  the  same  appearance 
as  those  already  spoken  of,  and  use  the  same  dialect :  only  one  canoe 
came  off,  and  held  a  short  communication  with  the  ship.  The  island 
appears  to  be  thickly  inhabited,  but  its  natives  have  had  little  inter- 
course with  the  whites.  It  affords  neither  refreshments,  wood,  nor 
water.  The  survey  makes  this  island  nine  miles  long,  in  a  northeast 
and  southwest  direction,  and  six  miles  in  width,  in  a  southeast  and 
northwest  direction:  it  is  situated  in  latitude  00°  56'  46"  N.,  and 
longitude  179°  04'  15"  B.  On  its  west  side,  on  some  of  the  banks, 
there  is  anchorage  in  from  ten  to  fifteen  fathoms  of  water. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th,  they  made  the  island  of  Apamaroa,  the 
Hopper  Island  of  Duperrey,  and  the  Simpson's  Island  of  the  charts  of 
Arrowsmith.  It  is  about  five  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ocean ;  is 
ten  miles  long,  northwest  and  southeast,  and  five  miles  io  width,  north 
and  south.  The  land  is  continuous  on  the  north  and  east  sides,  except- 
ing two  small  strips  of  bare  reef.  There  is  anchorage  on  the  west  side 
in  an  opening  between  the  reef  and  the  northwest  point  of  the  island, 
which  is  about  two  miles  wide.  The  soundings  vary  from  two  to  five 
fathoms:  across  it,  in  some  places,  the  bottom  is  broken  coral;  in 
others,  it  is  coral  sand.  The  entrance  to  the  lagoon,  although  feasible, 
should  not  be  attempted  through  this  passage;  but  there  is  a  good 
passage  into  it  on  the  southeast  side  of  the  island,  which  is  a  miie 


ELLICE*S   AND   KIN68M1LL   6R0UF.  65 

^ide.  A  survey  was  made  of  this  island,  and  its  anchorages  exa- 
mined* The  boats  when  ashore  communicated  with  the  natives,  who 
resemble  those  of  the  adjacent  islands.  It  has  a  large  population,  but 
yields  little  more  than  will  supply  their  wants.  A  small  quantity  of 
fresh  water  may  be  had  by  digging  on  the  beaches:  wood  and  re- 
fineshments  are  not  procurable  for  shipping. 

This  island  is  situated  in  latitude  W  27'  21"  N.,  and  longitude 
178^  57'  30"  E. :  it  has  heretofore  been  represented  as  two  islands  on 
the  charts,  called  on  one  Simpson's,  and  the  other  Hopper  and  Har- 
bottle ;  but  there  is  only  one,  joined  by  the  same  reef. 

They  next  returned  to  Kuria  or  Woodle's  Island. 

On  the  16th,  while  engaged  in  the  survey,  some  canoes  came  off 
to  the  ship,  when  the  natives  came  on  board  without  hesitation, — 
an  evidence  of  their  having  had  communication  with  ships,  and 
their  confidence  of  good  treatment  It  was  soon  reported,  that  a 
white  man  was  coming  off;  and,  as  in  all  such  cases,  he  was 
looked  for  and  watched  with  great  interest,  and  various  surmises 
were  made  relative  to  his  origin  and  history.  They  were  not 
long  left  in  doubt,  for  before  he  reached  the  deck,  his  voice  be« 
spoke  him  an  Irishman.  He  was  dressed  in  a  pair  of  duck  trousers 
and  red  flannel  shirt,  and  announced  himself  as  ^John  Kirby,  a 
deserter  from  the  English  whale-ship  Admiral  Cockburn.**  He  said 
he  had  been  on  the  island  for  three  years;  that  he  was  living  with 
the  daughter  of  the  principal  chief;  and  solicited  a  passage  to  some 
civilized  place. 

The  principal  chief  of  the  island,  with  his  daughter,  whom  Kirby 
had  for  a  wife,  came  on  board  with  him.  They  both  seemed  deeply 
affected,  when  they  learned  that  he  had  received  permission  to  remain 
on  board,  and  was  about  to  leave  them ;  and  both  endeavoured  to  disr- 
suade  him  from  going. 

His  wife  showed  much  concern,  and  wished  to  accompany  him :  the 
old  chief,  her  father,  endeavoured  to  persuade  him  to  take  her.  Find- 
ing she  could  not  prevail,  she  requested  as  a  parting  gift,  an  old  jack- 
knife,  the  only  property  he  had  left  to  give.  Several  presents  were 
made  to  her  by  the  officers  and  men,  which  reconciled  her  somewhat 
to  her  lot  The  natives  all  left  the  ship  much  gratified,  excepting 
Kirby's  wife,  who  continued  to  be  somewhat  downhearted. 

Kirby  proved  an  intelligent  man :  he  understood  the  language,  and 
was  well  acquainted  with  the  character,  manners,  and  customs  of  the 
islanders,  among  whom  he  had  lived  from  the  11th  of  February,  1888, 
to  the  Idth  of  April,  1841.  His  presence  in  the  ship  afforded  Captain 
Hudson  an  opportunity,  not  only  of  communicating  with  the  natives 

VOL.  v.  rs  9 


66  ELLICE*S  AND   KIN68MILL   GROUP. 

more  freely,  but  of  obtaining  much  interesting  information  relative  to 
this  group. 

Kuria  or  Woodle's  Island  has  four  towns  on  it  which  Kirby  estimates 
to  contain  between  four  and  five  thousand  inhabitants.  Its  geographi- 
cal position  is  in  latitude  0^"  14'  30"  N.,  longitude  173''  27'  £.:  its 
greatest  length  is  five  miles,  northwest  and  southeast ,  and  its  greatest 
width,  which  is  at  the  southeast  end,  is  two  and  a  half  miles.  The 
remainder  is  very  narrow,  and  almost  divided  towards  the  centre. 
The  northwest  portion  has  two  small  lagoons,  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  beach ;  the  water  in  them  is  not  so  salt  as  the  ocean. 
In  one  of  them,  the  bottom  consists  of  red  mud  on  one  side,  while  it  is 
a  white  clay  on  the  other.  They  are  used  as  fish-ponds  by  the  chiefs. 
There  is  a  reef  extending  to  the  northwest  nearly  three  miles. 

The  island  is  but  partially  clothed  with  trees,  consisting  of  cocoa- 
nut,  pandanus,  and  a  few  stunted  bread-fruit.  It  has  no  outer  reef, 
and  may  be  approached  very  closely.  It  affords  neither  wood,  water, 
nor  refreshments.  The  natives  who  visited  the  ship  brought  off  very 
little  for  trade :  fish-hooks  and  lines,  small  mats,  cocoa-nut  syrup,  and 
a  few  cocoa-nuts,  composed  their  whole  stock. 

The  females  that  accompanied  the  canoes  wore  the  maro,*  and  were 
thought  to  be  better-looking  than  the  others  of  the  group ;  but  their 
whole  manner  was  in  keeping  with  the  purposes  for  which  their  fiathers 
and  brothers  had  brought  them  oflf. 

No  war  implements  were  seen ;  the  men,  who  were  naked,  resem- 
bled the  others  of  the  group,  except  that  they  did  not  appear  so  much 
disfigured  by  scars. 

Kirby  states,  that  on  the  first  night  of  his  landing,  they  stripped 
him  of  every  thing  but  an  old  pair  of  trousers,  after  which  he  was 
conducted  to  a  great  conclave  of  natives,  assembled  around  a  large 
fire,  which  he  then  believed  was  intended  to  roast  him.  He  had  fortu- 
nately gone  on  shore  in  the  highest  chief's  canoe,  and  placed  himself 
under  his  protection,  as  well  as  he  knew  how.  After  some  considera- 
ble talk,  instead  of  being  roasted,  he  was  furnished  with  a  wife,  and 
taken  to  reside  with  his  friend,  the  principal  chief,  who,  with  the  rest 
of  the  natives,  ever  after  treated  him  kindly.  After  a  few  months' 
residence  in  the  family  of  the  chief,  he  gave  his  own  daughter  to  Kirby 
for  a  wife.  The  result  of  this  was  much  jealousy  and  envy  between 
his  first  wife,  of  common  origin,  and  his  last,  of  high  rank,  until  the 
former  was  ousted  and  sent  back  to  her  parents,  leaving  the  chief's 
daughter  in  quiet  possession  of  the  house. 

During  Kirby's  residence  on  the  island,  several  English,  and  one 
American  whaler,  had  been  ofi*  the  island,  on  which  occasions  he  had 


ELLICE'S  AND    K  I  N  US  M  1  L  L  OBO  U  P.  67 

been  employed  as  pilot  and  iDterpreter.  Tbe  nativei  were  coiutantly 
asking  him,  after  their  departure,  why  he  "  did  not  fool  the  vessels 
and  run  them  on  shore,  that  they  might  plunder  them."  One  of  the 
tdx>ve  vessels  left  two  pigs,  two  goats,  and  a  pair  of  Muscovy  ducks ; 
but  DO  sooner  had  the  vessel  left,  than  they  killed  them  all,  from  some 
superstitious  fears,  and  threw  them  into  the  sea,  notwithstanding  all 
Kirby's  remonstrances  and  entreaties  to  have  them  spared,  and  allow 
him  to  eat  them. 

Kirby  says  that  the  natives,  though  not  professed  cannibals,  some- 
times eat  human  flesh ;  but  their  food  is  generally  fish.  They  do  not 
eat  fowls,  and  will  not  raise  pigs,  on  account  of  thdr  filth.  Their 
treacle  is  extracted  from  tbe  spathes  of  the  cocoa-nut  trees,  an  opera- 
tion which,  if  frequently  repealed,  destroys  tbe  tree.  They  are  very 
fond  of  cock-fighting. 

The  conduct  of  foreigners  who  visit  these  islands  is  sometimes  of  a 
most  outrageous  character.  Instances  of  this  kind  are  daily  occur- 
ring, a  number  of  which  came  to  my  knowledge ;  and  the  following 
occurrence  it  seems  to  me  is  of  a  character  that  ought  to  be  made 
public,  in  order  lo  bring  such  conduct,  and  the  persons  who  are  t^ilty 
of  it,  to  tne  notice  of  their  own  nation. 


Some  four  or  five  months  before  tbe  Peacock's  visit,  Kirby  states 
that  one  Leasonby,  master  of  the  whale-ship  Offley,  of  London,  and 
whose  mate  was  an  American,  named  Lake,  landed  six  young  girls  on 
this  island,  whom  be  had  obtained  at  Pern,  or  Francis  Island.    After 


as  BLLICE'S  AND   KIN6SMILL   GROUP. 

having  kept  them  on  board  several  days,  he  brought  them  here  to  save 
himself  the  trouble  of  beating  his  vessel  up  to  the  island  to  which  they 
belonged. 

These  young  girls  were  extremely  good-looking,  and  are  now  slaves 
to  the  chief  of  this  island,  and  made  to  labour  and  satisfy  his  lusts. 
They  were  landed  on  Kuria,  in  despite  of  their  entreaties  and  tears. 
These  people  are  in  the  habit  of  killing  all  strangers  from  islands  not 
connected  with  their  immediate  group;  but  the  lives  of  these  girls 
were  spared,  and  they  were  retained  in  bondage.  Two  of  them  were 
brought  off  to  the  ship,  who  entreated  most  earnestly  to  be  kept  on 
board,  and  to  be  carried  to  their  home.  The  engraving  on  the  pre- 
ceding page  is  made  from  Mr.  Agate's  drawing  of  one  of  them. 

The  published  charts  of  these  islands  were  found  so  inaccurate,  as 
to  be  a  cause  of  danger  rather  than  of  safety ;  for  in  them  the  islands 
are  multiplied,  and  every  hummock  or  detached  islet  on  the  same  reef 
is  represented  as  separate,  and  a  name  assigned  it.  Thus  a  confusion 
exists,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  unravel.  How  so  many  errors 
could  be  committed,  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  those 
who  had  the  publication  of  the  charts  formerly  were  generally  ignorant, 
and  did  not  take  that  care  to  sift  and  examine  the  information  that  was 
essential  to  accuracy. 

Several  islands  are  laid  down  here  on  the  different  charts,  but  those 
only  really  exist  which  are  named  Tarawa,  or  Knox  Island ;  Apia,  or 
Charlotte  Island ;  and  Maraki,  or  Matthew's  Island. 

Tarawa,  or  Knox  Island,  is  in  length  twenty  miles,  trending  north- 
west and  southeast  The  land  is  continuous'  and  wooded,  with  the 
exception  of  four  gaps,  where  the  reef  is  bare.  The  south  side  is 
twelve  miles  long,  and  trends  nearly  east  and  west  On  this  part,  near 
the  western  end,  are  three  hummocks  (which  appear  like  islands  in  the 
distance),  and  several  small  sand-banks,  which  are  connected  by  the 
same  reef.  This  island  has  its  lagoon,  but  it  has  the  appearance  of  an 
extensive  bay,  in  consequence  of  the  reef  on  the  west  side  being  a 
sunken  one,  on  which  is  found  five  fathoms  of  water. 

This  island  is  partially  wooded,  having  several  groves  of  cocoa-nut 
trees  on  it,  and  a  dense  undergrowth.  Several  towns  were  seen  on  it, 
and  it  appeared  to  be  thickly  inhabited.  It  affords  no  supplies  for  ves- 
sels. Three  canoes  came  off  to  the  ship,  two  of  which  kept  at  a 
respectful  distance,  while  the  third  approached  with  great  caution. 
Some  few  pieces  of  iron  hoops  enticed  the  natives  on  board,  but  they 
brought  nothing  for  trade,  except  half  a  dozen  cocoapnuts.  They  stated 
that  they  had  never  seen  a  vessel  before.  This  may  be  true,  but 
appeared  somewhat  incredible,  when  they  are  so  near  other  islaads 


ELLICE'S   AND   KIN6SMILL   GROUP.  69 

which  have  had  constaDt  intercourse  with  shipping.  They  appeared 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  use  of  tobacco,  which  it  will  be  recollected  the 
other  natives  coveted  so  much ;  and  what  seemed  to  confirm  the  belief 
in  the  truth  of  their  assertion  of  the  visits  of  ships,  was  the  absence  of 
females  in  the  canoes,  which  had  been  with  the  natives  of  the  other 
islands  so  prominent  an  article  of  barter. 

They  seemed  delighted  with  the  pieces  of  old  iron,  and  regarded 
junk-bottles  with  admiration.  They  are  entirely  the  same  in  appear- 
ance, and  in  character  and  customs,  with  the  rest ;  they  go  naked,  and 
speak  the  same  dialect. 

Tarawa  lies  in  latitude  l""  29'  N.,  and  longitude  173^  05'  E.,  and  is 
of  coral  formation. 

Until  the  24th,  they  were  engaged  in  the  survey  of  Apia,  or  Char- 
lotte Island.  This  consists  of  strings  of  coral  islets,  situated  within  a 
reef,  which  is  six  and  seven  feet  above  the  water.  The  reef  has  a 
bluff  front,  and  is  much  worn  by  the  sea.  There  is  no  coral  sand. 
Apia  was  found  to  be  in  latitude  P  52'  N.,  and  173^  02'  E.  It  is  a 
lagoon  island.  Its  length  in  the  direction  of  northeast  and  southwest 
is  sixteen  miles,  and  its  average  breadth  five.  On  the  east  side  of  the 
island  the  land  is  covered  with  cocoa-nut  and  pandanus  groves,  with 
some  undergrowth.  The  northwest  and  west  side  is  a  continuous  reef, 
four  or  five  feet  above  the  water's  edge,  on  which  are  many  islets. 
About  the  centre  of  the  reef,  on  the  southwest  side,  is  a  ship's  channel 
into  the  lagoon,  which  is  half  a  mile  wide.  Near  its  entrance  is  a 
small  islet,  which  stands  alone,  and  is  a  good  mark  for  the  entrance. 
There  is  no  island  in  the  lagoon,  as  shown  on  the  French  charts  of 
Duperrey. 

This  island  would  appear  to  be  thickly  inhabited,  from  the  number 
of  towns  on  it  Several  canoes  came  off  to  the  ship,  which  were 
similar  in  construction  to  the  others  we  had  seen.  Their  stock  of 
articles  for  trade  was,  as  usual,  scantv.  There  was  but  one  woman 
seen,  and  she  proved  as  ugly  as  those  previously  met  with  had  been 
pleasing  in  their  looks.  They  speak  the  same  dialect,  and  are  the  same 
people,  although  their  intercourse  seems  to  have  been  very  much  con- 
fined to  themselves.  At  the  islet  near  the  entrance  to  the  lagoon,  about 
sixty  gallons  of  water  were  obtained  from  the  native  well,  but  it  was 
fiat  and  brackish.    No  other  supplies  can  be  procured  at  this  island. 

When  the  boats  landed  at  the  islet,  the  natives  were  in  great  alarm, 
and  fled ;  but,  reassured  by  the  calls  of  Kirby,  they  returned,  and  their 
fears  were  effectually  quieted  by  a  few  presents. 

It  was  ascertained  that  their  knowledge  of  other  islands  only  ex- 
tended to  Tarawa,  or  Knox's  Island,  and  two  others.    To  one  of  these 


70  ELLICE*S   AND   KINOSMILL  GROUP. 

they  pointed  in  a  direction  west  of  north,  and  called  it  Maraki, — 
Matthew's  Island ;  and  the  other  Taritari  and  Makin,  which  they  said 
were  two  days'  sail,  and  which  was  believed  to  be  Pitt's  Island. 

In  the  centre  of  the  little  village  was  one  of  the  sacred  stones,  which 
was  described  by  Kirby  as  an  object  of  worship.  It  consisted  of  a  flat 
slab  of  coral  rock,  afiout  three  feet  high  and  two  wide,  set  up  on  end  and 
dressed  with  a  thick  wreath  of  cocoanut-leaves.  It  was  placed  in  the 
centre  of  a  circular  platform  of  sand  and  pebbles,  about  nine  feet  in 
diameter,  raised  five  or  six  inches  above  the  soil,  and  surrounded  by  a 
ring  of  stones.  At  the  foot  of  the  coral  slab  were  several  large  cocoa- 
nuts,  placed  there  as  an  offering  to  the  divinity,  whom  the  natives 
styled  Tabu-eriki.  The  wood-cut  at  the  end  of  the  next  chapter  is  a 
drawing  of  one.  The  priest,  a  young  man,  with  a  mild  and  intelligent 
countenance,  remained  constantly  near  the  stone,  never  quitting  the 
platform  for  a  moment  The  houses  were  built  like  those  of  Drum- 
mond's  Island,  but  the  scuttles  into  the  lofts  were  much  larger,  occa- 
sionally occupying  half  the  dividing  floor.  In  some  of  the  houses  there 
were  two  or  three  floors  or  stages,  the  second  about  two  feet  above  the 
first 

In  the  survey  of  this  island  the  tender  got  aground  inside  the  lagooa 
The  moment  that  it  was  discovered  by  the  natives  that  the  yessel  was 
on  shore,  they  began  to  flock  around  her,  and  were  only  kept  off  by 
being  fired  at  Lieutenant  Emmons  did  not  join  her  with  the  boats  till 
after  dark,  when  he  found  her  situation  such  as  to  require  great  vigi- 
lance on  the  part  of  the  officers  and  men  to  preserve  her.  She  had 
taken  the  coral  reef  at  high  water,  and  the  tide  was  rapidly  falling, 
leaving  her  on  her  bilge,  and  rendering  her  guns  of  no  use  for  protec- 
tion. The  natives  were  making  signals  by  burning  fires,  blowing  war- 
conchs,  and  evincing  every  disposition  to  attack  her. 

Captain  Hudson,  who  observed  the  situation  of  the  tender  at  sunset, 
determined  to  keep  the  Peacock  close  to  the  island  throughout  the 
night,  to  be  near  at  hand  to  despatch  boats  in  case  of  signal  being 
made  that  they  required  more  aid,  should  the  natives  show  a  disposi- 
tion to  make  an  attack,  and  overpower  the  force  that  had  already  gone 
to  the  tender's  assistance.  The  Peacock  was  hove-to,  with  a  moderate 
breeze  blowing,  and  from  the  fires  seen  during  the  night  they  believed 
themselves  close  to  the  position  they  had  taken  at  sunset  At  daylight, 
while  lying-to,  they  drifted  on  a  coral  sand-bank,  where  the  ship  was 
aground  for  a  few  minutes  only.  Their  surprise  was  great  when  they 
found  that  it  was  Tarawa  or  Knox's  Island,  on  which  they  were 
ashore,  on  its  northwest  side,  and  that  they  had  drifted  fully  twelve 
miles  by  current  to  the  southward  during  the  niorht     On  honrd  of  the 


ELLICE'S  AND   KIN6SMILL   GROUP.  71 

tender  every  preparation  was  made  to  receive  the  savages,  as  it  was 
anticipated  that  the  attack  would  be  made  at  early  daylight.  They 
were  not  mistaken  in  this,  for  at  that  time  the  natives  were  seen  in 
great  numbers,  but  just  then  fortunately  the  tender  floated.  The  natives 
continued,  however,  to  approach  boldly  until  within  musket-shot,  when 
they  were  motioned  to  keep  off,  which  they  disregarded.  The  head- 
most canoe  having  struck  its  sail  for  the  purpose  of  closing  alongside, 
Lieutenant  Emmons  fired  his  rifle,  aiming  so  that  the  ball  should  pass 
close  by  the  head  of  the  steersman :  this  alarmed  him  so  much  that  he 
immediately  jumped  overboard,  and  was  followed  by  all  the  rest.  The 
remaining  canoes  now  kept  off;  but  continued  to  follow  the  tender 
until  she  left  the  lagoon,  which  she  did  by  the  passage  through  which 
she  had  entered.  When  the  natives  found  that  the  prize  had  escaped 
them,  they  became  outrageous,  making  use  of  many  violent  gesticula- 
tions of  the  disappointment  they  had  experienced. 

The  next  island  that  claimed  their  attention  was  Maraki,  or  Mat- 
thew's Island.  It  is  much  smaller  than  the  two  last,  and  situated  in 
latitude  2""  00'  N.,  and  longitude  nd""  25'  30"  E.  It  is  a  lagoon  island, 
without  entrances,  and  of  coral  formation.  It  is  but  five  miles  long, 
north-by-east  and  south-by-west,  and  two  and  a  half  wide  at  its  base, 
being  of  triangular  shape. 

It  appears  to  be  densely  peopled,  for  many  villages  were  seen,  and 
after  dark  a  large  number  of  fires  were  burning. 

A  canoe  ventured  alongside,  in  which  was  one  of  the  natives,  of  an 
herculean  frame,  and  calling  himself  a  chief.  When  asked  how  many 
people  they  had  on  the  island,  he  replied,  as  many  as  were  on  board 
the  ship.  As  all  hands  were  on  deck,  it  is  supposed  that  his  simile 
was  equivalent  to  a  multitude. 

The  persons  in  this  canoe  were  exceedingly  desirous  of  getting  old 
iron  hoops :  they  did  not  remain  a  long  time  on  board,  and  seemed  to 
be  uneasy.  After  they  had  obtained  these  small  presents,  they  quietly 
abandoned  the  ship,  and  on  getting  into  their  canoes,  soon  plied  the 
paddles  in  such  a  manner  as  showed  that  they  were  quite  anxious  to 
get  out  of  reach,  seemingly  congratulating  themselves  upon  their  mira* 
culous  escape.  Their  dialect  and  customs  were  the  same  as  those  of 
the  rest  of  the  group. 

On  the  27th,  the  Peacock  lefl  Matthew's  Island  to  look  for  Pitt's 
Island,  which  they  made  on  the  28th,  at  9  a.  m.  On  the  29th,  the 
weather  permitted  the  survey  to  be  made. 

There  are  two  blands  known  under  this  name :  the  largest  is  called 
by  the  natives  Taritari,  and  the  smallest,  Makin.  The  latitude  of  the 
southern  point  of  Taritari  is  a^  06'  N.,  longitude  172^'  48'  K    This 


72  £LLIC£*S   AND   KIN6SMILL   GROUP. 

island  is  of  the  figure  of  a  triangle,  with  its  apex  to  the  south,  and  its 
sides  are  about  fourteen  miles  in  length.  The  southeast  side  is  a  con- 
tinuous grove  of  cocoa-nut  and  pandanus,  with  some  undergrowth ;  on 
the  other  two  sides  is  a  reef,  which  is  awash,  excepting  the  northwest 
point,  in  which  there  is  a  small  inlet. 

Makin  is  of  much  smaller  dimensions,  being  but  six  miles  long :  it 
varies  in  width  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile.  Its  northern  point  lies  in 
latitude  3^  20'  43"  N.,  and  longitude  172''  57'  E.  This  small  island  is 
the  seat  of  government,  and  the  natives  now  unite  both  names  under 
the  one  of  Makin. 

It  was  soon  evident  that  the  island  was  thickly  inhabited ;  for  when 
the  ship  reached  the  lee  side,  in  the  aAernoon,  about  twenty  canoes 
came  off,  containing  from  five  to  ten  natives  in  each,  and  in  one  of 
them  was  a  white  man,  who  was  clothed  in  mats.  The  ship  was  im- 
mediately hove-to  to  take  him  on  board,  and  he  gave  his  name  as 
Robert  Wood  (alias  Grey),  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  who  was  left  by  his 
own  wish  on  the  island,  seven  years  before,  by  the  English  whaling 
brig  Janie,  of  London,  sailing  from  Sydney.  He  was  under  so  great 
excitement  as  to  render  his  utterance  quite  unintelligible  at  times,  and 
some  amusing  scenes  took  place  in  consequence.  On  his  reaching  the 
deck,  he  first  inquired  if  he  would  be  permitted  to  go  on  shore  again ; 
and  then,  who  was  king  of  England;  if  there  was  peace  with  America; 
for  he  had  thought  there  must  be  a  war.  He  had  seen  no  white  men 
since  he  landed,  and  said  that  he  had  become  old  and  grayheaded. 
To  prove  the  latter  assertion  he  pulled  oflT  his  apology  for  a  hat,  and 
displayed  a  most  luxuriant  growth  of  jet-black  hair. 

He  had  not  been  on  board  long  before  he  asked  for  a  passage  to 
some  civilized  land;  and  when  he  was  informed  that  his  wishes 
would  be  gratified,  he  seemed  for  a  time  beside  himself  from  excess 
of  joy.  His  feelings  were  evinced  in  his  endeavours  to  interpret  the 
questions  to  the  natives ;  he  almost  invariably  repeated  to  them  what 
was  said  to  him  in  English,  in  the  same  language ;  and  gave  back  their 
answers  or  expressions  in  the  island  dialect  This  had  a  droll  effect, 
and  he  had  frequently  to  be  reminded  that  he  was  an  interpreter. 

Wood  says,  that  the  natives  had  always  treated  him  kindly;  and 
for  the  first  few  months  after  his  arrival  among  them,  they  carried 
him  about  on  their  shoulders  (he  was  the  first  white  man  that  many 
of  them  had  ever  seen),  and  almost  deified  him.  They  have  no  wars, 
and  very  few  arms,  and  seldom  quarrel,  except  about  their  women. 
The  punishment  of  death  is  inflicted  on  those  who  infringe  the  seraglio 
of  the  chiefs. 

In  the  short  intercourse  the  Peacock  had  with  the  natives  of  this 


ELLICE'8    AND    KING8MILL    GBODP.  73 

island,  a  great  difierence  wae  perceptible  betweeo  them  and  those  of 
the  other  islaodsi  as  welt  in  respect  to  their  appearance,  as  in  charac- 
ter. Tbeir  features  were  regular,  and  by  some  thought  handsome; 
they  had  fine  teeth,  with  glossy  black  hair,  flowing  in  ringlets  about 
their  heads ;  they  were  also  of  a  lighter  colour  than  the  rest  of  the 
natives  with  whom  they  are  grouped ;  their  figures  are,  for  the  most 
part,  rotund,  and  they  seem  to  have  an  abundance  of  food  to  become 
fat  upon.  In  walking,  they  appeared  like  a  moving  mass  of  jelly ; 
every  laugh  set  not  only  their  aides  in  motion,  but  their  whole  firame 
and  flesh.  On  being  asked  how  these  people  became  so  fat,  Wood 
replied,  they  had  plenty  of  food  and  "  toddj^'  to  fatten  upon :  this  last 
is  a  syrup,  called  by  the  natives  "  karaca,"  made  from  the  sap  of  the 
youDg  cocoa-nut  trees :  of  this  they  drink  immoderately.  They  wear 
mustaches  and  whiskers,  which  are  highly  prized  and  carefully  nursed 
among  diem.  They  had  a  good-humoured  cast  of  countenance,  and 
seemed  peaceable  and  full  of  kindness.  No  scars  were  seen  on  their 
bodies,  neither  had  they  any  warlike  instruments  with  them.  All  the 
little  casualties  which  so  oflen  affected  the  harnnony  of  the  natives 
before,  here  produced  no  sort  of  disturbance ;  and  each  was  inclined 
to  render  the  other  assistance  in  repairing  the  accidents. 


The  men  are  very  handsomely  tattooed,  of  which  the  above  col 
will  give  a  correct  idea.     On  their  reaching  the  ship,  they  appeared 
Vol,  v.  a  10 


74  ELLICE'S   AND   KIN6SMILL   GROUP. 

to  put  the  fullest  confideDce  aud  reliance  in  the  treatment  they  were 
to  receive,  although,  according  to  Wood,  they  had  seen  but  one  vessel 
during  his  residence  on  the  island,  and  consequently  it  could  not  be 
from  the  habit  of  intercourse,  but  must  have  been  a  natural  feeling. 
There  was  no  begging,  no  attempt  to  steal,  as  among  all  the  other 
natives  of  the  group ;  but  Wood  gives  them  credit  for  the  latter  pro- 
pensity among  themselves  on  shore. 

Their  canoes  are  larger  and  better  built  than  those  of  the  southern 
islands,  and  made  of  different  wood ;  and  they  are  better  supplied  with 
masts  and  paddles,  but  still  of  nearly  the  same  shape :  the  side  of  the 
canoe  opposite  to  the  out-rigger,  was  much  less  curved  than  the  other, 
resembling  more  the  *'  flying  proa"  of  the  Ladron^  Islands. 

Polygamy  is  common  among  them ;  and  Wood  stated  that,  some  of 
the  principal  chiefs  and  landholders  have  from  twenty  to  fifty  wives: 
the  king  even  exceeded  this  number ;  while  the  poorer  class  and  slaves 
are  doomed  to  perpetual  celibacy.  The  consequences  of  this  state  of 
society  may  readily  be  imagined  to  produce  illicit  intercourse  among 
the  lower  classes. 

The  women  are  well  treated ;  never  offered  for  traffic,  but  on  the 
contrary,  are  held  sacred ;  and  in  order  to  restrain  any  unlawful  in- 
dulgence on  the  part  of  his  wives,  his  majesty  has  at  times  had  some 
of  them  sewed  up  in  mats!  Wood  represented  the  women  as  out- 
numbering the  men,  and  said  they  were  very  handsome.  There  are 
five  towns  on  the  island,  which,  according  to  the  authority  of  Wood, 
contain  about  five  thousand  inhabitants. 

The  king,  whose  name  was  Tekere,  came  off  to  the  ship.  He  was 
a  fine-looking  man;  but  his  corpulency  was  great,  and  appeared  to 
trouble  him  not  a  little :  it  was  utterly  impossible  for  him  to  get  up 
the  side  of  the  ship,  and  he  therefore  contented  himself  with  being 
paddled  round  it.  His  father,  the  former  king,  Jakintebuat,  came 
on  board,  with  several  of  his  sons,  all  of  whom  had  a  strong  family 
likeness.  He  appeared  about  sixty  years  old;  and  although  a  little 
bald,  he  had  no  other  appearance  of  age,  either  in  his  looks  or  the 
firmness  of  his  step. 

When  the  vessels  had  made  sail,  in  order  to  leave  the  island,  and 
it  was  supposed  that  all  the  natives  had  left  the  ship,  one  was  found 
banging  to  the  man-ropes  near  the  water.  Wood,  on  questioning  the 
native,  found  that  he  was  a  petty  chief,  who  wished  to  accompany  the 
ship,  and  had  taken  this  means  of  doing  it,  hoping  not  to  be  perceived 
until  he  was  out  of  sight  of  his  island.  He  said  he  was  too  poor  a 
chief  to  have  any  wives,  and  therefore  wished  to  leave  his  island,  and 
be  landed  on  some  other,  where  he  could  obtain  some.    Captain  Hud- 


ELLICG'S   AND   KIN08HILL  GROUP.  70 

son  had  a  boat  lowered  at  once,  by  which  he  was  put  on  board  a 
canoe,  that  took  him  to  the  shore. 

Two  or  three  of  the  officers  landed  for  a  short  time,  but  saw  nothing 
except  a  few  fishing  huts.  Under  the  eaves  of  the  huts,  large  shells  of 
the  Tridachna  gigas  were  placed  to  catch  water.  The  entrance  into 
the  lagoon  has  four  and  a  half  fathoms  of  water,  and  is  about  one-third 
of  a  mile  in  width. 

Mr.  Peale  found  no  quadrupeds  except  rats,  which  were  in  great 
plenty,  and  running  in  all  directions;  of  birds  there  were  but  few; 
white  terns  and  noddies  were  seen  in  the  groves,  and  a  few  moths 
were  caught 

Mr.  Rich  found  some  tall  Pisonias,  Tournefortias,  two  species  of 
(Jrtics,  a  Boerhaavia,  and  some  cocoa-nuts.  On  the  lai^er  island  they 
seem  to  have  a  much  greater  variety  of  trees,  but  it  was  not  visited. 
They  have  bread-fruit,  taro,  and  yams  of  two  kinds,  which  are  culti- 
vated in  the  manner  already  described. 


CHAPTER  III. 


CONTENXa 

aOUBCBB  OF  nVFOUf  ATION  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  RINOSMILL  GROUP-lBLANDe  OF 
WHICH  FT  n  OOMPOfflBD-THBIB  GSBHSRAL  CHARACTTEIl-THEUl  BOIL-TARO-PONDB- 
TRADITION  OF  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PEOPLE  —  ANCIENT  INTERCOURflE  BETWEEN 
THE  ISLANDS— PHTSIOGNOBfY  AND  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  NATIYES-THEIR  SOCIAL 
STATB-OOVERNMENT-DESCENT  OF  PROPERTT— REUGIOUB  BELIEF— PRIESTB-ORA- 
CLE8-0MENB-PRETENDED  COMBfUNICATION  WITH  SPIRITB— BELIEF  IN  A  FUTURE 
STATE— THEIR  ELYSIUM— THEIR  MODE  O)  UFE— THEIR  CHARACTER-THEIR  TREAT- 
MENT OF  CHILDREN,  OF  THE  AGED,  AND  OF  WOMEN— THEIR  WAR8~CANNIBALISM 
NOT  PRACTISED  — THEIR  WEAPONS  —  THEIR  HOUSES  AND  CANOES -THEIR  MANU- 
FACTURES—DRESS—ORNAMENTS—THEIR FOOD— THEIR  MODE  OF  COOKING— THEIR 
AMUSEMENTS-THEIR  MARRIAGES- MODE  OF  GIVING  NAMES— PRACTICE  OF  ABOR- 
TION—TATTOOING—FUNERAL CEREMONIES- DISEASES-CLIMATE  OF  THE  GROUP- 
EARTHQUAKES  —  POPULATION  —  THEIR  INTERCOURSE  WITH  STRANGERS  —  THEIR 
PRONENE8S  TO  SUICIDE  -  THEIR  IDEA  OF  AN  AOCOMPUSHED  PERSON  -  CONTRAST 

BETWEEN  prrrs  and  the  other  islanders— departure  of  the  peacock  and 

FLTING-FISH  FROM  THE  KINGBMILL  GROUP— THEIR  CREWS  PUT  ON  SHORT  ALLOW- 
ANCE —  PESCADORES  -  KORSAKOFF — OBJECTS  REMAINING  UNACCOMPLISHED  -  SEPA- 
RATION OF  THE  VESSEUI- LARGE  aUANTITIES  OF  MOLLUSCJE-SHIP  MAGNOLIA - 

OAHU-ARRIVAL  AT  AND  DEPARTURE  FROM  HONOLULU-REACH  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 
OS 


(7T) 


CHAPTER  III. 

MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF   THE   KIN6SMILL 

ISLANDERa 

184  1. 

In  order  to  obtain  all  the  information  possible  from  Kirby  and  Wood, 
Captain  Hudson  placed  them  under  the  immediate  control  of  Mr.  Hale, 
the  philologist  This  gentleman  had  thus  an  opportunity  to  examine 
and  cross-question  them,  during  the  whole  time  they  remained  on  board 
the  Peacock.  To  his  report  to  Captain  Hudson,  I  am  principally 
indebted  for  the  following  information  respecting  the  entire  group. 
Captain  Hudson  states  to  me,  that  the  opportunity  Mr.  Hale  enjoyed 
was  the  very  best  for  eliciting  information,  as  they  were  upwards 
of  a  month  on  board  the  ship,  and  were  under  examination  day  after 
day. 

Their  accounts  are  deemed  entitled  by  Captain  Hudson  and  his 
oiBcers  to  much  credit,  from  the  fact  that  many  things  had  passed 
under  their  own  eyes  that  perfectly  agreed  with  the  accounts  that 
Kirby,  in  particular,  gave ;  and  he  was  found  to  have  obtained  much 
fluency  in  speaking  their  language.  It  is  likewise  some  confirmation 
of  Kirby's  account,  that  Wood's  in  many  particulars  corresponded  with 
it,  and  in  all  as  much  so  as  could  be  expected  between  islanders  that? 
although  allied  in  race,  are  now  living  under  totally  different  circum 
stances.  Wood,  it  must  be  observed,  had  not,  though  a  much  longer 
resident  than  Kirby,  acquired  so  thorough  a  knowledge  of  the  language, 
or  of  their  manners  and  customs,  principally,  it  was  thought,  from  a 
want  of  aptitude  for  such  observation. 

The  Kingsmill  Group  consists  of  fifteen  islands,  of  which  the 
geographical  positions  have  been  already  given  in  speaking  of  them 
separately. 

m 


80 


MANNERS   AND  CUSTOMS   OF 


They  are  as  follow,  viz. : 


ITATITI  NAMB 

Maraki, 
Makmand 


Tarawa, 


Apamama 

Koria, 

Nanooki, 

Nanooti, 

Tapoteoaea, 


■AKB  OK  OHA&TiL 

littthaw*!  Uand. 
Pitt'i 

Ciliarlotto'a  * 
KnoK*!  ** 

HaU'a  <* 

Hopper'a  " 
Woodl0*a  * 
Hoidemlle'a  "^ 
Sydenham  ** 
Dnimiiiand**  ** 


The  above  are  all  those  that  were  visited  by  the  Peacock:  the 
natives,  however,  gave  the  names  of  others,  which  are  said  to  be  in  the 
neighbourhood,  to  the  number  of  six. 

Peru, Francis  Island. 

Nukonao, Byron't      ** 

Arorai, Hard's       ** 

Tamana, Phoebe        ■* 

Onoatu, Rotcher*B    ■* 

The  first  of  these  five  are  known  on  the  maps,  but  the  two  last  are 
not  There  is  one  which  the  natives  of  Apia  designated  by  Tarawa- 
ni-Makin,  but  I  am  inclined  to  believe  it  was  intended  for  Pitt's  Island. 

The  dimensions  of  these  islands  have  been  given,  as  well  as  the 
facilities  they  afibrd  ships,  and  the  inducements  to  visit  them.  The 
highest  land  of  the  group  is  not  more-  than  twenty  feet  above  the  sea, 
and  they  are  all  of  coral  formation,  having  a  general  resemblance  to 
the  coral  islands  spoken  of  in  the  early  history  of  this  voyage.  It  was 
found  that,  unlike  those,  many  of  the  islands  of  this  group  aflforded 
anchorage  on  sand-banks  under  their  lee,  or  western  side,  and  in  some 
of  them  the  leeward  reef  appears  to  be  in  part  wanting :  this  would  form 
a  distinctive  character,  and  Kirby  bears  testimony  to  the  fact  that 
these  islands  are  fast  wearing  away  by  the  action  of  the  sea  on  them 
during  the  westerly  gales. 

The  compact  coral  shelf  is  found  at  the  depth  of  twelve  feet  beneath 
the  surface.  There  is  another  distinctive  mark,  which  tends  to  prove 
that  these  islands,  instead  of  increasing,  are  actually  wasting  away> 
which  is,  that  in  all  cases  where  the  island  is  at  all  exposed,  it  has 
become  a  string  of  detached  islets,  a  form  it  would  be  most  likely  first 
to  assume  in  undergoing  such  a  change.  Those  containing  passages 
through  the  reef  have  been  already  pointed  out;  and  in  the  Hydro- 
graphical  Memoir,  full  directions  for  entering  the  lagoons  will  be  found 


THE   KINGSMILL   ISLANBERa  81 

Their  soil,  which  is  but  a  few  inches  in  depth,  is  of  coral  sand  and 
vegetable  mould,  below  which  coral  sand  continues  to  be  found,  and 
to  this  depth  the  wells  and  taro-patches  extend.  The  rain-water 
percolates  thus  far,  and  meets  the  coral  rock.  Besides  this  rock,  small 
pieces  of  pumice  are  found,  which  are  supposed  to  have  drifted  to  the 
island.     Of  these  great  use  is  made,  in  cultivation,  as  a  manure. 

Their  cultivation  consists  for  the  most  part  in  that  of  cocoa-nut  and 
pandanus,  which  are  their  chief  articles  of  food.  They  also  culti* 
vale  with  great  care  a  species  of  the  taro  (Arum  cordifolium),  which 
is  called  by  the  natives  "  poipoi,"  and  is  said  to  grow  to  a  very  large 
size ;  but  all  that  was  seen  by  the  officers  was  small,  and  apparently 
withered. 

Bread-fruit  trees  are  to  be  found  on  the  northern  islands,  but  the 
tree  was  not  seen  on  the  southern.  They  pay  more  attention  to  the 
rearing  of  trees  than  in  any  other  islands  of  Pol3mesia,  for  the  cocoa- 
nut  trees  are  fenc^  round,  and  pounded  pumice  is  mixed  with  the 
soil  near  their  roots.  This  stone  is  collected  by  the  women,  who  are 
frequently  to  be  seen  in  numbers  on  the  beaches,  after  westerly  winds, 
picking  it  up  in  small  baskets. 

There  is  likewise  a  purslane,  which  is  abundant,  and  according  to 
Kirby,  is  eaten  in  cases  of  scarcity  or  famine.  The  excavations  for 
the  planting  of  taro  are  of  various  sizes,  generally  one  hundred  feet  in 
length,  by  fifty  in  breadth.  On  Makin  or  Pitt's  Island,  it  is  said,  there 
is  a  trench  about  ten  feet  wide,  and  not  less  than  seven  miles  long,  dug 
around  the  lagoon,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  an  embankment 
The  water  in  this  trench  is  but  slightly  brackish,  and  sufficiently  fresh 
to  nurture  the  taro.  The  natives  are  remarkaUy  careful  to  keep  this 
plant  free  from  weeds,  or  any  thing  that  may  aifect  its  growth ;  and 
they  are  in  the  habit  of  loosening  the  root,  with  this  view.  There  is 
DO  particular  season  when  it  comes  to  maturity,  neither  do  they 
observe  any  particular  time  for  planting  it  On  Makin,  they  have  a 
kind  of  fruit  resembling  the  gooseberry,  called  by  the  natives  <' teiparu;" 
this  they  pound,  after  it  is  dried,  and  make  with  molasses  into  cakes, 
which  are  sweet  and  pleasant  to  the  taste. 

Of  all  the  native  accounts  of  the  peopling  of  the  groups  of  the  islands 
in  the  vast  Pacific,  that  of  the  Kingsmill  Group  bears  the  strongest 
impress  of  truth  and  historical  probability.  Whether  this  be  owing  to 
the  comparatively  recent  period  at  which  they  have  been  peopled,  or 
to  their  traditions  having  been  less  confused  by  mythological  tales,  it 
is  difficult  to  determine ;  but  the  facts  appear  so  remarkable  and  pro* 
bable,  that  few  will  read  the  accotmt  of  them  without  giving  it  the  full 
weight  of  authentic  history.    This  account  states,  that  the  first  inhabi- 

VOL.  V.  11 


82  MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF 

tants  arrived  in  two  canoes  from  Barness  or  Baneba,  an  island  which 
they  say  lies  to  the  southwestward,  and  whence  they  had  escaped 
during  a  civil  war,  as  the  only  means  left  them  of  preserving  their 
lives.  After  they  had  arrived  upon  this  island  and  had  begun  a  settle- 
ment, two  other  canoes  happened  to  arrive  from  an  island  to  the 
southeastward,  which  they  called  Amoi.  The  natives  in  the  last 
canoes  were  lighter  in  colour,  and  better-looking  than  their  predeces- 
sors, and  spoke  a  different  language.  For  one  or  two  generations  the 
two  races  lived  together  in  harmony ;  but  the  Baneba  people  coveting 
the  wives  of  the  men  from  Amoi,  difficulties  arose,  which  ended  in  the 
Amoi  men  being  put  to  death  by  those  of  Baneba,  and  the  latter  taking 
possession  of  the  women. 

From  these  sources  all  the  Kingsmill  natives  are  descended.  The 
bread-fruit  is  said  to  have  been  brought  by  the  Amoi  people,  and  the 
taro  by  those  of  Baneba.  The  cocoa-nut  and  pandanus  were  found 
growing  on  the  island. 

It  is  difficult  to  settle  the  position  of  Amoi,  from  its  name ;  but  the 
direction  in  which  it  lies  would  designate  the  Samoan  Group  as  the 
islands  referred  to.  Those  of  Baneba,  it  is  suggested,  might  be  de- 
rived from  the  Caroline  Group,  although  the  direction  does  not  exactly 
correspond.  The  Ascension  Island  of  that  group  has  Boneba  for  its 
native  name. 

What  adds  to  the  probability  of  this  simple  story,  is  the  fact  that 
it  is  almost  the  only  tradition  these  islanders  have.  That  the  islands 
have  been  peopled  within  a  period  not  very  remote,  is  believed  by  the 
natives  themselves,  and  they  state  that  only  a  few  generations  back 
the  people  were  much  fewer  than  at  present,  wars  less  frequent,  and 
the  communication  between  the  islands  safe  and  free.  The  grand- 
father of  Tekere,  the  present  king  of  Kuria,  is  said  to  have  voyaged  to 
every  island  in  the  group  on  a  pleasure  trip  to  see  the  world,  about  a 
hundred  years  since.  But,  so  estranged  have  the  inhabitants  of  the 
several  islands  become  from  each  other,  that  if  a  canoe  from  one  of 
them  should  visit,  or  seek,  through  distress,  another  island,  the  persons 
in  it  would  in  all  probability  be  put  to  death,  under  the  supposition  of 
their  being  spies,  or  in  order  to  procure  their  bones  and  teeth  for  the 
manufacture  of  ornaments. 

The  islanders  of  this  group  differ  in  their  personal  traits  from  those 
of  Polynesians,  and  more  nearly  resemble  the  Malays.  Their  colour 
is  a  dark  copper,  a  shade  or  two  deeper  than  the  Tahitian ;  they  are 
of  the  middle  size,  well  made,  and  slender.  Their  hair  is  fine,  black, 
and  glossy;  the  nose  slightly  aquiline,  but  a  little  broad  at  the  base; 
the  mouth  is  large,  with  full  lips  and  small  teeth ;  the  cheek  bones  pro- 


THE  XINQSHILL   ISLANDERa  83 

ject  forward,  so  as  to  give  the  eyes  the  appearance  of  being  sunken; 
their  beards  and  mustaches  are  black  aod  fine  like  their  hair.  Their 
average  height  is  about  five  feet  eight  inches,  and  the  great  majority 
would  be  called  small  meo.  The  women  are  much  smaller  in  propor* 
tion  than  the  men,  with  delicate  feaiures,  slight  figures,  and,  as  before 
remarked,  they  were  generally  thought  pretty. 

In  this  description,  it  will  be  necessary  to  remark,  that  the  inhabit 
laats  of  Makin  are  not  included ;  for  they  differ  so  much  in  point  of 
appearance  from  the  others,  that  were  it  not  for  their  manners,  customs, 
and  language,  they  could  not  be  classed  among  the  same  race,  A 
drawing  of  one  is  represented  in  the  annexed  engraving. 


Wood,  who  had  lived  among  the  latter  people  a  long  time,  ac- 
counted for  their  difierence  in  appearance  by  their  being  at  all  times 
abundantly  supplied  with  food,  and  living  an  inactive  life,  with  nothing 
to  disturb  their  peace,  which  has  continued  unbroken  for  upwards  of  a 
century.  They  have  from  this  cause  become  naturally  indolent;  and 
their  fullest  enjoyment  is  in  taking  their  ease.  Their  colour  is  a  shade 
lighter  than  that  of  the  natives  of  the  other  islands  of  this  group ;  their 
stature  taller,  and  their  whole  frame  much  larger;  their  limbs  are  full 
and  well  rounded ;  their  bodies  as  smooth  as  a  child's ;  their  features 
oval,  and  more  regular  and  delicate  than  those  of  the  natives  of  the 
southern  islands  of  the  same  group. 

As  respects  their  social  state,  the  people  are  divided  into  three 
classes:  the  nea  or  omata  (chiefs),  kstoka  (landholders),  and  kawa 
(slaves).  The  first  and  last  divisions  constitute  about  three-fourths  of 
ibe  p<^ulalion,  and  are  about  equal  in  numbers.     The  katokas  are 


84  MANNERS   AND  CUSTOMS   OF 

persons  who  possess  land,  but  are  not  of  noble  birth ;  many  of  these 
were  originally  slaves,  who  have  obtained  land  by  acts  of  bravery,  or 
through  the  favour  of  their  chiefs.  The  kawas  are  those  who  possess 
no  land,  or  no  one  from  whom  they  can  claim  support.  The  omatas 
consist  of  all  the  free  and  well  born,  who  possess  the  greater  propor- 
tion of  the  land,  as  well  as  the  political  authority  of  the  group.  The 
oldest  male  of  a  family  is  the  chief  of  the  community,  and  presides 
over  all  their  matters:  he  is  called  nea.  They  are,  however,  inde- 
pendent of  each  other,  although  great  deference  is  always  paid  to  the 
oldest  among  them. 

In  Makin,  the  class  of  katokas  is  not  known;  and  the  only  dis- 
tinctions they  have,  are  the  high  and  the  low.  This  class,  therefore, 
appears  to  have  been  only  introduced  on  Kuria  and  the  adjacent 
islands. 

Wars  between  the  different  towns  are  of  frequent  occurrence ;  and 
in  some  of  the  islands  ambitious  chiefs  have  obtained  the  rule  through 
conquests,  and  made  themselves  sovereign  over  the  whole. 

There  does  not  appear  to.  be  any  general  authority  existing  through- 
out the  group,  even  in  those  islands  that  are  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
each  other,  excepting  in  the  islands  of  Apamama,  Nanouki,  and  Kuria, 
where  there  is  a  king,  who  governs  the  three:  he  resides  on  the  former, 
and  is  named  ^  Tetalau.^'  His  grandfather  was  the  first  to  make  war, 
and  by  conquest  acquired  supreme  power  in  Apamama.  The  present 
king  has  extended  his  authority  over  the  two  smaller  islands,  against 
which  he  waged  a  successful  war,  in  consequence  of  the  murder  of 
one  of  his  relations.  To  this  little  kingdom,  most  of  the  facts  in  re- 
ference to  the  Kingsmill  Group  more  particularly  apply,  as  Kuria  was 
the  residence  of  Kirby ;  but  from  the  observations  of  the  naturalists 
and  officers,  I  have  little  doubt  that  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
other  islands,  with  the  exception  of  Makin,  are  very  similar. 

On  Tarawa  there  is  also  a  king,  as  well  as  on  Makin;  but  it 
appears  that  this  has  only  been  the  case  on  the  latter  since  the  time 
of  the  grandfather  of  the  present  king,  called  Teouki.  The  acquisi- 
tion of  royal  power  by  him  was  said  to  have  been  effected  only 
through  a  series  of  bloody  wars,  which  established  his  authority  so 
firmly,  that  peace  and  quietness  have  reigned  for  a  century ;  nor  has 
any  attempt  been  made  on  the  part  of  the  conquered  chiefs  to  regain 
their  independence. 

The  government  is  carried  on  after  the  simplest  patriarchal  form, 
the  king  contenting  himself  with  receiving  the  tribute  due  him,  without 
intermeddling  with  the  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  separate 
towns  over  which  he  rules. 


THE   KIN6SMILL   ISLANDERa  g5 

• 

AccordiDg  to  Kirhy,  a  king  governs  also  on  Taputeouea  or  Drum- 
mond's  Island ;  but  it  has  been  seen  by  the  experience  of  the  Peacock 
that  his  power  was  far  from  being  paramount,  it  having  been  contested 
by  a  large  portion  of  the  island. 

There  are  places  where  the  royal  authority  does  not  supersede  all 
other,  and  where  the  government  is  carried  on  by  the  whole  body  of 
chiefs,  who  take  rank  according  to  their  age.  In  these  places,  for  the 
purpose  of  accommodating  ail,  there  is  in  every  town  a  large  council- 
house,  called  the  mariapa,  one  of  which  has  been  before  described. 
In  it  every  family  of  rank  has  its  particular  seat,  along  the  side  of  the 
house;  the  middle  being  occupied  by  the  katokas  and  kawas,  or 
landholders  and  slaves,  neither  of  whom  have  any  voice  in  the  affairs 
of  government 

When  a  meeting  is  deemed  necessary,  the  oldest  or  presiding  chief 
sends  out  bis  messengers,  whose  business  it  is  to  summon  the  people, 
which  is  done  by  blowing  conchs  in  all  directions.  The  council  then 
assembles,  when  the  head  chief  lays  before  them  the  business,  and 
any  one  is  at  liberty  to  speak,  and  if  he  be  so  disposed,  delivers  his 
opinion.  The  discussions  are  said  to  be  at  times  very  animated,  and 
violent  quarrels  sometimes  take  place  between  different  speakers,  who 
are  with  difficulty  prevented  from  coming  to  blows  by  those  who  are 
present.  No  regular  vote  is  taken ;  but  the  opinion  of  the  majority  is 
very  soon  ascertained,  and  this  decides  the  business. 

The  chiefs  have  absolute  rule  over  their  own  families  and  slaves, 
and  can  punish  them  at  pleasure.  Minor  crimes  are  punished  by  the 
offended  party  or  his  relatives,  but  in  cases  of  importance,  the  decision 
is  made  and  the  punishment  ordered  in  council. 

The  great  and  marked  distinction  between  these  natives  and  those 
of  Polynesia  is  the  absence  of  the  .taboo  system,  or  any  laws  or  prohi-. 
bitions  under  the  control  of  the  priest,  or  chiefs,  that  are  believed  to 
emanate  from  their  gods.  Mr.  Hale  remarks,  that  the  word  taboo 
occurs  in  several  compounds  in  their  language  having  the  meaning  of 
sacred,  but  is  not  used  by  itselil  1^ 

The  succession  to  rank  and  property  is  hereditary.  If  a  chief  has 
several  children  by  different  wives,  the  son  of  the  qiother  of  the  highest 
rank  is  the  successor.  If  all  the  children  should  be  equal  in  rank,  the 
eldest  would  receive  twice  as  much  land  as  the  others;  or  if  the  father 
does  not  choose  to  divide  his  property,  the  eldest  son  would  receive  the 
whole,  and  is  obliged  to  support  bis  brothers  and  sisters,  who  are  ex- 
pected in  return  to  work  for  him,  and  cannot  marry  without  his  consent. 
Females  can  inherit  property,  and  their  are  heiresses  in  the  Kingsmill 
Group  whose  wealth  allures  many  suitors.   Slaves  are  held  under  strict 

H 


M  MANNERS   AND  CUSTOMS  OF 

■ 

sofajectiaD,  are  considered  as  personal  property,  and  cannot  marry  with- 
out the  consent  of  their  masters. 

The  religious  belief  is  of  the  simplest  kind.  The  name  of  their 
principal  divinity  is  Wanigain,  or  Tabu-eriki.  He  is  their  most  popu- 
lar god,  and  considered  by  some  the  greatest  About  two-thirds  of 
the  people  worship  him  as  thehr  tutelar  divinity.  The  rest  do  not 
acknowledge  him,  but  have  other  deities ;  and  some  worship  the  souls 
of  their  departed  ancestors,  or  certain  birds,  fish,  and  animals.  A  fe- 
male deity  is  the  object  of  adoration  to  very  many.  She  is  called 
Itivini,  is  reputed  to  be  of  a  cruel  disposition,  and  all  the  little  children 
who  die  are  supposed  to  be  killed  and  eaten  by  her.  The  natives 
always  refuse  to  eat  the  animals,  fish,  &c.,  worshipped  by  them,  but 
will  readily  catch  them,  that  others  may  partake  of  the  food. 

Tabu-eriki's  image  has  been  before  described,  and  a  wood-cut  repre- 
senting it  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  chapter.  The  coral  stone 
which  represents  him  is  always  tied  round  with  cocoanut-leaves,  and 
these  are  changed  once  a  month,  to  keep  them  constantly  green.  The 
worship  paid  to  this  god  consists  in  repeating  prayers  before  this  stone, 
and  depositing  beside  it  a  portion  of  the  food  prepared  for  their  own 
use.  This  is  done  not  only  at  the  time  of  festivals,  but  at  their  daily 
meals,  and  also  whenever  they  desire  to  propitiate  his  favour;  the  first 
fruits  of  the  season  are  also  oflered  to  this  god.  Every  family  of  any 
distinction  has  one  of  these  stones,  which  is  considered  by  many  of 
them  rather  in  the  light  of  an  altar  than  of  an  idol. 

The  female  deity,  Itivini,  is  worshipped  in  a  small  circle,  formed  by 
a  number  of  coral  stones,  three  feet  in  diameter,  which  is  covered  with 
white  gravel ;  in  the  centre  a  cocoa-nut  is  set  up.  At  the  time  prayers 
are  oflTered  to  her,  this  nut  is  bound  with  a  wreath  of  leaves,  and 
anointed  with  cocoanut-oil. 

There  is  another  female  deity,  called  Itituapea,  who  is  worshipped 
at  a  flat  coral  stone  situated  on  the  reef  between  the  islets  of  Kuria 
and  Oneoka ;  the  two  are  known  on  the  chart  by  the  name  of  Kuria. 
Any  one  passing  A,  either  on  foot  or  in  canoes,  never  fails  to  invoke 
her  favour,  and  if  they  have  any  food,  leave  a  part  of  it  on  the  stone, 

which  is  never  taken  awav. 

» 

The  skulls  of  ancestors  are  carefully  preserved  by  their  family,  and 
held  in  great  reverence.  When  they  desire  to  invoke  their  spirits, 
these  skulls  are  taken  down,  wreathed  with  leaves,  laid  on  a  new  mat, 
anointed  with  oil,  and  presented  with  food.  Fish  and  animals  that  are 
held  sacred  are  only  addressed  with  prayers  by  their  worshippers. 

According  to  Wood,  the  names  of  Tabu-eriki,  Itivini,  and  Itituapea 
are  unknown  at  Makin,  and  the  only  spirits  the  natives  of  that  island 


THE   KING8MILL    ISLANDERS.  gf 

worship  are  those  of  their  deceased  ancestors.  The  custom  on  the 
death  of  a  great  chief  is  to  set  up  a  similar  stone  and  deck  it  with 
cocoanut-leaves,  after  which  such  offerings  as  have  been  mentioned 
are  made  to  it  Kirby  thought,  from  what  he  had  seen,  that  the  natives 
of  Kuria  believed  that  their  gods  also  had  once  been  chiefs,  who  from 
the  lapse  of  time  had  been  forgotten.  For  the  performance  of  these 
duties  there  are  priests,  but  they  do  not  enjoy  any  particular  respect 
or  power  on  that  account.  The  priests  are  called  iboya  or  boya,  and 
are  not  a  distinct  class:  any  young  man  of  high  rank  and  possessed  of 
shrewdness  may  become  a  priest.  Every  family  of  consequence  has 
a  priest  to  attend  to  its  tutelar  deity,  who  performs  the  rites  and  cere- 
monies. The  perquisites  of  priests  consists  only  in  the  food  offered  to 
the  god,  which  the  former  takes  away  after  it  has  remained  a  shprt 
time,  and  eats  it  at  his  own  house.  In  the  absence  of  the  priest,  the 
father  of  the  family  officiates  by  offering  up  family  prayers,  and  the  food 
is  removed  and  eaten  by  some  elderly  person  belonging  to  the  house- 
hold. Prayers  are  offered  up  either  in  a  sitting  or  standing  posture, 
and  are  accompanied  by  no  particular  ceremony  or  gesticulations. 
The  prayers  are  usually  petitions  for  health,  long  life,  success  in  war, 
fishing,  the  arrival  of  ships,  and  other  blessings  they  may  desire  at  the 
moment,  and  which  it  is  believed  to  be  in  the  power  of  the  gods  to 
give  them. 

The  priest  makes  known  the  oracles  of  the  gods,  which  he  receives 
in  the  following  manner.  On  the  sandy  beach  on  the  weather  or 
eastern  side  of  the  island,  there  ar^  many  houses,  called  ba-ni*mota, 
or  bota»ni-antL  These  are  of  the  usual  size  of  the  dwelling-houses, 
but  the  walls  are  of  corstl  stone,  and  they  have  no  loft  The  doorway 
is  always  in  the  west  end,  because  the  Kainakaki,  the  country  of  souls, 
lies  in  that  direction.  In  the  centre  of  this  house,  a  stoUt  pillar  of  coral 
stone  is  built  up  to  the  height  of  three  and  a  half  feet,  having  in  its 
middle  a  hollow  of  about  a  foot  in  diameter;  to  this  the  priest  puts  his 
ear,  and  pretends  to  receive  the  instructions  of  his  god. 

On  Kuria  there  are  six  of  these  houses,  and  besides  there  are  many 
hollow  pillars  standing  uncovered  along  the  beach,  as  it  is  not  deemed 
necessary  that  the  oracle  should  always  have  a  covering. 

On  Makin  there  is  no  regular  order  of  priests,  and  the  father  of  the 
family,  as  in  the  case  of  the  absence  of  the  priest  on  the  other  islands, 
officiates.  On  this  island  they  have  a  class  of  men,  which  are  un- 
known to  the  others,  conjurors,  and  persons  who  pretend  to  have  inter- 
course with  spirits. 

The  natives  of  the  group  put  great  faith  in  omens  and  charms.  The 
most  comnoon  mode  of  divination  they  call  kaina,  which  is  performed 


SS  MANNERS    AND   CUSTOMS   OF 

with  the  sprout  or  top  of  a  young  cocoa-nut  tree.  The  leaves  of  this 
are  doubled  in  after  a  particular  fashion,  and  according  as  the  folds 
coincide  or  not  it  is  deemed  a  good  or  a  bad  omen.  When  these  folds 
do  not  coincide,  they  believe  that  one  of  their  gods  is  probably  offended, 
and  proceed  to  find  out  whether  he  be  so  or  not,  by  taking  a  cocoa-nut 
that  is  kept  for  the  purpose,  which  they  spin  like  a  top  before  the  sacred 
stone  or  altar:  if  it  falls  with  the  upper  end  towards  the  stone,  it  is  a 
favourable  omen ;  if  otherwise,  the  god  is  angry,  and  must  be  appeased 
by  offerings  and  prayers. 

At  times  they  pretend  to  receive  an  intimation  that  their  ancestors 
are  displeased,  in  which  case  their  skulls  are  taken  down  and  propi- 
tiated by  offerings. 

They  believe  also  in  a  species  of  cursing,  called  wainak,  which  con- 
sists in  invoking  or  praying  to  Death,  in  order  to  procure  illness  or  the 
displeasure  of  the  gods  on  any  one. 

Shooting  stars  are  deemed  ominous  of  death  to  some  member  of 
the  family,  which  may  occupy  the  part  of  the  council-house  nearest 
the  point  of  the  heavens  from  which  it  took  its  flight  If  accom- 
panied by  a  train,  it  foretells  the  death  of  a  female ;  if  otherwise,  that 
of  a  male. 

Some  of  the  chiefs  are  believed  to  hold  communication  with  spirits, 
and  to  be  able  at  times  to  foretell  future  events:  they  usually  exer- 
cise this  pretended  power  at  night ;  and  when  a  number  of  people  are 
sleeping  in  the  mariapa,  they  are  awakened  by  unnatural  sounds, 
proceeding  from  the  chief,  which  are  considered  as  the  words  of  the 
god,  who  speaks  by  him  to  announce  the  arrival  of  ships,  the  approach 
of  war,  and  other  great  events.  When  these  predictions  do  not  come 
to  pass,  they  always  impute  the  failure  to  the  intervention  of  some 
other  spirit 

They  believe  in  an  existence  after  death,  and  that  on  the  death  of  a 
person,  his  spirit  ascends  into  the  air,  where  it  is  carried  about  by  the 
winds,  wherever  they  may  chance  to  blow,  until  it  finally  reaches  the 
Kainakaki  elysium.  Only  those  who  are  tattooed  can  expect  to  reach 
it,  and  these  are  generally  persons  of  rank  ;  all  others  are  intercepted 
on  their  way,  and  doomed  by  a  large  giantess,  called  Baine.  If  those 
who  die  are  old  and  feeble,  their  spirits  are  conducted  to  the  Kainakaki 
by  the  shades  of  those  who  have  died  before  them.  The  spirits  of 
children  are  carried  to  the  realms  of  bliss  by  their  female  relatives, 
and  are  nursed  and  taken  care  of  until  they  are  able  to  provide  for 
themselves. 

The  Kainakaki  is  supposed  to  be  situated  in  the  island  of  Tavaira, 
or  Gilbert's  Island.    On  this  island  there  are  several  curious  mounds, 


THE   KINGSMILL   ISLANDBEiL  89 

of  difier^t  sizes,  the  largest  of  which  is  about  a  mile  long  by  half  a 
mile  wide ;  some  of  them  exceed  twenty-four  feet  in  height  above  the 
surrounding  soil :  with  this  altitude,  these  are  very  conspicuous  on  a 
low  ccHral  island.  Each  of  these  mounds  is  supposed  to  be  the  place 
for  a  Kainakakiy  the  great  beauty  of  which  is  invisible  to  mortal  eyes. 
Here  the  spirits  pass  their  time  in  feasting  and  dancing ;  and  whatever 
they  delighted  in  on  earth,  is  now  enjoyed  to  the  fullest  extent  The 
ground  of  the  Kainakaki  is  considered  sacred,  and  though  overgrown 
with  trees,  no  native  will,  venture  to  cut  them  down :  when  a  tree  falls, 
it  is  taken  away,  and  another  planted  in  its  place. 

The  daily  occupation  of  these  natives  will  serve  to  give  an  estimate 
of  their  character,  and  would  seem  to  be  necessary  before  speaking  of 
their  customs. 

They  rise  at  daylight,  wash  their  face,  hands,  and  teeth,  with  fresh 
water,  and  afterwards  anoint  themselves  with  scented  cocoanut-oil. 
They  then  proceed  to  their  work,  and  continue  at  it  until  the  heat 
becomes  oppressive,  which  it  does  by  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  when  they 
return  to  their  houses,  wash  themselves  again,  and  take  their  first 
meal :  all  the  middle  of  the  day  is  passed  in  their  houses,  or  in  the 
mariapa,  in  sleeping,  or  chatting  with  their  neighbours.  About  four 
o'clock  in  the*  afternoon  they  again  resume  their  work,  and  continue 
engaged  at  it  until  sunset,  when  they  return,  and  wash  themselves  for 
the  third  time.  They  then  take  their  second  meal,  and  shortly  afler 
dark  retire  to  sleep.  They  have  no  torches,  (except  for  great  occa- 
sions,) or  any  other  means  of  lighting  their  houses,  and  are  thus 
compiled  to  retire  early,  so  that  thejr  amusements,  as  well  as  their 
occupations,  cease  with  the  day.  The  character  of  these  islanders 
has  many  things  in  it  to  condemn:  although  they  are  deceitful  and 
dishonest  in  their  dealings,  yet  they  are,  in  their  intercourse  with  each 
other,  hospitable  and  generous;  they  never  buy  or  sell,  but  if  any 
person  desires  an  article  which  another  has,  he  asks  for  it,  and  if  not 
too  valuable  and  esteemed,  is  seldom  refused  :  it  is  the  general  under- 
standing that  such  favours  are  to  be  returned,  and  that  tiie  request 
should  only  be  made  by  persons  who  can  afford  to  do  so.  They 
always  place  food  before  a  stranger,  and  any  one  who  has  not  a  suffi- 
cient supply  at  home  is  at  liberty  to  join  the  meals  of  a  more  fortunate 
neighbour.  According  to  Kirby,  there  are  many  who  are  desirous 
of  avoiding  this  tax  upon  them,  and  take  their  meals  afler  dark,  when 
they  are  not  so  liable  to  be  intruded  upon  by  their  hungry  fellow- 
townsn)en« 

They  are  addicted  to  thieving,  although  they  are  severely  punished 
for  it  when  detected.*   They  are  easily  excited  to  anger,  but  are  soon 

VOL.  V.  Ht  12 


90  MANNERS   AND  CUSTOMS  OF 

appeased,  nor  is  the  occasion  of  offence  remembered  with  any  feeling* 
of  rancour.  The  women  seem  to  possess  stronger  passions  than  the 
men,  and  more  enduring  wrath;  jealousy  is  the  principal  exciting 
cause  with  them,  and  they  will  sometimes  carry  a  small  weapon,  made 
of  a  shark's  tooth,  concealed  for  months,  watching  an  opportunity  of 
making  an  attack ;  desperate  fights  are  the  consequence  of  this,  and 
so  much  injury  is  done  before  these  ferocious  combatants  can  be 
parted,  that  they  often  suffer  from  terrible  wounds.  Yet  Kirby  says, 
he  found  in  other  respects  than  this  the  women  always  more  humane 
and  gentle  than  the  men. 

Like  all  savages,  they  are  treacherous  and  cruel  to  the  last  degree; 
although  they  seem  less  prone  to  fighting  than  other  natives  whom 
we  had  met  during  our  cruise.  Kirby  mentioned,  that  they  had  had 
no  war  on  the  three  islands  where  he  was  resident,  for  upwards  of 
five  years.  This  may  be  partly  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  fitting  out 
expeditions  to  attack  the  other  islands,  and  the  hazard  of  communi- 
cating with  those  islands  of  which  they  have  a  knowledge. 

Another  custom  is  remarkable:  when  a  fisherman  arrives  with  a 
well-loaded  canoe,  his  neighbours  assemble  around  him,  selecting  and 
taking  away  such  as  they  please,  leaving  the  owner  nothing  in  return 
but  the  satisfaction  of  knowing,  that  on  a  similar  occasion  he  has  a  like 
privilege  to  help  himself.  Custom  has  so  far  sanctioned  this  habit  of 
appropriating  things  belonging  to  another,  that,  according  to  Kirby, 
they  have  no  term  to  designate  a  poor  man,  except  that  of  slave.  Any 
one  who  owns  land  can  always  call  upon  others  to  provide  him  with  a 
house,  canoe,  and  the  necessaries  of  life ;  but.  one  who  has  none  is  con- 
sidered as  a  slave,  and  can  hold  no  property  whatever. 

The  courtesies  of  life  with  them  are  few,  and  the  want  of  them 
probably  arises  from  their  privilege  of  making  use  of  what  belongs  to 
another  as  their  own.  Their  salutations  on  meeting  are  confined  to 
simple  inquiries,  "Where  are  you  going?"  or,  ** Whence  do  you 
come?"  The  rubbing  of  noses  is  only  practised  on  special  occasions. 
On  meeting  a  chief,  the  other  natives  leave  the  path  and  stand  aside 
until  he  passes,  but  make  no  gestures  or  expression  of  obeisance.  This 
same  mark  of  respect  is  also  rendered  to  all  the  women  by  the  other 
sex. 

They  are  said  to  be  kind  and  affectionate:  to  their  children,  and  to 
indulge  them  in  every  thing ;  they  never  punish  them  even  for  the  most 
insolent  and  passionate  behaviour,  only  using  kind  and  afiectionate 
words :  this  may  account  for  the  rude  treatment  that  was  observed  to 
be  in  practice  among  the  natives  of  Drummond's  Island  towards  our 
gentlemen  as  well  as  their  conduct  towards  each  other.   There  is,  how- 


THEKIN6SMILLI8LANDER&  91 

ever,  no  want  of  attention  lo  the  aged  who  are  not  able  to  provide  for 
themselves ;  and  those  who  neglect  their  old  relations  are  held  in  little 
respect.  The  aged  enjoy  much  consideration,  and,  as  I  have  before 
stated,  great  respect  is  paid  to  them  in  council. 

More  consideration  is  awarded  to  the  female  sex  than  has  been  ob- 
served in  any  of  the  other  groups.  All  the  hard  labour  is  performed 
by  the  men,  whose  employment  consists  in  building  the  houses  and 
canoes,  catching  fish,  collecting  and  bringing  home  the  produce  of  their 
plantations,  and  attending  to  the  cultivation  of  the  taro,  in  which  the 
women  assist  only  by  weeding  the  ground.  The  employment  of  the 
females  is  almost  exclusively  confined  to  in-door  occupations,  and  those 
which  we  ourselves  hold  as  belonging  naturally  to  the  sex,  such  as 
cooking  and  preparing  food,  braiding  mats,  &c.,  and  they  seem  to  have 
exclusive  control  over  the  house.  The  work  of  both  sexes  is,  how- 
ever, very  light,  and  the  greater  proportion  of  their  time  is  spent  in 
pastimes,  of  which  idleness  forms  the  most  considerable  part  Although 
the  women  are  relieved  from  the  toils  of  life,  yet  they  are  not  held  to 
be  above  chastisement,  and  a  man  will  not  hesitate  to  strike  a  woman ; 
but  the  fair  ones  consider  themselves  equally  free,  and  seldom  fail  to 
return  the  blow,  and  the  aggrieved  party  generally  receives  the  aid  of 
her  companions,  when  the  man  is  glad  to  escape  firom  the  bruises, 
blows,  and  scratches  they  inflict. 

Among  this  people  chastity  is  not  regarded  as  a  virtue,  nor  consi- 
dered as  any  recommendation  in  the  selection  of  a  wife;  but  after 
marriage,  a  woman  must  be  extremely  guarded  in  her  conduct,  as  the 
punishment  for  a  want  of  duty  in  this  respect  is  severe,  even  amounting 
to  death  in  some  cases ;  but  it  is  usually  limited  to  expulsion  from  her 
husband's  house.  Notwithstanding  these  penalties,  there  are  frequent 
infractions  of  these  ties,,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that^hey  should  occur, 
under  their  system  of  polygamy,  and  the  interdiction  which  prevents 
the  younger  brothers  of  chiefs,  and  persons  who  do  not  hold  land,  from 
marrying.  Intrigues  and  elopements  are  not  unfrequent,  and  produce 
the  same  results  as  elsewhere. 

War,  on  all  the  islands  with  the  exception  of  Makin,  is  a  part  of  their 
business,  and  apparently  engages  most  of  their  attention.  Their  con- 
flicts may  be  considered  as  civil  wars,  for  little  communication  is  held 
between  any  of  the  islands,  except  those  of  Apamama,  Nanouki,  and 
Kuria,  which  are  under  the  king  of  Apamama.  The  communication 
that  takes  place  between  the  others  is  in  consequence  of  the  escape  of 
individuals  from  punishment,  or  who  become  desperate,  and  embark  in 
a  canoe,  to  seek  an  asylum  in  some  of  the  neighbouring  islands.  This 
is  also  the  practice  with  the  remaining  portion  of  a  defeated  party^  in 


92  MANNERS   AND  CUSTOMS  OF 

order  to  escape  from  the  pursuit  of  the  victors.  An  instance  of  this 
kind  was  related  by  Kirby^  that  occurred  about  ten  years  before  his 
arrival.  While  the  king  of  Apamama  was  on  a  visit  to  Kuria,  one  of 
the  principal  chiefs  in  Apamama  rebelled  against  him,  gained  over 
n)any  of  his  subjects,  and  obtained  full  possession  of  the  island; 
numbers,  however,  remained  faithful,  and  fled  to  Kuria  to  join  the  king, 
vi^ho  immediately  began  to  collect  his  warriors  from  the  two  smaller 
islands,  and  prepared  himself  for  making  a  descent  upon  Apamama.  It 
was  winter  before  he  was  fully  ready,  and  owing  to  the  irregularitj 
and  uncertainty  of  the  winds  and  weather  at  that  season,  he  was 
obliged  to  postpone  his  expedition  for  several  months.  He  finaUj 
embarked,  with  his  whole  army,  and  landed  upon  the  north  end  of 
Apamama,  where  a  great  number  flocked  to  his  standard.  The  rebels, 
finding  themselves  too  weak  to  maintain  a  contest,  fled  towards  the 
south  end  of  the  island.  Here  they  prepared  their  canoes,  and  wheo 
(he  king,  with  his  army,  drew  near,  they  took  their  wives  and  chikheii, 
and  put  to  sea.  They  proceeded  first  to  Kuria,  where  they  were  mis- 
taken, as  they  approached,  for  the  warriors  of  the  island  returning;  and 
the  old  men,  women,  and  children,  crowded  to  the  shore  to  meet  them, 
and  welcome  their  relatives  back ;  but  they  were  suddenly  surrounded 
by  their  enemies,  maddened  by  defeat,  who  destroyed  them  all  without 
mercy,  and  laid  waste  the  whole  island.  In  a  few  days  afterwards  the 
Kurians  were  seen  returning,  when  the  rebels  again  took  refuge  in 
flight,  leaving  the  island  to  be  again  possessed  by  its  owners,  but  with 
every  thing  destroyed.  Some  of  the  fugitives  reached  other  islands  in 
safety,  others  were  picked  up  by  whale-ships,  but  the  greater  part  were 
never  heard  of  again.  The  chief  reached  Taputeouea,  or  Drummond's 
Island,  where  he  is  said  to  be  still  living. 

Wood  also  relates,  that  about  eight  years  prior  to  his  being  taken 
on  board,  a  fleet  of  canoes,  containing  fifteen  hundred  persons,  arrived 
at  Makin,  from  Apia,  whence  they  had  been  driven  by  the  warriors 
of  Tarawa.  At  Makin  they  were  hospitably  received  and  entertained, 
until  it  was  discovered  that  a  plot  was  concocting  among  them  for 
conquering  the  island,  upon  which  the  inhabitants  fell  upon  them,  and 
massacred  nearly  the  whole. 

They  sometimes,  though  but  seldom,  engage  in  other  warlike  under- 
takings, when  the  warriors  of  one  island  will  set  out  with  a  large  fleet 
to  attack  another.  In  these  expeditions  they  rarely  go  to  any  island 
to  windward  of  them,  on  account  of  the  uncertainty  of  the  voyage  when 
the  southeast  wind  blows,  and  also  in  consequence  of  the  sea-sickpess 
produced  by  the  motion  of  their  canoes,  which  renders  them  unfit  to 
fight.    When  this  happens,  their  adversaries,  if  they  get  information  of 


THD   KIN6SMILL   ISLANDERa  03 

the  meditated  attack^  before^  or  just  as  the  hostile  fleet  touches  their 
shore,  assail  their  invaders  to  great  advantage,  while  the  men,  stiff  from 
being  cramped  in  their  canoes,  and  still  under  the  effects  of  their  sick- 
ness, are  easily  overcome. 

It  is  only  the  young  and  vigorous  who  go  on  these  expeditions, 
with  a  few  of  the  older  warriors  to  direct  their  operations.  In  their 
civil  wars  the  old  men  and  the  women  join  in  the  combat,  and  the 
victors  make  no  distinction  of  age  or  sex  in  the  massacre  which 
generally  ensues. 

The  bodies  of  the  slain  are  not  generally  eaten,  but,  according  to 
their  own  account,  it  occasionally  happens  that  when  some  noted 
warrior  has  been  killed,  the  young  men  eat  portions  of  his  flesh  from 
hatred,  and  through  a  desire  to  appear  fierce  and  terrible.  Kirby 
stated  two  cases  in  which  he  knew  human  flesh  to  have  been  eaten. 
One  was  that  of  an  old  man  of  Kuria,  who  had  ofiended  a  chief  on 
Apamama,  and  the  other,  of  four  slaves  of  the  king,  who  had  attempted 
to  escape  from  the  island  in  a  canoe.  All  these  were  killed,  and  par- 
ticular parts  of  their  bodies  eaten.  The  act,  it  was  thought,  was 
prompted  by  vindictiveness,  and  a  desire  to  taste  an  unusual  kind  of 
food.  We  may  therefore  conclude  that  they  are  not  to  be  considered 
as  cannibals,  though,  according  to  Kirby,  they  seem  to  have  no  appa- 
rent disgust  at  eating  human  flesh. 

In  M akin,  where  they  have  had  no  wars  for  a  hundred  years,  they 
are  much  less  bloodthirsty,  and  during  the  seven  years  Wood  was  on 
the  island,  only  one  man  was  put  to  death.  He  does  not  believe  that 
the  people  are  cannibals,  but  he  has  frequently  heard  the  old  men 
relate,  that  during  times  of  scarcity  their  ancestors  sometimes  ate 
human  flesh. 

The  weapons  used  among  them  are  spears,  clubs,  and  swords, 
which  are  made  of  cocoanut-wood,  and  after  the  simplest  fashion. 
Few  of  their  clubs  are  carved,  and  they  seem  to  bestow  very  little 
labour  upon  them ;  this,  however,  is  appropriated  to  a  different  kind 
of  weapon,  which  they  consider  much  more  effective :  these  are  the 
shark's-teeth  spears  and  swords,  wood-cuts  of  which  have  been  hereto- 
fore given.  The  natives  of  most  of  the  islands  show  the  effects  of 
these  weapons  on  their  bodies  and  limbs.  The  armour  they  use  as  a 
protection  also  claims  much  of  their  attention.  According  to  Kirby, 
this  armour  has  been  onlv  a  short  time  introduced  or  in  use  on  the 
islands,  and  is  not  yet  common  in  all  of  them.  As  defences,  they- 
seldom  resort  to  strongholds, — indeed  they  have  none  in  the  northern 
islands ;  but  at  Taputeouea  they  have  palisades  or  pickets,  about  eight 
or  ten  feet  high,  which  surround  the  towns.    Utiroa  had  a  protection 


* 


94  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF 

of  this  kind,  and  many  pickets  across  the  town  in  various  directions, 
which  would  make  a  good  defence,  if  the  warriors  were  resolute.  It 
is  not  improbable,  that  the  more  warlike  natives  of  the  southern  islands, 
particularly  those  of  Drummond's  Island,  will,  ere  long,  push  their 
conquests  to  the  northern  islands,  and  extend  their  rule  over  them.  Two 
years  before  the  arrival  of  the  Peacock,  the  natives  of  Apamama,  Na- 
nouki,  and  Kuria,  apprehended  an  attack  from  this  quarter ;  when  tfa6 
king  collected  his  forces  to  the  number  of  between  five  and  six  thou- 
sand, who  continued  under  arms  through  the  whole  summer ;  but  aftei 
all  it  proved  a  false  alarm. 

Their  houses  and  canoes  are  better  built  than  any  we  found  else 
where  in  the  Pacific,  and  all  their  structures  are  large,  strong,  and 
durable,  though  constructed  of  the  most  unsuitable  materials:  tbey 
are  so  well  combined  as  to  display  much  elegance  as  well  as  strength. 
Their  dwelling-houses  and  mariapas  have  been  noticed,  but  there  is 
another  description  of  house,  without  a  loft,  in  which  the  chiefs  pass 
most  of  their  time,  receiving  visits,  and  conversing  with  their  friends 
and  dependants. 

On  the  island  of  Makin  the  houses  are  of  larger  dimensions,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  abundance  of  timber.  From  Wood's  description  of 
their  mariapa,  it  is  an  enormous  structure.  The  canoes  have  already 
claimed  a  notice :  those  built  in  the  northern  islands  are  much  the  lar- 
gest, some  of  them  being  sixty  feet  in  length. 

From  the  importance  of  their  structures  or  buildings,  the  trade  of  a 
carpenter  is  held  in  great  repute :  those  who  exercise  it  are  either  de- 
pendent on  the  chiefs,  working  by  their  orders,  or  free  born :  the  latter 
are  paid  for  their  services.  The  time  required  for  building  a  house  is 
about  two  months,  and  the  price  of  such  a  job,  two  or  three  rolls  of 
their  bread,  called  "  kabul."  A  canoe  capable  of  carrying  ten  persons 
takes  five  or  six  months  to  build.  The  payment  is  proportioned  to  the 
length  of  time  occupied  in  the  work.  The  whole  town  is  engaged  in 
the  labour  of  constructing  one  of  their  mariapas.  A  very  great  pro- 
portion of  their  time  is  taken  up  in  the  manufacture  of  their  dresses ; 
and  while  the  men  are  engaged  in  building  houses  and  canoes,  the 
women  fabricate  the  articles  of  dress,  sails,  mats  for  flooring,  and  those 
worn  by  the  men.  The  mats  are  made  of  the  leaves  of  the  pandanus, 
slit  into  strips  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide,  and  woven  by  hand : 
these  are  of  two  colours,  light  yellow  and  dark  brown ;  the  former  are 
made  from  the  young  leaves,  and  the  latter  from  the  old,  which  are 
prepared  by  beating  them  with  a  mallet  to  render  them  pliable.  On 
the  yellow  mats  they  bestow  a  great  deal  more  of  their  attention :  the 
young  leaves  are  laid  aside  for  two  or  three  days  after  they  are 


THE   KING8MILL  ISLANDERg.  95 

plucked,  till  they  are  withered ;  they  are  then  roasted,  by  holding  them 
in  the  band  over  the  fire,  and  afterwards  laid  in  the  sun  for  three  or 
four  days,  to  insure  them  being  sufficiently  dried.  During  the  latter 
part  of  the  process,  they  are  brought  every  evening  into  the  house,  to 
protect  them  from  the  dew  or  rain.  When  the  leaves  are  sufficiently 
dry,  they  are  left  ail  night  to  bleach  in  the  dew ;  they  are  then  roiled 
up  in  balls,  and  pounded  with  a  mallet  to  render  them  soft  and  pliable, 
and  when  this  is  accomplished,  they  are  slit  with  a  shell  and  are  ready 
for  use.  The  brown  and  white  slips  are  braided  together,  so  as  to 
form  regular  figures,  square  or  diamond-shape,  which  have  a  pretty 
effect  The  colours  being  in  the  material  itself,  are  retained  as  long 
as  the  fabric  la8t&  The  mode  of  weaving  this  matting  has  been 
described.  The  conical  cap  of  the  men  is  at  times  quite  becoming. 
They  cover  their  shoulders  with  a  small  oblong  mat,  having  a  slit  in 
the  middle  through  which  the  head  is  passed.  This  part  of  their  dress 
resembles  a  *'  poncho"  of  smaH  size.  The  women's  dress,  which  they 
call  *<  iriri,"  is  quite  becoming  and  graceful :  it  is  a  kind  of  fringe,  made 
of  cocoanut-leaves,  cut  into  slips  about  a  foot  long,  and  tied  by  one  end 
to  a  string,  which  goes  round  the  middle :  the  young  leaflets  are  se- 
lected for  this  purpose,  and  the  rib  of  the  leaf  is  removed  by  slitting  it 
down  on  each  side.  The  leaves  are  next  rolled  up  and  beaten  with  a 
mallet,  after  which  they  are  chewed  until  they  become  quite  flexible ; 
these  narrow  ribands  are  then  knotted  to  a  douUe  cord.  The  dress  is 
fitted  on  the  person,  and  is  then  clipped  ofi*  at  equal  lengths  all  around : 
it  has  a  light  and  elegant  appearance,  and  yields  to  any  motion  of  the 
body,  yet  never  becomes  entangled  or  out  of  order. 

At  Apamama,  they  dip  the  iriris  in  cocoanut-oil ;  at  Taputeouea, 
they  steep  them  in  an  infusion  of  the  juice  which  is  obtained  from  a 
small  tree,  with  large  green  leaves,  called  meo :  of  these  leaves  a  num- 
ber  are  pounded  in  a  shell,  and  a  little  water  poured  on  them,  which  is 
then  filtered^through  the  pellicle  of  the  cocoa-nut  tree  and  mixed  with 
molasses.  After  being  steeped  in  this  liquid  for  some  time,  the  iriri  is 
rolled  up  in  a  mat  with  some  leaves  of  the  meo  and  pandanus-nuts,  and 
roasted  in  a  native  oven.  By  this  process  it  acquires  a  soft  and  flexible 
appearance,  and  a  peculiar  odour,  which  our  gentlemen  thought  was 
like  that  of  a  mixture  of  tobacco  and  molasses.  Both  of  these  qualities 
it  retains  until  it  is  worn  out. 

The  natives  are  very  fond  of  ornamenting  themselves:  in  the  lobes 
of  their  ears  they  wear  strings  of  small  leaves  of  the  mangrove,  and 
the  pith  of  a  large  species  of  Scsevola,  which  is  common  in  the  k>w 
islands.  This  pith  is  cut  into  strips  and  put  up  into  a  long  roll ;  a 
wreath  of  which  surrounds  the  neck,  and  to  which  a  white  ovula-shell, 


• 


96  MANNERS   AND  CUSTOMS  OF 

or  a  large  whale's  tooth,  haogs  suspended  on  their  breast  This  pith 
is  thought  by  Mr.  Rich,  to  be  the  same  as  that  called  Chinese  paper 
and  obtained  from  the  same  plant.  Long  strings  of  beads  or  braided 
hair  are  worn  round  the  body,  at  times  a  hundred  fathoms  in  length, 
which  serve  to  fasten  the  mat  The  hair  for  this  purpose  is  taken 
from  the  female  slaves,  and  is  braided  into  a  string  about  the  size 
of  a  packthread.  The  beads  are  manufactured,  by  the  old  men  who 
are  beyond  doing  any  other  labour,  and  are  of  the  size  of  a  small 
button-mould;  they  are  made  of  cocoa-nut  and  shell,  and  strung 
alternately  black  and  white,  being  ground  down  to  a  uniform  size  and 
fitted  together  for  the  purpose. 

The  food  of  the  natives  consists  principally  of  fish,  from  the  whale 
to  the  sea-slug ;  shell-fish  of  every  kind  are  also  eaten. 

Whales  are  represented  to  have  been  much  more  abundant  formerly, 
when  they  at  times  got  aground  on  some  of  the  numerous  shoals,  and 
were  killed  by  the  natives  with  their  spears.  Even  now  a  carcass 
occasionally  drifts  on  shore,  which  afibrds  an  acceptable  prize.  Sharks 
are  caught  by  enticing  them  alongside  the  canoe,  with  a  bait,  and 
enclosing  them  in  a  noose.  The  smaller  fish  arc  taken  in  traps^  like 
eel-pots,  made  of  withes:  these  the  natives  set  on  the  bottom,  and 
place  pieces  of  coral  on  them  to  keep  them  there. 

Great  numbers  of  fish  are  also  taken  in  weirs,  or  enclosures  of  stone, 
which  are  made  in  the  extensive  coral  flats,  that  are  left  bare  by  every 
tide:  into  these  the  fish  are  driven  at  high  water,  by  a  number  of 
natives,  who  surround  the  shoal ;  the  weir  is  then  closed,  and  left  until 
the  tide  falls,  when  the  fish  are  easily  taken  in  scoop-nets.  Large 
seines  are  often  used  in  places  where  the  bottom  renders  it  practicable 
to  draw  them.  Flying-fish  are  taken  in  the  daytime,  by  trailing  a 
hook,  attached  to  a  short  line,  from  the  stern  of  a  canoe.  At  night 
they  are  caught  in  scoop-nets,  as  they  fly  towards  a  lighted  torch,  held 
in  a  part  of  the  canoe.  Crabs  are  also  decoyed  out  of  their  holes  at 
night,  by  torchlight,  and  captured. 

Turtles  are  taken  in  the  season  on  the  beaches ;  and  shell-fish,  with 
the  sea-slug  or  biche  de  mar,  are  obtained  on  the  reefs  by  diving. 

Their  vegetable  food  consists  of  cocoa-nuts  and  pandanus,  and  a 
variety  of  the  taro,  with  a  small  quantity  of  the  bread-fruit  The 
preparation  of  these  engages  a  great  deal  of  their  attention,  and  that 
of  the  pandanus-nut  in  particular.  When  prepared,  it  is  called  kabul 
and  karapapa.  The  inner  or  edible  portions  of  these  nuts  are  sliced 
ofl",  and  baked  in  an  oven  for  several  hours,  till  they  are  quite  hard ; 
they  are  then  taken  out,  laid  on  a  clean  mat,  and  pounded  with  a 
large  pestle  to  the  consistency  of  dough ;  this  is  spread  out  upon  mats 


r 


THE   KIN68MILL   I8LANDER&  97 

into  the  form  of  sheets,  about  three  feet  long  by  eighteen  inches  wide, 
and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick ;  these  sheets  are  again  laid  on  mats  in 
the  sun  to  dry,  and  at  night  are  rolled  up,  and  put  away  in  an  oven  to 
bake.  This  process  is  repeated  for  two  days,  by  which  time  the 
plates  become  as  hard  and  unyielding  as  a  board,  and  are  of  a  reddish 
brown  colour.  Those  plates  called  kabul  are  put  away  in  the  loft  of 
their  houses,  but  are  every  few  days  brought  out  into  the  sun  to  insure 
their  being  kept  dry.  At  the  close  of  the  season,  they  are  reduced  to 
a  powder,  not  unlike  fine  sawdust  This  is  put  up  in  rolls,  from  eight 
to  ten  feet  long,  and  six  to  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  bound  with 
leaves  of  the  pandanus,  and  made  so  smooth  and  round  that  they  look 
like  pillars  of  brown  stone:  in  this  state  the  prepiiration  is  called 
karapapa,  and  will  keep  for  years.  This  is  the  principal  dependence 
of  the  natives  in  seasons  of  scarcity,  and  these  rolls  of  karapapa  are 
used  as  a  circulating  medium,  in  which  wages  and  tributes  to  the 
chiefs  are  paid. 

They  make  a  kind  of  broth  with  karapapa  and  kamoimoi  (molasses), 
which  the  natives  drink  in  great  quantities. 

Tuea  is  another  kind  of  kabul,  but  made  of  a  better  variety  of  pan- 
danus: this  is  beaten  out  into  thin  sheets,  resembling  dark  brown  paper, 
or  like  our  cloth,  which  is  also  rolled  up  and  put  away ;  before  being 
eaten,  it  is  soaked  for  several  hours  in  the  milk  of  the  cocoa-nut,  and 
is  esteemed  a  dainty.  The  kabul  is  generally  chewed,  and  softens  in 
the  mouth,  the  pulp  being  dissolved,  while  the  large  mass  of  woody 
fibre  remains :  it  has  a  sweetish  tasle. 

The  bread-fruit  is  generally  roasted  on  hot  stones,  but  not  covered 
with  earth,  as  at  the  other  islands.  After  it  is  cooked,  it  is  crushed 
between  the  folds  of  a  mat.  It  is  the  same  variety  that  is  found  at 
the  Samoan  Islands,  which  strengthens  the  opinion  that  part  of  these 
natives  came  from  that  quarter. 

The  taro  is  baked  hard,  then  grated  with  a  shell,  and  mixed  in  a 
trough  with  kamoimoi,  until  it  is  of  the  consistency  of  thick  paste, 
which  is  eaten  with  a  spoon  made  of  a  human  rib.  They  sometimes 
grate  this  taro  to  a  powder,  and  dry  it  in  the  sun  until  it  becomes  like 
bread-dust  This  powder  is  made  up  in  short  thick  rolls,  and  covered 
with  pandanus-leaves,  in  which  state  it  will  keep  for  months.  They 
call  it  kabuibuL  Before  being  eaten,  it  is  soaked  in  water,  and  then 
baked  in  u  small  basket 

Manam  is  another  preparation,  of  baked  taro  and  cocoa-nut    These 
materials  are  grated  fine,  mixed  together,  and  then  made  into  balls  as 
large  as  thirty-two  pound  shot    It  is  eaten  with  kamoimoi ;  and  when 
vou  V.  I  18 


98  MANNERS   AND  CUSTOMS  OF 

the  whole  is  not  consumed  on  the  day  it  is  made,  it  is  baked,  to  pre- 
serve it  from  spoiling. 

The  karaca,  or  toddy,  is  procured  from  the  spathe  of  the  cocoa- 
nut  tree,  which  is  usually  about  four  feet  long,  and  two  inches  io 
diameter.  From  this  spathe  the  fruit  is  produced ;  but  in  order  to 
procure  their  favourite  toddy,  it  is  necessary  to  prevent  nature  from 
taking  her  course  in  bringing  forth  the  fruit:  they  bind  the  spathe 
up  tightly  with  sennit;  the  end  is  then  sliced  off,  and  a  cocoanut- 
shell  hung  to  the  projecting  part  of  the  spathe,  to  catch  the  sap  as 
it  exudes.  One  tree  will  yield  from  two  to  six  pints  of  karaca. 
When  first  obtained  from  the  tree,  it  is  like  the  young  cocoanut- 
miik,  and  quite  limpid ;  but  after  it  stands  for  a  few  hours,  it  ferments 
and  becomes  acid.  When  the  spathe  ceases  to  drop,  another  piece  is 
cut  off,  and  every  time  it  ceases  to  flow,  it  is  treated  in  the  same  way, 
until  the  spathe  is  entirely  gone.  Another  spathe  is  formed  soon  after 
above  this,  which  is  suffered  to  grow,  and  when  large  enough  is  treated 
in  the  same  manner. 

The  karaca  is  either  drunk  fresh  from  the  tree,  or  made  into  kamoi- 
moi,  (the  kind  of  molasses  before  spoken  of,)  by  boiling  it  down  in 
cocoanut-shells,  set  upon  hot  stones.  It  strongly  resembles  our  molas- 
ses, both  in  look  and  taste.  When  this  is  mixed  with  water  it  is  called 
karave,  and  is  the  usual  drink  at  their  feasts,  when  it  is  set  out  in  large 
wooden  bowls,  from  which  it  is  dipped  by  cups,  made  of  cocoanut- 
shells  or  of  human  skulls. 

These  islanders  have  no  kind  of  intoxicating  drink.  The  food  of 
Makin  is  similar,  although  the  names  are  somewhat  different:  they 
use  kaka  for  karapapa;  tagara  for  manam.  Their  mode  of  cook- 
ing differs  from  that  of  other  islanders.  A  small  round  shallow  hole 
is  made,  about  two  feet  in  diameter,  and  six  inches  deep,  with  a 
sufficient  number  of  hard  stones  to  line  it  In  this  a  fire  is  made,  and 
the  stones  placed  on  it :  when  the  stones  are  heated,  they  brush  away 
the  fire  and  ashes,  and  arrange  them;  the  food  is  placed  on  them, 
over  which  mats  are  laid,  and  covered  with  earth ;  before  closing  the 
pit,  they  run  a  stick  obliquely  into  the  heap,  and  when  the  whole  is 
completed,  this  stick  is  drawn  out,  and  water  is  poured  into  the  hole 
to  create  steam.  Their  messes  require  from  one  to  four  hours  to  cook. 
At  times  they  bake  their  food  by  simply  putting  it  upon  the  stones  un- 
covered. 

They  do  not  appear  to  suffer  firom  want  of  food,  although  it  is  what 
would  be  deemed  of  a  coarse  kind.  During  Kirby's  stay,  they  had 
abundance,  though  he  mentioned  having  heard  of  a  famine  which  had 


THE   KING8MILL   ISLANDERS.  99 

occurred  a  few  years  before,  when  it  became  necessary  for  the  natives 
to  have  recourse  to  the  purslane,  which  is  not  considered  by  them  as 
very  unpalatable  food. 

These  people  have,  from  the  little  time  occupied  in  cultivating  their 
vegetable  productions,  a  great  deal  of  leisure ;  consequently,  as  would 
naturally  be  expected,  amusements  are  sought  for,  and  occupy  a 
great  part  of  their  time :  their  festivals  and  dances  are  even  looked 
upon  as  claiming  priority  to  their  warlike  expeditions,  and  for  these 
great  preparations  are  always  made  some  days  previously.  Their 
greatest  festivities  take  place  at  the  time  of  full  moon,  or  a  few 
days  after  it,  when  the  people  of  one  town  usually  invite  those  of 
another,  both  men  and  women,  to  what  may  be  termed  a  dancing  and 
singing  match.  On  the  day  appointed,  the  guests  arrive  in  their 
canoes,  and  proceed  to  the  mariapa,  where  they  occupy  that  portion 
of  it  on  the  side  whence  they  came;  the  townspeople  seat  themselves 
opposite  to  them.  The  food  which  the  strangers  bring  with  them  is 
laid  in  the  middle,  and  as  much  more  is  added  to  it  by  their  hosts,  all 
of  which  is  shared  out  by  the  guests  among  themselves.  The  dancing 
now  begins,  the  guests  making  the  first  display  of  their  agility,  and 
when  they  have  finished,  the  people  of  the  town  follow.  A  warm 
rivair}'  is  thus  kept  up  till  evening,  when  the  dancing  gives  place  to 
singing,  each  taking  up  the  measure  in  his  turn.  This  is  kept  up  until 
midnight,  when  the  townspeople  retire,  leaving  their  guests  to  sleep  in 
the  mariapa.  These  festivities  last  for  three  days,  after  which  the 
visiters  depart 

The  men,  during  this  period,  clothe  themselves  in  mats  from  the 
waist  downwards.  Some  load  the  waist  with  heavy  strings  of  beads ; 
others  adorn  the  neck  with  rows  of  shells,  and  sometimes  with  one  or 
two  large  whale's  teeth,  while  others  again  have  small  rows  of  the 
latter  across  the  back.  Almost  all  wear  a  great  many  human  teeth 
on  the  arms  and  around  the  neck:  these  are  taken  from  their  slain 
enemies;  for,  after  killing  a  man,  the  first  object  with  them  is  to 
knock  out  his  teeth,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  them  for  ornaments. 
Through  the  lobes  of  their  ears  they  pass  long  strips  of  yellow  leaves, 
which  hang  down  on  their  shoulders.  They  also  besmear  the  face 
and  body  with  cocoanut-oil,  and  some  daub  each  cheek  with  fine 
white  sand,  and  blacken  their  eyebrows  and  beards  with  charcoal. 
The  hair  is  oiled  and  combed  out  with  a  pointed  stick,  and  stands 
out  from  the  head,  forming  an  ornament  which  they  esteem  as  very 
becoming.  The  women  wear  their  usual  dress  and  a  few  ornaments, 
but  about  the  decorations  of  their  persons  they  are  very  attentive  and 
scrupulous. 


100  MANNERS    AND  CUSTOMS   OF 

The  dances  resemble  the  evolutions  of  a  company  of  soldiers :  the 
two  parties  stand  in  rows,  either  facing  each  other,  or  back  to  back,  or 
else  both  face  inwards ;  their  motions  are  confined  to  the  body  and 
arms;  the  legs,  though  not  entirely  at  rest,  seldom  have  much  action; 
at  times  the  arms  are  thrown  out  from  the  body,  when  they  give  a 
rapid  quivering  motion  to  the  fingers,  clap  their  hands  together,  and 
afterwards  slap  them  with  great  force  against  the  thighs  and  breast, 
while  the  body  is  rocked  to  and  fro.  Every  movement  is  made  in 
perfect  unison  by  the  whole  party,  who  all  keep  time  with  a  mono- 
tonous song.  In  their  dances  the  great  object  is  to  make  as  much  noise 
and  commotion  as  possible.  Their  full-moon  feasts  are  the  only  peri- 
odical ones  they  have. 

At  the  marriage  of  a  great  chief  there  are  great  rejoicings,  attended 
with  dances  and  songs;  the  latter  are  composed  for  the  occasion, 
reciting  the  greatness  of  the  chief,  and  the  prowess  and  character  of 
his  ancestors. 

The  regular  monthly  festival  does  not  prevail  at  Makin  Island. 

On  Taritari  a  great  feast  is  held  about  midwinter,  in  honour  of 
Teouki,  the  grandfather  of  the  present  king,  who  is  considered  by  them 
as  the  most  illustrious  man  the  island  has  ever  produced. 

There  are  many  other  amusements :  among  them  foot-ball,  sailing 
small  canoes,  swimming  in  the  surf,  and  flying  kites.  The  kites  are 
made  of  the  pandanus-leaf  reduced  to  half  its  thickness,  which  renders 
it  lighter  than  paper ;  and  they  are  prettily  shaped.  In  swimming  in 
the  surf,  they  have  a  small  board  like  that  used  by  the  Sandwich 
Islanders. 

One  of  their  sports  differs  from  any  we  have  seen,  and  appears  to 
be  peculiar  to  themselves.  It  is  a  game  in  which  dancing,  fencing,  and 
singing,  are  combined,  which  produces  a  very  animated  and  gay 
spectacle,  from  the  numbers  engaged  in  it,  which  are  often  firom  one 
to  two  hundred  of  both  sexes.  This  sport  takes  place  in  an  open  space, 
by  moonlight.  Each  young  man  chooses  a  partner  from  the  other  sex, 
and  they  arrange  themselves  in  two  rows,  the  partners  facing  each 
other  as  in  our  country-dances.  Two  couples  form  a  set,  and  always 
remain  together,  but  are  continually  changing  places  with  the  rest 
Every  one  is  provided  with  a  light  stick  of  the  stalk  of  the  cocoanut- 
leaf.  At  a  given  signal  they  begin  their  song,  and  the  dancers  strike 
their  sticks  together,  as  if  playing  at  single-sticks,  keeping  time  to  the 
song ;  at  stated  points  they  change  places  with  those  next  below,  and 
each  in  turn  reaches  the  head.  As  these  changes  all  go  on  simulta- 
neously, the  song  and  clatter  of  sticks  are  kept  up  without  interruption, 
and  in  excellent  time.    If  a  person  misses  a  stroke,  there  is  much 


THE   KIN68MILL   ISLANDER8L  IQl 

laughter,  shoatiog,  and  joking.  The  clatter,  noises,  and  singing  may 
be  heard  for  a  great  distance  around. 

The  marriage  ceremony  of  these  people  is  conducted  somewhat 
after  our  own  custom.  A  wife  is  never  bought,  but  it  is  generally 
supposed  that  each  party  will  contribute  something  towards  the  house* 
hold  stock.  When  a  young  man  is  pleased  with  a  girl,  and  his 
addresses  meet  with  a  favourable  reception,  he  applies  for  the  consent 
of  her  father ;  if  this  be  refused,  it  sometimes  puts  an  end  to  the  affair ; 
but  it  oftentimes  happens  that  the  young  couple  make  a  runaway  match, 
and  trust  to  a  reconciliation  afterwards,  which  usually  is  brought 
about 

It  would  be  esteemed  very  indelicate  for  a  young  man  to  ask  his 
future  father-in-law  what  dowry  his  wife  was  to  receive ;  this  is  never 
made  known  until  after  the  wedding,  and  sometimes  is  delayed  until 
the  birth  of  the  first  child.  If  a  separation  take  place,  which  frequently 
happens,  the  wife  takes  back  the  land  and  other  property  which  she 
brought  with  her. 

A  few  days  previous  to  a  marriage,  it  is  formally  announced  to  the 
relations  and  friends  of  both  parties,  who  prepare  mats,  food,  oil,  and 
many  other  articles,  for  the  festival ;  these  are  sent  to  the  dwelling  of 
the  bride's  father,  where  the  ceremony  is  to  take  place.  When  the  day 
arrives,  all  repair  to  the  house;  dressed  and  decorated  in  their  gala 
suits.  When  thus  assembled,  the  young  couple  are  seated  in  the  midst 
on  a  new  mat ;  the  priest  presses  their  foreheads  together,  and  pours 
on  their  heads  a  little  cocoanut-oil ;  he  then  takes  a  branch  of  a  tree, 
dips  it  in  water,  and  sprinkles  their  faces,  at  the  same  time  making  a 
prayer  for  their  future  happiness  and  prosperity.  Food  is  now  placed 
on  the  mat  between  them,  usually  a  particular  kind  of  fish,  with  bread- 
finiit  and  taro,  which  they  eat  together.  They  are  now  considered  as 
married,  and  the  friends  and  relatives  throng  around  them  to  othr  their 
congratiilations  and  rub  noses.  The  feast  then  begins,  and  is  continued 
till  evening,  when  a  fire  is  lighted  in  the  open  air,  and  dancing  takes 
place.  This  festival  is  continued  for  several  days ;  on  the  evening  of 
the  third  day,  the  bridegroom  takes  his  wife  home. 

For  ten  days  after  the  marriage,  the  house  in  which  the  bride  lives 
is  screened  with  mats,  and  she  does  not  go  out  of  it,  biit  remains  at 
home  to  receive  her  firtends.  When  the  wife  is  eight  months  enceinte 
for  the  first  time,  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  husband  prepare  pro- 
visions and  mats ;  those  of  the  wife,  provisions  also,  with  iriris  and  oil. 
These  are  all  taken  to  an  amata,  a  house  without  a  loft,  of  which  there 
are  several  in  each  town,  for  the  convenience  of  such  assemblies.  The 
two  parties  sit  on  opposite  sides  of  the  Jiouse,  with  their  property ;  two 

19 


102  MANNERS  AND   CUSTOMS   OF 

vaeUf  one  from  each  side,  stand  up  in  the  middle,  and  proceed  to 
exchange  the  mats  for  iriris  and  the  oil ;  the  provisions  of  one  side  for 
those  of  the  other.  The  exchange  is  made  with  great  care,  so  that 
each  receives  an  equivalent  When  this  is  finished,  the  parties  gather 
up  their  exchanges  and  retire,  leaving  the  married  couple,  whose  pre- 
sence was  deemed  necessary  to  sanction  the  sale,  no  better  off  thao 
before.  This  custom  is  called  katiro,  and  is  often  resorted  to  for 
making  exchanges,  on  ordinary  occasions. 

Children  are  often  betrothed  at  an  early  age,  sometimes  as  soon  as 
born,  in  which  case  the  ceremony  of  marriage  is  not  deemed  neces- 
sary. Polygamy,  as  before,  observed,  is  allowed  to  any  extent,  and 
limited  only  by  the  ability  of  the  person  to  support  his  wives.  Oo 
Makin,  no  marriage  ceremony  takes  place,  for  every  female  chiU  is 
betrothed  as  soon  as  born,  usually  to  some  near  relative,  who  takes  her 
to  his  house  at  whatever  age  he  may  think  proper ;  and  thoi«e  who  are 
not  so  betrothed  remain  all  their  lives  unmarried,  forming  temporary 
connexions  with  the  young  men  who  are  similarly  situated.  Of  the 
latter  there  are  great  numbers,  owing  to  the  majority  of  the  women 
being  monopolized  by  the  wealthy  and  powerful,  to  whom  this  custom 
aflfords  every  facility  for  obtaining  wives.  This  state  of  things  brings 
about,  as  is  naturally  to  be  expected,  many  intrigues  and  squabbles. 

At  the  birth  of  a  child,  the  priest  gives  it  a  name,  at  the  request  of 
the  father ;  but  if  the  infant  should  be  taken  sick  soon  afterwards,  the 
first  name  is  abandoned,  and  another  adopted,  in  hopes  that  it  may 
prove  a  more  fortunate  one;  for  they  believe  that  the  illness  may  be 
owing  to  its  name.  It  is  very  common  to  call  a  child  after  its  grand- 
father. 

A  woman  has  seldom  more  than  two,  and  never  more  than  three 
living  children.  After  the  birth  of  a  third,  they  consider  it  necessary 
to  prevent  the  increase  of  their  families,  and  resort  to  that  most  un- 
natural means,  a  systematic  abortion.  So  soon  as  a  woman  believes 
herself  to  be  enceinte  for  the  third  or  fourth  time,  she  determines  that 
the  offspring  shall  not  survive,  and  calls  in  the  aid  of  an  experienced 
midwife  to  destroy  it,  who  efiects  the  purpose  by  external  pressure  on 
the  abdomen  or  back,  and  though  not  unattended  with  much  pain  and 
difficulty  to  the  mother,  the  operation  rarely  proves  fatal.  This  prac- 
tice is  looked  upon  without  any  sort  of  horror  or  shame,  being  con* 
sidered  as  a  necessary  and  proper  means  to  prevent  their  families  from 
becoming  so  large  as  to  be  a  burden  to  them,  and  not  because  the 
island  might  become  over-peopled,  for  this  latter  idea  does  not  seem 
ever  to  have  occurred  to  them.  The  practice  of  destroying  the  fcstus 
18  universal  among  the  unmarried  females,  but  children  are  never 


THE   KIN68MILL   ISLANDERS.  IM 

destroyed  after  birtiL    According  to  Wood,  this  custom  does  not  pre- 
vail at  Makin. 

There  are  professed  tattooers,  who  are  held  in  great  estimation,  and 
receive  very  high  prices;  this  confines  the  art  to  the  wealthy  and 
those  of  rank.  The  young  men  are  not  tattooed  before  the  age  of 
twenty,  and  slaves  never.  The  tattooing  is  mostly  in  short  oblique  lines, 
about  the  eighth  of  an  inch  apart.  These  are  arranged  in  perpendicular 
rows,  of  which  there  are  four  or  five  down  the  back  on  each  side  of 
the  spine,  with  a  similar  marking  in  front,  beginning  just  below  the 
collar-bone.    The  legs  also  are  marked. 

The  women  are  tattooed  in  the  same  manner,  but  not  so  much  as 
the  men.  Owing  to  the  lightness  of  the  lines,  and  the  distance  between 
them,  they  do  not  show  very  conspicuously.  The  colouring  matter 
used  is  charcoal,  mixed  with  cocoanut-oiL  The  instrument  employed 
is  a  piece  of  bone,  cut  like  a  fine-toothed  comb,  similar  to  that  used  at 
the  Samoan  Group.  The  tattooing  is  done  at  different  times,  to  alle- 
viate the  pain  which  attends  the  operation. 

Of  all  their  customs,  the  funeral  ceremonies  are  the  most  remark- 
able. When  a  man  dies,  his  body  is  taken  to  the  mariapa,  washed,  and 
laid  out  on  a  clean  mat,  where  it  remains  for  eight  days,  and  every 
day  at  noon  it  is  taken  into  the  sun,  vmshed,  and  oiled.  During  this 
time  the  friends  are  engaged  in  wailing  and  singing  praises  of  the  dead, 
and  dancing ;  but  they  think  it  a  great  weakness  to  shed  tears  on  such 
occasions.  After  this  mourning,  the  body  is  sewed  up  in  two  mats,  and 
sometimes  buried  in  the  house  of  the  nearest  relatives,  the  head  being 
always  turned  towards  the  east  In  other  cases,  it  is  stored  away  in 
the  loft.  When  the  flesh  is  nearly  gone,  the  skull  is  taken  off,  carefully 
cleaned,  oiled,  and  put  away.  The  skulls  of  their  ancestors  are  kept  by 
chiefs  as  a  kind  of  household  deity,  to  which  they  frequently  offer  up 
prayers  and  entreaties,  to  have  a  regard  and  to  keep  watchful  care 
over  their  descendants.  The  skulls  are  not  unfirequently  taken  down, 
bound  around  with  wreaths,  anointed  with  oil,  and  have  food  set  before 
them.  In  passing  from  one  island  to  another,  these  skulls  are  always 
carried  along,  as  if  members  of  the  family,  and  treated  with  every 
mark  of  reverence. 

The  funeral  ceremonies  on  Makin,  according  to  Wood,  are  still 
more  extraordinary ;  but  we  have  no  good  reason  to  doubt  the  facts, 
as  they  seem  to  be  somewhat  allied  to  those  above  related.  After  the 
first  ceremonies  of  wailing,  the  body  is  washed  and  laid  out  upon  a 
new  mat,  which  is  spread  on  a  large  oblong  plate,  made  of  several 
tortoise-shells  sewed  together.  From  two  to  six  persons,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  corpse,  seat  themselves  opposite  to  one  another  on 


]04  MANNERS   AND  CUSTOMS   OF 

the  floor  of  the  house,  and  hold  this  plate,  with  the  body  of  their  fnend, 
on  their  knees.  When  tired,  they  are  relieved  by  others,  and  in  this 
way  the  service  is  kept  up  for  a  space  of  time  varying  from  four 
months  to  two  years,  according  to  the  rank  of  the  deceased.  All 
persons,  whether  freeborn  or  slaves,  receive  this  treatment  after  death. 
During  the  continuance  of  this  lying  in  state,  a  fire  is  kept  constantly 
burning,  both  day  and  night,  in  the  house,  and  its  extinction  wouM  be 
regarded  as  a  most  unlucky  omen.*  At  the  end  of  the  period,  the 
remains  are  sometimes  wrapped  in  mats,  and  stowed  away  in  the  loft 
of  the  house,  but  more  commonly  they  are  buried  in  a  piece  of  ground 
set  apart  for  the  purpose.  The  grave  is  marked  with  three  stones, 
one  at  the  head,  another  at  the  foot,  and  one  placed  horizontally 
across  these. 

The  skulls  of  the  chiefs  are  preserved,  and  treated  in  the  same  way 
as  at  the  other  islands. 

From  diseases  the  natives  appear  to  be  tolerably  free.  Consump- 
tions, and  a  kind  of  cholera  morbus,  are  the  most  fatal.  There  were 
no  cases  of  elephantiasis  seen  ;  but,  as  has  been  remarked  in  speaking 
of  the  islands  separately,  the  kind  of  cutaneous  disorder  called  by  the 
natives  gune,  prevails  extensively ;  this,  at  some  stages  of  the  disease, 
resembles  the  ringworm.  It  begins  with  this  appearance,  in  a  small 
circle,  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  covered  with  a  scurf;  the  ring 
gradually  increases  in  size,  and  when  it  becomes  large,  a  smaller  one 
forms  within  it ;  as  this  last  increases,  another  forms  within  it,  and  in 
this  way  the  affection  continues  to  spread,  unless  arrested.  Several 
circles  often  form  on  the  body  within  a  short  distance  of  each  other, 
the  rings  meet  and  become  confluent,  producing  a  variety  of  curved 
lines,  and  concentrical  circles.  The  whole  body  becomes  at  length 
covered  with  this  scurf,  which  is  always  attended  by  painful  itching. 
This  finally  passes  off,  and  leaves  the  skin  seamed  with  an  infinity  of 
circles  and  wavy  lines  of  a  livid  hue,  and  produces  a  most  disgusting 
appearance ;  in  this  stage  it  sometimes  continues  during  the  remainder 
of  a  person's  life,  without  materially  affecting  his  general  health.  At 
other  times  it  assumes  a  more  virulent  character,  in  which  case  large 
excrescences  like  warts  form,  first  on  the  face,  or  between  the  fingers 
and  toes,  and  then  in  other  parts.  The  softer  portions  of  the  face  and 
body  swell  to  double  their  natural  size ;  the  person  becomes  unable  to 
walk,  or  to  move  his  limbs,  until  death  at  length  overtakes  and  releases 


*  When  the  truth  of  this  account  was  questioned,  in  consequence  of  the  time  that  would 
be  employed  by  the  natives,  Wood  readily  answered,  that  **  One  half  of  them  have  nothing 
ebe  to  da'* 


THE   KIKOSMILL   ISLANDERa  105 

him  from  his  sufierings.  The  natives  call  this  disease  sometimes 
gune-maior»  or  the  southwest  gune,  from  the  fact  that  it  was  introJ*. 
into  their  islands  from  that  direction:  and  as  the  Peacock  found  it 
prevailing  extensively  at  the  Depeyster  Islands,  it  is  but  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  it  came  from  that  quarter.  It  was  most  prevalent  at 
Taputeoueat  the  most  southern  of  the  Kingsmill  Islands,  and  gradually 
becomes  less  so  in  the  northern  islands;  Wood  asserts  that  he  has 
never  seen  a  single  case  of  it  at  Makin. 

The  climate  of  these  islands  is  equable,  and  though  of  high  tempe- 
rature, it  is  found  to  be  less  oppressive  than  in  most  tropical  countries. 
For  the  most  part  constant  breezes  prevail,  and  frequent  rain  falls, 
which  moderates  the  great  heat,  and  at  the  same  time  confers  fertility 
on  the  soil.  From  October  to  April,  the  time  of  the  Peacock's  visit, 
is  the  winter,  and  is  especially  distinguished  by  the  frequency  of  rains. 
Variable  winds  from  the  northward  and  westward  prevail  at  this 
season,  and  they  have  violent  gales  from  the  southwest ;  these,  accord- 
ing to  Kirby,  are  typhoon-like.  The  natives  plant  stakes  to  prop  up 
their  houses,  and  tie  them  down,  to  prevent  them  from  being  blown 
away.  These  storms  last  for  three  or  four  days,  veering  gradually 
round  to  the  north.  The  leeward  sides  of  the  islands  receive  most 
damage,  and  both  land  and  trees  are  swept  away.  Kirby  states,  that 
the  lee  side  of  Kuria  has  worn  away  during  his  residence.  In  these 
gales  the  trunks  of  large  trees  are  thrown  on  the  west  side  of  the 
island,  together  with  large  lumps  of  resin,  similar  to  that  found  in  the 
soil  at  New  Zealand,  which  the  natives  use  to  scent  their  oils  with : 
these  trees,  sometimes  two  feet  in  diameter,  were  thought  to  be  of  the 
pine  species ;  many  stones  are  found  in  their  roots,  from  eight  to  ten 
inches  in  diameter ;  these  are  a  fine  basalt,  and  the  natives  use  them 
for  various  purposes. 

From  May  till  September  the  weather  is  fine,  with  clear  skies,  and 
only  occasional  showers ;  and  during  this  time  the  wind  blows  con- 
stantly from  the  eastward.  This  is  the  season  in  which  the  natives 
make  their  voyages ;  they  never  venture  abroad  in  the  winter  months, 
even  from  island  to  island,  being  well  aware  of  the  danger  of  so  doing. 

Earthquakes  are  occasionally  experienced  in  these  islands.  Kirby 
says  be  has  felt  ten  or  twelve  sufficiently  severe  to  shake  down  a 
house :  the  natives  exhibit  no  fear  on  account  of  them.  The  direction 
of  the  oscillations  seems  to  be  from  the  southwest 

The  population  of  the  group,  from  the  best  data  which  was  obtained, 
is  about  sixty  thousand  souls.  At  Drummond's  Island,  where  there 
was  the  best  opportunity  of  a  personal  examination,  the  estimates 
were  above  ten  thousand :  this  is  considered  the  most  populous  island 

vou  ▼.  14 


106  MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF 

I  of  the  whole  group.  On  Apamama,  Kirby  saw  collected  from  six  to 
seven  thousand  warriors,  belonging  to  it,  Nanouki,  and  Kuria:  the 
joint  population  of  these  three  islands  may  therefore  be  reckoned  at 
twenty-eight  thousand;  it  would  seem  reasonable  to  estimate  the 
remaining  twelve  islands,  which  have  been  observed  to  be  thickly 
inhabited,  at  the  same  number.*  This  apparently  would  give  from 
four  to  five  hundred  inhabitants  to  the  square  mile;  for,  if  only  the 
dry  land  were  to  be  taken  into  the  account,  there  would  not  be  more 
than  one  hundred  and  fifly  square  miles ;  but  to  this  should  be  added 
the  lagoons  and  sea  around,  from  which  in  reality  these  natives  derive 
the  greatest  part  of  their  sustenance :  this  would  increase  the  area  to 
upwards  of  five  hundred  square  miles,  giving  one  hundred  and  twenty 
inhabitants  to  the  square  mile  for  support. 

These  islanders  have  had  but  very  little  communication  with  stran- 
gers; and  although  they  have  occasionally  been  visited  for  the  last 
forty  years,  but  little  change  has  been  brought  about  by  the  inter- 
course. There  is  nothing  to  induce  the  visits  of  vessels,  for  little  is  to 
be  had  in  the  way  of  refreshment :  neither  wood  nor  water  is  pro- 
curable in  any  quantity,  and  there  is  nothing  for  a  profitable  exchange. 
Of  course,  therefore,  only  a  few  vessels  anchor  in  their  harbours ;  of 
which,  as  has  been  pointed  out,  they  have  many  good  ones,  an  advan- 
tage not  possessed  by  other  low  coral  islands. 

The  articles  of  trade  being  but  few  and  trifling,  only  a  very  small 
amount  of  the  manufactures  of  civilized  nations  have  found  their  way 
into  these  islands.  The  southern  islands  have  been  most  visited,  in 
consequence  of  their  lying  more  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the 
whaling-ground ;  the  consequence  has  been  that  they  have  been  able  to 
obtain  enough  iron  implements  to  have  almost  superseded  those  of  native 
construction.  The  people  of  the  southern  islands  have  also  imbibed  an 
extraordinary  fondness  for  tobacco;  and  these,  with  some  diseases, 
may  be  said  to  constitute  their  acquisitions  from  the  whites,  to  whose 
depraved  appetites  they  at  an  early  day  learned  to  administer. 

The  same  causes  that  prevent  them  from  being  the  resort  of  vessels 
also  deter  sailors  from  deserting;  atid,  as  has  been  seen,  both  Kirby 
and  Wood  had  become  disgusted  with  the  lives  they  led,  and  were 
glad  to  make  their  escape.  From  Kirby's  account,  there  were  only 
five  more  white  men,  and  one  black,  on  the  islands.  An  Englishman 
and  an  American  reside  on  Nukunau,  (Byron's  Island,)  the  former  of 
whom  had  become  a  high  chief,  and  acquired  much  influence ;  but  it 
is  believed,  from  his  being  of  a  bad  character,  that  the  intercourse 

•Wood  estimatei  that  of  Makin  at  fife  thooBUML 


THEKINGSMILLISLANDERa  107 

\(*ith  him  has  not  operated  favourably  on  the  natives.    The  other  four 
are  on  Peru  Island. 

In  the  dispositions  of  these  natives  there  are  some  peculiarities :  they 
are  said  to  be  subject  to  despondency  and  sulienness,  that  sometimes 
causes  them  to  commit  suicide.  Kirby  mentioned  five  instances  on 
Kuria,  of  both  men  and  women  destroying  themselves,  and  of  several 
others  -who  had  attempted  if,  but  were  prevented  by  their  friends. 
To  terminate  their  lives  they  always  resort  to  hanging  on  a  tree. 
The  motive  to  this  act  is  generally  the  treatment  they  have  received, 
or  offence  taken  at  the  conduct  of  some  person,  whom  affection  or  fear 
renders  them  unwilling  to  injure ;  the  mortification  and  grief  produced 
thereby  leads  them  at  last  to  suicide,  which  is  considered  by  them  as 
a  remedy  for  their  evils,  as  well  as  a  severe  revenge  upon  those  who 
had  ill-treated  them. 

What  constitutes  the  highest  ambition  among  them,  is  to  be  con- 
sidered accomplished  men  of  the  world.  They  have  a  word  in  their 
language  (mauda),  which  expresses  one  thoroughly  instructed  in  all 
their  arts,  a  good  dancer,  an  able  warrior,  versed  in  all  their  know- 
ledge and  sports,  who  has  mixed  in  life,  enjoyed  its  highest  excitements 
and  delights,  both  at  home  and  abroad.  Such  a  man  in  their  estima- 
tion is  the  most  exalted  in  character,  and  is  fully  qualified  on  dying  to 
enter  at  once  upon  the  enjoyments  of  Elysium. 

There  is  a  striking  contrast  between  the  Pitt  Islanders  and  those  of 
the  rest  of  the  group ;  and  if  they  were  originally  the  same  people, 
which  there  does  not  seem  to  be  any  reason  to  doubt,  it  shows  what 
a  great  alteration  may  be  effected  in  the  physical  race,  in  the  course 
of  two  or  three  generations,  by  the  enjoyment  of  peace  and  plenty ; 
for  while  the  one  retains  still  all  the  savage  and  cruel  propensities, 
the  other  has  become  mild  and  humane, — proving  that  a  life  free  from 
wars,  and  all  their  harrassing  and  distressing  tendencies,  even  among 
savages,  brings  with  it  the  practice  of  virtue. 

On  completing  the  survey  of  the  Kingsmill  Group,  Captain  Hudson 
found  it  necessary  to  place  his  crew,  and  that  of  the  tender,  upon  a 
reduced  allowance  of  provisions  and  water.  He  then  steered  away  to 
the  northward,  through  the  Mulgrave  Islands;  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  3d  of  May,  they  made  Pedder  Island  of  Arrowsmith.  The 
vessels  passed  along  its  west  side,  and  through  the  Fordyce  Passage, 
between  it  and  Arrowsmith's  Island.  Daniel  Island  was  also  seen 
from  aloil  to  the  eastward.  These  islands  are  all  of  coral  formation, 
with  lagoons,  and  are  inhabited.  The  southeast  end  of  Arrowsmith's 
Island  was  found  to  be  in  latitude  V  05'  N.,  longitude  171''  23'  54"  E. 
It  is  twenty  miles  long. 


A 


108  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF 

On  the  5th,  they  made  the  Pescadores,  which  was  surveyed.  Its 
position  is  in  latitude  IP  23'  15"  N.,  longitude  167''  86'  30"  E.  The 
Pescadores  is  of  triangular  shape  and  coral  formation ;  it  has  on  its 
reef  several  islets  and  some  sand-spits :  the  former  are  covered  with  a 
few  low  bushes,  but  it  has  no  cocoa-nuts  or  pandanus-trees,  and  affords 
nothing  but  the  pearl-oyster  and  turtles,  in  the  season.  The  whole 
island  is  about  thirty-two  miles  in  circumference.  Its  greatest  length, 
north  and  south,  is  ten  miles,  and  the  same  between  its  east  and  west 
point  There  are  two  entrances  in  the  lagoon :  one  about  the  middle 
of  the  north  side,  the  other  on  the  east  side.  The  island  has  no  in- 
habitants, and  is  incapable  of  supporting  any.  From  the  description 
in  Mr.  Dowsett's  journal,  there  is  no  doubt  that  this  was  the  place 
where  he  and  the  boat's  crew  were  either  treacherously  murdered,  or 
made  captives,  and  carried  to  another  island ;  and  from  the  nature  of 
the  island,  little  doubt  exists  that  the  murderers  were  a  transient  fishing 
party,  from  some  of  the  adjacent  islands.  All  the  facts  that  are  known 
have  been  given  previously. 

Korsakoff  was  in  sight  for  two  days ;  but  they  were  prevented  from 
having  communication  with  it  by  the  boisterous  state  of  the  weather. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  7th,  an  endeavour  was  made  by  a  canoe  to 
reach  the  ship,  but  without  success:  the  sea  was  too  rough  for  the 
boats  to  live,  and  the  surf  too  great  to  permit  a  landing.  Although  a 
few  persons  were  seen  upon  it,  yet  nothing  showed  that  it  was  per- 
manently inhabited.  The  appearance  of  Korsakoff  was  the  same  as 
that  of  the  Pescadores,  without  any  vegetable  productions  capable  of 
sustaining  life. 

Korsakoff,  though  represented  as  one  island  on  the  charts,  was  found 
to  be  two.  The  smaller  one  lies  to  the  southward  of  the  larger,  and  is 
fourteen  miles  long  by  three  wide.  The  larger  island  is  about  twenty- 
six  miles  long,  trending  northeast  and  southwest.  It  has  an  entrance 
into  its  lagoon  on  the  south  side. 

Captain  Hudson  now  came  to  the  conclusion  that  his  time  would 
not  permit  him  to  proceed  any  further  to  the  westward ;  indeed,  the 
time  appointed  in  his  instructions  to  be  at  the  Columbia  river  had 
already  passed,  and  he  was  now  distant  from  it  upwards  of  four 
thousand  miles,  and  would  require  some  sixty  or  seventy  days,  in  all 
probability,  to  reach  the  Northwest  Coast 

This  caused  the  abandonment  of  his  visit  to  Strong's  and  Ascension 
Islands,  two  points  I  was  in  hopes  would  have  been  reached,  not  only 
for  the  information  to  be  derived  from  a  visit,  but  I  was  desirous  of 
having  a  full  knowledge  of  those  islands.  I  also  wished  to  break  up 
what  was  deemed  a  nest  of  rogues,  and  to  be  the  means  of  recovering 


THE   KINGSMILL    ISLANDERS.  109 

the  property  plundered  in  the  several  captures  made  by  them,  if  any 
of  it  remained. 

Captain  Hudson,  on  the  8th,  gave  Mr.  Knox  orders  to  survey  and 
land  on  KorsakofT,  and  thence  proceed  to  Oahu»  with  all  despatch ; 
upon  which  the  Peacock  and  tender  parted  company,  for  the  purpose 
of  avoiding  detention  by  sailing  together.  The  Peacock  lost  the 
trades  in  latitude  24^  N.  On  the  18th,  Captain  Hudson  was  obliged 
to  issue  an  order  to  put  a  stop  to  the  exercise  of  the  guns,  on  account 
of  the  decayed  state  of  their  carriages.  On  the  19th,  they  passed 
near  the  position  of  the  doubtful  island  of  Patrocinio,  but  without 
seeing  any  land.  On  the  20th,  they  fell  in  with  great  quantities  of 
Janthina :  this  was  in  latitude  26'^  N.,  longitude  IGS'^  R  On  the  21st, 
in  latitude  26^  54'  N.,  longitude  ITT''  E.,  the  Anatifa  were  met  with : 
they  continued  in  vast  quantities  as  far  as  latitude  35^  N.,  and  were 
seen  as  far  east  as  longitude  104^  W.  Some  of  the  patches  were  miles 
in  extent,  trending  in  a  southeast*by*east  and  northwest-by-west  direc- 
tion. On  the  map  showing  the  currents  and  whaling-grounds,  I  have 
marked  the  spaces  occupied  in  the  North  Pacific,  over  which  the  soft 
molluscs  have  been  found.  By  our  observations  it  is  equal  in  area  to 
four  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  The  currents  experienced  on  this 
cruise  will  be  found  exhibited  on  the  Track  Map,  in  the  small  atlas,  as 
well  as  the  winds. 

On  the  5th  June,  they  fell  in  with  the  whale-ship  Magnolia,  which 
supplied  them  with  about  two  hundred  gallons  of  water,  and  a  few 
potatoes.  On  the  13th,  in  latitude  24°  N.,  they  again  found  the 
trades. 

On  the  14th,  they  made  the  island  of  Oahu,  but  falling  under 
the  lee  of  the  island.  Captain  Hudson  despatched  Lieutenant  Perry 
and  Mr.  Speiden,  the  purser,  to  order  the  necessary  supplies  for  the 
ship  at  Honolulu,  to  avoid  any  unnecessary  detention  there ;  they  did 
not,  however,  reach  their  destination  until  late  in  the  evening  of  the 
same  day,  where  they  found  the  Flying-Fish  had  arrived  the  day 
previous.  Our  consul,  Mr.  Brinsmade,  hearing  that  the  Peacock 
was  in  the  offing,  with  his  usual  kindness  and  attention,  filled  a  boat 
with  provisions,  and  went  off  to  her ;  these  proved  a  very  acceptable 
treat  after  the  short  allowance  they  had  been  on  for  the  previous 
sixty  days. 

On  the  morning  of  the  16lh,  the  Peacock  anchored  in  the  port  of 
Honolulu.  Captain  Hudson  now  made  every  exertion  to  take  in 
provisions,  and  overhaul  the  ship;  the  crew  were  allowed  liberty  of 
twenty-four  hours,  by  dividing  them  into  three  parts,  and  one-third 
permitted  to  go  ashore  at  a  time,  while  the  rest  attended  to  the  duty. 


no  MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS,   ETC 

The  two  men.  Wood  and  Kirby,  were  given  over  to  the  consul  ot 
Her  Britannic  Majesty. 

By  the  31st,  they  had  embarked  ibe  provisions  and  fitii^ed  tbe 
necessary  repairs,  when  they  sailed  for  the  Columbia  river. 

In  the  latitude  of  40°  N.,  they  met  with  the  Anatifa  and  Yelella,  the 
ocean  being  literally  covered  with  them:  these  continued  to  latitude 
43°  N.,  and  between  the  longitude  of  154°  and  157°  W.  The  ton- 
perature  of  the  air  was  51°,  that  of  the  water  58°.  The  weather  tiid 
DOW  become  cold,  damp,  and  cloudy.  Until  they  reached  the  latitude 
of  45°  N.,  they  had  the  wind  constantly  from  the  eastern  quarter;  but 
after  passing  that  parallel,  it  veered  to  the  west-southwest,  and  so  coik 
tinued  for  several  days,  when  it  hauled  to  the  southeast,  and  remaioed 
between  that  point  and  south,  until  they  reached  soundings  off  the  bar 
of  the  Cohimbia  river,  on  the  I7th  July,  the  day  prior  to  the  wreck,  of 
which  I  have  already  spoken. 

I  cannot  close  this  account  of  the  cruise  of  the  Peacock  and  Flyii^ 
Fish,  without  saying  a  few  words  in  relation  to  the  activity  which  thia 
cruise  evinces  in  Captain  Hudson,  his  officers,  and  crew ;  this  will  be 
shown  in  a  strong  light,  by  stating  the  simple  fact,  that  during  this 
voyage  the  Peacock  had  sailed  upwards  of  nineteen  thousand  miles; 
was  two  hundred  and  sixty  days  at  sea,  and  only  twenty-two  in  port, 
and  that  during  the  whole  time,  although  they  were  exposed  to  great 
vicissitudes  of  climate,  and  had  been  long  on  short  allowance,  the) 
returned  to  port  without  a  single  sick  man  on  hoard. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


CONTENTS. 

PBEPAKATION8  FOR  THE  SURVEY  OF  THE  OOLUMBIA—DIFFICULTIES  AND  DANOERS- 
BAKER*8  BAT— LIEUTENANT  DE  HAVEN  SENT  TO  MEET  IfR.    ELD -RAMSEY  AND 
GEORGE,  THE  PILOTS-RETURN  TO  ASTORIA-PURCHASE  OF  A  BRIO-MESSRS.  HALE 
AND  DANA  GO  WITH  DR.  M*LAUOHLIN-TRADE  WITH  THE  INDIANS-SUPERSTITIONB 
OF  THE   INDIANS  — SURVEY   RESUMED  —  TONGUE   POINT -THE  VESSELS  GROUND — 
WAIKAIKUM— PREVALENCE  OF  FEVER  AND  AGUE  — PILLAR  ROCK— BOAT  CAPSIZED 
-KATALAMET  POINT-LIEUTENANT  EMMONS  ORDERED  TO  BAN  FRANCI800— FIRE 
ON  MOUNT  COFFIN— PORPOISE  GROUNDS  AGAIN-WARRIOR*S  POINT— VANCOUVER — 
SIR  GEORGE  SIMPSON- DIVIDENDS  OF  THE  HUDSON  BAY  COMPANY— FORMAL  DINNER 
-CHANGED  APPEARANCE  OF  VANCOUVER -OBSERVATIONS  AT  VANCOUVER  -  ARRI- 
VAL OF  MR.  ELD*S  PARTY-HI8  EXPEDITION -HIS  DEPARTURE  FROM  NISaUALLY— 
SQUAW  CHIEF -PORTAGE  TO  THE  SACHAL- LAKES -EMBARKATION  AND  DESCENT 
OF   THE   SACHAL  — COUNTRY   ON  THE  CHICKEELES  —  CARVED   PLANKS  — MR.  ELD 
ENTERS  GRAYtl  HARBOUR-THS  INDIANS  REFUSE  HIM  AID-DIFFICULTIES  ATTEND- 
ING THE  SURVEY  — MR.  ELD'S  PARTY  IS  REUEVED  BY  LIEUTENANT  DE  HAVEN - 
SURVEY  OF  THE  RIVER  COMPLETED— CHARACTER  OF  GRAY*S  HARBOUR  —  INDIANS 
OF  THE  NEIGHBOURHOOD— DEPARTURE  FROM  GRAYS  HARBOUR  —  PASSAGE  ALONG 
THE  COAST— ARRIVAL  OF  MR.  ELD  AT  ASTORIA  —  ORG ANIZATION  OF  THE  EXPEDI- 
TION TO  CALIFORNIA— DEPARTURE  FROM  VANCOUVER-POSTS  OF  THE  HUDSON  BAY 
COMPANY— TRADE  OF  THE  HUDSON  BAY  COMPANY-CLIMATE  OF  OREGON-WIND6- 
FEVSR  AND  AGUE— INDIAN  POPULATION  -  PROGRESS  DOWN  THE  RIVER  —  LETTERS 
FROM  THE   UNITED  STATES  — DEEP  WATER -SURVEY   OF  THE  COWLITZ  —  PUOET 
ISLAND -PILLAR  ROCK— CHANNEL  AT  TONGUE  POINT— RETURN  TO  ASTORIA— POR- 
POISE ANCHORS  AT  ASTORIA-PRIMEVAL  FOREST-PREPARATIONS  FOR  PASSING  THE 
BAR-DISPOSITION  MADE  OF  THE  PEACOCK'S  LAUNCH-BAR  PASSED-SURVE78  COM- 
PLETED-ORNAMENTS,  NORTHWEffF  COAST-WE  SAIL  FOR  SAN  FRANCISCO-LETTER 
OP  THANKS  TO  DR.  M'LAUGHLIN  -  VOYAGE  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO-ARRIVAL  THERE- 
LAUNCH  DESPATCHED  TO  MEET  LIEUTENANT  EMMONS. 


(Ill) 


U.'.- 


I'     t   I 


CHAPTEE  IV, 

COLUMBIA   RIVER.  .^ 

184  !• 

Thb  Vincennes  having  sailed,  I  at  once  set  about  preparing  for  the 
survey  of  the  river.  I  found  that,  agreeably  to  my  first  instructions, 
Captain  Hudson  had  lost  no  time  in  despatching  the  parties  for  the 
interior,  but  the  orders  I  had  sent  by  Mr.  Waldron,  arrested  their  pro- 
gress. I  issued  these  orders  because  I  anticipated  that  it  would  be 
necessary  to  make  some  change  in  the  route  they  were  to  pursue ;  and 
in  the  mean  time  they  would  have  more  opportunity  to  prepare  them- 
selves for  the  journey. 

Finding  that  Mr.  Dana  had  not  set  out  for  the  interior,  I  now  saw 
and  regretted  the  necessity  of  countermanding  the  orders  for  the  party 
that  was  destined  for  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  boats  of  the  Peacock  were  ordered  to  be  fully  manned  and 
fitted  out  with  all  the  requisites  for  surveying  duties,  and  officers 
attached  to  each. 

On  the  morning  of  the  9th,  we  began  the  survey.  Some  time  had 
been  before  spent  in  taking  a  few  angles  and  soundings,  but  with  so 
little  success,  that  I  rejected  the  whole.  The  weather  proved  unfa- 
vourable for  any  of  our  operations,  except  that  of  putting  up  signals. 
We  encamped  at  night  on  the  small  sandy  island  in  the  centre  of  the 
bay,  where  we  were  very  uncomfortable,  for  the  sand  flew  about  and 
covered  every  thing.  In  the  morning  we  had  a  thick  fog,  when  I 
determined  to  go  to  Baker's  Bay,  where  we  could  obtain  water ;  for 
that  of  the  Columbia  is  not  fresh  as  low  down  as  this  point 

We  found  the  tide  exceedingly  strong,  and  having  some  apprehen- 
sions that  the  boats  might  lose  their  way,  I  thought  it  better  for  us 
to  make  for  the  Chinook  shore,  and  follow  it  until  we  reached  the 

VOL.  V.  *«  15  C113) 


114  COLUMBIA  RITBR. 

cape.  It  may  seem  strange  that  this  precaution  ahould  be  taken,  but 
it  is  necessary  at  all  times,  even  in  clear  weather ;  for  the  tide  is 
frequently  so  strong,  that  it  caDnot  be  stemmed  by  oars;  and  too 
much  caution  cannot  be  observed  in  passing  across  the  bay.  As 
little  frequented  as  it  is,  many  accidents  have  occurred  to  boats  and 
canoes,  by  their  being  swept  by  the  tide  into  the  breakers  on  the  bar, 
where  all  hands  have  perished.  The  Indians  are  very  cautious,  and 
it  is  only  at  certain  times  of  the  tide  that  they  will  attempt  to  make 
the  passage. 

We  reached  Baker's  Bay  in  two  hours,  and  formed  our  encamp- 
ment; and  here  we  determined  to  remain  until  the  weather  should 
become  clear,  and  allow  us  lo  proceed  with  our  duties. 

As  DO  news  had  been  received  from  Passed  Midshipman  Eld's 
parly,  whom  it  will  be  recollected  I  had  despatched  from  Nisqually 
to  Gray's  Harbour,  by  the  Chickeeles,  and  as  the  time  for  which  he 
had  provisions  had  expired,  I  became  appr^ensire  lest  eome  accident 
might  have  detained  him.  I  therefore  despatched  Lieutenant  De 
Haven  and  Acting-Master  Baldwin,  with  a  few  Indians,  along  the 
coast  to  Gray's  Harbour,  which  is  about  forty  miles  distant,  to  convey 
a  supply  of  provisions  for  that  party,  and  to  bring  intelligence  of  ihem. 
This  duty  was  executed  by  these  gentlemen  with  promptness,  and  they 
reported  that  the  party  were  struggling  with  difficulties  of  no  ordinary 
character,  of  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  hereafler. 


The  weather  continued  rainy  and  cold ;  but  this  did  not  seem  to 
trouble  our  native  pilots,  Ramsey  and  his  brother  George.  While  we 
were  preparing  our  huts,  ihese  men  were  seen  upon  the  bank,  delibe- 
rately stripping  oiT  iheir  clothes,  which  they  carefully  folded  up,  and 
placed  upon  the  ground  for  pillows ;  they  then  lay  down,  and  covering 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  115 

themselves  with  a  blanket,  slept  as  sound  as  if  on  beds  of  down.  I 
happened  to  see  them  arising  in  the  morning,  and  they  appeared  re- 
freshed and  perfectly  content,  although  it  had  rained  hard  alh  night. 

These  men  were  exceedingly  fond  of  rum,  the  hope  of  obtaining 
which,  when  the  daily  ration  was  served  out,  was  the  great  induce- 
ment that  led  them  to  accompany  our  parties. 

These  two  were  good  specimens  of  the  Flathead  Indians,  and  I  was 
therefore  pleased  at  having  an  opportunity  of  sketching  them  with  the 
camera  lucida,  of  which  sketches  the  cuts  on  the  opposite  page  are 
copies. 

Before  I  reached  Astoria,  Captain  Vamey,  of  the  brig  Thomas  H. 
Perkins,  had  proposed  to  sell  his  vessel  to  the  government,  provided  he 
could  arrange  his  affairs  with  Dr.  M'Laughlin.  I  now  learned  that 
Dr.  M'Laughlin  had  arrived  at  Astoria,  for  which  place  I  set  out  in 
the  afternoon,  in  company  with  Captain  Hudson.  We  embarked  in  the 
tender,  but  after  proceeding  some  distance,  we  found  it  impossible  to 
reach  Astoria.  We  therefore  returned  to  Baker's  Bay,  which  we  had 
some  difficulty  in  reaching. 

The  next  day  we  succeeded  in  reaching  Astoria,  and  found  that  the 
arrangements  for  the  purchase  of  the  brig  could  be  effected,  and  I 
therefore  bought  her  for  the  United  States  for  nine  thousand  dollars, 
after  having  her  thoroughly  examined  by  the  carpenters  of  the  squadron. 
On  taking  possession  of  this  brig,  I  changed  her  name  to  that  of  <'  the 
Oregon." 

This  acquisition  released  me  from  much  anxiety,  by  providing 
accommodations  for  the  crew  of  the  Peacock,  and  at  the  same  time 
affording  a  suitable  vessel  to  continue  the  operations  of  the  squadron. 
Captain  Hudson  took  charge  of  the  Oregon,  and  the  alterations  neces- 
sary to  adapt  her  for  this  service  were  at  once  commenced.  After 
making  these  arrangements.  Dr.  M'Laughlin  departed  for  Vancouver. 
He  gave  a  passage  to  Messrs.  Hale  and  Dana,  Messrs.  Peale  and  Rich 
having  previously  gone  up  the  river.  These  gentlemen  had  already 
visited  the  country  around  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  every  opportu- 
nity having  been  afforded  them  by  Captain  Hudson.  Several  of  the 
oiBcers  visited  the  mountain  ranges,  but  did  not  succeed  in  ascending 
the  highest  peaks. 

During  the  occupation  of  Astoria  by  the  Expedition,  the  place  became 
quite  civilized-looking,  in  comparison  to  what  it  was  on  my  first  arrival, 
and^a  mart  for  all  the  commodities  of  the  country.  Besides  our  own 
men,  there  were  many  Indians  to  be  seen  lounging  and  moving  about, 
seeking  employment,  or  with  some  small  articles  to  sell. 

Short  excursions  were  made  by  many  of  us  in  the  vicinity,  and  one 


116  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 

of  these  was  lo  visit  the  primeval  forest  of  pines  in  the  rear  of  Astoria,  a 
sight  well  worth  seeing.  Mr.  Drayton  took  a  camera  lucida  drawing  of 
one  of  the  largest  trees,  which  the  opposite  plate  is  engraved  from.  It 
conveys  a  good  idea  of  the  thick  growth  of  the  trees,  and  is  quite  cha- 
racteristic of  this  forest.  The  soil  on  which  this  timber  grows  is  rich 
and  fertile,  but  the  obstacles  to  the  agriculturist  are  almost  insuperable. 
The  largest  tree  of  the  sketch  was  thirty-nine  feet  six  inches  in  circum- 
ference, eight  feet  above  the  ground,  and  had  a  bark  eleven  inches  thick. 
The  height  could  not  be  ascertained,  but  it  was  thought  to  be  upwards 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  the  tree  was  perfectly  straight 

It  was  the  season  of  the  fishery  when  the  Peacock  was  wrecked,  and 
the  Kilamukes,  Clatsops,  and  Chinooks,  were  collected  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. Many  of  these  came  with  their  families,  and  took  up  their  abode 
near  Astoria ;  for  it  costs  them  little  trouble  to  move  all  their  worldly 
goods.  They  generally  had  for  sale  salmon,  venison,  sturgeon,  moc- 
casins, and  mats. 

When  the  crew  first  landed,  eight  or  ten  salmon  might  be  bought  for 
a  cotton  shirt,  or  its  value  in  red  or  green  baize ;  but  the  Indians  soon 
found  that  higher  prices  might  be  obtained  for  the  asking,  and  before 
our  departure  from  the  Columbia  river,  the  price  was  enhanced 
one-half. 

The  vicious  propensities  of  the  Indians  were  seen  here,  as  they  appear 
around  all  the  posts  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  or  where  strangers 
are  encamped:  gambling  is  the  vice  to  which  they  are  most  prone. 
Both  sexes  are  equally  filthy,  and  I  am  inclined  to  believe  will  continue 
so ;  for  their  habits  are  inveterate,  and  from  all  the  accounts  I  could 
gather  from  different  sources,  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  they  have 
not  improved  or  been  benefited  by  their  constant  intercourse  with  the 
whites,  except  in  a  very  few  cases.  It  is  indeed  probable  that  the 
whole  race  will  be  extinguished  ere  long,  from  the  natural  effects  of 
their  mode  of  life,  even  if  no  pestilential  disease  should  come  among 
them  to  sweep  them  off  in  a  single  season. 

I  saw  more  of  their  gambling  here,  and  the  lengths  to  which  they 
carry  it,  than  in  any  other  place,  in  consequence  of  having  occasion 
to  come  oflener  in  contact  with  them.  The  game  most  practised  was 
played  by  one  of  them  concealing  two  small  sticks  in  the  hand  so 
adroitly  as  to  elude  scrutiny,  while  the  others  guessed  which  hand 
contained  them.  Two  parties  play  at  this,  sitting  upon  different  sides 
of  a  large  board ;  and  whilst  the  concealment  of  the  stick  is  going  on, 
they  keep  up  a  kind  of  chaunt  and  beating  with  the  sticks,  to  produce 
confusion  and  noise,  in  order  to  distract  the  attention  of  the  players. 
The  air  they  sing  is — 


116 


CQT^TTMRTA  ttTVRii, 


COLOMBIA   RIVER. 


117 


ich         e    -    6 


Wa    .    ich 


Wa    .    ich. 


This  game  seems  to  amuse  them,  not  only  for  hours  but  for  whole 
nights,  and  the  great  cause  of  excitement  lies  in  the  stakes.  Ten  is 
game,  and  the  party  lose  or  win  two  at  each  guess. 

They  have  another  sport,  which  seemed  to  be  the  favourite  with  the 
Indians  around  Vancouver :  this  is  played  with  a  number  of  disks  of 
bone  or  ivory,  of  the  size  of  a  quarter  of  a  dollar,  one  of  which  differs 
from  the  rest.  These  are  concealed  in  tow  or  fibrous  hemp,  and  the 
guessing  takes  place  in  the  same  way.  With  these  disks  the  players 
make  a  great  noise  by  shaking  them  in  their  hands.  There  is  great 
attention  required  in  those  who  venture  to  play  the  game ;  and  9uch 
appears  to  be  its  fascination,  that  I  have  seen  them  deprive  themselves 
of  one  garment  or  article  after  another,  until  they  were  entirely  desti- 
tute; and  it  is  even  said  they  oflen  stake  the  freedom,  not  only  of  them- 
selves, but  of  their  children. 

At  Astoria  we  saw  one  day,  when  there  was  quite  a  crowd  of  In- 
dians at  the  encampment,  several  squaws,  all  dressed  in  their  best 
attire.  These  were  all  more  than  usually  attentive  to  their  personal 
appearance.  The  principal  among  them  was  a  widow,  whose  time 
of  mourning  for  the  death  of  her  husband  had  just  expired.  Her 
object  was  to  notify  her  friends  that  she  was  ready  to  receive  the 
addresses  of  any  one  who  was  in  want  of  a  wife.  To  give  such 
notification  was,  as  I  found  on  inquiry,  a  common  custom  among  the 
Chinooks. 

The  widow  was  of  masculine  make,  and  what  we  would  call  a 
buxom  dame.  She  was  attended  by  se^n  others,  of  small  stature  in 
comparison,  who  were  her  maids,  and  all  evidently  accompanied  her 
to  do  honour  to  the  occasion.  Every  half  hour  they  would  arrange 
themselves  in  a  row,  and  the  widow  at  their  head,  affecting  a  modest 
downcast  look,  would  commence  a  chaunt,  informing  the  bystanders 
that  her  period  of  mourning  was  out,  that  she  had  fc  gotten  her 
deceased  husband,  given  her  grief  to  the  winds,  and  was  now  ready 
to  espouse  another.  This  chaunt  was  accompanied  by  a  small  move- 
ment of  the  feet  and  body,  which,  with  the  guttural  song  and  conse- 
quent excitement  of  such  an  exhibition,  caused  the  fair  ones  to  wax  so 


118  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 

warm  that  the  perspiration  roiled  down  their  painted  cheeks;  this, 
with  the  crimson  flush,  all  tended  to  add  brilliancy  to  their  dark  eyes, 
as  they  were  now  and  then  cast  around  upon  the  multitude  of  Indians, 
who  seemed  all  admiration.  I  dfd  not  ascertain  whether  the  fair  one 
succeeded  in  winning  a  second  husband,  but  I  am  satisfied  that  her 
exertions  were  such  as  ought  to  have  obtained  her  one. 

The  Chinook  and  Kilamuke  tribes  entertain,  as  I  was  informed,  the 
idea  of  a  future  state,  in  their  hunting-grounds,  which,  in  their  lan- 
guage, they  call  Tamath.  The  road  to  them  is  supposed  to  be  diffi- 
cult, and  none  but  those  who  are  of  good  character  can  go  there,  by 
the  road  which  is  called  0-tu-i*huti,  a  term  by  which  they  designate  the 
Via  Lactea.  They  have  a  strong  belief  that  all  their  departed  relatives 
and  friends  have  a  guard  over  them,  and  prevent  evil  from  approach- 
ing them.  Each  Indian  has  his  tamanuus,  or  spirit,  which  is  selected 
by  him  at  a  very  early  age,  and  is  generally  the  first  object  they  see 
in  going  out  to  the  woods,  that  has  animal  life.  Others  create  from 
their  imagination  one  that  has  never  met  mortal  eyes.  The  choice  of 
a  spirit,  however  insignificant  it  may  appear,  has  a  great  influence  on 
their  afler-Iife ;  for,  by  its  supposed  commands,  they  are  directed  to 
good  or  evil,  as  they  conceive  that  a  nonconformity  to  its  wishes 
would  involve  them  in  a  multitude  of  evils,  for  they  suppose  it  is  able 
to  destroy  health,  or  preserve  it,  or  inflict  miseries  without  end. 

They  at  times,  and  particularly  when  in  the  water,  pretend  to  hold 
converse  with  it,  and  talk  to  themselves  in  a  low^  monotonous  tone  of 
voice. 

Ikaui  is  the  name  of  their  most  powerful  god :  to  him  they  ascribe 
the  creation  of  all  things.  A  mountain  is  called  after  him,  from  its 
being  supposed  that  he  was  there  turned  into  stone,  and  they  point 
out  the  principal  rock,  which  rises  in  a  pyramidal  shape,  as  his 
statue. 

They  believe  that  their  departed  friends  and  relatives  have  a  know- 
ledge of  what  is  going  on  among  the  living;  and  they,  in  consequence, 
will  not  eat  in  sight  of  the  dead,  nor  laugh,  for  fear  their  mouths  will 
be  turned  askew.  With  the  dead,  they  bury,  as  in  other  parts  of 
Oregon,  their  guns,  knives,  pots,  and  kettles;  and  I  was  informed  that 
these  articles  would  not  be  stolen  when  thus  deposited.  I  presume, 
however,  that  such  is  not  the  fact,  for  I  observed  that  these  things  had 
always  been  previously  rendered  useless,  by  either  being  burnt,  or 
having  holes  punched  through  them,  in  order  to  take  away  the  temp- 
tation to  theft.  Formerly,  slaves  were  not  unfrequcntly  killed  at  a 
chief's  funeral,  in  order  to  bury  them  with  their  masters.  They  speak 
of  the  dead  walking  at  night,  when  they  are  supposed  to  awake,  and 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  119 

get  up  to  search  for  food.  They  have  many  superstitions,  that  have 
been  already  noticed,  of  which  that  relating  to  the  salmon  is  the  most 
singular,  and  the  most  strictly  adhered  to. 

The  god  who  made  the  Columbia  river,  and  all  the  fish  in  it,  they 
call  Italupus.  He  taught  their  ancestors  how  to  procure  fire,  make 
nets,  and  catch  fish.  The  first  salmon  caught  are  all  tabooed,  and 
they  dare  not  sell  them ;  they  must  all  be  cut  up  and  cooked  the  day 
they  are  caught.  A  dog  must  never  be  permitted  to  eat  the  heart  of 
a  salmon ;  and  in  order  to  prevent  this,  they  cut  the  heart  of  the  fish 
out  before  they  sell  it. 

Italupus  is  supposed  to  nourish  the  salmon,  and  cause  them  to  be 
abundant  during  the  whole  summer,  that  they  may  lay  up  their  store 
of  it  for  the  winter. 

Having  completed  all  the  arrangements,  and  the  weather  becoming 
fine,  on  the  16th  we  resumed  our  duties  in  the  survey,  which  was  now 
carried  on  with  spirit.  The  stations  being  established,  and  the  trian- 
gulation  completed,  the  tender,  with  two  boats,  was  left  to  sound  out 
the  bay,  while  the  remaining  part  of  the  force  was  moved  up  the  river, 
to  continue  the  surveys,  in  company  with  the  Porpoise  and  Oregon ; 
for  I  now  found  it  necessary  that  both  vessels  should  proceed  up  to 
Vancouver.  This  was  not  only  to  insure  a  more  thorough  outfit  for 
the  Oregon,  but  it  also  served  to  forward  the  surveying  duties,  and  to 
aflTord  the  ofiScers  and  men  such  quarters  at  night  as  would  protect 
them  from  the  sickly  season,  that  was  approaching,  and  of  which  we 
had  received  such  unfavourable  accounts.  The  plan  adopted  for  the 
survey  of  this  river  will  be  given  in  the  Hydrographical  Memoir. 

On  the  18th  of  August,  I  left  Astoria,  with  the  Porpoise  and 
Oregon,  to  continue  the  survey.  We  reached  Tongue  Point,  where 
we  anchored,  previously  to  crossing  thence  to  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  through  the  crooked  channel  which  was  then  believed  to 
be  the  only  passage  by  which  a  vessel  of  any  class  could  ascend  the 
stream.* 

On  the  19th,  the  vessels  attempted  to  pass  through  this  channel, 
but  on  entering  it  they  both  took  the  ground.  The  tide  was  at  its  full 
height  and  soon  began  to  fall,  when  the  Porpoise  began  to  keel  over, 
until  she  fell  on  her  beam-ends.  We  were  in  hopes  that  the  night  tide 
would  be  sufficient  to  float  her  off,  but  we  found  its  rise  less  by  nearly 
a  foot  than  that  of  the  day;  it  therefore  became  necessary  to  make 
extraordinary  exertions  to  prepare  for  the  next  day's  tide  by  buoying 

*  A  channel  which  we  aflerwards  discorered,  leads  directly  upwards  from  Tongue  Poin^ 
md  affivdfl  every  desirable  frcility  for  the  navigation  of  the  Colambia  river. 


120  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 

her  up  with  casks,  which,  fortunately,  we  had  at  hand,  on  board  the 
Oregon.  It  now  became  necessary  to  float  her  off,  in  order  to  avoid 
a  second  failure.  We  therefore  had  recourse  to  passing  her  chain 
cable  under  her  bottom,  to  which  a  line  of  casks  was  lashed  on  the 
weather  side,  at  the  same  time  the  launch  was  suspended  as  a  weight 
from  her  masthead  to  preserve  her  in  the  same  position.  The  hawsers 
that  had  been  landed  at  Astoria  by  our  store-vessels  were  sent  for  and 
attached  to  the  brig's  anchors,  and  so  placed  as  to  haul  her  at  once 
into  the  deepest  water  and  through  the  narrow  pass.  When  all  was 
prepared,  a  strong  wind  arose  from  the  seaward,  and  caused  a  swell 
which  broke  adrift  some  of  the  casks,  leaving  sufficient,  however,  to 
float  her  before  high  water. 

I  was  much  relieved  when  I  saw  her  again  float,  for  I  had  felt 
not  a  little  anxious  lest  in  the  drifting  sands  of  the  river  she  might 
have  formed  a  bed,  which  would  have  placed  it  out  of  our  power  to 
get  her  off  before  the  next  spring  tides,  and  would  have  conopelled 
us  to  discharge  all  her  guns,  &c.  Although  this  would  have  been 
attended  with  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  it  would  have  been  of  little 
consequence  compared  with  the  loss  of  time,  which  we  could  ill  afford 
to  spare. 

After  getting  her  off,  we  ran  up  the  river  a  few  miles,  and  anchored 
just  below  the  Pillar  Rock,  and  opposite  to  Waikaikum.  Waikaikum 
belongs  to  a  chief  named  Skamakewea,  and  is  a  large  lodge,  picketed 
around  with  planks. 

Mr.  Hale  passed  two  days  there,  and  obtained  much  interesting 
information  from  him  relative  to  his  tribe.  This  chief  formerly  had  a 
large  tribe  under  him,  but  since  the  year  1830  the  fever  has  destroyed 
them  nearly  all.  The  portion  of  this  country  more  immediately  affected 
by  this  scourge,  extends  along  the  banks  of  the  river  from  the  ocean  to 
the  Cascades ;  but  that  part  of  it  which  is  within  the  influence  of  the 
ocean  tides,  is  the  least  subject  to  its  ravages.  When  an  Indian  con- 
tracts this  disease,  he  seldom  recovers,  for  the  treatment  he  goes 
through  is  sufficient  to  kill  a  person  in  good  health. 

Pillar  Rock  is  called  by  the  Indians  Taluaptea,  after  the  name  of  a 
chief,  who  in  bygone  days  hved  at  the  falls  of  the  Columbia,  and  who, 
having  incurred  the  displeasure  of  their  spirit,  called  Talapos,  was 
turned  into  a  rock,  and  placed  where  he  would  be  washed  by  the 
waters  of  the  great  river.  The  rock  is  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  only 
ten  feet  square  at  its  top :  it  is  composed  of  conglomerate  or  pudding- 
stone,  and  is  fast  crumbling  to  pieces.  I  found  great  difficulty  in 
ascending  it 

The  next  morning,  in  proceeding  up  the  river  to  carry  on  the 


COLUMBIA  RIVBR.  131 

survey,  one  of  the  small  boats  of  the  Porpoifle^  that  we  had  in  tow» 
was,  through  the  negligence  of  her  crew,  capeized  Every  thing  in 
her  except  her  oars  was  lost,  and  in  addition  to  this  the  accident 
caused  us  much  detention. 

In  the  afternoon  we  reached  Katalamet  Point,  and  anchored  at  the 
lower  end  of  Puget  Island,  where  we  passed  the  next  day  (Sunday). 
On  Monday  we  again  resumed  our  surveying  duties,  and  reached  Oak 
Point,  where  the  river  takes  a  turn  to  the  southward  and  eastward. 
On  the  24th,  Lieutenant  Emmons  joined  me,  and  received  his  instruc- 
tions to  pass  through  the  country  to  the  south,  and  join  the  ship  at 
San  Francisco.  His  instructions  will  be  found  in  Appendix  IV.  Just 
before  reaching  Walker's  Island  we  ran  aground,  by  the  pilot  mis- 
taking his  marks,  but  were  soon  relieved.  In  the  evening  of  the  next 
day,  we  reached  Mount  Coffin,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cowlitz.  This 
mount  afforded  a  favourable  point  for  astronomical  observations,  being 
seven  hundred  and  ten  feet  high,  and  quite  isolated.  The  canoes  used 
by  the  Indians  as  coffins  are  seen  upon  it  in  every  direction,  in  all 
stages  of  decay.  They  are  supported  between  trees,  at  the  height  of 
four  or  five  feet  above  the  ground,  and  about  them  are  hung  the 
utensils  that  had  belonged  to  the  deceased,  or  that  had  been  offered  as 
tokens  of  respect. 

I  remained  the  whole  day  on  the  top  of  this  mount,  and  obtained  a 
full  set  of  observations ;  the  weather  being  remarkably  clear  and  beau- 
tiful. Here  my  boat's  crew  carelessly  omitted  to  extinguish  the  fire 
they  had  used  for  cooking  our  dinner,  and  as  we  were  pulling  off  to 
the  brig,  I  regretted  to  see  that  the  fire  had  spread,  and  was  envelop- 
ing the  whole  area  of  the  mount ;  but  there  was  no  help  for  it  The 
fire  continued  to  rage  throughout  the  night,  until  all  was  burnt  I 
took  the  earliest  opportunity  of  explaining  to  the  Indians  who  were 
in  the  neighbourhood,  that  the  fire  was  accidental;  and,  after  receiving 
a  few  small  presents,  they  appeared  satisfied  that  it  was  so.  But  a 
few  years  earlier,  the  consequence  of  such  carelessness  would  have 
been  a  hostile  attack,  that  might  have  involved  us  in  difficulty  of  no 
ordinary  kind.  We  had  a  minor  punishment  to  undergo,  for  the  smoke 
was  so  great  that  it  enveloped  all  the  signals  towards  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  and  made  it  necessary  for  me  to  anchor  within  sight  of 
Mount  Cofiin  till  the  next  morning. 

Before  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Willamette,  better  known  here  as 
the  Wapautoo  Branch,  a  long  flat  extends  across  the  river,  where  we 
were  again  unfortunately  detained  a  few  hours,  by  getting  aground. 
Warrior's  Point,  the  locality  where  Mr.  Wyeth  proposed  to  erect  his 
great  city  of  the  west,  was  passed ;  and  on  the  28th,  at  sunset,  we 

VOL.  V.  ^  16 


122  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 

anchored  off  Vancouver.  Here  we  found  that  Sir  (George  Simpson 
had  arrived  over-land  from  Canada,  on  a  tour  of  inspectioDt  and  on  his 
way  to  visit  the  Russian  settlement  at  Sitka.  The  next  morning  we 
had  a  visit  from  him,  accompanied  by  Dr.  M'Laughlin,  Mr.  Douglass, 
Mr.  Rowan,  and  Mr.  Von  Freeman,  of  the  Russian  Company. 

Sir  George  Simpson  left  England  the  preceding  month  of  March, 
and  was  to  return  thither  by  way  of  Kamtschatka :  a  journey  which 
he  hoped  to  perform  in  less  than  two  years.  He  had  seen  much 
service  while  acting  as  an  officer  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  from 
which  he  has  retired,  and  in  which  he  now  holds  no  share.  Since  his 
retirement,  he  is  employed  by  the  stockholders  of  the  Company,  as  the 
inspector  of  all  the  departments,  and  to  report  upon  the  state  of  the 
trading  posts ;  this  leaves  him  free  to  act  without  prejudice. 

The  mode  of  apportioning  the  profits  of  the  Company  is  as  follows: 
after  a  certain  per  centage  is  paid  to  the  stockholders  who  own  the 
capital,  the  surplus  is  divided  among  the  active  partners,  including 
the  chief  factor,  traders,  &c. :  who  are  thus  all  interested  in  the  profits 
arising  from  their  own  exertions.  In  order  that  Sir  George  Simpson 
may  be  impartial  in  adjusting  and  reporting  on  the  affairs,  he  receives 
a  salary  of  two  thousands  pounds  a  year.  Sir  George  has  been 
lately  knighted,  for  projecting  and  superintending  the  outfits  of  the 
voyage  of  his  nephew,  who  completed  the  discoveries  in  the  north, 
and  the  history  of  whose  melancholy  end  has  become  so  well  known 
to  all  interested  in  Arctic  discoveries. 

Captain  Hudson,  the  officers,  and  myself,  were  invited  to  partake  of 
a  formal  dinner  at  Vancouver:  on  this  occasion,  all  the  functionaries 
of  the  Company  were  present,  and  each  individual  seemed  to  have  his 
place  assigned  hiin.  It  reminded  me  of  the  description  of  a  feast  of 
feudal  times,  for  there  were  many  "  below  the  salt." 

Like  all  great  dinners,  it  was  stifi'and  formal.  Sir  George  Simpson 
occupied  the  head  of  the  table,  and  there  were  none  but  men  present 
Their  wives  seem  to  be  little  thought  of,  but  for  what  reason  I  could 
not  imagine,  as  many  of  them  were  highly  worthy  of  notice.  Their 
frequent  exertions  in  protecting  the  settlements  and  their  husbands, 
show  a  devotion  to  them  and  their  interests,  that  is  highly  commenda- 
ble; and  why  they  should  not  be  treated  as  their  equals,  I  am  at  a  loss 
to  conceive.  They  will  bear  an  advantageous  comparison  with  any 
others  who  have  had  so  few  opportunities.  Those  whom  I  saw  ex- 
hibited both  propriety  of  behaviour  and  modesty  of  deportment.  It 
may  perhaps  be,  that  their  seclusion  from  mixed  society  is  their  own 
choice ;  but  such  a  regulation  cannot  but  tend  to  prevent  improvement, 
and  retard  advancement  in  civilization. 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  123 

The  Columbia  river  was  now  very  different  in  appearance  from 
what  it  had  been  in  the  month  of  June.  The  stream  was  confined 
within  its  narrowest  limits,  and  was  nineteen  feet  below  high-water 
mark. 

The  Indians  were  now  encamped  on  the  strands,  over  which  the 
volume  of  water  had  rushed,  in  its  swollen  state,  with  irresistible 
force.  Vancouver  exhibited  the  aspect  of  an  extensive  farming  esta- 
blishment, with  its  weli-stored  granaries,  stacks  of  grain,  &c.  AH 
showed  that  the  crops  had  been  plentiful,  and  gave  ample  proof  of  the 
industry  and  success  of  agriculture. 

Soon  after  the  wreck  of  the  Peacock,  Captain  Hudson,  hearing  that 
Dr.  M'Laughlin  was  in  want  of  hands  to  aid  him  in  the  harvest, 
despatched  the  Kanakas  belonging  to  the  Peacock  up  to  Vancouver,  to 
assist  in  gathering  it.  It  afforded  some  little  pleasure  to  contribute 
this  aid,  and  thus  in  some  small  degree  to  repay  the  attentions  and 
kindness  of  the  Company's  officers. 

While  at  Vancouver,  my  time  was  taken  up  by  the  astronomic  and 
magnetic  observations.  The  former  gave  its  position  in  longitude 
122^  39'  34-6"  W.,  and  latitude  45^  36'  63"  N. 

Having  understood,  from  the  gentlemen  at  Vancouver,  that  both 
Mr.  David  Douglas  and  Captain  Belcher  had  found  some  discrepan- 
cies in  their  magnetic  observations,  which  were  quite  unaccountable ; 
and  as  they  had  experimented  within  the  fort,  I  determined  to  make 
mine  in  my  tent,  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  where  no  apparent  local 
attraction  existed.  There  were,  notwithstanding,  some  irregularities 
which  I  could  not  account  for. 

While  I  was  thus  engaged.  Captain  Hudson  carried  on  the  repairs 
of  the  Oregon  with  great  rapidity.  The  articles  necessary  for  this 
purpose  which  we  ourselves  were  not  able  to  supply,  were  cheerfully 
furnished  us,  at  reasonable  prices,  from  the  stores  and  workshops  of 
the  Company.  Indeed,  nothing  could  exceed  the  kind  attentions  that 
were  lavished  upon  us;  and  the  moment  we  expressed  a  desire,  it 
was  immediately  complied  with* 

On  the  1st  of  September,  Passed  Midshipmen  Eld  and  Colvocoressis, 
with  Mr.  Brackenridge  and  party,  arrived.  Orders  were  immediately 
given  for  them  to  join  Lieutenant  Emmons's  party,  on  the  Willamette ; 
and  they  were  finally  despatched  on  the  tour  through  to  California. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Passed  Midshipmen  Eld  and  Colvocores- 
sis  were  ordered  to  make  a  journey  through  the  Chickeeies  country,  to 
Gray's  Harbour,  just  as  the  ship  was  getting  under  way  from  Nisqually, 
and  that  circumstances  rendered  their  departure  more  hurried  than  it 
was  desirable  it  should  be.    But  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Anderson 


124  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 

and  Captains  M 'Niel  and  Scarborough,  the  party  was  not  left  in  want 
of  any  thing  very  material 

The  party  under  command  of  Mr.  Eld,  consisted  of  Passed  Mid- 
shipman Colvocoressis,  Mr.  Brackenridge,  Sergeant  Stearns,  privates 
Rodgers  and  Dinsman,  John  Brooks  (seaman),  Thomas  Ford  and 
Henry  Waltham  (ordinary  seamen),  with  a  half-breed  boy,  named  Joe, 
who  was  to  act  as  their  interpreter. 

They  left  Nisqually  on  the  19th  of  July,  and  proceeded  towards  one 
of  the  southwest  arms  of  Puget  Sound  (of  which  we  had  but  a  few 
days  before  finished  the  survey)  in  two  canoes,  that  had  been  purchased. 
They  were  sorry  craft,  but  better  could  not  be  procured,  and  Mr.  Eld 
was  not  disposed  to  delay  on  account  of  imaginary  difficulties.  His 
instructions  will  be  found  in  Appendix  XIV.,  Vol.  lY. 

I  had  told  him  he  might  be  absent  for  forty  days  on  his  own  resources, 
as  I  calculated  he  would,  by  the  assistance  of  the  Indians,  be  able  to 
obtain  both  fish  and  game.  I  also  enjoined  upon  him  great  attention  to 
economy  in  the  use  of  his  provisions. 

On  the  same  evening,  he  arrived  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
ponage;  and  the  next  morning  Mr.  Colvocoressis  went,  with  the 
sergeant  and  boy,  to  an  old  squaw  chief,  who  had  promised,  at  Nis- 
qually, to  be  their  guide  to  the  ^achal  river,  and  to  furnish  horses  and 
men  to  cross  the  portage.  They  returned  at  an  early  hour,  without 
either  horses  or  Indians,  but  with  a  promise  that  they  were  to  be 
furnished  the  next  day.  The  next  morning  they  found  that  the  chief 
had  arrived,  with  five  horses  and  a  number  of  Indians,  and  was  ready 
to  transport  the  baggage.  Some  time,  however,  elapsed  before  an 
arrangement  could  be  made  for  the  large  canoe,  which  was  thought  to 
be  too  heavy  to  transport;  but  this  was  finally  settled  by  the  same 
personage  offering  another  in  lieu  of  it,  which,  though  of  smaller  dimen- 
sions, was  accepted.  Ten  Indians  were  furnished  to  transport  it  and 
the  rest  of  the  articles,  and  they  were  soon  in  a  condition  to  move.  This 
despatch  was  principally  owing  to  the  directions  and  management  of 
the  squaw  chief,  who  seemed  to  exercise  more  authority  than  any  that 
had  been  met  with ;  indeed,  her  whole  character  and  conduct  placed 
her  much  above  those  around  her.  Her  horses  were  remarkably  fine 
animals;  her  dress  was  neat,  and  her  whole  establishment  bore  the 
indications  of  Indian  opulence.  Although  her  husband  was  present,  he 
seemed  under  such  good  discipline,  as  to  warrant  the  belief  that  the 
wife  was  the  ruling  power,  or,  to  express  it  in  more  homely  language, 
"  wore  the  breeches.'* 

The  portage  was  easily  accomplished :  it  passes  through  a  forest  of 
lofty  spruce  and  maple  trees,  with  an  undergrowth  of  common  hazel 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  125 

and  spinea ;  its  leDgth  was  four  miles.  The  soil  was  composed  of  a 
shallowf  blacky  sandy,  vegetable  earth. 

On  their  route  they  passed  three  small  prairies,  one  of  which  was 
about  ten  acres  in  extent,  and  lay  on  the  northwest  side  of  a  lake :  the 
lake,  called  Sachal  by  the  Indians,  was  examined,  and  found  to  be  one 
and  a  half  miles  in  length,  and  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  breadth.  It  is 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  willow  and  alders ;  the  soil  about  it  was 
a  light  brown  sandy  loam ;  the  forest  extends  down  to  the  water,  which 
is  of  a  dark  brown  colour,  as  if  tinged  with  vegetable  matter ;  this, 
however,  was  not  the  case,  for  in  taking  the  water  up  in  a  glass,  it  was 
found  pure  and  crystal-like. 

A  line  of  soundings  was  taken  across  the  lake,  by  which  five  and  a 
]uarter  fathoms  was  found  to  be  the  greatest  depth.  It  was  said  to 
abound  in  fish,  but  they  did  not  succeed  in  taking  any.  In  the  lake 
were  quantities  of  yellow  lilies  (Nuphar  lutea),  pond-weed  (Potamoge- 
ton)  of  two  species,  and  a  water-lily  (Nymphsea.) 

Mr.  Eld  was  told  that  there  was  another  lake  to  the  northeast,  and 
set  out  with  Mr.  Colvocoressis,  to  visit  it.  The  supposed  lake  was 
reached  after  a  walk  of  five  miles  over  the  same  kind  of  country,  and 
proved  to  be  only  a  pond,  about  two  hundred  yards  in  diameter,  quite 
shallow,  and  covered,  like  the  former,  with  water-lilies. 

AAer  their  return  they  broke  up  the  encampment,  and  embarking  in 
their  canoes  on  Lake  Sachal,  passed  to  its  southern  end,  where  they 
entered  the  river  of  the  same  name.  This  appeared  at  first  almost 
impassable,  for  it  was  for  four  miles  almost  choked  up  with  Spar- 
ganiums,  Nuphars,  &c.,  so  that  it  was  difficult  to  pass  even  with  the 
small  canoe.  Its  breadth  was  from  twenty  to  sixty  feet,  and  it  was 
from  three  to  twelve  feet  deep.  The  turns  were  sometimes  so  short, 
that  the  large  canoe  would  be  in  contact  with  the  thickets  on  the  banks 
at  both  ends,  and  it  required  much  force  to  drag  her.  along,  by  pulling 
by  the  branches,  and  caused  great  labour  in  cutting  their  way.  They 
also  unfortunately  lost  their  hatchet,  which  afterwards  proved  a  serious 
mishap. 

They  were  obliged  to  continue  their  course  down  the  river  until 
nine  o'clock  at  night,  before  they  could  find  any  place  to  encamp,  on 
account  of  the  bog  and  jungle.  At  that  hour  they  came  to  a  small 
green  spot,  occupied  by  a  party  of  Indians.  Here  Mr.  Eld  obtained 
some  altitudes  of  the  north  star  for  latitude ;  and  the  next  day,  being 
compelled  to  make  a  portage  of  two  miles  to  avoid  an  impassable  part 
of  the  river,  he  employed  himself,  during  the  time  it  was  making,  in 
getting  a  full  set  of  equal  altitudes.  By  6  p.  k.  they  had  carried  every 
thing  across  and  embarked ;  but  the  river  was  full  of  sand-bars,  shallow 

LS 


126  COLUMBIA   RIYEIL 

rapids,  and  sunken  snags,  which  often  compelled  them  to  drag  the 
canoe  over  by  main  force.  The  land  on  both  sides  of  the  rivei  is  flat, 
marshy,  and  well  wooded.  Among  the  trees  were  many  ash.  They 
stopped  for  the  night  at  an  Indian  camp.  Mr.  Eld  endeavoured  to 
induce  the  old  chief  to  accompany  him  down  the  river ;  but  he  declined, 
assigning  as  a  reason  that  he  was  afraid  of  the  Chinooks.  He  boasted 
that  he  was  the  chief  of  the  Sachal  tribe ;  but  as  the  party  had  met  with 
but  two  or  three  other  Indians  during  the  route,  they  were  at  a  k>S8  to 
know  where  the  tribe  resided. 

On  the  24th,  they  again  embarked  on  the  river,  and  had  another 
fatiguing  day;  but  being  now  provided  with  poles,  they  succeeded 
better  in  navigating  the  canoe.  When  they  had  proceeded  some 
distance,  they  were  overtaken  by  the  squaw  chief  and  her  husband, 
who  passed  them  quickly  in  a  light  canoe.  During  the  day  they  saw 
several  deserted  native  huts,  situated  on  small  prairies,  extending  back 
some  distance  from  the  river,  and  in  the  rear,  on  either  side,  were  seen 
hills  rising  to  the  height  of  about  fifteen  hundred  feet  No  kind  of  rock 
had  been  observed  on  their  route,  except  a  single  block  of  granite, 
which  was  passed  on  one  of  the  prairies  near  Lake  SachaL  The 
weather,  for  the  few  last  days,  had  been  fine  and  clear. 

On  the  25th,  they  set  out  at  an  early  hour,  and  in  passing  one  of  the 
rapids  in  the  large  canoe,  it  came  in  contact  with  a  snag,  which  tore 
off  part  of  the  gunwale,  and  half  filled  the  canoe  with  water.  At  ten 
o'clock  they  reached  the  place  where  the  Sachal  enters  the  Chickeeles, 
which  is  there  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide,  and  runs  with  a  rapid 
current.  The  bottom  was  gravelly,  and  the  surface  smooth,  except 
where  a  sand  and  gravel  bar  stretched  across  the  river,  in  a  direction 
about  east-northeast.  One  lonely  Indian  was  met  at  the  junction,  from 
whom  they  bought  some  pieces  of  dried  elk. 

The  soil  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  for  about  one-third  of  a  raile 
back,  was  a  deep,  rich,  alluvial  loam,  overgrown  with  poplar,  willow, 
dogwood,  and  alder,  with  an  undergrowth  of  rasf^rry.  On  the  26th, 
the  old  chief  joined  the  party,  and  they  all  proceeded  down  the  river 
together,  to  the  point  where  the  Kluckullum  enters  the  Chickeeles, 
where  they  halted.  No  inducement  could  prevail  upon  the  chief  to 
serve  as  a  guide  up  the  Sacfaap,  another  branch  of  the  Chickeeles. 

In  the  afternoon  they  encamped  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sachap,  and 
Mr.  Eld  made  preparations  to  set  out  early  the  next  morning,  to  ex- 
plore it,  having  obtained  a  guide  from  among  the  Indians  they  met  with 
at  a  fishing  station  in  the  vicinity.  No  fish,  however,  were  to  be  pro- 
cured, but  on  their  descent  they  came  upon  several  large  flocks  of  teal, 
out  of  which  Mr.  Brackenridge  killed  four. 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  137 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  27th,  Mr.  Eld,  Sergeant  Stearns,  and  two 
men,  set  out  on  their  jaunt  up  the  Sachap,  in  a  small  canoe.  About 
eight  miles  from  the  camp  they  came  to  the  place  where  the  river 
forks,  forming  the  Sachap  and  Tarqucorau;  here  they  took  horses, 
and  proceeded  eight  miles  farther,  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  and 
encamped  in  a  small  prairie.  Neither  of  the  two  rivers  is  penetrable 
by  a  canoe,  so  overgrown  and  choked  up  are  they  with  bushes  and 
bogs.  Just  at  sunset  they  passed  a  party  of  Suquamish  Indians,  who 
were  very  anxious  that  Mr.  Eld  should  encamp  with  them ;  but  this 
he  declined  doing,  and  preferred  passing  some  distance  beyond. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  they  again  started  at  an  early  hour, 
and  passed  through  a  very  rough  and  apparently  little  frequented 
country.     The  guide  had  much  difficulty  in  finding  his  way  through 
a  forest  which  the  fire  had  partly  consumed.    At  9^  30°^  they  recrossed 
the  Sachap,  which  was  there  a  small  brook,  about  twenty  feet  wide, 
coming  from  a  northwest  direction.    It  was  but  knee-deep,  and  clogged 
with   large  logs  and  trees.    Shortly  after  passing  this  stream,  the 
country  grew  so  rough  that  it  was  impossible  to  proceed  farther  with 
the  horses,  and  the  guide  told  Mr.  Eld  that  he  would  be  obliged  to 
leave  them.     As  no  notice  of  this  difficulty  in  the  route  had  been  pre- 
viously given,  it  was  natural  for  Mr.  Eld  to  suspect  that  his  guide 
was  forming  some  scheme  to  deceive  him,  and  go  off  with  his  pro* 
perty.     Deeming  it  proper  to  come  to  a  right  understanding,  and  to 
make  the  guide  aware  that  he  was  on  the  look-out  to  punish  any 
attempt  at  fraud,  he  led  the  chief  aside,  and  told  him  that  he  intended 
to  hold  him  responsible  in  case  of  the  loss  of  any  of  his  things,  or  of 
his  being  deceived.    He  then  ordered  him  to  leave  one  of  his  slaves 
in  charge  of  the  horses  and  effects  until  their  return.     This  was 
accordingly  done,  and  they  proceeded  on  foot  for  Lake  Nanvitz, 
which  they  reached  by  one  o'clock.    This  proved  to  be  a  fine  sheet  of 
water,  a  mile  and  a  half  long,  by  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide,  sur- 
rounded by  a  thick  forest  of  pines.    Here  they  found  an  Indian  family 
hunting,  who  bad  just  killed  an  elk,  of  which  Mr.  Eld  procured  the 
greater  part,  for  a  small  quantity  of  powder  and  shot    These  were 
also  of  the  Suquamish  tribe.    The  old  man  of  this  party  spoke  of 
another  lake,  not  far  distant,  to  which  he  took  Mr.  Eld.    This  was  no 
more  than  about  half  the  size  of  the  former,  and  the  name  the  Indians 
gave  it  was  Kamalatiz :  it  had  much  the  same  character  as  the  larger 
one.    There  was  no  opportunity  of  getting  the  depth  of  these  two 
lakes,  for  want  of  a  canoe.    Neither  of  them  has  an  outlet    From  the 
Indians'  account,  the  Sachap  takes  its  rise  in  a  small  pond  to  the  north- 
west of  these  lakes. 


128 


COLUMBIA   RIVER. 


Having  accomplished  the  object  he  had  in  view,  Mr.  Eld  tarned 
back,  and  soon  reached  the  place  where  they  had  left  the  horses  and 
articles,  which  they  found  all  safe,  under  the*charge  of  the  slave,  who, 
from  appearances,  had  not  moved  from  his  position  during  the  time  of 
their  absence,  and  was  much  relieved  at  their  return. 

The  next  day  they  returned  to  their  party  on  the  Chickeeles, 
passing  on  their  route  some  of  the  gigantic  pine  trees,  so  often  to  be 
met  with  in  this  territory.  Some  of  these  had  been  burnt,  and  had 
in  consequence  fallen;  Mr.  Eld  thus  had  an  opportunity  of  mea- 
suring them.  One,  that  was  not  selected  as  the  largest,  for  there 
were  many  of  equal  if  not  greater  length  and  diameter,  was  mea- 
sured, and  the  part  that  lay  in  one  piece  was  found  to  be  two  hundred 
feet  long ;  another  piece  of  the  same  tree  was  twenty-five  feet  long, 
and  at  the  small  end  of  the  latter,  it  was  still  ten  inches  in  diameter. 
Allowing  twelve  feet  for  the  portion  destroyed  by  fire,  Mr.  Eld 
thought  twenty-five  feet  ought  to  be  added  for  its  top ;  which  makes 
the  whole  length  of  the  tree,  when  growing,  two  hundred  and  sixty 
feet    Others  were  believed  to  exceed  this,  both  in  height  and  diameter. 

During  the  time  of  Mr.  Eld's  absence,  Mr.  Colvocoressis  remained 
at  the  camp,  and  Mr.  Brackenridge  made  short  excursions  to  the 
south  of  the  Chickeeles.  The  country  on  this  side  of  the  river  is 
covered  with  a  thick  spruce  forest,  and  the  soil  appears  to  differ  much 
from  that  of  the  north,  being  poor,  and  composed  of  a  mixture  of  sand 
and  gravel,  while  on  the  north  side  it  is  an  alluvial  deposit,  averaging 
from  a  half  to  two-thirds  of  a  mile  in  width,  well  adapted  to  yield  good 
crops  of  grain.  From  the  marks  on  the  trees,  however,  it  is  believed 
to  be  subject  to  an  annual  inundation  of  considerable  depth.  The 
weather  continued  dry  and  clear. 


CARTXD  PLAim. 


Near  this  encampment  were  found  some  rudely  carved  painted 


COLUMBIA  RIVER.  129 

planks,  of  which  Mr.  Eld  made  a  drawing.    They  are  represented  in 
the  wood-cut  on  the  opposite  page. 

These  planks  were  placed  upright,  and  nothing  could  be  learned  of 
their  origin.  The  colours  were  exceedingly  bright,  of  a  kind  of  red 
pigment 

In  descending  the  Chickeeles  the  next  morning,  they  soon  {)erceiyed 
by  its  shores  that  there  was  an  ebb  and  flow  of  the  waters.  Mr.  Eld 
tried  its  current,  and  found  it  setting  flood  about  one  fathom  per  hour. 
As  they  proceeded,  the  shores  lost  some  of  their  luxuriance  of  foliage, 
the  banks  had  become  high,  and  so  muddy  that  they  had  some  little 
difficulty  in  finding  a  suitable  place  to  encamp.  Some  talcose  slate 
was  seen  to  compose  the  blufl*s  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  but  it 
was  so  soft  and  fragile  that  it  could  not  be  brought  away.  The  only 
natives  seen  this  day  were  two  miserable-looking  beings  of  the  Chic- 
keeles tribe,  but  they  could  not  understand  the  interpreter  Joe,  either  in 
the  Nisqually  or  Chinook  dialect  The  party  encamped  in  a  hemlock 
groVe,  so  thick  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  the  usual  nightly  observa- 
tions to  be  taken.  The  surf  was  distinctly  audible'  from  the  camp 
during  the  night 

On  the  31st,  after  passing  two  elbows  in  the  river,  the  cape  on  the 
south  of  the  entrance  to  Gray's  Harbour  was  seen.  The  flood-tide 
was  very  strong  against  them,  so  that  they  made  but  slow  progress, 
and  as  they  opened  out  the  harbour  and  entered  it,  they  fpund  a  strong 
southwest  wind  blowing,  which  caused  a  short  and  disagreeable  sea, 
that  very  nearly  swamped  their  small  canoe,  and  obliged  them  to  run 
for  the  lee  shore.  Here  all  the  things  were  taken  out  and  placed  to 
dry,  on  one  of  the  huge  trees  that  had  been  brought  down  by  the 
freshets.  From  this  awkward  situation  they  were  relieved  by  the  old 
squaw  chief,  who  had  preceded  them  from  Nisqually.  She  came  over 
in  her  large  canoe,  with  ten  Indians,  and  offered  to  carry  the  party 
over  to  the  weather  shore,  where  they  could  encamp  in  a  less  exposed 
place.  The  ofier  was  gladly  accepted,  and  they  were  taken  over  to 
the  village. 

Mr.  Eld  here  endeavoured  to  treat  for  the  purchase  of  a  large  canoe, 
in  which  attempt  his  patience  was  soon  exhausted,  for  when  the  bargain 
was  all  but  closed,  difficulties  of  a  trivial  nature  were  brought  up  which 
entirely  broke  off  the  negotiation.  The  Indians  of  this  village  proved 
themselves  to  be  in  all  respects  like  the  tribes  in  the  interior,  who  will 
never  adhere  to  a  bargain  if  they  can  avoid  it. 

Mr.  Eld  and  his  party  had  now  a  great  many  difficulties  to  contend 
with  in  carrying  forward  a  survey  of  the  harbour.  These  arose  as 
well  from  the  weather  as  the  want  of  means.    The  Indians  for  some 

VOL.  V.  17 


130  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 

days  continued  unwilling  to  lend  them  any  aid  in  the  management  of 
their  canoes,  and  none  of  them  could  be  induced  to  venture  out  in 
what  they  deemed  stormy  weather ;  another  reason  for  not  engaging  in 
the  service  was,  they  did  not  wish  to  leave  their  wives  behind.  It  being 
at  last  agreed  that  their  wives  should  accompany  them,  Mr.  Colvoco- 
ressis  embarked  in  order  to  join  Mr.  Eld;  but  to  do  this  it  was 
necessary  to  encounter  both  the  wind  and  sea,  in  consequence  of  which 
the  Indians  refused  to  proceed  unless  they  had  an  extra  allowance  of 
powder  and  tobacco. 

This  being  refused,  they  quietly  steered  the  canoe  back  to  the 
encampment  On  arriving  there,  it  soon  became  evident  to  Mr.  Col- 
vocoressis  that  their  intention  was  to  take  away  their  canoe,  for  they 
at  once  began  to  put  in  her  the  few  things  they  possessed.  He  there- 
fore took  two  of  their  guns,  and  concealed  them  in  one  of  the  tents.  An 
Indian,  the  moment  Mr.  Colvocoressis's  back  was  turned  to  the  tents, 
drew  his  knife,  rushed  into  them,  and  brought  forth  the  guns,  one  of 
which  he  handed  to  a  woman.  The  musket  which  the  squaw  had'was 
again  taken,  upon  which  the  Indians  said  that  they  would  complete 
their  bargain,  and  induced  Mr.  Colvocoressis  to  believe  they  would  do 
so.  He  therefore  embarked,  and  they  proceeded  with  apparent  willing- 
ness, until  they  came  opposite  their  own  village,  where  they  landed,  and 
refused  to  go  any  further.  They,  however,  offered  him  a  small  canoe, 
to  take  him  across  the  river,  and  the  Indian  to  whom  the  musket  they 
had  taken  belonged,  ferried  him  across.  In  the  evening,  the  Indians 
returned  to  ask  for  the  musket,  but  it  was  refused  until  they  should 
return  the  axe  that  had  been  left  in  the  canoe,  and  agree  to  abide  by  the 
bargain  they  had  made  to  render  them  assistance.  The  next  day  the 
axe  was  restored,  and  the  musket  given  up.  After  this,  a  more  friendly 
disposition  was  evinced,  as  Mr.  Eld  supposes  from  the  fact  of  their 
having  learnt  from  Nisqually  who  they  were. 

From  the  1st  to  the  6th  of  August,  the  party  effected  little,  and  their 
supply  of  provisions  was  becoming  very  low.  On  the  latter  day  they 
shifted  their  camp,  about  five  miles  towards  the  capes,  to  a  small  patch 
of  meadow-land,  near  one  of  the  small  streams  which  empty  into  the 
harbour. 

After  remaining  here  a  few  days,  they  selected  another  spot,  at  the 
South  Head;  and  on  the  10th,  the  Indians  failing  to  perform  their 
engagements,  they  moved  their  articles  themselves  to  their  new 
encampment.  They  had  now  very  nearly  exhausted  their  provisions, 
and  were  living  on  the  dead  fish  they  picked  up  on  the  beach  (a  sort 
of  hake)  and  some  berries.  From  continual  exposure  to  wet,  with  hard 
work,  as  well  as  scanty  and  bad  food,  they  all  became  very  feeble  and 


COLUMBIA    RIV£R.  131 

sick,  and  were  able  to  do  but  little  work.  On  the  18th,  Lieutenant  De 
Haven,  whom  I  had  sent  over,  arrived,  and  relieved  them ;  and  on  his 

■ 

return  to  Baker's  Bay,  twenty  days'  provisions  were  sent  with  a  party 
of  Kanakas,  under  the  guidance  of  Boileau,  a  Canadian. 

This  supply  reached  them  on  the  19th  August,  from  which  time  they 
proceeded  rapidly  with  the  survey,  when  the  weather  would  permit. 
Previous  to  the  arrival  of  Lieutenant  De  Haven,  Mr.  Eld  and  his  party 
had  parted  with  their  own  clothing  and  blankets,  for  the  purpose  of 
effecting  the  purchase  of  a  large  canoe  to  carry  on  their  work.  The 
Indians  refused  to  deliver  it,  except  for  actual  pay;  for  they  had  not 
yet  learned  to  value  the  small  pieces  of  paper,  or  orders  on  the  Com- 
pany's store,  so  much  prized  in  the  upper  country,  and  which  are  there 
usually  preferred  to  the  articles  themselves.  The  threat  to  stop  trading 
for  powder,  Mr.  Eld  found  was  a  strong  inducement  to  accomplish  any 
object  with  the  Indians,  for  they  prize  this  and  tobacco  beyond  any 
other  articles,  always  excepting  rum. 

Mr.  Eld,  in  one  instance,  treated  one  of  the  Indians  to  a  pipe  and 
tobacco,  which  affected  him  so  much  that  they  thought  he  was  going 
into  a  fit,  and  created  considerable  alarm.  This  effect  arises  from  their 
mode  of  using  the  pipe,  for  they  invariably  swallow  the  smoke,  and 
retain  the  greatest  part  of  it  in  the  stomach  and  lungs. 

On  the  24th,  the  survey  was  finished,  and  they  prepared  for  their 
departure.  The  tract  of  land  bordering  on  the  Chickeeles,  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Sachap,  and  around  Gray's  Harbour,  is  of  a  poor  descrip- 
tion for  cultivation.  The  spruce  forest  extends  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  except  in  a  few  places  around  the  harbour,  where  there  are 
patches  of  salt  marsh,  which  produce  coarse  grasses  and  cat's-tail 
(Typha).  The  salt  creeks  into  which  the  tide  flows  are  generally  very 
tortuous ;  and  the  meadows  are  occasionally  overflowed  at  spring-tides. 
The  only  piece  of  land  that  appeared  suitable  for  cultivation,  was 
immediately  within  the  South  Head ;  but  this  is  of  small  extent  The 
coast,  as  far  as  Cape  Shoalwater,  is  no  more  than  a  smooth  sandy 
beach,  which  rises  in  a  gentle  acclivity  to  a  line  of  low  sand-hills. 

Mr.  Brackenridge  describes  the  coast  vegetation  as  consisting  of 
Oberonia,  Neottia,  Ambrosia,  two  species  of  Aster,  several  Gramineee, 
an  Armeria,  with  a  number  of  saline  plants ;  the  Gaultheria  is  found  in 
great  abundance,  bearing  a  palatable  berry,  of  which  the  party  had 
occasion  to  make  use.  For  further  information  respecting  the  plants 
of  this  section,  I  must  refer  to  the  Botanical  Report 

Gray's  Harbour  seems  to  offer  but  few  facilities  for  commercial 
purposes.    The  entrance  is  narrow,  the  width  being  from  one-half  to 


132  COLUMBIA  RIVES. 

two-thirds  of  a  mile,  with  dangerous  breakers  on  both  sides.  The 
depth  of  water  is  from  five  to  seven  fathoms.  The  space,  after  en- 
tering, is  extensive,  but  the  greater  part  of  it  is  filled  up  with  mud- 
flats, which  are  bare  at  low  water,  and  confine  the  harbour  suitable 
for  the  anchorage  of  vessels  to  very  small  limits.  The  river  Chic- 
keeies,  before  entering  into  the  harbour,  increases  in  width  to  several 
hundred  feet,  and  is  navigable  for  vessels  drawing  twelve  feet  water, 
eight  miles  above  its  mouth.  The  harbour  is  only  suitable  for  vessels 
of  from  one  to  two  hundred  tons;  and  there  are  places  where  such 
vessels  may  find  security  between  the  mud  shoals,  some  distance  within 
the  capes. 

The  tides  here  are  irregular,  and  influenced  by  the  winds  and 
weather;  the  time  of  high  water  at  full  and  change  was  found  to  be 

ii'-ao". 

Fogs  prevail  very  frequently  during  the  summer  season.  Our  party 
remained  at  this  place  for  twenty-three  days,  three-fourths  of  which 
time  it  blew  a  strong  gale  from  either  the  southwest  or  northwest, 
accompanied  with  a  dense  fog,  that  rendered  it  impossible  to  see 
farther  than  half  a  mile. 

The  Indians  in  this  portion  of  the  country  are  not  numerous.  The 
region  at  the  head  of  Puget  Sound  is  inhabited  by  a  tribe  called  the 
Toandos,  whose  number  Mr.  Eld  was  unable  to  learn.  The  Sachals 
are  about  forty  in  number :  they  reside  about  the  lake  of  the  same 
name,  and  along  the  river  Chickeeles:  they  appear  to  be  a  kind 
and  inoflensive  tribe.  The  Sachap  tribe  numbers  about  sixty:  they 
are  not  as  well  ofi*  for  clothing  as  the  former,  and  few  of  them  were 
supplied  with  fire-arms;  they  reside  on  the  borders  of  the  Sachap 
river.  The  Chickeeles  tribe  number  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to 
two  hundred,  and  inhabit  the  country  around  Gray's  Harbour :  their 
principal  place  of  abode  is  on  the  north  point  of  Gray's  Harbour, 
which  is  generally  occupied  by  those  passing  to  and  fro,  and  where 
they  await  fine  weather.  Mr.  Eld  found  this  tribe  supplied  with  good 
muskets,  blankets,  and  knives :  they  paint  their  faces,  and  have  alto- 
gether a  warlike  appearance.  At  one  time  during  the  stay  of  the 
party  they  were  disposed  to  be  troublesome,  but  the  men  being  con- 
stantly on  the  watch,  to  protect  themselves,  remained  unmolested, 
though  occasionally  annoyed  at  the  disposition  evinced  to  take  advan- 
tage of  any  oversight  The  chief  of  this  tribe  is  spoken  of  by  the 
party  in  very  high  terms,  for  his  kindness  to  them.  He  seemed 
mortified  at  the  events  which  occurred,  and  took  much  pains  to  keep 
his  people  in  order.    In  this,  notwithstanding  he  possessed  little  an- 


COLUMBIA    RIVER.  183 

ihority  among  his  tribe,  he  succeeded,  ahhough  with  ditliculty.  As  a 
proof  of  his  good  intentions,  he  invariably  returned  all  the  signals  the 
others  had  stolen. 

This  tribe  lives  principally  on  salmon,  which  ihey  take  during  the 
season  in  vast  quantities,  and  the  fish  are  said  to  be  as  fine  as  those 
taken  in  the  Columbia.  On  the  Chickeeles,  and  in  its  branches,  are 
many  of  the  weirs  and  stakes  that  have  been  already  described.  Stur- 
geon are  also  taken  in  great  numbers,  and  of  a  superior  quality. 

It  may  be  inferred  from  their  seldom  receiving  any  supplies  of 
venison  through  the  Indians,  or  meeting  with  any  themselves,  that 
there  is  but  little  game  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

They  shot  a  few  grouse,  some  wild  geese  were  seen,  and  the  mud- 
flats were  covered  with  white  gulls  in  immense  numbers,  among  which 
were  a  few  pelicans. 

The  amusements  of  the  Indians,  and  the  manner  of  lounging  away 
their  time,  were  similar  to  those  of  the  other  tribes  before  spoken  of. 

On  the  24th,  they  were  glad  to  leave  Gray's  Harbour,  after  having, 
by  great  perseverance  and  with  much  fatigue,  completed  the  survey. 
Mr.  Eld  now  took  up  the  remaining  portion  of  the  work  he  was 
ordered  to  perform,  namely,  to  trace  the  coast  to  Cape  Disappoint- 
mept.  The  Indians  whom  he  hired  to  take  the  canoe  around  by 
water,  preferred  to  pass  close  along  the  beach,  inside  the  surf,  by 
tracking  the  canoe:  notwithstanding  there  was  a  very  heavy  surf, 
they  managed  to  pass  along  very  quickly.  This  is  the  mode  they 
always  adopt  in  journeying  along  the  coast  with  their  canoes,  to  avoid 
accident  from  the  heavy  surf,  of  which  they  have  much  dread.  The 
evening  of  the  day  on  which  they  left  Gray's  Harbour,  they  reached 
a  small  islet,  distant  fifteen  miles  from  Cape  Shoalwater,  where  they 
found  the  lodge  of  the  Chickeeles  chief  before  spoken  of,  who  supplied 
them  with  dried  salmon,  &c. 

The  coast  between  Gray's  Harbour  and  Cape  Shoalwater  is  bor- 
dered by  sand-hills,  behind  which,  from  the  Indians'  account,  there 
are  lakes  and  streams  of  fresh  water,  in  which  plenty  of  beaver  are 
found. 

From  this  chief  they  hired  another  canoe,  and  accompanied  by  him 
they  proceeded  through  Shoalwater  Bay  towards  Cape  Disappoint- 
ment  The  two  canoes  separated,  which  caused  them  to  pass  over 
the  two  portages  between  Shoalwater  and  Baker's  Bay:  that  to  the 
east  is  about  four  and  a  half  miles  in  length,  while  that  to  the  west  is 
six  or  seven  miles  across.  The  former  is  usually  preferred  by  the 
Indians,  and  is  wie  of  the  main  passes  of  communication  between  the 
different  tribes  on  the  sea-coast.    The  woods  through  which  they 


184  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 

passed  were  of  spruce  trees,  some  of  which  were  of  large  dimensioDS ; 
the  lesser  plants  were  principally  Yaccinium,  Ledums,  and  some 
candleberry-bushes  (Myrica). 

On  the  27th  they  reached  the  Flying-Fish,  then  in  Baker's  Bay,  and 
were  taken  over  to  Astoria. 

Mr.  Eld  received,  on  his  arrival  at  Astoria,  my  orders  to  repair 
with  his  party  to  Vancouver ;  where,  being  furnished  by  Mr.  Bimie 
with  a  large  flat-bottomed  barge,  he  set  out  to  join  me  at  that  place, 
which  he  reached  on  the  31st  August 

I  cannot  refrain  from  expressing  the  satisfaction  I  felt  at  the  manner 
in  which  the  service  was  performed,  and  deem  it  my  duty  to  make 
known  to  the  country  the  commendable  perseverance  with  which  this 
party  persisted  in  completing  the  duty  assigned  them,  regardless  of 
inconvenience,  privation,  and  discomfort  This  tour  forms  a  part  of 
the  operations  of  the  Expedition  that  I  look  back  upon  with  pride  and 
pleasure,  and  I  feel  that  my  thanks  are  especially  due  to  Passed  Mid- 
shipmen Eld  and  Colvocoressis,  and  Mr.  Brackenridge,  for  their  devo- 
tion to  the  service  in  which  they  were  engaged. 

Orders  were  immediately  given  for  them  to  join  the  over-land  ex- 
pedition to  California,  under  Lieutenant  Emmons,  who  was  just  about 
proceeding  to  the  Willamette  Valley,  where  his  party  had  been  orga- 
nized, with  our  own  force  and  tlie  settlers  and  trappers  who  wire 
engaged  to  accompany  it  to  California.  After  the  party  was  collected, 
it  consisted  of— 

Lieutenant  Emmons,  T.  R.  Peale,  Naturalist, 

Passed  Midshipman  £ld,  W.  Rich,  Botanist, 

Passed  Midshipman  Colvocoressis,  J.  D.  Dana,  Geologist, 

AssLstont-Surgeon  Wliittlc,  A.  T.  Agate,  Artist, 

Doughty,  Seaman,  J.  D.  Brackenridge,  Assistant  Botanist, 

Sutton,  *•  Baptist  Goardipii,  Guide, 

Waltham,      "  Tibbats, 

Merzer,         **  Black, 

Sergeant  Steams,  Warfidda, 

Corporal  Hughes,  Wood, 

Private  Marsh,  Molair, 

Private  Smith, 


Those  who  joined  the  party  for  a  safe  escort,  were  Mr.  Walker  and 
family,  consisting  of  his  wife,  sister,  three  sons,  and  two  daughters; 
Burrows,  wife,  and  child;  Nichols,  with  Warfields'  wife  and  cfiild. 

The  whole  party  numbered  thirty-nine,  with  seventy-six  animals, 
forty-four  of  which  were  private  property. 

Lieutenant  Emmons  at  first  found  much  difficulty  in  organizing 
his  party,  on  account  of  having  to  deal  with  persons  who  had  little 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  135 

or  no  regard  for  the  promises  they  made,  or  the  engagements  they 
entered  into.  This  feature  of  character  proceeds  both  from  a  desire 
to  obtain  more  money,  and  a  want  of  stability  of  purpose.  Many 
difficulties  were  encountered  by  him  in  consequence  of  the  change 
of  his  route  to  California,  which  many  of  those  who  were  to  have 
accompanied  him  were  unwilling  to  undertake.  These  were  the 
Tery  best  men  we  had  engaged.  Every  kind  of  embarrassment 
seemed  to  come  upon  him  at  once:  delays  and  disappointments  oc- 
curred every  day;  sickness  overtook  the  party;  rumours  were  cir- 
culated of  danger  from  the  Indians,  who  it  was  said  were  determined 
to  oppose  the  party  and  cut  it  off.  Some  of  the  settlers  refused  to 
re-engage,  because  their  crops  required  attention,  and  their  harvest 
might  be  lost ;  others  said  that  they  could  not  leave  their  families  for 
so  long  a  time ;  and  amidst  these  various  sources  of  delay,  the  animals 
strayed  away,  or  were  carried  off.  The  whole,  finally,  resolved  itself 
into  a  demand  for  higher  wages. 

Lieutenant  Emmons,  though  exceedingly  annoyed  by  all  these 
difficulties,  showed  himself  fully  equal  to  them,  and  by  patience  and 
perseverance  overcame  them  all.  Mr.  Rodgers,  whom  I  had  design 
nated  as  the  provider  of  the  party,  and  in  whom  I  was  told  great 
reliance  could  be  placed,  was  not  exactly  suited  to  such  a  task,  being 
connected  more  or  less  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley,  and  about 
to  become  one  of  the  residents ;  he  also  was  soon  unable  to  attend  to 
business  on  account  of  sickness :  before  the  organization  of  the  second 
party,  therefore,  he  was  discharged  and  paid  off.  At  this  point  I  shall 
leave  the  narrative  of  the  operations  of  the  over-land  party,  until  I 
come  down  to  the  date  when  they  again  joined  me  at  San  Francisco. 

The  observations  and  surveys  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Vancouver 
being  finished,  we  prepared  for  our  departure.  The  weather  during 
our  stay  had  been  delightful,  and  we  enjoyed  ourselves  very  much  in 
the  company  of  Dr.  M'Laughlin,  Mr.  Douglass,  and  the  officers  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company. 

I  have  before  spoken  of  their  attentions,  but  I  feel  that  my  expres- 
sions are  few  in  comparison  with  the  numerous  kindnesses  we  all 
received.  Even  Billy  Bruce  the  gardener  made  us  his  debtor,  by 
sending  us  repeatedly  some  of  the  fine  fruit  and  vegetables  grown 
under  his  care.  I  have  endeavoured  to  repay  him,  by  sending  him 
seeds ;  but  the  route  is  so  long  and  circuitous,  that  it  is  questionable 
whether  they  ever  arrive,  and  when  they  come  to  hand,  if  I  shall 
not  be  classed  by  him  with  those  who  have  sent  'Urash"  to  Van- 
couver, for  him  to  waste  his  time  and  experience  on,  in  attempting  to 
cultivate. 


136  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 

Among  the  officers  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  I  must  not  forget 
to  mention  Dr.  Barclay,  whose  kind  attentions  in  procuring  specimens 
for  the  Expedition,  entitle  him  to  our  gratitude. 

Sir  George  Simpson  stayed  only  a  few  days.  He  took  his  depar- 
ture under  a  salute  of  guns  from  the  Cadborough,  and  the  attendance 
of  all  the  officers  and  dependants  of  the  fort&  Mr.  Douglass  went 
with  him ;  and  in  his  suite  was  also  Mr.  Von  Freeman,  a  Russian 
gentleman,  with  whom  I  was  much  pleased.  He  was  going  to  Sitka, 
and  I  believe  was  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Russian  Company. 

The  number  of  posts  occupied  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  in 
this  territory  is  twenty*five :  these  are  located  at  the  best  points  for 
trade,  and  so  as  to  secure  the  resort  of  the  Indians,  without  interfering 
with  their  usual  habits.  Places  are  also  occupied  in  the  vicinity  of 
their  abodes  during  the  most  favourable  part  of  the  year,  for  obtaining 
the  proceeds  of  their  hunting.  This  is  regulated  with  much  skill ;  and 
the  portion  of  the  country  once  under  their  care  is  never  suffered  to 
become  exhausted  of  furs ;  for,  whenever  they  discover  a  decrease, 
the  ground  is  abandoned  for  several  years,  until  the  animals  have  lime 
to  increase  again. 

A  charge  has  been  made  against  the  Company,  that  they  were 
desirous  of  exterminating  the  beaver  south  of  the  Columbia,  and  would 
continue  to  hunt  them  until  every  fur-bearing  animal  was  exhausted. 
This,  from  the  information  I  received,  I  believe  to  be  erroneous ;  the 
story  has  probably  proceeded  from  feehngs  of  rivalry  on  the  part  of 
those  who  spread  the  report. 

Another  charge  made  against  them,  of  exciting  attacks  on  the  free 
trappers,  who  are  generally  from  our  borders,  is  to  be  received  with 
many  allowances.  It  has  been  made  in  many  cases  from  interested 
motives ;  and  I  am  satisfied  that  nothing  of  this  kind  could  emanate 
from  Vancouver,  or  from  any  of  the  officers. 

The  whole  conduct  of  Dr.  M'Laughlin  is  totally  at  variance  with 
such  a  course :  every  facility  has  been  at  all  times  extended  to  new- 
comers and  settlers ;  it  is  sufficient  that  they  are  of  good  character, 
and  the  use  of  cattle,  horses,  farming  utensils,  and  supplies,  is  invaria- 
bly extended  to  facilitate  their  operations,  until  such  time  as  they  are 
able  to  provide  for  themselves. 

During  our  stay  at  Vancouver,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  many 
members  of  the  Willamette  Mission;  but  they  were  unable  to  give 
me  much  information.  They  invariably  spoke  of  Dr.  M'Laughlin 
in  the  highest  terms :  they  were  averse  to  his  absolute  rule  over  the 
whole  territory,  and,  although  it  was  considered  by  them  as  despotic, 
they  could  not  adduce  any  instance  of  the  wrong  application  of  his 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  I37 

power.    He  is  notwithstanding  extremely  unpopular  among  all  classes 
of  our  countrymen,  but  for  what  reason  it  is  difficult  to  conceive. 

Dr.  McLaughlin  obligingly  favoured  me  with  the  heights  of  the 
stopping-places,  or  encampments,  on  the  route  that  is  usually  taken  by 
their  parties  crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains:  the  results  were  obtained 
by  the  boiling  point  of  water.  The  journey  was  made  during  the 
months  of  August,  September,  and  October,  1889. 

WATBE  BOIL0.  HKiaHT  DEDUOKD. 


September  22d,  •• 

JCiUUJUUIAMlf              •                 . 

Jasper's  House, 

»       SlHh,** 

Camp  d*Orig&],         • 

-        30th.  " 

Camp  de  FobU, 

tt              u        u 

Punchbowl,               • 

u            u       u 

Head  of  Grand  Cote, 

October  lit,        •" 

Bottom  of  Grand  Cole, 

«•    3d,         •• 

Boat  Encampment, 

"    8th,       *• 

ColriUe, 

u  i4tj,,       « 

Wallaw&lla,      . 

9070 

9566  feet 

304-5 

3867 

903-5 

4391 

201 

5716 

198 

7324 

909 

5188 

904 

4131 

905 

3607 

908 

9049 

909-5 

1986 

This  may  be  considered  as  a  near  approximation  to  the  true  height, 
and  at  several  of  the  places  where  the  barometer  has  been  also  used, 
there  is  a  very  close  coincidence  in  the  results. 

The  instrument  used  for  the  experiment  was  one  of  Newman's  make, 
and  exceedingly  convenient  for  such  purposes,  offering  great  facility  in 
use,  without  the  danger  of  accident  from  its  size. 

The  trade  and  operations  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  are  exten- 
sive, and  the  expense  with  which  they  are  attended  is  very  great. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  it  is  hardly  possible  for  any  one  to  form  an 
exact  estimate  of  the  amount  of  profit  they  derive  from  their  business 
on  the  west  side  of  the  mountains.  The  stock  of  the  Company  cer- 
tainly pays  a  large  dividend ;  and  it  is  asserted  that  in  addition  a  very 
considerable  surplus  has  been  accumulated '  to  meet  any  emergency ; 
yet  it  may  be  questioned  whether  their  trade  in  the  Oregon  Territory 
yields  any  profit,  although  it  is  now  conducted  at  much  less  cost  than 
formerly.  This  diminution  of  cost  arises  from  the  fact  that  a  great 
part  of  the  provisions  are  now  raised  in  the  country  by  the  labour  of 
their  own  servants. 

The  Puget  Sound  Company^  although  it  has  been  in  operation  for 
several  years,  has  made  no  dividends.  The  accumulation  of  their 
live-stock  may,  however,  be  considered  as  an  equivalent  for  moneyed 
profits.  In  the  event,  however,  of  the  country  becoming  the  abode  of 
a  civilized  community,  the  farms  and  other  land  possessed  by  this 
Company  must  become  very  valuable,  as  the  posts  occupy  all  the 
points  most  favourably  situated  for  trade,  and  the  agricultural  esta- 

vouv.  Ma  18 


136 


COLUMBIA   RIVER. 


blishments  have  been  placed  in  many  of  the  best  positions  for  farming 
operations.  The  utmost  economy  is  practised  in  every  part  of  the 
establishment  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  great  exertions  are 
made  to  push  their  operations  over  a  larger  field  of  action.  Mercan- 
tile houses,  supported  by  the  credit  and  capital  of  the  Company,  have 
even  been  established  at  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  San  Francisco, 
where  articles  of  every  description  imported  in  the  vessels  of  the 
Company  may  be  purchased. 

The  value  of  all  the  furs  obtained  on  this  coast  does  not  exceed 
forty  thousand  pounds  annually;  and  when  the  cost  of  keeping  up 
their  posts,  and  a  marine  composed  of  four  ships  and  a  steamer,  is 
taken  into  account,  and  allowances  made  for  losses,  interest,  and  insu- 
rance, little  surplus  can  be  left  for  distribution.  I  am,  indeed,  per- 
suaded, that  the  proceeds  of  their  business  will  not  long  exceed  their 
expenses,  even  if  they  do  so  at  present.  The  statement  of  the  Com- 
pany's affairs  presents  no  criterion  by  which  to  judge  of  the  success 
of  their  business  on  the  Northwest  Coast  I  learned  that  it  was 
the  general  impression  among  the  officers,  that  such  has  been  the 
falling  off  in  the  trade,  that  it  does  not  now  much  more  than  pay 
expenses. 

On  my  first  visit  to  Vancouver,  Dr.  M'Laughlin  was  kind  enough 
to  offer  to  keep  a  meteorological  diary  for  me,  during  my  stay  on  the 
coast,  that  I  might  have  the  means  of  comparison.  They  had  formerly 
been  in  the  habit  of  noting  the  changes  that  occurred,  and  for  many 
years  had  kept  a  journal ;  but  this  had  been  for  some  years  omitted. 
The  task  would  be  but  trifling  in  such  a  well-regulated  establishment, 
and  it  is  surprising  that  it  should  not  have  claimed  more  attention. 
The  night  observations  seem  to  be  the  principal  difficulty.  In  the 
register  kept  during  our  stay,  the  instruments  were  only  noted  in  the 
daytime,  and  the  record  is  not  available  for  the  mean  temperature  of 
the  twenty-four  hours ;  but  as  it  may  serve  to  show  the  state  of  ihe 
weather,  during  the  summer  months,  at  Vancouver,  I  will  give  an  ab- 
stract from  it  The  barometer  and  thermometer  were  both  compared 
with  our  standard,  and  found  nearly  to  coincide. 


MONTBl. 

6a 

.  M. 

Sr.  M. 

6f.  M. 

BAmOM. 

TIORMOM. 

BA&OM. 

THXRMOM. 

BAEOM. 

Tmitiioif.  1 

June     .    .    . 
July.    .    .    . 
August .    .    . 
September .    . 

30-71  in. 
30-40 
30-28 
30-28 

510 
61 
60 
53 

30-27  in, 
30-36 
30-27 
30-25 

63® 

87 
86 
78 

30-30  in. 
30-37 
30-29 
30-30 

62° 
72 

70 

58 

COLUMBIA   RIVER.  I39 

This  gives  the  mean  standing  of  the  barometer  and  thermometer, 
during  the  day  hours,  at  30*32  in.,  and  66*33°  for  the  summer  months. 

The  state  of  the  weather,  during  the  period  of  one  hundred  and  six 
days,  was  as  follows : 

Fair, 76  dayi. 

Cloudy, 19   ** 

Rain, 11  '^ 

106 

In  my  inquiries  of  the  residents,  I  am  mclined  to  the  opinion  that  the 
above  is  a  very  fair  estimate  of  the  weather,  though  they  almost  all 
differed  in  their  statements :  some  spoke  of  the  season  as  a  very  bad 
one,  others  thought  it  was  very  fine.  The  crops  of  all  descriptions  of 
grain  were  good,  which  1  supposed  to  be  the  b^t  criterion. 

The  climate  of  the  western  section,  throughout  the  year,  is  mild ;  and 
they  neither  experience  extreme  heat  in  summer,  nor  severe  cold  in 
winter.  I  am  disposed  to  believe  this  to  be  owing  to  the  constant 
prevalence  of  the  southwesterly  or  ocean  winds.  It  certainly  is  not 
owing  to  the  influence  of  any  warm  stream  setting  along  its  shores. 
The  current  near  the  coast  sets  to  the  southeast,  and  is  of  a  cold  tern- 
perature :  it  would  rather  tend  to  lessen  the  heats  in  summer  than  the 
cold  in  winter.  There  have  been  no  observations  kept  by  the  mission- 
aries in  this  lower  section  of  the  country.  It  is  liable,  from  the  expe- 
rience of  our  parties,  to  early  frosts,  owing  to  the  proximity  of  the 
Snowy  Mountains.  Frosts  sometimes  occur  in  the  latter  part  of 
August,  which  check  all  vegetation  at  that  early  season. 

The  southwest  winds  are  caused  by  the  vast  extent  of  the  sandy  and 
arid  country  lying  east  of  the  Cascade  and  Californian  range  of  moun- 
tains,  which  becoming  heated  rarefies  the  air,  and  causes  an  indraught 
from  the  west  This  current  is  found  to  increase  in  violence  as  the 
rarefied  region  is  approached ;  and  so  constant  is  this  draught,  that  we 
experienced  only  three  days  of  easterly  winds  during  our  stay,  and 
these  were  very  moderate  in  force.  Immediately  on  the  coast,  the 
winds  are  from  the  west-southwest  to  west-northwest :  these  maintain 
their  direction  until  they  reach  the  interior,  and  blow  with  great 
riolence» 

The  winters  are  invariably  what  would  be  termed  open  ones  with 
us.  Snow  seldom  falls,  and  when  it  does,  it  rarely  lasts  more  than  two 
or  three  days.  The  rains  during  this  season  are  frequent,  though  not 
riolent.  The  climate  in  the  western  section,  from  all  accounts,  is  not 
unlike  that  of  England,  and  would  be  termed  a  wet  one.  The  winter 
of  1840  was  the  severest  they  had  yet  experienced. 


140  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 

The  middle  section  is,  on  the  contrary,  exceedingly  dry,  and  the 
temperature  more  changeable,  the  variations  being  great  and  sudden. 
The  mercury  has  been  known  to  fall  as  low  as  — 18^  in  the  winter,  and 
to  rise  as  high  as  108^  in  the  shade,  in  summer.  In  Appendix  XIII., 
Vol.  IV.,  will  be  found  a  register  of  the  temperature,  kept  at  one  of  the 
missionary  stations,  Lapwai,  on  the  Kooskooskee.  It  may  be  said  to 
be  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  middle  section. 

The  eastern  section  has  an  exceedingly  variable  climate :  it  fluctu- 
ates from  cold  to  hot  in  a  few  hours,  ranging  through  fifty  or  sixty 
degrees  of  temperature;  yet,  from  the  accounts  I  have,  from  very 
respectable  authority,  the  cold  is  by  no  means  severe  for  any  length  of 
time.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Smith,  who  was  two  years  there,  assured  me  that 
the  cattle  and  horses  required  no  other  food  than  what  they  could  pick 
up,  the  natural  hay  before  spoken  of  being  sufficient  for  their  support 

The  climate  throughout  Oregon  is  thought  to  be  salubrious  for  the 
white  race ;  and  was  considered  so  by  the  Indians,  prior  to  the  year 
1830,  when  the  ague  and  fever,  or  any  disease  resembling  it,  was  not 
known  to  exist.  The  Indians  fully  believe,  to  this  day,  that  Captain 
Dominis  introduced  the  disease  in  1830.  Since  that  time,  it  has  com- 
mitted frightful  ravages  among  them ;  not  so  much,  perhaps,  from  the 
violence  of  the  disease  itself,  as  the  manner  in  which  they  treat  it.  It 
was  not  until  quite  lately  that  they  were  willing  to  be  treated  after  our 
mode,  and  they  still  in  many  cases  prefer  the  incantations  and  practices 
of  the  medicine-man. 

I  satisfied  myself  that  the  accounts  given  of  the  depopulation  of  this 
country  are  not  exaggerated ;  for  places  were  pointed  out  to  me  where 
dwelt  whole  tribes,  that  have  been  entirely  swept  off;  and,  during  the 
time  of  the  greatest  mortality,  the  shores  of  the  river  were  strewed  with 
the  dead  and  dying.  This  disease  occurs,  it  is  said,  semi-annually,  and 
in  the  case  of  foreigners,  it  is  more  mild  at  each  succeeding  attack. 

Owing  to  the  above  causes,  the  population  is  much  less  than  I 
expected  to  find  it  I  made  every  exertion  to  obtain  correct  informa- 
tion, and  believe  that  at  the  time  of  our  visits  the  following  was  very 
nearly  the  truth,  viz. : 

Vanooayer  and  Waflhington  Island, 5,000 

From  latitade  50O  to  540  N.,  on  the  main,      •        •        .        .        •  9,000 
Penn'a  Cove,  Whidby^a  laland,  mdiidin|r  the  main  land  (Sadiet 

tribe,) 650 

Hood*8  Canal  (Saqnamiah  and  Toando  tribes),        •        .        •        •  500 

Birch  Bay, 300 

Fraaer'a  Riyer, 500 

8,950 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  141 

Brought  ibrward, 8,950 

Clalams  at  Port  Discovery,  New  Dungeness, 350 

Port  TowMcnd, 70 

Classet  tribe.  Cape  Flattery  and  Point  GienviUe,     ....  1,250 

NiflquaUy, 900 

Chickeeles  and  Paget  Sound, 700 

Port  Orchard, 150 

Cowlitz, 330 

Okonagan,     .        .        .        •        • 300 

Cohilte  and  Spokane, 450 

Kilamukea, 400 

Chinooks,       .        .        .        •        • 309 

Clatsopa, S20 

Cascades,       .....••••..  150 

Pillar  Rock,  Oak  Point,  and  Columbia  Rifer, 300 

Willamette  FaUa  and  Valley, 975 

Dallea, 350 

Be  Chute's  and  John  Day's  River, 300 

Yakima, 100 

WalkkwaHa, 1,100 

Blackieet,  that  dwell  principally  oo  the  wert  ado  of  the  Rooky 

Mountains,  .        .        .        .      • 1,000 

Umpquaa, 400 

Rogiies*  River, 500 

Khunete, 300 

Sbaate, 500 

Callapayae, 000 

Total,       .      19,354 

The  whole  territory  may,  therefore,  be  considered  as  containing 
about  twenty  thousand  Indians ;  and  this,  from  a  careful  revision  of 
the  data  obtained  by  myself  and  some  of  the  officers,  I  am  satisfied,  is 
rather  above  than  under  the  truth.  The  whites  and  half-breeds  were 
between  seven  and  eight  hundred.  One  hundred  and  fifty  were  Ameri- 
cans. The  number  of  the  latter  has,  however,  increased  very  much 
since  the  year  1840,  as  many  emigrants  have  crossed  the  mountains. 
The  decrease  of  the  red  race  is,  no  doubt,  equivalent  to  the  increase 
by  immigration. 

The  surveying  parties  having  returned,  on  the  14th  we  took  leave 
of  Vancouver.    After  proceeding  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Willa-  * 
mette,  we  anchored,  for  the  purpose  of  finishing  the  soundings  and 
making  an  examination  of  the  channels  into  which  the  river  is  here 
divided  by  a  few  islands. 

This  work  being  completed,  we  dropped  down  several  miles,  to 
overtake  the  sounding  parties.  Here  we  were  a  good  deal  annoyed 
from  the  burning  of  the  prairies  by  the  Indians,  which  filled  the  atmo- 
sphere with  a  dense  smoke,  and  gave  the  sun  the  appearance  of  being 


142  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 

viewed  through  a  smoked  glass.  We  were,  fortunately,  in  a  great 
degree,  independent  of  it,  as  it  was  not  necessary  to  see  more  than  a 
short  distance  to  discover  the  signals  for  the  soundings.     It  however 

'prevented  me  from  verifying  my  astronomical  stations,  which  I  was 
desirous  of  doing. 

Acting-Master  Sinclair,  who  had  been  despatched  to  Vancouver 
for  some  articles  belonging  to  the  Oregon,  that  had  been  left  there, 
joined  us  below  Warrior's  Point,  on  the  19th,  with  letters  and  news 
that  had  been  brought  from  the  United  States  by  an  over-land  party. 
These  letters  were  very  acceptable,  as  we  had  not  received  any 
advices  from  home  for  twenty-two  months,  and  tended  to  revive  our 
spirits,  as  well  as  encourage  our  exertions.  On  the  20th,  we  anchored 
again  off  Coffin  Rock,  near  which  we  found  a  depth  of  twenty-five 
fathoms,  which  is  the  deepest  water  within  the  capes.  This  place  is 
sixty  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  eight  miles  above  the 
confluence  of  the  Cowlitz.  The  shores  here  are  composed  of  trap 
and  a  conglomerate,  the  last  of  which  is  the  same  rock  as  that  which 
occurs  below,  and  has  already  been  spoken  of.  The  Coffin  Rock, 
which  is  not  more  than  sixty  feet  in  diameter,  and  twelve  feet  above 
the  water,  appears  to  have  been  exclusively  reserved  for  the  barial  of 
chiefs.  Dr.  Holmes  procured  here  some  fine  specimens  of  Flathead 
skulls  for  our  collection.  We  anchored  the  same  evening  off  the 
Cowlitz. 

Early  the  next  morning,  I  proceeded  up  the  Cowlitz  in  my  gig,  in 
order  to  finish  the  survey  of  that  stream  and  examine  the  strata  of 
coal  said  to  exist  there.  After  entering  it,  it  was  with  difficulty  that  I 
recognised  the  river ;  for  there  is  a  greater  difierence  than  even  in  the 
Columbia,  between  its  high  and  low  states.  After  passing  up  the  Cow- 
litz several  miles,  I  encountered  rapids,  through  which  it  was  necessary 
to  drag  the  boat  by  a  line.  I  found,  after  great  exertion  and  fatigue, 
we  could  not  ascend  beyond  thirteen  miles;  for  it  had  become  so  shallow 
that  the  boat  would  not  float,  and  we  had  not  strength  enough  to  force 
her  over  the  wide  bars  of  gravel  and  sand,  that  had  apparently  accu- 
mulated during  the  last  spring.     After  securing  some  specimens  of 

'  lignite  that  were  found  embedded  in  the  alluvial  banks,  and  taking 
observations  for  time,  I  turned  back ;  and  feeling  anxious  to  reach  the 
brig  at  an  early  hour,  I  ventured  to  shoot  one  of  the  rapids.  In  doing 
this,  w^e  all  had  a  narrow  escape ;  and  particularly  two  of  the  boat's 
crew,  who  were  in  great  danger  of  their  lives.  We  fortunately 
escaped,  but  with  considerable  damage  to  the  boat  and  a  few  bruises, 
the  whole  of  which  was  the  work  of  an  instant.  This  taught  me  not 
to  venture  upon  such  an  experiment  again,  and  I  felt  thankful  to  escape 


COLUMBIA'RIVER.  I43 

as  v/e  did.  The  Cowlitz  is  not  navigable,  except  at  high  water  during 
the  spring  and  fall ;  and  even  then  it  is  difficult  to  ascend,  on  account 
of  the  strength  of  its  current. 

We  bad  now  overtaken  the  sounding  parties,  and,  aided  by  the 
boats  of  the  brig,  were  enabled  to  push  the  work  towards  a  close. 
Having  reached  the  influence  of  the  tide  below  Oak  Point,  all  fears  of 
the  ague  and  fever  vanished :  we  had  indeed  been  extremely  fortunate 
in  exemption  from  this  disease,  and  only  those  suflfered  from  its  attacks 
who  had  been  before  exposed.  Those  afiected  belonged  chiefly  to  the 
Peacock,  and  the  larger  portion  were  Sandwich  Islanders.  The  crew 
of  the  Porpoise  were  generally  exempt  from  it :  all  recovered  from  the 
slight  attacks  under  a  simple  treatment  I  felt  not  a  little  satisfaction 
at  disappointing  the  knowing  ones,  who  had  prognosticated  the  cer- 
tainty of  my  having  all  hands  sick  and  dying  by  attempting  the  survey 
in  the  unhealthy  season.  When  we  reached  Astoria,  we  had  nearly 
all  hands  on  duty. 

On  the  26th,  we  had  again  reached  Katalamet  Point,  the  lower  end 
of  Paget  Island.  The  brig  passed  down  the  usual  channel  on  the 
south  side,  while  I  surveyed  the  northern  passage.  The  latter  is  about 
four  miles  in  length. 

Puget  Island  affords  no  land  fit  for  cultivation,  and  during  the  season 
of  freshets  is  overflowed.  It  is  fringed  around  its  borders  with  cotton- 
wood,  willow,  pine,  and  hazel,  &c. ;  but  it  may  be  considered  valueless. 

At  this  anchorage  I  was  joined  by  Michel  La  Framboise,  who  brought 
a  supply  of  fresh  beef  for  the  crew,  which  they  were  in  much  need  of. 
Since  I  had  first  seen  Michel,  I  had  learned  more  of  his  history  and 
the  cause  which  led  him  to  complain  of  a  want  of  advancement.  I 
regret  to  say,  that,  like  too  many  others,  he  ought  to  look  to  himself  as 
the  cause  of  his  misfortune,  instead  of  indulging  in  complaints. 

He  confirmed  much  of  the  information  I  had  received,  and  gave  me 
full  statements  of  the  population,  which  I  found  to  agree  with  what  he 
had  already  imparted  to  officers  belonging  to  the  Company,  as  well  as 
the  Expedition. 

I  questioned  him  relative  to  the  stories  respecting  the  shooting  of 
Indians,  on  the  route  to  and  from  California,  and  he  told  me  they  had 
no  battles,  but  said  it  was  necessary  to  keep  them  always  at  a  distance. 
On  my  repeating  the  question,  whether  the  reports  we  had  heard  of 
several  being  killed  during  the  late  expedition  were  true,  he.  French- 
man-like, shrugged  his  shoulders  and  answered :  "  Ah,  monsieur,  ils 
sont  des  mauvaises  gens :  il  faut  en  prendre  garde  et  tirer  sur  eux 
quelquefois." 

On  the  29th  of  September  we  again  reached  the  Pillar  Rock,  and  on 


144  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 

the  3d  of  October  we  passed  through  the  Tongue  Point  Channel  Be- 
fore doing  this,  we  took  the  precaution  to  buoy  it  out,  and  then  towed 
the  vessels  through  at  high  water.  This  enabled  me  to  lay  down  its 
tortuous  course  with  accuracy,  although  I  was  aware  that  there  is  little 
probability  of  its  remaining  over  the  season  without  some  material 
change.  The  new  and  direct  channel  discovered  by  us,  leading  up 
from  Tongue  Point,  will  supersede  the  necessity  of  using  it,  and  from 
its  direct  course,  is  more  likely  to  be  permanent ;  but  the  channels  in 
this  river  will  be  always  more  or  less  subject  to  change,  from  the  im- 
pediments the  large  trees  drifting  down  cause,  when  they  ground  on 
the  shoals. 

The  same  evening  we  anchored  about  two  miles  above  Astoria,  and 
in  order  to  lose  no  time,  I  proceeded  there  in  my  boat  to  make  ar- 
rangements for  getting  off  the  stores,  and  embarking  every  thing  pre- 
vious to  our  departure. 

I  found  that  Purser  Speiden  had  prepared  for  us  ten  thousand  pounds 
of  the  best  bread  we  had  had  during  the  cruise :  this  had  been  accom- 
plished by  his  great  perseverance  and  attention  to  the  business,  and  I 
was  thus  relieved  from  all  anxiety  in  regard  to  that  indispensable  article 
of  the  ration. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  the  Porpoise  anchored  at  Astoria,  and  every 
body  was  now  engaged  in  expediting  the  embarkation  of  stores  on 
board  of  both  vessels ;  the  officers  were  detailed  temporarily  to  the 
Oregon,  whilst  the  necessary  observations  for  the  chronometers  and 
magnetism  were  again  made. 

It  now  became  important  that  the  two  larger  vessels  should  be  got 
to  sea  as  early  as  possible.  I  therefore  determined  to  seize  the  first 
opportunity  that  should  offer  for  crossing  the  bar,  and  to  return  myself 
in  the  tender  to  complete  the  survey^  We,  in  consequence,  proceeded 
on  the  2d  to  Baker's  Bay,  whilst  the  boats  were  still  employed  under 
Lieutenant  De  Haven  in  taking  soundings.  Acting-Master  Knox  and 
Passed  Midshipman  Reynolds,  were  now  ordered  to  the  Porpoise  and 
Oregon,  for  the  purpose  of  piloting  them  to  sea,  when  an.  opportunity 
should  serve.  In  Baker's  Bay  we  found  the  Company's  schooner,  the 
Cadborough,  which  had  been  waiting  three  weeks  for  an  opportunity 
to  get  over  the  bar. 

As  the  Peacock's  launch  could  not  be  taken  with  us,  I  had  at  one 
time  an  intention  of  sending  her  along  the  coast  to  San  Francisca 
The  weather  and  advanced  state  of  the  season,  however,  would  have 
rendered  such  a  voyage  dangerous ;  I  therefore  came  to  the  determi- 
nation of  providing  her  with  every  essential  to  fit  her  to  be  used  as  a 
pibt-boat  in  the  mouth  of  the  river,  or  for  the  relief  of  vessels   in 


COLUMBIA   RIVER.  I45 

distress.  Mr.  Birnie,  on  my  asking  him  to  take  charge  of  her  for 
that  object,  would  have  readily  consented  to  do  so  for  the  Com- 
pany, but  had  no  authority.  I  therefore  immediately  wrote  to  Dr. 
McLaughlin,  to  say  that  I  had  placed  the  launch  at  his  disposal,  and 
to  request  that  she  might  be  put  under  the  supervision  of  the  Com- 
pany's officers,  for  the  above  purposes.  She  was  completely  fitted, 
and  delivered  over  to  Mr.  Bimie.  The  letters  to  Dr.  M'Laughlin  on 
this  subject  will  be  found  in  Appendix  V.  In  consequence  of  my 
departure  from  the  coast,  I  received  no  answer  from  him,  but  have 
understood  from  other  sources  that  the  boat  had  been  taken  charge  of. 
Her  construction  was  admirably  adapted  for  that  purpose,  and  I  am 
sure  that  if  any  disaster  should  occur,  the  assistance  she  will  render 
will  be  of  great  benefit. 

On  the  5th,  the  prospect  of  passing  the  bar  was  favourable,  and  at 
2h  30B  p.  M.  the  Company's  bark  Columbia,  which  had  been  lying  off 
and  on  for  the  last  week,  entered.  On  passing  the  vessels  she  saluted 
us,  and  proceeded  up  the  river  to  Astoria.  At  3^  30",  I  determined  on 
making  the  attempt  to  get  to  sea.  We  quickly  got  the  vessels  under 
way,  and  in  an  hour  afterwards  we  had  passed  the  bar  in  safety. 

The  Cadborough  followed  our  example,  and  went  to  sea  also.  Her 
master,  before  we  got  under  way,  had  strong  misgivings  as  to  under* 
taking  the  risk  at  so  late  an  hour  both  of  the  day  and  tide.  The  ves* 
sals  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  never  attempt  to  pass  either  in  or 
out,  unless  the  opportunity  is  such  as  will  warrant  the  master  in 
making  the  attempt  They  consider  that  there  is  sufficient  risk  at  the 
best  of  times,  and  are  unwilling  to  increase  it  I  have  already  stated 
that  the  entrance  to  the  Columbia  is  impracticable  for  two-thirds  of  the 
year.  This  arises  from  the  fact  that  it  can  never  be  entered  at  night, 
and  in  the  day  only  at  particular  times  of  the  tide  and  direction  of  the 
wind.  Unlike  all  known  ports,  it  requires  both  the  tide  and  wind  to 
be  contrary,  to  insure  any  degree  of  safety.  Those  who  may  desire  to 
be  farther  informed  on  this  subject,  are  referred  to  the  Hydrographical 
Memoir  of  the  cruise. 

Having  succeeded  in  getting  the  brigs  beyond  the  risk  of  detention,  I 

gave  them  orders  to  await  my  return,  and  went  on  board  the  tender,  to 

pass  again  into  the  river,  for  the  purpose  of  completing  all  that  re* 

mained  of  the  survey.   The  Company's  bark  Columbia  had  just  returned 

from  the  northern  posts.  The  master,  Mr.  Broughton,  was  kind  enough 

to  give  me  much  information  respecting  the  northern  coasts,  and  the  In* 

dian  tribes :  he  likewise  presented  the  Expedition  with  many  curiosities 

of  native  workmanship,  some  of  which  showed  much  ingenuity,  parti* 

cularly  their  pipes  and  masks.    The  latter  are  used  in  their  theatrical 
VOL.  v.  N  19 


COLUMBIA  RITER. 


exhibitions,  which  are  represented  by  those  who  have  witnessed  them 
«s  affording  ihem  much  entertainment,  and  a  pastime  in  which  they 
very  frequently  indulge ;  many  of  these  masks  are  represented  with  the 
spoon-lip.     As  this  ornament  belongs  to  the  female  sex,  they  also 


engage  in  the  diversion.  Some  of  the  masks  are  sufficiently  hideous, 
while  others  are  carved  with  skill  i  they  use  the  soft  pine  for  this  pur- 
pose. The  wood  is  variously  stained  with  red,  black,  and  yellow 
marks.  The  two  of  these  represented  in  the  engraving  will  give  a 
good  idea  of  those  that  are  the  best  executed.  The  pipes,  saucers, 
&.C,  are  usually  carved  from  clay. 


The  survey  we  finished  by  the  morning  of  the  lOth  October,  when 
we  again  reached  Baker's  Bay,  and  being  determined  to  lose  no  time, 
we  made  the  attempt  to  pass  the  bar :  though  we  succeeded  in  doing 
so,  I  am  satisfied  it  was  at  great  risk ;  for,  as  I  have  been  told  is  fre- 
quently the  case,  the  wind  failed  us  juat  at  the  most  critical  point, 
and  rendered  it  doubtful  if  we  should  pass.  Our  situation  was  dange- 
rous, and  a  vessel  of  any  other  class  must  have  been  wrecked.  For 
at  least  twenty  minutes  I  was  in  doubt  whether  we  could  eflect  our 
object;  but  by  the  use  of  sweeps  we  accomplished  it,  principally 
through  the  exertions  of  the  extra  men,  belonging  to  the  surveying 
boats,  whom  we  had  on  board. 

The  Oregon  was  the  only  vessel  in  sight ;  and  when  I  boarded  ber, 
I  learned  that  they  had  not  seen  the  Porpoise  for  three  days.  Tbe 
next  day  she  hove  in  sight,  and  the  anangemenls  were  soon  completed. 


COLUMBIA  RIVER.  147 

I  DOW  supplied  the  tender  with  water  and  other  requisites,  and  gave 
Mr.  Knox  orders  to  take  a  few  more  soundings  on  the  outside  of  the 
bar,  and  then  proceed  along  the  coast  as  far  as  latitude  42^  N.,  and  to 
examine  it,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Umpqua. 

Previous  to  leaving  the  Columbia  river,  I  addressed  the  following 
letter  to  Dr.  M'Laughlin  and  Mr.  Douglass. 

U.  S.  Brig  Porpoiie, 
Baker's  Bay, 

October  5th,  1841. 
Gbntleiibh,— 

My  last  duty,  before  leaving  the  Columbia,  I  feel  to  be  that  of 
expressing  to  you  my  sincere  thanks  for  the  important  aid  and  facili- 
ties which  you  have  afforded  the  Expedition  on  all  occasions,  for 
carrying  out  the  object  of  our  visit  to  this  part  of  the  world ;  and  be 
assured  it  will  prove  a  very  pleasing  part  of  my  duty  to  make  a  due 
representation  of  it  to  my  government. 

Your  personal  kindness  and  friendly  attentions  to  myself  and 
officers,  from  our  first  arrival,  and  also  to  Captain  Hudson  and  his 
officers  after  the  wreck  of  the  Peacock,  have  laid  us  under  many 
obligations,  which  I  trust  it  may  be  at  some  future  day  in  our  power 
to  return. 

We  all  would  request  through  you  an  expression  of  our  feelings 
for  the  many  attentions  and  kindnesses  received,  and  the  pleasures 
afforded  us  by  the  officers  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  service,  with 
whom  we  have  had  any  intercourse,  which  will  be  long  remembered 
with  pleasure. 

With  my  sincere  wishes  for  the  health,  happiness,  and  prosperity  of 

yourselves  and  families,  I  am,  very  truly, 

Your  obedient  servant^ 

Charles  Wilkes, 
To  John  BI'Ladohlim  and  Cfwnmanrting  Exploring  Rrpcditkn. 

Jaios  Dodolam,  Efduimn, 

Chief  Factors,  H.  B.  C.  Serrice,  Vancouver. 

At  the  same  time,  I  wrote  a  letter  to  our  government,  informing  them 
of  the  assistance  we  had  received,  stating  the  services  these  gentlemen 
had  rendered  us,  and  asking  that  an  expression  of  acknowledgment 
might  be  made,  through  the  British  minister  at  Washington,  to  the 
Directors  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  in  England.         % . 

On  the  night  of  the  15th,  we  parted  company  with  the  Oregon,  and 
did  not  see  her  again  until  she  arrived  at  San  Francisco.  We  coasted 
along  to  the  southward,  in  the  Porpoise.  The  land  is  high  and  moun- 
tainous, and  may  be  seen  at  a  great  distance.   Soundings  of  dark  sand 


148  COLUMBIA    RIVER. 

are  obtained,  in  from  thirty  to  forty  fathoms  water,  about  fiftera  or 
twenty  miles  from  the  land. 

The  coast  south  of  the  Columbia  river  I  regretted  we  had  not  an 
opportunity  more  particularly  lo  examine :  the  attempt  of  the  Flying- 
Fish  was  URSUCcenful ;  the  season  had  advanced  so  far  as  to  make  it 
next  to  impossible  to  accomplich  it  in  the  manner  I  desired.  I  have  no 
reason  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  the  examinations  that  have  been 
already  made.  No  ports  exist  along  any  part  of  it,  that  are  accessible 
to  any  class  of  vessels,  even  those  of  but  very  small  draught  of  water ; 
and  the  impediment  that  the  constant  and  heavy  surf  offers,  along  ihe 
whole  coast,  to  a  landing  in  boats,  makes  this  part  of  our  territory 
comparatively  valueless  in  a  commercial  point  of  view.  Along  a  great 
part  of  it  is  an  iron-bound  shore,  rising  precipitately  from  the  water. 
Anchorage  in  a  few  places  may  be  had,  but  only  in  fair  weather,  and 
during  the  fine  season.  For  a  nxire  particular  description  of  the  coast, 
I  refer  to  the  Hydrographical  Memoir. 

On  the  18th,  we  made  Cape  de  los  Reyes  and  the  Fsrallones.  In 
the  aflemoon  we  were  boarded  by  a  boat  from  the  Company's  bark, 
Cowlitz,  in  which  was  her  master,  Mr.  Brochier,  nod  M.  Duplot  de 
Mofras.  The  latter  informed  me  that  he  had  just  made  a  tour  through 
Mexico  and  California,  and  was  now  going  to  the  Columbia,  for  a 
passage  to  Oahu.  The  same  evening,  finding  that  I  could  not  reach 
the  port,  I  anchored  in  thirteen  fathoms  water. 

On  the  19th,  we  were  under  way  as  soon  as  the  tide  made,  and  at 
3  F.  M.  we  anchored  near  the  Vincennes,  in  Sausalito  Bay,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  entrance.  I  was  gratified  to  find  all  well.  Lieutenant' 
Commandant  Ringgold  reported  lo  me  that  he  had  fulfilled  the  instruc- 
tions relative  to  the  Sacramento  river.  Nothing  had  yet  been  heard  of 
Lieutenant  Emmons;  and  the  next  day  I  despatched  the  launch  up  the 
river  to  meet  his  party.  The  Oregon  came  in  during  the  aflernoon, 
and  I  forthwith  made  such  disposition  of  the  officers  and  men,  as  I 
deemed  the  future  wants  of  the  service  would  require ;  this,  and  the 
operations  of  the  Vincennes,  will  form  the  subject  of  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTEE  V. 


CONTENTS. 

ASSIVAL  OF  THE  VINCENNES  AT  BAN  FRANOIBOO^PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  SUE- 
V£YS-8AUSALrrO-LONG  DSOUGHT-FRE8IDIO-AL0ALDE  OF  TERBA  BUENA-TOWN 
OF  TERBA  BUENA- UNSETTLED  STATE  OF  CALIFORNIA— CLIMATE  OF  SAN  FRAN- 
CISCO-SOIX^-^TUMATE  OF  CAUFORNIA—RIVERB-HARBOUR8— TRADE— MANUFACTURE 
OF  WnfE— INDUSTRY— MILI^-SHEEP-SWINE-MAOIBTRATES  ABTD  ADMINISTRATION 
OF  JUSTICE— REVOLUTIONS  OF  CALIFORNIA  —  OPINIONS  IN  RELATION  TO  THEM  — 
RELATIONS  WITH  MEXICO  — MODE  OF  RECRUITINO  FOR   THE   MISSIONS  —  PRESENT 
CONDITION  OF  THE  INDIANS-CHANGE  IN  THE  ADBflNISTRATION  OF  THE  BfISSIOB»- 
IT8  EFFECTS   ON  THE   INDIANS  —  THEIR   NUBfBERS  —  NUMBERS  OF  THE  WHITES- 
THEIR  HEALTH  — THEIR  CHAR ACTER  —  THEIR  MORAUI— THEIR  HOBPrTALTTY- THEIR 
CRUELTY— EXPEDmON  UP  THE  SACRAMENTO— BAT  OF  SAN  PABLO-DELTA  OF  THE 
SACRABCENTO-CAPTAIN  SUTER-NEW  HELVETIA-CAPTAIN   SUTER'S  FARMING  AND 
OTHER  A  VOCATIONS-INDIAN  DANCE— DISEASES— ROUTE  TO  OREGON— DEPARTURE 
FROM  NEW   HELVETIA  —  FEATHER  RIVER  — GAME -THE  TULA  — INDIANS— BEARS— 
INTERVIEW  WITH  A  CHIEF-MANNERS,  ETC^  OF  THE  INDIANB-THEIR  RANCHERIA 
-THEFT  BT  AN  INDIAN— BUTE  PRAIRIE  —  FISH-WEIR  —  KINKLA  TRIBE  —  HUNTING — 
RETURN  TO  NEW  HELVETIA  —  AMERICAN  SETTLERS— INDIAN  VILLAGES— OCCUPA- 
TIONS OF  THE  TWO  SEXES— ARIDITT  OF  THE  COUNTRT-CROPS-ANIMALS-RETURN 
OF  8URVETINO  PARTT  TO  THE  VINCENNES— VISITS  OF  THE  INHABITANTS  TO  THE 
SHIP -MARTINEZ    FAMILT  —  AMUSEMENTS  —  CAPTAIN    RICHARDSON  —  VALLET    OF 
NAPPA-TOWN  OF  ZONOMA-GENERAL  VALLEJO— MISSION  OF  SAN  RAFAEL-FETE 
IN  HONOUR  OF  A  SAINT— BEAR  AND  BULL  FIGHT— EXCURSION  TO  SANTA  CLARA— 
EMBARCADERO— ESTANCIA  OF  PERALTOS  — DON  MIGUEL  DE  PEDRORENA— MISSION 
OF  SANTA  CLARA— PADRE  MERCADOR-CHURCH  OF  SANTA  CLARA-GARDEN-PUEBLO 
OF  SAN  JOSE- rrS  ALCALDE -MODE  OF  CONDUCTING  BUSINESS  IN  CALIFORNIA - 
DIFFIOULTT   IN   PROCURING  HORSES— DEPARTURE  FROM  SANTA  CLARA-CALIFOR- 
NUN  H0RSEMAN-RANCHER06-LAS  PULGA8-ECTANCLA  OF  SEfiOR  SANCHEZ-TERBA 
VUBN A-RETURN  TO  THE  SHIP. 
N2 


(M9) 


CHAPTER  V. 

CALIFORNIA. 
1841. 

AmoL  Lieatenant-CommaiHlaDt  Ringgold  joined  the  Yincennes,  she 
bore  away  for  San  Francisco,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  into  effect 
my  instructions  (see  Appendix  YI).  She  arrived  at  that  port  on  the 
14th  of  August,  and  anchored  off  Yerba  Buena.  Several  vessels, 
amongst  them  two  Americans,  were  found  here,  and  intelligence  was 
received  of  the  death  of  Greneral  Harrison,  President  of  the  United 
States. 

As  soon  as  the  ship  anchored,  an  officer  was  despatched  on  shore  to 
call  upon  the  authorities;  but  none  of  any  description  were  to  be  found. 
The  only  magistrate,  an  alcalde,  was  absent  The  frequency  of  revo- 
*utions  in  this  country  had  caused  a  great  change  since  the  visit  of 
Captain  Beechey. 

On  the  17th,  after  consultation  with  the  captain  of  the  port,  a  Mr. 
Richardson,  the  ship  was  moved  to  the  north  shore,  at  Sausalito,  or 
Whaler's  Harbour.  Water,  which  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  at 
Yerba  Buena,  on  account  of  the  drought  that  had  prevailed  for  several 
months,  is  here  to  be  had  from  a  small  spring.  After  the  ship  was 
moored,  the  boats  were  hoisted  out,  and  fitted  for  surveying  duties  up 
the  river  Sacramento. 

On  approaching  the  coast  in  the  neighbourhood  of  San  Francisco, 
the  country  has  by  no  means  an  inviting  aspect  To  the  north,  it 
rises  in  a  lofty  range,  whose  highest  point  is  known  as  the  Table  Hill, 
and  forms  an  iron-bound  coast  from  Punto  de  los  Reyes  to  the  mouth 
of  the  harbour. 

To  the  south,  there  is  an  extended  sandy  beach,  behind  which  rise 
the  sand-hills  of  San  Bruno,  to  a  moderate  height    There  are  no 


152  CALIFORNIA. 

symptoms  of  cultivation,  nor  is  the  land  on  either  side  fit  for  it ;  for 
in  the  former  direction  it  is  mountainous,  in  the  latter  sandy,  and  in 
both  barren.  The  entrance  to  the  harbour  is  striking :  bold  and  rocky 
shores  confine  the  rush  of  the  tide,  which  bore  us  on  and  through  a 
narrow  passage  into  a  large  estuary :  in  this,  several  islands  and  rocks 
lie  scattered  around :  some  of  the  islands  are  clothed  with  vegetation 
to  their  very  tops ;  others  are  barren  and  covered  with  guano,  having 
an  immense  number  of  sea-fowls  hovering  over,  around,  and  alighting 
upon  them.  The  distant  shores  of  the  bay  extend  north  and  south  far 
beyond  the  visible  horizon,  exhibiting  one  of  the  most  spacious,  and  at 
the  same  time  safest  ports  in  the  world.  To  the  east  rises  a  lofty  in- 
land range,  known  by  the  name  of  La  Sierra,  brilliant  with  all  the 
beautiful  tints  that  the  atmosphere  in  this  climate  produces. 

Yerba  Buena  is  the  usual  though  by  no  means  the  best  anchorage. 
The  town,  as  is  stated,  is  not  calculated  to  produce  a  favourable  im- 
pression on  a  stranger.  Its  buildings  may  be  counted,  and  consist  of  a 
large  frame  building,  occupied  by  the  agent  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany, a  store,  kept  by  Mr.  Spears,  an  American,  a  billiard-room  and 
bar,  a  poop  cabin  of  a  ship,  occupied  as  a  dwelling  by  Captain  Hinck- 
ley, a  blacksmith's  shop,  and  some  out-buildings.  These,  though  few 
in  number,  are  also  far  between.  With  these,  I  must  not  forget  to 
enumerate  an  old  dilapidated  adobe  building,  which  has  a  conspicuous 
position  on  the  top  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  anchorage.  When  to 
this  we  add  a  sterile  soil  and  hills  of  bare  rock,  it  will  be  seen  that 
Yerba  Buena  and  the  country  around  it  are  any  thing  but  beautiful. 
This  description  holds  good  when  the  tide  is  high,  but  at  low  water  it 
has  for  a  foreground  an  extensive  mud-flat,  which  does  not  add  to  the 
beauty  of  the  view. 

Although  I  was  prepared  for  anarchy  and  confusion,  I  was  surprised 
when  I  found  a  total  absence  of  all  government  in  California,  and  even 
its  forms  and  ceremonies  thrown  aside. 

After  passing  through  the  entrance,  we  were  scarcely  able  to  dis- 
tinguish the  Presidio ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  its  solitary  flag-staflf,  we 
could  not  have  ascertained  its  situation.  From  this  staff  no  flag 
floated ;  the  building  was  deserted,  the  walls,  had  fallen  to  decay,  the 
guns  were  dismounted,  and  every  thing  around  it  lay  in  quiet.  We 
were  not  even  saluted  by  the  stentorian  lungs  of  some  soldier,  so  cus* 
tomary  in  Spanish  places,  even  after  all  political  power  as  well  as 
military  and  civil  rule  has  fled.  I  afterwards  learned  that  the  Presidio 
was  still  a  garrison  in  name,  and  that  it  had  not  been  wholly  aban- 
doned ;  but  the  remnant  of  the  troops  stationed  there  consisted  of  no 
more  than  an  oflUcer  and  one  soldier.    I  was  not  able  to  learn  the  rank 


CALIFORNIA.  158 

of  the  former,  as  he  was  absent,  and  appeared,  at  least  among  tlie 
foreigners,  to  be  little  known. 

At  Yerba  Buena  there  was  a  similar  absence  of  all  authority.  The 
only  officer  was  the  alcalde,  who  dwells  at  the  mission  of  Nostra  Sefiora 
de  los  Dolores,  some  three  miles  off.  He  was  full  of  self-importance, 
making  up  for  what  he  wanted  in  the  eyes  of  others  by  a  high  estimate 
of  his  own  dignity.  I  could  find  no  one  who  could  furnish  me  with 
his  name,  which  must  be  my  apology  for  not  recording  it  in  this  place. 
Some  excuse  may  be  offered  for  his  inattention  to  his  duties,  as  I 
understood  that  he  had  just  been  united  in  wedlock  to  a  lady  of  one  of 
the  distinguished  families  of  the  country ;  and  after  such  an  event  in 
California  much  gaiety  and  rejoicing  usually  follow,  until  the  hilarity 
at  times  becomes  so  uproarious  as  to  end  in  fighting  and  bloodshed. 

Under  the  Palermo  Mountain,  or  Table  Hill  of  Beechey,  which  is 
two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  high,  and  sparsely  wooded  with  a  few 
gnarled  and  scraggy  oaks,  the  hills  open  towards  the  bay  into  a  kind 
of  vale,  which  had  been  chosen  for  the  position  of  the  observatory, 
and  where  the  instruments  had  been  set  up  under  the  direction  of 
Lieutenant  Carr.  This  place  is  well  adapted  for  the  resort  of  whalers. 
Here  they  may  rq>air  their  boats,  obtain  water,  and  refit ;  and  firom 
their  frequent  resort  to  it,  has  obtained  the  name  of  Whaler's  Harbour. 
The  cove  is  a  safe  anchorage,  beii^  protected  from  the  northwest  and 
westerly  winds,  which  prevail  during  themimm^  season,  and  often 
blow  with  great  violence. 

At  the  time  of  our  visit,  the  country  altogether  presented  rather  a 
singular  appearance,  owing,  as  I  afterwards  observed,  to  the  withered 
vegetation  and  the  ripened  wild  oats  of  the  country.  Instead  of  a 
lively  green  hue,  it  had  generally  a  tint  of  a  light  straw-colour,  show* 
ing  an  extreme  want  of  moisture.  The  drought  had  continued  for 
eleven  months ;  the  cattle  were  dying  in  the  fields ;  and  the  first  view 
of  California  was  not  calculated  to  make  a  favourable  impression 
either  of  its  beauty  or  fertility. 

I  found  it  very  difiicult  to  obtain  accurate  information  in  relation  to 
Upper  California.  The  country,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  and  for 
several  years  previous,  had  been  in  a  state  of  revolution ;  and,  as  is 
often  the  case  under  similar  circumstances,  was  involved  in  anarchy 
and  confusion,  without  laws  or  security  of  person  and  property.  It 
is  undergoing  such  frequent  changes,  that  it  is  difllcuh  to  understand 
or  to  describe  them. 

With  California  is  associated  the  idea  of  a  fine  climate,  and  a  rich 
and  productive  soil.    This,  at  least,  was  the  idea  with  which  I  entered 

VOL.  V.  20 


154  CALIFORNIA. 

its  far-famed  port ;  but  I  soon  found,  from  the  reports  of  the  officers, 
after  the  trial  they  had  had  of  it  during  the  months  of  August  and 
September,  that  their  experience  altogether  contradicted  the  received 
opinion  upon  the  first  mentioned  point  Many  of  them  compared  its 
climate  to  that  of  Orange  Harbour,  at  Cape  Horn,  with  its  cold  bluster- 
ing winds  and  cloudy  skies.  This  kind  of  weather  prevails  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  year,  and  the  comparison  is  literally  true  in  relation 
to  one  portion  of  California — ^the  sea-coast 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  other  country  where  there  is  such  a  diversity 
of  features,  soil,  and  climate,  as  California.  The  surface  exhibits  the 
varieties  of  lofty  ranges  of  mountains,  confined  valleys,  and  extensive 
plains.  On  the  coast,  a  range  of  high  land  extends  in  length  from  Cape 
Mendocino  to  latitude  32^  N.,  and  in  breadth  into  the  interior  from  ten 
to  twenty  miles. 

The  valley  of  San  Juan,  of  no  great  extent,  lies  between  these  hills 
and  the  Sierra,  which  is  a  low  range  of  mountains.  East  of  the  Sierra 
is  the  broad  valley  of  the  Sacramento,  which  is  prolonged  to  the  south 
in  that  of  Buena  Ventura,  as  far  as  Mount  San  Bernardino,  under  the 
thirty-fourth  parallel.  Beyond  this  valley  is  the  Californian  Range, 
which  is  a  continuation  of  the  Cascade  Range  of  Oregon,  and  whose 
southern  summits  are  capped  with  snow.  This  range  gradually  de- 
creases in  height,  until  it  declines  into  hills  of  moderate  elevation.  To 
the  east  of  the  Californian  Mountains  are  the  vast  sandy  plains,  of 
which  we  know  but  little,  except  that  they  form  a  wide  trackless  waste, 
destitute  of  every  thing  that  can  fit  it  for  the  habitation  of  man  or  beast 

The  soil  is  as  variable  as  the  face  of  the  country.  On  the  coast 
range  of  hills  there  is  little  to  invite  the  agriculturist,  except  in  some 
vales  of  no  great  extent  These  hills  are,  however,  admirably  adapted 
for  raising  herds  and  flocks,  and  are  at  present  the  feeding-grounds  of 
numerous  deer,  elk,  &c.,  to  which  the  short  sweet  grass  and  wild  oats 
that  are  spread  over  them,  aflford  a  plentiful  supply  of  food.  No  at- 
tempts have  been  made  to  cultivate  the  northern  part  of  this  section,  nor 
is  it  susceptible  of  being  the  seat  of  any  large  agricultural  operations. 

The  valley  of  the  Sacramento,  and  that  of  San  Juan,  are  the  most 
fruitful  parts  of  California,  particularly  the  latter,  which  is  capable  of 
producing  wheat,  Indian  corn,  rye,  oats,  &c.,  with  all  the  fruits  of  the 
temperate  and  many  of  the  tropical  climates.  It  likewise  offers  fine 
pasture-grounds  for  cattle.  This  region  comprises  a  level  plain,  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  miles  in  width,  extending  from  the  bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, beyond  the  mission  of  that  name,  north  and  south.  This  may 
be  termed  the  garden  of  California;  but  although  several  small  streams 


CALIFORNIA.  156 

and  lakes  serve  to  water  it,  yet  in  dry  seasons  or  droughts,  not  only 
the  crops  but  the  herbage  also  suffers  extremely,  and  the  cattle  are 
deprived  of  food. 

The  Sierra  affords  little  scope  for  cultivation,  being  much  broken, 
barren,  and  sandy.  It  is  in  places  covered  with  cedar,  pine,  and  oak ; 
but  it  offers  few  inducements  to  the  settler.  The  great  valley  of 
Buena  Ventura  next  succeeds,  which,  although  it  offers  more  prospects 
of  profitable  cultivation,  is  by  all  accounts  far  inferior  to  that  of  San 
Juan.  It  lies  nearly  parallel  to  the  latter,  and  is  watered  by  the  San 
Joachim  river  and  its  branches. 

In  this  valley  the  Californian  Indians  principally  dwell.  The  San 
Joachim  receives  its  waters  from  the  many  streams  that  issue  from 
the  Californian  range  of  mountains.  These  are  well  wooded,  their 
base  being  covered  with  oaks,  to  which  succeeds  the  red  California 
cedar  (Schubertia  abertina),  and  after  it,  in  a  still  higher  region,  pines, 
until  the  snows  are  encountered.  On  the  eastern  side  of  this  range, 
there  is  found  very  little  timber,  and  in  consequence  of  the  want  of 
moisture,  trees  do  not  flourish,  even  on  the  west  side.  The  inland 
plain,  constituting  a  large  part  of  Upper  California,  is,  according  to  all 
accounts,  an  arid  waste;  the  few  rivers  that  exist  being  periodical, 
and  losing  themselves  in  the  sandy  soil. 

Of  the  latter  portion  of  country,  however,  there  is  little  known,  and 
the  accounts  given  of  it  vary  extensively.  It  has  been  crossed  by 
seven  persons,  who  difier  altogether  in  respect  to  its  appearance.  One 
declared  that  the  horses  and  men  had  not  only  a  scanty  supply  of 
water,  but  were  actually  nearly  famished  for  want  of  food ;  while 
others  have  found  both  grass  and  water  plentiful.  The  only  thing 
that  can  reconcile  these  contradictory  statements  is,  that  these  dif- 
ferent persons  had  visited  the  country  at  different  seasons  of  the  year. 
It  seems  not  at  all  improbable  that  the  first  of  these  accounts  should 
be  the  correct  one,  for  we  find  great  aridity  throughout  the  rest  of 
California,  and  Oregon  also.  All  agree  that  the  middle  and  extensive 
portion  of  this  country  is  destitute  of  the  requisites  for  supplying  the 
wants  of  man. 

In  climate,  California  varies  as  much  if  not  even  more  than  in 
natural  features  and  soil.  On  the  coast  range,  it  has  as  high  a  mean 
temperature  in  winter  as  in  summer.  The  latter  is  in  fact  the  coldest 
part  of  the  year,  owing  to  the  constant  prevalence  of  the  northwest 
winds,  which  blow  with  the  regularity  of  a  monsoon,  and  are  exceed- 
ingly cold,  damp,  and  uncomfortable,  rendering  fire  often  necessary 
for  comfort  in  midsummer.  This  is,  however,  but  seldom  resorted  to, 
and  many  persons  have  informed  me  that  they  have  suffered  more 


156  CALIFORNIA. 

from  cold  at  Monterey,  than  in  places  of  a  much  higher  latitude.  The 
climate  thirty  miles  from  the  coast  undergoes  a  great  change,  and  in 
no  part  of  the  world  is  there  to  be  found  a  finer  or  more  equable  one 
than  in  the  valley  of  San  Juan.  It  more  resembles  that  of  Andalusia, 
in  Spain,  than  any  other,  and  none  can  be  more  salubrious.  The  cold 
winds  of  the  coast  have  become  warmed,  and  have  lost  their  force  and 
violence,  though  they  retain  their  freshness  and  purity.  This  strip  of 
country  is  that  in  which  the  far-famed  missions  have  been  established ; 
and  the  accounts  of  these  have  led  many  to  believe  that  the  whole  of 
Upper  California  was  well  adapted  for  agricultural  uses.  This  is  not 
the  case,  for  the  small  district  already  pointed  out  is  the  only  section 
of  country  where  these  advantages  are  to  be  found.  This  valley 
extends  beyond  the  pueblo  of  San  Juan,  or  to  the  eastward  of  Monte* 
rey :  it  is  of  no  great  extent,  being  about  twenty  miles  long  by  twelve 
wide. 

The  Sierra,  which  separates  the  valley  of  San  Juan  from  that  of 
Buena  Ventura,  is  about  one  thousand  five  hundred  feet  high,  barren 
and  sandy.  Pines  cover  its  summit,  and  the  climate  is  exceedingly 
dry  and  arid,  though  cooled  by  the  fresh  wind  that  passes  beyond 
them.  Next  comes  the  central  valley  of  Buena  Ventura,  which  is  a 
continuation  of  the  Sacramento,  and  through  which  the  Snn  Joachim 
flows.  Being  confined  within  the  two  ranges  of  mountains,  and  not 
having  the  same  causes  operating  to  modify  the  temperature  as  the 
smaller  valley  of  San  Juan,  the  heats  of  its  summer  are  oppressive, 
the  thermometer  ranging,  it  is  said,  higher  than  within  the  torrid  zone, 
and  the  heat  continuing  without  cessation. 

Ahhough  the  Californian  Range  is  covered  with  snow  in  close 
proximity  to  this  valley,  it  seems  to  have  but  little  eflTect  in  modi- 
fying the  climate,  which  is  represented  as  tropical  throughout  the 
year.  This  valley  extends  as  far  south  as  the  San  Bernardino  Moun- 
tain. The  residents  in  California  say  that  they  have  never  known  the 
wind  to  blow  from  the  northeast  within  thirty  miles  of  the  coast 

This  state  of  things  may  mlso  prevail  in  the  interior,  and  will  natu- 
rally prevent  the  cool  stratum  of  air  from  descending  into  the  valley,  it 
being  carried  to  the  interior  by  the  prevailing  winds  from  an  opposite 
quarter. 

In  ordinary  seasons  these  valleys  are  well  watered  by  streams  from 
the  mountains,  which  vary  very  much  in  size :  they  are  for  some  part 
of  the  year  mere  brooks,  while  during  the  rainy  season,  from  November 
to  February,  they  become  in  some  cases  impassable.  The  Sacramento 
is  the  largest  river  in  California.  One  of  its  branches,  Destruction 
river,  takes  its  rise  near  Mount  Shaste,  and  was  examined  throughout 


CALIFORNIA.  157 

the  whole  of  its  course  by  our  land  party,  until  it  joined  the  Sacra- 
mento :  the  latter  is  thought  by  some  to  pass  through  the  mountains 
and  join  Pitt's  river.  Pitt's  river  is  said  to  take  its  rise  to  the  northeast 
of  the  Shaste  Mountain,  and  from  the  information  that  I  received,  ex- 
tends as  far  as  Pitt's  Lake,  under  the  forty-second  parallel.  I  have 
reason  to  doubt  whether  the  length  of  its  course  is  so  great,  and  believe 
that  the  Sacramento  has  its  source  in  the  eastern  spurs  of  the  Shaste 
Mountain.  I  have,  however,  indicated  by  a  dotted  line  on  the  map, 
the  course  Pitt's  river  is  thought  to  pursue  before  it  joins  the  Sacra- 
mento. This,  if  correct,  would  give  the  Sacramento,  with  its  branches, 
a  course  of  two  hundred  miles  from  the  ocean. 

The  first  branch  of  any  size  in  descending  the  Sacramento  is  that 
called  Feather  river,  which  joins  it  below  the  Prairie  Butes,  coming 
from  the  northeast  This  branch  takes  its  rise  in  the  California  Moun- 
tains, near  their  northern  end,  and  has  a  course  of  about  forty  miles. 
The  American  river  is  a  small  branch  that  joins  the  Sacramento  at 
New  Helvetia.  AAer  receiving  this  stream,  the  Sacramento  is  joined 
by  the  San  Joachim,  which  courses  from  the  south,  and  below  their 
confluence  enters  the  bay  of  San  Pablo  through  the  Straits  of  Kaquines, 
thence  passing  into  the  bay  of  San  Francisco. 

It  is  navigable  for  boats  to  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  and  for  vessels  as  far  as  New  Helvetia.  The  upper  portion  of  it, 
near  the  Prairie  Butes,  overflows  its  banks,  and  submerges  the  whole 
of  the  Sacramento  Valley  as  far  down  as  the  San  Joachim.  This 
inundation  is  probably  caused  by  the  united  effects  of  the  Sacramento 
and  the  Feather  rivers,  as  there  is  not  in  its  bed  sufficient  room  to 
discharge  so  large  a  quantity  of  water.  This  valley  will  be  presently 
spoken  of  in  connexion  with  its  survey. 

The  San  Joachim  does  not  pass  through  the  Tula  Lake,  as  laid  down 
by  Coulter ;  its  sources  are  in  the  Californian  Range.  The  Tula  Lake 
is  called  by  the  Indians,  Chintache  Lake ;  it  is  for  the  most  part  sepa- 
rated from  the  channel  of  the  river,  but  when  full  joins  it. 

There  are  many  small  streams  that  flow  through  the  different  valleys, 
and  afford  partial  opportunites  for  irrigating  the  land ;  but  there  are 
none  of  them  navigable,  except  the  Sacramento. 

Upper  California  may  boast  of  one  of  the  finest,  if  not  the  very  best 
harbour  in  the  worlds — that  of  San  Francisco,  as  before  described. 
Few  are  more  extensive  or  could  be  as  readily  defended  as  it :  while 
the  combined  fleets  of  all  the  naval  powers  of  Europe  might  moor  in 
it  This  is,  however,  the  only  really  good  harbour  which  this  country 
possesses ;  for  the  others  so  called  may  be  frequented  only  during  the 

0 


158  CALIFORNIA. 

fine  season,  being  nothing  more  than  roadsteads,  affording  little  safely 
and  but  .few  supplies  to  vessels. 

Among  these  bays  are  that  of  Monterey,  the  capital  of  Upper  Cali- 
fornia, and  that  of  Santa  Barbara  and  San  Pedro.  The  two  last  are 
partly  protected  from  the  swell  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  by  the  islands 
that  cover  them.  They  are,  however,  but  seldom  used,  there  being 
comparatively  little  trade  upon  all  this  coast ;  for  the  hides  and  tallow 
which  formerly  abounded  and  made  the  business  profitable  for  vessels, 
are  no  longer  to  be  procured.  The  destruction  of  the  missions,  and 
the  onerous  laws,  duties,  and  prohibitions,  have  nearly  destroyed  the 
little  traffic  that  once  existed,  and  it  is  now  all  transferred  to  the  bay 
of  San  Francisco.  There  a  few  hulks  may  be  seen  lying,  furnished 
with  every  needful  article :  these  keep  up  an  illicit  intercourse  by  the 
connivance  of  the  officers  of  the  customs,  by  whose  cupidity  the  revenue 
laws  are  openly  infringed,  and  what  of  right  belongs  to  the  government, 
goes  to  enrich  the  governor  and  his  officers. 

The  principal  articles  imported,  are  cotton  cloths,  velvet,  silks, 
brandies,  wines,  teas,  &c. ;  in  return  for  which  they  receive  hides  and 
tallow,  skins,  wheat,  and  salmon.  The  attention  of  the  inhabitants  has 
been  principally  directed  to  the  raising  of  cattle,  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  wealth  of  California  may  be  considered  as  consisting  of  live-stock. 
The  exportations,  on  the  average  of  years,  are  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  hides,  and  two  hundred  thousand  arrobas  of  tallow.  The 
standard  price  for  the  former  is  two  dollars,  while  the  latter  is  worth 
one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  the  arroba.  A  few  beavcr*skins  are  obtained, 
which  do  not  exceed  two  thousand,  and  are  valued  at  two  dollars 
apiece.  From  four  to  five  hundred  sea-otter  skins  are  brought  in 
by  the  American  hunters,  which  are  valued  at  thirty  dollars  each. 
Wheat  has  been  exported  to  the  Russian  posts,  to  the  amount  of 
twelve  thousand  bushels,  of  which  the  average  price  is  about  fifty 
cents  a  bushel.  Of.  late,  however,  it  has  risen  to  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents,  in  consequence  of  the  great  drought  that  has  prevailed. 
Among  the  exports  may  be  also  enumerated  about  three  thousand  elk 
and  deer  skins,  which  are  valued  at  from  fifly  cents  to  a  dollar  each. 
The  whole  merchantable  products  may  be  estimated  at  less  than  a 
million  of  dollars. 

The  yield  of  wheat  is  remarkable,  and  in  some  places,  where  the 
land  is  well  situated,  very  large  returns  are  received.  Mr.  Spears,  of 
Yerba  Buena,  informed  me  that  he  had  delivered  to  an  active  Ameri- 
can farmer  thirty  bushels  of  wheat  for  seed,  at  a  time  when  it  was 
difficult  to  procure  it,  under  an  agreement  that  he  should  have  the 


CALIFORNIA.  159 

refusal  of  the  crop  at  the  market  price.  In  the  July  follo^ving,  he  de 
livered  him  three  thousand  bushels,  and  on  its  delivery,  he  found  that 
the  farmer  had  reserved  six  hundred  bushels  for  himself;  and  this, 
without  estimating  the  loss  from  bad  reaping  and  treading  out  with 
horses,  would  give  one  hundred  and  twenty  for  one.  This  is  not  con- 
sidered a  fair  criterion  or  average,  as  the  land  was  remarkable  for  its 
richness  and  was  well  attended  to ;  but  Mr.  Spears  and  several  others 
assured  me  that  the  average  would  be  as  high  as  eighty  bushels  yielded 
for  one  planted. 

Indian  corn  yields  well,  as  also  potatoes,  beans,  and  peas.  The  cul- 
tivation of  vegetables  is  increasing  rapidly,  and  supplies  in  these  latter 
articles  may  be  had  in  abundance  and  of  the  finest  quality. 

The  country  appears  to  be  well  adapted  for  grapes.  Those  that 
have  been  tried  at  the  missions  yield  most  abundantly ;  and  about  two 
hundred  casks,  each  of  eighteen  gallons,  of  brandy,  and  the  same  quan- 
tity of  wine,  are  made.  The  cultivation  of  the  grape  increases  yearly, 
but  is  not  sufficient  for  the  supply  of  the  country,  as  large  quantities  of 
foreign  wines  and  liquors  are  imported,  which  pay  an  enormous  duty ; 
and  although  California  may  not  boast  of  its  dense  population,  every 
intelligent  person  I  met  with  agreed  that  it  consumed  more  spirits  in 
proportion  than  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Brandy  sells  for  sixty  to 
seventy  dollars  the  cask,  or  four  dollars  a  gallon,  while  the  price  of 
wine  is  only  eighteen  dollars.  The  wine  of  the  country  which -I  tasted 
is  miserable  stuff,  and  would  scarcely  be  taken  for  the  juice  of  the 
grape. 

The  salmon-fishery,  if  attended  to,  would  be  a  source  of  considerable 
profit,  yet  I  was  told  that  the  Californians  never  seem  disposed  to 
attempt  to  take  them.  The  general  opinion  is,  that  they  are  too  indo- 
lent to  bestir  themselves,  and  they  naturally  choose  the  employment 
which  gives  them  the  least  trouble.  Above  every  thing,  the  rearing 
of  cattle  requires  the  least  labour  in  this  country,  for  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  provide  keepers  and  have  their  cattle  marked.  This  done,  they 
can  support  themselves  by  the  increase  of  the  stock.  At  the  missions, 
the  manufacture  of  various  coarse  artioles  had  been  undertaken  by  the 
missionaries  as  a  step  in  the  education  of  the  neophytes.  Among  these 
were  blankets  and  wearing  apparel  sufficient  to  supply  all  the  Indians ; 
but,  with  the  decline  of  these  establishments,  the  manufactures  have  in 
great  part  been  discontinued.  Soap  of  a  good  quality  is  manufactured 
in  considerable  quantities,  and  it  is  thought  that  it  might  be  exported 
at  a  profit,  if  the  proper  arrangements  were  made  to  use  the  grease 
that  is  now  thrown  away.  The  necessary  alkali  is  very  abundant 
Leather  of  an  excellent  quality  is  also  made  and  well  tanned,  but  in 


leo  CALIFORNIA. 

such  small  quantities  as  to  be  hardly  sufficient  to  supply  the  wants  oi 
the  country. 

There  are  in  California  only  two  or  three  water-mills  for  grinding 
flour,  and  these  are  owned  by  foreigners.  The  mills  in  general  use  in 
the  country,  are  composed  of  no  more  than  two  burr*stones.  To  the 
upper  stone  a  cross-beam  is  secured,  to  which  mule-power  is  applied. 
In  most  of  the  estancias  there  is  to  be  found  a  mill  in  an  apartment 
adjoining  the  kitchen,  if  not  in  it.  The  whole  is  as  primitive  as  well 
can  be,  although  I  have  no  doubt  it  answers  all  the  wants  of  this  rude 
and  indolent  people. 

From  all  accounts,  besides  cattle,  the  country  is  well  adapted  for 
the  raising  of  sheep,  which  simply  require  watching,  as  they  can  find 
plenty  of  nutritious  food  the  whole  year  round  ;  but  there  has  been  no 
attention  paid  to  this  sort  of  stock,  and  the  wool  is  of  very  ordinary 
quality.  The  mutton  is  thought  to  be  of  very  fine  flavour.  The  usual 
price  for  a  sheep  is  from  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  to  two  dollars,  when 
a  choice  is  made  for  killing. 

Hogs  are  raised  in  some  parts,  and  might  be  fed  to  great  advantage 
on  the  acorns  which  are  abundant  on  the  hills  where  the  land  is  not 
susceptible  of  cultivation.  Pork  may  bo  packed  at  three  dollars  the 
hundred-weight  What  adds  to  the  facility  of  doing  this  business,  is 
the  fact  that  large  quantities  of  salt  collect  in  the  ponds  in  the  dry 
season,.which  may  be  obtained  for  the  expense  of  carting  it. 

As  respects  trade,  it  may  be  said  there  is  scarcely  any,  for  it  is  so 
interrupted,  and  so  much  under  the  influence  of  the  governor  and  the 
officers  of  the  customs,  that  those  attempting  to  carry  on  any  under  the 
forms  usual  elsewhere,  would  probably  find  it  a  losing  business. 
Foreigners,  however,  contrive  to  evade  this  by  keeping  their  vessels  at 
anchor,  and  selling  a  large  portion  of  their  cargoes  from  on  board. 
Great  partiality  is  shown  to  those  of  them  who  have  a  full  understand- 
ing with  his  excellency  the  governor;  and  from  what  I  was  given  to 
understand,  if  this  be  not  secured,  the  traders  are  liable  to  exactions 
and  vexations  without  number.  The  enormous  duties,  oilen  amounting 
to  eighty  per  cent,  ad  valorem^^  cause  much  dissatisfaction  on  the  part 
of  the  consumers :  the  whole  amount  raised  is  about  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  per  annum,  which  is  found  barely  sufficient  to  pay  the 
salaries  of  the  officers,  and  defray  the  costs  of  the  government  feasts, 
which  are  frequent,  and  usually  cost  a  thousand  dollars  each.  These 
emoluments  are  shared  among  the  heads  of  departments  at  Monterey, 
whilst  the  soldiers  are  often  for  months  without  their  pay,  and  are 
made  to  take  ii  in  whatever  currency  it  may  suit  the  government  to 
give.    Besides  the  above  duties,  there  is  a  municipal  tax  on  many 


CALIFORNIA.  161 

thiogs :  thus,  a  dcdlar  is  demanded  on  every  gallon  of  spirits  imported ; 
fifty  cents  on  each  beaver  or  otter  skin,  and  on  other  articles  in  the 
same  ratio.  Next  come  the  church  tithes,  which  are  enormous.  I 
heard  of  a  farmer  who  was  made  to  pay  one  hundred  and  ninety 
dollars  as  the  tithe  on  his  produce,  although  he  lives  far  removed  from 
either  church  or  priest  All  these  things  are  bringing  the  government 
into  great  disrepute,  and  the  governor  is  every  day  becoming  more  and 
more  unpopular ;  so  much  so,  that  his  orders  have  not  been  complied 
with,  and  have  been  treated  with  contempt,  particularly  wh^  he  desires 
to  recruit  his  forces.  A  short  time  before  our  arrival,  he  sent  a  list  to 
a  pueblo  of  the  young  men  to  be  drafted  as  soldiers;  when  it  was 
received,  they  in  a  body  refused  to  go,  and  sent  back  the  disrespectful 
and  defying  message,  that  he  might  come  and  take  them. 

Nothing  can  be  in  a  worse  state  than  the  lower  offices,  such  as  the 
alcaldes,  &c.  They  are  now  held  by  ignorant  men,  who  have  no 
ideas  of  justice,  which  is  generally  administered  according  to  the 
alcalde's  individual  notions,  as  his  feelings  may  be  enlisted,  or  the 
standing  of  the  parties.  To  recover  a  d^t  by  legal  means,  is  consi- 
dered as  beyond  a  possibility,  and  creditors  must  wait  until  the  debtor 
is  disposed  to  pay.  Fortunately,  and  to  the  honour  of  the  country,  a 
just  claim  is  rarely  or  never  denied ;  and,  until  lately,  the  word  of  a 
Californian  was  sufficient  to  insure  the  payment  of  claims  on  him ;  but, 
such  has  been  the  moral  degradation  to  which  the  people  have  fallen 
since  the  missions  have  been  robbed  by  the  authorities,  and  the  old 
priests  driven  out,  that  no  reliance  can  be  placed  now  upon  their 
promises,  and  all  those  who  have  of  late  trusted  them,  complain  that 
engagements  are  not  regarded,  and  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to 
obtain  any  returns  for  goods  that  have  been  delivered.  The  state  of 
the  country  is,  however,  some  excuse,  as  it  has  been  impossible  for  any 
one  to  make  calculations  under  the  existing  anarchy  and  confusion. 

It  was  at  first  believed  that  the  revolution  which  took  place  in 
November  1836,  would  result  in  much  immediate  good  to  those  who 
effected  it;  but  such  has  not  been  the  case.  Foreigners  unquestionably 
performed  a  large  part  in  planning  and  carrying  the  change  out ;  yet 
none  have  suffered  so  much  by  it  as  they  have. 

Much  of  this  derangement  of  business  has  grown  out  of  the  state  of 
the  country  for  the  last  twenty  years ;  and,  although  its  history  is  of 
little  importance,  a  succinct  sketch  of  it  may  not  be  wholly  devoid  of 
interest.  The  facts  are  derived  both  from  Californian  and  Mexican 
authorities,  as  well  as  from  Americans;  and,  although  the  accounts 
frequently  differ  in  some  particulars,  yet  as  to  the  main  points  they 
agree. 

VOL.  V.  02  21 


162  CALIFORNIA. 

Previous  to  the  year  of  the  revolution  by  which  California  was  sepa- 
rated from  old  Spain  (1823),  the  whole  country  may  be  said  to  have 
been  under  the  rule  of  th6  missions,  and  the  padres  who  were  at  their 
head  had  acquired  a  vast  influence  over  the  Indians,  as  well  as  amongst 
the  soldiery  who  were  placed  in  the  presidios  as  the  guards  and  pro- 
tectors of  the  missions.  There  were  twenty-one  missions,  and  only 
four  presidios.  The  power  of  the  governors  was  usually  rather  nominal 
than  real,  and  the  troops,  from  being  totally  neglected,  were  dependent 
upon  the  missions  almost  for  their  daily  bread.  Fortunately  for  the 
country,  the  padres  and  rulers  of  the  missions  were  men  well  adapted 
for  their  calling:  good  managers,  sincere  Christians,  they  exerted  a 
salutary  influence  over  all  in  any  way  connected  with  them,  practising 
at  the  same  time  the  proper  virtues  of  their  calling,  in  order  more 
eflectually  to  inculcate  them  upon  others.  These  reverend  men  were 
all  old  Spaniards,  and  greatly  attached  to  their  king  and  country.  When 
the  revolution  broke  out,  they  declined  taking  the  oath  to  the  new 
government :  many,  in  consequence,  left  their  missions  and  retired  from 
the  country,  and  some  of  the  others  have  since  died. 

Thus,  at  the  same  time  with  a  change  of  rulers,  the  country  was 
deprived  of  the  religious  establishments  upon  which  its  society  and  good 
order  were  founded.  Anarchy  and  confusion  began  to  reign,  and  the 
want  of  authority  was  every  where  felt.  Some  of  the  missions  were 
deserted ;  the  property  which  had  been  amassed  in  them  was  dissipated, 
and  the  Indians  turned  off  to  seek  their  native  wilds. 

At  the  time  of  the  separation  from  Spain,  a  Californian,  by  name 
Arguello,  was  governor.  On  his  being  appointed  to  that  oflice,  one 
Noniga,  a  Spanish  ofiicer,  disliking  to  be  commanded  by  a  Californian, 
attempted  to  oppose  him.  In  order  to  silence  this  opposition,  Noniga 
was  put  in  command  of  the  presidio  of  Santa  Barbara,  where,  owing 
to  his  misconduct,  he  was  soon  dismissed,  upon  which  he  again  sought 
to  excite  the  Mexicans  against  the  Californians,  and  to  impress  them 
with  the  same  deadly  hatred  which  he  himself  felt.  With  this  intent, 
he  omitted  no  opportunity  to  represent  the  actions  and  conduct  of  the 
Californian  authorities  in  the  most  odious  light 

The  government  of  Mexico  saw  the  evils  that  they  had  occasioned, 
when  it  was  too  late,  and  set  about  remedying  them,  as  well  as  to  fill 
the  vacancies  that  had  occurred.  For  this  purpose,  they  were  disposed 
to  consult  the  old  padres,  and  ofiered  those  who  remained,  the  choice 
of  the  northern  or  southern  section,  that  they  might  be  united  in  a  body. 
The  old  Spanish  priests  chose  the  southern  missions ;  and  the  few  esta- 
blishments which  lie  to  the  north  of  San  Miguel,  were  assigned  to  those 
from  the  college  of  Xacatecas,  in  Mexico. 


CALIFORNIA.  168 

By  this  time  the  supreme  government  became  convinced  that  although 
they  had  apparently  adopted  the  best  mode  of  palliating  the  injury  the 
missions  had  received,  yet  it  had  served  rather  to  increase  the  diffi- 
culty. The  new  Mexican  priests  were  in  every  way  inferior  to  the  old 
Spaniards,  neither  possessing  their  intelligence,  their  skill  in  governing, 
their  correct  principles,  nor  their  dignity  of  deportment ;  in  short,  they 
were  totally  unfit  for  their  situation. 

In  1825,  the  supreme  government  appointed  Don  Jose  Echandia,  a 
Mexican,  to  succeed  Arguello  as  governor;  and  he  gave  universal 
satisfaction,  till  1829,  when  a  revolt  took  place  among  the  Californians 
and  Indians  in  the  garrison  of  Monterey,  in  consequence  of  their  not 
receiving  the  arrears  of  pay  that  were  due  them.  The  governor,  with 
becoming  energy,  put  down  this  disturbance,  and  restored  order. 

In  1631,  Echandia  was  succeeded  by  Don  Manuel  Victoria,  who 
changed  the  whole  policy  of  his  predecessor.  He  became  at  once, 
from  his  tyrannical  conduct,  extremely  unpopular,  and  in  the  first  year 
of  his  administration  was  so  severelv  wounded  in  a  skirmish  at  Los 
Angelos,  as  to  be  incapable  of  continuing  in  the  command.  The  in- 
surrection, of  which  this  skirmish  was  an  incident,  was  the  most  serious 
that  bad  occurred.  It  owed  its  formidable  character,  as  was  believed, 
to  the  aid  which  the  foreigners  gave  the  Californians :  this  was  the  first 
time  the  former  had  interfered  with  the  afiairs  of  the  country. 

After  this  event.  General  Figueroa,  who  was  sent  to  rule  over  Upper 
California,  by  his  mild  yet  firm  deportment,  reconciled  opinions,  and 
put  down  all  opposition.  His  administration  is  still  spoken  of  as 
having  been  conducted  with  great  ability  and  moderation.  By  his 
recommendation,  the  supreme  government  had  sent  out  a  colony  of  two 
hundred  labourers  and  agriculturists,  of  which  the  country  was  much 
in  want,  to  Monterey ;  but  instead  of  their  being  what  Figueroa  had 
asked  for,  or  such  as  was  reported  to  have  been  sent,  they  turned  out 
to  be  mere  idlers,  who  had  been  living  at  the  public  expense.  The 
arrival  of  this  colony  produced  the  most  unhappy  eflfects,  and  with 
them  arose  an  enmity  between  the  Californians  and  Mexicans,  that  has 
acquired  additional  acrimony  from  the  favour  shown  the  latter  by  the 
succeeding  governors.  Figueroa  died  in  1835,  greatly  regretted  by 
all :  his  death  proved  a  great  loss  to  the  country,  for,  had  he  lived, 
things  would  probably  have  turned  out  favourably. 

Colonel  Chico,  the  next  in  command,  succeeded  Figueroa,  but  was 
ill-suited  for  the  situation,  and  the  contrast  between  him  and  his  pre- 
decessor was  too  perceptible  for  him  to  give  satisfaction  ;  his  conduct 
towards  the  inhabitants  tended  to  increase  the  unfavourable  impressions 
he  had  first  made.    It  was  not  long  before  a  dispute  arose  between 


164  CALIFORNIA. 

him  and  the  supreme  judge  of  the  district,  upon  the  question  as  to 
which  of  them  the  chief  authority  belonged.  Parties  became  very 
violent,  and  Chico  determined  to  put  down  all  opposition  by  military 
force.  This  course  gave  great  dissatisfaction,  and  coupled  with  his 
arbitrary  conduct  towards  the  inhabitants  and  the  missions,  created  a 
determination  to  resist  him  if  he  did  not  resign.  A  letter  was  written 
to  him  to  that  effect,  upon  which  he  felt  himself  compelled  to  deliver 
over  the  reins  of  government  into  the  hands  of  a  successor,  to  avoid 
the  difficulties  and  dangers  to  which  he  would  otherwise  have  been 
liable. 

The  next  in  command  was  Don  Nicolas  Gutierez,  a  lieutenant- 
colonel  :  under  this  officer  tranquillity  was  apparently  restored  for  a 
time. 

During  the  preceding  years,  many  foreigners  had  settled  in  Cali- 
fornia, who  had  taken  a  part  in  its  affairs.  These  included  natives  of 
all  countries ;  and  among  them  were  to  be  found  Americans,  who  had 
led  the  lives  of  hunters  and  trappers,  some  of  whom  had  been  living  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  on  the  Columbia  river,  whilst  others  had 
come  from  Mexico.  These  persons  were  naturally  of  a  restless  dispo- 
sition, and  disposed  to  engage  in  any  thing  that  would  produce  excite- 
ment; bold  and  reckless  in  their  disposition,  they  could  not  remain 
quiet  under  the  turn  things  were  taking  in  California,  and  they  now 
joined  and  instigated  the  party  opposed  to  the  governor.  They  argued 
that  California  ought  to  form  itself  into  a  free  state,  by  declaring  its 
independence  of  Mexico,  which  had  not  the  power  to  govern  it  At 
that  time  any  plausible  arguments  had  weight  with  so  ignorant  a  people 
as  the  Californians,  and  this  idea  was  rendered  acceptable  by  the  ill- 
will  they  bore  the  Mexicans,  and  the  obvious  want  of  legitimate  power. 
The  project  of  overturning  the  government  was  also  entertained  by 
those  who  had  previously  held  office,  and  particularly  by  the  adminis- 
trador  of  the  customs,  Ramierez,  and  Cosme  Penn^,  a  drunken  lawyer, 
who  was  the  assessor.  They  were  both  Mexicans  by  birth,  and  be- 
longed to  the  ultra  liberals.  With  them  was  joined  the  inspector, 
Alvarado,  who  was  extremely  popular  with  the  foreigners.  The  two 
former,  knowing  the  ignorance  that  prevailed  among  the  Californians, 
constituted  themselves  leaders,  and  expected,  in  the  event  of  any 
change,  to  be  benefited  by  it ;  but  at  the  same  time  they  looked  with 
some  degree  of  mistrust  and  jealousy  upon  the  foreigners  resident  there. 

Under  such  circumstances,  the  least  difficulty  was  sufficient  to  bring 
about  a  revolution,  and  it  was  not  long  before  one  occurred  that  caused 
an  outbreak,  and  ended  in  the  overthrow  of  the  authorities.  About  the 
beginning  of  November  1636,  a  dispute  arose  betvreen  the  governor 


CALIFORNIA.  165 

and  Alvaradoy  the  inspector  of  the  customs,  who  was  threatened  with 
arrest.  The  popularity  of  Alvarado  with  the  foreigners  caused  them 
at  once  to  take  a  warm  interest  in  his  behalf;  and,  without  inquiring 
into  the  right  or  wrong  of  the  business,  they  espoused  his  cause.  Alva- 
rado fled  to  the  country,  and  raised  the  standard  of  revolt  in  the  pueblo 
of  San  Juan,  some  leagues  from  Monterey.  The  people  of  California 
being  naturally  lazy,  ignorant,  and  indifferent,  required  some  strong 
stimulus  to  arouse  them ;  but  this  was  effected,  and  in  consequence  of 
the  dissoluteness  of  the  priesthood,  and  the  loss  of  clerical  influence 
with  the  lower  orders,  which  ten  years  of  their  bad  management  of  the 
missions  had  brought  about,  they  were  quite  unable  to  restrain  the 
people.  It  has  even  been  alleged  that  they  favoured  the  design,  in 
order  to  have  a  change,  and  avoid  the  heavy  exactions  that  had  been 
made  upon  them  of  late  by  the  governor.  Be  this  so  or  not,  there  w^s 
either  no  exertion  made  by  the  clergy  in  favour  of  the  government,  or 
their  power  was  too  insignificant  to  be  effective. 

The  people  were  easily  persuaded  that  a  shameful  misappropriation 
of  public  funds  had  taken  place,  and  that  the  robbery  of  the  missions 
was  still  going  on.  The  discovery  that  Chico,  who,  as  has  been 
stated,  was  forced  to  resign  in  favour  of  the  then  governor,  had  de- 
frauded the  troops  of  their  pay,  and  the  missions  of  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  satisfied  every  one  that  such  embezzlement  was  going  on,  and 
furnished  a  powerful  incentive  to  many  to  join  the  standard  of  Alva- 
rado. He  was  now  acting  under  the  advice  and  by  the  directions  of 
the  foreigners,  who  declared  their  intentions  to  be — 1st  To  hoist  a 
new  flag,  and  declare  California  independent  of  Mexico.  2d.  To  banish 
all  Mexicans.  3d.  That  California  should  be  declared  an  independent 
state ;  and  4th.  That  all  foreigners  then  under  arms,  or  who  took  part 
in  the  revolution,  should  be  declared  citizens.  These  declarations, 
although  they  had  the  desired  effect,-  were  evidently  made  rather  to 
satisfy  the  foreigners  than  to  please  the  natives,  and  are  supposed  to 
have  emanated  from  the  administrador  Ramierez,  and  Peun4  These 
men,  the  most  able  of  the  Califomians,  were  desirous  to  make  use  of 
the  foreigners  to  gain  their  own  ends,  in  which  they  so  far  succeeded, 
that  although  the  foreigners  were,  in  regard  to  fighting,  the  prominent 
actors  in  the  revolution,  the  result  proved  that  they  were  but  tools  em- 
ployed to  gain  the  ulterior  ends  of  these  two  designing  persons. 

Alvarado  was  now  directed  to  move  forward  towards  Monterey, 
which  from  all  accounts  he  was  of  himself  unwilling  to  do ;  but  the 
directors  of  his  movements  impelled  him  forward.  Who  these  were, 
is  not  well  known ;  but  the  presumption  is,  that  various  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  as  well  as  of  England,  advised  and  gave  him  promises 


lee  CALIFORNIA. 

of  aid.  On  the  2d  of  November,  he  arrived  with  his  force  at  Mon- 
terey; it  consisted  of  about  two  hundred  men,  of  whom  twenty-five 
were  American  hunters,  the  only  part  of  his  force  that  was  effective. 
Some  accounts  give  a  smaller  number,  and  state  it  at  less  than  half  of 
this.  Gutierez,  believing  the  Presidio  impregnable,  shut  himself  up  in 
it  with  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  persons,  sixty  of  whom  were 
regular  soldiers. 

The  Presidio  was  at  once  invested,  the  beach  taken  possession  of, 
and  a  communication  opened  with  several  American  vessels  then  lying 
in  the  bay.  The  energy  and  activity  exhibited  by  Alvarado's  party 
indicated  that  their  movements  were  directed  by  others  than  Spaniards 
or  Californians. 

Gutierez  seems  to  have  proved  himself  weak  and  imbecile  in  allow- 
ing these  advantages  to  be  obtained  without  making  any  endeavours 
to  attack  the  insurgents.  It  is  said,  however,  (and  his  actions  certainly 
give  some  countenance  to  the  idea,)  that  the  dread  in  which  the  Ameri- 
can hunters  were  held  by  himself  and  men,  prevented  his  making  any 
effective  effort :  in  fact,  their  fame  for  skill  in  the  use  of  the  rifle  was 
known  and  duly  appreciated. 

On  the  dd,  the  insurgents  were  found  to  be  in  possession  of  some 
cannon,  which  they  established  on  a  neighbouring  height,  and  were 
amply  supplied  with  ammunition.  As  it  was  known  that  neither 
arms  of  this  kind  nor  gunpowder  were  on  shore,  there  is  little  doubt 
that  they  obtained  them  from  the  vessels  in  the  bay ;  and  those  who 
were  likely  to  reap  the  most  advantage  from  a  change  in  the  admi- 
nistration of  affairs,  were  suspected  of  aiding  the  insurgents  with  the 
means  that  rendered  them,  in  point  of  equipment,  superior  to  their 
adversaries. 

On  the  4th,  Gutierez  received  an  official  letter,  demanding  the 
surrender  of  the  Presidio  and  every  thing  in  it  Previous  to  this,  he 
had  determined  to  resist  until  the  last ;  but  on  inquiry,  he  found  that 
various  means  had  been  used  to  win  over  the  soldiers,  who  were 
already  disaffected  on  account  of  the  arrearages  of  pay  due  to  them. 
To  capitulate  was  now  the  only  thing  to  be  done ;  but  it  was  neces- 
sary for  him  to  call  a  council  of  his  ofiicers  and  deliberate  upon  the 
terms  offered,  or  submit  to  the  place  being  stormed.  It  is  said  that 
this  council  wore  away  the  whole  night,  in  propositions  how  they 
could  avoid  a  surrender  or  obtain  relief,  without  coming  to  any  con- 
clusion. 

At  dawn  on  the  5th,  their  hunter  adversaries  becoming  impatient 
at  the  delay,  fired  an  eighteen-pound  ball,  which  struck  the  centre  of 
the  roof  of  the  Presidio,  directly  over  the  apartment  where  the  council 


CALIFORNIA.  167 

was  held.    This  messenger  brought  them  to  a  quick  decision,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  a  flag  of  truce  was  sent  out,  surrendering  unconditionally. 
At  ten  o'clock,  the  deputation  which  had  been  appointed,  consist- 
ing of  Alvarado,  Castro,  and  two  ignorant  Rancheros,  marched  in 
with  their  force,  accompanied,  it  is  said,  by  some  American  masters 
of  vessels  who  were  in  port    Gutierez  and  his  followers  laid  down 
their  arms  and  accepted  the  stipulations;  which  were  a  guarantee  of 
life  to  himself  and  ofiicers,  and  that  those  who  chose  might  either 
remain  in  the  country  or  be  suffered  to  depart    The  Mexican  flag 
was  now  hauled  down;  when  the  courage  of  Alvarado  and  the  deputa- 
tion failed  them,  and  they  refused  to  hoist  the  flag  of  California,  which 
had  been  prepared  for  the  occasion,  and  was  then  ready  to  be  dis- 
played, without  first  holding  a  council.    This  was  supposed  to  be 
done  through  the  advice  of  Ramierez  and  Cosme  Penn^,  who  now 
found  that  the  affair  had  reached  the  point  they  desired,  and  that  it 
was  necessary  to  prevent  any  further  act  in  favour  of  the  foreigners. 
The  council  was  accordingly  held,  and  Miguel  Ramierez  and  Cosme 
Penn^  were  both  allowed  to  be  present.    The  four  articles  of  declara- 
tions formally  made,  and  that  have  been  above  recited,  were  read  ovei 
for  the  purpose  of  being  considered  and  adopted;  when  these  two 
stated  it  was  not  according  to  their  understanding  of  the  plan  agreed 
upon :  that  it  was  not  to  declare  the  country  altogether  free  and  inde- 
pendent of  Mexico,  but  only  until  the  constitution  of  1824  should  be 
established.    Upon  this,  the  members  of  the  deputation,  who  were  per- 
fectly  ignorant  of  their  duties  or  business,  simply  answered :  "  Well, 
very  well ;  it  is  just  what  we  wanted :  some  persons  who  have  longer 
heads  than  any  of  us  to  put  us  in  the  right  way  and  help  us  better  out 
of  the  scrape  we  have  got  into."  Don  Cosme  immediately  took  advan- 
tage of  this,  and  gave  the  watchword,  ''Viva  California  libre,  y  muerte 
a  la  centralism !"— -upon  which  the  Mexican  flag  was  again  hoisted. 
This  produced  much  dissatisfaction  among  the  foreigners,  and  the  fear 
of  them  prevented  Ramierez  and  Cosme  Penn^  from  going  farther. 
In  the  selection  of  officers,  Alvarado  was  nominated  as  governor, 
by  Castro ;  Greneral  Vallejo,  as  commandant-general ;  Castro,  as  lieu- 
tenant-colonel of  the  militia ;  and  the  inebriate  Cosme  Penn^^  as  secre- 
tary of  state. 

This  proved  satisfactory  to  the  foreigners,  although  it  was  not  what 
they  wished:  but  the  act  removing  one-half  the  duties  was  still  more  so. 

It  was  soon  determined  that  the  Mexicans  ought  to  be  removed  at 
once  out  of  the  country,  notwithstanding  the  stipulations  of  the  sur- 
render to  the  contrary.  Accordingly,  the  British  brig  Clementine  was 
chartered,  in  which  Gutierez  and  all  his  officers,  with  a  large  number 


168  CALIFORNIA* 

of  his  men,  were  embarked,  and  ordered  to  be  landed  at  Cape  San 
Lucas,  the  southern  point  of  Lower  California. 

Thus  in  a  few  days  were  the  authorities  changed,  without  a  single 
gun  being  fired  but  the  one  above  spoken  of,  and  without  any  blood  < 
shed  whatever.  At  the  time  of  despatching  the  Clementine,  Alvarado, 
with  the  advice  of  Cosme  and  Ramierez,  purchased  a  small  schooner, 
and  sent  her  at  once  to  a  port  in  Mexico  to  inform  the  supreme  govern- 
ment of  every  thing  that  had  taken  place,  adding  that  they  were  willing 
to  remain  in  allegiance,  if  they  were  allowed  to  choose  their  own 
officers.  In  the  mean  time  they  sent  commissioners  to  demand  that 
the  other  presidios  should  be  given  up,  and  that  the  inhabitants  should 
acknowledge  the  authority  of  those  who  had  overturned  the  govern- 
ment. This  the  officers  and  inhabitants  refused  to  do,  upon  which 
Alvarado  marched  against  Santa  Barbara  with  his  rancheros,  for  the 
hunters  had,  for  the  most  part,  left  him.  He  was  met  by  a  superior 
force,  commanded  by  a  former  deputy,  named  Castillo;  but  the  schooner 
returned  previous  to  hostilities  being  commenced,  brii%ing  not  only  a 
confirmation  of  the  appointment  of  Alvarado  and  the  others,  but  with  a 
supply  of  arms,  ammunition,  and  clothing  for  the  troops,  to  the  amount 
of  ten  thousand  dollars.  When  this  became  known,  Castillo  and 
Alvarado  became  friends,  the  former  acknowledging  the  authority  ot 
the  latter,  while  Alvarado,  it  is  said,  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  central  government 

Alvarado  now  returned  to  Monterey,  where,  feeling  himself  more 
firmly  established  in  his  new  office,  and  having  been  by  this  caprice  of 
fortune  raised  above  his  deserts,  he  became  arrogant  to  his  countrymen, 
and  alienated  the  foreigners  by  whom  he  had  been  assisted. 

It  will  scarcely  be  necessary  to  say,  that  by  this  time  the  missions 
had  lost  all  their  control  over  the  community.  The  government  had 
seized  upon  their  lands,  and  appointed  an  administradorto  take  charge 
of  the  property  (which  had  been  decided  under  an  old  Spanish  law  to 
belong  to  the  government),  as  well  as  to  rule  over  the  Indians.  From 
the  priests  were  thus  removed  all  further  responsibilities  and  duties, 
except  those  strictly  clerical.  This  act  brought  about  the  ruin  of  the 
missions.  The  moral  and  religious  usefulness  of  the  priests  had  been 
destroyed  before,  and  now  the  property  that  was  still  lefl  became  a 
prey  to  the  rapacity  of  the  governor,  the  needy  officers,  and  the  ad- 
ministrador,  who  have  well-nigh  consumed  all.  Some  of  the  missions, 
that  had  from  forty  to  eighty  thousand  head  of  cattle,  are  now  lefl  with 
less  than  two  thousand,  and  are  literally  going  to  ruin.  They  are  no 
more  what  they  once  were,  the  pride  of  the  padres,  and  the  seat  of  the 
wealth  and  prosperity  of  the  country.     Moreover,  this  state  of  things 


CALIFORNIA.  169 

has  left  the  whole  community  destitute  of  any  moral  guide  whatever, 
aud  without  any  sort  of  religious  observance,  except  by  a  few  indi- 
viduals past  the  middle  age.  Alvarado  and  Greneral  Yallejo  have  the 
reputation  of  being  foremost  in  producing  this  state  of  things. 

After  a  short  time,  it  was  found  that  the  customs  did  not  produce  the 
required  revenue ;  and  the  new  government,  fearing  to  tax  the  people 
and  missions  too  openly,  resorted  to  a  renewal  of  the  double  duties, 
before  more  than  two  vessels  had  touched  on  the  coast.  Every  day 
produced  some  restrictions  upon  the  foreigners,  who  had  now  become 
estranged  from  the  existing  government  that  they  had  assisted  to 
establish.  Alvarado,  finding  his  acts  disapproved  of  by  them,  grew 
suspicious  and  jealous  of  their  presence ;  for  he  well  knew,  from  the 
manner  of  his  own  elevation,  what  an  eflective  body  they  were 

This  state  of  things  continued  until  the  month  of  April,  1840,  when 
Alvarado,  anticipating  an  insurrectionary  movement,  and  knowing  the 
confidence  that  the  aid  of  the  foreigners  would  give  the  malcontent 
Californians,  determined  to  rid  the  territory  of  them.  For  the  purpose 
of  obtaining  some  colour  for  the  violence  he  intended,  an  Englishman, 
by  the  name  of  Gardner,  was  found,  who  deposed  that  all  the  foreigners, 
firom  San  Francisco  to  San  Diego,  or  from  one  extreme  of  California 
to  the  other,  a  distance  of  six  or  seven  hundred  miles,  had  conspired 
to  murder  the  governor  and  take  possession  of  the  country :  that  an 
American,  by  the  name  of  Graham,  a  trapper  from  the  state  of 
Kentucky,  was  their  leader ;  and  that  they  were  to  rendezvous,  for  the 
purpose,  at  Nativetes,  the  residence  of  Graham.  Colonel  Castro  was 
accordingly  sent  thither,  with  the  prefect,  two  inferior  officers,  and 
fifteen  armed  soldiers.  They  proceeded  to  Nativetes,  which  is  about 
twenty  miles  from  Monterey ;  but,  as  they  well  knew  that  Graham  was 
a  resolute,  strong,  and  brave  man,  it  was  necessary  to  take  great  pre- 
cautions. They  therefore  chose  midnight  for  their  attack,  at  which 
hour  they  reached  his  farm.  On  their  arrival  they  forced  open  the 
door,  and  at  once  fired  a  volley  into  the  bed  where  he  lay  asleep,  and 
so  close  to  it  that  they  set  fire  to  his  blankets.  Graham  was  wounded 
in  several  places,  and  badly  burnt 

On  being  thus  awakened,  he  attempted  to  defend  himself,  but  was 
overpowered  by  numbers,  inhumanly  beaten,  and  then  tied  hand  and 
foot  A  working*man,  who  attended  the  cattle  with  him,  by  the 
name  of  Shard,  also  an  American,  was  held  down  by  two  men  while 
a  third  deliberately  cut  the  tendons  of  his  legs  with  a  butcher's  knife, 
and  left  him  to  die.  Graham  was  then  tied  upon  a  horse,  and  carried 
to  Monterey,  where  he  was  loaded  with  irons,  and  placed  in  a  filthy 
cell  ;-^ani  from  the  property  he  had  accumulated,  amounting  to  four 

VOL.  ▼.  P  22 


170  CALIFORNIA. 

or  five  thousand  dollars  in  specie,  and  about  ten  thousand  dollars  in 
cattle,  which  he  had  reared  and  bought,  through  his  own  industry: 
this,  it  is  supposed,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  governor,  who  was  much 
in  want  of  funds  at  the  time,  and  could  conceive  of  no  way  by  which 
his  coffers  could  be  so  readily  replenished  as  by  such  a  wholesale 
robbery. 

After  the  arrest  of  Graham,  more  than  sixty  foreigners  were  taken 
up  immediately,  put  into  irons,  and  cast  into  prison  with  him.  At  the 
same  time,  orders  were  issued  to  apprehend  every  foreigner  found 
upon  the  coast,  and  in  case  of  their  not  giving  bonds  for  their  appear* 
ance,  they  were  to  be  thrust  into  prison. 

Forty-seven  of  these  men  were  embarked  in  a  vessel  called  the 
Guipuzcoa,  loaded  with  irons,  nearly  half  of  whom  are  said  to  have 
been  citizens  of  the  United  States.  One  of  these  died  from  the  treat- 
ment he  received ;  and  the  hardships  they  were  obliged  to  undergo  on 
their  journey  to  Tepic,  are  almost  past  belief. 

The  Guipuzcoa  was  eleven  days  on  her  passage  to  San  Bias,  during 
which  time  the  prisoners  were  kept  in  the  hold  of  this  small  vessel, 
without  light  or  air,  and  endured  every  description  of  ill  treatment. 
On  their  arrival  at  San  Bias,  they  were  landed  without  delay,  and 
immediately  marched,  in  the  short  space  of  two  days,  to  Topic,  a 
distance  of  sixty  miles. 

The  thermometer  was  at  90^;  the  road  was  mountainous  and  rough; 
they  were  barefooted,  heavily  ironed,  and  without  any  food,  except 
what  was  given  them  from  charity.  They  were  urged  forward  by 
lashes  inflicted  on  their  naked  bodies,  and  one  who  sank  under  the 
fatigue  was  severely  beaten  with  the  but-end  of  a  musket. 

At  Tepic,  they  found  in  the  English  and  American  consuls  kind 
friends,  who  exerted  themselves  to  relieve  their  wants,  and  finally, 
through  their  remonstrances,  and  those  of  the  English  and  American 
ministers,  they  were  allowed  to  return  to  California ;  and  orders  were 
given  that  they  should  produce  certificates  of  their  losses,  and  b&  paid 
for  them.  All  the  Englishmen  have  returned,  with  every  necessary 
document  to  establish  their  claims,  and  obtain  redress  for  their  wrongs ; 
but  on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  this  is  far  from  being  the  case.  Of 
them  none  but  Graham  have  returned,  and  he  is  broken  both  in  health 
and  spirits.  What  remuneration  he  has  received,  I  did  not  learn; 
but  the  French  and  English  have  all  obtained  indemnity,  through  the 
attention  their  governments  have  paid  to  their  wrongs.  Ours  alone 
has  failed  in  the  prompt  protection  of  its  citizens ;  and  many  com- 
plaints are  made  by  our  countrymen  abroad  that  the  government  at 
home  seems  to  have  very  little  regard  for  their  lives  or  property. 


CALIFORNIA.  171 

It  would  appear  by  this  want  of  attention  on  the  part  of  our  govern- 
ment, that  it  had  not  been  fully  satisfied  that  the  conduct  of  its  citizens 
had  been  correct ;  at  least,  that  is  the  feeling  among  them  abroad.  I 
have  little  testimony  on  this  subject,  except  the  protestations  of  many 
of  those  who  have  been  more  or  less  suspected  of  taking  part  in  the 
expected  revolt  I  can  say,  that  all  the  accounts  I  received  invariably 
spoke  of  the  foreigners  as  having  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  intended 
outbreak,  even  if  it  were  organized ;  and  every  one  should  be  satisfied 
that  they  were  innocent,  by  the  fact  that  in  Mexico  they  were  all 
adjudged  to  be  entirely  guiltless  of  the  charges  brought  against  them, 
and  that  they  were  sent  back  at  the  expense  of  the  Mexican  govern- 
ment, with  letters  of  security,  and  an  order  making  it  obligatory  on  the 
Governor  of  California  to  assist  them  in  procuring  evidence  of  the 
damages  they  had  sustained.  Although  this  may  have  been  ample 
satisfaction,  so  far  as  mere  remuneration  goes,  yet  for  the  barbarous 
conduct  shown  to  them  by  the  authorities,  some  punishment  ought 
to  have  been  inflicted,  and  an  example  made.  But  such  has  not  been 
the  case,  and  those  officers  are  still  kept  in  their  high  places,  with  the 
power  to  repeat  like  barbarities.  There  is  no  other  way  to  account 
for  this  not  being  insisted  upon,  than  by  supposing  that  the  Mexicans 
hold  so  little  authority  over  this  territory  as  to  make  them  extremely 
scrupulous  how  they  take  any  measures  that  may  cause  the  dismem- 
berment of  the  state,  and  the  loss  of  even  the  nominal  dominion  they 
now  possess. 

The  situation  of  Upper  California  will  cause  its  separation  from 
Mexico  before  many  years.  The  country  between  it  and  Mexico  can 
never  be  any  thing  but  a  barren  waste,  which  precludes  all  intercourse 
except  that  by  sea,  always  more  or  less  interrupted  by  the  course  of 
the  winds,  and  the  unhealthfulness  of  the  lower  or  seaport  towns  of 
Mexico.  It  is  very  probable  that  this  country  will  become  united 
with  Oregon,  with  which  it  will  perhaps  form  a  state  that  is  destined 
to  control  the  destinies  of  the  Pacific.  This  future  state  is  admirably 
situated  to  become  a  powerful  maritime  nation,  with  two  of  the  finest 
ports  in  the  world, — ^that  within  the  straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  and 
San  Francisco.  These  two  regions  have,  in  fact,  within  themselves 
every  thing  to  make  them  increase,  and  keep  up  an  intercourse  with 
the  whole  of  Polynesia,  as  well  as  the  countries  of  South  America  on 
the  one  side,  and  China,  the  Philippines,  New  Holland,  and  New  Zea- 
land, on  the  other.  Among  the  latter,  before  many  years,  may  be 
included  Japan.  Such  various  climates  will  furnish  the  materials  for 
a  beneficial  interchange  of  products,  and  an  intercourse  that  must,  in 
time,  become  immense ;  while  this  western  coast,  enjoying  a  climate 


172  CALIFORNIA. 

in  many  respects  superior  to  any  other  in  the  Pacific,  possessed  as  it 
must  be  by  the  Anglo-Norman  race,  and  having  none  to  enter  into 
rivalry  with  it  but  the  indolent  inhabitants  of  warm  climates,  is  evi> 
dently  destined  to  fill  a  large  space  in  the  world's  future  history. 

Although  I  have  already  spoken  of  the  Indians,  yet  in  order  to  make 
the  state  of  the  country  fully  understood,  it  is  necessary  to  explain  their 
former  connexion  with  the  missions,  as  well  as  their  present  condition. 

The  Indians  who  were  brought  into  the  fold  of  the  missions,  were 
either  induced  through  persuasion,  by  force,  or  enticed  by  presents :  the 
agreement,  or  rather  law,  was,  that  they  should  be  converted  to  Chris* 
tianity ;  and  for  this  benefit  conferred  upon  them,  they  were  to  give  ten 
years'  faithful  service,  after  which  time  they  were  to  be  at  liberty,  and 
to  have  allotted  to  them  a  small  piece  of  land  for  cultivation,  and  a  few 
cattle,  provided  they  could  get  the  security  of  any  respectable  person 
for  their  good  behaviour.  This  seldom  happened ;  but  their  treatment 
was  much  more  kind  after  the  expiration  of  their  term  of  service,  and 
they  usually  remained  in  the  employ  of  the  missions,  having  become 
attached  to  their  masters  and  occupations.  These  chiefly  consisted  in 
taking  care  of  cattle,  the  work  of  the  farm,  gardening,  and  household 
duties.  Some  became  carpenters  and  blacksmiths;  others  weavers, 
shoemakers,  and  manufacturers  of  leather ;  and  some  were  let  out  to 
private  service  to  **  gente  de  razon,"  or  people  of  reason,  as  the  whites 
are  termed.  The  police  of  the  missions  was  strict,  and  punishment  was 
administered  when  required ;  but  then  rewards  for  good  behaviour  were 
also  given,  as  well  as  for  bringing  in  neophytes.  In  the  latter  way,  it 
is  said  that  the  missions  were  usually  recruited. 

During  the  troubles  of  1836,  the  Indians  of  many  of  the  missions 
were  cast  off  neglected,  and  in  fact  deprived  of  the  proceeds  of  their 
labour.  They  had  reason  to  believe,  as  had  been  impressed  upon  them 
by  the  Spanish  padres,  that  they  were  interested  in  the  proceeds  and 
wealth  that  had  been  accumulated  by  their  labour ;  and  this  belief  had 
naturally  tended  to  attach  them  to  the  soil. 

The  ravages  of  the  small-pox,  two  years  prior  to  our  visit,  completed 
the  destruction  of  these  establishments ;  for  it  swept  off  one-half  of  the 
Indians,  and  served  to  dispirit  the  rest.  Many  of  them  have  joined  the 
wild  Indians,  and  are  now  committing  acts  of  violence  on  the  whites ; 
they  are  becoming  daily  more  daring,  and  have  rendered  a  residence 
in  single  farm-houses  or  estancias  not  without  danger.  In  looking  at 
the  state  in  which  these  poor  Indians  have  been  lefl,  it  cannot  be  denied 
but  that  they  have  cause  to  be  dissatisfied  with  the  treatment  they  have 
received. 

Every  mission  was  regarded  as  a  separate  family  of  Indians,  and 


CALIFORNIA.  178 

some  of  these  included  twelve  hundred  individuals.  During  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Spanish  priests,  every  thing  was  judiciously  conducted  :  the 
Indians  were  well  dressed,  well  fed,  and  happy  ;  out  of  their  earnings 
the  priests  were  able  to  buy  annually  ten  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
articles  for  their  wants  and  gratification,  from  the  vessels  trading  upon 
the  coast  Each  mission  formed  a  body  politic  of  itself,  having  its  own 
alcalde,  inferior  officers,  &c.,  and  every  thing  went  on  prosperously. 
The  Indians,  though  at  first  disinclined  to  work,  soon  became  indus- 
trious, when  they  found  the  benefits  and  advantages  that  accrued  to 
themselves,  and  became  converts  to  Christianity,  so  far  as  forms  went, 
in  order  to  entitle  them  to  its  presents.  It  is  not  surprising  that  a  rapid 
increase  of  wealth  took  place,  considering  the  number  of  labourers  in 
the  field,  added  to  a  rich  soil  and  fine  climate. 

As  has  been  before  stated,  in  1835,  orders  from  the  supreme  govern- 
ment were  issued,  administradors  were  appointed  to  each  mission,  and 
the  priests  were  deprived  of  their  sway,  leaving  them  only  their  clerical 
duties  to  attend  to,  with  a  small  stipend.  So  far  as  they  were  person- 
ally concerned,  this  was  deserved  ;  for,  with  but  one  or  two  exceptions, 
their  lives  were  entirely  opposite  to  what  they  ought  to  have  been ;  they 
were  openly  and  publicly  dissolute.  The  administradors  have  made 
themselves  and  those  by  whom  they  were  appointed,  rich  upon  the 
spoils  of  these  missions ;  and  so  great  have  been  the  drafts  upon  some 
of  these  missions,  that  they  have  not  been  able  to  support  their 
neophytes.  The  mission  of  San  Jose,  for  instance,  during  the  year  of 
our  visit,  was  obliged  to  order  off  five  hundred  of  its  proselytes,  to  pro- 
cure their  subsistence  as  they  best  could.  These  acts  seem  to  be  com- 
mitted without  any  kind  of  consideration,  or  idea  that  there  is  any 
injustice  practised:  the  property  acquired  by  the  missions  is  looked 
upon  as  belonging  to  the  state ;  the  claims  of  the  Indians  are  entirely 
overlooked,  and  in  the  event  of  their  taking  the  cattle  that  in  truth 
belong  to  them,  they  are  severely  punished.  This  naturally  irritates 
them,  for  not  only  can  they  perceive  the  injustice  of  others  appropri- 
ating the  fruits  of  their  labour,  but  are  exasperated  by  seeing  them 
living  upon  the  common  stock,  while  they  are  obliged  to  se^k'a  preca- 
rious subsistence  in  the  forest. 

In  consequence  of  this  state  of  things,  depredations  are  continually 
committed  by  the  Indians;  and,  a  month  previous  to  the  arrival  of 
the  squadron,  they  had  driven  off  three  hundred  horses.  Retaliatory 
measures  on  the  part  of  the  Californians  were  adopted ;  a  party  was 
collected  and  despatched  to  punish  them,  which  proceeded  towards 
the  interior,  came  to  a  village,  and  without  any  inquiry  whether  its 
dwellers  had  been  the  aggressors,  it  was  set  on  fire,  and  reduced  to 

P2 


174  CALIFORNIA. 

ashes;  some  of  the  defenceless  old  men>  who  from  their  infirmities 
could  not  escape,  were  put  to  death,  and  forty  or  fifty  women  and 
children  carried  ofi*  as  prisoners.  This  was  not  all :  these  prisoners 
were  apportioned  as  slaves  to  various  families,  with  whom  they  still 
remain  in  servitude,  and  receive  very  harsh  treatment  Smarting 
under  such  wrongs,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  Indians  should  reta- 
liate. They  openly  assert  that  after  taking  all  the  horses,  they  will 
commence  with  families ;  and  niany  of  those  which  are  situated  on 
the  firontiers,  experience  much  alarm.  In  June  1841,  an  Englishman 
was  shot  by  an  arrow  at  the  door  of  his  house,  early  in  the  evening. 
The  Indians  enticed  him  out  by  making  a  noise  near  by,  and  the 
moment  he  opened  the  door,  with  a  candle  in  his  hand,  an  arrow  was 
sent  through  his  heart. 

The  Indians  at  present  rarely  steal  any  thing  but  horses;  but  so 
daring  are  they,  that  they  not  unfrequently  take  them  out  of  the 
enclosures  near  the  pueblos.  Their  reason  for  confining  themselves  to 
this  description  of  property  is,  that  with  them  they  are  able  to  avoid 
pursuit,  which  would  not  be  the  case  if  they  took  cattle.  The  Cali- 
fornians,  on  detecting  and  apprehending  the  aggressors,  show  them  no 
mercy,  and  their  lives  are  made  the  forfeit.  This  constant  foray  on 
one  side  or  the  other  keeps  up  a  continual  embitterment,  and  as  long 
as  the  present  imbecile  goremment  lasts,  this  state  of  things  must  every 
day  grow  worse,  and  will  undoubtedly  tend  to  affect  the  value  of 
property,  as  well  as  to  prevent  immigration,  and  settlement  in  the 
country. 

To  all  strangers  but  those  of  the  Spanish  race,  the  Indians  seem  in 
general  well  disposed,  as  they  have  usually  received  from  the  former 
considerate  and  kind  treatment  The  character  of  these  Indians  is 
not  represented  as  savage,  and  they  were  little  disposed  to  trouble  the 
whites  until  they  had  been  themselves  ejected  from  the  missions,  and 
forced  to  consort  with  those  who  are  yet  in  a  wild  state.  The  know- 
ledge they  have  of  the  Californians,  of  the  missionary  establishments, 
and  the  manner  of  conducting  them,  enables  them  to  act  more 
efiectively;  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  presence  of  the  English  and 
Americans,  they  would  either  drive  the  Spanish  race  out  of  the  country, 
or  confine  them  to  the  narrow  limits  of  their  villages. 

The  number  of  Indians  is  variously  stated,  at  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
thousand ;  but  it  is  believed  by  some  of  the  best  informed,  that  their 
number,  since  the  small-pox  made  its  ravages  among  tliem,  is  not 
much  more  than  one-half  of  this  number,  or  eight  or  nine  thousand. 
The  principal  part  of  these  are  the  tribes  on  the  Sacramento. 

In  like  manner,  there  has  been  an  exaggeration  in  the  computation 


CALIFORNIA.  17$ 

of  the  number  of  the  whites,  or  gente  de  razon.  These  have  been 
usually  estimated  at  five  thousand ;  but,  from  the  best  information,  I 
could  not  satisfy  myself  that  they  number  more  than  three  thousand 
souls.  In  this  estimate  is  not  included  those  of  mixed  blood,  who  may 
amount  to  two  thousand  more;  so  that  in  the  whole  of  Upper  California, 
at  the  date  of  our  visit,  the  entire  population  was  about  fifteen  thousand 
souls ;  9nd  this  estimate  cannot  be  far  from  the  truth. 

The  health  and  robustness  of  the  white  inhabitants  seem  remark- 
able, and  must  be  attributed  to  the  fine  climate,  as  well  as  to  their 
simple  diet  This  consists  of  beef  roasted  upon  the  coals,  a  few  vege* 
tables,  and  the  tortilla,  which  is  a  thin  cake,  made  of  corn-meal,  and 
baked  upon  a  sheet  of  iron.  Throughout  the  country,  both  with  the 
rich  and  poor,  this  is  the  general  fare ;  but  some  few  luxuries  have 
been  lately  introduced,  among  which  are  rice  and  tea.  The  latter  is 
used  so  sparingly,  that  the  discoloration  of  the  water  is  scarcely  per- 
ceptible. At  the  missions  they  live  more  after  the  Spanish  fashioa 
The  children  are,  for  the  most  part,  left  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and 
run  about  naked  and  dirty.  They  are  generally  robust,  and  their 
relative  number  seems  to  be  very  great;  thus,  it  is  by  no  means  un- 
common to  see  families  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  children;  and  an  instance 
was  mentioned  to  me  of  a  woman  near  Yerba  Buena,  who  had  had 
twenty-six.  A  large  number  die  ft*om  accidental  falls  firom  horses, 
with  which  from  their  earliest  childhood  they  are  accustomed  to  be 
engaged.  They  early  become  expert  and  fearless  riders,  and  this  skill 
is  not  confined  altogether  to  the  male  sex;  the  women  are  almost 
equally  expert.  Families  with  numerous  members  are  seldom  met 
with  who  have  not  had  to  mourn  the  loss  of  several  of  their  number 
from  casualties  of  this  sort. 

Although  the  Californians  are  comparatively  few  in  number,  yet 
they  have  a  distinctive  character.  Descended  from  the  old  Spaniards, 
they  are  unfortunately  found  to  have  all  their  vices,  without  a  proper 
share  of  their  virtues;  they  are  exceedingly  fond  of  gambling,  which  is 
equally  in  favour  with  the  male  and  female  portion  of  the  community. 
Their  games  consist  in  cards,  dice,  &c. 

Their  amusements  are  cock-fighting,  bull  and  bear-baiting,  and 
dancing ;  these  are  the  predominant  occupations  of  their  lives,  always 
accompanied  with  excessive  drinking.  Parties  of  amusement,  to  which 
the  surrounding  population  is  invited,  are  frequent ;  these  generally  last 
for  three  days,  and  rarely  break  up  without  some  quarrel.  Weddings 
are  particularly  liable  to  these  disorders,  and  at  each  of  the  three  last 
that  took  place  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Yerba  Buena,  previous  to  our 


176  CALIFORNIA. 

visit  there,  a  life  was  lost  by  the  cuchillo.    This  weapon  is  always 
worn,  and  is  promptly  resorted  to  in  all  their  quarrels. 

The  female  portion  of  the  community  are  ignorant,  degraded,  and 
the  slaves  of  their  husbands.  They  are  very  fond  of  dress,  and  will 
make  any  sacrifice,  even  their  own  honour,  to  gratify  it.  The  men 
have  no  trades,  and  depend  for  every  thing  upon  the  Indians  at  the 
missions,  some  of  whom  are  quite  ingenious,  both  as  carpenters  and 
blacksmiths.  The  whites  are  so  indolent,  and  withal  have  so  much 
pride,  as  to  make  them  look  upon  all  manual  labour  as  degrading ;  in 
truth,  they  regard  all  those  who  work  as  beneath  them ;  they,  in  con- 
sequence, can  never  be  induced  to  labour.  An  anecdote  was  related 
to  me  of  one  who  had  been  known  to  dispense  with  his  dinner,  although 
the  food  was  but  a  few  yards  off,  because  the  Indian  was  not  at  hand 
to  bring  it  to  him. 

The  state  of  morals  here  is  very  low,  and  is  every  day  becoming 
worse.  During  the  residence  of  the  old  Spanish  priests,  the  people 
were  kept  under  some  control ;  but  since  the  change  I  have  narrated, 
priest  and  layman  are  alike  given  up  to  idleness  and  debauchery.  One 
thing  they  are  said  to  be  remarkable  for,  which  is  their  extreme  hospi- 
tality :  it  is  alleged  that  they  will  give  up  all  business  to  entertain  a 
guest.  They  put  no  value  whatever  upon  time,  and  in  entering  into 
contracts  they  have  no  regard  to  punctuality,  frequently  allowing  two, 
three,  and  four  years  to  pass  by  before  payment.  This  does  not  pro- 
ceed from  dishonesty,  or  any  intention  to  evade  their  debts,  for  eventu- 
ally they  pay,  if  they  can,  and  do  not  object  to  the  amount  of  interest 
They  in  fact  regard  the  inconvenience  to  which  they  may  have  put 
their  creditors  as  of  no  sort  of  consequence. 

I  understood  that  to  offer  monev  for  entertainment  was  considered 
as  an  insult;  but  I  did  it  notwithstanding,  and  although  it  was  refused 
from  myself,  yet,  when  made  through  my  servant,  it  was  readily  ac- 
cepted. While  one  is  entertained  by  them,  if  he  should  want  to  hire 
or  purchase  any  thing,  the  landlord  will  league  with  those  about  him 
in  schemes  of  extortion  to  be  practised  upon  the  stranger,  and  appear 
vexed  with  those  who  are  the  prominent  extortioners.  Instances  of 
this  will  be  given  hereafter. 

The  Californians,  as  a  people,  must  be  termed  cruel  in  their  treat- 
ment to  their  wives,  as  well  as  to  the  Indians ;  and  in  a  still  greater 
degree,  of  course,  to  their  slaves  and  cattle.  They  are  exceedingly 
ignorant  of  every  thing  but  extortion,  riding  horses,  and  catching 
bullocks. 
Having  thus  thrown  together  the  general  information  I  was  able  to 


CALIFORNIA.  177 

procure,  I  shall  proceed  to  speak  more  particularly  of  our  operations 
in  the  country,  and  intercourse  with  the  inhabitants. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  Lieutenant-Commandant  Ringgold  left  the 
Vincennes  with  six  boats,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Pickering,  Lieutenants 
Alden  and  Budd,  Passed  Midshipman  Sandford,  Midshipmen  Ham- 
mersly  and  Elliott,  and  Gunner  Williamson,  with  provisions  for  thirty 
days,  accompanied  by  an  Indian  pilot  They  first  passed  the  islands 
of  Angelos  and  Molate,  next  the  points  of  San  Pedro  and  San  Pablo, 
and  then  entered  the  bay  of  San  Pablo. 

This  bay  is  of  a  form  nearly  circular,  and  ten  miles  in 'diameter; 
many  small  streams  enter  it  on  all  sides,  from  the  neighbouring  hills. 
On  the  east  side  of  this  bay,  the  river  Sacramento  empties  into  it 
through  the  Straits  of  Kaquines.  The  land  is  high,  and  the  sandstone 
rock  on  each  side  of  the  straits  resembles  that  seen  about  the  Straits 
of  De  Fuca.  The  hills  are  thickly  covered  with  wild  oats,  which 
were  ripe,  and  the  landscape  had  that  peculiar  golden  hue  before  re- 
marked. The  contrast  of  this  with  the  dark  green  foliage  of  the 
scattered  oaks,  heightens  tlie  effect,  which,  although  peculiar,  is  not 
unpleasing  to  the  sight  The  trees  ail  have  an  inclination  towards  the 
southeast,  showing  the  prevalence  and  violence  of  the  bleak  northwest 
winds,  producing  on  them  a  gnarled  and  mountain  character.  This 
feature  is  general  throughout  the  coast  of  California,  and  gives  the 
trees  a  singular  appearance,  the  flat  tops  having  the  air  of  being  cut  or 
trimmed  after  the  manner  of  box  trees.  The  tops  are  bent  to  one  side, 
and  the  larger  branches  hidden  by  the  numerous  twigs  which  compose 
the  mass.  Th^  only  place  where  a  similar  character  was  observed  by 
us  impressed  upon  the  foliage,  was  at  Terra  del  Fuego. 

After  passing  the  straits,  the  delta  of  the  Sacramento  opened  to  view. 
The  Tula  marshes,  which  are  overflowed  by  the  river  above,  are  very 
extensive,  and  are  said  to  be  the  resort  of  a  vast  number  of  beavers, 
which,  in  consequence  of  the  nature  of  the  ground,  are  difficult  to 
catch,  many  more  traps  being  necessary  than  in  other  localities. 

The  party  took  the  southeast  arm  of  the  Sacramento,  and  proceeded 
up  the  stream  for  the  distance  of  three  miles,  where  they  encamped, 
without  Water,  that  of  the  river  being  still  brackish.  The  soil  was  hard, 
from  being  sunburnt,  and  the  foot-marks  of  the  cattle,  which  had  been 
made  during  the  last  rainy  season,  still  remained. 

In  the  morning,  they  discovered  that  they  had  taken  the  wrong 
branch  of  the  river,  for  this  led  immediately  into  the  San  Joachim. 
They,  in  consequence,  returned  to  the  entrance,  where  they  began  their 
survey.  On  the  23d,  they  reached  the  residence  of  Captain  Suter,  and 
encamped  on  tlie  opposite  bank. 

vou  V.  28 


178  CALIFORNIA. 

Captain  Suter  is  a  Swiss  by  birth,  and  informed  them  that  he  had 
been  a  lieutenant  in  the  Swiss  guards  during  the  time  of  Charles  X. 
Soon  aAer  the  revolution  of  July,  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and 
passed  several  years  in  the  state  of  Missouri.  He  has  but  recently 
removed  to  California,  where  he  has  obtained  from  the  government  a 
conditional  grant  of  thirty  leagues  square,  bounded  by  the  Sacramento 
on  the  west,  and  extending  as  far  up  the  river  as  the  Prairie  Butes. 
The  spot  he  has  chosen  for  the  erection  of  his  dwelling  and  fortification, 
he  has  called  New  Helvetia ;  it  is  situated  on  the  summit  of  a  small 
knoll,  rising  from  the  level  prairie,  two  miles  from  the  east  bank  of 
the  Sacramento,  and  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth.  New  Helvetia  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  American  Fork,  a  small  serpentine 
stream,  which  has  a  course  of  but  a  few  miles.  This  river,  having  a 
bar  near  its  mouth,  no  vessels  larger  than  boats  can  enter  it.  At  this 
place  the  Sacramento  is  eight  hundred  feet  wide,  and  this  may  be 
termed  the  head  of  its  navigation  during  the  dry  season,  or  the  stage 
of  low  water. 

Mr.  Geiger,  a  young  American  from  Newport,  is  now  attached  to 
Captain  Suter's  establishment;  but  he  informed  me  that  he  intended 
to  settle  higher  up  the  Sacramento,  on  the  banks  of  the  Feather  river. 
When  Captain  Suter  first  settled  here  in  1839,  he  was  surrounded 
by  some  of  the  most  hostile  tribes  of  Indians  on  the  river ;  but  by  his 
energy  and  management,  with  the  aid  of  a  small  party  of  trappers,  has 
thus  far  prevented  opposition  to  his  plans.  He  has  even  succeeded  in 
winning  the  good-will  of  the  Indians,  who  are  now  labouring  for  him 
in  building  houses,  and  a  line  of  wall,  to  protect  him  against  the  in- 
roads or  attacks  that  he  apprehends,  more  from  the  present  authorities 
of  the  land,  than  from  the  tribes  about  him,  who  are  now  working  in 
his  employ.  He  holds,  by  appointment  of  the  government,  the  office 
of  administrador,  and  has,  according  to  his  own  belief,  supreme  power 
in  his  own  district,  condemning,  acquitting,  and  punishing,  as  well  as 
marrying  and  burying  those  who  are  under  him.  He  treats  the  Indians 
very  kindly,  and  pays  them  well  for  their  services  in  trapping  and 
working  for  him.  His  object  is  to  attach  them,  as  much  as  possible, 
to  his  interests,  that  in  case  of  need  he  may  rely  upon  their  chiefs  for 
assistance. 

Ahhough  Captain  Suter  is,  in  general,  in  the  habit  of  treating  the 
Indians  with  kindness,  yet  he  related  to  our  gentlemen  instances  in 
which  he  had  been  obliged  to  fusilade  nine  of  them ;  indeed,  he  does 
not  seem  to  stand  upon  much  ceremony  with  those  who  oppose  him  in 
any  way.  His  buildings  consist  of  extensive  currals  and  dwelling- 
houses,  for  himself  and  people,  all  built  of  adobes.    Labour  is  paid  for 


CALIFORNIA.  I79 

in  goods.  The  extent  of  his  stock  amounts  to  about  one  thousand 
horses,  two  thousand  five  hundred  cattle,  and  about  one  thousand  sheep, 
many  of  which  are  now  to  be  seen  around  his  premises,  giving  them 
an  appearance  of  civilization. 

Captain  Suter  has  commenced  extensive  operations  in  farming ;  but 
in  the  year  of  our  visit  the  drought  had  affected  him,  as  well  as  others, 
and  ruined  all  his  crops.  About  forty  Indians  were  at  work  for  him, 
whom  he  had  taught  to  make  adobes.  The  agreement  for  their 
services  is  usually  made  with  their  chiefs,  and  in  this  way,  as  many 
as  are  wanted  are  readily  obtained.  These  chiefs  have  far  more 
authority  over  their  tribes  than  those  we  had  seen  to  the  north;  and 
in  the  opinion  of  an  intelligent  American,  they  have  more  power  over 
and  are  more  respected  by  their  tribes  than  those  of  any  other  North 
American  Indians.  Connected  with  the  establishment.  Captain  Suter 
has  erected  a  distillery,  in  which  he  makes  a  kind  of  pisco  from  the 
wild  grape  of  the  country. 

The  duties  I  have  already  named  might  be  thought  enough  for  the 
supervision  of  one  person ;  but  to  these  must  be  added  the  direction  of 
a  large  party  of  trappers  and  hunters,  mostly  American,  who  enter  here 
into  competition  with  those  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company ;  and  attention 
to  the  property  of  the  Russian  establishment  at  Ross  and  Bodega,  which 
had  just  been  transferred  to  him  for  the  consideration  of  thirty  thousand 
dollars.  In  the  purchase  were  included  all  the  stock,  houses,  arms^ 
utensils,  and  cattle,  belonging  to  the  establishment.  It  was  understood 
that  this  post  was  abandoned,  by  orders  of  the  Russian  government,  the 
Russian  Company  no  longer  having  any  necessity  to  hold  it  to  procure 
supplies,  as  they  are  now  to  be  furnished  under  a  contract  with  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company ;  and  by  giving  it  up,  they  avoid  many  heavy 
expenses. 

Bodega  was  first  established  by  the  Russians  in  1812,  under  a  per- 
mission of  the  then  governor  of  Monterey,  to  erect  a  few  small  huts  for 
salting  their  beef.  A  small  number  of  men  were  left  to  superintend  this 
business,  which  in  a  few  years  increased,  until  the  place  became  of 
such  importance  in  the  eyes  of  the  Spanish  authorities,  that  on  the 
Russians  attempting  to  establish  themselves  at  San  Francisco,*  they 
were  ordered  to  leave  the  country.  This  they  refused  to  do,  and  having 
become  too  strong  to  be  removed  by  the  Spanish  force,  they  had  been 
suffered  to  remain  undisturbed  until  the  time  of  our  visit. 

The  port  of  Bodega  is  situated  about  ninety  miles  to  the  north  of  thai 
of  San  Francisco,  and  being  both  inconvenient  and  small,  cannot  be 

*  On  the  island  of  Yerba  Bnena,  and  to  employ  their  men  in  trapping  during  the 


180  CALIFORNIA. 

entered  except  by  vessels  of  a  small  draft  of  water.  From  what  1 
understood  from  the  officers  who  had  been  in  charge  of  it,  it  bad  been 
a  very  considerable  expense  to  the  Russian  American  Company  to 
fortify  it ;  and  tiie  disposal  of  the  whole»  on  almost  any  terms,  must 
have  been  advantageous.  Captain  Suter  had  commenced  removing  the 
stock  and  transporting  the  guns,  &c.,  to  his  establishment 

The  buildings  at  the  two  posts  numbered  from  fifty  to  sixty,  and  they 
frequently  contained  a  population  of  four  or  five  hundred  souls.  Since 
the  breaking  up  of  the  establishment,  the  majority  of  the  Russians 
returned  to  Sitka ;  the  rest  have  remained  in  the  employ  of  the  present 
owner. 

During  our  stay,  there  was  much  apprehension  on  the  part  of  some 
that  the  present  governor  of  the  district  next  west  of  New  Helvetia, 
felt  jealous  of  the  power  and  influence  that  Captain  Suter  was  obtaining 
in  the  country ;  and  it  was  thought  that  had  it  not  been  for  the  force 
which  the  latter  could  bring  to  oppose  any  attempt  to  dislodge  him,  it 
would  have  been  tried.  In  the  mean  time  Captain  Suter  is  using  all 
his  energies  to  render  himself  impregnable. 

In  his  manners.  Captain  Suter  is  frank  and  prepossessing;  he  has 
much  intelligence,  is  conversant  with  several  languages,  and  withal  not 
a  Uttle  enthusiastic  :  he  generally  wears  a  kind  of  undress  uniform,  with 
his  side-arms  buckled  around  him.  He  has  a  wife  and  daughter  whom 
he  expects  soon  to  join  him. 

New  Helvetia  was  found  to  be  in  latitude  38^  33'  45"  N.,  and  longi- 
tude 121°  22'  24"  W. 

According  to  this  gentleman,  there  are  nine  different  tribes  of  Indians 
that  are  now  in  his  neighbourhood,  and  within  a  short  distance  of  his 
territory. 

In  the  evening  our  party  were  favoured  with  a  dance  by  Indian  boys* 
who,  before  they  began,  ornamented  themselves  with  white  masks,  and 
decked  their  bodies  each  according  to  his  own  taste.  The  music  was 
vocal,  and  several  joined  in  the  song.  Their  motions  were  thought  to 
resemble  the  Pawnees'  mode  of  dancing.  Their  music  was  more  in 
harmony  than  among  the  other  tribes  we  had  seen ;  neither  has  their 
language  any  of  the  harsh  guttural  sounds  found  in  those  of  the  Oregon 
Indians.  Every  word  of  their  language  appears  to  terminate  with  a 
vowel,  after  the  manner  of  the  Polynesian  dialects,  which  gives  their 
voices  much  more  softness  than  the  tribes  to  the  north,  to  whom  they 
have  no  resemblance  whatever,  though  they  are  said  to  be  somewhat 
like  the  Shoshones. 

They  wear  fillets  of  leaves  around  their  heads,  and  often  tie  on  them 
a  piece  of  cotton,  after  the  manner  of  the  Polynesians.    These  Indians 


CALIFORNIA.  181 

do  not  build  canoes,  although  they  admire  and  prize  them  highly ;  they 
are  excellent  swimmers,  and  in  consequence  of  it  do  not  need  them  in 
their  narrow  streams ;  they,  however,  make  use  of  simple  rafts,  com- 
posed of  one  or  two  logs,  generally  split. 

The  venereal  disease  is  said  to  prevail  to  a  great  extent  among 
them ;  and  whole  tribes  have  been  swept  off  by  the  small-pox.  The 
former  is  said  to  have  been  communicated  by  the  Indians  who  have 
been  discharged  from  the  mission.  All  agree  that  the  Indians  have 
been  very  unjustly  treated  by  the  governor.  Cattle  that  had  been 
given  to  them  by  the  padres  of  the  mission  when  they  left  it,  have 
been  taken  away  from  them  by  this  functionary,  and  added  to  his  own 
stock — whence  a  saying  has  been  derived,  that  the  governor's  cows 
produce  three  times  a  year.  The  Spanish  laws  do  not  recognise  the 
Indian  title  to  lands,  but  consider  them  and  the  Indians  also  in  the  light 
of  public  property. 

Although  the  country  around  was  parched  up  with  the  severe 
drought  that  had  prevailed,  yet  the  short  grasses  were  abundant,  and 
it  was  more  completely  covered  with  vegetation  than  that  below. 
Scattered  oaks  are  seen  in  all  directions,  some  of  which  are  of  large 
dimensions, — ^five  or  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  sixty  or  seventy  feet  high. 

The  scenery  was  very  much  admired,  and  Mount  Diavolo,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  San  Joachim,  adds  to  its  beauty.  The  mountains  to  the 
east  are  visible  from  Captain  Suter's  settletnent,  and  it  is  said  that 
during  some  portions  of  the  year  they  are  covered  with  snow.  A 
route  across  them  was  followed,  directly  east  of  this  place,  by  a  party, 
but  they  were  twenty  days  in  getting  over,  and  found  the  country  so 
thickly  wooded  that  they  were  obliged  to  cut  their  way.  The  pass 
which  is  recommended  as  better,  is  two  hundred  miles  to  the  north  of 
this  place,  through  the  gap  made  by  the  head  waters  of  the  Sacra* 
mento.  This  has  led  to  the  belief  that  Pitt's  river  extends  in  this 
direction  through  and  beyond  them. 

The  best  route  to  the  United  States  is  to  follow  the  San  Joachim  for 
sixty  miles,  thence  easterly,  through  a  gap  in  the  Snowy  Mountains, 
by  a  good  beaten  road ;  thence  the  course  is  northeasterly  to  Mary's 
river,  which  flows  southeast  and  has  no  outlet,  but  loses  itself  in  a 
lake ;  thence  continuing  in  the  same  direction,  the  Portneuf  river,  in 
the  Upper  Shoshone,  is  reached ;  and  thence  to  Fort  Hall.  Accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Marsh,  (an  American  of  much  intelligence,  resident  at  the 
mouth  of  the  San  Joachim,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  much  infor- 
mation of  the  country,)  there  is  plenty  of  fresh  water  and  pasturage 
all  the  way,  and  no  proper  desert  between  the  Californian  Range  and 
the  Colorado. 

Q 


182  CALIFORNIA. 

Dr.  Marsh  crossed  nothing  like  a  range  of  mountains  in  the  whole 
route  from  the  United  States.  Hills  and  mountains  were  often  seen 
on  what  he  calls  the  table-land  of  New  Mexico.  The  most  common 
plant  met  with  was  an  acacia,  a  small  shrub  which  is  also  to  be  found 
in  the  southern  parts  of  New  Mexico,  where  the  climate  is  likewise 
very  arid.  In  one  district  where  it  occurs,  it  is  found  necessary  to 
protect  both  horse  and  rider  with  a  sort  of  armour  against  this  rigid 
and  thorny  vegetation,  between  latitude  37^  and  38°  N. 

He  also  reports  that  there  are  other  streams  to  the  east  of  the  moun- 
tains without  outlets,  and  which  do  not  reach  the  Colorado,  although 
running  in  that  direction.  He  identifies  the  Youta,  or  great  Salt  Lake, 
with  the  Lake  Timponogos  of  the  early  Spanish  fathers  who  visited 
it,  and  agrees  with  others  in  placing  the  north  end  of  it  nearly  in  the 
parallel  of  42°  N. 

The  Colorado  he  reports  to  be  impracticable  for  boats  to  descend 
from  the  head  waters  to  its  mouth,  on  account  of  its  rapidity.  There 
is  one  place  in  it  that  is  described  as  similar  to  the  Dalles  of  the 
Columbia,  which  is  supposed  to  be  where  it  passes  through  the  range 
of  mountains. 

The  banks  of  the  river  are  bordered  with  marshes,  which  extend 
for  miles  back.  This  kind  of  country  continues  up  both  the  Sacra- 
mento and  San  Joachim,  and  is  the  proper  Tula  district  of  which  so 
much  has  been  said,  and  so  many  errors  propagated.  Here  the  tula 
(Scirpus  lacustris)  grows  in  great  luxuriance. 

On  the  25th,  the  boats  left  New  Helvetia.  It  was  discovered,  pre- 
vious to  starting,  that  four  men  had  deserted  from  their  party.  This 
is  a  common  circumstance  in  this  port,  and  very  few  vessels  visit  it 
without  losing  some  portion  of  their  crews.  The  dissoluio  habits 
of  the  people  form  such  strong  temptations  for  sailors,  that  few  can 
resist  theno.  A  number  of  men  who  were  deserters  were  continu- 
ally around  us.  Among  others,  the  sergeant  and  marine  guard  that 
had  deserted  from  H.  B.  M.  ship  Sulphur  were  the  most  troublesome. 
Their  appearance  did  not  prove  that  they  had  changed  their  situation 
for  the  better. 

Ten  miles  up  the  river,  a  sand-bar  occurred,  over  which  it  was 
found  that  the  launch  could  not  pass.  Lieutenant-Commandant  Ring- 
gold therefore  left  her  at  this  place,  under  charge  of  Mr.  Williams, 
taking  sufficient  provisions  in  the  boats.  The  oaks  became  more  scat- 
tered, and  the  soil  thickly  covered  with  vegetation,  although  parched 
up  by  continued  drought 

On  the  26tb,  they  reached  the  mouth  of  Feather  river,  which  is  fif- 
teen miles  above  New  Helvetia.    It  appeared  nearly  as  broad  as  the 


CALIFORNIA.  188 

main  atream,  but  there  is  a  bar  extending  the  whole  distance  across  it, 
on  which  the  boats  grounded.  On  the  point  of  the  fork,  the  ground 
was  strewed  with  the  skulls  and  booes  of  an  Indian  tribe,  all  of  whom 
are  said  to  have  died,  within  a  few  years,  of  the  tertian  fever,  and  to 
have  nearly  become  extinct  in  consequence.  Near  this  had  been  an 
Indian  village,  which  was  destroyed  by  Captain  Suter  and  his  trappers, 
because  its  inhabitants  had  stolen  cattle,  d&c.  The  affair  resulted  in 
one  of  the  Indians  being  killed,  twenty-seven  made  captive,  and  the 
removal  of  the  remainder  beyond  the  limits  of  his  territory.  The 
battle-ground  was  pointed  out,  at  a  bend  of  the  river,  ^ich  is  only 
one-third  of  a  mile  across,  though  three  around.  Above  the  junction 
of  the  two  rivers,  the  Sacramento  becomes  sensibly  diminished. 

Game  is  represented  to  have  decreased  in  this  vicinity,  from  the 
numbers  destroyed  by  the  parties  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  who 
annually  frequent  these  grounds.  Large  flocks  of  curlew  were  seen 
around ;  and  the  California  quail,  which  disappeared  since  leaving  the 
coasts  was  again  seen.  The  trees  that  Kne  the  banks  oonmst  of  the 
cotton-wood,  &c.  Single  oaks,  with  short  grass  beneath  them,  are 
scattered  over  the  plain. 

The  next  day,  as  they  advanced,  game  became  more  plentiful,  and 
elk  were  found  to  be  most  so.  Some  of  them  were  of  large  size,  and 
at  this  season  of  the  year,  the  rutting,  they  are  seen  generally  in  pairs; 
but  at  other  times,  the  females  are  in  large  herds.  They  are  fine- 
looking  animals,  with  very  lai^  antlers,  and  seemed,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, devoid  of  fear.  The  herds  are  usually  thirty  to  forty  in  number, 
and  are  chiefly  composed  of  females  and  their  young.  The  father  of 
the  flock  is  always  conspicuous,  and  with  his  horns  seemed  to  over- 
shadow and  protect  the  family. 

The  tula  or  bulrush  was  still  found  in  great  quantities,  growing  on 
the  banks.  The  Indians  use  its  roots  as  food,  either  raw,  or  mixed 
with  the  grass  seed,  which  forms  the  principal  article  of  their  food. 
This  root  is  likewise  eaten  by  the  grisly  bear. 

At  the  encamping^place  was  a  grove  of  poplars  of  large  size,  some 
of  which  were  seventy  feet  high,  and  two  and  a  half  feet  in  diameter. 
The  leaf  resembled  that  of  the  American  aspen.  At  night  they  had  a 
slight  thunder-shower.  The  wolves  and  bears  had  entered  the  camp 
during  the  night,  although  there  was  a  watch  kept  at  each  end  of  it 
The  howling  of  the  wolves  was  almost  constant 

On  the  27th,  the  current  in  the  Sacramento  had  become  much  more 
rapid,  and  the  snags  more  frequent ;  its  banks  were  on  an  average 
about  twenty  feet  above  the  water,  though  there  was  every  appearance 
on  them  of  their  having  been  overflowed.    The  prairies  are  perfectly 


184  CALIFORNIA. 

level,  and  every  where  overspread  with  dead  shells  of  the  Planorbis. 
In  some  places  these  shells  appeared  as  though  they  had  been  collected 
in  heaps.  From  the  top  of  these  banks,  the  Prairie  Butes  were  in 
sight  to  the  northward  and  westward. 

As  they  proceeded  up  the  river,  the  country  continued  of  the  same 
character,  the  level  being  only  interrupted  by  the  line  of  trees  that 
borders  the  river.    These  consist  of  oaks  and  sycamores. 

They  encamped  at  a  late  hour,  on  a  spot  where  the  prairie  had  been 
burnt  over,  and  were  much  disturbed  during  the  night,  by  the  bears, 
wolves,  and  owls.    Near  this  camp  was  a  deserted  village. 

On  the  29th,  they  for  the  first  time  met  Indians,  who  appeared 
quite  shy,  concealing  themselves  behind  trees.  As  they  increased  in 
numbers,  however,  they  became  more  confident,  and  invited  the  party 
to  land.  Towards  noon  the  character  of  the  country  began  to  change, 
and  trees  of  a  larger  size  than  before  were  seen,  growing  out  from  the 
banks.  A  little  after  noon,  they  met  with  the  remains  of  a  fish-weir. 
Some  Indians  were  seen  along  the  banks,  armed  with  bows,  arrows, 
and  lances :  none  but  males  appeared ;  they,  however,  made  no  hostile 
demonstrations. 

Game  and  fur-bearing  animals  had  become  more  numerous,  and 
among  them  were  the  lynx  and  fox.  The  latter  is  the  species  whose 
fur  brings  a  high  price  in  China,  where  as  much  as  twenty  dollars 
is  paid  for  a  skin.  This  fox  is  said  to  have  one  peculiarity,  namely, 
that  when  chased  it  will  ascend  trees.  Bears  were  also  in  great 
numbers.  It  is  reported  that  they  will  sometimes  attack  and  eat  the 
Indians. 

Dr.  Marsh  thinks  there  is  but  one  species,  the  grisly  bear ;  but  the 
black  bear  of  the  United  States  is  found  in  New  Mexico,  and  highly 
prized  for  its  skin ;  though  Dr.  Pickering  thinks  he  saw  another  spe- 
cies,  whose  summer  coat  approaches  the  yellow  bear  of  Oregon.  The 
skin  of  the  young  is  here  sometimes  made  into  quivers,  and  they  are 
destitute  of  the  horny  claws  of  the  grisly  bear.  The  skin  of  the  latter 
animal  is  said  sometimes  to  be  as  large  as  that  of  an  ox ;  its  food  is  the 
same  as  that  of  the  Indians,  and  varies  with  the  seasons.  Its  strength 
is  said  to  be  prodigiously  great,  and  it  has  been  known  when  lassoed 
to  drag  three  horses;  and  when  baited  in  the  bull  and  bear  fights  prac- 
tised in  California,  will  check  the  charge  of  a  bull  by  putting  out  one 
of  its  paws. 

They  will  also  ascend  the  oaks  for  the  acorns,  and  break  ofl* 
branches  so  large  as  almost  to  ruin  the  tree.  It  has  been  generally 
supposed  that  they  do  not  climb;  but  all  the  hunters  bear  testimony  ihki 
they  can  do  it,  although  slowly  and  clumsily.    They  are  now  less 


CALIFORNIA.  IM 

numerous  than  formerly;  indeed,  it  is  alleged  that  the  lower  country* 
near  the  San  Joachim,  was  once  so  infested  with  these  bears,  that  the 
Indians  were  obliged  to  keep  to  the  high  lands  when  travelling. 

It  does  not  at  all  times  kill  its  enemies  when  it  has  them  in  its 
power;  rarely  attacks  a  man  unless  he  comes  upon  him  by  surprise,  and 
is  not  considered  a  dangerous  animal. 

Anecdotes  are  told  of  hunters  who  had  fallen  into  the  power  of  grisly 
Dears,  which  would  cover  them  up  with  brush,  grass,  and  leaves,  and 
put  them  down,  without  further  molestation,  so  long  as  they  remained 
quiet ;  if  they  attempted  to  rise  again,  the  bear  would  again  put  them 
down,  cover  them  over  as  before,  and  finally  leave  them  unhurt 

Three  or  four  are  usually  seen  feeding  together.  The  cubs  are 
remarkably  small  in  proportion  to  the  full-grown  animal. 

Lieutenant-Commandant  Ringgold,  Dr.  Pickering,  and  Mr.  Geiger, 
landed  to  procure  an  interview  with  the  chief,  who,  with  some  others, 
was  prevailed  upon  to  accompany  them  to  their  encampment  The 
chief  presented  them  with  a  tuft  of  white  feathers,  stuck  on  a  stick 
about  one  foot  long,  which  was  supposed  to  be  a  token  of  friendship. 
These  Indians  were  naked,  and  some  of  them  had  feathers  in  their  hair, 
arranged  in  different  ways.  One  among  them  was  seen  pitted  with  the 
small-pox,  which  was  the  only  instance  that  had  been  observed  of  the 
sort.  Their  fillets  of  feathers  somewhat  resembled  those  worn  by  the 
chiefs  at  the  Sandwich  Islands ;  and  feather  cloaks  were  seen  at  the 
village,  resembling  some  we  had  seen  to  the  north,  near  the  Straits  of 
De  Puca. 

Their  bows  and  arrows  were  precisely  like  those  described  as  used 
by  the  more  northern  tribes.  The  arrows  were  about  three  feet  long, 
and  the  bows  were  of  yew,  encased  with  sinew.  Their  arrows,  as  well 
as  their  spears,  which  were  very  short,  were  pointed  with  flint 

These  Indians  were  generally  fine  robust  men,  of  low  stature,  and 
badly  formed ;  but  the  chiefs,  five  or  six  in  number,  were  fully  eqtial  in 
size  to  the  whites,  though  inferior  in  stature  and  good-looking  as  com* 
pared  with  the  generality  of  the  Polynesians.  They  had  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  latter,  except  that  the  nose  was  not  so  flat  and  their 
colour  rather  darker.  Although  the  men  go  naked,  the  women  are  said 
to  wear  the  maro.  The  males  seemed  to  be  exceedingly  jealous,  on 
account,  it  is  said,  of  the  unprincipled  conduct  of  the  whites  who  have 
occasionally  passed  among  them.  Their  hair  is  not  worn  as  long  as  it 
is  by  the  northern  Indians,  and  is  much  thicker.  They  had  beards  and 
whiskers  an  inch  or  two  long,  very  soft  and  fine. 

One  of  them  was  observed  to  have  stuck  in  his  head  a  long  pin  or 
VOL.  V.  Q  2  24 


186  CALIFORNIA. 

small  sticky  like  that  so  much  in  use  among  the  Feejees.  Most  of  them 
bad  some  slight  marks  of  tattooing  on  their  breast,  somewhat  similar 
to  that  of  the  Chinooks.  Several  of  them  had  their  ears  bored,  and 
wore  in  the  opening  round  pieces  of  wood  or  bone,  some  of  which  were 
carved. 

Their  rancheria,  or  village,  consisted  of  no  more  than  five  or  six 
huts,  built  around  a  larger  one,  which  appeared  somewhat  like  the 
**  tamascals" — sweating-houses.  All  their  houses  were  formed  in  the 
following  manner :  a  round  pit  is  dug,  three  or  four  feet  deep  and  from 
ten  to  twenty  feet  in  diameter;  over  this  a  framework  of  sticks  is 
raised,  woven  together,  upon  which  is  laid  dried  grass  and  reeds ;  the 
whole  is  then  covered  with  earth.  They  have  one  small  opening,  into 
which  it  is  necessary  to  creep  on  all-fours ;  another  is  left  on  the  top, 
which  is  extended  upwards  with  bundles  of  grass,  to  serve  as  a 
chimney ;  in  some  of  the  houses  there  was  a  kind  of  hanging-shelf, 
apparently  for  the  purpose  of  drying  fish.  The  tamascal  differed  in  no 
respect  from  the  others,  except  in  its  size,  and  appeared  sufficiently 
large  to  contain  half  the  inhabitants  of  the  rancheria ;  but,  unlike  the 
rest,  it  had  several  instead  of  one  opening ;  all  of  these  had  coverings, 
which  are  intended  for  the  purpose  of  retaining  the  heat  as  long  as 
possible.  The  Indians  are  particularly  fond  of  these  baths,  and  make 
constant  use  of  them.  The  roofs  of  their  houses  are  strong  enough  to 
bear  the  weight  of  several  persons,  and  the  Indians  are  usually  seen 
sitting  on  the  top  of  them.  Previous  to  our  gentlemen  reaching  the 
rancheria,  their  women  had  all  decamped,  excepting  one  old  one,  who, 
on  perceiving  the  party  close  to  her,  dropped  her  load,  and  in  excessive 
fear  darted,  off  like  a  wild  animal.  Around  the  huts  were  scattered 
vast  quantities  of  the  mussels'  shells  and  acorns,  which  would  therefore 
seem  to  be  the  principal  articles  of  food.  Near  the  huts,  large  branches 
of  trees  had  been  stuck  up  for  shade.  Some  water-tight  baskets  and 
bulrush  mats  were  their  only  fabrics.  They  do  not  appear  to  pay  any 
attention  to  cultivation,  and  the  only  appearance  of  it  was  in  a  species 
of  Cucurbita  (mock  orange),  planted  near  their  village ;  but  what  use 
they  made  of  this  was  not  learned. 

This  rancheria  is  said  to  contain  between  two  and  three  hundred 
warriors,  who  are  a  fair  specimen  of  the  tribes  of  the  country,  and  are 
the  most  troublesome  to  the  trappers,  with  whom  they  generally  have  a 
fight  once  a  year.  On  one  occasion,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  left 
their  cattle  in  their  charge,  and  when  the  delivery  was  demanded  they 
refused  to  give  them  up ;  war  was  accordingly  made  on  them,  and 
after  they  had  lost  forty  of  their  warriors,  they  consented  to  return  the 


CALIFORNIA.  187 

cattle  and  make  peace.  These  Indians  do  not  use  the  tomahawk,  nor 
practise  scalping.  They  go  unclothed,  even  in  winter,  although  the 
climate  is  occasionally  quite  cold  in  this  northern  part  of  the  valley. 

On  the  morning  when  the  party  were  breaking  up  camp  to  embark, 
an  Indian  boldly  seized  the  bowie-knife-pistol  of  Dr.  Pickering,  and 
made  at  once  for  the  woods.  He  had  chosen  his  time  well,  for  no 
arms  were  at  hand.  Several  of  the  men  pursued  him,  but  by  his  alert- 
ness he  eluded  all  pursuit ;  and  having  gained  the  bushes,  escaped  with 
his  prize. 

This  act,  committed  in  open  daylight,  and  at  the  risk  of  life,  shows 
how  strong  is  their  propensity  to  steal.  All  the  other  Indians  present 
soon  understood  the  difficulty,  and  at  once  took  their  departure.  The 
chief  was  not  present ;  those  who  were  concerned  in  the  theft  had  not 
been  before  seen,  and  it  was  conjectured  belonged  to  one  of  the  ran- 
cherias  higher  up  the  river.  A  short  distance  above  the  place  where 
this  occurred,  they  met  the  chief,  to  whom  the  theft  was  made  known, 
and  who  promised  to  restore  the  stolen  article. 

At  noon  they  passed  the  Prairie  Butes,  which  are  a  collection  of 
isolated  hills,  rising  from  the  level  plain,  as  if  out  of  the  sea.  As  they 
were  visited  by  the  party  that  passed  through  from  Oregon,  I  shall  give 
a  particular  account  of  them  in  the  narrative  of  that  journey.  They 
formed  one  of  the  connecting  links  between  the  operations  of  the  two 
parties,  and  served  to  verify  their  respective  observations.  Indians  were 
seen  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  with  a  number  of  women  in  com- 
pany, who  seemed  well  disposed  to  enter  into  communication,  as  they 
motioned  the  party  to  land. 

In  the  afternoon  they  encamped  on  the  west  bank,  at  a  considerable 
distance  above  the  Butes.  The  river  was  here  only  two  hundred  feet 
wide,  and  its  banks  but  fifteen  feet  high.  The  trees  on  the  shores  had 
now  become  quite  thick,  and  grew  with  great  luxuriance ;  so  much  so, 
that  were  the  sight  confined  to  the  river  banks,  it  might  be  supposed 
that  the  country  was  one  continued  forest,  instead  of  an  open  prairie. 

The  Indians  who  visited  them  at  this  camp,  were  less  timid,  and  a 
much  finer-looking  set  of  men  than  those  before  seen.  They  allowed 
the  officers  and  men  to  examine  their  bows  and  arrows,  and  appeared 
to  have  confidence  in  our  good  feeling  towards  them.  The  old  chief 
welcomed  the  party,  granted  them  permission  to  encamp  on  the  bank, 
and  then  departing  with  all  his  tribe,  nothing  more  was  seen  of  him 
until  late  the  next  morning. 

On  the  31st,  they  again  proceeded,  and  passed  several  Indian  villages. 
Before  noon,  they  arrived  at  a  substantially-built  fish-weir,  of  which 
the  Indians  began  to  take  a  part  down,  but  Lieutenant-Commandant 


188  CALIFORNIA. 

Ringgold  deeming  that  this  was  the  termination  of  his  exploration^ 
motioned  to  them  to  desist.  This  fish-weir  was  constructed  with  a  great 
deal  of  art:  stakes,  pointing  down  the  stream,  had  been  driven  into  its 
bed,  having  three  openings,  which  led  into  square  pens  above ;  over 
each  of  the  entrances  into  the  pens  was  a  platform,  on  which  the 
natives  stand  to  take  the  fish ;  on  these  ako  there  were  heaps  of  ashes, 
indicating  that  the  natives  make  use  of  fire  to  attract  the  fish.  The 
annexed  wood-cnt  is  a  representation  of  the  weir. 


FISH-WZIR. 


The  river  was  examined  for  two  or  three  miles  above,  and  found  to 
be  filled  with  rapids,  and  innumerable  difficulties  caused  by  snags  and 
sand-bars.  Here  Lieutenant-Commandant  Ringgold  ascertained  his 
position  to  be  in  latitude  39^  13'  39"  N.,  longitude  121^  48*  38"  W., 
which,  joined  to  the  work  of  the  land  party,  gives  the  exploration  oi 
the  whole  extent  of  the  Sacramento  river,  from  its  source  to  the  sea, 
a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles.  The  first  fork,  or  the  junction  of 
Pitt's  with  that  of  Destruction  river  or  creek,  is  in  latitude  40®  47'  N., 
longitude  122°  84'  W. 

The  Indians  of  this  tribe,  the  Kinkla,  were  disposed  to  be  much 
more  friendly  than  those  met  with  during  the  two  preceding  days. 
The  party  had  some  intercourse  with  them,  and  many  of  the  women 
were  seen,  some  of  whom  wore  the  peculiar  Polynesian  dress,  called 
the  maro,  which  in  this  case  was  made  of  strings  from  the  Californian 
flax,  which  is  common  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Where  this  cannot 
be  procured,  they  use  the  tula.  This  garment  hangs  in  consideraUe 
thickness  both  before  and  behind,  but  is  open  at  the  sides. 

Of  these  Indians  it  is  report^  that  no  one  has  more  than  one  wife^ 
Their  village  was  similar  to  that  already  described.  The  women 
were  not  very  prepossessing  in  their  appearance,  although  the  younger 
ones  had  pleasing  faces  and  fine  forms;  but  the  men  were  large  and 
stout,  and  would  be  termed  finely  formed.  The  women  were  em* 
ployed  in  drying  grass-seed  and  acorns  in  the  sun,  of  which  the  latter 
seemed  to  be  the  principal  part  of  their  food.  These  Indians  had 
small  fishing-nets,  somewhat  resembling  in  size  and  shape  a  lad3r*8 
reticule.    These  th^  made  use  of  when  diving  for  mussels,  and  in  a 


CALIFORNIA.  180 

short  time  procured  half  a  bushel  of  them.  They  had  also  larger 
nets,  which  very  much  resemble  our  own ;  but  on  close  examination* 
the  manner  of  forming  strands  of  the  cordage  was  found  to  be  dif- 
ferent. 

Their  language  is  soft  compared  to  that  of  the  northern  Indians, 
and  as  much  so  as  that  of  the  Polynesians.  In  but  a  few  cases  was 
the  guttural  sound  of  tch  observed ;  and  the  repetition  of  syllables  is 
frequent,  as  '*wai-wai,"  and  <<  hau-hau-hau."  Lieutenant-Comman- 
dant Ringgold  obtained  a  small  vocabulary  of  the  language  from  a 
chief,  and  Captain  Suter  furnished  much  information  respecting  it 
According  to  him,  although  there  are  many  tribes,  yet  they  speak  no 
more  than  two  distinct  languages,  one  of  which  prevails  on  the  east 
and  the  other  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sacramento.  This  information* 
however,  was  contradicted  by  other  authorities;  but  as  this  subject 
belongs  to  the  report  on  philology,  I  must  refer  the  reader  to  Mr. 
Hale's  book  on  that  subject  for  further  information. 

According  to  the  best  authorities,  these  Indians,  so  far  from  being 
cannibals,  will  not  eat  any  kind  of  animals  that  eat  man.  They 
carry  burdens  in  the  same  manner  as  the  northern  tribes,  with  a 
strap  round  the  forehead.  They  live  upon  various  plants,  in  their 
several  seasons,  besides  grapes,  and  even  use  the  Artemisia.  A  species 
of  tobacco  is  found  on  the  sandy  beaches,  which  the  Indians  prepare 
and  smoke. 

Their  bows  and  arrows  were  carefully  made,  and  the  latter  were 
kept  in  quivers  made  of  fox-skins,  young  bears,  &c.  In  each  of  these 
they  had  about  forty  arrows,  pointed  with  flint  and  neatly  made. 

The  vegetation  throughout  the  whole  course  of  the  Sacramento 
showed  evident  traces  of  salt,  and  in  some  places  the  prairies  seemed 
to  be  incrusted  with  it. 

At  the  place  where  the  survey  ended,  the  river  was  two  hundred 
feet  wide,  its  banks  being  twenty  feet  above  the  river;  but  it  was 
evident  that  its  perpendicular  rise  exceeded  this,  as  there  was  every 
appearance  of  its  overflowing  them ;  and,  according  to  the  testimony 
of  the  Indians,  the  whole  country  was  annually  inundated. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  81st  of  August,  the  party  turned  to  go  down 
the  stream,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  current  made  rapid  progress. 
Towards  sunset  they  entered  the  small  stream  called  Bute,  on  whose 
banks  they  encamped.  Here  they  were  much  disturbed,  both  with 
bears  and  musquitoes. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  they  made  an  early  start,  and  about  noon 
reached  the  village  where  the  theft  of  Dr.  Pickering's  pistol  had  been 
committed. 


190  CALIFORNIA. 

It  was  with  some  difficulty  that  the  Indians  were  persuaded  to 
approach ;  but  a  fine-looking  savage^  more  bold  than  the  rest,  at  last 
ventured  to  do  so,  and  gave  the  information  that  the  Indian  who  had 
committed  the  theft,  resided  at  the  village  up  stream. 

The  weapon  therefore  not  being  forthcoming,  Lieutenant-Comman- 
dant Ringgold  determined  to  seize  this  man  as  a  hostage  for  the  return 
of  the  article.  He  was  accordingly  secured,  his  arms  pinioned  behind 
him,  and  led  down  to  the  boat,  when  two  men  were  ordered  to  tie  his 
legs ;  while  they  were  in  the  act  of  doing  this,  he  extricated  himself, 
and  jumped  overboard.  The  guns  were  at  once  levelled,  and  half  a 
dozen  triggers  ready  to  be  pulled ;  but  Lieutenant-Commandant  Ring- 
gold very  properly  stopped  them  from  firing,  and  endeavours  were 
made  to  recapture  him,  but  without  effect  These  efibrts  having 
failed,  they  took  to  their  boats,  and  pulled  down  the  stream.  The 
Indians  who  were  on  the  banks,  to  the  number  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty,  made  no  demonstrations  of  hostility. 

Platforms  similar  to  those  erected  by  the  Indians  for  spearing  salmon, 
were  passed  along  the  river  banks. 

Having  stopped  at  the  same  camp  at  the  Poplar  Grove,  as  on  the 
28th,  they  took  a  few  hours'  amusement  in  hunting.  Each  person 
who  went  out  returned  with  an  elk  or  a  buck  as  a  prize,  with  large 
antlers.  According  to  the  hunters,  the  elk  obtains  an  additional 
prong  every  year ;  and  one  of  those  killed  had  sixteen.  The  antlers 
are  shed  every  year,  and  only  acquire  hardness  at  the  rutting  season, 
when  the  velvet  is  rubbed  ofi^.  The  usual  length  of  their  life  is  from 
eight  to  ten  years. 

On  the  3d,  they  continued  the  survey,  until  they  were  below  Feather 
river,  when  the  provisions  were  so  nearly  exhausted  that  Lieutenant* 
Commandant  Ringgold  found  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to 
examine  that  stream.  The  residents  and  trappers  informed  me  that 
they  had  followed  it  to  its  source.  From  them  I  learned  that  it  takes 
its  rise  in  the  Californian  Range,  from  which  it  pursues  a  southwest 
course,  until  it  falls  into  the  Sacramento  riven  It  is  about  forty  miles 
in  length.  It  is  believed  that  the  Spaniards,  when  they  first  explored 
this  country,  designated  the  Feather  river  as  the  Sacramento,  and  gave 
to  the  true  Sacramento  the  name  of  the  Jesu  Maria.  In  no  other  way, 
at  least,  can  the  error  which  has  occurred,  in  relation  to  the  Jesu 
Maria,  be  explained ;  and  on  this  supposition,  the  accounts  of  it  become 
intelligible. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Sacramento,  there  are  sometimes  to  be 
found  small  lakes  or  bayous,  which  seem  to  be  filled  at  high  water,  but 
become  stagnant  during  the  dry  season.    These  the  elk  and  deer  fre- 


CALIFORNIA.  1«1 

quent  in  large  numbers.    Their  cry  or  whistle  is  at  times  very  shrilly 
and  may  be  heard  for  a  great  distance. 

At  the  junction  of  the  Feather  river  with  the  Sacramento,  the  latter 
increases  in  width  to  nearly  double.  It  was  found  just  below  the 
junction  to  be  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  feet  broad,  forming  a  sort 
of  bay,  but  it  soon  again  contracts.  They  encamped  about  ten  miles 
below  the  confluence  of  these  streams. 

Whilst  the  men  were  employed  in  pitching  the  tents,  Dr.  Pickering 
strolled  up  the  bank,  to  see  what  he  could  find  in  the  botanical  way, 
without  arms.  On  his  approaching  the  bushes,  a  huge  grisly  bear 
made  for  him,  and  so  close  was  he  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to 
make  all  the  exertion  he  could  to  efi*ect  his  escape  from  so  dangerous 
an  adversary.  He  gave  the  alarm,  and  every  one  was  running  for 
his  arms,  but  before  these  could  be  prepared,  this  inhabitant  of  the 
forest  made  a  precipitate  retreat,  and  was  soon  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  rifle. 

On  the  4th,  they  had  returned  to  Captain  Suter,  where  they  found 
that  a  small  Russian  schooner  had  arrived  from  Bodega,  bringing  the 
governor  of  that  establishment,  who  was  about  delivering  it  up  to 
Captain  Suter.  The  vessel  was  understood  to  have  been  built  at 
Sitka,  and  was  of  only  thirty  tons  burden,  very  much  resembling  an 
English  vessel  of  the  same  class. 

For  a  boat  they  use  a  skin  "  badaka,"  that  is  admirably  adapted  for 
the  seas  and  weather  they  have  to  contend  with.  When  the  persons 
are  seated,  and  the  opening  closed,  with  a  skin  dress  they  more 
resemble  an  aquatic  animal  than  any  thing  else. 

The  morning  after  their  arrival,  Captain  Suter  paid  his  men  their 
weekly  wages,  in  cloths,  calicoes,  vests,  shirts,  and  pantaloons.  The 
whole  was  arranged  through  their  chief,  who  spoke  a  little  Spanish. 
The  labourers  are  obtained  from  the  difierent  rancherias,  and  some 
from  the  vicinity  of  the  mountains.  It  was  observed  that  the  larger 
portion  of  the  labourers  were  young  men  and  boys ;  no  women  were 
employed,  and  as  yet  their  services  are  not  needed ;  but  it  is  the  Cap- 
tain's intention,  as  he  informed  our  gentlemen,  to  have  employment  for 
them  in  a  year  or  two. 

Several  Americans  from  the  United  States  are  beginning  to  settle  in 
this  part  of  the  country,  and  it  will  not  be  long  before  it  becomes  in 
some  respects,  an  American  Colony. 

Although  it  was  late  in  the  season,  a  few  salmon  were  caught  at  the 
fishery ;  they  were  not  to  be  distinguished  from  the  Columbia  species 
of  the  first  run. 


199  CALIFORNIA. 

The  Indians  have  several  rancherias  around  New  Helvetia.  Their 
lodges  are  all  somewhat  like  lovr  haycockS)  being  composed  of  a 
framework  of  sticks,  thatched  with  the  bulrush.  In  these  there  was 
no  excavation,  neither  were  they  covered  with  earth  ;  these  dwellings 
were  at  the  time  deserted  by  the  Indians,  who  were  found  encamped 
about  half  a  mile  nearer  the  river,  with  but  a  few  boughs  and  mats  to 
shelter  them.  The  latter  are  manufactured  after  the  manner  that  has 
been  described  as  used  by  the  Indians  of  Oregon. 

At  the  rancheria,  the  men  are  generally  found  engaged  in  various 
games  of  chance,  similar  to  those  before  described ;  it  is  not  believed, 
however,  that  they  carry  their  gambling  propensities  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  stake  their  liberty.  On  the  women,  all  the  drudgery 
seems  to  be  thrown.  They  were  seen  engaged  in  weaving  water- 
tight baskets:  these  are  very  neatly  made,  of  sufficient  capacity  lo 
hold  a  bushel,  and  in  these  it  is  said  they  contrive  to  boil  water  and 
cook  their  food. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  acom-bread  all  assist  The  acorns  are 
gathered  in  very  large  quantities,  piled  in  heaps,  and  spread  in  the  sun 
to  dry.  Both  men  and  women  are  to  be  seen  employed  shelling, 
pounding,  and  baking  them  into  bread :  the  pounding  is  performed  upon 
a  plank  that  has  been  hollowed  out,  with  a  stone  pestle.  To  reduce  the 
large  quantity  to  a  fine  powder,  requires  great  labour.  This  employ, 
ment  presents  a  busy  scene,  though  the  want  of  cleanliness,  I  may 
almost  say  pig-like  filthiness  with  which  it  is  performed,  excites 
disgusL 


Around  New  Helvetia,  although  but  a  few  days  had  elapsed  since 


CALIFORNIA.  193 

their  former  visit,  the  country,  if  possible,  appeared  more  arid ;  it  by 
no  means  justified  the  high  encomiums  that  we  had  heard  bestow^ 
upon  this  far-famed  valley.  Our  expectations  probably  had  been  so 
much  raised  as  scarcely  to  allow  us  to  give  it  that  credit  it  really 
deserves. 

The  valley  of  the  Sacramento  may  include  a  space  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  long,  by  from  twenty  to  fifty  miles  wide.  A  large  part  • 
of  this  is  undoubtedly  barren  and  unproductive,  and  must  for  ever 
remain  so.  The  part  that  is  deemed  good  soil,  is  inundated  annually, 
not  for  any  great  length  of  time,  yet  sufficiently  long  to  make  it  unfit 
for  advantageous  settlement  The  high  prairie  is  spoken  of  as  being 
in  general  barren,  and  as  affording  but  little  good  pasture. 

The  crops  are  usually  ripe  in  June,  which  enables  the  wheat  and 
Indian  com  to  be  gathered  before  the  summer  drought  begins.  There 
is  Qsually  a  rainy  season  of  three  months,  but  during  the  year  of  our 
visit  no  rain  had  fallen ;  and  from  every  crop  having  failed,  the  inhabi- 
tants had  been  living  upon  their  cattle.  The  cattle  suflfered  almost  as 
much  as  the  crops,  and  large  numbers  of  them  died  from  starvation. 
On  this  account,  the  inhabitants  had  forborne  to  kill  their  cattle  for 
hides,  believing  it  to  be  a  great  loss  to  do  so,  as  the  weight  was  so 
much  depreciated  as  to  pay  little  more  than  the  labour  of  slaughter  and 
preparing  for  market 

The  variety  of  game  in  this  country  almost  exceeds  belief.  The  elk 
may  be  said  to  predominate,  but  there  are  also  many  bears,  black- 
tailed  deer,  wolves,  foxes,  minxs,  hares,  musk-rats,  badgers,  antelopes, 
and  Ovis  montana.  The  wolf  is  reported  by  Dr.  Marsh  to  be  the  same 
as  the  prairie-wolf  of  the  Upper  Mississippi,  but  not  the  one  described 
by  Say.  Mr.  Peale  in  his  report  will  probably  assimilate  it  to  the 
small  one  of  Oregon,  with  large  ears.  The  fox  is  the  same  as  the  gray 
one  of  the  wooded  parts  of  the  United  States.  According  to  Mr.  Peale, 
the  black-tailed  deer  is  the  only  species  found  in  this  country.  The 
Ovia  montana  has  been  frequently  seen  by  Dr.  Marsh ;  its  coating  is 
altogether  hair,  without  any  admixture  of  wool.  No  specimens  were 
obtamed  for  the  Expedition. 

The  badger  was  seen  by  Dr.  Pickering,  who  attempted  to  capture 
one ;  he  found  no  difficulty  in  following  it,  as  its  movements  were  not 
very  rapid.  After  passing  over  some  hills,  it  made  a  stand ;  and  as  he 
approached,  brisrtled  up,  but  made  no  other  threatening  demonstration, 
and  retreated  backwards  to  its  burrow.  On  his  feigning  a  retreat,  it 
came  again  fortli  and  exposed  itself  to  be  fired  at  Dr.  Pickering 
wounded  it ;  but  not  so  much  as  to  prevent  its  reaching  its  burrow,  and 
so  it  escaped..  He  wai^'  satliMed  by  its  movements,  that  its  curiosity  was 

VOL.  T.  R  25 


194  CALIFORNIA. 

the  cause  that  led  it  to  risk  destruction.  This  seems  to  be  the  great 
and  all-powerful  instinctive  passion  of  these  wild  animals,  and  frequently 
retains  them  within  reach  of  the  deadly  rifle.  Considering  the  quantity 
of  game,  the  success  attendant  on  our  tyro  hunters  was  not  equal  to 
their  anticipations,  and  convinced  them  that  it  is  much  easier  to  bring 
down  an  elk  in  anticipation  than  in  reality.  The  accidents  were  fe^ 
and  only  one  annoyance  was  experienced,  in  the  chase  of  a  skunk, 
which  obliged  the  officer  to  part  with  his  clothes.  The  wild-fowl 
scarcely  claimed  attention,  the  elk  and  large  animals  being  so  abundant. 
The  flesh  of  the  elk  was  much  preferred  by  the  party  to  that  of  the 
deer. 

On  the  6th,  the  survey  being  finished  down  to  this  point,  they  de- 
scended the  river,  on  their  return  to  the  ship.  On  the  8th,  they  had 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the  Straits  of  Kaquines.  On  the 
9th,  at  midnight,  they  reached  the  Vincennes,  ader  an  absence  of 
twenty  days.  Subsequent  to  this  date,  on  the  20th,  Lieutenant-Com- 
mandant Ringgold  proceeded  again,  with  six  boats,  to  examine  the 
bay  of  San  Pablo,  and  the  streams  that  flow  into  it,  and  also  up  the 
San  Joachim,  until  it  branched  off  to  the  southward  and  eastward. 
This  party  returned  to  the  ship  on  the  29th. 

Whilst  the  Vincennes  was  at  Sausalito,  the  officers  made  visits  to 
the  different  places  around,  and  received  many  persons  on  board, 
priests  as  well  as  laymen;  and  as  their  estancias  or  mission-houses 
were  far  removed,  they  became  guests  for  a  longer  time  than  was 
agreeable  to  most  of  the  officers.  A  Californian  needs  no  pressing  to 
stay,  as  long  as  he  is  pleased  with  the  place ;  and  that  he  should  be  so, 
it  is  not  necessary  to  furnish  him  with  luxuries :  he  is  content  with 
coarse  fare,  provided  he  can  get  enough  of  strong  drink  to  minister  to 
his  thirst  I  have  already  spoken  of  the  great  consumption  of  spirits 
that  is  said  to  take  place  in  this  country ;  and  from  the  experience  we 
had  of  it,  the  accounts  certainly  are  not  exaggerated.  The  palm  for 
intemperance  was,  I  think,  generally  given  to  the  padres,  some  of 
whom,  notwithstanding  their  clerical  robes,  did  ample  justice  to  every 
drinkable  offered  them ;  and  so  well  were  they  pleased,  that  sonrie  of 
them  made  a  visit  of  three  days'  duration,  and  were  even  then  disin- 
clined to  leave.  It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  they  leA  the  same  impres- 
sion of  their  characters  on  board  that  it  has  been  heretofore  said  they 
bear  on  shore.  The  officers  all  seemed  disposed  to  draw  a  veil  over 
the  conduct  to  which  they  were  witnesses,  and  I  will  not  be  the  one 
to  raise  it,  as  it  can  be  of  little  benefit,  and  might  perhaps  be  applicable 
to  only  a  few  of  the  order. 

Our  intercourse  with  Selior  Martinez  and  his  family  was  much 


CALIFORNIA.  105 

more  agreeable.  Of  them,  Captain  Beechey  has  given  a  delightful 
account  Martinez  has  now  retired  to  an  estancia,  where  he  is  living 
in  what  is,  in  this  country,  affluence.  His  wife  and  himself  have 
grown  older,  but  still  retain  the  character  drawn  of  them  by  Captain 
Beechey.  Near  Pinole,  Sefior  Martinez  has  a  large  house,  but  mea- 
gerly  furnished,  where  he  is  surrounded  by  his  large  family  of  children 
and  grandchildren.  His  wife  is  the  same  managing  body,  and  keeps  a 
strict  eye  upon  her  younger  daughters,  who  are  all  good-looking. 

The  Califomians  are  always  inclined  for  amusement,  and  dancing 
is  their  favourite  pastime,  so  that  where  a  family  is  large,  they  seldom 
fail  to  pass  off  the  evening  pleasantly  for  their  guests.  Quadrilles 
and  Spanish  dances  are  the  fashion;  and  the  desire  to  please  is  as 
strongly  exhibited  in  this  family  as  it  was  during  the  visit  of  Captain 
Beechey.  After  dancing  until  a  late  hour,  supper  was  provided,  when 
the  guests  were  either  accommodated  for  the  night,  or  set  out  to 
return  to  their  homes,  which,  if  they  be  unable  to  reach,  they  pass  the 
night  in  the  open  air,  using  their  ponchos  and  saddle-cloths  for  cover- 
ing. During  the  nights  there  is  but  little  wind,  and  the  atmosphere  is 
generally  so  dry  and  clear,  that  a  person  may,  with  impunity,  sleep  in 
the  open  air. 

Three  of  the  daughters  and  two  of  the  sons  of  Sefior  Martinez  are 
married ;  one  of  the  former  to  Don  Vitro  Castro,  and  another  to  the 
captain  of  the  port,  an  Englishman  by  the  name  of  Richardson,  who 
lives  at  Sausalito,  and  who  supplies  vessels  with  provisions.  He  was 
very  attentive  and  obliging  in  furnishing  the  ship  with  supplies,  and 
affording  us  the  means  of  baking  bread  for  the  daily  supply  of  the  ship. 

Captain  Richardson  has  an  estancia,  bordering  on  Sausalito  Bay, 
prettily  situated  under  the  hill,  with  sufficient  fertile  land  for  his  gar- 
dens, or  rather  fields,  where  his  vegetables  are  raised.  His  house  is 
small,  consisting  of  only  two  rooms,  and  within  a  few  rods  of  it  all  the 
cattle  are  slaughtered,  which  affords  a  sight  and  smell  that  are  not  the 
most  agreeable.  A  collection  of  leg-bones,  hoofs,  horns,  and  hides, 
lay  about  in  confusion,  for  which  numerous  dogs  were  fighting.  It 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  these  animals  could  be  made  to  cease 
their  strife ;  and  what  with  this  and  the  barking  kept  up  by  others, 
both  without  and  within  doors,  there  was  such  a  clamour  raised  as 
required  all  the  household,  consisting  of  husband,  wife,  daughter,  and 
slave,  to  quiet.  Captain  Richardson's  establishment  is  a  fair  represen- 
tation of  the  manner  of  living  in  California,  and  articles  which  are 
condemned  elsewhere  are  acceptable  here.  However  small  the  apart- 
ment may  be,  it  is  but  sparingly  furnished,  and  with  no  view  of 
comfort,  in  our  sense  of  the  word ;  cleanliness,  the  great  promoter  of 


196  CALIFORNIA. 

it,  is  wanting,  and  the  indoience  of  the  people  seems  an  insuperable  bar 
to  it  Senora  Richardson  shows  the  marks  of  former  beauty,  which 
her  daughter  has  inherited,  and  is  said  to  be  the  handsomest  woman  in 
ail  CaKfornia.  I  had  the  honour  of  seeing  them  when  I  returned  Cap- 
tain Richardson's  call,  and  they  were,  in  the  Spanish  style  of  beauty, 
quite  deserving  of  the  reputation  they  had  acquired. 

Cai^tain  Richardson  did  what  he  could  to  afford,  amusement  for  the 
officers,  and  during  the  visit  of  Sefior  Martinez  to  the  ship,  an  invita- 
tion to  a  dance  was  accepted  by  some  of  them*  Although  the  house 
was  small,  yet  they  made  out  to  pass  the  evening  with  great  hilarity, 
Senor  Martinez  dancing  with  two  of  his  grand-daughters— one  on 
each  arm.  The  group  of  musicians  it  was  thought  might  have  sat 
for  the. portraits  of  Roman  soldiers.  The  evening's  entertainment 
passed  off  well,  the  dancing  having  continued  the  greater  part  of  the 
night  The  Californians  must  be  ranked  next  to  the  Chilenos  for  their 
love  of  this  amusement  The  refreshment  consisted  principally  of 
strong  drinks.  Seiior  Martinez  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  aristo- 
crats of  the  country.  Much  deference  is  paid  to  his  opinion,  and  an 
alliance  with  his  family  is  much  sought  after.  The  old  lady  exercises 
a  matronly  care  over  her  daughters,  and  has  them  ever  under  her 
watchful  eye.  Captain  Richardson's  dac^hter,  though  only  seventeen, 
is  so  famed  for  her  beauty  and  attractions,  that  she  has  several  avowed 
suitors.  Courtships  are  here  conducted  somewhat  in  ao  old-faohioned 
manner.  The  suitor  is  obliged  to  avow  himself  and  receive  permission 
to  visit  All  who  visit  the  estancia  near  Pinole  will  meet  with  that 
warm  reception  and  kind  treatment  that  SeSor  Martinez,  his  lady,  and 
family,  are  so  remarkable  for. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay  of  San  Pablo,  or  to  the  west,  are 
some  of  the  finest  tracts  of  country  in  California.  One  of  these  is 
called  the  Valley  of  Nappa,  another  that  of  Zonoma,  and  a  third,  San 
Rafael.  In  Zonoma  is  situated  the  town  of  the  same  name,  the 
residence  of  General  Vallejo,  and  the  mission  of  San  Raftiel.  The 
fertile  country  extends  across  to  Ross  and  Bodega,  the  two  Russian 
settlements  before  spoken  of.  Zonoma  is  the  seat  of  government,  and 
is  situated  in  an  extensive  plain,  with  some  high  hills  for  its  southern 
boundary.  The  plain  is  covered  with  fine  oaks,  and  there  is  a  never- 
failing  stream  of  water  passing  through  it  There  is  besides  an  inlet 
from  the  bay,  which  allows  a  boat  navigation  to  it  of  about  twelve 
miles. 

Upon  paper,  Zonoma  is  a  large  city,  and  laid  out  according  to  the 
most  approved  plan.  In  reality,  however,  it  consists  of  only  the  follow- 
ing buildings :  General  Vallejo's  house,  built  of  adobes,  of  two  stories. 


CALIFORNIA.  \gj 

which  fronts  on  the  public  square,  and  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  best 
houses  in  California.  On  the  right  of  this  is  the  residence  of  the 
general's  brother,  Salvadore,  and  to  the  left,  the  barracks  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  guard  for  the  general,  consisting  of  about  twenty 
fusileers.  Not  far  removed  is  the  old  dilapidated  mission-house  of  San 
Francisco  Solano,  scarcely  tenantable,  though  a  small  part  of  it  is 
inhabited  still  by  the  Padre  Kihas,  who  continues,  notwithstanding  the 
poverty  of  his  mission,  to  entertain  the  stranger,  and  show  him  all  the 
hospitality  he  can. 

Besides  the  buildings  just  enumerated,  there  were  in  the  course  of 
construction,  in  1841,  a  neat  little  chapel,  and  a  small  building  for  a 
billiard-room.  There  are  also  three  or  four  more  houses  and  huts 
which  are  tenanted ;  and  at  some  future  day  it  may  boast  of  some 
farther  additions. 

General  Vallejo  was  one  of  those  who  figured  in  the  revolution  of 
1886,  and  was  then  appointed  Commandant-Greneral  of  Alta-Cali- 
fornia.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  large  estates ;  and  having  chosen  this 
part  of  the  country  for  his  residence,  he  is  free  from,  the  opposition 
and  broils  that  are  continually  growing  out  of  the  petty  concerns  of 
the  custom-house  and  its  duties.  He  is  not  over-scrupulous  in  demand- 
ing duties  of  the  vessels  entering  the  port  of  San  Francisco ;  and  until 
he  has  been  seen  and  consulted,  a  vessel  trading  here  is  liable  to  an 
indefinite  amount  of  duties.  A  portion  of  the  payment  adds  to  his 
wealth,  and  how  much  goes  to  the  government  is  not  known ;  enough, 
I  was  told,  in  some  cases,  to  save  appearances,  and  no  more.  The 
foreigners  who  trade  here  are  very  attentive  to  him ;  and  it  might  be 
supposed,  before  making  inquiry  into  the  cause,  that  he  is  a  great 
favourite  with  them.  The  highest  official  protection  is  necessary  for 
all  those  who  wish  to  prosper  in  their  trade  to  this  port,  and  to  prevent 
exactions  from  subordinates. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  unceremonious  manner  in  which  Cap- 
tain Suter  officiated  as  administrador  of  the  district  to  the  east  of  the 
Sacramento.  The  anecdotes  related  to  me  of  Vallejo,  in  like  manner, 
show  a  striking  disregard  ibr  the  lives,  as  well  as  for  the  property  and 
liberty  of  the  Indians  and  gente  de  razon.  He  is  supreme,  and  acts 
with  the  same  impunity  as  all  his  predecessors,  with  one  or  two 
exceptions,  have  done  before  him.  As  an  instance  of  the  lawless  acts 
of  the  governors,  it  is  said  that  one  of  them  entertained  the  idea  of 
training  the  Indians  as  soldiers,  and  a  company  of  them  had  been 
brought  together,  drilled,  and  made  such  proficiency  in  the  use  of  their 
arms,  that  his  excellency  became  alarmed,  and  forthwith  ordered  them 
all  to  be  shot !     I  have  little  doubt  that  this  story  may  be  essentially 

R2 


198  CALIFORNIA. 

true,  for  the  value  of  an  Indian's  life  in  the  eye  of  the  rulers  scarcely 
exceeds  that  of  one  of  the  wild  cattle.  The  commandant-general  is 
frequently  said  to  hunt  them,  and  by  his  prowess  in  these  expeditions 
he  has  gained  some  reputation.  Salvadore  Vallejo  is  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  particularly  in  raising  cattle,  which,  under 
the  governor,  he  has  the  especial  privilege  of  supplying  to  vesseb, 
which  he  does  at  prices  that  insure  a  handsome  profit  In  times  of 
scarcity,  vessels  are  sure  to  be  supplied  by  applying  to  the  governor, 
who  will  order  supplies  to  be  furnished,  and  even  obtain  them  by  com- 
pulsion. On  my  arrival,  finding  that  we  wanted  supplies,  and  not 
knowing  how  long  (in  the  event  of  an  accident  to  our  land  party)  I 
might  be  detained,  I  was  advised  to  apply  to  the  commandant-general, 
through  whom  I  would  be  sare  of  obtaining  them.  I  therefore  de- 
spatched a  note  by  an  officer,  whom  the  general  treated  with  great 
politeness,  and  returned  for  answer,  that  he  could  supply  me  with  the 
following  articles :  Lima  beans,  wheat,  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables, 
.  which  we  had  been  unable  to  obtain.  Fortunately  for  us,  as  well  as 
for  the  lower  ^orders  and  Indians,  the  party  arrived,  and  we  were  not 
under  the  necessity  of  making  use  of  his  powerful  intervention.  The 
general,  I  was  toM,  considers  every  bushel  of  grain  as  much  at  his 
command  as  he  does  the  persons  of  the  people,  and  the  property  of  the 
state.  Zonoma  is  to  be  the  capital  of  this  country,  provided  the 
general  has  power  and  lives  long  enough  to  build  it  up.  An  idea  has 
got  abroad  that  he  is  looking  to  the  gubernatorial  chair,  and  to  be 
placed  there  by  the  same  force  that  has  raised  Alvarado  and  himself 
to  the  posts  they  now  occupy. 

Zonoma  is  on  the  road  that  leads  to  Ross  and  Bodega ;  and  by  this 
route  Captain  Suter  has  transported  all  the  stock  he  purchased  of  the 
Russians. 

The  reality  of  the  hostility  said  to  exist  between  these  two  rival 
administradors,  seems  doubtful,  at  least  to  the  extent  reported  by  the 
residents. 

The  state  of  society  here  is  exceedingly  loose:  envy,  hatred,  and 
malice,  predominate  in  almost  every  breast,  and  the  people  are  wretched 
under  their  present  rulers;  female  virtue,  I  regret  to  say,  is  also 
at  a  low  ebb ;  and  the  coarse  and  lascivious  dances  which  meet  the 
plaudits  of  the  lookers-on,  show  the  degraded  tone  of  manners  that 
exists. 

The  mission  of  San  Rafael  is  in  the  fertile  valley  of  that  name, 
about  twelve  miles  from  Sausalito;  and  consists  of  a  large  building, 
with  a  small  chapel  at  its  end;  it  is  in  a  tolerable  state  of  preser- 
vation, and  is  under  the  superintendence  of  an  Irishman,  named 


CALIFORNIA.  109 

Murphy.  He  has  been  put  there,  from  its  being  coasidered  a  place 
of  emolument,  through  his  interest  with  the  governor,  and  in  order 
to  pick  up  the  crumbs  that  are  still  left  I  understood,  however,  that 
Murphy  had  been  disappointed  in  his  expectations,  and  that  it  was  his 
intention  to  establish  himself  elsewhere.  Padre  Kihas  resides  at  this 
mission  for  six  months  of  the  year,  and  performs  the  duties  of  priest  to 
those  around  it 

On  the  24th  of  October,  a  fSte  was  given  at  this  place,  in  honour  of 
the  patron  saint ;  and  it  was  rumoured  that  there  was  to  be  a  grand 
bull-fight  This  spectacle  came  off  accordingly,  but  was  so  miserably 
conducted  as  to  prevent  all  kind  of  sport  The  bulls  had  greatly  the 
advantage,  and  the  men  and  horses  were  tumbled  about  in  a  ridi- 
culous manner,  until  they  both  became  quite  shy.  They  had  cut  off 
the  tips  of  the  bulls'  horns,  which  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  for 
both  horses  and  riders,  who  received  no  material  injury*  There  was 
no  bull  and  bear  fight;  in  consequence,  it  was  understood,  of  their  not 
being  able  to  procure  one  of  the  latter  animals.  In  the  fights  between 
the  bull  and  bear,  it  is  said  that  however  strong  and  savage  the  bull 
may  be,  the  bear  is  always  the  conqueror:  the  only  part  of  the  bull  he 
endeavours  to  attack  is  the  tongue,  by  seizing  which  he  invariably 
proves  the  victor. 

When  the  fights  were  over,  dancing  was  resorted  to,  and  continued 
during  the  evening  and  all  night  It  was  accompanied  with  hard 
drinking  and  uin-oarious  conduct  Mr.  Murphy's  entertainment  was 
considered  fully  equal  to  any  that  had  been  given  for  some  time,  and 
particularly  the  latter  part  of  it,  which  may  be  better  imagined  than 
described* 

Our  duties  at  this  port  being  completed,  I  felt  desirous  of  knowing 
something  of  the  missions  at  the  south  end  of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco, 
and,  with  Captain  Hudson,  determined  to  make  a  visit  to  them. 

We  left  the  Vincennes  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  at  an  early 
hour,  intending  to  reach  the  mission  of  Santa  Clara  by  water.  We 
stopped  a  short  time  at  Yerba  Buena  to  see  Captain  Hinckley  and 
Mr.  Spears,  who  kindly  furnished  us  with  a  guide  to  point  out  the 
passages  through  the  shoals,  and  the  entrance  to  the  creek  that  leads 
up  to  the  Eihbarcad^o,  the  landing  whence  the  people  of  the  mission 
usually  ship  their  hides.  We  had  a  fine  wind,  and  went  briskly  on 
until  we  reached  the  upper  part  <^  the  bay,  where  we  found  our  guide 
useless  as  a  pilot  The  consequence  of  his  incapacity  was,  that  we  got 
on  shore,  and  were  detained  so  long  that  night  overtook  us  before  we 
entered  the  river  Caravallio,  that  runs  in  a  tortuous  direction  to  the 
Embarcadero.    Its  course  more  resembled  the  turns  of  a  corkscrew 


200  CALIFORNIA. 

than  any  other  thing  to  which  I  can  liken  it.  I  think  we  counted 
twenty-nine  bends  before  we  reached  the  point  at  which  we  were  to 
disembark,  which  was  nearly  at  the  head  of  the  creek.  We  were 
compelled  to  haul  the  boat  along  by  the  grass  and  rushes  on  each 
side,  and  it  was  near  midnight  before  we  achieved  our  object.  As 
we  passed  through  this  narrow  inlet,  the  birds  that  were  lodged  for 
the  night,  alarmed  by  the  noise  we  made,  flew  in  thousands  from  the 
marshes.  Their  fluttering  was  so  great  as  to  resemble  the  rushing 
of  a  vast  wave;  for  as  they  rose,  thousands  seemed  to  follow  thousands, 
until  the  sound  died  away  in  the  distance,  and  again  seemed  to  ap- 
proach in  an  opposite  direction.  In  the  pitchy  darkness,  not  a  bird 
was  to  be  seen,  although  they  must  have  passed  only  a  few  feet  above 
our  heads. 

At  the  Embarcadero  we  found  no  house  or  accommodations  of  any 
kind ;  but  the  guide  soon  led  us  to  what  he  termed  the  road,  which 
was  found  marked  by  the  huge  ruts  made  by  the  ox-carts.  The 
walk  was  of  service  to  us,  as  we  had  become  chilled  with  the  cold 
and  damp  air. 

After  proceeding  a  mile  over  a  level  plain,  we  reached  the  estancia. 
The  first  notice  we  had  of  it  was  a  broken  coural,  and  the  ground 
covered  with  vast  quantities  of  bones,  hoofs,  and  horns.  Over  these 
we  stumbled  continually,  until,  on  turning  the  corner  of  the  coural, 
we  were  set  upon  by  a  pack  of  dogs,  some  fifty  in  number,  which 
barked  in  every  tone,  from  the  snappish  note  of  the  pug  to  the  sonorous 
voice  of  the  bull-dog.  All  came  forward,  intent  upon  arresting  our 
progress  towards  the  large  adobe  building,  which  was  now  in  dim 
outline  before  us.  The  bones  served  us  as  missiles  to  keep  them  at 
bay,  and  thus  to  protect  our  approach  to  the  premises ;  and  when  we 
reached  the  porch,  we  gave  the  discourteous  curs  a  full  discharge. 
We  knocked  lustily  for  some  time,  but  no  answer  was  returned,  nor 
could  we  see  any  light;  but  on  a  frequent  repetition,  each  time  re- 
doubling our  efforts,  we  at  last  heard  light  footsteps,  and  the  door  was 
suddenly  opened  by  a  little  Indian  girl,  who  ushered  us  into  a  large 
room,  which,  from  the  tables,  chairs,  and  closets  with  china,  we  found 
to  be  the  salle  a  manger.  Here  we  had  a  full  view  of  the  interior ;  and 
the  light  which  was  burning  in  the  adjacent  rooms,  showed  us  the 
occupants  fast  asleep.  We  had  scarcely  time  to  look  around  us, 
when  a  huge  Californian,  more  than  six  feet  in  height,  and  propor- 
tionately large,  stalked  towards  us  in  his  shirt  His  whole  figure  and 
countenance  indicated  a  savage,  and  carried  me  back  at  once  in  idea 
to  the  Feejee  cannibals.  In  a  gruff  tone  he  demanded  our  wants,  and 
when  he  had  satisfactorily  ascertained  who  we  were,  and  received  a 


CALIFORNIA*  801 

cigar  as  a  token  of  friendsbipf  he  called  up  the  whole  family,  consisting 
of  a  mother,  two  daughters,  and  several  other  children.  These,  after 
dressing  themselves,  came  forth,  and  greeted  us  with  genuine  hospi- 
tality, with  such  pleasant  faces  and  cheerful  talk,  that  it  was  really 
delightful  to  find  ourselves  in  such  quarters ;  and  our  surprise  was  the 
greater,  in  consequence  of  the  exterior  having  proved  so  uninviting. 
They  immediately  set  about  providing  us  with  supper,  consisting  of 
tea,  tortillas,  valdivias,  oUas,  with  eggs  and  a  steak ;  and  while  this 
was  in  preparation  by  some,  others  were  arranging  the  beds  and 
changing  the  furniture  of  the  sleeping-room.  All  this  was  done  whilst 
the  mother  was  talking  and  waiting  upon  us;  and  after  supper  was 
over,  she  pointed  to  our  room,  and  then  excused  herself,  by  saying  she 
must  provide  something  for  the  sailors  who  had  accompanied  us; 
whilst  we  retired  to  rest,  much  fatigued  with  our  jaunt 

The  room  was  furnished  differently  from  what  we  had  been  accus- 
tomed to,  yet  it  was  quite  comfortable.  The  only  piece  of  furniture 
that  was  not  new' to  us  was  a  high-post  bedstead,  evidently  from  our 
own  country,  though  bedecked  with  old  Spanish  tapestry,  in  the  way 
of  tester,  curtains,  and  valance.  Instead  of  drawers,  there  were  huge 
trunks,  that  put  to  shame  those  of  modem  construction*  These  con- 
tained the  household  linen  and  the  finery  of  the  females  of  the  family, 
and  were  raised  from  the  floor,  that  a  broom  might  be  passed  under- 
neath them.  Here  and  there  on  the  walls  hung  a  new-made  dress,  of 
ample  dimensions*  and  several  ^anish  sombreros,  those  that  were  of 
more  recent  date  hanging  highest ;  at  least  I  judged  them  to  be  the 
best  ones,  from  the  careful  manner  in  which  they  were  covered  up. 
There  was  no  wash-stand;  but  a  French  ewer  and  basin,  of  the  lozenge 
shape,  of  white  and  goM  porcelain,  were  placed  on  a  chair.  A  single 
looking-glass  was  hung  high  over  it,  its  head  inclining  outwards.  The 
dimensions  of  the  frame  were  small,  and  the  glass  still  smaller,  owing 
to  a  figure  of  a  patron  saint  occupying  the  larger  part  of  the  upper 
surface.  Of  chairs  we  had  five,  two  with  leathern  seats  and  high 
backs ;  the  others  were  of  home  manufacture.  A  large  grated  win- 
dow, well  barred  with  iron,  with  the  thick  and  massive  walls  of  an 
adobe  house,  gave  it  the  look  of  security  for  confinement  within,  or 
against  attack  frqm  without  Half  a  dozen  coloured  prints  of  the 
saints,  ten  inches  square,  in  black  frames,  graced  the  walls. 

Our  beds,  and  every  thing  connected  with  them,  were  comfortable ; 
and  the  manner  in  which  we  had  been  provided  for  made  the  enter- 
tainment doubly  welcome.  We  found  in  the  morning  that  we  had 
occupied  the  sleeping-room  of  our  hostess  and  her  daughters,  and  that 
they  had  given  it  up  expressly  to  accommodate  us. 

VOL.  v.  26 


202  CALIFORNIA. 

Before  going  to  bed,  we  had  made  arrangements  to  send  for  horses 
to  take  us  to  the  mission  of  Santa  Clara,  some  three  miles  distant 
None  were  to  be  obtained  here,  as  the  head  of  the  family  was  now 
away,  and  had  taken  with  him  all  those  that  were  kept  about  the 
premises;  the  rest,  we  were  told,  were  "  muy  lejos"  (afar  off). 

The  name  of  the  family  is  Peralto,  which  is  connected  with  the 
early  settlement  of  California,  and  one  of  the  most  respectable  in  the 
country. 

We  arose  about  eight  o'clock,  and  consequently  missed  our  choco- 
late, which  is  given  at  an  early  hour,  and  could  get  no  breakfast  until 
eleven  o'clock.  Our  horses  had  not  arrived,  and  whilst  we  were 
waiting  for  them,  Seilor  Don  Miguel  Felesfore  de  Pedrorena  arrived 
from  Yerba  Buena,  who  at  once  made  our  acquaintance.  He  very 
kindly  offered  us  his  services  to  arrange  matters,  and  to  assist  us  on 
our  way  to  Santa  Clara,  where  he  was  then  going.  To  this  gentleman 
I  feel  myself  much  indebted.  We  found  him  a  lively,  intelligent 
companion,  and  well  acquainted  with  the  country  and  people.  He  is 
supercargo  of  several  vessels  on  the  coast,  and  extensively  engaged  in 
the  peculiar  manner  of  trading,  of  which  I  will  have  occasion  to  speak 
presently. 

While  horses  were  sought  for  us,  we  spent  the  time  in  looking 
around  the  premises.  The  house  was  a  long  one«story  adobe  buildingt 
with  a  thickly  thatched  roof,  forming,  by  its  projection,  a  piazza  in 
front,  supported  by  columns.  There  were  many  enclosures  about  the 
house,  that  gave  it  the  appearance  of  a  farm-yard  and  slaughter-house 
combined.  Bones,  hoofs,  horns,  and  pieces  of  hide,  were  lying  in 
every  direction,  and  the  ground  was  indented  with  the  feet  of  cattle. 
Ducks,  dogs,  and  fowls,  were  picking  at  the  bones  and  offal.  There 
were  one  or  two  ox-carts,  of  clumsy  proportions,  a  bee-hive,  and  a 
ley-vat,  formed  of  hide  and  suspended  to  four  stakes,  in  the  shape  of 
a  large  bag,  hung  near  by.  At  a  short  distance  from  the  house  was 
the  vegetable-garden,  where  every  thing  grew  in  profusion,  although 
without  care.  The  only  trouble  in  gardening  was  to  put  the  seed  into 
the  ground,  and  await  the  result*  This  estancia  is  situated  between 
two  copses  of  wood,  that  grow  on  the  banks  of  the  brook  that  winds 
past  it,  and  nearly  join  in  the  rear.  In  front  is  a  plain,  extending 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  to  the  foot  of  the  Sierra,  which  forms  a  pleasing 
and  bold  contrast  to  the  flat  surface,  on  which  nothing  is  seen  but  here 
and  there  a  small  group  of  cattle,  and  immense  flocks  of  wild  geese ; 
or  some  shrub,  which,  owing  to  the  refraction,  appears  almost  detached 
from  the  surface,  and  with  dimensions  so  much  enlarged  as  to  appear 
like  a  great  tree.    The  plain  at  this  time  was  of  a  dark  hue,  somewha 


CALIFORNIA.  20B 

resembling  a  light  bronze  colour,  in  consequence  of  the  vegetation 
having  been  scorched  up  for  many  months. 

About  nine  o'clock,  five  horses  arrived  instead  of  the  eight  we  were 
in  need  of.  These  were  literally  the  lame,  halt,  and  blind,  having 
sore  backs,  and  being  withal  half  starved.  One  had  an  eye  protrud- 
ing  from  its  socket,  another  was  without  a  tail  In  any  other  country 
and  place  we  should  have  refused  to  mount  such  horses ;  they  were 
indeed  sorry  beasts,  and  compared  with  that  of  Don  Miguel's,  that  had 
been  in  waiting  for  him,  truly  deplorable.  Of  the  caparisons  I  shall 
only  say,  that  sheep-skin  and  raw-hide  predominated,  although  I  re- 
gretted before  the  league  was  passed  over  that  I  had  not  had  more  of 
the  former  under  me.  I  felt  ashamed,  even  in  California,  to  be  thus 
mounted.  We  took  leave  of  our  kind  hostess  with  many  thanks  for 
the  attention  she  had  showed  us,  and  engaged  her  to  provide  an  ample 
supply  for  the  boats'  crews  during  our  absence. 

The  league  between  the  Embarcadero  and  Santa  Clara  occupied  us 
somewhat  over  an  hour,  for  it  was  unbearable  to  attempt  to  ride  faster 
than  a  walk.  After  ten  o'clock,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  mission  of 
Santa  Clara,  and  as  we  approached  it  the  little  ponds  and  damp  places 
on  the  prairie  were  literally  covered  with  wild  geese,  which  would 
but  barely  open  a  way  for  us  to  pass  through.  They  were  far  more 
tame  than  any  barn-door  geese  I  ever  saw,  and  I  could  not  easily 
divest  myself  of  the  idea  that  they  were  not  domesticated. 

The  mission  of  Santa  Clara  has,  at  a  distance,  a  respectable 
appearance ;  but  on  our  drawing  near  the  long  line  of  huts,  formerly 
occupied  by  the  Indians,  which  are  now  destroyed,  excepting  a  few, 
the  ruin  and  neglect  that  have  taken  place  are  evident  enough.  The 
church  and  mission-house  adjoining  have  also  a  dilapidated  look ;  their 
tile  roofs  and  whitewashed  walls  require  extensive  repairs,  as  well  as 
all  the  wood-work  of  the  doors,  posts,  &c.  The  church  flanks  the 
mission-house  on  the  north,  and  is  about  one  hundred  and  fidy  feet 
long  by  forty  wide,  and  about  fifty  feet  high ;  it  is  surmounted  by  a 
small  steeple.  The  mission-house  is  of  only  one  story,  with  a  corridor 
extending  its  whole  length,  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  This  dwelling 
is  now  occupied  both  by  the  administrador  and  the  padre,  and  a  wall 
divides  the  premises  into  two  parts,  separating  the  temporal  from  the 
spiritual  concerns  of  the  establishment  The  padre  has  his  own 
servants,  -cooks,  &c. 

As  we  rode  up  with  Don  Miguel,  we  had  no  need  of  further 
introduction,  and  shared  the  kind  welcome  he  received,  as  an  old 
acquaintance,  who  had  evidently  much  to  do  with  the  affairs  of  the 
mission,  in  the  way  of  business.    The  administrador  and  his  deputy 


204  CALIFORNIA. 

came  forth  to  greet  U8»  M^ith  an  ample  retinue  of  attendants,  of  many 
varieties  of  colour,  from  the  darkest  Indian  to  the  pure  white.  The 
administrador  is  a  kind,  excellent  old  man,  who  has  risen  from  being 
a  corporal  in  the  army,  to  his  present  post  I  could  not  learn  his 
original  name.  His  wife  belongs  to  one  of  the  best  families  in  the 
country;  and  on  her  marriage  with  the  administrador,  she  insisted 
upon  his  taking  her  name,  which  is  Aliza,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished in  California  in  bygone  days.  This,  I  understood,  was  not 
unusual,  as  the  old  family  pride  still  predominates  among  these  people. 
To  the  old  lady  we  were  soon  introduced ;  her  countenance  and  ap- 
pearance bespoke  her  excellent  character,  which  is  well  known  through- 
out California.  Nothing  could  be  cleaner  or  more  tidy  than  her  house. 
Sefior  Aliza  was  too  unwell  to  attend  upon  us,  but  his  deputy  acted 
as  a  substitute  for  that  purpose.  Shortly  after  our  arrival,  breakfast 
was  announced,  of  which,  after  the  ride  we  had  had- on  our  hard 
horses,  we  gladly  partook. 

This  meal  was  considered  by  us  as  rather  a  light  one,  and  con- 
sisted principally  of  fruit,  and  small  oUas,  peppers,  &c.  What  it 
lacked  in  quantity  was  made  up  in  quality.  This  was  according  to 
the  usage  of  the  country,  and  although  Don  Miguel  wished  to  speak 
to  SeHora  Aliza,  with  reference  to  a  larger  supply,  we  refused  to  give 
her  any  more  trouble  than  could  be  avoided.  She  had  prepared  the 
whole  with  her  own  hands,  and  prided  herself  on  her  admirable 
management  and  cookery.  Few  certainly  coukl  equal  her  in  the 
preparation  of  stews  and  delicate  high-flavoured  dishes;  but  of  each 
there  was  but  a  mouthful,  and  the  deputy  took  good  care  to  have 
more  than  his  fair  proportion.  After  breakfast,  I  strolled  around  the 
premises,  and  saw  our  good  hostess  busily  engaged  in  directing  her 
domestic  concerns.  The  rear  of  the  mission  forms  a  quadrangle 
of  low  sheds,  in  which  the  domestic  manufacture  of  candles,  pre- 
serves, baking,  and  a  variety  of  other  duties,  are  performed.  In 
these  were  some  ten  or  fifteen  Indians  busily  employed,  and  although 
clean,  they  did  not  excel  so  much  in  this  respect  as  the  interior 
of  the  main  building,  which  appeared  to  be  entirely  under  her  own 
keeping. 

Don  Miguel  proposed  to  us  to  make  a  visit  to  Padre  Mercador,  and 
that  he  might  not  be  taken  by  surprise,  a  messenger  was  sent  to  ask 
at  what  hour  he  would  be  ready  to  receive  us.  This  ceremony  is 
deemed  necessary,  for  the  duties  of  the  padre  are  considered  here  to 
be  of  such  a  nature  as  to  preclude  intrusion.  Our  messenger  speedily 
returned  with  an  intimation  that  he  would  be  glad  to  have  us  pay 
him  our  visit  at  once.    We  were  soon  ushered  into  the  small  study 


CALIFORNIA.  205 

of  Padre  Mercador,  who  received  us  with  much  courtesy.  He  is  of 
the  Franciscan  order»  good-looking,  portly,  and  possesses  a  cheerful 
and  intelligent  countenance.  Having  E>on  Miguel  to  interpret  in 
Spanish,  and  the  padre  speaking  a  little  French,  we  made  out  to 
converse  very  well  His  study  is  small,  but  contains  many  works  of 
the  old  fathers,  with  several  French  authors,  and  comprises  some  six 
or  seven  hundred  volumes.  He  showed  us  the  different  returns  from 
the  missions  prior  to  1828,  but  no  attention  had  been  paid  since  that 
date  to  the  preservation  of  statistics.  In  Appendix  VII.,  I  have  in- 
serted one,  in  which  the  state  of  all  the  missions  throughout  Upper 
California  is  given,  and  which  embraces  not  only  their  population  but 
also  the  quantity  of  produce  raised.  This  table  will  give  an  idea  also 
of  the  management  of  the  directors  of  the  missions  before  the  revolu- 
tion. Since  1828,  as  already  stated,  the  missions  have  been  on 
the  decline,  and  no  returns  have  been  given  in,  as  was  formerly 
required. 

The  padre  spoke  with  resignation  in  relation  to  the  manner  in 
which  the  missions  had  been  despoiled,  and  did  not  express  any  sur- 
prise that  such  things  should  have  happened  under  their  present 
rulers. 

Padre  Mercador  served  us  with  wine  and  fruit ;  of  the  latter,  the 
pears  were  delicious.  Don  Miguel  having  notified  me  that  it  was 
expected  our  party  should  ask  to  see  the  church,  I  made  the  request ; 
and  the  padre  having  supplied  himself  with  a  large  bunch  of  keys, 
ushered  us  through  several  narrow  passages,  to  the  door  of  the  vestry- 
room  in  the  rear,  into  which  we  entered.  Several  pairs  of  massive 
candlesticks  of  silver  were  standing  about  on  tables,  and  around  the 
room  were  large  trunks,  which  he  opened,  and  shoi^ed  us  the  rich 
altar-pieces,  costly  robes,  and  fine  laces,  which  they  contained.  Many 
of  the  former  were  most  magnificently  embroidered  in  gold  and  silver, 
and  composed  of  substantial  silks  and  satins  of  divers  colours.  The 
splendour  of  the  wardrobe  was  out  of' character  with  the  smallness  of 
the  church ;  and  on  my  remarking  it,  he  said  these  things  were  for 
processions,  to  have  efiect  upon  ^  los  gentiles.''  One  or  two  small  pic- 
tures that  hung  in  this  room  were  worthy  of  notice.  Don  Miguel 
asserted  that  he  thought  if  I  desired  them,  there  would  be  no  great 
difficulty  in  procuring  any  article  that  could  be  spared.  I  had  no  dis- 
position to  authorize  him  to  make  the  attempt ;  but  this  suggestion 
tends  to  show  in  how  little  regard  the  obliging  padre  was  held  by  the 
community.  We  next  passed  into  the  church,  the  whole  length  of 
which  was  thrown  into  one,  without  any  columns.    At  one  end  is  the 

altar,  and  at  the  other  the  choir,  which  the  padre  informed  me  con- 

s 


206  CALIFORNIA. 

sisted  of  some  eighty  Indians,  who  are  daily  in  practice.  He  said  that 
the  Indians  were  fond  of  music,  had  good  ears,  and  little  difiicalty  wad 
found  in  teaching  it  to  them.  In  making  the  selections  of  performers, 
they  generally  took  those  whose  physical  qualifications  seemed  best 
adapted  to  the  particular  instrument,  and  practice  did  the  rest.  In 
this  way,  such  music  as  pleased  the  Indians  and  people  of  the  country, 
and  which  therefore  answered  his  purposes,  was  produced.  The  chapel 
is  painted  in  fresco,  or  I  should  rather  say  daubed,  by  a  young  artist 
of  Mexico.  The  saints  are  all  represented  in  full  eostume,  and  the 
scenes  depicted  are  those  most  likely  to  attract  the  attention  and  wonder 
of  the  neophytes.  The  whole  has  a  gaudy  and  unsightly  appearance; 
We  parted  from  Psidre  Mercador  at  the  church  door,  knowing  it  was 
about  the  hour  of  his  noon  service ;  and  received  from  him  a  pressing 
invitation  to  visit  him  in  the  evening,  to  play  a  game  of  chess,  of  which 
he  said  he  was  very  fond. 

We  now  returned  to  the  administrador,  whom  we  found  enveloped 
in  his  large  overcoat,  with  a  white  nightcap  on  his  head,  waiting  in 
his  salle  k  manger  to  receive  us,  and  afford  us  entertainment  Don 
Miguel  gave  us  the  secret '  of  this  movement,  saying,  that  his  wife, 
afler  our  arrival  in  the  morning,  had  persuaded  him  to  go  to  bed ;  but 
he  could  not  resist  the  opportunity  that  now  offered  itself,  of  telling  his 
old  stories  over  again  to  willing  listeners  ;  and  we  had  scarcely  taken 
our  seats,  before  he  began  a  foil  account  of  his  birth,  parentage,  &c., 
and  was  about  relating  his  adventures  in  full,  when  the  bell  tolled  noon. 
He  immediately  sprang  upon  his  feet,  faced  the  south,  and  began  to 
cross  himself,  and  repeat  a  prayer  with  great  volubility.  In  this  ex* 
ercise  he  continued  for  a  few  minutes,  until  he  heard  the  last  taps  of 
the  bell.  Of  this  we  took  advantage  to  break  up  his  discourse ;  which, 
notwithstanding  sundry  efforts  on  his  part,  we  succeeded  in  doing,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  we  heard  he  was  again  in  bed.  His  deputy 
answered  all  our  questions,  and  assured  me  that  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  concerns  of  the  mission,  for  he  had  heard  them  very  often 
repeated  by  the  administrador  during  the  last  few  years. 

The  deputy  now  conducted  us  through  the  garden,  which  is  sur- 
rounded' by  a  high  adobe  wall,  and  has  a  gate  that  is  always  kept 
locked.  It  was  from  one  and  a  half  to  two  acres  in  extent,  and  mostly 
planted  with  grapes,  which  are  cultivated  after  the  Spanish  fashion, 
without  trellises :  some  of  the  fruit  was  yet  hanging,  and  was  generally 
of  the  sweet  Malaga  kind.  Our  guide  informed  me  that  the  mission 
took  the  first  picking,  for  the  manufacture  of  wine  and  to  preserve, 
then  the  inhabitants,  the  women  of  the  "gente  de  razon,*'  and  after 
wards  the  children.     Strict  watch  was,  however,  kept  that  they  did 


CALIFORNIA.  207 

not  pull  the  other  fruit  Only  a  certain  number  are  allowed  to  work  in 
the  garden,  and  the  whole  is  placed  under  the  constant  superintendence 
of  a  gardener.  It  would  be  almost  impossible  to  protect  the  fruit  other- 
wise. They  have  fruit  of  all  kinds*  both  of  the  tropical  and  tem- 
perate climate,  which  they  represented  as  succeeding  admirably  well. 
A  few  barrels  of  wine  are  made,  but  nothing  can  be  more  rude  than 
their  whole  process  of  manufacturing  it.  The  tillage  is  performed 
with  ploughs  that  we  should  deem  next  to  useless ;  they  are  nothing 
but  a  crooked  piece  of  timber,  four  to  six 
inches  square,  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  our 
ploughs,  which  merely  serves  to  loosen  the  ^^ 
ground  to  a  depth  of  three  or  four  inches ;  but  in  such  a  soil,  and  in 
this  level  land,  this  rude  implement  answers  the  purpose,  and  produces 
crops  on  an  average  of  from  sixty  to  eighty  for  one.  The  ploughs  are 
drawn  by  oxen,  and  are  well  adapted  to  the  Indians,  who  more  readily 
learn  to  use  them  than  they  woukl  more  complicated  machines. 

After  spending  some  time  in  the  garden,  we  were  recalled  to  dinner ; 
and  if  we  had  cause  to  complain  of  the  slightness  of  the  breakfast,  the 
dinner  made  ample  amends,  every  variety  of  dish  being  abundant  and 
admirably  prepared.  Don  Miguel  congratulated  himself  and  us  that 
the  administrador  was  not  in  a  fit  state  to  prevent  us  from  enjoying  it, 
by  the  everlasting  narration  of  his  adventures.  SeSora  Aliza  had  quite 
surpassed  even  her  usual  good  feasts  in  this  dinner,  which  called  forth 
much  praise  from  our  companion. 

At  the  missions  throughout  the  country  four  meals  are  daily  taken : 
at  an  early  hour,  chocolate;  at  eleven  o'clock,  breakfast;  at  two, 
dinner ;  and  at  seven,  supper.  The  dinner  and  supper  are  the  principal 
meals,  and  at  them  the  Californians  indulge  to  a  great  extent. 

After  our  meal  was  finished,  Don  Miguel,  having  some  business  at 
the  Pueblo  of  San  Jose,  about  a  league  from  Santa  Clara,  he  invited  us 
to  accompany  him  thither.  After  some  difficulty  in  procuring  horses, 
;we  set  out  on  sorry  nags,  and  on  leaving  the  mission  entered  an  avenue 
'lined  on  each  side  ynAa  large  trees.  These  I  understood  had  been 
planted  at  an  early  day,  by  one  of  the  padres,  in  order  to  protect  the 
people  from  the  sun  during  the  celebration  of  the  church  festivals,  and 
to  leave  no  excuse  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  pueblo  for  not  visiting  the 
mission  church. 

Just  before  arriving  at  the  pueblo,  we  crossed  over  one  of  the  tor- 
tuous branches  of  die  Rio  Guadaloope,  some  twenty  feet  wide,  and  had 
a  view  of  the  pueblo.  It  seemed  as  if  this  were  a  gala-day,  and  as  if 
every  one  were  abroad  celebrating.it  on  the  banks  of  this  river,  or 
rather  creek ;  the  overflow  of  which  had  served  to  keep  the  grass  green 


208  CALIFORNIA. 

for  a  considerable  space  around.  Instead  of  its  being  a  festival,  it 
turned  out  to  be  the  general  washing-day  of  the  village ;  and  the  long 
lines,  trees,  bushes,  &c.,  were  all  hung  with  the  many-coloured 
garments,  which,  with  the  crowds  of  men,  women,  and  children,  and 
some  cattle,  seen  moving  to  and  fro,  or  gathered  in  small  groups,  gave 
the  whole  quite  a  pleasing  effect.  I  was  told  that  the  pueblo  of  San 
Jose  had  a  larger  number  of  inhabitants  than  any  other  in  Upper  Cali- 
fornia ;  but  as  we  rode  into  it,  it  seemed  almost  deserted,  and  I  would 
willingly  have  gone  back  and  amused  myself  with  the  scene  oh  the 
green,  if  Don  Miguel  had  not  represented  to  me,  that  his  standing  would 
be  very  much  affected  if  we  did  not  at  once  proceed  to  the  alcalde's. 
We  accordingly  rode  up  to  his  house,  a  very  pretty  two-storied  edifice, 
of  a  light-cream  colour,  in  the  centre  of  the  main  street,  and  directly 
opposite  a  new  church  that  they  are  erecting.  The  alcalde  gave  us  a 
cordial  reception.  His  first  appearance  was  that  of  a  French  pastry- 
cook, with  his  white  cap  and  apron.  He  was  a  short,  dapper,  rosy- 
cheeked  man,  by  birth  a  Frenchman,  but  had  been  now  twenty  y^ars 
settled  in  the  pueblo;  was  married,  and  had  eleven  children,  who 
looked  as  healthy  and  as  dirty  as  one  would  wish  to  see  them.  The 
moment  he  understood  who  his  visiters  were,  he  did  us  the  honour  to 
doff  his  white  cap  and  apron ;  and  shortly  after  appeared  in  a  round- 
about, very  much  ornamented  with  braid,  &c.  The  only  name  1  heard 
him  called  by,  was  Don  Pedro.  He  spoke  his  native  language  imper- 
fectly, using  a  great  many  Spanish  words  with  it,  and  told  me  that  he 
had  nearly  forgotten  it.  From  him  I  learned  that  the  pueblo  contained 
six  hundred  inhabitants,  about  forty  of  whom  were  whites.  He  described 
himself  as  the  "  sous-pr^fet,"  and  said  that  he  administered  justice, 
inflicted  punishment,  and  had  the  ability  to  make  the  inhabitants  happy, 
as  he  thought  they  should  be.  On  my  asking,  by  what  laws  he  admi- 
nistered justice,  his  answer  was, — ^by  what  he  thought  right.  He  had 
very  little  trouble,  except  guarding  against  the  attacks  of  the  Indians 
and  preventing  them  from  stealing  horses,  of  which  he  had  great  fears ; 
he  had,  therefore,  provided  for  the  safety  of  his  own  by  keeping  them 
in  a  small  shed  attached  to  his  house,  and  within  a  locked  gate. 

He  considered  the  pueblo  as  in  danger  of  attacks  from  the  Indians, 
who  were  now  in  great  numbers  within  striking  distance,  and  had 
become  very  troublesome  of  late  in  driving  off  horses,  of  which  they 
had  lost  three  or  four  hundred,  and  he  said  that  pursuit  was  impossible, 
as  they  now  had  no  troops.'  I  was  not  satisfied  that  the  alcalde  was 
the  bravest  man  in  the  world,  or  that  he  thought  much  of  the  interests 
of  those  over  whom  he  had  sway.  Don  Miguel  gave  him  the  character 
of  being  a  good  custonier,  and  generally  punctual  in  his  payments.   He 


CALIFORNIA.  909 

entertained  us  with  wine  and  beer  of  his  own  making,  and  showed  us 
the  copy-books  of  his  children,  who  were  in  pot-hooks  and  trammels, 
which  he  looked  upon  as  a  wonderful  advancement  in  the  education  of 
the  country.  Some  half-dozen  books  were  all  they  owned  in  the 
pueblo ;  but  to  make  up  for  this  deficiency,  the  alcalde  told  me  they 
were  all  very  happy,  and  that  there  were  but  few  quarrels,  for  those  in 
which  stabs  were  inflicted  did  not  occur  oftener  than  once  a  fortnight 
We  took  our  departure  a  short  time  before  sunset,  amidst  the  gathering 
in  of  the  villagers,  with  their  goods  and  chattels,  to  a  place  of  safety. 
There  are  two  Americans  settled  here,  who  own  mills,  but  I  was  not 
fortunate  enough  to  meet  with  them ;  the  alcalde,  however,  gave  them 
good  characters.  The  evening  was  a  beautiful  one,  and  we  had  a 
delightful  ride  back  to  the  mission;  and  our  horses,  knowing  they  were 
on  their  return,  were  quite  mettlesome. 

The  mode  of  conducting  business  in  this  country  is  peculiar.  Ves- 
sels, on  reaching  the  coast,  employ  as  a  supercargo  or  travelling 
agent,  some  person  well  known  throughout  the  country,  who  visits  all 
the  pueblos,  missions,  and  estancias,  as  a  traveller,  passing  from  place 
to  place  without  any  apparent  object  of  business.  He  thus  has  an 
opportunity  of  inspecting  the  worldly  affairs  of  those  to  whom  he 
desires  to  sell ;  and  if  he  finds  them  apparently  thrifty,  he  produces 
his  card  of  patterns,  and  soon  induces  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  his 
host  or  hostess  to  buy,  being  careful  to  secure  in  payment  as  much  of 
their  worldly  goods  as  he  can,  and  trusting  them  for  the  rest  of  the 
indebtedness.  A  few  live  cattle  delivered  by  each  purchaser  at  the 
neighbouring  pueblo,  become  by  this  means  a  large  herd,  which  is 
committed  to  cattle-tenders  on  shares,  who  in  due  time  slaughter  them 
and  deliver  the  hides.  A  large  amount  of  goods  is  thus  disposed  of, 
to  a  very  considerable  profit.  Large  cargoes,  consisting  of  a  variety 
of  articles,  of  both  American  and  English  manufacture,  are  thus  sold. 
From  the  state  of  the  country,  it  has  been  difficult  to  obtain  payments 
or  returns  in  money ;  but  the  debts  have  been  paid  in  cattle,  and  pro- 
bably will  turn  out  well,  when  the  rains  return  and  allow  the  animals 
to  be  again  slaughtered.  When  hides  are  given  in  payment,  they  are 
valued  at  two  dollars,  and  are  at  all  times  the  common  currency  of  the 
country.  No  money  is  in  circulation,  unless  what  is  paid  out  by  the 
foreign  merchants ;  and  in  lieu  of  change,  an  extra  quantity  of  goods 
is  taken,  which  excess  is  usually  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  buyer. 

On  our  return  to  Santa  Clara,  we  had  to  procure  horses  for  our 
journey  back  by  land.  We  had  been  told  by  the  administrador  and 
nis  deputy,  that  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  the  mission  providing 
us  with  horses  and  saddles;  and  under  this  assurance,  we  had  de- 

VOL.  V.  s  2  27 


210  CALIFORNIA. 

spatched  our  boats  on  their  return  to  the  ship,  determining  to  make  the 
ride  of  sixty  miles  the  next  day.  We  soon  found  that  the  mission 
horses  were  lame,  and  that  they  had  strayed.  These,  with  many 
other  excuses,  all  showed  us  the  dilemma  we  were  in.  Three  or  more 
messengers  were  pretended  to  be  sent  to  the  pueblo  and  the  neigh 
bouring  estancias;  and  after  much  delay  and  several  feigned  disap- 
pointments, we  were  told  that  six  animals  might  be  procured.  The 
exorbitant  price  of  four  dollars  for  each  was  asked  for  the  use  of  these. 
A  good  horse  may  be  purchased  for  eight  dollars.  As  I  at  once  saw 
the  game  that  was  in  progress,  I  thought  it  better  to  comply  with 
a  good  grace  than  perhaps  to  suffer  farther  imposition ;  so  six  were 
agreed  for  at  four  dollars  each,  for  the  next  day.  I  was  well  aware 
that  the  deputy  was  deeply  in  the  plot,  and  probably  shared  a  part  of 
the  profits. 

Being  disengaged  in  the  evening,  we  went  early  to  Padre  Mer- 
cador*s  to  play  chess,  for  which  he  has  more  love  than  knowledge. 
He  had  boasted  not  a  little  of  his  prowess,  but  after  suffering  defeat 
in  three  successive  games,  his  opinion  of  his  skill  was  somewhat 
lessened.  He  was  in  fact  but  a  novice  in  the  gan^e.  For  refresh- 
ments we  had  brandy  and  wine,  with  cigars  and  fruit,  of  which  the 
hospitable  padre  and  Don  Miguel  both  partook  most  freely,  particu- 
larly the  former.  We  remained  until  nine  o'clock,  when  a  message 
was  brought  us  that  supper  was  ready,  and  we  retired,  leaving  Padre 
Mercador  to  resume  the  duties  of  his  office.  For  his  kindness  and 
attentions  we  were  greatly  indebted  to  him ;  I  wish  I  could  say  that 
his  mode  of  life  and  the  influence  he  exerts  over  his  charge,  also  de- 
served commendation. 

At  the  head  of  the  supper-table,  we  found  Donna  Aliza,  with  a  huge 
dish  of  smoking  valdivias  before  her,  and  a  variety  of  edibles,  with  an 
infusion  of  tea  in  small  cups,  which,  at  the  request  of  Don  Miguel,  was 
added  to  until  it  became  drinkable,  but  not  without  many  exclamations 
against  its  extravagance.  The  poor  husband  was  in  bed,  and  Captain 
Hudson,  who  went  to  see  him,  finding  that  he  was  suffering  from  a 
severe  cold  be  had  taken,  prescribed  bathing  his  feet,  and  a  strong 
glass  of  hot  whiskey  punch.  Don  Miguel  accordingly  prepared  the 
latter,  which  was  cheerfully  taken  by  the  patient,  who  shortly  after- 
wards fell  into  a  sound  sleep.  In  the  morning,  we  found  that  he  was 
entirely  recovered. 

Our  beds  were  clean  and  comfortable,  though  the  apartment  had  a 
strong  smell  of  cordovan  leather.    The  only  place  of  deposit  for  cloth 
ing,  &c.,  was,  as  we  had  seen  in  the  estancia,  in  large  trunks.    Th^ 
matin-bell  aroused  us  at  early  dawn,  when  we  heard  the  full  choir 


CALIFORNIA.  311 

practising.    There  was  certainly  nothing  earthly  in  the  sound,  nor  yet 
heavenly ;  much  noise,  but  little  music. 

We  were  up  betimes,  but  were  threatened  with  disappointment  in 
our  horses.  The  kind  and  attentive  Donna  Aliza  served  us  with  choco- 
late and  toast,  and  prepared  cold  tongues,  chickens,  and  ample  stores 
of  bread  for  our  use.  At  last  the  horses,  together  with  the  Indians 
who  were  to  accompany  us,  made  their  appearance,  and  out  of  the 
number,  I  recognised  at  least  three  that  belonged  to  the  administra* 
dor,  as  I  had  been  led  to  believe  would  be  the  case  the  evening  before. 
His  good  wife  ordered  us  their  best  saddles,  but  without  the  pillions 
or  saddle-cloths. 

After  an  hour's  preparation,  we  took  our  leave  and  galloped  off,  in 
company  with  Don  Miguel,  who  proposed  to  accompany  us  some  six 
or  seven  miles,  on  our  way  to  visit  some  of  his  herds,  that  were  then 
feeding  on  the  prairie.  We  had  not  proceeded  far  before  we  were 
overtaken  by  the  person  who  had  them  in  charge,  coming  at  a  furious 
gallop.  He  was  mounted  on  the  best  horse  I  had  seen  in  the  country, 
and  dressed  after  the  Californian  fashion,  in  a  dark  brown  ck>th  jacket, 
thickly  braided,  both  before  and  behind,  with  slashed  sleeves,  showing 
his  shirt  elegantly  embroidered,  both  on  the  breast  and  sleeves ;  velvet 
breeches  of  bright  blue,  secured  around  his  waist  with  a  red  sash,  and 
open  at  the  sides,  ornamented  with  braid  and  brass  bells,  in  abundance ; 
below  the  knee  he  wore  leather  leggins,  fastened  with  garters,  worked 
in  silver,  and  below  these,  shoes,  over  which  were  fastened  large  silver 
spurs,  with  the  heavy  rowels  of  the  country ;  on  his  head  was  tied  a 
red  bandana  handkerchief,  and  over  that  a  huge  broad-brimmed  som 
brero,  with  peaked  crown,  covered  with  an  oil-silk  cloth ;  the  whole 
decorated  with  cords,  aiguillettes,  and  ribands,  with  a  guard-cord  pass- 
ing under  the  chin.  His  horse  was  equally  well  caparisoned,  the  bridle 
being  decked  with  silver,  as  were  the  tips  of  his  large  wooden  stirrups; 
with  pillions  and  saddle-cloths, in  abundance.  Few  riders  had  so  gay 
an  air,  or  seemed  to  have  so  perfect  a  command  of  the  animal  he 
rode ;  and  until  we  arrived  at  the  wood  where  his  Indians  were  look- 
ing out,  he  was  an  object  of  great  attraction,  assuming  all  the  airs  and 
graces  of  a  person  of  high  rank. 

After  galloping  for  several  miles,  we  reached  a  few  trees  and 
bushes,  that  are  designated  as  the  **  woods.''  Near  by  was  a  large 
herd  of  cattle  feeding.  The  Rancheros  we  found  Ijring  about,  in 
huts  of  hide,  with  a  fire  in  fi*ont,  and  the  leg-bone  of  an  ox  roasting 
over  it ;  the  skulls,  bones,  and  offal,  lay  about,  with  hides  here  and 
there  pegged  to  the  ground.*     Some  score  of  dogs  were  disputing 

*  The  hides  of  the  cattle  that  die,  or  that  are  killed  far  ibod,  are  cured  in  this  way. 


212  CALIFORNIA. 

over  that  last  killed,  and  the  ground  around  seemed  alive  with  cranes, 
crows,  &C.9  acting  as  scavengers,  and  disputing  for  their  shares. 
There  is  no  smell  except  that  of  raw  beef;  the  climate  is  so  dry  that 
no  putrid  matter  exists,  but  the  sight  is  unpleasant  enough  to  those  who 
have  not  become  accustomed  to  it. 

Previous  to  setting  out,  we  provided  our  saddles  with  extra  sheep- 
skins ;  we  now  took  leave  of  Don  Miguel,  with  many  thanks  for  his 
attentions,  and  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand.  We  soon  found  that  our 
horses  began  to  fag  from  the  effects  of  our  bad  riding,  and  the  fatigued 
and  wretched  condition  they  were  in ;  and  by  the  time  we  arrived  at 
Las  Pulgas,  we  found  it  necessary  to  change,  and  were  glad  to  have 
a  temporary  relief  from  our  saddles.  Any  one  who  has  ever  ridden 
upon  a  Califomian  saddle,  with  but  a  slender  covering  to  it,  will  be 
able  to  understand  our  feelings.  We  were  besides  but  ill  provided 
for  the  trip,  which  our  nags  seemed  not  slow  to  discover.  We  had 
no  well-armed  heels,  and  were,  besides,  deficient  in  whips,  both  in- 
dispensable to  a  rider  in  California.  The  consequence  was,  that  they 
could  not  be  made  to  move  along,  without  most  laborious  efforts  of 
bodily  strength. 

The  country  we  passed  through  was  at  this  time  destitute  of  both 
water  and  grass,  and  the  weather  uncomfortably  warm.  In  places 
we  found  it  picturesque,  from  the  scattered  oaks,  laurels,  &c.,  though 
to  all  appearance  entirely  unfit  for  cultivation.  Wherever  there  was 
any  running  water,  a  pond,  or  vegetation,  large  flocks  of  geese  and 
ducks  were  seen.  At  four  o'clock,  we  entered  the  estancia  of  Senor 
Sanchez,  to  whom  Don  Miguel  had  given  us  a  note  of  introduction, 
desiring  that  he  would  aid  us  if  we  wanted  horses.  We  had  looked 
forward  to  this  point  with  hope,  in  the  belief  that  our  troubles  in  riding 
such  forlorn  beasts  would  terminate,  and  that  our  bodies  as  well  as 
our  minds  would  be  set  at  rest. 

The  word  estancia  seems  to  give  one  an  idea  of  something  more 
extensive  than  a  small  farm :  it  sounds  more  noble  and  wealthy ;  but 
whatever  had  been  our  opinion  before,  the  reality  disappointed  us. 
Sefior  Sanchez's  estancia  at  a  distance  was  quite  a  respectable-looking 
building;  the  broad  shadow  cast  by  its  projecting  roof  gave  it  a 
substantial  and  solid  appearance;  but  a  nearer  approach  dispelled 
these  favourable  impressions,  and  showed  its  uncouth  proportions,  as 
well  as  the  neglect  in  which  the  whole  was  kept  The  way  to  the 
house,  which  stands  on  a  knoll,  leads  through  miry  places,  and  over 
broken-down  fences,  winding  around  dilapidated  ox-carts,  over  troughs, 
old  baskets,  dead  hogs,  dogs,  and  fowls,  all  huddled  together.  Rude 
articles  of  husbandry  occupied  the  sides  of  the  building.  Seeing  no  one. 


CALIFORNIA.  218 

we  dismounted,  tied  our  horses,  and  began  to  search  for  inhabitants. 
All  the  houses  were  unfinished :  to  the  doors  of  some  there  were  no 
steps,  and  no  floors  to  the  rooms  of  others ;  the  adobes  were  bare,  and 
destitute  of  plaster  or  whitewash ;  and  what  was  more  disheartening, 
no  inhabitants  made  their  appearance.  At  last  a  slave  was  seen  crawl- 
ing from  a  wretched  hole,  whom  we  followed  to  the  only  place  which 
yet  remained  unsearched,  a  distant  comer  of  the  premises,  where  we 
found  the  family,  consisting  of  a  mother  and  daughter.   The  latter  was 
a  nice-looking  girl,  to  whom  our  note  was  handed,  and  who  read  it 
aloud  to  her  mother,  who  did  not  recognise  the  name  of  Don  Miguel. 
Whether  this  arose  from  design  or  ignorance,  I  know  not ;  but  the  note 
produced  no  apparent  effect :  however,  after  a  few  compliments,  and  a 
little  persuasion,  through  our  servant,  (who  spoke  Spanish  well,)  the 
mother  was  somewhat  softened,  and  we  procured  a  tumbler  of  milk 
and  a  tortilla ;  but  we  could  not  induce  her  to  allow  us  to  take  from 
the  fifty  horses  that  were  then  in  the  coural,  the  few  we  required.  Her 
constant  answer  was,  that  her  husband  was  not  at  home,  and  she  could 
not  do  it    We  strayed  about  the  kitchen,  which  was  the  only  apart- 
ment fit  for  occupation,  and  warmed  ourselves  over  the  small  fire  that 
had  been  lighted,  for  the  air  was  becoming  chilly  and  damp.    This 
apartment  was  lighted  from  the  door  and  a  small  window;  it  was 
furnished  with  uumerous  stew-holes  and  ovens,  which  appeared  very 
convenient  for  cooking ;  and  above  them  were  placed  shelves,  on  which 
the  pans  of  milk  were  resting.     In  the  centre  was  a  large  mortar,  and 
beyond  it,  at  the  far  end,  quite  in  the  dark,  the  rude  grist-mill  of  the 
country.    To  the  long  shaft  of  the  mill  a  small  donkey  was  harnessed. 
This  place  apparently  answered  also  as  a  stable.  The  whole  had  quite 
a  primitive  look,  and  showed,  at  least,  some  comfort  and  forethought. 
During  our  examinations,  in  came  the  husband,  very  unexpectedly  to 
his  wife  and  daughter,  as  well  as  to  ourselves.     He  had  the  face  of  a 
ruffian.    After  many  suspicious  looks  and  questions,  he  gave  his  con 
sent,  though  very  unwillingly,  to  supply  us  with  horses.    Lest  it  should 
be  supposed  that  this  man  was  the  owner  of  the  estancia,  I  must  here 
say  that  Senor  Sanchez  was  not  at  home ;  although  I  am  not  prepared 
to  vouch,  from  what  I  heard  afterwards,  that  our  treatment  at  his  hands 
would  have  been  any  better.    We  were  told  that  it  was  but  a  short 
two  hours'  ride  to  Yerba  Buena,  and  we  hoped  to  reach  it  before  dark. 
We  therefore  made  haste  to  secure  fresh  horses,  and  soon  took  our 
departure.   The  horses  were  but  sorry-looking  animals,  and  I  must  own 
that  the  thanks  for  them  were  very  difficult  to  utter. 

We  had  scarcely  gone  beyond  the  '^  a  dios"  of  our  ilMooking  friend, 
when  the  steed  of  Captain  Hudson  came  to  a  stand,  and  no  persua- 


214  CALIFORNIA. 

sioD,  whipping,  or  spurring,  could  induce  him  to  move.  It  was  then 
discovered  that  be  was  blind,  and  in  attempting  to  move  him  we  found 
he  was  lame  also.  My  servant  John  was  then  directed  to  change,  as 
he  was  the  best  horseman  of  the  three,  and  after  a  trial  of  patience, 
succeeded  in  getting  him  along. 

After  dark  we  reached  the  house  of  Mr.  Spears,  at  Verba  Buena. 
We  were  barely  able  to  dismount,  having  had  one  of  the  roughest  and 
most  fatiguing  rides  I  ever  experienced.  A  warm  welcome  from  our 
countryman  at  Yerba  Buena,  and  a  seat  at  his  hospitable  board,  soon 
refreshed  us.  My  boat  being  in  waiting,  we  embarked,  and  reached 
the  Yincennes  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  greatly  fatigued,  yet 
highly  gratified  with  our  jaunt  to  the  mission  of  Santa  Clara. 

Finding  all  those  belonging  to  Lieutenant  Emmons's  party  had  now 
joined  the  ship,  preparations  for  sea  were  at  once  made.  I  shall  now 
take  up  the  operations  in  Southern  Oregon,  which  will  form  the  subject 
of  the  following  chapter. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


CONTENTS. 

SaUIPMENT  OF  UEUTENANT    EMMONS19  PARTY  -  MULTUNOMAH    IBLANO-DrPn- 
CULTTES  — SICKNESS  — INEFFICIENCY  OF  SOME   OF  THE  MEN  — SETTLERS  ON  THE 
WILLAMETTE  — MISSIONARIES  — THOMAS  M'K AY  — DEPARTURE   FROM  THE  WILLA- 
METTE—ENCAMPMENT  AT  TURNER'S  — UPPER   VALLEY   OF    THE    WILLAMETTE  — 
CREOLE  AND  IGNAS  CREEKS-LAKE  GUARDIPII— WOLYES-MALE  CREEK— ELK  MOUN- 
TAINS-ELK RIVER— FORT  UMPQUA— HOffTILE  BEARING  OF  THE  INDIANS— PREPARA- 
TIONS FOR  DEFENCK-NEW  SPECIES  OF  OAK— DISCOBTTENT  OF  THE  TRAPPERS— FIRE 
IN  THE  PRAIRIES -BILLEY^  CREEK  — FORD  OF  THE  UMPQU A  -  ANIMALS  -  INDIAN 
SCOUTS  —  GRISLY   BEARS  — INDIAN   FOUND   IN  THE  CABffP  — UMPQUA  MOUNTAINS- 
SHASTE  COUNTRY  — YOUNG'S  CREEK  — PINE  SUGAR  —  ROGUES'  RIVER  — IN  ASS  SUR- 
PRISED  BY  INDIANS  — SCENES  OF  FORMER  CONFUCTS  WITH   INDIABTS  —  FRIENDLY 
INDIANS -SUFFERINGS  FROM   THE   AGUE  -  THREATENED   ATTACK  -  ANTELOPES — 
RABBITS  —  BOUNDARY   MOUNTAINS  —  EMMONS'S   PEAK  — MOUNT   SHASTE  —  KLAMET 
RIVER-INTERVIEW  WITH  INDIANS-SHASTB  INDIANS-THEIR  SKILL  IN  ARCHERY— 
SHASTE    RANGE  — LARGE    PINES  —  CHALYBEATE    SPRING  -  DESTRUCTION    RIVER  — 
VALLEY  OF  THE  SACRAMENTO  -  KINKLA   INDIAN^  -  THEIR  VILLAGE-FAILURE  TO 
OBTAIN  CANOES-FORD  OF  THE  SACRAMENTO-BUTBE^FEATHER  RIVER— CAPTAIN 
SUTER'S-REUCS  OF  AN  EXTINCT  TRIBK-THE  PARTY  DIVIDED— RIVER  SAN  JOACHIM 
—MISSION  OF  SAN  JOSE-SANTA  CLARA-YERBA   BUENA-NOSTRA  SESORA  DE  LOS 
DOLORE8-THE  LAND  DIVISION  REACHES  THE  VINCENNES-RE8ULTB  OF  THE  EXPE- 
DITION-CLOSING SCENE. 


(915) 


CHAPTER  VL 


SOUTHERN   OREGON. 


1841. 


The  last  chapter  closed  with  the  arrival  of  Lieutenant  Emmons  and 
his  party  at  San  Francisco.  I  shall  now  give  some  account  of  the 
operations  of  this  party,  and  of  the  country  they  passed  through.  The 
difficulties  which  were  experienced  in  the  organization  of  the  party, 
have  already  been  alluded  to  in  another  place,  and  need  not  be  re- 
peated. There  remain  to  be  described  some  of  the  articles  of  his 
equipment,  in  the  preparation  of  which  much  time  was  consumed,  and 
which  were  absolutely  necessary  for  the  success  of  the  expedition. 
The  principal  part  of  the  provision  was  flour ;  this  is  packed  in  sacks ; 
the  sacks  are  again  enclosed  in  a  <'  parflesh"  made  of  hide,  to  protect 
them  frorn  being  torn  to  pieces  by  the  boughs  of  trees  and  underwood; 
this  rests  upon  a  pack-saddle,  by  which  the  load  is  firmly  secured  on 
the  horse;  while,  to  protect  his  back  from  injury,  a  thick  saddle-cloth 
called  **  appichemens"  lies  beneath  the  pack-saddle.  These  articles 
are  represented  in  the  annexed  cut 


PACK-SADDLE. 


SACK. 


PARFLBSE. 


'  To  these  are  to  be  Added  the  trail-rope  and  lash-cord,  six  or  eight 
fathoms  in  length.  These  trails  drag  on  the  ground,  and  are  intended 
for  the  purpose  of  catching  the  horses.  Now,  all  these  articles  were 
to  be  prepared,  in  a  country  where  no  mechanic  is  to  be  found;  and 
VOL.  v.  T  28  («"^ 


218  SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

so  indispensable  are  they,  that  any  party  which  sets  out  without  them 
would  in  all  probability  be  compelled  to  return. 

Our  gentlemen,  when  they  left  Vancouver,  proceeded  by  the  way  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  farm  on  Multunomah  or  Wapautoo  Island, 
which  is  near  the  place  where  Captain  Wyeth  had  erected  his  fort 
They  then  crossed  the  river  and  went  towards  the  Faulitz  Plains, 
passing  on  their  route  a  large  grazing  farm  belonging  to  the  Company, 
and  those  of  many  settlers.  From  these  they  were  supplied  with  fresh 
horses.  They  found  the  country  beautiful,  and  the  land  rich.  Their 
route  lay  over  hills  and  through  prairies.  The  hills  were  wooded 
with  large  pines  and  a  thick  undergrowth  of  rose-bushes,  Rubus, 
Dogwood,  and  Hazel.  The  prairies  were  covered  with  variegated 
flowers,  and  abounded  in  Nuttallia,  Columbines,  Larkspurs,  and  bul- 
bous-rooted plants,  which  added  to  the  beauty,  as  well  as  to  the  novelty 
of  the  scenery. 

Some  sickness  had  made  its  appearance  among  the  members  of  the 
party.  Messrs.  Emmons,  Peale,  Rich,  and  Agate,  all  had  attacks  of 
ague  and  fever,  and  the  two  last-named  gentlemen  suffered  much  from 
this  disease.  Dr.  Whittle  ascribed  these  attacks  to  the  ]lbngth  of  time, 
nearly  five  weeks,  during  which  they  had  been  encamped  on  the 
Willamette,  and  particularly  to  the  position  of  the  camp,  immediately 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  it  was  subject  to  the  damp  and  fogs. 

When  the  party  set  out,  new  difficulties  arose  from  the  fact  that  the 
horses  had  for  some  time  been  unused  to  saddles  or  packs,  and  from 
the  awkwardness  of  the  riders.  Corporal  Hughes  of  the  marines,  one 
of  the  party,  was  thrown  from  his  horse,  which  took  fright  at  some 
wild  animals  crossing  his  path.  The  pack-horses  were  missing,  and 
caused  much  difficulty  in  hunting  them  up;  one,  when  found,  had 
waded  into  a  creek  with  pack  and  all,  and  stood  there  with  only  his 
head  out  of  water.  At  this  an  old  hunter  became  enraged,  and  spring- 
ing into  the  water,  thrust  his  thumb  into  the  horse's  eye ;  the  pain  of 
which  treatment  caused  the  animal  to  leap  up  the  opposite  bank  with 
great  agility,  leaving  part  of  his  load  behind.  The  part  thus  left 
proved  to  be  the  medicines  prepared  for  the  party;  but  these  were 
recovered,  and  being  in  phials  were  not  materially  injured.  On  reach- 
ing the  first  encampment,  Smith  the  marine  and  his  horse  were  both 
missing :  to  guide  him,  guns  were  fired  during  the  night ;  but  he  did 
not  make  his  appearance.  In  the  morning,  parties  were  sent  in  search 
of  him  and  the  pack-animals.  In  the  afternoon,  the  marine  made  his 
appearance,  without  any  other  loss  than  the  ramrod  of  his  musket ;  he 
had  passed  the  night  in  the  woods.  This  same  man,  a  day  or  two 
after,  reported  to  Lieutenant  Emmons  that  he  had  lost  his  riding- 


SOUTHERN  OREGON.  219 

horse:  he  was  very  properly  told  to  go  in  search  of  him,  and  if  he 
could  not  find  him,  to  return  to  VancouTer,  aa  he  was  too  helpless  to 
be  of  any  use.  This  had  the  desired  eSect,and  from  that  day  forth,  he 
proved  a  useful  man.  There  were  many  other  annoyances  and  difficul- 
ties that  Lieutenant  Emmons's  patience  and  perseverance  overcame. 


During  the  time  of  their  stay,  Mr.  Agate  made  many  sketches. 
One  of  these  is  of  a  buryiog-place,  which  I  have  thought  worth  insert- 
ing, as  ezbitnting  one  of  the  peculiar  features  of  a  race  which  ia  now 
fast  disappearing.  The  mode  of  burial  seems  to  vary  with  almost 
every  tribe:  some  place  the  dead  above  ground,  while  others  bury 
their  departed  friends,  surrounding  the  spot  with  a  variety  of  utensils 
that  had  been  used  by  the  deceased. 

The  graves  are  covered  with  boards,  in  order  to  prevent  the  wolves 
from  disinterring  the  bodies.  The  emUem  of  a  9(|uaw's  grave  is 
generally  a  cammass-root  digger,  made  of  a  deer's  horns,  and  fastened 
on  the  end  of  a  stick. 

From  the  delay  of  the  party  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  tbey  became 


220  SOUTHERN  OREGON. 

well  acquainted  with  the  various  characters  of  the  people  who  were 
settled  there.  They  generally  consist  of  those  who  have  been  hunters 
in  the  mountains,  and  were  still  full  of  the  recklessness  of  that  kind 
of  life.  Many  of  them,  although  they  have  taken  farms  and  built 
log  houses,  cannot  be  classed  among  the  permanent  settlers,  as  they 
are  ever  ready  to  sell  out  and  resume  their  old  occupation,  when  an 
opportunity  offers.  Our  party  found  them,  with  one  or  two  exceptions 
well  disposed. 

The  gentlemen  of  the  party,  who  had  more  time  and  opportunity 
to  become  acquainted  with  the  operations  of  the  missionaries  than  I 
had,  were  less  favourably  impressed  than  myself.  One  of  the  prin- 
cipal complaints  of  the  settlers  against  the  members  of  the  mission 
was,  that  they  never  had  any  religious  service,  although  several 
ministers  of  the  mission  were  unemployed.  This  complaint,  how- 
ever, could  not  be  made  on  our  part ;  for,  the  first  Sunday  the  party 
was  encamped,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Leslie  invited  them  all  to  his  house  for 
that  purpose,  which  invitation  was  accepted.  Tibbats,  one  of  the 
party,  was  sitting  by  an  open  window  during  the  sermon,  and,  as 
many  have  done  before  him,  was  nodding,  in  which  motion  he*  threw 
his  head  back  and  struck  the  stick  that  supported  the  sash,  which 
coming  down  suddenly,  caught  him  by  the  neck.  This  accident 
occasioned  no  small  disturbance  in  the  congregation,  but  no  injury 
resulted  from  it  to  the  man,  who  was  inclined  to  join  in  the  laugh 
that  unavoidably  took  place  after  he  was  extricated.  This  anec- 
dote will  show  the  character  of  the  class  of  settlers  which  the  mis- 
sionaries would  have  to  deal  with,  and  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that 
for  the  neglect  of  duty  imputed  to  them,  those  who  make  the  charge 
are  themselves  chiefly  to  blame. 

It  was  the  general  impression  of  our  party,  however,  that  the  field 
for  a  mission  was  but  small,  and  not  suflScient  to  warrant  the  ex- 
penses that  have  been  lavished  upon  it  Their  school  was  in  opera- 
tion, and  included  twenty  pupils  in  all.  Dr.  Babcock  mentioned 
to  one  of  our  gentlemen  that  he  had  a  native  boy  for  a  servant,  of 
whose  qualifications  and  education  he  spoke,  saying  that  it  was  a 
great  trouble  to  get  him  into  cleanly  habits,  such  as  washing  his  face 
and  hands  in  the  morning,  before  he  milked  the  cow.  He  next  taught 
him  to  make  a  fire,  boil  a  tea-kettle,  and  make  tea ;  he  then  taught  him 
to  fry  and  bake ;  he  could  wash  clothes,  and  would  in  a  short  time  be 
able  to  iron. 

All  our  gentlemen  experienced  the  same  kind  treatment  and  good 
(iire  that  I  have  before  spoken  of,  and  nothing  seemed  to  be  wanting 
in  the  way  of  substantial  comforts. 


SOUTHERN  OREGON.  221 

The  party,  including  Passed  Midshipmen  Eld  and  Colvocoressis, 
Messrs.  Dana,  Brackenridge,  and  the  sergeant,  proceeded  up  the 
Willamette  river.  They  reached  Champooing  on  the  3d,  where  they 
disembarked.  In  the  morning  they  were  taken  to  the  house  of  Thomas 
M'Kay,  who  is  one  of  the  most  noted  persons  in  this  valley,  particularly 
among  the  mountain  trappers.  He  is  a  man  of  middle  age,  tall,  well- 
made,  and  of  muscular  frame,  with  an  expression  of  energy  and  daring, 
and  a  deep-set,  piercing  black  eye,  beneath  a  full  projecting  eyebrow. 
Among  the  trappers  he  is  the  hero  of  many  a  tale,  and  is  himself  prone 
to  indulge  his  guests  with  his  personal  adventures.  He  lives  in  a  house 
that  answers  both  for  a  dwelling  and  grist-mill,  and  is  said  to  be  the 
best  belonging  to  a  settler  in  the  valley.  This  man  was  engaged  to 
go  as  guide ;  and,  what  speaks  little  for  his  veracity  and  principles,  at 
the  last  moment  refused  to  do  so,  and  afterwards  made  his  boast  that 
he  had  fooled  the  party,  as  he  had  not  intended  to  go  from  the  first 
His  harvest  had  just  been  reaped,  which  he  said  had  produced  him 
twenty-five  bushels  to  the  acre.  M'Kay  furnished  them  with  horses, 
and  accompanied  the  party  to  the  camp,  where  they  arrived  early  in 
the  afternoon.  Here  all  was  preparation  for  a  speedy  departure,  and 
every  one  fully  occupied  with  packs,  saddles,  and  trappings.  On  the 
7th,  the  party  made  their  final  move,  and  after  travelling  only  six 
miles,  encamped  near  Turner's,  known  as  the  mission  butcher.  He 
owns  a  farm,  in  the  acceptation  of  the  word  in  Oregon,  having  a 
log-hut,  an  Indian  woman  to  reside  in  it,  and  an  undefined  quantity  of 
land.  The  hut  contains  no  furniture  to  sit  or  lie  upon,  and  only  the 
few  articles  most  needed  in  cooking.  He  does  not  cultivate  any  thing, 
but  supports  himself  by  killing  cattle  semi-weekly.  Report  says  that 
he  was  formerly  a  drummer  in  the  United  States  service,  but  for 
upwards  of  thirteen  years  he  has  led  the  sort  of  life  he  now  does.  He 
seems  both  contented  and  independent,  and  appears  an  honest  and 
good-natured  fellow.  He  has  had  several  narrow  escapes,  having 
been  twice  with  parties  that  were  attacked  by  the  southern  Indians,  in 
the  passage  to  and  from  California.  The  last  time  he  was  one  of  four 
who  escaped,  subsisted  on  berries  and  roots  for  a  fortnight,  and  was 
obliged  to  travel  only  at  night,  to  avoid  the  Indians  who  were  in 
search  of  him.  He  furnished  our  party  with  fresh  beef  of  his  own 
stock,  refusing  to  receive  pay,  and  seemed  very  much  incensed  that 
the  mission  should  have  charged  for  what  had  been  obtained  from 
them.  ' 

The  country  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Willamette  Valley,  stretches 
out  into  wild  prairie-ground,  gradually  rising  in  the  distance  into  low 
undulating  hills,  which  are  destitute  of  trees,  except  scattered  oaks ; 

T2 


222  SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

these  look  more  like  orchards  of  fruit  trees,  planted  by  the  hand  of 
man,  than  groves  of  natural  growth,  and  serve  to  relieve  the  eye  from 
the  yellow  and  scorched  hue  of  the  plains.  The  meanderings  of  the 
streams  may  be  readily  followed  by  the  growth  of  trees  on  their  banks 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  see. 

They  were  detained  here  by  the  straying  of  their  animals,  and  did 
not  succeed  in  getting  oflF  until  the  next  day,  when  Turner  gave  them 
two  of  his  horses,  being  willing  to  run  the  risk  of  recovering  the  lost 
ones  in  their  stead. 

On  the  morning  of  the  9th,  they  had  a  severe  frost*  In  the  course 
of  the  day  they  passed  Creole  creek,  and  encamped  on  the  Ignas 
The  atmosphere  during  the  day  had  become  quite  thick,  owing  to  the 
smoke  arising  from  the  burning  of  the  prairie.  Here  they  prepared 
themselves  fully  for  their  journey,  by  trimming  their  horses'  hoofs 
and  taking  a  full  account  of  them.  The  soil  was  a  red  decomposec 
basalt,  well  adapted  for  grazing  and  wheat  lands. 

On  the  10th,  the  country  was  somewhat  more  hilly  than  the  day 
previous,  but  still  fine  grazing  laud.  During  the  day  they  crossed 
many  small  creeks.  The  rocks  had  now  changed  from  a  basalt  to  8 
whitish  clayey  sandstone.  The  soil  also  varied  with  it  to  a  grayish- 
Drown,  instead  of  the  former  chocolate-brown  colour,  which  was 
thought  to  be  an  indication  of  inferior  quality.  The  country  had  an 
uninviting  look,  from  the  fact  that  it  had  lately  been  overrun  by  fire, 
which  had  destroyed  all  the  vegetation  except  the  oak  trees,  which 
appeared  not  to  be  injured. 

On  the  1 1th,  after  passing  during  the  day  Lake  Guardipii,  which  is 
about  five  hundred  yards  long,  they  encamped  on  the  LumtumbufT 
river,  which  is  a  branch  of  the  Willamette.  This  river  is  a  deep  and 
turbid  stream,  branching  out  in  places  like  a  lake,  but  being  in  general 
narrow  and  fordable. 

On  the  12th,  the  route  was  across  a  parched-up  prairie,  some  por« 
tions  of  which  were  composed  of  gravel  and  white  sand,  mixed  with 
ciay.  The  paths  were  very  rough,  owing  to  the  soil,  which  was  much 
cut  up  by  the  herds  that  had  been  driven  through ;  and  which,  on  be- 
coming hard,  was  exceedingly  fatiguing  to  the  horses.  Bands  of 
wolves  were  met  with,  and  were  heard  throughout  the  night  howling 
in  various  parts  of  the  prairies.  The  cry  of  these  animals  is  peculiar : 
one  sets  up  a  long  shrill  whine,  three  or  four  join  in,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments afterwards,  the  whole  pack  utter  a  sort  of  sharp  yelp,  which 
gives  the  idea  of  a  half-laughing,  half-crying  chorus*  The  party  had 
hitherto  made  from  fifteen  to  twenty  miles  a  day ;  and  in  travelling 
this  day,  the  animals  sufiered  a  great  deal  from  want  of  water.    They 


SOUTHERN  OREOON.  333 

eocaraped  on  the  Mal^  creek,  which  was  about  thirty  feet  wide,  and 
ran  in  a  northerly  directtoo. 

On  the  13th,  they  had  much  difficulty  in  finding  their  horses,  which 
had  escaped  the  guards  at  night,  owing  to  the  thick  fog  that  prevailed. 
They  were  in  consequence  unable  to  go  forward  until  three  o'clock  in 
the  allernoon ;  some  of  the  animals  had  gone  six  miles  back  on  the 
trail  in  search  of  water,  and  were  found  in  the  vicinity  of  marshy 
places.  Messrs.  Emmons  and  Eld  had  employed  the  hours  of  this  de- 
tention in  getting  dip  and  intensity  observations.  In  consequence  of 
this  mishap,  they  were  unable  to  make  more  than  two  miles  during  the 
day,  which  continued  hot  and  foggy. 

Some  wandering  Callapuyas  came  to  the  camp,  who  proved  to  be 
acquaintances  of  Warfields'  wife:  they  were  very  poorly  provided 
with  necessaries.  Mr.  jCgaie  took  a  characteiistic  drawing  of  one  of 
the  old  men. 


These  Indians  were  known  to  many  of  the  hunters,  who  manifested 
much  pleasure  at  meeting  with  their  old  acqiuintaoces,  each  vying 
with  the  other  in  affording  tbem  and  their  wires  entertainment  by 
sharing  part  of  their  provisions  with  them.  This  hospitality  showed 
them  in  a  pleasing  light,  and  proved  that  both  parties  felt  the  utmost 
good-will  towards  each  other.    The  Indians  were  for  the  most  part 


224  SOUTHERN  OREGON. 

clothed  in  deer-skins,  with  fox-skin  caps»  or  cast-off  clothing  of  the 
whites ;  their  arms,  except  in  the  case  of  three  or  four,  who  had  rifles, 
were  bows  and  arrows,  similar  to  those  I  have  described  as  used  at 
the  north ;  their  arrows  were  carried  in  a  quiver  made  of  seal-skin, 
which  was  suspended  over  the  shoulders. 

On  the  15th,  they  reached  the  base  of  the  Elk  Mountains,  which 
divide  the  valley  of  the  Willamette  from  that  of  the  Umpqua.  The 
ascent  and  descent  of  this  ridge  are  both  gradual,  and  the  hills  were 
covered  with  pines,  spruces,  and  oaks,  with  a  thick  undergrowth  of 
Hazel,  Arbutus,  Rubus,  and  Comus.  Through  these  thickets  they 
were  obliged  to  force  their  way  along  the  back  of  one  of  the  spurs, 
and  were  three  hours  in  reaching  the  top,  which  was  fifteen  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain.  A  species  of  Castanea  was  met  with, 
whose  leaves  were  lanceolate  and  very  rusty  beneath;  the  cup  of  the 
nut  was  very  prickly. 

The  route  over  the  Elk  Mountains  was  very  serpentine,  owing  to 
the  obstruction  caused  by  fallen  timber,  many  of  whose  trunks  were 
four  and  five  feet  in  diameter.  Previous  to  ascending  the  mountain, 
they  had  crossed  several  small  streams  over  which  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  had  constructed  bridges  for  the  passage  of  their  sheep. 
Much  trouble  was  caused  by  the  necessity  of  dragging  a  number  of 
their  pack-horses  with  lassos  from  a  miry  pool  into  which  they  had 
plunged.  At  the  encampment,  during  the  night,  ice  made  on  the  pools 
to  the  thickness  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch,  and  the  thermometer  had 
fallen  to  26°.  The  soil  on  the  Elk  Mountains  is  hard  and  dry ;  on  the 
ridge,  rock  is  nowhere  exposed  to  view,  and  only  a  few  fragments  of 
sandstone  lie  on  the  surface ;  where  they  made  their  descent,  however, 
and  in  the  banks  of  the  streamlets,  they  saw  the  rock  finely  developed 
in  horizontal  layers.  The  soil  also  was  more  sandy  and  of  indifferent 
quality,  and  the  grass  in  consequence  is  thin  and  occasionally  mixed 
with  ferns. 

On  the  16th,  they  encamped  on  the  Elk  river.  The  hunters  were 
successful  in  killing  a  large  elk,  which  was  brought  into  camp  and 
divided.  Lieutenant  Emmons,  Mr.  Agate,  and  Sergeant  Steams, 
with  a  Canadian  as  guide,  left  the  encampment  for  Fort  Umpqua, 
which  was  fourteen  miles  distant.  The  country  for  the  first  five 
miles  was  hilly,  with  scattered  patches  of  pines,  and  it  appears  in 
places  to  be  suitable  for  cultivation ;  the  rest  of  the  distance  was  over 
a  country  much  broken.  The  trail  carried  them  over  a  succession  of 
steep  hills  and  through  deep  ravines,  which  at  times  appeared  almost 
impassable  to  their  broken-down  beasts;  four  of  which  Lieutenant 
Emmons  was  taking  with  him  to  exchange.    They  did  not  reach  the 


SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

bank  of  the  river  opposite  the  ibrt,  until  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock. 
On  the  opposite  side  they  perceived  a  fire,  with  some  figures  passing 
to  and  fro.  By  firing  guns,  and  employing  the  stentorian  voice  of  their 
guide,  it  was  made  known  that  our  party  was  in  want  of  two  canoes 
fto  cross  the  river.  The  person  in  charge  of  the  fort,  Mr.  Gangriere, 
had  suffered  much  alarm,  until  he  recognised  the  voice  of  Boileau, 
their  guide,  which  had  served  to  quiet  him,  and  he  at  once  directed 
the  canoes  to  cross  over ;  while  these  were  sought  for,  the  horses  were 
hobbled,  and  the  accoutrements  made  up,  ready  for  transportation. 
Fort  Umpqua  was,  like  all  those  built  in  this  country,  enclosed  by  a 
tall  line  of  pickets,  with  bastions  at  diagonal  corners ;  it  is  about  two 
hundred  feet  square,  and  is  situated  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  firom  the  river,  upon  an  extensive  plain ;  it  is  garrisoned  by  five 
men,  two  women,  and  nine  dogs,  and :  contains  a  dwelling  for  the 
superintendent,  as  well  as  store-houses,  and  some  smaller  buildings  for 
the  officers  and  servants'  apartments. 

At  the  time  of  the  visit,  an  unusual  number  of  Indians  of  the  Umpqua 
tribe  had  collected  around;  and  Mr.  Gangriere  said,  bad  shown  a 
strong  disposition  to  attack  and  bum  the  fort.  He  stated  that  hostility 
to  the  Company  and  the  whites  generally,  arose  from  the  losses  they 
had  met  with  firom  the  small-pox,  which  they  said  had  been  introduced 
among  them  by  thQ  Company's  parties  under  Michel  and  M'Kay ;  and 
their  anger  was  much  increased  by  his  refusal  to  supply  them  with 
ammunition.  So  critical  did  he  consider  the  state  of  affairs,  that  he 
was  about  to  despatch  a  messenger  to  Vancouver,  to  inform  Dr. 
M'Laughlin  of  his  situation ;  he  had  not  ventured  to  leave  the  fort  for 
many  days. 

Mr.  Gangriere,  besides  entertaining  Messrs.  Emmons  and  Agate 
with  tea,  &c.,  gave  them  an  account  of  the  dangers  they  had  to  pass 
through.  He  informed  them  that  he  had  long  before  heard  of  the 
intended  journey,  through  the  Indians,  and  that  the  news  had  passed 
on  to  all  the  tribes,  who  were  collecting  in  vast  numbers  to  oppose 
their  passage,  having  sworn  vengeance  against  all  the  whites,  or  those 
connected  with  them.  He  also  stated  that  within  a  short  time  they 
had  murdered  two  half-breeds  who  had  been  living  peaceably  among 
them,  but  who  had  been  formerly  employed  by  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company.  By  way  of  making  his  story  more  credible,  he  said  that 
the  Shaste  Indians  had  sent  him  word  that  they  were  lying  in  wait  for 
the  whites  when  they  should  come.  Large  numbers  of  the  Umpquas, 
according  to  him,  had  assembled  at  the  usual  crossing,  to  arrest  the 
progress  of  the  party,  and  he  advised  Lieutenant  Emmons  to  cross  the 

VOL.  V.  29 


336  SOUTHERN  OREGON. 

rirer  at  a  place  higher  up.  Mr.  Gaogriere  furthermoTs  thought  their 
numbers  so  small  that  he  was  sure  they  would  be  all  killed. 

LieutenaDt  Emmous  places  the  fort  in  latitude  4S°  24'  N.  From  the 
account  giveo  by  Mr.  Gangriere,  the  river  pursues  a  northwesterly 
course,  and  runs  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  before  it  enters  the  sea. 
It  is  navigable  from  the  ocean  to  the  place  where  the  Umpqua  and 
Elk  rivers  unite,  about  three  miles  below  the  fort,  for  vessels  drawing 
not  more  than  six  feet  water.  The  mouth  of  the  Umpqua  oSers  no 
harbour  for  sea-going  vessels,  and  has  only  nine  feet  water  on  its  bar. 
Its  entrance  is  very  narrow,  with  low  sands  on  the  north  and  south 
sides. 

The  Umpqua  country  yields  a  considerable  supply  of  furs,  and 
principally  of  bearer,  most  of  which  are  of  small  size.  The  regu- 
lations  of  the  Company  do  not  seem  to  be  so  strictly  in  force  here 
as  to  the  north  of  the  Columbia,  in  relation  to  buying  the  small  skins. 
These,  I  have  understood,  they  refuse  to  purchase  there;  and  every 
Indian  who  is  found  with  a  small  skin  is  refused  supplies  of  ammuni- 
tion,  which  has  been  found  sufficient  to  prevent  the  killing  of  the  young 
animals.  Here  they  also  obtain  fi^>m  the  Indians  some  land  and  sea 
otter,  deer,  and  bear  skins. 


munvk  INDUH  OIRL. 


Mr.  Agate  made  a  sketch  of  one  of  the  girls  of  the  Umpqua  tribe, 
of  which  the  above  wood-cut  is  a  copy, 
llie  agent  at  this  post  obligingly  exchaqged  the  horses,  and  suj^liad 


SOUTHERN   OREGON.  337 

Lieutenant  Emmons  with  some  bear  and  deer  skins,  which  several  of 
the  party  were  in  want  of  to  make  into  shirts  and  trousers;  Dr. 
M'Laughlin  having  kindly  sent  Lieutenant  Emmons,  before  he  left  the 
Willamette,  a  letter  to  his  agent,  desiring  that  he  would  afford  the 
party  all  the  assistance  in  his  power. 

Lieutenant  Emmons  and  Mr.  Agate  were  accommodated  in  the 
store,  with  beds  made  of  blankets.  After  arranging  them,  Mr.  Gan- 
griere  wished  them  good  night,  locked  the  door,  put  the  key  in  his 
pocket,  and  went  to  his  lodgings.  In  the  morning,  at  daylight,  they 
were  released. 

The  day  was  cold,  damp,  and  foggy,  preventing  them  from  seeing 
any  distance  from  the  fort  The  river  is  here  one  hundred  and  twenty 
yards  wide,  quite  rapid,  filled  with  rocks,  and  only  navigable  for 
canoes.  The  soil  in  the  vicinity  is  very  good,  producing  plentiful 
crops  of  corn,  wheat,  and  potatoes.  In  the  garden  attached  to  the 
fort,  are  grown  all  the  common  vegetables  of  the  United  States,  with 
melons,  both  water  and  musk.    Cattle  are  said  to  thrive  well. 

In  the  morning  it  was  found  that  a  number  of  the  Indians  had  de- 
parted, which  relieved  the  agent's  fears  for  himself,  but  increased  those 
for  our  party.  He  was  satisfied  that  it  was  too  small  in*  number  to 
pass  safely  through,  or  overcome  the  resistance  the  Indians  had  pre- 
pared to  oppose  to  them. 

Few  of  these  men  seem  to  know  the  reason  of  the  whites  meeting 
with  so  few  mishaps  in  passing  through  an  apparently  hostile  country ; 
and  many  deem  that  it  is  owing  to  their  own  skill  and  prowess.  The 
truth  is,  that  as  soon  as  the  Indians  have  traded  with  the  whites,  and 
become  dependent  on  them  for  supplies,  thenceforward  they  can  be 
easily  controlled.  If  disposed  to  be  hostile,  the  fon  at  Umpqua  would 
offer  no  resistance  to  their  attack ;  but  they  are  aware  that  all  their 
supplies  of  ammunition,  tobacco,  blankets,  and  other  articles  of  neces- 
sity, would  be  at  once  cut  off;  which  would  reduce  them  to  great  dis- 
tress. They  also  know,  that  in  all  probability  they  would  receive  a 
severe  chastisement  for  such  aggression,  from  an  armed  force  that 
would  forthwith  be  sent  among  them.  The  self-interest  of  the  Indians 
is,  therefore,  the  true  safeguard  of  the  white  traders. 

After  effecting  the  exchange  of  horses,  they  discovered  that  two  of 
those  they  had  hobbled  the  evening  before  had  escaped ;  after  a  three 
hours'  search,  they  were  finally  found  on  the  back-trail,  several  miles 
from  the  fort.  About  noon  they  set  out  on  their  return,  having  under 
their  escort  the  Indian  wife  of  the  agent,  who  wished  to  visit  the  camp 
to  consult  the  doctor.  Their  fresh  horses  enabled  them  to  get  over  the 
bad  road  with  less  difficulty  than  they  had  found  on  their  way  to  the  fort. 


228  SOUTHERN  OREGON. 

The  party,  in  the  mean  time,  had  not  been  idle :  preparations  had 
been  made  for  the  probable  encounter  with  the  Indians;  cartridges 
filled,  and  balls  run,  to  the  amoant  of  fifty  rounds  apiece ;  the  elk  and 
deer  meat  had  been  jerked  over  a  slow  fire,  and  put  into  packs  for 
transportation. 

The  examination  of  the  country  surrounding  the  camp,  engaged  the 
attention  of  the  naturalists ;  many  seeds  and  plants  were  collected.  A 
species  of  oak,  new  to  our  gentlemen,  was  first  seen  here :  in  its  size 
and  appearance,  it  resembles  that  of  the  Willamette,  excepting  the 
lobes  of  the  leaves,  which  have  a  spire  at  their  termination ;  and  the 
acorns,  which  are  larger  and  more  deeply  set  in  the  cup.  A  yellow 
honeysuckle  was  also  found  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 

The  bed  of  the  river  is  here  composed  of  sandstone  and  clay-slate ; 
a  few  hundred  yards  higher  up  the  stream,  the  slate  disappears,  and 
beyond  it  is  found  basaU.  The  basaltic  hills  are  only  half  a  mile 
distant  from  the  sandstone  range  which  they  had  just  passed.  A  few 
nodules  of  limestone,  similar  to  that  found  around  Astoria,  occur  in 
the  shale.  This  rock  contains  a  few  fossils,  and  the  sandstone  exhibits 
some  indistinct  impressions  of  vegetables,  and  seams  of  coal  or  lignite. 
Mr.  Dana,  however,  is  of  opinion  that  it  is  not  probable  a  large  deposit 
of  the  Iast*named  mineral  will  be  found  here. 

Many  friendly  Indians  had  come  into  the  camp,  who  reported  that 
the  hostile  tribes  were  preparing  to  attack  them  and  dispute  their 
passage.  Some  alarm  seems  to  have  existed  among  the  trappers  which 
manifested  itself  in  suUenness,  accompanied  with  threats  of  leaving  the 
party.  The  ostensible  reason  for  their  dissatisfaction  was  that  they 
were  not  permitted  to  fire  their  pieces  at  all  times  about  the  camp. 
Their  real  motive  was  the  hope  of  retarding  our  party  until  it  should  be 
overtaken  by  the  Company's  trappers  under  Michel,  who  were  about 
sixty  in  number.  Boileau's  fears  had  been  so  worked  upon  that  he 
determined  to  leave  his  wife  at  Fort  Umpqua  until  Michel  should  pass 
by.  As  usual,  they  sufifered  some  detention  in  the  morning  from  the 
straying  of  their  horses. 

Soon  after  leaving  their  camp.  Corporal  Hughes  was  taken  with  such 
a  violent  chill,  that  he  was  unable  to  proceed.  The  doctor,  with  a 
party  under  Mr.  Colvocoressis,  waited  until  the  chill  had  subsided,  and 
then  rejoined  the  party. 

Their  guide  now  expressed  to  Lieutenant  Emmons  his  desire  to  leave 
the  party,  on  the  plea  of  solicitude  for  his  little  child,  but,  in  reality, 
because  they  were  now  about  entering  into  the  hostile  country.  After 
some  talk,  however,  his  fears  were  quieted,  and  he  consented  to  go  on. 

During  &e  day  they  passed  over  some  basaltic  hills,  and  then 


SOUTHERN    OREGON.  ^29 

descended  to  another  plain,  where  the  soil  was  a  fine  loam.  The 
prairies  were  on  fire  across  their  path,  and  had  without  doubt  been 
lighted  by  the  Indians  to  distress  our  party.  The  fires  were  by  no 
means  violent,  the  flames  passing  but  slowly  over  the  ground,  and  being 
only  a  few  inches  high. 

They  encamped  on  Billey's  Creek,  named  after  a  man  who  had  been 
killed  here  by  a  grisly  bear,  whilst  passing  through  with  a  party  belong- 
ing to  the  Company.  Large  game  was  seen  in  abundance,  and 
Guardipii  brought  in  an  elk  as  large  as  a  good-sized  horse. 

On  the  19th,  Burrows  and  his  squaw,  who  had  the  night  before  made 
up  their  minds  to  leave  the  party,  determined  to  continue  with  it  Lieu- 
tenant Emmons,  in  order  to  avoid  any  chance  of  an  encounter,  now 
deviated  from  the  direct  road,  and  took  the  upper  ford  or  pass  across 
the  Umpqua,  as  he  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  Indians  had 
made  preparations  at  the  lower  one  to  obstruct  his  passage.  About  noon 
they  reached  the  north  fork  of  the  Umpqua,  and  succeeded  in  fording 
it  without  accident,  though  they  experienced  some  difficulty  in  conse- 
quence of  its  rapid  current  and  uneven  slippery  bottom.  Its  breadth  is 
about  eighty  yards,  between  banks  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high ;  its 
depth  varies  firom  one  to  five  feet 

As  many  of  the  party  were  very  unwell.  Lieutenant  Emmons  deter- 
mined to  halt,  and  the  party  encamped  in  a  beautiful  oak  grove.  With 
the  geological  features  of  the  country,  the  botany  had  also  changed ; 
and  this  was  also  found  to  be  the  case  with  the  animals.  A  new  shrub 
was  met  with,  resembling  the  shrubby  geranium  of  Hawaii.  A  beau- 
tiful laurel  (Laurus  ptolemii,)  with  fragrant  leaves ;  a  Ceanothus,  with 
beautiful  sky-blue  flowers  of  delightful  fragrance;  a  tobacco  plant 
(Nicotiana),  of  fetid  odour,  with  white  flowers.  For  further  information, 
I  must  refer  to  the  Botanical  Report 

On  the  Umpqua,  the  first  grisly  bears  were  seen ;  here  also  the  whiie- 
tailed  deer  was  lost  sight  of,  and  the  black-tailed  species  met  with.  Elk 
were  seen  in  great  numbers. 

Two  Indians  made  their  appearance  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
river,  and  were  desirous  of  coming  into  the  camp ;  but  deeming  that 
their  object  was  to  spy  out  the  strength  of  the  party,  it  was  thought 
more  prudent  not  to  permit  this ;  they  were  accordingly  motioned  off. 
At  this  encampment,  the  horses  fared  badly ;  for  it  became  necessary 
to  fetter  them  to  prevent  them  from  being  stolen,  as  these  Indians  are 
notorious  thieves. 

On  the  20th,  they  resumed  their  route  at  an  early  hour,  and  passed, 
during  the  day,  through  valleys  and  over  narrow  plains,  that  afibrded 
good  pasturage  for  cattle.    In  the  course  of  two  hours,  they  reached 

U 


280  SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

the  south  fork  of  the  Umpqua,  which  is  similar  in  character  to  the 
northern. 

During  this  day's  ride,  they  saw  one  grisly  bear,  and  had  an 
encounter  with  another.  On  the  first  being  perceived,  chase  was 
given,  but  he  escaped,  and  while  pursuing  him,  the  second  was  seen. 
He  was  of  large  size,  and  approached  within  one  hundred  yards  of  the 
party,  in  their  usual  slow  pace.  As  they  came  nearer  to  him,  he  raised 
himself  on  his  hind  quarters,  and  looked,  with  a  cool  indifference,  upon 
the  party.  Mr.  Peale  dismounted  and  fired  at  him,  upon  which  he  ran 
off",  under  a  shower  of  balls  from  the  rest  of  the  party,  many  of  which 
hit  him.  They  did  not,  however,  succeed  in  killing  him,  and  he  finally 
made  his  escape. 

They  encamped  on  the  south  branch  of  the  Umpqua  river,  after 
having  passed  along  its  eastern  bank  for  some  miles. 

On  the  21st,  their  route  along  the  bank  of  the  stream  was  through 
a  country  of  the  same  description  as  before.  They  were  approaching 
gradually  the  Umpqua  Mountains,  and  stopped  at  the  place  where  it  is 
usual  to  encamp,  previous  to  making  the  ascent  During  the  day  they 
passed  several  deserted  Indian  huts,  and  met  with  some  Indians,  who 
were  desirous  of  joining  the  camp.  They  declared  themselves  friendly 
to  the  whites,  and  were  anxious  to  obtain  powder  and  ball,  which, 
however,  were  not  furnished  them.  They  were  armed  with  guns,  bows, 
and  arrows,  and  were  very  particular  in  their  inquiries  about  the  time 
that  Michel's  party  was  to  be  expected. 

During  the  night,  an  armed  Indian  was  found  lurking  about  the 
camp.  He  was  recognised  as  an  acquaintance  by  Warfields,  one  of 
the  trappers;  and  on  expressing  his  desire  to  accompany  the  party 
to  California,  permission  to  do  so  was  given  him  by  Lieutenant 
Emmons. 

It  now  became  evident  that  the  Indians  were  on  the  watch  to  take 
advantage  of  any  want  of  vigilance.  The  trappers  bad  all  become 
contented,  and  seemed  quite  willing  to  do  their  duty.  They  well  knew 
that  they  had  now  entered  a  hostile  country,  and  that  it  would  be  dan- 
gerous for  any  one  to  straggle  or  desert. 

On  the  22d,  they  began  their  route  across  the  Umpqua  Mountains. 
The  ascent  was  at  first  gradual  and  easy ;  the  path  was  quite  narrow, 
and  lined  with  dense  underbrush,  through  which  they  were  at  times 
obliged  to  cut  their  way.  The  party  were  obliged  to  follow  each 
other,  and  formed  a  line  of  nearly  a  mile  in  length.  The  path  was 
continually  rising  and  falling,  antil  they  came  to  a  steep  bank,  ascend- 
ing very  abruptly  to  the  height  of  one  thousand  feet  This  occasioned 
many  of  the  pack-horses  to  stumble,  but  without  any  material  accident 


SOUTHERN   OREGON.  231 

On  the  top  was  a  small  grassy  plain,  along  which  they  travelled  for  a 
short  distance,  after  which  they  descended  rapidly  into  a  valley  where 
water  was  found.  The  most  difficult  part  of  the  day's  journey  was 
the  ascent  from  this  valley,  to  effect  which  they  toiled  for  three  hours. 
The  woods  had  been  lately  on  fire  here,  and  many  of  the  trees  were 
still  ignited.  This  fire  had  evidently  been  lighted  by  the  Indians  for 
the  purpose  of  causing  the  trees  to  fall  across  the  path ;  they  had  also 
tied  some  of  the  branches  together,  and  interlocked  others.  Every  thing 
was  charred,  and  the  more  annoying  on  that  account,  as  our  people 
were  completely  covered  with  charcoal  dust.  From  the  summit  of 
this  ridge,  a  view  is  had  of  a  confused  mass  of  abrupt  ridges,  between 
which  lie  small  and  secluded  valleys.  The  whole  range  is  thickly 
wooded,  with  a  variety  of  trees,  among  which  are  the  Pinus  Lam- 
bertiana,  (the  first  time  it  had  been  met  with  it,)  Oaks,  Arbutus,  Prunus, 
Cornus,  Yews,  Dogwood,  Hazel,  Spirsea,  and  Castanea.  In  different 
directions,  dense  smoke  was  seen  arising,  denoting  that  these  savages 
were  on  the  watch  for  the  party,  and  making  signals  to  muster  their 
forces  for  an  attack,  if  a  favourable  opportunity  should  offer. 

The  Pinus  Lambertiana,  of  Douglass,  was  not  found  quite  so  large 
as  described  by  him.  The  cones,  although  fourteen  inches  long,  were 
small  in  circumference. 

They  encamped  on  the  plain  of  the  Shaste  country,  which  is  divided 
by  the  mountains  which  they  had  passed,  from  the  Umpqua  Valley. 
The  greatest  elevation  of  those  mountains,  by  the  boiling  temperature 
of  water,  was  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  On  reaching 
the  encampment,  it  was  discovered  that  Mr.  Peale  had  met  with  the 
loss  of  a  considerable  part  of  his  luggage,  in  consequence  of  the  pack 
having  been  torn  open  by  the  bushes.  It  was  therefore  resolved  to  remain 
half  a  day  at  this  place,  in  order  to  send  back  and  seek  for  it,  as  well 
as  to  give  the  horses  time  to  recover  from  the  fatigue  they  had  under- 
gone. The  23d  was  therefore  passed  quietly,  while  a  small  division 
went  back  to  search  for  the  missing  articles ;  but  the  only  one  which 
they  succeeded  in  finding,  was  the  camera  lucida.  Some  Indians  were 
met  with,  who  no  doubt  had  picked  up  all  the  rest  of  the  missing 
articles ;  but  as  their  language  was  unintelligible  to  the  guides,  no 
questions  could  be  asked,  nor  any  information  received  from  them. 

The  rocks  in  this  neighbourhood  are  here  and  there  intersected  with 
veins  of  quartz,  and  masses  of  that  mineral  are  found  strewn  over  the 
whole  country.  The  soil  that  lies  above  the  talcose  rock  is  gravelly, 
and  generally  of  a  red  brick-colour.  Our  botanists  collected,  during 
the  day,  many  seeds.  In  the  way  of  plants,  they  found  the  bulb  which 
^  used  in  California  in  the  place  of  soap. 


232  SOUTHERN    OREGOX. 

Their  journey  was  resumed  at  an  early  hour  on  the  24th.  The 
route  passed  through  thickets,  and  in  some  places  they  discovered  the 
fresh  track  of  Indians,  in  searching  for  whom  they  discovered  three 
squaws,  who  had  been  left  when  the  others  fled.  It  thus  appeared  that 
the  Indians  were  watching  them  closely,  and  it  was  certain  that  in  this 
country,  a  very  small  number  of  them  would  have  been  able  to  cut  off 
the  whole  party  without  much  injury  to  themselves,  if  they  had  pos- 
sessed  any  courage. 

The  greater  part  of  the  day's  journey  was  over  undulating  hills; 
and  after  making  a  distance  of  twenty-three  miles,  they  encamped  on 
Young's  creek.  This  is  a  run  of  water,  a  few  yards  wide  and  a  foot 
or  less  deep ;  it  may  be  traced  for  a  long  distance  by  the  trees  which 
border  it.  They  had  now  reached  the  country  of  the  Klamet  Indians, 
better  known  as  the  Rogues  or  Rascals,  which  name  they  have  ob- 
tained from  the  hunters,  from  the  many  acts  of  villany  they  have 
practised.  The  place  of  encampment  was  only  a  short  distance  from 
that  where  Dr.  Bailey  was  defeated. 

On  the  25th  they  continued  their  journey  over  a  country  resembling 
that  traversed  the  day  before,  with  the  exception  that  the  wood  was 
not  so  thick.  The  Pinus  Lambertiana  was  more  common  ;  the  trees 
of  this  species  were  not  beyond  the  usual  size  of  the  pine  tribe,  but 
their  cones  were  seen  fifteen  inches  in  length.  Some  of  the  sugar  pro- 
duced by  this  tree  was  obtained :  it  is  of  a  sweet  taste,  with  a  slightly 
bitter  and  piny  flavour ;  it  resembles  manna,  and  is  obtained  by  the 
Indians  by  burning  a  cavity  in  the  tree,  whence  il  exudes.  It  is  ga- 
thered in  large  quantities.  This  sugar  is  a  powerful  cathartic,  and 
affected  all  the  party  who  partook  of  it ;  yet  it  is  said  that  it  is  used  as 
a  substitute  for  sugar  among  the  trappers  and  hunters.  The  soil 
passed  over  was  loose  and  light,  approaching  a  sandy  loam. 

In  the  afternoon  they  entered  on  the  plains  of  Rogues'  or  Tootoo- 
tutnas  river,  and  encamped  on  its  banks.  This  is  a  beautiful  stream, 
upwards  of  one  hundred  yards  in  width,  with  a  rapid  current,  flowing 
over  a  gravelly  bottom  at  the  rate  of  three  miles  an  hour :  it  abounds 
in  fish,  on  which  the  Indians  principally  subsist ;  the  banks  are  low 
and  overgrown  with  bushes  for  some  distance  from  the  stream ;  the 
soil  is  poor  and  sandy.  Two  or  three  hundred  yards  from  the  river, 
there  is  a  sudden  rise  of  ten  feet,  and  another  at  the  same  distance 
beyond,  from  the  last  of  which  the  land  rises  into  hills  from  six  hun- 
dred to  a  thousand  feet  in  height.  On  these  hills  the  soil  changes  to 
granitic  sand. 

Inass,  the  Indian  hunter,  being  in  search  of  game  at  some  distance 
from  the  camp,  killed  a  deer,  and  while  in  the  act  of  skinning  it,  was 


SOUTHERN  OREGON.  283 

surprised  by  a  party  of  Indians,  who  shot  a  flight  of  arrows  over  him ; 
he  at  once  sprang  to  his  horse,  seized  his  rifle,  and,  according  to  his 
own  account,  killed  one  of  them.  The  utmost  haste  was  necessary  to 
effect  his  escape,  and  he  left  his  game  behind. 

Towards  night,  a  canoe  with  two  Indians  approached  the  camp, 
which  they  were  not  sufiered  to  enter.  These  canoes  were  dug  out 
square  at  each  end,  and  quite  rude. 

In  the  morning  they  found  within  their  camp  an  Indian  basket  with 
roots,  which  they  supposed  to  have  been  left  there  during  the  night  by 
some  Indian  whose  curiosity  was  so  great  as  to  induce  him  to  peril  his 
life  to  satisfy  it 

The  26th,  they  passed  along  the  banks  of  the  Rogues'  river,  which 
runs  on  in  a  westerly  direction ;  upon  it  the  Indians  were  seen  spear- 
ing salmon  from  their  canoes. 

Within  a  short  distance  of  their  camping-place,  they  came  upon  a 
party  of  about  fifty  Indians,  who  seemed  to  be  surprised  that  their 
hiding-place  had  been  discovered.  They  appeared  to  be  unarmed, 
and  looked  very  innocent 

During  the  day,  their  course  was  northeasterly,  along  the  banks  of 
the  river. .  About  a  mile  from  the  camp,  granite  of  a  light  colour  and 
a  fine  grain,  that  would  serve  as  a  beautiful  building-stone,  was  seen 
in  places.  As  they  proceeded,  the  valley  of  the  river  was  encroached 
upon  by  the  mountains,  and  the  ground  became  very  much  broken. 
The  river,  also,  flowed  in  rapids,  owing  to  the  same  cause,  and  its 
banks  became  projecting  and  jagged  rocks.  A  place  was  pointed  out 
where  a  former  party  had  been  attacked  and  defeated  with  great  loss, 
in  consequence  of  the  Indians  being  able  to  conceal  themselves  behind 
the  rocks.  Our  party  found  no  one  to  oppose  their  passage.  In  the 
afternoon  they  reached  the  forks,  and  took  the  southern  one,  which 
brought  them  to  Turner's  encampment,  where  his  party  were  attacked, 
and  most  of  them  massacred.  They  had  allowed  the  Indians  to  enter 
the  camp  in  numbers,  when  they  suddenly  rose  upon  the  whites,  who 
were  but  nine  in  all,  and  were,  at  the  time  of  the  attack,  attending  to 
the  horses.  Two  of  the  party  were  killed  immediately.  Turner,  who 
was  a  strong  athletic  man,  was  seated  by  the  fire  when  the  fray  began ; 
he  snatched  up  a  brand,  and  defended  himself,  dealing  destruction 
around  him,  until  his  wife  brought  him  his  rifle,  with  which  he  killed 
several.  A  large  fallen  tree  lies  near  the  spot,  at  one  end  of  which 
Turner  stood,  while  the  Indians  occupied  the  other,  and  whence,  as- 
sisted by  his  wife,  he  made  such  havoc  among  them,  that  they  at  last 
retreated,  and  allowed  Turner  and  his  wounded  companions  to  make 
good  their  retreat  to  the  north.    They  returned  to  Willamette  with  the 

VOL.V.  U2  30 


234  SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

loss  of  all  their  horses  and  property.  There  are  still  human  bones, 
and  among  them  parts  of  skulls,  that  mark  the  spot  where  this  deadly 
strife  took  place.  . 

Two  Indians  came  into  the  camp,  who  were  said  to  be  friendly, 
having  often  visited  the  Company's  parties.  One  of  them  had  a  kind 
of  coat  of  mail,  to  protect  himself  from  arrows.  It  resembled  a  strait- 
jacket,  and  only  covered  the  body,  leaving  the  arms  free.  It  was 
made  of  sticks  as  large  as  a  man's  thumb,  woven  together  so  closely 
as  to  resist  the  force  of  arrows.  It  consisted  of  two  parts,  fastened 
together  with  shoulder-straps  at  the  top,  and  secured  around  the  waist 
at  the  bottom. 

On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Rogues'  river  some  Indians  were 
seen  at  a  fire;  but  on  the  discovery  of  our  party,  they  removed 
farther  from  the  river.  Shortly  afterwards,  a  small  dog  belonging 
to  them  came  down  to  the  river  bank,  when  a  man,  by  the  name  of 
Wood,  took  his  rifle,  and,  contrary  to  the  orders  and  rules  of  the 
camp,  shot  it  Lieutenant  Emmons  had  discharged  the  man  a  few 
days  before  for  some  misbehaviour,  and  he  would  have  been  turned 
out  of  camp,  if  there  had  been  any  place  of  safety  for  him.  It  was 
now  sufficiently  evident  why  the  Indians  had  removed  immediately  out 
of  gunshot  During  the  night,  the  Indians  collected  within  hearing  of 
the  camp,  and  had  a  war-dance. 

Most  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  party  had  suflered  exceedingly  from 
attacks  of  the  ague;  the  chills  were  very  violent  while  they  lasted, 
and  several  were  obliged  to  stop  for  an  hour  or  two  during  their  con- 
tinuance. This  C/ecame  a  source  of  uneasiness  to  the  whole  party; 
for  it  was  necessary  to  pass  on  rapidly,  and  not  delay  the  main  body 
more  than  was  unavoidably  necessary:  the  sudden  and  great  atmo- 
spheric changes  which  constantly  occurred,  tended  to  aggravate,  if 
they  did  not  produce,  these  attacks :  the  thermometer  during  the  day 
frequently  standing  above  80^,  and  at  night  nearly  as  low  as  the 
freezing  point 

On  the  27th,  they  proceeded  along  the  bank  of  the  river.  The 
Indians  were  observed  to  be  gathering,  and  were  heard  to  utter  yells, 
on  the  opposite  bank.  After  a  while,  a  large  band  of  them  were 
seen  near  a  rocky  point  which  encroaches  upon  the  river,  and  where 
the  path  came  within  the  reach  of  their  arrows.  The  party  now  had 
strong  reason  for  apprehending  an  attack ;  Lieutenant  Emmons,  there- 
fore, took  such  precautions  as  were  necessary  to  clear  the  path  from 
any  dangers,  by  throwing  a  detachment  on  foot  in  advance  of  the 
main  party.  Here  the  high  perpendicular  bank  confined  the  path  to 
very  narrow  limits,  rendering  a  passing  party  liable  to  be  seriously 


SOUTHERN   OREGON.  2a5 

molested  by  an  attack  from  Indians,  who  might  conceal  themselves 
from  view  among  the  rocks  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  rapid  and 
narrow  river.  No  attack,  however,  took  place,  as  the  Indians  per- 
ceived the  disposition  that  was  made  to  prevent  it  After  the  party 
had  gone  by  and  were  beyond  rifle-shot,  they  again  made  their  ap- 
pearance, and  began  to  utter  taunts,  which  were  coolly  listened  to, 
except  by  the  females  of  Mr.  Walker's  family.  The  squaws  (wives 
of  the  hunters)  had  prepared  themselves  for  an  attack,  apparently  with 
as  much  unconcern  as  their  husbands.  Michel  La  Framboise  with 
his  party  had  been  twice  assaulted  at  this  place.  A  few  miles  beyond 
they  left  the  banks  of  the  Rogues'  river,  taking  a  more  easterly  route, 
over  a  rolling  prairie  which  is  bounded  by  low  hills,  resembling  the 
scenery  of  the  Willamette  Valley.  The  soil,  in  some  few  placesfwas 
good ;  but  generally  gravelly  and  barren.  On  the  plain,  some  Indians 
were  seen  at  a  distance,  on  horseback,  who  fled  like  wild  animals  the 
moment  they  discovered  the  party.  Some  of  the  horses  began  now  to 
give  out,  and  they  were  obliged  to  abandon  them.  In  the  afternoon, 
they  encamped  on  Beaver  creek,  so  named  by  Lieutenant  Emmons, 
from  the  number  of  those  animals  that  were  seen  engaged  in  building 
dams. 

An  antelope  was  killed,  which  was  one  of  four  that  the  hunters  had 
seen ;  it  was  of  a  dun  and  white  colour,  and  its  hair  was  remarkably 
soft.  The  Indians  take  this  animal  by  exciting  its  curiosity :  for  this 
purpose  they  conceal  themselves  in  a  bush  near  its  feeding-grounds, 
and  making  a  rustling  noise,  soon  attract  its  attention,  when  it  is  led 
to  advance  towards  the  place  of  concealment,  until  the  arrow  pierces 
it.  If  there  are  others  in  company,  they  will  frequently  remain  with 
the  wounded  until  they  are  all  in  like  manner  destroyed.  This  species 
of  antelope,  according  to  the  hunters,  only  inhabit  the  prairie,  being 
seldom  seen  even  in  the  open  wooded  country.  The  flavour  of  the  meat 
was  thought  to  be  superior  to  that  of  the  deer. 

A  species  of  rabbit  or  hare  was  seen  in  great  numbers  on  the  high 
prairie ;  their  large  ears  had  somewhat  the  appearance  of  wings.  The 
Indian  mode  of  capturing  them  is  by  constructing  a  small  enclosure  of 
brush,  open  on  one  side,  and  having  a  small  hole  through  the  opposite 
side,  into  which  they  are  driven. 

It  was  observed  too  that  many  of  the  pine  trees  had  their  bark 
pierced  in  many  places,  with  cylindrical  holes  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
deep.  In  some  of  these  an  acorn,  with  its  cup  end  inwards,  was 
inserted,  which  was  supposed  to  be  the  provision  stored  away  by  some 
species  of  woodpecker. 

On  the  28th,  they  advanced  to  the  foot  of  the  Boundary  Range, 


236  SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

where  they  encamped.  The  soil  and  country  resembled  that  passed 
over  the  day  before,  and  the  woods  were  also  oak  and  pine»  but  none 
of  the  Lambertiana.  Ou  the  hills  granite  is  seen  to  crop  out»  and  in  the 
distance  was  observed  a  singular  isolated  rock,  which  stands  like  a 
tower  on  the  top  of  the  ridge,  rising  above  the  surrounding  forest  with 
a  bare  and  apparently  unbroken  surface.  This  peak,  according  to 
Lieutenant  Emmons's  observations,  is  on  the  parallel  of  42°  N. ;  from 
its  top  an  extensive  country  is  overlooked,  and  as  soon  as  the  party 
came  in  sight  of  it  a  dense  column  of  smoke  arose,  which  was  thought 
to  be  a  signal  made  by  the  Klamet  Indians,  to  the  Shaste  tribe,  of  the 
approach  of  our  party.* 

On  the  way,  they  met  an  old  squaw,  with  a  large  firebrand  in  her 
hand,  with  which  she  had  just  set  the  grass  and  bushes  on  fire;  when 
surprised,  she  stood  motionless,  and  appeared  to  be  heedless  of  any 
thing  that  was  passing  around  her.  She  was  partly  clothed  in  dressed 
deer-skinsy  one  around  her  waist  and  another  thrown  over  her  shoulders, 
both  fastened  with  a  girdle,  and  having  long  fringes  made  of  thongs  of 
deer-skins  braided ;  there  were  no  other  Indians  in  sight.  The  party 
encamped  in  a  valley  among  the  hills,  in  which  were  found  many 
boulders  of  granite  and  syenite. 

The  hostility  of  the  Indians,  and  their  having  been  successful  in 
stealing  the  horses  of  former  parties,  induced  Lieutenant  Emmons  to 
have  an  unusually  strict  guard  kept  during  the  nightf 

On  the  29th,  they  set  out  to  ascend  the  Boundary  Mountains,  which 
separate  Mexico  from  the  United  States.  It  is  a  range  of  hills  from 
twelve  hundred  to  two  thousand  feet  high,  some  of  whose  summits  have 
a  mural  front;  the  features  of  all  the  ridges  wear  a  basaltic  appearance, 
though  some  of  them  are  of  sandstone,  and  contain  fossils.  As  they 
ascended,  they  every  moment  expected  to  be  attacked,  particularly  at 
a  steep  and  narrow  path,  where  a  single  horse  has  barely  room  to  pass. 
The  man  Tibbats  was  one  of  a  party  of  fifteen,  which  was  defeated 
here  by  the  Indians,  some  three  years  before.  One  of  their  number  was 
killed,  and  two  died  of  their  wounds  on  the  Umpqua,  whither  they  were 
obliged  to  retreat,  although  they  had  forced  the  Indians  back  with  great 
loss.  He  showed  great  anxiety  to  take  his  revenge  on  them,  but  no 
opportunity  offered,  for  the  party  had  no  other  difficulty  than  scrambling 
up  a  steep  path,  and  through  thick  shrubbery,  to  reach  the  top.  Not  an 

*  This  I  have  designated  aa  Emmons's  Peak,  after  the  officer  who  had  charge  of  this 
party,  as  a  memorial  of  the  value  of  his  services  in  conducting  it  safely  through  this  hostile 
country. 

t  The  Klamet  Indians  took  the  pains  to  send  word  to  Fort  Umpcjua,  that  they  were  pre 
pared  to  kill  any  whites  who  should  attempt  to  pass  through  their  oountzy. 


SOUTHERN    OREGON.  237 

Indian  was  to  be  seen,  although  they  had  evidently  made  some  prepa- 
rations to  attack  the  party;  the  ground  had  been  but  recently  occupied, 
some  large  trees  felled  across  the  path  by  burning,  and  many  other 
impediments  placed  to  prevent  the  party  from  advancing.  The  whole 
mountain  side  was  admirably  adapted  for  an  ambuscade. 

At  the  summit  of  this  range,  they  got  their  first  view  of  the  Klamet 
Valley.  It  was  beneath  them,  walled  on  both  sides  by  high  basaltic 
hills,  one  beyond  another.  Mount  Shaste,  a  high,  snowy  peak,  of  a 
sugar-loaf  form,  which  rose  through  the  distant  haze,  bore  southward, 
forty-five  miles  distant.  They  descended  on  the  south  side,  and 
encamped  on  the  banks  of  Otter  creek,  within  a  mile  of  the  Klamet 
river. 

This  ridge  divides  the  waters  flowing  to  the  north  and  south.  The 
soil  seemed  to  change  for  the  worse,  becoming  more  sandy. 

In  consequence  of  the  illness  of  some  of  the  party,  it  was  concluded 
to  remain  stationary  on  the  30th:  the  others  made  excursions  around 
the  camp.  The  country  they  saw  was  a  broad  prairie  valley,  dotted 
with  oaks  and  pines,  with  a  serpentine  line  of  trees  marking  the  edges 
of  the  streams  till  they  are  lost  in  the  distance.  This  valley  lies  in  the 
midst  of  hills,  clothed  with  a  forest  of  evergreens,  and  through  this  the 
waters  of  the  Klamet  flow,  passing  beyond  it,  through  a  narrow  valley 
on  the  west  The  most  remarkable  object  in  this  place  is  the  isolated 
conical  peak,  which  rises  immediately  from  the  level  plain  to  the 
height  of  one  thousand  feet,  and  is  destitute  of  trees,  except  on  its 
summit 

Near  their  camp  was  the  remains  of  an  Indian  hut,  which  had  been 
constructed  of  bent  sticks :  this  is  represented  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

Lieutenant  Emmons,  during  the  day,  obtained  both  dip  and  intensity 
observations.  The  thermometer,  in  the  shade,  rose  to  100^  At 
dawn  the  following  morning,  it  was  32°.  The  hunters  did  not  succeed 
in  procuring  any  game. 

On  the  Ist  of  October,  they  were  enabled  to  take  an  early  start 
The  weather  was,  however,  sultry,  and  the  atmosphere  again  so  smoky 
as  to  shut  out  the  Shaste  Peak  from  view.  In  about  two  hours  they 
crossed  the  Klamet  river,  where  it  was  about  eighty  yards  wide,  with 
low  banks,  destitute  of  bushes.  It  was  about  four  feet  deep,  with  a 
pebbly  bottom.  Both  above  and  below  the  ford,  there  were  rapids ; 
the  volume  of  water  was  about  equal  to  that  of  the  Umpqua.  From  the 
appearance  of  its  banks,  it  is  subject  to  overflow.  The  prairie,  after 
crossing  the  river,  became  dry  and  barren,  from  which  a  solitary  bute, 
by  which  term  these  hills  are  known,  occasionally  rose  up,  from  one 
to  five  hundred  feet  high.    These  are  peculiar  to  this  country.    Heaps 


288  SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

of  volcanic  rocks,  consisting  of  large  masses  of  grayish  or  reddish 
porphyritic  lava,  in  blocks  of  from  one  to  ten  cubic  feet  in  size,  were 
lying  on  the  surface  in  disorderly  piles.  Beyond,  to  the  eastward,  the 
lava  heaps  became  still  more  numerous. 

They  encamped  on  the  southern  branch  of  the  Klamet  river,  which 
is  a  beautiful,  clear,  and  rapid  stream,  where  they  met  with  a  small 
spot  of  grass,  the  only  one  they  had  seen  during  the  day«  Two  Indians 
.were  discovered  on  the  look-out  from  one  of  the  lava  heaps.  Lieute- 
nant Emmons,  taking  the  guide  with  him,  succeeded  in  preventing 
their  escape,  and  was  enabled .  to  approach  thenu  They  were  at  first 
under  great  fear,  but  soon  became  reconciled,  and  sold  two  salmon 
they  had  with  them,  which  they  had  taken  in  the  river  with  their  fish- 
spears.  The  salmon  were  of  a  whitish  colour,  and  not  at  all  delicate 
to  the  taste ;  their  tails  were  worn  off,  and  the  fish  otherwise  bruised 
and  injured.  Many  salmon  are  caught  in  all  these  rivers.  The  Indians 
were  thought  to  be  better-looking  than  those  before  seen  about  the 
villages,  and  were  quite  naked,  excepting  the  maro.  After  having 
disposed  of  their  fish,  they  were  willing  to  sell  their  bows  and 
arrows,  which  they  had  hid  in  the  grass.  These  which  were  all 
neatly  made,  were  bought  for  a  knife.  They  then  pointed  out  some 
more  of  their  tribe,  who  were  seated  on  the  side  of  a  distant  hill,  and 
were  very  desirous  that  they  might  be  permitted  to  come  into  the 
camp;  but  permission  was  refused  them.  Here  our  gentlemen  saw 
large  bundles  of  rushes,  made  up  in  the  form  of  a  lashed*up  hammock, 
which  the  Indians  are  said  to  use  instead  of  canoes. 

On  the  2d,  they  travelled  ail  day  over  a  rolling  prairie,  without 
water ;  the  low  ground  was  incrusted  with  salts,  notwithstanding  which, 
the  land  was  better  than  that  passed  over  the  day  before.  Some 
patches  of  spiraea  and  dogwood  were  met  with,  and  a  better  growth 
of  grass ;  although  it  was  still  very  scanty. 

Large  herds  of  antelopes  were  seen,  but  none  of  them  were  killed ; 
the  hunters  also  recognised  the  mountain  sheep,  which  are  of  a  dark 
colour,  much  larger  than  the  common  sheep,  and  having  large  horns. 
Towards  the  afternoon  they  came  to  some  holes  containing  water ; 
and  such  had  been  the  suffering  of  some  of  the  animals  from  thirst, 
that  they  rushed  into  them  with  their  packs,  and  it  required  much 
labour  to  extricate  them,  for  which  purpose  it  was  necessary  to  use 
the  lasso.  About  midday  they  left  the  Klamet  Valley,  which  is  far 
inferior  to  any  portion  of  the  country  they  had  passed  through ;  and 
as  they  crossed  the  hills  which  enclose  it,  they  found  that  the  out- 
cropping rocks  were  composed  of  a  dark  green  serpentine.  They 
encamped  a  little  beyond  the  hills,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  their  camp, 


SOUTHERN   OREGON.  2S9 

boulders  of  a  coarse  syenite,  forming  the  bed  of  the  creek,  and  lying 
along  its  course,  were  seen.  The  hornblend  crystals  of  the  latter  rock 
were  often  two  inches  long,  and  were  set  in  a  white  granular  paste 
of  feldspar. 

At  their  camp  they  were  visited  by  a  party  of  Shasta  Indians,  who 
were  allowed  to  enter  it,  and  for  some  time  there  was  a  brisk  trade 
for  their  bows  and  arrows.  These  Indians  are  a  fine-looking  race, 
being  much  better  proportioned  than  those  more  to  the  nordiward, 
and  their  features  more  regular.  One  of  the  boys  was  extremely  good- 
looking.  He  had  a  bright  black  eye,  and  pleasing  expression  of  coun- 
tenance; he  was  clad  in  dressed  deer-skins,  over  his  shoulders  and 
about  his  body,  but  his  legs  were  bare.  They  all  wore  their  black  hair 
banging  down  to  their  shoulders ;  and  they  do  not  compress  their  heads. 
Mr.  Agate  had  much  difficulty  in  getting  them  to  stand  still  for  the 
purpose  of  having  their  portraits  taken,  and  gave  them  a  miniature  of 
his  mother  to  look  at,  hoping  that  this  would  allay  their  fears,  but  it 
had  a  contrary  effect,  as  they  now  believed  that  he  desired  to  put  some 
enchantment  upon  them,  and  thought  that  he  was  the  medicine-man  of 
the  party. 

They  obtained  an  exhibition  of  the  archery  of  the  Indians  by  putting 
up  a  button  at  twenty  yards  distance,  which  one  of  them  hit  three 
times  out  of  five :  the  successful  marksman  was  rewarded  with  it  and 
a  small  piece  of  tobacco.  They  use  these  bows  with  such  dexterity 
as  to  kill  fish,  and  lanch  their  arrows  with  such  force,  that  one  of  the 
gentlemen  remarks  he  would  as  leave  be  shot  at  with  a  musket  at  the 
distance  of  one  hundred  yards,  as  by  one  of  these  Indians  with  his 
bow  and  arrow.  Their  bows  and  arrows  are  beautifully  made:  the 
former  are  of  yew  and  about  three  feet  long ;  they  are  flat,  and  an 
inch  and  a  half  to  two  inches  wide:  these  are  backed  very  neatly  with 
sinew,  and  painted.  The  arrows  are  upwards  of  thirty  inches  long; 
some  of  them  were  made  of  a  close-grained  wood,  a  species  of  spiraea, 
while  others  were  of  reed ;  they  were  feathered  for  a  length  of  from 
five  to  eight  inches,  and  the  barbed  heads  were  beautifully  wrought 
from  obsidian :  the  head  is  inserted  in  a  grooved  piece,  from  three  to 
five  inches  long,  and  is  attached  to  the  shaft  by  a  socket ;  this,  when  it 
penetrates,  is  left  in  the  wound  when  the  shaft  is  withdrawn ;  a  very 
shallow  blood-channel  is  sometimes  cut  in  the  shaft.  In  shooting  the 
arrow,  the  bow  is  held  horizontally,  braced  by  the  thumb  of  the  left 
hand,  and  drawn  by  the  thumb  and  three  first  fingers  of  the  right 
hand.  To  obviate  the  disadvantage  of  drawing  to  the  breast,  the 
chest  is  thrown  backwards ;  on  discharging  the  arrow,  they  throw  out 
the  right  leg  and  stand  on  the  left.    Their  quivers  are  made  of  deer, 


340  SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

raccoon*  or  wild-cat  skin ;  these  skins  are  generally  whole,  being  left 
open  at  the  tail  end. 

A  disease  was  observed  among  them  which  had  the  appearance  of 
the  leprosy,  although  the  doctor  did  not  recognise  it  as  such,  one  of 
the  six  had  wasted  away  to  almost  a  skeleton  from  its  effects. 

The  old  man  was  pointed  out  as  the  father-in-law  of  Michel  La 
Framboise,  who,  as  I  have  said  before,  has  a  wife  in  nearly  every  tribe. 

As  to  dress,  they  can  scarcely  be  said  to  wear  any  except  a  mantle 
of  deer  or  wolf  skin.  A  few  of  them  had  deer-skins  belted  around 
their  waists  with  a  highly  ornamented  girdle. 

On  the  3d,  they  continued  their  route  up  the  plain,  and  soon  reached 
its  termination,  after  which  they  entered  the  forest  on  the  slopes  of  the 
Shaste  Range;  the  path  was  rendered  very  broken  and  uneven  by  the 
knolls  of  trachyte  which  were  seen  in  every  direction.  On  arriving 
at  the  top  of  the  ridge,  they  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  snowy 
peak  of  Shaste,  with  a  nearer  and  intermediate  one  destitute  of  snow, 
with  tall  pines  growing  nearly  to  its  top.  Where  the  surface  could  be 
seen,  it  appeared  as  though  it  was  covered  with  large  blocks  of  rock : 
its  conical  shape  proved  its  volcanic  character,  although  no  crater 
could  be  perceived. 

The  Shaste  Peak  is  a  magnificent  sight,  rising  as  it  does  to  a  lofty 
height,  its  steep  sides  emerging  from  the  mists  which  envelope  its 
base,  and  seem  to  throw  it  off  to  an  immense  distance;  its  cleft  sum- 
mit gave  proof  of  its  former  active  state  as  a  volcano.  The  snow  lies 
in  patches  on  the  sides  and  part  of  the  peak  of  this  mountain ;  but 
there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  position  of  its  snow-line  from  that  of 
Mount  Hood  or  St  Helen's.  Its  height  is  said  to  be  fourteen  thousand 
three  hundred  and  ninety  feet,  but  Lieutenant  Emmons  thinks  it  is  not 
so  high.  After  passing  this  ridge,  they  soon  met  the  head  waters  of 
the  Sacramento,  flowing  to  the  southward,  and  their  camp  was  pitched 
on  the  banks  of  another  stream,  that  came  from  the  Shaste  Peak. 

Our  party  now  had  their  prospects  somewhat  brightened,  having 
passed  safely  through  the  country  of  the  «*Bad  Indians."  I  cannot 
but  regret  that  they  should  at  this  time  have  been  found  in  so  hostile  a 
state  that  it  rendered  it  not  only  prudent,  but  necessary  for  the  safety 
of  the  party,  that  all  intercourse  should  be  avoided,  and  consequently 
one  of  the  objects  of  the  Expedition,  that  of  acquiring  some  knowledge 
of  their  actual  condition,  numbers,  &c.,  was  frustrated. 

On  the  4th,  they  had  fairly  entered  into  the  district  of  pines :  again 
some  of  the  Lambertiana  were  measured,  and  found  to  be  eighteen 
feet  in  circumference,  with  cones  sixteen  inches  long. 

They  encamped  on  Destruction  river,  which  runs  from  this  moun- 


SOUTHERN  OREGON.  241 

tain  range  toward  the  south,  in  a  place  where  they  found  food  for 
their  horses  and  water  in  abundance.  The  air  was  delightful;  the 
forest  protected  them  from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  besides  this  the 
game  was  plentiful.  Near  the  encampment,  in  a  northwest  direction, 
was  a  mountain  ridge  shooting  up  in  sharp  conical  points  and  needle- 
shaped  peaks,  having  a  precipitous  front  One  of  these  peaks  almost 
overhangs  the  valley,  presenting  a  gray  surface  of  naked  rock  two 
thousand  feet  high.  The  valley  which  adjoins  is  strewn  over  with 
boulders  of  white  granite,  similar  to  that  already  described.  From 
this,  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  ridge  is  formed  of  the  same  material. 
At  meridian  they  reached  a  small  valley  bordering  on  the  Destruction 
river,  where  they  found  a  chalybeate  spring.  The  water  oozes  out 
from  the  rocks,  bubbling  up  freely,  and  is  highly  charged  with  car- 
bonic acid  gas.  In  taste  it  was  found  agreeable  to  both  the  riders  and 
the  animals.  Its  temperature  was  5(P,  that  of  the  air  being  75^; 
about  a  gallon  per  minute  is  discharged.  Around  it  there  is  a  thick 
deposit  of  iron  rust,  and  a  few  jrards  distant  a  small  pond,  the  bottom 
of  which  was  also  coated  with  a  ferruginous  deposit  The  rocks  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  spring  were  of  the  trachytic  and  slightly  cellular 
lava,  which  is  speckled  with  grains  of  feldspar.  The  hunters  said 
that  the  spring  was  in  all  respects  similar  to  that  on  the  Bear  creek, 
which  empties  into  the  Youta  Lake,  known  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 
as  the  Soda  Spring.  Mr.  Dana  found  some  difficulty  in  accounting 
for  this  emission  of  carbonic  acid,  as  no  limestone  was  found  or 
known  to  exist  in  the  neighbourhood ;  yet  he  is  inclined  to  believe,  that 
it  may  be  owing  to  the  decomposition  of  sulphuret  of  iron.  For  further 
information  upon  this  subject,  I  would  refer  to  his  Geological  Report 

On  this  night  they  had  a  severe  storm  from  the  westward,  and  occa- 
sionally heard  the  crash  produced  by  the  falling  of  large  pines. 

The  character  of  the  country  had  now  changed,  and  afforded  a  new 
and  more  extended  botanical  field,  as  well  as  new  geological  features. 
The  general  tendency  of  the  ridges  is  north  and  south,  but  the  whole 
may  be  classed  as  a  series  of  valleys  and  hills  thrown  in  all  positions. 
The  hills  are,  for  the  greater  part,  covered  with  soil,  when  it  can  find 
any  place  of  deposit ;  and  all  are  richly  clothed  with  vegetation.  The 
principal  timber  consists  of  pines  and  oaks ;  and  there  are  many 
smaller  plants,  of  which  the  flowers  must  be  abundant  in  the  proper 
season.  As  it  was,  our  botanists  reaped  something  of  a  harvest ;  for 
information  respecting  which,  the  Botanical  Report  is  referred  to. 

They  continued  to  follow  Destruction  river  until  the  9th,  when  it 
was  joined  by  a  stream  from  the  northward  and  eastward,  which  was 
taken  to  be  the  northeast  branch  of  Pitt  river :  it  was  larger  than  the 

VOL.  V.  V  81 


248  80UTHEHN0REG0N. 

stream  they  had  been  following  for  the  last  few  days,  and  is  supposed 
by  some  to  take  its  rise  in  Pitt  Lake ;  but  this  I  very  much  doubt,  as 
it  lies  on  the  other  side  of  the  Cascade  or  CaUforoian  Range,  and  the 
two  united  form  the  Sacrameuto. 

Though  I  have  dignified  these  two  streams  with  the  name  of  rivers, 
it  must  not  be  supposed  that  they  are  really  such,  in  our  acceptation  of 
the  word.  The  party  are  generally  of  the  opinion  that  they  should  be 
called  creeks. 

They  encamped  late  in  the  evening  near  a  small  rivulet,  to  the  west- 
ward of  the  Sacramento.  They  had  much  difficulty  with  their  horses, 
which  had  now  become  tired  out.  For  this  reason  it  became  necessary 
to  abandon  one  of  them,  as  he  was  unable  to  proceed  any  further. 

On  the  10th  they  made  an  early  start,  and  left  the  mountains.  The 
width  of  the  range  they  had  passed  through  was  upwards  of  one  hun- 
dred miles.  At  one  place  Guardipii,  their  guide,  lost  his  way ;  but  on 
applying  to  Warfields'  Indian  wife,  she  pointed  out  the  trail  without 
difficulty. 

They  had  now  passed  into  the  Sacramento  Valley,  and  had  met  with 
some  of  the  Kinkla  tribe  of  Indians,  who  were  known  to  be  friendly, 
and  they  became  relieved  from  anxiety.  The  botanical  character  of 
the  landscape  changed  as  suddenly :  instead  of  firs,  pines,  &c.,  they 
found  themselves  among  sycamores,  oaks,  and  cotton-wood  trees. 
The  oaks  bear  a  variety  of  acorns,  which  are  equally  the  food  of  the 
bears  and  the  Indians.  The  prairie  bordering  the  Sacramento  at  this 
place  is  about  fifty  feet  below  the  upper  prairie,  and  continues  for 
many  miles  very  regularly  on  the  same  level ;  the  latter  falling  into  it 
by  a  sloping  bank. 


In  the  evening  the  camp  was  visited  by  many  of  these  friendly  and 


SOUTHERN  OREGON.  24.^ 

docile  Indians,  who  made  themselves  quite  easy,  laughing  and  joking, 
and  appeared  rather  to  look  upon  the  party  as  beneath  them.  They 
had  some  resemblance  to  the  Shaste  Indians;  most  of  them  were 
naked ;  the  others  had  a  piece  of  deer-skin  thrown  over  their  shoulders ; 
their  faces  were  marked  with  an  expression  of  good  humour.  Some 
of  them  wore  their  hair  long,  extending  below  the  neck  and  divided 
from  the  top ;  in  others,  and  most  commonly,  it  was  drawn  back  and 
gathered  in  a  bunch  behind,  where  it  was  fastened  with  a  string  of 
deer-sinew ;  their  ears  were  bored,  and  a  short  string  inserted  with  a 
few  beads ;  the  face  was  usually  painted,  the  upper  part  of  the  cheek 
in  the  form  of  a  triangle,  with  a  blue-black  substance,  mixed  with 
some  shiny  particles  that  resembled  pulverized  mica. 

The  Indians  were  darker  as  to  colour  than  the  northern  tribes,  anid 
their  general  appearance  resembled  that  of  the  South  Sea  islanders. 
Their  food  consists  principally  of  fish  and  acorns ;  of  the  latter  they 
make  a  kind  of  black  cake  by  shelling  the  acorns,  drying  them  in  the 
3un,  and  then  poundmg  them  between  stones  to  a  meal,  which  they  mix 
with  a  little  water  and  arbutus-berries,  which  gives  it  a  flavour ;  it  is 
then  formed  into  cakes  about  two  inches  thick,  when  it  is  wrapped  in 
leaves  and  baked ;  it  is  quite  black  and  eats  like  cheese:  these  acorns 
are  quite  palatable  in  the  raw  state.  The  seeds  of  the  different  genus 
of  pine  are  also  eaten,  particularly  one  that  is  peculiar  to  California. 
The  arbutus-berry  is  in  great  plenty,  and  is  also  ground  into  meal ;  they 
have  also  many  grapes.  The  game  had  also  become  very  abundant, 
in  consequence  of  the  quantities  of  food,  which  attracts  them  as  well  as 
the  Indians,  and  many  antelopes  and  deer  were  observed.  Large  flocks 
of  California  partridges  and  geese  were  seen :  among  the  birds  was  a 
new  species  of  magpie. 

None  of  the  Indians  but  men  visited  the  camp,  the  women  being  lefl 
at  their  rancheria.  Our  party  went  to  visit  it ;  it  was  about  half  a  mile 
below  the  camp,  and  consisted  of  some  rude  huts,  built  of  poles,  and 
divided  by  coarse  mats  into  a  number  of  small  apartments.  The  whole 
was  surrounded  by  a  brush  fence,  which  served  for  a  stockade. 

The  huts  were  small  in  size  and  devoid  of  comfort  or  cleanliness.  It 
was  remarked  that  the  women  were  much  inferior  to  the  men  in  per- 
sonal appearance,  looking  careworn  and  wrinkled,  probably  from  hard 
work ;  for  on  them  seems  to  depend  the  preparation  of  all  their  winter's 
supply  of  food,  at  which  they  seemed  to  be  constantly  engaged ;  while 
the  men  are  to  be  seen  lounging  about,  or  engaged  in  games  of  hazard. 
They  are,  however,  during  the  season,  engaged  in  taking  salmon,  either 
in  weirs,  or  by  spearing:  the  former  method  has  been  described 
already ;  for  the  latter  they  use  a  long  forked  spear  or  fish-gig,  which 


244  SOUTHERN  OREGON. 

has  a  sharp  deer's  horn  to  confine  the  two  prongs,  and  is  attached  to 
the  spear  by  a  small  lanyard,  which  in  entering  the  fish  slips  off,  and 
retains  its  hold. 

At  the  rancheria,  several  dances  were  performed ;  and  it  was  ob- 
served that  many  of  the  women  were  tattooed  on  their  arms  and  body. 

On  reaching  the  Sacramento,  it  had  been  recommended  to  Lieu- 
tenant Emmons  to  procure  canoes,  if  possible,  either  by  purchase  or 
constructing  them,  in  consequence  of  the  belief  that  both  his  party  and 
the  animals  would  have  been  nearly  if  not  quite  worn  out.  No  canoes, 
however,  were  to  be  found,  and,  as  has  been  seen  in  my  account  of  that 
river,  none  were  used  by  the  Indians.  Neither  could  any  timber  be 
obtained  without  much  detention,  of  which  to  construct  one.  It  was, 
therefore,  necessary  for  him  to  keep  on  to  Captain  Suter's,  where  he 
expected  to  find  boats  to  take  them  to  the  ship  as  soon  as  possible. 
From  what  Lieutenant  Emmons  could  learn,  there  was  no  difficulty  in 
proceeding  in  canoes  from  this  place,  though  there  would  have  been 
some  obstacles  to  surmount,  particularly  the  fish-weirs,  which  exist 
below. 

On  the  11th,  they  took  leave  of  the  friendly  Indians,  who  had,  during 
the  night,  been  as  watchful  as  themselves,  passing  the  word  among  their 
look-outs  as  if  they  had  been  regular  sentinels.  The  party  proceeded 
down  the  western  bank  of  the  Sacramento,  over  a  rolling  prairie 
country,  which  they  characterize  as  the  most  worthless  they  had  met 
with.  The  soil  consists  of  gravel,  coarse  pebbles,  and  large  stones, 
mixed  with  sand.  They  frequently  met  the  beds  of  streams,  three 
hundred  yards  wide,  which  intersect  this  part  of  the  country,  the 
pebbles  in  which  are  chiefly  composed  of  jasper  and  milky  quartz,  with 
a  few  of  basalt,  pudding-stone,  and  pieces  of  slate.  They  made  this 
day,  twenty-five  miles — ^the  longest  day's  ride  on  the  journey. 

On  the  13tb,  Lieutenant  Emmons  determined  to  ford  the  river,  as  it 
was  doubtful  whether  he  would  have  so  good  an  opportunity  lower 
down.  Inass,  one  of  the  hunters,  was  found  sitting  beside  his  horse,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  ford,  loaded  with  the  meat  and  skin  of  a  large 
grisly  bear  which  he  had  killed.  The  river  was  about  three  feet  deep, 
and  two  hundred  yards  wide.  They  stopped  at  a  place  known  among 
the  hunters  as  Bear-camp,  from  the  number  of  grisly  bears  found  here. 
Five  of  them  were  shot  the  same  afternoon,  with  three  deer,  which 
were  seen  feeding  within  sight  of  the  camp,  all  in  excellent  condition. 
The  country  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  was  more  level  than  on  the 
west,  and  the  soil  was  thought  to  be  better.  Few  plants,  however, 
were  seen,  in  consequence  of  the  country  having  been  burned  over. 

The  country  continued  much  the  same  until,  on  the  16th,  they  came 


SOUTHERN   OREGON.  345 

in  sight  of  the  Prairie  Butes,  a  regular  collection  of  hills,  rising  out  of 
the  level  plain  like  islands  from  the  water.  These  are  very  deceptive 
in  height,  and  may  be  seen  from  a  great  distance.  The  party  encamped 
on  a  small  creek,  called  by  the  trappers  the  Little  Fork  of  the  Butes. 
The  hunters  said  that  the  party  employed  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany last  year  caught  more  than  one  hundred  beavers  during  their 
sojourn  in  this  neighbourhood  with  their  cattle. 

On  the  16th,  they  passed  towards  the  Butes,  and  encamped,  after  an 
ineffectual  search  for  water,  at  a  place  that  had  been  occupied  for  the 
same  purpose  by  Michel,  in  the  valley  or  **  Kraal"  of  the  Butes.  Here 
they  found  two  deep  holes  of  stagnant  water,  the  remains  of  a  rivulet 
that  was  now  dried  up.  The  ground  around  and  near  the  Butes  is 
covered  with  a  great  quantity  of  the  bones  of  animals  that  resort 
hither  for  safety  during  the  season  of  the  freshets  which  flood  the 
whole  of  this  extensive  plain.  The  soil  is  quite  loose  and  crusted  over 
with  the  deposit  left  by  the  water,  through  which  the  horses  broke  to 
the  depth  of  four  or  five  inches ;  nearer  the  Butes,  the  soil  is  harder 
and  strewed  with  fragments  of  volcanic  rocks.  There  is  little  doubt 
that  each  of  the  Butes  was  once  a  volcano.  They  are  grouped  within 
an  oval  space,  which  has  a  circumference  of  about  thirty  miles :  the 
longest  diameter  of  the  oval  figure  lies  in  a  northeast  and  southwest 
direction.  The  valley  passes  through  the  southern  part,  and  opens  out 
on  the  eastern :  it  is  about  seven  miles  in  length ;  and  here  the  party 
found  water.  This  valley  may  be  considered  almost  as  a  prolongation 
of  the  exterior  plain,  though  parts  of  it  are  somewhat  higher,  as  ap- 
peared by  its  not  having  been  overflowed.  The  highest  of  the  Butes 
was  made,  by  a  triangulation  executed  by  Lieutenant  Emmons  and 
Mr.  Eld,  seventeen  hundred  and  ninety-four  feet.  They  have  the 
appearance  of  having  once  been  much  higher  and  more  extended  than 
they  now  are.  The  volcanic  rock,  according  to  Mr.  Dana,  is  a  tra- 
chytic  porphyry,  of  a  purplish  colour,  which  contains  hornblend  and 
six-sided  tables  of  mica,  with  glassy  feldspar,  in  crystals  from  a 
quarter  to  half  an  inch  in  size,  disseminated  through  it ;  some  of  the 
rocks  have  a  porcelain  aspect,  but  this  variety  only  constitutes  a  few 
of  the  peaks.  The  rock  is  found  either  in  horizontal  or  vertical  la}rers 
or  curved  in  all  directions,  and  is  thickly  sprinkled  with  mica.  The 
Butes  were  ascertained  to  be  in  the  latitude  of  89^  08'  N. ;  yet  it  has 
been  generally  believed  that  these  were  on  the  dividing  line  between 
Oregon  and  California. 

On  the  17th,  they  proceeded,  and  in  about  fifteen  miles  they  found 
themselves  on  the  banks  of  the  Feather  river.  There  is  a  difiiculty  in 
fording  this  stream,  on  account  of  the  quicksands ;  and  the  first  time 

vs 


246  SOUTHERN   OREGON. 

they  attempted  it,  the  guide  and  his  horse  were  nearly  lost.  To  swim 
the  river  was  equally  impracticable,  in  the  weak  and  worn-out  state 
of  their  animals.  They  therefore  proceeded  down  its  bank,  looking 
for  a  ford.  On  their  way,  Inass  killed  a  wild  cow,  one  of  a  herd  of 
ten.  It  is  said  that  the  wild  cattle,  which  have  originated  from  the 
animals  that  have  escaped  from  the  herds  passing  through  the  country 
to  Oregon,  are  increasing  very  fast 

They  encamped  in  a  beautiful  oak  grove,  near  the  junction  of  the 
Feather  river  with  the  Sacramento.  The  two  rivers  are  of  about  the 
same  size,  being  each  seventy  yards  wide.  The  waters  of  the  Feather 
are  clear,  and  in  many  places  deep;  the  banks  are,  as  usual,  lined  with 
sycamore,  cotton-wood,  and  oak,  and  were  at  this  time  about  twenty- 
five  feet  above  the  stream.  It  appears  to  be  navigable  for  boats.  The 
party  succeeded  in  fording  it  on  the  1 8th,  within  two  miles  of  the 
junction.  Near  the  ford,  the  Indians  had  an  extensive  burial-ground, 
marked  by  a  vast  number  of  skulls  and  bones,  that  lie  scattered  around 
in  all  directions,  and  are  said  to  be  all  that  remains  of  a  once  powerful 
tribe,  that  has  been  swept  off  by  disease. 

They  then  proceeded  on  to  Captain  Suter's,  where  they  arrived  the 
next  day. 

The  officers  appear  to  have  entered  this  valley  with  a  high  idea  of 
its  fruitfulness,  and  with  the  expectation  of  finding  the  soil  abounding 
with  every  thing  that  could  make  it  desirable  for  the  abode  of  the 
agriculturist,  and  susceptible  of  producing  all  that  can  add  to  the 
comfort  or  convenience  of  man.  It  is  not  surprising  that  they  should 
have  been  sadly  disappointed,  when  they  beheld  a  large  part  of  it 
barren,  and  destitute  even  of  pasturage,  while  that  which  is  fertile  is 
liable  to  be  annually  overflowed.  The  high  prairie  is  equally  gravelly 
and  unfertile.  Yet  it  is  necessary  to  say  there  is  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  good  soil  to  make  it  a  valuable  agricultural  country,  and  that  it 
would  be  capable  of  affording  subsistence  to  a  large  number  of  in- 
habitants, more,  however,  from  the  extraordinary  fertility  of  these 
grounds  than  from  their  extent. 

After  leaving  Captain  Suter*s,  or  New  Helvetia,  the  party  divided. 
The  detachment  under  Lieutenant  Emmons,  with  Messrs.  Dana,  Agate, 
Colvocoressis,  and  Dr.  Whittle,  embarked  in  the  Vincennes'  launch, 
which  met  them  a  short  distance  below  that  place,  and  reached  San 
Francisco  at  eight  o'clock  p.  m.  on  the  24th. 

The  other  detachment,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Eld,  Peale,  Richj 
Brackenridge,  and  the  sergeant,  with  some  of  the  men,  went  by  land. 
I  cannot  avoid  again  returning  my  thanks  to  Captain  Suter,  for  his 
kindness  to  this  party.    All  the  officers  spoke  most  particularly  of  the 


SOUTHERN   OREGON.  247 

attention  he  paid  to  them,  individually  and  collectively,  and  of  his  care 
and  watchfulness  in  making  provision  for  our  sick. 

On  the  21st,  the  land  party  commenced  their  journey,  with  a  young 
and  intelligent  Spaniard  for  a  guide.  The  same  day  they  made  fifteen 
miles,  passing  over  a  dry  portion  of  country,  and  encamped  near  two 
ponds,  called  in  the  country,  Poros,  the  only  place,  as  was  supposed, 
where  water  could  be  obtained  within  twenty  miles ;  they,  however, 
found  some  the  next  day  in  the  Rio  Cosmenes,  within  a  mile  and  a 
half  of  the  camp.  Game  was,  as  usual,  very  abundant;  but  the 
whole  country  was  suffering  from  the  drought  that  has  been  before 
spoken  of. 

On  the  22d,  about  noon,  they  crossed  the  river  Mogueles,  which 
was  then  a  small  stream ;  but  at  other  seasons,  it  is  said  it  cannot  be 
crossed  on  horseback.  They  travelled  this  day  as  far  as  the  San  Juan ; 
the  only  water  that  it  contained  was  in  small  pools.  This  place  had 
been  termed  the  Frenchman's  Camp.  The  ducks  and  geese  had  ren- 
dered the  water  scarcely  drinkable. 

On  the  23d,  before  noon,  they  reached  the  San  Joachim,  which 
they  found  about  fifty  yards  wide,  and  about  three  feet  deep.  Under 
the  expectation  of  finding  water,  they  were  induced  to  ride  forty-four 
miles,  but  were  again  disappointed.  On  the  24th,  they  entered  among 
the  Pul  Porrice  hills,  a  bare  and  barren  range,  composed  of  sandstone 
and  volcanic  rocks.  As  they  approached  the  mission  of  San  Jose,  the 
country  became  more  hilly,  the  oak  abundant,  and  herds  of  cattle  and 
horses  were  seen.  On  their  way  they  fell  in  with  large  encampments 
of  Indians,  who  were  busily  employed  in  collecting  acorns.  They  were 
all  half  civilized  as  to  dress,  the  men  being  clothed  in  shirts  and 
trousers,  some  in  velvet  breeches;  the  women  in  calico  gowns,  and 
gay-coloured  shawls ;  several  hundred  of  these  were  met,  each  loaded 
'  with  the  beef  which  is  distributed  to  them  in  weekly  rations.  They 
are  annually  allowed  a  short  holiday  to  return  to  their  native  wilds, 
during  the  time  acorns  are  in  season. 

The  approach  to  the  mission  shows  it  to  have  once  been  a  large 
establishment.  It  has  all  the  appearance  of  a  town,  being  built  in  the 
form  of  a  street  of  considerable  length.  In  the  centre  is  the  church 
and  convent,  with  large  dwelling-houses  on  each  side  of  it,  and  on  the 
opposite  side  the  houses  for  the  neophjrtes,  consisting  of  small  low 
buildings,  with  every  appearance  of  filth  and  decay  about  them. 
Indeed  the  whole  establishment  is  falling  into  ruins;  the  walls  and 
gates  are  thrown  down,  and  every  thing  wears  a  look  of  neglect,  both 
in  the  buildings  and  the  persons  who  inhabit  them.  The  halcyon 
days  of  this  mission  have  passed  away ;  it  is  no  longer  the  abode  of 


248  SOUTHERN  OREGON. 

hospitality  and  good  living,  since  it  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
administradors  or  agents  of  the  governnnenL  The  remains  of  a  fine 
garden  are  also  perceptible,  where  there  is  yet  good  fruit ;  and  near  by 
are  extensive  fields  of  Indian  corn,  which  were  formerly  cultivated  by 
irrigation. 

The  reception  of  our  gentlemen  was  in  keeping  with  the  place, 
neither  polite  nor  friendly.  No  civilities  were  tendered,  no  offers  of 
accommodation  made,  although  they  brought  a  particular  letter  from 
Captain  Suter.  Our  party  were  inclined  to  believe  that  this  was 
owing,  in  part  at  least,  to  the  condition  of  their  wardrobe ;  their  whole 
appearance,  it  must  be  admitted,  was  not  much  in  their  favour,  dressed 
as  they  were  in  the  deer-skins  that  had  been  worn  on  their  journey,  yet 
they  thought  that  their  characters  might  have  been  discovered  through 
their  buckskins. 

The  administrador  told  them  there  was  no  accommodation  for  their 
horses,  and  showed  them  none,  except  a  miserable  hole  without  any 
furniture.  The  letter  of  introduction  bore  the  superscription  of  Don. 
Jose  Antonio  Estrade*  They  met  with  the  tailor  to  the  establishment, 
Ephraim  Travel,  an  American,  of  Philadelphia,  who  shov^ed  them  the 
lions  of  the  place  with  great  politeness,  and  as  far  as  in  him  lay,  made 
amends  for  their  otherwise  cold  reception.  He  took  them  round  the 
gardens,  through  the  churches,  and  told  them  that  the  Indians  under 
the  care  of  the  mission  were  at  the  present  time  about  six  hundred, 
which  was  only  one-third  of  the  number  they  had  two  years  before. 
In  consequence,  there  was  but  little  cultivation  carried  on,  compared  to 
what  there  had  been  formerly. 

The  harvest  at  the  mission  had  been  very  small,  from  the  great 
drought.  No  rain  had  fallen  for  upwards  of  a  year.  The  vintage, 
however,  had  been  very  fine,  and  forty  barrels  of  wine  had  been  made, 
besides  a  large  supply  of  grapes  for  the  whole  establishment  The  two 
vineyards  comprise  about  four  acres,  and  beside  vines,  are  filled  with 
apple,  pear,  and  other  fruit  trees.  The  buildings  of  the  mission  are  all 
constructed  of  adobes,  and  covered  with  tile  roofs. 

Fortunately  for  the  party,  Mr.  Forbes,  the  agent  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company,  residing  a  few  miles  farther  on,  happened  to  be  at  the 
mission,  and  very  kindly  ofiTered  them  accommodations,  which  they 
thankfully  accepted.  They  found  him  lodged  in  a  comfortable  two- 
story  adobe  house,  situated  on  the  border  of  an  extensive  prairie,  but 
without  any  trees  or  cultivation  around  it  He  entertained  them  very 
hospitably. 

The  party  visited  Santa  Clara  the  next  day,  where  their  reception 
was  very  courteous,  and  furnished  a  strong  contrast  to  that  at  San 


SOUTHERN  OREGON,  949 

Jose.  After  two  days'  journey,  they  reached  Yerba  Buena  at  noon  on 
the  28th,  having  paid  a  visit  to  the  mission  of  Nostra  Senora  de  los 
Dolores,  within  three  miles  of  that  place. 

They  reached  the  ship  the  same  afternoon,  and  though  fatigued  and 
somewhat  worn  down,  they  had  been  much  pleased  with  their  jaunt 

Although  this  journey  from  the  Columbia  to  the  Sacramento  was 
attended  with  much  fatigue,  yet  the  labour  and  suffering  were  more 
than  compensated  by  the  information  it  furnished  in  relation  to  the 
southern  section  of  Oregon,  and  the  addition  of  new  objects  to  the  col- 
lections of  the  Expedition.  Although  every  thing  was  not  attained  that 
I  intended,  yet  I  feel  satisfied  that  all  was  done  which  the  very  limited 
time,  and  the  hostile  state  of  the  country,  would  permit  To  the  perse- 
verance and  prudence  of  Lieutenant  Emmons,  much  credit  is  due,  as 
well  as  to  the  other  officers  and  naturalists,  for  the  manner  in  which 
they  co-operated  with  him.  The  duties  assigned  them  were  performed 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  while  worn  down  by  distressing 
attacks  of  the  ague  and  fever.  This  disease,  in  particular,  affected 
those  members  of  the  party  who  had  been  encamped  on  the  Willamette, 
where  it  was  supposed  they  contracted  it 

The  closing  scene  of  the  tour  deserves  a  short  notice,  as  it  is  pro- 
bably peculiar  to  a  country  like  California.  On  the  arrival  of  the 
party,  it  seemed  to  have  been  surmised  by  the  inhabitants  of  Yerba 
Buena,  and  by  the  few  who  dwell  at  the  mission,  presidio,  and  neigh- 
bouring rancheria,  together  with  the  trappers  and  hunters,  that  our 
horses  and  accoutrements  must  necessarily  be  parted  with.  I  make  no 
doubt  that  good  bargains  were  anticipated,  or  rather  a  determination 
made  that  they  would  have  all  for  little  or  nothing.  The  alcalde,  the 
only  person  in  authority,  a  man  of  much  rotundity  and  little  height 
interested  himself  exceedingly  in  the  matter.  In  the  first  place,  it  was 
discovered  that  many  of  the  horses  were  not  marked,  and  therefore, 
agreeably  to  the  laws  of  the  country,  they  belonged  to  the  government ; 
secondly,  that  many  of  them  were  beyond  recovery  from  their  worn- 
out  condition ;  thirdly  and  lastly,  that  if  they  did  recover,  they  would 
be  worthless.  The  same  faults  were  applied  to  the  pack-saddles,  par- 
fleshes,  and  appichemens,  that  have  been  described  in  the  beginning  of 
this  chapter,  and  which  had  caused  so  much  trouble  to  procure.  Their 
value,  in  the  eyes  of  these  gentlemen,  was  next  to  nothing.  Under  these 
circumstances,  a  notice  was  posted  up  at  the  few  comers  of  the  pueblo 
of  Yerba  Buena,  that  they  would  be  disposed  of  by  public  auction. 

This  attracted  a  great  crowd,  and  among  the  number  was  the  only 
representative  of  authority  of  the  government,  the  redoubtable  alcalde. 
The  horses  had  been  put  in  lots,  as  was  likewise  the  case  with  the 

VOL.  v.  82 


250  SOUTHERN  OREGON. 

accoutrements.  Each  of  these  was  anDounced  first  in  English,  then  in 
Spanish,  and  last  in  French,  which  gave  the  auctioneer  a  full  opportu- 
nity to  descant  upon  their  sore  backs,  lameness,  visible  ribs,  and  sorry 
appearance.  The  Spanbh  language  seemed  to  be  more  copious  in 
words  to  express  their  condition,  for  it  certainly  produced  many  jeers 
and  much  laughter  among  the  motley  throng.  They  went  off  briskly, 
however,  in  lots,  from  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  to  five  and  siic  dollars 
each,  principally  under  the  bid  of  the  redoubtable  alcalde,  who  had 
arranged  things  well  enough  with  those  under  his  authority;  but  as 
there  were  some  of  our  countrymen  and  foreigners  there  whom  he  could 
not  overawe,  he  had  to  pay  what  was  deemed  a  fair  price  for  the  worn- 
out  animals,  although  they  were  sold  without  reserve ;  and  when  one 
considers  that  a  brood-mare  is  valued  here  at  less  than  a  dollar,  it  will 
appear  so.  The  proceeds  of  the  sale  amounted  to  two  hundred  and  ten 
dollars. 


CHAPTER  VIL 


CONTENTS. 

PBEPARATIONB  FOR  SAILING-NEW  DI0TRIBUTION  OF  OFFICERS-LIEUTENANT  OARE 
APPOINTED  TO  THE  COBfUAND  OF  THE  OREGON -PLAN  OF  OPERATIONS  -  DEPAR- 
TURE FROM  SAN  FRANCIBCX)- DANGEROUS  POSITION  OF  THE  VINCEITNES— DEATH 
OF  A  MARINE-HIS  BURIAL-SEARCH  FOR  COPPER'S  ISLAND-PAILOLO  CHANNEL- 
ARRIVAL  AND  RECEPTON  AT  HONOLULU-CASE  OF  HERRON,  THE  COOPER— TRADE 
OF  THE  HAWAUAN  ISLANDS-THEIR  POLITICAL  RELATIONS-THEIR  FUTURE  PROS- 
PECTS-FINAL DEPARTURE  FROM  THEM-THE  BRIGS  PART  COMPANY-INSTRUCTIONS 
TO  MR.  KNOX-THS  FLTING-FISH  PARTS  COBfPAinr-SEARCH  FOR  MAL0ON*B.  JANE« 
AND  CORNWALLIS  ISLANDS-WAKE*S  ISLAND-SEARCH  FOR  HALCYON  AND  FOLDER'S 
ISLANDS  — LADRONE  ISLANDS— GRIG AN-SE ARCH  FOR  COPPER'S  ISLAND  —  SABTANG 
AND  BATAN-CAPB  CAPONES-FLYING-FISH  REJOINS  THE  VINCENNES— WE  ANCHOR 
IN  THE  BAY  OF  MANILLA-GOVERNMENT  GALLEY-CRUISE  OF  THE  FLYING-FISH— 
SEARCH  FOR  CORNWALLIS  ISLAND-REEF  DISCOVERED  — SEARCH  FOR  SAN  PABLO 
-MULGRAVB  ISLANDS  -  BAPH AITS,  HUNTER'S,  AND  BARING'S  ISLANDS -BTKENZIE'B 
GROUP. 


(««) 


CHAPTER  VIL 

SAN  FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA. 

1641. 

Bt  the  28th  of  October,  all  the  exploring  parties  had  returned,  and 
the  duties  of  the  observatory  and  surveys  were  completed.  The  in- 
struments were  at  once  embarked,  and  preparations  made  to  sail  with 
the  first  fair  wind 

By  a  series  of  observations  of  moon  culminating  stars,  the  longitude 
of  Sausalito  Fort  was  found  to  be  122^  25'  36"  W. ;  the  latitude,  by 
numerous  altitudes,  37^  50'  50"  N.  Full  series  of  magnetic  observa- 
tions were  also  made,  with  the  usual  meteorological  record.  The 
mean  temperature  for  the  eighty  days  during  which  the  Yincennes  lay 
at  Sausalito  was  61  *6^ 

The  addition  of  the  brig  Oregon  to  the  squadron  rendered  many 
changes  necessary  in  the  distribution  of  the  officers.  The  command 
of  that  vessel  was  given  to  Lieutenant  Carr,  first  lieutenant  of  the 
Vincennes,  and  such  officers  were  ordered  to  act  under  him  as  would 
insure  efficiency  and  harmony  in  the  duties  that  remained  to  be  com- 
pleted. 

It  was  with  no  little  regret  that  I  parted  with  Lieutenant  Carr,  who 
had  been  the  executive  officer  of  my  ship  for  upwards  of  two  years, 
during  which  time  his  duties  had  been  at  all  times  responsible,  arduous, 
and  valuable  to  the  Expedition.  By  his  excellent  management  the 
vessel  had  been  kept  in  the  best  possible  order,  and  while  the  comforts 
of  the  men  were  carefully  attended  to,  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the 
vessel  were  strictly  enforced.  In  addition  to  the  sufficiently  arduous 
duties  of  executive  officer,  he  was,  during  my  frequent  and  necessary 
absences,  charged  not  only  with  the  duties  on  board,  but  with  those  of 
the  observatory,  and  was,  besides,  my  assistant  in  the  care  of  the 


254  SAN   FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA. 

chronometers.  My  regret  at  parting  with  him  gave  way,  however,  to 
the  pleasure  of  assigning  him  a  station  to  which  his  conduct  had  so 
justly  entitled  him,  and  which  he  was  so  well  qualified  to  fill. 

To  complete  our  supplies  for  the'  return  voyage,  it  was  expedient 
that  we  should  again  visit  the  Hawaiian  Group:  this  was  rendered 
absolutely  necessary,  in  order  to  procure  clothing  for  those  who  had 
lost  every  thing  by  the  wreck  of  the  Peacock ;  for  deficiency  in  that 
important  article  might,  had  we  pursued  the  direct  route  to  the  China 
Seas,  have  subjected  the  men,  who  had  already  undergone  so  much 
exposure,  to  the  attacks  of  disease. 

This  necessity,  added  to  the  other  delays  the  unfortunate  loss  of  the 
Peacock  had  caused,  was  a  source  of  profound  regret,  as  it  prevented 
me  from  availing  myself  of  the  permission  granted  in  my  instructions, 
to  enter  the  Sea  of  Japan,  through  the  Straits  of  Sangar.  I  gave  up 
this  plan,  to  which  I  had  looked  forward  as  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing parts  of  our  cruise,  with  great  reluctance;  but  the  season  was 
rapidly  passing,  and  to  undertake  this  remote  expedition  would  render 
it  impossible  to  accomplish  the  other  objects  marked  out  for  me  pre- 
vious to  my  return  to  the  United  States.  We  might  not,  perhaps, 
have  succeeded  in  entering  into  communication  with  the  inhabitants 
of  that  interesting  and  little-known  country ;  but  we  might  certainly, 
by  landing  on  sokne  of  the  islands  adjacent  to  its  coast,  have  obtained 
much  interesting  information,  and  added  greatly  to  the  collections  of 
our  scientific  departments. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  we  had  a  wind  that  enabled  us  to  make 
sail,  although  it  was  late  in  the  day  before  it  was  sufiiciently  strong, 
and  by  that  time  the  ebb  tide  was  far  spent  To  avoid  any  farther 
loss  of  time,  I  determined  to  make  the  attempt  Signal  was  accord- 
ingly made ;  and  the  vessels  were  in  a  few  minutes  under  way,  and 
standing  out  of  the  harbour.  It  may,  indeed,  be  said,  that  it  is  prac- 
ticable to  enter  and  depart  from  this  port  whenever  the  tide  is  favour- 
able. We  continued  beating  out  to  gain  an  offing  until  towards  sun- 
set, when  it  fell  calm,  and  the  tide  failed  us.  The  Vincennes  was, 
therefore,  compelled  to  anchor  in  six  and  three-fourths  fathoms  water, 
three  miles  from  the  land;  and  signal  was  made  to  the  two  brigs, 
which  were  about  three  miles  outside  of  our  position,  to  do  the  same. 

On  our  coming  to  anchor,  there  was  scarcely  any  swell,  and  the 
ship  lay  almost  as  still  as  if  she  had  been  within  the  harbour.  The 
sun  set  clear,  and  every  thing  betokened  a  calm  and  quiet  night 

At  about  10  p.  H.  the  swell  began  to  increase,  without  any  apparent 
cause,  and  so  rapidly  as  to  awaken  my  anxiety ;  but  being  in  such 
deep  water,  I  thought  that  the  vessel  was  suflkiently  distant  firom  th6 


SAN   FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA.  265 

bar  not  lo  be  exposed  lo  any  breakers.  As  the  flood  continued  to 
make,  the  swell  increased,  and  by  midnight  we  were  enveloped  in  fog, 
without  a  breath  of  air,  and  the  ship  rode  over  the  rollers,  that  were 
now  becoming  very  heavy,  and  caused  her  to  pitch  violently.  There 
was,  however,  no  break  to  them ;  but  as  ample  scope  of  cable  had  been 
given,  the  ship  occasionally  swung  broadside  to,  when  the  heavy  pitch- 
ing was  changed  to  rolling,  so  deep  as  to  endanger  our  masts.  At 
2  A.  M.  a  breaker  was  heard  outside  of  us,  passing  in  with  the  roar  of 
a  surf,  after  which  they  became  constant,  and  really  awful.  The  ship 
might  now  be  said  to  be  riding  in  breakers  of  gigantic  size ;  they  rushed 
onwards  with  such  a  tremendous  roar  and  violence,  that  as  each  wave 
was  heard  approaching,  it  became  a  source  of  apprehension  until  it  had 
safely  passed.  Such  was  its  force  that  when  it  struck  the  ship,  the 
chain  cable  would  surge,  the  ring-stoppers  part,  and  some  few  fathoms 
of  the  cable  escape.  As  the  time  of  high  water  approached,  the  roar 
of  these  immense  breakers  was  constant.  The  ship  was  as  if  tempest- 
tost,  and  our  situation  became  at  each  moment  one  of  greater  solici- 
tude. The  actual  danger  of  wreck  was  not  indeed  great,  for  in  the 
event  of  parting  our  cable,  the  tide  would  have  carried  us  towards  the 
harbour,  and  into  deeper  water,  where  the  rollers  would  have  ceased  to 
break ;  and  there  was  no  great  danger  that  we  would  drift  on  the  bar, 
which  was  a  mile  or  two  to  the  northward  of  our  position. 

I  looked  forward  with  anxiety  for  the  time  of  high  water,  as  the 
period  when  we  should  be  relieved  from  our  unpleasant  situation,  not 
only  by  the  change  in  the  course  of  the  tide,  but  also  by  the  cessation 
of  the  breakers. 

Our  situation  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of  measuring  the  velocity 
of  the  waves  as  they  passed  the  ship ;  and  though  the  distance  was 
short,  yet  the  observations  were  numerous,  and  gave  the  velocity  at 
from  fifteen  to  eighteen  miles  an  hour;  their  estimated  height  was  over 
thirty  feet,  their  width,  from  eight  hundred  to  one  thousand  feet. 

At  half-past  three,  one  of  these  immense  breakers  struck  the  ship 
broad  on  the  bow,  and  broke  with  its  full  force  on  board:  the  cable 
surged;  the  stoppers  were  carried  away;  and  the  whole  spar-deck 
swept  fore  and  ail ;  the  boats  and  booms  broke  adrift,  the  former  were 
stove,  and  the  latter  thrown  with  violence  to  one  side. 

Unfortunately,  Joseph  Allshouse,  a  marine,  who  was  in  the  act  of 
ascending  the  ladder  at  the  time,  was  struck  by  one  of  the  spars,  and 
80  much  injured  that  he  died  a  few  hours  afterwards. 

It  was  not  until  between  seven  and  eight  o'clock  that  the  ship  could 
be  relieved  from  this  situation :  at  that  time  a  light  air  from  the  land 
sprung  up,  of  which  advantage  was  at  once  taken  to  weigh  our  anchor. 


356  BAN  FRANCISCO   TO  MANILLA. 

The  rollers,  however,  had  by  this  time  ceased  to  break,  the  sea  began 
to  fall,  and  a.  few  hours  afterwards  regained  its  former  placid  and  quiet 
state.  The  fog  was  still  dense  when  we  reached  deep  water  where  we 
again  dropped  anchor ;  but  shortly  after  the  weather  cleared  up,  and 
we  had  communication  with  the  Porpoise  and  Oregon ;  they  having 
reached  deeper  water,  bad  fortunately  not  experienced  any  of  thti 
rollers. 


It  now  became  our  melancholy  duty  to  bury  poor  Allshouse.  IJe  had 
been  one  of  those  who  had  been  long  attached  to  the  Expedition,  and 
always  conducted  himself  with  propriety. 

We  afterwards  got  under  way,  and  stood  for  the  bay  of  Monterey, 
into  which  I  sent  the  Porpoise  with  despatches  for  the  United  States, 
ordering  her  to  land  them,  and  then  make  the  best  of  her  way  to  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  in  case  she  did  not  meet  the  Vincennes. 

The  next  day  being  foggy,  I  bore  away  in  company  with  the 
Oregon. 

On  the  5th,  the  weather  continuing  thick  and  foggy,  with  strong 
breezes  from  the  northward  and  westward,  I  made  all  sail  and  parted 
company. 

On  the  eth,  the  full  allowance  of  breaji  was  again  served  to  the 


SAN    FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA.  257 

The  wind  on  the  7th,  when  we  had  reached  the  latitude  of  27°  N., 
began  to  incline  to  the  northeast,  and  the  temperature  became  mild. 

In  the  latitude  of  26°  N.,  we  entered  the  trades,  being  then  in  the 
longitude  of  134°  W.  The  weather  peculiar  to  the  region  of  the 
trades  was  now  experienced,  with  light  squalls  of  rain  and  a  heavy  sea 
following  us,  which  caused  the  ship  to  be  very  uneasy. 

On  the  nights  of  the  10th,  11th,  I2th,  and  13th,  the  usual  look-outs 
for  the  periodic  showers  of  meteors  were  stationed ;  but  the  weather 
was  not  favourable,  and  the  number  counted  was  not  above  that 
usually  seen  on  fine  nights.  On  the  latter  day,  I  shaped  our  course 
to  run  over  one  of  the  positions  of  Copper's  Island,  supposed  to  exist 
in  longitude  151°  36' W.,  and  latitude  25°  48'  N.  On  the  afternoon 
of  the  14th,  we  were  within  five  miles  of  its  assigned  place,  and  the 
weather  was  perfectly  fine,  with  a  clear  horizon,  but  there  was  no 
appearance  of  land. 

On  the  morning  of  the  16th,  we  made  the  island  of  Maui,  and  at 
noon  we  were  off  its  western  end.  I  then  determined  to  run  through 
the  Pailolo  Channel,  between  Maui  and  Molokai.  On  approaching 
the  island  of  Maui  on  its  north  side,  there  is  some  liability  to  mistake 
the  isthmus  for  the  opening  of  the  channel,  as  that  part  of  the  island 
called  West  Maui  is  frequently  enveloped  in  clouds. 

The  trade-wind,  as  we  passed  through,  blew  very  strong.  The 
scenery  is  very  bold,  the  two  islands  of  Maui  and  Lanai  lying  on  the 
left,  with  that  of  Molokai  on  the  right :  they  are  all  high  and  volcanic, 
and  during  a  strong  trade-wind  are  capped  with  clouds  and  constantly 
undergoing  changes  from  the  shadows  thrown  upon  them ;  these,  with 
the  town  and  shipping  lying  off  Lahaina,  form  a  pleasing  picture.  The 
day  being  far  spent,  I  hove  the  ship  to  for  the  night  under  the  west 
end  of  Molokai.  The  current  experienced  during  our  passage  was 
found  to  prevail  to  the  southward,  until  we  reached  the  trades,  when  it 
inclined  somewhat  to  the  southward  and  westward. 

The  17th,  at  daylight,  we  made  the  island  of  Oahu,  and  at  10  a.  m. 
anchored  off  the  town  of  Honolulu.  The  Porpoise  came  in  at  2  p.  m., 
and  the  Flying-Fish  at  five  o'clock  of  the  same  day.  The  following 
day  the  trade-wind  was  too  strong  to  admit  of  the  Vincennes  entering 
the  inner  harbour ;  but  the  Porpoise  and  tender  were  enabled  to  do  so. 
The  Oregon  joined  us  in  the  afternoon,  and  on  the  next  day  at  an 
early  hour  the  squadron  was  again  moored  in  the  harbour  of  Honolulu. 

Our  reception  was  even  kinder  than  before;  and  every  facility  that 
we  could  desire  was  offered  for  advancing  our  duties  and  procuring 
the  necessary  stores  and  clothing  that  our  shipwrecked  officers  and 
men  required. 

VOL.  v.  W  2  33 


258  SAN   FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA. 

It  was  my  first  intention  here  to  part  with  the  Flying-Fish,  for  the 
reports  of  her  commander  led  me  to  believe  that  she  was  becoming 
unseaworthy.  She  was,  therefore,  thoroughly  examined;  but  the 
report  made  upon  her  was  sufficiently  satisfactory  to  determine  me  to 
retain  her  until  we  had  passed  through  our  explorations  in  the  Sooloo 
Seas.  She  was  refitted  and  put  in  as  good  condition  as  possible  for 
service.  Captain  Hudson  superintended  these  duties,  while  I  had  my 
time  fully  occupied  in  making  the  magnetic  experiments  for  the  third 
time,  and  attending  to  the  rates  of  the  chronometers. 

Honolulu  showed  signs  of  improvement,  but  I  regretted  to  perceive 
that  during  the  year  the  morals  of  the  place  seemed  to  have  declined. 
The  number  of  grog-shops  had  apparently  increased,  and  the  sailors' 
dancing-halls,  with  their  music,  were  allowed  more  license  than  at 
our  first  visit  Yet,  as  far  as  the  prompt  execution  of  the  law  went, 
I  did  not  find  the  authorities  deficient.  Indeed,  at  times.  Governor 
Kekuanaoa  is  rather  too  precipitate  in  his  decisions,  of  which  we  soon 
had  an  instance. 

During  our  stay  of  ten  days,  the  crews  were  allowed  in  turn, 
recreation  on  shore.  Among  the  number  was  Lewis  Herron,  the 
cooper.  In  the  course  of  his  liberty,  he  was  desirous  of  entering 
one  of  the  sailors'  boarding-houses,  at  the  door  of  which  his  progress 
was  arrested  by  a  coloured  man,  who  was  on  guard  with  an  old 
cutlass,  and  who  threatened  Herron  with  violence  if  he  attempted  to 
enter.  This,  Herron,  though  usually  a  very  quiet  and  orderly  man, 
at  once  resented ;  and  the  altercation  finally  came  to  an  angry  dispute 
as  to  who  was  the  better  man.  Herron,  determined  to  prove  that  he 
was,  laid  hold  of  the  sentry,  overthrew  him,  took  the  rusty  cutlass 
away,  and  struck  him  with  it  so  as  to  give  the  man  a  slight  scratch 
on  the  leg.  Herron  now  brandished  his  weapon  in  victory ;  but  being 
told  by  the  bystanders  that  it  was  unlawful  to  carry  weapons,  he 
determined  to  take  it  himself  to  the  governor  at  the  fort,  and  deliver 
it  up.  On  his  way  thither,  and  just  before  he  arrived,  he  was  met  by 
some  soldiers,  who  at  once  seized  and  carried  him  before  the  governor, 
with  the  sword  in  his  hand,  which  he  had  refused  to  give  up  to  any 
one  else. 

The  governor  had  a  kind  of  trial  held  by  himself,  and  not  accord- 
ing to  law,  (which  provides  for  trial  by  jury,)  to  which  he  summoned 
the  very  man  who  had  caused  the  quarrel,  as  a  witness,  without  any 
formality  or  oath,  and  sentenced  Herron  to  fifty  dollars  fine,  and  to 
receive  one  hundred  lashes ;  while  the  person  who  had  been  guilty  of 
using  the  arms,  received  but  a  nominal  fine.  One  of  the  officers 
hearing  of  the  circumstance  in  the  afternoon,  went  to  see  Herron, 


SAN   FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA.  259 

heard  his  story,  and  then  saw  the  governor,  who  promised  that  the 
man  should  have  another  hearing  or  trial  the  next  morning,  at  nine 
o'clock,  and  that  he  should  not  be  punished  until  I  was  informed 
of  it  In  the  morning,  however,  to  my  great  surprise,  I  heard  that, 
by  the  governor's  orders,  and  in  his  presence,  Herron  had,  at  eight 
o'clock,  an  hour  before  the  time  his  new  trial  was  to  take  place, 
received  twenty-eight  lashes.  On  learning  this  circumstance,  an  officer 
was  at  once  sent  to  wait  upon  the  governor,  to  request  an  explanation 
of  the  proceedings,  and  that  Herron  might  be  given  up,  and  held  sub- 
ject to  the  governor's  order,  for  a  proper  trial.  On  receiving  the 
officer.  Governor  Kekuanaoa  declared  that  it  was  a  misunderstanding 
relative  to  his  having  promised  a  new  trial,  and  declined  giving  up  the 
man.  In  consequence  of  this,  I  at  once  sent  a  message  to  demand 
him,  and  to  state  that  if  he  was  not  surrendered,  I  should  be  obliged 
to  take  him,  for  I  would  not  suffer  him  to  remain  any  longer  in  the 
keeping  of  persons  who  would  inflict  punishment  with  so  much  precipi- 
tation. This  caused  his  delivery.  Shortly  after,  I  received  a  letter, 
telling  me  that  the  corporeal  part  of  his  punishment  was  remitted,  but 
demanding  the  fine.  I  took  this  occasion  to  write  the  governor  a 
letter,  pointing  out  wherein  he  had  erred,  in  order  that  he  might  not 
fall  into  a  similar  error ;  which  I  have  inserted  in  Appendix  YIII. 

The  next  day  I  was  notified  that  he  would  be  again  tried  before  a 
legal  tribunal,  viz. :  the  governor  and  the  United  States  consul.  The 
day  after,  he  was  accordingly  sent  on  shore  to  undergo  a  trial,  which 
he  himself  wished,  for  the  purpose  of  proving  whether  he  was  guilty 
and  subject  to  the  fine.  The  trial  of  Herron  took  place  in  the  grass- 
house  of  the  king,  that  has  been  before  described;  the  scene  was 
characteristic,  and  will  show  the  manner  of  conducting  trials  in  the 
Hawaiian  Islands.  Governor  Kekuanaoa,  the  American  consul,  Cap- 
tain Hudson,  Dr.  Judd  of  the  American  Mission,  who  acted  as  inter- 
preter, and  several  officers  belonging  to  the  squadron,  as  well  as  those 
of  the  government  police,  numerous  residents,  of  all  colours  and  classes, 
the  prisoner,  his  friends  and  accusers,  were  present.  At  one  table  the 
governor  and  Dr.  Judd  were  seated,  at  another  the  consul  and  Captain 
Hudson,  while  the  prisoner  and  witnesses,  with  the  spectators,  were 
standing  in  groups  around.  The  court  was  opened  in  due  form,  and 
Dr.  Judd  stated  the  indictment,  to  which  Herron  pleaded  not  guilty ; 
every  thing  was  conducted  with  due  solemnity ;  the  oath  was  then 
administered  by  the  American  consul,  to  the  witnesses  on  both  sides. 
Dr.  Judd  examined  and  interpreted  the  whole.  During  this  proceeding 
all  were  deeply  intent  in  ferreting  out  the  truth,  with  the  exception  of 
his  excellency  the  governor,  who  was  occupied  most  of  the  time  in 


aeO  8A.N  FRANCISCO  TO   MANILLA. 

searching  his  little  white  pet  dog,  that  was  Ijnng  on  the  table  before 
him,  for  fleas.  The  whole  trial  was,  however,  fairly  conducted,  and 
resulted  in  proving  that  Herron  was  guilty.  HerroD  was  fiued  fiRy 
dollars,  which  was  paid,  and  the  business  ended. 

I  was  satisfied,  however,  that  the  governor,  whose  conduct  as  an 
officer  I  have  heretofore  had  occasion  to  speak  of  in  high  terms,  had 
in  this  case  acted  with  unbecoming  haste  and  inconsiderateness,  at 
the  same  time  was  wanting  in  delicacy  to  his  best  friends,  for  we,  of 
all  nations,  are  the  most  inclined  to  respect  his  laws  and  uphold  his 
authority.  I  called  upon  him  before  my  departure,  to  take  leave, 
when  he  admitted  that  the  course  he  had  pursued  was  an  unusual  one, 
when  foreigners  were  concerned ;  but  from  the  explanations  he  made, 
I  was  satisfied  his  intention  was  to  do  right,  but  like  many  others  when 
vested  with  authority,  he  was  not  inclined  to  delay  action  on  a  case  he 
considered  so  clear  as  this.  It  proved  a  good  lesson  for  him,  and  I  do 
not  believe  he  will  err  in  the  same  way  again. 

During  this  last  visit,  a  whale-ship  arrived,  having  in  her  cruise 
visited  the  coast  of  Japan,  and,  on  one  of  the  small  islands,  picked  up 
five  Japanese,  who  had  been  wrecked,  and  were  found  destitute  of  the 
means  of  sustaining  life ;  they  had  been  there  for  several  months  be- 
fore he  took  them  on  board.  The  man  and  boy  were  of  small  stature 
and  diminutive  appearance.  They  were  possessed  of  little  intelligence, 
and  were  of  the  lower  order,  probably  fishermen.  Mr.  Agate  made  a 
drawing  of  one  of  them. 


Of  the  trade  and  resources  of  the  Hawaiian  Group  I  have  not  as 


SAN  FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA.  261 

yet  spoken.  The  former  is,  at  present,  confined  within  very  narrow 
limits.  The  islands  produce  but  little,  and  their  consumption  of  foreign 
products  is  necessarily  small.  The  capabilities  of  the  islands  have 
generally  been  underrated,  for  their  soil  and  climate  are  suitable  for 
raising  all  tropical  productions  in  considerable  quantities,  and  at  a 
moderate  cost.  But  very  little  investment  of  capital  has  yet  taken 
place,  and  the  business  that  has  induced  the  establishment  of  several 
commercial  houses  has  been  more  that  of  transit  than  for  the  purpose 
of  supplying  the  consumption  of  the  islands,  or  obtaining  their  exports. 
A  table  of  statistics,  (see  Appendix  IX.,)  which  was  published  in  a 
newspa^r  at  Oahu^  compiled  by  intelligent  merchants  there,  gives  the 
amount  of  imports  at  four  hundred  and  fiily-five  thousand  dollars. 
These  are  the  amounts  of  goods  actually  landed — I  do  not  include 
those  that  have  been  brought  in,  and  retained  on  board  ships;  while 
the  exports  of  native  produce  are  no  more  than  ninety-eight  thousand 
dollars:  one-half  of  the  imports  are  set  down  as  from  the  United 
States.  From  this  great  difference  between  the  imports  and  exports, 
it  would  appear  that  many  of  these  articles  tnusi  have  been  reshipped 
to  other  portsi  or  are  still  on  hand.  The  latter  I  believe  to  be  the  case. 
During  the  year  ibr  which  the  returns  are  given,  more  has  certainly 
been  consumed  on  the  islands  than  in  former  years ;  but  the  interdic- 
tion of  trade  by  foreign  vessels  on  the  coast  of  California,  together 
with  the  exorbitant  duties  there,  have  most  effectually  paralysed  all 
trade  in  that  quarter,  and,  therefore,  the  goods  intended  for  that 
market  were  landed  at  Oahu,  and  remained  in  store  there.  The 
trade  on  the  Northwest  Coast,  formerly  so  much  resorted  to  by  our 
vessels,  is  entirely  broken  up  by  the  Russians,  who  have  interdicted 
the  taking  of  furs  on  the  coast  of  their  territory,  and  obtain  their 
supplies  exclusively  from  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  or  by  the  latter, 
who  have  adopted  the  principle  of  underselling  all  competitors,  and 
have  thereby  caused  a  monopoly,  which  efiectually  shuts  out  all  small 
traders.  Some  articles  of  Chinese  manufacture  are  sent  from  the 
Sandwich  Islands  to  Mexico,  but  to  no  great  amount  There  are, 
comparatively,  few  transient  vessels  that  call  at  these  islands  on  their 
way  to  China,  and  the  whole  trade  seems  now  confined  to  but  a  few 
vessels. 

Although  the  Sandwich  Islands  are  not  so  fruitful  as  many  of  the 
other  islands  of  Polynesia,  yet  their  geographical  situation  has  ren- 
dered them  hitherto  by  far  the  most  important  group  in  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

They  are  the  favourite  and  most  convenient  resort  for  those  whale- 


362  SAN    FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA. 

ships  whose  cruising-ground  is  the  North  Pacific ;  and  the  amount  of 
property  engaged  in  this  business,  visiting  the  ports  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands  annually,  is  equal  to  three  millions  of  dollars.  To  the  supply 
of  this  fleet,  the  labour  of  the  inhabitants  has  principally  been  directed. 

The  groves  of  sandalwood,  which  were  formerly  represented  by  a 
number  of  designing  persons,  who  professed  a  strong  friendship  for 
the  chiefs,  to  be  an  inexhaustible  mine  of  wealth,  soon  gave  out.  The 
chiefs  have  ceased  to  look  to  them  as  a  source  of  profit,  and  have 
begun  the  cultivation  of  sugar,  which,  together  with  silk,  now  attract 
much  attention ;  but,  until  some  capital  be  invested  in  these  cultures, 
and  the  business  be  better  understood,  these  articles  cannot  be  raised 
to  any  large  amount ;  yet  the  provisions  and  supplies  to  ships,  suf- 
fice to  afford  all  the  necessary  comforts  to  the  inhabitants  of  this 
group. 

Fortunately  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  they  have  no  port  that  is 
defensible  against  a  strong  naval  force,  and  therefore  their  consequence 
will  be  comparatively  small  in  a  political  point  of  view.  No  foreign 
power,  in  fact,  could  well  hold  them,  without  great  expense  and  diffi- 
culty. Honolulu  is  the  port  where  vessels  can  best  receive  repairs,  but 
it  can  only  be  used  by  the  smaller  class.  By  these  circumstances,  the 
neutral  position  of  this  group  I  think  is  insured ;  and  this  is  most 
desirable  for  its  peace  and  happiness.  This  fact  seems  to  me  to  be 
tacitly  acknowledged  by  the  maritime  powers,  as  no  attempt  has  as  yet 
been  made  to  take  possession  of  them,  and  they  will,  in  all  probability, 
be  long  left  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  neutrality,  which  King  Kameha- 
meha  III.  is  now  endeavouring  to  establish  through  a  formal  recog- 
nition of  his  kingdom  by  the  United  States,  England,  and  France,  by 
negotiations  that  are  now  pending.  Such  recognition  will  render  them 
less  liable,  if  not  altogether  exempt  from  aggressions,  exerted  in  the 
manner  that  has  already  been  related,  in  the  course  of  this  Narrative. 
These  islands  seem  intended  for  peaceful  occupations  alone ;  their  pro- 
ducts, situation,  and  inhabitants,  require  and  wish  it  The  power  on 
which  they  must  become  dependent  hereafter,  is  that  which  is  to  be 
established  in  Oregon  and  California;  and,  adapted  as  they  are  to 
supply  all  the  products  of  the  tropics,  they  will  become  a  valuable 
appendage  to  those  states ;  but,  I  deem  the  idea  entertained  by  many, 
who  suppose  they  ever  can  become  so  powerful  as  to  command  those 
states,  to  be  a  mistake.  So  far  as  the  consumption  of  a  small  amount 
of  manufactures  go,  and  the  convenience  of  our  whaling  fleet,  but  no 
farther,  they  will  be  beneficial  to  the  United  States.  In  this  relation,  the 
character  of  the  government  becomes  a  source  of  solicitude  to  us.    It 


SAK   FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA.  208 

is  the  interest  of  the  United  States  that  they  should  maintain  the 
neutrality  that  they  seek  to  establish,  and  should  not  be  permitted  to 
fall  into  the  hands  of  any  other  power. 

I  am  rather  disposed  to  think  that,  in  the  progress  of  civilization  in 
the  South  Seas,  this  group  will  be  considered  of  less  importance  than 
it  now  appears,  and  instead  of  its  being  looked  to  as  it  now  is,  as  a 
point  of  attraction,  or  a  place  wherein  to  obtain  information  and 
supplies,  it  will  be  only  visited  by  whalers  for  recruiting.  Their  growth 
has  already  arrived  at  the  greatest  extent  to  which  it  can  ever  reach. 
A  direct  communication  with  Oregon  and  California  will  do  away  with 
the  necessity  of  intercourse  through  the  islands;  they  must,  conse- 
quently, be  left  to  their  own  resources  to  maintain  trade ;  and  when 
California  and  the  Oregon  Territory  can  afford  the  whalers  equal  advan* 
tages,  which,  when  settled,  they  will  do  in  a  few  years ;  the  advantages 
derived  from  this  source  will  be  withdrawn.  Unfortunately  for  these 
islands,  a  fictitious  importance  has  been  ascribed  to  their  geographical 
position,  in  the  belief  that  much  political  ascendency  in  the  Pacific  must 
accrue  to  the  nation  which  may  possess  them ;  this  state  of  opinion  has 
been  brought  about  by  the  exertions  of  the  American  missionaries,  who 
have  been  the  means  of  raising  the  natives  so  rapidly  in  the  scale  of 
civilization,  and  from  whose  success  our  countrymen  have  acquired 
much  influence.  This  ascendency,  however,  has  been  partly  the  means 
of  provoking  a  sectarian  war,  which  has  brought  about  much  trouble, 
and  been  the  cause  of  great  distress  both  to  the  king  and  people.  These 
troubles  have  probably  been  of  some  advantage  to  the  people,  and 
afforded  the  means  of  increasing  their  wealth,  and  causing  a  demand 
for  their  products,  which,  though  trifling  as  to  amount,  yet  in  such  a 
small  community  has  been  sensibly  felt,  and  has  enabled  them  to  obtain 
many  advantages  they  could  not  have  had  otherwise.  I  have  some 
doubt  whether  the  Hawaiian  Islands  can  ever  become  an  independent 
nation  by  the  exertion  of  their  own  people,  since  they  have  unwisely 
invited  foreigners  to  reside  among  them,  and  given  them  equal  rights 
and  privileges  with  natives.  Endeavours  are  now  making  to  introduce 
foreign  labourers  and  capital,  which,  although  proceeding  from  a  dispo* 
sition  to  advance  and  develope  the  resources  of  the  islands,  will  have  a 
tendency  to  injure  the  native  labouring  population.  The  introduction 
of  foreign  labour  will  necessarily  bring  with  it  foreign  habits  and 
custom,  which  the  natives  are,  even  now,  too  prone  to  imitate ;  and  the 
examples  that  are  set  before  them  are  generally,  if  not  always,  of  the 
worst  description. 

The  inducements  held  out  to  the  king  and  chiefs  to  make  large 


964  SAN   FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA. 

grants  of  land  to  foreigners,  have  been  great;  but  such  grants  can 
never  be  carried  into  effect  without  endangering  the  very  existence  of 
the  government  and  people.  In  all  cases  that  came  within  my  know- 
ledge on  the  islands,  the  object  of  the  majority  of  foreign  residents  was 
solely  to  increase  their  own  wealth ;  and  on  the  accumulation  of  a 
sufficient  amount,  they  withdraw  from  the  islands,  taking  their  capital 
with  them ;  and  this  will  always  be  the  case.  So  far,  therefore,  as 
their  influence  goes,  instead  of  enriching  the  islanders,  their  exertions 
have  in  some  degree  had  a  contrary  effect,  and  the  result  does  not 
justify  those  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  in  attributing  the  advance- 
ment of  the  islands  to  themselves ;  on  the  contrary,  they  leave  very 
little  but  evil  habits  and  vices  behind  them.  Few  foreigners  have  made 
any  permanent  improvements,  and  when  they  have,  they  pass  into  the 
hands  of  others,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  natives,  who  are  looked  upon 
and  treated  as  slaves. 

It  is  impossible  for  a  disinterested  person  to  reside  any  time  among 
these  natives,  without  imbibing  a  strong  interest  in  the  progress  of 
their  institutions,  and  the  developement  of  their  government.  In  the 
Hawaiians  are  seen  many  things  to  condemn ;  but  they  have,  on  the 
other  hand,  many  good  qualities,  which  their  religious  instructors  are 
endeavouring  by  every  means  in  their  power  to  foster  and  develope. 
In  taking  leave  of  them,  I  cannot  recall  a  single  instance  in  which 
they  did  not  conduct  themselves  towards  us  with  a  full  belief  that 
they  were  acting  right ;  and  I  feel  rejoiced  to  say,  that  during  all  our 
intercourse  with  them,  no  incident  occurred  to  mar  the  harmony 
which  existed  on  our  first  arrival.  I  am,  indeed,  fully  persuaded  that 
with  proper  attention  and  forbearance  no  difficulties  will  ever  occur. 
One  thing,  however,  ought  always  to  be  borne  in  mind  on  visiting 
this  island,  viz.,  that  too  much  credit  must  not  be  given  to  those  who 
will  on  your  first  arrival  endeavour  to  impress  on  you  their  own 
views  of  the  character  of  the  people,  and  of  those  who  have  been 
their  benefactors,  and  are  constant  in  their  exertions  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  those  they  live  among.  The  natives  and  the  latter  class 
are  far  better  able  to  judge  what  the  islands  require  or  stand  in  need 
of  than  any  casual  visiter,  or  he  who  may  be  a  sojourner  only  for  a 
few  weeks. 

I  shall  always  think  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  the  many 
firiends  we  left  here ;  and  I  am  fully  satisfied,  that,  with  few  excep- 
tions, and  those  growing  out  of  a  mistaken  zeal,  our  country  has  just 
reason  to  be  proud  of  the  advance  these  islanders  have  made  within 
the  last  twenty*five  years  in  civilization,  morals,  and  religion,  an  ad- 


SAN   FRANCISCO  TO   MANILLA.  265 

vance  that  has  been  almost  wholly  the  work  of  our  citizens,  either  at 
home  or  abroad,  the  one  in  furnishing  the  means,  the  other  in  giving 
the  instruction. 

The  Expedition  had  become  so  much  identified  with  the  history  of 
these  islands  during  our  stay,  that  we  were  made  familiar  with  all 
the  village  scandal  Few  who  live  in  such  small  places  are  aware 
how  unfavourable  an  impression  they  make  upon  visiters,  and  the 
bad  light  in  which  they  appear,  by  this  habit  of  talking  of  each  other ; 
whatever  may  be  the  terms  on  which  they  associate  together,  or  how* 
efver  discordant  the  materials  of  which  the  society  is  composed,  they 
would  do  well  to  avoid  showing  their  uncharitable  feelings,  or  making 
use  of  detraction  to  create  a  bias  against  others. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  27th  November,  the  squadron  being  pre- 
pared, we  took. leave  of  our  kind  friends,  and  particularly  of  those 
belonging  to  the  mission,  to  whom  I  feel  under  many  obligations  for 
tfieir  uniform  kindness  to  us.  We  then  joined  our  vessels,  and  at 
8  p.  X.  took  our  final  leave  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

At  midnight,  signal  was  made  to  heave-to,  in  order  that  I  might 
finish  the  instructions  for  the  dififerent  vessels.  Although  it  was  out 
of  my  power  to  visit  Japan,  I  had  determined  if  possible  to  ascertain 
the  character  of  the  currents  off  that  island.  I  therefore  directed  the 
Porpoise  and  Oregon  to  follow  out,  and  explore  the  shoals  and  reefs 
extending  in  a  west-northwest  direction  from  the  Hawaiian  Islands,* 
and  proceed  until  they  fell  in  with  the  current  or  stream  that  is  sup- 
posed by  some  to  set  along  the  coasts  of  Japan,  and  resemble  the  Gulf 
Stream  off  our  own  coast.  This  done,  they  were  ordered  to  proceed 
through  the  China  Seas,  to  Singapore,  in  the  Straits  of  Malacca. 

With  the  Vincennes  and  tender  it  was  my  intention  to  proceed  to 
Strong's  and  Ascension  Islands,  which  the  Peacock  had  been  unable 
to  reach  in  her  cruise,  examining  every  shoal  that  might  lie  in  my 
way,  and  thence  to  Manilla.  I  proposed  on  leaving  that  port  to  ex- 
plore and  survey  the  Sooloo  Archipelago,  then  proceeding  to  Singa- 
pore to  meet  the  brigs,  fill  up  with  provisions,  and  thence  sail  for  the 
United  States,  where  it  was  incumbent  on  me  to  arrive  by  the  31st 
of  May  following.  This,  agreeably  to  my  promise  to  my  crew  a 
year  previous,  left  me  just  six  months  to  perform  the  duty,  of  which 
at  least  one  hundred  and  forty  days  were  required  for  the  actual 
passage. 

We  parted  company  from  the  brigs  the  next  day  at  noon,  and  bore 
away  under  all  sail  to  the  southward  and  westward:    At  4  p.  m.,  the 

*  For  the  iattraetkiui  cf  LieateiuiitJCoiiimaiidaiit  Rin^foM,  tee  Appendix  X. 
VOL.  V.  X  ^4 


266  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO   MANILLA. 

Flying-Fish  made  the  signal  *'  in  want  of  assistance ;"  and  on  coming 
within  hail,  reported  that  her  mainmast  was  sprung.  Carpenters  were 
at  once  sent  on  board,  who  reported  that  the  mast  was  quite  sound : 
the  vessels  were  reduced  to  easy  sail  for  the  night  in  order  to  keep 
in  company,  as  I  intended  in  the  morning,  when  the  sea  should  have 
decreased,  to  have  a  farther  examination  of  it 

I  had  now  the  prospect  of  another  obstacle,  in  the  delays  this 
vessel  must  occasion  me  with  a  sprung  mast,  if  such  should  prove  to 
be  the  case,  which  I  could,  however,  scarcely  bring  myself  to  believe. 
In  order  to  secure  an  examination  of  the  Sooloo  Sea,  which  was  a  part 
of  my  original  instructions,  I  determined  to  give  Mr.  Knox  orders  to 
act  by  himself,  in  case  I  found  it  necessary  to  push  at  once  to  Manilla 
and  avoid  detention,  directing  him  to  touch  at  Strong's  and  Ascension 
Islands,  and  to  part  company  if  she  proved  to  be  sound  in  her  spars 
after  a  few  days'  trial,  which  the  sea  and  wind  then  prevailing  would 
fully  prove.  As  soon  as  I  came  to  this  conclusion,  Mr.  Knox  was 
sent  for,  Assistant-Surgeon  Whittle,  a  carpenter,  and  two  extra  men 
ordered  to  join  the  tender,  and  my  instructions  relative  to  his  pro- 
ceedings, which  will  be  found  in  Appendix  XL,  fully  explained  to  him. 
On  the  dOth,  we  parted  company  with  her,  being  in  the  latitude  of 
Maloon's  Island,  and  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  due  east  of  it:  I 
steered  a  west  course  through  the  night  under  easy  sail.  At  daylight 
sail  was  again  made,  and  by  noon  we  found  the  ship,  by  good  obser- 
vations, in  latitude  19°  19'  N.,  longitude  165°  26'  W.  The  supposed 
position  of  the  island  being  in  latitude  19°  20'  N.,  and  longitude  165° 
20'  W.,  we  had  consequently  passed  directly  over  the  place,  with  the 
weather  so  clear  as  to  render  all  objects  within  a  radius  of  fifteen  miles 
perfectly  distinct,  and  with  two  look-outs  at  the  masthead,  yet  no  signs 
of  land  were  visible.  I  continued  in  its  latitude  until  we  had  passed 
seventy  miles  to  the  westward,  when  we  steered  for  another  island, 
laid  down  in  Arrowsmith's  charts  in  longitude  166°  48'  W.,  and  lati- 
tude 19°  17'  N.  On  its  parallel,  we  ran  for  sixty  miles  east  and  west 
of  the  assigned  place ;  but  in  like  manner,  there  was  nothing  perceived 
that  indicated  any  proximity  to  land. 

On  the  dd  of  December,  we  ran  over  the  locality  of  a  shoal,  lying  in 
170°  30'  W.,  and  latitude  18°  20'  N.  This  was  likewise  searched  for, 
over  a  space  of  sixty  miles  east  and  west  of  its  supposed  locality. 

Jane's  Island,  supposed  to  be  in  longitude  173°  15'  W.,  latitude  16° 
10'  N.,  was  next  searched  for.  In  doing  this,  I  was  greatly  surprised 
to  find  that  we  had  entered  a  strong  current  setting  to  the  northward 
and  westward.  Our  difierence  of  latitude  showed  24',  and  we  were 
at  once  compelled  to  haul  up  to  the  southward,  to  reach  the  supposed 


SAN   FRANCISCO   TO   MANILLA.  267 

locality  of  the  island.  We  passed  about  five  miles  to  the  westward  of 
its  place,  but  no  sign  of  land  was  seen.  This  was  the  first  day  since 
leaving  Oahu,  that  we  were  able  to  write  with  any  degree  of  comfort, 
the  sea  having  become  perfectly  smooth. 

I  was  at  first  disposed  to  doubt  the  accuracy  of  the  observations  for 
latitude,  but  the  next  day  (5th  December)  proved  them  to  be  correct, 
nearly  the  same  difierence  having  occurred. 

On  the  6th,  we  reached  the  position  of  Caspar  Island,  in  latitude 
15^  N.,  and  as  the  difierent  localities  assigned  it  varied  considerably  in 
longitude,  I  determined  to  run  on  its  parallel  until  I  had  passed  them  all. 

On  the  7th,  we  dropped  a  day,  passing  into  east  longitude.  Our 
winds  had  become  light,  varying  from  the  east  to  the  southwest 
quarters,  and  it  was  generially  calm  throughout  the  night,  so  that  we 
made  little  progress. 

On  the  10th,  the  current  was  found  setting  west-southwest  three 
quarters  of  a  mile,  both  by  the  difference  of  the  observations,  and  the 
current-log.  The  pot,  at  this  time,  was  seen  at  thirty-two  fathoms 
depth,  several  fathoms  lower  than  at  any  previous  observation.  The 
temperature  of  the  water  was  81^,  the  day  fine,  and  beautifully  clear. 

We  continued  on  the  parallel  of  latitude  15^  N.  until  the  14th,  when 
we  found  ourselves  in  the  longitude  of  174^  50'  E.,  having  passed  over 
all  the  localities  assigned  the  island,  between  longitude  175^  W.  and 
174^  20'  E.  I  am  fully  satisfied  that  it  does  not  exist  within  those 
meridians. 

Having  been  thus  retarded,  the  fear  I  entertained  of  meeting  with 
light,  and  in  all  probability,  westerly  winds,  determined  me  to  forego 
my  visit  to  Strong's  and  Ascension  Islands,  and  haul  to  the  northward, 
to  look  for  some  of  the  many  shoals  laid  down  on  the  track  usually 
pursued  by  ships  bound  to  the  China  Seas. 

AAer  this  determination  was  made,  I  hauled  up  for  an  island  said  to 
exist  in  longitude  171''  42'  E.,  and  latitude  16''  N.  On  the  night  of  the 
15th  we  hove-to  in  order  to  run  over  the  locality  by  daylight  This 
position  was  passed  over,  and  forty  miles  to  the  westward  of  it  explored, 
but  nothing  indicating  a  proximity  to  land  was  seen.  The  supposed 
site  of  Cornwallis  Island,  in  longitude  169''  33'  £.,  and  latitude  16"  51' 
N.,  was  in  like  manner  passed  over. 

Wake's  Island  next  claimed  my  attention.  On  the  19th  we  reached 
its  parallel,  and  hove-to  till  daylight  of  the  20th,  when  we  discovered 
it,  bearing  west-by-north,  about  nine  miles  distant  The  wind  was 
light  firom  the  north-northeast  After  breakfast,  several  boats  were 
sent  to  survey  the  bland.  Wake's  Island  is  a  low  coral  one,  of  trian- 
gular form,  and  eight  feet  above  the  surface.    It  has  a  large  lagoon 


268  SAN   FRANCISCO  TO   MANILLA. 

in  the  centre,  which  was  well  filled  with  fish  of  a  variety  of  species  \ 
among  these  were  some  fine  mullet.  There  is  no  fresh  water  on  the 
island,  and  neither  pandanus  nor  cocoa-nut  trees.  It  has  upon  it  the 
shrubs  which  are  usually  found  on  the  low  islands  of  the  Pacific,  the 
most  abundant  of  which  was  the  Toumefortia.  Mr.  Peale  found  here 
the  short-tailed  albatross,  and  procured  an  egg  from  its  nest  The 
birds  were  quite  tame,  although  they  were  not  so  numerous  as  we  had 
before  met  with  on  uninhabited  islands. 

The  time  of  low  water  took  place  at  one  o'clock,  and  the  moon 
entered  its  last  quarter  on  the  same  day :  the  tide  was  setting  along  the 
shore  of  the  island  with  much  strength  to  the  westward ;  the  rise  and 
fall  was  three  feet  From  appearances,  the  island  must  be  at  times 
sttbmei^ed,  or  the  sea  makes  a  complete  breach  over  it ;  the  appearance 
of  the  coral  blocks  and  of  all  the  vegetation  leads  to  this  conclusion,  for 
they  have  a  very  decided  inclination  to  the  eastward)  showing  also  that 
the  violent  winds  or  rush  of  the  water,  when  the  island  is  covered,  are 
from  the  westward.  The  reef  around  this  island  is  very  small  in  extent 

The  position  of  Wake's  Island  was  found  by  my  observations  of 
equal  altitudes  on  shore  to  be  in  longitude  166^  31'  30"  £.,and  latitude 
19^  10'  54"  N. 

By  four  o'clock,  p.  m.,  all  the  boats  had  returned  on  board,  when  we 
filled  away  and  proceeded  on  our  course  to  the  westward.  Alihoi^h 
these  coral  islands  resemble  one  another  very  strongly,  yet  they  aflforded 
us  some  recreation  for  a  few  hours,  and  much  satisfaction  in  obtaining 
series  of  observations  in  magnetism.  Our  visit  to  Wake's  Island  gave 
us  an  opportunity  of  adding  to  our  collections  in  natural  history. 

In  the  evening  we  steered  to  pass  over  the  position  of  Halcyon 
Island,— longitude  163''  30'  K,  latitude  W  18'  N.;  and  on  the  27th, 
we  passed  immediately  over  its  locality,  and  had  run  on  its  supposed 
parallel  fifty  miles  on  each  side  of  it,  but  nothing  was  seen  of  it  We 
now  felt  the  current  to  the  southeast  twelve  miles  in  the  twenty-four 
hours. 

Folger's  Island  next  claimed  my  attention :  it  is  said  to  lie  in  longi- 
tude 155''  19'  K,  latitude  18°  21'  N.  This  position  was  passed  over, 
but  the  inquiry  resulted  as  the  others  had,  in  a  fruitless  search. 

I  now  bore  away  for  Grigan,  the  northernmost  of  the  inhabited 
Ladrone  or  Marian  Islands,  which  we  made  on  the  20th  December,  at 
7  A.  M.,  bearing  south-southwest.  As  we  approached  these  islands,  we 
had  experienced  a  strong  current  to  the  northward  and  westward ;  and 
the  wind  had  also  veered  to  the  southward  and  westward. 

At  midnight,  we  discovered  the  island  of  Assumption,  bearing  nortb- 
east-by-east 


SAN   FRANCISCO  TO   MANILLA.  209 

The  island  of  Grigan  appears  to  be  about  eight  miles  in  width,  seen 
from  the  north,  and  has  the  form  of  a  dome.  Its  height,  by  a  very 
unsatisfactory  observation,  was  two  thousand  three  hundred  feet.  It 
was  my  intention  to  stop  and  make  it  a  magnetic  station ;  but  the 
weather  appeared  so  thick  as  to  threaten  delay ;  and  this  I  could  ill 
afford,  so  I  gave  up  the  idea* 

There  is  said  to  be  no  other  settlement  than  one  small  village,  on  the 
southwest  side  of  Grigan,  where  a  few  individuals  dwell,  and  I  under- 
stood that  they  were  headed  by  an  American ;  its  shores  are  almost 
perpendicular,  and  it  has  no  coral  reefs  to  form  harbours ;  so  that  in 
this  respect  it  is  not  so  much  favoured  as  the  southern  isles  of  the  same 
group.  The  passage  between  Grigan  and  Assumption  is  free  from 
dangers,  and  I  am  well  satisfied  that  no  shoal  exists  where  Freycinet 
has  laid  down  the  M angs,  for  we  passed  directly  over  the  locality,  and 
saw  nothing  of  the  kind.  The  Mangs  were  seen  in  their  true  position, 
to  the  northward  of  Assumption. 

The  wind  was  light  and  variable.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1842,  it 
changed  to  the  southwest ;  with  this  change  of  wind  we  experienced  a 
fall  both  of  the  thermometer  and  barometer,  and  excessive  dampness ; 
we  had  some  lightning,  and  at  midnight  a  violent  squall  with  rain  burst 
upon  us,  attended  by  a  shift  of  wind  to  the  northward  and  westward, 
which  afterwards  hauled  to  the  northward  and  eastward.  A  slight 
current  was  felt  setting  to  the  eastward. 

We  now  steered  for  the  most  eastern  position  assigned  to  Copper's 
Island,  as  it  will  no  doubt  be  recollected  that  we  ran  over  its  supposed 
position  in  west  longitude,  on  the  passage  between  San  Francisco  and 
Oahu,  mentioned  in  the  first  part  of  this  chapter.  On  the  4th,  we  ran 
over  the  position  in  longitude  131''  54'  E.,  and  latitude  20""  ir  N.  The 
Abajos  Shoal  of  Arrowsmith  has  no  existence ;  its  position  was  passed 
over  in  broad  daylight 

On  the  5th,  we  felt  a  current  to  the  west  of  fifteen  miles.  The 
variations  of  the  compass  were  now  to  the  westward;  much  phos- 
phorescence in  the  water;  its  temperature  was  75°.  The  slight 
current  continued  until  the  8th,  when  we  made  the  islands  of  Sab- 
tang  and  Batan  on  the  starboard  side,  and  the  Richmond  Rocks  on  the 
larboard,  steering  a  westerly  course  through  the  Balingtang  Straits. 
The  weather  being  remarkably  fine,  we  had  excellent  observations  on 
transit  bearing.  The  longitude  of  the  west  point  of  Sabtang  is  121° 
50'  30"  E.,  the  latitude  is  in  20°  18'  N.,  instead  of  20°  11'  N.  In  the 
strait  we  had  strong  ripples,  and  occasionally  felt  the  influence  of  the 
current,  as  we  passed  through  them. 

We  had  now  left  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  I  could  not  but  rejoice  that 
we  had  all  the  results  of  our  cruise  up  to  this  time  quite  safe. 

X2 


270  ®^^  FBANCISCO  TO  MANILLA. 

Sabtang  and  Batan  are  of  broken  surface,  shooting  up  into  many 
remarkable  peaks,  to  the  elevation  of  a  thousand  feet  These  are 
both  inhabited,  and  afford  one  or  two  anchorages. 

In  the  route  from  Oahu,  we  had  experienced  a  set  to  the  westward 
of  four  hundred  miles  by  current;  the  greater  part  of  this  was  felt 
before  reaching  the  meridian  of  the  Ladrone  Islands. 

I  now  stood  to  the  southward  along  the  island  of  Luzon,  to  pass 
just  clear  of  Cape  Bolinao.  On  the  9th,  we  continued  to  have  very 
strong  winds.  A  very  heavy  sea  arose,  without  apparent  cause ;  the 
progressing  motion  of  the  waves  in  passing  the  ship  was  twenty-two 
miles  per  hour ;  their  width,  as  near  as  it  could  be  ascertained,  was 
one  hundred  and  forty  yards. 

At  sunset  of  the  10th,  we  were  off  Cape  Capones,  and  numerous 
lights  were  seen  on  shore.  The  breeze  failed  us  after  midnight,  and 
in  the  morning  we  found  that  we  had  drifted  some  thirty  miles  to 
the  leeward  of  Cape  Miravales,  having  Cape  Capones  due  north,  the 
current  having  set  to  the  southward.  As  the  breeze  was  adverse  to 
our  entrance  into  the  bay,  we  continued  beating  until  the  afternoon, 
when  the  sea-breeze  gave  us  the  hope  of  reaching  the  anchorage ;  but 
it  was  so  feeble  that  we  made  no  way,  and  the  night  was  again  passed 
under  sail. 

The  next  day,  the  13th,  was  also  passed  in  working  up  for  the  city 
of  Manilla.  For  this  delay  I  had  something  to  console  me  in  the 
arrival  of  the  Flying-Fish,  which  vessel  was  discovered  at  8^  30»  p.  x. 
beating  in.    Signal  was  made  for  her  to  join  company. 

On  arriving  at  the  island  of  Corregidor,  we  were  boarded  by  a  go- 
vernment galley,  pulling  sixteen  oars,  and  having  a  large  brass  twelve- 
pound  piece  mounted  on  the  bow.  These  vessels,  I  understood,  are 
intended  principally  to  pursue  the  pirates  of  Sooloo,  who  not  unfre- 
quently  make  excursions  among  the  islands,  attacking  the  villages, 
and  carrying  off  the  inhabitants  as  slaves.  They  are  manned  by  the 
natives  of  this  island,  who  are  represented  as  active  and  expert  sailors, 
although  they  are,  generally,  of  small  size. 

After  dark,  we  anchored  about  eight  miles  from  the  city,  in  the 
middle  of  the  broad  and  beautiful  expanse  of  its  bay,  which  is  nearly 
circular,  with  an  almost  uniform  depth  of  waten  I  learned,  whilst  at 
Manilla,  that  since  the  settlement  of  Europeans,  the  bay  has  filled  up 
in  places  very  considerably,  from  the  wash  of  the  hills.  The  lands  in 
the  vicinity  are  high  and  mountainous,  and  are  clothed  with  the  vege- 
tation of  the  tropics.  After  dark,  the  many  lights  that  were  seen  in 
the  direction  of  the  city  gave  the  bay  an  animated  appearance,  and 
bespoke  our  being  near  a  large  and  active  population. 

Mr.  Knox  reported  to  me  that  after  his  separation,  on  the  30tb  of 


BAN   FRANCISCO  TO  MANILLA.  371 

November,  he  stood  for  the  position  of  Comwallis  Island,  as  laid 
down  by  Arrowsmith  in  longitude  169''  31'  W.,  latitude  le""  50'  N., 
without  seeing  any  indication  of  land.  Twenty-two  miles  to  the 
south-by-east  of  this  position,  he  discovered  a  reef,  which  surrounded 
an  extensive  lagoon,  extending  northeast  and  southwest  ten  miles,  and 
in  the  opposite  direction  five  miles.  On  the  northwest  side  of  this 
reef  there  are  two  low  islets :  the  one  to  the  westward  was  covered 
with  bushes,  but  no  trees ;  the  other  was  no  more  than  a  sand«*bank. 
This  reef  lies  deep.  The  longitude  of  the  westernmost  islet  was 
found  to  be  169''  45'  36"  W.,  and  latitude  le^  48'  N.  He  then  bore 
away  for  San  Pedro  of  ArrowsnHth,  in  longitude  179''  OO'  W.,  and 
latitude  ll''  17'  N.,  and  on  the  7th  of  December  sailed  over  it  and  on 
its  parallel  forty  miles  both  east  and  west,  but  saw  no  indications  of 
land  whatever. 

The  Mulgrave  Islands  were  steered  for,  and  two  small  islands  made 
on  the  16th,  in  the  position  of  longitude  172'^  02'  33"  E.,  and  latitude 
5^^  59'  15"  N.,  which  corresponds  with  the  chart  of  Arrowsmith. 
They  are  low  islets,  extending  two  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  one 
and  a  half  from  east  to  west  They  are  connected  by  a  reef,  which 
surrounds  a  lagoon.  Natives  were  seen  upon  them,  but  no  communi- 
cation was  had  with  them. 

Bapham's,  a  lagoon  island,  was  made  on  the  17th :  it  was  found  to 
be  correctly  located ;  it  is  also  inhabited. 

Hunter's  Island  was  made  the  same  evening,  and  was  examined  the 
next  day :  it  is  one  and  three  quarters  of  a  mile  long,  north  and  south, 
and  two-thirds  of  a  mile  east  and  west ;  it  is  elevated  in  the  centre, 
and  has  no  lagoon;  its  position  was  ascertained  to  be  in  longitude 
169''  05'  46"  E.,  and  latitude  5*  42'  N. 

Baring's  Island  was  next  passed  in  168''  26'  24"  E.,  latitude  S^  34' 
42"  N.  The  current  experienced  off  these  islands  was  from  fifteen  to 
twenty-five  miles  easterly. 

It  having  been  strongly  enjoined  upon  Mr.  Knox  not  to  be  behind 
the  time  designated  for  his  arrival  at  Manilla,  he  found,  on  his  reach- 
ing the  equator,  that  but  twenty-two  days  of  his  time  remained: 
having  already  experienced  light  winds  and  calms,  he  saw  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  range  through  the  Caroline  Group  and  visit 
Ascension  and  Strong's  Islands ;  he  therefore  determined  to  haul  again 
to  the  northward,  and  passed  several  of  the  groups  in  a  higher  latitude, 

On  the  26th,  he  passed  over  the  situation  ascribed  to  Faroilip 
Island,  in  latitude  10''  45'  N.,  longitude  Uff"  27'  E.,  without  any 
indications  of  land.  He  then  sought  Feis  Island,  whose  position  was 
crossed  on  the  27th,  but  saw  no  land. 


272  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO   MANILLA. 

The  eastern  extremity  of  M'Kenzie's  Group  was  made  on  the  29th, 
in  latitude  10"  07'  53"  N.,  longitude  139°  54'  58"  E.  To  the  north- 
ward and  westward  of  it,  a  supposed  shoal  was  passed  over,  but  none 
was  found. 

M'Kenzie's  Group  is  of  greater  extent  than  is  represented  on  the 
maps.  If  is  composed  of  a  great  many  Islets,  with  passages  between 
them,  some  of  them  into  the  lagoon,  through  one  of  which  the 
schooner  entered,  with  not  less  than  seven  fathoms  water  on  the  bar. 
This  group  is  thickly  inhabited,  and  some  of  the  natives  boarded  the 
schooner.  They  resembled  the  Caroline  Islanders,  but  had  their  teeth 
much  discoloured,  apparently  from  the  use  of  the  betel-nuL  From 
them  some  fish  and  cocoa-nuts  were  procured.  They  were  seen  to  be 
in  possession  of  iron  utensils,  and  appeared  to  have  before  had  commu- 
nication with  vessels. 

Mr.  Knox  now  steered  for  the  Straits  of  Bemadino,  and  made 
Cape  Espiritu  Santo,  on  the  night  of  the  4th  of  January.  Owing 
to  the  want  of  observations  for  two  days  before,  he  was  in  danger  lA 
being  shipwrecked.  On  the  11th,  he  had  passed  through  the  straits, 
and  anchored  under  Cape  St  Jago,  whence  he  got  under  way,  and 
reached  Manilla,  as  before  stated. 

I  now  felt  myself  secure  against  iarther  detention,  and  hoped  to 
expedite  my  duties,  so  aa  to  reach  Singapore  in  the  time  designated  in 
my  instructions. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 


CONTENTS. 

ARRIVAL  AT  MANILLA— VI8IT  FROM  THB  CAPTAIN  OF  THB  FORT— VIEW  OF  THB 
CITY— LANDING  AT  MANILLA— ANCHORAGE— PORT  OF  CAVITE-CITT  AND  ITB  BUILD. 
INGS-ITB  POPULATION  — KIND  RECEPTION  BY  THE  AMERICAN  CONSUL— WANT  OF 
FACILITIES  FOR  REPAIRS— CITY  GOVERNMENT  —  DISCOVER Y  AND  OCCUPATION  OF 
THE  PHILIPPINES-POLICY  OF  THE  CONaUERORB- GEOLOGICAL  FEATURES  OF  THB 
IBLANDS-PRODUCnONS  AND  AGRICULTURE-AGRICULTURAL  IMPLEBIENTB-U8E  OF 
THE  BUFFALO-47ULTURE  OF  RICE-MABnLLA  HEMP— COFFEE— SUGAR— COTTON  — 
MODE  OF  TAKING  PRODUCE  TO  MARKET  —  PROFTTB  OF  AGRICULTURE  — LABOUR— 
RAVAGES  OF  LOCUBTS-INHABrrANTS-NATIVE  TRIBES  — POUCY  OF  THE  GOVERN- 
MENT-CAPABILITIES FOR  COMMERCE-BOLITARY  FORCE-INTERNAL  DIOTURBANCES 
—VISIT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  — TENURE  AND  EMOLUMENTS  OF  HIS  OFFICE- VIBITB 
TO  GOVERNMENT  OFFICERS  -  CAPTAINS    SALOMON  AND  HALOON  — ROYAL   CIGAR 
MANUFACTORY  — MANUFACTURES -PIN  A- DANCINGM  ASTER  AND  PUPIL— OCCUPA- 
TlOire  OF  THE  HIGHER  CLABBES^MARRIAGES-DRIVB  ON  THE  PRADO— THEATRE — 
TERTULIA- DRESS  OF  THE  NATIVES -COCKnOHTING— MARKET -FIBHINOB0AT8- 
BANCA-TRADE  OF  MANILLA-ENVIRONS  OF  THE  CITY-CAMPO  SANTO-BELI£  AND 
BELFRIE8-C0NVENT-TAGALA  TRIBE-TAGALA  GRAMMAR  —  REVENUE  OF  THE  PHI- 
UPPINES-SYBTEM  OF  GOVERNMENT-EXPEDITION  TO  THE  INTERIOR-SANTA  ANNA 
—PATIV  AS -FISHERIES  ON  THE  RIVER  AND  LAKE-LAGUNA  DE  BAY— JALUJALU— 
SANTA  CRUZ-MIBSION  OF  MAGJAUAI— ASCENT  OF  MOUNT  MAGJAUAI— RETURN  TO 
THE  MISSION-INSTANCE  OF  ECCLESIASTICAL  DISCIPLINE- BAIA— HOT  SPRINGS  OF 
BAfiOB-ASCENT  OF  MOUBTT  MAaUHJNG— LAKE  DE  TAAL-BAI^OS- MULTITUDE  OF 
BIRDS-SCENERY  ON  THE  PASIG— RETURN  TO  MANILLA -PREPARATIONS  FOR  SAIL- 
INO-DEPARTURE  FROM  MANILLA. 


(87?) 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MANILLA. 
1842. 

At  daylight,  on  the  13th  of  January,  we  were  again  under  way,  with 
a  light  air,  and  at  nine  o'clock  reached  the  roadstead,  where  we 
anchored  in  six  fathoms  water,  with  good  holding-ground.  Being 
anxious  to  obtain  our  letters,  which,  we  were  informed  at  Oahu,  had 
been  sent  to  Manilla,  I  immediately  despatched  two  boats  to  procure 
them.  On  their  way  to  the  mole,  they  were  stopped  by  the  captain  of 
the  port,  Don  Juan  Salomon,  who  requested  them,  in  a  polite  manner,  to 
return,  and  informed  the  officers  that,  agreeably  to  the  rules  of  the  port, 
no  boat  was  permitted  to  land  until  the  visit  of  the  health-officer  had 
been  made,  &c. 

The  captain  of  the  port,  in  a  large  barge,  was  soon  seen  pulling  off 
in  company  with  the  boats.  He  boarded  us  with  much  ceremony,  and 
a  few  moments  sufficed  to  satisfy  him  of  the  good  health  of  the  crew, 
when  he  readily  gave  his  assent  to  our  visiting  the  shore.  Every  kind 
of  assistance  was  offered  me,  on  the  part  of  the  government,  and  he,  in 
the  most  obliging  manner,  gave  us  permission  to  go  and  come  when  we 
pleased,  with  the  simple  request  that  the  boats  should  wear  our  national 
flag,  that  they  might  at  all  times  be  known,  and  thus  be  free  from  any 
interruption  by  the  guards.  The  boats  were  again  despatched  for  the 
consul  and  letters,  and  after  being  anxiously  watched  for,  returned ; 
every  one  on  board  ship  expecting  his  wishes  to  be  gratified  with  news 
from  home ;  but,  as  is  usual  on  such  occasions,  the  number  of  the  happy 
few  bore  no  comparison  to  that  of  the  many  who  were  disappointed. 

Our  vice-consul,  Josiah  Moore,  Esq.,  soon  paid  us  a  visit,  and  gave 
us  a  pressing  invitation  to  take  up  our  quarters  on  shore  while  we 
remained.    To  this  gentleman  and  Mr.  Sturges  I  am  greatly  indebted 


276  MANILLA. 

for  much  of  the  information  that  will  be  detailed  in  the  following 
chapter. 

A  number  of  vessels  were  lying  in  the  roads,  among  which  were 
several  Americans  loading  with  hemp.  There  was  also  a  large  English 
East  Indiaman,  manned  by  Lascars,  whose  noise  rendered  her  more 
like  a  floating  Bedlam  than  any  thing  else  to  which  I  can  liken  it. 

The  view  of  the  city  and  country  around  Manilla  partakes  both  of 
a  Spanish  and  an  Oriental  character.  The  sombre  and  heavy-looking 
churches,  with  their  awkward  towers;  the  long  lines  of  batteries 
mounted  with  heavy  cannon;  the  massive  houses,  with  ranges  of 
balconies ;  and  the  light  and  airy  cottage,  elevated  on  posts,  situated 
in  the  luxuriant  groves  of  tropical  trees, — all  excite  a  desire  to  become 
better  acquainted  with  the  coontry. 

Manilla  is  situated  on  an  extensive  plain,  gradually  swelling  into 
distant  hills,  beyond  which,  again,  mountains  rise  in  the  background, 
to  the  height  of  several  thousand  feet  The  latter  are  apparently 
clothed  with  vegetation  to  their  summits.  The  city  is  in  strong  con- 
trast to  this  luxuriant  scenery,  bearing  evident  marks  of  decay,  particu- 
larly in  the  churches,  whose  8tee|^  and  tile  roofs  have  a  dilapidated 
look..  The  site  of  the  city  does  not  appear  to  have  been  well  chosen, 
it  having  apparently  been  selected  entirely  for  the  convenience  of  com- 
Dderce,  and  the  eommumcation  that  the  outlet  of  the  lake  affords  for 
the  batteaux  that  transport  the  produce  from  the  shores  of  the  Laguna 
de  Bay  to  the  city. 

There  are  many  arms  or  branches  to  this  stream,  which  have  been 
converted  into  canals ;  and  almost  any  part  of  Manilla  may  now  be 
reached  in  a  banca. 

In  the  afternoon,  in  company  with  Captain  Hudson,  I  paid  my  first 
visit  to  Manilla.  The  anchorage  considered  safest  for  large  ships  is 
nearly  three  miles  from  the  shore,  but  smaller  vessels  may  lie  much 
nearer,  and  even  enter  the  canal ;  a  facility  of  which  a  number  of  these 
take  advantage,  to  accomplish  any  repairs  they  may  have  occasion  to 
make. 

The  canal,  however,  is  generally  filled  with  coasting  vesseb,  batteaux 
from  the  lake,  and  lighters  for  the  discharge  of  the  vessels  lying  in  the 
roads.  The  bay  of  Manilla  is  safe,  excepting  during  the  change  of  the 
monsoons,  when  it  is  subject  to  the  typhoons  of  the  China  Seas,  within 
whose  range  it  lies.  These  blow  at  times  with  much  force,  and  cause 
great  damage.  Foreign  vessds  have,  however,  kept  this  anchorage, 
and  rode  out  these  storms  in  safety;  but  native  as  weU  as  Spanish 
vessels,  seek  at  these  times  the  port  of  Cavite,  about  three  leagues  to 
the  southwest,  at  the  entrance  of  the  hay,  which  is  perfectly  secure. 


MANILLA.  277 

Here  the  government  dockyard  is  situated,  and  this  harbour  is  conse- 
quently the  resort  of  the  few  gunboats  and  galleys  that  are  stationed 
here. 

The  entrance  to  the  canal  or  river  Pasig  is  three  hundred  feet  wide, 
and  is  enclosed  between  two  well-constructed  piers,  which  extend  for 
some  distance  into  the  bay.  On  the  end  of  one  of  these  is  the  light- 
house, and  on  the  other  a  guard-house.  The  walls  of  these  piers  are 
about  four  feet  above  ordinary  high  water,  and  include  the  natural 
channel  of  the  river,  whose  current  sets  out  with  some  force,  particu- 
larly when  the  ebb  is  making  in  the  bay. 

The  suburbs,  or  Binondo  quarter,  contain  more  inhabitants  than  the 
city  itself,  and  is  the  commercial  town.  They  have  all  the  stir  and 
life  incident  to  a  large  population  actively  engaged  in  trade,  and  in 
this  respect  the  contrast  with  the  city  proper  is  great. 

The  city  of  Manilla  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  large  segment  of  a 
circle,  having  the  chord  of  the  segment  on  the  river:  the  whole  is 
strongly. fortified,  with  walls  and  ditches.  The  houses  are  substan- 
tially built  after  the  fashion  of  the  mother  country.  Within  the  walls 
are  the  governor's  palace,  custom-house,  treasury,  admiralty,  several 
churches,  convents,  and  charitable  institutions,  a  university,  and  the 
barracks  for  the  troops ;  it  also  contains  some  public  squares,  on  one 
of  which  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Charles  IV. 

The  city  is  properly  deemed  the  court  residence  of  these  islands ; 
tmd  all  those  attached  to  the  government,  or  who  wish  to  be  con- 
sidered as  of  the  higher  circle,  reside  here;  but  foreigners  are  not 
permitted  to  do  so.  The  houses  in  the  city  are  generally  of  stone, 
plastered,  and  white  or  yellow  washed  on  the  outside.  They  are  only 
two  stories  high,  and  in  consequence  cover  a  large  space,  being  built 
around  a  patio  or  courtyard. 

The  ground-floors  are  occupied  as  storehouses,  stables,  and  for 
porters'  lodges.  The  second  story  is  devoted  to  the  dining-halls  and 
sleeping  apartments,  kitchens,  bath-rooms,  &c.  The  bed-rooms  have 
the  windows  down  to  the  floor,  opening  on  wide  balconies,  with  blinds 
or  shutters.  These  blinds  are  constructed  with  sliding  frames,  having 
small  squares  of  two  inches  filled  in  with  a  thin  semi-transparent  shell, 
a  species  of  Flacuna ;  the  fronts  of  some  of  the  houses  have  a  large 
number  of  these  small  lights,  where  the  females  of  the  family  may 
enjoy  themselves  unperceived. 

After  entering  the  canal,  we  very  soon  found  ourselves  among  a 
motley  and  strange  population.  On  landing,  the  attention  is  drawn 
to  the  vast  number  of  small  stalls  and  shops  with  which  the  streets 
are  lined  on  each  side,  and  to  the  crowds  of  people  passing  to  and  frcv 

Y 


278  MANILLA. 

all  iDtent  upon  their  several  occupations.  The  artisans  In  Manilla 
are  almost  wholly  Chinese ;  and  all  trades  are  local,  so  tbat  in  each 
quarter  of  the  Binondo  suburb  the  privilege  of  exclusive  occupancy 
is  claimed  by  some  particular  kinds  of  shops.  In  passing  up  the 
Escolta  (which  is  the  longest  and  main  street  in  this  district),  the 
cabinet-makers,  seen  busily  at  work  in  their  shops,  are  first  met 
with ;  next  to  these  come  the  tinkers  and  blacksmiths ;  then  the  shoe* 
makers,  clothiers,  fishmongers,  haberdashers,  &c.  These  are  flanked 
by  outdoor  occupations;  and  in  each  quarter  are  numerous  cooks, 
frying  cakes,  stewing,  &c.,  in  movable  kitchens ;  while  here  and  there 
are  to  be  seen  betel-nut  sellers,  either  moving  about  to  obtain  cus- 
tomers, or  taking  a  stand  in  some  great  thoroughfare.  The  moving 
throng,  composed  of  carriers,  waiters,  messengers,  &c.,  pass  quietly 
and  without  any  noise :  they  are  generally  seen  with  the  Chinese  um* 
brella,  painted  of  many  colours,  screening  themselves  from  the  sun. 
The  whole  population  wear  slippers,  and  move  along  with  a  slip- 
shod gait 

The  Chinese  are  apparently  far  more  numerous  than  the  Malays, 
and  the  two  races  difier  as  much  in  character  as  in  appearance :  one 
is  all  activity,  while  the  other  is  disposed  to  avoid  all  exertion.  They 
preserve  their  distinctive  character  throughout,  mixing  but  very  little 
with  each  other,  and  are  removed  as  far  as  possible  in  their  civilities ; 
the  former,  from  their  industry  and  perseverance,  have  almost  mono- 
polized all  the  lucrative  employments  among  the  lower  orders,  except- 
ing the  selling  of  fish  and  betel-nut,  and  articles  manufactured  in  the 
provinces. 

On  shore,  we  were  kindly  received  by  Mr.  Moore,  who  at  once 
made  us  feel  at  home.  The  change  of  feeling  that  takes  place  in  a 
transfer  from  shipboard  in  a  hot  climate,  after  a  long  cruise,  to  spa 
cious  and  airy  apartments,  surrounded  by  every  luxury  that  kind 
attentions  can  give,  can  be  scarcely  imagined  by  those  who  have  not 
experienced  it. 

As  we  needed  some  repairs  and  supplies,  to  attend  to  these  was  my 
first  occupation.  Among  the  former,  we  required  a  heavy  piece  of 
blacksmith-work,  to  prepare  which,  we  were  obliged  to  send  our 
armourers  on  shore.  The  only  thing  they  could  procure  was  a  place 
for  a  forge ;  but  coal,  and  every  thing  else,  we  had  to  supply  from 
the  ship.  I  mention  these  things  to  show  that  those  in  want  of  repairs 
must  not  calculate  upon  their  being  done  at  Manilla  with  despatch,  if 
they  can  be  accomplished  at  all. 

The  city  government  of  Manilla  was  established  on  the  24th  of 
June,  1571,  and  the  title  under  which  it  is  designated  is,  <<The  cele^ 


MANILLA.  279 

brated  and  for  ever  royal  city  of  Manilla.''  In  1595,  the  charter  was 
confirmed  by  royal  authority;  and  all  the  perogatives  possessed  by 
other  cities  in  the  kingdom  were  conferred  upon  it  in  1638.  The 
members  of  the  city  council,  by  authority  of  the  king,  were  constituted 
a  council  of  advisement  with  the  governor  and  captain-general.  The 
city  magistrates  were  also  placed  in  rank  next  the  judges;  and  in 
1686  the  jurisdiction  of  the  city  was  extended  over  a  radius  of  five 
leagues.  In  1818,  the  members  of  the  council  were  increased  and 
ordered  to  assume  the  title  of  '*  Excellency."  Manilla  has  been  one 
of  the  most  constantly  loyal  cities  of  the  Spanish  kingdom,  and  is,  in 
consequence,  considered  to  merit  these  additional  royal  favours  to  its 
inhabitants. 

In  1834,  the  Royal  Tribunal  of  Commerce  was  instituted,  to  super- 
sede the  old  consulate,  which  had  been  established  since  1772.  The 
Royal  Tribunal  of  Commerce  acts  under  the  new  comm'ercial  code, 
and  possesses  the  same  privileges  of  arbitration  as  the  old  consulate. 
It  consists  of  a  prior,  two  consuls,  and  four  deputies,  elected  by  the 
profession.  The  three  first  exercise  consular  jurisdiction,  the  other 
four  superintend  the  encouragement  of  commerce.  The  **  Junta  de 
Comercio"  (chamber  of  commerce)  was  formed  in  1835.  This 
junta  consists  of  the  tribunal  of  Commerce,  with  four  merchants,  who 
are  selected  by  the  government,  two  of  whom  are  removed  annually. 
The  prior  of  the  Tribunal  presides  at  the  Junta,  whose  meetings  are 
required  to  be  held  twice  a  month,  or  oftener  if  necessary,  and  upon 
days  in  which  the  Tribunal  is  not  in  session.  The  two  courts  being 
under  the  same  influences,  and  having  the  same  officers,  little  benefit 
is  to  be  derived  from  their  double  action,  and  great  complaints  are 
made  of  the  manner  in  which  business  is  conducted  in  them. 

Of  all  her  foreign  possessions,  the  Philippines  have  cost  Spain  the 
least  blood  and  labour.  The  honour  of  their  discovery  belongs  to 
Magelhaens,  whose  name  is  associated  with  the  straits  at  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  American  continent,  but  which  has  no  memorial  in 
these  islands.  Now  that  the  glory  which  he  gained  by  being  the  first 
to  penetrate  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  has  been  in  some  measure 
obliterated  by  the  disuse  of  those  straits  by  navigators,  it  would  seem 
due  to  his  memory  that  some  spot  among  these  islands  should  be  set 
apart  to  commemorate  the  name  of  him  who  made  them  known  to 
Europe.  This  would  be  but  common  justice  to  the  discoverer  of  a 
region  which  has  been  a  source  of  so  much  honour  and  profit  to  the 
Spanish  nation,  who  opened  the  vast  expanse  of  the  Pacific  to  the 
fleets  of  Europe,  and  who  died  fighting  to  secure  the  benefits  of  his 
enterprise  to  his  king  and  country. 


280  MANILLA. 

Magelhaens  was  killed  at  the  island  of  Matan,  on  the  26th  of  April, 
1521 ;  and  Duarte,  the  second  in  command,  who  succeeded  him,  im- 
prudently accepting  an  invitation  from  the  chief  of  Febri  to  a  feast, 
was,  with  twenty  companions,  massacred.  Of  all  the  Spaniards  pre- 
sent, only  one  escaped.  After  these  and  various  other  misfortunes, 
only  one  vessel  of  the  squadron,  the  Victoria,  returned  to  Spain.  Don 
Juan  Sebastian  del  Cano,  her  commander,  was  complimented  by  his 
sovereign  by  a  grant  for  his  arms  of  a  globe,  with  the  proud  inscrip- 
tion, commemorative  of  his  being  the  first  circumnavigator, 

''  PRIMUS  ME  CIRCUMCEDIT." 

Two  years  afterwards,  a  second  expedition  was  fitted  out,  under 
the  command  of  Loaisa,  who  died  after  they  had  parsed  through  the 
Straits  of  Magelhaens,  when  they  had  been  a  year  on  their  voyage. 
The  command  then  fell  upon  Sebastian,  who  died  in  four  days  after 
his  predecessor.  Salayar  succeeded  to  the  command,  and  reached 
the  Ladrone  Islands,  but  shortly  after  leaving  there  he  died  alsa 
They  came  in  sight  of  Mindanao,  but  contrary  winds  obliged  them 
to  go  to  the  Moluccas.  When  arrived  at  the  Portuguese  settlements, 
contentions  and  jealousies  arose,  and  finally  all  the  expedition  was 
dispersed,  and  the  fate  of  all  but  one  of  the  vessels  has  become  doubt- 
ful. None  but  the  small  tender  returned,  which,  after  encountering 
great  difficulties,  reached  New  Spain. 

The  third  expedition  was  fitted  out  by  Cortes,  then  viceroy  of 
Mexico,  and  the  command  of  it  given  to  Sarvedra.  This  sailed  from 
the  port  of  Silguattanjo,  on  the  31st  of  October,  1528,  and  stopped  at 
the  Ladrone  Islands,  of  which  it  took  possession  for  the  crown  of 
Spain.  It  afterwards  went  to  Mindanao,  and  then  pursued  its  voyage 
to  Timor,  where  part  of  the  expedition  of  Loaisa  was  found  remaining. 
From  Timor  they  made  two  attempts  to  return  to  New  Spain,  both 
of  which  failed.  The  climate  soon  brought  on  disease,  which  carried 
off  a  great  number,  and  among  them  Sarvedra.  Thus  the  whole 
expedition  was  broken  up,  and  the  survivors  found  their  way  to  the 
Portuguese  settlements. 

The  fourth  expedition  was  sent  from  New  Spain,  when  under  the 
government  of  Don  Antonio  de  Mendoza,  for  the  purpose  Of  establishing 
a  trade  with  the  new  islands,  and  it  received  orders  not  to  visit  the 
Moluccas.  This  expedition  sailed  in  1542,  under  the  command  of 
Villalobos.  It  reached  the  Philippine  Islands  without  accident,  and 
ViUalobos  gave  them  that  name  after  Philip  II.,  then  prince  of  Asturias. 
Notwithstanding  his  positive  instructions  to  the  contrary,  he  was 
obliged  to  visit  the  Moluccas,  and  met  the  same  treatment  from  the 


MANILLA.  381 

Portuguese  that  had  been  given  to  all  whom  they  believed  had  any 
intention  to  interfere  in  their  spice  trade.  The  squadron  touched  at 
Amboina,  where  Viilalobos  died,  an  event  which  caused  the  breaking 
up  of  the  expedition ;  and  the  few  Spaniards  that  remained  embarked*  in 
the  Portuguese  vessels  to  return  home. 

The  fifth  and  last  expedition  was  ordered  by  Philip  II.  to  be  sent 
from  Mexico,  when  under  the  government  of  Don  Luis  de  Velasco,  for 
the  final  conquest  and  settlement  of  the  Philippines.  With  this  expe- 
dition was  sent  Andres  Urdaneta,  a  friar,  whose  reputation  stood  very 
high  as  a  cosmographer :  he  had  belonged  to  the  ill«fated  expedition  of 
Loaisa.  This  was  the  largest  that  had  yet  been  fitted  out  for  this  pur- 
pose, numbering  five  vessels  and  about  four  hundred  men.  The  com^ 
mand  of  it  was  intrusted  to  Segaspi,  under  whom  it  sailed  from  the  port 
of  Natividad,  on  the  21st  of  November,  1564,  and  upon  whom  was 
conferred  the  title  of  governor  and  adelantado  of  the  conquered  lands, 
with  the  fullest  powers.  On  the  13th  of  February,  1565,  he  arrived  at 
the  island  of  Tandaya,  one  of  the  Philippines :  from  thence  he  went  to 
Leyte;  th^re  he  obtained  the  son  of  a  powerful  chief  as  a  guide, 
through  whom  he  established  peace  with  several  of  the  native  rulers, 
who  thereafter  aided  the  expedition  with  all  the  means  in  their  power. 
At  Bohol  they  built  the  first  church.  There  he  met  and  made  peace 
with  a  chief  of  Luzon,  with  whom  he  went  to  that  island. 

He  now  (April  1565)  took  possession  of  all  the  island  in  the  name 
of  the  crown  of  Spain,  and  became  their  first  governor.  In  this  con* 
quest,  motives  difierent  from  those  which  governed  them  on  the 
American  continent,  seemed  to  have  influenced  the  Spaniards.  Instead 
of  carrying  on  a  cruel  war  against  the  natives,  they  here  pursued  the 
policy  of  encouraging  and  fostering  their  industry.  Whether  they  felt 
that  this  policy  was  necessary  for  the  success  of  their  undertaking,  or 
were  influenced  by  the  religious  fathers  who  were  with  them,  is 
uncertain ;  but  their  measures  seem  to  have  been  dictated  by  a  desire 
to  promote  peace  and  secure  the  welfare  of  the  inhabitants.  There 
may  be  another  cause  for  this  course  of  action,  namely,  the  absence  of 
the  precious  metals,  which  held  out  no  inducement  to  those  thirsting 
for  inordinate  gain.  This  may  have  had  its  weight  in  exempting  the 
expedition  in  its  outfit  from  the  presence  of  those  avaricious  spirits 
which  had  accompanied  other  Spanish  expeditions,  and  been  the  means 
of  marking  their  progress  with  excessive  tyranny,  bloodshed,  and 
violence.  It  is  evident  to  one  who  visits  the  Philippines  that  some  other 
power  besides  the  sword  has  been  at  work  in  them ;  the  natives  are 
amalgamated  with  the  Spaniards,  and  all  seem  disposed  to  cultivate 
the  land  and  foster  civilization.    None  of  the  feeling  that  grows  out  of 

VOL.V.  Ya  36 


282  MANILLA. 

conquest  is  to  be  observed  in  these  islands ;  the  two  races  are  identified 
now  in  habits,  manners,  and  religion,  and  their  interests  are  so  closely 
allied  that  they  feel  their  mutual  dependence  upon  each  other. 

The  establishment  of  the  new  constitution  in  Spain  in  the  year  1825, 
has  had  a  wonderful  effect  upon  these  colonies,  whose  resources  have 
within  the  last  ten  years  been  developed,  and  improvements  pushed 
forward  with  a  rapid  step.  Greater  knowledge  and  more  liberal  views 
in  the  rulers  are  alone  wanting  to  cause  a  still  more  rapid  advance  in 
the  career  of  prosperity. 

As  our  visit  was  to  Luzon,  we  naturally  obtained  more  personal 
information  respecting  it  than  the  other  islands.  We  learned  that  the 
northern  peninsula*  was  composed  of  granite  and  recent  volcanic 
rocks,  together  with  secondary  and  tertiary  deposits,  while,  the  southern 
peninsula  is  almost  wholly  volcanic. 

The  northern  contains  many  valuable  mines  of  gold,  lead,  copper, 
and  iron,  besides  coal.  A  number  of  specimens  of  these,  and  the  rocks 
which  contain  them,  were  presented  to  the  Expedition  by  Senors 
Araria  and  Roxas  of  Manilla.  These  will  claim  particular  attention  in 
the  Greological  Report,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred  for  information. 

So  far  as  our  information  and  observations  went,  the  whole  of  the 
Philippine  Islands  are  of  similar  geological  formation.  In  some  of 
the  islands  the  volcanic  rock  prevails,  while  in  others  coal  and  the 
metalliferous  deposits  predominate.  On  some  of  them  the  coal-beds 
form  part  of  the  cliffs  along  the  shore;  on  others,  copper  is  found 
in  a  chlorite  and  talcose  slate.  The  latter  is  more  particularly  the 
case  with  Luzon,  and  the  same  formation  extends  to  Mindoro.  Much 
iron  occurs  on  the  mountains.  Thus,  among  the  Tagala  natives, 
who  are  yet  unsubdued,  by  the  Spaniards,  and  who  inhabit  these 
mountains,  it  is  found  by  them  of  so  pure  a  quality  that  it  is  manu- 
factured into  swords  and  cleavers.  These  are,  occasionally,  obtained 
by  the  Spaniards  in  their  excursions  into  the  interior  against  these 
bands. 

The  country  around  Manilla  is  composed  of  tufa  of  a  light  gray 
colour,  which  being  soft  and  easily  worked,  is  employed  as  tho 
common  building  material  in  the  city.  It  contains,  sometimes,  scoria 
and  pumice,  in  pieces  of  various  sizes,  besides,  occasionally,  impres- 
sions of  plants,  with  petrified  woods.  There  are  confined  to  recent 
species,  and  include  palms,  &c. 

This  tufa  forms  one  of  the  remarkable  features  of  the  volcanoes  of 

*  It  is  calfedsoin  coiuequeiice  of  the  Lsland  being  nearly  divided  in  the  parallel  of  14^  N.* 
by  two  bays. 


MANILLA.  3^ 

the  Philippine  Islands,  showing  a  strong  contrast  between  them  and  . 
those  of  the  Pacific  isles,  which  have  ejected  little  else  than  lava  and 
scoria. 

Few  portions  of  the  globe  seem  to  be  so  much  the  seat  of  internal 
fires,  or  to  exhibit  the  effects  of  volcanic  action  so  strongly  as  the 
Philippines.  During  our  visit,  it  was  not  known  that  any  of  the 
volcanoes  were  in  action;  but  many  of  them  were  smoking,  parti- 
cularly that  in  the  district  of  Albay,  called  Isaroc.  Its  latest  eruption 
was  in  the  year  1830 ;  but  this  did  little  damage  compared  with  that 
of  1814,  which  covered  several  villages,  and  the  country  for  a  great 
distance  around,  with  ashes.  This  mountain  is  situated  to  the  southeast 
of  Manilla  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  is  said  to  be  a  perfect  cone, 
with  a  crater  at  its  apex. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  islands  are  much  aflfected  by  earthquakes, 
although  some  have  occasionally  occurred  that  have  done  damage  to 
the  churches  at  Manilla. 

The  coal  which  we  have  spoken  of  is  deemed  of  value ;  it  has  a 
strong  resemblance  to  the  bituminous  coal  of  our  ovim  country,  pos- 
sesses a  bright  lustre,  and  appears  very  free  from  all  woody  texture 
when  fractured.  It  is  found  associated  with  sandstone,  which  contains 
many  fossils.  Lead  and  copper  are  reported  as  being  very  abundant ; 
gypsum  and  limestone  occur  in  some  districts.  From  this,  it  will  be 
seen  that  these  islands  have  every  thing  in  the  mineral  way  to  consti- 
tute them  desirable  possessions. 

With  such  mineral  resources,  and  a  soil  capable  of  producing  the 
most  varied  vegetation  of  the  tropics,  a  liberal  policy  is  all  that  the 
country  lacks.  The  products  of  the  Philippine  Islands  consist  of  sugar, 
coffee,  hemp,  indigo,  rice,  tortoise-shell,  hides,  ebony,  safTron-wood, 
sulphur,  cotton,  cordage,  silk,  pepper,  cocoa,  wax,  and  many  other 
articles.  In  their  agricultural  operations  the  people  are  industrious, 
although  much  labour  is  lost  by  the  use  of  defective  implements.  The 
plough,  of  very  simple  construction,  has  been  adopted  from  the  Chi- 
nese ;  it  has  no  coulter,  the  share  is  flat,  and  being  turned  partly  to  one 
side,  answers,  in  a  certain  degree,  the  purpose  of  a  mould-board.  This 
rude  implement  is  sufficient  for  the  rich  soils,  where  the  tillage  depends 
chiefly  upon  the  harrow,  in  constructing  which  a  thorny  species  of 
bamboo  is  used.  The  harrow  is  formed  of  five  or  six  pieces  of  this 
material,  on  which  the  thorns  are  left,  firmly  fastened  together.  It 
answers  its  purpose  well,  and  is  seldom  out  of  order.  A  wrought-iron 
harrow,  that  was  introduced  by  the  Jesuits,  is  used  for  clearing  the 
ground  more  effectually,  and  more  particularly  for  the  purpose  of  ex- 
tirpating a  troublesome  grass,  that  is  known  by  the  name  of  cogon  (a 


284  MANILLA. 

species  of  Andropogon),  of  which  it  is  very  difficult  to  rid  the  fields. 
The  bolo  or  long-knife,  a  basket,  and  hoe,  complete  the  list  of  imple- 
ments, and  answer  all  the  purposes  of  our  spades,  &c. 

The  buffalo  was  used  until  within  a  few  years  exclusively  in  their 
agricultural  operations,  and  they  have  lately  taken  to  the  use  of  the 
ox ;  but  horses  are  never  used.  The  buffalo,  from  the  slowness  of  his 
motions,  and  his  exceeding  restlessness  under  the  heat  of  the  climate, 
is  ill  adapted  to  agricultural  labour ;  but  the  natives  are  very  partial  to 
them,  notwithstanding  they  occasion  them  much  labour  and  trouble  in 
bathing  them  during  the  great  heat.  This  is  absolutely  necessary,  or 
the  animal  becomes  so  fretful  as  to  be  unfit  for  use.  If  it  were  not 
for  this,  the  buffalo  would,  notwithstanding  his  slow  pace,  be  most 
effective  in  agricultural  operations;  he  requires  little  food,  and  that  of 
the  coarsest  kind ;  his  strength  surpasses  that  of  the  stoutest  ox,  and 
he  is  admirably  adapted  for  the  rice  or  paddy  fields.  They  are  very 
docile  when  used  by  the  natives,  and  even  children  can  manage  them ; 
but  it  is  said  they  have  a  great  antipathy  to  the  whites,  and  all 
strangers.  The  usual  mode  of  guiding  them  is  by  a  small  cord  at- 
tached to  the  cartilage  of  the  nose.  The  yoke  rests  on  the  neck  before 
the  shoulders,  and  is  of  simple  construction.  To  this  is  attached  what- 
ever it  may  be  necessary  to  draw,  either  by  traces,  shafts,  or  other 
fastenings.  Frequently  this  animal  may  be  seen  with  large  bundles  of 
bamboo  lashed  to  them  on  each  side.  Buffaloes  are  to  be  met  with  on 
the  lake  with  no  more  than  their  noses  and  eyes  out  of  the  water,  and 
are  not  visible  until  they  are  approached  within  a  few  feet,  when  they 
cause  alarm  to  the  passengers  by  raising  their  large  forms  close  to  the 
boat.  It  is  said  that  they  resort  to  the  lake  to  feed  on  a  favourite  grass 
that  grows  on  its  bottom  in  shallow  water,  and  which  they  dive  for. 
Their  flesh  is  not  eaten,  except  that  of  the  young  ones,  for  it  is  tough 
and  tasteless.  The  milk  is  nutritious,  and  of  a  character  between  that 
of  the  goat  and  cow. 

The  general  appearance  of  the  buffalo  is  that  of  a  hybrid  of  the  bull 
and  rhinoceros.  Its  horns  do  not  rise  upwards,  are  very  close  at  the 
root,  bent  backwards,  and  of  a  triangular  form,  with  a  flat  side  above. 
One  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  buffalo  is  its  voice,  which  is  quite  low, 
and  in  the  minor  key,  resembling  that  of  a  young  colt  It  is  as  fond 
of  mire  as  swine,  and  shows  the  consequence  of  recent  wallowing,  in 
being  crusted  over  with  mud.  The  skin  is  visible,  being  but  thinly 
covered  with  hair;  its  colour  is  usually  that  of  a  mouse;  in  some 
individuals  darker. 

Rice  is,  perhaps,  of  their  agricultural  products,  the  article  upon 
which  the  inhabitants  of  the  Philippine  Islands  most  depend  for  food 


MANILLA. 

and  profit ;  of  Uiis  they  have  several  different  'varieties,  which  the 
natives  distinguish  by  their  size  and  the  shape  of  the  grain:  the 
birnambang,  lamuyo,  malagequit,  bontot-cabayo,  dumali,  quinanda, 
bolohan,  and  tangi.  The  three  first  are  aquatic ;  the  five  latter  upland 
varieties.  They  each  have  their  peculiar  uses.  The  dumali  is  the 
early  variety ;  it  ripens  in  three  months  from  planting,  from  which 
circumstance  it  derives  its  name :  it  is  raised  exclusively  on  the  up- 
lands. Although  much  esteemed,  it  is  not  extensively  cultivated,  as 
the  birds  and  insects  destroy  a  large  part  of  the  crop. 

The  malagequit  is  very  much  prized,  and  used  for  making  sweet 
and  fancy  dishes ;  it  becomes  exceedingly  glutinous,  for  which  reason 
it  is  used  in  making  whitewash,  which  it  is  said  to  cause  to  become 
of  a  brilliant  white,  and  to  withstand  the  weather.  This  variety  is 
not,  however,  believed  to  be  wholesome.  There  is  also  a  variety  of 
this  last  species  which  is  used  as  food  for  horses,  and  supposed  to  be  a 
remedy  and  preventive  against  worms. 

The  rice  grounds  or  fields  are  laid  out  in  squares,  and  surrounded 
by  embankments,  to  retain  the  water  of  the  rains  or  streams.  After 
the  rains  have  fallen  in  sufiicient  quantities  to  saturate  the  ground, 
a  seed-bed  is  generally  planted  in  one  corner  of  the  field,  in  which  the 
rice  is  sown  broadcast,  about  the  month  of  June.  The  heavy  rains 
take  place  in  August,  when  the  fields  are  ploughed,  and  are  soon  filled 
with  water.  The  young  plants  are  about  this  time  taken  from  the 
seed-bed,  their  tops  and  roots  trimmed,  and  then  planted  in  the  field 
by  making  holes  in  the  ground  with  the  fingers  and  placing  four  or 
five  sprouts  in  each  of  them ;  in  this  tedious  labour  the  poor  women 
are  employed,  whilst  the  males  are  lounging  in  their  houses  or  in  the 
shade  of  the  trees. 

The  harvest  for  the  aquatic  rice  begins  in  December.  It  is  reaped 
with  small  sickles,  peculiar  to  the  country,  called  yatap ;  to  the  back 
of  these  a  small  stick  is  fastened,  by  which  they  are  held,  and  the 
stalk  is  forced  upon  it  and  cut.  The  spikes  of  rice  are  cut  with  this 
implement,  one  by  one.  In  this  operation,  men,  women,  and  children 
all  take  part. 

The  upland  rice  requires  much  more  care  and  labour  in  its  cultiva- 
tion. The  land  must  be  ploughed  three  or  four  times,  and  all  the  turf 
and  lumps  well  broken  up  by  the  harrow. 

During  its  growth  it  requires  to  be  weeded  two  or  three  times,  to 
keep  the  weeds  from  choking  the  crop.  The  seed  is  sown  broadcast 
m  May.  This  kind  of  rice  is  harvested  in  November,  and  to  collect 
the  crop  is.  still  more  tedious  than  in  the  other  case,  for  it  is  always 
gathered  earlier,  and  never  reaped,  in  consequence  of  the  grain  not 


iSa  MANILLA. 

adhering  to  the  ear.'  If  it  were  gathered  in  any  other  way,  the  loss 
by  transportation  on  the  backs  of  bufialoes  and  horses,  without  any 
covering  to  the  sheaf,  would  be  so  great  as  to  dissipate  a  great  portion 
of  the  crop. 

It  appears  almost  incredible  that  any  people  can  remain  in  igno- 
rance of  a  way  of  preventing  so  extravagant  and  wasteful  a  mode 
of  harvesting.  The  government  has  been  requested  to  prohibit  it  on 
account  of  the  great  expense  it  gives  rise  to ;  but  whether  any  steps 
have  ever  been  taken  in  the  matter,  I  did  not  learn.  It  is  said  that 
not  unfrequently  a  third  part  of  the  crop  is  lost,  in  consequence  of  the 
scarcity  of  labourers ;  while  those  who  are  disengaged  will  refuse  to 
work,  unless  they  receive  one-third,  and  even  one-half  of  the  crop,  to 
be  delivered  free  of  expense  at  their  houses.  This  the  planters  are 
often  obliged  to  give,  or  lose  the  whole  crop.  Nay,  unless  the  harvest 
is  a  good  one,  reapers  are  very  unwilling  to  engage  to  take  it  even  on 
these  terms,  and  the  entire  crop  is  lost  The  labourers,  during  the 
time  of  harvest,  are  supported  by  the  planter,  who  is  during  that  time 
exposed  to  great  vexation,  if  not  losses.  The  reapers  are  for  the  most 
part  composed  of  the  idle  and  vicious  part  of  the  population,  who  go 
abroad  over  the  country  to  engage  themselves  in  this  employment, 
which  affords  a  livelihood  to  the  poorer  classes;  for  the  different 
periods  at  which  the  varieties  of  rice  are  planted  and  harvested,  gives 
them  work  during  a  large  portion  of  the  year. 

AAer  the  rice  is  harvested,  there  are  different  modes  of  treating  it. 
Some  of  the  proprietors  take  it  home,  where  it  is  thrown  into  heaps, 
and  left  until  it  is  desirable  to  separate  it  from  the  straw,  when  it  is 
trodden  out  by  men  and  women  with  their  bare  feet  For  this  opera- 
tion, they  usually  receive  another  fifth  of  the  rice. 

Others  stack  it  in  a  wet  and  green  state,  which  subjects  it  to  heat, 
from  which  cause  the  grain  contracts  a  dark  colour,  and  an  unplea- 
sant taste  and  smell.  The  natives,  however,  impute  these  defects  to 
the  wetness  of  the  season. 

The  crop  of  both  the  low  and  upland  rice,  is  usually  from  thirty  to 
fifty  for  one :  this  is  on  old  land ;  but  on  that  which  is  newly  cleared, 
or  which  has  never  been  cultivated,  the  yield  is  far  beyond  this.  In 
some  soils  of  the  latter  description,  it  is  said  that  for  a  chupa  (seven 
cubic  inches)  planted,  the  yield  has  been  a  caban.  The  former  is  the 
two-hundred-and-eighth  part  of  the  latter.  This  is  not  the  only  advan- 
tage gained  in  planting  rich  lands,  but  the  saving  of  labour  is  equally 
great ;  Tor  all  that  is  required  is  to  make  a  hole  with  the  fingers,  and 
place  three  or  four  grains  in  it  The  upland  rice  requires  but  little 
water,  and  is  never  irrigated. 


MANILLA.  387 

The  cultivBtor  in  the  Philippine  Islands  is  always  enabled  to  secure 
plenty  of  manure ;  for  vegetation  is  so  luxuriant  that  by  pulling  the 
weeds  and  laying  them  with  earth,  a  good  stock  is  quickly  obtained 
with  which  to  cover  his  fields.  Thus,  although  the  growth  is  so  rank 
as  to  cause  him  labour,  yet  in  this  hot  climate  its  decay  is  equally 
rapid,  which  tends  to  make  his  labours  more  successful. 

The  rice-atacks  form  a  picturesque  object  on  the  field;  they  are 
generally  placed  around  or  near  a  growth  of  bamboo,  whose  tall, 
graceful,  and  feathery  outline  is  of  itself  a  beautiful  object,  but  con- 
nected as  it  is  often  seen  with  the  returns  of  the  harvest,  il  furnishes 
an  additional  source  of  gratification. 


The  difierent  kinds  of  rice,  and  especially  the  upland,  would  no 
doubt  be  an  acquisition  to  our  country.  At  the  time  we  were  at 
Manilla,  it  was  not  thought  feasible  to  pack  it,  for  it  had  just  been 
reaped,  and  was  so  green  that  it  would  not  have  kept*     Although 

■  Since  my  return  home,  at  the  deiire  of  thit  diatinguulied  agriculturiEt,  Coloocl  Aastin, 
of  Soatb  CaroIiQa,  I  biiTe  icnt  tor  Bomo  ausples  of  the  diSerent  kind*i  uid  uoder  hU  can 
it  will  no  doulit  be  well  treated. 


288  MANILLA. 

rice  is  a  very  prolific  crop,  yet  it  is  subject  to  many  casualties,  from 
the  locusts  and  other  insects  that  devour  it;  the  drought  at  other 
times  affects  it,  particularly  the  aquatic  varieties.  There  is  a  use  to 
which  the  rice  is  applied  here,  which  was  new  to  us,  namely,  as  a 
substitute  for  razors ;  by  using  two  grains  of  it  between  the  fingers, 
they  nip  the  beard,  or  extract  it  from  the  chin  and  face. 

Among  the  important  productions  of  these  islands,  I  have  mentioned 
hemp,  although  the  article  called  Manilla  hemp  must  not  be  understood 
to  be  derived  from  the  plant  which  produces  the  common  hemp  (Can- 
nabis), being  obtained  from  a  species  of  plantain  (Musa  textilis),  called 
in  the  Philippines  "  abaca."  This  is  a  native  of  these  islands,  and 
was  formerly  believed  to  be  found  only  on  Mindanao ;  but  this  is  not 
the  case,  for  it  is  cultivated  on  the  south  part  of  Luzon,  and  all  the 
islands  south  of  it  It  grows  on  high  ground,  in  rich  soil,  and  is  propa- 
gated by  seeds.  It  resembles  the  other  plants  of  the  tribe  of  plantains, 
but  its  fruit  is  much  smaller,  although  edible.  The  fibre  is  derived  from 
the  stem,  and  the  plant  attains  the  height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  The 
usual  mode  of  preparing  the  hemp  is  to  cut  ofi*  the  stem  near  the  ground, 
before  the  time  or  just  when  the  fruit  is  ripe.  -  The  stem  is  then  eight  or 
ten  feet  long  below  the  leaves,  where  it  is  again  cut.  The  outer  coating 
of  the  herbaceous  stem  is  then  stripped  off,  until  the  fibres  or  cellular 
parts  are  seen,  when  it  undergoes  the  process  of  rotting,  and  after  being 
well  dried  in  houses  and  sheds,  is  prepared  for  market  by  assorting  it, 
a  task  which  is  performed  by  the  women  and  children.  That  which 
is  intended  for  cloth  is  soaked  for  an  hour  or  two  in  weak  lime-water 
prepared  from  sea-shells,  again  dried,  and  put  up  in  bundles.  From  all 
the  districts  in  which  it  grows,  it  is  sent  to  Manilla,  which  is  the  only 
port  whence  it  can  legally  be  exported.  It  arrives  in  large  bundles, 
and  is  packed  there,  by  means  of  a  screw-press,  in  compact  bales,  for 
shipping,  secured  by  rattan,  each  weighing  two  piculs. 

The  best  Manilla  hemp  ought  to  be  white,  dry,  and  of  a  long  and  fine 
fibre.  This  is  known  at  Manilla  by  the  name  of  lupis ;  the  second  quality 
they  call  bandala. 

The  exportation  has  much  increased  within  the  last  few  years,  in 
consequence  of  the  demand  for  it  in  the  United  States ;  and  the  whole 
crop  is  now  monopolized  by  the  two  American  houses  of  Sturges 
&  Co.,  and  T.  N.  Peale  &  Co.,  of  Manilla,  who  buy  all  of  good  quality 
that  comes  to  market  This  is  divided  between  the  two  houses,  and  the 
price  they  pay  is  from  four  to  five  dollars  the  picul.  The  entire  quantity 
raised  in  1840  was  eighty-three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety 
piculs ;  in  1841,  eighty*seven  thousand. 

The  quantity  exported  to  the  United  States  in  1840,  was  sixty-eight 


MANILLA.  280 

thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty  piculs,  and  in  1841,  only  sixty-two 
thousand  seven  hundred  piculs;  its  value  in  Manilla  is  about  three 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  Twenty  thousand  piculs  go  to  Europe. 
There  are  no  duties  on  its  exportation. 

That  which  is  brought  to  the  United  States  is  principally  manufac- 
tured in  or  near  Boston,  and  is  the  cordage  known  as  "  white  rope." 
The  cordage  manufactured  at  Manilla  is,  however,  very  superior  to 
the  rope  made  with  us,  although  the  hemp  is  of  the  inferior  kind.  A 
large  quantity  is  also  manufactured  into  mats. 

In  the  opinion  of  our  botanist,  it  is  not  probable  that  the  plant  could 
be  introduced  with  success  into  our  country,  for  in  the  Philippines  it  is 
not  found  north  of  latitude  14**  N. 

The  eofiee-plant  is  well  adapted  to  these  islands.  A  few  plants  were 
introduced  into  the  gardens  of  Manilla,  about  fifty  years  ago,  since 
which  time  it  has  been  spread  all  over  the  island,  as  is  supposed  by  the 
civet-cats,  which,  after  swallowing  the  seeds,  carry  them  to  a  distance 
before  they  are  voided. 

The  coffee  of  commerce  is  obtained  here  from  the  wild  plant,  and  is 
of  an  excellent  quality.  Upwards  of  three  thousand  five  hundred  piculs 
are  now  exported,  of  which  one-sixth  goes  to  the  United  States. 

The  sugar-cane  thrives  well  here.  It  is  planted  after  the  French 
fashion,  by  sticking  the  piece  diagonally  into  the  ground.  Some,  finding 
the  cane  has  suffered  in  times  of  drought,  have  adopted  other  modes.  It 
comes  to  perfection  in  a  year,  and  they  seldom  have  two  crops  from  the 
same  piece  of  land,  unless  the  season  is  very  favourable. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  cane  cultivated,  but  that  grown  in  the 
valley  of  Pampanga  is  thought  to  be  the  best.  It  is  a  small  red  variety, 
from  four  to  five  feet  high,  and  not  thicker  than  the  thumb.  The  manu- 
facture of  the  sugar  is  rudely  conducted ;  and  the  whole  business,  I  was 
told,  was  in  the  hands  of  a  few  capitalists,  who,  by  making  advances, 
secure  the  whole  crop  from  those  who  are  employed  to  bring  it  to 
market.  It  is  generally  brought  in  moulds,  of  the  usual  conical  shape, 
called  pilones,  which  are  delivered  to  the  purchaser  from  November  to 
June,  and  contain  each  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  On  their 
receipt,  they  are  placed  in  large  storehouses,  where  the  familiar  opera- 
tion of  claying  is  performed.  The  estimate  for  the  quantity  of  sugar 
from  these  pilones  after  this  process  is  about  one  hundred  pounds ;  it 
depends  upon  the  care  taken  in  the  process. 

Of  cotton  they  raise  a  considerable  quantity,  which  is  of  a  fine 
quality,  and  principally  of  the  yellow  nankeen.  In  the  province  of 
Ylocos  it  is  cultivated  most  extensively.  The  mode  of  cleaning  it  of 
its  seed  is  very  rude,  by  means  of  a  hand-mill,  and  the  expense  of 

VOL.  v.  Z  37 


200  MANILLA. 

cleaning  a  picul  (one  hundred  and  forty  pounds)  is  from  five  to  seven 
dollars.  There  have,  as  far  as  I  have  understood,  been  no  endeavours 
to  introduce  any  cotton-gins  from  our  country. 

It  will  be  merely  necessary  to  give  the  prices  at  which  labourers 
are  paid,  to  show  how  low  the  compensation  is,  in  comparison  with 
those  in  our  own  country.  In  the  vicinity  of  Manilla,  twelve  and  a 
half  cents  per  day  is  the  usual  wages ;  this  in  the  provinces  falls  to 
six  and  nine  cents.  A  man  with  two  bu&loes  is  paid  about  thirty 
cents.  The  amount  of  labour  performed  by  the  latter  in  a  day  would 
be  the  ploughing  of  a  soane,  about  two-tenths  of  an  acre.  The  most 
profitable  way  of  employing  labourers  is  by  the  task,  when,  it  is  said, 
the  natives  work  well,  and  are  industrious. 

The  manner  in  which  the  sugar  and  other  produce  is  brought  to 
market  at  Manilla  is  peculiar,  and  deserves  to  be  mentioned.  In  some 
of  the  villages,  the  chief  men  unite  to  build  a  vessel,  generally  a 
pirogue,  in  which  they  embark  their  produce,  under  the  conduct  of  a 
few  persons,  who  go  to  navigate  it,  and  dispose  of  the  cargo.  In  due 
time  they  make  their  voyage,  and  when  the  accounts  are  settled,  the 
returns  are  distributed  to  each  according  to  his  share.  Festivities  are 
then  held,  the  saints  thanked  for  their  kindness,  and  blessings  invoked  for 
another  year.  After  this  is  over,  the  vessel  is  taken  carefully  to  pieces, 
and  distributed  among  the  owners,  to  be  preserved  for  the  next  season. 

The  profits  in  the  crops,  according  to  estimates,  vary  from  sixty  to 
one  hundred  per  cent ;  but  it  was  thought,  as  a  general  average,  that 
this  was,  notwithstanding  the  great  productiveness  of  the  soil,  far  be- 
yond the  usual  profits  accruing  from  agricultural  operations.  In  some 
provinces  this  estimate  would  hold  good,  and  probably  be  exceeded. 

Indigo  would  probably  be  a  lucrative  crop,  for  that  raised  here  is 
said  to  be  of  a  quality  equal  to  the  best,  and  the  crop  is  not  subject  to 
so  many  uncertainties  as  in  India :  the  capital  and  attention  required 
in  vats,  &c.,  prevent  it  from  being  raised  in  any  quantities.  Among 
the  productions,  the  bamboo  and  rattan  ought  to  claim  a  particular 
notice  from  their  great  utility:  they  enter  into  almost  every  thmg. 
Of  the  former  their  houses  are  built,  including  frames,  floors,  sides, 
and  roof;  fences  are  made  of  the  same  material,  as  well  as  every 
article  of  general  household  use,  including  baskets  for  oil  and  water. 
The  rattan  is  a  general  substitute  for  ropes  of  all  descriptions,  and  the 
two  combined  are  used  in  constructing  rafts  for  crossing  ferries. 
.  I  have  thus  given  a  general  outline  of  the  capabilities  of  this  country 
for  agricultural  operations,  in  some  of  the  most  important  articles  of 
commerce ;  by  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Philippine  Islands  are 
one  of  the  most  favoured  parts  of  the  globe. 


MANILLA.  291 

The  crops  frequently  suffer  from  the  ravages  of  the  locusts,  which 
sweep  all  before  them.  Fortunately  for  the  poorer  classes,  their 
attacks  take  place  after  the  rice  has  been  harvested ;  but  the  cane  is 
sometimes  entirely  cut  off.  The  authorities  of  Manilla,  in  the  vain 
hope  of  stopping  their  devastations,  employ  persons  to  gather  them 
and  throw  them  into  the  sea.  I  understood  on  one  occasion  they  had 
spent  eighty  thousand  dollars  in  this  way,  but  all  to  little  purpose. 
It  is  said  that  the  crops  rarely  suffer  from  droughts,  but  on  the  con- 
trary the  rains  are  thought  to  fall  too  often,  and  to  flood  the  rice 
fields ;  these,  however,  yield  a  novel  crop,  and  are  very  advantageous 
to  the  poor,  viz.:  a  great  quantity  of  fish,  which  are  called  dalag, 
and  are  a  species  of  Blunnius;  they  are  so  plentiful,  that  they  are 
caught  with  baskets:  these  fish  weigh  from  a  half  to  two  pounds, 
and  some  are  said  to  be  eighteen  inches  long:  but  this  is  not  all; 
they  are  said,  after  a  deep  inundation,  to  be  found  even  in  the  vaults 
of  churches. 

The  Philippines  are  divided  into  thirty-one  provinces,  sixteen  of 
which  are  on  the  island  of  Luzon,  and  the  remainder  comprise  the 
other  islands  of  the  group  and  the  Ladrones. 

The  population  of  the  whole  group  is  above  three  millions,  including 
all  tribes  of  natives,  mestizoes,  and  whites.  The  latter-named  class 
are  but  few  in  number,  not  exceeding  three  thousand.  The  mestizoes 
were  supposed  to  be  about  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand ;  they  are  dis- 
tinguished as  Spanish  and  Indian  mestizoes.  The  Chinese  have  of 
late  years  increased  to  a  large  number,  and  it  is  said  that  there  are 
forty  thousand  of  them  in  and  around  Manilla  alone.  One-half  of  the 
whole  population  belongs  to  Luzon.  The  island  next  to  it  in  the  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  is  Panay,  which  contains  about  three  hundred  and 
thirty  thousand.  Then  come  Zebu,  Mindanoa,  Leyte,  Samar,  and 
Negros,  varying  from  the  above  numbers  down  to  fifty  thousand. 
The  population  is  increasing,  and  it  is  thought  that  it  doubles  itself  in 
seventy  years.  This  rate  of  increase  appears  probable,  from  a  com- 
parison of  the  present  population  with  the  estimate  made  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present  century,  which  shows  a  growth  in  the  forty  years 
of  about  one  million  four  hundred  thousand. 

The  native  population  is  composed  of  a  number  of  distinct  tribes, 
the  principal  of  which  in  Luzon  are  Pangarihan,  Ylocos,  Cagayan, 
Tagala,  and  Pampangan. 

The  Irogotes,  who  dwell  in  the  mountains,  are  the  only  natives 
who  have  not  been  subjected  by  the  Spaniards.  The  other  tribes 
have  become  identified  with  their  rulers  in  religion,  and  it  is  thought 
that  by  this  circumstance  alone  has  Spain  been  able  to  maintain  the 


363  MANILLA. 

ascendency  with  so  stnall  a  number,  over  such  a  numerous,  intelli- 
gent, and  eaergetic  race  as  they  are  represented  to  be.  This  is,  how- 
ever,  more  easily  accounted  for,  from  the  Spaniards  fostering  and 
keeping  alive  the  jealousy  and  hatred  that  existed  at  the  time  of  the 
discovery  between  the  difierent  tribes. 


It  seems  almost  incredible  that  Spain  should  have  so  long  persisted 
in  the  policy  of  allowing  no  more  than  one  galleon  to  pass  annually 
between  her  colonies,  and  equally  so  that  the  nations  of  Europe  should 
have  been  so  long  deceived  in  regard  to  the  riches  and  vrealih  that 
Spain  was  monopolizing  in  the  Philippines.  The  capture  of  Manilla, 
in  1762,  by  the  English,  lirst  gave  a  clear  idea  of  the  value  of  this 
remote  and  little-known  appendage  of  the  empire. 

The  Philippines,  considered  in  their  capacity  for  commerce,  are 
certainly  among  the  most  favoured  portions  of  the  globe,  and  there  is 
but  one  circumstance  that  tends  in  the  least  degree  to  lessen  their 
apparent  advantage;  this  is  the  prevalence  of  typhoons  in  the  China 
seas,  which  are  occasionally  felt  with  force  to  the  north  of  latitude 
10°  N.  South  of  that  parallel,  they  have  never  been  known  to  prevail, 
and  seldom  so  far;  but  from  their  unfailing  occurrence  yearly  in  some 
part  of  the  China  seas,  they  are  looked  for  wilh  more  or  less  dread, 
and  cause  each  season  a  temporary  interruption  in  all  the  trade  that 
passes  along  the  coast  of  these  islands. 

The  army  is  now  composed  entirely  of  native  troops,  who  number 
about  six  thousand  men,  and  the  regiments  are  never  suflered  to  serve 


MANILLA.  29S 

in  the  proiriiices  in  which  they  are  recruited,  but  those  from  the  north 
are  sent  to  the  south,  and  vice  versa.  There  they  are  employed  to 
keep  up  a  continual  watch  on  each  other;  and,  speaking  diflferent 
dialects,  they  never  become  identified. 

They  are,  indeed,  never  allowed  to  remain  long  enough  in  one 
region,  to  imbibe  any  feelings  in  unison  with  those  of  its  inhabitants. 
The  hostility  is  so  great  among  the  regiments,  that  mutinies  have 
occurred,  and  contests  arisen  which  have  produced  even  Uoodshed, 
which  it  was  entirely  out  of  the  power  of  the  officers  to  prevent  In 
cases  of  this  kind,  summary  punishment  is  resorted  to. 

Although  the  Spaniards,  as  far  as  is  known  abroad,  live  in  peace 
and  quiet,  this  is  far  from  being  the  case ;  for  rebellion  and  revolts 
among  the  troops  and  tribes  are  not  unfrequent  in  the  provinces.. 
During  the  time  of  oar  visit  one  of  these  took  place,  but  it  was  im- 
possible to  learn  any  thing  concerning  it  that  could  be  relied  upon,  for 
all  conversation  respecting  such  occurrences  is  interdicted  by  the 
government  The  difficulty  to  which  I  refer  was  said  to  have  origi- 
nated from  the  preaching  of  a  fanatic  priest,  who  inflamed  them  to 
such  a  degree  that  they  overthrew  the  troops  arid  became  temporarily 
masters  of  the  country.  Prompt  measures  were  immediately  taken, 
and  orders  issued  to  give  the  rebels  no  quarter;  the  regiments  most 
hostile  to  those  engaged  in  the  revolt  were  ordered  to  the  spot ;  tKey 
spared  no  one;  the  priest  add  his  companions  were  taken,  put  to 
death,  and  according  to  report,  in  a  manner  so  cruel  as  to  be  a  dis- 
grace to  the  records  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Although  I  should 
hope  the  accounts  I  heard  of  these  transactions  were  incorrect,  yet 
the  detestation  these  acts  were  held  in,  woukl  give  some  colour  to  the 
statements. 

The  few  gazettes  that  are  published  at  Manilla  are  entirely  under 
the  control  of  the  government ;  and  a  resident  of  that  city  must  make 
up  his  mind  to  remain  in  ignorance  of  the  things  that  are  passing 
around  him,  or  believe  just  what  the  authorities  will  allow  to  be  told, 
whether  truth  or  falsehood.  The  government  of  the  Philippines  is 
emphatically  an  iron  rule:  how  long  it  can  continue  so,  is  doubtful. 

One  of  my  first  duties  was  to  make  an  official  call  upon  his  Excel- 
lency Don  Marcelino  Oroa,  who  is  the  sixty-first  governor  of  the 
Philippine  Islands.  According  to  the  estaUished  etiquette,  Mr.  Moore, 
the  vice-consul,  announced  our  desire  to  do  so,  and  requested  to  be 
informed  of  the  time  when  we  would  be  received.  This  was  accord- 
ingly named,  and  at  the  appointed  hour  we  proceeded  to  the  palace 
in  the  city  proper.  On  our  arrival,  we  were  announced  and  led  up  a 
flight  of  steps,  ample  and  spacious,  but  by  no  means  of  such  splendour 

Z2 


2M  MANILLA. 

as  would  indicate  the  residence  of  vice-royalty.  The  suite  of  rooms 
into  which  we  were  ushered  were  so  dark  that  it  was  difficult  to  see. 
I  made  out,  however,  that  they  were  panelled,  and  by  no  means  richly 
furnished.  His  excellency  entered  from  a  side-door,  and  led  us  through 
two  or  three  apartments  into  his  private  audience-room,  an  apartment 
not  quite  so  dark  as  those  we  had  come  from :  our  being  conducted 
to  this,  I  was  told  afterwards,  was  to  be  considered  an  especial  mark 
of  respect  to  my  country.  His  reception  of  us  was  friendly.  The 
governor  has  much  more  the  appearance  of  an  Irishman  than  of  a 
Spaniard,  being  tall,  portly,  of  a  florid  complexion.  He  is  apparently 
more  than  sixty  years  of  age.  He  was  dressed  in  a  full  suit  of  black, 
with  a  star  on  his4)reast 

Mr.  Moore  acted  as  interpreter,  and  the  governor  readily  acceded 
to  my  request  to  be  allowed  to  send  a  party  into  the  interior  for  a  few 
days ;  a  permission  which  I  almost  despaired  of  receiving,  for  I  knew 
that  he  had  refused  a  like  application  some  few  months  before.  The 
refusal,  however,  I  think  was  in  part  owing  to  the  character  of  the 
applicants,  and  the  doubtful  object  they  had  in  view.  I  impute  the 
permission  we  received  to  the  influence  of  our  consul,  together  with 
Mr.  Sturges,  whose  agreeable  manners,  conciliatory  tone,  and  high 
standing  with  the  authorities,  will,  I  am  satisfied,  insure  us  at  all  times 
every  reasona];)le  advantage  or  facility. 

The  term  of  the  governor  in  office  is  three  years,  and  the  present 
incumbent  was  installed  in  1841.  This  length  of  time  is  thought  to  be 
sufficient  for  any  one  of  them  to  make  a  fortune.  The  office  is  held 
by  the  appointment  of  the  ministry  in  Spain,  and  with  it  are  connected 
perquisites  that  are  shared,  it  is  said,  by  those  who  confer  them. 

After  having  paid  our  respects  to  his  excellency,  we  drove  to  visit 
several  other  officers  of  the  government,  who  received  us  without  cere- 
mony. We  generally  found  them  in  loose  morning-gowns,  smoking, 
and  cigars  were  invariably  ofiered  us;  for  this  habit  appears  in 
Manilla  to  extend  to  all  ranks.  Even  in  the  public  offices  of  the 
custom-house  it  was  the  fashion,  and  cigars,  with  a  machero  for 
striking  a  light,  or  a  jost-stick  kept  burning,  were  usually  seen  in  every 
apartment 

To  the  captain  of  the  port,  Don  Juan  Salomon,  I  feel  under  many 
obligations  for  his  attentions.  I  was  desirous  of  obtaining  information 
relative  to  the  Sooloo  Seas,  and  to  learn  how  far  the  Spanish  surveys 
had  been  carried.  He  gave  me  little  hopes  of  obtaining  any;  but 
referred  me  to  Captain  Halcon,  of  the  Spanish  Navy,  who  had  been 
employed  surveying  some  part  of  the  coast  of  the  islands  to  the  north. 
The  latter,  whom  I  visited,  on  my  making  the  inquiry  of  him,  and 


MANILLA*  295 

stating  the  course  I  intended  to  pursue,  frankly  told  me  that  all  the 
existing  charts  were  erroneous.  He  only  knew  enough  of  the  ground 
to  be  certain  that  they  were  so,  and  consequently  useless.  He  advised 
my  taking  one  of  the  native  pilots,  who  were  generally  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  seas  that  lay  more  immediately  in  my  route.  The 
captain  of  the  port  was  afterwards  kind  enough  to  offer  to  procure  me 
one. 

The  intercourse  I  had  with  these  gentlemen  was  a  source  of 
much  gratification,  and  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  make  this  public 
expression  of  it  To  both,  my  sincere  acknowledgments  are  due  for 
information  in  relation  to  the  various  reefs  and  shoals  that  have  been 
recently  discovered,  and  which  will  be  found  placed  in  their  true  posi- 
tion on  our  charts. 

During  our  stay  at  Manilla,  our  time  was  occupied  in  seeing  sights, 
shopping,  riding,  and  amusing  ourselves  with  gazing  on  the  throng 
incessantly  passing  through  the  Escolta  of  the  Binondo  suburb,  or  more 
properly,  the  commercial  town  of  Manilla. 

Among  the  lions  of  the  place,  the  great  royal  cigar  manufactories 
claim  especial  notice  from  their  extent  and  the  many  persons  em- 
ployed. There  are  two  of  these  establishments,  one  situated  in  the 
Binondo  quarter,  and  the  other  on  the  great  square  or  Prado;  in 
the  former,  which  was  visited  by  us,  there  are  two  buildings  of  two 
stories  high,  besides  several  storehouses,  enclosed  by  a  wall,  with  two 
large  gateways,  at  which  sentinels  are  always  posted.  The  principal 
workshop  is  in  the  second  story,  which  is  divided  into  six  apartments, 
in  which  eight  thousand  females  are  employed.  Throughout  the 
whole  extent,  tables  are  arranged,  about  sixteen  inches  high,  ten  feet 
long,  and  three  feet  wide,  at  each  of  which  fifteen  women  are  seated, 
having  small  piles  of  tobacco  before  them.  The  tables  are  set  cross- 
wise from  the  wall,  leaving  a  space  in  the  middle  of  the  room  free* 
The  labour  of  a  female  produces  about  two  hundred  cigars  a  day; 
and  the  working  hours  are  from  6  a.  m.  till  6  p.  m.,  with  a  recess  of 
two  hours,  from  eleven  till  one  o'clock.  The  whole  establishment  is 
kept  very  neat  and  clean,  and  every  thing  appears  to  be  carried  on  in 
the  most  systematic  and  workmanlike  manner.  Among  such  numbers, 
it  has  been  found  necessary  to  institute  a  search  on  their  leaving  the 
establishment  to  prevent  embezzlement,  and  this  is  regularly  made 
twice  a  day,  without  distinction  of  sex.  It  is  a  strange  sight  to 
witness  the  ingress  and  egress  of  these  hordes  of  females ;  and  pro- 
bably the  world  cannot  elsewhere  exhibit  so  large  a  number  of  ugly 
women.  Their  ages  vary  from  fifteen  to  forty-fiva  The  sum  paid 
them  for  wages  is  very  trifling.    The  whole  number  of  persons  em- 


296  MANILLA. 

ployed  in  the  manufactories  is  about  fifteen  thousand;  this  includes 
the  officers,  clerks,  overseers,  &c. 

As  nearly  as  I  could  ascertain,  the  revenue  derived  from  these  esta- 
blishments  is  half  a  million  of  dollars. 

The  natives  of  the  Philippines  are  industrious.  They  manufacture 
an  amount  of  goods  sufficent  to  supply  their  own  wants,  particularly 
from  Panay  and  Ylocos.  These  for  the  most  part  consist  of  cotton 
and  silks,  and  a  peculiar  article  called  pina.  The  latter  is  manufactured 
from  a  species  of  Bromelia  (pine-apple),  and  comes  principally  from  the 
island  of  Panay.  The  finest  kinds  of  pina  are  exceedingly  beautiful, 
and  surpass  any  other  material  in  its  evenness  and  beauty  of  texture. 
Its  colour  is  yellowish,  and  the  embroidery  is  fully  equal  to  the  material. 
It  is  much  sought  after  by  all  strangers,  and  considered  as  one  of  the 
curiosities  of  this  group.  Various  reports  have  been  stated  of  the  mode 
of  its  manufacture,  and  among  others  that  it  was  woven  under  water, 
which  I  found,  upon  inquiry,  to  be  quite  erroneous.  The  web  of  the 
pina  is  so  fine,  that  they  are  obliged  to  prevent  all  currents  of  air  from 
passing  through  the  roomsr  where  it  is  manufactured,  for  which  purpose 
there  are  gauze  screens  in  the  windows.  After  the  article  is  brought 
to  Manilla,  it  is  then  embroidered  by  girls ;  this  last  operation  adds 
greatly  to  its  value.  W»  visited  one  of  the  houses  where  this  was  in 
progress,  and  where  the  moist  skilful  workwomen  are  employed. 

On  mounting  the  stairs  of  bamboos,  every  step  we  took  produced  its 
creak ;  but,  although  the  whole  seemed  but  a  crazy  affair,  yet  it  did  not 
want  for  strength,  being  well  and  firmly  bound  together.  There  were 
two  apartments,  each  about  thirteen  by  twenty-five  feet,  which  could  be 
divided  by  screens,  if  required.  At  the  end  of  it  were  seen  about  forty 
females,  all  busily  plying  their  needles,  and  so  closely  seated  as  appa- 
rently to  incommode  each  other.  The  mistress  of  the  manufactory,  who 
was  quite  young,  gave  us  a  friendly  reception,  and  showed  us  the  whole 
process  of  drawing  the  threads  and  working  the  patterns,  which,  in  many 
cases,  were  elegant  A  great  variety  of  dresses,  scarfs,  caps,  collars, 
cufifs,  and  pocket-handkerchiefs,  were  shown  us.  These  were  mostly 
in  the  rough  state,  and  did  not  strike  us  with  that  degree  of  admiration 
which  was  expected.  They,  however,  had  been  in  hand  ftnr  six  months, 
and  were  soiled  by  much  handling;  but  when  others  were  shown  us  in 
the  finished  state,  washed  and  put  up,  they  were  such  as  to  claim  our 
admiration. 

I  was  soon  attracted  by  a  very  dififerent  sight  at  the  other  end  of 
the  apartment.  This  was  a  dancing-master  and  his  scholar,  of  six 
years  old,  the  daughter  of  the  woman  of  the  house.  It  was  exceedingly 
amusing  to  see  the  airs  and  graces  of  this  child. 


MANILLA.  997 

For  music  they  had  a  guitar ;  and  I  never  witnessed  a  ballet  that 
gave  me  more  amusement,  or  saw  a  dancer  that  evinced  more  grace, 
ease,  confidence,  and  decided  talent,  than  'did  this  little  girl.  She  was 
prettily  formed,  and  was  exceedingly  admired  and  applauded  by  us  all 
Her  mother  considered  her  education  as  finished,  and  looked  on  with 
all  the  admiration  and  fondness  of  parental  affection. 

On  inquiry,  I  found  that  the  idea  of  teaching  her  to  read  and  write 
had  not  yet  been  entertained.  Yet  every  expense  is  incurred  to  teach 
them  to  use  their  feet  and  arms,  and  to  assume  the  expression  of  coun- 
tenance that  will  enable  them  to  play  a  part  in  the  after-scenes  of  life. 

This  manufactory  had  work  engaged  for  nine  months  or  a  year  in 
advance.  The  fabric  is  extremely  expensive,  and  none  but  the  wealthy 
can  afford  it.  It  is  also  much  sought  after  by  foreigners.  Even  orders 
for  Queen  Victoria  and  many  of  the  English  nobility  were  then  in 
hand ;  at  least  I  so  heard  at  Manilla.  Those  who  are  actually  present 
have,  notwithstanding,  the  privilege  of  selecting  what  they  wish  to  pur- 
chase ;  for,  with  the  inhabitants  here,  as  elsewhere,  ready  money  has 
too  much  attraction  for  them  to  forego  the  temptation. 

Time  in  Manilla  seems  to  hang  heavily  on  the  hands  of  some  of  its 
inhabitants ;  their  amusements  are  few,  and  the  climate  ill  adapted  to 
exertion.  The  gentlemen  of  the  higher  classes  pass  their  morning  in 
the  transaction  of  a  little  public  business,  lounging  about,  smoking, 
&c.  In  the  afternoon,  they  sleep,  and  ride  on  the  Prado ;  and  in  the 
evening,  visit  their  friends,  or  attend  a  tertulia.  The  ladies  are  to  be 
pitied;  for  they  pass  three-fourths  of  their  time  in  dishabille,  with 
their  maids  around  them,  sleeping,  dressing,  lolling,  and  combing 
their  hair.  In  this  way  the  whole  morning  is  lounged  away:  they 
neither  read,  write,  nor  work.  In  dress  they  generally  imitate  the 
Europeans,  except  that  they  seldom  wear  stockings,  and  go  with 
their  arms  bare.  In  the  afternoon  they  ride  on  the  Prado  in  state, 
and  in  the  evening  accompany  their  husbands.  Chocolate  is  taken 
early  in  the  morning,  breakfast  at  eleven,  and  dinner  and  supper  are 
included  in  one  meal. 

Mothers  provide  for  the  marriage  of  their  daughters;  and  I  was 
told  that  such  a  thing  as  a  gentleman  proposing  to  any  one  but  the 
mother,  or  a  young  lady  engaging  herself,  is  unknown  and  unheard  o£ 
The  negotiation  is  all  carried  forward  by  the  mother,  and  the  daughter 
is  given  to  any  suitor  she  may  deem  a  desirable  match.  The  young 
ladies  are  said  to  be  equally  disinclined  to  a  choice  themselves,  and  if 
proposals  were  made  to  them,  the  suitor  would  be  at  once  referred  to 
the  mother.  Among  the  lower  orders  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for 
the  parties  to  be  living  without  the  ceremony  of  marriage,  until  they 

VOL.  V.  88 


298  MANILLA. 

have  a  family;  and  no  odium  whatever  is  attached  to  such  a  con- 
nexion. They  are  looked  upon  as  man  and  wife,  though  they  do  not 
live  together ;  and  they  rarely  fail  to  solemnize  their  union  when  they 
have  accumulated  sufficient  property  to  procure  the  requisite  articles 
for  housekeeping. 

Three  nights  in  each  week  they  have  music  in  the  plaza,  in  firont  of 
the  governor's  palace,  by  the  bands  of  four  different  r^ments,  who 
collect  there  after  the  evening  parade.  Most  of  the  better  class  resort 
here,  for  the  pleasure  of  enjoying  it  We  went  thither  to  see  the 
people  as  well  as  to  hear  the  music.  'This  is  the  great  resort  of  the 
haut  Untf  who  usually  have  their  carriages  in  waiting,  and  promenade 
in  groups  backwards  and  forwards  during  the  time  the  music  is  play- 
ing. This  is  by  far  the  best  opportunity  that  one  can  have  for  view- 
ing the  society  of  Manilla,  which  seems  as  easy  and  unrestrained  as 
the  peculiar  gravity  and  ceremonious  mode  of  intercourse  among  the 
old  Spaniards  can  admit  Before  the  present  governor  took  office,  it 
had  been  the  custom  to  allow  the  bands  to  play  on  the  Prado  every 
fine  evening,  when  all  the  inhabitants  could  enjoy  it  until  a  late  hour; 
but  he  has  interdicted  this  practice,  and  of  course  given  much  dissatis- 
faction ;  he  is  said  to  have  done  this  in  a  fit  of  ill  temper,  and  although 
unportuned  to  restore  this  amusement  to  the  common  people,  he  perti- 
naciously refuses. 

The  bands  of  the  regiments  are  under  the  direction  of  Frenchmen 
and  Spaniards :  the  musicians  are  all  natives,  and  play  with  a  correct 
ear. 

Our  afternoons  were  spent  in  drives  on  the  Prado,  where  all  the 
fashion  and  rank  of  Manilla  are  to  be  met,  and  where  it  is  exceedingly 
agreeable  to  partake  of  the  fresh  and  pure  air  after  a  heated  day  in 
the  city.  The  extreme  end  of  the  Prado  lies  along  the  shore  of  the 
bay  of  Manilla,  having  the  roadstead  and  ships  on  one  side,  and  the 
city  proper  with  its  fortifications  and  moats  on  the  other.  This  drive 
usually  lasts  for  an  hour,  and  all  sorts  of  vehicles  are  shown  off,  from 
the  governor's  coach  and  six,  surrounded  by  his  lancers,  to  the  sorry 
chaise  and  limping  nag.  The  carriage  most  used  is  a  four-wheeled 
biloche,  with  a  gig  top,  quite  low,  and  drawn  by  two  horses,  on  one  of 
which  is  a  postilion;  these  vehicles  are  exceedingly  comfortable  for 
two  persons.  The  horses  are  small,  but  spirited,  and  are  said  to  be 
able  to  undergo  great  fatigue,  although  their  appearance  does  not 
promise  it  This  drive  is  enlivened  by  the  music  of  the  different 
regiments,  who  are  at  this  time  to  be  seen  manc&uvring  on  the  Prada 
The  soldiers  have  a  very  neat  and  clean  appearance ;  great  attention 
is  paid  to  them,  and  the  whole  are.  well  appointed.    The  force  sta- 


MANILLA.  399 

tion^d  in  Manilla  is  six  thousand,  and  the  army  in  the  Philippines 
amounts  to  twenty  thousand  men.  The  officers  are  all  Spaniards, 
generally  the  relations  and  friends  of  those  in  the  administration  of 
the  government.  The  pay  of  the  soldiers  is  four  dollars  a  month,  and 
a  ration,  which  is  equal  to  six  cents  a  day.  As  troops,  I  was  told 
they  acquitted  themselves  well.  The  Prado  is  laid  out  in  many 
avenues,  leading  in  various  directions  to  the  suburbs,  and  these  are 
planted  with  wild  almond  trees,  whieh  afibrd  a  pleasant  shade.  It  is 
well  kept,  and  creditable  to  the  city. 

In  passing  the  crowds  of  carriages  very  little  display  of  female 
beauty  is  observed,  and  although  well-dressed  above,  one  cannot  but 
revert  to  their  wearing  no  stockings  beneath. 

On  the  Prado  is  a  small  theatre,  but  so  inferior  that  the  building 
scarce  deserves  the  name:  the  acting  was  equally  bad.  This  amuse- 
ment meets  with  little  encouragement  in  Manilla,  and  I  was  told,  was 
discountenanced  by  the  Governor. 

I  had  the  pleasure  during  our  stay  of  attending  a  tertulia  in  the 
city.  The  company  was  not  a  large  one,  comprising  some  thirty  or 
forty  ladies  and  about  sixty  gentlemen.  It  resembled  those  of  the 
mother  country.  Dancing  was  introduced  at  an  early  hour,  and  con- 
tinued till  a  few  minutes  before  eleven  o'clock,  at  which  time  the 
gates  of  the  city  are  always  shut  It  was  amusing  to  see  the  sudden 
breaking  up  of  the  party,  most  of  the  guests  residing  out  of  the  city. 
The  calling  for  carriages,  shawls,  hats,  &c.,  produced  for  a  few 
minutes  great  confusion,  every  one  being  desirous  of  getting  off  at  the 
earliest  moment  possible,  for  fear  of  being  too  late.  This  regulation, 
by  which  the  gates  are  closed  at  so  early  an  hour,  does  not  appear 
necessary,  and  only  serves  to  interrupt  the  communication  between 
the  foreign  and  Spanish  society,  as  the  former  is  obliged,  as  before 
observed,  to  live  outside  of  the  city  proper.  This  want  of  free  inter- 
course is  to  be  regretted,  as  it  prevents  that  kind  of  friendship  by 
which  many  of  their  jealousies  and  prejudices  might  be  removed. 

The  society  at  this  tertulia  was  easy,  and  so  far  as  the  enjoyment 
of  dancing  went,  pleasant ;  but  there  was  no  conversation.  The  re- 
freshments consisted  of  a  few  dulces,  lemonade,  and  strong  drinks  in 
an  anteroom.  The  house  appeared  very  spacious  and  well  adapted  for 
entertainments,  but  only  one  of  the  rooms  was  well  lighted.  From 
the  novelty  of  the  scene,  and  the  attentions  of  the  gentleman  of  the 
house,  we  passed  a  pleasant  evening. 

The  natives  and  mestizoes  attracted  much  of  my  attention  at  Ma- 
niUa.  Their  dress  is  peculiar:  over  a  pair  of  striped  trousers  of 
various  colours,  the  men  usually  wear  a  fine  grass-cloth  shirt,  a  large 


300  MANILLA. 

Straw  hat,  and  around  the  head  or  neck  a  many-coloured  silk  hdnd 
kerchief.  They  often  wear  slippers  as  well  as  shoes.  The  Chinese 
dress,  as  they  have  done  for  centuries,  in  loose  white  shirts  and 
trousers.  One  peculiarity  of  the  common  men  is  their  passion  for 
cock-fighting;  and  ihey  carry  these  fowls  wherever  they  go,  after  a 
peculiar  fashion  under  their  arm. 

Cock-fighting  is  licensed  by  the  government,  and  great  care  is 
taken  in  the  breeding  of  game  fowls,  which  are  very  large  and  heavy 
birds.  They  are  armed  with  a  curved  double-edged  gafF.  The 
exhibitions  are  usually  crowded  with  half-breeds  or  mestizoes,  who 
are  generally  more  addicted  to  gambling  than  either  the  higher  or 
lower  classes  of  Spaniards.  It  would  not  be  an  unapt  designation  lo 
call  the  middling  class  cock-fighters,  for  their  whole  lives  seem  to  be 


taken  up  with  the  breeding  and  fighting  of  these  birds.  On  the  exit 
from  a  cockpit,  I  was  much  amused  wilh  the  mode  of  giving  the 
return  check,  which  was  done  by  a  stamp  on  the  naked  arm,  and 
precludes  the  possibility  of  its  transfer  lo  another  person.  The  dress 
of  the  lower  order  of  females  is  somewhat  civilized,  yet  it  bore  so 
strong  a  resemblance  to  that  of  the  Polynesians  as  lo  recall  the  latter 
to  our  recollection.  A  long  piece  of  coloured  cotton  is  wound  round 
the  body,  like  the  pareu,  and  tucked  in  at  the  side :  this  covers  the 


MANILLA.  301 

nether  limbs ;  and  a  jacket  fitting  close  to  the  body  is  worn,  without  a 
shirt  In  some,  this  jacket  is  ornamented  with  work  around  the  neck ; 
it  has  no  collar,  and  in  many  cases  no  sleeves,  and  over  this  a  richly 
embroidered  cape.  The  feet  are  covered  with  slippers,  with  wooden 
soles,  which  are  kept  on  by  the  little  toe,  only  four  toes  entering  the 
slipper,  and  the  little  one  being  on  the  outside.  The  effect  of  both 
costumes  is  picturesque. 

The  market  is  a  never-failing  place  of  amusement  to  a  foreigner,  for 
there  a  crowd  of  the  common  people  is  always  to  be  seen,  and  their 
mode  of  conducting  business  may  be  observed.  The  canals  here  afford 
great  facilities  for  bringing  vegetables  and  produce  to  market  in  a  fresh 
state.  The  vegetables  are  chiefly  brought  from  the  shores  of  the  Laguna 
de  Bay,  through  the  river  Pasig.  The  meat  appeared  inferior,  and  as 
in  all  Spanish  places  the  art  of  butchering  is  not  understood.  The 
poultry,  however,  surpasses  that  of  any  other  place  I  have  seen,  parti- 
cularly in  ducks,  the  breeding  of  which  is  pursued  to  a  great  extent. 
Establishments  for  breeding  these  birds  are  here  carried  on  in  a 
systematic  manner,  and  are  a  great  curiosity.  They  consist  of  many 
small  enclosures,  each  about  twenty  feet  by  forty  or  fifty,  made  of 
bamboo,  which  are  placed  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  partly  covered 
with  water.  In  one  comer  of  the  enclosure  is  a  small  house,  where  the 
eggs  are  hatched  by  artificial  heat,  produced  by  rice-chaff  in  a  state  of 
fermentation.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  six  or  eight  hundred  duck- 
lings all  of  the  same  age.  There  are  several  hundreds  of  these  enclo- 
sures, and  the  number  of  ducks  of  all  ages  may  be  computed  at 
millions.  The  manner  in  which  they  are  schooled  to  take  exercise,  and 
to  go  in  and  out  of  the  water,  and  to  return  to  their  house,  almost 
exceeds  belief.  The  keepers  or  tenders  are  of  the  Tagala  tribe,  who 
live  near  the  enclosures,  and  have  them  at  all  times  under  their  eye. 
The  old  birds  are  not  suffered  to  approach  the  young,  and  all  of  one 
age  are  kept  together.  They  are  fed  upon  rice  and  a  small  species  of 
shell-fish  that  is  found  in  the  river  and  is  peculiar  to  it.  From  the 
extent  of  these  establishments  we  inferred  that  ducks  were  the  favourite 
article  of  food  at  Manilla,  and  the  consumption  of  them  must  be 
immense.  The  markets  are  well  supplied  with  chickens,  pigeons,  young 
partridges,  which  are  brought  in  alive,  and  turkeys.  Among  strange 
articles  that  we  saw  for  sale,  were  cakes  of  coagulated  blood.  The 
markets  are  well  stocked  with  a  variety  of  fish,  taken  both  in  the 
Laguna  and  bay  of  Manilla,  affording  a  supply  of  both  the  fresh  and 
salt-water  species,  and  many  smaller  kinds  that  are  dried  and  smoked. 
Vegetables  are  in  great  plenty^  and  consist  of  pumpkins,  lettuce,  onions 

2A   . 


303 


MANILLA. 


radishes,  very  long  squashes,  &c. ;  of  fruits,  they  have  melons,  chicos, 
durians,  marbolas,  and  oranges. 

Fish  are  caught  in  weirs,  by  the  hook,  or  in  seines.  The  former  are 
constructed  of  bamboo  stakes,  in  the  shallow  water  of  the  lake,  at  the 
point  where  it  flows  through  the  river  Pasig.  In  the  bay,  and  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  the  fish  are  taken  in  nets,  suspended  by  the  four 
corners  from  hoops  attached  to  a  crane,  by  which  they  are  lowered  into 
the  water.  The  fishing-boats  are  little  better  than  rafls,  and  are  called 
saraboas.  The  wood-cut  at  the  end  of  this  chapter  will  give  a  better 
idea  of  them. 

The  usual  passage-boat  is  termed  banca,  and  is  made  of  a  single 
trunk.  These  are  very  much  used  by  the  inhabitants.  They  have  a 
sort  of  awning  to  protect  the  passenger  from  the  rays  of  the  sun ;  and 
being  light  are  easily  rowed  about,  although  they  are  exceedingly  un- 
comfortable to  sit  in,  from  the  lowness  of  the  seats,  and  liable  to  over- 
set, if  the  weight  is  not  placed  near  the  bottom.  The 
section  and  drawing  will  give  a  correct  idea  of  them ;  the 
out-rigger  has  in  all  probability  been  dispensed  with, 
owing  to  the  impediment  it  offered  to  the  navigation  of 
their  canals;  these  canals  offer  great  facilities  for  the 
transportation  of  burdens ;  the  banks  of  almost  all  of  them 
are  faced  with  granite.  Where  the  streets  cross  them, 
there  are  substantial  stone  bridges,  which  are  generally  of  no  more  than 
one  arch,  so  as  not  to  impede  the  navigation.  The  barges  used  for  the 
transportation  of  produce  resemble  our  canal-boats,  and  have  sliding 
roofs  to  protect  them  from  the  rain. 


SECTION. 


MANILLA  BANOA. 


Water,  for  the  supply  of  vessels,  is  brought  off  in  large  earthen  jars. 
It  is  obtained  from  the  river,  and  if  care  is  not  taken,  the  water  will  be 
impure ;  it  ought  to  be  filled  beyond  the  city.  Our  supply  was  obtained 
five  or  six  miles  up  the  river,  by  a  lighter,  in  which  were  placed  a 
number  of  water-casks.    It  proved  excellent. 

The  trade  of  Manilla  extends  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  A  compara- 
tive statement  of  the  exports  of  1840  and  1641,  and  the  regulations  of 
the  trade,  will  be  found  in  Appendix  XIL 


MANILLA.  303 

There  are  many  facilities  for  the  transaction  of  business,  as  far  as 
the  shipment  of  articles  is  concerned ;  but  great  difficulties  attend  the 
settling  of  disputed  accounts,  collecting  debts,  &c. ;  in  the  way  of  which 
the  laws  passed  in  1834  have  thrown  many  obstacles.  All  commercial 
business  of  this  kind  goes  before,  first,  the  Junta  de  Comercio,  and  then 
an  appeal  to  the  Tribunal  de  Comercio.  This  appeal,  however,  is 
merely  nominal ;  for  the  same  judges  preside  in  each,  and  they  are  said 
to  be  susceptible  of  influences  that  render  an  appeal  to  them  by  honest 
men  at  all  times  hazardous.  The  opinion  of  those  who  have  had  the 
misfortune  to  be  obliged  to  recur  to  these  tribunals  is,  that  it  is  better 
to  suffer  wrong  than  encounter  both  the  expense  and  vexation  of  a 
resort  to  them  for  justice.  In  the  first  of  these  courts  the  decision  is 
long  delayed,  fees  exacted,  and  other  expenses  incurred ;  and  when 
judgment  is  at  length  given,  it  excites  one  party  or  the  other  to  appeal : 
other  expenses  accrue  in  consequence,  and  the  advocates  and  judges 
grow  rich  while  both  the  litigants  suffer.  I  understood  that  these 
tribunals  were  intended  to  simplify  business,  lessen  the  time  of  suits,  and 
promote  justice ;  but  these  results  have  not  been  obtained,  and  many 
believe  that  they  have  had  the  contrary  effect,  and  have  opened  the 
road  to  further  abuses. 

The  country  around  Manilla,  though  no  more  than  an  extended 
plain  for  some  miles,  is  one  of  great  interest  and  beauty,  and  affords 
many  agreeable  rides  on  the  roads  to  Santa  Anna  and  Maraquino. 
Most  of  the  country-seats  are  situated  on  the  river  Pasig ;  they  may 
indeed  be  called  palaces,  from  their  extent  and  appearance.  They 
are  built  upon  a  grand  scale,  and  afler  the  Italian  style,  with  terraces, 
supported  by  strong  abutments,  decked  with  vases  of  plants.  The 
grounds  are  ornamented  with  the  luxuriant,  lofty,  and  graceful  trees 
of  the  tropics ;  these  are  tolerably  well  kept.  Here  and  there  fine 
large  stone  churches,  with  their  towers  and  steeples,  are  to  be  seen, 
the  whole  giving  the  impression  of  a  wealthy  nobility,  and  a  happy 
and  flourishing  peasantry. 

In  one  of  our  rides  we  made  a  visit  to  the  Campo  Santo  or  ceme- 
tery, about  four  miles  from  Manilla.  It  is  small,  but  has  many  hand- 
some trees  about  it ;  among  them  was  an  Agati,  full  of  large  white 
flowers,  showing  most  conspicuously.  The  whole  place  is  as  unlike  a 
depository  of  the  dead  as  it  well  can  be.  Its  form  is  circular,  having 
a  small  chapel,  in  the  form  of  a  rotunda,  directly  opposite  the  gate,  or 
entrance.  The  walls  are  about  twenty  feet  high,  with  three  tiers  of 
niches,  in  which  the  bodies  are  enclosed  with  quicklime.  Here  they 
are  allowed  to  remain  for  three  years,  or  until  such  time  as  the  niches 
may  be  required  for  further  use.    Niches  may  be  purchased,  however. 


304  MANILLA. 

and  permanently  closed  up ;  but  in  the  whole  cemetery  there  were  but 
five  thus  secured.  This  would  seem  to  indicate  an  indifierence  on  the 
part  of  the  Kving,  for  their  departed  relatives  or  friends ;  at  least  such 
was  my  impression  at  the  time.  The  centre  of  the  enclosure  is  laid 
out  as  a  flower-garden  and  shrubbery,  and  all  the  buildings  are  washed 
a  deep  buff-colour,  with  white  cornices ;  these  colours,  when  contrasted 
with  the  green  foliage,  give  an  effect  that  is  not  unpleasing.  In  the 
chapel  are  two  tombs,  the  one  for  the  bishop,  and  the  other  for  the 
governor.  The  former,  I  believe,  is  occupied,  and  will  continue  to  be 
so,  until  another  shall  follow  him ;  but  the  latter  is  empty,  for,  since  the 
erection  of  the  cemetery,  none  of  the  governors  have  died.  In  the 
rear  of  the  chapel  is  another  small  cemetery,  called  Los  Angelos ;  and, 
further  behind,  the  Os^ro.  The  former  is  similar  to  the  one  in  front, 
but  smaller,  and  appropriated  exclusively  to  children ;  the  latter  is  an 
open  space,  where  the  bones  of  all  those  who  have  been  removed  from 
the  niches,  after  three  years,  are  cast  out,  and  now  lie  in  a  confused 
heap,  with  portions  of  flesh  and  hair  adhering  to  them.  No  person  is 
allowed  to  be  received  here  for  interment,  until  the  fees  are  first  paid 
to  the  priest,  however  respectable  the  parties  may  be ;  and  all  those 
who  pay  the  fees,  and  are  of  the  true  faith,  can  be  interred.  I  was 
told  of  a  corpse  of  a  very  respectable  person  being  refused  admittance, 
for  the  want  of  the  priest's  pass,  to  show  that  the  claim  had  been  satis- 
fied, and  the  coflin  stopped  in  the  road  until  it  was  obtained.  We 
ourselves  witnessed  a  similar  refusal.  A  servant  entered  with  a  dead 
child,  borne  on  a  tray,  which  he  presented  to  the  sacristan  to  have 
interred ;  the  latter  asked  him  for  the  pass,  which  not  being  produced, 
he  was  dismissed,  nor  was  he  suffered  to  leave  his  burden  until  this 
requisite  could  be  procured  from  the  priest,  who  lived  opposite.  The 
price  qf  interment  was  three  dollars,  but  whether  this  included  the 
purchase  of  the  niche,  or  its  rent  for  three  years  only,  I  did  not  learn. 
._  The  churches  of  Manilla  can  boast  of  several  fine-toned  bells,  which 
are  placed  in  large  belfries  or  towers.  There  was  one  of  these  towers 
near  the  Messrs.  St  urges',  where  we  stayed;  and  the  manner  in  which 
the  bell  was  used,  when  swung  around  by  the  force  of  two  or  three 
men,  attracted  our  attention;  for  the  ringers  occasionally  practised 
feats  of  agility  by  passing  over  with  the  bell,  and  landing  on  the 
coping  on  the  opposite  side.  The  tower  being  open,  we  could  see  the 
mancBuvre  from  the  windows,  and,  as  strangers,  went  there  to  look  on. 
One  day,  whilst  at  dinner,  they  began  to  ring,  and  as  many  of  the 
oflicers  had  not  witnessed  the  feat,  they  sought  the  windows.  This 
excited  the  vanity  of  those  in  the  belfry,  who  redoubled  their  exertions, 
and  performed  the  feat  successfully  many  times,  although  in  some  in- 


MANILLA.  805 

Stances  they  narrowly  escaped  accident,  by  landing  just  within  the 
outside  coping.  This  brought  us  all  to  the  window,  and  the  next  turn, 
more  force  having  been  given  to  the  bell,  the  individual  who  attempted 
the  feat  was  thrown  headlong  beyond  the  tower,  and  dashed  to  pieces 
on  the  pavement  beneath.  Although  shocked  at  the  accident,  I  felt 
still  more  so  when,  after  a  few  minutes,  the  bell  was  again  heard 
making  its  usual  sound,  as  if  nothing  had  occurred  to  interrupt  the 
course  of  its  hourly  peals. 

In  company  with  Dr.  Tolben,  I  visited  one  of  the  convents  where  he 
attended  on  some  of  the  monks  who  were  sick,  and  who  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  them  all.  I  was  much  struck  with  the  extent  of  the  build- 
ing, which  was  four  stories  high,  with  spacious  corridors  and  galleries, 
the  walls  of  which  were  furnished  with  pictures  representing  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  the  Dominican  friars  in  Japan.  These  were  about  seventy 
in  number,  in  the  Chinese  style  of  art,  and  evidently  painted  by  some 
one  of  that  nation,  calling  himself  an  artist.  From  appearances,  how- 
ever, I  should  think  they  were  composed  by  the  priests,  who  have  not 
a  little  taxed  their  invention  to  find  out  the  different  modes  in  which  a 
man  can  be  put  to  death.  Many  evidently,  if  not  all,  had  been  in- 
vented for  the  pictures.  So  perplexed  had  they  apparently  been,  that 
in  one  of  the  last  it  was  observed  that  the  executioner  held  his  victim 
at  arms'  length  by  the  heels,  and  was  about  to  let  him  drop  headfore- 
most into  a  well.  From  the  galleries  we  passed  into  the  library,  and 
thence  into  many  of  the  rooms,  and  finally  we  mounted  to  the  top  of 
the  monastery,  which  afibrds  a  beautiful  view  of  the  bay,  city,  and 
suburbs.  There  I  was  presented  to  three  of  the  friars,  who  were 
pleasant  and  jolly-looking  men.  Upon  the  roof  was  a  kind  of  observa- 
tory, or  look-out,  simply  furnished  with  billiard-tables  and  shufileboards, 
while  the  implements  for  various  other  games  lay  about  on  small  tables, 
with  telescopes  on  stands,  and  comfortable  arm-chairs.  It  was  a  place 
where  the  firiars  put  aside  their  religious  and  austere  character  or  ap- 
pearance, and  sought  amusement  It  was  a  delightful  spot,  so  far  as 
coolness  and  the  freshness  of  the  sea  air  were  concerned,  and  its 
aspect  gave  me  an  insight  behind  the  curtain  of  these  establishments 
that  very  soon  disclosed  many  things  I  was  ignorant  of  before.  All 
the  iriars  were  of  a  rotund  form,  and  many  of  them  bore  the  marks 
of  good  living  in  their  full,  red,  and  bloated  faces.  It  seems  to  be 
generally  understood  at  Manilla,  that  they  live  upon  the  fat  of  the 
land.  We  visited  several  of  the  rooms,  and  were  warmly  greeted  by 
the  padres,  one  of  whom  presented  me  with  a  meteorological  table  for 
the  previous  year. 

The  revenues  of  all  these  religious  establishments  are  considerable ; 

VOL.V.  2A2  39 


806  MANILLA. 

the  one  1  visited  belonged  to  the  DominicaDS,  and  was  very  rich.  Theii 
revenues  are  principally  denved  from  lands  owned  by  tbem,  and  the 
tithes  from  the  different  distncts  which  they  have  under  th«r  charge, 
to  which  are  added  many  alms  and  gifts.  On  inquiry,  I  found  their 
general  character  was  by  no  means  thought  well  of,  and  they  had  of 
late  years  lost  much  of  the  influence  that  they  possessed  before  the 
revolution  in  the  mother  country. 

Among  the  inhabitants  we  saw  here,  was  a  native  boy  of  the  Iro- 
gotes,  or  mountain  tribe.  He  is  said  to  be  a  true  Negrito.  Mr.  Agate 
obtained  a  likeness  of  htm,  of  which  the  cut  is  a  copy. 


The  ^wniarda,  as  has  been  stated,  have  never  been  able  to  subdue 
this  tribe,  who  are  said  to  be  still  as  wild  as  on  dieir  first  landing; 
they  are  confined  almost  altogether  to  the  plains  within  or  near  the 
mountains,  and  from  time  to  time  make  inroads  in  great  force  on  the 
outer  settlements,  carrying  off  as  much  plunder  as  possible.  The 
burden  of  this  often  causes  them  to  be  overtaken  by  the  troops. 
When  overtaken,  they  fight  desperately,  and  were  it  not  for  the  fire- 
arms of  their  adversaries,  would  give  them'  much  trouble.  Few  are 
captured  on  such  occasions,  and  it  is  exceedingly  diflicult  to  take 


^ 


them  alive,  umesa  when  very  young.     These  mounlains  furnish  them 
with  an  iron  ore  almost  pure,  in  manufacturing  which  they  show 


MANILLA.  807 

much  ingenuity.  Some  of  their  weapons  were  presented  to  the  Ex- 
pedition by  Josiah  Moore,  Esq.  These  are  probably  imitations  of  the 
early  Spanish  weapons  used  against  them.  From  all  accounts,  the 
natives  are  of  Malay  origin,  and  allied  to  those  of  the  other  islands 
of  the  extensive  archipelago  of  the  Eastern  Seas;  but  the  popula- 
tion of  the  towns  and  cities  of  the  island  are  so  mixed,  from  the  con- 
stant intercourse  with  Chinese,  Europeans,  and  others,  that  there  is 
no  pure  blood  among  them.  When  at  Manilla,  we  obtained  a  grammar 
of  the  Tagala  language,  which  is  said  to  be  now  rarely  heard,  and  to 
have  become  nearly  obsolete.  This  grammar  is  believed  to  be  the  only 
one  extant,  and  was  procured  from  a  padre,  who  presented  it  to  the 
Expedition. 

The  Pampangans  are  considered  the  finest  tribe  of  natives ;  they 
are  excessively  fond  of  horse-racing,  and  bet  very  considerable  sums 
upon  it ;  they  have  the  reputation  of  being  an  industrious  and  energetic 
set  of  men. 

The  mode  of  raising  revenue  by  a  poll-*tax  causes  great  discontent 
among  all  classes,  for  although  light,  it  is,  as  it  always  has  been  else- 
where, unpopular.  All  the  Chinese  pay  a  capitation  tax  of  four 
dollars.  The  revalue  from  various  sources  is  said  to  amount  to  one 
million  six  hundred  thousand  dollars,  of  which  the  poll-tax  amounts 
to  more  than  one-half,  the  rest  being  derived  from  the  customs, 
tobacco,  &c.  There  is  no  tax  upon  land.  It  was  thought  at  Manilla 
that  a  revenue  might  be  derived  by  indirect  taxation,  far  exceeding 
this  sum,  without  being  sensibly  fdt  by  the  inhabitants.  This  mode 
is  employed,  in  the  eastern  islands  under  the  English  and  Dutch  rule, 
and  it  is  surprising  that  the  Spaniards  also  do  not  adopt  it,  or  some 
other  method  to  increase  resources  that  are  so  much  needed.  When- 
ever the  ministry  in  Spain  had  to  meet  a  claim,  they  were  a  few 
years  .ago  in  the  habit  of  issuing  drafts  on  this  colonial  government 
m  payment*  These  came  at  last  in  such  numbers,  that  latteriy  they 
have  been  compelled  to  suspend  the  payment  of  them. 

The  revenue  of  the  colonial  government  is  very  little  more  than 
will  meet  the  expenses ;  and  it  is  believed  that,  notwithstanding  these 
unaccepted  claims,  it  received  orders  to  remit  the  surplus,  if  any,  td 
Spaim  regardless  of  bonoor  or  good  faith. 

The  government  of  the  PhiUpjnnes  is  in  the  hands  of  a  governor- 
general,  who  has  the  titles  of  viceroy,  commander-in-chief,  sub-dele- 
gate, judge  of  the  revenue  from  the  post-office,  commander  of  the 
troops,  captain-general,  and  commander  of  the  naval  forces..  His 
duties  embrace  every  thing  that  relates  to  the  security  aiid  defence  of 
the  country.    As  advisers,  he  haB  a  cotmcil  called  the  Audiencia. 


808  MANILLA. 

The  islands  are  divided  into  provinces,  each  of  which  has  a  military 
officer  with  the  title  of  governor,  appointed  by  the  governor-general. 
They  act  as  chief  magistrates,  have  jurisdiction  over  all  disputes  of 
minor  importance,  have  the  command  of  the  troops  in  time  of  war, 
and  are  collectors  of  the  royal  revenues,  for  the  security  of  which  they 
give  bonds,  which  must  be  approved  of  by  the  comptroller-general  of 
the  treasury.  The  province  of  Cavite  is  alone  exempt  from  this  rule, 
and  the  collection  of  tribute  is  there  confided  to  a  police  magistrate. 

Each  province  is  again  subdivided  into  pueblos,  containing  a  greater 
or  less  number  of  inhabitants,  each  of  which  has  again  its  ruler,  called 
a  gobernadorcillo,  who  has  in  like  manner  other  officers  under  him  to 
act  as  police  magistrates.  The  number  of  the  latter  are  very  great, 
each  of  them  having  his  appropriate  duties.  These  consist  in  the 
supervision  of  the  grain  fields,  cocoa-nut  groves,  betel-nut  plantations, 
and  in  the  preservation  of  the  general  order  and  peace  of  the  town. 
So  numerous  are  these  petty  officers,  that  there  is  scarcely  a  family  of 
any  consequence,  that  has  not  a  member  who  holds  some  kind  of 
office  under  government  This  policy,  in  case  of  disturbances,  at  once 
unites  a  large  and  influential  body  on  the  side  of  the  government,  that 
is  maintained  at  little  expense.  The  gobernadorcillo  exercises  the 
municipal  authority,  and  is  especially  charged  to  aid  the  parish  priest 
in  every  thing  appertaining  to  religious  observances,  &c. 

In  the  towns  where  the  descendants  of  the  Chinese  are  sufficiently 
numerous,  they  can,  by  permission  of  the  governor,  elect  their  own 
petty  governors  and  officers  from  among  themselves. 

In  each  town  there  is  also  a  head-man  (cabezas  de  barangay),  who 
has  the  charge  of  fifty  tributaries,  in  each  of  which  is  included  as 
many  families.  This  division  is  called  a  barangay.  This  office 
forms  by  far  the  most  important  part  of  the  machinery  of  government 
in  the  Philippine  Islands,  for  these  head-men  are  the  attorneys  of  these 
small  districts,  and  become  the  electors  of  the  gobemadorcillos,  and 
other  civil  officers.  Only  twelve,  however,  of  them  or  their  substitutes, 
are  allowed  to  vote  in  each  town. 

The  office  of  head-man  existed  before  the  conquest  of  the  island, 
and  the  Spaniards  showed  their  wisdom  in  continuing  and  adapting 
it  to  their  system  of  police.  The  office  among  the  natives  was  heredi- 
tary, but  their  conquerors  made  it  also  elective,  and  when  a  vacancy 
now  occurs  through  want  of  heirs,  or  resignation,  it  is  filled  up  by  the 
superintendent  of  the  province,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  gober- 
nadorcillo and  the  head-men.  This  is  also  the  case  when  any  new 
office  is  created.  The  privileges  of  the  head-men  are  great ;  them- 
selves, their  wives,  and  their  first-born  children,  are  exempted  from 


MANILLA.  Me 

paying  tribute  to  the  crown,  an  exoneration  which  is  owing  to 
their  being  collectors  of  the  royal  revenues.  Their  duties  consist  in 
maintaining  good  order  and  harmony,  in  dividing  the  labour  required 
for  the  public  benefit  equally,  adjusting  differences,  and  rioceiving  the 
taxes. 

The  gobernadorciUo  takes  cognizance  of  all  civil  cases  not  exceeding 
two  tales  of  gold,  or  forty-four  dollars  in  silver ;  all  criminal  cases  must 
be  sent  to  the  chief  of  the  province.  The  head-men  formerly  served  for 
no  more  than  three  years,  and  if  this  was  done  faithfully,  diey  became 
and  were  designated  as  principals,  in  virtue  of  which  rank  they 
received  the  title  of  Don. 

The  election  takes  place  at  the  court-house  of  the  town;  the  electors 
are  the  gobernadorciUo  whose  office  is  about  to  expire,  and  twelve  of 
the  oldest  head-men,  collectors  of  tribute  and  of  *'  champanes ;"  for  the 
gobernadorciUo  they  must  select,  by  a  plurality  of  votes,  three  indi- 
viduals, who  must  be  able  to  speak,  read,  and  write  the  Spanish 
language.  The  voting  is  done  by  ballot,  in  the  presence  of  the  notary 
(escribano),  and  the  chief  of  the  province,  who  presides.  The  curate 
may  be  present,  to  look  after  the  interest  of  the  church,  but  for  no  other 
purpose.  After  the  votes  are  taken,  they  are  sealed  and  transmitted  to 
the  governor-general,  who  selects  one  of  the  three  candidates,  and 
issues  a  commission*  In  the  more  distant  provinces,  the  chief  of  the 
district  has  the  authority  to  select  the  gobwnadorcillo,  and  fill  up  the 
commission,  a  blank  form  of  which,  signed  by  the  governor-genend,  is 
left  with  him  for  that  purpose. 

The  head-men  may  be  elected  petty  governors,  and  still  retain  their 
office,  and  collect  the  tribute  or  taxes ;  for  it  is  not  considered  just,  that 
the  important  office  of  chief  of  Barangay  should  deprive  the  holder  of 
the  honour  of  being  elected  gobernadorciUo. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Chinese  reside  in  the  province  of  Tondo,  but 
the  tribute  is  there  collected  by  the  alcalde  mayor,  with  an  assistant 
taken  from  among  the  officers  of  the  royal  treasury. 

The  poll-tax  on  the  Chinese  amounts  to  four  dollars  a  head :  it  was 
formerly  one-half  more.  Tax-lists  of  the  Chinese  are  kept,  in  which  they 
are  registered  and  classified ;  and  opposite  the  name  is  the  amount  at 
which  the  individual  is  assessed. 

The  Spanish  government  seems  particularly  desirous  of  giving  con- 
sequence even  to  its  lowest  offices ;  and  in  order  to  secure  it  to  them,  it 
is  directed  that  the  chiefs  of  provinces  shaU  treat  the  gobemadorcillos 
with  respect,  offering  them  seats  when  they  enter  their  houses  or  othei 
places,  and  not  allowing  them  to  remain  standing;  furthermore,  the 
parish  curates  are  required  to  treat  them  with  equal  respect.    So  far  as 


810  MANILLA. 

concerns  the  provinces,  the  government  may  be  called,  notwithstanding 
the  officers,  courts,  &c.,  monastic.  The  priests  rule,  and  frequently 
administer  punishment,  with  their  own  hands,  to  either  sex,  of  which 
an  instance  will  be  cited  hereafter. 

As  soon  as  we  could  procure  the  necessary  passports,  which  were 
obligingly  furnished  by  the  governor  to  ''  Don  Russel  Sturges  y  quatro 
Anglo  Americanos,"  our  party  left  Manilla  for  a  short  jaunt  to  the 
mountains.  It  was  considered  as  a  mark  of  great  favour  on  the  part 
of  his  excellency  to  grant  this  indulgence,  particularly  as  he  had  a  few 
months  prior  denied  it  to  a  party  of  French  officers.  I  was  told  that 
he  preferred  to  make  it  a  domestic  concern,  by  issuing  the  passport  in 
the  name  of  a  resident,  in  order  that  compliance  in  this  case  might  not 
give  umbrage  to  the  French.  It  was  generally  believed  that  the  cause 
of  the  refusal  in  the  former  instance  was  the  imprudent  manner  in  which 
the  French  officers  went  about  taking  plans  and  sketches,  at  the  comers 
of  streets,  &c.,  which  in  the  minds  of  an  unenlightened  and  ignorant 
colonial  government,  of  course  excited  suspicion.  Nothing  can  be  so 
ridiculous  as  this  system  of  passports ;  for  if  one  was  so  disposed,  a 
plan,  and  the  most  minute  information  of  every  thing  that  concerns  the 
defences  of  places,  can  always  be  obtained  at  little  cost  now-a-days ;  for 
such  is  the  skill  of  engineers,  that  a  plan  is  easily  made  of  places, 
merely  by  a  sight  of  them.  We  were  not,  however,  disposed  to  question 
the  propriety  of  the  governor's  conduct  in  the  former  case,  and  I  felt 
abundantly  obliged  to  him  for  a  permission  that  would  add  to  our  stock 
of  information. 

It  was  deemed  at  first  impossible  for  the  party  to  divide,  as  they  had 
but  one  passport,  and  some  difficulties  were  anticipated  from  the  number 
being  double  that  stated  in  the  passport  The  party*  consisted  of 
Messrs.  Sturges,  Pickering,  Eld,  Rich,  Dana,  and  Brackenridge.  Mr. 
Sturges,  however,  saw  no  difficulty  in  dividing  the  party  after  they  had 
passed  beyond  the  precincts  of  the  city,  taking  the  precaution,  at  the 
same  time,  not  to  appear  together  beyond  the  number  designated  on  the 
paper. 

On  the  I4th,  they  left  Manilla,  and  proceeded  in  carriages  to  Santa 
Anna,  on  the  Pasig,  in  order  to  avoid  the  delay  that  would  ensue  if 
they  followed  the  windings  of  the  river  in  a  banca,  and  against  the 
current. 

.  At  Santa  Anna  they  found  their  bancas  waiting  for  them,  and 
embarked.  Here  the  scene  was  rendered  animated  by  numerous  boats 
of  all  descriptions,  from  the  parao  to  the  small  canoe  of  a  single  log. 

There  is  a  large  population  that  live  wholly  on  the  water :  for  the 
padrones  of  the  paraos  have  usually  their  families  with  them,  which, 


MANILLA.  811 

from  the  great  variety  of  ages  and  sexes,  give  a  very  different  and 
much  more  bustling  appearance  to  the  crowd  of  boats,  than  would  be 
the  case  if  they  only  contained  those  who  are  employed  to  navigate 
them.  At  times  the  paraos  and  bancas,  of  all  sizes,  together  with  the 
saraboas  and  pativas  (duck  establishments),  become  jumbled  together, 
and  create  a  confusion  and  noise  such  as  is  seldom  met  with  in  any 
other  country. 

The  pativas  are  under  the  care  of  the  original  inhabitants,  to  whom 
exclusively  the  superintendence  of  the  ducklings  seems  to  be  committed. 
The  pens  are  made  of  bamboo,  and  are  not  over  a  foot  high.  The 
birds  were  all  in  admirable  order,  and  made  no  attempt  to  escape  over 
the  low  barrier,  although  so  slight  that  it  was  thought  by  some  of  our 
gentlemen  it  would  not  have  sufficed  to  confine  American  ducks,  al- 
though their  wings  might  have  been  cut.  The  mode  of  giving  them 
exercise  was  by  causing  them  to  run  round  in  a  ring.  The  good 
understanding  existing  between  the  keepers  and  their  charge  was 
striking,  particularly  when  the  former  were  engaged  in  cleansing  the 
pens,  and  assisting  the  current  to  carry  off  the  impurities.  In  the 
course  of  their  sail,  it  was  estimated  that  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
ducks  of  all  ages  were  seen. 

The  women  who  were  seen  were  usually  engaged  in  fishing  with  a 
hook  and  line,  and  were  generally  standing  in  the  water,  or  in  canoes. 
The  saraboas  were  here  also  in  use.  The  run  of  the  fish  is  generally 
concentrated  by  a  chevaux-de-frise  to  guide  them  towards  the  nets  and 
localities  where  the  fishers  place  themselves. 

At  five  o'clock  they  reached  the  Laguna  de  Bay,  where  they  took 
in  a  new  crew,  with  mast  and  sail.  This  is  called  twenty-five  miles 
from  Manilla  by  the  river ;  the  distance  in  a  bird's  flight  is  not  over 
twelve.  The  whole  distance  is  densely  peopled,  and  well  cultivated. 
The  crops  consist  of  indigo,  rice,  &c.,  with  groves  of  the  betel,  palm, 
cocoa-nut,  and  quantities  of  fruit  trees. 

The  shores  of  the  lake  are  shelving,  and  afiford  good  situations  for 
placing  fish-weirs,  which  are  here  established  on  an  extensive  scale. 
These  weirs  are  formed  of  slips  of  bamboo,  and  are  to  be  seen  run- 
ning in  every  direction  to  the  distance  of  two  or  three  miles.  They 
may  be  said  to  invest  entirely  the  shores  of  the  lake  for  several  miles 
from  its  outlet,  and  without  a  pilot  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  the 
way  through  them.  At  night,  when  heron  and  tern  were  seen  roost- 
ing on  the  top  of  each  slat,  these  weirs  presented  rather  a  curious 
spectacle. 

The  Laguna  de  Bay  is  said  to  be  about  ten  leagues  in  length  by 
three  in  width,  and  trends  in  a  north-northwest  and  south-southeast 


313  H  A  M I L  L  A. 

direction:  an  idea  of  its  shape  vill  be  more  readily  amved  at  from  (he 
small  map  of  the  enviroDS  of  Manilla  which  is  annexed. 


WtlMM  «*  MAintU. 


After  dark,  the  bancas  separated.  Mr.  Stui^s,  with  Dr.  Pickering 
and  Mr.  Eld,  proceeded  to  visit  the  mountain  of  Maijaijai,  while 
Messrs.  Rich,  Dana,  and  Braokenridge,  went  towards  the  Volcano  de 
Taal.  The  latter  party  took  the  passport,  while  the  former  relied 
upon  certain  tetters  of  introdoction  for  protection,  in  case  of  difficulty. 

Mr.  Sturgea,  with  his  parly,  directed  his  course  to  the  east  side  of 
the  lake,  towards  a  point  called  Jalujalu,  which  they  reached  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  stopped  for  the  crew  to  cook  some 
rice,  &c.  At  8  a.  h.,  they  Teached  Santa  Cruz,  situated  about  half  a 
mile  up  a  small  streamlet,  called  Paxanau.  At  this  place  they  found 
Don  Escudero,  to  whom  they  had  a  letter  of  introduction,  and  who 
holds  »  civil  appointment  l^iey  were  very  kindly  received  by  this 
gentleman  and  his  brown  lady,  with  their  interesting  family.  He  at 
once  ordered  horses  for  them  to  proceed  to  the  mission  of  Maijaijai, 
and  entertained  them  widi  a  sumptuous  breakfast 

They  were  not  prepared  to  set  out  before  noon,  until  which  time 
they  strolled  about  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz,  ti>e  inhabitants  of  which 
are  Tagalas.  There  are  only  two  old  Spaniards  in  the  place.  The 
province  in  which  Santa  Crui  b  situated,  contaios  about  five  thousand 
inhabitants,  of  whom  eighteen  hundred  pay  tribute. 


MAN  ILL  A<  313 

The  people  have  the  character  of  being  orderly,  and  govern  them- 
selves without  the  aid  of  the  military.  The  principal  article  of  culture 
is  the  cocoa-nut  tree,  which  is  seen  in  large  groves.  The  trunks  of 
these  were  notched*  as  was  supposed^  for  the  purpose  of  climbing  them. 
From  the  spathe  a  kind  of  spirit  is  manufactured,  which  is  fully  as 
strong  as  our  whiskey. 

About  noon  they  left  Don  Escudero's,  and  took  a  road  leading  to  the 
southward  and  eastward,  through  a  luxuriant  and  beautiful  country, 
well  cultivated,  and  ornamented  with  lofty  cocoa-nut  trees,  betel  palms, 
and  banana  groves.  Several  beautiful  valleys  were. passed,  with  stream- 
lets rushing  through  them. 

Maijaijai.is  situated  about  one  .thousand  feet  above  the  Laguna  de 
Bay,  but  the  rise  is  so  gradual  that  it  was  almost  imperceptible.  The 
country  has  every  where  the  appearancip  of  being  densely  peopled; 
but  no  more  than  one  village  was  passed  between  Santa  Cruz  and  the 
mission.  They  had  letters  to  F.  Antonio  Romana  y  Aranda,  padre 
of  the  mission,  who  received  them  kindly,  and  entertained  them  most 
hospitably.  When  he  was  told  of  iheir  intention  to  visit  the  mountain, 
he  said  it  was  impossible  with  such  weather,  pointing  to  the  black 
clouds  that  then  enveloped  its  summit;  and  he  endeavoured  to  persuade 
the  gentlemen  to  desist  firom  what  appeared  to  him  a  mad  attempt ; 
but  finding  them  resolved  to  make  the  trial,  he  aided  in  making  all  the 
necessary  preparations,  though  he  had  no  belief  in  their  success. 

On  the  morning  of  the.  27th,  after  mass,  Mr.  Eld  and  Dr.  Pickering 
set  out,  but  Mr.  Sturges  preferred  to  keep  the  good  padre  company 
until  their  return.  The  padre  had  provided  them  with  guides*  horses, 
twenty  natives,  and  provisions  for  three  days.  He  had  been  himself 
on  the  jsame  laborious  journey,  some  six  months  before,  and  knew  its 
fatigues ;  although  it  turned  out  afterwards  that  his  expedition  was 
performed  in  .fine  w.eather>  and  that  he  had  been  borne  on  a  litter  by 
natives  the  whole.way.    . 

The  first  part  of  the  road  was  wet  and  miry,  and  discouraging 
enough*  Th^  soil  wast,  exceedingly  rich,  producing  tropical  plants 
in  great  profusion^  in  the  midst  of  which  were  seen  the  neat  bamboo 
cottages^  with  the^r  industrious  and  cleanly-looking  inhabitants.  When 
they  i^eached  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  they  found  it  was  impossible  to 
ride  farther,  and  were. obliged  to  take  to  walking,  which  was,  bow- 
ever,  less  of  a  hardship  than  riding  the  little  rats  of  horses,  covered 
with  mud  and  dirt,  which  were  at  first  deemed  useless;  but  the  man- 
ner in  which,  they  ascended  and  maintained  themselves  on  the  slippery 
banks^  surpas^^  any  thing  they  had .  before  witnessed  in  horseflesh. 
The  first  part  of  the  ascent  of:  the  mountain  was  gradual,  but  over  a 

VOL.  V.  2B  40 


314  MANILLA. 

miry  path,  which  was  extremely  slippery ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
sticks  stuck  down  by  the  party  of  the  padre  in  their  former  ascent^ 
they  would  have  found  it  extremely  difficult  to  overcome :  to  make  it 
more  disagreeable,  it  rained  all  the  time. 

It  took  about  two  hours  to  reach  the  steep  ascent.  The  last  portion 
of  their  route  had  been  through  an  uninhabited  region,  with  some 
openings  in  the  woods,  affording  pasture-grounds  to  a  few  small  herds 
of  buffalo.  In  three  hours  they  reached  the  half-way  house,  by  a  very 
steep  and  regular  ascent  Here  the  natives  insisted  upon  stopping  to 
cook  their  breakfast,  as  they  had  not  yet  partaken  of  any  thing  through 
the  day.  The  natives  now  endeavoured  to  persuade  them  it  was  im- 
practicable to  go  any  farther,  or  at  least  to  reach  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain and  return  before  nighL  Our  gentlemen  lost  their  patience  at  the 
delay,  and  after  an  hour's  endurance  of  it,  resolved  to  set  out  alone. 
Six  of  the  natives  followed  them,  and  by  half-past  three  they  reached 
the  summit,  where  they  found  it  cold  and  uncomfortable.  The  ascent 
had  been  difficult,  and  was  principally  accomplished  by  catching  hold 
of  shrubs  and  the  roots  of  trees.  The  summit  is  comparatively  bare, 
and  not  more  than  fifty  feet  in  width.  The  side  opposite  to  that  by 
which  they  mounted  was  perpendicular,  but  owing  to  the  thick  fog 
they  could  not  see  the  depth  to  which  the  precipice  descended. 

The  observations  with  the  barometers  were  speedily  taken,  which 
gave  the  height  of  Banajoa  as  six  thousand  five  hundred  feet.  The 
trees  on  the  summit  were  twenty  or  thirty  feet  high,  and  a  species 
of  fir  was  very  common.  Gaultheria,  attached  to  the  trunks  of  trees. 
Rhododendrons,  and  Polygonums,  also  abounded.  The  rocks  were  so 
covered  with  soil  that  it  was  difficult  to  ascertain  their  character;  Dr. 
Pickering  is  of  opinion,  however,  that  they  are  not  volcanic.  The 
house  on  the  summit  afforded  them  little  or  no  shelter ;  being  a  mere 
shed,  open  on  all  sides,  they  found  it  untenantable,  and  determined  to 
return  as  soon  as  their  observations  were  finished,  to  the  half-way 
house,  which  they  reached  before  dark. 

The  night  was  passed  uncomfortably,  and  in  the  morning  they  made 
an  early  start  down  the  mountain  to  reach  the  native  village  at  its  foot, 
where  they  were  refreshed  with  a  cup  of  chocolate,  cakes,  and  some 
dulces,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country.  At  ten  o'clock  they 
reached  the  mission,  where  they  were  received  by  the  padre  and  Mr. 
Sturges.  The  former  was  greatly  astonished  to  hear  that  they  had 
really  been  to  the  summit,  and  had  accomplished  in  twenty-four  hours 
what  he  had  deemed  a  labour  of  three  days.  He  quickly  attended  to 
their  wants,  the  first  among  which  was  dry  clothing;  and  as  their 
baggage  had  unfortunately  been  left  at  Santa  Cruz,  the  wardrobe  oi 


MANILLA.  815 

the  rotund  padre  was  placed  at  their  disposal.  Although  the  fit  was 
rather  uncouth  on  the  spare  forms  of  our  gentlemen,  yet  his  clothes 
served  the  purpose  tolerably  well,  and  were  thankfully  made  use  of. 
During  their  absence,  Mr.  Sturges  had  been  much  amused  with  the 
discipline  he  had  witnessed  at  the  hands  of  the  church,  which  here 
seem  to  be  the  only  visible  ruling  power.  Two  young  natives  had 
made  complaint  to  the  padre  that  a  certain  damsel  had  entered  into 
vows  or  engagements  to  marry  both :  she  was  accordingly  brought  up 
before  the  padre,  Mr.  Sturges  being  present.  The  padre  first  lectured 
her  most  seriously  upon  the  enormity  of  her  crime,  then  inflicted  seve- 
ral blows  on  the  palm  of  her  outstretched  hand^  again  renewing  the 
lecture,  and  finally  concluding  with  another  whipping.  The  girl  was 
pretty,  and  excited  the  interest  of  our  friend,  who  looked  on  with 
much  desire  to  interfere,  and  save  the  damsel  from  the  corporeal  • 
punishment,  rendered  more  aggravated  by  the  dispassionate  and  cool 
manner  in  which  it  and  the  lecture  were  administered.  In  the  conver* 
sation  which  ensued,  the  padre  said  he  had  more  cases  of  the  violation 
of  the  marriage  vow,  and  of  infidelity,  than  any  other  class  of  crimes. 

After  a  hearty  breakfast,  or  rather  dinner,  and  expressing  their 
thanks  to  the  padre,  they  rode  back  to  Santa  Cruz,  where  they 
arrived  at  an  early  hour,  and  at  9  p.  m.  they  embarked  in  their  bancas 
for  Manilla. 

In  the  morning  they  found  themselves,  after  a  comfortable  night,  at 
Baiios.  Here  they  took  chocolate  with  the  padre,  to  whom  Mr. 
Sturges  had  a  letter,  who  informed  them  that  the  other  party  had  left 
the  place  the  evening  before  for  Manilla. 

This  party  had  proceeded  to  the  town  of  Baia,  where  they  arrived 
at  daylight  on  the  15th.  Baia  is  quite  a  pretty  place,  and  well  situ- 
ated ;  the  houses  are  clean  and  comfortable,  and  it  possessed  a  vene- 
rable stone  church,  with  towers  and  bells.  On  inquiring  for  the  padre, 
they  found  that  he  was  absent,  and  it  was  in  consequence  impossible 
for  them  to  procure  horses  to  proceed  to  the  volcano  de  Taal.  They 
therefore  concluded  to  walk  to  the  hot  springs  at  BaSos,  about  five 
miles  distant  Along  the  road  they  collected  a  number  of  curious 
plants.  Rice  is  mtich  cultivated,  and  fields  of  it  extend  to  some  dis- 
tance on  each  side  of  the  road.  Buffaloes  were  seen  feeding  and 
wallowing  in  the  ditches. 

At  Bafios  the  hot  springs  are  numerous,  the  water  issuing  from  the 
rock  over  a  considerable  surface.  The  quantity  of  water  discharged 
by  them  is  large,  and  the  whole  is  collected  and  conducted  to  the 
bathing-houses.  The  temperature  of  the  water  at  the  mouth  of  the 
culvert  was  180®. 


316  MANILLA. 

The  old  bath-house  is  a  singular-looking  place,  being  built  on  the 
hill-side,  in  the  old  Spanish  style,  with  large  balconies,  that  are  en- 
closed in  the  manner  already  described,  in  speaking  of  the  houses  in 
Manilla.  It  is  beautifully  situated,  and  overlooks  the  baths  and  lake. 
The  baths  are  of  stone,  and  consist  of  two  large  rooms,  in  each  of 
which  is  a  niche,  through  which  the  hot  water  passes.  This  building 
is  now  in  ruins,  the  roof  and  floors  having  fallen  in. 

Baiios  is  a  small  village,  but  contains  a  respectable-looking  stone 
church,  and  two  or  three  houses  of  the  same  material.  Here  the 
party  found  a  flifiiculty  in  getting  on,  for  the  alcalde  could  not  speak 
Spanish,  and  they  were  obliged  to  use  an  interpreter,  in  order  to  com- 
municate with  him.  Notwithstanding  this,  he  is  a  magistrate,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  administer  laws  written  in  that  language.  Finding  they 
could  not  succeed  even  here  in  procuring  guides  or  horses,  they  deter- 
mined to  remain  and  explore  Mount  Maquiling,  the  height  of  which  is 
three  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  in  the  mean  time  to 
send  for  their  bancas. 

The  next  day  they  set  out  on  their  journey  to  that  mountain,  and 
the  first  part  of  their  path  lay  over  a  gentle  ascent,  through  cultivated 
grounds.  Next  succeeded  an  almost  perpendicular  hill,  bare  of  trees, 
and  overgrown  with  a  tall  grass,  which  it  was  difficult  to  pass 
through. 

Such  had  been  the  time  taken  up,  that  the  party  found  it  impossible 
to  reach  the  summit  and  return  before  dark.  They  therefore  began  to 
coUecjt  specimens ;  and  after  having  obtained  a  full  load,  they  returned 
late  in  the  afternoon  to  Baiios. 

The  mountain  is  composed  of  trachytic  rocks  and  tufa,  which  are 
occasionally  seen  to  break  through  the  rich  and  deep  soil,  showing 
themselves  here  and  there,  in  the  deep  valleys  which  former  volcanic 
action  has  created,  and  which  have  destroyed  the  regular  outline  of  the 
cone-shaped  mountain.  The  tufa  is  generally  found  to  form  the  gently- 
sloping  plains  that  surround  these  mountains,  and  has  in  all  probability 
been  ejected  from  them.  Small  craters,  of  some  two  hundred  feet  in 
height,  are  scattered  over  the  plains.  The  tufa  is  likewise  exposed  to 
view  on  the  shores  of  the  lake ;  but  elsewhere,  except  on  a  few  bare 
hills,  it  is  entirely  covered  with  the  dense  and  luxuriant  foliage.  The 
tufa  is  generally  of  a  soft  character,  crumbling  in  the  fingers,  and  in  it 
are  found  coarse  and  fine  fragments  of  scoria,  pumice,  &c.  The  layers 
are  from  a  few  inches  to  five  feet  in  thickness. 

In  the  country  around  Baiios,  there  are  several  volcanic  hills,  and  on 
the  sides  of  Mount  Maquiling  are  appearances  of  parasitic  cones, 
similar  to  those  observed  at  the  Hawaiian  Islands ;  but  time  and  the 


MANILLA.  817 

foliage  have  so  disguised  them,  that  it  is  difficult  to  determine  exactly 
their  true  character. 

I  regretted  exceedingly  that  the  party  that  set  out  for  the  Lake  de 
Taal  was  not  able  to  reach  it,  as»  from  the  accounts  I  had,  it  must  be 
one  of  the  most  interesting  portions  of  the  country.  It  lies  nearly  south- 
west from  Manilla,  and  occupies  an  area  of  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  square  miles.  The  Volcano  de  Taal  is  situated  on  an  island 
near  the  centre  of  it«  and  is  now  in  action.  The  cone  which  rises  from 
its  centre  is  remarkably  regular,  and  consists  for  the  most  part  of 
cinders  and  scoria.  It  has  been  found  to  be  nine  hundred  feet  in  eleva- 
tion above  the  lake.  The  crater  has  a  diameter  of  two  miles,  and  its 
depth  is  equal  to  the  elevation :  the  walls  of  the  crater  are  nearly  per- 
pendicular, so  much  so  that  the  descent  cannot  be  made  without  the 
assistance  of  ropes.  At  the  bottom  there  are  two  small  cones.  Much 
steam  issues  from  the  many  fissures,  accompanied  by  sulphurous  acid 
gas.  The  waters  of  the  lake  are  impregnated  with  sulphur,  and  there 
are  said  to  be  also  large  beds  of  sulphur.  In  the  opinion  of  those  who 
have  visited  this  spot,  the  whole  lake  once  formed  an  immense  crater ; 
and  this  does  not  appear  very  improbable,  if  we  are  to  credit  the 
accounts  we  received  of  the  many  craters  on  this  island  that  are  now 
filled  with  water;  for  instance,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  San  Pablo  there 
are  said  to  be  eight  or  nine. 

The  hot  springs  of  Baiios  are  numerous,  and  in  their  vicinity  large 
quantities  of  steam  are  seen  to  issue  from  the  shore  of  the  lake.  There 
are  about  a  dozen  which  give  out  a  copious  supply  of  water.  The 
principal  one  has  been  enclosed,  and  made  to  flow  through  a  stone 
aqueduct,  which  discharges  a  considerable  stream.  The  temperature 
of  the  water  as  it  leaves  the  aqueduct  is  178^  The  villagers  use  it  for 
cooking  and  washing :  the  signs  of  the  former  employment  are  evident 
enough  from  the  quantities  of  feathers  from  the  poultry  that  have  been 
scalded  and  plucked  preparatory  to  cooking.  The  baths  are  formed  by 
a  small  circular  building  six  feet  in  diameter,  erected  over  the  point  of 
discharge  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a  steam-bath :  the  temperature  of 
these  is  160°  and  140°.  A  change  of  temperature  is  said  to  have 
occurred  in  the  latter. 

The  rocks  in  the  vicinity  are  all  tufa,  and  some  of  the  springs  break 
out  close  to  the  cold  water  of  the  lake.  Near  the  aqueduct,  a  stone 
wall  surrounds  one  of  the  principal  outlets.  Two-thirds  of  the  area  thus 
enclosed  is  occupied  by  a  pond  of  warm  water,  and  the  other  third  is 
divided  into  two  stone  reservoirs,  built  for  baths.  These  baths  had  at 
one  time  a  high  reputation,  and  were  a  very  fashionable  resort  for  the 
society  of  Manilla ;  but  their  celebrity  gradually  diminished,  and  the 

2B2 


318  MANILLA. 

whole  premises  have  gone  out  of  repair,  and  are  fast  falling  to 
ruin. 

The  water  of  the  springs  has  no  perceptible  taste,  and  only  a  very 
faint  smell  of  sulphur  is  perceived.  No  gas  escapes  from  it,  but  a  white 
incrustation  covers  the  stones  over  which  the  water  flows. 

Some  of  these  waters  were  obtained,  and  since  our  return  were  put 
into  the  handsof  Dr.  C.  T.  Jackson,  of  Boston,  who  gives  the  following 
analysis : 

Specific  gravity,  1*0043 ;  thermometer  60^ ;  banxneter  30K)5  in. 

A  quantity  of  the  water,  equal  in  bulk  to  three  thousand  grains  of 
distilled  water,  on  evaporation  gave 


Dry  Mdte,  5*95  grains. 

A  quantity  of  the  water,  equal  in  bulk  to  one  thousand  grains  of 
distilled  water,  was  operated  on  for  each  of  the  following  ingredients : 

Chlorine, 0«66 

Carbonic  acid,  •••••••••  0*16 

Sulphoric  acid, 003 

Soda  and  Mdiimi, 0.97 

magnesia,         ••••••••••  irusi 

Lime,       .«•••••••••  0-07 

Potash,      .•••••••••#  traces 

Organic  matter,         •••••••••  ** 

Mtngaaese,      ..••••••••  ** 

On  Mount  Maquiling,  wild  buflfaloes,  hogs,  a  small  species  of  deer, 
and  monkeys,  are  found.  Birds  are  also  very  numerous,  and  among 
them  is  the  horn-bill :  the  noise  made  by  this  bird  resembles  a  loud 
barking ;  report  speaks  of  them  as  an  excellent  bird  for  the  table.  Our 
gentlemen  reached  their  lodging-place  as  the  night  closed  in,  and  the  next 
day  again  embarked  for  Manilla,  regretting  that  time  would  not  permit 
them  to  make  another  visit  to  so  interesting  a  field  of  research.  They 
found  the  lake  so  rough  that  they  were  compelled  to  return,  and 
remain  until  eight  o'clock.  This,  however,  gave  our  botanists  another 
opportunity  of  making  collections,  among  which  were  beautiful  speci- 
mens of  Volkameria  splendens,  with  elegant  scarlet  flowers,  and  a 
Brugmansia,  which  expanded  its  beautiful  silvery  flowers  after  sunset 
On  the  shores  a  number  of  birds  were  feeding,  including  pelicans,  with 
their  huge  bills,  the  diver,  with  its  long  arched  neck,  herons,  gulls, 
ieagles,  and  snow-white  cranes,  with  ducks  and  other  small  aquatic 
flocks.     Towards  night  these  were  joined  by  large  bats,  that  were 


MANILLA.  S19 

seen  winging  their  way  towards  the  plantations  of  fruit  These,  with 
quantities  of  insects,  gave  a  vivid  idea  of  the  wonderful  myriads  of 
animated  things  that  are  constantly  brought  into  being  in  these  tropical 
and  luxuriant  climates. 

Sailing  all  night  in  a  rough  sea,  they  were  much  incommoded  by  the 
water,  which  was  shipped  into  the  baoca  which  kept  them  constantly 
baling  out ;  they  reached  the  river  Pasig  at  daylight,  and  again  passed 
the  duck  estabUshmenls,  and  the  numerous  boats  and  bancas  on  their 
way  to  the  markets  of  Manilla. 

Both  the  parties  reached  the  consul's  the  same  day,  highly  pleased 
with  their  respective  jaunts.  To  the  kindness  of  Messrs.  Sturges  and 
Moore,  we  are  mainly  indebted  for  the  advantages  and  pleasures 
derived  firom  the  excursions. 

The  iDstnunents  were  now  embarked,  and  preparations  made  for 
going  to  sea.  Our  stay  at  Manilla  bad  added  much  to  our  collections; 
we  obtained  many  new  specimens,  and  the  officers  and  naturalists 
had  been  constantly  and  profitably  occupied  in  their  various  duties. 

We  went  on  board  on  the  20th  of  January,  and  were  accompanied 
to  the  vessel  by  Messrs.  Sturges  and  Moore,  with  several  other  resi- 
dents of  Manilla. 

We  had,  through  the  kindness  of  Captain  Salomon,  procured  a 
native  pilot  for  the  Sooloo  Sea,  who  was  aJso  to  act  as  interpreter. 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st,  we  took  leave  of  our  friends,  and  got 
under  way.  The  same  day,  and  before  we  had  cleared  the  bay,  wo 
spoke  the  American  ship  Angier,  which  had  performed  the  voyage 
from  the  United  States  in  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  days,  and  fur- 
nished us  with  late  and  interesting  news.  We  then,  with  a  strong 
northerly  wind,  made  all  sail  to  the  south  for  the  Straits  of  Mindoro. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


CONTENTS. 

DEPASTURE  FROM  MANILLA-INSTRUCTIONS  TO  BIE.  KNOX-MINDORO-SEMARARA- 
PANAT— FLTING-FIBH  LEAVES  US— BAT  OF  ANTiaUB-SAN  JOSE— BHNDANAO  —  CAL- 
DER A  — FORESTS  OF  MTNDANAO-SAN6BOT8-SOOLOO-SOUNO-CANOES  OF  SOOLOO- 
WE  LAND  AT  SOOLOO-VISIT  TO  THE  DATU  MULU-HIS  RESIDENCE-VISIT  TO  THE 
SULTAN-HIS  RESIDENCE-BIB  PERSON  AND  DRESS-TREATT  MADE  WITH  HIM-THE 
HEIR  APPARENT-WE  ARE  REFUSED  PERMISSION  TO  VISIT  THE  INTERIOR-PISTOL 
8TOLEN-CHINESE  aUARTER-THE  KRIS-MARKET-BLOCKS  OF  AMERICAN  GRANITE 
-STOLEN  PISTOL  RETURNED-VISIT  OF  THE  NATURALISTS  TO  MARONOA8-FISH1N6 
APPARATUS -SURVEY  OF  THE  HARBOUR  OF  SOUNO  — SLAVES  EMPLOYED  AS  AC- 
COUNTANTS—BEASTS OF  BURDEN— PROHIBITION  OF  SWINE— CHARACTER  OF  THE 
PEOPLE  OF  SOOLOO— THEIR  DRESS -OCCUPIATIONS-STATB  OF  SOCIETY-MOUNTAIN 
TRIBES-FORTS-POPULATION-COMMERCE-DUTIES-ADVICE  TO  TRADERS— POSSIBLE 
ETFENSION  OF  TRADE  —  HISTORY  OF  SOOLOO  —  ATTEMPT  OF  THE  ENGLISH  EAST 
INDIA  COMPANY  TO  OPEN  A  TRADE-ATTEMPTS  AT  CONaUEST  BY  THE  SPANIARDS 
-GRANT  OF  BALAMBANGAN  TO  THE  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY-ENGLISH  SETTLEMENT 
-rrs  FATE-FORMER  PROSPERITY  OF  800LOO-PIRACIES  OF  THE  SOOLOOS- MALAY 
PIRATES -THE  BAJOWB  — THEIR  CHARACTER  -  CLIMATE  OF  SOOLOO  -  DISEASES - 
RELIGION -DEPARTURE  FROM  SOOLOO  —  PANGOOTAARAANG  -  CAGAYAN  SOOLOO- 
MANGSEE  ISLANDS-SURVEYS-BALAMBANGAN  — BORNEO  — THE  DYACKS- THEIR 
CHARACTER,  MANNERS,  AND  CUSTOMS-NAVIGATION  OF  THE  SOOLOO  SEA-PASSAGE 
TO  SINGAPORE-ARRIVAL  THERE-REUNION  OF  THE  SaUADRON-PROCEEDINOS  OF 
THE  PORPOISE  AND  OREGON— NECKER  ISLAND -FRENCH -FRIGATE  SHOAL -MARO 
REEF. 


(381) 


CHAPTER  IX. 

S  O  O  L  O  O. 
1842. 

On  the  evening  of  the  21st  of  January,  the  Vincennes,  with  the 
tender  in  company,  left  the  bay  of  ManiUa.  I  then  sent  for  Mr. 
Knoxy  who  commanded  the  latter,  and  gave  him  directions  to  keep 
closely  in  company  with  the  Vincennes,  and  at  the  same  time  pointed 
out  to  him  places  of  rendezvous  where  the  vessels  might  again  meet 
in  case  any  unavoidable  circumstance  caused  their  separation.  I  was 
more  particular  in  giving  him  instructions  to  avoid  losing  sight  of  the 
Vincennes,  as  I  was  aware  that  my  proposed  surveys  might  be  im- 
peded or  frustrated  altogether,  were  I  deprived  of  the  assistance  of  the 
vessel  under  his  command 

On  the  22d,  we  passed  the  entrance  of  the  Straits  of  San  Bernadino. 
It  would  have  been  my  most  direct  route  to  follow  these  straits  until 
I  had  passed  Mindoro,  and  it  is  I  am  satisfied  the  safest  course,  unless 
the  winds  are  fair,  for  the  direct  passage.  My  object,  however,  was 
to  examine  the  ground  for  the  benefit  of  others,  and  the  Apo  Shoal, 
which  lies  about  mid-channel  between  Palawan  and  Mindoro,  claimed 
my  first  attention.  The  tender  was  despatched  to  survey  it,  while  I 
proceeded  in  the  Vincennes  to  examine  the  more  immediate  entrance 
to  the  Sooloo  Sea,  off  the  southwest  end  of  Mindoro. 

Calavite  Peak  is  the  north  point  of  Mindoro,  and  our  observations 
made  it  two  thousand  feet  high.  This  peak  is  of  the  shape  of  a  dome, 
and  appears  remarkably  regular  when  seen  from  its  western  side.  On 
approaching  Mindoro,  we,  as  is  usual,  under  high  islands,  lost  the 
steady  breeze,  and  the  wind  became  light  for  the  rest  of  the  day 
Mindoro  is  a  beautiful  island,  and  is  evidently  volcanic ;  it  appears  as 


324  SOOLOO. 

if  thrown  up  in  confused  masses :  it  is  not  much  settled,  as  the  more 
southern  islands  are  preferred  to  it  as  a  residence. 

On  the  2dd,  we  ascertained  the  elevation  of  the  highest  peak  of  the 
island  by  triangulation  to  be  three  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  feet  The  easternmost  island  of  the  Palawan  Group,  Busvagan, 
was  at  the  time  just  in  sight  from  the  deck,  to  the  southwest. 

It  had  been  my  intention  to  anchor  at  Ambolou  Island ;  but  the  wind 
died  away  before  we  reached  it,  and  I  determined  to  stand  off  and  on 
all  night 

On  the  24th,  I  began  to  experience  the  truth  of  what  Captain 
Halcon  had  asserted,  namely,  that  the  existing  charts  were  entirely 
worthless,  and  I  also  found  that  my  native  pilot  was  of  no  more  value 
than  they  were :  he  had  evidently  passed  Uie  place  before ;  but  whe- 
ther the  size  of  the  vessel,  so  much  greater  than  any  he  had  sailed  in, 
confused  him,  or  whether  it  was  from  his  inability  to  understand  and 
to  make  himself  understood  by  us,  he  was  of  no  use  whatever,  and  we 
had  the  misfortune  of  running  into  shoal  water,  barely  escaping  the 
bottom.  These  dangers  were  usually  quickly  passed,  and  we  soon 
found  ourselves  again  floating  in  thirty  or  forty  fathoms  water. 

We  continued  beating  to  windward,  in  hopes  of  being  joined  by 
the  Flying-Fish,  and  I  resolved  to  finish  the  survey  towards  the  island 
of  Semarara.  We  found  every  thing  in  a  different  position  from  that 
assigned  it  by  any  of  the  charts  with  which  we  were  furnished.  On 
this  subject,  however,  I  shall  not  dwell,  but  refer  those  who  desire 
particular  information  to  the  charts  and  Hydrographical  Memoir. 

Towards  evening,  I  again  ran  down  to  the  southwest  point  of  the 
island  of  Mindoro,  and  sent  a  letter  on  shore  to  the  pueblo,  with 
directions  to  have  it  put  on  board  the  tender,  when  she  should  arrive. 
We  then  began  to  beat  round  Semarara,  in  order  to  pass  over  towards 
Panay. 

The  southern  part  of  Mindoro  is  much  higher  than  the  northern,  but 
appears  to  be.  equally  rough.  It  is,  however,  susceptible  of  cultivation, 
and  there  are  many  villages  along  its  shores. 

Semarara  is  moderately  high,  and  about  fifteen  miles  in  circumfe* 
rence ;  it  is  inhabited,  and  like  Mindoro  much  wooded.  According  to 
the  native  pilot,  its  shores  are  free  from  shoals.  It  was  not  until  the  next 
day  that  we  succeeded  in  reaching  Panay.  I  determined  to  pass  the 
night  off  Point  Potol,  the  north  end  of  Panay,  as  I  believed  the  sea  in 
its  neighbourhood  to  be  free  of  shoals,  and  wished  to  resume  our 
running  survey  early  in  the  morning. 

At  daylight  on  the  27th  we  continued  the  survey  down  the  coast  of 
Panay,  and  succeeded  in  correcting  many  errors  in  the  existing  charts 


8  O  O  L  O  O.  SJI5 

(both  English  and  Spanish).  The  channel  along  this  side  is  from 
twelve  to  twenty  miles  wide,  and  suitable  for  beating  in ;  little  current 
is  believed  to  exist ;  and  the  tides,  as  far  as  our  observations  went, 
seem  to  be  regular  and  of  little  strength. 

The  island  of  Panay  is  high  and  broken,  particularly  on  the 
south  end ;  its  shores  are  thickly  settled  and  well  cultivated.  Indigo 
and  sugar-cane  claim  much  of  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants. 
The  Indians  are  the  principal  cultivators.  They  pay  to  govern- 
ment a  capitation  tax  of  seven  rials.  Its  population  is  estimated 
at  three  hundred  thousand,  which  I  think  is  rather  short  of  the  actual 
number. 

On  all  the  hills  there  are  telegraphs  of  rude  construction,  to  gire 
information  of  the  approach  of  piratical  prahus  from  Sooloo,  which 
formerly  were  in.  the  habit  of  making  attacks  upon  the  defenceless 
inhabitants  and  carrying  them  off  into  slavery.  Of  late  years  they 
have  ceased  these  depredations,  for  the  Spaniards  have  resorted  to  a 
new  mode  of  warfare.  Instead  of  pursuing  and  punishing  the  offen- 
ders, they  now  intercept  all  their  supplies,  both  of  necessaries  and 
luxuries ;  and  the  fear  of  this  has  had  the  effect  to  deter  pirates  from 
their  usual  attacks. 

We  remained  off  San  Pedro  for  the  night,  in  hopes  of  falling  in  with 
the  Flying-Fish  in  the  morning. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  the  Fljring-Fish  was  discovered  plainly 
in  sight  I  immediately  stood  for  her,  fired  a  gun  and  made  signal. 
At  seven  o'clock,  another  gun  was  fired,  but  the  vessel  still  stood  off, 
and  was  seen  to  make  sail  to  the  westward  without  paying  any  regard 
whatever  to  either,  and  being  favoured  by  a  breeze  while  the  Vin- 
cennes  was  becalmed,  she  stole  off  and  viras  soon  out  of  sight.* 

After  breakfast  we  opened  the  bay  of  Antique,  on  which  is  situated 
the  town  of  San  Jos^.  As  this  bay  apparently  offered  anchorage  for 
vessels  bound  up  this  coast,  I  determined  to  survey  it ;  and  for  this 
purpose  the  boats  were  hoisted  out  and  prepared  for  surveying.  Lieu- 
tenant Budd  was  despatched  to  visit  the  pueblo  called  San  Jos6. 

On  reaching  the  bay,  the  boats  were  sent  to  different  points  of  it, 
and  when  they  were  in  station,  the  ship  fired  guns  to  furnish  bases 
by  the  sound,  and  angles  were  simultaneously  measured.  The  boats 
made  soundings  on  their  return  to  the  ship,  and  thus  completed  this 
duty,  so  that  in  an  hour  or  two  afterwards  the  bay  was  correctly 
represented  on  paper.    It  offers  no  more  than  a  temporary  anchorage 

•  (^  my  amTsl  at  Singapore,  this  drcumstanoe  was  investigated  by  a  court  of  inquiry. 
The  result  showed  that  Mr.  Knox  had  no  knowledge  of  the  Vinoennes  having  been  seen ; 
^  the  officer  of  the  watch  had  not  reported  to  him  the  hx± 

2C 


326  800L00. 

for  vessels,  and  unless  the  shore  is  closely  approached,  the  water  is 
almost  too  deep  for  the  purpose. 

At  San  Jos^  a  Spanish  governor  resides,  who  presides  over  the  two 
pueblos  of  San  Pedro  and  San  Jos^,  and  does  the  duty  also  of  alcalde. 
Lieutenant  Budd  did  not  see  him,  as  he  was  absent,  but  his  lady  did 
the  honours.  Lieutenant  Budd  represented  the  pueblo  as  cleanly 
and  orderly.  About  fifteen  soldiers  were  seen,  who  compose  the 
governor's  guard,  and  more  were  said  to  be  stationed  at  San  Pedro. 
A  small  fort  of  eight  guns  commands  the  roadstead.  The  beach  was 
found  to  be  of  fine  volcanic  sand,  composed  chiefly  of  oxide  of  iron, 
and  comminuted  shells;  there  is  here  also  a  narrow  shore  reef  of 
coral.  The  plain  bordering  the  sea  is  covered  with  a  dense  growth 
of  cocoa-nut  trees.  In  the  fine  season  the  bay  is  secure,  but  we  were 
informed  that  in  westerly  and  southwesterly  gales  heavy  seas  set  in, 
and  vessels  are  not  able  to  lie  at  anchor.  Several  small  vessels  were 
lying  in  a  small  river  about  one  and  a  half  miles  to  the  southward  of 
the  point  on  which  the  fort  is  situated.  The  entrance  to  this  river  is 
very  narrow  and  tortuous. 

Panay  is  one  of  the  largest  islands  of  the  group.  We  had  an 
opportunity  of  measuring  the  height  of  some  of  its  western  peaks  or 
highlands,  none  of  which  exceed  three  thousand  feet  The  interior 
and  eastern  side  have  many  lofty  summits,  which  are  said  to  reach  an 
altitude  of  seven  thousand  five  hundred  feet ;  but  these,  as  we  passed, 
were  enveloped  in  clouds,  or  shut  out  from  view  by  the  nearer  high- 
lands. The  general  features  of  the  island  are  like  those  of  Luzon  and 
Mindoro.  The  few  specimens  we  obtained  of  its  rocks  consisted  of 
the  difierent  varieties  of  talcose  formation,  with  quartz  and  jasper. 
The  specimens  were  of  no  great  value,  as  they  were  much  worn  by 
lying  on  the  beach. 

The  higher  land  was  bare  of  trees,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
numerous  fertile  valleys  lying  between  the  sharp  and  rugged  spurs, 
it  would  have  had  a  sterile  appearance. 

The  bay  of  Antique  is  in  latitude  10^  40'  N.,  longitude  121°  59' 
30"  K 

It  was  my  intention  to  remain  for  two  or  three  days  at  a  convenient 
anchorage  to  enable  us  to  make  short  excursions  into  the  interior ;  but 
the  vexatious  mismanagement  of  the  tender  now  made  it  incumbent 
that  I  should  make  every  possible  use  of  the  time  to  complete  the 
operations  connected  with  the  hydrography  of  this  sea;  for  I  perceived 
that  the  duties  which  I  intended  should  be  performed  by  her,  would 
now  devolve  upon  the  boats,  and  necessarily  expose  both  oflicers  and 
men  to  the  hazard  of  contracting  disease.    I  regretted  giving  up  this 


SOOLOO.  327 

design,  not  only  on  my  own  account  and  that  of  the  Expedition,  but 
because  of  the  gratification  it  would  have  afibrded  personally  to  the 
naturalists. 

The  town  of  San  Jos^  has  about  thirty  bamboo  houses,  some  of 
which  are  filled  in  with  clay  or  mortar,  and  plastered  over,  both  inside 
and  out  Few  of  them  are  more  than  a  single  story  in  height  That 
of  the  governor  is  of  the  same  material,  and  overtops  the  rest ;  it  is 
whitewashed,  and  has  a  neat  and  cleanly  appearance.  In  the  vicinity 
of  the  town  are  several  beautiful  valleys,  which  run  into  the  nxrantains: 
firom  the  plain  that  borders  the  bay.  The  landing  is  on  a  bamboo 
bridge,  which  has  been  erected  over  an  extensive  mud-flat,  that  is- 
exposed  at  low  water,  and  prevents  any  nearer  approach  of  boat&^ 
This  bridge  is  about  seven  hundred  feet  in  length ;  and  a  novel  p)at» 
has  been  adopted  to  preserve  it  from  being  carried  away.  The  steme* 
of  bamboo  not  being  sufiiciently  large  and  heavy  to  maintain  the* 
superstructure  in  the  soft  mud,  a  scafibld  is  constructed  just  under  the* 
top,  which  is  loaded  with  blocks  of  large  stone,  and  the  outer  piles  aie 
secured  to  anchors  or  rocks,  with  grass  rope.  The  roadway  or  top  is^ 
ten  feet  wide*  covered  with  split  bamboo,  woven  together,  and  has- 
rails  on  each  side,  to  assist  the  passenger.  This  is  absolutely  necess- 
sary  for  safety ;  and  even  with  this  aid,  one  unaccustomed  to  it  must 
be  possessed  of  no  little  bodily  strength  to  pass  over  this  smooth,  slip^ 
pery,  and  springy  bridge,  without  accident 

Two  pirogues  were  at  anchor  in  the  bay,  and  on  the  shore  was  the 
fi-ame  of  a  vessel  which  had  evidently  been  a  long  while  on  the  stocks, 
for  the  weeds  and  bushes  near  the  keel  were  six  or  eight  feet  high,  and 
a  portion  of  the  timbers  were  decayed.  Carts  and  sleds  drawn  by 
bufialoes  were  in  use,  and  every  thing  gave  it  the  appearance  of  a 
thriving  village.  Although  I  have  mentioned  the  presence  of  soldiers, 
it  was  observed  on  landing  that  no  guard  was  stationed  about  or  even 
at  the  fort ;  but  shortly  afterwards  a  soldier  was  seen  hurrying  towards 
the  latter,  in  the  act  of  dressing  himself  in  his  regimentals,  and  another 
running  by  his  side,  with  his  cartridge-box  and  musket  In  a  little 
while  one  was  passing  up  and  down  on  his  post,  as  though  he  was  as 
permanent  there  as  the  fort  itself. 

After  completing  these  duties,  the  light  airs  detained  us  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day  under  Panay,  in  sight  of  the  bay.  On  the  29th, 
at  noon,  we  had  been  wafted  by  it  far  enough  in  the  ofiling  to  obtain 
the  easterly  breeze,  which  soon  became  strong,  with  an  overcast  sky, 
and  carried  us  rapidly  on  our  course ;  my  time  would  not  permit  my 
heaving-to.    We  kept  on  our  course  for  Mindanao  during  the  whole 


night,  and  were  conslanlly  engaged  iu  sounding,  with  our  patent  lead, 
with  from  thirty  to  forty  fathoms  cast,  to  prevent  our  passing  over  thia 
part  of  the  sea  entirely  unexamined. 

At  daylight  on  the  Slst,  we  had  the  island  of  Mindanao  before  us, 
but  did  not  reach  its  western  cape  until  5  p.  h.  This  island  is  high 
and  broken,  like  those  to  the  north  of  it,  but,  unlike  theiii,  its  moun* 
tains  are  covered  with  forests  to  their  very  tops,  and  there  were  no 
distinct  cones  of  minor  dimensions,  as  we  had  observed  on  the  others. 
If  they  do  exist,  they  were  hidden  by  the  dense  forest 

I  had  determined  to  anchor  at  Caldcra,  a  small  port  or  the  south- 
west side  of  Mindanao,  about  ten  miles  distant  from  Samboangan, 
where  the  governor  resides;  The  latter  is  a  considerable  place,  but 
the  anchorage  in  its  roadstead  is  said  to  be  bad,  and  the  currents  that 
run  through  the  Straits  of  Basillan  are  represented  to  be  strong.  Cal- 
dera,  on  the  other  hand,  has  a  good,  though  small  anchorage,  which 
is  free  from  the  currents  of  the  straits.  It  is  therefore  an  excellent  stop- 
ping-place, in  case  ofthe  tide  proving  unfavourable.  On  one  of  its  points 
stands  a  small  fort,  which,  on  our  arrival,  hoisted  Spanish  colours. 

At  six  o'clock  we  came  to  anchor  at  Caldera,  in  seven  fathoms 
water.  Thero  were  few  indications  of  inhabitants,  except  at  and 
near  the  fort  An  officer  was  despatched  to  the  fort,  to  report  the 
ship.  It  was  found  to  be  occupied  by  a  few  soldiers  under  the  com- 
mand of  a  lieutenant 


The  fort  is  about  seventy  feet  square,  and  is  built  of  large  blocks  of 
red  coral,  which  evidently  have  not  been  taken  from  the  vicinity  of 
the  place,  as  was  staled  by  the  officers  of  the  fort ;  for,  although  our 
parlies  wandered  along  the  alluvial  beach  for  two  or  three  miles  in 
each  direction,  no  signs  of  coral  were  observed.  Many  fragments  of 
red,  gray,  and  purple  basalt  and  porphyry  were  met  with  along  the 
beach ;  talcose  rock  and  slate,  syenite,  hornblend,  quartz,  both  com- 


8  O  O  L  O  O.  329 

pact  and  slaty,  with  chalcedony,  were  found  in  pieces  and  large 
pebbles.  Those  who  were  engaged  in  dredging  reported  the  bottom 
as  being  of  coral,  in  from  four  to  six  or  eight  fathoms ;  but  this  was 
of  a  different  kind  from  that  of  which  the  fort  was  constructed. 

The  fort  was  built  in  the  year  1784,  principally  for  protection 
against  the  Sooloo  pirates,  who  were  in  the  habit  of  visiting  the  settle- 
ments, and  carrying  off  the  inhabitants  as  slaves,  to  obtain  ransom 
for  them.  This,  and  others  of  the  same  description,  were  therefore 
constructed  as  places  of  refuge  for  the  inhabitants,  as  well  as  to  afford 
protection  to  vessels. 

Depredations  are  still  committed,  which  render  it  necessary  to  keep 
up  a  small  force.  One  or  two  huts  which  were  seen  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  bay,  are  built  on  posts  twenty  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
into  them  they  ascend  by  ladders,  which  are  hauled  up  after  the  occu- 
pants have  entered. 

These,  it  is  said,  are  the  sleeping-huts,  and  are  so  built  for  the 
purpose  of  preventing  surprise  at  night  Before  our  arrival  we  had 
heard  that  the  villages  were  all  so  constructed,  but  a  visit  to  one  soon 
showed  that  this  was  untrue.  The  natives  seen  at  the  village  were 
thought  to  be  of  a  decidedly  lighter  colour  and  a  somewhat  different 
expression  from  the  Malays.  They  were  found  to  be  very  civil,  and 
more  polished  in  manners  than  our  gentlemen  expected.  On  asking 
for  a  drink  of  water,  it  was  brought  in  a  glass  tumbler  on  a  china 
plate.  An  old  woman,  to  whom  they  had  presented  some  trifles,  took 
the  trouble  to  meet  them  in  another  path  on  their  return,  and  insisted 
on  their  accepting  a  basket  of  potatoes.  Some  of  the  houses  contained 
several  families,  and  many  of  them  had  no  other  means  of  entrance 
than  a  notched  post  stuck  up  to  the  door. 

The  forests  of  Mindanao  contain  a  great  variety  of  trees,  some  of 
which  are  of  large  size,  rising  to  the  height  of  one  hundred  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  Some  of  their  trunks  are  shaped  like  but- 
tresses, similar  to  those  before  spoken  of  at  Manilla,  from  which  they 
obtain  broad  slabs  for  the  tops  of  tables.  The  trunks  were  observed 
to  shoot  up  remarkably  straight  Our  botanical  gentlemen,  though 
pleased  with  the  excursion,  were  disappointed  at  not  being  able  to 
procure  specimens  from  the  lofty  trees;  and  the  day  was  less  pro- 
ductive  in  this  respect  than  they  had  anticipated.  Large  woody  vines 
were  common,  which  enveloped  the  trunks  of  trees  in  their  folds,  and 
ascending  to  their  tops,  prevented  the  collection  of  the  most  desirable 
specimens. 

The  paths  leading  to  the  interior  were  narrow  and  much  obstructed: 
one  fine  stream  was  crossed.      Many  buffaloes  were  observed  wal- 

VOL.V.  2C2  42 


330  srooLao. 

lowing  in  the  mire,  and  the  woods  swarmed  with  monkeys  and 
numbers  of  birds,  among  them  the  horn-bills :  these  kept  up  a  con- 
tinued chatter,  and  made  a  variety  of  loud  noises.  The  forests  here 
are  entirely  different  from  any  we  had  seen  elsewhere ;  and  the  stories 
of  their  being  the  abode  of  large  boas  and  poisonous  snakes,  make 
the  effect  still  greater  on  those  who  visit  them  for  the  first  tima 
Our  parties,  however,  saw  nothing  of  these  reptiles,  nor  any  thing  to 
warrant  a  belief  that  such  exist  Yet  the  officer  at  the  fort  related 
to  me  many  snake  stories  that  seemed  to  have  some  foundation ;  and 
by  inquiries  made  elsewhere,  I  learned  that  they  were  at  least  war- 
ranted by  some  facts,  though  probably  not  to  the  extent  that  he  re- 
presented. 

Traces  of  deer  and  wild  hogs  were  seen,  and  many  birds  were  ob- 
tained, as  well  as  land  and  sea  shells.  Among  the  latter  was  the  Mal- 
leus vulgaris,  which  is  used  as  food  by  the  natives;  The  soil  on  this 
part  of  the  island  is  a  stiff  clay,  and  the  plants  it  produces  are  mostly 
woody ;  those  of  an  herbaceous  character  were  scarce,  and  only  a  few 
orchideous  epiphytes  and  ferns  were  seen.  Around  the  dwellings  in 
the  villages  were  a  variety  of  vegetables  and  fruits,  consisting  of 
sugar-cane,  sweet-potato,  gourds,  pumpkins,  peppers,  rice,  water  and 
nuisk  melons,  all  fine  and  of  large  size. 

The  officer  at  the  fort  was  a  lieutenant  of  infantry ;  one  of  that  rank 
is  stationed  here  for  a  month,  after  which  he,  with  the  garrison,  con- 
sisting of  three  soldiers,  are  relieved,  from  Samboangan,  where  the 
Spaniards  have  three  companies. 

Samboangan  is  a  convict  settlement,  to  which  the  native  rogues, 
principally  thieves,  are  sent  The  Spanish  criminals,  as  I  have  before 
stated  in  speaking  of  Manilla,  are  sent  to  Spain. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  island  of  Mindanao  who  are  under  the  sub- 
jection of  Spain,  are  about  ten  thousand  in  number,  of  whom  five  or 
six  thousand  are  at  or  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Samboangan.  The 
original  inhabitants,  who  dwell  in  the  mountains  and  on  the  east  coast, 
are  said  to  be  quite  black,  and  are  represented  to  be  a  very  cruel  and 
bad  set ;  they  have  hitherto  bid  defiance  to  all  attempts  to  subjugate 
them.  When  the  Spaniards  make  excursions  into  the  interior,  which 
is  seldom,  they  always  go  in  large  parties  on  account  of  the  wild 
beasts,  serpents,  and  hostile  natives ;  nevertheless,  the  latter  frequently 
attack  and  drive  them  back. 

The  little  fort  is  considered  as  a  sufficient  protection  for  the  fisher- 
men and  small  vessels  against  the  pirates,  who  inhabit  the  island  of 
Basiilan,  which  is  in  sight  from  Mindanao,  and  forms  the  southern 
side  of  the  straits  of  the  same  name.      It  is  said  that  about  seven 


8  O  O  L  O  O.  831 

hundred  inhabit  it  The  name  of  Moor  is  given  l^  the  Spaniards  to 
all  those  who  profess  the  Mohammedan  religion,  and  by  such  all  the 
islands  to  the  west  of  Mindanao,  and  known  under  the  name  of  the 
Sooloo  Archipelago,  are  inhabited. 

The  day  we  spent  at  Caldera  was  employed  in  surveying  the  bay, 
and  in  obtaining  observations  for  its  geographical  position,  and  for 
magnetism.  The  flood  tide  sets  to  the  northward  and  westward, 
through  the  straits,  and  the  ebb  to  the  eastward.  In  the  bay  we  found 
it  to  run  two  miles  an  hour  by  the  log,  but  it  must  be  much  more  rapid 
in  the  straits. 

At  daylight  on  the  1st  of  February,  we  got  under  way  to  stand 
over  for  the  Sangboys,  a  small  island  with  two  sharp  hills  on  it  One 
and  a  half  miles  from  the  bay  we  passed  over  a  bank,  the  least  water 
on  which  was  ten  fathoms  on  a  sandy  bottom,  and  on  which  a  vessel 
might  anchor.  The  wind  shortly  after  failed  us,  and  we  drifted  with 
the  tide  for  some  hours,  in  full  view  of  the  island  of  Mindanao,  which 
is  bold  and  picturesque.  We  had  thus  a  good  opportunity  of  mea- 
suring some  of  its  mountain  ranges^  which  we  made  about  throe  thou- 
sand feet  high. 

In  the  afternoon,  a  light  breeze  came  from  the  southwest,  and  before 
sunset  I  found  that  we  were  again  on  soundings.  As  soon  as  we  had 
a  cast  of  twenty  fethoms,  I  anchored  for  the  aight,  judging  it  much 
better  than  to  be  drifting  about  without  any  knowledge  of  the  locality 
and  currents  to  which  we  were  subjected. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2d,  we  got  under  way  to  proceed  to  the 
westward.  As  the  bottom  was  unequal,  I  determined  to  pass  through 
the  broadest  channel,  although  it  had  the  appearance  of  being  the 
shoalest,  and  sent  two  boats  ahead  to  sound.  In  this  way  we  passed 
through,  continuing  our  surveying  operations,  and  at  the  same  time 
made  an  attempt  to  dredge ;  but  the  ground  was  too  uneven  for  the 
latter  purpose,  and  little  of  value  was  obtained. 

Shortly  after  passing  the  Sangboys,  we  had  the  island  of  Sooloo  in 
sight,  for  which  I  now  steered  direct  At  sunset  we  found  ourselves 
within  five  or  six  miles  of  Soung  Harbour ;  but  there  was  not  sufficient 
light  to  risk  the  dangers  that  might  be  in  our  course^  nor  wind  enough 
to  command  the  ship ;  ajfKi  having  no  bottom  where  we  were,  I  deter- 
mined again  to  run  out  to  sea,  and  anchor  on  the  first  bank  I  should 
meet  At  half-past  eight  o'clock,  we  struck  sounding  in  twenty-six 
fathoms,  and  anchored. 

At  daylight  we  determined  our  position  by  angles,  and  found  it  to 
correspond  with  part  of  the  route  we  had  passed  over  the  day  before, 
and  that  we  were  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  large  island  of  Sooloa 


332  S  O  O  L  O  O. 

Weighing  anchor,  we  were  shortly  wafted  by  the  westerly  tide  and  a 
light  air  towards  that  beautiful  island,  which  lay  in  the  midst  of  its 
little  archipelago;  and  as  we  were  brought  nearer  and  nearer,  we 
canrie  to  the  conclusion  that  in  our  many  wanderings  we  had  seen 
nothing  to  be  compared  to  this  enchanting  spot  It  appeared  to  be 
well  cultivated,  with  gentle  slopes  rising  here  and  there  into  eminences 
from  one  to  two  thousand  feet  high.  One  or  two  of  these  might  be 
dignified  with  the  name  of  mountains,  and  were  sufficiently  high  to 
arrest  the  passing  clouds ;  on  the  afternoon  of  our  arrival  we  had  a 
singular  example  in  the  dissipation  of  a  thunder-storm. 

Although  much  of  the  island  was  under  cultivation,  yet  it  had  all  the 
freshness  of  a  forest  region.  The  many  smokes  on  the  hills,  buildings 
of  large  size,  cottages,  and  cultivated  spots,  together  with  the  moving 
crowds  on  the  land,  the  prahus,  canoes,  and  fishing-boats  on  the  water, 
gave  the  whole  a  civilized  appearance.  Our  own  vessel  lay,  almost 
without  a  ripple  at  her  side,  on  the  glassy  surface  of  the  sea,  carried 
onwards  to  our  destined  anchorage  by  the  flowing  tide,  and  scarce  a 
sound  was  heard  except  the  splashing  of  the  lead  as  it  sought  the 
bottom.  The  efiect  of  this  was  destroyed  in  part  by  the  knowledge 
that  this  beautiful  archipelago  was  the  abode  of  a  cruel  and  barbarous 
race  of  pirates.  Towards  sunset  we  had  nearly  reached  the  bay  of 
Soung,  when  we  were  met  by  the  opposing  tide,  which  frustrated  all 
our  endeavours  to  reach  it,  and  I  was  compelled  to  anchor,  lest  we 
should  again  be  swept  to  sea. 

As  soon  as  the  night  set  in,  fishermen's  lights  were  seen  moving  along 
the  beach  in  all  directions,  and  gliding  about  in  canoes,  while  the  sea 
was  filled  with  myriads  of  phosphorescent  animalcula.  After  watching 
this  scene  for  two  or  three  hours  in  the  calm  and  still  night,  a  storm 
that  had  been  gathering  reached  us ;  but  it  lasted  only  for  a  short  time, 
and  cleared  off  after  a  shower,  which  gave  the  air  a  freshness  that 
was  delightful  after  the  sultry  heat  we  had  experienced  during  the  d«y. 
The  canoes  of  this  archipelago  were  found  to  be  different  from  any 

that  we  had  heretofore  seen,  not  only  in 
shape,  but  in  making  use  of  a  double  out- 
rigger, which  consequently  must  give  them 
additional  security.  The  paddle  also  is  of 
a  difllerent  shape,  and  has  a  blade  at  each 
end,  which  are  used  alternately,  thus 
enabling  a  single  person  to  manage  them  with  ease.  These  canoes 
are  made  of  a  single  log,  though  some  are  built  upon.  They  seldom 
carry  more  than  two  persons.  The  figure  on  the  opposite  page  will 
give  a  correct  idea  of  one  of  them. 


I.  .'      ;"  ' 
ri.  ."•  ■   ■ 


■  «       •'  a  ■ 


I  .'1 


•    •» 


* .  -*    , 


SOOLOa  83S 

We  saw  the  fisbernwD  engaged  in  trolling  and  usii^  the  line ;  but 
the  manner  of  taking  fish  nhich  has  been  heretofore  described  is 
chiefly  practised.  In  fishing,  as  well  as  in  all  their  other  employ- 
ments,  the  kris  and  spear  were  invariably  by  their  side. 


The  next  morning  at  eight  o'clock  we  got  under  way,  and  were 
towed  by  our  boats  into  the  bay  of  Soung,  where  we  anchored  off  the 
town  in  nine  fathoms  water.  While  in  the  act  of  doing  so,  and  afler 
our  intentions  had  become  too  evident  to  admit  of  a  doubt,  the  Sultan 
graciously  sent  otf  a  message  giving  us  permission  to  enter  his  port 

Lieutenant  Budd  was  immediately  despatched  with  the  interpreter 
to  call  upon  the  Datu  Mulu  or  governor,  and  to  loarn  at  what  hour 
we  could  see  the  Sultan.  When  the  officer  reached  the  town,  all 
were  found  asleep;  and  after  remaining  four  hours  waiting,  the  only 
answer  he  could  get  out  of  the  Datu  Mulu  was,  that  he  supposed  that, 
the  Sultan  would  be  awake  at  three  o'clock,  when  he  thought  I  could 
see  him. 

During  this  time  the  boats  had  been  prepared  for  surveying;  and 
after  landing  the  naturalists,  they  began  the  work. 

At  the  appointed  time.  Captain  Hudson  and  myself  went  on  shore 
to  wait  upon  the  Sultan.  On  our  approach  to  the  town,  we  found 
that  a  great  proportion  of  it  was  built  over  the  water  on  piles,  and 
only  connected  with  the  shore  by  narrow  bridges  of  bamboo.  'Hie 
style  of  building  in  Sooloo  does  not  differ  materially  from  that  of  the 
Malays.  The  houses  are  rather  larger,  and  they  surpass  the  others 
in  filtb. 


We  passed  for  some  distance  between  the  bridges  to  die  landing. 


384  8  O  O  L  O  O. 

and  on  our  way  saw  several  piratical  prahus  apparently  laid  up. 
Twenty  of  these  were  counted,  of  about  thirty  tons  burden,  evidently 
built  for  sea-vessels,  and  capable  of  mounting  one  or  two  long  guns. 
We  landed  at  a  small  streamlet,  and  walked  a  short  distance  to  the 
Datu's  house,  which  is  of  large  dimensions  and  rudely  built  on  piles 
which  raise  it  about  six  feet  above  the  ground,  and  into  which  we 
were  invited.  The  house  of  the  Datu  contains  one  room,  part  of 
which  is  screened  off  to  form  the  apartment  of  his  wife.  Nearly  in 
the  centre  is  a  raised  dais,  eight  or  ten  feet  square,  under  which  are 
stowed  all  his  valuables,  packed  in  chests  and  Chinese  trunks.  Upon 
this  dais  are  placed  mats  for  sleeping,  with  cushions,  pillows,  &c.;  and 
over  it  is  a  sort  of  canopy,  hung  around  with  fine  chintz  or  muslin. 

The  dais  was  occupied  by  the  Datu,  who  is,  next  to  the  Sultan,  the 
greatest  man  of  this  island.  He  at  once  came  from  it  to  receive  us, 
and  had  chairs  provided  for  us  near  his  sanctum.  After  we  were 
seated,  he  again  retired  to  his  lounge.  The  Datu  is  small  in  person, 
and  emaciated  in  form,  but  has  a  quick  eye  and  an  intelligent  counte- 
nance. He  lives,  as  he  told  me,  with  all  his  goods  around  him,  and 
they  formed  a  collection  such  as  I  could  scarcely  imagine  it  possible 
to  bring  together  in  such  a  place.  The  interior  put  me  in  mind  of  a 
barn  inhabited  by  a  company  of  strolling  players.  On  one  side  were 
hung  up  a  collection  of  various  kinds  of  gay  dresses,  here  drums  and 
gongs,  there  swords,  lanterns,  spears,  muskets,  and  small  cannon ;  on 
another  side  were  shields,  bucklers,  masks,  saws,  and  wheels,  with 
belts,  bands,  and  long  robes.  The  whole  was  a  strange  mixture  of 
tragedy  and  farce ;  and  the  group  of  natives  were  not  far  removed  in 
appearance  from  the  supernumeraries  that  a  Turkish  tragedy  might 
have  brought  together  in  the  green-room  of  a  theatre.  A  set  of  more 
cowardly-looking  miscreants  I  never  saw.  They  appeared  ready 
either  to  trade  with  us,  pick  our  pockets,  or  cut  our  throats,  as  an 
opportunity  might  offer. 

The  wife's  apartment  was  not  remarkable  for  its  comforts,  although 
the  Datu  spoke  of  it  with  much  consideration,  and  evidently  held  his 
better  half  in  high  estimation.  He  was  also  proud  of  his  six  children, 
the  youngest  of  whom  he  brought  out  in  its  nurse's  arms,  and  exhibited 
with  much  pride  and  satisfaction.  He  particularly  drew  my  attention, 
to  its  little  highly-wrought  and  splendidly-mounted  kris,  which  was 
stuck  through  its  girdle,  as  an  emblem  of  his  rank.  He  was  in  reality 
a  fine-looking  child.  The  kitchen  was  behind  the  house,  and  occupied 
but  a  small  space,  for  they  have  little  in  the  way  of  food  that  requires 
much  preparation.  The  house  of  the  Datu  might  justly  be  termed 
nasty. 


S  O  O  L  O  O.  385 

We  now  learned  the  reason  why  the  Sultan  could  not  be  seen :  it 
was  Friday,  the  M ahomedan  Sabbath,  and  he  had  been  at  the  mosque 
from  an  early  hour.  Lieutenant  Budd  had  been  detained,  because  it 
was  not  known  when  he  would  finish  his  prayers ;  and  the  ceremonies 
of  the  day  were  more  important  than  usual,  on  account  of  its  peculiar 
sanctity  in  their  calendar. 

Word  had  been  sent  off  to  the  ship  that  the  Sultan  was  ready  to 
receive  me,  but  the  messenger  passed  us  while  on  our  way  to  the 
shore.  AAer  we  had  been  seated  for  a  while,  the  Datu  asked  if  we 
were  ready  to  accompany  him  to  see  the  Sultan ;  but  intimated  that 
no  one  but  Captain  Hudson  and  myself  could  be  permitted  to  lay  eyes 
on  him.  Being  informed  that  we  were,  he  at  once,  and  in  our  pre- 
sence, slipped  on  his  silken  trousers,  and  a  new  jacket,  covered  with 
bell-buttons ;  put  on  his  slippers,  strapped  himself  round  with  a  long 
silken  net  sash,  into  which  he  stuck  his  kris,  and,  with  umbrella  in 
hand,  said  he  was  ready.  He  now  led  the  way  out  of  his  house, 
leaving  the  motley  group  behind,  and  we  took  the  path  to  the  interior 
of  the  town,  towards  the  Sultan's.  The  Datu  and  I  walked  hand  in 
hand,  on  a  roadway  about  ten  feet  wide,  with  a  small  stream  running 
on  each  side.  Captain  Hudson  and  the  interpreter  came  next,  and  a 
guard  of  six  trusty  slaves  brought  up  the  rear. 

When  we  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  about  half  a  mile  from 
the  Datu's,  we  came  to  the  Sultan's  residence,  where  he  was  prepared 
to  receive  us  in  state.  His  house  is  constructed  in  the  same  manner 
as  that  of  the  Datu,  but  is  of  larger  dimensions,  and  the  piles  are  rather 
higher.  Instead  of  steps,  we  found  a  ladder,  rudely  constructed  of 
bamboo,  and  very  crazy.  This  was  so  steep  that  it  was  necessary  to 
use  the  hands  in  mounting  it.  I  understood  that  the  ladder  was  always 
removed  in  the  night,  for  the  sake  of  security.  We  entered  at  once 
into  the  presence-chamber,  where  the  whole  divan,  if  such  it  may  be 
called,  sat  in  arm-chairs,  occupying  the  half  of  a  large  round  table, 
covered  with  a  white  cotton  cloth.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  table, 
seats  were  placed  for  us.  On  our  approach,  the  Sultan  and  all  his 
council  rose,  and  motioned  us  to  our  seats.  When  we  had  taken 
them,  the  part  of  the  room  behind  us  was  literally  crammed  with 
well-armed  men.  A  few  minutes  were  passed  in  silence,  during 
which  time  we  had  an  opportunity  of  looking  at  each  other,  and 
around  the  hall  in  which  we  were  seated.  The  latter  was  of  very 
common  workmanship,  and  exhibited  no  signs  of  oriental  magnifi- 
cence. Overhead  hung  a  printed  cotton  cloth,  forming  a  kind  of 
tester,  which  covered  about  half  of  the  apartment.  In  other  places 
the  roof  and  rafters  were  visible.    A  part  of  the  house  was  roughly 


886  8  O  O  L  O  O. 

partitioned  off,  to  the  height  of  nine  or  ten  feet,  enclosing,  as  I  was 
afterwards  told,  the  Sultan's  sleeping  apartment,  and  that  appropriated 
to  his  wife  and  her  attendants. 

The  Sultan  is  of  the  middle  height,  spare  and  thin ;  he  was  dressed 
in  a  white  cotton  shirt,  loose  trousers  of  the  same  material,  and  slip- 
pers ;  he  had  no  stockings ;  the  bottom  of  his  trousers  was  worked  in 
scollops  with  blue  silk,  and  this  was  the  only  ornament  I  saw  about 
him.  On  his  head  he  wore  a  small  coloured  cotton  handkerchief, 
wound  into  a  turban,  that  just  covered  the  top  of  his  head.  His  eyes 
were  bloodshot,  and  had  an  uneasy  wild  look,  showing  that  he  was 
tinder  the  effects  of  opium,  of  which  they  all  smoke  large  quantities. 
His  teeth  were  as  black  as  ebony,  which,  with  his  bright  cherry- 
coloured  lips,*  contrasted  with  his  swarthy'  skin,  gave  him  any  thing 
but  a  pleasant  look. 

On  the  left  hand  of  the  Sultan  sat  his  two  sons,  while  his  right  was 
occupied  by  his  councillors;  just  behind  him,  sat  the  carrier  of  his 
betel-nut  casket.  The  casket  was  of  filigree  silver,  about  the  size  of  a 
small  tea-caddy,  of  oblong  shape,  and  rounded  at  the  top.  It  had 
three  divisions,  one  for  the  leaf,  another  for  the  nut,  and  a  third  for  the 
lime.  Next  to  this  official  was  the  pipe-bearer,  who  did  not  appear  to 
be  held  in  such  estimation  as  the  former. 

I  opened  the  conversation  by  desiring  that  the  Datu  would  explain 
the  nature  of  our  visit,  and  tell  the  Sultan  that  I  had  come  to  make 
the  treaty  which  he  had  some  time  before  desired  to  form  with  the 
United  States.t 

The  Sultan  replied,  that  such  was  still  his  desire;  upon  which  I 
told  him,  I  would  draw  one  up  for  him,  that  same  day.  While  I  was 
explaining  to  him  the  terms,  a  brass  candlestick  was  brought  in  ivith 
a  lighted  tallow  candle,  of  a  very  dark  colour,  and  rude  shape,  that 
showed  but  little  art  in  the  manufacture.  This  ^as  placed  in  the 
centre  of  the  table,  with  a  plate  of  Manilla  cigars.  None  of  them, 
however,  were  offered  to  us,  nor  any  kind  of  refreshment 

Our  visit  lasted  nearly  an  hour.  When  we  arose  to  take  our  leave, 
the  Sultan  and  his  divan  did  the  same,  and  we  made  our  exit  with  low 
bows  on  each  side. 

I  looked  upon  it  as  a  matter  of  daily  occurrence  for  all  those  who 
came  to  the  island  to  visit  the  Sultan ;  but  the  Datu  Mulu  took  great 

*  Chewmsr  the  betel-nat  and  pqiper-leaf  also  prodaoes  thii  e^ct,  and  ii  oarried  to  a  gpreat 
extent  among  these  islanders. 

t  The  Sultan,  on  the  visit  of  one  of  oar  merchant- vessels,  had  inf(Hrmed  the  supercargo 
that  he  wished  to  encourage  our  trade,  and  to  see  the  vessels  of  the  United  States  coming  to 
disport 


8  O  O  L  O  O.  837 

pains  to  make  me  believe  that  a  great  favour  had  been  granted  in 
allowing  us  a  sight  of  his  ruler.  On  the  other  hand,  I  dwelt  upon  the 
condescension  it  was  on  my  part  to  visit  him,  and  I  refused  to  admit 
that  I  was  under  any  gratitude  or  obligation  for  the  sight  of  His 
Majesty  the  Sultan  Mohammed  Damaliel  Kisand^  but  said  that  he 
might  feel  grateful  to  me  if  he  signed  the  treaty  I  would  prepare  for 
him. 

On  our  return  from  the  Sultan's  to  the  Datu  Mulu's  house,  we  found 
even  a  greater  crowd  than  before.  The  Datu,  however,  contrived  to 
get  us  seats.  The  attraction  which  drew  it  together  was  to  look  at 
Mr.  Agate,  who  was  taking  a  sketch  of  Mohammed  Polalu,  the  Sul- 
tan's son,  and  next  heir  to  the  throne.  I  had  hoped  to  procure  one  of 
the  Sultan,  but  this  was  declared  to  be  impossible.  The  son,  how- 
ever, has  all  the  characteristics  of  the  Sooloos,  and  the  likeness  was 
thought  an  excellent  one.  Mohammed  Polalu  is  about  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  of  a  tall  slender  figure,  with  a  long  face,  heavy  and  dull 
eyes,  as  though  he  was  constantly  under  the  influence  of  opium.  So 
much,  indeed,  was  he  addicted  to  the  use  of  this  drug,  even  according 
to  the  Datu  Mulu's  accounts,  that  his  strength  and  constitution  were 
very  much  impaired.  As  he  is  kept  particularly  under  the  guardian- 
ship of  the  Datu,  the  latter  has  a  strong  interest  in  preserving  this 
influence  over  him,  and  seems  on  this  account  to  afibrd  him  every 
opportunity  of  indulging  in  this  deplorable  habit. 

During  our  visit,  the  efiects  of  a  pipe  of  this  drug  was  seen  upon 
him ;  for  but  a  short  time  after  he  had  reclined  himself  on  the  Datu's 
couch  and  cushion,  and  taken  a  few  whifls,  he  was  entirely  overcome, 
stupid,  and  listless.  I  had  never  seen  any  one  so  young,  bearing 
such  evident  marks  of  the  efiects  of  this  deleterious  drug.  When  but 
partially  recovered  firom  its  efiects  he  called  for  his  betel-nut,  to  revive 
him  by  its  exciting  efiects.  This  was  carefully  chewed  by  his  atten- 
dant to  a  proper  consistency,  moulded  in  a  ball  about  the  size  of  a 
walnut,  and  then  slipped  into  the  mouth  of  the  heir  apparent. 

One  of  the  requests  I  had  made  of  the  Sultan  was,  that  the  ofiicers 
might  have  guides  to  pass  over  the  island.  This  was  at  once  said  to 
be  too  dangerous  to  be  attempted,  as  the  datus  of  the  interior  and 
southern  towns  would  in  all  probability  attack  the  parties.  I  under- 
stood what  this  meant,  and  replied  that  I  was  quite  willing  to  take  the 
responsibility,  and  that  the  party  should  be  well  armed.  To  this  the 
Sultan  replied,  that  he  would  not  risk  his  own  men.  This  I  saw  was 
a  mere  evasion,  but  it  was  diflicult  and  would  be  dangerous  for  our 
gentlemen  to  proceed  alone,  and  I  therefore  said  no  more.  On  our 
return  to  the  Datu's,  I  gave  them,  permission  to  get  as  far  from  the' 

V0L.V.  2D  43 


388  SOOLOO. 

beach  as  they  could,  but  I  was  afterwards  informed  by  them  that  in 
endeavouring  to  penetrate  into  the  woods,  they  were  always  stopped 
by  armed  men.  This  was  also  the  case  when  they  approached  parti- 
cular parts  of  the  town,  but  they  were  not  molested  as  long  as  their 
rambles  were  confined  to  the  beach.  At  the  Datu's  we  were  treated 
to  chocolate  and  negus  in  gilt-edged  tumblers,  with  small  stale  cakes, 
which  had  been  brought  from  Manilla. 

After  we  had  sat  some  time  I  was  informed  that  Mr.  Dana  missed 
his  bowie-knife  pistol,  which  he  had  for  a  moment  laid  down  on  a 
chest.  I  at  once  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  had  been  stolen,  and  as 
the  theft  had  occurred  in  the  Datu's  house,  I  determined  to  hold  him 
responsible  for  it,  and  gave  him  at  once  to  understand  that  I  should  do 
so,  informing  him  that  the  pistol  must  be  returned  before  the  next 
morning,  or  he  must  take  the  consequences.  This  threw  him  into  some 
consternation,  and  by  my  manner  he  felt  that  I  was  serious. 

Captain  Hudson  and  myself,  previous  to  our  return  on  board,  visited 
the  principal  parts  of  the  town.  The  Chinese  quarter  is  separated  by  a 
body  of  water,  and  has  a  gateway  that  leads  to  a  bridge.  The  bridge 
is  covered  by  a  roof,  and  on  each  side  of  it  are  small  shops,  which  are 
open  in  front,  and  thus  expose  the  goods  they  contain.  In  the  rear  of  the 
shops  were  the  dwellings  of  the  dealers.  This  sort  of  bazaar  contained 
but  a  very  scanty  assortment,  and  the  goods  were  of  inferior  quality. 

We  visited  some  blacksmith-shops,  where  they  were  manufacturing 
krises  and  spears.  These  shops  were  open  sheds ;  the  fire  vms  made 
upon  the  ground,  and  two  wooden  cylinders,  whose  valves  were  in  the 
bottom,  served  for  bellows ;  when  used,  they  had  movable  pistons,  which 
were  worked  by  a  man  on  an  elevated  seat,  and  answered  the  purpose 
better  than  could  have  been  expected. 

The  kris  is  a  weapon  in  which  this  people  take  great  pride;  it  is  of 
various  shapes  and  sizes,  and  is  invariably  worn  from  infancy  to  old 
age ;  they  are  generally  wavy  in  their  blades,  and  are  worn  in  wooden 
scabbards,  which  are  neatly  made  and  highly  polished.     This  weapon- 
is  represented  in  the  tail-piece  to  this  chapter. 

The  market  was  well  stocked  with  fruit  and  fish.  Among  the  former 
the  durian  seemed  to  predominate;  this  was  the  first  time  we  had  seen 
it.  It  has  a  very  disagreeable  odour,  as  if  decayed,  and  appears  to 
emit  a  sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas,  which  I  observed  blackened  silver. 
Some  have  described  this  fruit  as  delicious,  but  if  the  smell  is  not 
enough^  the  taste  in  my  opinion  will  convince  any  one  of  the  contrary. 

Mr.  Brackenridge  made  the  following  list  of  their  fruits:  Durian, 
Artocarpus  integrifolia.  Melons,  water  and  musk,  Oranges,  mandarin 
and  bitter.  Pine-apples,  Carica  papaya,  Mangosteen,  Bread-fruit,  Cocoa 


S  O  O  L  O  O.  889 

and  Betel-nut.  The  vegetables  were  capsicums^  cucumbers,  yams, 
sweet-potatoes,  garlic,  onions,  edible  fern-roots,  and  radishes  of  the 
salmon  variety,  but  thicker  and  more  acrid  in  flavour. 

In  walking  about  the  parts  of  the  town  we  were  permitted  to  enter, 
large  slabs  of  cut  granite  were  seen,  which  were  presumed  to  be  from 
China^  where  the  walls  of  canals  or  streamlets  are  lined  with  it  But 
Dr.  Pickering  in  his  rambles  discovered  pieces  that  had  been  cut  as  if 
to  form  a  monument,  and  remarked  a  difference  between  it  and  the 
Chinese  kind.  On  one  or  two  pieces  he  saw  the  mark  No.  1,  in  black 
paint ;  the  material  resembled  the  Chelmsford  granite,  and  it  occurred 
to  him  that  the  stone  had  been  cut  in  Boston.*  I  did  not  hear  of  this 
circumstance  until  after  we  had  left  Sooloo,  and  have  little  doubt  now 
that  the  interdiction  against  our  gentlemen  visiting  some  parts  of  the 
town  was  owing  to  the  fear  they  had  of  the  discovery  of  this  plunder. 
This  may  have  b^n  the  reason  why  they  so  readily  complied  with  my 
demands,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  us  as  soon  as  possible,  feeling  them- 
selves guilty,  and  being  unprepared  for  defence ;  for,  of  the  numerous 
guns  mounted,  few  if  any  were  serviceable. 

The  theft  of  the  pistol  was  so  barefaced  an  affair,  that  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  insist  on  its  restoration.  At  the  setting  of  the  watch  in  the 
evening,  it  had  been  our  practice  on  board  the  Vincennes  to  fire  a 
small  brass  howitzer.  This  frequently,  in  the  calm  evenings,  produced 
a  great  reverberation,  and  rolled  along  the  water  to  the  surrounding 
islands  with  considerable  noise.  Instead  of  it,  on  this  evening,  I 
ordered  one  of  the  long  guns  to  be  fired,  believing  that  the  sound  and 
reverberation  alone  would  suffice  to  intimidate  such  robbers.  One  was 
accordingly  fired  in  the  direction  of  the  town,  which  fairly  shook  the 
island,  as  they  said,  and  it  was  not  long  before  we  saw  that  the  rogues 
were  fully  aroused,  for  the  clatter  of  gongs  and  voices  that  came  over 
the  water,  and  the  motion  of  lights,  convinced  me  that  the  pistol  would 
be  forthcoming  in  the  morning.  In  this  I  was  not  mistaken,  for  at 
early  daylight  I  was  awakened  by  a  special  messenger  from  the  Datu 
to  tell  me  that  the  pistol  was  found,  and  would  be  brought  off  without 
delay ;  that  he  had  been  searching  for  it  all  night,  and  had  at  last  suc- 
ceeded in  finding  it,  as  well  as  the  thief,  on  whom  he  intended  to  inflict 
the  bastinado.  Accordingly,  in  a  short  time  the  pistol  was  delivered 
on  board,  and  every  expression  of  friendship  and  good-will  given,  with 
the  strongest  assurances  that  nothing  of  the  kind  should  happen  again. 

*  Since  our  return,  inquiries  have  been  made  by  him,  which  resolted  in  proving  that  such 
was  in  truth  their  origin,  and  that  the  vessel  in  which  they  were  shipped  was  for  a  long 
time  missing.  Ilie  identical  stones  which  he  saw  were  a  part  of  a  monument  that  was 
on  its  way  to  Canton. 


340  S  O  O  L  O  O. 

As  our  naturalists  could  have  no  opportunity  of  rambling  over  the 
island  of  Sooloo,  it  was  thought  that  one  of  the  neighbouring  islands 
(although  not  so  good  a  field)  would  afford  them  many  of  the  same 
results,  and  that  they  could  examine  it  unmolested.  Accordingly,  at  an 
early  hour,  they  were  despatched  in  boats  for  that  purpose,  with  a 
sufficient  guard  to  attend  them  in  case  of  necessity.  The  island  on 
which  they  landed  is  called  Marongas  on  the  map  of  the  group  annexed 
to  this  chapter.  On  it  are  two  hills  of  volcanic  conglomerate  and 
vesicular  lava,  containing  angular  fragments  embedded.  The  bottom 
was  covered  with  living  coral,  of  every  variety,  and  of  different  colours ; 
but  there  was  nothing  like  a  regular  coral  shelf,  and  the  beach  was 
composed  of  bits  of  coral  intermixed  with  dead  shells,  both  entire  and 
comminuted.  The  centre  of  the  island  was  covered  with  mangrove- 
bushes  ;  the  hills  were  cones,  but  had  no  craters  on  them.  The  man- 
groves had  grown  in  clusters,  giving  the  appearance  of  a  number  of 
small  islets.  This,  with  the  neighbouring  islands,  were  thought  to  be 
composed  in  a  great  part  of  coral,  but  it  was  impossible  for  our 
gentlemen  to  determine  the  fact 

The  day  was  exceedingly  hot,  and  the  island  was  suffering  to  such 
a  degree  from  drought  that  tlie  leaves  in  many  cases  were  curled  and 
appeared  dry.  On  the  face  of  the  rocky  cliff  they  saw  many  swallows 
(hirundo  esculenta)  flying  in  and  out  of  the  caverns  facing  the  sea ; 
but  they  were  not  fortunate  enough  to  find  any  of  the  edible  nests,  so 
much  esteemed  by  Chinese  epicures. 

At  another  part  of  the  island  they  heard  the  crowing  of  a  cock,  and 
discovered  a  small  village,  almost  hidden  by  the  mangroves,  and  built 
over  the  water.  In  the  neighbourhood  were  several  fish-baskets  set  out 
to  dry,  as  well  as  a  quantity  of  fencing  for  weirs,  all  made  of  rattan. 
Their  shape  was  somewhat  peculiar.  Afler  a  little  while  the  native 
fishermen  were  seen  approaching,  who  evidently  had  a  knowledge  of 
their  visit  from  the  first.  They  came  near  with  great  caution  in  their 
canoes ;  but  after  the  first  had  spoken  and  reconnoitred,  several  others 
landed,  exhibiting  no  signs  of  embarrassment,  and  soon  motioned  our 
party  ofil  To  indicate  that  force  would  be  resorted  to,  in  case  of 
refusal,  at  the  same  time  they  pointed  to  their  arms,  and  drew  their 
krises.  Our  gentlemen  took  this  all  in  good  part,  and,  after  dispensing 
a  few  trifling  presents  among  them,  began  their  retreat  with  a  conve- 
nient speed,  without,  however,  compromising  their  dignity. 

The  excursion  had  been  profitable  in  the  way  of  collections,  having 
yielded  a  number  of  specimens  of  shrubs  and  trees,  both  in  flower  and 
fruit ;  but  owing  to  the  drought,  the  herbaceous  plants  were,  for  the 
most  part,  dried  up.    Among  the  latter,  however,  they  saw  a  large  and 


8  O  O  L  o  a  S4] 

fine  terrestrial  species  of  Epidendrmn,  whose  stem  grew  to  the  height 
of  several  feel,  and  when  surmounted  by  its  flowers  reached  twelve  or 
fifteen  feet  high.  Many  of  the  salt-marsh  plants  seen  in  the  Feejees, 
were  also  observed  here.  Besides  the  plants,  some  shells  and  a  beautiful 
cream -coloured  pigeon  were  obtained. 

During  the  day  we  were  busily  engaged  in  the  survey  of  the 
harbour,  and  in  making  astronomical  and  magnetical  observations  on 
the  beach,  while  some  of  the  officers  were  employed  purchasing  curi- 
osities, on  shore,  at  the  town,  and  alongside  the  ship.  These  consisted 
of  hrises,  spears,  shields,  and  shells;  and  the  Sooloos  were  not  slow  in 
comprehending  the  kind  of  articles  we  were  in  search  of. 

Few  if  any  of  the  Sooloos  can  write  or  read,  though  many  talk 
Spanish.  Their  accounts  are  all  kept  by  the  slaves.  Those  who  can 
read  and  write  are,  in  consequence,  highly  prized.  AH  the  accounts  of 
the  Dalu  of  Soung  are  kept  in  Dutch,  by  a  young  Malay  from  Temate, 
who  writes  a  good  hand,  and  speaks  English,  and  whom  we  found 
exceedingly  useful  to  us.  He  is  the  slave  of  the  Datu,  who  employs  him 
for  this  purpose  only.  He  told  us  he  was  captured  in  a  brig  by  the 
pirates  of  Basillan,  and  sold  here  as  a  slave,  where  he  is  likely  to 
remain  for  life,  although  he  says  the  Datu  has  promised  to  give  him  his 
freedom  after  ten  years. 

Horses,  cows,  and  buffaloes  are  the  beasts  of  burden,  and  a  Sooloo 
may  usually  be  seen  riding  either  one  or  the  other,  armed  cap-a-pie, 
with  kris,  spear,  and  target,  or  shield. 


They  use  saddles  cut  out  of  solid  wood,  and  many  ride  with  their 
tttrrups  so  short  that  they  bring  the  knees  very  high,  and  the  riders 
3D3 


S42  SOOLOa 

look  more  like  well-grown  monkeys  than  mounted  men.  The  cows 
and  bufTaloes  are  guided  by  a  piece  of  thong,  through  the  cartilage  of 
the  nose.  By  Iaw»  no  swine  are  allowed  to  be  kept  on  the  island,  and 
if  they  are  bought,  they  are  ijinmediately  killed.  The  Chinese  are 
obliged  to  raise  and  kill  their  pigs  very  secretly,  when  they  desire  that 
species  of  food ;  for,  notwithstanding  the  law  and  the  prejudices  of  the 
inhabitants,  the  former  continue  to  keep  swine. 

The  inhabitants  of  Sooloo  are  a  tall,  thin,  and  effeminate-looking 
race:  I  do  not  recollect  to  have  seen  one  corpulent  person  among 
them.  Their  faces  are  peculiar  for  length,  particularly  in  the  lower 
jaw  and  chin,  with  high  cheek-bones,  sunken,  lack-lustre  eyes,  and 
narrow  foreheads.  Their  heads  are  thinly  covered  with  hair,  which 
appears  to  be  kept  closely  cropped.  I  was  told  that  they  pluck  out 
their  beards,  and  dye  their  teeth  black  with  antimony,  and  some  file 
them. 

Their  eyebrows  appear  to  be  shaven,  forming  a  very  regular  and 
high  arch,  which  they  esteem  a  great  beauty. 

The  dress  of  the  common  people  is  very  like  that  of  the  Chinese, 
with  loose  and  full  sleeves,  without  buttons.  The  materials  of  which 
it  is  made  are  grass-cloths,  silks,  satins,  or  white  cotton,  from  China. 
I  should  judge  from  the  appearance  of  their  persons,  that  they  ought 
to  be  termed,  so  far  as  ablutions  go,  a  cleanly  people.  There  is  no 
outward  respect  or  obeisance  shown  by  the  slave  to  his  master,  nor  is 
the  presence  of  the  Datu,  or  even  of  the  Sultan  himself,  held  in  any 
awe.  All  appear  upon  an  equality,  and  there  does  not  seem  to  be  any 
controlling  power;  yet  it  may  be  at  once  perceived  that  they  are 
suspicious  and  jealous  of  strangers. 

The  Sooloos,  although  they  are  ready  to  do  any  thing  for  the  sake 
of  plunder,  even  to  the  taking  of  life,  yet  are  not  disposed  to  hoard 
their  ill-gotten  wealth,  and,  with  all  their  faults,  cannot  be  termed 
avaricious. 

They  have  but  few  qualities  to  redeem  their  treachery,  cruelty,  and 
revengeful  dispositions ;  and  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  their  being 
so  predominant,  or  even  of  their  existence,  is  their  inordinate  lust  for 
power.  When  they  possess  this,  it  is  accompanied  by  a  haughty,  con- 
sequential, and  ostentatious  bravery.  No  greater  affront  can  be  offered 
to  a  Sooloo,  than  to  underrate  his  dignity  and  official  consequence. 
Such  an  insult  is  seldom  forgiven,  and  never  forgotten.  From  one 
who  has  made  numerous  voyages  to  these  islands,  I  have  obtained 
many  of  the  above  facts,  and  my  own  observation  assures  me  that  this 
view  of  their  character  is  a  correct  one.  I  would,  however,  add 
another  trait,  which  is  common  among  them,  and  that  is  cowardice. 


8  O  O  L  O  O.  848 

which  is  obvious,  in  spite  of  their  boasted  prowess  and  daring.  This 
trait  of  character  is  universally  ascribed  to  them  among  the  Spaniards 
in  the  Philippines,  who  ought  to  be  well  acquainted  with  them. 

The  dress  of  the  women  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  men  in  appearance. 
They  wear  close  jackets  of  various  colours  when  they  go  abroad,  and 
the  same  loose  breeches  as  the  men,  but  over  them  they  usually  have 
a  large  wrapper  (sarong),  not  unlike  the  pareu  of  the  Polynesian 
islanders,  which  is  put  round  }hem  like  a  petticoat,  or  thrown  over  the 
shoulders.  Their  hair  is  drawn  to  the  back  of  the  head,  and  around 
the  forehead  it  is  shaven  in  the  form  of  a  regular  arch,  to  correspond 
with  the  eyebrows.  Those  that  I  saw  at  the  Sultan's  were  like  the 
Malays,  and  had  light  complexions,  with  very  black  teeth.  The  Datu 
thought  them  very  handsome,  and  on  our  return  he  asked  me  if  I  had 
seen  the  Sultan's  beauties.  The  females  of  Sooloo  have  the  reputation 
of  ruling  their  lords,  and  possess  much  weight  in  the  government  by 
the  influence  they  exert  over  their  husbands. 

It  may  be  owing  to  this  that  there  is  little  jealousy  of  their  wives, 
who  are  said  to  hold  their  virtues  in  no  very  great  estimation.  In 
their  houses  they  are  but  scantily  clothed,  though  women  of  rank  have 
always  a  large  number  of  rings  on  their  fingers,  some  of  which  are 
of  great  value,  as  well  as  earrings  of  fine  gold.  They  wear  no  stock- 
ings, but  have  on  Chinese  slippers,  or  Spanish  shoes.  They  are  as 
capable  of  governing  as  their  husbands,  and  in  many  cases  more  so, 
as  they  associate  with  the  slaves,  from  whom  they  obtain  some  know* 
ledge  of  Christendom,  and  of  the  habits  and  customs  of  other  nations, 
which  they  study  to  imitate  in  every  way. 

The  mode  in  which  the  Sooloos  employ  their  time  may  be  exem- 
plified by  giving  that  of  the  Datu;  for  all,  whether  firee  or  slave, 
endeavour  to  imitate  the  higher  rank  as  far  as  is  in  their  power.  The 
datus  seldom  rise  before  eleven  o'clock,  unless  they  have  some  parti- 
cular business;  and  the  Datu  Mulu  complained  of  being  sleepy  in 
consequence  of  the  early  hour  at  which  we  had  disturbed  him. 

On  rising,  they  have  chocolate  served  in  gilt  glassware,  with  some 
light  biscuit,  and  sweetmeats  imported  from  China  or  Manilla,  of 
which  they  informed  me  they  laid  in  large  supplies.  They  then 
lounge  about  their  houses,  transacting  a  little  business,  and  playing 
at  various  games,  or,  in  the  trading  season,  go  to  the  meeting  of  the 
Ruma  Bechara. 

At  sunset  they  take  their  principal  meal,  consisting  of  stews  of  fish, 
poultry,  beef,  eggs,  and  rice,  prepared  somewhat  after  the  Chinese  and 
Spanish  modes,  mixed  up  with  that  of  the.  Malay.  Although  Moslems, 
they  do  not  forego  the  use  of  wine,  and  some  are  said  to  indulge  in  it 


844  SOOLOa 

to  a  great  extent.  After  sunset,  when  the  air  has  become  somewhat 
cooled  by  the  "refreshing  breezes,  they  sally  forth  attended  by  their 
retainers  to  take  a  walk,  or  proceed  to  the  bazaars  to  purchase  goods, 
or  to  sell  or  to  barter  away  their  articles  of  produca  They  then  pay 
visits  to  their  friends,  when  they  are  in  the  habit  of  having  frequent 
convivial  parties,  talking  over  their  bargains,  smoking  cigars,  drinking 
wine  and  liqueurs,  tea,  coffee,  and  chocolate,  and  indulging  in  their 
favourite  pipe  of  opium.  At  times  they  are  entertained  with  music, 
both  vocal  and  instrumental,  by  their  dependants.  Of  this  art  they 
appear  to  be  very  fond,  and  there  are  many  musical  instruments 
among  them.  A  datu,  indeed,  would  be  looked  upon  as  uneducated  if 
he  could  not  play  on  some  instrument 

It  is  considered  polite  that  when  refreshments  are  handed  they 
should  be  partaken  of.  Those  offered  us  by  the  Datu  were  such  as 
are  usual,  but  every  thing  was  stale.  Of  fruit  they  are  said  to  be 
very  fond,  and  can  afford  to  indulge  themselves  in  any  kinds.  With 
all  these  articles  to  cloy  the  appetite,  only  one  set  meal  a  day  is  taken; 
though  the  poorer  classes,  fishermen  and  labourers,  partake  of  two. 

The  government  of  the  Sooloo  Archipelago  is  a  kind  of  oligarchy, 
and  the  supreme  authority  is  vested  in  the  Sultan  and  the  Ruma 
Bechara  or  trading  council.  This  consists  of  about  twenty  chiefs, 
either  datus,  or  their  next  in  rank,  called  orangs,  who  are  governors 
of  towns  or  detached  provinces.  The  influence  of  the  individual 
chiefs  depends  chiefly  upon  the  number  of  their  retainers  or  slaves, 
and  the  force  they  can  bring  into  their  service  when  they  require  iL 
These  are  purchased  from  the  pirates,  who  bring  them  to  Sooloo  and 
its  dependencies  for  sale.  The  slaves  are  employed  in  a  variety  of 
ways,  as  in  trading  prahus,  in  the  pearl  and  biche  de  mar  fisheries, 
and  in  the  search  after  the  edible  birds'-nests. 

A  few  are  engaged  in  agriculture,  and  those  who  are  at  all  educated 
are  employed  as  clerks.  These  slaves  are  not  denied  the  right  of 
holding  property,  which  they  enjoy  during  their  lives,  but  at  their 
death  it  reverts  to  the  master.  Some  of  them  are  quite  rich,  and  what 
may  appear  strange,  the  slaves  of  Sooloo  are  invariably  better  off  than 
the  untitled  freemen,  who  are  at  all  times  the  prey  of  the  hereditary 
datus,  even  of  those  who  hold  no  official  stations.  By  all  accounts 
these  constitute  a  large  proportion  of  the  population,  and  it  being 
treason  for  any  low-bom  freeman  to  injure  or  maltreat  a  datu,  the 
latter,  who  are  of  a  haughty,  overbearing,  and  t}nrannical  disposition, 
seldom  keep  themselves  within  bounds  in  their  treatment  of  their  in- 
feriors. The  consequence  is,  the  lower  class  of  freemen  are  obliged 
to  put  themselves  under  the  protection  of  some  particular  datu,  which 


S  O  O  L  o  o.  845 

guards  them  from  the  encroachment  of  others.  The  chief  to  whom 
they  thus  attach  themselves,  is  induced  to  treat  them  well,  in  order  to 
retain  their  services,  and  attach  them  to  his  person,  that  he  may,  in 
case  of  need,  be  enabled  to  defend  himself  from  depredations,  and  the 
violence  of  his  neighbours. 

Such  is  the  absence  of  legal  restraint,  that  all  find  it  necessary  to  go 
abroad  armed,  and  accompanied  by  a  trusty  set  of  followers,  who  are 
also  armed.  This  is  the  case  both  by  day  and  night,  and,  according 
to  the  Datu's  account,  frequent  aflrays  take  place  in  the  open  streets, 
which  not  unfrequently  end  in  bloodshed. 

Caution  is  never  laid  aside,  the  only  law  that  exists  being  that  of 
force ;  but  the  weak  contrive  to  balance  the  power  of  the  strong  by 
uniting.  They  have  not  only  contentions  and  strife  among  themselves, 
but  it  was  stated  at  Manilla  that  the  mountaineers  of  Sooloo,  who  are 
said  to  be  Christians,  occasionally  make  inroads  upon  them.  At  Soo- 
loo, however,  it  did  not  appear  that  they  were  under  much  apprehen- 
sion of  these  attacks.  The  only  fear  I  heard  expressed  was  by  the 
Sultan,  in  my  interview  with  him ;  and  the  cause  of  this,  as  I  have 
already  stated,  was  probably  a  desire  to  find  an  excuse  for  not  afibrd- 
ing  us  facilities  to  go  into  the  interior.  Within  twenty  years,  however, 
the  reigning  sultan  has  been  obliged  to  retire  within  his  forts,  in  the 
town  of  Sooloo,  which  I  have  before  adverted  to. 

These  people  are  hostile  to  the  Sooloos  of  the  coast  and  towns,  who 
take  every  opportunity  to  rob  them  of  their  cattle  and  property,  for 
which  the  mountaineers  seek  retaliation  when  they  have  an  opportu* 
nity.  From  the  manner  in  which  the  Datu  spoke  of  them,  they  are 
not  much  regarded.  Through  another  source  I  learned  that  the  moun* 
taineers  were  Papuans,  and  the  original  inhabitants  of  the  islands, 
who  pay  tribute  to  the  Sultan,  and  have  acknowledged  his  authority, 
ever  since  they  were  converted  to  Islamism.  Before  that  time  they 
were  considered  extremely  ferocious,  and  whenever  it  was  practicable 
they  were  destroyed.  Others  speak  of  an  original  race  of  Dyacks  in 
the  interior,  but  there  is  one  circumstance  to  satisfy  me  that  there  is 
no  confidence  to  be  placed  in  this  account,  namely,  that  the  island  is 
not  of  sufiicient  extent  to  accommodate  so  numerous  a  population  as 
some  ascribe  to  it 

The  forts  consist  of  a  double  row  of  piles,  filled. in  with  coral  blocks. 
That  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  small  stream  may  be  said  to 
mount  a  few  guns,  but  these  are  altogether  inefiicient ;  and  in  another, 
on  the  west  side,  which  is  rather  a  rude  embankment  than  a  fort,  there 
are  some  twelve  or  fifteen  pieces  of  large  calibre ;  but  I  doubt  very 

VOL.  V.  44 


846  800L00. 

much  if  they  had  been  fired  off  for  years,  and  many  of  the  houses 
built  upon  the  water  would  require  to  be  pulled  down  before  these 
guns  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  any  thing  on  the  side  of  the  bay, 
supposing  them  to  be  in  a  good  condition ;  a  little  farther  to  the  east 
of  the  town,  I  was  informed  they  had  a  kind  of  stockade,  but  none  of 
us  were  permitted  to  see  it. 

•According  to  our  estimates,  and  the  information  we  received  while 
at  Sooloo,  the  island  itself  does  not  contain  more  than  thirty  thousand 
inhabitants,  of  which  the  town  of  Soung  may  have  six  or  seven  thou« 
sand.  The  whole  group  may  number  about  one  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand.  I  am  aware,  however,  that  it  is  difficult  to  estimate  the 
population  of  a  half-civilized  people,  who  invariably  exaggerate  their 
own  strength ;  and  visiters  are  likewise  prone  to  do  the  same  thing. 
The  Chinese  comprise  about  an  eighth  of  the  population  of  the  town, 
and  are  generally  of  the  lower  class.  They  are  constantly  busy  at 
their  trades,  and  intent  upon  making  money. 

At  Soung,  business  seems  active,  and  all,  slaves  as  well  as  masters, 
seem  to  engage  in  it  The  absence  of  a  strong  government  leaves  all 
at  liberty  to  act  for  themselves,  and  the  Ruma  Bechara  gives  unlimited 
freedom  to  trade.  These  circumstances  promote  the  industry  of  the 
community,  and  even  that  of  the  slave,  for  he  too,  as  before  observed, 
has  a  life  interest  in  what  he  earns. 

Soung  being  the  residence  of  the  Sultan,  as  well  as  the  grand  dep6t 
for  all  piratical  goods,  is  probably  more  of  a  mart  than  any  of  the 
surrounding  towns.  In  the  months  of  March  and  April  it  is  visited  by 
several  Chinese  junks,  who  remain  trading  until  the  beginning  of  the 
month  of  August  If  delayed  ailer  that  time,  they  can  scarcely  return 
in  safety,  being  unable  to  contend  with  the  boisterous  weather  and 
head  winds  that  then  prevail  in  the  Chinese  seas.  These  junks  are 
said  to  come  chiefly  from  Amoy,  where  the  cottons,  &c.,  best  suited  for 
the  Sooloos  are  made.  Their  cargoes  consist  of  a  variety  of  articles 
of  Chinese  manufacture  and  produce,  such  as  silk,  satin  goods,  cottons, 
red  and  checked,  grass-cloth  clothing,  handkerchiefs,  cutlery,  guns, 
ammunition,  opium,  lumber,  china  and  glass-ware,  rice,  sugar,  oil, 
lard,  and  butter.  In  return  for  this  merchandise  they  obtain  camphor, 
birds'-nests,  rattans,  biche  de  mar,  pearls  and  pearl-shells,  cocoa,  tor-. 
toise-shell,  and  wax ;  but  there  is  no  great  quantity  of  these  articles  to 
oe  obtained,  perhaps  not  more  than  two  or  three  cargoes  during  the 
season.  The  trade  requires  great  knowledge  of  the  articles  purchased, 
for  the  Chinese  and  Sooloos  are  both  such  adepts  in  fraud,  that  great 
caution  and  circumspection  are  necessary. 


800L00.  8*7 

The  duties  on  importation  are  not  fixed,  but  are  changed  and  altered 
from  time  to  time  by  the  Ruma  Bechara.  The  following  was  stated 
to  me  as  the  necessary  payments  before  trade  could  be  carried  on. 

A  large  shipi  with  Chinese  on  boud,  pays  .  •  •  t2,000 

*•  without  u  u  ,  ,  .  .        1^800 

SmaU  ships,         •••••••  1,500 

Large  brig^    •••.••••       1,000 

Small  brig,  ..•••••  500 

Schooners,     .  •  ,         .  •  •  •  .  from  150  to  400 

This  supposes  them  all  to  have  full  cargoes.  That  a  difference 
should  be  made  in  a  vessel  with  or  without  Chinamen,  seems  singular; 
but  this,  I  was  told,  arose  from  the  circumstance  that  English  vessels 
take  them  on  board,  in  order  to  detect  and  prevent  the  impositions  of 
the  Sooloos. 

Vessels  intending  to  trade  at  Soung  should  arrive  before  the  Chinese 
junks,  and  remain  as  long  as  they  stay,  or  even  a  few  days  later.  In 
trading  with  the  natives,  all  operations  ought  to  be  carried  on  for  cash, 
or  if  by  barter,  no  delivery  should  be  made  until  the  articles  to  be 
taken  in  exchange  are  received.  In  short,  it  is  necessary  to  deal  with 
them  as  though  they  were  undoubted  rogues,  and  this  pleases  them 
much  more  than  to  appear  unsuspicious.  Vessels  that  trade  engage 
a  bazaar,  which  they  hire  of  the  Ruma  Bechara,  and  it  is  advisable  to 
secure  the  good-will  of  the  leading  datus  in  that  council  by  presents, 
and  paying  them  more  for  their  goods  than  others. 

There  are  various  other  precautions  necessary  in  dealing  with  this 
people ;  for  they  will,  if  possible,  so  act  as  to  give  rise  to  disputes,  in 
which  case  an  appeal  is  made  to  their  fellows,  who  are  sure  to  decide 
against  the  strangers.  Those  who  have  been  engaged  in  this  trade, 
advise  that  the  prices  of  the  goods  should  be  fixed  upon  before  the 
Sultan,  and  the  scales  of  the  Datu  of  Soung  employed ;  for  although 
these  are  quite  faulty,  the  error  is  compensated  by  the  articles  received 
being  weighed  in  the  same.  This  also  secures  the  Datu's  good-will, 
by  the  fee  (some  fifty  dollars)  which  he  receives  for  the  use  of  them. 
Thus  it  will  be  perceived  that  those  who  desire  to  trade  with  Sooloo, 
must  make  up  their  minds  to  encounter  many  impositions,  and  to  be 
continually  watchful  of  their  own  interests. 

Every  possible  precaution  ought  to  be  taken ;  and  it  will  be  found,  the 
treatment  will  depend  upon,  or  be  according  to  the  force  or  resolution 
that  is  displayed.  In  justice  to  this  people  it  must  be  stated,  there  have 
been  times  when  traders  received  every  kindness  and  attention  at  the 
island  of  Sooloo,  and  I  heard  it  even  said,  that  many  vessels  had  gone 
there  to  refit ;  but  during  the  last  thirty  or  forty  years,  the  reigning 


948  SOOLOO. 

sultans  and  their  subjects  have  become  hostile  to  Europeans,  of  whom 
they  plunder  and  destroy  as  many  as  they  can,  and  this  they  have 
hitherto  been  allowed  to  do  with  impunity. 

Although  I  have  described  the  trade  with  Sooloo  as  limited,  yet  it  is 
capable  of  greater  extension;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  piratical 
habits  of  the  people,  the  evil  report  of  which  has  been  so  widely  spread, 
Sooloo  would  now  have  been  one  of  the  principal  marts  of  the  East 
The  most  fertile  parts  of  Borneo  are  subject  to  its  authority.  There  all 
the  richest  productions  of  these  Eastern  seas  grow  in  immense  quanti- 
ties, but  are  now  led  ungamered  in  consequence  of  there  being  no 
buyers.  The  cost  of  their  cultivation  would  be  exceedingly  low,  and 
I  am  disposed  to  believe  that  these  articles  could  be  produced  here  at  a 
lower  cost  than  any  where  else. 

Besides  the  trade  with  China,  there  is  a  very  considerable  one  with 
Manilla  in  small  articles,  and  I  found  one  of  our  countrymen  engaged 
in  this  traffic,  under  the  Spanish  flag.  To  him  I  am  indebted  for  much 
information  that  his  opportunities  of  observation  had  given  him. 

The  materials  for  the  history  of  Sooloo  are  meagre,  and  great  doubt 
seems  to  exist  in  some  periods  of  it  That  which  I  have  been  able  to 
gather  is  as  follows. 

The  island  of  Sooloo  is  generally  believed  to  have  been  originally 
inhabited  by  Papuans,  some  of  whom,  as  I  have  already  stated,  are 
still  supposed  to  inhabit  the  mountainous  part  The  first  intercourse 
had  with  them  was  by  the  Chinese,  who  went  there  in  search  of  pearls* 
The  Orang  Dampuwans  were  the  first  of  the  Malays  to  form  settle- 
ments on  the  islands;  but  after  building  towns,  and  making  other 
improvements,  they  abandoned  the  islands,  in  consequence,  it  is  said, 
of  the  inhabitants  being  a  perfidious  race,  having  previously  to  their 
departure  destroyed  as  many  of  the  natives  as  they  could. 

The  fame  of  the  submarine  riches  of  this  archipelago  reached 
Banjar,  or  Borneo,  the  people  of  which  were  induced  to  resort  there, 
and  finding  it  to  equal  their  expectation,  they  sent  a  large  colony,  and 
made  endeavours  to  win  over  the  inhabitants,  and  obtain  thereby  the 
possession  of  their  rich  isle.  In  order  to  confirm  the  alliance,  a  female 
of  Banjarmassing,  of  great  beauty,  was  sent,  and  married  to  the  prin- 
cipal chief;  and  from  this  alliance  the  sovereigns  of  Sooloo  claim  their 
descent  The  treaty  of  marriage  made  Sooloo  tributary  to  the  Ban- 
jarmassing empire. 

After  the  Banjars  had  thus  obtained  possession  of  the  archipelago, 
the  trade  in  its  products  attracted  settlers  from  the  surrounding  islands, 
who  soon  contrived  to  displace  the  aborigines,  and  drive  them  to  tlie 
inaccessible  mountains  for  protection. 


S  O  O  L  O  O.  349 

When  the  Chinese  took  possession  of  the  northern  parts  of  Borneo, 
under  the  Emperor  Songtiping,  about  the  year  1375,  the  daughter  of 
that  prince  was  married  to  a  celebrated  Arabian  chief  named  Sherif 
Alii,  who  visited  the  shores  of  Borneo  in  quest  of  commerce.  The 
descendants  of  this  marriage  extended  their  conquests  not  only  over  the 
Sooloo  Archipelago,  but  over  the  whole  of  the  Philippines,  and  rendered 
the  former  tributary  to  Borneo.  In  three  reigns  after  this  event,  the 
sultan  of  Borneo  proper  married  the  daughter  of  a  Sooloo  chief,  and 
from  this  union  came  Mirhome  Bongsu,  who  succeeding  to  the  throne 
while  yet  a  minor,  his  uncle  acted  as  regent.  Sooloo  now  wished  to 
throw  off  the  yoke  of  Borneo,  and  through  the  intrigues  of  the  regent 
succeeded  in  doing  so,  as  well  as  in  retaining  possession  of  the  eastern 
side  o£  Borneo,  from  Maludu  Bay  on  the  north,  to  Tulusyan  on  the 
south,  which  has  ever  since  been  a  part  of  the  Sooloo  territory. 

This  event  took  place  before  Jsiamism  became  the  prevailing  reli- 
gion; but  which  form  of  idolatry,  the  Sooloos  pretend,  is  not  now 
known.  It  is,  however,  believed  the  people  on  the  coasts  were 
Budhists,  while  those  of  the  interior  were  Pagans. 

The  first  sultan  of  Sooloo  was  Kamaludin,  and  during  his  reign 
one  Sayed  Alii,  a  merchant,  arrived  at  Sooloo  from  Mecca.  He  was 
a  sherif,  and  soon  converted  one-half  of  the  islanders  to  his  own  faith. 
He  was  elected  sultan  on  the  death  of  Kamaludin,  and  reigned  seven 
yefars,  in  the  course  of  which  he  became  celebrated  throughout  the 
archipelago.  Dying  at  Sooloo,  a  tpmb  was  erected  to  him  there,  and 
the  island  came  to  be  looked  upon  by  the  faithful  as  the  Mecca  of  the 
East,  and  continued  to  be  resorted  to  as  a  pilgrimage  until  the  arrival 
of  the  Spaniards. 

Sayed  AUi  left  a  son  called  Batua,  who  succeeded  him.  The  latter 
had  two  sons,  named  Sabudin  and  Nasarudiu,  who,  on  the  death  of 
their  father,  made  war  upon  each  other.  Nasarudin,  the  youngest, 
being  defeated,  sought  refuge  on  Tawi  Tawi,  where  he  established 
himself,  and  built  a  fort  for  his  protection.  The  difficulties  were  finally 
compromised,  and  they  agreed  to  reign  together  over  Sooloo.  Nasa- 
rudin had  two  sons,  called  Amir  and  Bantilan,  of  whom  the  former 
was  named  as  successor  to  the  two  brothers,  and  on  their  deaths 
ascended  the  throne.  During  his  reign  another  sherif  arrived  from 
Mecca,  who  succeeded  in  converting  the  remainder  of  the  population 
to  Islamism.  Bantilan  and  his  brother  Amir  finally  quarrelled,  and  the 
latter  was  driven  from  Sooloo  to  seek  refuge  in  the  island  of  Basillan, 
where  he  became  sultan. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards  in  1566,  a  kind  of  desultory  war 
was  waged  by  them  upon  the  various  islands,  in  the  hope  of  conquer- 

2E 


850  SOOLOO. 

ing  them  and  extending  their  religion.  In  these  wars  they  succeeded 
in  gaining  temporary  possession  of  a  part  of  Sooloo»  and  destroyed 
the  tomb  of  Sayed  AUi.  The  Spaniards  always  looked  upon  the  con- 
version of  the  Moslems  to  the  true  Catholic  faith  with  great  interest  ; 
but  in  the  year  1646,  the  suhan  of  Magindanao  succeeded  in  making 
peace,  by  the  terms  of  which  the  Spaniards  withdrew  from  Sooloo, 
and  were  to  receive  from  the  sultan  three  cargoes  of  rice  annually  as 
a  tribute. 

In  1608,  the  small-pox  made  fearful  ravages,  and  most  of  the  inhabi- 
tants  fled  from  the  scourge.  Among  these  was  the  heir  apparent, 
during  whose  absence  the  throne  became  vacant,  and  another  was 
elected  in  his  stead.  This  produced  contention  for  a  short  lime, 
which  ended  in  the  elected  maintaining  his  place. 

This  tribute  continued  to  be  paid  until  the  flight  of  Amir  to  Basillan, 
about  the  year  1752,  where  he  entered  into  a  secret  correspondence 
with  the  authorities  at  Samboangan,  and  after  two  years  a  vessel  was 
sent  from  Manilla,  which  carried  him  to  that  capital,  where  he  was 
treated  as  a  prisoner  of  state. 

In  June,  1759,  an  English  ship,  on  board  of  which  was  Dalrymple, 
then  in  the  service  of  the  East  India  Ck)mpany,  arrived  at  Sooloo  on 
a  trading  voyage.  Dalrymple  remained  at  Sooloo  for  three  months, 
engaged  in  making  sales  and  purchases.  The  Sultan  Bantilan  treated 
him  with  great  kindness,  and*  sought  the  interest  of  Dalrymple  to 
obtain  the  liberation  of  his  brother,  who  was  now  held  prisoner  by  the 
Spaniards  at  Manilla,  by  telling  him  of  the  distress  of  his  brother's 
wife,  who  had  been  left  behind  when  Amir  quitted  the  island,  and  had 
been  delivered  of  twins,  after  he  had  been  kidnapped  by  the  Spaniards. 
Dalrymple  entered  into  a  pledge  to  restore  Amir,  and  at  the  same  time 
eflected  a  commercial  treaty  between  the  East  India  Company  and  the 
Sooloo  chiefs.  By  this  it  was  stipulated  that  an  annual  cargo  should 
be  sent  to  Sooloo,  and  sold  at  one  hundred  per  cent,  profit,  for  which 
a  return  cargo  should  be  provided  for  the  China  market,  which  should 
realize  an  equal  profit  there,  after  deducting  all  expenses.  The  over- 
plus, if  any,  was  to  be  carried  to  the  credit  of  the  Sooloos.  This 
appears  to  have  been  the  first  attempt  made  by  the  English  to  secure  a 
regular  commercial  intercourse  with  this  archipelago. 

In  the  year  1760,  a  large  fleet  of  Spanish  vessels  sailed  from  Manilla, 
with  about  two  thousand  men,  having  the  Sultan  Amir  on  board,  to 
carry  on  a  war  against  Sooloo. 

On  their  arrival,  they  began  active  operations.  They  were  repelled 
on  all  sides,  and  after  seven  days'  inefl[ectual  attempts,  they  gave  up 
their  design.    Thev  returned  to  Manilla,  it  is  said,  with  a  loss  of  hatf 


SOOLOO.  351 

their  number,  and  without  having  done  any  injury  to  the  Sooloos. 
Not  discouraged  with  this  failure,  the  Spaniards,  about  two  years 
after,  organized  a  still  larger  force,  which  is  estimated  by  some  ac- 
counts as  high  as  ten  thousand  men.  Although  this  failed  in  its 
attempts  on  the  fort  at  Soung,  the  Spaniards  obtained  possession  of 
Tanjong  Matonda,  one  of  the  small  ports  on  the  island,  where  they 
erected  a  church  and  fort.  Here  they  established  a  colony,  and 
appointed  a  governor.  The  inhabitants  upon  this  deserted  their  habi- 
tations in  the  neighbourhood,  and  fled  to  the  mountains,  which,  it  is 
said,  excited  the  mountaineers,  a  host  of  whom,  with  their  chiefs 
whose  name  was  Sri  Kala,  determined  to  rush  upon  the  Spaniards, 
and  annihilate  them.  Having  to  contend  against  disciplined  troops, 
it  was  not  an  easy  task  to  succeed.  But  Sri  Kala  had  a  follower, 
named  Sigalo,  who  ofiered  to  lead  the  host  to  battle  against  the 
Spaniards,  and  to  exterminate  them,  or  die  in  the  attempt  The  chief 
accepted  his  offer,  and  Sigalo,  with  a  chosen  few,  marched  towards 
the  fort,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  mountaineers  in  readiness  to  join  them 
at  an  appointed  signal,  and  rush  into  the  fort  en  masse. 

Sri  Kala  and  Sigalo,  in  order  to  lull  the  watchfulness  of  the  Spa- 
niards, took  with  them  a  young  woman,  of  exquisite  beauty,  named 
Purmassuri.  The  lustful  Spaniards  were  thus  thrown  off  their  guard, 
the  signal  was  given,  and  the  host,  rushing  forward,  entered  the  fort, 
every  Spaniard  within  which  was  slain.  A  few  only,  who  were  on 
the  outside,  escaped  to  the  vessels,  which  set  sail,  and  after  encounter- 
ing various  mishaps,  returned  to  Manilla. 

Some  time  after  this  the  Sultan  Bantilan  died,  and  his  son  Alim-ud- 
deen  was  proclaimed  sultan.  Dairy mple  did  not  return  until  1762, 
with  a  part  of  the  appointed  cargo ;  but  the  vessel  in  which  the  larger 
part  had  been  shipped,  failed  to  arrive,  from  not  being  able  to  find 
Sooloo,  and  went  to  China.  Thence  she  proceeded  to  Manilla,  and 
afterwards  to  Sooloo.  The  captain  of  the  latter  vessel  gave  a  new 
credit  to  the  Sooloos,  before  they  had  paid  for  their  first  cargo ;  and 
on  the  arrival  of  Dalrymple  the  next  time,  he  found  that  the  small-pox 
had  carried  off  a  large  number  of  the  inhabitants,  from  which  circum- 
stance all  his  hopes  of  profit  were  frustrated.  He  then  obtained  for 
the  use  of  the  East  India  Company,  a  grant  of  the  island  of  Balamban- 
gan,  which  lies  off  the  north  end  of  Borneo,  forming  one  side  of  the 
Straits  of  Balabac,  the  western  entrance  to  the  Sooloo  Sea.  Here  he 
proposed  to  establish  a  trading  port,  and  after  having  visited  Madras, 
he  took  possession  of  this  island  in  1763. 

In  October,  1763,  the  English  took  Manilla,  where  the  Sultan  Amir 
was  found  by  Dalrymple,  who  engaged  to  reinetate  him  on  his  throne, 


352  S  O  O  L  O  O. 

if  he  would  cede  to  the  English  the  north  end  of  Borneo,  as  well  as  the 
south  end  of  Palawan.  This  he  readily  promised,  and  he  was,  in 
consequence,  carried  back  to  Sooloo  and  reinstated;  his  nephew, 
Alim-ud-deen,  readily  giving  place  to  him,  and  confirming  the  grant  to 
the  East  India  Company,  in  which  the  Ruma  Bechara  joined. 

After  various  arrangements,  the  East  India  Company  took  possession 
of  Balambangan,  in  the  year  1773,  and  formed  a  settlement  there  with 
a  view  of  making  it  an  emporium  of  trade  for  Eastern  commodities. 
Troops  and  stores  were  sent  from  India,  and  the  population  began  to 
increase  by  settlers,  both  Chinese  and  Malays,  who  arrived  in  numbers. 
In  the  year  1775,  the  fort,  notwithstanding  all  the  treaties  and  engage- 
ments between  Dalrymple  and  the  Sultan,  was  surprised  by  the 
Sooloos,  and  many  of  the  garrison  put  to  death.  This  virtually  put  an 
end  to  the  plans  of  the  English,  although  another  attempt  was  made  to 
re-establish  the  settlement  by  Colonel  Farquhar,  in  1803;  but  it  was 
thought  to  be  too  expensive  a  post,  and  was  accordingly  abandoned  in 
the  next  year.  This  act  of  the  Sooloos  fairly  established  their  charac- 
ter for  perfidy,  and  ever  since  that  transaction  they  have  been  looked 
upon  as  treacherous  in  the  highest  degree,  and,  what  is  singular,  have 
been  allowed  to  carry  on  their  piracies  quite  unmolested.  The  taking 
of  Balambangan  has  been  generally  imputed  to  the  treacherous  dispo- 
sition and  innate  love  of  plunder  among  the  Sooloos,  as  well  as  to  their 
fear  that  it  would  destroy  the  trade  of  Sooloo  by  injuring  all  that  of 
the  archipelago.  But  there  are  strong  reasons  for  believing  that  this 
dark  deed  owed  its  origin  in  part  to  the  influence  of  the  Spaniards  and 
Dutch,  who  looked  with  much  distrust  upon  the  growth  of  the  rival 
establishment.  Such  was  the  jealousy  of  the  Spaniards,  that  the 
governor  of  the  Philippines  peremptorily  required  that  Balambangan 
should  be  evacuated.  The  Sooloos  boast  of  the  deed,  and  admit  that 
they  received  assistance  from  both  Samboangan  and  Ternate,  the  two 
nearest  Spanish  and  Dutch  ports.  These  nations  had  great  reasons  to 
fear  the  establishment  of  a  power  like  that  of  the  East  India  Company, 
in  a  spot  so  favourably  situated  to  secure  the  trade  of  the  surrounding 
islands,  possessing  fine  harbours,  and  in  every  way  adapted  to  become 
a  great  commercial  depot.  Had  it  been  held  by  the  East  India  Com- 
pany but  for  a  few  years,  it  must  have  become  what  Singapore  is  now. 

The  original  planner  of  this  settlement  is  said  to  have  been  Lord 
Pigoi ;  but  the  merit  of  carrying  it  forward  was  undoubtedly  due  to 
Dalrymple,  whose  enterprising  mind  saw  the  advantage  of  the  situa- 
tion, and  whose  energy  was  capable  of  carrying  the  project  success- 
fully forward. 

Since  the  capture  of  Balambangan,  there  has  been  no  event  in  the 


SOOLOO.  853 

history  of  Sooloo  that  has  made  any  of  the  reigns  of  the  sultans  memo- 
rable, although  fifteen  have  since  ascended  the  throne. 

Sooloo  has  from  all  the  accounts  very  much  changed  in  its  character 
as  well  as  population  since  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  and  the  esta- 
blishment of  their  authority  in  the  Philippines.  Before  that  event,  some 
accounts  state  that  the  trade  with  the  Chinese  was  of  great  extent,  and 
that  from  four  to  five  hundred  junks  arrived  annually  iirom  Cambojia, 
with  which  Sooloo  principally  traded.  At  that  time  the  population  is 
said  to  have  equalled  in  density  that  of  the  thickly-settled  parts  of  China. 

The  government  has  also  undergone  a  change;  for  the  sultan,  who 
among  other  Malay  races  is  usually  despotic,  is  here  a  mere  cipher, 
and  the  government  has  become  an  oligarchy.  This  change  has 
probably  been  brought  about  by  the  increase  of  the  privileged  class  of 
datus,  all  of  whom  were  entitled  to  a  seat  in  the  Ruma  Bechara  until 
about  the  year  1810,  when  the  great  inconvenience  of  so  large  a 
council  was  felt,  and  it  became  impossible  to  control  it  without  great 
difficulty  and  trouble  on  the  part  of  the  sultan.  The  Ruma  Bechara 
was  then  reduced  until  it  contained  but  six  of  the  principal  datus,  who 
assumed  the  power  of  controlling  the  state.  The  Ruma  Bechara,  how- 
ever, in  consequence  of  the  complaints  of  many  powerful  datus,  was 
enlarged;  but  the  more  powerful,  and  those  who  have  the  largest 
numerical  force  of  slaves,  still  rule  over  its  deliberations.  The  whole 
power,  within  the  last  thirty  years,  has  been  usurped  by  one  or  two 
datus,  who  now  have  monopolized  the  little  foreign  trade  that  comes  to 
these  islands*  The  sultan  has  the  right  to  appoint  his  successor,  and 
generally  names  him  while  living.  In  default  of  this,  the  choice 
devolves  upon  the  Ruma  Bechara,  who  elect  by  a  majority. 

Prom  a  more  frequent  intercourse  with  Europeans  and  the  discovery 
of  new  routes  through  these  seas,  the  opportunities  of  committing 
depredations  have  become  less  frequent,  and  the  fear  of  detection 
greater.  By  this  latter  motive  they  are  more  swayed  than  by  any 
thing  else,  and  if  the  Sooloos  have  ever  been  bold  and  daring  robbers 
on  the  high  seas,  they  have  very  much  changed. 

Many  statements  have  been  made  and  published  relative  to  the 
piracies  committed  in  these  seas,  which  in  some  cases  exceed,  and  in 
others  fall  short,  of  the  reality.  Most  of  the  piratical  establishments  are 
under  the  rule,  or  sail  under  the  auspices  of  the.  Sultan  and  Ruma 
Bechara  of  Sooloo,  who  are  more  or  less  intimately  connected  with 
them.  The  share  of  the  booty  that  belongs  to  the  Sultan  and  Ruma 
Bechara  is  twenty-five  per  cent  on  all  captures,  whilst  the  datus 
receive  a  high  price  for  the  advance  they  make  of  guns  and  powder, 
and  for  the  services  of  their  slaves. 

VOL.  V.  2  E  2  45 


354  8  O  O  L  O  O. 

The  following  are  the  piratical  establishments  of  Sooloo,  obtained 
from  the  most  authentic  sources,  published  as  well  as  verbal.  The  first 
among  these  is  the  port  of  Soung,  at  which  we  anchored,  in  the  island 
of  Sooloo ;  not  so  much  from  the  number  of  men  available  here  for  this 
pursuit,  as  the  facility  of  disposing  of  the  goods.  By  the  Spaniards  they 
are  denominated  Illanun  or  Lanuns  pirates.*  There  are  other  rendez- 
vous on  Pulo  Toolyan,  at  Bohol,  Tonho,  Pilas,  Tawi  Tawi,  Sumlout, 
Pantutaran,  Parodasan,  Palawan,  and  Basillan,  and  Tantoli  on  Celebes. 
These  are  the  most  noted,  but  there  are  many  minor  places,  where 
half  a  dozen  prahus  are  fitted  out.  Those  of  Sooloo,  and  those  who  go 
under  the  name  of  the  Lanuns,  have  prahus  of  larger  size,  and  better 
fitted.  They  are  from  twenty  to  thirty  tons  burden,  and  are  propelled 
by  both  sails  and  oars.  They  draw  but  little  water,  are  fast  sailers, 
and  well  adapted  for  navigating  through  these  dangerous  seas.  These 
pirates  are  supposed  to  possess  in  the  whole  about  two  hundred 
prahus,  which  usually  are  manned  with  from  forty  to  fifty  pirates ;  the 
number  therefore  engaged  in  this  business,  may  be  estimated  at  ten 
thousand.  They  are  armed  with  muskets,  blunderbusses,  krises, 
hatchets,  and  spears,  and  at  times  the  vessels  have  one  or  two  large 
guns  mounted.  They  infest  the  Straits  of  Macassar,  the  Sea  of 
Celebes,  and  the  Sooloo  Sea.  Soung  is  the  only  place  where  they  can 
dispose  of  their  plunder  to  advantage,  and  obtain  the  necessary  outfits. 
It  may  be  called  the  principal  resort  of  these  pirates,  where  well- 
directed  measures  would  result  in  effectually  suppressing  the  crime. 

Besides  the  pirates  of  Sooloo,  the  commerce  of  the  eastern  islands  is 
vexed  with  other  piratical  establishments.  In  the  neighbouring  seas, 
there  are  the  Malay  pirates,  who  have  of  late  years  become  exceedingly 
troublesome.  Their  prahus  are  of  much  smaller  size  than  those  of 
Sooloo,  being  from  ten  to  twelve  tons  burden,  but  in  proportion  they  are 
much  better  manned,  and  thus  are  enabled  to  ply  with  more  efficiency 
their  oars  or  paddles.  These  prahus  frequent  the  shores  of  the  Straits 
of  Malacca,  Cape  Romania,  the  Carimon  Isles,  and  the  neighbouring 
straits,  and  at  times  they  visit  the  Straits  of  Rhio.  Some  of  the  most 
noted,  I  was  informed,  were  fitted  out  from  Johore,  in  the  very 
neighbourhood  of  the  English  authorities  at  Singapore;  they  generally 
have  their  tiaunts  on  the  small  islands  on  the  coast,  from  which  they 
make  short  cruises. 

They  are  noted  for  their  arrangements  for  preventing  themselves 
from  receiving  injury,  in  the  desperate  defences  that  are  sometimes 
made  against  them.   These  small  prahus  have  usually  swivels  mounted, 

*  Thig  name  is  derived  from  the  large  bay  that  makes  in  on  the  south  side  of  the  island  ot 
Mindanao,  and  on  which  a  set  of  freebooters  reside. 


SOOLOO.  855 

which,  although  not  of  great  calibre,  are  capable  of  throwing  a  shot 
beyond  the  range  of  small-arms.  It  is  said  that  they  seldom  attempt 
an  attack  unless  the  sea  is  calm,  which  enables  them  to  approach  their 
victims  with  more  assurance  of  success,  on  account  of  the  facility  with 
which  they  are  enabled  to  manage  their  boats.  The  frequent  calms 
which  occur  in  these  seas  between  the  land  and  sea  breezes,  afford 
them  many  opportunities  of  putting  their  villanous  plans  in  operation ; 
and  the  many  inlets  and  islets,  with  which  they  are  well  acquainted, 
afford  places  of  refuge  and  ambush,  and  for  concealing  their  booty. 
They  are  generally  found  in  small  flotillas  of  from  six  to  twenty 
prahus,  and  when  they  have  succeeded  in  disabling  a  vessel  at  long 
shot,  the  sound  of  the  gong  is  the  signal  for  boarding,  which,  if  suc- 
cessful, results  in  a  massacre  more  or  less  bloody,  according  to  the 
obstinacy  of  the  resistance  they  have  met  with. 

In  the  winter  months,  the  Straits  of  Malacca  are  most  infested  with 
them ;  and  during  the  summer,  the  neighbourhood  of  Singapore,  Point 
Romania,  and  the  channels  in  the  vicinity.  In  the  spring,  from  Fe- 
bruary to  May,  they  are  engaged  in  procuring  their  supplies,  in  fishing, 
and  refitting  their  prahus  for  the  coming  year. 

I  have  frequently  heard  plans  proposed  for  the  suppression  of  these 
pirates,  particularly  of  those  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  settlements 
under  British  rule.  The  European  authorities  are  much  to  blame  for 
the  quiescent  manner  in  which  they  have  so  long  borne  these  depre- 
dations, and  many  complaints  are  made  that  Englishmen,  on  being 
transplanted  to  India,  lose  that  feeling  of  horror  for  deeds  of  blood, 
such  as  are  constantly  occurring  at  their  very  doors,  which  they 
would  experience  in  England.  There  are,  however,  many  difficulties 
to  overcome  before  operations  against  the  pirates  can  be  effective. 
The  greatest  of  these  is  the  desire  of  the  English  to  secure  the  good- 
will of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  by  whom  they  are  surrounded.  They 
thus  wink  at  their  piracies  on  the  vessels  of  other  nations,  or  take  no 
steps  to  alleviate  the  evils  of  slavery.  Indeed  the  language  that  one 
hears  from  many  intelligent  men  who  have  long  resided  in  that  part 
of  the  world  is,  that  in  no  country  where  civilization  exists  does 
davery  exhibit  so  debasing  a  form  a[s  in  her  Indian  possessions. 
Another  difficulty  consists  in  the  want  of  minute  knowledge  of  the 
coasts,  inlets,  and  hiding-places  of  the  pirates,  and  this  must  continue 
to  exist  until  proper  surveys  are  made.  This  done,  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  employ  vessels  that  could  pursue  the  pirates  every  where,  for 
which  purpose  steamers  naturally  suggest  themselves. 

What  will  appear  most  extraordinary  is,  that  the  very  princes  who 
are  enjoying  the  stipend  for  the  purchase  of  the  site  whereon  the 


356  800  LOO. 

English  authority  is  established,  are  believed  to  be  the  most  active  in 
equipping  the  prahus  for  these  piratical  expeditions ;  yet  no  notice  is 
taken  of  them,  although  it  would  be  so  easy  to  control  them  by  with- 
holding payment  until  they  had  cleared  themselves  from  suspicion,  or 
by  establishing  residents  in  their  chief  towns. 

Another,  and  a  very  different  race  of  natives  who  frequent  the 
Sooloo  Archipelago,  must  not  be  passed  by  without  notice.  These 
are  the  Bajow  divers  or  fishermen,  to  whom  Sooloo  is  indebted  for 
procuring  the  submarine  treasures  with  which  her  seas  are  stored. 
They  are  also  very  frequently  employed  in  the  biche  de  mar  or 
tripang  fisheries  among  the  islands  to  the  south.  The  Bajows  gene- 
rally look  upon  Macassar  as  their  principal  place  of  resort  They 
were  at  one  time  believed  to  be  derived  from  Johore,  on  the  Malayan 
peninsula;  at  another,  to  be  Buguese;  but  they  speak  the  Sooloo 
dialect,  and  are  certainly  derived  from  some  of  the  neighbouring 
islands.  The  name  of  Bajows,  in  their  tongue,  n>eans  fishermen. 
From  all  accounts,  they  are  allowed  to  pursue  their  avocations  in 
peace,  and  are  not  unfrequently  employed  by  the  piratical  datus, 
and  made  to  labour  for  them.  They  resort  to  their  fishing-grounds 
in  fleets  of  between  one  and  two  hundred  sail,  having  their  wives  and 
children  with  them,  and  in  consequence  of  the  tyranny  of  the  Sooloos, 
endeavour  to  place  themselves  under  the  protection  of  the  flag  of 
4  Holland,  by  which  nation  this  useful  class  of  people  is  encouraged. 
The  Sooloo  seas  are  comparatively  little  frequented  by  them,  as  they 
are  unable  to  dispose  of  the  produce  of  their  fisheries  for  want  of 
a  market,  and  fear  the  exactions  of  the  datus.  Their  prahus  are 
about  five  tons  each.  The  Bajows  at  some  islands  are  stationary, 
but  are  for  the  most  part  constantly  changing  their  ground.  The 
Spanish  authorities  in  the  Philippines  encourage  them,  it  is  said, 
to  frequent  their  islands,  as  without  them  they  would  derive  little 
benefit  from  the  banks  in  the  neighbouring  seas,  where  quantities  of 
pearl-oysters  are  known  to  exist,  which  produce  pearls  of  the  finest 
kind.  The  Bajows  are  inofifensive  and  very  industrious,  and  in  faith 
Mahomedans. 

The  climate  of  Sooloo  during  our  short  stay,  though  warm,  was 
agreeable.  The  time  of  our  visit  was  in  the  dry  season,  which  lasts 
from  October  till  April,  and  alternates  with  the  wet  one,  from  May  till 
September.  June  and  July  are  the  windy  months,  when  strong 
breezes  blow  from  the  westward*  In  the  latter  part  of  August  and 
September,  strong  gales  are  felt  from  the  south,  while  in  December 
and  January  the  winds  are  found  to  come  from  the  northward ;  but 
light  winds  usually  prevail  from  the  southwest  during  the  wet  season, 


SOOLOO.  JI57 

and  from  the  opposite  quarter,  the  dry,  following  closely  the  order  of 
the  monsoons  in  the  China  seas.  As  to  the  temperature,  the  climate 
is  very  equable,  the  thermometer  seldom  rising  above  90°  or  falling 
below  70°. 

Diseases  are  few,  and  those  that  prevail  arise  from  the  manner  in 
which  the  natives  live.  They  are  from  that  cause  an  unhealthy-looking 
race.  The  small-pox  has  at  various  times  raged  with  great  violence 
throughout  the  group,  and  they  speak  of  it  with  great  dread.  Few 
of^  the  natives  appeared  to  be  marked  with  it,  which  may  have  been 
owing,  perhaps,  to  their  escaping  this  disorder  for  some  years.  Vacci- 
nation has  not  yet  been  introduced  among  them,  nor  have  they  practised 
inoculation. 

Notwithstanding  Soung  was  once  the  Mecca  of  the  East,  its  people 
have  but  little  zeal  for  the  Mahomedan  faith.  It  was  thought  at  one 
time  that  they  had  almost  forgotten  its  tenets,  in  consequence  of  the 
neglect  of  all  their  religious  observances.  The  precepts  which  they 
seem  to  regard  most  are  that  of  abstaining  from  swine's  flesh,  and 
that  of  being  circumcised.  Although  polygamy  is  not  interdicted,  few 
even  of  the  datus  have  more  than  one  wife. 

Soung  Road  offers  good  anchorage ;  and  supplies  of  all  kinds  may 
be  had  in  abundance.  Beef  is  cheap,  and  vegetables  and  fruits  at  all 
seasons  plenty. 

Our  observations  placed  the  town  in  latitude  6°  01'  N.,  longitude 
120°  56'  61"  E. 

On  the  6th,  having  concluded  the  treaty  (a  copy  of  which  will  be 
found  in  Appendix  XIII.)  and  the  other  business  that  had  taken  me 
to  Sooloo,  we  took  our  departure  for  the  Straits  of  Balabac,  the 
western  entrance  into  this  sea,  with  a  fine  breeze  to  the  eastward. 
By  noon  we  had  reached  the  group  of  Pangootaaraang,  consisting  of 
five  small  islands.  All  of  these  are  low,  covered  with  trees,  and 
without  lagoons.  They  presented  a  great  contrast  to  Sooloo,  which 
was  seen  behind  us  in  the  distance.  The  absence  of  the  swell  of  the 
ocean  in  sailing  through  this  sea  is  striking,  and  gives  the  idea  of 
navigating  an  extensive  bay,  on  whose  luxuriant  islands  no  surf  breaks. 
There  are,  however,  sources  of  danger  that  incite  the  navigator  to 
watchfulness  and  constant  anxiety ;  the  hidden  shoals  and  reefs,  and 
the  sweep  of  the  tide,  which  leave  him  no  control  over  his  vessel. 

Through  the  night,  which  was  exceedingly  dark,  we  sounded  every 
twenty  minutes,  but  found  no  bottom ;  and  at  daylight  on  the  7th, 
we  made  the  islands  of  Cagayan  Sooloo,  in  latitude  7°  03'  30"  N., 
longitude  116°  37'  E.  The  tide  or  current  was  passing  the  islands 
to  the  west-southwest,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  per  hour;  we  had 


358  8  O  O  L  O  O. 

soundings  of  seventy-five  fathonis.  Cagayan  Sooloo  has  a  pleasant 
appearance  from  the  sea,  and  may  be  termed  a  high  island.  It  is 
less  covered  with  undergrowth  and  mangrove-bushes  than  the  neigh- 
bouring islands,  and  the  reefs  are  comparatively  small.  It  has  fallen 
off  in  importance ;  and  by  comparing  former  accounts  with  those  I 
received,  and  from  its  present  aspect,  it  would  seem  that  it  has 
decreased  both  in  population  and  products.  Its  caves  formerly  sup- 
plied a  large  quantity  of  edible  birds'-nests ;  large  numbers  of  cattle 
were  to  be  found  upon  it ;  and  its  cultivation  was  carried  on  to  some 
extent.  These  articles  of  commerce  are  not  so  much  attended  to  at 
the  present  time,  and  the  bicbe  de  mar  and  tortoise-shell,  formerly 
brought  hither,  are  now  carried  to  other  places.  There  is  a  small 
anchorage  on  the  west  side,  but  we  did  not  visit  it  There  are  no 
dangers  near  these  small  islands  that  may  not  be  guarded  against. 
Our  survey  extended  only  to  their  size  and  situation,  as  I  deemed  it 
my  duty  to  devote  ail  the  remainder  of  the  time  I  had  to  spare  to  the 
Straits  of  Balabac. 

After  the  night  set  in,  we  continued  sounding  every  ten  minutes, 
and  occasionally  got  bottom  in  from  thirty  to  seventy  fathoms.  At 
midnight,  the  water  shoaled  to  twenty  fathoms,  when  I  dropped  the 
anchor  until  daylight  We  shortly  afterwards  had  a  change  of  wind, 
and  a  heavy  squall  passed  over  us. 

-  In  the  morning  we  had  no  shoal  ground  near  us,  and  the  bank  on 
which  we  had  anchored  was  found  to  be  of  small  size ;  it  is  probable 
that  we  had  dropped  the  anchor  on  the  shoalest  place.  Vessels  have 
nothing  to  fear  in  this  respect. 

At  9  A.  M.  of  the  8th,  we  made  the  Mangsee  Islands  ahead  of  us, 
and  likewise  Balabac  to  the  north,  and  Balambangan  to  the  south. 
Several  sand-banks  and  extensive  reefs  were  also  seen  between  them. 
On  seeing  the  ground  on  which  we  hod  to  operate,  of  which  the 
published  charts  give  no  idea  whatever,  I  determined  to  proceed,  and 
take  a  central  position  with  the  ship  under  the  Mangsee  Islands ;  but 
in  order  not  to  lose  time,  I  hoisted  out  and  dropped  two  boats,  under 
Lieutenant  Perry,  to  survey  the  first  sand-bank  we  came  to,  which 
lies  a  few  miles  to  the  eastward  of  these  islands,  with  orders  to  effect 
this  duty  and  join  me  at  the  anchorage,  or  find  a  shelter  under  the  lee . 
of  the  islands. 

At  half-past  2  p.  m.  we  anchored  near  the  reef,  in  thirty-six  fathoms 
water.  I  thought  myself  fortunate  in  getting  bottom,  as  the  reefs  on 
closing  with  them  seemed  to  indicate  but  little  appearance  of  it 

The  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  preparing  the  boats  for  our  opera- 
tions.   I  now  felt  the  want  of  the  tender.    Although  in  the  absence 


800L00.  359 

of  this  vessel,  great  exposare  was  necessary  to  eflect  this  survey,  I 
found  both  officers  and  men  cheerful  and  willing.  The  parties  were 
organized, — the  first  to  proceed  to  the  north,  towards  Balabac  Island, 
to  survey  the  intermediate  shoals  and  reefs,  under  Lieutenant  Emmons 
and  Mr.  Totten;  the  second  to  the  south,  under  Lieutenants  Perry 
and  Budd ;  and  Mr.  Hammersly  for  the  survey  of  the  shoals  of 
Balambangan  and  Banguey,  and  their  reefs.  The  examination  of 
the  Mangsee  Islands,  and  the  reefs  adjacent,  with  the  astronomical 
and  magnetic  observations,  &c.,  devolved  on  myself  and  those  who 
remained  on  board  the  ship. 

The  weather  was  watched  with  anxiety,  and  turned  out  disagree- 
able, heavy  showers  and  strong  winds  prevailing;  notwithstanding, 
the  boats  were  despatched,  after  being  as  well  protected  against  it  as 
possible.  We  flattered  ourselves  that  these  extensive  reefs  would 
produce  a  fine  harvest  of  shells ;  but,  although  every  exertion  was 
made  in  the  search,  we  did  not  add  as  many  to  our  collections  as  we 
anticipated*  Some  land-shells,  however,  were  found  that  we  little 
expected  to  meet  with,  for  many  of  the  trees  were  covered  with  them, 
and  on  cutting  them  down,  large  quantities  were  easily  obtained.  Mr. 
Peale  shot  several  birds,  among  which  was  a  Nicobar  pigeon ;  some 
interesting  plants  and  corals  were  also  added.  On  the  island  a  large 
quantity  of  drift-wood  was  found,  which  with  that  which  is  growing 
affords  ample  supplies  of  ftiel  for  ships.  No  fresh  water  is  to  be  had, 
except  by  digging,  the  island  being  but  a  few  feet  above  high-water 
mark. 

Although  the  time  was  somewhat  unfavourable,  Lieutenant  Em- 
mons and  party  executed  their  orders  within  the  time  designated,  and 
met  with  no  other  obstructions  than  the  inclemency  of  the  weather. 
This  was  not,  however,  the  case  with  Lieutenant  Perry,  who,  near  a 
small  beach  on  the  island  of  Balambangan,  encountered  some  Sooloos, 
who  were  disposed  to  attack  him.  The  natives,  no  doubt,  were  under 
the  impression  that  jthe  boats  were .  from  some  shipwrecked  vessel. 
They  were  all  well  armed,  and  apparently  prepared  to  take  advantage 
of  the  party  if  possible ;  but,  by  the  prudence  and  forbearance  of  this 
officer,  collision  was  avoided,  and  his  party  saved  from  an  attack. 

The  island  of  Balambangan  was  through  the  instrumentality  of 
Mr.  Dalrymple,  as  heretofore  stated,  obtained  from  the  Sooloos  for  a 
settlement  and  place  of  deposit,  by  the  Eiast  India  Company,  who 
took  possession  of  it  in  1773.  Its  situation  off  the  northern  end  of 
Borneo,  near  the  fertile  district  of  that  island,  its  central  position,  and 
its  two  fine  ports,  offered  great  advantages  for  commerce,  and  for 
its  becoming  a  great  entrep6t  for  the  riches  of  this  archipelago. 


360  800L00. 

Troops,  and  stores  of  all  kinds,  were  sent  from  India ;  numbers  of 
Chinese  and  Malays  were  induced  to  settle ;  and  Mr.  Herbert,  one  of 
the  council  of  Bencoolen,  was  appointed  governor.  It  had  been  sup- 
posed to  be  a  healthy  place,  as  the  island  was  elevated,  and  therefore 
probably  free  from  malaria ;  but  in  1775  the  native  troops  from  India 
became  much  reduced  from  sickness,  and  the  post  consequently  much 
weakened.  This,  with  the  absence  of  the  cruisers  from  the  harbour, 
afforded  a  favourable  opportunity  for  its  capture ;  and  the  wealth  that 
it  was  supposed  to  contain  created  an  inducement  that  proved  too 
great  for  the  hordes  of  marauding  pirates  to  resist  Choosing  their 
time,  they  rushed  upon  the  sentries,  put  them  to  death,  took  possession 
of  the  guns,  and  turned  them  against  the  garrison,  only  a  few  of  whom 
made  their  escape  on  board  of  a  small  vessel.  The  booty  in  goods 
and  valuables  was  said  to  have  been  very  large,  amounting  to  nearly 
four  hundred  thousand  pounds  sterling. 

Although  Borneo  offers  many  inducements  to  commercial  enter- 
prise, the  policy  of  the  Dutch  Company  has  shut  themselves  out,  as 
well  as  others,  by  interdicting  communication.  In  consequence,  ex- 
cept through  indirect  channels,  there  has  been  no  information  obtained 
of  the  singular  and  unknown  inhabitants  of  its  interior.  This,  how- 
ever, is  not  long  destined  to  be  the  case. 

Mr.  Brooke,  an  English  gentleman  of  fortune,  has,  since  our  pas- 
sage through  these  seas,  from  philanthropic:  motives,  made  an  agree- 
ment with  the  rajah  of  Sarawack,  on  the  northern  and  western  side 
of  Borneo,  to  cede  to  him  the  administration  of  that  portion  of  the 
island.  This  arrangement  it  is  believed  the  British  government  wiU 
confirm,  in  which  event  Sarawack  will  at  once  obtain  an  importance 
among  the  foreign  colonies,  in  the  Eastern  seas,  second  only  to  that  of 
Singapore. 

The  principal  inducement  that  has  influenced  Mr.  Brooke  in  this 
undertaking  is  the  interest  he  feels  in  the  benighted  people  of  the 
interior,  who  are  known  under  the  name  of  Dyac}(,  and  of  whom  some 
extraordinary  accounts  have  been  given. 

A  few  of  these,  which  I  have  procured  from  reputable  sources,  I 
will  now  relate,  in  order  that  it  may  be  seen  among  what  kind  of 
people  this  gentleman  has  undertaken  to  introduce  the  arts  of  civili- 
zation. 

The  Dyacks  are,  by  all  accounts,  a  fine  race,  and  much  the  most 
numerous  of  any  inhabiting  Borneo.  They  are  almost  exclusively 
confined  to  the  interior,  where  they  enjoy  a  fine  climate,  and  all  the 
spontaneous  productions  of  the  tropics.  They  are  believed  to  be  the 
aborigines  of  the  island.     The  name  of  Dyack  seems  to  be  more 


SOOLOO.  361 

particularly  applied  to  those  who  live  in  the  southern  section  of 
Borneo.  To  the  north  they  are  called  Idaan  or  Tirun,  and  those  so 
termed  are  best  known  to  the  Sooloos,  or  the  inhabitants  of  that  part 
of  the  coast  of  Borneo  over  which  the  Sooloos  rule.  In  personal 
appearance,  the  Dyacks  are  slender,  have  higher  foreheads  than  the 
Malays,  and  are  a  finer  and  much  better-looking  people.  Their  hair 
is  long,  straight,  and  coarse,  though  it  is  generally  cropped  short  round 
the  head.  The  females  are  spoken  of  as  being  fair  and  handsome,  and 
many  of  those  who  have  been  made  slaves  are  to  be  seen  among  the 
Malays. 

In  manners  the  Dyacks  are  described  as  simple  and  mild,  yet  they 
are  characterized  by  some  of  the  most  uncommon  and  revolting  cus- 
toms of  barbarians.  Their  government  is  very  simple ;  the  elders  in 
each  village  for  the  moSt  part  rule ;  but  they  are  said  to  have  chiefs 
that  do  not  differ  from  the  Malay  rajahs.  They  wear  no  clothing 
except  the  maro,  and  many  of  them  are  tattooed',  with  a  variety  of 
figures,  over  their  body.  They  live  in  houses  built  of  wood,  that  are 
generally  of  large  size,  and  frequently  contain  as  many  as  one  hundred 
persons.  These  houses  are  usually  built  on  piles,  divided  into  compart- 
ments, and  have  a  kind  of  veranda  in  front,  which  serves  as  a  commu- 
nication between  the  several  families.  The  patriarch,  or  elder,  resides 
m  the  middle.  The  houses  are  entered  by  ladders,  and  have  doors, 
but  no  windows.    The  villages  are  protected  by  a  sort  of  breastwork. 

Although  this  people  are  to  be  found  throughout  all  Borneo,  and 
even  within  a  few  miles  of  the  coast,  yet  they  do  not  occupy  any  part 
of  its  shores,  which  are  held  by  Malays,  or  Chinese  settlers.  There 
is  no  country  more  likely  to  interest  the  world  than  Borneo.  AH 
accounts  speak  of  vast  ruins  of  temples  and  palaces,  throughout  the 
whole  extent  of  its  interior,  which  the  ancestors  of  the  present  inha- 
bitants could  not  have  constructed.  The  great  resemblance  these 
bear  to  those  of  China  and  Cambojia  has  led  to  the  belief  that  Borneo 
was  formerly  peopled  by  those  nations ;  but  all  traditions  of  the  origin 
of  these  edifices  have  been  lost ;  and  so  little  is  now  known  of  the 
northern  side  of  Borneo,  that  it  would  be  presumption  to  indulge  in 
any  surmises  of  what  may  have  been  its  state  during  these  dark  ages. 
Even  the  Bugis  priests,  who  are  the  best-informed  persons  in  the 
country,  have  no  writings  or  traditions  that  bear  upon  the  subject ;  and 
the  few  scattered  legends  of  Eastern  origin,  can  afford  no  proof  of  the 
occurrence  of  the  events  they  commemorate  in  any  particular  locality. 

The  accounts  of  the  habits  of  the  Dyacks  are  discrepant  Some 
give  them  credit  for  being  very  industrious,  while  others  again  speak 
of  them  as  indolent.    They  are  certainly  cultivators  of  the  soil,  and 

VOL.  V.  2  F  46 


362  8  O  O  L  O  O. 

in  order  to  obtain  the  articles  they  need,  will  work  assiduously.  Many 
of  them  are  employed  in  collecting  gold-dust,  and  some  in  the  diamond 
mines ;  and  they  will  at  times  be  found  procuring  gums,  rattans,  &c^ 
from  their  native  forests  for  barter.  They  are  a  people  of  great  energy 
of  character,  and  perseverance  in  the  attainment  of  their  object,  par* 
ticularly  when  on  war-parties,  or  engaged  in  hunting. 

Their  food  consists  of  rice,  hogs,  rats,  snakes,  monkeys,  and  many 
kinds  of  vermin,  with  which  this  country  abounds. 

Their  chief  weapon  is  the  parang  or  heavy  knife,  somewhat  like 
the  kris.  It  is  manufactured  of  native  iron  and  steel,  with  which  the 
coast  of  the  country  is  said  to  abound*  They  have  a  method  of  work- 
ing it  which  renders  it  unnecessary  for  them  to  look  to  a  foreign 
supply ;  the  only  articles  of  foreign  hardware  that  they  are  said  to 
desire,  are  razors,  out  of  which  to  make  tbeii*  cockspurs.  One  thing 
seems  strange :  although  asserted  upon  good  authority,  that  the  iron 
and  steel  of  the  coast  are  thought  to  be  superior  by  foreigners,  they 
are  not  to  be  compared  with  that  which  is  found  in  the  interior,  and 
manufactured  by  the  Dyacks.  All  the  best  krises  used  by  the  Malay 
rajahs  and  chiefs,  are  obtained  from  the  interior.  Some  of  these  are 
exquisitely  manufactured,  and  so  hard  that,  without  turning  the  edge, 
they  cut  ordinary  wrought  iron  and  steel. 

Among  their  other  weapons  is  the  sumpit,  a  hollow  tube,  through 
which  they  blow  poisoned  arrows.  The  latter  are  of  various  kinds, 
and  those  used  in  war  are  dipped  in  the  sap  of  what  the  natives  term 
the  *'  upo."  The  effect  of  this  poison  is  almost  instantaneous,  and 
destroys  life  in  four  or  five  minutes.  ■  Those  who  have  seen  a  wound 
given  accidentally,  describe  the  changes  that  the  poison  occasions  as 
plainly  perceptible  in  its  progress.  Before  using  the  arrow,  its  poisoned 
point  is  dipped  in  lime-juice  to  quicken  it  The  range  of  the  sumpit 
is  from  fifty  to  sixty  yards.  Although  tl^e  arrows  are  poisoned,  yet 
it  is  said  they  sometimes  eat  the  game  they  kill  with  them,  parboiling 
it  before  it  is  roasted,  which  is  thought  to  extract  the  poison.  Fire* 
arms,  respecting  which  they  have  much  fear,  have  not  yet  been  intro- 
duced an)ong  them ;  indeed,  it  is  said  that  so  easily  are  they  intimi- 
dated by  such  weapons,  that  on  hearing  a  report  of  a  gun  they 
invariably  run  away.  Each  individual  in  a  host  would  be  impressed 
with  the  belief  that  he  was  the  one  that  was  to  be  shot* 

They  address  their  prayers  to  the  maker  of  the  world,  whom  they 
call  Dewatta,  and  this  is  all  the  religion  they  have.  There  are  many 
animals  and  birds  held  by  them  in  high  veneration,  and  they  are  close 
observers  of  the  flight  of  birds,  from  which  they  draw  prognostics. 
There  is  in  particular  a  white-beaded  eagle  or  kite,  upon  whose  flight 


S  O  O  L  O  O.  363 

and  cries  they  put  great  reliance,  and  consult  them  in  war  or  on  any 
particular  expedition.  For  this  purpose  they  draw  numbers  of  thetn 
together,  and  feed  them  by  scattering  rice  about.  It  is  said  their 
priests  consult  their  entrails  also  on  particular  occasions,  to  endeavour 
to  look  into  future  events. 

In  the  performance  of  their  engagements  and  oaths,  they  are  most 
scrupulous.  They  seem  to  have  some  idea  of  a  future  life,  and  that 
on  the  road  to  their  elysium  they  have  to  pass  over  a  long  tree,  which 
requires  the  assistance  of  all  those  they  have  slain  in  this  world. 
The  abode  of  happy  spirits  is  supposed  to  be  on  the  top  of  Kini  Balu, 
one  of  their  loAiest  mountains,  and  the  portals  are  guarded  by  a  fiery 
serpent,  who  does  not  suffer  any  virgin  to  pass  into  the  celestial 
paradise. 

Polygamy  does  not  exist  among  them,  but  they  have  as  concubines 
slaves,  who  are  captured  in  their  wars  or  rather  predatory  expeditions* 
If  a  wife  proves  unfaithful  to  her  husband,  he  kills  several  of  his 
slaves,  or  inflicts  upon  her  many  blows,  and  a  divorce  may  be  effected 
by  the  husband  paying  her  a  certain  price,  and  giving  up  her  clothes 
and  ornaments,  after  which  he  is  at  liberty  to  marry  another.  The 
women,  however,  exercise  an  extraordinary  influence  over  the  men. 

But  of  all  their  peculiar  traits,  there  is  none  more  strange  than  the 
passion  they  seem  to  indulge  for  collecting  human  heads.  These  are 
necessary  accompaniments  in  many  transactions  of  their  lives,  par- 
ticularly in  their  marriages,  and  no  one  can  marry  unless  he  has  a 
certain  number  of  heads ;  indeed,  those  who  cannot  obtain  these  are 
looked  upon  with  disdain  by  the  females.  A  young  man  wishing  ta 
Wed,  and  making  application  to  marry  her  for  whom  he  has  formed 
an  attachment,  repairs  with  the  girl's  father  to  the  rajah  or  chief,  who 
immediately  inquires  respecting  the  number  of  heads  he  has  procured, 
and  generally  decides  that  he  ought  to  obtain  one  or  two  more,  ac- 
cording to  his  age,  and  the  number  the  givYs  father  may  have  pro- 
cured, before  he  can  be  accepted.  He  at  once  takes  his  canoe  and 
some  trusty  followers,  and  departs  on  his  bloody  errand,  waylaying 
the  unsuspecting  or  surprising  the  defenceless,  whose  head  he  imme- 
diately cuts  off,  and  then  makes  a  hurried  retreat  With  this  he 
repairs  to  the  dwelling  of  his  mistress,  or  sends  intelligence  of  his 
success  before  him.  On  his  arrival,  he  is  met  by  a  joyous  group  of 
females,  who  receive  him  with  every  demonstration  of  joy,  and  gladly 
accept  his  ghastly  offering. 

Various  barbarous  ceremonies  now  take  place,  among  which  the 
beads  undergo  inspection  to  ascertain  if  they  are  fresh  ;  and,  in  order 
to  prove  this,  none  of  the  brain  must  be  removed,  nor  must  they  have 


364  '  S  O  O  L  O  O. 

been  submitted  to  smoke  to  destroy  the  smell.  After  these  prelimi- 
naries, the  family  honour  of  the  bride  is  supposed  to  be  satisfied,  and 
she  is  not  allo^^'ed  to  refuse  to  marry.  A  feast  is  now  made,  and  the 
couple  are  seated  in  the  midst  naked,  holding  the  bloody  heads,  when 
handfuls  of  rice  are  thrown  over  them,  with  prayers  that  they  may 
be  happy  and  fruitful.  After  this,  the  bridegroom  repairs  in  state  to 
the  house  of  the  bride,  where  he  is  received  at  the  door  by  one  of  her 
friends,  who  sprinkles  him  with  the  blood  of  a  cock,  and  her  with 
that  of  a  hen.    This  completes  the  affair,  and  they  are  man  and  wife. 

Funerals  are  likewise  consecrated  by  similar  offerings,  the  corpse 
remaining  in  the  house  until  a  slave  can  be  procured,  by  purchase  or 
otherwise,  whom  they  design  to  behead  at  the  time  the  body  is  burnt 
This  is  done  in  order  that  the  defunct  may  be  attended  by  a  slave  on 
his  way  to  the  other  world  or  realms  of  bliss.  After  being  burnt,  the 
ashes  of  the  deceased  are  gathered  in  an  urn,  and  the  head  of  the  slave 
preserved  and  placed  near  it 

In  some  parts,  a  rajah  or  chief  is  buried  with  great  pomp  in  his  war 
habiliments,  and  food  and  his  arms  are  placed  at  his  side.  A  mound  is 
erected  over  him,  which  is  encircled  with  a  bamboo  fence,  upon  which 
a  number  of  fresh  heads  are  stuck,  all  the  warriors  who  have  been 
attached  to  him  bringing  them  as  the  most  acceptable  offering;  and 
subsequently  these  horrid  offerings  are  renewed. 

The  Dyacks  are  found  also  on  the  island  of  Celebes,  but  there,  as  in 
Borneo,  they  are  confined  to  the  interior.  I  have  already  mentioned 
that  they  were  supposed  to  have  been  the  original  inhabitants  of  the 
Sooloo  Archipelago.  The  Sooloos  speak  of  the  country  of  the  Dyacks 
as  being  exceedingly  fertile  and  capable  of  producing  every  thing.  The 
north  end  of  Borneo  is  particularly  valuable,  as  its  produce  is  easily 
transported  from  the  interior,  where  much  of  the  land  is  cultivated.  I 
have  obtained  much  more  information  in  relation  to  this  people,  in  a 
variety  of  ways,  from  individuals  as  well  as  from  the  published 
accounts,  which  are  to  be  found  at  times  in  the  Eastern  prints ;  but  as 
this  digression  has  already  extended  to  a  great  length,  I  trust  that 
enough  has  been  said  to  enable  the  reader  to  contrast  it  with  the  natives 
who  inhabit  the  islands  that  dot  the  vast  Pacific  Ocean,  and  to  make 
him  look  forward  with  interest  to  the  developements  that  the  philan- 
thropic exertions  of  Mr.  Brooke  may  bring  to  light 

Having  completed  our  duties  here,  the  boats  were  hoisted  in,  after 
despatching  one  to  leave  orders  for  Mr.  Knox  of  the  Flying-Fish,  in  a 
bottle  tied  to  a  flag-staff. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  12th,  we  got  under  way  to  proceed  direct  to 
Singapore,  and  passed  through  the  channel  between  the  reef  off  the 


S  0  0  L  0  0.  S65 

Mangsee  Islands,  and  those  of  Balambangan  and  Banguey.  We  found 
this  channel  clear,  and  all  the  dangers  well  defined. 

As  the  principal  objects  of  my  visit  were  to  ascertain  the  disposition 
and  resources  of  the  Sooloos  for  trade,  and  to  examine  the  straits  lead- 
ing into  the  Sooloo  seas,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  communication  with 
China,  by  avoiding  on  the  one  hand  the  eastern  route,  and  on  the  other 
the  dangers  of  the  Palawan  Passage,  it  may  be  as  well  to  give  the 
result  of  the  latter  inquiry,  referring  those  who  may  be  more  particu- 
larly interested  to  the  Hydrographical  Atlas  and  Memoir. 

The  difficulties  in  the  Palawan  Passage  arising  from  heavy  seas  and 
fresh  gales  do  not  exist  in  the  Sooloo  Sea,  nor  are  the  shoals  so 
numerous  or  so  dangerous.  In  the  place  of  storms  and  rough  water, 
smooth  seas  are  found,  and  for  most  of  the  time  moderate  breezes, 
which  do  not  subject  a  vessel  to  the  wear  and  tear  experienced  in 
beating  up  against  a  monsoon. 

The  Straits  of  Balabac  may  be  easily  reached,  either  from  Singa- 
pore, or  by  beating  up  along  the  western  shore  of  Borneo.  When  the 
straits  are  reached,  a  vessel  by  choosing  her  time  may  easily  pass 
through  them  by  daylight,  even  by  beating  when  the  wind  is  ahead. 
Once  through,  the  way  is  clear,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  coral 
lumps ;  the  occasional  occurrence  of  the  north  wind  will  enable  a  vessel 
to  pass  directly  to  the  shores  of  the  island  of  Panay.  A  fair  wind  will 
ordinarily  prevail  along  that  island,  and,  as  I  have  already  mentioned, 
it  may  be  approached  closely.  The  passage  through  to  the  eastward 
of  Mindoro  Island  may  be  taken  in  preference  to  that  on  the  west  side 
through  the  Mindoro  Strait,  and  thus  all  the  reefs  and  shoals  will  be 
avoided.  Thence,  the  western  coast  of  Luzon  will  be  followed  to  the 
north,  as  in  the  old  route. 

I  do  not  think  "it  necessary  to  point  out  any  particular  route  through 
the  Sooloo  Sea,  as  vessels  must  be  guided  chiefly  as  the  winds  blow, 
but  I  would  generally  avoid  approaching  the  Sooloo  Islands,  as  the 
currents  are  more  rapid,  and  set  rather  to  the  southward.  Wherever 
there  is  anchorage,  it  would  be  advisable  to  anchor  at  night,  as  much 
time  might  thus  be  saved,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  currents  or  sets  of 
the  tides  obtained.  Perhaps  it  would  be  as  well  to  caution  those  who 
are  venturesome,  that  it  is  necessary  to  keep  a  good  look-out,  and 
those  who  are  timid,  that  there  does  not  appear  to  be  much  danger  from 
the  piratical  prahus,  unless  a  vessel  gets  on  shore :  in  that  case  it  will 
not  be  long  befoie  they  will  be  seen  collecting  in  the  horizon  in  large 
numbers. 

The  treaty  that  I  made  with  the  Sultan,  if  strictly  enforced  on  the 
first  infraction,  will  soon  put  an  end  to  all  the  dangers  to  be  appre- 

2T2 


366  8  O  0  L  O  O. 

hended  from  them.  To  conclude,  I  am  satisfied  that  under  ordinary- 
circumstances,  to  pass  through  the  Sooloo  Sea  will  shorten  by  several 
days  the  passage  to  Manilla  or  Canton,  and  be  a  great  saving  of 
expense  in  the  wear  and  tear  of  a  ship  and  her  canvass. 

On  the  13th,  we  passed  near  the  location  of  the  Viper  Shoal,  but  saw 
nothing  of  it  It  is,  therefore,  marked  doubtful  on  the  chart  As  I 
had  but  little  time  to  spare,  the  look-outs  were  doubled,  and  we  pur- 
sued our  course  throughout  the  night,  sounding  as  we  went  every 
fifteen  minutes ;  but  nothing  met  our  view. 

On  the  14th,  although  we  had  the  northeast  monsoon  blowing  fresh, 
we  experienced  a  current  of  twenty-two  miles  setting  to  the  north. 
This  was  an  unexpected  result,  as  the  currents  are  usually  supposed 
to  prevail  in  the  direction  of  the  monsoon.  On  the  15th,  we  still 
experienced  it,  though  not  over  fifteen  miles.  On  the  16th,  we  found 
it  setting  west,  and  as  we  approached  the  Malayan  Peninsula  it  was 
found  to  be  running  southwest 

On  the  18th,  we  made  Pulo  Aor  and  Pulo  Pedang,  and  arriving  off 
the  Straits  of  Singapore  I  hove-to,  to  await  daylight  In  the  morning 
at  dawn,  we  found  ourselves  in  close  company  with  a  Chinese  junk. 
The  19th,  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  we  were  in  the  Singapore  Straits, 
making  but  slow  progress  towards  this  emporium  of  the  East  The 
number  of  native  as  well  as  foreign  vessels  which  we  passed,  proved 
that  we  were  approaching  some  great  mart,  and  at  5  p.  m.  we  dropped 
our  anchor  in  Singapore  Roads.  Here  we  found  the  Porpoise,  Oregon, 
and  Flying-Fish,  all  well:  the  two  former  had  arrived  on  the  22d  of 
January,  nearly  a  month  before,  and  the  latter  three  days  previously. 
Before  concluding  this  chapter,  I  shall  revert  to  their  proceedings  since 
our  separation  off  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

The  instructions  to  the  brigs  have  been  heretofore  given ;  but  it  may 
not  be  amiss  to  repeat  here  that  the  object  in  detaching  them  was,  that 
they  might  explore  the  line  of  reefs  and  islands  known  to  exist  to  the 
northward  and  westward  of  the  Hawaiian  Group,  and  thence  continue 
their  course  towards  the  coast  of  Japan.  Had  they  effected  the  latter 
object,  it  would  have  given  important  results  in  relation  to  the  force  of 
the  currents,  and  the  temperature  of  the  water.  It  was  desirable,  if 
possible,  to  ascertain  with  certainty  the  existence  on  the  coast  of  Japan 
of  a  current  similar  to  the  Gulf  Stream,  to  which  my  attention  had 
been  particularly  drawn. 

The  first  land  they  made  was  on  the  1st  of  December,  1841,  and 
was  Necker  Island.  Birds,  especially  the  white  tern,  had  been  seen  in 
numbers  prior  to  its  announcement  Necker  Island  is  apparently  a 
mass  of  volcanic  rocks,  about  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  is  destitute 


a  o  o  L  o  o.  807 

of  any  kind  of  regetatioo,  but  covered  with  guana  It  is  surrounded 
by  a  reef,  three  miles  from  which  soundiDgs  were  obtained,  in  twenty 
fathoms  water.  The  furious  surf  that  was  beating  on  all  sides  of  the 
-island,  precluded  all  possibility  of  a  landing  being  made.  By  the  con- 
nected observations  of  the  vessels  it  lies  in  longitude  164°  37'  W.,  and 
latitude  23°  44'  N. 

The  French'Frigtde  Shoal  was  seen  on  the  3d ;  the  weather  proved 
bad,  and  tbey  were  unable  to  execute  the  work  of  examining  this  reef. 
The  sea  was  breaking  furiously  upon  it 

On  the  7th,  the  Maro  Reef  was  made  in  latitude  39°  34'  S0"  N., 
longitude  170°  43'  24"  W.  Bottom  was  found  at  a  distance  of  four 
miles  from  the  reef,  with  forty-five  fiithoms  of  line.  On  the  8th,  they 
passed  over  the  site  of  Neva  Isle,  as  laid  down  by  Arrowsmitb,  but  no 
indications  of  land  were  seen. 

On  the  lltb,  Lieutenant-Commandant  Ringgold  determined,  on  ac- 
count of  the  condition  of  the  brigs,  and  the  continuance  of  bad  weather, 
it  was  impossible  to  keep  their  course  to  the  northward  and  westward 
towards  the  coast  of  Japan :  he  therefore  hauled  to  the  southward, 
which  was  much  to  be  regretted,  and  followed  so  very  nearly  in  the 
same  track  as  that  pursued  by  the  Vincennes,  towards  the  China  seas, 
that  nothing  new  was  elicited  by  them. 

After  a  passage  of  fifly-six  days  from  the  Sandwich  Islands,  they 
dropped  their  anchors  in  Singapore  on  the  19th  of  January,  1842,  all 
well.  Here  they  found  the  United  States  ship  Constellation,  Commo- 
dore Kearney,  and  the  sloop  of  war  Boston,  Captain  Long,  forming 
the  East  India  squadron. 


CHAPTER  X. 


CONTENTS. 

VARIETY  OF  SHIPPING  IN  THE  KOAD0-VIEW  OF  THE  TOWN-AMERICAN  CONSUL- 
ENTRANCE  OF  THE  RIVEE-LANDINO— VIEW  FROM  THE  CONSULATE-GREAT  VARIETY 
OF  COSTUMES,  RACES,  RELIGIONS,  AND  LANGUAGES— POLICE  AND  MILITART  FORCE— 
BISTORT  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  SINGAPORE-ITS  GOVERNMENT-TREATY  OF  18M- 
POUCY  OF  HOLLAND-CHEAPNESS  OF  BUILDING— SOCIETY-ISLAND  OF  SINGAPORE- 
TIGERS  — BOTANY  AND  CULTIVATED  PLANTS  — MODE  OF  CONVEYANCE— CHINESE 
INHABITANTS-THEIR  GABIBUNG— THEIR  APPEARANCE  AND  DRESS-THEIR  TEMPLE 
-THEIR  FESTIVAL  OF  THE  NEW  YEAR— THEIR  THEATRICAUt-THEIR  FUNERALS- 
FESTIVAL  OF  THE  SHIITE  MAH0MEDAN8-AMUBEMENTB  OF  THE  GENTOOS-BANIBHED 
BRAHMIN-MAHOMEDANSBCTS-CONVICTS-MARKET-CURRENCY— TRADES-MALAYS- 
ARMENIANS-PAR6EES-ARABS-CAFFRES-MIXTURE  OF  RACES-CHINESE  CEMETERY 
—  GENTOO  BURIAL-PLACE— MAGNETIC  OBSERVATORY  —  AMERICAN  MISSIONARIES  — 
PAPUAN  SLAVES- MANUSCRIPTS— SHIP  OF  THE  KING  OF  COCHIN-CHINA -CHINESE 
JUNKS-TRADE  OF  SINGAPORE— TAXES— SLAVERY- OPIUM  SHOPS— SMALL  PROPOR- 
TION OF  FEMALES  IN  THE  POPULATION  —  PENINSULA  OF  MALACCA  — ITS  GOVERN- 
MENT-ITS RELIGION-MALAY  CEREMONIES  AT  BIRTHS.  MARRIAGES.  AND  FUNERALS 
—MALAY  SACRIFICES-ANIMALS  OF  MALAYAN  PENINSULA  —  PROBABLE  INFLUENCE 
OF  STEAM  ON  THE  TRADE  OF  THE  EAST-RAVAGES  OF  THE  WHITE  ANTS-CUMATB 
OF  SINGAPORE-SALE  OF  FLYINGFISH-DEPARTURE  FROM  SINGAPORE. 


(3») 


1  • 


J 


CHAPTER  X, 

SINGAPORE. 
1842. 

On  drawing  near  to  Sii^apore,  as  has  already  been  remarked,  it 
became  evident  that  we  were  approaching  a  great  mart  of  Eastern 
commerce.  If  this  be  apparent  when  merely  approaching  that  place, 
the  impression  becomes  far  more  striking  on  anchoring  in  the  road- 
stead, for  there  we  found  a  collection  of  shipping,  of  various  sizes, 
from  the  tiny  cockboat  to  the  stately  and  well-formed  Indiaman. 

The  shipping  are  contrasted  not  only  in  size,  but  in  rig  and  form, 
from  the  vast  hulk-like  junk  to  the  light  and  skipping  sampan  ;*  and 
many  of  them  were  of  kinds  entirely  new  to  us.  Not  only  were  a 
great  part  of  the  vessels  of  a  novel  description,  but  their  national  flags 
were  equally  strange.  Many  of  the  latter  were  now  seen  by  us  for 
the  first  time,  and  were  displayed  in  various  ways ;  some  flew  at  each 
masthead,  others  floated  from  horizontal  yards,  while  the  more  civi- 
lized nations  were  distinguished  by  ensigns  pendent  from  the  peak. 

The  variety  in  the  style  of  paint  and  ornament  was  equally  great. 
The  Chinese  junks  exhibited  their  arched  sides  painted  in  curved 
streaks  of  red,  yellow^  and  white ;  the  Siamese  ships,  half  European 
in  structure  and  model,  showed  huge  carved  stems ;  and  these  were 
contrasted  with  the  long,  low,  and  dark  hulls  of  the  prahus  and  the 
opium-smuggler.  The  two  latter  classes  perhaps  excited  the  greatest 
attention,  in  consequence  of  the  war  they  are  continually  carrying  on 
against  the  property  and  lives,  as  well  as  the  morals  and  laws,  of  the 
natives  of  the  surrounding  countries. 

*  The  sampan  is  a  light  and  easy-poQiiig  boat,  ined  at  Singapore  to  carry  passengers 
to  and  firom  the  shipping  in  the  roads. 

071) 


372  SINGAPORE. 

It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  average  number  of  vessels  that  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  roads  of  Singapore;  for  on  some  days  they  appear 
crowded,  while  on  others  they  are  comparatively  empty.  While 
many  vessels  are  continually  arriving  and  departing,  the  Chinese 
junks  alone  appear  as  fixtures ;  more  than  fifty  of  them  were  counted, 
with  sails  unbent,  yards  housed,  and  rudders  unhung,  in  which  state 
they  resemble  floating  shops,  wherein  are  offered  for  sale  assortments 
of  every  article  produced  or  manufactured  in  the  Celestial  Empire; 
samples  of  which,  by  way  of  sign,  are  to  be  seen  hanging  about  them 
in  all  directions.  These  junks  make  no  more  than  one  voyage  a 
year,  performing  their  passage  in  either  direction  during  the  favouring 
monsoon. 

Unlike  other  ports,  the  water  presents  at  first  so  many  objects  to 
attract  the  attention,  that  the  land  and  town  remain  unnoticed  until 
the  curiosity  in  relation  to  those  which  are  afloat  is  satisfied.  On  turn- 
ing to  view  the  town,  its  situation  appears  to  be  low,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  islertid  on  which  it  is  built  The  highest  point  of  the  latter  is  not 
more  than  five  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  even  this 
elevation  is  distant,  so  that  there  is  nothing  to  render  the  scenery  pic- 
turesque, nor  has  it  much  of  the  character  that  is  styled  Oriental.  The 
distant  jungle,  however,  relieved  by  the  white  portions  of  buildings  in 
the  European  style,  furnishes  a  landscape  pleasing  to  the  eye.  These 
buildings  seem  to  be  upon  the  very  beach,  while  a  hill  in  the  rear  is 
crowned  by  the  dwelling  of  the  governor,  near  which  is  the  flag-staff. 
The  intervening  space  is  filled  with  buildings,  whose  style  holds  an 
intermediate  place  between  that  of  Europe,  and  that  of  the  Chinese  and 
Malays,  neither  of  which  predominates  so  much  as  to  give  its  distinc- 
tive character  to  the  scene. 

The  stranger,  after  anchoring  in  the  roads,  is  not  long  before  he 
discovers  the  point  at  which  the  river  discharges  itself;  for  one  con- 
tinued stream  of  boats,  sampans,  and  prahus,  is  seen  tending  to  a  point 
in  the  beach,  where  the  entrance  is  partly  concealed  from  view ;  neither 
can  he  be  long  ignorant  how  large  a  concourse  of  various  races  is  here 
assembled.  Our  ship  was  crowded  from  an  early  hour,  with  tailors, 
shoemakers,  washerwomen,  and  venders  of  curiosities.  The  latter 
brought  shells,  birds  of  paradise,  monkeys,  parrots,  corals,  and  mats. 
Without-board  there  were  innumerable  bumboats,  bringing  for  sale 
fresh  bread,  eggs,  milk,  chickens  and  ducks,  both  alive  and  cooked, 
fish,  fruit,  and  vegetables.  All  sued  piteously  for  permission  to  come 
alongside,  and  made  a  prodigious  clatter.  The  features,  dress,  and 
language  of  the  venders  were  as  various  as  the  articles  they  had  to 
sell ;  and  they  agreed  only  in  the  common  character  of  a  dark  skin. 


SINGAPORE.  373 

The  specimen  thus  presented  of  the  population  of  Singapore  prepared 
us  for  the  sight  of  the  motley  group  we  were  to  meet  on  shore. 

At  Singapore  I  had  the  pleasure  of  renewing  my  acquaintance 
with  Mr.  Balestier,  our  worthy  consul.  To  him,  his  lady,  and  his 
souy  we  are  under  many  obligations  for  their  kind  treatment  and 
attention.  Mr.  Balestier  is  so  well  known  among  men  of  science  in 
the  United  States,  it  would  be  needless  for  me  to  say  that  from  him 
I  derived  much  interesting  information  relative  to  the  place,  its  com- 
merce, &c.,  for  which  I  here  offer  my  acknowledgments.  He  was 
extensively  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  sugar,  on  a  plantation  of 
one  thousand  acres,,  within  two  miles  of  Singapore,  nearly  half  of 
which  was  under  cultivation.  This  extent  of  ground  he  has  by  his 
exertions  reclaimed  from  the  jungle,  and  it  bids  fair  to  repay  the 
labour  and  expense  he  has  incurred  in  clearing  and  bringing  it  into 
cultivation.  He  is  the  first  person  who  has  attempted  the  cultivation 
of  sugar  at  Singapore,  and  for  his  success  he  was  awarded  the  gold 
medal  of  the  Calcutta  Agricultural  Society. 

As  we  passed  through  the  vessels  with  which  the  roads  were 
crowded  on  our  way  to  the  shore,  the  hum  of  voices  was  plainly 
audible,  particularly  from  the  Chinese  junks,  which  seemed  not  un- 
like a  human  hive.  On  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  river,  as  was  to 
be  expected,  the  crowd  thickened,  and  the  way  became  more  and 
more  obstructed',  until  we  were  fairly  jammed  among  the  sampans, 
with  their  crowded  population.  The  river  does  not  exceed  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  width.  It  is  shallow  at  its  mouth,  and 
passes  through  the  centre,  or  rather  divides  the  old  from  the  new 
town ;  these  are  connected  by  a  wooden  bridge.  As  far  up  as  the 
bridge,  which  is  about  one-third  of  a  mile  from  the  entrance,  the  river 
is  of  various  widths,  and  its  banks  have  been  carefully  built  up  with 
stone,  having  steps  occasionally  for  the  convenience  of  landing  from 
the  boats.  A  large  population  is  on  the  river,  dwelling  in  the  sam- 
pans, which  are  all  crowded  with  men,  women,  and  children,  the 
latter  naked,  and  frolicking  in  and  out  of  the  water  at  pleasure. 
These  boats  are  ranged  in  rows  on  each  side  of  the  passage  towards 
the  bridge,  and  are  confined  by  stakes  stuck  in  the  bottom.  As  may 
be  well  imagined,  there  are  frequent  accidents  and  misadventures, 
that  call  for  the  exercise  of  the  lungs  of  this  crowded  multitude,  yet 
during  the  many  opportunities  I  had  of  viewing  them,  both  by  day 
and  night;  I  have  seldom  seen  a  set  of  people  apparently  so  contented. 

We  landed  at  the  bridge,  near  which  is  the  office  of  our  consul,  in 
a  large  quadrangular  building,  one  side  of  which  faces  the  river. 
The  terms  of  old  and  new  town  promise  a  difference  of  architecture 

8G 


874  8IN6AP0RR 

as  well  as  inhabitants,  which  they  amply  fulfil.  The  former  occu« 
pies  the  southwest  or  left-hand  side  of  the  river,  and  exhibits  along 
the  quay  a  fine  row  of  stuccoed  or  chunamed  warehouses.  The 
lower  story  of  the  greater  part  of  these  is  an  arcade  supported  by 
pillars  at  short  distances.  They  are  only  two  stories  high,  devoid  of 
architectural  ornament,  but  are  convenient  buildings  for  the  trade. 
On  the  right  are  to  be  seen  the  buildings  appropriated  to  the  govern- 
ment offices.  These  are  situated  on  an  extensive  parade-ground, 
studded  with  a  few  fine  trees.  The  houses  having  extensive  porticoes, 
and  being  adorned  with  flowers  in  large  vases,  have  rather  an  elegant 
appearance,  but  this  is  in  part  dissipated  on  a  nearer  approach*  They 
ai*e  usually  enclosed  with  low  walls,  surmounted  by  iron  railings, 
within  which  are  small  flower-gardens,  that  do  not,  however,  display 
much  taste. 

The  bridge  which  connects  the  two  towns  is  by  far  the  most 
attractive  place  in  Singapore,  for  the  constant  passing  and  repassing 
across  this  thoroughfare  makes  it  particularly  amusing  to  a  stranger. 
The  consul's  rooms  were  so  situated  as  to  command  a  free  view  of 
this  moving  panorama.  The  number  of  Asiatic  nations  that  frequent 
Singapore  is  said  to  be  twenty-four,  consisting  of  Chinese,  Hindoos, 
Malays,  Jews,  Armenians,  Parsees,  Bugists,  besides  Europeans.  The 
variety  of  costume  exhibited  may  therefore  be  easily  imagined,  and 
afforded  opportunities  for  inquiry  as  well  as  amusement.  The  bridge 
was  particularly  thronged  during  the  first  day  of  our  visit,  for  it  was 
a  holiday,  both  with  the  Chinese  and  Mahomedans  of  Hindoostan. 

The  trades,  as  is  usual  in  the  East,  are  carried  on  in  the  streets, 
and  carpenters,  blacksmiths,  tinners,  butchers,  bakers,  tailors,  barbers, 
crockery  and  opium  sellers,  and  coffin-makers,  are  to  be  met  in  suc- 
cession. Money-changers  are  to  be  found  here  and  there,  and  laige 
well-supplied  shops  are  not  wanting,  although  their  narrow  and  con- 
tracted fronts  give  no  reason  to  anticipate  thdir  existence.  That  of 
Whampoa,  our  comprador,  was  one  of  the  largest,  and  it  gave  a  better 
idea  of  Noah's  ark  than  of  any  thing  else,  presenting  a  mixture  of 
living  animals,  with  every  thing  that  is  required  for  the  artificial 
wants  of  the  shipping.  In  front  were  all  the  varieties  of  ship  stores 
that  China  and  Europe  could  furnish ;  and  in  the  rear  were  poultry, 
pigs,  sheep,  and  pigeons,  in  pens  and  cages,  with  various  parrots, 
cockatoos,  and  monkeys,  while  quantities  of  geese  and  ducks  were 
accommodated  beneath  with  pools  of  water.  Between  th&  live-stock 
and  the  groceries  were  large  quantities  of  vegetables  and  fruit,  be- 
sides lots  of  bread,  flour,  and  dough  ready  for  the  oven.  The  noise 
occasioned  by  the  cackling,  bellowing,  crowing,  and  bleating,  with 


SINGAPORE.  875 

the  accumulation  of  filth,  surprised  as  well  as  disgusted ;  for  although 
it  was  reached  at  every  tide  by  the  water,  yet  there  was  ample  neces- 
sity  for  the  use  of  brooms  and  shovels.  The  Chinese,  though  cleanly 
in  their  persons,  are  far  from  being  so  in  their  general  habits,  if  we  may 
judge  from  those  that  I  have  met  in  the  places  we  have  visited. 

On  landing,  that  which  impresses  a  stranger  most  strongly,  is  the 
great  variety  both  of  costume  and  of  race.  Almost  every  person  that 
is  encountered  appears  different  from  his  predecessor,  so  that  it  is  some 
time  before  it  can  be  decided  which  nation  predominates;  but  on 
reaching  the  old  town,  this  is  no  longer  doubtful,  for  the  Chinese  are 
soon  found  to  be  the  most  numerous. 

The  variety  of  religious  sects  also  soon  become  evident  All  have 
their  places  of  worship,  and  enjoy  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion,  so 
that  in  passing  around,  the  mosque  of  the  Mahomedan,  the  temple  of 
the  Chinese,  and  the  churches  of  various  Christian  sects,  are  met  with 
in  their  turn. 

The  number  of  spoken  languages  is  such  as  to  recall  the  idea  of 
Babel,  and  to  excite  a  desire  to  learn  the  cause  of  such  a  collection  of 
nations.  This  is  partly  to  be  found  in  the  favourable  commercial  site 
of  Singapore,  on  the  great  highway  between  the  Eastern  and  Western 
nations,  and  in  the  protection  afforded  to  all  by  its  being  under  a 
European  power,  but  chiefly  in  the  fact  of  its  being  a  free  port,  in 
every  sense  of  the  word.  All  are  allowed  to  visit  it  without  any 
question  being  asked;  pirates  of  any  nation  may  refit  here,  and  no 
doubt  frequently  do,  without  any  molestation,  so  long  as  they  keep  the 
peace. 

I  was  much  struck  with  the  apparent  absence  of  either  police  or 
military  force ;  but  after  some  inquiry,  I  was  satisfied,  by  the  order  and 
general  quiet  of  the  multitude,  that  there  must  be  a  controlling  power 
within  reach,  and  found  the  policemen  under  the  semblance  of  Persians, 
easily  distinguishable  by  their  neat  and  cleanly  appearance.  They  are 
generally  better  dressed  than  the  body  of  the  inhabitants,  and  are  to 
be  known  by  their  red  and  black  sashes,  and  turbaned  heads.  Without 
the  precincts  of  the  town,  a  regiment  of  Sepoys,  six  hundred  strong,  and 
officered  by  Europeans,  is  stationed.  These  are  to  be  seen  habited  like 
English  soldiers,  in  close-bodied  red  coats,  than  which  a  more  inappro* 
priate  dress  in  such  a  climate  as  this  can  scarcely  be  imagined.. 

Before  proceeding  with  the  description  of  Singapore,  it  will  be  as 
well  to  give  some  account  of  its  settlement  and  progress  to  its  present 
prosperous  condition. 

It  appears  that  the  idea  of  occup}ring  a  position  in  the  Straits  of 
Malacca  did  not  occur  to  the  East  India  Company  until  they  were 


376  SINGAPORE. 

about  restoring  the  possession  of  Malacca  to  Holland  in  1818.  Major 
Farquhar,  then  resident  at  Malacca,  in  that  year  entered  into  a  com- 
mercial treaty  with  Abdulrahman  Shah,  who  had  been  acknowledged 
as  sovereign  of  Johore  by  the  Dutch.  By  this  treaty,  British  subjects, 
or  persons  under  the  protection  of  the  Company,  had  equal  rights  for 
commercial  pursuits  with  the  most  favoured  nation,  in  the  ports  of 
Johore,  Lingin,  and  Rhio. 

The  Dutch  had  no  sooner  got  possession  of  Malacca,  and  received 
information  of  Major  Farquhar's  treaty,  than  they  sent  an  overpower- 
ing force  to  Rhio,  where  Abdulrahman  resided;  declared  him  their 
vassal,  annulled  the  treaty  made  with  the  English  resident,  and 
dictated  another  with  the  sultan,  bv  which  British  commerce  was 
entirely  excluded  from  the  ports  of  the  straits. 

In  order  to  counteract  this  attempt  upon  the  part  of  Holland  to  keep 
exclusive  possession  of  the  only  passes  info  the  Chinese  seas,  the 
Straits  of  Sunda  and  Malacca,  the  Marquis  of  Hastings,  who  was  then 
Gk>vernor-General  of  India,  despatched  Sir  Stamford  Raffles  to  the 
Straits  of  Malacca,  to  ascertain  if  there  were  not  a  place  at  the 
Carimon  Isles,  or  Singapore,  of  which  the  Dutch  had  not  possession, 
suitable  for  the  establishment  of  a  factory;  and  in  this  duty  Major 
Farquhar  was  associated  with  him. 

On  the  arrival  of  Sir  Stamford  Raffles,  he  found  that  the  Dutch  had 
taken  possession  of  Rhio,  as  before  mentioned ;  and  it  was  then  sug- 
gested by  Captain  Ross,  the  able  surveyor  in  the  Company's  employ, 
that  Singapore  offered  the  most  suitable  location  for  their  purpose. 
About  this  time.  Sir  Stamford  Raffles,  while  off  this  place,  was  visited 
by  the  Tumungong  of  Johore,  a  chief  hostile  to  the  Dutch,  and  an 
enemy  to  Abdulrahman  Shah.  The  Tumungong  represented  that  the 
rightful  heir  was  the  elder  brother,  Hassain  Mahomed  Shah,  and  that 
the  British  by  treating  with  him  would  derive  a  right  to  settle  from  the 
legitimate  authority.  Sir  Stamford  saw  the  force  of  this  advice,  and 
determined  at  once  to  treat  for  the  occupation  of  the  island  of  Singa- 
pore with  Hassain  Mahomed.  As  a  preliminary  to  this,  the  recognition 
of  Mahomed  Shah  as  sultan,  by  two  great  officers  of  the  empire,  was 
necessary.  The  Bandahara  of  Pahang,  and  the  Tumungong  of  Johore, 
were  selected  for  this  purpose,  and  when  this  preliminary  had  been 
arranged,  Hussain  Shah  was  invited  over  from  Rhio,  installed,  and 
recognised.  The  commissioners  at  once  treated  with  him  as  the 
lawful  sovereign  of  Johore,  for  the  cession  and  immediate  settlement 
of  Singapore.  This  was  one  of  the  wise  arrangements  entered  into  by 
that  intelligent  officer,  who  so  long  and  so  satisfactorily  ruled  over 
Java.    The  treaty,  from  the  hurry  in  which  it  was  drawn  up,  was 


8IK6APORE.  977 

found  to  have  circumscribed  the  limits  of  the  ceded  district  to  but  a 
small  portion  of  the  south  coast  of  the  island,  and  the  jurisdiction  to 
extend  only  as  far  as  a  cannon*shot  into  the  interior  immediately 
around  the  factory.  This  limit  continued  until  1624,  when  a  cession 
of  the  entire  island  was  obtained,  and  a  treaty  of  alliance  and  friendship 
was  concluded  between  the  Company  and  the  Sultan.  The  jurisdiction 
was  also  for  ever  ceded  to  the  Company  of  the  seas  and  islands  within 
ten  geographical  miles  of  the  coast  of  Singapore.  In  consideration  of 
these  concessions,  the  Company  gave  the  Sultan  thirty-three  thousand 
dollars,  with  an  annuity  of  fifteen  thousand,  and  to  the  Tumungong 
twenty-six  thousand  dollars,  and  an  annuity  of  eight  thousand.  The 
annuities  were  to  be  paid  ntionthly ;  and  it  was  farther  agreed,  that  if 
the  Sultan  or  the  Tumungong  desired  to  remove  at  any  time  from  the 
island  of  Singapore  to  other  parts  of  their  dominions,  they  should  be 
entitled  to  the  further  sum  of  ten  and  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  for  all 
their  right  and  title  to  any  immovable  property  they  might  possess. 

This  treaty  secured  free  commercial  intercourse  for  both  parties, 
with  perfect  neutrality  in  all  respects,  and  freedom  ft'om  offensive  and 
defensive  alliances.    Under  this  tenure  Singapore  is  now  held. 

Singapore  being  the  only  free  port  in  this  part  of  the  world,  soon 
attracted  to  it  all  the  surrounding  nations,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
absence  of  duties,  or  of  any  regulations  impeding  trade,  but  as  ofiering 
a  mart  where  they  could  with  ease  dispose  of  their  goods,  and  obtain 
supplies.  Many  of  the  most  opulent  merchants  of  the  East  have  settled 
here,  and  the  Chinese  in  particular  have  found  it  to  afford  a  suitable 
field  for  the  exercise  of  their  trades. 

The  jurisdiction  of  Singapore,  or  the  "  Straits  Government,"  as  it 
is  here  called,  embraces  Malacca  and  Prince  of  Wales  Island.  The 
office  of  governor  was  filled  during  our  visit,  by  Samuel  George 
Bonham,  Esq.,  whose  usual  residence  is  at  Singapore,  but  I  had  not 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  him,  as  he  was  absent  on  a  tour  of  duty.  A 
steamer  is  attached  to  this  service,  and  enables  the  governor  to 
communicate  freely  with  the  three  ports.  At  each  port  there  is  a 
recorder's  court,  for  the  trial  of  offences,  and  the  settlement  of  com- 
mercial difficulties.  A  chief  justice,  who  resides  at  Singapore,  is 
the  principal  law  officer  for  criminal  offences,  and  is  appointed  by  the 
crown.  Capital  punishment  is  referred  for  approval  to  the  authorities 
at  home. 

By  the  treaty  of  1634,  the  Dutch  gave  up  Malacca,  which  had 
become  useless  to  them,  and  the  English  bound  themselves  not  to 
make  settlements  on  any  of  the  islands  to  the  south  of  it  This  was 
certainly  a  very  unwise  covenant  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain,  and 

VOL.V.  2G2  46 


878  SINGAPORE. 

showed  great  want  of  knowledge  respecting  the  resources  and  geo- 
graphical position  of  the  various  islands. 

This  false  step  has  been  prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  Great  Britain, 
and  has  entailed  upon  the  fine  islands  of  Borneo,  Celebes,  Banca,  Slc^ 
the  benighted  policy  that  has  so  long  been  pursued  by  Holland.  Banca, 
from  which  England  has  thus  excluded  herself,  by  all  accounts  is  said 
to  possess  the  best  tin  mines  in  the  world.  In  this  treaty  of  March, 
1824,  signed  at  London,  it  was  mutually  agreed  that  piracy  should  be 
extirpated  from  the  Eastern  seas ;  but  the  practice  has  probably  ex- 
isted to  full  as  great  if  not  greater  extent  in  the  few  years  that  have 
since  elapsed,  as  at  any  previous  epoch. 

It  cannot  but  appear  evident  that  the  political  relations  with  Hol- 
land, which  have  existed,  and  still  continue  to  exist,  in  these  islands, 
have  had  little  effect  in  improving  the  state  of  civilization ;  for  although 
that  nation  has  been  in  possession  of  power  for  nearly  two  hundred 
years,  yet  the  natives  of  the  several  islands  are  not  found  to  be  more 
advanced  in  the  arts  or  sciences,  nor  their  comforts  or  conveniences 
of  life  in  any  degree  improved  by  its  influence,  although  thousands  of 
Europeans  have  grown  rich  upon  their  labours.  This  is  no  doubt  one 
of  the  usual  effects  of  a  monopoly;  and  these  islands,  which  are  blessed 
with  all  the  abundance  of  God's  providence,  have  by  the  grasping  hand 
of  avarice  been  impoverished,  and.  made  the  seat  of  bloodshed  and 
want  Slavery  is  as  prevalent,  and  as  openly  countenanced,  as  on 
their  being  first  taken  possession  of.  It  would  be  difficult  for  any  one 
to  point  out  what  good  the  policy  of  Europe  in  the  East  has  brought 
upon  the  islanders,  in  return  for  the  riches  that  have  been  derived  from 
them. 

It  might  be  expected  that  English  law  and  English  justice  would 
exist  at  a  place  where  the  authority  of  Great  Britain  avowedly  exists, 
and  over  which  its  flag  waves ;  but  this  is  not  the  case  in  Singapore. 
No  rights  of  property  in  the  soil  are  acknowledged ;  no  security  and 
no  redress  are  to  be  had  against  the  will  of  the  public  officer.  He 
may  tear  down  a  resident's  house,  and  there  is  no  preventive  for  the 
wrong.  Instances  have  occurred  where  the  very  soil  has  been  dug  off 
a  garden  by  his  order,  and  against  the  wishes  and  consent  of  the 
owner,  because  it  so  pleased  the  dignitary  to  will  that  it  should  be  level 
with  the  street,  which  had  been  graded  a  foot  or  two  below  the  level. 
On  expostulation  and  inquiry,  no  redress  would  be  given,  or  damages 
allowed.  Fortunately,  neither  the  land  nor  building  is  of  great  value, 
for  a  hundred  dollars  in  Singapore  would  go  as  far  in  the  construction 
of  a  building  as  a  thousand  with  us. 

Of  the  society  we  saw  but  little ;  what  we  did  see  appeared  to  be 


SINGAPORE.  879 

sociable  and  agreeable,  but  is  necessarily  small,  being  confined  to  but 
sixty  or  seventy  individuals. 

The  island  of  Singapore  is  composed  of  red  clay,  sandstone,  and 
in  some  places  granite.  The  locality  of  the  town  appears  to  have 
been  a  salt-marsh,  with  a  narrow  strip  of  rocks  and  sand  near  the 
beach.  In  consequence  of  its  rapid  increase,  they  are  beginning  now 
to  fill  up  the  low  ground  with  the  surplus  earth  taken  from  the  sur- 
rounding hills. 

The  highest  point  of  Singapore  is  called  Buhit  Tima,  and  does  not 
exceed,  it  is  said,  five  hundred  feet  in  elevation.  Although  this  height 
is  but  seven  miles  distant  from  the  town,  I  was  told  it  has  never  yet 
been  visited  by  a  European  and  seldom  by  natives,  on  account  of  the 
obstructed  nature  of  the  intervening  country ;  there  are  a  few  small 
fishing  or  piratical  establishments  (the  two  names  are  synonymous 
here,  for  when  the  people  are  not  engaged  in  the  one,  they  are  in  the 
other),  on  the  north  and  west  end  of  the  island.  The  length  of  the 
island  is  twenty-seven  miles,  and  its 'greatest  breadth  is  fifteen.  It  is 
divided  from  the  peninsula  by  the  old  strait  of  Singapore,  so  long 
followed  by  navigators,  for  reasons  it  is  now  diflicult  to  surmise,  when 
the  short,  wide,  and  safe  channel  was  open  to  them,  which  is  now 
altogether  used. 

The  botany  of  Singapore  is  far  from  being  thoroughly  known,  not- 
withstanding so  many  scientific  expeditions  have  visited  it ;  nor  is  it 
likely  to  become  so  very  soon,  infested  as  the  woods  are  with  tigers. 
It  is  remarkable  that  before  the  island  was  inhabited,  tigers  did  not 
exist  in  it,  although  there  were  great  numbers  of  them  in  the  peninsula 
opposite ;  and  it  is  said  that  they  have  only  made  their  appearance 
here  within  the  last  six  or  seven  years.  Indeed,  one  of  the  reasons 
assigned  for  its  selection,  was  the  absence  of  this  ferocious  animal,  and 
of  the  wild  elephant  It  is  to  be  presumed,  therefore,  that  the  tigers 
come  in  search  of  food,  by  swimming  over  the  narrow  straits.  Some 
fifty  persons  have  been  killed  by  them  within  the  last  two  years,  within 
two  miles  of  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  two  hundred  in  all  are  reported 
as  having  become  victims  to  these  beasts.  Criminals  and  thieves  were 
formerly  in  the  habit  of  escaping  to  the  woods  or  jungle,  but  of  late 
years  this  has  not  been  attempted  by  them. 

The  government,  in  consequence  of  the  attacks  of  tigers  becoming 
so  frequent,  and  of  the  jungle  being  so  much  infested  by  them,  offered 
a  premium  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  every  tiger's  head  that  should 
be  brought  in.  This  induced  large  parties  to  hunt  them ;  but,  since 
the  government  have  reduced  the  reward  to  fifty  dollars,  this  daring 
business  has  not  been  followed ;  not,  however,  ft'om  any  scarcity  of 


880  SINGAPORE. 

the  animals,  for  they  now  frequently  seize  nnen  working  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity,  but  because  the  sum  is  too  small  to  be  an  equivalent  for 
the  risk  and  trouble.  From  a  stuffed  specimen  we  saw  at  Singa[)ore, 
it  would  appear  that  these  animals  do  not  differ  from  those  of  Bengal. 

While  walking  with  Mr.  Balestier  around  his  plantation,  he  pointed 
out  to  us  the  spot  where  two  of  his  men  had  been  killed  by  tigers, 
and  he  said  it  was  no  uncommon  thing,  when  he  first  began  his  planta- 
tion, to  see  the  tracks  of  tigers  about  his  house  in  the  morning.  Since 
the  jungle  has  been  cut  away  to  a  greater  distance,  this  occurrence  is 
not  so  frequent  Tigers  have  been  known  to  attack  persons  in  the 
daytime,  but  they  seldom  frequent  the  highroad.  It  is  considered  too 
dangerous  for  an  individual  to  venture  near  the  jungle. 

Some  accounts  speak  of  vestiges  of  the  primitive  inhabitants  of 
Singapore,  consisting  of  mounds,  temples,  &c.,  but  I  could  not  get 
at  any  well-authenticated  account  of  them.  Some,  indeed,  suppose 
that  the  island  of  Singapore  may  contain  many  remains  of  a  former 
race,  but  there  seems  to  be  little  or  no  foundation  at  present  for  such 
an  opinion. 

Although  it  was  impossible  from  the  number  of  tigers  for  our  gen- 
tlemen to  frequent  the  woods  to  any  great  extent,  yet  many  very 
interesting  plants  were  procured  here.  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr. 
Balestier,  Captain  Scott,  (the  captain  of  the  port,)  and  others,  Mr. 
Brackenridge  obtained  many  live  plants,  which  we  succeeded  in 
bringing  safely  to  the  United  States. 

The  soil  of  the  island  is  a  stiff  yellow  loam,  in  which  the  nutmeg, 
coffee,  black  pepper,  chocolate,  and  gamboge,  (Garcinia,)  grow  to  a 
great  extent.  The  three  first  appear  to  be  particularly  well  adapted 
to  the  climate  and  soil.  As  I  have  before  mentioned,  the  cultivation 
of  sugar  is  attended  with  success.  Captain  Scott  is  planting  the 
durian,  which,  independently  of  its  fruit,  yields  a  timber  highly  valued 
for  ship-building.  This  gentleman  has  left  numerous  forest  trees 
standing  on  his  plantation,  many  of  which  are  of  large  dimensions, 
being  full  one  hundred  feet  in  height.  These  consisted  chiefly  of 
species  of  Quercus,  M}nrtace8e,  Melastomacese,  and  Rubiaceas.  The 
undergrowth  is  almost  impenetrable,  on  account  of  the  vast  number 
of  creeping  plants  which  intertwine  and  clasp  around  the  trees.  Two 
species  of  Nepenthe  (pitcher-plants)  were  found  in  the  swamp,  which 
were  preserved  and  brought  to  the  United  States.  The  Botanical 
Report  will  embrace  many  more  varieties,  and  to  this  I  must  refer  the 
reader  for  further  information. 

Fruit  seemed  to  be  very  abundant,  and  it  is  said,  that  there  are  one 
hundred  and  twenty  kinds  that  can  be  served  as  a  dessert:  among 


SINGAPORE.  881 

these  are  pine-apples,  mangosteens,  melons,  bananas,  oranges,  &c. 
The  pine-apples  are  remarkably  fine,  and  not  in  the  least  acid;  in 
proof  of  which,  they  do  not  turn  the  knife  black  in  cutting  them,  and 
to  eat  them  is  considered  wholesome  at  all  hours.  The  season  for  this 
fruit  was  just  coming  in  at  the  time  of  our  arrival,  and  large  boat- 
loads were  seen  lying  at  the  quay.  They  are  usually  planted  along 
the  roadside,  and  though,  when  small,  rather  stiff-looking,  yet  when 
full-grown  and  in  bearing,  they  are  a  pretty  object  Of  all  the  plants 
we  saw,  the  nutmeg  requires  and  receives  the  greatest  care.  The 
trees  are  planted  in  orchards,  and  while  young  have  a  sort  of  arbour 
erected  over  them,  to  protect  them  from  the  vertical  rays  of  the  sun. 

The  gambeer  (Nauclea)  also  claims  much  of  the  attention  of  the 
cultivator :  it  is  a  low-sized  tree,  or  bush,  of  no  beauty.  Its  bark  is 
used  for  tanning,  and  it  is  said  to  be  the  most  powerful  astringent 
known  for  this  purpose.  It  is  to  be  seen  in  the  shops  in  the  form  of  a 
powder,  of  a  reddish  brown  colour.  We  did  not  learn  how  this  was 
prepared,  or  how  it  was  used:  it  appears,  however,  to  be  in  great 
demand.  It  is  occasionally  used  by  the  Chinese,  with  their  betel-nut, 
of  which  there  is  a  great  consumption  here,  although  it  is  not  sold  in 
the  streets,  as  at  Manilla ;  but  quantities  of  the  nuts  are  seen  for  sale 
in  the  market  From  the  leaves  also  a  powerful  astringent  is  obtained 
by  boiling. 

The  gamboge  tree  is  also  cultivated  here,  but  more  extensively  on 
the  shores  of  the  straits  than  at  Singapore,  and  is  a  very  considerable 
article  of  trade. 

The  ride  oAside  of  the  town  to  the  hills  is  pleasant,  passing  through 
plantations  loaded  with  fruit,  and  the  air  at  an  early  hour  of  the  morn- 
ing is  filled  with  a  spicy  fragrance.  The  vivid  green  of  the  woods 
and  grass  is  also  remarkable,  and  continues  throughout  the  whole 
year,  for  scarcely  a  day  passes  but  a  refreshing  shower  falls.  The 
roads  are  thus  kept  free  from  dust,  and  at  all  times  in  good  order. 
The  usual  mode  of  conveyance  is  in  a  palanquin,  which  is  capable  of 
containing  two  persons.  The  cooley,  or  Hindoo  who  attends  his 
horse,  usually  runs  by  the  side  of  the  palanquin,  and  seldom  tires. 
The  charge  for  one  of  these  conveyances  is  a  dollar,  whether  for  a 
whole  or  a  part  of  a  day,  and  a  douceur  is  paid  to  the  cooley  accord- 
ing to  the  time  he  has  been  employed.  The  palanquin  is  a  very  con- 
venient vehicle,  and  its  use  is  absolutely  necessary  during  the  heat  of 
the  day,  to  shield  the  stranger  from  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun.  These 
cooleys  will  run  all  day  through  it  without  any  inconvenience.  They 
are  principally  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Madras,  and  are  generally 
about  the  middle  size,  thin,  and  muscular. 


S82  SINGAPORE. 

I  have  mentioned  that  on  our  arrival,  the  whole  of  this  motley  popu- 
lation seemed  engaged  in  a  festival.  With  the  Chinese  it  was  that 
of  the  New  Year,  and  with  the  Hindoo  Mussulman  the  feast  called 
''Marama/'  or  the  search  for  and  finding  of  the  grandchildren  of 
Mohamed.  The  Chinese,  on  such  occasions,  give  themselves  up 
entirely  to  gambling;  and  the  first  day  and  night  I  was  on  shore, 
this  part  of  the  town  might  be  considered  as  a  vast  gambling-shop. 
During  this  holiday  they  are  allowed  to  gamble  as  much  as  they 
please,  but  what  restriction  is  put  upon  the  open  indulgence  of  gaming 
at  other  times,  I  did  not  learn,  but  from  appearances  I  should  suppose 
it  was  not  very  severe. 

The  extent  to  which  gaming  was  carried  by  the  Chinese,  could  not 
fail  to  astonish  any  one  who  had  not  been  brought  up  to  it.  It  was 
extraordinary  to  see  all  engaged  in  such  an  exciting  vice;  and  to 
watch  the  different  individuals  was  amusing.  Gaming  was  going  on 
in  every  shop,  and  frequently  in  each  particular  comer,  under  the 
colonnades,  in  the  bazaars,  and  at  the  comer  of  almost  every  street  a 
variety  of  games  were  playing.  Of  several  of  these  I  had  no  know- 
ledge; some  were  performed  with  cards,  and  others  with  dice.  The 
stake  seemed  generally  to  be  in  small  copper  coin,  called  pice,  about 
five  hundred  to  the  dollar,  each  of  which  is  valued  at  three  cowries ; 
but  although  this  was  the  usual  betting  coin,  the  stake  was  sometimes 
silver,  and  at  times  to  a  considerable  amount  Those  who  have  not 
Been  the  Chinese  play,  have  never  witnessed  the  spirit  of  gambling  at 
its  height ;  their  whole  soul  is  staked  with  their  money,  however  small 
it  may  be  in  amount,  and  they  appeared  to  me  to  go  as  eamestly  to 
work  as  if  it  had  been  for  the  safety  of  their  lives  and  fortunes. 

Almost  every  one  has  formed  to  himself  an  idea  of  a  Chinese ;  but 
to  be  well  known,  he  requires  to  be  seen  on  his  own  soil,  or  where  he 
is  in  intercourse  with  his  countrymen.  The  different  individuals  of 
this  race  seemed  to  us  to  have  a  strong  resemblance  to  each  other, 
and  although  this  may  in  part  be  owing  to  similarity  of  dress,  it  is  also 
due  to  their  bodily  conformation.  The  flat  chest,  in  particular,  is 
peculiar,  at  least  to  the  labouring  class.  All  of  them  seem  active  and 
attentive  to  their  business,  of  whatever  kind  it  may  be,  and  as  far  as 
outward  expression  and  action  go,  as  harmless  as  lambs.  It  is  some- 
what remarkable,  that  the  very  sign  which  was  put  upon  them  by  their 
Tartar  conquerors  to  mark  them  as  a  subdued  race,  should  now  have 
become  their  national  boast ;  for  nothing  seems  to  claim  a  Chinaman's 
attention  so  much  as  his  long  queue,  and  the  longer  and  blacker  it  is 
the  more  it  appears  to  claim  his  admiration.  We  frequently  saw  it 
touching  the  very  heels,  and  tied  at  the  end  neatly  with  a  bit  of  riband. 


SINGAPORE.  aS8 

On  great  occasions  this  bangs  dotvn  to  its  full  length ;  but  at  other 
times,  being  somewhat  in  the  way,  it  is  wound  up  on  the  back  of  the 
head.  I  have  heard  it  asserted,  that  the  Chinese  never  become  bald 
or  gray ;  but  this  opinion  seemed  to  be  erroneous,  from  what  I  saw  in 
this  small  community. 

The  Chinese  is  at  all  times  to  be  found  industriously  employed^ 
except  when  gambling;  and  were  it  not  for  this  latter  propensity,  and 
his  desire  of  cheating  foreigners,  has  probably  as  few  vices  as  exist  in 
any  other  race.  Wherever  he  is  found,  peace  and  quietness  seem  to 
dwell ;  he  moves,  and  has  been  moving  for  ages  in  the  same  path,  and 
prefers  all  his  own  ways  to  those  of  the  rest  of  the  world.  We  saw 
the  Chinese  in  some  pleasing  lights,  and  were  much  struck,  on  these 
festival  occasions,  by  their  attention  towards  their  children,  and  the 
fondness  and  invariable  kindness  with  which  they  were  treated. 

Besides  their  seasons  of  festivity,  it  appeared  that  their  devotion  at 
their  temples,  or  josh-houses,  claimed  some  of  their  time ;  and  we  had 
an  opportunity  of  visiting  the  interior  of  one  of  these.  The  opposite 
plate,  from  a  drawing  made  by  Mr.  Agate,  will  give  a  good  idea  of  its 
exterior ;  but  to  give  it  full  effect,  it  wants  the  accompaniment  of  the 
moving  throng,  and  the  peculiar  feelings  that  one  experiences  when 
surrounded  with  the  motley  groups  of  the  East  This  temple  is  built 
near  the  water,  of  granite,  brought  from  China,  and  is  a  conspicuous 
object  in  the  landscape.  The  columns  in  front  are  curiously  sculptured. 
The  interior  combines  both  the  ludicrous  and  hideous.  Its  interior  may 
be  said  to  consist  of  a  central  building,  in  which  the  principal  idols 
are:  this  is  surrounded  by  a  neatly-paved  passage,  which  is  uncovered; 
in  the  centre  are  seats  appropriated  to  the  worshippers.  The  inner 
temple  was  called  by  our  cicerone,  who  was  apparently  on  guard,  the 
great  temple.  It  is  occupied  by  three  colossal  carved  wooden  idols, 
representations  of  the  human  form,  about  ten  feet  high,  and  in  a  sitting 
posture.  One  of  these,  that  had  a  long  black  beard  and  mustaches, 
was  richly  clothed,  and  painted  red,  with  much  tinsel  and  gilding  round 
the  head.  This  idol  was  named  **  Rajerman.''  In  front  of  him  was  a 
female  figure,  of  smaller  size,  richly  dressed,  who  received  from  our 
cicerone  the  name  of  **  Beebee."  The  two  other  figures  were  equal  in 
size  to  the  first,  and  as  contemptible  in  carving.  Indeed  there  is  not  a 
ship-carver  in  our  country,  who  would  not  execute  a  better  piece  of 
statuary.  In  front  of  the  figures  was  an  altar-table,  on  which  was  a 
smaller  one,  and  on  the  latter  there  were  coloured  wax  candles  and 
josh-sticks  burning.  Some  of  these  were  made  of  tightly-rolled  gilt 
paper,  that  had  been  lighted  by  the  worshippers  who  had  been  there 
before  us ;  some  flowers  were  also  seen  on  the  ahar-tables.    At  the 


384  SINGAPORE. 

side  of  each  of  these  altars  were  placed  figures  of  frightful  and  hideous* 
looking  monstersi  with  black  faces,  misshapen  bodies  and  legs,  and 
mouths  from  ear  to  ear,  filled  with  enormous  teeth.  One  hand  was 
armed  with  a  battle-axe,  and  the  other  pointed  to  the  table.  These 
our  cicerone  called  "Fellow  Seegurmain."  There  were  several  of 
the  same  kind  of  figures,  though  of  much  smaller  size,  hideous  enough 
to  put  one  out  of  all  conceit  even  with  what  was  well  carved ;  for  the 
Chinese  excel  in  depicting  dragons  and  reptiles,  which  are  occasionally, 
if  not  well  grouped,  amusingly  so,  with  both  men  and  animals.  I  was 
surprised  to  observe  how  little  respect  was  paid  to  the  place,  which 
was  every  where  accessible ;  and  with  the  laughing  and  talking  of 
those  present,  and  the  noise  of  workmen,  it  had  the  air  of  any  thing 
but  a  sacred  enclosure.  The  part  that  was  uncovered  was  ornamented 
with  flowers  in  pots,  consisting  of  camelias,  tuberoses,  &c.  There 
were  also  several  old  stumps,  of  the  purpose  of  which  I  could  get  no 
explanation,  nor  learn  why  they  should  be  considered  so  sacred  as  to 
be  admitted  into  the  temple.  Notwithstanding  these  incongruities, 
the  whole  had  a  striking  and  singular  eflect,  and  I  may  add,  not  an 
unpleasing  one. 

Before  ceasing  to  speak  of  the  Chinese,  1  shall  give  a  brief  descrip- 
tion of  their  mode  of  celebrating  the  New  Year,  although  it  was  difficult 
to  follow  it,  and  still  more  so  to  understand  its  full  meaning.  The  cere- 
monies consisted  chiefly  of  processions,  both  by  night  and  day,  in  which 
the  whole  Chinese  population  seemed  to  be  engaged.  The  grand  one 
bore  a  sort  of  silken  temple,  which  was  carried  on  the  shoulders  of 
several  men,  with  banners  before  and  behind  it,  having  Chinese 
characters  on  them,  and  of  the  most  gaudy  colours.  These  were  pre- 
ceded by  music,  if  such  it  could  be  called,  consisting  of  cymbals  and 
gongs,  on  which  every  performer  strove  to  strike  with  his  utmost  force, 
and,  if  possible,  oftener  than  his  neighbour.  Noise  they  at  least  created 
in  perfection.  This  procession  was  occasionally  joined  by  smaller 
ones,  and  the  whole  seemed  to  aflbrd  both  to  the  crowd  and  actors  as 
much  amusement  as  it  did  to  us,  to  whom  it  was  altogether  new. 
During  the  night,  and  particularly  on  that  of  the  21st  of  February,  the 
last  day  of  their  year,  the  illuminated  processions  were  curious,  as  well 
as  amusing,  and  were  exceedingly  numerous.  Some  of  them  were  to 
be  seen  in  every  street  at  the  same  time,  and  no  sooner  had  one  passed 
than  others  were  seen  to  follow,  all  hurrying  along  as  if  there  were 
some  goal  to  be  reached.  The  illumination  proceeded  from  lanterns 
of  all  colours,  sizes,  and  shapes.  We  saw  also  the  procession  of  juvenile 
horsemen,  consisting  altogether  of  children.  Each  of  them  bore  the 
fore  and  hind  parts  of  a  horse  in  such  a  manner  that  the  child  repre- 


SINGAPORE.  385 

sented  the  rider.  ^  These  mimic  portions  of  the  quadruped  were  made 
of  paper,  and  illuminated.  The  effect  was  ihat  of  a  miniature  regiment 
of  cavalry.  Others  were  represented  as  if  on  the  backs  of  fish,  that 
seemed  to  swim  along  in  the  crowd.  Some  of  the  children  were  not 
more  than  two  years  of  age,  and  the  oldest  not  more  than  five  or  six. 
They  were  all  fantastically  dressed,  and  some  among  them  in  European 
costume,  which  had  a  grotesque  effect  among  the  more  appropriate 
dresses  of  the  East.  They  were  led  about,  preceded  by  music,  such  as 
it  was,  of  gongs  and  cymbals;  and  all  passed  by  on  a  dog-trot 
Towards  the  close  of  the  evening,  some  of  the  children  had  attendants 
on  each  side,  who  carried  the  poor  little  fatigued  creatures  along,  many 
of  whom  were  nearly,  if  not  quite  asleep.  Whenever  this  procession 
halted,  the  Chinese  would  load  them  with  cakes  and  dulces,  and 
showed  a  kindness  and  attention  truly  pleasing.  The  most  extraordi- 
nary exhibition  of  the  evening  was  an  immense  illuminated  sea-serpent, 
which  we  all  thought  fully  equalled,  in  size  and  movement,  the  famous 
New  England  one,  and  agreed  in  other  respects  tolerably  well  with  its 
description,  for  he  had  at  intervals  large  bumps  of  the  shape  of  a  small 
cask.  These  were  in  fact  lanterns,  supported  by  poles,  and  connected 
together  by  white  cotton  or  gauze,  which  was  here  and  there  coloured. 
The  head  of  the  monster  was  of  large  dimensions,  with  a  wide-extended 
mouth,  showing  its  fiery  tongue  and  rows  of  sharp  teeth.  The  move- 
ments of  the  serpent  were  well  managed,  and  its  gyrations,  twistings, 
and  windings  over  the  people's  heads,  gave  it  a  formidable  look.  It 
appeared  as  if  in  search  of  an  illuminated  globe,  representing  the  old 
year,  as  the  serpent  is  supposed  to  typify  the  new  one.  It  was,  from 
time  to  time,  permitted  almost  to  seize  the  globe,  which  was  then 
hurried  away,  upon  which  the  ponderous  jaws  would  come  together 
with  a  crash,  and  then  the  serpent  would  hurry  onward  again  in  hot 
pursuit.  I  was  told  that  it  swallowed  the  globe  at  the  expiration  of  the 
year,  but  I  did  not  speak  to  any  one  who  saw  the  finale.  The  figure 
of  this  serpent  was  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  two 
feet  in  diameter. 

During  this  closing  scene  of  the  festival,  all  the  Chinese  houses  were 
open,  and  the  josh-houses  and  idols  illuminated  with  wax  candles,  and 
decked  with  fiowers  and  tinsel. 

Theatrical  exhibitions  were  at  the  same  time  going  forward  in  many 
places ;  open  sheds  are  erected  for  this  purpose,  where  the  exhibition 
was  entirely  gratuitous.  The  actors,  I  was  told,  are  paid  by  a  general 
subscription,  which  also  provides  for  the  other  expenses  of  the  spectacle. 
These  sheds  are  closed  on  three  sides,  but  open  on  that  which  faces  the 
street.    The  stage  is  raised  about  six  feet  above  the  street;  the  whole 

VOL.  v.  2H  49 


886  SINGAPORE. 

is  richly  decorated  with  silk  hangings,  and  banners  with  many  inscrip- 
tionsi  and  illuminated  with  coloured  lamps.  The  stage,  which  was  by 
no  means  of  large  size,  was  occupied  by  a  table  and  two  chairs.  The 
dialogue  was  in  a  kind  of  recitative,  with  an  accompaniment  performed 
by  beating  with  two  small  sticks  on  the  bottom  of  a  copper  kettle  of  the 
shape  of  a  coffee-pot  The  person  who  performed  this  duty  appeared 
to  direct  all  the  spectacle,  as  prompter  and  leader  of  the  orchestra.  The 
other  musical  instruments  were  the  gong,  cymbals,  and  a  kind  of 
hautboy,  the  holes  of  which  are  not  arranged  with  any  view  to  produce 
harmonious  sounds.  The  dresses  of  the  actors  were  very  rich,  and  the 
females  were  represented  by  young  men  or  boys.  The  male  charac- 
ters were  for  the  most  part  masked,  but  not  the  female ;  the  former 
generally  had  long  black  and  white  beards.  The  principal  part  of  the 
performance  seemed  to  consist  in  attitudinizing,  and  appeared  to 
interest  the  audience,  as  it  did  us,  although  according  to  our  ideas  it 
'was  not  suited  to  the  words  or  sentiment;  for  instance,  during  a 
pathetic  part,  whilst  the  actor  was  shedding  tears,  he  would  suddenly 
throw  up  one  leg,  and  almost  kick  himself  on  the  nose !  The  acting, 
upon  the  whole,  was,  to  our  notions,  in  a  mock-heroic  style ;  but  this 
might  have  arisen  from  our  not  being  able  to  comprehend  the  mean* 
ing,  for  the  other  spectators  seemed  greatly  interested.  There  was 
something,  however,  which  there  was  no  difficulty  in  our  understand* 
ing,  and  this  was  the  fighting.  The  two  combatants  draw  their  swords 
or  handle  their  spears,  and  begin  turning  round  poking  at  each  oth^ 
without  closing,  when  suddenly  one  runs  off;  the  other,  after  having 
evidently  informed  tiie  audience  that  he  is  the  victor,  then  makes  his 
exit,  accompanied  with  a  most  tremendous  noise  from  both  the  music 
and  audience.  After  the  performance  had  closed,  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  I  could  determine  whether  it  had  been  comedy  or  tragedy :  which- 
ever it  was,  it  was  mingled  with  still  vaulting  somersets,  cart-wheel 
motions,  and  casting  themselves  about,  indifferent  as  to  what  part  they 
fell  on,  in  modes  which  I  may  truly  say  I  had  never  seen  surpassed, 
either  in  muscular  action  or  agility. 

Several  small  processions  were  seen  passing  through  the  streets, 
consisting  of  about  iSfleen  persons,  all  of  whom  carried  banners,  with 
inscriptions  in  golden  characters,  and  were  preceded  by  the  usual 
music.  I  was  told  that  they  were  celebrating  a  marriage ;  but  although 
I  followed  for  the  purpose  of  observing  them,  and  made  many  inquiries, 
I  could  not  ascertain  any  thing  about  the  manner  of  conducting  the 
ceremonies.  It  seemed  to  be  a  kind  of  walking  advertisement;  and 
when  they  passed  any  Chinese  house  of  consequence,  they  made  a  five- 
fold racket 


8INOAPORE.  887 

The  Chinese  funerals  may  be  occasionally  seen.  They  are  seldom 
attended  by  more  than  the  six  bearers,  and  the  music,  which  consists 
of  a  tambourine,  gong,  and  triangle.  The  coffin  is  generally  made  of 
some  hard  wood  with  scrolls  at  each  end,  and  appears  ponderous.  It 
is  carried  along  at  a  very  rapid  pace,  and  the  mode  of  evincing  respect 
for  the  dead  differs  strangely  from  ours. 

The  Hindoo  Mahomedans  appear  to  be  as  fond  of  theatrical  shows 
and  processions  as  the  Chinese ;  and  as  the  day  of  our  landing  was 
also  a  holiday  with  them,  we  had  the  advantage  of  witnessing  these 
ceremonies.  The  subject  of  commemoration  was  the  Marama,  or 
funeral  obsequies  of  Hassoun  and  Houssien.  The  observance  of  this 
forms  a  prominent  distinction  between  the  Shiites  and  the  Sonnites 
sect  of  the  Mahomedan  belief.  The  former  consider  the  caliphs  who 
succeeded  to  the  power  of  Mahomet  as  usurpers  of  the  rights  of  Ali, 
and  bewail  annually  the  death  of  his  children,  slain  by  the  emissaries 
of  the  illegal  occupant  of  the  pulpit  of  the  Imauns.  The  legend  alleges 
that  the  children  of  Ali  were  hidden  in  a*  well,  and  concealed  from  the 
pursuit  of  their  enemies  by  a  spider,  who  spun  his  web  over  its  mouth. 
Seeing  this,  the  bloodthirsty  pursuers  had  passed  the  well  several 
times  without  suspecting  that  it  contained  the  objects  of  their  search. 
At  last,  however,  a  lizard  was  heard  to  chuck  within  it,  by  which  it 
was  known  that  some  one  lay  there  concealed :  the  hiding-place  was 
thus  discovered,  and  Hassoun  and  Houssien  taken  out  and  slain. 

In  the  procession  which  we  saw,  nearly  all  this  sect  of  Mahomedans 
in  Singapore  must  have  joined.  A  temple,  some  twenty-five  feet  high, 
was  carried  about  by  thirty  or  forty  Malays  hired  for  the  occasion. 
In  front  of  all  came  the  guards  and  swordsmen,  fantastically  dressed, 
who  cleared  the  way. 

The  bold  and  expert  manner  in  which  these  handled  their  weapons 
was  somewhat  startling  to  the  crowd  and  the  lookers-on.  I  must  con- 
fess that  I  momentarily  expected  to  see  a  head  hewn  in  two,  or  an  arm 
severed  from  th^  body.  These  were  about  a  dozen  in  number ;  and 
when  they  had  cleared  the  way,  they  practised  sham-fights  among 
themselves,  which  from  their  expertness  and  grace  had  a  fine  effect 
They  were  followed  by  dancers,  boys  in  female  attire,  gaudily  dressed. 
Next  came  some  of  the  branded  criminals,  who  were  convicts,  and 
then  the  temple,  t^ith  its  vast  piles  of  tinsel  ornaments  of  paper,  borne 
on  men's  shoulders,  who  were  concealed  from  view  by  the  draperies ; 
then  came  the  music,  consisting  of  small  drums,  instruments  some- 
^what  resembling  clarionets,  and  quantities  of  small  bells,  accompanied 
with  a  monotonous  chaunt,  and  long  trains  of  followers,  with  banners, 
afterwards.      This  procession  was  very  difierently  conducted  from 


388  SINGAPORE. 

those  of  the  Chinese,  for  there  seemed  a  dispositioD  to  be  rude  and 
overbearing  to  the  crowd.  Some  noble-looking  men,  dressed  in  red 
and  white,  with  turbans*  on  their  heads,  had  a  very  distinguished  look, 
particularly  the  Bugis  from  the  isle  of  Borneo,  a  number  of  whom 
were  pointed  out  to  me,  who  might  be  known  by  their  stature.  The 
temple,  after  having  been  paraded  both  by  night  and  day,  was  thrown 
into  the  sea  about  four  o'clock,  and  entirely  destroyed.  For  this 
singular  termination  I  could  find  no  explanation,  except  that  what 
had  been  consecrated  to  the  Prophet  was  not  to  be  defiled  by  the  hands 
of  men. 

In  various  shanties  near  the  sea-shore,  theatrical  performances  were 
going  forward,  but  with  little  spirit,  for  all  seemed  worn  out  with  the 
night  and  day's  exertions.  They  were  very  polite  and  attentive  to  us, 
getting  us  seats,  &c. ;  but,  after  sitting  some  time,  we  saw  this  was 
but  a  sorry  exhibition  compared  with  that  we  had  seen  enacted  by 
the  Chinese;  the  music  consisted  of  small  drums  and  triangles,  mixed 
occasionally  with  a  whistle,  shrill  enough  to  deafen,  which  was  made 
by  putting  the  fingers  in  the  mouth. 

I  was  very  much  struck  with  the  order  and  good  behaviour  existing 
among  such  an  incongruous  mass  of  human  beings  as  we  saw  col- 
lected together,  speaking  a  vast  variety  of  tongues,  and  some  who 
would  infallibly  have  been  at  war  with  each  other  elsewhere.  Al- 
though there  was  much  noise,  and  various  games  going  on,  yet  I  did 
not  learn  that  a  single  quarrel  had  taken  place.f  I  understood  that 
the  rarity  of  quarrels  between  the  different  races  and  religions  is  more 
owing  to  the  consideration  of  the  place  being  neutral  ground,  where 
all  ought  to  abstain  from  hostility,  than  to  any  effect  produced  by  the 
police. 

The  Hindoos  of  the  Gentoo  faith,  also,  have  various  amusements, 
among  which  are  vertical  revolving  swings,  with  four  boxes  or  seats, 
in  which  the  occupants  maintain  a  horizontal  position.  These  are 
seen  among  us ;  but  it  is  in  the  East  that  the  fashion  has  originated. 
The  machine  was  awkwardly  made,  and  with  its  creaking  added  not 
>  a  little  to  the  general  din. 

Mr.  Balestier  was  kind  enough  to  have  an  exhibition  for  us  on  his 

_  _  ■ 

*  There  was  one  man  with  a  grreen  turban,  which  is  the  exclnsive  privile^  of  those  in 
the  direct  line  of  descent  from  the  Prophet 

t  Rows,  however,  do  sometimes  occur  on  such  occasions,  and  one  took  place  in  1840,  in 
which  one  liie  was  lost,  and  several  other  persons  were  badly  wounded.  It  arose  as  the 
Hindoo  Mahomedans  were  passing  in  procession  near  the  Chinese  temples,  when,  being 
interrupted  in  their  march,  they  began  to  throw  stones  at  the  temple,  and  finally  resort  was 
had  to  fire-arms ;  but  the  affray  was  soon  quelled  by  the  police. 


SINGAPORE.  389 

plantation,  by  his  people,  who  are  Klings,  from  the  neighbourhood  of 
Madras.  There  are  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  them  in  his  employ,  and 
for  the  purpose  of  indulging  their  fondness  for  theatrical  exhibitions, 
they  have  subscribed  largely,  and  procured  very  costly  and  rich  dresses 
for  their  representations  during  the  holidays. 

On  the  appointed  evening  we  repaired  to  the  plantation,  where  two 
large  fires  were  made  on  the  lawn,  to  throw  light  on  the  performances. 
The  night  was  dark ;  and  after  the  arrival  of  the  company,  a  large 
white  cloth  was  hung  up  between  two  stakes,  sufficiently  high  to  con- 
ceal the  performers.  After  a  long  delay  the  curtain  was  raised,  and 
the  performance  began.  The  actors  were  brilliantly  dressed,  a  cap 
resembling  very  nearly  the  ibis,  figured  among  the  Egyptian  antiqui- 
ties, was  worn,  and  many  massive  ear-ornaments;  these  dresses  showed 
brilliantly  by  the  light  of  the  fire,  which  also  brought  out  in  relief  the 
surrounding  shrubs  and  trees  from  the  dark  and  indistinct  background, 
producing  a  pretty  efifect.  The  performance  was  a  kind  of  opera. 
The  music  consisted  of  a  drum,  cymbals,  and  castanets,  which  ac- 
companied the  monotonous  recitative.  The  plot  was  explained  to  me 
by  Mrs.  Balestier:  the  subject  was  ''the  results  of  misplaced  friend- 
ship." 

A  rich,  hospitable  rajah,  entertains  a  guest,  who  is  desirous  of 
obtaining  his  only  daughter  in  marriage,  and  thus  securing  to  himself 
the  riches  of  his  host.  His  suit  is  not  favourably  received,  upon 
which  he  enters  into  a  plot  to  ruin  and  debase  the  rajah  and  his 
iamily.  For  this  purpose,  after  insinuating  himself  into  the  rajah's 
confidence,  he  betrays  him,  and  makes  false  accusations  to  a  Brahmin 
against  him.  The  Brahmin  at  once  proceeds  to  force  the  rajah  to 
confession,  tortures  his  daughter  and  domestics,  and  obtaining  in  this 
manner  what  he  believes  a  confirmation  of  the  accusation,  strips  him 
of  his  wealth  and  power,  to  confer  them  upon  the  false-hearted 
accuser.  At  this  point  of  the  plot,  on  account  of  .the  hour,  eleven 
o'clock,  we  were  obliged  to  stop  the  performances,  but  we  understood 
that  if  they  had  been  allowed  to  go  on,  the  opera  wouM  have  con- 
tinued for  three  days  and  three  nights.  However  much  the  story 
may  be  prolonged,  the  plot  generally  closes  with  the  triumph  of  the 
good,  and  afifords  some,  instructive  moral.  There  were  many  accom- 
paniments to  this  performance,  such  as  the  mode  of  appl}ring  the 
tortures  by  a  Brahmin,  and  the  performances  of  a  clown,  who  showed 
much  cleverness,  particularly  in  the  mode  of  mimicking  a  European 
in  his  dress  and  ipanners.  The  music  was  thought  by  several  of  our 
gentlemen  to  resemble  the  Spanish,  firom  which,  however,  it  could 
not  have  been  derived.    In  truth,  these  very  operas,  if  so  they  maj 

2H2 


300  SINGAPORE. 

be  called,  may  have  been  enacted  some  two  thousand  years  ago,  or 
long  prior  to  the  dawning  of  civilization  in  Europe;  and  the  con- 
templation of  this  probability  served  to  give  additional  interest  to  the 
exhibition. 

The  Klings  are  but  transient  visiters  to  Singapore.  They  come,  as 
before  remarked,  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Madras,  remain  for  t^vo 
or  three  years,  obtain  a  little  money,  and  return.  Their  wages,  and 
that  of  labourers  and  servants,  are  but  four  dollars  a  month,  out  of 
which  they  feed  and  clothe  themselves.  The  cost  of  doing  so,  how- 
ever, amounts  to  little ;  for  they  subsist  almost  entirely  upon  rice  and 
sugar,  if  they  can  obtain  them,  and  go  nearly  naked.  Some  of  them 
are  artisans,  in  which  case  they  receive  the  usual  daily  wages,  the 
amount  of  which  may  be  understood  from  the  fact  that  half  a  dollar 
a  day  was  paid  in  the  squadron  to  calkers. 

At  Singapore,  we  met  with  a  Grentoo  of  the  Brahminical  caste,  who 
had  been  sent  thither  by  the  Indian  government,  for  some  defalcation. 
Although  of  the  same  complexion  as  the  other  Hindoos  we  saw  at 
Singapore,  his  features  were  very  different  from  theirs.  The  great 
distinction  was  in  the  facial  angle,  which  by  some  of  us  was  thought 
to  be  fully  equal  to  ninety  degrees,  and  in  the  mouth.  His  lips  were 
quite  thin,  and  the  lobes  of  his  ears  extraordinarily  large,  although  not 
perforated.  This  I  was  informed  was  characteristic  of  the  Brahmins. 
It  was  somewhat  remarkable  to  find  a  person  of  his  high  caste,  trans- 
ported to  a  convict  settlement ;  for  they  generally  affect  to  lead  very 
pure  lives,  and  by  the  commission  of  any  open  immorality  are  exposed 
to  the  loss  of  caste. 

From  the  information  we  obtained  at  Singapore,  from  good  autho- 
rity, the  burning  of  widows  still  takes  place  in  Hindoostan,  notwith- 
standing the  enactment  by  the  British  government,  abolishing  the 
practice.  The  only  difference  is  that  it  is  done  privately;  and, 
according  to  the  Brahmin,  it  always  has  been  continued  among  the 
upper  classes.  Hook-swinging  and  walking  on  burning  coals  are  also 
practised;  and  our  missionaries  have  witnessed  them  in  Singapore. 
Credulous  people  have  strong  inducements  to  undergo  the  ordeal,  for 
afterward,  it  is  believed  the  deity  will  protect  them  from  all  harm.  It 
is  said  that  the  former  is  practised  also  in  China. 

According  to  the  Brahmin,  the  Gentoos  at  Singapore  are  of  the 
fourth  caste,  called  Seedros.  There  are  no  Brahmins  to  the  east  of 
Singapore,  and  neither  they  nor  the  other  higher  classes  willingly  leave 
their  native  country,  for  they  forfeit  their  caste  by  so  doing.  This 
Brahmin  was  said  to  be  worth  upwards  of  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  but  was  living  in  a  miserable  tenement  near  the  temple,  which 


SINGAPORE.  391 

latter  appeared  to  us  to  resemble  a  Turkish  mosque ;  but  it  was  not  so 
in  the  opinion  of  the  Brahmin,  who  pointed  out  the  diflerence  in  the 
shape  of  the  dome,  which  is  more  flattened,  and  has  a  small  lantern 
apex.  Into  it  no  one  was  admitted  but  the  believers  in  the  doctrine  of 
the  Brahmins. 

There  are  several  mosques  for  the  different  sects  of  the  followers 
of  Mahomet,  and  the  mixture  of  other  observances  among  the  creeds 
of  some  of  them  is  very  great ;  for  those  who  propagated  the  tenets  of 
Mahomet  in  ihe  East,  engrafted  them  upon  many  of  the  ancient  modes 
of  worship.  The  Malay  who  is  a  Sonnite,  disdains  to  have  any  thing 
to  do  with  the  Hindoo  or  Shiite  Mabomedan  ceremonies ;  and  none 
but  those  who  are  hired  to  carry  the  temple,  join  in  the  processions  of 
the  latter. 

•  I  have  mentioned  that  convicts  were  sent  to  Singapore.  I  was  not 
able  to  ascertain  their  exact  number,  but  I  believe  it  amounts  to  some 
fifteen  hundred.  They  are  employed  upon  the  public  works ;  and  a 
large  prison  in  the  suburbs  of  Singapore  is  provided  for  their  safe- 
keeping at  night,  or  when  not  at  work.  Much  complaint  is  made  in 
consequence  of  its  being  situated  in  low  and  marshy  ground,  which 
subjects  the  inmates  to  frequent  sickness.  Prisons  in  this  part  of  the 
world  do  not  seem  to  have  claimed  the  attention  they  have  received  in 
other  countries,  and  I  heard  the  whole  internal  arrangement  of  their 
jail  spoken  of  as  deficient  both  in  order  and  cleanliness.  A  sufficient 
number  of  turnkeys  and  attendant  officers  is  not  kept,  and  there  is  no 
classification  of  the  prisoners.  Many  spoke  of  an  intention  of  erecting 
a  new  jail,  on  account  of  the  necessity  of  removing  the  prisoners  from 
the  present  low  swampy  site.  Although  a  surgeon  is  appointed  for 
attendance  on  the  prisoners,  yet  he  is  of  little  use;  for  every  one  seems 
to  be  so  reckless  of  life  in  the  East,  and  so  bent  upon  securing  a  fortune 
as  soon  as  possible  without  incurring  death,  that  whatever  retards  the 
one  and  puts  in  jeopardy  the  other,  is  looked  upon  with  disfavour  and 
treated  accordingly.  No  European  looks  upon  the  East  as  a  home, 
and  all  those  of  every  nation  I  met  with  invariably  considered  his 
sojourn  temporary.  The  habit  of  constantly  expressing  this  feeling 
gives  a  stranger  the  impression  that  those  he  meets  with  are  devoid  of 
happiness  and  contentment,  and  this  with  comforts  and  conveniences, 
nay,  luxuries  of  life  around  them,  which  they  would  be  very  far  from 
enjoying  in  their  own  country. 

The  market  was  well  filled  with  venders,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that 
the  passages  through  it  are  rendered  narrow  and  tortuous ;  the  prin- 
cipal article  for  sale  was  fish,  fresh  and  dried,  and  prawns.  This  kind 
of  fish  is  numerous  and  abundant.     The  part  of  the  market  where  they 


302  SINGAPORE. 

are  sold  is  built  over  the  water,  and  being  furnished  with  a  loose 
flooring,  the  filth  is  easily  got  rid  of.  The  butcher-meats  consisted  for 
the  most  part  of  pork,  which  is  raised  in  large  quantities.  Fowls  and^ 
ducks  were  also  very  numerous.  A  number  of  eggs  were  seen  with  the 
shell  broken,  to  exhibit  the  dead  chicken,  and  others  that  were  rotten, 
in  which  state  they  were  favourite  food  of  the  Chinese.  Vegetables  and 
dried  fruits  were  also  in  great  abundance ;  these  latter  were  imported 
from  China.  Of  vegetables,  there  were  lettuces,  onions,  garlic,  sweet- 
potatoes,  and  large  quantities  of  germinating  rice,  which  is  sold  for 
planting.  Of  the  quantities  of  fresh  fruit  it  is  almost  impossible  to  give 
an  adequate  idea,  and  they  are  all  of  fine  kinds,  many  of  which  I  had 
never  before  seen. 

The  bazaars  form  the  general  resort  of  those  who  frequent  the 
market.  Every  avenue,  arcade,  or  veranda  approaching  it  is  filled  with 
money-changers,  and  small-ware  dealers,  eager  for  selling  European 
goods,  Chinese  toys,  and  many  other  attractive  curiosities.  It  is  neces- 
sary to  be  careful  in  making  even  the  smallest  offers,  for  although  it 
may  be  but  half  or  a  fourth  of  what  is  asked,  it  is  instantly  accepted. 
The  money-changers  seem  to  be  a  peculiar  class;  they  are  much 
darker  in  colour  than  the  rest  of  this  singular  throng,  and  are  seen 
sitting  cross-legged  on  their  tables,  with  extensive  rouleaux  of  copper 
coin,  heaps  of  cowrie-shells,  and  some  silver. 

I  was  much  surprised  at  the  great  difi*erence  existing  in  these 
countries,  when  compared  to  our  own,  in  respect  to  the  coin,  which  is 
divided  into  pieces  of  extremely  small  value;  and  I  could  not  help 
viewing  this  contrast  as  tending  to  show  the  depreciation  of  labour  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  value  both  of  time  and  money  on  the  other. 
Indeed,  the  difference  between  t^ie  condition  of  these  people  and  that 
of  our  own  countrymen  might  be  likened  to  the  difference  in  the  value 
of  the  smallest  of  the  coins  that  is  circulating  in  the  two  regions.  One 
cannot  but  look  upon  these  Eastern  nations  rather  as  allied  to  the 
animals  subservient  to  the  wants  of  man,  than  as  belonging  to  the 
human  race.  The  majority  of  them  are  as  industrious  as  bees,  and 
seem  to  employ  their  time  very  much  after  the  same  manner,  in 
collecting  food,  without  any  farther  end  in  view  but  storing  up  materials 
wherewith  to  live. 

The  trades  are  chiefly  engrossed  by  the  Chinese,  particularly  those 
that  are  sedentary,  and  performed  within  doors.  The  calkers,  and 
those  vocations  connected  with  vessels,  are  generally  Hindoos  of  a 
peculiar  class.  Some  of  these  were  employed  in  the  squadron,  and 
they  also  work  as  cooleys  and  labourers.  They  are  very  spare  and 
thin,  and  have  little  flesh  to  trouble  them ;  indeed,  their  thighs,  and 


SINGAPORE.  393 

arms,  and  the  calves  of  their  legs,  seemed  to  be  dried  up;  their 
shoulder-blades  are  prominent,  and  their  ribs  conspicuous.  This  habit 
of  body  is,  undoubtedly,  owing  to  their  diet,  which  consists  almost 
entirely  of  rice;  they  abstain  altogether  from  the  use  of  meat,  and 
indulge  but  sparingly  in  that  of  fish.  They  are  very  scrupulous  about 
the  preparation  of  their  food,  bringing  with  them  their  own  vessel  to 
cook  their  rice,  and  refusing  to  use  those  which  our  people  had  cooked 
in.  They  are  easily  to  be  known  by  a  small  blue  line  of  tattooing 
down  the  forehead,  or  a  spot  made  with  earth.  What  idea  is  connected 
with  this  custom  I  did  not  exactly  learn,  but  I  understood  that  it  was 
always  their  custom  thus  to  protect  themselves  when  working  for 
persons  of  an  opposite  faith.  They  were  found  to  be  steady  and  good 
workmen,  and  received  fifty  cents  a  day  for  their  labour. 

The  Malays  seem  to  bear  the  palm  for  idleness  among  the  common 
people,  and  are  rarely  found  engaged  in  any  steady  employment,  pre- 
ferring those  that  are  either  light  or  of  a  roving  character.  They 
engross  the  occupation  of  the  drivers  of  palanquins,  are  strong  and 
active,  and  will  run  a  great  length  of  time  and  distance,  in  a  hot  and 
oppressive  day,  seemiugly  without  inconvenience.  Those  of  the  latter 
sort  who  are  more  wealthy,  indulge  in  many  luxuries,  particularly  in 
dress.  They  usually  wear  mustaches,  which  are  always  neatly  kept, 
and  occupy  no  small  portion  of  their  attention  and  time ;  and,  con- 
trasted with  the  white  turban,  with  its  band  of  scarlet  and  gold,  has  a 
particularly  pleasing  effect,  with  their  swarthy  skins.  On  holidays 
they  are  to  be  met  with  in  their  snow-white  raiment,  thrown  over  a 
richly-embroidered  coloured  vest,  fitting  tight  to  the  body,  with  loose 
trousers,  tied  just  to  meet  their  embroidered  slippers  at  the  ankle. 

The  Malay  population  dwell  chiefly  in  the  suburbs,  or  what  are 
termed  the  Malay  villages.  Their  houses  are  built  somewhat  after 
the  fashion  heretofore  described,  on  posts,  as  practised  by  this  race  in 
other  places;  but  there  are  many  who  conform  to  the  European  mode. 
Nearly  all  of  them  are  cultivators,  and  almost  every  house  has  a  small 
shelf  appended  to  its  window,  on  which  unhulled  rice  (known  here  as 
paddy)  is  exposed  for  sale.  Besides  this,  many  have  dried  fish,  vege- 
tables, and,  in  these  days  of  rejoicing,  Chinese  fire-crackers.  The 
villages  through  vi^hich  we  drove  had  a  joyous  look,  and  the  population 
was  apparently  occupied  in  amusing  themselves  during  the  holidays. 
Some  were  engaged  at  foot-ball,  and  many  of  the  boys  and  men  were 
playing  "  hobscob." 

The  most  distinguished  men  as  to  looks  are  the  Armenians,  who  are 
among  the  principal  merchants  of  the  place.  Although  few  in  number, 
yet  they  have  much  influence  from  their  wealth ;  they  are  an  exceed- 

VOL.  v.  .  50 


S04  SINGAPORE. 

ingly  handsome  race,  dress  after  the  English  fashion,  and  generally 
speak  English  or  the  Portuguese  fluently.  Some  of  them,  that  I  had 
occasion  to  visit,  were  extremely  courteous,  but  spoke  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Singapore  generally  as  of  a  low  class. 

The  Armenian  church  is  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  place : 
service  is  held  in  their  church  every  morning  at  six  o'clock. 

Just  before  our  arrival,  one  of  the  Armenians  was  detected  in  an 
extensive  forgery,  by  the  water-mark  of  the  paper.  It  had  not  been 
decided  what  punishment  was  to  be  inflicted  upon  him,  and  it  was 
an  act  of  which  the  government  was  not  prepared  to  take  cognizance. 
From  what  I  heard,  I  was  inclined  to  oelieve  that  the  influence  of  his 
friends  was  so  great,  that  by  their  intercession  the  punishment  that  is 
so  ready  at  all  times  to  be  inflicted  on  the  poor,  would  not  be  inflicted ; 
yet  even-handed  justice  to  all  is  here  made  a  great  boast  of. 

Parsees  are  not  numerous  at  Singapore,  but  they  rank  among  the 
most  wealthy  of  its  inhabitants.  They  are  dressed  partly  after  the 
Eastern  and  partly  after  the  European  fashion.  They  excited  our 
attention  as  being  worshippers  of  fire,  which  they  venerate  as  emble- 
matical of  the  Deity.  They  are  of  various  shades  of  colour*  and 
generally  more  robust  and  portly  than  the  other  races.  Many  of  them 
speak  the  English  language. 

Some  persons,  who  were  said  to  be  Arabs  fit>m  the  east  coast  of 
Africa,  were  also  pointed  out  to  me,  who  were  quite  different  from  all  the 
other  races.  They  had  what  would  be  termed  woolly  hair,  with  large 
whiskers,  and  one  of  them  was  remarkable  for  his  large  blubber  h'ps. 
Their  complexion  did  not  strike  any  of  us  as  being  much  darker  than 
that  of  the  Hindoos  or  Malays.  Their  face  was  long,  and  the  nose  by  no 
means  prominent :  one  of  these  had  a  strange  appearance  about  his 
head,  and  it  was  some  time  before  it  was  discovered  that  it  was  owing 
to  his  beard  and  whiskers,  which  were  long,  being  in  gray  and  black 
stripes.  Although  it  was  undoubtedly  done  by  some  artificial  process, 
yet  it  seemed  quite  natural. 

Individuals  of  the  Caffre  tribe,  from  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  were 
also  met  with ;  and  it  is  said  that  there  are  many  of  them  in  Hindoo* 
Stan,  whither  they  have  been  carried  by  the  English  from  Mozam- 
bique ;  but  they  are  rarely  met  with  so  far  east  as  Singapore.  They 
resembled  those  seen  by  us  at  Rio,  though  we  had  no  opportunity  of 
identifying  them  by  their  tattooing. 

The  Chinese  burial-place  is  about  a  mile  from  the  town,  situated  on 
the  side  of  a  hill,  at  the  apex  of  which  is  the  josh-house,  which,  as 
usual,  is  filled  with  hideous  idols.  This  building  has  a  light  and 
pretty  eflect,  principally  arising  from  its  situation. 


SINGAPORE.  395 

This  burial-place  is  almost  filled  with  graves;  and  there  was  a 
small  bench  or  platform  in  front  of  many  of  the  tombs,  on  which  were 
the  remains  of  josh-sticks,  which,  I  was  told,  were  here  burnt  annually, 
in  remembrance  of  the  dead.  The  Chinese  appear  to  be  fond  of 
monumental  inscriptions,  for  there  were  but  few  graves  without  one* 
I  was  very  desirous  of  hearing  some  of  these  translated,  but  we  had 
no  interpreter  with  us. 

On  our  road  to  Mr.  Balestier's,  we  passed  the  burying-place  of  the 
Gentoos:  it  is  quite  open,  and  apparently  a  dense  shrubbery;  but 
near  the  town  end  is  a  chunam  pedestal,  surmounted  with  a  lotus, 
for  a  drawing  of  which  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Peale :  this  sketch  will 
be  found  at  the  end  of  this  chapter.  On  its  sides  are  inscriptions  in 
Cingalese,  and  one  in  English,  the  latter  of  which  states  that  ^  This 
burying-ground  belongs  to  the  Hindoo  people  of  Madras  and  Singapore* 
1828."  The  design  was  tasteful,  but  our  admiration  was  somewhat 
lessened  on  finding  that  the  material  is  not  stone,  to  which  it  has  a 
very  strong  resemblance. 

I  spent  a  large  portion  of  a  day  at  the  magnetic  observatory,  which 
is  under  charge  of  Lieutenant  Elliot,  of  the  Indian  army.  The  instru- 
ments were  all  apparently  well  mounted ;  but  I  was  somewhat  surprised 
at  observing  that  several  chronometers  were  used  for  marking  time, 
when  it  could  have  been  more  conveniently  and  accurately  made  by  a 
single  clock. 

Lieutenant  Elliot  was  erecting  an  apparatus  to  collect  and  develope 
atmospheric  electricity,  but  he  had  not,  as  he  informed  me,  been  able 
to  succeed.  Considering  the  station  was  a  magnetic  one,  it  was  sur- 
prising to  me  that  he  should  be  trying  such  experiments,  when  the 
two  agents  of  electricity  and  magnetism  are  so  nearly  allied,  and 
especially  that  he  should  have  done  it  in  such  immediate  contact  with 
the  instruments.  The  observatory  is  situated  about  two  miles  from 
Singapore. 

At  Singapore  there  are  three  American  missionaries,  Mr.  North, 
Mr.  Hepburn,  and  Mr.  Dickinson ;  the  former,  who  has  resided  here 
six  years,  is  the  principal.  The  two  first  have  a  school  of  fifty  Chi- 
nese boys ;  but  as  it  was  vacation  time,  we  had  no  opportunity  of 
seeing  them  at  their  exercises.  Mr.  North  spoke  to  several  of  our 
gentlemen  in  high  terms  of  the  intelligence  of  the  Chinese  children. 
The  Chinese  boys  are  received  at  an  early  age,  and  board  in  the 
family  of  the  missionaries,  to  whose  guidance  they  are  wholly  given 
up  by  their  parents.  They  seldom  visit  their  parents,  and  never 
without  a  special  request  These  children  are  taught  the  rudiments 
of  an  English  education,  but  no  efforts  are  made  on  the  adult  popu- 


806  SINGAPORE. 

lation.  The  hope  is,  that  the  results  of  educating  the  young,  and 
impres8ing  them  with  the  truth  of  the  Bible,  will  be  apparent  in  after 
years,  and  may  conduce  to  some  good.  Only  one  of  the  scholars  has 
as  yet  been  baptized.  They  are  all  represented  as  well-behaved  and 
docile. 

The  Singapore  Institute,  another  academical  establishment,  is  under 
the  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Montgomery,  an  English  missionary.  It  is 
delightfully  situated  on  the  public  ground  fronting  the  bay.  There  are 
in  it  about  one  hundred  boys,  who  are  taught  on  the  monitory  system. 
The  branches  here  taught  are  those  comprising  a  common  school 
education :  there  are  no  schools  for  the  higher  branches. 

Although  the  Protestant  missionaries  have  not  met  with  any  success 
in  propagating  their  tenets,  this  cannot  be  said  of  the  Catholics,  who 
have  already  made  one  hundred  and  fifty  proselytes  to  their  faith. 
There  is  likewise  a  very  interesting  establishment  here  under  the  name 
of  the  Raffles  School,  of  which  Mr.  Dickinson,  the  third  American 
missionary,  is  principal.  These  gentlemen  have  given  up  their  more 
direct  missionary  employments,  as  it  afforded  no  prospect  of  success, 
and  turned  their  attention  to  the  more  immediately  useful  object  of 
teaching  the  children.  They  are  known  in  Singapore  as  the  "  Ameri- 
can padres."  The  Raffles  School  is  kept  in  a  palace-looking  building, 
but  as  houses  are  of  small  value,  the  rent  is  proportionably  low. 

Mr.  Dickinson  made  the  voyage  in  the  brig  Himmaleh  to  many  of 
the  islands  in  the  China  seas,  and  possessed  much  information  in  rela- 
tion to  those  he  had  visited,  and  their  inhabitants.  It  appeared  to  be 
his  impression  that  there  was  no  opportunity  afforded  for  missionary 
labours  in  any  of  the  ports  under  the  authority  of  the  Dutch.  There 
is  a  mission  established  at  or  near  Batavia,  and  this  is  the  only  place 
they  will  permit  one  to  exist,  in  order  that  it  may  be  immediately 
under  the  eye  of  the  government  Mr.  Dickinson  is  of  opinion  that 
an  establishment  is  much  needed  on  the  island  of  Celebes,  and  that  it 
would  be  productive  of  decided  good.  It  seems  scarcely  possible  to 
believe  that  any  European  nation  should  have  held  possession  of  these 
islands  so  long,  and  not  have  introduced  a  single  valuable  custom 
among  those  who  are  under  their  rule.  The  natives  in  fact  are  now 
as  much  at  liberty  to  pursue  their  infamous  acts  of  piracy  on  each 
other  and  Europeans  as  ever,  and  to  capture  and  carry  into  slavery 
such  as  they  deem  fit.  These  slaves  even  find  their  way  to  Singa- 
pore, where  they  are  not  even  aware  that  they  are  free  by  the  laws  of 
the  land,  in  defiance  of  which  they  are  held  in  slavery.  These  are  of 
the  race  of  Papuans  or  Negritos,  a  portrait  of  one  of  whom  has  been 
given  in  the  chapter  on  Manilla. 


SINGAPORE.  397 

Prom  Mr.  North  we  obtained  a  number  of  rare  Malay  and  Bugis* 
manuscripts,  forming  a  collection  which  is  said  to  be  the  largest  now 
in  being,  that  of  Sir  Stamford  Raffles  having  been  lost  Some  of  them 
are  beautifully  written. 

One  of  the  most  amusing  incidents  that  occurred  during  our  stay  at 
Singapore^  was  a  visit  to  a  ship  of  the  king  of  Cochin-China,  which 
we  made  by  express  invitation.  The  whole  trade  of  Cochin-China  is 
a  monopoly  in  the  hands  of  the  king  who  owns  the  ships,  which  like- 
wise compose  part  of  his  navy.  They  are  built  after  the  European 
model  of  some  half  a  century  back.  The  vessel  that  furnished  it 
belonged  to  France,  and  was  wrecked  on  their  coast  many  years  ago, 
after  which  missionaries  and  artisans  were  sent  out  by  Louis  XVI., 
who  taught  them  many  of  the  arts  of  Europe.  The  outward  form  of 
the  old  French  ship  appears  to  have  been  pretty  well  imitated,  but  the 
stern  is  more  elaborately  carved  and  ornamented  with  gilding.  The 
internal  arrangements  also  show  a  great  variation  from  the  model, 
and  in  them  the  notions  of  the  Cochin-Chinese  prevail,  unmixed  with 
those  of  Europeans.  The  two  ships  w^ere  about  five  hundred  tons 
burden ;  they  are  very  roughly  built,  have  huge  sterns,  and  exceed- 
ingly thick  sides.  Indeed  every  thing  on  board  is  unsightly,  and  all 
the  work  is  of  the  rudest  description,  giving  no  very  high  idea  of  the 
proficiency  of  the  mechanics  of  Cochin-China. 

These  vessels  have  a  middle  deck,  which  is  pierced  for  guns.  The 
cabin,  into  which  we  were  shown,  had  a  josh-temple,  and  with  josh- 
sticks  burning.  There  were  two  cabins ;  that  under  the  poop  had  small 
rooms,  and  wais  very  low  between  decks.  There  were  no  fixtures,  but 
simply  a  mat  to  lie  on.  The  binnacle  is  a  bed  of  sand,  in  which  the 
compass-box  is  set  for  security;  and  a  number  of  small,  coloured  sticks 
were  stuck  into  the  sand,  which  were  represented  to  be  markers,  by 
which  the  way  of  the  vessel  was  noted.  A  manuscript  chart,  which 
the  captain  took  great  pride  in  exhibiting,  was  shown  us.  This  was 
evidently  a  copy  of  an  English  one,  but  all  the  names  were  in  Chinese. 
The  crew  had  a  decided  Malay  look,  and  were  small  menf;' they  are 
in  form  stout,  but  are  not  athletic.  There  did  not  appfear  to  be  any 
mixture  of  races  among  them.  As  we  passed  around  the  deck,  we 
observed  a  party  of  five  or  six  of  the  men  engaged  in  gambling  with 
cards,  in  which  they  were  so  much  engi'ossed,  that  they  heeded  not 
the  command  of  their  officers  to  desist  and  make  room  for  us.  This 
vessel  was  furnished  with  rattan-cables,  which  were  exceedingly  well 
made.  The  wheel  for  steering  appeared  odd,  on  account  of  its  small 
size,  and  the  helmsman  sits  when  he  takes  his  trick.  On  either  side  of 
the  deck,  just  abaft  the  foremast,  there  is  a  cook-house,  formed  of  a 

21 


896  SINGAPORE. 

huge  box  of  earth,  about  three  feet  above  the  deck,  in  which  a  few 
large  stones  are  set  to  support  their  earthen  cooking  vessels. 

The  officers  and  men  have  but  a  snaall  pittance  of  pay.  The  captain, 
for  instance,  I  was  told,  received  only  three  dollars  a  month.  A  super- 
cargo or  factor  is  appointed  for  each  voyage,  and  is  obligated  to  do  all 
the  business  for  his  master,  and  take  charge  of  the  whole  commercial 
enterprise  without  receiving  any  of  the  profits  for  the  success  of  the 
undertaking;  he  is  also  held  to  be  responsible,  and  his  property  is 
accountable  likewise  for  any  depreciation  in  the  foreign  market ;  and 
if  any  suspicions  fall  upon  him  of  mismanagement,  he  is  sure  of  the 
bastinado  on  his  return.  The  consequence  is,  that  the  king  of  Cochin- 
China  is  a  successful  merchant,  grows  rich  on  his  commercial  specula- 
tions, and  is  always  well  served.  The  recompense  of  the  factor  is  but 
a  small  quantity  of  rice. 

Four  or  five  of  his  ships  resort  annually  to  Singapore,  loaded  with 
sugar,  cofifee,  ivory,  and  many  other  articles  of  less  importance,  in 
return  for  which  they  take  British  and  India  goods,  fire-arms,  iron, 
glassware,  &c.  I  have  been  informed  that  his  success  in  trade  has 
been  such  that  out  of  its  profits  within  a  year  he  has  added  a  steamer 
of  six  hundred  tons  to  his  navy. 

Almost  every  one  has  some  idea  of  the  external  form  of  a  Chinese 
junk ;  but  the  arrangement  of  the  interior,  although  of  great  antiquity, 
was  new  to  us  all.  From  the  appearance  of  every  thing  on  board,  the 
arrangements  cannot  have  changed  much  in  the  lapse  of  many  centu- 
ries. The  junks  are  of  various  sizes :  the  three  that  were  visited  were 
from  seventy-five  to  eighty  feet  in  length,  about  twenty-two  feet  beam, 
and  about  eighteen  feet  high  forward,  descending  in  a  curve  to  within 
three  or  four  feet  of  the  water  amidships,  and  then  again  rising  in  a 
like  curve  to  the  height  of  twenty-five  feet.  At  the  top  of  the  stern  is 
the  poop-cabin,  with  accommodations  for  the  master,  his  clerk,  and  the 
trader,  in  four  small  sleeping-rooms ;  under  ^these  are  other  cabins,  with 
an  eating  apartment,  and  before  this  is  a  platform  or  small  deck,  from 
which  the  vessel  is  steered.  The  rudder  is  an  extraordinary  piece  of 
wood,  fully  equal,  in  point  of  size,  to  that  of  a  line-of-battle  ship.  While 
in  port  it  is  always  unshipped,  and  drawn  into  the  vessel  on  a  small 
inclined  slip  or  way.  The  junks  have  usually  two  large  masts,  with  a 
jigger,  and  there  are  no-  less  than  three  windlasses,  which  are  used 
upon  every  occasion ;  without  these  the  junks  would  really  be  almost 
unmanageable.  In  order  to  preserve  the  vessel  dry,  they  have  waist- 
boards  of  solid  thick  plank,  which  are  unshipped  in  port ;  these  reach 
from  the  plank-sheer  to  the  rail,  and  from  appearances  eflectually 
answer  the  purpose  for  which  they  are  intended.  The  cargo,  however. 


SINGAPORE.  d99 

was  more  interesting  to  us  than  the  vessel :  this  consisted  chiefly  of  teas 
and  china-ware ;  the  latter,  to  our  surprise,  we  found  neatly  and  care- 
fully stowed  in  bulk  in  the  hold.  The  lighter  articles  of  Chinese  manu- 
facture are  arranged  about  the  vessel,  and  even  hang  over  the  poop  and 
sides.  The  wooden  anchors,  cables,  grass  ropes,  odd  and  curious 
paintings,  the  grotesque  mode  of  external  ornament,  with  the  large  eye 
on  either  bow  in  the  colours  of  the  rainbow,  did  not  fail  to  attract  our 
attention.  We  were  also  amused  with  the  junk-like  form  of  the  tiny 
boat,  but  these,  as  well  as  the  Chinamen  themselves,  are  so  well  repre- 
sented in  Chinese  pictures,  that  no  one  can  be  at  a  loss  to  conceive 
their  peculiar  form.  Words  fail  to  express  the  content  and  pride  with 
which  the  Chinaman  sits  and  enjoys  his  aquatic  excursions;  and  though 
ridiculous  in  appearance,  and  ill  fitted  in  every  way  to  contend  with  the 
elements,  yet  there  is  something  abouf  the  junks  that  commands  a 
certain  degree  of  respect 

The  trade  of  Singapore,  although  it  has  but  lately  grown  up,  has 
nevertheless  reached  the  large  aggregate  of  $24,500,000.  About  one- 
sixth  of  this  amount  goes  to  Great  Britain,  and  8600,000  to  conti- 
nental Europe.  There  are  no  duties  on  imports  or  exports,  and  every 
vessel  is  left  free  to  come  and  go  as  they  please ;  all  that  is  asked  is  of 
what  the  cargo  consists,  its  value,  and  the  size  of  the  vessel.  These 
particulars  are  published  weekly  in  the  only  paper.  Every  thing  is 
sold  for  cash,  or  on  a  very  short  credit,  and  all  accounts  are  kept  in 
dollars  and  cents.  Perhaps  in  no  other  port  is  business  conducted  in 
so  prompt  a  manner  as  at  Singapore,  and  this  has  probably  grown  out 
of  the  transient  character  of  the  visiters  of  all  nations,  who  come  and 
go  as  they  please,  which  makes  it  necessary  to  receive  payment  for 
the  goods  as  soon  as  they  are  delivered. 

From  what  has  been  already  said,  it  will  appear  that  very  little  of 
the  importance  of  Singapore  is  owing  to  its  own  productions;  yet 
there  are  many  things  shipped  here  that  are  the  product  of  the  Straits, 
or  of  the  territory  under  the  Straits  Government,  as  it  is  called. 
Among  these  are  pepper,  cloves,  sugar,  nutmegs,  coffee,  and  gambeer, 
to  which  may  be  added  the  betel-nut  These  products  are  procured 
from^Pinang  and  Prince  of  Wales  Island,  and  reach  a  large  amount. 
Tortoise-shell  may  also  be  included  in  this  trade,  for  almost  all  that 
is  taken  in  the  Eastern  seas  is  now  brought  to  Singapore  for  sale; 
and  it  may  indeed  be  said  to  be  the  chief  mart  of  that  article.  Any 
attempt  to  give  a  catalogue  of  the  trade  of  Singapore  would  fall  short 
of  the  truth,  for  it  may  be  considered  as  an  entrepot  where  all  articles 
arrive  and  are  distributed.  The  expenses  of  doing  business  are  esta- 
blished and  published  in  the  gazettes,  so  that  any  one  may  inform  him- 


400  SINGAPORE* 

self  of  the  charges  he  is  liable  to  incur,  and  of  the  advantages  it  has 
in  that  respect  over  the  other  ports  in  the  Eastern  seas.  What  renders 
the  traffic  at  Singapore  still  more  convenient  is,  that  almost  every 
thing  is  sold  by  weight,  probably  because  so  large  a  proportion  of  the 
population  is  from  China,  in  which  country  this  method  is  habitual. 
In  employing  it,  however,  the  articles  from  different  countries  are  sold 
by  the  weight  of  the  country  whence  they  come.  For  instance,  gold- 
dust  being  for  the  most  part  brought  by  the  Malays,  is  sold  by  their 
weight,  called  a  ^  bunghal,"  which  is  about  equal  to  two  ounces ;  rice, 
&c.f  the  produce  of  Bengal,  is  sold  by  the  bag,  containing  one  hundred 
and  sixty  pounds,  which  is  termed  a  "  maund."  The  foreign  business 
is  generally  in  the  hands  of  a  few  English  houses,  but  the  greater  part 
of  the  mercantile  class  at  Singapore  are  engaged  as  agents,  or  do  a 
commission  business,  for  various  houses  in  Europe,  Calcutta,  &c. 
There  is  a  branch  of  the  India  Bank  at  Singapore,  which,  however,  is 
limited  in  its  discounts  and  business;  and.  there  are  besides  a  large 
number  of  insurance  offices,  in  which  policies  may  be  effected  on 
almost  any  risk.  The  capital  of  these  companies  is  for  the  most  part 
owned  in  Calcutta* 

Although  Singapore  has  fewer  real  advantages  for  trade  than  many 
of  the  ports  around,  yet  it  has  now  acquired  the  superiority,  and  holds 
ii^tercourse  with  the  surrounding  countries. 

.  Its  trade  with  China  has  of  late  much  increased,  in  consequence  of 
t^e  diffiqulties  between  that  country  and  England,  during  which  it 
was .  the  only  port  where  the  junks  were  allowed  to  trade  free  of 
mplestationii.  It  in  consequence  became  for  the  time  a  place  of  tran- 
shipment for  teas  and  other  Chinese  articles  to  English  vessels.  For 
this  reason,  Singapore  may  have  appeared  to  us  a  more  active  place 
of  business  than  it  would  have  done  had  the  trade  with  China  been  no 
more  than  ordinary.  No  large  commerce  can  well  exist  between 
China  and  Singapore  alone,  for  the  supplies  the  latter  furnishes  to  that 
empire,  are  confined  to  birds'-nests,  biche  de  mar,  tortoise-shell,  &c. 

Borneo  probably  furnishes  the  most  valuable  products  that  are 
brought  to  Singapore,  and  there  are  more  than  one  hundred  prahus 
engaged  in  the  trade.  These  are  for  the  most  part  navigated  by 
Bugis  from  the  island  of  Celebes,  who  may  be  termed  the  carriers  of 
this  archipelago.  This  people  frequent  all  the  ports  on  the  south  and 
southwest  side  of  that  great  island,  and  are  frequently  employed  by 
the  rajahs  or  chiefs  to  conduct  their  trade  with  the  other  ports.  The 
restrictions  they  are  upder  in  visiting  the  Dutch  possessions,  and  the 
restrictive  policy  of  the  latter,  which  admits  them  to  but  one  or  two 
ports,  has  driven  them  to  seek  that  of  Singapore,  though  more  distant. 


SINGAPORE.  401 

These  prahus  are  said  when  trade  or  employment  fails,  to  turn  their 
attention  to  piracy,  if  a  favourable  opportunity  should  offer ;  though 
no  one  seemed  disposed  to  class  them  as  pirates  of  the  same  character 
as  the  Malays,  but  rather  to  look  upon  them  as  generally  inclined  to 
be  peaceable. 

The  island  of  Celebes  sends  to  Singapore  nearly  a  hundred  prahus 
annually,  and  they  also  come  from  Flores,  Timor,  Amboyna,  Sumbawa, 
Lubok,  and  even  from  Papua  and  Aroo.  From  the  latter  countries 
they  bring  the  bird  of  paradise,  so  abundant  in  the  market  of  Singa- 
pore. The  prahus  that  come  annually  from  these  distant  ports  are 
not  more  than  fifty  in  number. 

With  tha  ports  of  Sumatra  and  Java  there  is  a  great  deal  of  inter- 
coursOy  and  I  was  told  that  the  native  vessels  engaged  in  it,  indepen- 
dently of  those  belonging  to  Europeans,  amount  now  to  some  six 
hundred.  These  are  of  various  sizes,  and  keep  up  a  constant  inter- 
course, some  of  them  visiting  the  ports  several  times  during  the  year. 
These  arrive  from  both  coasts  of  Sumatra,  and  belong  to  the  rajahs 
or  chiefs  of  small  places,  of  which  even  the  names  are  little  known, 
and  whose  subjects  are  mostly  engaged  in  piracy.  The  island  of  Bali 
likewise  engages  in  this  trade,  through  the  agency  of  the  Bugis.  The 
products  of  the  Malayan  peninsula,  and  of  all  the  ports  of  the  Malacca 
Straits,  are  also  broi;ight  to  Singapore;  but  these  may  be  termed 
incidental  supplies,  for  they  fluctuate  much,  both  in  quantity  and  value. 

The  most  regular  of  all  the  trade  is  that  with  the  islands  of  Rhio 
and  Lingin,  in  the  neighbourhood  on  which  the  Dutch  have  a  factory. 
This  trade  is  carried  on  in  the  sampan  boats,  and  the  people  of  these 
places  prefer  resorting  to  this  free  port  to  dispose  of  their  produce, 
rather  than  sell  it  to  the  Dutch.  The  number  of  the  vessels  employed 
in  this  traffic  was  represented  to  me  to  be  somewhere  about  five  hun- 
dred. The  articles  brought  from  all  these  places  are  very  much  the 
same,  and  consist  of  pepper,  rice,  camphor,  sago,  coffee,  nutmegs,  oil, 
tobacco,  wax,  benzoin,  sea-weed,  dragon's-blood,  biche  de  mar,  birds'- 
nests,  tortoise-shell,  diamonds,  gold-dust,  pearls,  the  pearl-oyster-shell, 
sandalwood,  rattans,  ivory,  some  hides,  and  articles  of  native  manu- 
facture, such  as  sarongs  (worn  as  a  wrapper,  which  come  principally 
from  Celebes),  salendongs,  and  lacquered  ware. 

The  foregoing  detail  exhibits  a  vast  variety  of  articles  of  commerce, 
and  accounts  for  the  employment  of  the  fifteen  hundred,  or  two  thou- 
sand vessels  of  various  sizes,  that  are  continually  pouring  into  this 
mart.  It  may  readily  be  imagined  what  a  stir  and  life  this  commerce 
must  create ;  and  when  it  is  considered  that  nearly  all  the  various 
nations  of  the  East  resort  here  for  the  purpose  of  trade,  it  will  not 

VOL.  V.  212  61 


402  SINGAPORE. 

excite  much  astonishment  that  Singapore  has  grown  up  so  rapidly  in 
the  face  of  older  and  longer-established  marts,  which  it  bids  fair  to 
sgrpassy  both  in  wealth  and  importance. 

The  taxes  on  property  at  Singapore  are  by  no  means  heavy.  They 
are  in  part  levied  upon  houses  and  carriages;  the  former  pay  an  annual 
tjBLX  of  eight  per  cent,  on  an  assessed  value ;  but  as  this  valuation  is 
very  low,  the  tax  is  not  heavy.  In  the  country,  the  rate  is  only  four 
per  cent.  These  receipts  are  published  annually,  in  conformity  with 
a  law  passed  since  1839.  The  enactment  of  this  law  was  brought 
M>out  by  the  force  of  public  opinion,  and  the  influence  of  the  tax- 
payers, which  have  compelled  the  Indian  government  thus  to  make 
known  their  financial  secrets.  The  whole  amount  of  tax  raised  is 
•25,829. 

Another  act  was  passed  about  the  same  time  for  the  abolition  of 
slavery,  under  an  understanding  with  the  holders  of  slaves  that  they 
should  be  manumitted  by  a  certain  time.  This  time  arrived  only  a 
few  months  prior  to  our  arrival,  but  the  owners  showed  little  or  no 
disposition  to  carry  their  agreement  into  effect.  A  notice  from  Go- 
vernor Bonham  was  indeed  published,  calling  upon  them  to  comply, 
but  such  is  the  force  with  which  they  apparently  cling  to  slave-holding, 
that  I  was  told  that  many  of  those  who  were  most  forward  in  their 
protestation  in  favour  of  abolition,  still  retain  those  belonging  to  them, 
and  that  many  persons  are  yet  actually  sold.  These  will  no  doubt 
be  held  in  bondage  until  some  active  measures  are  taken  by  the  Straits 
Government  to  put  a  stop  to  the  trafiic 

We  saw  some  of  the  Negritos  who  are  held  as  slaves :  their  stature 
is  quite  dwarfish  when  compared  with  the  surrounding  crowd.  Their 
complexion  is  not  darker  than  that  of  the  Hindoos,  and  entirely  difie- 
rent  from  the  hue  of  the  pure  negro ;  but  they  far  surpassed  him  in 
ugliness.  According  to  an  intelligent  gentleman's  authority,  they  are 
brought  from  Papua,  and  are  usually  spoken  of  as  being  brought  by  the 
Bugis,  in  the  same  vessels  that  bring  birds  of  paradise  for  sale.  Fur- 
ther inquiry  satisfied  me  that  they  are  captured  on  the  west  end  of 
New  Guinea,  which  coast  the  biche  de  mar  fishers  are  in  the  habit  of 
visiting.  Besides  being  distinguishable  by  their  small  size,  they  may 
be  known  by  their  downcast  looks,  as  they  are  seen  passing  among 
the  crowd  of  this  great  Babel  without  appearing  to  be  of  it. 
.  Among  other  sources  of  revenue  is  the  vending  of  opium :  the  shops 
are  licensed  by  the  government,  and  the  revenue  is  said  to  exceed 
eight  thousand  dollars  from  this  source  alone. 

:   These  opium   shops   are  among  the  most  extraordinary  sights  in 
Singapore;  it  is  inconceivable  with  what  avidity  the  smokers  seek 


SINGAPORE.  403 

this  noxious  drug  at  the  shop  windows.  They  then  retire  to  the 
interior,  where  a  number  of  sickly-looking  persons,  in  the  last  stage  of 
consumption,  haggard,  and  worn  down  with  care,  are  seen  smoking. 
The  drug  is  sold  in  very  small  pieces,  and  for  ten  cents  enough  to  fill 
a  pipe  once  is  obtained.  With  it  are  furnished  a  pipe,  a  lamp,  and  a 
couch  to  lie  on,  if  such  it  may  be  called.  The  pipe  is  of  a  peculiar 
construction,  and  is  in  part  of  metal,  having  an  interior  or  cup  just 
large  enough  to  contain  a  piece  of  the  size  of  a  pea.  The  opium  is 
difficult  to  ignite,  and  it  requires  much  management  in  the  smoker  to 
obtain  the  necessary  number  of  whififs  to  produce  intoxication  in  one 
habituated  to  its  use.  The  couch  is  sometimes  a  rude  bench,  but 
more  oflen  a  mat  on  the  floor,  with  a  small  raised  bench.  Each  of 
these  mats  in  the  frequented  shops  is  generally  occupied  by  a  pair  of 
smokers,  who  have  a  lamp  between  them. 

These  shops  with  their  inmates  formed  one  of  the  most  disgusting 
spectacles  I  saw  during  our  extended  cruise;  although,  to  one  who 
could  be  amused  with  human  degradation^  this  sight  could  not  have 
failed  to  afford  pastime. 

It  was  not  difficult  even  for  a  stranger  to  distinguish  those  who  have 
long  indulged  ic  this  pernicious  practice,  from  those  to  whom  it  is  yet 
new.  The  eagerness  with  which  the  former  sought  the  mat,  seized 
the  pipe,  and  inhaled  the  smoke,  showed  a  nervous  anxiety  to  reach 
that  point  where  fotgetfulness  should  come.  This  in  the  novitiate 
was  but  the  work  of  a  few  minutes,  while  those  whose  organs  had 
become  accustomed  would  draw  long  whiffs  and  puff  away  until  the 
weakened  state  of  their  lungs  would  betray  them,  and  cause  them  to 
stop  to  renew  their  breath  before  they  were  enabled  to  accomplish 
their  wishes.  I  learned  that  many  of  the  old  smokers  found  so  great 
a  difficulty  in  inducing  the  action  of  the  smoke  that  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  have  recourse  to  swallowing  the  drug  itself.  The  Chinese 
only  are  addicted  to  this  practice:  the  Gentoos  and  those  of  the 
Moslem  faith  look  upon  it  with  great  horror  and  disgust. 

The  individuals  whom  I  have  described  above  are  the  wealthy,  who 
ca^i  aflbrd  to  smoke  the  drug  as  it  is  found  in  commerce.  From  the 
difficulty  with  which  it  burns  there  is  a  large  residuum  left,  which  is 
carefully  taken  out  of  the  pipes^  and  sold  to  the  less  opulent,  who  in 
like  manner  smoke  il,  though  without  the  luxury  of  r^iats  and  lamps. 
I  was  told  that  there  is  still  a  poorer  class  of  Chinese,  that  again  use 
the  residuum  of  this  second  smoking. 

The  Chinese  at  Singapore  possess  every  facility  for  full  gratification 
in  the  smoking  of  this  deleterious  drug ;  for  there  is  no  interdiction  to 
its  introduction,  and  most,  if  not  all  the  vessels  engaged  in  smuggling 


404  SINGAPORE. 

it,  resort  there  in  their  passages  to  and  from  Bengal,  and  many  of 
them  are  owned  or  under  the  agency  of  the  merchants  of  this  place. 
It  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that  even  those  who  are  engaged  in  the 
trade,  condemn  its  immoral  and  hurtful  results,  while  others  at  a 
distance  offer  many  reasons  in  its  defence.  I  must  say  that  it  appears 
to  me  truly  strange  that  with  the  scenes  that  daily  offer  themselves 
in  Singapore,  before  the  eyes  and  under  the  cognizance  of  the 
governor  and  officers  of  the  place,  some  steps  should  not  be  taken  to 
put  a  stop  to  the  practice  altogether,  instead  of  making  it  a  source  of 
revenue. 

This  government  seems  to  be  actuated  by  totally  opposite  principles 
from  all  others*  that  attempt  colonization ;  for  while  it  has  been  consi- 
dered necessary  in  other  places  to  introduce  females  in  some  propor- 
tion to  males,  for  the  purpose  of  softening  the  manners  and  the  savage 
propensities  of  our  sex,  they  have  been  here  interdicted  almost  alto- 
gether. I  made  many  inquiries  respecting  the  reasons  that  had 
induced  so  extraordinary  a  course,  but  all  appeared  to  be  equally 
ignorant  with  myself. 

The  population,  from  the  most  authentic  returns,  is  in  all  about 
sixty  thousand  souls :  of  these  forty-five  thousand  are  Chinese,  eight 
thousand  Malays,  seven  thousand  natives  of  India,  and  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  foreigners;  and  only  one-tenth  of  the  whole  are 
females.  * 

A  short  description  of  the  Malayan  peninsula  will  be  a  proper 
sequel  to  the  account  of  the  island  of  Singapore.  What  is  usually 
included  under  this  name  extends  as  far  as  latitude  7^  N.  It  is 
nearly  five  hundred  miles  in  length,  by  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  in  width,  and  comprises  about  fifty  thousand  square  miles.  It 
is  mountainous  and  hilly,  and  destitute  both  of  extensive  valleys  and 
plains. 

A  range  of  mountains  traverses  its  whole  length,  rising  gradually 
towards  the  north,  to  the  height  of  about  six  thousand  feet  Its 
geological  formation,  from  the  best  reports,  is  exclusively  granite; 
which  towards  the  south  has  been  found  to  contain  many  minerafs, 
and  the  ores  of  gold  and  tin  in  particular.  In  the  latter  metal,  it  is 
supposed  to  be  the  richest  of  any  country  in  the  world.  In  other 
respects  it  cannot  be  called  a  favoured  region,  and  in  comparison  with 
the  surrounding  countries  is  barren.  The  greater  portion  of  it  is  still 
occupied  by  the  primeval  forest,  which  is  frequented  only  by  beasts  of 
prey. 

The  Malayan  peninsula,  and  the  surrounding  islands,  are  now  far 
less  populous  than  they  formerly  were.    Intestine*  wars  among  the 


SINGAPORE.  405 

chiefs  have,  in  fact,  nearly  depopulated  the  former,  and  what  they  have 
left  undone,  the  pirates  in  their  incursions  on  the  weakened  towns,  have, 
by  their  cruel  deeds  of  nnurder  and  rapine,  connpleted.  The  part  of  the 
peninsula  that  is  tributary  to  the  king  of  Siam  has  fared  but  little 
better ;  for  his  extortions  are  said  to  know  no  bounds.  Some  accounts 
state  that  the  Malayan  peninsula  has  once  been  the  seat  of  civilization^ 
and  that  various  mines  have  been  discovered,  by  some  of  the  few 
travellers  who  have  made  short  excursions  from  its  coast..  It  is 
alleged,  on  the  other  hand,  that  both  it  and  Singapore  were  colonized 
as  late  as  the  twelfth  century,  by  the  people  of  Sumatra;  other  conjec- 
tures, said  to  have  some  foundation  in  the  traditions  of  the  natives, 
state  them  to  have  been  inhabited  previously  to  that  epoch,  by  a  half- 
savage  race,  which  had  the  features  of  the  Papuans.  Other  accounts 
again,  assert,  that  the  aborigines  were  the  Jakongs,  or  Rayetutans,  in 
the  interior,  and  the  Rayetlaut,  or  fishermen,  on  the  sea-shore. 

The  Malayan  peninsula  contains  nine  petty  states,  each  of  which  is 
ruled  by.  a  chief,  who  acknowledges  the  authority  of  the  king  of 
Johore.  The  Dutch,  however,  formerly  had  through  commercial 
treaties  much  influence  with  the  chiefs,  and  with  the  consent  of  the 
king  of  Johore,  elected  a  Bugis  chief,  by  the  name  of  Dyar  Cambodia, 
over  the  nine  states.  This  produced  a  division  and  contentions :  four 
of  them  revolted,  and  invited  over  a  prince  of  the  royal  blood  from 
Sumatra,  Rajah  Malayan,  whose  party  was  finally  successful,  and 
drove  Dyar  Cambodia  into  retirement.  Upon  this,  stipulations  were 
entered  into,  by  which  it  was  agreed  that  the  four  chiefs  should  be 
assembled  by  the  sovereign  to  consult  on  the  afifairs  of  state,  and  that  a 
majority  should  rule.  In  return  they  were  to  provide  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  sovereign,  by  levying  an  annual  tax  on  the  inhabitants, 
each  house  contributing  annually  one  gantam  of  rice,  two  cocoa-nuts, 
and  one  suku. 

On  the  occasion  of  all  rites,  such  as  marriages,  deaths,  and  circum- 
cisions in  the  royal  family,  each  district  was  bound  to  send  three 
buffaloes,  to  distribute  alms  to  the  poor,  and  in  case  of  war  to  furnish 
its  quota  of  men,  arms,  and  ammunition.  Dyar  Cambodia  sought 
refuge  at  the  island  of  Rhio  in  1773.  Since  that  time  the  kingdom  has 
undergone  various  revolutions,  and  different  sovereigns  have  held  rule, 
who  have  finally  by  their  intestine  wars  almost  depopulated  the 
country. 

The  inhabitants  have  many  singular  customs,  in  some  respects  not 
unlike  those  heretofore  described  as  existing  among  the  Polynesian 
islanders. 

In  religion,  the  Malays  of  the  Peninsula  are  all  Moslems,  and  are 


406  SINGAPORE. 

said  to  resemble  the  Arabs  in  the  simplicity  of  their  worship  more  than 
they  do  the  inhabitants  of  Hindoostan.  They  practise  circumcision, 
and  the  women  appear  in  public  unveiled.  They  hold  three  days  in 
the  week  as  lucky  to  begin  an  undertaking,  namely,  Monday,  Thursday, 
and  Friday.  They  devour  locusts,  and  consider  bufTnlo-meat  as  the 
greatest  luxury. 

As  soon  as  a  child  is  born  and  washed,  the  father  puts  his  mouth  to 
its  ears  and  asks  a  blessing.  On  the  seventh  day,  the  operation  of 
shaving  the  head  takes  place,  when  prayers  are  likewise  oflered  up.  A 
midwife  is  always  in  attendance  at  the  birth,  and  is  engaged  for  forty 
days.  On  the  fortieth  day  the  mother  performs,  her  ablutions  and 
prayers,  and  is  then  looked  upon  as  clean. 

It  is  customary  on  an  engagement  of  marriage  for  a  day  to  be  fixed 
for  the  bridegroom  to  transmit  the  money  for  the  nuptial  expenses, 
before  which  day  the  ceremony  of  filing  the  teeth  of  the  woman  is 
gone  through.  This  is  performed  by  the  women  with  a  kind  of  fine 
stone  found  at  Acheen,  or  with  a  small  steel  file.  The  operation  is 
accomplished  in  an  hour,  but  is  very  severe ;  the  teeth  are  filed  oflT  to 
one-fourth  of  their  length.  This  operation  is  also  undergone  by  the 
males ;  but  they  encounter  it  at  an  early  age,  when  it  is  generally  made 
an  occasion  for  festivities.  I  have  been  informed  that  this  operation  is 
never  omitted,  and  that  the  figure  thus  given  to  the  teeth  is  considered 
as  a  great  beauty.  After  the  teeth  are  filed,  they  are  blackened,  which 
is  eflfected  by  a  liquid  called  grang,  obtained  by  charring  cocoanut- 
shells.  This  practice  of  filing  the  teeth  I  had  often  observed  before  I 
heard  of  its  being  a  general  custom  among  the  Malays  of  the  peninsula, 
having  seen  it  among  the  natives  of  Sooloo;  the  fashion  closely 
resembles  the  Africans  of  which  I  have  spoken  in  the  first  volume. 

Marriages  are  preceded  by  the  betrothal  of  the  parties.  To  make 
this  arrangement,  the  friends  of  the  bridegroom  wait  upon  the  bride's 
father,  to  whom  they  present  a  ring  and  a  few  clothes.  The  nuptial 
expenses  are  then  agreed  upon,  and  the  portion  of  the  bride  is  set 
aside.  This  is  about  thirty  rupees,  and  is  always  paid  in  silver  or 
gold.  The  betrothal  takes  place  before  witnesses  and  an  agent  of  the 
bride,  whose  consent  is  asked  as  a  matter  of  form.  After  this  the 
husband  may  take  his  wife  whenever  she  arrives  at  the  age  of  puberty, 
and  carry  her  to  his  own  house ;  but  she  always  remains  with  her  father 
until  that  event  takes  place. 

On  these  occasions,  when  the  parties  are  wealthy,  a  feast  of  buffalo- 
meat  is  given.  The  bride,  three  days  before  marriage,  cuts  oflT  her 
hair  in  front,  and  dyes  her  nails  and  the  palms  of  her  hands  yellow 
with  henna. 


8INOAPORE.  407 

The  ceremonies  after  death  are  not  less  curious:  washing  and  shroud- 
ing of  the  corpse  always  takes  place,  and  it  is  clad  in  the  best  clothing 
of  the  deceased.  On  the  third,  seventh,  fourteenth,  fortieth,  and  hun- 
dredth days,  oblations  of  spices,  aloe-wood,  and  flowers,  are  offered. 

The  Mussulmans  of  India,  in  digging  graves,  never  exceed  the 
depth  of  the  navel  for  a  man,  while  those  for  a  female  are  always 
breast-deep.  Near  the  bottom  is  dug  a  side  niche,  into  which  the 
body  is  put  The  niche  is  then  closed  with  boards  placed  on  their 
edges,  after  which  the  grave  is  filled  with  earth.  The  first  portion 
put  in  is  thrown  on  loose  branches,  that  are  laid  over  the  grave  in 
order  to  sift  it  and  allow  it  to  fall  more  lightly.  Their  graves  are 
marked  with  two  small  wooden  pillars,  with  the  earth  heaped  up 
between  them  ;  the  largest  of  these  denotes  the  position  of  the  head. 

On  the  Malayan  peninsula  they  have  various  feasts  and  festivals, 
that  partake  more  of  the  customs  of  the  Arabs  than  of  the  islands  of 
India.  On  these  occasions  sacrifices  of  buffaloes  take  place,  a  prac- 
tice which  is  thought  to  be  peculiar  to  this  part  of  the  East  The 
buffalo  selected  for  this  purpose  must  be  without  blemish  or  disease. 
The  animal  about  to  be  sacrificed  is  taken  to  the  mosque,  where  it  is 
thrown  down,  its  fore  and  hind  legs  tied,  and  the  head  secured  ;  water 
is  poured  over  it,  and  the  offering  made.  The  priest,  after  saying 
prayers,  cuts  the  throat ;  the  carcass  is  then  flayed  and  divided  into 
two  equal  parts.  One-half  is  given  to  the  inhabitants,  and  is  gene- 
rally cooked  and  eaten  on  the  spot ;  the  other  is  divided  among  the 
higher  orders.  The  leg-bones  are  never  suffered  to  be  broken,  even  after 
death ;  neither  is  the  spine,  nor  are  the  horns  of  animals  sacrificed  suf- 
fered to  be  used  for  common  purposes,  such  as  handles  of  knives,  &c. 

Among  the  animals  that  are  found  in  the  Malayan  peninsula,  are 
the  elephant,  rhinoceros,  a  variety  of  tigers,  leopards,  bears,  monkeys, 
alligators,  guanas,  and  sometimes  the  tapir:  there  are  one  or  two 
species  of  deer,  which  are  exceedingly  small  in  size,  and  of  delicate 
proportions.  Of  birds,  there  are  a  vast  variety,  including  the  argus- 
pheasant,  horn-bill,  peacock,  large  vampire-bat,  humming-bird,  and 
snipe.    Snakes  abound,  many  of  which  are  venomous. . 

The  neighbouring  seas  afibrd  a  great  variety  of  shells  and  corals ; 
among  the  latter  I  may  mention  the  cup  of  Neptune  (Alcyonium), 
which  grows  to  a  very  large  size,  and  is  not  found  elsewhere.  Our 
collections,  by  the  industry  of  the  naturalists  and  officers,  were  much 
increased  here. 

The  small  island  of  Singapore  is  destined  in  all  probability  to 
govern  at  some  future  period  the  whole  of  this  country,  and  will,  in 
course  of  time,  be  one  of  the  points  from  which  they  are  destined  to 
receive  the  arts  and  civilization  of  Europe.    It  strikes  me,  therefore, 


408  SIN6AP0RK. 

as  incumbent  on  those  who  rule  over  this  rising  colony,  to  see  that  the 
general  administration  may  have  a  tendency  to  promote  civilization. 
I  regret  to  say  that  I  could  perceive  but  little  indication  of  any  other 
principle  than  that  of  gain. 

During  my  stay  at  Singapore,  the  subject  of  steam  navigation  was 
much  talked  of,  and  many  projects  appeared  to  be  forming  by  which 
the  settlement  might  reap  the  advantages  of  that  communication, 
when  established  between  India  and  China. 

Some  idea  of  the  facilities  that  this  method  of  transportation  has 
already  furnished  will  appear  from  the  fact  that  I  received  letters  on 
my  arrival  there,  via  England,  only  seventy-two  days  after  their  date 
in  the  United  States.  This  places  the  East  in  such  close  proximity 
to  Europe,  that  instead  of  looking  for  yearly  or  monthly  accounts,  as 
was  formerly  the  case,  they  are  now  on  the  watch  for  daily  news. 

This  has  already,  as  may  be  supposed,  altered  the  current  of  trade, 
instead  of  specie,  drafts  being  sent  out  by  the  ships  with  orders  for 
shipment  of  goods  from  China.  The  transactions  pass  through  banks, 
or  are  performed  by  purchase  of  government  and  individual  bills. 
Many  believe  that  in  a  very  few  years  the  whole  commerce  of  these 
seas  will  be  carried  on  by  steam,  which  would  afford  peculiar  facili- 
ties for  communicating  with  the  ports  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  by  the 
control  it  gives  the  commercial  world  in  counteracting  the  monsoons, 
which  have  hitherto  regulated  the  routes  of  commerce.  All  that  is 
needed  is  capital  to  set  it  in  motion. 

As  vessels  of  war,  the  steamers  have  been  particularly  useful  in  the 
British  operations  against  China.  The  shallow  and  unknown  coast 
of  that  country,  and  its  almost  impenetrable  rivers,  could  have  been 
rendered  accessible  by  no  other  means. 

Singapore,  as  a  port  of  supplies,  offers  many  inducements,  although 
there  are  the  same  objections  to  it  that  apply  more  or  less  to  all  the 
ports  of  the  East.  One  of  these  is  caused  by  the  ravages  of  the 
white  ants.  A  portion  of  our  flour  was  rendered  entirely  unser- 
viceable, for  these  insects  had  literally  perforated  the  barrels  in  all 
directions;  and  in  rolling  them  over,  the  staves  appeared  like  fine 
sieves,  through  which  the  flour  passed  in  every  direction.  This, 
however,  was  only  the  case  with  that  which  had  been  stored  in  a  dry 
upper  loft  The  larger  portion  of  this  article,  which  had  fortunately 
been  left  on  the  ground-floor  or  basement  of  the  storehouse3,  had 
escaped  this  injury.  The  latter  place  was  both  cooler  and  damper 
than  the  former,  and  these  were  the  only  apparent  reasons  why  the 
barrels  had  escaped  uninjured. 

The  climate  of  Singapore,  notwithstanding  its  geographical  and 
local  position,  is  considered  as  very  salubrious :  it  is  admitted  by  all 


SINGAPORE.  409 

that  the  neighbouring  coasts  and  islands  are  quite  the  reverse.  Al* 
though  the  island  is  near  the  Malay  shore,  yet  the  site  of  the  town 
being  on  its  southern  point,  is  within  the  influence  of  the  prevailing 
winds,  which  it  is  generally  supposed  carry  oflf  the  miasma  as  fast  as 
it  is  formed ;  yet  every  thing  seems  favourable  about  the  settlement  to 
produce  disease :  it  lies  low,  with  large  tracks  of  marsh  and  jungle  in 
its  neighbourhood.  The  heat,  however,  is  very  much  mod^ed  by 
the  sea-breezes,  and  varies  only  from  79^  to  84^;  the  mean  annual 
temperature  has  been  found  to  be  a  little  above  80^ ;  in  this  computa- 
tion,  however,  I  understand  the  night  hours  had  been  entirely  omitted : 
had  the  observations  included  those  also,  they  would  undoubtedly  have 
lowered  the  mean  considerably.  It  was  remarked  that  it  rains  for  an 
hour  or  two  almost  every  afternoon,  and  in  consequence  of  these  daily 
showers,  vegetation  has  a  rapid  or  rather  rank  growth.  To  these 
frequent  showers  is  ascribed  by  some  the  healthfulness  of  the  place, 
preventing  malaria  by  maintaining  a  constant  growth  in  the  vegeta- 
ble kingdom,  and  thus  tending  to  absorb  the  noxious  and  deleterious 
gases. 

The  diseases  most  common  in  the  East,  such  as  dysentery,  diarrhoea, 
and  fevers,  are  seldom  experienced  here ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  it  is 
necessary  to  take  every  precaution,  and  avoid  the  heat  of  the  ^rtical 
sun.  The  crews  of  the  squadron  were  remarkably  healthy,  and  only 
a  few  of  them  experienced  any  ill  eflfects  from  the  heat.  One  man  on 
board  the  Vincennes,  was  attacked  with  a  brain  fever,  of  which  he 
died  a  few  days  after  leaving  the  place.  This  case  was  attributed  to 
great  imprudence  on  his  part,  in  defiance  of  all  warnings  not  to  expose 
himself. 

On  my  arrival  at  Singapore,  various  reports  were  made  to  me  of 
defects  existing  in  the  tender  Flying-Fish.  It  was  to  be  expected, 
after  the  arduous  service  she  had  performed;  yet,  having  brought 
her  safely  thus  far,  I  felt  a  natural  desire  to  carry  her  home  with  us ; 
and  in  this  all  the  ofiicers  seemed  to  partake.  But  the  idea  of  risking 
the  lives  of  her  officers  and  crew,  after  the  disaster  that  had  already 
befallen  her  sister  craft,  was  not  to  be  endured  ;  and  I  saw  that  it  was 
necessary  to  have  a  thorough  examination  of  her  before  I  ventured 
her  in  the  homeward  voyage.  I  therefore  ordered  a  survey  by  the 
most  experienced  persons  in  t)ie  squadron,  who,  although  they  could 
not  point  out  any  conspicuous  defects,  were  satisfied  that  from  long 
and  hard  service  she  had  become  weakened  in  her  frame,  and  that 
she  would  not  only  need  much  time,  but  a  large  expense,  to  place  her 
in  a  fit  condition  to  make  the  voyage  home.  I  must  say  that  even 
after  I  had  received  the  report  I  still  felt  a  strong  inclination  to  persist 

VOL.  v.  8K  52 


410  BINOAPORE. 

in  bringing  her  back  to  the  United  Stales ;  but  my  final  decision  waa 
against  it.  The  consul  was  therefore  desired  to  advertise  her  for  sale, 
and  in  the  mean  time  all  her  stores  and  armament  were  removed. 

She  was,  agreeably  to  the  notice,  sold  at  public  sate  for  three  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  dollars.  To  part  with  this  vessel  was  unpleasant 
on  many  acconnta ;  for  she  had  been  daily,  for  nearly  four  years,  my 
first  an4  last  thought.  The  attachment  I  had  felt  for  her  was  great ; 
the  efficient  aid  she  had  occasionally  afforded  in  the  performance  of 
my  duties,  caused  me  to  value  her  highly ;  and  as  a  vessel  of  her 
class,  she  was  almost  foultless. 

By  the  35th  of  February,  we  had  completed  filling  our  water, 
which  is  here  conveniently  supplied  by  tank-boats ;  and  having  ob- 
tained for  the  passage  home  all  the  stores  we  needed,  eicept  bread, 
we  made  every  preparation  for  sailing. 

In  consequence  of  the  short  supply  of  the  latter  article,  I  determined 
to  touch  with  the  Vincennes  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  while  the 
two  brigs  were  ordered  to  atop  at  Rio  Janeiro,  for  the  same  purpose, 
as  well  as  to  obtain  some  further  observations,  and  additional  speci- 
mens of  natural  history. 

In  the  evening,  we  took  leave  of  our  worthy  consul  and  his  lady, 
who  httd  afforded  us  every  facility  for  procuring  information  as  well 
as  amusement,  to  render  onr  stay  agreeable,  and  to  whom  I  now 
tender  my  own  thanks,  as  well  as  those  of  the  other  ofiicers  of  the 
Expedition. 

At  five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  26th,  I  took  advsntuge  of  the 
land-breeze,  and  made  signal  to  the  Porpoise  and  Oregon  to  get  under 
way. 


CHAPTER  XL 


CONTENTS. 

DEPARTURE  FROM  8IN6AP0RE-BTRAITB  OF  RHIO-8TRAIT8  OF  BANCA-fiTRAITS  OF 
SUNDA-INDIAN  OCEAN-CURRENTS  AND  METEOROLOGICAL  PHENOMENA  OFF  THE 
CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE-ARRIVAL  IN  TABLE  BAT-CAPE  TOWN-GOVERNMENT  OF  THE 
COLONY-TAXES-BANKING— WINE  TRADE-CATTLE-IMPORT  TRADE-H0TTENT0T8- 
CAFFRE  TRIBES— VISIT  TO  C0N8TANTI A— ASTRONOMY  AND  MAGNETIC  OBSERVATIONS 
—ASCENT  OF  TABLE  MOUNTAIN-GREEN  POINT— LIGHTHOUSE— EXCHANGE-GARDEN 
OF  THE  BARON  VON  LUDWIG-CLIMATE  OF  THE  CAPE-PHENOMENA  OF  REFRACTION 
—TENURES  OF  LAND  -  DEPARTURE  FROM  TABLE  BAY -VOYAGE  TO  ST.  HELENA - 
JAMESTOWN  -  VISIT  TO  THE  TOMB  OF  NAPOLEON  AND  LONGWOOD  -  MAGNETIC 
OBSERVATORY-PLANT  ATIONHOUSE-DEPARTURE  FROM  ST.  HELENA  -  PASSAGE  TO 
THE  UNITED  STATES-ARRIVAL  AT  NEW  YORK-CONCLUSION. 


(«1) 


CHAPTER  XL 

CAPE   OP   GOOD   HOPE. 
1842. 

After  leaving  Singapore,  I  determined  to  pass  through  the  Straits 
of  Rhio,  a  route  which  I  deemed  the  shortest  and  best  for  vessels 
bound  through  the  Straits  of  Sunda.  We  had  light  winds  and  rain- 
squalls  at  the  entrance  of  the  strait;  but  towards  the  afternoon  we 
were  favoured  with  the  northeast  breeze,  which  carried  us  rapidly 
onward.  At  night  I  anchored,  wishing  to  examine  more  particularly 
the  charts  extant,  and  to  make  what  corrections  I  might  deem  neces- 
sary. 

The  next  morning  at  daylight  we  again  resumed  our  route,  but  in 
consequence  of  fog  were  obliged  to  anchor  off  the  Dutch  fabtory  at 
Rhio,  where  a  fort  is  established.  This  was  first  occupied  in  1824, 
after  the  cession  of  Malacca. 

The  island  contains  but  few  inhabitants,  and  those  few  are  not  in- 
clined to  come  under  the  Dutch  authority.  From  all  I  could  learn, 
there  is  very  little  inducement  for  a  vessel  to  resort  here  for  trade. 
The  island  is  considered  extremely  unhealthy  for  foreigners  during 
several  months  of  the  year. 

When  the  weather  cleared  off,  we  again  passed  down  the  strait,  and 
on  our  arrival  off  the  southern  point  of  the  islands,  we  steered  for  the 
east  point  of  Lintin,  which  island  we  passed  on  the  26th,  on  our  way 
to  the  Straits  of  Banca. 

On  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  March,  we  approached  the  northern 
entrance  of  the  Straits  of  Banca,  and  got  a  view  of  these  low  and 
uninteresting  coasts. 

The  same  afternoon,  we  fell  in  with  a  barque,  under  Dutch  colours, 
which  refused  to  answer  our  hail  as  we  passed ;  we  immediately  wore 

2KS  (41D 


414  CAPEOFGOODHOPE. 

ship,  and  fired  a  shot;  upon  which  they  let  fly  all  their  halyards  and 
sheets.  A  boat  was  sent  on  board  with  an  officer,  who  discovered 
that  she  was  manned  by  Malays,  and  that  no  one  on  board  could 
speak  English;  however,  he  managed  to  understand  that  they  were 
from  Palambam,  Sumatra,  and  bound  to  Singapore,  Soon  afterwards, 
we  saw  the  Dutch  establishment  of  Mintow ;  it  is  situated  on  a  knoll, 
at  the  northern  end  of  Banca,  and  had  the  Dutch  flag  flying  over  it. 
The  greater  part  of  Banca  is  low  land ;  the  northern  end  particularly 
so.  There  are,  however,  a  few  detached  hills,  of  considerable  altitude, 
which  serve  as  sailing-marks  during  the  passage  through  the  straits. 
The  southern  end  of  the  island  rises,  and  appears  to  be  of  a  difierent 
formation  from  the  other  parts,  as  its  soil  is  thickly  wooded.  In  the 
forest  were  seen  numerous  clearings,  where  people  had  been  and  were 
then  burning  charcoal,  to  obtain  fuel  for  smelting  the  tin  ores.  The 
principal  mining  district  lies  towards  the  southern  end  of  the  island,  in 
the  swampy  flat  land  at  the  foot  of  the  isolated  hills  before  mentioned. 
The  ore  is  usually  found  at  the  depth  of  from  six  to  twenty  feet  from 
the  surface,  in  layers  that  run  horizontally  for  two  or  three  miles;  these 
vary  in  thickness  from  six  to  twenty  inches,  and  consist  of  heavy 
granulated  particles,  of  a  dark  metallic  lustre,  mixed  with  white  sand. 
The  strata  above  the  vein  consists  of  vegetable  mould,  red  and  white 
clay,  intermixed  with  pebbles  of  white  quartz,  and  white  sand,  like 
that  which  is  found  with  the  metal.  A  stratum  of  steatite  is  said  to 
be  found  underlying  these  ores  of  tin. 

The  process  of  working  these  mines  is  exceedingly  rude;  both 
Malays,  and  Chinese  are  employed  in  them,  but  the  latter  are  pre* 
ferred  on  account  of  their  greater  perseverance  and  industry.  I  was 
told  at  Singapore  that  the  amount  of  tin  derived  from  Banca  by  the 
Dutch,  was  not  half  so  great  as  that  obtained  while  it  was  under 
British  management,  or  that  it  is  still  capable  of  yielding.  The  ore 
is  washed  after  its  removal  from  the  veins,  which  separates  the  earth, 
and  leaves  only  the  metal  and  stones ;  the  last  are  separated  by  hand, 
and  the  metal  is  then  smelted :  to  effect  this,  huge  piles  of  alternate 
layers  of  ore  and  charcoal  are  formed ;  the  fused  metal  escapes  into 
a  hole  dug  in  the  ground,  from  which  it  is  dipped  and  poured  into 
moulds,  forming,  when  cool,  the  tin  of  commerce.  Tin  ore  is  found 
at  Banca  in  great  quantities,  but  its  quality  is  inferior  to  that  obtained 
from  other  places ;  and  it  rarely  yields  more  than  sixty  per  cent  of 
pure  metal.  The  process  of  smelting  is  but  seldom  performed,  gene- 
rally not  oftener  than  once  or  twice  a  year.  Rude  bellows  of  various 
forms  are  used  in  kindling  the  smelting  fires ;  some  of  these  are  com- 
posed of  large  wooden  cylinders  with  moving  pistons,  which  give  a 


CAPB   OF  GOOD   HOPR  4)5 

strong  continuous  blast ;  others  are  nothing  more  than  a  bamboo  tube, 
through  which  the  breath  is  forced  upon  the  flame.  The  process  for 
working  the  mines  and  extracting  the  metal  from  the  ore,  are  similar 
in  all  the  mining  districts,  and  differ  but  little  from  those  employed 
when  the  mines  were  first  opened. 

The  Sumatra  shore  of  the  Straits  of  Banca  is  low,  and  appears  to 
be  covered  with  a  dense  forest.  During  the  night  we  were  visited  by 
a  heavy  «torm  of  thunder  and  lightning,  with  much  rain.  The  next 
morning  being  pleasant,  we  got  under  way  again,  and  passed  rapidly 
through  the  straits;  the  southern  outlet,  however,  called  the  Luce- 
para  Passage,  was  not  attained  until  nearly  dark,  and  before  reaching 
it  we  crossed  many  shoals,  so  near  the  surface  as  to  leave  but  little 
water  under  our  keels.  An  English  vessel  in  advance  of  us  hoisted  a 
light  after  dark,  and  by  taking  it  for  our  guide,  we  succeeded  in  pass- 
ing through  safely.  This  vessel  was  soon  overtaken  by  us,  and  proved 
to  be  the  barque  Java,  Lewis  master,  thirty-eight  days  from  Batavia, 
and  bound  to  Singapore.  Having  lost  twelve  of  her  crew  by  dysen- 
tery and  but  few  of  the  survivors  being  able  to  perform  their  duty  in 
consequence,  she  was  returning  to  Batavia.  The  surgeon  was  sent  on 
board,  and  the  necessary  medicines,  &c.,  of  which  they  were  in  great 
want,  were  supplied. 

During  the  2d  and  3d  of  March,  we  had  cloudy  weather,  with  some 
rain,  and  at  nightfall  on  the  latter  day,  anchored  near  the  Two  Bro- 
thers. During  the  night,  George  Porter  died.  He  was  buried  next 
day  with  the  usual  ceremonies.  We  got  under  way  again  at  an  early 
hour  in  the  morning,  and  at  evening  found  ourselves  off  North  Island, 
near  which  we  anchored.  During  the  night  we  had  lightning,  thunder, 
and  rain. 

The  next  day  we  arrived  off  Hout's  Island,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Straits  of  Sunda,  when,  the  wind  dying  away,  we  were  left  at  the 
mercy  of  a  strong  current  setting  in  towards  the  island.  To  avoid 
danger  we  anchored,  and  lay  until  the  turn  of  the  tide ;  we  afterwards 
passed  round  Zutphen's  Island  and  Hog  Point,  anchoring  for  the  night 
off  Rajah  Bassa.  '^ 

As  far  as  my  experience  goes,  I  can  testify  that  Horsburgh's  direc- 
tions for  the  Straits  of  Sunda  are  safe  and  good,  although  perhaps  not 
the  most  suitable  for  our  navigators,  for  he  makes  the  safety  of  the 
ship  his  principal  aim,  and  gives  directions  so  to  navigate  a  large  class 
vessel  as  to  insure  it ;  whilst  my  countrymen,  although  they  always 
read  him,  are  not  disposed  to  pursue  his  directions  exactly,  believing 
that  in  following  his  advice  more  time  is  lost  than  a  regard  to  sufficient 


416  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

safety  demands.  Although  such  may  be  the  case,  it  ought  not  to  lessen 
the  gratitude  that  navigators  owe  him  for  his  £ast  India  Directory,  a 
contribution  to  nautical  information  that  cannot  well  be  surpassed, 
either  for  general  accuracy,  or  as  regards  the  great  number  of  satis- 
factory directions  that  it  contains. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th,  we  again  got  under  way,  the  men  ex- 
hibiting their  joy  in  taking  this  first  real  step  on  their  homeward  course, 
by  running  up  the  anchor  quickly  to  the  bows,  and  by  thq  alacrity 
with  which  liiey  performed  their  other  duties.  With  a  light  wind 
from  the  eastward,  we  stood  into  the  Indian  Ocean,  between  the 
islands  of  Pulo  Bessy  and  Crockatoa ;  the  day  was  a  delightful  one, 
and  being  Sunday,  when  bo  unessential  duty  was  performed,  there  was 
leisure  to  enjoy  it.  After  divine  service,  the  wind  shifted  to  the  north- 
ward  and  westward,  and  towards  night  we  experienced  severe  squalls 
from  that  quarter,  accompanied  by  lightning  and  torrents  of  rain.  In 
the  intervals  between  the  gusts,  the  wind  blew  freshly,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  7th  we  found  ourselves  fairly  launched  on  the  blue 
waters  of  the  ocean,  pursuing  rapidly  our  homeward  course. 

We  were  now  truly  on  our  route  for  home,  and  finding  that  the 
brigs  detained  us  by  their  slower  rate  of  sailing,!  determined  to  part 
company  with  them,  having  some  days  previously  given  them  direc* 
tions  what  course  to  pursue  in  such  an  event :  these  will  be  found  in 
Appendix  XIV.  We  accordingly  made  all  the  sail  that  could  be 
carried,  and  soon  left  them  behind  us.  As  we  proceeded  to  the  south- 
ward, the  wind  gradually  hauled  to  the  westward,  and  continued 
blowing  strongly  from  that  quarter  until  the  10th,  on  which  day  we 
reached  the  latitude  of  14''  S.,  and  longitude  100°  E. 

The  11th  was  the  first  fine  day  since  our  departure  from  the  straits; 
and  on  this  day  we  had  some  slight  indications  that  we  should  be 
favoured  with  the  trades.  On  trying  the  temperature  of  the  water,  one 
hundred  fathoms  deep,  we  found  it  to  difier  from  that  at  the  surface 
only  six  degrees. 

On  the  iSth,  we  had  reached  latitude  ll""  S.,  and  longitude  98""  K 
The  weather  was  now  delightful,  and  we  experienced  the  long  swells 
of  the  ocean  from  the  southward  and  eastward,  togeth^  with  moderate 
breezes  from  the  same  quarter.  I  determined  now  to  run  on  that 
parallel  of  latitude;  for  I  believed,  judging  from  my  experience  in 
other  seas,  that  steady  trade-winds  were  more  likely  to  prevail  on  it 
than  farther  to  the  southward. 

On  the  13th,  we  overtook  an  Engjish  barque.  At  this  time,  the 
crew  began  to  be  aflfected  with  catarrhs  and  influenza,  and  thirty- 


CAPE0F600DH0PE.  417 

eight  were  reported  on  the  sick-list.  These  affections  were  imputed 
to  the  damp  and  wet  weather  which  we  had  experienced  after  leaving 
the  Straits  of  Sunda. 

As  we  were  making  our  passage  across  the  Indian  Ocean  in  those 
months  during  which  hurricanes  most  prevail,  some  little  anxiety  was 
felt  on  this  account ;  and  as  we  neared  the  longitude  of  the  Mauritius, 
the  appearances  of  the  weather  were  carefully  scanned.  On  the  16th, 
signs  of  a  change  in  the  weather  were  evident ;  there  was  also  a  fall 
in  the  barometer,  and  we  encountered  a  heavy  and  rising  swell  from 
the  southward  and  westward,  which  continued  for  about  seventy 
miles.  So  well  defined  were  the  waves,  and  so  large,  it  satisfied  me 
they  were  caused  by  a  violent  gale  blowing  at  no  great  distance  from 
us.  On  the  17th,  we  passed  for  fifty  miles  through  swells  from  the 
southward  and  eastward,  and  of  the  same  character  as  those  seen  on 
the  day  before.  I  made  many  endeavours  to  measure  the  velocity  of 
these  waves,  and  their  altitudes,  and  found  the  former  to  be  from 
twelve  to  twenty  miles  per  hour,  and  the  latter  about  eighteen  feet : 
I  was  not  satisfied,  however,  that  these  measurements  were  quite 
accurate,  nor  was  there  sufficient  opportunity  to  render  them  so. 

On  the  20th,  we  had  fine  weather  until  noon,  at  whiefa*  time  the 
wind  shifted  to  the  northward.  This  change  was  accompanied  by  a 
fall  of  the  barometer,  and  every  other  indication  that  we  were  about 
to  experience  one  of  the  phenomena  peculiar  to  this  ocean.  Every 
preparation  was  made  to  encounter  the  bad  weather  whose  approach 
the  wind  and  sea  indicated.  The  barometer  gradually  fell  from 
30  inches  to  29*89,  '85,  -83,  *81,  '80,  -79,  in  six  hours ;  it  then  re- 
mained stationary  for  three  hours,  afterwards  rose  one-tenth  of  an 
inch,  again  fell  to  29*79,  and  remained  at  that  height  for  more  than 
twenty-four  hours.  During  this  time  the  sea  changed  its  direction, 
and  set  heavily  from  the  westward,  causing  the  ship  to  pitch  deeply. 
We  had  a  light  wind  from  the  same  quarter  for  several  hours,  which 
afterwards  veered  to  the  southward  and  eastward,  enabling  us  again 
to  lay  our  course.  The  height  of  the  waves  last  spoken  of>  as  deter*^ 
mined  by  a  mean  of  several  measurements,  was  about  twenty-three 
feet,  and  their  mean  velocity  about  twenty-five  miles  per  hour;  but 
some  of  them,  which  I  lost  the  opportunity  of  measuring,  were  cer- 
tainly higher. 

On  the  23d,  Benjamin  Vanderford,  master's  mate,  died.  During  the 
cruise,  I  had  often  experienced  his  usefulness,  and  now  regretted  his 
loss.  He  had  formerly  been  in  command  of  various  ships  sailing 
from  Salem,  and  had  made  many  voyages  to  the  Feejee  Islands. 
During  our  stay  there  he  was  particularly  useful  in  superintending 

VOL.  V.  58 


418  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOP& 

all  trade  carried  on  to  supply  the  ships ;  he  always  proved  himself  a 
good  officer,  afid  was  one  for  whom  I  felt  much  regard.  Aa  some- 
times happens,  he  had  a  presentiment  of  his  own  death,  and  had 
long  been  impressed  with  the  ojHnion  that  he  would  not  survive  to 
return  to  his  country.  His  death  produced  a  great  impression  upon 
Vendovi,  for  Mr.  Yanderford  was  the  only  person  with  whom  that 
chief  could  converse,  and  a  sort  of  attachment  had  sprang  up  between 
them,  arising  from  the  officer's  long  residence  with  Tanoa  at  Ambau, 
and  his  familiarity  with  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Feejee 
Islands.  Besides,  Vendovi  looked  forward  to  his  becoming  a  protector 
on  their  arrival  in  the  United  States.  While  conversing  with  Mr. 
Yanderford,  some  time  before  his  death,  he  expressed  his  willingness 
to  take  charge  of  Yendovi,  and  to  befriend  him  on  our  arrival  at 
home ;  for,  although  the  Feejeeans  had  despoiled  him  of  aU  his  pro- 
perty, they  had  nevertheless  saved  his  life,  and  for  that,  or  rather  for 
refraining  from  devouring  him,  he  felt  some  gralitude,  and  would  have 
shown  it  to  Yendovi 

Poor  Yendovi  could  not  be  persuaded  to  look  at  his  friend's  corpse; 
his  spirits  evidently  flagged ;  a  marked  change  came  over  him ;  and 
he  no  doubt  felt  as  though  he  had  lost  his  only  friend.  His  own 
disease,  henceforward,  made  rapid  strides  towards  a  fatal  termination, 
and  he  showed  that  such  was  the  case  by  his  total  disregard  of  every 
thing' that  passed  around  him,  as  well  as  by  his  moping,  melancholy 
look.  On  the  24th,  the  remains  of  Mr.  Yanderford  were  committed 
to  the  deep,  with  the  usual  service  and  honours.  The  same  day  we 
experienced  a  current  to  the  northwest ;  and  the  crew,  after  having 
been  for  ten  days  afflicted  with  colds  and  influenza,  began  rapidly  to 
recover. 

On  the  S5th  of  March,  we  reached  latitude  23^  S.,  and  longitude 
68^  £.,  and  enjoyed,  until  the  dOth,  delightful  weather  and  strong 
trades,  enabling  us  to  make  two  hundred  and  fifly  miles  a  day.  On 
the  latter  day  we  overtook  and  spoke  the  ship  Clarendon,  of  Boston, 
from  Canton  for  New  York.  On  the  2d  of  April,  a  stror^  current 
was  felt  setting  towards  the  northwest ;  on  the  3d,  it  was  found  to  set 
west-northwest  We  had  squally  weather  on  the  4th,  accompanied 
by  frequent  lightning,  thunder,  and  rain.  This  storm  lasted  for  three 
hours.  We  then  ran  out  of  it,  having  fine  weather  again,  and  a  clear 
sky  overhead ;  leaving  as  it  were  behind  us  the  storm,  which  seemed 
to  occupy  half  the  firmament,  with  many  beautiful  and  well-defined 
rainbows.  I  was  told,  at  the  Cape,  that  this  phenomenon  of  the  sky 
half  covered  with  clouds,  was  frequently  seen  by  those  dwelling  there, 
or  navigating  the  seas  in  its  neighbourhood.;  and,  on  its  occurrence. 


CAPE   OF  GOOD   HOPE. 


419 


those  in  a  proper  situation  never  fail  to  witness  the  same  series  of 
beautiful  and  well-defined  rainbows. 

We  were  again  affected  by  currents  on  the  5th ;  and  they  showed 
themselves  in  the  formation  of  the  short  rough  sea  which  we  encoun- 
tered. The  deep*sea  soundings  on  that  day  gave  remarkable  results ; 
for,  while  the  temperature  of  the  water  at  the  surface  was  78-5°,  that 
al  a  depth  of  one  hundred  fathoms  was  78° ;  although  this  may  seem 
somewhat  singular,  it  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  circumstance  that 
we  were  within  the  influence  of  the  tropical  currents  setting  to  the 
southward  along  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa. 

On  the  6th,  experiments  on  the  temperature  of  the  water  gave 
similar  results,  although  the  difference  between  the  surface  temperature 
and  that  at  one  hundred  fathoms  depth  was  not  so  great  as  on  the  pre- 
vious day,  the  former  being  75*5°,  and  the  latter  78-5°.  The  ascertained 
set  of  the  ship  by  current  this  day  was  south  half  west,  forty  miles.  At 
noon  the  current  was^  found,  on  trial,  to  flow  in  the  same  direction,  but 
with  a  velocity  of  not  more  than  half  a  mile  per  hour. 

The  ship  continued  to  be  tossed  about  most  uncomfortably  during  the 
7th,  and  the  current  set  us  fifty-three  miles  in  a  west-southwest  direc- 
tion. We  passed  close  to  the  edge  of  the  Aguillas  Bank,  where  the 
temperature  of  the  surface  water  rose  to  78°,  and  continued  so  until 
5  p.  H.,  when  the  water  became  discoloured,  and  it  fell  to  73° ;  we  then 
obtained  soundings  with  sixty  fathoms  of  line  on  dead  coral.  During 
this  time  the  temperature  of  the  air  had  not  been  higher  than  70°.  In 
order  to  examine  the  temperature  of  the  warm  stream  that  we  were 
passing  through,  I  shaped  a  course  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  direc- 
tion of  its  flow,  and  while  sailing  sixty  miles  made  the  following  obser- 
vations : 


At  noon,  the  temperature  of  the  rarftoe 
"  1  ?.  M  *  •* 


-9 
•8 
"4 
-5 

-6 

"7 
-8 


M 
tt 
tt 
tt 
tt 
M 
M 


tt 
H 
M 
M 

tt 
M 


« 
« 
tt 


780 

78 

78 

77 

75 

78 


68 
66 


At  the  time  of  the  last  observation  the  temperature  of  the  air  was  68°. 

On  the  morning  of  the  8th  we  had  soundings  in  sixty-nine  fathoms 
water;  the  direction  and  velocity  of  the  current  was  tried  by  anchoring 
a  boat.  The  direction  was  found  to  be  S.  66°  W.  (true),  and  the 
velocity  to  amoimt  to  three  quarters  of  a  mile  per  hour.  During  the 
last  twentyr£>ur  hours  the  current  had  set  us  thirty-three  miles,  and  in 


420  CAPE0F600DH0PE. 

the  same  direction  as  that  shown  by  our  experiment  A  trial  of  the 
temperature  at  the  bottom  was  made  with  the  deep-sea  thermometer, 
and  was  found  to  be  56^^ ;  while  at  the  surface  it  was  69^.  The  land 
to  the  westward  'of  Algoa  Bay  was  now  in  sight,  and  it  was  not  a  little 
remarkable  as  we  came  on  soundings  how  soon  we  passed  into  a 
smooth  and  quiet  sea,  from  a  rough  and  tossing  one,  exhibiting  all  the 
turbulent  characteristics  that  are  caused  by  the  meeting  of  powerful 
currents. 

On  the  9th,  the  wind  being  contrary,  we  continued  standing  in 
towards  the  land,  and  in  the  afternoon  were  not  more  than  ten  miles 
from  the  coast.    The  temperature  of  the  air  and  water  was  68^ 

The  next  day  the  wind  blew  from  the  same  direction,  and  as  the 
weather  was  fine,  I  determined  to  stand  off  to  the  edge  of  the  bank 
previously  spoken  of,  in  order  to  obtain  the  assistance  of  the  current 
running  there,  to  carry  us  to  the  westward.  At  4  p.  m.  we  tried  the 
set  and  velocity  of  the  current,  on  soundings  in  eighty-five  fathoms 
water,  and  found  its  direction  to  be  east-northeast ;  its  rate,  a  quarter 
of  a  knot  per  hour.  During  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  while  on  sound- 
ings, the  set  of  the  current  was  thirty-three  miles  N.  62**  K  At  6  p.  m. 
the  temperature  of  the  water  changed  from  67^  to  75^,  and  with  this 
variation  of  temperature,  we  found  we  were  again  entering  the  turbu- 
lent sea.  In  the  tacks  we  made,  off  and  on,  the  temperature  rose  and 
fell  during  each  of  them,  several  degrees,  and  the  turbulent  and  smooth 
water  formed  a  well-defined  line. 

On  the  11th,  we  still  continued  in  the  rough  water;  the  temperature 
at  the  surface  being  75^  but  that  at  one  hundred  fathoms  depth  was 
only  65^ ;  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms  of  line,  there  were  no 
soundings.  In  the  evening  the  water  became  remarkably  phosphore- 
scent ;  in  fact,  to  a  greater  degree  than  I  had  ever  previously  observed, 
except  at  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands,  while  on  our  outward  voyage. 
After  we  had  passed  the  pitch  of  the  Cape,  the  direction  of  the  current 
was  found  to  be  changed,  having  set  us,  in  twenty-four  hours,  forty 
miles,  on  a  course  N.  40**  W. 

I  am  satisfied  that  the  use  of  thermometers  would  be  beneficial  to 
those  navigating  around  this  Cape ;  for  by  keeping  in  water  of  a  tem- 
perature above  70^,  they  would,  although  exposed  to  a  rougher  sea,  be 
carried  more  rapidly  around  the  Cape,  and  would  discover  that  they 
had  passed  it  by  encountering  the  cold  water  which  is  flowing  rapidly 
to  the  northwest.  In  fact,  it  is  obvious  to  me  that  the  anomalies  of 
current  and  temperature  existing  in  this  neighbourhood,  can  only  be 
accounted  for  on  the  hypothesis  of  an  upper  and  under  current  of 
different  temperatures.    The  former  of  these  is  the  warm,  the  latter 


CAPEOFGOODHOPE.  421 

the  cooler  one :  but  for  a  more  particular  explanation  of  this  subject, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  the  diagram  map,  and  the  chapter  on  currents 
and  ^vhaling. 

On  the  12th  of  April,  we  arrived  off  False  Bay.  The  temperature 
of  the  surface  water  was  reduced  to  64^  and  the  current  was  setting 
us  rapidly  to  the  north-northwest.  The  fog  and  mist  that  now  pre- 
vailed, prevented  my  observations  for  ascertaining  the  rate  of  the  cur- 
rent from  being  as  accurate  as  I  desired;  the  results,  such  as  they 
were,  gave  it  a  velocity  of  more  than  a  mile  per  hour. 

On  the  13th,  no  observations  could  be  obtained  on  account  of  the 
fog  and  mist;  and  our  situation  became  rather  a  perplexing  one.  On 
making  trial  of  the  current,  we  found  that  it  was  drifting  us  to  the 
north  at  the  rate  of  eighteen  miles  in  twenty-four  hours.  Soundings 
were  obtained  in  eighty-five  fathoms.  The  temperature  of  the  surface 
water  fell  to  54°.  Towards  evening  it  cleared  up,  and  our  situation 
was  obtained  by  bearings,  which  placed  us  off  Snake's  Head,  about 
twelve  miles  to  the  southward  and  westward  of  the  Lion's  Head. 
Believing  that  my  only  chance  of  making  Table  Bay  was  by  keeping 
as  close  to  the  shore  as  possible,  I  kept  the  ship  on  soundings  during 
the  night,  and  at  daylight  stood  in  through  a  thick  fog  for  what  I  felt 
sure  must  be  the  position  of  Green  Point  While  under  way,  we  fell 
in  with  a  fleet  of  small  fishing-boats  lying  at  anchor.  Their  crews 
were  catching  a  species  of  bass,  as  fast  as  they  could  haul  in  their 
lines.  Immense  numbers  of  birds,  such  as  albatrosses,  petrels,  and 
gulls,  surrounded  the  boats,  and  were  feeding  on  the  small  fish  and 
offal  thrown  overboard  from  them.  The  fish  caught  here  are  salted^ 
and  being  afterwards  dried,  furnish  no  inconsiderable  portion  of  the 
food  of  the  lower  orders  of  the  colony.  One  of  the  fishermen  was 
desired  to  come  on  board,  and  after  he  had  satisfied  me  that  some 
reliance  might  be  placed  in  him  as  a  pilot,  he  was  retained  with  us. 
Under  his  guidance  we  stood  on,  and  as  the  fog  began  to  break  aWay 
reached  our  anchorage,  having  passed  close  to  the  lighthouse  and 
Green  Point,  the  western  point  of  Table  Bay.  The  captain  of  the 
port.  Commander  Bance,  R.  N.,  boarded  us  soon  after  we  had 
anchored.  I  was  glad  to  see  this  gentleman,  to  whom  I  felt  under 
obligations,  for  civilities  and  kindness  shown  me  some  eighteen  years 
previously,  during  a  cruise  off  the  coast  of  Peru. 

An  ofiicer  was  despatched  by  me  to  call  upon,  and  report  our  arrival 
to  Sir  George  Thomas  Napier,  governor  of  the  colony. 

The  falling  of  the  ball  at  the  Royal  Observatory  afforded  us  an 
opportunity  for  comparing  the  time  as  shown  by  our  chronometers 

2L 


422  CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE. 

with  that  of  the  Cape.  Of  this  we  took  advantage,  and  found  that 
our  time-keepers  had  performed  well. 

Much  to  my  regret,  our  consul  at  this  place,  Isaac  Chase,  Esq.,  was 
confined  to  his  house  by  sickness.  I  anticipated  detention  from  this 
cause;  but  on  visiting  him  at  his  residence  on  Green  Point,  I  was 
informed  by  him  that  he  had  already  made  arrangements  through  the 
house  of  Bordelaise,  Thompson  &  Pillars,  for  supplying  all  our  wants 
as  soon  as  possible. 

The  view  of  Cape  Town  and  its  vicinity  from  the  anchorage,  is 
remarkable,  and  the  whole  seems  novel.  Directly  in  its  rear  rise  the 
perpendicular  sides  of  Table  Mountain,  while  on  either  hand  are  seen 
the  crags  of  the  Lion's  Head  and  Devil's  Peak ;  the  former  usually 
overhung  by  a  large  cloud,  which  often  covers  the  whole  town  with 
its  broad  shadow.  These  mountains  are  composed  of  a  dark  reddish- 
gray  sandstone,  and  excepting  immediately  at  their  base,  and  close 
to  the  rear  of  the  town,  show  but  little  signs  of  vegetation.  Here  and 
there  pretty  straw-coloured  cottages  are  scattered  among  the  foliage. 

The  anchorage,  which  is  at  some  distance  from  the  beach,  was,  at 
the  time  of  our  arrival,  occupied  by  a  large  number  of  vessels,  which 
somewhat  surprised  me,  for  at  this  season  of  the  year  the  bay  is  often 
visited  by  northers,  which  have  in  former  years  done  much  damage, 
and  caused  the  loss  of  many  lives.  I  was  informed,  however,  that 
but  little  apprehension  is  now  felt  on  their  account,  for  ships  are  at 
the  present  time  well  provided  with  chain  cables,  and  can  hold  their 
ground.  Two  quays  extend  from  the  beach  into  the  bay,  affording 
facility  to  lighters  to  discharge  and  take  in  their  cargoes  at  all  times 
of  the  tide. 

The  town  itself  shows  many  traces  of  its  original  occupants.  The 
houses,  with  their  prim  little  stoops,  porches,  and  gables  to  the  street, 
reminding  me  strongly  of  those  built  by  the  early  settlers  of  New  York 
and  Albany.  But  few  of  the  streets  have  any  sidewalks,  and  many 
of  them  are  not  paved  at  all,  causing  them,  in  consequence  of  the  arid 
climate,  to  be  ankle-deep  in  dust  Nine-tenths  of  the  inhabitants  still 
retain  a  Dutch  look,  and  many  of  them  are  unable  to  speak  any  other 
than  their  original  language,  while  to  a  large  number  of  them  the 
epithet  ''boors,"  so  commonly  bestowed,  is  quite  applicable.  The 
town  is  laid  out  with  regularity,  many  of  the  streets  crossing  each 
other  at  right  angles,  and  some  are  of  respectable  width.  Rows  of 
oak,  poplar,  and  pine  trees  line  the  sides  of  the  principal  avenues. 
Many  contain  shops,  which  are  well  supplied  with  the  usual  varieties 
of  European  goods.    Roses  and  vines  are  cultivated  in  front  of  the 


CAPE0F600DH0PE.  428 

houses,  and  their  blossoms  and  fruit,  although  within  reach  of  all,  are 
respected.  The  houses  are  painted  of  various  colours,  without  any 
regard  to  taste,  and  are  of  a  clean  though  antiquated  appearance.  No 
two  of  them  are  alike,  yet  their  styles  are  so  marked,  that  the  country 
whence  their  builders  came  may  be  judged  with  tolerable  certainty 
from  each.  Badly-painted  signs  are  as  numerous  as  in  our  own 
country,  and  vanes  pointing  in  every  direction  surmount  the  gables. 
The  Dutch  costume  still  prevails  among  the  inhabitants,  and  afforded 
us  much  amusement.  In  the  schools  the  Dutch  language  is  still 
taught ;  though  in  many  the  English  is  a  branch  of  education.  Con- 
sidering the  number  of  years  that  this  colony  has  been  under  the 
British  dominion,  it  surprised  me  to  find  that  a  knowledge  of  the 
Dutch  was  much  more  necessary  than  that  of  English,  while  dealing 
with  the  inhabitants. 

There  are  two  hotels  in  Cape  Town,  the  Royal  George  and  the 
Victoria,  both  kept  on  the  English  plan.  The  former  we  frequented 
during  our  short  stay,  and  found  .it  comfortable,  although  far  inferior 
to  what  might  have  been  expected  from  the  size  of  the  town. 

The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  was  originally  settled  by  the  Dutch  in 
1652 ;  captured  by  the  British  in  1795 ;  restored  again  after  the  peace 
of  Amiens  in  1802;  again  taken  possession  of  in  1806;  and  finally 
ceded  to  Great  Britain  in  1815.  During  its  occupation  as  a  Dutch 
colony,  it  had  twenty-eight  governors,  and  since  it  has  been  under 
British  rule  it  has  had  eighteen.  By  this  it  will  be  perceived  that 
the  changes  in  its  administration  have  been  frequent,  and  what  might 
naturally  be  expected  to  follow,  the  policy  and  character  of  its 
governors  have  been  vacillating.  It  has  been  generally  ruled  very 
much  after  the  ideas  of  those  who  presided  for  the  time  being.  The 
government  is  nominally  vested  in  the  governor,  and  an  executive  and 
legislative  council,  who  are  all  appointed  by  the  crown,  or  with  its 
approbation  and  consent 

Under  this  system  of  government  it  has  been  the  misfortune  of  the 
Cape  colony  to  be  placed  ;  and  the  advantages  it  has  possessed  under 
some,  have  been  counterbalanced  by  others,  and  not  unfi*equently  the 
salutary  regulations  made  by  one,  have,  without  any  apparent  reason, 
in  the  minds  of  the  colonists,  been  annulled  or  set  aside  by  others ; 
which,  of  course,  has  tended  to  foment  discord  and  produce  a  feeling 
of  opposition  to  British  rule :  this  has  prevented  the  advancement  of 
the  colony,  and  retarded  its  usefulness  by  giving  license  to  crime  that 
otherwise  would  not  have  existed. 

Of  late  years,  however,  although  the  government  still  remains  the 
same,  yet  they  have  been  more  fortunate  in  the  individuals  who  have 


424  CAPE   OF  GOOD   HOPE;. 

presided  over  it  In  regarding  the  British  colonial  system,  it  appears 
remarkable  that  the  British  nation,  generally  so  mindful  of  political 
rights,  should  place  it  in  the  power  of  distant  governors  to  rule  their 
colonists  with  almost  despotic  sway,  and  their  growth  and  rise  to  be 
at  the  option  of  any  one  individual,  who  may  arbitrarily  crush  or  para- 
lyse the  efforts  of  industry  and  the  developement  of  resources.  Many 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Cape  complain  of  this  polity,  but  look  forward 
to  the  adoption,  in  the  course  of  time,  of  an  elective  legislative  body, 
which  will  give  them  some  share  in  the  government,  and  prevent  not 
only  misrule,  but  undue  taxation  and  a  misapplication  of  its  funds  in 
the  various  improvements  which  government  may  authorize. 
.  The  executive  council  consists  of  seven  members,  including  the 
goYernor,  who  is  the  presiding  officer ;  and  the  legislative  council  of 
thirteen,  composed  of  the  members  of  the  executive  council  and  five 
additional  unofficials,  who  are  themselves  residents  of  the  colony, 
named  by  the  governor,  and  appointed  by  the  crown. 

The  same  kind  of  government  may  be  said  to  exist  now  as  in  New 
South  Wales,  of  which  I  have  had  occasion  to  speak  when  treating  of 
that  colony ;  and  it  is  thought  to  be  equally  inefficient,  and  to  require 
reform. 

One  of  the  circumstances  that  had  agitated  the  respectable  portion 
of  this  colony,  has  been  the  publication  of  the  authentic  Cape  records. 
Many  entered  warmly  into  the  scheme  at  first,  but  it  was  soon  per- 
ceived what  the  developements  were  likely  to  be,  and  that  many  who 
had  played  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  history  of  the  colony,  were  about 
io  have  all  their  public  as  well  as  private  acts  brought  to  light ;  and 
this  has  raised  a  strong  opposition  to  the  continuance  of  the  publica- 
tion. The  editor,  Donald  Moodie,  Esq.,  in  the  year  previous  to  our 
visit,  made  an  appeal,  stating  the  difficulties  that  he  had  encountered, 
and  adding,  that  he  would  in  consequence  be  obliged  to  give  up  the 
task.  Some  of  the  numbers  were  sent  me  by  a  friend,  which  I  took 
the  more  interest  in  perusing,  as  exhibiting  the  history  of  the  tribe  of 
Hottentots,  which  may  be  now  deemed  almost  extinct,  so  far  as  the 
civilized  -and  settled  portions  of  the  colony  extend.  Many  disreputable 
actions  on  the  part  of  all  those  who  have  been  engaged  were  here 
exposed,  and  I  am  not  at  all  surprised  that  the  official  incumbent,  as 
well  as  others,  should  exert  all  their  interest  to  effect  its  suppression ; 
however,  as  many  of  these  statements  are  now  before  the  public,  it 
would  be  desirable  that  they  should  be  gone  through  with,  that  there 
may  be  a  full  understanding  of  the  transactions  that  have  now  come 
to  light,  in  order  to  have  a  full  knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  affairs 
of  the  colony,  as  well  in  relation  to  the  governor  as  to  those  who  have 


CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE.  435 

been  employed  under  the  governmental  authority,  whether  missionaries 
or  officials.  Like  the  secret  details  of  all  colonies,  they  will  show  a 
great  deal  of  misrule,  inhumanity,  and  want  of  system,  in  the  conduct 
of  affairs.  The  opposing  interests  are  such  that  the  whole  will  pro- 
bably be  exposed.  The  colonists,  on  the  one  side,  feeling  themselves 
unjustly  charged  with  cruelty  and  persecution  of  the  unfortunate 
natives,  desire  that  all  the  investigations  that  have  taken  place  may  be 
brought  before  the  public ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  those  who  are  or 
have  been  in  any  way  connected  with  the  government,  are,  from  all 
accounts,  disposed  to  the  suppression  of  this  documentary  evidence. 
Were  I  desirous  of  Showing  the  dark  side  of  the  picture,  I  might 
insert  here  a  few  extracts  that  would  startle  the  many  who  now  boast 
of  their  philanthropic  action,  and  are  disposed  to  condemn  the  actions 
of  others  in  regard  to  slavery,  who  are,  in  comparison,  far  less  guilty 
of  *wrong  to  the  interests  of  humanity.  Those  who  are  disposed  to 
look  further  into  these  subjects,  may  consult  "  Specimens  of  the 
Authentic  Records  of  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  relative 
to  the  Aboriginal  Tribe ;  together  with  an  Inquiry  into  the  Justice  and 
Expediency  of  publishing  the  remaining  portion  of  those  Records,  by 
Donald  Moodie :  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  1841." 

On  the  morning  after  my  arrival  I  called  on  his  excellency  the 
governor,  at  the  government-house,  where  I  had  the  honour  of  an 
introduction  to  Sir  George  Napier.  His  reception  was  kind  and  frank. 
With  him  I  passed  a  pleasant  half  hour.  Sir  George  is  one  of  the 
heroes  of  the  Peninsular  War,  and  bears  the  inarks  of  his  activity  in 
those  well-contested  conflicts,  in  the  loss  of  an  arm.  He  showed  me 
over  the  apartments,  which,  however,  are  not  now  occupied,  as  he  was 
living  at  his  country-seat  They  appear  convenient,  and  afford  from 
the  windows  a  view  of  the  government  demesne^  which  is  quite  pretty, 
planted  as  it  is  with  fine  old  oaks ;  part  of  it  is  kept  as  a  public  walk, 
which  the  citizens  frequent  on  holidays  in  large  numbers.  The  Cape 
station  has  never  been  a  popular  one,  from  the  want  of  society ;  but  of 
late  years  very  many  persons  from  India  have  made  it  a  resort  for  the 
recovery  of  their  health,  and  in  a  measure  supplied  the  deficiency  in 
this  respect.  The  offices  for  the  transaction  of  government  business 
are  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  government-house,  and 
within  the  precincts  is  also  a  college  for  the  education  of  the  youths 
of  the  colony ;  it  has  several  professors,  but  I  understood  all  those  who 
desire  to  have  their  children  well  educated  send  them  to  England. 

The  barracks  are  extensive,  and  well  built,  and  have  a  large  area 
in  front  as  a  parade-ground.    There  are  several  other  buildings  going 

VOL.  v.  2L8  54 


436  CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE. 

up,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  troops  and  hospitals  for  the  sick,  all 
handsome  and  well  situated.  I  regret  to  say  that  as  much  cannot  be 
said  for  the  town  prison,  nor  for  the  buildings  appropriated  to  the 
police  department,  custom-house,  and  harbour-master's  department: 
all  these  bear  the  marks  of  what  Cape  Town  was,  and  stand  in  strong 
contrast  to  the  modem  improvements. 

Formerly  the  municipal  government  of  Cape  Town  consisted  of  a 
president,  four  members,  the  town  treasurer,  and  a  secretary.  The 
president  was  elected  for  two  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  senior 
member  of  the  board.  This  board  was  dissolved,  apparently  for  no 
sufficient  reason,  for  every  one  was  satisfied  with  its  usefulness  in 
controlling  the  various  duties  appertaining  to  a  corporate  body. 

The  town  is  now  divided  into  twelve  districts,  and  each  district  into 
four  wards,  over  each  of  which  there  is  a  commissioner,  and  four 
ward-masters,  chosen  by  the  people.  The  first  form  the  upper  board, 
and  the  last  the  lower,  and  each  have  a  chairman  and  deputy  chair- 
man, who,  among  other  duties,  act  as  appraisers  of  property,  on  which 
the  taxes  are  assessed  equal  to  three-quarter  pence  in  the  pound.  By 
the  statistical  tables  published,  it  appears  that  the  valuation  of  property 
of  Cape  Town  reaches  the  sum  of  one  million  six  hundred  and  thirty- 
six  thousand  pounds. 

The  municipal  regulations  now  seem  to  be  excellent,  and  are  more 
or  less  under  military  control.  The  police  has  been  organized  on  the 
plan  of  the  police  of  London,  and  its  efficiency  is  highly  spoken  of. 
From  all  the  information  I  could  gather,  crime  has  very  much  de- 
creased in  both  the  Cape  district  and  colony.  The  statistics  of  crime 
show  but  few  cases.  The  quarterly  sitting  of  the  grand  jury  took  place 
during  our  visit,  and  there  were  but  six  presentments,  viz.,  one  for 
culpable  horpicide,  two  assaults  with  intent  to  harm,  one  robbery,  one 
theft,  or  receiving  stolen  goods,  and  one  fraudulent  insolvency;  and 
this  within  a  district  containing  fifty  thousand  inhabitants. 

There  are  great  complaints  about  the  administration  of  the  laws  of 
the  colony ;  the  English  system  now  prevails  so  far  as  to  allow  counsel 
to  the  criminal.  The  trial  by  jury  is  established ;  seven  of  the  twelve 
must  be  present,  and  it  requires  a  majority  of  these  only  to  convict;  if 
more  than  seven  are  present,  and  the  jury  are  divided  equally,  the 
prisoner  is  acquitted.  The  Dutch  criminal  code  formerly  in  force  has 
been  modified  by  the  English,  so  far  as  respects  some  punishments; 
torture,  for  instance,  has  been  done  away  with.  The  crimes  of  murder, 
high  treason,  counterfeiting,  and  rape,  are  punished  with  death ;  thefts 
of  large  amount,  assault,  robbery,  and  the  like,  are  punished  by  trans- 


CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE.  437  I 


portation;  while,  for  other  and  minor  crimes,  the  prisoners  are 
employed  as  convicts  on  Robben's  Island,  working  in  the  quarries;  for 
less  offences,  flogging  and  imprisonment  are  inflicted. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  English  civil  law  has  been  modified  by  that 
of  the  Dutch :  this  has  increased  litigation,  in  consequence  of  the  absurd 
manner  in  which  boundaries  were  formerly  laid  off;  such,  for  instance, 
as  estimating  by  the  distance  a  man  could  walk  in  a  hour,  or  canter 
with  his  horse* 

Another  source  of  complaint,  which  amused  me  not  a  little,  was  the 
administration  of  justice  by  a  supreme  court,  over  which  a  chief  justice 
and  two  puisne  judges  preside ;  two  of  these  are  English,  while  the  third 
is  a  Scotchman ;  the  consequence  is,  the  English  judges  administer  the 
law  after  the  English  code,  while  the  Scotch  judge  follows  that  of 
Scotland,  which  often  renders  the  decision  diametrically  opposite :  and 
it  is  impossible  for  the  advocate  or  client  to  know  by  what  judge  or 
law  his  case  is  to  be  tried.  It  was  said,  I  know  not  with  what  truth, 
that  high  connexions  have  been  considered  more  suitable  qualifications 
for  the  office  than  legal  knowledge.  The  salaries  do  not  exceed  fifteen 
hundred  and  two  thousand  pounds  annually* 

There  are  in  the  Cape  colony  eight  districts.  Each  of  these  is 
governed  by  a  commissioner  or  civil  magistrate,  who  is  assisted  by 
justices  of  the  peace.  These  districts  are  again  subdivided  into  veld 
cornetcies.  The  cornetcies  are  governed  by  a  petty  magistrate,  who 
is  called  a  veld  cornet.  These  extend  over  a  distance  of  about  twenty 
miles,  and  under  him  is  organized  the  militia  force,  in  case  it  should  be 
called  out.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  latter  to  meet  the  requisitions  of  the 
higher  government  officers  for  supplies,  &c.  There  is  little  liberty 
allowed  the  inhabitants  of  the  districts,  who  are  restricted  from  all  acts 
that  might  in  any  way  tend  to  give  expression  to  their  sentiments ;  not 
even  are  they  allowed  to  hold  a  public  meeting,  and  all  kinds  of  prose- 
cutions are  referred  to  the  capital  for  final  decision.  At  the  Cape  they 
have  a  vice-admiralty  court  for  the  trial  of  offences  on  the  high  seas. 
The  commissioner  of  the  district,  and  others  holding  ofiice,  are 
appointed  under  the  great  seal,  who  are  each  empowered  to  grant 
licenses  of  marriage,  and  do  other  civil  acts,  and  have  associated  with 
them  the  justices  of  peace,  as  well  as  the  veld  cornets* 

The  taxes  are  represented  as  being  onerous ;  there  is,  for  instance,  a 
capitation  tax  of  six  shillings  annually,  on  all  free  males  and  females, 
above  the  age  of  sixteen.  Those  in  the  employ  of  the  government  are 
exempt,  as  well  as  the  servants  attendant  on  them.  Horses  and 
carriages  of  all  kinds  are  taxed  from  two  to  four  pounds.  There  is  a 
tax  on  all  incomes  exceeding  thirty  pounds,  of  two  per  cent ;  in  addition 


438  CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE. 

to  these  are  the  stamp  duties,  water  taxes,  house  taxes,  auction  duties^ 
market  duties,  tithes  on  wine  and  grain,  in  short,  on  every  thing  that  is 
sold ;  all  papers  executed,  transfers  of  property,  promissory  notes,  bonds, 
and  licenses  of  all  kinds ;  indeed,  it  would  be  difficult  to  mention  any 
thing  exempted  from  the  all-pervading  taxation  which  here  prevails. 
On  inquiring  the  cost  of  articles,  it  is  invariable  to  account  for  the 
price,  by  adding  that  the  article  is  taxed.  The  people  are  even  taxed 
for  permission  to  leave  the  colony;  and. I  was  told  it  was  necessary  to 
pay  a  tax  to  take  a  bath. 

The  whole  revenue  raised  amounts  to  £130,0009  and  the  expendi- 
tures do  not  exceed  £125,000. 

In  order  to  lessen  the  weight  of  the  taxation,  it  was  in  agitation  at 
the  time  of  our  visit,  to  increase  the  duties  on  imports,  which  are  about 
three  per  cent,  ad  valorem,  on  English  articles,  and  ten  per  cent,  on 
foreign  goods. 

The  circulation  is  a  paper  one  of  the  denomination  of  rix-dollars, 
valued  at  one  shilling  and  six-pence.  There  are  no  notes  less  than 
twelve  rix-dollars,  equal  to  a  pound.  The  monetary  concerns  of  the 
colony  have  undergone  many  vicissitudes,  and  numerous  experiments 
have  been  made,  all  tending  to  produce  a  want  of  confidence.  Govern- 
ment, until  within  a  few  years,  had  the  entire  control  of  the  discount 
banks,  and  through  them  possessed  a  full  knowledge  of  the  affairs  of 
n>en  in  business,  and  it  is  said  did  not  fail  to  use  it  in  an  arbitrary 
manner,  producing  revulsions  in  the  monetary  affairs  of  the  colony  that 
were  highly  prejudicial  to  the  commercial  community,  causing  much 
distress,  and  in  some  cases  ruin,  of  which  many  feel  the  effects  to  this 
day. 

This  state  of  things  gave  rise  to  the  establishment  of  banks  exclu- 
sively under  the  control  of  private  individuals :  there  are  two  of  these 
corporations,  bearing  the  title  of  the  "  Cape  of  Good  Hope  Bank/'  with 
a  capital  of  £70,000,  and  the  '<  South  African  Bank,"  whose  capital 
amounts  to  £100,000;  the  capital  of  each  is  all  paid  in,  and  no  part 
of  it  can  be  withdrawn.  The  latter  is  not  a  bank  of  issue.  A  general 
statement  of  their  affairs  is  annually  made  to  the  proprietors.  Interest 
is  paid  on  deposits  remaining  longer  than  a  certain  specified  time. 
Inviolable  secrecy  is  observed  with  regard  to  individual  accounts,  and 
each  person  connected  with  the  institution  signs  a  promise  to  that 
effect  These  banks  afford  every  facility  within  the  bounds  of  pru- 
dence to  those  dealing  with  them,  even  carrying  the  spirit  of  accommo- 
dation so  far  as  to  keep  early  hours  for  the  benefit  of  the  agriculturists 
who  frequent  the  market 

This  new  system  is  found  to  work  admirably,  and  pays  handsome 


CAPE   OF  GOOD   HOPE.  439 

dividends  to  the  proprietors.  It  gratified  me  to  learn  that  the  public 
of  Cape  Town  is  chiefly  indebted  to  Isaac  Chase,  Esq.,  the  United 
States  consul,  for  the  adoption  of  this  banking  system.  I  had  many 
interesting  conversations  ivith  him  on  the  subject,  and  also  conversed 
with  others,  inhabitants  of  the  colony,  who  expressed  themselves 
highly  pleased  with  the  success  of  these  institutions,  while  at  the 
same  time  they  acknowledged  their  obligations  to  our  commercial 
agent 

Wine  is  the  great  staple  of  the  colony;  but  many  of  the  vine- 
growers  have  been  ruined,  in  consequence  of  the  vacillating  policy 
pursued  by  the  home  government,  with  regard  to  this  branch  of 
industry.  Trusting  to  the  promises  made  by  the  government,  a  vast 
amount  of  capital  was  invested  in  the  business,  and  the  annual  pro- 
duction was  in  a  short  time  tripled.  This  state  of  things  continued 
for  about  ten  years;  but  in  the  year  1825  a  change  of  policy  took 
place,  and  the  protection  was  diminished  more  than  one-half;  and  at 
the  same  time  a  further  reduction  was  proposed  in  the  bounty.  As  a 
natural  consequence,  a  depreciation  in  all  the  wine  estates  took  place, 
and  the  loss  of  much  property  ensued.  This  was  made  more  un- 
pleasant to  the  Cape  colonists  by  a  proposition  to  put  a  duty  on  Cape 
wines,  that  would  have  the  effect  of  placing  them  at  a  higher  duty 
than  those  of  foreign  wines.  The  colonists  are  still  very  sensitive 
upon  the  subject  of  wine,  and  the  treatment  they  have  received ;  not 
only  have  they  to  complain  of  bad  faith  on  the  part  of  the  government, 
but  the  constant  efforts  of  others  to  decry  their  wines,  some  of  which 
are  produced  of  as  fine  a  quality  as  those  in  any  other  part  of  the 
world ;  but  there  is  some  foundation  for  the  disparaging  reports  that 
have  been  circulated,  for  quantities  have  certainly  been  sent  abroad 
that  had  been  very  much  adulterated. 

The  Cape  colony,  both  as  to  soil  and  climate,  is  well  adapted  to  the 
raising  of  all  descriptions  of  wines,  from  the  light  German  and  French, 
to  those  of  Madeira  and  Sherry. 

In  consequence  of  the  reverses  the  colonists  have  met  with  in  the 
wine  trade,  they  have  begun  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  raising  of 
sheep;  the  colony  has  been  found  to  be  well  adapted  to  those  producing 
fine  wool,  and  the  investments  that  have  been  made  in  them  bid  fair  to 
be  profitable. 

Wheat  and  maize  are  also  cultivated,  particularly  on  the  mountains 
near  the  Cape,  where  these  grains  grow  in  great  perfection,  and  are 
raised  in  sufficient  quantities  to  meet  the  consumption  of  the  colony, 
and  to  be  exported  in  considerable  quantity  to  the  Mauritius.  The 
wheat  now  used  is  of  a  hard  and  flinty  kind,  and  eflfectually  resists 


480  GAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

the  attacks  of  insects,  as  well  as  the  rust,  which  were  formerly 
troublesome. 

The  other  chief  productions  are  fruit,  oil,  and  provisions. 

One  great  obstacle  is  opposed  to  this  colony  ever  becoming  a  great 
producer  of  wool,  and  that  is  the  immense  distances  and  the  almost 
total  want  of  communications.  So  bad  are  the  roads  and  so  great  the 
hindrances  that  the  wonder  is,  not  that  there  is  so  little  internal  trade, 
but  how  transportation  is  effected  at  all.  Were  it  not  for  the  energy 
and  perseverance  of  the  early  colonists,  and  the  hardy  breed  of  cattle 
that  they  possess,  communication  between  distant  parts  of  the  colony 
would  be  nearly  impossible.  Some  opinion  may  be  formed  of  the  state 
of  the  roads  and  the  difficulties  to  surmount,  by  the  fact  that  fourteen 
pair  of  oxen  are  frequently  attached  to  a  small  wagon. 

The  ox  used  in  Africa  seems  to  me  to  be  of  an  entirely  different 
breed  from  the  animal  we  are  accustomed  to  see  in  our  country.  Their 
legs  are  much  longer  in  proportion  to  their  bodies,  lank  and  bare-boned, 
with  immense  horns ;  and  their  gait,  instead  of  a  slow  walk,  is  often  a 
trot 

The  whole  of  the  foreign  trade  of  the  colony  passes  through  Cape 
Town.  The  value  of  imports  is  estimated  at  one  and  a  half  millions 
sterling,  and  that  of  exports  amounts  to  upwards  of  a  million.  The 
vessels  engaged  in  this  trade  number  about  six  hundred,  whose  ton- 
nage amounts  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  tons.  The  total 
revenue  from  customs,  in  the  year  1840,  was  forty-two  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  seventy-seven  pounds.    The  exports  consist  of  wine,  wool, 

•  

ivory,  whale-oil,  hides,  tallow,  and  aloes.  These  are  either  brought  to 
Cape  Town  from  the  interior  in  wagons,  or  in  small  vessels  from  Algoa 
Bay.  They  are  sold  by  auction,  in  the  market-place,  every  Saturday. 
This  mode  of  effecting  sales  is  almost  universal.  The  services  of 
auctioneers  are  of  course  in  request,  and  in  addition  to  their  legitimate 
trade  they  receive  deposits  and  make  advances  on  merchandise  com- 
mitted to  their  charge.  The  government  taxes  on  sales  by  auction 
amount  to  a  large  sum,  and  no  article  can  be  sold  unless  a  tax  is 
paid;  for  any  infraction  of  this  law  there  is  a  heavy  penalty,  to  be 
collected  by  the  market-master,  who  is  appointed  by  the  government, 
and  who  superintends  the  collection  of  the  dues  according  to  a  tariff 
which  is  published. 

There  is  a  great  want  of  labourers  in  the  colony ;  and  since  the 
abolition  of  slavery,  this  scarcity  has  very  much  increased,  for  it  is 
found  that  those  who  have  been  manumitted  are  not  disposed  to  work 
more  than  is  necessary  to  provide  themselves  with  food.  The  attempt 
has  been  made,  and  arrangements  I  believe  were  in  progress,  or  con- 


CAPEOFGOODHOFB.  4S1 

templaled,  to  bind  bb  apprentices  the.  captured  slaves  brought  into  the 
island  of  St.  Helena,  to  those  who  were  willing  to  receive  them,  at  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  governor  of  St.  Helena,  Colonel  H.  Tre- 
lawny,  was  well  disposed  to  this  plan,  and  it  was  understood  was  co- 
operating with  the  authorities  of  the  Cape  to  carry  it  fully  into  effect 
Five  years  is  to  be  the  term  of  apprenticeship.  However  much  the 
authorities  inchne  to  this  plan,  the  wisdom  of  it  is  much  doubted  by  a 
large  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  colony,  who  allege,  that  although 
it  may  answer  the  purpose  of  giving  relief,  yet  this  benefit  will  not  be 
permanent,  and  in  a  few  years  they  may  be  overburdened  with  a 
population  of  blacks,  who  will  be  little  inclined  to  labour,  and  may  be 
a  great  impediment  to  the  introduction  of  a  class  of  free  labourers, 
who  might  be  permanently  beneficial  to  the  towns  as  well  as  to  the 
interior. 

In  the  inhabitants  of  Cape  Town,  although  one  sees  a  great  variety 
of  costume  and  figure,  yet  a  true  Hottentot  of  full  blood  is  said  to  be 
but  rarely  met  with.  Some,  indeed,  were  pointed  out  as  such;  but, 
although  they  seemed  to  have  the  distinguishing  marks  that  are  gene- 
rally impressed  upon  us  as  characteristic,  yet  on  further  inquiry  they 
did  not  prove  to  be  really  so.  The  wood-cut  gives  a  good  idea  of 
those  seen  at  Cape  Town. 


The  men  are  represented  as  being  very  much  att-ached  to  their 
ihe^>-skin  cloak  or  caross.    Those  that  we  saw  were  remarkable  for 


4a2  CAPEOFGOODHOPE. 

very  high  and  prominent  cheek-bones  and  a  sharp  chin ;  they  are  not 
much  inclined  to  steady  employment:  the  attending  of  cattle,  and  the 
indolent  and  wandering  life  in  which  they  pass  their  time,  suit  their 
disposition.  They  at  times  hire  themselves  out  to  the  farmers,  re- 
ceiving cattle  as  wages.  In  the  colony  they  do  not  bear  a  very  high 
character  for  honesty  and  faithfulness.  They  are  expert  drivers  of 
wagons,  but  are  otherwise  careless  and  inattentive.  They  are  deemed 
an  improvident  race,  though  there  are  some  instances  of  their  showing 
great  attachment  to  individuals  who  have  treated  them  well.  Their 
numbers  now  are  variously  stated ;  but  little  dependence  is  to  be  placed 
on  the  accounts  given,  as  is  evident  by  their  ranging  from  ten  to  thirty 
thousand. 

Upwards  of  thirty  thousand  slaves  in  the  colony  have  been  manu- 
mitted; but  the  success  of  these  as  free  labourers  is  by  no  means 
encouraging.  The  cooleys  or  bearers  have  regular  employment,  but 
the  great  majority  of  these  are  Malays  or  people  from  India. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  becoming  acquainted  with  Mr.  Thompson,  the 
intelligent  African  traveller,  to  whom  the  world  is  indebted  for  his 
interesting  accounts  of  the  Bushmen,  and  the  chief  knowledge  we 
have  of  the  interior  of  the  colony.  We  are  indebted  to  his  exertions, 
through  the  liberality  and  joint  action  of  some  gentlemen  of  the  Cape, 
for  the  many  attempts  that  have  been  made  to  penetrate  into  the  inte- 
rior of  Africa.  When  the  difficulties  and  perils  of  such  efforts  are  duly 
considered,  it  is  not  surprising  that  so  little  success  has  been  met  with 
in  the  various  expeditions  undertaken  with  this  view.  To  those  who 
would  wish  to  seek  adventure,  the  exploration  of  Africa  offers  at 
present  a  wider  and  more  novel  field  than  an^  other  portion  of  the 
world. 

The  colonial  government  has  of  late  years  had  much  trouble  with 
the  CafTre  tribes  on  the  eastern  limits  of  the  colony.  These  have 
frequently  made  incursions,  and  driven  off  the  cattle  of  the  settlers, 
in  revenge  for  the  injuries  they  have  sustained  from  the  whites.  The 
usual  result  is  taking  place;  here,  as  elsewhere,  civilized  man  is 
driving  the  savage  before  him,  and  occupying  their  hunting-grounds 
for  permanent  agriculture.  The  missionaries  have  in  some  cases 
pushed  their  establishments  among  these  savage  races,  and  from  them 
the  accounts  of  the  CafTres  have  been  mostly  derived.  Their  appear- 
ance as  well  as  character  seem  to  indicate  a  totally  different  origin 
from  the  negro  and  Hottentot  tribes.  One  of  the  marked  peculiarities 
about  them,  is  that  they  avoid  marrying  the  women  of  their  own  tribe, 
preferring  to  purchase  wives  from  their  neighbours,  for  whom  they 
barter  their  cattle.    Tamboukie  women  are  preferred,  although  they 


CAPE   OF   GOOD    HOPE.  433 

are  described  as  very  ugly,  being  short,  stout  in  the  body,  and  having 
strong  muscular  limbs. 

Those  who  have  visited  the  country  of  the  Caffres,  describe  them  as 
extremely  hospitable,  and  very  cheerful  in  their  dispositions.  They 
mostly  go  naked,  particularly  during  the  heat  of  summer,  though  they 
wear  the  caross  of  skin  in  the  winter.  Their  arms  consist  of  the  spear 
and  club,  with  a  shield  of  buU's-hide  to  protect  the  person.  Their 
principal  food  is  the  milk  of  their  herds,  which  they  value  beyond  any 
thing  else :  they  are  a  pastoral  people,  and  the  cattle-fold  is  considered 
the  great  place  of  honour,  so  much  so  that  their  chiefs  are  always 
found  to  occupy  it  They  have  of  late  years  obtained  many  horses ; 
formerly  they  used  the  ox  for  riding,  and  this  animal  is  said  to  have 
been  even  trained  by  them  for  the  race. 

The  part  of  South  Africa  occupied  by  the  Caffres  enjoys  a  delightful 
climate,  and  they,  consequently,  need  but  little  protection  from  the 
weather ;  and  their  huts  are  rudely  constructed. 

Of  late  years  the  settlers  at  Port  Natal,  on  the  eastern  coast,  who 
arc  surrounded  by  the  Caifre  tribes,  set  themselves  up  as  a  sort  of 
independent  community,  believing  they  were  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
colony ;  they  enacted  laws  and  regulations,  issued  their  declaration  of 
independence,  invited  settlers,  and  for  a  time  committed  many  atroci- 
ties on  the  Caffres.  The  Cape  government,  deeming  it  was  advisable 
to  check  this  disorderly  spirit,  sent  an  expedition  to  assert  their  proper 
supremacy.  Troops  were  proceeding  to  Port  Natal  at  the  time  of  our 
visit 

During  our  stay  we  visited,  as  all  strangers  do,  the  estate  of  Con- 
stantia ;  it  is  situated  about  thirteen  miles  from  Cape  Town.  There 
are  three  small  estates  that  bear  this  name,  viz. :  High,  Great,  and 
Little  Constantia.  The  country  we  passed  through,  although  barren 
and  sandy,  was  apparently  well  settled :  the  village  of  Wynberg  is 
the  residence  of  many  persons  who  come  here  to  enjoy  the  delightful 
air  that  generally  blows  from  the  eastward ;  most  of  the  residences 
are  pretty  cottages,  and  some  have  the  appearance  of  handsome  villas ; 
they  all  have  an  air  of  neatness  and  comfort  about  them.  Oaks  and 
the  pine  are  almost  the  only  trees  met  with,  and  one  is  somewhat 
surprised  that  even  these  should  be  found;  for  the  country  is,  to 
appearance,  a  barren  waste,  and  many  miles  of  it  are  quite  unproduc- 
tive for  agriculture.  The  scarlet  heath,  blue  oxalis,  and  the  yellow 
composite,  not  only  enliven  this  waste,  but  give  it  somewhat  the 
character  of  the  flowery  prairies  of  Oregon.  The  sandy  soil  looked 
like  the  sea-shore,  and  bears  indubitable  marks  of  having  been  once 
covered  by  the  ocean. 

▼OL.  ▼.  ^  M  56 


434  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

The  estates  of  Constantia  lie  east  of  the  Table  Mountain,  on  False 
Bay,  and  from  their  peculiar  situation  are  adequately  watered  by  the 
mists  condensed  by  that  lofly  mountain.  The  soil  of  these  estates  is 
far  from  being  rich,  but  is  rather  a  light  and  in  some  places  a  gravelty 
soiL  The  graperies  lie  for  the  most  part  on  the  slope  to  the  southeast, 
while  some  are  situated  on  the  low  lands,  which  are  carefully  ditched 
to  preserve  them  dry.  They  are  divided  into  fields  of  some  four  or 
five  acres  each;  the  grape-vines  are  planted  in  rows  four  feet  apart, 
they  are  never  permitted  to  grow  higher  than  three  feet,  and  the  whole 
is  kept  free  from  grass  and  weeds.  In  the  spring,  the  vines  are  pruned; 
the  grapes  come  to  maturity  in  April ;  while  they  are  growing,  all 
unnecessary  leaves  and  sprouts  are  removed,  to  give  free  access  to  the 
sun  and  air,  and  full  advantage  of  the  growth  of  the  parent  stock. 

The  grapes  are  allowed  to  remain  on  the  vines  until  almost  con- 
verted into  raisins:  they  are  then  carefully  examined,  and  all  the 
decayed  and  bruised  ones  removed,  before  being  gathered.  The  same 
process  is  used  for  expressing  the  grape  here  as  at  Madeira ;  but  they 
have  in  some  places  advanced  a  step,  and  use  the  screw-press.  The 
buildings  for  the  storage  of  the  wines  are  of  one  story,  and  arranged 
into  three  apartments ;  two  of  these  are  appropriated  to  the  manufac- 
ture of  the  wine,  and  the  third  to  that  which  is  kept  ripening  for  sale. 
The  wines  are  of  four  kinds,  Pontac,  Frontignac,  and  the  white  and 
red  Constantia.  These  are  named  in  the  order  of  their  celebrity  and 
price,  which  is  usually  a  fixed  one :  the  wine  here  is  sold  by  the  aam 
and  half  aam,  equivalent  to  a  barrel  and  half  barrel ;  the  cost  for  the 
last  quantity  is  one  hundred  dollars  for  the  first  kind,  eighty-five  for 
the  second,  seventy-five  for  the  third,  and  sixty  for  the  fourth.  To 
L.  y.  Renen,  Esq.,  the  proprietor  of  the  High  Constantia,  we  are  in- 
debted for  many  attentions.  The  grounds  of  Constantia  were  orna- 
mented with  some  plaster  statues  of  Hottentots  and  Caffres,  which 
were  said  to  represent  the  true  type  of  these  natives,  but  we  had  no 
opportunity  of  judging.* 

I  paid  a  visit  to  the  Cape  observatory,  famous  from  the  labours  of 
Sir  John  Herschell,  on  the  southern  constellations.  It  is  now  in  charge 
of  T.  Maclear,  Esq.,  who  was  at  the  time  of  our  visit  absent,  being 
engaged  in  the  measurement  of  an  arc  of  the  meridian.  His  assistant 
Mr.  Smyth,  and  Lieutenant  Wilmot,  of  the  magnetic  observatory, 
showed  us  the  instruments.  Lieutenant  Wilmot  has  four  non-com- 
missioned artillery  ofiicers  for  his  assistants.    The  day  of  our  visit 

*  Juit  previous  to  onr  departure,  we  were  in^med  that  some  true  Hottentots  were  in  die 
town  jail ;  the  last  place  one  would  haiv  tfaooght  of  looking  ftr  them.  Tlie  inteDigenoe 
CMune  too  late  to  make  use  of  it 


CAPE   OF   OOOD   HOPE.  435 

happened  to  be  term-day,  when  an  almost  uninterrupted  series  of 
observations  are  taken ;  our  stay  was  therefore  but  short,  as  I  was 
disinclined  to  interrupt  the  constant  duties  of  the  observers.  During 
our  visit  at  the  observatory,  the  weather  was  beautifully  clear;  no 
clouds  were  to  be  seen  except  over  the  Table  Mountain,  and  objects 
viewed  across  the  sandy  plain  were  much  distorted  by  refraction. 

The  botanists  attached  to  the  Expedition  attempted,  during  our 
stay,  to  ascend  to  the  top  of  Table  Mountain ;  but  having  taken  a  path 
different  from  that  usually  pursued,  they  were  arrested  by  the  per- 
pendicular wall  when  about  six  hundred  feet  below  the  top.  A  great 
collection  of  botanical  specimens  amply  repaid  them  for  their  disap- 
pointment They  visited  the  valley  between  Table  Mountain  aod  the 
Devil's  Peak,  and  found  it  to  consist  of  a  dry  q)ongy  soil,,  densely 
covered  with  Rutaceae,  intermixed  with  low  bushes  of  Heath,  Thyme^ 
lace®,  Diosmas,  and  Composite,  having  a  close  resemblance  and 
analogy  to  the  upland  bogs  of  New  Zealand. 

The  drives  around  Cape  Town  are  pleasant;  the  one  to  Green 
Point  is  the  most  agreeable:  this  is  a  straggling  village,  wkk  tbe 
houses  having  pretty  gardens  in  front,  laid  out  in  the  Eaglieb  style: 
the  distant  view  of  the  ocean,  with  the  heavy  surf  breaking  upon 
the  rocky  coast,  are  fine  objects  to  seaward.  The  sides  and  tope  of 
tbe  hills  in  the  rear  are  bare  of  trees,  but  the  roads  are  lined  with  Cacti 
of  large  growth,  giving  to  the  scenery  a  decidedly  tropical  character. 
Green  Point  has  a  municipal  government,  and  elects  its  commissioner 
and  ward-masters  in  the  same  manner  as  Cape  Town.  The  Kght« 
house  is  within  this  district :  it  is  quite  unworthy  of  the  name,  being 
decidedly  the  most  inferior  British  establishment  I  have  seen.  Thie 
surprised  me  the  more,  because  there  is  here  a  great  necessity  for  a 
brilliant  light 

There  is  a  Commercial  Exchange  at  Cape  Town,  possessing  a 
public  library,  consisting  of  about  thirty  thousand  volumes,  and  con* 
taining  a  reading«room,  as  well  as  a  large  hall,  which  is  used  for  the 
public  meetings  and  festivities  of  the  inhabitants. 

Diflferent  sects  of  Christians  are  vying  with  each  other,  to  carry 
civilization  and  the  gospel  to  the  tribes  [u  the  interior ;  but  as  usual, 
there  are  many  who  deny  the  purity  of  their  principles,  and  spread 
scandalous  reports  concerning  their  operations. 

The  walks  near  the  town  are  pretty,  and  kept  in  neat  order.  One 
that  leads  along  the  brook  in  the  rear  of  the  town,  whose  banks  are 
occupied  by  hosts  of  washerwomen,  is  peculiarly  picturesque ;  as  soon 
as  you  ascend  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  you  overlook  the  town,  bay,  and 


436  CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE. 

shipping,  and  gain  a  view  of  the  sandy  plain  and  distant  mountains^ 
with  Robben's  Island  and  Green  Point'in  the  distance. 

Among  the  objects  of  interest  at  the  Cape,  is  the  Botanical  Garden 
of  the  Baron  von  Ludwig.  To  his  liberality  we  are  much  indebted 
for  plants  and  seeds ;  and  in  fact  every  thing  that  our  botanists  desired 
was  placed  at  their  disposition.  The  garden  is  surrounded  by  a 
brick  wall,  and  situated  near  the  foot  of  the  Lion's  Rump ;  its  soil  was 
originally  poor,  but  it  has  been  much  enriched  by  manure.  The 
collection  of  plants,  both  native  and  exotic,  is  good,  but  the  season  of 
flowers  was  over.  The  native  bulbs,  which  form  the  great  beauty  of 
the  collections  here,  had  passed,  and  bat  a  few  Amaryliids,  and  some 
varieties  of  the  Oxalis,  remained  in  bloom.  Many  curious  specimens 
of  African  plants  were  noticed,  particularly  some  Zamias,  Strelitzias, 
Aloes,  and  Testudinarias.  Of  the  former  we  brought  home  a  fine 
specimen,  whose  fruit,  which  resembles  in  shape  a  large  pine-apple, 
is  eaten  by  the  Bushmen,  and  is  said  to  be  palatable  when  properly 
prepared.  The  collection  of  East  Indian  plants  was  in  fine  order,  and 
numerous  specimens  of  the  Cacti  attracted  our  notice. 

The  portion  of  ground  allotted  as  a  flower-garden  contains  a  fine 
collection  of  roses  and  dahlias,  of  ornamental  shrubs  and  annuals. 
There  is  also  a  vegetable-garden,  while  fruit  trees  are  interspersed 
here  and  there  throughout  the  whole.  The  proprietor  furnishes  tickets 
of  admission  to  all  who  desire  them ;  but  his  rules  and  regulations  as 
to  the  hour  of  entrance,  and  respecting  the  police  of  the  garden,  must 
be  strictly  observed. 

The  plants  furnished  us  by  the  Baron  have  flourished  admirably 
since  our  return. 

Tanks  of  some  extent  have  been  erected  by  the  government,  to 
preserve  water  for  the  use  of  the  town  and  shipping.  I  was  not 
aware  at  first  that  any  necessity  for  them  existed,  but  was  afterwards 
informed  that  the  town  has,  at  times,  suffered  severely  from  drought 

The  climate  of  the  Cape  is  usually  considered  salubrious,  and  par- 
ticularly renovating  to  constitutions  enfeebled  by  a  long  residence  in 
India. 

If  one  were  to  place  full  i^eliance  on  the  assertions  of  its  inhabitants. 
Cape  Town  and  the  surrounding  country  possess  a  perfection  of 
climate  to  be  met  with  in  no  other  part  of  the  world ;  but  this,  it  is  to 
be  regretted,  is  not  fully  corroborated  by  the  testimony  of  the  meteoro- 
logical registers  that  have  been  kept,  as  well  as  the  experience  of  those 
who  have  written  upon  the  subject.  It  has  many  peculiarities,  and 
may  be  termed  rather  a  cold  climate  for  its  latitude.    The  mean 


CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE.  437 

temperature  throughout  the  year  is  67j°.  The  extremes  vary  10® 
above  and  as  much  below  the  mean.  It  is  classed  by  its  inhabitants 
under  the  warm  and  equable  climates ;  yet,  notwithstanding,  in  many 
situations,  it  is  extremely  variable :  the  thermometer  will  fluctuate  ten 
degrees  in  as  many  minutes,  producing  an  unpleasant  sensation  of 
cold;  this  is  owing  to  the  chilly  winds  that  sweep  down  from  the 
Table  Mountain  in  blasts,  to  equalize  the  density  of  the  atmosphere 
rarefied  by  being  in  contact  with  the  heated  soil  beneath.  But  little 
difference  is  observed  between  the  temperature  of  sunshine  and  shade 
in  free  and  open  situations. 

This  variation  of  climate  is  ascribed  to  the  winds :  the  southeast 
winds  prevail  for  the  most  part  of  the  year,  and  are  warm ;  these  are 
succeeded  by  the  cold  winterly  winds,  which  invariably  bring  fog  and 
misty  weather ;  but  in  viewing  the  situation  of  the  Cape  with  respect 
to  the  large  bodies  of  water  flowing  past  it,  it  would  seem  more  rea- 
sonable to  impute  it  to  the  warm  tropical  and  cold  polar  currents  of 
water,  of  whose  existence  we  have  given  ample  proof  in  the  preceding 
pages;  for  if  the  winds  were  alone,  to  be  taken  into  account,  that 
which  comes  from  the  southeast,  in  the  southern  hemisphere,  ought  to 
produce  the  cold,  while  the  west  and  northwesterly  winds  should  be 
warm.  The  sudden  changes  of  temperature  mentioned  above  arip 
merely  local,  and  often  confined  within  narrow  limits. 

At  our  anchorage  in  the  bay  this  occurrence  was  strikingly  percep- 
tible, not  only  by  the  thermometer  but  from  the  effect  produced  on  our 
own  feelings ;  while  in  the  town,  although  the  change  could  be  felt, 
still  it  was  not  so  remarkable.  The  inhabitants  assert  that  these 
changes  occur  oflenest  during  the  prevalence  of  a  strong  southeast 
wind;  but  my  own  experience  leads  me  to  believe  that  they  take 
place  during  the  night,  and  particularly  when  a  calm  prevails,  or  but 
a  slight  breeze  is  blowing,  and  indeed  all  the  facts  connected  with  it 
would  lead  me  to  the  opinion  that  such  must  be  the  case.  Although 
all  seem  to  be  aware  of  these  variations  of  temperature,  I  did  not  learn 
of  any  observations  that  have  been  taken  that  could  be  relied  on  for 
accuracy. 

Thermometers  in  different  parts  of  the  town,  of  course,  give  very 
discordant  results,  and  all  meteorological  observations  ought  to  be 
taken  in  situations  as  far  as  possible  removed  from  the  influence  of 
these  changes.  The  southeast  winds  are  often  so  violent  as  to  prevent 
communication  between  the  shipping  and  the  shore  during  some  parts 
of  the  day,  and  often  cause  damage  to  the  small  boats,  or  to  the  vessels 
themselves.  Cargoes  can  only  be  taken  in  or  discharged  with  safety 
in  the  morning,  previous  to  the  occurrence  of  these  winds. 

2M2 


438     .  CAPEOFGOODHOPE. 

Before  concluding  my  remarks  on  the  climate  of  the  Cape,  it  is 
necessary  to  advert  to  the  curious  effects  of  refraction  that  are  often 
observed.  A  strange  distortion  of  objects  is  frequently  seen,  and  even 
at  a  short  distance  from  Robben's  Island  the  surf  sometimes  appears 
to  be  thrown  up  into  lofty  jets  of  foam,  or  a  wave  is  so  distorted  that 
it  seems  rolling  in  high  enough  to  submerge  the  whole  island.  These 
distortions  occur  not  only  in  the  sea  but  in  the  land  view.  I  noticed 
them  during  our  visit  to  the  observatory,  and  now  call  attention  to 
them  again,  because  the  same  effect  seems  to  be  produced  on  sea  or 
on  land  by  contrary  causes.  When  at  sea,  refractions  have  been 
observed  by  us,  whenever  the  thermometer  at  the  masthead  showed  a 
higher  degree  of  temperature  than  that  at  the  surface  of  the  water ; 
but  at  the  Cape  the  current  of  air  in  contact  with  the  heated  and 
sandy  soil  must  be  of  a  higher  temperature  than  that  immediately 
above  it,  and  thus  causes  the  distortion  of  distant  objects ;  or  the  fact 
may  be  accounted  for  on  the  supposition  of  two  parallel  currents  of 
different  temperatures,  moving  in  opposite  directions,  and  beyond  any 
immediate  influence  of  the  earth.  I  know  of  no  place  so  favourable 
to  the  observation  of  this  description  of  atmospheric  phenomena  as 
the  Cape  and  its  vicinity. 

•  The  population  of  the  Cape  colony,  by  the  returns  in  1841,  was  one 
hundred  and  fifty-three  thousand,  on  an  area  of  one  hundred  and  nine 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-four  square  miles.  The  deaths 
amount  annually  to  about  one  in  forty.  The  coloured  population 
exceeds  the  white  by  about  ten  thousand.  A  table  containing  the  last 
statistical  returns  will  be  found  in  Appendix  XV.  Landed  estates  in 
the  colony  are  generally  held  by  those  cultivating  them,  under  a  lease, 
and  not  in  fee.  The  early  settlers  had  not  sufficient  funds  to  enable 
them  to  purchase  as  large  farms  as  were  necessary,  and  the  present 
system  was  in  consequence  resorted  to.  The  leases,  however,  were 
made  perpetual,  and  the  farms  held  under  this  tenure  are  known  in  the 
colony  as  "  Loan  Farms ;"  they  contain  about  three  square  miles,  and 
there  are  many  of  this  description  still  existing:  these  are  con- 
sidered as  desirable  tenures,  being  good  as  long  as  the  rent  is  regularly 
paid,  which  is  generally  at  the  low  rate  of  ten  dollars  for  the  tract  The 
lands,  however,  about  the  Cape,  and  in  the  Cape  district,  were  obtained 
by  grants,  and  are  now  known  as  "  Gratuity  Farms." 

There  are  likewise  freehold  estates,  which  consist  of  a  small  farm, 
not  much  exceeding  one  hundred  acres.  These,  I  was  told,  were  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  Cape  Town.  They  were  usually  obtained 
by  purchase  of  the  first  settlers. 

The  system  of  quit-rents  is  in  perpetuity,  and  the  rent  is  made  to 


CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE.  499 

depend  upon  the  quality  and  circumstances  of  the  crop.  These  are  the 
«argest  kind  of  estates,  and  seldom  include  less  than  five  to.  eight 
thousand  acres. 

The  sale  or  transfer  of  land  was  also  novel  to  us.  No  land  can  be 
sold,  unless  the  persons  make  application  at  the  Cape»  to  officers 
appointed,  called  commissioners,  whose  duty  it  is  to  see  that  all  liens 
on  the  land,  such  as  bonds  and  mortgages,  are  all  paid  up;  and  the 
liabilities  are  fully  protected ;  and  the  person  wishing  to  sell  must  have 
permission  of  the  one  who  may  hold  any  claim  on  the  estate,  before  he 
can  legally,  dispose  of  his  property ;  and  the  consent  of  the  mortgagee 
must  be  obtained  in  writing  before  the  debt  can  be  transferred  with  the 
property. 

The  day  previous  to  our  departure,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  again 
meeting  Captain  Belcher,  who  was  now  on  his  way  home  in  the  Sul- 
phur. He  had  just  arrived  with  his  ship  in  Simon's  Bay,  where  the 
English  men-of-war  anchor,  as  Her  Majesty's  dockyard  is  situated 
there :  it  is  considered  a  safer  harbour  than  Table  Bay ;  but  from  what 
I  heard  of  its  conveniences,  it  seems  ill  adapted  for  a  place  to  refit ;  and, 
indeed,  I  was  told  that  this  is  seldom  attempted.  Our  stay  was  not 
sufficiently  long  to  enable  any  of  us  to  visit  it,  and  little  inducement 
appeared  to  be  held  out  to  go  there  by  those  under  whose  guidance  we 
had  placed  ourselves.  Having  transacted  all  our  business,  and  finished 
our  necessary  observations,  we  prepared  for  departure.  Before  taking 
leave  of  the  Cape,  I  must  be  permitted,  in  Ibe  name  of  myself  and  of 
the  officers  of  the  Expedition,  again  to  tender  our  warmest  thanks  for 
the  attention  paid  us  by  many  gentlemen,  who  afforded  us  many  facili- 
ties in  the  acquisition  of  information  or  the  pursuit  of  pleasure.  Among 
those  to  whom  we  were  chiefly  indebted  for  these  kindnesses,  were 
our  consul,  Isaac  Chase,  Esq.,  and  Messrs.  Thompson  and  Pillars. 

Supplies  of  all  kinds  can  be  obtained  at  the  Cape,  and  usually  at 
reasonable  prices ;  the  bread  we  purchased,  made  from  native  flour,  was 
of  excellent  quality ;  fruit  also,  though  considered  out  of  season  by  the 
inhabitants,  could  be  purchased  in  any  quantity,  either  in  the  markets 
or  from  the  bumboats  alongside  of  the  vessels.  The  usual  facilities  for 
watering  are  father  deficient :  there  are  no  floating  tanks,  and  some 
inconvenience  results  from  the  use  of  casks. 

On  the  17th,  we  got  under  way  with  a  light  and  bafiHing  wind.  The 
air  was  from  the  eastward  aloft,  while  a  westerly  breeze  blowing  below 
it,  often  took  our  lower  sails  aback ;  still  the  upper  ones  were  full.  By 
constant  attention  and  frequent  swinging  of  the  yards,  we  effected  a 
passage  through  the  northern  channel,  passing  at  a  short  distance  from 


440  CAPE  OF   GOOD  HOPE. 

Robben's  Island,  od  whose  shore  we  saw,  as  usual,  the  breaking  sjrf 
curiously  refracted. 

Robben's  Island  is  now  used  as  a  place  of  confinement  for  criminals, 
who  are  employed  in  the  quarries  to  furnish  stone  for  paving  and 
building.  The  stooe  is  a  schistus,  and  commonly  known  at  the  Gape 
as  blue  flag. 

As  we  cleared  the  island,  objects  to  seaward  were  seen  refracted  in 
a  manner  that  I  had  never  before  observed  so  distinctly.  As  before 
slated,  there  was  an  upper  and  an  under  current  in  the  atmosphere, 
and  these  strata  were  of  different  temperature.  The  thermometer  at 
the  masthead  marking  73°,  while  that  on  the  deck  stood  at  no  more 
than  50°.  A  ship  about  three  miles  distant  in  the  offing,  was  seen 
vertically  and  horizontally  refracted  at  the  same  time.  Her  courses 
and  topsails  appeared  ill-defined,  shapeless,  and  quivering ;  her  bow* 
sprit  and  head-spars  formed  curves,  while  her  jib  and  flying-jib  were 
drawn  out  in  nearly  horizontal  lines.  Above,  her  topgallant-sails  and 
royals  were  seen  perfectly  well  defined ;  a  distinct  line  of  bluish  haze 
divided  them  from  the  lower  sails,  and  could  be  traced  to  about  sixty 
degrees  on  each  side,  until  it  joined  with  the  horizon. 

A  signal  made  by  this  ship  at  the  time,  showed  in  faint  colours,  as 
if  flying  from  her  peak  and  fore-topsail- 
yard   at  the  same  time.      The   annexed 
wood<cul,  from  a  sketch  made  at  the  time, 
will  give  a  better  idea  of  this  appearance. 
The  angle  subtended   between  the  line 
of  haze  and  the  horizon,  was  twenty-five 
minutes. 
The  temperature  of  the  water  was  oflen  tried:  it  was  found  to  stand 
at  about  the  same  temperature  as  when  we  entered  on  soundings, 
varying  little  from  64°.     Ailer  running  09°  about  thirty  miles  from  the 
coast,  the  temperature  of  the  air  rose  to  the  same  point. 

On  the  19th,  Joseph  Sylva  (boy),  died  of  phthisis.  He  had  been 
long  lingering,  and  was  apparently  afiected  with  the  disease  when 
taken  on*board  at  Oahu,  a  few  months  previously. 

We  now  shaped  our  course  for  Sl  Helena,  which  I  was  desirous  of 
reaching  at  the  earliest  day,  in  order  to  intercept  the  two  brigs,  and  if 
a  further  supply  of  bread  could  be  obtained  there,  to  proceed  with  them 
directly  for  the  United  States. 

Our  passage  to  St.  Helena  was  of  the  ordinary  length,  thirteen  days; 
we  had  very  light  winds  and  a  smooth  sea,  indicating  that  a  long  calm 
had  existed.    Northerly  currenu  generally  prevailed,  though  at  times 


CAPE  OF  GOOD   HOPE.  441 

setting  to  the  eastward  and  westward  of  that  point  On  the  30th  of 
April,  in  the  latitude  of  23°  S.,  and  longitude  2°  40'  E.,  we  entered  the 
trades,  from  which  time  until  our  arrival  at  St.  Helena  on  the  1st  of 
May»  we  experienced  no  currents. 

The  appearance  of  the  island  disappointed  us :  its  height  and  size 
were  much  less  than  we  anticipated.  It  is  but  a  bare  and  barren  rock, 
rising  abruptly  from  the  sea;  and  the  only  thing  remarkable  is  the 
succession  of  batteries,  which  are  seen  occupying  every  nook  and 
corner  where  cannon  could  be  placed,  from  the  water-line  to  the 
highest  peak.  All  now  serve  but  to  recall  to  mind  the  extraordinary 
man  for  whose  safe-keeping  so  much  cost  and  care  had  been  bestowed. 
From  the  outward  view  of  St.  Helena,  it  seems  scarcely  necessary  to 
have  incurred  so  much  expense  and  provided  such  means  for  the  safe- 
keeping of  Napoleon ;  for  the  island  itself  is  almost  inaccessible  on  all 
sides ;  its  bare  rocks  rising  several  hundred  feet  perpendicularly  from 
the  water.  To  reach  the  roadstead  it  is  necessary  to  pass  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  rocks,  and  close  along  them  until  the  valley  of 
Jamestown  is  reached,  which  offers  the  only  anchorage.  Here  it  is 
often  difficult  to  procure  a  good  berth,  as  the  roadstead  is  frequently 
crowded  with  vessels. 

On  our  arrival  we  were  informed  that  the  Porpoise  and  Oregon 
had  sailed  but  a  short  time  previously ;  all  were  well,  and  their  stay 
at  the  island  had  been  short  Six  American  ships  were  at  anchor  in 
the  roadstead  when  we  arrived,  and  three  more  came  in  the  day  after, 
making  in  all  ten  ships  and  a  schooner  bearing  the  flag  of  our  own 
country. 

In  addition  to  these  were  two  English  and  one  Swedish  vessel,  and 
a  Dutch  sloop  of  war.  Several  captured  slavers,  all  of  which  had 
oeen  condemned,  were  seen,  either  partly  broken  up,  or  lying  on  shore 
preparatory  to  that  process ;  and  one,  a  Baltimore  clipper,  captured 
under  Portuguese  colours,  was  fitting  as  a  British  cruiser,  to  be  em- 
ployed against  vessels  in  the  same  nefarious  traffic. 

Soon  after  anchoring,  we  were  visited  by  our  consul,  Mf.  Carrol, 
who  offered  us  every  assistance ;  he  made  arrangements  for  procuring 
us  a  supply  of  water,  and  a  party  for  that  purpose  was  permitted  to 
remain  on  shore  all  night  at  the  jetty.  This  is  the  only  place  at  which 
either  passengeris  or  goods  can  be  landed :  it  is  furnished  with  suitable 
cranes  and  stairs;  but  even  with  these,  it  is  not  well  adapted  for  the 
accommodation  of  visiters  or  trade.  Precautions  have  been  evidently 
taken  to  discourage  a  landing ;  a  small  guard  is  always  kept  on  duty 
at  the  guardhouse  and  drawbridge.  From  tlie  landing-place  a  narrow 
road  leads  along  the  face  of  the  perpendicular  cliff,  towards  the  gate 

VOL.  V.  56 


442  CAPE   OF  GOOD   HOPH 

of  the  fortress  and  town,  at  the  moath  of  the  valley,  which  is  here 
crossed  by  a  strong  and  lofty  wall,  pierced  with  eotbrasures,  on  which 
guns  are  mounted.  The  only  entrance  into  the  garrison  of  James- 
town, from  the  water's  side,  is  over  a  drawbridge,  which  crosses  a 
wide  moat,  and  through  a  large  gateway. 

We  gladly  accepted  our  consul's  invitation  to  visit  his  family,  and, 
after  passing  the  gateway  just  mentioned,  entered  the  town,  which 
has  every  appearance  of  a  well-kept  garrison.  It  is  of  small  extent, 
the  mouth  of  the  valley  or  rather  gully  in  which  it  is  built,  not  being 
more  than  five  or  six  hundred  yards  wide,  and  narrowing  quickly  as 
it  ascends.  The  houses  are  seldom  more  than  two  stories  in  height : 
that  of  the  consul  is  situated  near  the  forks  of  two  narrow  streets, 
from  both  of  which  are  extended  zigzag  roads  up  the  almost  per- 
pendicular sides  of  the  gully.  An  inclined  railway  of  several  hun- 
dred feet  in  perpendicular  height  is  built  up  the  side  of  the  western 
cliff,  called  Ladder  Hill,  on  which  provisions  and  water  were  hoisted, 
by  soldiers  who  were  under  punishment,  for  the  supply  of  a  numerous 
garrison  that  formeriy  occupied  the  forts  on  its  summit  This  railway 
or  ladder  is  a  conspicuous  object  from  the  anchorage,  and  from  it  the 
cliff  derives  its  name. 

The  interior  of  the  island  of  St.  Helena  is  uninteresting,  and  when 
compared  with,  those  we  had  recently  visited,  may  be  said  to  be 
devoid  of  beauty.  It  possesses  nothing  to  recommend  it  to  the  notice 
of  a  stranger,  except  its  connexion  with  Napoleon's  exile.  It  is  said 
this  island  was  first  suggested  as  a  place  of  confinement  for  the  great 
prisoner  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  who  had  himself  been  detained 
there  for  some  months,  while  on  his  way  from  India,  and  was  forcibly 
impressed  with  its  natural  strength  and  adaptation  for  his  confinement 

To  the  circumstance  of  the  residence  of  Napoleon  this  island  owes 
not  only  its  chief  celebrity,  but,  as  a  consequence,  its  temporary 
growth  and  prosperity:  and  with  the  removal  of  his  remains,  St 
Helena  will  revert  to  what  it  was  formerly. 

On  his  first  landing,  the  ex-emperor  occupied  the  very  apartments 
formerly  used  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington ;  but  was,  the  next  day,  at 
his  own  request,  removed  to  the  "  Briars,"  a  retired  country  cottage, 
situated  in  the  small  "  bosom"  at  the  head  of  the  gully  of  Jamestown. 

The  only  collection  of  houses  is  Jamestown ;  and,  although  situated 
in  a  narrow  gorge,  it  is  the  best  locality  on  the  island  for  a  town. 
The  space  occupied  by  it  has  been  as  much  improved  as  was  possible, 
and  the  place  has  rather  a  cheerful  appearance ;  more,  however,  from 
the  diversified  character  of  its  inhabitants,  than  fi-om  the  neatness  and 
architecture  of  its  buildings.    The  variety  of  costume  is  greater  than 


CAiPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  448 

one  would  expect,  ranging  from  the  well-dressed  English  soldier  to  the 
Oriental  costumes  of  India  and  China.  There  are  many  quadroons, 
who  are  said  to  be  descendants  of  the  natives  of  Madagascar,  brought 
here  originally  by  the  Dutch.  They  were  pointed  out  to  me  as  re- 
markable for  their  beauty,  and  many  of  them  have  certainly,  it  must 
be  acknowledged,  well-developed  and  even  handsome  forms ;  which, 
from  appearances,  they  are  fond  of  exhibiting,  and  to  which  their  style 
of  dress  is  well  adapted. 

Extortion  is  here  carried  to  its  height,  and  although  the  stay  of  the 
stranger  is  only  for  a  few  hours,  the  time  is  sufficient  to  make  him 
aware  that  he  has  submitted  to  some  exorbitant  demand,  if  jiis  curi- 
osity have  led  him  to  visit  Long  wood  and  the  tomb  of  Napoleon. 

Mr.  Carrol  was  kind  enough  to  make  arrangements  for  our  visiting 
Longwood  and  the  tomb,  and  it  was  decided  that  we  should  set  out  at 
an  early  hour  the  next  morning. 

Captain  Hudson,  Mr.  Waldron,  and  myself,  accordingly  landed  at 
the  jetty  early  the  next  day,  and  found  waiting  for  us  a  small  wagon 
with  two  stout  horses,  in  which  we  seated  ourselves,  and  were  driven 
to  the  American  consulate.  We  were  there  joined  by  Mr.  Carrol, 
and  taking  the  eastern  road,  commenced  ascending  the  narrow  track 
leading  up  the  side  of  the  cliiT.  The  road  seemed  to  have  been  carried 
over  some  places  with  great  difficulty ;  heavy  walls  were  built  in  some 
places  to  form  the  road,  while  in  others  the  path  was  blasted  out  of  the 
rock.  As  we  ascended,  we  had  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  town  and 
the  gorge  in  which  it  lies.  The  houses  and  their  inhabitants  were 
alike  reduced  in  size,  and  we  experienced  the  accuracy  of  the  poetical 
assertion  ''  that  distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view,"  for  from  our 
elevated  position  all  appeared  neat  and  clean.  The  hospitals  for  the 
troops  are  situated  in  the  upper  end  of  the  valley,  in  a  space  too  con- 
tracted for  comfort.  Their  appearance  is  strongly  in  contrast  with 
that  of  those  usually  attached  to  British  garrisons,  and  led  to  some 
inquiries  on  my  part  as  to  the  necessity  for  their  confined  position. 
The  island  being  usually  healthy,  and  infectious  diseases  but  seldom 
prevailing,  quarantine  is  performed  at  Lemon  Valley,  or  rather  it  was 
used  for  that  purpose  during  our  visit ;  a  number  of  recaptured  slaves, 
among  whom  the  small-pox  had  made  its  appearance,  being  detained 
there. 

The  first  object  of  interest  that  presents  itself  as  connected  with  the 
residence  of  Napoleon,  is  the  cottage  at  the  Briars,  to  which  he  was 
removed  soon  after  his  arrival.  It  is  situated  in  a  small  dell  at  the 
head  of  the  gully,  and  has  attached  to  it  some  ten  acres  of  ground,  laid 
out  in  walks  and  flower-beds.    There  are  many  similar  spots  on  the 


444  CAPE   OF  GOOD   HOPB. 

island,  which  are  known  by  the  name  of  '<  bosoms  ;*'  none  of  them,  how- 
ever, so  striking,  nor  having  such  an  air  of  quiet  and  comfort  as  that 
just  mentioned.  Its  beauties  are  more  strongly  impressed  by  the 
marked  contrast  they  afford  to  the  arid  and  barren  rocks  of  the  gully 
side,  up  which  we  had  been  making  our  ascent  under  a  burning  sun. 
The  only  vegetation  on  the  surrounding  hills  was  a  few  Cacti  and  wild 
vines,  and  some  firs  that  were  imported  from  Scotland  about  fifty 
years  ago.  The  high  ground  of  the  island  was  of  equal  altitude,  there 
being  but  few  points  above  the  general  level.  On  reaching  it,  we  felt  a 
sensible  change  of  temperature,  the  air  becoming  raw  and  disagree- 
able. Turning  to  the  eastward,  we  proceeded  three  miles  along  the 
road,  and  then  turned  into  the  path  which  leads  to  the  quiet  dell  in 
which  the  tomb  is  situated.  The  road  soon  became  so  steep  that  we 
were  obliged  to  alight  from  the  carriage,  and  descend  on  foot  to  the 
cottage  occupied  by  the  widow  Talbot,  who  furnishes  refreshments  to 
visiters,  and  who  takes  care  to  let  it  be  known  that  it  is  customary  to 
pay  for  them,  whether  you  partake  or  not.  Her  continued  whinings 
about  her  poverty,  the  injustice  of  the  British  government,  and  the 
unfulfilled  promises  of  the  Prince  de  Joinville,  are  singularly  out  of 
place,  and  at  variance  with  the  thoughts  with  which  one's  mind  is 
occupied  when  visiting  such  a  spot*  In  the  rear  of  the  cottage,  at  the 
end  of  the  dell,  and  about  thirty  yards  distant,  is  the  tomb. 

On  the  banks  of  the  dell,  a  few  yews,  cedars,  and  weeping-willows, 
are  growing ;  while  in  its  centre  stands  the  old  and  now  leafless  willow, 
which  seems,  like  the  Emperor,  to  have  been  killed  by  the  treatment  it 
has  received.  A  spring  of  pure  and  delicious  water  bubbles  from  the 
rock  near  by ;  to  it  we  retreated  to  avoid  the  annoyance  occasioned 
by  the  monotonous  whinings  of  an  old  sergeant.  He  talked  continually 
of  the  length,  breadth,  and  depth,  of  the  vault,  told  us  of  how  many 
slabs  it  was  formed,  how  they  were  cemented  together,  how  opened, 
and  many  other  particulars  of  so  little  importance,  that  I  shall  not 
trouble  my  readers  by  repeating  them.  We  at  last  put  an  end  to  the 
garrulity  by  paying  him  the  expected  shilling,  and  walking  off  out  of 
hearing.  This  is  an  annoyance  to  which  all  who  have  visited  the  tomb 
have  been  subject,  and  which  does  away  with  half  the  satisfaction  of 
the  pilgrimage.  We  drank  some  water  from  the  spring,  received  a 
bouquet  of  the  Napoleon  geranium  from  the  little  girls,  and  returned  to 
the  cottage,  which  we  found  crowded  with  Dutch  officers,  who  were 
devouring  the  widow's  eatables  as  if  determined  to  have  the  worth  of 
their  money ;  from  their  great  appetites  she  told  us  she  anticipated  but 
little  profit.  Scarcely  had  they  finished  eating,  when  their  pipes  were 
put  in  requisition,  and  a  cloud  of  smoke  not  only  filled  the  apartment, 


CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  445 

but  issued  in  all  directions  from  il9  doors  and  \rindows.  I  have  seldom 
seen  so  little  regard  paid  to  the  comfort  of  others,  or  so  little  respect 
shown  to  the  resling-place  of  the  mighty  dead,  as  by  theso  oiScers. 

After  satisfying  the  claims  of  the  widow,  and  disposing  of  certain 
relics  obtained  through  her  as  marks  of  special  favour,  we  departed  for 
Longwood,  about  two  miles  further  on.  The  road  is  good  and  nearly 
level,  running  along  the  top  of  a  barren  ridge ;  on  our  way  we  passed 
the  "  Top-room,"  immediately  opposite  to  which  was  the  dwelling  of 
the  Count  Bertrand.  The  horizon  is  visible  from  the  road,  both  to  the 
north  and  east ;  and  on  either  side  the  eye  wanders  beneath  into  the 
deep  and  inaccessible  gullies,  from  which  their  gloomy  and  uninviting 
character  have  obtained  the  appropriate  name  of  the  Devil's  Gorge,  &c. 


The  day  on  which  we  paid  this  vlut  was  called  by  the  inhabitants  a 
fine  one,  but  we  thought  the  air  damp  and  chilly,  and  were  glad  to 
draw  our  cloaks  closely  around  us.  We  soon  reached  the  gate,  and 
were  stopped  until  we  paid  the  usual  fee  of  two  shillings  sterling  for 
each  person.  The  house  is  at  present  leased  by  the  government  to  a 
Captain  Mason,  a  retired  army  officer,  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds 
per  annum,  and  by  his  order  the  entrance  fee  is  demanded  before  the 
gate  is  opened.  Mr.  Carrol  pointed  out  to  us  the  sites  of  the  camps  of 
observation,  and  other  spots  in  the  neighbourhood,  interesting  from 
associations  connected  with  the  residence  of  Napoleon.     As  we  drove 


446  CAPE0F600DH0PR 

towards  the  house,  every  thing  wore  a  neglected  look,  to  all  appearance 
intentional. 

The  vignette  gives  a  correct  representation  of  Longwood,  which  is 
now  but  little  better  than  a  barn;  the  glass  of  the  windows  is  broken, 
and  the  outward  walls  much  disfigured.  The  door  at  which  visiters 
are  admitted  is  covered,  with  a  small  latticed  veranda,  and  leads  into 
what  is  called  the  billiard-room,  although  it  seems  much  too  small  ever 
to  have  been  used  for  that  purpose;  its  walls  are  covered  with 
scribbling,  and  its  general  appearance  is  dirty  and  neglected.  The 
next  apartment  is  about  fourteen  by  seventeen  feet,  said  to  have  been 
used  as  a  dining-room,  and  in  which  Napoleon  died ;  it  is  now  occupied 
by  a  patent  thrashing  and  winnowing  machine,  and  was  strewed  with 
chaff  and  straw.  The  adjoining  room  had  been  used  as  a  library;  its 
present  state  was  disgusting,  and  it  seemed  as  if  appropriated  to  the 
hatching  of  chickens.  The  bath,  bed,  and  dressing-rooms,  which  he 
occupied  at  the  commencement  of  his  illness,  are  now  in  part  used  as  a 
stable.  The  place  in  which  his  body  lay  in  state,  contains  eight  stalls, 
five  of  which  were  occupied  by  horses  and  cattle. 

If  the  design  had  been  to  desecrate  as  much  as  possible  the  habita- 
tion that  had  been  occupied  by  the  fallen  Emperor,  it  could  not  have 
been  more  eflfectually  accomplished;  but  whatever  may  be  the  motive, 
whether  intentional  or  otherwise,  it  certainly  redounds  little  to  the 
credit  of  the  British  nation.  The  miserable  condition  of  Longwood 
when  we  visited  it  was  a  subject  of  general  animadversion.  The 
money  derived  from  the  lease  of  the  property  is  paid  into  the  Queen's 
treasury,  no  part  of  this  small  sum  being  retained  to  keep  the  building 
in  repair ;  nor  are  there  any  conditions  in  the  lease  that  compel  the 
lessee  to  do  it  It  is  with  regret  I  am  compelled  to  state  that  the 
lessee  is  a  military  man,  and  an  ofiScer  in  the  British  army. 

Longwood  is  bleak  and  exposed;  the  damp  trade-winds  sweep  past 
it  continually,  and  but  few  days  in  the  year  arc  without  either  mist  or 
rain.  The  valley  of  Jamestown  is  known  to  be  dry  and  healthy  ;  there 
are  some  other  spots  also  on  the  island  that  enjoy  a  climate  as  fine  as 
any  on  the  globe.  One  of  these  might  have  been  chosen  as  a  residence, 
which  would  have  proved  much  more  congenial  to  the  taste,  and 
better  suited  to  the  constitution  of  the  Emperor.  Plantation  House,  for 
instance,  the  country-seat  of  the  governor,  enjoys,  by  all  accounts,  a 
delightful  climate. 

The  grounds  of  Longwood  cannot  be  called  pretty,  but  from  the 
constant  moisture  the  herbage  is  greener  than  in  other  parts  of  the 
island.  There  are  no  trees,  but  the  shrubbery  is  dense  around  the 
gardens.    The  new  house  at  Longw^ood  is  built  of  yellow  sandstone, 


CAPE   OF  GOOD   HOPE.  447 

one  story  in  heightt  and  is  situated  some  hundred  yards  on  the  western 
declivity,  and  is  in  some  measure  sheltered  from  the  easterly  winds. 
It  contains  a  handsome  suite  of  rooms,  and,  when  compared  with  the 
old  house,  seems  quite  a  palace.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  it  was  occu- 
pied by  Lieutenant  Smith,  of  the  artillery,  and  his  assistants,  who  have 
charge  of  the  magnetic  observatory.  The  house  has  never  been 
finished :  the  death  of  the  Emperor  of  course  rendering  its  completion 
unnecessary.  It  is  said  that  during  his  life  he  never  visited  it,  nor 
would  he  allow  any  one  to  consult  him  about  its  plan,  declaring  that 
he  would  not  remove  to  it 

Napoleon  seems  to  have  engrafted  himself  on  the  memory  of  the 
islanders;  and  all  the  events  and  little  incidents  occurring  to  him 
during  his  residence,  are  remembered  and  cherished  by  them  with 
pleasure.  His  chief  complaint  regarded  the  system  of  espionage  under 
which  he  was  placed,  from  the  hour  in  which  he  gave  himself  up  to 
the  English  to  that  of  his  death.  It  has  been  asserted,  and  up  to  this 
time  without  contradiction,  that  Sir  George  Cockburn,  who  com- 
manded the  Belleropbon,  in  which  vessel  Bonaparte  was  transported 
to  St.  Helena,  was  ordered  to  make  minutes  of  every  conversation 
that  took  place  during  the  voyage.  These  memoranda  have  been 
already  published  in  Boston,  and  their  authenticity,  although  denied, 
seems  to  be  unquestionable ;  for  the  publication  emanated  from  the 
private  secretary  of  Sir  George ;  who,  while  making  out  one  fair  c<5py 
of  the  minutes,  made  another  for  himself.  Although  the  ministry  may 
have  thought  themselves  justified  in  taking  this  course  at  the  time, 
yet  it  seems,  at  this  time,  scarcely  reconcilable  with  a  high  sense 
of  honour ;  and  notwithstanding  Sir  Greorge  may  have  considered  it 
necessary  to  obey  implicitly  his  orders,  still  the  fact  that  he  lent  him- 
self to  such  a  service  must  injure  his  reputation. 

In  justice  to  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  it  must  be  stated,  according  to  what 
I  heard  at  the  island,  that  his  treatment  of  his  royal  captive  was  in 
strict  conformity  to  his  instructions,  and  that,  as  far  as  his  orders  were 
concerned,  he  was  allowed  no  discretion.  Many  of  the  inhabitants 
know  that  he  tried  in  several  ways  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  his 
prisoner,  but  he  was  not  permitted. to  do  so. 

I  trust  that  what  I  have  said  upon  this  subject  will  not  be  construed 
as  disrespectful  to  a  high-minded  and  friendly  government,  or  be  cast- 
ing any  odium  on  the  many  honourable  and  courteous  British  officers 
it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  meet  in  many  parts  of  the  globe,  and 
who  have  extended  to  me  and  my  officers  the  most  grateful  civilities ; 
but  I  could  not  forbear  the  expression  of  my  sentiments  when  I  con- 


448  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

template  the  prison-house  of  Napoleon,  and  the  ignoble  condition  and 
uses  to  which  it  is  put. 

The  officer  in  charge  of  the  magnetic  observatory  complained  that 
it  was  badly  placed,  and  that  both  his  instruments  and  observations 
suffered  from  the  constant  change  of  temperature,  and  the  damjjaess 
of  the  situation.  He  politely  showed  us  the  instruments,  which  were 
in  a  detached  building ;  after  which  we  returned  to  Longwood,  and 
soon  after  left  it,  glad  to  escape  from  the  mist  and  driving  wind  that 
enveloped  it 

From  Longwood  we  took  the  road  to  Plantation  House,  which 
leads  across  the  island,  making  numerous  turns  as  it  ascends  and 
descends  the  gullies.  Many  pretty  dells  were  occupied  by  neat 
cottages,  in  whose  gardens  were  cultivated  potatoes  and  other  vege- 
tables. Of  the  former,  two  crops  are  obtained  within  the  year,  and  a 
ready  sale  is  found  for  them  to  the  vessels  that  visit  the  island.  On 
our  arrival  at  the  porter's  lodge  of  Plantation  House,  we  were  in- 
formed that  the  governor,  Colonel  Trelawny,  had  gone  to  Jamestown, 
and  that  the  ladies  of  the  family  were  not  visible.  We  therefore,  so 
far  as  time  permitted,  examined  the  grounds,  which  are  laid  out  with 
taste,  and  contained  a  good  collection  of  foreign  trees.  Some  of  these 
were  very  flourishing,  and  it  was  curious  to  see  many  trees  of  Euro- 
pean species  growing  side  by  side  with  those  of  Australia. 

Our  botanists  were  of  opinion  that  the  tradition  which  prevails  of 
the  island,  at  the  time  of  its  discovery,  having  been  covered  with 
wood,  is  erroneous ;  and  that  the  story  of  the  destruction  of  this  forest 
by  goats,  is  equally  so.  The  barrenness  of  this  island  is  well  illus- 
trated by  the  difficulty  with  which  young  trees  are  preserved  from  the 
ravages  of  sheep  or  goats.  Pasture  is  so  scarce,  that  but  few  cattle 
are  kept,  and  these  are  chiefly  importations  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  Their  scarcity  may  be  judged  of  from  the  price  of  beef,  which 
sells  for  twenty-five  cents  a  pound ;  and  it  may  be  as  well  to  state,  that 
to  strangers  the  prices  of  all  other  eatables  are  equally  exorbitant. 

From  the  road  near  Plantation  House,  we  had  a  good  view  of  the 
gully  in  which  Jamestown  is  situated,  together  with  the  ravines  ex- 
tending into  it  from  the  interior  of  the  island.  Descending,  we  passed 
over  a  portion  of  the  island,  which  is  little  better  than  a  barren  rock. 
Tet  in  some  places  comfortable-looking  houses  were  seen,  and  here 
and  there  a  beer-house,  or  tap-room,  quite  in  the  English  style,  and, 
from  all  accounts,  as  great  nuisances  as  Mw  taverns  are  in  any  coun- 
try. We  finally  reached  the  fortification  on  Ladder  Hill,  and  made 
the  descent  of  the  zigzag  road  on  the  side  of  the  clifiT,  passing  a  place 


CAPE   OF  GOOD   HOPE.  449 

called  Colonel  Pearce's  Revenge,  where  the  road  is  completely  over- 
hung by  large  masses  of  rock,  which  seem  ready  to  fall.  The  rapid 
pace  of  the  horses,  the  frequent  sharp  turns,  and  the  overhanging  cliflT, 
excite  some  alarm  in  those  not  accustomed  to  them ;  and  I  must  con- 
fess that  I  was  quite  satisfied  when  we  passed  the  last  turn,  and  were 
safely  landed  at  the  consulate. 

On  our  return  to  Jamestown,  the  consul  and  myself  called  to  pay 
our  respects  to  Colonel  Trelawny,  whom  we  found  at  his  ofRce ;  he  is 
a  tall  well-formed  man,  with  a  pleasant  expression  of  countenance, 
and  a  frank  soldierlike  air.  He  is  much  respected  by  the  inhabitants, 
has  made  himself  acquainted  with  their  wants,  and  is  doing  his  best  to 
satisfy  them.  They  call  him  the  "  good  man,*'  in  contradistinction  to 
his  predecessor.  He  received  us  with  great  kindness,  and  asked  me 
to  visit  and  spend  some  days  at  Plantation  House. 

Several  hundreds  of  recaptured  slaves  are  at  present  inhabiting  the 
gullies  to  the  eastward  and  westward  of  Jamestown.  The  most  con- 
venient way  of  visiting  them  is  by  sea ;  some  of  our  officers  expressed 
a  desire  to  do  so,  but  the  inhabitants  seemed  much  shocked  at  the 
mere  mention  of  such  a  wish.  The  males  and  females  are  separated, 
and  both  sexes  are  supplied  with  rations  by  government. 

The  population  of  the  island  is  about  four  thousand.  It  consists  of 
whites,  who,  if  the  garrison  be  deducted  from  their  numbers,  form  the 
smallest  portion  of  the  inhabitants ;  of  negroes  and  their  descendants 
of  the  mixed  blood,  and  some  few  Chinese.  The  negroes  were 
brought  by  the  East  India  Company  from  Madagascar,  and,  with 
their  descendants,  now  form  the  largest  portion  of  the  population* 
The  first  class  include  all  engaged  in  trade,  auctioneers,  tavern-keepers, 
and  mechanics. 

The  number  of  Yankee  <<  notions"  displayed  in  all  the  shops,  indi- 
cated that  the  island  derives  its  chief  supply  of  useful  articles  from  the 
United  States. 

St  Helena  is  a  free  port :  the  imports  consist  of  supplies  for  the 
inhabitants,  and  necessary  articles  for  the  shipping  that  visit  it ;  the 
latter  can  only  be  obtained  at  an  advanced  price. 

The  number  of  vessels  that  touch  annually  at  the  island  is  now 
about  eight  hundred,  having  much  increased  since  the  opening  of  the 
East  India  trade. 

The  usual  rates  of  exchange,  with  the  value  of  coins  current,  fixed 
by  proclamation,  will  be  found  in  Appendix  XVI. 

We  embarked  in  the  afternoon,  regretting  that  our  time  was  so 
limited,  and  that  no  opportunity  was  afforded  us  to  return  the  kind 
attentions  bestowed  upon  us  by  the  consul  and  his  family. 

VOL.  V.  2N2  57 


A 


450  CAF£   OF    GOOD    HOPE. 

As  we  were  getting  under  way,  it  became  evident  that  many  of  the 
seamen  had  obtained  supplies  of  grog  from  the  shore,  in  spite  of  all 
the  precautionary  measures  that  had  been  taken.  One,  in  conse 
quence,  fell  from  the  main-top,  but,  fortunately  for  him,  while  falling, 
struck  a  portion  of  the  rigging,  and  was  thus  canted  into  the  sea> 
from  which  he  was  picked  up  uninjured.  When  the  anchor  was  up 
we  bore  away  to  the  northward,  under  all  sail,  with  a  favourable 
breeze. 

As  we  passed  through  the  tropics,  many  opportunities  were  aflTorded 
us  for  viewing  the  zodiacal  light,  both  in  the  morning  and  the  even- 
ing. Its  general  appearance  was  that  of  a  well-defined  cone,  whose 
height,  as  marked  by  the  stars,  remained  nearly  constant  at  40^  ele- 
vation, and  at  the  base  15^  Its  first  appearance  after  sunset  was  like 
a  broad  semicircular  band  of  light,  the  brightness  of  which  increased 
as  the  evening  closed  in,  when  its  shape  became  that  of  a  well-defined 
cone.  The  light  was  sometimes  equally  diffused,  and  at  others  ap- 
peared as  if  radiating  through  the  cone.  Its  intensity  varied  from  a 
light  equal  to  that  given  by  a  bright  aurora  to  that  of  a  comet,  the  centre 
of  the  cone  being  often  the  least  brilliant ;  and  during  a  partially  cloudy 
evening  it  was  sometimes  so  bright  as  to  obscure  stars  of  the  second 
magnitude.  Its  appearance  in  the  morning  was  better  defined  than  in 
the  evening,  and  the  light  was  more  of  a  blue  than  a  yellow  tint ;  the 
altitude  of  the  cone  was  greater,  and  its  base  of  less  extent.  As  we 
changed  our  latitude,  the  position  of  the  apex  of  the  cone  remained 
stationary,  but  its  inclination  varied.  For  further  information  on  these 
phenomena,  I  must  refer  the  reader  to  the  volume  on  Physics. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  we  crossed  the  magnetic  equator  in  latitude  9^ 
20'  S.,  and  in  longitude  16°  40'  W. 

I  had  been  led  to  expect  in  approaching  the  equator  that  we  should 
encounter  strong  currents  setting  to  the  north  and  westward,  but  our 
observations  showed  that  the  current  was  slight  and  flowing  to  the 
south  and  westward.  On  the  10th  of  May  we  were  set  forty-five 
miles  N.  86®  W. ;  the  difference  of  temperature  between  the  surface 
water  and  that  at  one  hundred  fathoms  depth,  was  fifteen  degrees. 
On  the  11th  we  experienced  no  current,  neither  had  we  any  on  the 
12th  or  13th.  On  the  14th,  the  current  set  us  S.  72^  W.,  tlyrty 
two  miles ;  and  on  reading  the  deep-sea  thermometer,  I  thought  that 
some  mistake  must  have  been  made,  as  it  had  fallen  since  the  last 
observation  eight  degrees.  A  second  trial  was  therefore  made;  but 
the  result  was  the  same,  making  the  difference  between  the  surface 
temperature  and  that  at  one  hundred  fathoms,  nearly  twenty-four 
degrees. 


CAPE0F600DH0PE.  451 

The  northeast  trades  were  entered  on  the  15th  of  May ;  the  diflfe* 
rence  of  temperature  being  similar,  and  the  current  setting  us  to  the 
southwest  and  west  thirty-four  miles.  On  the  16th  we  crossed  the 
equator,  in  longitude  30^  30'  W*  At  6  ▲.  m.,  the  same  day,  the  ther- 
mometer at  one  hundred  fathoms  depth  rose  to  08-5^,  being  the  same 
temperature  as  that  experienced  before  the  14th,  when  we  encountered 
the  cold  submarine  current  We  had  crossed  this  current  in  a  direc- 
tion nearly  at  right  angles  to  its  flow,  and  I  estimated  its  width  at  two 
hundred  miles.  The  current  on  the  19th  still  set  to  the  southward ; 
the  difference  between  the  deep-sea  and  the  surface  temperature  being 
found  to  be  again  twenty-four  degrees.  This  was  also  the  case  on  the 
20th,  on  which  day  I  tried  the  temperature  at  fifly  fathoms  depth,  and 
there  found  it  only  five  degrees  lower  than  at  the  surface.  This  second 
submarine  stream  was  found  to  be  about  eighty  miles  in  width :  we 
crossed  it  steering  a  northwest-by-north  course.  It  may  be  that  these 
submarine  streams  flow  here  to  the  south,  and  produce  the  southerly 
current  we  experienced*  It  was  quite  evident,  from  the  numerous  long 
lines  of  rips  that  we  passed,  that  opposing  currents  existed  of  great 
force,  which  did  not  find  their  way  to  the  surface.  These  rips  extended 
in  a  north-northwest  and  south-southeast  direction. 

During  the  next  five  days,  we  pursued  our  homeward  course  rapidly, 
experiencing  but  little  current.  On  the  2Gth,  we  reached  the  latitude 
of  IG^  N.,  and  longitude  48^  31'  W.  The  temperature  at  one  hundred 
fathoms  depth  differed  only  three  degrees  from  that  at  the  surface,  and 
continued  to  vary  between  that  and  seven  degrees,  until  we  struck 
soundings. 

On  the  28th,  we  encountered  quantities  of  the  Fucus  natans,  or  gulf- 
weed,  which  was  of  a  dark  brown  colour,  and  evidently  undergoing 
decomposition.  The  peculiarity  of  this  weed  arranging  itself  into  long 
strips  in  the  direction  of  the  wind,  was  distinctly  seen.  Some  of  these 
were  more  than  a  mile  in  length,  while  at  other  times  we  passed 
through  fields  of  several  acres  in  extent.  During  this  and  the  previous 
day,  as  well  as  the  two  following  days,  the  current  was  found  to  set  to 
the  southward,  at  the  rate  of  about  eighteen  miles  in  twenty-four  hours. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  we  had  reached  latitude  29^  N.,  and  longitude  68^ 
W. ;  and  the  wind,  which  had  been  gradually  hauling  from  the  north- 
ward and  eastward  round  to  the  south-southwest,  began  to  fail  us.  We 
had  light  and  variable  breezes  from  this  day  until  the  8th,  when  we 
reached  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  and  experienced  the 
weather  that  is  peculiar  to  it.  The  lightning  was  very  vivid,  and  the 
rain  fell  in  torrents ;  its  temperature  was  68^    In  the  latter  part  of  th<s 


452  CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE. 

day  it  blew  a  strong  gale  from  the  eastward.    I  regretted  this  much, 
as  it  was  my  intention  to  make  full  experiments  on  the  deep  tempera* 
ture  and  the  velocity  of  the  current  in  the  Stream ;  but  the  roughness 
of  the  sea  and  violence  of  the  wind  prevented  it.    The  close  proximity 
to  our  port  also,  and  the  increasing  impatience  of  all  on  board  to  reach 
their  homes,  forbade  all  unnecessary  delay.    The  experiments  we  did 
make  gave  a  difierence  of  three  degrees  of  temperature,  between  the 
surface  and  one  hundred  fathoms  depth.    The  highest  temperature  of 
the  surface  experienced  while  crossing  the  Stream  was  79^ ;  when  we 
entered,  it  was  IV.    We  were  seven  hours  in  crossing  it,  and  found, 
as  in  our  first  passage,  that  the  inner  edge  was  the  warmest    During 
the  next  half  hour  after  leaving  the  Gulf  Stream,  the  surface  tempera- 
ture fell  twelve  degrees,  and  so  continued  until  we  got  on  soundings, 
when  it  rose  again  some  three  or  four  d^prees.    The  morning  of  the 
9th  was  foggy,  which  rather  tried  our  patience,  but  by  firing  guns  we 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  pilot-boats,  and  on  the  fog  clearing  away 
a  little,  discovered  one  close  to  us.    A  pilot  now  boarded  and  took 
charge  of  the  ship,  and  at  noon  on  the  10th  of  June,  1S43,  anchored  us 
off  Sandy  Hook,  where  a  steamer  came  alongside  soon  afterwards, 
and  took  us  in  tow.    After  stopping  half  an  hour  at  the  quarantine 
ground,  to  receive  the  visit  of  the  health  officer,  we  held  our  course 
towards  the  city  of  New  York. 

Before  I  left  the  Vincennes  ofiT  the  Battery,  the  crew  were  called  to 
muster,  when  I  expressed  to  them  my  thanks  for  the  manner  in  which 
they  had  conduct^  themselves  during  the  cruise,  and  stated  the  confi- 
dent belief  entertained  by  me,  that  they  would  receive  from  the  govern- 
ment such  rewards  as  the  successful  performance  of  the  cruise,  and 
their  long  and  perilous  services,  entitled  them  to.  A  national  salute 
was  then  fired,  and  my  pennant  hauled  down;  the  command  of  the 
ship  being  given  to  Captain  Hudson,  who  proceeded  with  her  to  the 
navy-yard.  As  soon  as  she  was  safely  moored,  all  the  men  who  could 
be  spared  were  allowed  to  go  on  shore,  with  their  bags  and  hammocks. 
A  happier  set  of  fellows  than  they  were  is  not  often  to  be  met  with ; 
being  relieved  from  their  long  confinement  on  shipboard,  and  the  severe 
discipline  of  a  man-of-war. 

Those  who  have  perused  this  full  narrative  of  the  events  of  the 
Expedition,  I  confidently  believe,  will  absolve  me  from  all  the  charges 
so  industriously  circulated  against  me,  relative  to  the  manner  in  which 
I  had  conducted  the  Expedition ;  at  the  same  time  they  will  see  what 
meed  of  honour  or  reward  is  justly  due  to  the  officers  and  crews  who 
faithfully  served  out  the  cruise.    All  of  the  former,  and  many  of  the 


CAFE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  458 

latter,  ure  still  to  be  found  on  the  rolls  of  the  navy,  and  to  them,  I  trust 
that  the  applause  of  a  grateful  country  has  been  only  delayed,  not 
wholly  lost. 

On  our  arrival  home,  the  health  of  the  prisoner  Yendovi  had  so  far 
declined,  that  it  was  necessary  to  place  him  in  the  Naval  Hospital  at 
New  York.  Every  attention  was  paid  him  there,  but  very  soon  after- 
ward he  expired. 

The  Porpoise  and  Oregon  had,  in  the  mean  time,  proceeded  to  Rio 
Janeiro,  where  they  executed  their  instructions,  and  having  obtained 
the  necessary  supplies,  sailed  for  the  United  States.  After  leaving  the 
equator,  their  route  differed  but  little  from  that  pursued  by  the 
Vincennes. 

In  their  deep-sea  soundings  they  found  the  same  low  temperatures 
that  we  had  noticed;  and  in  crossing  the  Gulf  Stream,  the  difference 
of  temperature  between  the  surface  and  at  one  hundred  fathoms  was 
but  five  degrees.  Both  vessels  arrived  at  New  York  within  a  few 
days  of  each  other,  and  their  crews  were  discharged  in  the  same 
manner  as  that  of  the  Vincennes. 


CHAPTER  XIL 


CONTENTS. 

CONNEXION  OF  THE  SUBJECrrS  —  OPPORTUNITIES  AND  MEANS  OF  OBSERVING  CUR- 
RENTS—DISTINCTION BETWEEN  STREAMS  AND  CURRENTS  —  CURRENTS  OF  THE 
NORTH  ATLANTIC— LABRADOR  STREAM  — GULF  STREAM— RENNELL  CURRENT-SUB- 
MARINE  POLAR  STREAMS-GUINEA  STREAM  —  EQUATORIAL  STREAM— RECAPITULA- 
TION —  SARGASSO  SEA  — STREAMS  OF  THE  SOUTH  ATLANTIC  —  BRAZIL  STREAM  — 
PATAGONIAN  STREAM— SOUTH  AFRICAN  STREAM— PHENOMENA  OF  THE  NEIGHBOUR- 
HOOD OF  ST.  HELENA  — POLAR  STREAM  OFF  CAPE  HORN -ITS  LOW  SUBMARINE 
TEAIPERATURE-CHILI  STREAM  -  PHENOMENA  AT  THE  GALUPAGOS  ISLANDS-INDI- 
CATION OF  SUBMARINE  POLAR  STREAMS-PHENOMENA  AT  THE  SOCIETY  ISLANDS- 
AT  THE  SAMOAN  GROUP— AT  THE  FElBJEE  GROUP— AUSTRALIAN  STREAM-SOUTHERN 
POLAR  STREAM -NEW  ZEALAND  CURRENTS  -  CURRENTS  BETWEEN  TONGA  AND 
FEEJEE-SUDDEN  RUSH  OF  WATERS  ON  THE  POLYNESIAN  ISLANDS-SPACE  OF  VERY 
ELEVATED  TEMPERATURE  -  PACIFIC  EQUATORIAL  STREAMS— PHENOMENA  OF  THE 
SANDWICH  ISLANDS-STREAMS  OF  THE  NORTHWEST  COAST— JAPAN  STREAM— CUR- 
RENTS OF  THE  CHINA  SEAS -OF  THE  EAST  COAST  OF  AFRICA  -  EQUATORIAL 
STREAM  OF  THE  INDIAN  OCEAN -CURRETHB  OF  THE  MALABAR  COAST,  CHAGOS, 
AND  COMORRO  ISLANDS-STREAMS  OF  THE  MOZAMBIQUE  CHANNEL  —  EQUATORIAL 
STREAM  OF  THE  SOUTH  ATLANTIC  —  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  FACTS- ZONES  OF 
CALMS  AND  STILL  WATERS-SUGGESTIONS  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  THEORY  OF  CUR- 
RENTS-CONNEXION OP  THE  OCEAN  STREAMS  WITH  THE  MIGRATIONS  OF  THE 
SPERM  WHALE-IMPORTANCE  AND  EXTENT  OF  THE  WHAUNO  INTEREST-CRUISING- 
GROUNDS  OF  SPERM  WHALERS-IN  THE  PACIFIC-IN  THE  ATLANTIC-IN  THE  INDIAN 
OCEAN-DIRECTIONS  FOR  WHALING  IN  THE  PACIFIC— RELATIVE  TO  THE  DECREASE 
OF  WHALES -RIGHT  WHALE  FISHERY-DEPRAVED  CHARACTER  OF  THE  NEW  ZEA- 
LAND AND  AUSTRALIAN  WHALERS-CASE  OF  THE  AMERICAN  WHALE-SHIP  ADELINE 
-RIGHT  WHALE  FISHERY  IN  HIGH  LATITUDES  -  EXCITEMENT  OF  THE  FISHERY  — 
SLAUGHTER  AND  TREATMENT  OF  THE  PRODUCTS  —  PROFITS  OF  THE  BUSINESS  — 
FREQUENCY  OP  DISPUTES  BETWEEN  THE  MASTERS  AND  CREWS  —  REMEDIES  BUG- 
GESTED— PROPOSAL  FOR  THE  IMPROVEMENT  OF  THE  MORALS  AND  CONDITION  OF 
THE  CREWS. 


(4M) 


CHAPTER  XIL 

CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

It  may  at  first  sight  appear  singular  that  subjects  apparently  so  dis- 
similar as  currents  and  whaling  should  be  united  to  form  the  subject 
of  one  chapter.  Before  its  conclusion,  however,  we  trust  to  establish 
satisfactorily  that  the  course  of  the  great  currents  of  the  ocean, 
sweeping  with  them  the  proper  food  of  the  great  cetaceous  animals, 
determines  not  only  the  places  to  which  they  are  in  the  habit  of 
resorting,  but  the  seasons  at  which  they  are  to  be  found  frequenting 
them« 

In  the  devious  and  extensive  cruise  performed  by  the  Exploring 
Expedition,  many,  and  peijiaps  greater  opportunities  than  had  before 
been  enjoyed  by  any  one  vessel  or  squadron  were  afforded  for  investi- 
gating the  course  and  direction  of  currents.  The  field  of  research 
thus  opened  proved  to  be  so  vast  that  I  cannot  but  regret  that  we  had 
not  possessed  still  greater  facilities  for  prosecuting  the  inquiry  than  we 
could  attain  even  in  a  voyage  of  such  long  duration.  In  particular, 
simultaneous  observations  in  different  parts  of  the  ocean,  and  their 
continuance  for  months  or  even  for  the  whole  year,  were  requisite  to 
render  the  results,  that  I  believe  I  have  attained,  more  satisfactory  and 
conclusive.  Enough,  however*  has  I  hope  been  done  to  excite  the 
curiosity  and  rouse  the  attention  of  future  navigators,  by  whose 
labours  a  sufficient  number  of  facts  may  be  collected  upon  which  to 
found  a  theory  that  will  admit  of  no  question. 

To  obtain  the  greatest  practicable  number  of  experiments  with  the 
current  log,  of  which  mention  has  been  made  in  the  first  chapter,  was 
an  object  which  claimed  early  attention,  and  which  was  kept  con- 
stantly in  view  throughout  the  cruise.    I  was  however  aware,  as  all 

voLV.  «0  58  (*«) 


458  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

those  who  have  used  this  instrument  extensively  must  be,  that  it  is 
liable  to  many  objections,  and  that  in  particular  if  the  current  be 
beneath  the  surface,  or,  for  want  of  a  better  term,  may  be  denominated 
submarine^  no  result  can  be  obtained  by  its  use.  If  not  perfect,  how- 
ever, the  current  log  was  at  least  a  useful  indicator ;  and  its  regular 
use,  which  was  ordered  to  take  place  whenever  the  state  of  the  sea 
would  permit,  served  to  keep  the  subject  of  currents  continually  before 
us.  It  is  unnecessary  to  recount  the  number  of  the  experiments  that 
were  performed ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  they  were  made  both  by  day 
and  by  night,  and  were  persevered  in  until  the  record  of  them  became 
an  almost  daily  portion  of  our  journals ;  and  the  interest  in  them  was 
extended  from  the  officers,  until  they  became  a  subject  of  inquiry  even 
among  the  crews. 

Upon  the  chart  that  exhibits  the  tracks  of  the  squadron  when  united, 
and  of  the  vessels  when  separate,  the  direction  and  force  of  the  upper 
currents  is  indicated.  The  results  thus  expressed  were  obtained  by  a 
comparison  of  the  position  assigned  to  the  vessels  by  the  dead  reckon- 
ing, and  the  true  place  shown  by  astronomic  observations.  This 
method,  when  practised  by  good  observers,  and  particularly  when 
furnished  with  chronometers  of  such  excellence  as  can  now  be  obtained, 
is  in  my  opinion  that  which  is  liable  to  the  fewest  objections.  Still  it 
is  to  be  desired  that  the  allowances  in  the  dead  reckoning  for  lee-way, 
the  heave  of  the  sea,  steerage,  &c.,  should  be  founded  on  principles  so 
certain  as  to  admit  them  to  be  applied  separately,  and  that  less  was 
left  to  the  mere  judgment  of  the  navigator.  The  use  of  steam  in 
navigation^  and  the  introduction  of  improvements  in  the  log,  will  pro- 
bably bring  about  this  desirable  result 

In  order  to  attain  greater  certainty,  every  calculation  on  which  the 
rate  and  direction  of  a  current  was  founded,  has  been  made  anew  since 
the  return  of  the  Expedition ;  and  it  is  trusted  that  the  chart  now  ex- 
hibits a  full  and  correct  representation  of  the  action  which  influenced 
the  position  of  the  vessels,  freed  in  a  great  measure  from  the  causes  of 
uncertainty  of  which  I  have  spoken  above. 

On  the  same  chart  are  represented  the  courses  of  the  winds,  and 
the  isothermal  lines  for  every  five  degrees  of  the  thermometer,  from 
30^  to  95°.  The  zones  lying  between  these  lines  are  coloured  in  tints 
varying  from  cold  to  warm,  in  order  that  at  a  single  glance  the  curves 
m'ay  be  conspicuous.  By  simple  inspection  it  will*be  seen  how  close 
is  the  connexion  between  the  position  of  these  lines  and  the  figure  of 
the  zones  they  enclose,  with  the  flow  of  the  streams  of  which  I  am 
about  to  treat.  It  will  at  least  be  obvious  that  the  distribution  of  the 
temperature  at  the  surface  of  the  ocean  is  afiected  by  causes  veiy 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  459 

different  from  those  which  are  usually  considered  to  be  the  only  ones 
in  action. 

In  order  to  obtain  precision  of  language,  I  have  chosen  to  dis- 
tinguish between  streams  and  eurrentSf  employing  the  former  term  to 
express  the  movements  of  water  by  which  the  circulation  of  the  great 
mass  of  the  ocean  is  maintained,  and  confining  the  latter  to  those  less 
extensive  in  their  influence,  or  local  in  their  effects ;  and  the  direction 
from  whence  the  great  streams  are  derived  as  polar  and  equatorial 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  speak  of  the  streams  which  we  met  with  on 
our  voyage,  citing,  whenever  it  is  necessary,  such  facts  derived  either 
from  general  experience,  or  the  authority  of  individual  observers,  as 
may  be  useful  to  extend  the  inferences,  or  verify  our  own  observations. 

Immediately  after  our  departure  from  the  capes  of  Virginia,  we  felt 
the  influence  of  a  stream  setting  to  the  southward,  and  parallel  to  the 
coast.  The  existence  of  this  was  apparent  from  our  first  observation 
of  latitude.  It  may,  however,  often  escape  notice,  as  the  navigator  is 
apt  to  ascribe  the  effect  of  this  stream  rather  to  an  error  in  taking  his 
departure,  than  to  a  set  of  current.  In  order  that  the  fact  may  be 
clearly  perceived,  it  is  necessary  that  the  distance  of  the  vessel  from 
the  lighthouse,  or  other  object  on  shore  with  which  the  dead  reckon* 
ing  begins,  should  be  determined  by  precise  observations,  instead  of 
being  merely  efttimateii,  »a  im  the  ustial  mode.     Notwithstanding  the 

inaccuracy  growing  out  of  this  cause,  it  has  been  long  known  to 
seamen  that  a  counter-current  is  setting  close  to  the  inner  edge  of  the 
Gulf  Stream,  and  has  been  distinguished  by  them  as  its  eddy.  That 
it  cannot  be  of  the  nature  of  an  eddy  of  that  heated  body  of  water,  is 
evident  from  the  great  difference  of  temperature,  which  falls  suddenly 
fifteen  or  twenty  degrees,  in  passing  from  the  Gutf  Stream  into  that 
which  flows  in  an  opposite  direction.  The  latter  is  also  five  to  ten, 
and  even  fifteen  degrees  colder,  according  to  the  season,  than  the 
waters  of  our  bays  or  rivers. 

The  inner  stream  flowing  to  the  southwest  is  now  well  known  to 
exist  along  our  whole  eastern  coast  and  that  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  the 
masters  of  our  packet-ships  have  by  experience  discovered  the  value 
of  which  it  may  be  to  them  in  their  homeward  passage.  This  they 
do  by  keeping  to  the  north  of  the  forty-second  parallel  until  off  Cape 
Sable. 

Tracing  this  stream  in  a  direction  opposite  to  its  course  to  the  most 
distant  part  of  Nova  Scotia,  it  is  found  to  be  a  part  of  one  that  fk>ws 
southwards  along  the  shore  of  Labrador,  and  which  is  well  known  by 
the  name  of  that  country.   The  Labrador  Stream  therefore  flows  along  * 
the  coast  of  the  New  Continent,  from  Davis's  Straits  as  far  to  the  south 


460  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

at  least  as  Cape  Hatteras.  It  is  consequently  of  that  character  which 
is  generally  known  as  pdar. 

One  of  the  strongest  facts  in  support  of  the  extension  of  this  stream 
to  the  farthest  northern  point  we  have  named,  lies  in  the  transporta- 
tion southward  of  vast  masses  of  ice  along  the  coast  of  Labrador, 
which  are  met  annually  in  May,  June,  and  July,  off  the  banks  of 
Newfoundland.  This  is  a  cause  which  affects  in  a  most  remarkable 
manner  the  climates  of  Newfoundland  and  Nova  Scotia,  and  causes 
the  harbours  even  of  the  latter  country  to  remain  ice-bound  to  a  late 
period  in  the  year.  Nor  is  its  influence  believed  to  be  of  small  amount 
in  the  climate  of  our  Eastern,  or  that  of  the  sea-eoast  of  our  Northern 
States. 

The  phenomena  of  the  icebergs  develope  another  fact  in  relation  to 
this  current,  namely,  that  where  the  influence  of  the  current  ceases  to 
be  felt  upon  the  surface,  the  body  of  its  waters  still  continues  its  course 
southwards  beneath  the  flow  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  which  floats  upon  it 
precisely  as  the  fresh  water  of  the  large  rivers  of  the  New  World  are 
to  be  seen  for  leagues  from  the  shore  flowing  on  the  salt  and  denser 
water  beneath.  The  phenomenon  to  which  we  have  reference  is,  that 
icebergs  near  the  Grand  Banks  have  frequently  been  observed  moving 
rapidly  to  the  southward  and  westward,  in  places  where  ships  expe- 
rience a  current  to  the  northward  anH  eastwaril.  THa  icebergs,  float- 
ing by  the  laws  of  specific  gravity,  with  no  more  than  one-tenth  of 
their  mass  above  the  surface,  evidently  are  carried  onward  by  a  stream 
flowing  in  the  former  direction,  against  whose  force  the  action  of  the 
superficial  current  on  a  part  of  their  surface  is  of  no  avail,  while  ships 
are  wholly  immersed  in  the  latter,  and  obey  its  influence. 

Here  then  we  have  an  instance  of  two  currents  flowing  one  above 
the  other,*  in  directions  almost  opposite  to  each  other. 

The  Labrador  Stream,  besides  being  overspread  by  the  waters  of 
the  Gulf,  the  surface  part  of  it  is  doubtless  deflected  from  its  flow  to 
the  southward,  and  forced  along  the  eastern  coast  till  it  is  obstructed 
very  materially  in  the  vicinity  of  George's  Bank. 

The  position  and  supposed  dangers  of  these  banks,  and  the  narrow- 
ness of  the  Labrador  Stream  in  passing  them,  has  prevented  navi- 
gators from  taking  the  full  advantage  they  might  have  derived  from 
their  knowledge  of  its  existence.  Of  the  loss  of  time  frequently  grow- 
ing out  of  this  difficulty,  I  had  myself  an  instance  in  a  voyage  from 
Europe  in  the  winter  of  1836-37.  Captain  Hebberd,  who  commanded 
the  vessel  in  which  I  was  passenger,  feared  that  he  might  approach 
too  near  to  the  shoals  of  George's  Bank  and  Nantucket,  and  therefore, 
when  opposed  by  a  westerly  wind,  made  tacks  that  carried  him  within 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 


461 


the  icifluence  of  the  Gulf  Stream.  Since  that  time,  in  the  summer  of 
1837»  I  was  employed  in  the  survey  of  the  shoal  on  George's  Bank, 
and  afler  having  explored  every  part  of  it,  am  satisfied  that  the  alleged 
dangers  do  not  exist  to  the  extent  believed.  During  the  continuance 
of  that  survey,  I  spoke  and  made  inquiries  of  many  masters  of  coasters, 
all  of  whom  confirmed  the  fact  of  the  existence  of  a  stream  of  cold 
water  between  the  Gulf  Stream  and  soundings.  In  this  cold  and 
favouring  stream,  vessels  homeward-bound  may  be  kept  without  diffi- 
culty or  danger,  by  a  due  attention  to  the  indications  of  the  thermo- 
meter and  lead-line :  the  former  showing  when  the  adverse  stream  of 
the  Gulf  is  entered,  thd  lieitter,  when  the  variable  currents  of  the  shore 
are  met  with,  or  the  dangers  approached.  In  the  navigation  of  this 
part  of  the  ocean,  great  attention  ought  to  be  paid  to  keep  within  this 
stream,  by  all  those  who  desire  to  efiect  a  speedy  passage  firom  Europe. 
Circumstances  afforded  me  a  very  favourable  opportunity  for  obser- 
vations upon  the  Gulf  Stream.  We  met  in  it  with  light  winds, 
which  rendered  our  progress  so  slow,  that  we  were  forty-eight  hours 
in  crossing  it,  during  thirty-nine  of  which  we  were  sailing  at  right 
angles  to  its  direction,  a  course  the  most  fovouraUe  for  the  purpose. 
The  remaining  nine  hours  we  were  heading  the  stream.  The  fact 
of  our  having  entered  the  stream  was  immediately  detected  by  the 
thermometer,  indicating  a  sudden  rise  of  the  temperature  of  the 
water ;  and  the  lightness  of  the  wind  enabled  us  to  repeat  the  observa- 
tions frequently*  These  observations  are  recorded  in  the  followii^ 
register. 


Ajog.\ 

90. 

7 

A.1L 

8 

u 

9 

M 

10 

a 

11 

M 

13 

K. 

kug. 

31. 

1] 

P.M. 

2 

M 

3 

a 

4 

u 

5 

u 

6 

u 

7 

M 

8 

M 

9 

U 

10 

U 

11 

U 

13 

M 

TEMP.  ffiP  WATBB.       Al^.  31. 


770 

1  A.1L 

79 

3  •• 

81 

3  « 

81 

4  « 

81-5 

5  « 

83*3 

6  « 

7  « 

83 

8  « 

83 

9  " 

83 

10  « 

83 

11  - 

83 

13  K. 

83 

Aii^.33. 

83 

1  p.  v. 

83 

2  « 

81 

3  « 

83 

4  - 

81 

5  « 

80 

6  « 

>.  or  WATIE. 

80O 

80 

80 

79 

80 

80 

81 


81 
81 
83 
83 


80 
80 
80 
80 


202 


462  ' 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 


Aug.  29. 

TXMF.  OP  WATBE. 

Aug.  23. 

TBMP.  or 

7  p.m.   .   .   .   .   790 

I  p.  M.    .     .     .     .     790 

8  « 

• 

80 

2  p.m. 

81 

9  - 

. 

81 

3  - 

81 

10  •* 

. 

80 

4  « 

80 

11  " 

■    < 

79 

5  •• 

80 

12  •* 

» 

79 

6  " 

80 

1  A.1L 

1    < 

79 

7  " 

80 

2  •* 

■    < 

79 

8  •* 

80 

3  " 

>    « 

79 

9  « 

t 

79 

4  « 

1 

79 

10  « 

79 

5  - 

»    1 

79 

11  - 

78 

6  - 

•     < 

79. 

12  •* 

78 

7  « 

>     1 

79 

1  A.  M. 

78 

8  «* 

* 

79 

2   " 

80 

9  " 

. 

79 

3  « 

79 

10  - 

• 

79 

4  « 

79 

11  - 

• 

• 

79 

5  - 

78 

12  m. 

•      • 

. 

79 

6  " 

77 

7  « 

77 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Gulf  Stream  is  somewhat  warmer  to- 
wards its  inner  edge  than  it  is  on  the  outer. 

The  calculations  of  the  run  of  the  ship  gave  fifty-three  miles  for 
the  breadth  of  the  Stream  at  the  place  where  we  crossed  it,  namely, 
on  the  parallel  of  84^  30',  and  for  its  velocity  about  two  miles  per 
hour.  All  navigators,  however,  are  aware  of  the  fact,  that  both  the 
breadth  and  velocity  of  the  Gulf  Stream  vary  much,  and  that  it  occa- 
sionally approaches  much  nearer  to  the  coast  than  it  does  at  other 
times. 

The  approach  of  the  Gulf  Stream  to  our  shores,  has  been  ascribed 
to  the  influence  of  northeasterly  winds.  These  are  known  to  aflect 
the  tides  in  our  bays  and  harbours,  but  I  am  iinwilling  to  admit  that 
these  are  an  adequate  cause  for  the  change  in  position  and  velocity 
of  so  great  a  body  of  water.  The  action  is  far  too  trivial  to  account 
for  such  an  effect.  It  is  certain,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  Gulf  and 
Labrador  Streams  both  owe  their  existence  to  the  unequal  distribution 
of  temperature  on  the  earth's  surface ;  there  must  be  a  difference  in 
the  intensity  of  the  causes  that  act  to  produce  these  eflects  at  different 
seasons  of  the  year,  and  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  changes  of  the 
seasons  act  unequally  upon  the  two  streams.  The  force  of  the  portion 
of  the  Labrador  Current,  which  follows  the  coast  of  the  United  States, 
will/  when  superior,  carry  the  Gulf  Stream  outwards,  and  when  that 
force  diminishes,  the  Gulf  Stream  will  approach  more  nearly  to  the 
coast,  and  most  nearly  when  its  own  relative  force  is  the  greatest 
Whatever  be  the  ultimate  causes  of  the  streams,  it  would  appear  that 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  468 

their  approximate  causes  are  influenced  by  temperature — the  Gulf 
Stream  being  increased  in  mass  and  velocity  when  the  temperature  is 
highest,  and  the  Labrador  Stream  when  it  is  lowest ;  and  in  conformity, 
we  find  it  a  general  impression  that  the  former  is  broader  and  more 
rapid  in  the  summer  of  our  climate  than  in  winter.  I  must  however 
state,  that  I  have  been  unable  from  my  own  personal  observation,  either 
by  the  thermometer  or  the  set  of  the  vessel,  to  distinguish  this  increase 
of  the  Gulf  Stream  in  summer.  Thus  in  my  passage  to  England,  in 
August,  1836,  from  the  time  we  passed  to  the  eastward  of  George's 
Bank,  in  a  latitude  about  a  degree  to  the  south  of  it,  we  experienced  a 
low  temperature  in  the  water,  and  the  vessel  was  retarded.  We  were 
therefore  in  the  Labrador  Current 

After  the  squadron  had  crossed  the  Gulf  Stream,  we  experienced 
little  action  from  current  until  we  reached  Madeira,  the  whole  differ- 
ence between  our  dead  reckoning  and  the  true  place  of  the  ship  being 
no  more  than  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles  in  twenty-six  days. 

Before  leaving  this  part  of  our  subject,  it  may  be  as  well  to  refer  to 
facts  familiarly  known,  but  which  did  not  come  within  the  scope  of  our 
observations.  The  stream  known  on  our  coast  by  the  epithet  of  Gulf, 
may  often  be  traced  upon  the  surface,  but  with  diminished  velocity, 
entirely  across  the  Atlantic,  throwing  at  some  seasons  the  seeds  and 
drift  of  tropical  climates  upon  the  British  Islands,  even  as  far  north  as 
the  Shetlands.  At  other  times,  when  the  Gulf  Stream  ceases  to  flow, 
or  is  overpowered  by  the  great  Polar  Current,  they  are  carried  by  the 
latter  to  the  southeastward,  on  the  coast  of  Spain  and  Portugal,  which 
current  has  been  so  disastrous  by  the  number  of  vessels  that  have  been 
wrecked  on  Cape  Finisterre ;  where  it  divides,  one  branch  of  it  passing 
around  the  shores  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  along  the  west  coast  of  France, 
and  thence  crossing  the  English  Channel,  which  is  now  well  known  as 
the  Rennell  Current ;  while  the  main  Polar  Stream  flows  southward, 
along  the  coast  of  Portugal  towards  Madeira,  with  a  diminished 
velocity,  as  a  surface  current. 

That  the  stream  which  sets  upon  Cape  Finisterre  is  the  origin  of 
the  Rennell  Current,  the  following  remarks  by  Horsburgh  clearly 
show. 

''  The  current  is  found  to  set  eastward,  from  March  to  November, 
particularly  when  westerly  winds  prevail ;  and  off  Cape  Finisterre,  and 
near  the  south  part  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  it  sets  mostly  along  the  coast 
to  the  eastward ;  and  along  the  east  coast  of  the  bay,  it  sets  to  the 
northward,  parallel  to  the  west  coast  of  France." 

At  Madeira  and  the  Canary  Islands  the  surface  Polar  Stream 
appears  to  have  ceased ;  but  by  our  observations  on  the  deep-sea  tempe- 


464  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

rature,  a  submarine  stream  still  appears  to  exist  In  lieu  of  the  formei 
we  have  the  current  familiarly  known  as  the  African  Current,  by  its 
causing  so  many  distressing  wrecks  on  that  coast,  and  to  which  atten- 
tion has  often  been  drawn  by  the  captivity  and  cruel  slavery  to  which 
their  crews  have  been  subjected. 

As  has  been  seen  in  the  Narrative,  but  little  surface  current  was 
found  on  our  voyage  from  Madeira  to  the  Cape  de  Verdes ;  but  the  sub- 
marine stream  was  still  found,  as  was  shown  by  the  low  temperatures 
of  the  deep-sea  soundings.  At,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  latter 
islands,  and  between  them  and  Cape  Verde  on  the  African  coast,  a 
strong  surface  current  is  felt.  In  endeavouring  to  account  for  this 
remarkable  circumstance  of  the  creation  of  a  current,  and  its  increased 
velocity,  of  which  every  navigator  must  be  aware  when  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  many  islands,  and  the  effects  of  which  we  have  often 
experienced  in  our  long  voyage,  I  shall  now  advert  to  the  cause  which 
I  think  is  quite  sufficient  to  produce  the  effect ;  and  that  is  the  accumu- 
lation  of  water  caused  by  the  obstructions  that  islands  offer  to  the 
onward  flow  of  submarine  streams ;  thus  raising  the  level  of  the  ocean 
in  their  vicinity,  and  consequently  a  tendency  to  run  off,  and  thereby 
cause  a  current  where  none  was  perceptible  before,  or  an  increased 
velocity  in  that  which  was  felt 

To  this  cause,  then,  I  believe  the  currents  around  the  Cape  de 
Verde  Islands  owe  their  origin,  as  well  as  all  others  prevailing  near 
islands  and  banks ;  and  as  corroborative  proof  of  this  I  will  mention  the 
fact  that  where  no  submarine  polar  stream  exists,  permanent  currents 
are  not  found.    This  will,  I  trust,  be  amply  shown  in  the  sequel. 

That  remarkable  current  along  the  coast  of  Guinea,  from  which  it 
derives  its  name,  passing  Cape  Palmas,  and  flowing  into  the  Bight  of 
Benin,  I  attribute  to  the  same  cause.  This  current  is  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Equatorial  Stream^  but  runs  in  an  opposite  direction, 
and  for  a  long  distance  parallel  to  it  Of  this  current  the  following 
remarks  were  made  by  Colonel  Sabine,  when  he  passed  it  in  H.  B.  M. 
ship  Pheasant,  Captain  Clavering,  in  1822. 

^'In  the  voyage  between  Cape  Mount  and  Cape  Three  Points,  in 
April  and  May,  1622,  the  Pheasant's  progress  appears  to  have  been 
accelerated  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  by  the  current  called  the 
Guinea  Current,  which,  in  the  season  when  the  southwest  winds  pre- 
vail on  this  part  of  the  coast,  runs  with  considerable  Telocity,  in  the 
direction  of  the  land,  from  Cape  Palmas  to  the  eastern  part  of  the 
Gulf  of  Guinea.  The  breadth  of  this  current,  abreast  of  Cape  Palmas, 
varies  with  the  season,  and  has  been  found  as  much  as  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles;  but,  in  its  subsequent  ceurse  to  the  eastward,  it 


CURRENTS   AND  WHALINO.  468 

enlarges  to  nearly  three  hundred,  and  occupies  the  whole  space  between 
the  land  on  one  side,  and  the  Equatorial  Current,  running  in  an  oppo- 
site direction,  on  the  other.  The  velocity  abreast  of  Cape  Palmas  and 
Cape  Three  Points,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  land,  was,  in  the  month 
of  May,  about  two  miles  in  the  hour ;  and  farther  to  the  eastward, 
where  the  Pheasant  crossed  its  breadth,  from  Cape  Formosa  to  St 
Thomas's,  and  where  its  velocity  had  been  much  diminished  by  the 
dissipation  of  its  waters,  it  was  found  to  preserve  a  general  rate  of 
rather  less  than  a  mile  an  hour,  and  a  direction  a  few  degrees  to  the 
southward  of  east. 

''  The  general  temperature  of  the  stream  in  the  mid*channel,  in  the 
Gulf  of  Guinea,  in  April  and  May,  exceeds  84^,  diminishing  from 
82^  and  83^  on  its  southern  border,  where  it  is  in  contact  with  the 
colder  water  of  the  Equatorial  Current ;  and  occasionally  to  between 
70°  and  8H°  on  its  northern  side,  in  the  proximity  of  land. 

**  In  the  passage  between  the  river  Gaboon  and  Ascension,  being  a 
distance  of  one  thousand  four  hundred  miles,  the  Pheasant  was  aided 
by  the  current  above  three  hundred  miles  in  the  direction  of  her 
course. 

**  But  the  more  important  distinction,  both  in  amount  and  in  utility 
in  navigation,  is  between  the  waters  of  the  Equatorial  and  Guinea 
Currents.  These  exhibit  the  remark  able  plieiiuiiieiiou  of  parallel 
Streams,  in  contact  with  each  other,  flowing  with  great  velocity  in 
opposite  directions,  and  having  a  diflerence  of  temperature  amounting 
to  ten  or  twelve  degrees.  Their  course  continues  to  run  parallel  to 
each  other,  and  to  the  land,  for  above  one  thousand  miles ;  and,  ac- 
cording as  a  vessel,  required  to  proceed  along  the  coast  in  either 
direction,  is  placed  in  the  one  or  in  the  other  current,  will  her  course 
be  aided  from  forty  to  fifty  miles  a  day,  or  retarded  to  the  same 
amount." 

This  Guinea  Current  is  lost  in  the  Bight  of  Benin,  near  Prince's 
Island ;  which  lies  under  the  equator,  in  the  longitude  of  7°  E.,  and 
it  is  confined  and  obstructed  by  a  southern  polar  stream,  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  Labrador  is  affected  by  the  Gulf  Stream  on  the 
coast  of  the  United  States,  and  which  is  supposed  to  be  lost  near  Cape 
Hatteras. 

Beyond  the  Cape  de  Verdes,  overfalls,  rips,  and  a  continual  tendency 
to  change  in  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  are  experienced,  as  if  two  great 
conflicting  submarine  currents  were  meeting  at  some  depth  beneath 
the  surface. 

As  we  proceeded  on  our  route  from  Porto  Praya  to  Rio  Janeiro, 
the  same  appearances  continued ;  but  we  did  not  meet  the  Equatorial 

voT-  v.  59 


466  CURRENTS   AND   WHALINO. 

Stream  until  we  had  crossed  the  equator  and  reached  the  latitude  of 
V*  S.,  and  longitude  25^  W.  It  was  then  pursuing  its  course  towards 
the  coast  of  Brazil,  whence  passing  between  the  Windward  Islands,  it 
finally  enters  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

This  part  of  our  passage  afforded  many  interesting  observations, 
exhibiting  extended  rips  and  the  boilings  above  spoken  of,  alternating 
with  smooth  spaces,  and  variable  currents,  setting  for  a  short  time  in 
one  direction  and  immediately  afterwards  in  the  opposite.  All  spoke 
of  a  conflict  of  currents,  and  a  forcible  mingling  of  the  waters  beneath 
the  surface.  From  Porto  Praya  to  Rio  we  were  influenced  by  cur- 
rents,  two  hundred  and  eighty  miles  N.  41^  W. 

To  prove  the  prolongation  of  the  Equatorial  Current  to  the  west- 
ward, I  shall  refer  again  to  other  authority,  although,  as  has  been  seen, 
we  experienced  it  ourselves  on  our  voyage  homewards.  In  the  con- 
tinuation  of  the  voyage  of  the  Pheasant,  Colonel  Sabine  says : 

^  On  the  Brazilian  side,  from  Pemambuco  to  Cape  St  Roque,  the 
northerly  current  rapidly  accelerated,  until,  in  passing  the  Cape,  it 
may  be  considered  that  the  Pheasant  had  entered  the  full  stream  of 
that  branch  of  the  Equatorial  Current  which  pursues  its  way  along 
the  northern  coast  of  Brazil  and  Guiana  to  the  West  Indies.  Between 
the  noons  of  the  16th  and  17th  of  July,  she  was  set  forty-four  and  a 
half  miles  to  the  north,  and  fbrty-two  and  a  half  tu  the  west  9  making 
a  general  efiect,  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  of  N.  44^  W.,  sixty-two 
miles :  probably  more  northerly  in  the  first  part  of  the  interval  and 
more  westerly  in  the  latter,  than  the  general  efl^ect 

"  On  the  day  after  the  Pheasant  sailed  from  Maranham,  she  entered 
the  current,  the  full  strength  of  which  she  had  quitted  to  go  to  that 
place,  and  it  was  then  found  to  be  running  with  the  astonishing  rapidity 
of  ninety-nine  miles  in  twenty-four  hours.  On  the  10th  of  September, 
at  10  A.  M.,  while  proceeding  in  the  full  strength  of  the  current,  exceed** 
ing  four  knots  an  hour,  a  sudden  and  very  great  discoloration  of  the 
water  ahead  was  announced  fVom  the  masthead :  thership  being  in  5^  8' 
N.,  and  50^  28'  W.,  (both  by  observation,)  it  was  evident  that  the  dis- 
coloured water  could  be  no  other  than  the  stream  of  the  Maranon, 
pursuing  its  original  impulse  at  no  less  than  three  hundred  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  its  waters  not  being  yet  mingled  with  the  blue 
waters  of  the  ocean,  of  greater  specific  gravity,  on  the  surface  of  which 
it  had  pursued  its  course.  It  was  running  about  sixty-eight  miles  in 
twenty-four  hours.*' 

No  current  of  the  velocity  here  mentioned  has  ever  been  experienced 
to  the  eastward.  To  what  is  this  sudden  increase  and  rapid  flow  to  be 
imputed  T  or  to  what  other  cause  it  can  be  imputed  but  to  a  submarine 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALINO.  467 

8lream,  flowing  directly  on  the  shoal  coast  of  Brazil,  and  raising  the 
level  of  the  ocean  on  those  banks  which  it  endeavours  constantly  to 
restore  by  flowing  off  rapidly  in  the  opposite  direction  7 

Before  proceeding  into  the  Southern  Atlantic,  I  will  recapitulate  our 
results  in  the  Northern. 

Beginning  at  the  equator,  we  find  a  great  surface  stream  setting  to 
the  westward  across  the  ocean,  which,  passing  along  the  coast  of 
Brazil,  enters  through  the  Windward  Island  passages  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  and  thence  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  whence  the  water  flows  in 
the  Gulf  Stream,  which  although  at  first  narrow,  soon  spreads  itself, 
crosses  the  Atlantic,  and  expends  its  force  in  mid-ocean,  or  at  times 
upon  the  British  Islands.  This  great  stream,  of  moderate  temperature 
on  the  open  ocean  under  the  equator,  becomes  more  heated  on  the* 
coast  of  Brazil,  and  opposite  the  coast  of  the  United  States  retains,  both 
in  summer  and  winter,  a  temperature  approaching  to  or  often  exceed- 
ing 80^  In  the  mean  time,  another  great  stream  sets  southward, 
along  the  coasts  of  Labrador  and  Newfoundland ;  and  dividing  at  the 
Banks,  a  branch  of  this  follows  the  line  of  soundings  off  Nova  Scotia 
and  the  United  States,  while  another  flows  beneath  the  waters  of  the 
Gulf  Stream,  passes  southwards,  and  mingles  with  the  waters  of  the 
ocean,  and  affects  the  surface  temperature  where  it  comes  in  contact 
with  islands  and  banks.  The  uninterrupted  flow  of  this  vast  polar 
stream  is  along  the  coast  of  Portugal  and  Spain,  and  a  small  part  of  it 
flows  into  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  caused  by  its  striking  upon  Cape 
Finisterre,  and  forms  eventually  the  Rennell  Current;  another  part 
flows  into  the  Mediterranean,  in  consequence  of  the  higher  level  of  the 
stream,  when  compared  with  the  waters  of  that  sea.  The  main  branch 
now  pursues  its  course  on  the  surface,  until  Madeira  and  the  Canaries 
are  reached  in  its  course,  beyond  which  it  is  no  longer  apparent  But 
below  the  surface,  as  shown  by  the  low  temperature  of  the  deep-sea 
soundings,  a  submarine  stream  pursues  its  way  to  the  equator,  where 
the  waters  again  commence  the  same  round  as  before. 

In  the  southern  portion  of  the  space  included  within  the  above  limits, 
is  an  expanse  of  water  which  presents  remarkable  phenomena.  This 
is  called  by  the  name  of  the  Sargasso  Sea,  and  is  noted  for  the  quantity 
of  the  aquatic  plant,  known  as  the  gulf-weed  (Fucus  natans),  that  is 
found  in  it.  The  general  impression  seems  to  be,  that  this  space  is 
occupied  by  a  sort  of  eddy,  in  which  is  deposited  all  the  matter  borne, 
by  the  different  currents  of  the  ocean,  and  that  to  this  cause  is  due  the 
accumulation  of  the  gulf-weed.  It  would,  however,  appear,  that  this 
idea  cannot  be  correct ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  the  weed  appears  fresher 
there  than  when  drifUng  in  the  Gulf  Stream  and  other  currents,  and  is 


468  CURRENTS   AND   WHALINO« 

therefore  nearer  the  place  of  its  growth;  then  again,  there  is  no 
evidence  that  any  drift-wood,  or  other  terrestrial  product,  is  found  in 
the  Sargasso  Sea  ;  and  in  the  third  place,  the  currents  that  have  already 
been  spoken  of,  appear  rather  to  set  from  it,  thus  indicating  that  it  has 
a  higher  level  than  other  parts  of*  the  ocean.  That  such  difierence 
of  level  has  a  physical  cause,  there  can  be  no  reasonable  question. 

To  connect  the  previous  part  of  our  subject  with  the  currents  of  the 
Southern  Atlantic,  we  return  to  the  Equatorial  Stream.  This  was  met 
by  us,  as  has  been  seen,  in  latitude  8^  S.  To  avoid  the  difficulties  that 
this  stream  may  cause,  vessels  outward-bound  ought  so  to  shape  their 
course  as  to  avoid  entering  it  too  soon.  Should  they  neglect  this,  they 
may  be  set  behind  or  to  the  westward  of  Cape  St  Roque.  For  the 
same  reason,  the  further  to  the  westward  the  equator  is  crossed  on  the 
return  voyage,  the  better.  These  directions  have  sometimes  been 
ascribed  wholly  to  the  winds,  which  are  represented  as  scant  and  un- 
favourable in  places  other  than  those  which  the  current  would  render 
favourable  for  crossing  the  line.  This  may  be  in  some  degree  true, 
for  the  winds  which  in  these  parts  of  the  ocean  are  always  light,  may 
be  affected  and  drawn  along  with  so  rapid  a  stream.  The  polar  origin 
of  this  Equatorial  Stream  will  be  rendered  more  probable  from  the 
relative  temperatures  of  the  parts  of  the  ocean  whence  it  flows,  and  of 
those  where  no  current  prevails. 

On  the  south  coast  of  Brazil  a  current  is  found  setting  at  first  to  the 
southwest,  and  gradually  changing  its  direction  to  south,  until  at  the 
mouth  of  the  La  Plata  it  ceases  to  be  experienced,  but  appears  then  to 
incline  to  the  eastward,  and  spreads  itself  over  the  surface  of  the 
Southern  Atlantic.  This  is  a  phenomenon  whose  analogy  to  our  Gulf 
Stream  cannot  fail  to  be  observed,  and  the  resemblance  becomes 
stronger  when  it  is  seen  that  off  the  mouth  of  the  La  Plata  it  is  met 
by  the  Patagonian  Current,  a  branch  of  the  Great  South  Polar  Stream, 
that  comes  round  Cape  Horn,  and  sets  along  the  coast  of  the  country 
whence  it  is  named.  This  stream  seems,  like  that  of  Labrador,  to 
throw  a  branch  (that  has  been  mistaken  for  an  eddy)  between  the 
southwest  current  and  the  coast  Such  at  least  would  appear  to  be 
the  case  from  the  extent  to  which  low  temperatures  prevail  north- 
wards, as  was  particularly  noted  off  Cape  Frio,  and  is  exhibited  in 
the  direction  of  the  isothermal  lines  on  the  chart 

The  main  body  of  this,  or  perhaps  another  southern  polar  stream 
that  enters  the  Atlantic,  is  oAen  encountered  on  the  surface  to  the 
northward  and  eastward  of  the  Falkland  Islands.  At  times,  icebergs 
are  borne  along  by  it  to  the  northeast,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
those  islands  the  whole  sea  has  been  described  as  occasionally  cov^^ 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  461) 

with  ice.  This  circumstaDce  was  remarked  by  Commodore  Wads- 
worth  when  commanding  the  Vincennes  on  a  former  cruise,  and  as  I 
learn  from  him,  a  French  man-of-war  was  about  the  same  time  com- 
pelled to  go  far  to  the  eastward  of  the  Falkland  Islands  in  order  to 
avoid  the  ice,  a  necessity  which  he  avoided  by  keeping  close  to  the 
Patagonian  coast,  which  at  such  seasons  is  the  safest  route.  That  ice 
is  thus  carried  far  north  into  the  Atlantic,  we  had  in  our  voyage  a 
sufficient  proof;  for  every  thing  indicated  our  near  approach  to  ice  in 
longitude  54""  30'  W.,  and  in  latitude  as  low  as  39""  S. 

The  'great  space  in  the  middle  of  the  South  Atlantic  is  affected  by 
no  more  than  temporary  and  partial  currents.  In  particular,  near  the 
island  of  St.  Helena,  little  or  no  current  is  ever  experienced.  This  is 
rendered  certain  by  the  fact  that  vessels,  which,  in  striving  to  reach  it, 
have  fallen  to  leeward,  find  no  difficulty  in  beating  up.  The  following 
directions  for  reaching  the  island  are  found  both  in  Horsburgh  and 
Purdy. 

"  Before  the  use  of  chronometers  and  lunar  observations,  navigators 
were  directed,  in  running  for  St.  Helena,  to  fall  into  its  parallel  fifty  or 
sixty  leagues  eastward  of  it,  to  lie  by  in  the  night,  and  steer  west  in 
the  day  till  they  made  the  land :  this  practice  is  no  longer  requisite,  for 
most  of  the  East  India  ships,  homeward-bound,  steer  now  a  direct 
course  from  the  Cape  to  St  Helena,  and  make  the  island  by  day  or 
night ;  as  they  generally  know  the  longitude  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
truth,  there  can  be  little  danger  of  missing  it,  although  this  is  barely 
possible,  the  body  and  leeward  part  of  the  island  being  frequently 
enveloped  in  fog  clouds,  particularly  in  the  night.  Should  a  ship,  in 
such  a  case,  fall  a  little  to  leeward,  she  will  seldom  find  any  difficulty 
in  working  up  to  the  anchorage,  unless  she  sail  indifferently  upon  a 
wind,  for  the  current  seldom  runs  strong  to  leeward  near  this  island : 
this,  however,  may  happen  when  the  trade  blows  strong,  with  squalls, 
for  a  few  days,  which  is  sometimes  experienced  about  the  full  and 
change  of  the  moon :  but  this  lee-current  is  generally  of  short  con- 
tinuance. In  time  of  war,  when  any  of  the  enemy's  cruisers  visit 
St  Helena,  they  keep  to  the  eastward  and  southeastward  of  it,  at  the 
distance  of  fifteen,  twenty,  and  twenty-five  leagues.  Single  ships, 
which  sail  well,  would  avoid  these  cruisers,  were  they  to  make  the 
island  bearing  from  north-northeast  to  east  and  southeast,  and  after- 
wards make  short  tacks  under  the  lee  of  it  till  they  reach  the  an- 
chorage. I  have  seen  store-ships  from  England  make  the  island, 
bearing  east-southeast,  directly  to  windward  of  them,  at  the  distance 
of  fifteen  or  eighteen  leagues;  they  sailed  indifferently,  but  reached 
the  anchorage  the  third  day  after  making  the  island." 

2P 


470  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

The  deep-sea  temperature  near  St  Helena  proved  that  the  influence 
even  of  a  submarine  polar  current  was  not  experienced  there. 

It  would  therefore  appear  that  the  South  Atlantic  is  the  seat  of  a 
system  of  currents,  analogous,  but  simpler  in  formi  than  those  of  the 
North. 

Off  Cape  Horn,  we  encountered  the  Great  South  Polar  Stream, 
whose  strength  has  had  such  influence  on  the  progress  of  vessels,  and 
been  the  cause  of  so  much  disaster  to  the  early  circumnavigators. 
This  stream  spreads  far  to  the  eastward,  and  Cape  Horn  divides  i( 
into  two  branches,  one  of  which  sets  along  the  west  coast  of  South 
America,  far  to  the  northwards. 

The  main  stream  enters  the  Atlantic,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape 
Horn  is  almost  as  well  known  as  the  Gulf  Stream  on  our  own  coasu 
It  appears  to  be  strongest  in  the  months  of  August,  September,  and 
October,  the  spring  of  that  hemisphere,  and  weakest  in  April  and  May, 
or  the  autumn.  It  continues  its  course  to  the  northeast  until  it  appears 
lost  in  the  South  Atlantic,  probably  sinking  beneath  the  warmer  water 
that  has  been  flowing  along  the  coast  of  Brazil.  Our  observations 
made  its  greatest  velocity  seventy-two  ipiles  in  twenty-four  hours,  in  a 
direction  east-northeast,  but  its  usual  rate  is  about  thirty  miles  in  the 
same  time. 

One  remarkable  feature  of  the  water  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape 
Horn  is  its  very  low  temperature  at  great  depths.  We  found  it,  as 
has  been  stated  in  Chapter  V.,  as  low  as  28^  at  the  depth  of  four  hun- 
dred fathoms ;  and  although  this  great  depression  of  temperature  was 
not  exactly  verified  by  other  observations,  yet  those  made  in  the 
vicinity  were  sufficiently  low  to  render  this  remarkable  fact  probable. 

That  the  direction  of  a  great  body  of  water  to  the  northward  and 
eastward,  is  not  confined  to  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Horn,  we  have  one 
proof  in  the  drift  of  the  icebergs,  even  beyond  the  line  at  which  a  cur* 
rent  is  found  at  the  surface,  and  which  must  therefore  bo  carried  by 
submarine  streams ;  and  another  in  the  observations  made  by  the  late 
French  expedition  under  D'Urville,  who  found  a  current  setting  east* 
northeast,  along  the  icy  barrier  to  the  south  of  PowelPs  Group. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  northeast  Polar  Stream  is  divided  into 
two  branches  at  Cape  Horn.  The  Chili  branch  of  the  stream  at  first 
retains  the  northeast  direction,  and  sets  upon  the  coast  of  that  country, 
but  as  it  advances  it  takes  a  direction  more  towards  the  north.  This 
stream  is  not  superficial  merely,  but  prevails  to  a  great  depth,  or  is 
submarine.  This  fact  is  conclusively  shown  by  an  observation  of 
Captain  Du  Petit  Thenars  in  the  French  frigate  Venus  in  1837 ;  he 
found  in  making  a  deep-sea  sounding  in  this  stream  during  a  calm. 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  47I 

that  the  line  continued  to  hang  vertical  during  the  whole  three  hours 
that  the  observation  continued.  He  justly  ascribes  this  occurrence  to 
the  motion  of  the  whole  body  of  water  to  the  north  with  an  equal 
velocity.  The  set  towards  the  coast  in  the  more  southern  portion  of 
the  stream  is  shown  by  the  frequent  wrecks  on  the  coast  of  Chili,  and 
the  difficulty  which  vessels  leaving  Valparaiso  to  double  Cape  Horn 
experience  in  obtaining  a  sufficient  offing.  This  stream,  like  the 
others  we  have  spoken  of,  varies  in  breadth  and  strength  at  different 
seasons. 

We  experienced  the  set  of  this  stream  in  a  decided  manner ;  for  the 
amount  of  our  drifting  current  between  Cape  Horn  and  Valparaiso, 
was  two  hundred  and  fifty-four  miles,  in  a  direction  north-by-east 

The. change  in  direction  from  northeast  to  north  takes  place  about 
the  latitude  37^  S.,  or  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  island  of  Mocha. 

In  our  passage  from  Valparaiso  to  Callao,  we  found  the  waters  of 
a  low  temperature ;  but  the  general  effect  of  current,  amounting  to  one 
hundred  and  seventy-one  miles,  was  in  a  direction  nearly  due  west 
The  surface  Polar  Stream  therefore  seems  to  be  deflected  by  the  bight 
formed  by  the  coasts  of  Chili  and  Peru,  but  after  passing  this  it  again 
receives  its  direction  to  the  north. 

Off  Callao  this  stream  is  confined  to  narrow  limits,  but  is  still  readily 
distinguishable  by  its  low  temperature,  and  the  drift  of  the  ship  to  the 
northwest ;  the  breadth  was  estimated  at  one  hundred  miles. 

The  Gallipagos  Islands  oppose  an  obstacle  to  this  stream,  and  pheno- 
mena of  currents  occur  in  this  neighbourhood,  and  particularly  around 
the  more  southern  ones,  that  are  obviously  due  to  this  cause,  and 
which  the  isothermal  lines  on  the  chart  clearly  indicate.  By  these 
islands  also  the  stream  is  divided  into  two  branches,  one  of  which  is 
felt  as  far  to  the  north  as  Panama ;  the  other  is  thrown  westward,  and 
merges  in  the  Equatorial  Stream  of  the  Pacific. 

The  temperature  of  the  water  around  these  islands  is  low,  as  might 
be  expected  from  the  Polar  Current  reaching  them ;  and  thus  may  be 
explained  the  remarkable  fact,  that  although  under  the  equator,  no 
coral  is  found  there,  because  the  water  is  below  the  temperature  at 
which,  according  to  Mr.  Dana,  the  animals  that  form  the  coral  reefs 
can  live,  or  at  least  become  numerous ;  this  will  hold  good  with  all  the 
coasts  washed  by  polar  currents. 

Between  Callao  and  Tahiti,  after  crossing  the  Polar  Stream,  we 
experienced  little  current.  Among  the  islands  of  the  Paumotu  Group 
none  whatever  was  perceived,  and  our  whole  drift  was  no  more  than 
seventeen  miles  in  a  direction  N.  57^  E. 

On  approaching  these  islands,  the  change  in  the  surface  temperature 


472  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

was  of  the  same  description  as  we  afterwards  experienced  in  other 
similar  cases,  namely,  an  increase.  We  thus  have  a  fact  to  aid  in 
proving  that  the  opinion  generally  entertained,  that  on  coming  into 
soundings,  or  near  islands,  the  temperature  always  falls,  is  not  correct. 
I  am  of  opinion  that  this  diminution  only  takes  place  where  polar 
streams  prevail,  and  particularly  if  they  be  submarine.  The  obstruc- 
tion throws  their  waters  upward,  and  mingles  them  with  those  at  the 
surface,  which  causes  the  low  temperature.  It  would  therefore  seem 
as  if  the  existence  of  polar  currents  may  be  shown  by  a  fall  of  tem- 
perature on  coming  within  soundings,  and  that  when  this  does  not 
occur,  it  may  be  assumed  as  certain,  that  no  polar  current  prevails  in 
the  neighbourhood. 

Between  the  Society  Islands  and  the  Samoan  Group,  it  may  be  said 
that  there  are  no  currents.  The  distance  is  about  two  thousand  miles, 
and  our  passage  occupied  fourteen  days,  during  which  time  the  whole 
amount  of  drift  was  fortv-three  miles  in  a  direction  N.  9®  W. 

On  approaching  the  latter  group,  the  temperature  of  the  water  rose 
a  few  degrees,  indicating,  according  to  the  view  I  have  already  taken, 
that  there  was  no  submarine  cold  current. 

Around  the  Samoan  Group  a  current  appeared  to  revolve ;  for  on  the 
southern  side  it  set  continually  eastward,  while  on  the  northern  side  it 
set  to  the  west  This  current  is  weakest  near  the  shores,  and  is  not 
fully  developed  until  at  some  distance  from  the  islands.  This  pheno- 
menon has  little  connexion  with  the  tides,  and  does  not  appear  to  be 
connected  with  the  general  system :  at  least  I  have  been  unable  to 
account  for  it  on  general  principles.  A  knowledge  of  its  existence  is 
however  of  importance  to  the  navigator,  as  advantage  may  be  taken 
of  the  easterly  direction  of  that  part  to  the  south  of  the  islands,  in  beat- 
ing to  windward'. 

On  leaving  the  Samoan  Islands  for  Sydney,  and  passing  to  the  west- 
ward of  the  Feejee  Group,  a  current  was  found  setting  to  the  southwest, 
and  this  prevails  beyond  the  latter  islands. 

As  we  approached  Lord  Howe's  Island  and  Bell's  Pyramid,  we  met 
a  current  setting  north,  in  which  direction  our  drift  on  the  passage  to 
Sydney  was  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  In  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  first-named  island,  the  temperature  of  the  water  fell  to  66^  After 
this,  however,  and  before  making  the  coast  of  New  South  Wales,  the 
temperature  of  the  water  rose  to  73^,  and  we  experienced  the  effects  of 
a  stream  that  sets  to  the  southward  parallel  to  the  coast  of  New 
Holland.  This  current,  like  the  Gulf  Stream,  is  variable  in  breadth 
and  strength,  and  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  runs  with  great 
rapidity.    The  occurrence  of  this  stream  renders  it  advisable  that 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALINO.  473 

vessels  bound  to  Sydney,  should  make  their  land  fall  to  the  northward 
of  the  harbour.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  tracing  the  connexion  of  this 
stream  with  that  which  we  found  setting  to  the  southwest,  as  before 
noted,  near  the  Feejee  Group,  which  being  thrown  towards  the  coast 
of  New  South  Wales  by  the  South  Polar  Stream,  that  meets  its  course 
obliquely,  it  also  receives  an  accession  of  strength  from  the  waters  that 
flow  to  the  southwest  on  the  west  side  of  New  Guinea:  ample  proof  of 
the  existence  of  such  a  current  is  to  be  found  in  the  difficulty  of  passing 
to  the  eastward  of  the  Barrier  Reefs.  This  stream  is  analogous  to  our 
Gulf  Stream,  although  much  less  remarkable,  and  is  at  times  found  to 
extend  to  the  south  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,  the  distance  to  which  it 
prevails  depending  on  the  strength  of  the  p^ar  current  which  opposes 
it  Thus,  the  French  frigate  Venus  met  this  stream  to  the  south  and 
east  of  Vaa  Diemen's  Land,  in  the  month  of  January,  1639,  and  was 
thirty-six  hours  in  passing  through  it.  It  more  frequently  turns  into 
Bass's  Straits,  after  which  it  is  lost  in  the  sea  to  the  west  of  Van 
Diemen's  Land,  or  mingles  with  the  Polar  Current. 

We  experienced  the  effects  of  this  stream  as  well  after  we  left 
Sydney  as  before  our  arrival  there,  but  our  course  speedily  led  us 
beyond  its  influence.  The  current  which  aAerwards  aflected  us  on  our 
way  south,  set  to  the  northward  and  eastward,  and  was  found  at  its 
greatest  strength  near  Macquarie's  Island,  where  its  set  amounted  to 
thirty  miles  in  twenty-four  hours.  As  we  approached  the  Antarctic 
Continent  we  gradually  ceased  to  feel  its  effects,  until  upon  the  icy 
barrier  little  or  no  current  could  be  perceived  along  its  whole  extent 
Our  means  of  observation  partially  failed  us  here,  as  has  been  mentioned 
in  the  Narrative.  It  would  appear,  however,  from  a  comparison  of  the 
position  of  the  icy  barrier  as  seen  by  us,  with  that  laid  down  by 
Captain  Ross,  after  the  lapse  of  a  year,  that  there  may  be  a  slight  drift 
to  the  northwest,  towards  which  direction  the  barrier  appears  to  have 
shifted  in  the  interval. 

On  the  return  of  the  Vincennes  to  the  north,  the  northeasterly  cur- 
rent was  again  experienced,  and  particularly  between  the  latitudes  oif 
60®  and  60®  S.    The  Porpoise,  whose  track  was  to  the  eastward  of 

*  ■       i 

that  of  the  Vincennes,  found  its  direction  more  to  the  .eastward  ths^n 
we  did.  As  we  entered  lower  latitudes,  we  found  it  veering  more  and 
more,  until  finally  it  became  due  north. 

Pursuing  its  course  in  the  last-named  direction,  it  strikes  the  southern 
point  of  New  Zealand,  and  forms  currents  on  each  side  of  that  country, 
which,  however,  are  not  constant  That  branch  which  flows  on  the 
western  side  appears  to  be  the  strongest,  and  is  felt  as  far  to  the  north 

VOL.V.  2P2  60 


474  CURRENTS   AND   WHALINO. 

as  Cook's  Straits.  The  current  which  flows  on  the  eastern  side,  forms 
an  eddy  to  the  north  of  the  islands. 

We  must  here  note,  although  we  did  not  ourselves  enter  it,  the 
polar  stream  which  sets  upon  Cape  Leeuwin,  the  southwestern  pro- 
montory of  New  Holland.  According  to  Captain  Flinders,  whose 
statement  is  corroborated  by  French  authorities,  this  stream  appears 
to  be  divided  at  the  cape ;  and  both  of  these  branches  were  found  to 
set  with  great  velocit}'  for  a  short  distance  to  the  north  and  east  of 
that  cape.  The  branch  that  sets  eastward  along  the  southern  coast  of 
New  Holland,  has  at  first  a  velocity  of  as  much  as  twenty-seven  miles 
in  twenty-four  hours ;  the  other  branch,  setting  north,  has  a  velocity 
of  from  twenty  to  thirty  ntiles.  All  authorities  agree  that  both  of  these 
velocities  are  rapidly  diminished,  and  at  times  the  eastern  branch  is 
felt  feebly  beyond  Bass's  Straits.  The  northern  branch  follows  a  line 
parallel  to  the  coast,  and  on  reaching  the  north  coast  of  New  Holland, 
is  deflected  again,  and  flows  ofi*  to  the  northward  and  westward. 

On  our  return  to  Sydney  from  the  Antarctic  cruise,  we  again 
encountered  tlie  warm  stream ;  and  being  now  aware  of  its  existence, 
I  was  able  so  to  shape  the  course  of  the  vessel  as  to  pass  out  and  into 
it  again  as  we  ran  up  the  coast.  The  temperature  of  its  waters  was 
found  to  be  76^ 

In  crossing  from  Sydney  to  New  Zealand,  on  leaving  the  coast  the 
same  current  was  found  to  exist,  both  by  the  temperature  and  the  drift 
of  the  ship.  We  also  passed  over  what  is  called  by  the  whalers,  the 
Middle  Ground,  and  while  we  were  in  it  no  current  was  found  to  pre- 
vail, a  circumstance  to  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  hereafter. 

Between  New  Zealand  and  Tonga  the  currents  were  variable,  and 
their  general  effect  was  a  drift  of  one  hundred  and  eight  miles  in  a 
direction  S.  88^  W.  On  this  route  we  passed  the  Kermadec  Islands, 
and  through  the  latitudes  where  the  southern  polar  streams  seem  to 
be  lost* 

On  leaving  Tonga,  we  soon  niet  with  the  current  existing  among 
the  Feejee  Islands.  This  current  sets  through  the  eastern  range  of 
these  islands  to  the  northeast,  as  observed  by  the  Porpoise  during  her 
survey  of  that  portion  of  the  group,  and  as  shown  by  the  manner  in 
which  thej^asks  of  the  whale-ship  Shylock,  wrecked  on  Turtle  Island, 
were  carried  to  Fulanga,  where  they  were  picked  up.  We  also  expe- 
rienced the  same  current  in  the  drift  it  caused  on  the  first  night  of  our 
arrival  off  these  islands.  A  strong  current  also  sets  to  the  eastward, 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  Feejee  Group.  I  had  here  to  regret  the 
loss  of  our  deep-sea  sounding  apparatus,  the  importance  of  which  in 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALINO.  475 

detecting  the  presence  of  cold  submarine  streams  previous  experience 
had  satisfied  me.  I  felt,  however,  convinced  that  the  Feejee  currents 
arose  from  them  as  a  cause,  and  my  views  were  corroborated  by  the 
fact  that  the  Peacock  on  her  voyage  from  Sydney  to  Tongataboo  had 
been  affected  by  northerly  currents. 

I  have  mentioned  cases  in  which  the  Polynesian  Islands  were  occa- 
sionally affected  by  the  remarkable  phenomenon  of  a  sudden  rush  of 
waters.  I  am  inclined  to  ascribe  this  phenomenon  to  the  action  of  a 
polar  current  encountering  obstructions  at  the  several  groups,  for  I 
know  of  no  other  cause  so  likely  to  produce  such  results ;  and  it  will 
have  been  seen  that  the  sides  of  the  islands  that  were  most  affected, 
were  those  that  would  have  been  exposed  to  the  full  violence  of  a 
stream  setting  from  a  higher  to  a  low  latitude,  while  the  action  on  the 
opposite  side  was  either  much  diminished  or  wholly  insensible. 

Afler  leaving  the  Feejee  Group,  we  did  not  experience  any  current 
until  we  reached  the  latitude  of  8^  S.,  and  there  only  in  separate 
impulses.  We  then  experienced  currents  for  three  or  four  days, 
whose  united  effects  amounted  to  no  more  than  twenty  or  thirty  miles, 
in  a  direction  about  south  by  west  In  passing  the  Phoenix  Group  we 
experienced  a  variable  current ;  and  little  seems  to  exist  there  at  the 
season  when  we  passedMt;  but  in  the  following  January,  when  the 
Peacock  was  at  this  group,  a  current  was  found  setting  to  the  west- 
ward, which  was  lost  on  passing  a  degree  or  two  to  the  south.  In 
this  voyage  of  the  Peacock,  a  space  in  the  ocean  was  traversed  re- 
markable for  its  elevated  temperature,  which  was  as  high  as  89^ 
The  waters  of  this  space,  therefore,  do  not  enter  into  the  general  cir- 
culation. This  position  will  be  seen  upon  the  map,  marked  in  deep 
red,  and  may  be  compared  with  the  similar  nuclei  in  the  North 
Atlantic  and  near  the  Cape  de  Verdes. 

On  our  route  to  the  northward  we  crossed  a  stream  setting  to  the 
westward,  which  extends  as  far  west  as  the  Kingsmill  Group,  between 
the  latitudes  of  2^  S.  and  8^  N.,  after  leaving  which  we  encountered 
another,  setting  with  equal  velocity  to  the  east,  between  the  latitudes 
of  4^  and  0^  N.  This  last  tropical  counter-current  was  traced  by  us 
between  the  same  parallels,  nearly  across  the  Pacific,  from  the  longi- 
tude of  170''  B.,  to  the  longitude  of  138''  W.  We  had  no  opportunity 
of  ascertaining  ourselves  whether  it  exists  to  the  westward  of  the 
M ulgrave  Islands,  but  Horsburgh  and  several  other  authorities  mention 
the  prevalence  of  an  easterly  current  as  far  to  the  west  as  the  Sea  of 
Celebes,  and  particularly  in  the  latitude  of  4?  N.  After  passing  the 
parallel  of  10^  N.,  we  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  the  current  that  is 
ascribed  to  the  influence  of  the  trade-winds,  and  this  continued  without 


476  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

much  diminution  in  its  strength,  until  we  lost  the  trades  in  latitude 
19^  N.  The  drift  by  this  current  was  two  hundred  and  seventy-one 
miles,  in  a  direction  S.  71°  W. 

At  the  Sandwich  Islands,  I  am  not  disposed  to  think,  from  any 
observations  I  had  an  opportunity  of  making,  that  there  are  any 
regular  currents,  or  any  set  of  the  waters,  except  what  is  caused  by 
the  winds.  There  is  in  fact  rarely  any  difficulty  in  beating  to  wind- 
ward ;  the  time  of  passing  between  the  islands  is  about  the  same  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year ;  and  I  found  none  in  beating  up  to  my  port  in  a 
reasonable  time,  after  falling  to  leeward  of  it  Their  position  is  assimi- 
lated to  St  Helena.  The  temperature  of  the  waters  around  these  islands 
is  about  the  same  as  that  which  prevails  in  the  ocean  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, a  fact  which,  as  I  have  already  stated,  I  consider  to  be  a  proof 
that  no  polar  current  reaches  them* 

Our  passage  from  the  Hawaiian  Group  to  the  Northwest  Coast, 
gave  interesting  results  in  relation  to  the  currents.  They  were  ir- 
regular until  we  reached  the  latitude  of  37**  N. ;  after  which  we  were 
strongly  affected  by  a  southeast  current,  whose  influence  continued 
until  we  reached  the  coast  of  Oregon.  At  this  time  it  ran  at  the  rate 
of  fifty  miles  in  twenty-four  hours ;  but  when  the  Peacock  traversed 
this  same  space,  ninety  days  later,  the  velocity  had  not  only  dimi- 
nished, but  what  current  was  found,  was  nearly  in  an  opposite 
direction.  In  relation  to  the  extent  of  this  southeast  current  in  the 
months  of  March  and  April,  I  have  no  precise  information,  nor  can 
I  supply  it  from  others,  since  those  who  had  previously  visited  this 
part  of  the  ocean  had  not  paid  sufficient  attention  to  this  subject  to 
furnish  any  precise  data.  AH  however  agree  in  the  fact,  that  they  were 
affected  by  a  southeast  current  after  reaching  the  longitude  of  130^  W«, 
and  the  latitude  of  35''  N. 

Within  the  space  embraced  by  the  meridians  of  145**  and  160**  W., 
and  the  parallels  of  28°  and  35°  N.,  the  currents  appear  to  lose  them- 
selves ;  and  this  is  therefore  to  be  considered  as  a  nucleus. 

This  southeast  current  may  be  either  a  return  of  an  equatorial  cur- 
rent, or  a  direct  polar  stream.  Its  temperature  would  rather  lead  to 
the  latter  conclusion ;  yet  there  is  an  equatorial  stream  on  the  oppo- 
site shores  of  the  Pacific,  flowing  to  the  northeast :  this  is  well  known 
to  exist  on  the  coast  of  Japan,  extending  to  the  Aleutian  Islands,  and 
passing  northwards  along  the  coast  of  Kamtschatka.  Of  its  existence 
off  the  latter  country  we  have  many  satisfactory  proofs,  and  more 
particularly  those  of  Captain  Beechey  on  the  temperature  of  the  sea 
which  he  found  in  latitude  67°  N.,  near  the  Icy  Cape.  The  latter 
fact  leaves  no  doubt  that  the  influence  of  a  current  coming  from  a 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  477 

tropical  climate  must  extend  thus  far,  which  is  the  most  remote  point 
at  which  any  such  stream  has  been  positively  known  to  exist.  It 
may,  however,  be  connected  with  the  strong  easterly  current  that  is 
constantly  setting  through  the  Icy  Sea,  as  has  been  noted  in  all 
the  voyages  in  search  of  a  Northwest  Passage.  At  the  Aleutian 
Islands  the  stream  appears  to  divide,  and  a  branch  continues  on,  at 
first  in  a  northeast  direction,  but,  gradually  changing  its  course,  takes 
a  sweep  along  the  line  of  the  coast  of  America,  and  merges  in  the 
northeast  stream  of  which  we  have  spoken  above.  This  stream, 
which  passes  the  Aleutian  Islands,  is  doubtless  an  equatorial  one ;  its 
low  temperature  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  of  its  being  mixed 
with  water  coming  through  Behring's  Straits  by  an  under-current 
from  a  polar  region;  this  latter  being  obstructed  by  the  Aleutian 
Islands,  would  cause  it  to  be  mixed  with  the  surface  water,  and  be 
carried  therewith  to  the  coast  of  America.  It  is  clear,  from  the 
narrow  space  at  Behring*s  Straits,  that  no  great  quantity  of  water 
can  pass  as  a  submarine  current  from  the  Arctic  Ocean,  to  produce 
anv  remote  effects. 

On  our  return,  in  passing  from  the  Hawaiian  Group  to  the  Ma- 
rianes,  we  experienced  a  slight  current  setting  to  the  westward,  which 
may  be  ascribed  to  the  trade-winds.  After  passing  the  latter  islands^ 
we  found  a  current  setting  to  the  northward,  being  in  all  probability 
connected  with  the  stream  that  flows  along  the  coast  of  Japan.  This 
direction  prevailed  until  we  reached  the  straits  by  which  we  entered 
the  China  seas. 

I  need  not  speak  of  the  currents  in  the  China  seas,  as  they  are  well 
known  to  be  influenced  by  the  monsoons,  and,  therefore,  far  from 
constant  Now,  as  the  southwest  monsoon  has  a  tendency  to  increase 
the  Equatorial  Stream,  and  give  the  waters  a  direction  to  the  north- 
east, we  may  find  in  this  remote  region  the  cause  by  which  the 
velocity  of  the  southeast  current  on  the  northwest  coast  of  America 
is  accelerated  at  the  very  season  in  which  such  influence  might  be 
expected  to  reach  those  shores. 

On  our  track  from  the  China  seas  towards  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
we  met  with  but  little  current  until  we  approached  the  east  coast  of 
Africa.  We  had,  during  this  part  of  our  voyage,  an  opportunity  of 
trying  the  deep-sea  temperature  daily,  having  received  several  self- 
registering  thermometers,  which  I  had  sent  for  to  replace  those  we  had 
lost.  These  observations  confirmed  the  impression  that  this  portion  of 
the  ocean  is  but  little  liable  to  submarine  streams. 

On  approaching  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  we  found  ourselves  at  first 
influenced,  as  mentioned  in  the  Narrative,  by  the  Polar  Stream,  then, 


478  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

as  we  neared  the  coast,  by  the  equatorial  stream  that  sets  down  the 
Mozambique  Channel.  This  stream  is  usually  confined  to  narro^v 
limits,  but  at  some  seasons  becomes  strong  enough  to  throw  its  waters 
in  a  southwest  direction  beyond  the  Aguillas  Bank.  There  is  little 
doubt  that  this  equatorial  stream  is  superficial,  overlying  the  Southern 
Polar  Stream,  a  portion  of  which  latter,  touching  the  Aguillas  Bank, 
is  forced  up  by  that  obstruction  to  the  surface.  This  is  evident  by  its 
reducing  the  temperature  of  the  waters  on  soundings  at  the  Cape 
to  62^  This  Polar  Stream  is  divided  by  the  Cape :  the  eastern  part 
sets  along  the  east  coast  of  Africa  as  a  submarine  stream,  and  on 
reaching  the  island  of  Madagascar  is  found  to  flow  north,  along  its 
west  shores.  The  other  and  larger  portion  is  deflected,  and  flows  to 
the  northward,  along  the  west  coast,  and  finally  forms  the  Great  Equa- 
torial Stream  of  the  South  Atlantic. 

We  have  seen  that  a  great  equatorial  stream,  flowing  westward,  is 
found  both  in  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific.  One  also,  according  to  Hors- 
burgh,  exists  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  in  the  latitude  of  8^  N.,  which  may 
be  traced  to  that  polar  stream  which  we  have  seen  to  flow  along  the 
western  coast  of  New  Holland,  and  which  must  of  necessity  sweep  the 
coast  of  Java  and  Sumatra.  This  stream  has  in  the  Indian  Ocean 
been  observed  to  flow  at  the  rate  of  fifty-six  miles  in  twenty-four  hours. 
Upon  the  same  authority,  it  appears  that  on  the  Malabar  coast  a 
current  sets  constantly  to  the  southward. 

About  the  Chagos  Archipelago,  the  currents  are  periodic,  setting 
west  and  northwest  during  the  prevalence  of  the  southeast  monsoon, 
and  southeast  in  the  months  of  December  and  January,  when  the  wind 
blows  from  the  northwest  About  the  Comorro  Islands,  on  the  con- 
trary, the  prevailing  current  is  from  the  westward ;  and  off  the  north 
end  of  Madagascar,  likewise,  a  westerly  current  prevails  throughout 
the  year.  On  this  account  the  ports  of  that  island  are  difficult  to  make, 
and  ought  to  bo  approached  from  the  windward,  as  it  would  be  difficult 
to  beat  up  to  them  against  the  current. 

In  the  Mozambique  Channel,  a  current  sets  northward,  along  the 
western  shore  of  Madagascar ;  while  on  the  coast  of  Africa  opposite, 
the  water  sets  almost  continually  to  the  south.  But  on  the  same  coast 
to  the  north  of  the  line,  a  weak  current  is  found  setting  towards  the 
Persian  Gulf,  and  thus  causing  the  current  we  have  slated  to  run 
southwards  on  the  Malabar  coast 

The  Equatorial  Stream  of  the  South  Atlantic  may  be  cited  as  fur- 
nishing  a  good  instance  of  the  eflect  that  currents  may  produce  on 
climate.  It  always  includes  the  island  of  Anno  Bon  within  its  influ- 
ence, while  St  Thomas,  in  longitude  6j^°  E.,  and  immediately  under 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  479 

the  equator,  is  only  aflfected  by  it  at  times,  and  Prince's  Island  is  never 
reached  by  it  The  manner  in  \^'hich  their  climates  are  influenced  by 
this  circumstance  is  thus  described  by  Colonel  Sabine : 

*<  The  occasional  advance  of  the  cold  water  of  the  Equatorial  Cur- 
rent to  the  island  of  St  Thomas,  may  assist  in  explaining  an  apparent 
peculiarity  in  the  climate  of  that  island,  when  compared  with  the 
climate  of  the  coast  of  Western  Africa  generally.  At  all  the  British 
possessions,  from  the  Gambia,  in  latitude  13°  N.,  to  the  forts  on  the 
Gold  Coast,  the  months  of  June,  July,  and  August,  are  accounted 
unhealthy ;  whibt  at  St  Thomas's,  on  the  contrary,  they  are  the  most 
healthy  in  the  year  to  Europeans,  although  they  are  not  so  to  the 
negroes,  who  suffer  much  from  colds  and  rheumatisms  during  their 
continuance.  It  has  been  shown  that  the  water  of  the  Equatorial 
Current  is  from  ten  to  twelve  degrees  colder  than  that  of  the  Gulf  of 
Guinea,  and  that  its  northern  border,  which  at  other  seasons  passes 
the  meridian  of  St  Thomas  at  a  distance  of  from  one  hundred  and 
twenty  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  south  of  its  southern  extremity, 
was  found  in  June  in  contact,  or  very  nearly  so,  with  the  island  itself; 
and  it  is  not  improbable,  from  a  consideration  of  the  causes  which 
occasion  its  advance  towards  the  equator  when  the  sun  is  in  its 
northern  signs,  that  in  July  it  may  extend  so  far  as  even  to  include  the 
whole  island  of  St  Thomas  within  its  limits. 

"  The  temperature  of  the  air  is  known  to  be  immediately  dependent 
on  that  of  the  surface  water  of  the  sea,  and  to  be  influenced  nearly  to 
the  full  extent  of  any  alteration  that  may  take  place  therein.  In  cross- 
ing the  Bight  of  Biafra,  from  Cape  Formosa  to  St  Thomas's,  the  air, 
over  the  surface  of  the  Guinea  Current,  observed  in  the  shade  and  to 
windward,  at  sunrise,  noon,  and  sunset,  averaged  81^°,  the  extremes 
being  19°  and  83^° ;  whilst  in  the  passage  from  the  river  Gaboon  to 
Ascension,  over  the  Equatorial  Current,  the  air  averaged  only  74°,  the 
extremes  being  from  73j°  to  74^°,  a  part  of  the  passage  being,  more- 
over, on  the  very  edge  of  the  two  currents,  and  within  sight  of  St 
Thomas's.  The  vicinity  of  the  Ek]uatoriaI  Current,  therefore,  when  the 
sun  is  in  the  northern  signs,  cannot  fail  materially  to  influence  the 
temperature  of  the  island,  (particulariy  as  the  wind  is  always  from  the 
south,)  and  thus  to  afiect  its  climate.  Situated  on  the  equator,  St 
Thomas's  has  naturally  two  cold  seasons,  or  winters,  in  the  year,  the 
sun  being  equally  distant  in  June  and  in  December ;  but  in  June,  July,* 
and  August,  is  superadded  the  influence  of  the  surface  water  of  the 
ocean,  several  degrees  colder  than  in  November,  December,  and 
January ;  rendering  the  months  of  June,  July,  and  August,  pre-eminently 
the  winter  of  St  Thomas's ;  in  which  the  natives  complain  of  colds 


480  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

and  rheumatism,  and  the  health  of  Europeans  is  less  aflected  than  at 
other  seasons,  because  the  climate  is  then  less  dissimilar  than  usual  to 
their  own. 

*'  The  comparative  unhealthiness  of  Prince's  Island  to  that  of  St 
Thomas's,  and  of  both  to  Anno  Bon,  as  the  residence  of  Europeans, 
has  been  frequently  and  particularly  noticed  by  Portuguese  authori- 
ties, and  is  universally  recognised  at  Prince's  Island  and  at  St 
Thomas's.  It  may  be  a  sufficient  explanation  to  remark,  that  Anno 
Bon  is  always  surrounded  by  the  Equatorial  Current ;  Prince's  always 
by  the  Guinea  Current;  and  that  the  position  of  St  Thomas's  is 
intermediate,  and  its  climate  is  occasionally  influenced  by  both.  In 
tropical  climates,  a  very  few  degrees  of  temperature  constitute  an 
essential  difference  in  the  feelings  of  the  natives,  and  in  the  health  of 
Europeans." 

In  taking  a  general  view  of  the  facts  which  have  been  stated,  it 
will  appear  that,  towards  the  western  sides  of  the  North  and  South 
Atlantic,  of  the  North  and  South  Pacific,  and  of  the  Indian  Oceans, 
streams  of  heated  water,  making  their  way  from  low  to  high  latitudes, 
prevail.  These  in  the  two  northern  oceans  become  easterly,  setting 
towards  the  opposite  continents,  causing,  beyond  all  question,  the 
comparatively  equable  and  elevated  temperature  that  is  found  on  their 
western  coasts,  and  which  so  peculiarly  distinguishes  the  climate  of 
the  British  Islands.  To  keep  up  the  equilibrium  of  the  ocean,  the 
body  of  water  thus  thrown  from  the  equator  towards  the  poles,  must, 
after  being  cooled  and  rendered  more  dense  in  the  higher  latitudes, 
return  towards  the  equator ;  and  the  mode  in  which  at  first  sight  it 
might  be  expected  to  do  this  is  by  currents  wholly  submarine.  But 
the  influence  of  the  returning  water  is  felt  at  the  surface  also,  forming 
the  surface  polar  streams,  of  which  we  have  spoken.  Those  which 
come  from  the  great  body  of  ocean  in  the  southern  hemisphere  are 
directed  upon  the  projecting  points  of  the  continents  and  great  islands. 
Cape  Horn,  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Cape  Leeuwin,  &c.,  where  as  a 
general  rule,  they  are  divided  into  two  branches.  The  easternmost  of 
th^se  meet  the  equatorial  streams,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  whose 
direction  they  change,  modifying  or  checking  their  progress  towards 
the  poles,  and  forming  what  I  have  termed  the  nuclei  In  the  North 
Atlantic,  we  have  seen  that  a  part  at  least  of  the  North  Polar  Stream 
divides  upon  Cape  Finisterre,  passes  into  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  assuming 
the  form  of  a  surface  current  allied  to  an  eddy,  called  the  Rennell 
Current,  while  its  main  branch  pursues  its  southern  course  along  the 
coast  of  Portugal,  and  finally  again  becomes  wholly  submarine. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  North  Atlantic,  in  the  higher  latitudes, 


CURHENTS   AND   WHALING.  4fi) 

flows  the  Labrador  Stream,  a  current  so  powerful  that  we  can  hardly 
ascribe  its  origin  to  the  return  of  the  tropical  waters  of  the  Atlantic 
alone;  and  this,  it  is  thought,  may  be  a  portion  of  the  Equatorial 
Stream  of  the  Pacific,  which,  after  entering  the  Icy  Sea  at  Behring's 
Straits,  and  forming  the  current  which  sets  eastward,  on  the  northern 
shores  of  America,  enters  the  Atlantic,  through  the  many  passages  of 
that  lab}rrinth  of  islands  and  icebergs,  and  finally  returns,  to  be  again 
heated  in  the  tropical  climates  of  the  Atlantic. 

There  is  unquestionably  a  greater  body  of  colder  water  lying  at 
depths  in  the  equatorial  regions  of  the  Atlantic  than  can  be  accounted 
for  in  any  other  manner  than  by  submarine  streams.  Separate  obser- 
vations, made  in  the  Vincennes,  Porpoise,  and  Oregon,  at  different 
places  during  the  return  voyage,  exhibited  the  same  low  temperature 
at  a  depth  of  one  hundred  fathoms,  within  a  zone  lying  between  the^ 
parallel  of  ^  S.  and  3^  N.  The  observed  temperatures  in  the  several 
vessels  diflfered  only  a  degree  from  each  other,  and  they  agreed  nearly 
in  the  breadth  of  the  first  zone.  I  feel  satisfied  that  the  one  first  met 
with  was  connected  with  the  cold  submarine  stream  our  deep-sea 
temperatures  showed  when  near  the  Cape  de  Verdes,  on  the  outward 
voyage.  As  we  crossed  the  South  Atlantic  without  noticing  any 
phenomena  of  this  kind,  it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  this  body  of 
cold  water  therefore  comes  from  the  north. 

But  to  return  to  the  western  branches  of  the  polar  streams  that  set 
upon  the  two  great  promontories  of  the  old  and  new  continents :  these 
are  deflected  by  the  land,  and  in  their  new  direction  flow  onwards  to 
the  equator,  and  are  merged  in  the  western  equatorial  streams,  which, 
directed  upon  the  eastern  coasts  of  the  opposite  continents,  and  warmed 
by  exposure  to  the  sun,  become  the  heated  streams  with  which  our 
recapitulation  commenced. 

The  number  of  recorded  facts  is  as  yet  too  few  to  furnish  any  thing 
like  sufficient  satisfactory  data  inductive  to  any  theory ;  there  can  be 
no  doubt,  however,  that  the  great  and  sufiicient  cause  is  the  unequal 
distribution  of  heat  over  the  earth's  surface.  How  the  streams,  cur- 
rents, and  counter-currents  are  affected  by  the  continents,  is  within 
the  reach  of  legitimate  inquiry ;  but  how  the  character  and  form  of 
the  bed  of  the  ocean  may  influence  them,  seems  at  present  beyond 
investigation. 

The  best  possible  information  on  the  currents  is  of  great  importance 
to  the  navigator;  next  to  the  winds  they  claim  his  attention;  the  winds 
in  their  turn  are  very  much  influenced  by  the  former. 

The  great  and  at  times  perplexing  variations  of  currents  have  been 
felt  by  all  navigators :  these  it  will  be  at  once  seen  may  be  attributed 

VOL.  V.  2  Q  61 


462  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

to  the  anomalous  periodic  changes  that  are  known  to  occur,  {facing 
all  calculations  at  nought 

The  trades,  the  monsoons,  and  other  steady  or  periodic  winds,  as 
well  as  the  variable  winds  of  the  temperate  zones,  are  either  caused 
or  much  influenced  by  the  manner  in  which  temperature  is  distributed 
over  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  by  the  polar  and  equatorial  streams.  It 
is  therefore  proper  that,  as  immediately  connected  with  this  subject, 
we  should  mention  the  spaces  which  lie  between  the  zones  of  the  trade 
and  westerly  winds,  and  which  are  usually  the  seat  of  light  variable 
winds  and  calms.  The  existence  of  such  a  zone  in  the  North  Atlantic 
has  long  been  known,  and  we  have  assured  ourselves  of  the  existence 
of  similar  zones  in  the  other  oceans,  though  not  to  so  great  an  extent. 
They  lie  on  each  side  of  the  parallels  of  30^  in  both  hemispheres,  and 
are  about  three  hundred  miles  in  breadth.  Leaving  out  of  account  the 
effect  of  the  great  currents  of  the  atmosphere,  we  find  this  space  to 
be  a  sort  of  eddy,  in  which  the  polar  and  equatorial  flow  of  waters 
neutralize  each  other,  and  where  therefore,  all  the  floating  matter  that 
is  brought  by  both  must  accumulate.  I  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to 
this  view  of  these  zones  hereafter,  as  connected  with  the  subject  of 
whaling. 

If,  however,  the  view  I  have  taken  of  the  flow  of  the  waters  of  the 
ocean  and  their  results  be  correct,  which  the  facts  we  observed  and 
those  I  have  quoted  from  the  authority  of  others,  scarcely  leave  a 
doubt  of,  we  may  see  the  admirable  provisions  of  nature  by  which 
the  Creator  has  regulated  the  fluid  mass  of  the  ocean,  in  its  endless 
gyrations  seeking  to  attain  a  state  of  equilibrium  which  it  never 
reaches,  at  the  same  time  and  by  the  same  course  distributing  the 
excess  of  the  tropical  heats  throughout  the  whole  surface  of  the  globe, 
and  bringing  towards  the  equator  the  icy  masses  which  would  other- 
wise accumulate  in  the  frozen  zones. 

But,  putting  aside  the  partial  observations  that  have  been  detailed  in 
the  preceding  pages,  relative  to  the  direction  and  extent  of  the  great 
streams  and  currents  of  the  ocean,  whether  surface  or  submarine,  the 
habits  of  the  spermaceti  whale  alone  would  furnish  strong  circum- 
stantial evidence  that  such  currents  do  exist,  and  that  they  are  variable 
in  their  strength,  and  even  in  direction,  according  to  the  season. 

It  is  well  known  to  whalers  that  the  favourite  and  appropriate  food 
of  the  sperm  whale  is  a  gelatinous  medusa ;  which,  however,  has  not 
as  yet  received  from  naturalists  much  attention.  It  may,  however,  be 
advanced  as  certain  that  this  molluscous  animal  most  abodnds  in  the 
higher  latitudes  of  both  hemispheres,  which  would  therefore  seem  to 
be  the  places  in  which  it  is  produced,  and  to  which  its  habits  are  best 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  488 

adapted.*  During  our  cruise  in  the  higher  southern  latitudes,  we  saw 
vast  numbers  of  these  medusse  around  and  near  the  icebergs.  The 
quantity  was  such  as  to  prove  conclusively,  that  it  was  in  the  waters 
of  the  temperature  caused  by  the  vicinity  of  these  masses  of  ice,  that 
they  delight  to  dwell.  Whales  were  also  in  abundance,  and  although 
principally  of  the  fin-back  species,  sperm  whales  were  not  entirely 
wanting. 

As  regards  the  medusa,  its  powers  of  locomotion  are  feeble,  and 
confined  chiefly  to  the  purpose  of  rising  and  sinking  at  pleasure.  If 
polar  currents  exist,  it  must  therefore  be  swept  by  them  from  the  place 
of  its  nativity,  and  in  its  passage  to  lower  latitudes,  will  by  its  loco- 
motive power  seek  strata  in  the  water  of  the  low  temperature  to 
which  its  constitution  is  best  adapted.  My  attention  was  drawn  to 
the  habits  of  the  whales  here  in  particular,  from  the  novel  manner 
they  exhibited  of  feeding  near  the  surface,  instead  of  diving  lower 
down,  as  they  are  usually  seen  to  do  in  lower  latitudes :  they  were 
constantly  in  sight,  instead  of  being  only  seen  at  intervals. 

It  will  be  readily  admitted  that  the  medusa,  like  other  animals,  has 
its  appropriate  seasons  of  procreation,  and  it  will  appear  probable  that 
the  season  at  which  we  saw  them  in  such  numbers  was  that  in  which 
they  are  brought  forth  most  abundantly.  So  also,  however  low  the 
temperature  of  the  water  in  which  they  delight,  there  is  little  proba- 
bility that  their  increase  goes  forward  when  the  regions  in  which  we 
met  them  are  locked  up  in  ice,  and  the  genial  light  and  warmth  of  the 
sun  is  denied  them. 

The  food  of  the  sperm  whale  will  therefore  be  borne  oflT  to  lower 
latitudes  by  the  polar  streams  in  greater  abundance  at  one  season  than 
another,  and  this  former  season  corresponds  with  that  in  which  these 
currents  have  their  greatest  force.  The  sperm  whale,  it  must  be  ex- 
pected, will  leave  the  higher  latitudes  and  follow  the  currents  which 
transport  his  food. 

In  conformity  with  this  view,  we  find  the  habits  of  the  sperm  whale 
migratory.  The  polar  currents,  as  has  been  seen,  disappear  from  the 
surface  in  many  cases,  but  do  not  cease  to  flow ;  and  even  when  felt 
both  at  the  surface  and  below,  they  will  in  approaching  lower  latitudes 
have  their  higher  temperatures  near  the  surface.  The  medusa  will 
therefore  descend  in  either  case  to  greater  depths,  and  the  whale  must 
dive  in  quest  of  the  food  which  in  higher  latitudes  he  could  find  at  the 
surface.    We  have  seen  in  what  a  decided  manner  the  polar  currents 


*  Innumerable  animalculs,  the  appropriate  fix>d  of  the  right  whale,  are  also  found  there, 
BM  haa  been  leen  by  oar  own  obeervatioiiB  at  the  ■outfa,  and  those  of  Scoreeby  at  the  north. 


484  CUEEENTS   AND   WHALING. 

become  or  continue  superficial  at  the  southern  pronumtories  of  the 
continents.  A  similar  cause,  operating  to  a  less  extent,  raises  them,  if 
submarine,  when  they  are  interrupted  or  impeded  by  islands,  and 
spreads  water  of  low  temperature  over  the  surface.  Here  then,  at  the 
proper  season,  the  food  of  the  whale  will  be  not  only  more  accessible, 
but  more  abundant  within  a  given  space,  in  consequence  of  the  check 
the  velocity  of  the  stream  must  experience. 

So  also  in  the  zones  of  calms  we  have  seen  that  the  matter  borne  by 
the  polar  currents  in  all  probabOity  finds  a  resting-fdace ;  and  here 
also,  at  fit  seasons,  the  food  of  Uie  whale  must  be  abundant.  Points 
possessing  either  of  these  characteristics  I  have  distinguished,  aa  before 
stated,  by  the  name  of  nuclei. 

However  satisfactory  this  theory  may  be  in  explaining  the  causes 
of  the  migratory  habits  of  the  sperm  whale,  it  is  obvious  that  we  do 
not  know  enough  of  the  natural  history  of  his  &vourite  food,  nor  of 
the  rate  and  course  of  all  the  submarioe  polar  currents,  to  enable  ua  to 
predict  with  certainty  the  seasons  at  which  he  will  be  found  in  parti- 
cular parts  of  the  ocean.  This  can  be  learned  by  observation  alone, 
and  long  experience  has  taught  thoae  who  are  skilful  in  the  whale- 
fishery  the  position  of  the  favourite  haunts  of  their  prey,  and  the  times 
at  which  they  are  most  likely  to  be  met  with  there.  Comparing  these 
points  and  the  nuclei  of  the  currents,  as  observed  and  explained  in  the 
preceding  pages,  the  coincidence  will  strike  every  one  who  will  exa- 
mine  the  subject ;  and  when  all  the  facts  necessary  to  illustrate  this 
subject  shall  be  ascertained,  theory  may  serve  in  some  degree  to 
shorten  the  apprenticeship  which  is  now  necessary  in  order  to  acquire 
the  requisite  knowledge  of  the  places  and  seasons  wherein  to  meet  the 
game  in  this  adventurous  employment;  the  object  therefore  of  the 
residue  of  this  chapter  will  be  devoted  to  whaling,  and  to  point  out 
the  results  which  our  own  observations,  with  the  information  derived 
from  others,  has  afibrded. 

The  whaling  interest,  taking  into  consideration  the  extent  to  which 
it  has  been  carried  by  our  countrymen,  may  be  almost  claimed  as 
peculiarly  American.  There  are  few  employments  in  which  the 
enterprise  and  industry  of  our  countrymen  are  so  well  developed  as 
in  this,  or  in  which  so  much  hardihood  or  so  many  resources  are 
required  to  insure  success. 

Our  whaling  fleet  may  be  said  at  this  very  day  to  whiten  the  Pacific 
Ocean  with  its  canvass,  and  the  proceeds  of  this  fishery  give  comfort 
and  happiness  to  many  thousands  of  our  citizens.  The  ramifications 
of  the  business  extend  to  all  branches  of  trade,  are  spread  through 
the  whole  Union,  and  its  direct  or  secondary  influence  would  seem  to 


CURRENTS   AND  WHALING.  485 

recommend  it  to  the  especial  protection  and  fostering  care  of  the 
government 

As  it  was  among  the  first  objects  of  the  Exploring  Expedition  to 
render  the  dangerous  path  of  these  enterprising  mariners  more  safe,  I 
trust  it  will  have  been  perceived,  that  throughout  the  operations  of  the 
squadron,  this  interest  has  never  been  lost  sight  of.  In  fact,  it  has 
always  been  my  constant  study  to  endeavour  to  accomplish  whatever 
could  tend  to  its  benefit.  In  the  course  of  the  various  and  devious 
voyages  we  have  made,  the  greatest  attention  has  been  paid  to  the 
winds  and  currents ;  and  from  my  investigations,  I  hope  to  be  able  to 
point  out  the  most  feasible  routes  by  which  to  gain  the  proper  cruising- 
grounds,  and  to  define  their  localities  more  clearly  than  has  hitherto 
been  done. 

Among  other  duties,  we  were  called  upon  to  administer  chastisement 
for  the  murder  of  portions  of  the  crews  of  whale-ships,  as  well  as  of 
persons  belonging  to  the  squadron,  which  was  done  not  as  a  vindictive 
retaliation,  but  to  convince  the  natives  that  their  attacks  on  vessels 
bearing  our  flag  cannot  pass  with  impunity. 

In  all  places  we  have  endeavoured  to  foster  a  good  feeling,  to  esta- 
blish a  system  of  fair  dealing,  to  win  confidence,  and  to  act  justly. 
The  knowledge  of  the  native  character  which  I  have  obtained,  and 
have  recorded  in  the  preceding  pages,  will,  I  hope,  be  of  use  in  pre- 
serving a  good  understanding  between  them  and  those  who  follow  us ; 
rules  and  regulations  were  agreed  upon  in  many  places  with  the 
chiefs,  for  the  purpose  of  rendering  the  property  and  lives  of  our 
citizens  more  secure  in  their  visits  to  the  ports  of  the  islands;  and 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  will  be  strictly  observed  on  the  part  of 
American  vessels. 

The  Expedition  has  done  much  by  its  surveys  and  explorations  to 
make  the  islands,  their  anchorages  and  harbours,  better  known ;  and 
very  many  doubtful  shoals,  reefs,  and  islands  have  been  carefully 
searched  for.  Particular  information  respecting  these  dangers  will  be 
embraced  in  the  Hydrographical  Memoir. 

Our  whaling  fleet  now  counts  six  hundred  and  seventy-five  vessels, 
the  greater  part  of  which  are  ships  of  four  hundred  tons  burden, 
amounting  in  all  to  two  hundred  thousand  tons.  The  majority  of 
these  vessels  cruise  in  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Between  fifteen  and  sixteen 
thousand  of  our  countrymen  are  required  to  man  these  vessels,  half  of 
whom  go  to  sea  for  the  first  time  as  "  green  hands,''  and  return  after  a 
voyage  of  fatigue  and  hazard,  transformed  into  sailors. 

The  value  of  the  whale  fleet  is  estimatied  at  not  less  than  twenty- 
five  millions  of  dollars,  yielding  an  annual  return  of  five  millions,  ex- 

2Q2 


486  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

traded  from  the  ocean  by  hard  toil,  exposure*  and  danger.  The 
estimated  quantity  of  oil  imported  into  the  United  States  is  about  four 
hundred  thousand  barrels,  nearly  one-half  of  which  is  spenn  oiL 

It  might  be  said  that  the  employment  of  so  large  a  number  of 
persons  is  not  constant,  because  many  of  the  vessels  are  always  to  be 
found  in  our  harbours.  But  it  is  well  known  that  the  same  number 
of  hands  are  employed  in  port  as  at  sea ;  and  I  believe,  from  my  own 
observation,  and  the  statements  of  others,  that  so  far  from  falling 
below  the  estimate,  the  number  of  persons  actually  engaged  in  tliis 
business  would  greatly  exceed  the  registry  of  the  crews,  as  our  ships 
are  constantly  in  the  practice  of  taking  on  board  extra  hands  from 
the  Azores,  Cape  de  Verdes,  and  South  Sea  islands,  which  would 
probably  amount  to  an  eighth  or  a  tenth  more. 

The  number  of  those  on  shore  to  whom  this  branch  of  business 
gives  employment,  will  readily  be  admitted  to  be  twice  as  great  as 
that  of  the  crews.  When  we  add  to  this  profitable  occupation  of  so 
many  persons,  the  value  of  the  domestic  products  constnned  by  them, 
and  the  benefit  that  is  thus  conferred  upon  both  our  agricultural  and 
manufacturing  interests,  the  importance  of  this  branch  of  business  will 
appear  greatly  enhanced. 

By  a  large  majority  of  persons,  it  is  believed  that  the  whale-fishery 
is  a  mere  lottery,  in  which  success  is  more  owing  to  good  luck  than 
to  good  management.  Those,  however,  who  entertain  such  an  opinion, 
are  in  error.  There  is,  perhaps,  no  employment  on  the  ocean  wherein 
a  sound  judgment  is  more  necessary,  and  no  business  where  success 
depends  more  upon  the  experience,  enterprise,  and  industry,  of  the 
commander,  than  in  that  of  whaling. 

Voyages  may  indeed  be  made  by  incompetent  persons,  and  by 
fortuitous  circumstances  success  may  be  obtained;  but  those  who 
are  well  acquainted  with  the  business,  will  almost  certainly  **  fill  up*'  in 
the  time  allotted  to  a  voyage,  and  frequently  in  a  much  shorter  period. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  whales  that  are  principally  the  object  of 
search  by  our  whalers.  These  are  the  sperm  whale  (M acrocephaius) 
and  the  right  whale  (Mysticetus).  These  two  animals  differ  exceed- 
ingly, both  in  their  form  and  in  their  habits.  The  first  is  furnished 
with  teeth,  the  last  with  a  collection  of  laminee ;  they  are  therefore 
adapted  to  different  kinds  of  food:  the  former  feeds  on  the  large 
medussB  of  the  ocean,  termed  by  the  whalers  squid;  the  other  on 
small  Crustacea,  and  small  fish.  Their  feeding-grounds  are  seldom 
in  the  same  places ;  for,  while  the  latter  frequents  the  coasts  and  bays, 
the  former  is  seldom  found  except  in  the  deep  sea,  and  generally  far 
from  the  land. 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  487 

Whales  of  the  two  different  kinds  are  easily  distinguished  at  a 
distance  by  the  experienced,  from  the  volume  of  their  spout ;  its  direc- 
tion and  elevation ;  the  number  of  times  it  is  repeated ;  the  manner  in 
which  they  dive;  the  length  of  time  they  disappear;  and  the  body  they 
expose  to  view. 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  point  out  the  cruising-grounds,  and  explain 
the  operations  of  the  whalers,  directing  my  attention  first  U>  the 
sperm  whale  fishery,  not  only  because  it  is  the  .most  valuable,  but 
because  it  depends  more  upon  the  skill  and  information  of  those 
engaged  in  it. 

The  master  of  a  whale-ship  should  be  a  good  seaman  and  navigator, 
well  acquainted  with  the  Winds  and  currents,  as  well  as  with  the 
cruising-ground  of  his  prey.  When  he  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
these,  and  possesses  a  good  ship,  with  a  spirit  of  perseverance  and 
energy,  there  is  little  fear  of  his  returning  home  with  a  ^*  clean  ship.'' 

The  principal  whaling-grounds  in  the  Pacific  are  shown  on  the 
map  annexed  to  this  chapter ;  they  are  confined  particularly  to  spaces 
which  have  been  known  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  by  names  well  under- 
stood among  the  whalers,  such  as  the  '^on-shore  ground"  and  the 
*' off-shore  ground,"  "middle  ground,"  &c.  These  spaces,  however, 
have  wide  limits ;  thus,  for  instance,  the  "  on-shore  ground"  embraces 
the  whole  extent  of  ocean  along  the  coast  of  Chili  and  Peru,  from  the 
island  of  Juan  Fernandez  to  the  Gallipagos  Islands;  and  the  ^*  off-shore 
ground"  the  space  between  latitude  5^  and  10°  S.,  longitude  00°  and 
120°  W. 

The  following  list  embraces  all  the  different  grounds  in  the  Pacific 
visited  by  our  whalers. 

1.  The  on-shore  ground. 
9.  **    off-Bhore  groand. 

3.  In  the  neighboorhood  of  the  Hawsiian  lalandf. 

4.  <«  **  Society  Islands. 

5.  **  **  Samoan  Group, 

6.  *•  **  Feejee  Groap. 

7.  **  **  KingsmiU  Group. 

8.  Along  and  to  the  south  of  the  equator,  fiom  the  coast  of  South  America  to  the 

Kjngsmill  Group. 

9.  Across  the  South  Pacific,  between  the  parallels  of  21<^  and  37^  S. 

10.  «         North  a  u  u  270  and  350  N. 

11.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  east  coast  of  New  Zealand. 

12.  The  Middle  Ground,  between  New  Holland  and  New  Zealand. 

13.  The  coast  of  Japan,  and  between  it  and  the  Bonin  Uandsi 

14.  The  northwest  coast  of  America. 

15.  Coast  of  California. 

These,  it  will  be  seen,  embrace  a  large  field,  and  it  might  be  sup* 


488  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

posed  that  a  ship  could  hardly  miss  finding  the  animals.  Such,  bow- 
ever,  is  not  the  case.  A  vessel  may  visit  all  these  places*  and  yet 
return  home  a  "  clean  ship,"  if  she  happened  to  be  out  of  season.  It 
appears  from  experience  that  whales  in  their  migrations  congregate  in 
the  above-named  places  at  certain  times  of  the  year,  and  those  who 
are  acquainted  with  the  business  endeavour  to  be  early  on  the  cruising- 
grounds.  I  shall  now  point  out  the  times,  according  to  the  best  infor- 
mation, at  which  the  whales  visit  the  several  grounds,  and  although 
not  a  whaler,  I  hope  to  give  such  information  as  may  be  useful  to  this 
adventurous  class  of  my  countrymen. 

For  convenience  of  description  the  cruising-grounds  may  be  con- 
sidered as  included  within  four  distinct  sections  or  belts. 

These  belts  are  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  degrees  of  latitude  in 
width. 

The  first  of  which  I  shall  speak  is  that  between  the  equator  and  the 
northern  tropic ;  the  second,  between  the  tropic  and  latitude  50°  N. ; 
the  third,  between  the  equator  and  the  southern  tropic ;  and  the  fourth, 
between  the  southern  tropic  and  latitude  50°  S. 

Within  the  tropics,  whales  are  almost  always  to  be  met  with.  There 
are,  however,  particular  places  within  this  zone  where  they  chiefly 
congregate.  Whales  are  found  in  the  first  belt  on  the  north  side  of 
the  equator,  to  the  southward  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  thence 
westward  as  far  as  the  Mulgrave  Islands,  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
year ;  but  the  only  spot  or  space  they  are  known  to  abound  at  any 
particular  season  within  this  belt,  is  to  the  westward  of  the  Gallipagos; 
they  pass  and  repass  over  the  rest  of  this  space  in  their  migrations,  and 
may  generally  be  found  near  to,  or  around  the  small  islands. 

In  the  second  belt,  they  range  from  the  coast  of  Japan  to  the  north- 
west coast  of  America,  and  California;  this  they  frequent  from  May 
till  November.  In  the  month  of  July  they  are  found  oflf  the  Benin 
Islands,  and  between  them  and  the  coast  of  Japan.  They  frequent  the 
space  lying  to  the  northward  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  compre- 
hended between  the  parallels  of  28°  and  35°  N.,  and  within  the  meri« 
dians  of  145°  and  165°  W.,  from  June  to  October;  and  resort  to  the 
northwest  coast  of  America  in  August  and  September;  and  to  that 
of  California  in  November  and  January. 

The  third  belt  comprises  the  ocean  from  the  coast  of  South  America 
to  theRingsmill  Group,  including  the  Marquesas,  Society,  and  Friendly 
Islands,  the  Samoan  and  Feejee  Groups.  Within  these  are  the  spaces 
known  as  the  ''on  shore  and  oflf-shore  grounds.*'  The  latter  the  whalers 
frequent  from  November  to  February,  and  along  this  third  belt  they 
are  found  until  the  months  of  July  and  August,  by  which  time  they 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  489 

reach  the  Kingsmill  and  Feejee  Groups.    There  are,  however,  strag- 
glers to  be  met  with  ia  this  space  during  all  seasons. 

The  fourth  belt  extends  from  the  southern  tropic  to  the  latitude  of 
50°  S.  The  most  profitable  time  for  cruising  within  it  is  in  the  months 
of  March,  April,  and  May,  to  the  eastward  of  New  Zealand.  After  that 
date,  along  and  between  the  parallels  of  22"^  and  28°  S.,  from  the  coast 
of  New  Holland  to  that  of  South  America.  The  portion  of  sea  between 
New  Holland  and  New  Zealand,  is  called  the  "  middle  ground,**  and  is 
frequently  found  very  profitable. 

From  an  examination  of  the  particular  localities  in  which  whales  are 
found  most  numerous  at  certain  seasons,  and  connecting  these  With  my 
own  observations  on  currents,  I  am  induced  to  believe  the  places  of 
their  resort  will  point  more  correctly  to  the  neutral  points,  or  spaces 
of  no  current,  than  any  other  data  that  we  yet  possess. 

These  must  naturally  become  the  rendezvous  or  feeding-places  of 
these  animals.  The  determination  of  these  point3  will  therefore  throw 
additional  light  on  the  system  of  currents  in  the  ocean,  by  pointing  out 
the  neutral  spaces*  The  chief  resort  of  whales  will  be  seen  on  the  map 
at  one  view ;  and  when  these  are  connected  with  the  currents  shown  to 
exist  by  the  observations  of  the  Expedition  and  others,  they  will  be 
found  to  correspond  in  a  remarkable  manner  with  the  neutral  spaces. 

I  have  myself  paid  much  attention  to  acquiring  information  in  relation 
to  the  position  of  these  grounds,  from  the  masters  of  whale-ships,  but 
have  usually  found  their  reports  at  variance  one  with  another,  and  they 
have  sometimes  differed  as  much  as  five  degrees  in  assigning  their 
limits.  Their  position,  no  doubt,  varies  much  in  different  years ;  but 
even  this  will  not  explain  all  the  discrepancies  of  the  statements. 

If  we  examine  the  seasons  of  the  appearance  of  whales  at  certain 
islands,  they  will  generally  be  found  to  be  between  the  beginning  and 
the  end  of  the  summer  of  the  climate,  during  which  time  animal  life  is 
most  prolific,  and  the  food  of  the  whale  consequently  abounds  near  the 
particular  group.  I  have  frequently  been  told,  and  it  is  generally 
believed,  that  whales  are  partial  to  warmth,  and  frequent  few  places 
outside  the  tropics.  This,  if  true,  would  be  singular  enough ;  but  the 
main  reason  for  their  frequenting  the  summer  seas  at  particular  seasons 
is  the  procurement  of  food,  which  is  there  to  be  found  in  greater 
abundance ;  and  there  appears  to  be  little  doubt  that  in  migrating,  these 
animals  move  with  the  currents,  until  they  find  their  food  in  plenty,  and 
then  continue  in  such  locality  until  it  is  exhausted. 

A  number  of  instances  are  known,  as  will  be  seen  by  referring  to  the 
Track  Map,  which  will  be  found  in  the  atlas  to  these  volumes,  in  which, 
at  certain  seasons,  strong  currents  have  been  experienced  in  places 
VOL.  V.  62 


490  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

where,  three  months  afterwards,  they  were  found  to  have  ceased  alto- 
gether, or  even  to  have  changed  their  direction.  I  have  now  particular 
reference  to  the  Northwest  Coast 

Having  pointed  out  the  different  belts  in  the  Pacific,  I  will  now  refer 
to  the  localities  in  the  Atlantic  and  Indian  Oceans,  where  the  sperm 
whale  fishery  is  most  successful. 

These,  in  like  manner,  are  found  to  correspond,  and  are  connected 
with  the  obstructions  of  the  submarine  currents,  or  the  places  where, 
from  opposing  causes,  they  become  lost 

In  the  Atlantic  Ocean : 

1.  Off  the  Azores  or  Western  Islands. 

2.  **       Cape  de  Verdes. 

3.  North  of  the  Bahama  Banks. 

4.  Golf  of  Mexico. 

5.  Caribbean  Sea. 

€.  To  the  eastward  of  the  Windward  Islands. 

7.  North  coast  of  Brazil. 

8.  Soath  coast  of  Brazil. 

9.  Carrol  Ground,  or  a  space  of  ocean  lying  between  St  Helena  and  Afiica. 

In  the  Indian  Ocean : 

1.  Off  the  southern  end  of  Madagascar,  and  between  it  and  Africa. 
9.       «*       northorn  end  u  u  u  u  u 

3.  The  coast  of  Arabia. 

4.  West  coast  of  Java. 

5.  Northwest  coast  of  New  Holland. 

6.  South  coast  of  New  Holland,  and  between  it  and  Van  Diemen's  Land. 

The  periods  or  times  allotted  to  these  fisheries  coincide  with  the 
times  at  which  it  might  be  expected  that  the  food  of  the  whale  would 
be  most  plentiful  if  brought  by  the  polar  streams. 

The  Atlantic  fishery  is  for  the  most  part  carried  on  in  a  smaller 
class  of  vessels  than  those  used  in  the  Pacific ;  the  voyages  are  of  less 
duration,  and  less  capital  is  therefore  required  in  this  business  than  the 
other.  In  speaking  of  cruising-grounds,  I  shall  follow  the  order  in 
which  they  are  visited. 

The  first  in  point  of  time  is  that  near  the  Azores.  This  ground  does 
not  extend  more  than  two  hiindred  miles  from  these  islands,  and  lies 
principally  to  the  southward  of  them.  Here  whales  are  found  during 
the  summer  months,  and  as  late  as  October.  These  islands,  it  will  be 
well  to  remark  here,  lie  in  the  route  of  the  Great  North  Polar  Stream, 
and  form  an  obstruction  to  its  passage;  consequently  the  food  is 
arrested  in  its  progress  and  is  accumulated  here. 

The  next  ground  visited  is  off  Cape  Blanco  and  the  Cape  de  Verdes, 
and  it  is  also  searched  by  the  outward-bound  ships  of  the  Pacific  fleet. 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  49I 

The  whalers  of  the  Atlantic  next  pass  to  the  north  coast  of  Brazil, 
in  the  months  of  October,  November,  and  December,  and  thence  to 
the  Brazil  Bank,  and  off  the  mouths  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  where 
they  fish  in  January  and  February;  after  this  they  seek  St.  Helena 
and  the  Carrol  Ground,  which  lies  from  fifty  to  two  hundred  miles 
southeast  of  that  island,  towards  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  On  the 
latter  ground  they  remain  during  the  months  of  March,  April,  and 
May;  and  thence  they  pass  to  the  westward,  along  the  South  Ameri- 
can coast,  to  the  eastward  of  the  Windward  Islands;  thence  to  the 
Bahama  Banks,  Cape  Hatteras,  and  along  the  coast  of  the  United 
States,  home. 

The  smaller  class  of  whalers  seldom  extend  their  cruising  to  the 
south  of  the  line;  but  after  they  have  visited  the  first  two  whaling- 
grounds,  they  usually  pass  to  the  westward,  towards  the  islands  of 
Fernando  de  Noronha,  and  thence  along  the  South  American  coast, 
till  they  reach  the  Windward  Islands.  They  frequent  the  Caribbean 
Sea  in  the  months  of  January  and  February,  and  farther  to  the  west- 
ward, off  the  peninsula  of  Yucatan,  and  Cuba,  in  April ;  after  which 
time  they  proceed  through  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  cruise  off  the 
Bahama  Banks,  and  Cape  Hatteras,  in  May.  Thence  they  pass 
northward,  on  either  side  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  to  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Grand  Banks. 

In  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  south  part  of  Madagascar,  off  Point  Dau- 
phin, is  visited  in  March  and  April;  in  May,  June,  and  July,  the 
ground  off  the  southwest  cape  of  Madagascar,  in  the  Mozambique 
Channel,  and  upon  both  sides  of  that  channel.  The  whalers  usually 
recruit  in  St.  Augustine's  Bay,  where  supplies  are  to  be  had  in 
abundance,  and  both  wood  and  water  are  easily  procured.  After  this 
they  usually  spend  some  time  off  Cape  Corrientes,  with  the  Cape  and 
headlands  on  either  side,  and  visit  the  Comoro  Isles.  Sperm  whales 
are  frequently  found  in  numbers  among  these  islands,  and  ships  usually 
do  well  in  their  vicinity.  The  African  coast,  from  Mozambique  to 
Zanzibar,  is  good  ground,  and  the  latter  place  is  also  a  good  port  for 
repairing. 

Some  ships  extend  their  cruising  during  the  northeast  monsoon,  from 
October  to  April,  to  the  Arabian  coast,  but  the  African  is  generally 
preferred.  The  Chagos  Archipelago  at  times  affords  some  success, 
but  it  is  very  doubtful  ground,  and  has  not  been  often  frequented.  The 
proper  season  is  during  the  southwest  monsoon. 

The  most  profitable  ground  in  the  Indian  Ocean  is  the  west  and 
northwest  coast  of  New  Holland,  as  far  eastward  as  the  islands  of 


482  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

Timor,  Lombock,  and  Angier,  and  westward  to  the  Keeling  Islands, 
including  the  coast  of  Java. 

On  reference  to  the  map  illustrative  of  the  currents  and  whaling- 
grounds,  before  referred  to,  it  will  be  perceived  bow  nearly  these 
grounds  coincide  with  the  places  wherein,  according  to  the  vi^prs 
already  stated,  the  polar  streams  are  obstructed  by  land  or  islands,  so 
as  either  to  interrupt  their  course,  or  create  such  an  impediment  as  to 
change  it 

The  Sooloo  Sea  is  the  only  place  that  remains  to  be  noticed.  Ame- 
rican ships,  however,  have  seldom  gone  thifh^;  but  some  English 
vessels  are  reported  as  having  met  with  much  success  there. 

There  are  two  routes  by  which  our  whale-ships  can  enter  the 
Pacific :  one  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  round  New  Holland ;  the 
other,  by  Cape  Horn. 

To  take  the  first  route,  they  ought  generally  to  time  their  departure 
so  as  to  meet  the  season  off  New  Zealand  in  March,  and  this  is  also 
the  best  course  for  ships  sailing  in  the  autumn  from  the  United  States* 
They  will  then  reach  their  whaling-ground  at  the  earliest  possible 
season,  and  place  themselves  at  once  in  a  situation  to  reap  the  harvest 
of  which  they  are  in  search ;  and  they  would,  in  all  probability,  have 
time  to  refit  and  recruit  after  the  outward  voyage.  This  is  much 
more  important  for  insuring  success  in  this  employment  than  very 
many  either  of  the  masters  or  owners  are  aware.  After  a  few  days 
in  port,  and  a  supply  of  fresh  v^etables,  they  would  find  both  their 
ships  and  crews  in  a  better  condition  to  take  the  sea  and  keep  it. 
After  remaining  six  weeks  or  two  months  on  the  New  Zealand 
Ground,  until  the  winter  season  and  boisterous  weather  approach, 
the  vessels  should  pass  to  the  northward,  towards  Sunday  Island, 
and  thence  cruise  to  the  eastward,  between  the  latitudes  of  22°  and 
28°  S.,  or  even  in  a  few  degrees  higher  latitude.  The  lower  lati- 
tudes are,  however,  found  to  be  the  most  frequented  by  the  whale. 
Along  these  parallels  they  proceed  as  far  as  the  coast  of  South  Ame- 
rica, so  as  to  arrive  there  in  the  course  of  the  month  of  September, 
after  passing  part  of  the  time  to  the  westward,  of  the  islands  of  Juan 
Fernandez  and  Massafuera. 

Other  vessels  reach  the  Society  Islands  in  June,  and  thence  pass  to 
the  westward,  in  order  to  meet  the  season  off  the  Samoan  and  Peejee 
Groups ;  thence  again  without  the  tropics  to  the  south,  either  on  the 
"  middle  ground,"  between  New  Holland  and  New  Zealand,  or  to  a 
higher  south  latitude,  and  again  meet  the  season  off  New  Zealand  at 
the  end  of  summer  or  in  March.    Those  that  reach  the  coast  of  Chili 


JL 


CURRENTS   AND  WHALING.  493 

generally  recruit  in  the  bay  of  Talcahuana»  or  in  the  port  of  Payta,  in 
Perut  and  are  ready  to  take  up  the  season  on  the  **  off-shore  ground" 
in  November. 

■ 

Vessels  leaving  the  United  States  in  the  beginning  of  summery 
w^ld  do  better  to  take  the  route  round  Cape  Horn,  reaching  Chili  or 
Peru  in  time  to  recruit  before  the  month  of  Novemberi  at  which  time 
they  repair  to  the  '<  off-shore  ground,"  where  they  remain  for  one,  two, 
or  three  months;  thence  pass  to, the  Marquesas  Islands  and  to  the 
westward  of  them,  and  thence  to  the  west,  along  the  equator,  as  far  as 
the  Mulgrave  Islands  and  the  coast  of  Japan.  Returning;  they  proceed 
to  the  northwest  coast  of  America,  California,  and  finally  reach  the 
Sandwich  islands  to  recruit  by  the  months  of  October  or  November. 
Other  vessels  pass  directly  from  the  **  off-shore  ground"  to  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  they  spend  the  months  of 
February,  March,  and  a  part  of  April;  they  then  proceed  to  the 
latitude  of  30^,  and  continue  their  cruising  on  each  side  of  that  parallel 
betV^een  the  meridians  of  145^  and  165^  W.,  until  October,  when  they 
repair  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands  to  recruit 

It  will  readily  be  seen  that  there  is  ample  room  for  a  vast  fleet  to 
operate  in  these  numerous  and  extensive  spaces,  without  the  vessels 
interfering  with  each  other,  and  many  more  might  be  advantageously 
employed.  An  opinion  has  indeed  gained  ground  within  a  few  years 
that  the  whales  are  diminishing  in  numbers ;  but  this  surmise,  as  far* 
as  I  have  learned  from  the  numerous  inquiries,  does  not  appear  to  be 
well  founded.  • 

They  have  indeed  become  wilder^  or  as  some  of  the  whalers  express 
it,  **  more  scary,"  and,  in  consequence,  not  so  easy  to  capture ;  but  if 
we  consider  the  numbers  that  continue  to  be  yearly  taken,  there  will, 
I  think,  be  no  reason  to  suppose  that  any  great  decrease  has  occurred. 
On  an  average,  ft  requires  fifty  whales  to  fill  a  ship,  and  it  would 
therefore  take  about  five  thousand  whales  annually,  to  supply  the 
quantity  of  oil  that  is  imported.  This  would  appear  but  a  small  pro- 
portion^te  number,  if  these  animals  were  as  prolific  as  our  herds  on 
shore,  when  it  is  considered  that  they  have  a  feeding-ground  of  twenty 
millions  of  square  miles. 

The  number  of  right  whales  captured  is  to  the  spermaceti  in  the 
proportion  of  about  two  to  one.  The  former. are  principally  found  on 
the  coasts,  in  the  bays,  and  even  in  the  harbours,  and  are  far  more 
numerous  than  the  sperm  whale.  They  are  pursued  to  the  greatest 
advantage  in  small  vessels.  Th^  frequent  the  coast  of  Chili  during 
the  summer  season,  from  October  to  March,  and  are  to  be  found  on  the 
northwest  coast  of  America  and  that  of  California,  during  the  northern 

2R 


494  CURRENTS   AND  WHALING. 

summer,  or  from  March  to  November.  On  both  the  east  and  we?t 
coasts  of  New  Holland,  as  well  as  on  that  of  New  Zealand,  they  are 
abundant  from  September  to  March,  in  the  bays,  where  they  resort  to 
calve.  This,  however,  they  no  longer  do  without  molestation,  as  the 
shores  are  now  occupied  by  extensive  establishments  for  taking  th«i» 
well  provided  with  boats.  On  the  signal  from  the  look-out,  the  boats 
are  launched,  and  soon  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  game,  which,  when  killed, 
is  towed  into  the  bay  and  dragge4  on  shore,  where  it  is  cut  up  and 
"  tryed  oul'* 

There  are  few  places  which  surpass  these  localities  for  the  commis- 
sion of  all  kinds  of  vice ;  and  in  saying  this,  I  have  reference  as  well 
to  those  of  South  and  West  Australia,  as  to  those  of  New  Zealand, 
although  the  latter  are  the  most  noted  for  their  enormities.  Some 
merchants,  it  is  said,  in  Sydney,  advance  the  capital^  and  share  the 
profits  with  those  who  undertake  the  business.  The  latter  generally 
engage  in  their  service  a  large  number  of  natives  and  some  of  the 
lowest  whites,  whom  they  allow  to  indulge  in  every  sort  of  vice,  so 
long  as  they  can  make  use  of  them.  Quarrels  often  take  place  between 
the  parties  engaged  in  the  same  business,  and  the  rivalry  not  unfre- 
qoently  leads  to  sharp  conflicts  and  bloodshed. 

I  am  surprised  that  the  British  authorities  have  not  taken  cogni- 
zance of  the  outrageous  acts  that  are  constantly  taking  place  within 
\he  limits  wherq  they  claim  authority.  One  of  these  acts  was  made 
known  to  me  after  my  arrival  at  the  Bay  of  Islands,  and  I  regretted 
the  impossibility  of  repairing  to  the  spot  to  demand  redress.  The 
following  is  the  statement  of  the  master,  oflicers,  and  cre^. 

**  While  the  whale-ship  Adeline,  Thomas  Brown,  master,  was  lying 
at  Kapiti,  New  Zealand,  on  the  12th  of  December,  1839,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  refitting  with  wood  and  water,  at  %bout  2  p.  h.,  as  the  third 
officer  and  five  of  the  crew  were  employed  in  towing  off  a  raft  of 
water ;  being  about  one  mile  from  the  ship,  they  were  boarded  by  a 
whale-boat,  having  a  crew  of  eight  Europeans  and  one  New  Zealander, 
under  one  James  Harrison  as  headsman,  armed  with  pistols  an^  knives, 
(being  a  part  of  the  persons  employed  by  Raymond  and  Young,)  who 
forcibly  took  possession  of  the  boat  and  cut  off  the  raft,  threatening 
instant  death  to  any  one  who  should  make  resistance.  Having  thus 
captured  the  boat,  they  at  once  made  sail,  and  ran  for  their  establish- 
ment, on  the  shore,  about  six  miles  distant  The  captain,  on  perceiving 
the  piratical  act,  at  once  followed  with  two  boats,  but  did  not  succeed 
in  overtaking  them  until  they  reached  the  shore  and  had  hauled  the 
captured  boat  up  on  the  beach.  While  on  his  way  he  was  pursued 
by  another  boat,  which  kept  firing  at  him.    The  captured  boat  was 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  495 

surrounded  on  the  beach  by  from  thirty  to  forty  desperate-looking 
wretches,  more  or  less  armed.  Of  these,  Harrison  became  the 
spokesman,  declaring  that  they  had  taken  the  boat  and  meant  to  keep 
it,  at  the  risk  of  his  and  all  the  party's  lives,  to  which  speech  they  all 
signified  their  assent  Captain  Brown  repeatedly  cautioned  them 
against  such  acts  of  piracy ;  but  his  caution  was  received  with  curses 
and  all  kinds  of  abuse,  and  finally  a  pistol  was  presented,  with  the 
declaration  that  he,  Harrison,  would  blow  out  the  brains  of  Captain 
Brown  if  he  attempted  to  rescue  the  boat'' 

Such  has  been  the  indiscriminate  manner  in  which  the  whales  have 
been  slaughtered,  both  old  and  young,  that  these  haunts  have  of  late 
years  been  less  frequented  by  them. 

The  right  whale  is  found  of  much  larger  size  in  high  latitudes  than  in 
low,  and  not  unfrequently  yields,  when  taken  in  these  latitudes,  as  much 
as  one  hundred  and  eighty  barrels  of  oil..  Besides  the  oil,  the  whale- 
bone produces  some  profit  A  large  number  of  these  whales  were  seen 
by  us  in  the  bays  about  Cape  Horn,  in  the  months  of  March  and  April ; 
but  the  weather  there  is  seldom  favourable  to  the  use  of  boats,  and 
would  of  course  preclude  success  in  carrying  on  such  a  business. 

On  soundings,  and  in  shoal  water,  attempts  have  been  made  to 
capture  a  different  species  of  whale,  called  the  humpback  (Gibbosa) ; 
but  there  is  a  great  impediment  to  the  securing  of  the  spoils  of  this 
game,  for  when  killed  they  immediately  sink  for  thirty  or  forty  hours. 
It  therefore  becomes  necessary,  either  to  anchor  a  boat  near  by  to 
watch  them,  or  leave  a  buoy,  and  then  not  unfrequently  they  may  be 
swept  off  by  the  under-current,  or  lost  by  bad  weather. 

Although  the  high  latitudes  oiifer  great  inducements  on  account  of 
the  number  and  size  of  the  whales,  yet  there  are  many  difficulties 
existing,  that  render  it  preferable  to  pursue  the  game  in  the  low  lati- 
tudes. The  weather,  even  in  the  summer  season,  is  often  tempestuous, 
which  makes  it  dangerous  to  lower  boats ;  and  there  are,  even  in  the 
fine  season,  fogs,  which  not  only  tantalize,  but  prevent  the  chase  from 
being  extended  to  any  distance  from  the  ship,  without  the  risk  of  losing 
both  boats  and  crew.  I  have  been  told  that  it  has  frequently  happened 
that  boats  have  been  separated  from  the  ship  for  several  days;  thus  not 
only  producing  great  anxiety,  but  often  much  distress  from  want  of 
provisions  and  water.  Our  whalers  feel  that  there  is  quite  enough  of 
adventure  and  peril  in  following  their  employment  in  the  lower  and 
less  boisterous  latitudes. 

Notwithstanding  these  difficulties,  the  favourite  and  most  successful 
ground  for  the  right  whale,  is  between  the  fiftieth  and  fifty-fifth  parallel 
of  north  latitude,  where  vast  numbers  have  been  recently  taken  in  June 


496  CURRENTS   AND  WHALINa 

and  July,  of  great  size ;  although  the  season  is  of  short  duration,  yet 
large  ships  have  obtained  a  full  cargo  before  its  close. 

It  is  impossible  to  meet  a  whale-ship  on  the  ocean  without  being 
struck  by  her  mere  appearance.  The  vessel  under  short  sail,  with 
look-outs  at  the  masthead,  eagerly  scanning  the  wide  expanse  around 
them,  has  a  totally  different  air  from  those  engaged  in  a  regular  voyaga 

But  admiration  is  excited  on  becoming  a  looker-on  at  the  chase  and 
capture.  When  the  cry  from  aloft  of  '*  There  she  spouts !"  and  the. 
quick  response  of '*  Where  away  T"  are  heard,  the  bustle  on  the  deck 
shows  a  state  of  animation  that  would  scarcely  be  supposed  possible 
among  such  a  looking  set  of  men.  The  boats  are  immediately  put  in 
requisition,  lowered  and  manned,  and  within  a  few  minutes  the  pursuit 
is  begun.  The  boats  dash  on  until  the  boat-steerer  comes  within  sight 
of  his  object ;  the  whale  is  soon  reconnoitred,  and  endeavours  are  made 
to  approach  him  unobserved,  and  plunge  the  harpoon  as  near  the  fin  as 
possible ;  a  wound  in  this  place  is  sometimes  fatal,  and  no  further  injury 
is  necessary  to  secure  the  animal's  capture. 

On  being  struck,  the  whale  at  once  dives,  carrying  out  the  line 
(which  is  kept  coiled  up  in  tubs)  with  great  velocity,  through  a  notch 
in  the  stem  of  the  boat.  The  velocity  of  the  line  is  at  times  so  great, 
that  in  order  to  prevent  the  boat  from  being  set  on  fire  by  the  friction, 
water  is  applied.  After  the  whale  dives,  some  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes 
pass,  during  which  time  the  *'  fast"  boat  is  often  carried  a  great  dis- 
tance from  the  others,  for  the  whale  in  descending  generally  takes  an 
oblique  course.  The  boat  is  so  much  buried  in  her  rapid  flight,  that  I 
have  at  times  only  been  able  to  see  the  persons  in  her,  for  the  water  on 
each  side  was  thrown  so  high  as  to  conceal  the  hull  from  a  distant 
observer,  although  the  sea  was  otherwise  quite  smooth. 

As  the  whale  rises,  a  skilful  boat-steerer  will  be  ready  at  hand,  and 
the  moment  the  animal  makes  his  appearance,  lances  are  plunged  in 
quick  succession  into  his  vital  parts;  when  off  he  again  bounds  with 
the  life-blood  streaming  from  him,  and  shortly  after,  this  huge  monster 
is  seen  to  turn  over  lifeless  on  his  back.  The  shortness  of  time  that 
seems  to  elapse  from  the  first  onset  to  the  capture  and  death  of  so  large 
an  animal,  is  almost  inconceivable;  and  the  apparently  insufficient 
means  that  are  employed  to  accomplish  it,  are  likewise  remarkable. 

The  whale  being  slain,  signal  is  made  for  the  ship,  if  to  windward, 
to  come  down,  or  if  to  leeward,  the  monster  is  taken  in  tow  by  the 
boats  and  brought  alongside,  when  the  ''  fluke  hooks"  and  chains  are 
used  to  secure  him;  the  operation  of  baling  out  the  head-matter  then 
begins,  which  is  followed  by  stripping  off  the  blubber  in  large  pieces, 
called  **  blankets,"  from  four  to  six  feet  wide,  to  which  tackles  are 


CURRENTS   AND   WHALING.  497 

applied  to  draw  it  up  as  it  is  separated  from  the  carcass.  After  being 
taken  on  board,  the  blankets  are  cut  up.  The  next  operation  is 
**  trying  out':"  this  is  done  by  melting  the  blubber  in  large  pots  set  in 
a  fire-place  of  brick-work,  which  is  carefully  secured  on  the  upper 
deck,  with  a  trough  around  it,  in  which  water  is  put  to  prevent  acci- 
dents from  fire.  The  fuel  used  is  blubber  from  which  the  oil  has  been 
extracted,  which  produces  a  strong  heat,  and  is  a  very  economical 
fire.  To  prevent  accidents  great  caution  is  necessary,  and  the  readiest 
mode  that  has  been  found  to  extinguish  the  burning  oil,  is  by  throwing 
sand  on  it;  a  quantity  of  sand  is,  therefore,  generally  kept  in  the 
**  try-works."  In  well-regulated  ships,  the  oil  after  boiling  is  put  into 
reservoirs  until  it  cools,  after  which  it  is  drawn  off  and  placed  in  the 
proper  casks ;  of  each  of  these  a  sample  is  kept,  properly  marked  and 
labelled,  and  these  are  often  shown  with  much  pride  by  the  master  of 
the  ship  to  his  visiters,  as  indication  of  his  success  and  the  quali^  of 
his  oil. 

The  profits  of  the  whaling  fishery  have  been  great,  and  show  what 
industry  and  perseverance  can  yield  when  well  directed.  The  small 
number  of  accidents  in  this  large  fleet  is  surprising;  for  the  total 
losses  for  which  underwriters  have  to  pay,  seldom  exceed  one  per 
cent.,  and  those  from  other  accidents  are  not  more  than  one  half  per 
cent.  The  insurance  seldom  exceeds  two  and  a  half  per  cent  by  the 
year,  and  at  this  low  premium  the  underwriters  have  derived  good 
dividends. 

Of  late  years  there  has  been  much  fluctuation  in  the  price  of  oil, 
which  has  caused  those  to  make  losing  voyages  who  returned  at  the 
times  of  its  depression ;  but  at  the  steady  prices  of  eighty-five  cents 
per  gallon  for  sperm  oil,  and  thirty-five  cents  for  whale  oil,  voyages 
would  generally  yield  a  handsome  return. 

It  is  estimated  that  about  ten  per  cent  of  the  ships  make  losing 
voyages,  as  well  from  the  incompetency  of  the  masters  as  from  acci- 
dent and  ill  luck. 

The  greater  proportion  of  the  oil  finds  a  market  in  Germany,  Hol- 
land, and  Prussia;  consequently  the  prices  abroad  control  those  at 
home. 

I  have  stated  the  number  of  sperm  whales  that  are  taken  at  five 
thousand,  and  this  may  in  some  years  be  beyond  the  truth.  From  the 
best  authorities,  the  whole  of  both  species  annually  taken  is  about  ten 
thousand,  including  those  lost  from  acpident,  and  those  cut  adrift,  in 
consequence  of  bad  weather  or  night  These  losses  may  amount  to 
eight  or  ten  per  cent  of  those  mortally  wounded. 

It  is  said  that  an  equal  proportion  of  bull  and  cow  whales  are  taken* 
VOLV.  2R2  68 


498  CURRENTS   AND   WHALING. 

It  is,  however,  admitted  that  the  latter  are  the  most  numerous ;  and 
the  probable  reason  for  the  equality  in  the  number  taken  may  be  that 
the  bull  whale  being  the  largest,  is  most  sought  after.  The  bull  whales 
yield,  on  an  average,  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  barrels  of  oil,  while 
the  cows  seldom  exceed  forty-five  barrels,  and  at  times  yield  no  more 
than  five  barrels.  Bull  whales  are  never  found  together,  but  in  small 
numbers,  while  the  cows  are  seen  in  large  herds. 

The  right  whale  fisheries  occupy  the  higher  latitudes  in  both  hemi- 
spheres,  which  are  their  feeding-grounds.  As  the  winter  is  setting  in. 
the  cows  resort  to  the  bays  to  bring  forth  their  young,  where  thej 
remain  until  the  spring  months,  when  they  again  resort  to  the  feeding- 
grounds,  to  meet  the  bulls.  It  is  not  known  where  the  latter  go  during 
the  interval,  but  it  is  generally  supposed  to  the  high  latitudes,  where 
they  find  their  food  in  greater  plenty. 

While  visiting  the  ports  for  the  purpose  of  recruiting,  the  crews  of 
wbale-ships  are  often  found  in  a  state  of  lax  discipline ;  both  captains 
and  crew  take  this  opportunity  to  lay  their  complaints  before  the 
consuls,  who  are  much  troubled  with  them,  and  frequently  at  a  loss 
to  understand  and  pass  upon  the  merits  of  the  case.  The  crews 
usually  complain  of  bad  provisions,  short  allowance,  and  bad  usage ; 
in  some  cases  I  have  heard  them  assert  that  they  felt  their  lives  in 
danger  from  the  outrageous  conduct  of  the  captain;  and  in  one 
instance,  even  the  officers  joined  in  the  complaint  The  captain,  on 
the  other  hand,  believed  that  there  was  a  conspiracy  on  foot  to  poison 
him. 

Many  Americans  are  found  on  the  different  islands,  who  have  been 
turned  ashore  from  whale-ships,  or  left  because  they  have  broken  their 
liberty  a  single  time,  near  the  end  of  a  voyage.  Such  treatment  leaves 
too  much  ground  to  believe  that  they  are  purposely  left,  in  order  to 
increase  the  profits  of  the  ship-master  or  owners.  Several  of  these 
men  were  received,  in  a  perfectly  destitute  condition,  on  board  the 
y  incennes ;  others  were  taken  out  of  prison,  and  all  related  many  of  the 
difficulties  and  troubles  they  had  to  encounter  on  board  the  ship  to 
which  they  were  attached ;  although  I  am  not  generally  disposed  to 
place  much  reliance  on  their  statements,  yet  it  cannot  but  happen  that 
out  of  so  many  cases  there  must  be  some  in  which  the  seamen  were  in 
the  right. 

It  is  difficult  to  suggest  any  remedy  for  this  state  of  things  by  legis- 
lation. The  law  passed  in  1887  has  had  a  beneficial  efibct  in  protect- 
ing the  crews  against  a  short  supply  of  provisions,  and  in  causing  them 
to  be  furnished  with  wholesome  food.  But  the  quantity  as  well  as  the 
quality  of  the  rations  ought  to  be  fixed  by  law,  that  every  one  who  iar 


X;URR£NTS  AND  WHALING.  499 

restricted  in  food   by  his  commander  may  receive  an  eqaivalent  in 
money. 

The  ration  has  been  hitherto  left  to  the  master  and  owner,  and 
although  it  is  the  true  interest  of  the  latter  that  the  crew  of  his  ship 
should  be  well  fed,  yet  there  are  many  who  think  and  practise  the  con^ 
trary.  I  see  no  reason  why  there  should  not  be  a  lawful  ration  fixed 
as  well  in  the  merchant  service  as  in  the  navy,  and  when  it  is  not 
supplied  in. fully  that  the  crew  shall  be  entitled  to  be  paid  for  the 
deficiency ;  it  then  could  be  no  object  for  a  master  or  owner  to  stint 
them.  I  have  generally  observed  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the 
complaints  arise  from  this  cause,  and  when  the  master  is  part  owner 
they  are  almost  invariably  made. 

Another  cause  of  complaint  arises  from  the  practice  of  issuing  slops 
to  the  crews  instead  of  money,  and  giving  the  supply  of  these  to  the 
master  as  a  perquisite.  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  when  I  learned  that 
this  perquisite  had  amounted  to  eighteen  hundred  dollars  with  a  crew 
of  about  thirty  men.  It,  in  fact,  sometimes  reaches  the-  amount  of 
between  two  and  three  thousand  dollars ;  and  it  will  naturally  excite 
some  curiosity  to  know  how  so  large  a  net  gain  could  accrue  firom 
sailors  whose  ordinary  dress  is  but  a  pair  of  coarse  blue  trousers  and 
red  flannel  shirt.  There  is,  however,  no  difficulty  in  the  explanation. 
The  crew,  in  the  first  place,  get  an  outfit  in  clothing  as  an  advance, 
which  is  charged  to  them  at  a  profit  of  one  hundred  per  cent. ;  they  then 
when  allowed  liberty  on  shore  are  obliged  to  draw  these  goods  or 
clothing,  in  lieu  of  money,  and  cannot  exchange  them  on  shore  for 
more  than  one-fourth  of  what  they  are  charged  for  them.  In  this  way 
a  debt  is  accumulated  against  the  ^  lay''  of  the  seaman,  until  he  finds 
before  the  end  of  the  voyage  that  the  whole  amount  that  ought  to 
accrue  to  him  is  dissipated.  This  naturally  leads  to  discontent  against 
the  persons  whom  he  knows  or  believes  to  be  the  authors  of  his  loss, 
.and  for  whose  gain  all  his  labours  have  gone.  This  state  of  things 
unavoidably  produces  difficulties,  more  or  less  serious  according  to  the 
number  of  the  crew  who  find  themselves  thus  circumstanced.  I  am  not 
prepared  to  say  how  this  can  be  avoided,  but  I  am  well  satisfied  it 
would  be  for  the  interest  of  the  owners  to  reserve  this  supply  to  them- 
selves, and  charge  it  to  the  crew,  at  such  advance  on  the  cost  as  wiU 
just  secure  themselves  from  loss.  By  doing  this  they  would  find  that 
the  expenses  caused  by  detention  and  the  many  vexations  and  quarrels 
would  be  saved.  It  is  inconceivable  how  mudi  time  is  lost  in  port  by 
these  difficulties  between  the  master  and  crew. 

Many  difficulties  would  certainly  be  prevented  by  the  government 
sending  men-of-war  to  the  ports  at  the  time  they  are  firequented  by  the 


500  CURRENTS  AND   WHALING. 

whalers,  not  only  to  support  the  authority  of  the  coosub  and  masters 
of  whalers,  but  at  the  same  time  to  protect  the  interests  of  the  crews.  I  am 
well  assured  that  the  presence  of  our  national  vesseb  would  in  a  great 
measure  prevent  many  of  the  disturbances  that  are  constantly  occurring 
between  the  masters  and  crews,  among  the  crews  of  different  vessels, 
and  between  both  these  and  the  authorities  on  shore.  It  is  due  to  the 
large  interest  embarked  in  this  extended  fishery,  that  the  government 
should  protect  its  defenceless  ships  against  savage  attacks,  and  have  a 
force  at  band  to  preserve  the  property  in  case  of  accident  or  wrecL 
Two  of  our  vessels  of  war,  actively  engaged,  would  suffice  to  afford 
ample  protection  to  this  business^  by  beii^  kept  cruising  so  as  to  reach 
the  various  ports  at  the  proper  seasons.  In  this  way  they  might  be  the 
means  of  relieving  many  of  our  coimtrymen  from  distressing  situations, 
and  of  restoring  them  to  their  homes  in  safety.  A  knowledge  among 
the  whaling-fleet  that  their  interests  were  watched  over»  even  if  they 
made  no  calls  for  aid,  would  give  security,  and  protect  them  from 
impositions,  as  well  as  prevent  them  from  practising  firaud,  or  com- 
mitting aggressions  on  the  natives  of  the  islands  they  visiL  Such 
aggressions  invariably  lead  to  retaliations  on  the  part  of  the  chiefs, 
which  they  inflict  upon  the  first  unsuspecting  vessel  that  anchors  in 
their  ports.  The  capture  of  vesseb,  and  the  massacre  of  their  whole 
crews,  have  frequently  been  owing  to  this  cause. 

It  would  also  be  the  means  of  securing  the  owners  against  losses ; 
for  it  scarcely  need  be  stated,  that  in  the  event  of  accidents,  that  would 
be  deemed  elsewhere  of  a  trivial  nature,  condemnation  finoquently 
ensues,  and  a  total  sacrifice  of  the  property.  This  is  not  to  be  ascribed 
to  any  want  of  vigilance,  or  to  connivance  on  the  part  of  our  consuls 
or  the  public  authorities ;  but  it  arises  firom  the  desire  on  the  part  of 
whole  communities  to  derive  profit  out  of  accident.  A  visit  of  a  man- 
of-war,  or  the  feeling  that  one  was  or  would  be  at  hand  to  afford  suc- 
cour, and  relieve  distress,  would  have  a  tendency  to  remove  these  evil& 

The  difficulties  to  which  the  whaling  fleet  is  exposed  are  oft^ 
aggravated  by  the  position  of  our  consuls ;  for  if  engaged  in  trade,  as 
they  almost  always  are,  they  lose  that  influence  and  standing  with  the 
authorities,  which  they  otherwise  would  have,  whether  civilized  or 
savage,  as  well  as  with  their  own  coun^men. 

The  whole  system  is  wrong:  those  appointed  to  such  situations 
should  not  be  suffered  to  engage  in  trade,  but  should  receive  a  salary 
adequate  to  their  suppcHrt  This  would  place  them  in  a  situation  to 
assert  our  rights;  prevent  the  difficulties  now  of  daily  occurence;  and 
enable  the  consuls  to  maintain  the  high  standing  they  ought  to  hold  in 
foreign  portSi 


CURRENTS   AND  WHALING.  50) 

The  crews  of  whale^ships  are  much  more  prone  to  scurvy  than  I 
had  any  idea  of:  during  our  stay  at  Oahu»  several  ships  arrived,  more 
or  less  affected  with  this  horrible  disorder,  which  arose  from  various 
causes ;  my  inquiries  satisfied  me  it  was  in  most  cases  to  be  imputed 
to  the  long  period  passed  at  sea,  aggravated  by  the  despondency  aris- 
ing from  want  of  success.  In  one  case  in  particular,  the  captain  had 
stopped  at  some  islands  for  fruit  and  provisions,  of  which  he  had 
received  an  ample  supply,  and,  eoncluding  |^at  his  crew  would  re- 
cover, he  continued  to  cruise  until  he  finally  reached  Oahu  with  no 
more  than  three  men  fit  for  duty.  Several  of  his  men  had  died,  and 
the  rest  were  in  a  very  precarious  state.  This,  in  my  mind,  is  a 
sufficient  prooj^  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  not  only  to  give  the 
crew  occasional  relaxation,  but  a  change  of  employment,  and  addi- 
tional hours  of  restt  it  also  shows  that  fresh  provisions  are  not  alone 
a  sufficient  preventive  against,  or  cure  for  the  scurvy.  A  change  of 
diet  must  be  accompanied  by  a  change  of  scene,  and  cleanliness.  To 
a  strict  attention  to  these  circumstances,  and  care  in  promoting  cheer- 
fulness, I  impute  the  remarkable  freedom  from  disease  enjoyed  in  the 
squadron  during  the  whole  cruise.  Feeling  constantly  that  on  the 
health  and  good  condition  of  my  men  every  thing  depended,  I  lost  no 
opportunity  of  encouraging  amusements,  and  particularly  enjoining 
attention  to  their  cleanliness. 

I  would  strongly  urge  upon  the  owners  of  whale-ships  the  necessity 
of  the  assignment  of  a  larger  and  more  airy  apartment  to  the  crew. 
The  usual  accommodation  in  the  forecastle  of  a  ship  is  in  every  respect 
unfitted  to  preserve  either  cleanliness  or  comfort  There  is,  perhaps, 
more  room  for  improvement  in  this  respect  than  in  any  other  that  can 
engage  the  attention  of  the  owners  of  ships.  While  they  are  lavishing 
every  sort  of  expense  on  the  cabins  and  saloons,  and  receiving  the 
meed  of  praise  from  the  civilized  world  for  the  costliness  and  beauty 
of  the  decorations,  I  would  ask  them  to  bestow  some  small  attention 
and  expenditure  to  increase  the  comforts  of  the  common  sailor,  by 
whose  aid  alone  their  business  can  be  carried  on. 

Among  the  masters  of  whale-ships  with  whom  it  has  been  my  good 
fortune  to  fall  in  with,  were  many  intelligent  persons,  from  whom  I 
have  derived  much  pleasure  and  information  in  my  intercourse  with 
them.  As  a  class,  they  bear  a  high  character ;  but  there  are  some,  I 
regret  to  say,  whose  actions  tend  only  to  bring  disgrace  on  them- 
selves and  the  pursuit  they  follow.  I  shall  not  dwell  upon  such  a 
disagreeable  topic,  trusting  that  time  and  good  example  will  meliorate 
the  evil. 

There  is  one  entreaty  I  would  urge  upon  all  those  who  are  engaged 


503  CURRENTS  AND  WHALING. 

in  the  whale  and  biche  de  mar  fishery ;  namely,  that  in  their  inter- 
course with  the  natives  of  the  South  Seas  they  would  treat  them  with 
justice  and  honesty.  By  so  doing,  I  am  satisfied  that  however  much 
they  may  be  exposed  to  dangers,  they  will  escape  without  harm.  I 
would  not,  however,  be  understood  to  say,  that  they  should  relax 
any  thing  in  watchfulness  against  treachery ;  but  while  this  is  attended 
to,  all  harsh  treatment  to  the  natives  should  be  avoided. 

Above  every  thing,  a^trict  morality  should  be  preserved  on  board, 
both  by  precept  and  example,  and  none  should  believe  themselves 
beyond  the  eye  of  those  whose  respect  they  value  at  home.  I  am 
well  assured  that  under  such  auspices,  the  arrival  of  a  whale-ship 
would  be  hailed  with  delight  in  the  ports  it  may  visit,  instead  of  being 
often  looked  upon  as  it  now  is,  as  a  blight  upon  a  dawning  civiliza- 
tion. On  no  consideration  should  the  debt  to  those  pioneers  of  civili- 
zation,  the  missionaries,  be  forgotten;  for  they  have  already,  in  very 
many  parts,  by  their  example  and  instruction,  been  the  means  of  saving 
many  of  our  countrymen  and  shipmates  firom  cruel  captivity  and 
horrible  death. 

Before  closing  this  chapter,  I  would  also  say  a  word  to  the  first 
planners  and  promoters  of  foreign  missiohs  in  the  South  Seas,  entreat- 
ing them  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  morals  of  those  who  follow  the 
sea,  and  the  improvement  of  their  condition.  Our  ships  might,  by 
proper  exertions  at  home,  be  soon  made  to  carry  on  every  breeze,  to 
the  ports  and  islands  of  the  Pacific,  such  an  example  as  would  promote 
the  great  cause  of  morality,  religion,  and  temperance :  of  one  truth  I 
am  satisfied,  that  if  one-tenth  of  the  sums  and  attention  now  expended 
in  other  ways,  were  applied  to  improving  the  condition  of  sailors, 
elevating  them  in  their  circumstances,  both  at  sea  and  on  shore,  it 
would  produce  in  a  short  time  the  most  desirable  results;  and  instead 
of  our  **  tars"  being  considered,  as  they  now  frequently  are,  worthless 
reprobates,  opposed  to  every  thing  that  is  sacred,  they  will  be  found  a 
band  of  industrious  advocates  in  the  cause  of  civilization.  Until  this 
class  of  men  is  brought  up  to  a  respectable  standing,  the  cause  to 
which  so  much  exertion  has  been  applied,  so  much  talent  and  perse- 
verance have  been  sacrificed,  and  which  now  claims  so  much  of  the 
interest  and  attention  of  the  civilized  world,  can  never  permanently 
prosper. 

The  field  for  improvement  is  wide,  and  those  who  first  labour  in  it 
must  reap  a  most  satisfactory  harvest  To  none  does  it  more  apper- 
tain to  take  the  first  step,  and  push  earnestly  onwards,  than  the  owners 
of  our  mercantile  marine,  and  of  our  whaling  fleet  in  particular. 


APPENDIX. 


CONTENTS. 


L   CAPTAIN  HUDSOITS  ORDERS  TO  UEUTENABTT  WALKEB M7 

II.    CAPTAIN  HUDSON^  ORDERS  TO  LIEUTENANTS  WAI.KER  AND  EBfMONS, 

ETC- I a08 

IIL    CAPTAIN  HUDSON'S  ORDERS  TO  UEUTENANT  WALKER SIS 

IV.    ORDERS  TO  UEUTENANT  EMMON& 514 

y.    LETTER  TO  DR.  MCLAUGHLIN 519 

VI.    ORDERS  TO  VINCENNES Ml 

VIL    STATISTICS.  CALIFORNIAN  MISSIONS. .^... SB 

VnL    LETTER  TO  GOVERNOR  KEKUANAOA 5B3 

DL    STATISnCS,  HAWAUAN  ISLANDS,  SOHOOU,  ETC 596 

X.    ORDERS  TO  PORPOISE  AND  OREGON 5» 

XL    ORDERS  TO  FLYING-FISH ^- 530 

ZIL    EXPORTS  FROM  MANILLA » ^ 581 

Xm.    SOOLOO  TREATY ^....^ 591 

XIV.    ORDERS  TO  PORPOISE  AND  OREGON 533 

XV.    STATISTICAL  RETURNS  OF  THE  POPULATION  OF  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  585 

XVL    VALUE  OF  COINS,  ST.  HELENA 588 

XVIL    VALUE  OF  EXCHANGE  IN  THE  VARIOUS  PORTS 538 

XVUL    TABLE  OF  MEASUREMENTS  OF  THE  VARI0U6  RACES  OF  THE  POLYNESIAN 

ISLANDS 538 


88  (505) 


APPENDIX. 


I. 

U.  a  Ship  Peacock, 
Saloafkta  Bay, 

February  35th,  1841. 
SlE,— 

You  will  take  charge  of  the  boat  expedition  against  the  towns  of 
Saluafata,  Fusi,  and  Salelese. 

Your  party  will  be  divided  into  three  divisions:  you  will  take 
charge  of  the  first,  accompanied  by  Lieutenant  De  Haven;  and 
Lieutenant  Emmons,  assisted  by  Passed  Midshipman  Davis,  will  take 
charge  of  the  second  division;  Lieutenant  Perry,  assisted  by  Passed 
Midshipman  Harrison*  will  take  charge  of  the  third  division,  of  re- 
served men,  and  remain  on  the  beach,  for  the  preservation  of  the 
boats,  and  to  secure  your  retreat 

You  will  give  the  most  positive  ordera  not  to  fire  on  the  natives  or 
destroy  life,  unless  the  safety  of  your  own  party,  or  open  and  hostile 
resistance  on  the  part  of  the  datives,  make  it  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  discharge  of  the  duty  assigned  you. 

I  trust  much  to  your  discretion  and  prompt  attention  on  the  present 

occasion,  and  that  the  men  and  officers  placed  under  your  command 

may  not  be  subjected  to  any  unnecessary  hazard  or  exposure.    With 

a  sincere  desire  for  your  safety  and  success, 

I  am,  &c., 

Wv.  L.  Hudson, 

Commanding  U.  S.  Ship  Peacock. 

To  LnuTBNAifT  Wm.  M.  Walkxr, 

U.  &  Ship  Peacock. 

C»7) 


506  APPENDIX. 


11. 

U.  a  Ship  Peacock, 
Off  Apia,  Febniary  26th,  1841. 
Sir,— 

You  will  take  the  second  cutter,  and  Passed  Midshipman  Harrison 
from  this  ship,  and  join  the  Flying-Fish,  which  vessel  I  have  placed 
under  your  command,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  chief  Pea,  and 
bringing  him  off  from  the  island  of  Manono. 

I  wish  you  to  proceed  with  all  possible  despatch  to  the  island  of 
Manono,  under  the  pretence  of  surveying  its  reefs  and  harbours  with 
your  boat,  leaving  the  schooner  in  ^uch  a  position  as  you  may  deem 
most  advisable  and  circumstances  shall  suggest,  to  avoid  any  suspicion 
of  your  designs  on  the  part  of  the  natives. 

After  reaching  the  island,  you  will  ascertain  the  chief  Pea's  where- 
abouts, dec,  and  the  most  successful  manner  of  getting  him  off  to 
this  ship  without  injury  to  any  of  your  own  party,  or  the  chiePs. 

Should  your  enterprise  prove  successful,  you  will  return  to  the  ship 
as  soon  as  possible,  passing  round  the  south  end  of  Savaii,  and  sending 
your  boat  to  the  house  of  Mr.  M'Donald,  with  the  proffer  of  an  asylum 
to  himself  and  family  on  board  the  schooner  until  you  join  the  Peacock 
off  the  northwest  end  of  Savaii,  or  at  the  harbour  of  Mataatau. 

It  is  an  important  matter  that  we  should  secure  the  chief  Pea  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  notorious  chief  Opotuno.  You  will  treat 
your  prisoner  with  all  the  kindness  consistent  with  his  safe-keeping, 
should  you  succeed  in  capturing  him. 

The  manner  of  proceeding  is  confided  to  your  judgment  and  discre^ 

tion.    Wishing  you  success  in  your  enterprise, 

I  am»  &c«» 

William  L*  Hudson^ 
Commanding  U.  &  Ship  Peaoook. 

LlEUTSNAMT  GSOROI  F.  ElOIONS, 

U.  S.  Ship  Peacock. 

P.  S.  Should  Mr.  M'Donald  deem  it  necessary  to  embark  on  board 
the  schooner  (to  whom  you  can  confidentially  say  we  have  Pea,  and 
intend  to  demand  Opotuno),  he  must  do  it  without  delay,  and  direct 
his  canoe  to  follow  on  to  the  Peacock. 

w.L^a 

U.  S.  Ship  Peacock, 

Off  Upolo,  Febniary  27th,  1841. 
SlE,— 

You  will  take  charge  of  two  boats  from  this  ship,  accompanied  by 


APPENDIX.  509 

Lieutenant  De  Haven,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  and  bringing  off  the 
chief  Malietoa,  and  if  practicable  the  chief  George  from  Cocoa-nut 
Point  Malietoa,  however,  being  the  most  important  personage  to  us 
at  the  present  time,  must  be  first  arrested.  You  will  be  careful  not  to 
capture  the  chiefs  until  such  a  time  as  the  tide  may  serve  for  getting 
your  boats  over  the  reef. 

In  making  prisoners  of  these  chiefs,  you  will  avoid  any  hostile  act 
upon  the  natives,  beyond  what  the  most  urgent  necessity  of  the  duty 
assigned  you  calls  for,  and  endeavour  to  get  them  off  without  injury  to 
them  or  any  of  your  own  party. 

Your  manner  of  proceeding  on  shore  should  be  such  as  to  avoid  the 
least  suspicion  of  your  object,  and  the  capture  so  well-timed  as  to 
avoid  either  hazard  or  defeat.  No  special  or  positive  directions  can 
be  furnished  by  me  for  your  guidance ;  you  will  act  as  circumstances 
may  suggest;  consequently  your  manner  of  proceeding  on  shore  is 
confided  to  your  own  judgment  and  discretion. 

Should  your  enterprise  prove  successful,  you  will  treat  the  chiefs 
with  all  the  kindness  consistent  with  their  safe-keeping,  and  return  to 
this  ship  with  the  least  possible  delay. 

The  Peacock  will  be  kept  in  the  ofling,  and  lights  shown  during  the 
night. 

Wishing  you  all  success, 

I  am,  &c., 

WiLLiAH  L.  Hudson, 


Lmrnnf  AMT  Wm.  M.  Walkkr, 

U.  S.  Ship  Peaoook. 


Cnmnmnding  U.  S.  Ship  Peaoook. 


U.  S.  Ship  Peaoock. 

March  lit,  1841. 

Sir,— 

In  pursuance  of  your  instructions,  I  landed  at  the  town  of  Malietoa, 
on  the  evening  of  the  28th  inst,  supposing  that  a  movement  apparently 
so  undisguised,  would  lull  every  suspicion  of  our  intentions. 

At  10  p.  H.  we  made  every  preparation  to  complete  the  execution 
of  your  orders,  and  a  dark  and  rainy  night  flattered  us  with  a  pros- 
pect of  success ;  but  on  landing  to  reconnoitre,  I  was  met  at  the 
water's  edge  by  a  large  party  of  armed  men.  I  passed  them  without 
any  notice,  and  under  the  pretence  of  seeking  a  bed  in  the  house 
adjoining  that  of  Malietoa's,  where  I  had  slept  on  a  former  visit,  dis- 
covered that  it  was  filled  with  men  on  guard,  their  arms  within  grasp 
standing  around.   These  circumstances  sufficiently  declared  the  appre* 

2S2 


510  APPENDIX. 

hensions  of  the  people,  and  the  madaess  of  any  hostile  movemeat  with 
so  small  a  party  as  that  under  my  command  (twelve  men).  Trusting 
that  an  easy  and  confident  deportment  on  my  part  would  allay  their 
fears,  I  passed  a  watchword  to  the  boats,  and  lay  down  to  sleep. 
•  On  the  next  morning,  observing  that  a  large  number  of  men  had 
left  the  town,  we  again  confidently  contemplated  the  success  of  our 
enterprise.  With  the  ostensible  purpose  of  taking  leave,  but  with  the 
design  of  attempting  to  carry  him  oflf,  Lieutenant  De  Haven  and  m3r8elf 
called  to  see  Malietoa ;  when,  to  our  surprise,  we  learned  that  after 
holding  a  council  he  had  left  the  town  at  an  early  hour. 

We  immediately  proceeded  to  the  west  side  of  Cocoa-nut  Point, 
whence  I  despatched  M'Gill  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  the  whereabouts 
of  George  Tongaloa,  in  which  he  did  not  succeed. 

At  Apia,  I  learned  that  the  chief  Sangapdutale  had  been  last  seen 
at  the  town  of  Salua&ta,  on  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which  it  was 
burnt. 

Amid  the  vexation  of  disappointment,  I  have  the  satisfaction  to  believe 
that  our  conduct  afibrded  no  reason  to  suspect  our  purpose. 

With  great  respect, 

I  am,  &C., 

William  M.  Walker, 


lAeoteDuiL 


CArrAiif  Wm.  L.  Humoit, 

U.  8.  Ship  Peaoock. 


U.  S.  Shq^  Peaoock, 

At  Sea,  March  6th,  1841. 

SlE,— 

Agreeably  to  your  instructions  of  the  26th  of  February,  I  proceeded 
with  the  schooner  Flying-Fish,  and  this  ship's  second  cutter,  ofif  the 
island  of  Manono.  The  weather  being  unfavourable,  laid  off  and  on 
the  first  night ;  the  following  morning  ran  into  a  bight,  formed  by  the 
reef  uniting  Manono  and  Upolu,  and  anchored  on  broken  bottom, 
sheltered  from  all  but  northerly  winds.  This  day  being  Saturday, 
and  consequently,  the  natives'  Sunday,  was  unfavourable  for  the 
execution  of  my  plans  in  capturing  the  chief  Pea,  but  allowed  me  an 
opportunity  of  disguising  my  intentions,  by  going  through  the  usual 
routine  of  surveying,  sounding,  &c.,  which  I  continued  employed  at 
most  of  the  day,  landing  occasionally  on  points  of  the  island,  to  mea* 
sure  angles.  Upon  these  occasions,  the  natives  crowded  around,  and 
asked  many  unusual  questions ;  and  firom  their  general  manner,  I  could 
see  that  they  were  very  suspicious,  and  considerably  alarmed,  which 


APPENDIX.  511 

I  was  uniable  to  account  for^till  towards  evening,  when  I  tearhed  from 
Passed  Midshipman  Reynolds  (whom  I  had  landed  on  the  island  during 
the  forenoon,  unarmed,  for  the  purpose  of  making  some  arrangements 
for  trading  with  them,  on  the  following  day,  for  pigs,  yams,  &c.,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  obtain  such  informatioil  in  regard  to  said  chiefs, 
as  would  be  actually  necessary  to  the  success  of  my  plans)  that  the 
news  of  our  cruising,  together  with  the  object  we  had  finally  in  view, 
had  preceded  us  four  days,  with  the  additional  embellishment  that  the 
ship  was  to  follow  us  and' destroy  the  island. 

This  was  voluntarily  told  to  Mr.  Reynolds  by  a  Mr.  Heath,  the  only 
foreign  missionary  upon  the  island,  who  asked  Mr.  Reynolds  if  he 
would  authorize  him  to  contradict  the  report,  and  thereby  quiet  the 
apprehensions  of  the  natives,  who  were  very  much  alarmed,  and  con- 
tinually coming  to  him  to  learn  the  truth. 

This  unfortunate  rumour  knocked  all  my  plans  in  the  head,  and  left 
me  but  little  hopes  of  future  success.  I,  however,  came  to  the  conclu* 
sion  that  if  the  said  chief  still  remained  upon  the  island,  that  the  only 
other  plausible  plan  for  getting  possession  of  him  would  be  by  taking 
him  forcibly  from  his  house  during  the  night,  or  from  the  beach  while 
employed  trading  during  the  day ;  and  to  this  end  I  had  the  schooner 
removed  the  following  day  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  island,  and 
sounded  out  a  passage  in  the  reef  leading  to  her  from  abreast  Pea's 
house. 

At  a  suitable  time,  I  landed  with  Passed  Midshipman  Harrison  and 
a  boat's  crew  near  his  house,  and  commenced  trafficking,  the  natives 
gathering  about  in  great  numbers,  and  appearing  less  suspicious  than 
upon  the  day  previous,  yet  many  of  them  with  their  arms.  Having 
spent  much  of  the  day  in  this  manner,  without  seeing  any  thing  of  said 
chief,  although  many  others  were  present,  I  left  Mr.  Harrison  to  trade, 
while  I  strolled  about  the  island. 

Having  visited  the  most  probable  places  for  meeting  with  him,  I  at 
last  went  to  his  house?  which  contained  nothing  but  women  and  chil- 
dren; and  from  information  subsequently  obtained  from  a  coloured 
man  (who  had  lived  eight  years  on  the  island  with  a  chief  by  the 
name  of  Matetau),  convinced  me  that  Pea  left  the  island  soon  after 
our  heaving  in  sight;  but  in  what  direction  he  had  gone  I  was  unable 
to  learn.  This  putting  an  end  to  my  last  hope,  I  returned  to  the 
schooner,  and  commenced  working  to  the  northward,  to  meet  the  ship 
at  the  appointed  rendezvous. 

On  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  March  launched  a  boat  to  examine 
what  appeared  to  be  a  ship  passage  leading  through  the  sea-reef 
around  Savaii :  it  proved  to  be  a  boat  passage  only. 


512  APPENDIX. 

Landed  at  a  missionary's  house,  and  was  informed  by  the  mis* 
sionary  (Mr.  Hardy)  that  the  chief  Pea  had  landed  upon  Savaii, 
several  miles  from  his  house,  about  the  time  I  appeared  off  Manono. 

The  news  of  our  affair  at  Saluafata  was  known  here  soon  after  it 
took  place,  which  shows  how  fast  information  travels  among  these 
people,  and  will  in  a  measure  account  for  the  unfavourable  result  of 
my  cruise. 

During  this  day  it  came  on  to  blow  a  gale  from  the  northward ;  got 
the  second  cutter  on  board,  and  laid  to,  under  snug  sail,  for  the  follow- 
ing days,  drifting  to  the  northward  and  eastward. 

March  3d.  Gale  abating ;  stood  for  the  northeast  end  of  Savaii,  and 
during  the  4th  and  5th,  was  employed  cruising  the  island  around, 
sometimes  so  close  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  sweep  the  schooner  off, 
without  finding  any  harbours.  However,  being  off  a  place  called 
Salelonga,  on  the  southeast  end  of  Savaii,  where  there  is  a  harbour 
reported  to  exist  by  the  missionaries,  I  pulled  in  to  examine  for  the 
same,  and  after  sounding  out  the  various  passages  leading  into  the 
reef,  found  but  two  deep  enough  to  admit  a  ship,  and  these  so  crooked 
and  narrow  as  to  make  it  impracticable  to  enter  otherwise  than  by 
warping,  and  the  space  inside  too  small  to  allow  a  ship  to  swing,  with 
a  safe  scope,  at  her  anchor.  Anchorage  can,  however,  be  obtained  on 
sandy  bottom  in  from  ten  to  eighteen  fathoms  water,  close  to  the  outer 
entrance,  in  a  comparatively  sheltered  berth,  owing  to  the  proximity 
of  Upolu,  Manono,  Apolima,  and  their  surrounding  reefs. 

Very  respectfully, 

Gborqe  F.  £mhons, 

laeatenuit 
Captaiit  Wm.  L.  Hitmon, 

U.  S.  Ship  Peacock. 


III. 

U.  S.  Ship  Peacock, 
DniiniiicQd*B  Island, 

April  9th,  1841. 

Sir, — 

You  will  take  charge  of  the  boat  expedition  against  the  town  of 
Utiroa,  where  John  Anderson  has  been  seized  and  detained  by  the 
natives.  Your  party  will  be  formed  into  three  divisions.  Lieutenant 
Emmons,  assisted  by  Passed  Midshipman  Harrison,  will  take  charge 
of  the  first  division ;  Lieutenant  Perry,  assisted  by  Passed  Midshipman 
Davis,  will  take  charge  of  the  second ;  and  Lieutenant  De  Haven, 
assisted  by  Mr.  Freeman  (sail-maker),  will  take  charge  of  the  third 


APPENDIX.  513 

division  of  reserved  men,  and  remain  near  the  beach  for  the  protection 
of  the  boats,  and  to  secure  your  retreat  You  will  give  the  most  posi- 
tive orders  to  the  men  not  to  separate  for  a  moment  from  their  respec- 
tive officers  and  divisions. 

A  quantity  of  tobacco  will  be  furnished  you  by  Purser  Speiden  for 
the  release  of  Anderson,  in  the  event  of  his  being  given  up  conditionally 
by  the  natives.  Should  a  demand  be  made  by  the  natives  for  his 
release,  you  will  comply  with  it,  using  great  precaution  in  so  doing  to 
secure  the  man ;  after  which  you  will  land,  and  burn  the  large  town- 
house  only,  and  return  to  the  ship.  Should  you  meet  him  being  brought 
off  in  a  canoe,  with  the  stipulations  above  referred  to,  you  will  reward 
the  persons  bringing  him  off,  and  return  to  the  ship  without  landing. 
Should  Anderson,  however,  not  be  forthcoming  soon  after  reaching  the 
town,  you  will  fire  it,  being  careful  not  to  pass  its  boundaries  to  the 
injury  of  any  other  village. 

It  is  hardly  necessary,  to  say  to  you  that  women  and  children  can 
have  taken  no  part  in  the  seizure  of  Anderson ;  and  should  the  men  of 
the  town  retreat  before  you,  you  will  recollect  it  may  arise  from  two 
causes :  one  may  be  fear,  the  other  to  decoy  you  into  pursuit,  where 
they  may  be  prepared  with  a  reinforcement  In  either  case,  you  will 
not  follow  them  beyond  the  limits  of  the  town;  but  as  soon  as  the 
work  of  destruction  is  completed,  embark  to  the  schooner  with  your 
party,  direct  Mr.  Knox  to  get  under  way,  and  run  out  to  the  anchorage 
near  the  ship.    If  there  is  no  wind,  let  your  boats  take  him  in  tow. 

I  trust  much  to  your  discretion  and  prompt  action  on  the  present 
occasion,  and  that  the  officers  and  men  placed  under  your  command 
may  not  be  subjected  to  any  unnecessary  hazard  or  exposure* 

With  a  sincere  desire  that  Anderson,  if  livings  may  be  obtained,  and 
for  the  safety  and  success  of  your  party, 

I  am,  &c.. 


To  Lmrnnf  ANT  Wm.  M.  Walkkr, 

U.  a  Ship  Peacock. 


Wm.  L.  Hudson, 
ComiiuuidiB^  U.  R  Ship  Petooeh. 


U.  &  Ship  Peacock, 

OffDmmmoiMre  Uand, 

April  9th,  1841. 

SlEr- 

la  obedience  to  your^rdert  I  proooeded  this  morning  with.  Uie  boats 
under  my  oommand  to  the  town  of  .Utiroa,  where  the  natives  armed 
and  equipped  to  the  number  of  about  six  hundred,  in  three  diyisioi^s, 

voXm  ▼.  65 


514  APPENDIX. 

their  flanks  extending  to  the  right  and  left  about  two  hundred  yardb ; 
large  parties  were  at  the  same  time  approaching  along  the  shores. 
After  forming  the  boats  in  the  order  of  landing,  at  the  distance  of  about 
eighty  yards  from  the  beach,  I  advanced,  and  was  met  by  a  similar 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  natives.  By  means  of  Mr.  Hale  I  inquired 
for  Anderson,  and  offered  a  reward  for  his  delivery ;  but  the  natives 
returned  evasive  replies,  and  continued  to  approach  from  diflkrent  parts 
of  the  shore  with  the  evident  design  of  seizing  my  boat  I  therefore 
returned  to  my  station  in  the  line,  when  I  directed  the  gunner  to  let  off 
a  rocket,  which  fell  in  the  midst  of  a  group  and  created  some  astonish- 
ment. I  next  fired  a  single  shot,  in  hopes,  by  exhibiting  the  effect, 
much  loss  of  life  might  be  prevented ;  but  the  natives  retired  so  slowly, 
that  it  became  necessary  to  fire  a  volley,  by  which  several  were  killed, 
and  many  wounded. 

The  natives  then  retired  to  the  cover  of  the  town ;  when  we  immedi- 
ately landed  and  formed,  leaving  the  third  division  to  protect  the  boats. 
I  proceeded  with  the  first  and  second  divisions  to  fire  the  town  in  all 
directions ;  occasionally  discharging  a  single  shot  at  the  natives,  who 
slowly  retired  before  us. 

Just  before  our  return  to  the  boats,  the  chief  of  Eta,  the  town  to  the 
northward  of  Utiroa,  came  to  us  with  expressions  of  much  satisfaction 
at  our  conduct,  while  his  attendants  busied  themselves  in  pillaging  the 
burning  ruins. 

By  the  best  estimate  I  can  make,  the  natives  lost  twelve  men ;  there 
was  no  means  of  computing  the  number  of  wounded;  about  three 
hundred  houses  were  burned,  and  many  canoes  were  destroyed. 

I  am  indebted  for  this  summary  execution  of  your  orders  to  the 

zeal  and  energy  of  the  ofiicers  and  men  whom  I  had  the  honour  to 

command. 

Very  respectfully, 

WnxiAM  M.  Walkba, 

CArrAiH  Wm.  L.  Hudmk,  lisatnant 

U.  a  Ship  Peacock. 


IV. 

(ConfidentiaL) 

U.  SL  Ship  Vinceniica, 

-     June  15Ui,  1841. 
Sia,— 

You  are  intrusted  with  the  charge  of  the  party  consisting  of  Messrs. 

Peale,  Rich,  Agate,  and  Dr.  Whittle,  together  with  the  necessary 

servants. 


APPENDIX.  515 

Mr.  Rodgers  vfiil  also  accompany  you,  as  interpreter^  caterer,  &c. ; 
he  having  been  engaged  by  me  for  that  purpose,  for  the  explanation 
of  the  district  pointed  out  to  you  on  the  accompanying  map. 

Your  arrangements  will  be  completed  as  early  as  possible,  and  you 
will  be  careful  that  the  organization  of  your  party  is  complete,  and 
that  they  maintain  a  due  obedience  to  your  orders  and  authority  during 
this  service,  for  on  it  will  depend  their  safety. 

I  cannot  too  strongly  impress  upon  you  the  necessity  of  constant 
watchfulness  and  caution,  in  the  steps  you  will  pursue,  and  of  acquir- 
ing the  information  necessary  to  enable  you  to  judge  for  yourself. 

It  is  desirable  to  avoid  all  collision  with  the  Indians,  if  possible, 
without,  however,  showing  them  that  you  do  so ;  and  if  unavoidably 
attacked,  you  must  not  only  repulse  them,  but  punish  them,  as  far  as 
*nay  lay  in  your  power,  exercising  due  discretion. 

The  men  whom  Mr.  Rodgers  is  to  engage  at  the  Willamette  settle- 
ment, will  require  of  you  particular  attention.  You  will  know  their 
terms  of  engagement :  for  the  performance  of  which>  and  their  good 
behaviour,  their  pay  will  be  made  answerable. 

You  will  observe  strictly  the  following  instructions: 

1st  The  route  I  have  pointed  out  to  you  is  believed  to  be  feasible, 
but  as  the  country  is  unknown,  it  may  not  be  so.  You  are  not  at 
liberty  to  depart  from  it,  however,  without  good  and  sufficient  reasons. 

You  will,  however,  particularly  note:  my  object  is  to  get  all  the 
information  respecting  the  district  I  have  marked  in  red,  and  you  will 
endeavour  to  get  this  as  accurate  as  possible,  by  travelling  over  as 
much  of  its  surface  as  your  time  will  admit  of. 

2d.  Your  absence  is  limited  to  the  10th  of  September,  and  I  am 
convinced  that  much  knowledge  may  be  gained  of  the  district  pointed 
out  to  your  party  in  that  time. 

3d.  Observations  for  latitude  and  longitude  wherever  you  may 
encamp. 

4th.  You  will  keep  an  accurate  map  of  your  route,  noting  on  it  all 
lakes,  rivers,  plains,  mountains,  and  every  thing  worthy  of  notice,  to 
illustrate  its  features.  For  this  purpose,  furnish  yourself  with  a  blank- 
^book  of  foolscap  size,  and  use  each  leaf  for  a  day's  work ;  the  ruled 
places  will  answer  the  purpose  of  a  scale,  and  be  sufficiently  large  to 
insert  every  thing  desirable  to  note. 

5th.  You  will  be  furnished  with  a  pocket  chronometer,  sextant, 
artificial  horizon,  prismatic  compass,  barometer,  thermometers.  Nau- 
tical Almanac,  and  Book  of  Tables,  which  will  enable  you  to  obtain 
all  kinds  of  observations ;  and  I  shall  expect  you  to  be  very  particular 


516  APPENDIX. 

and  untiring  in  their  use.  Much  of  the  information  desired  will  depend 
upon  their  use,  and  will  demand  your  exertions  and  diligence. 

Observations  will  be  obtained  daily,  if  possible,  both  for  latitude  and 
longitude. 

The  meridian  altitude  of  the  sun,  by  the  artificial  horizon,  you  wiU 
observe  daily  if  possible,  also  that  of  the  north  star ;  this  observation 
you  will  find  easy  after  a  little  practice,  by  bringing  the  two  reflected 
images  to  cover  each  other.  It  is  necessary  to  get  the  error  of  your 
watch  in  mean  time  by  a  star,  east  or  west,  to  find  the  true  time. 

This  can  be  done  immediately  before  or  after  the  observation  by 
the  north  star,  and  be  better  than  to  depend  upon  the  rate  of  your 
chronometer,  which  may  alter  in  riding,  though  it  is  not  probable  it 
will  much.  It  must  be  carried  in  the  chronometer*fob  of  your  waist* 
coat,  which  some  of  you  may  have  near  the  arm.  The  best  mode  <A 
observing  a  star  in  the  artificial  horizon,  is  to  clUmp  your  index  and 
wait  its  contact.  Choose  for  time  those  that  are  east  or  west,  and  of 
altitude  about  30^  If  you  observe  about  the  same  hour  every  night, 
you  will  find  the  computation  more  convenient 

All  your  observations  must  be  worked  up  as  soon  as  possible  after 
they  are  taken. 

6th.  Your  route  or  travel  must  be  kept  by  compass:  this  you  will 
find  without  difiiculty  in  an  open  country,  but  through  the  woods  it 
will  be  better  that  each  of  your  party  be  required  to  keep  his  reckon- 
ing, by  which  you  can  correct  your  own. 

The  longitude  of  Fort  Vancouver  is  122''  89'  84"  W.,  and  its  lati- 
tude  is  45®  36'  53"  N.,  from  which  you  will  take  your  departure. 

7th.  To  obtain  the  distance  of  remote  objects,  base-lines  may  be 
measured  on  the  plains.  For  this  purpose  the  stoppings  of  a  horse 
will  give  the  best  results,  by  first  measuring  his  steps  in  one  hundred 
or  five  hundred  fis^,  and  at  the  ends  observe  the  angles  and  bearings. 

8th.  A  tape-line  is  furnished  you  for  getting  the  measurement  of 
trees,  short  bases,  &c.,  and  any  remarkable  object  you  may  meet 
with.  Attend  to  the  velocity  of  rivers  by  the  distance  that  a  chip 
will  pass  in  any  given  number  of  seconds  by  your  watch,  and  the 
ratio  of  a  log-line  may  be  adopted. 

9th.  At  all  your  encampments  you  will  get  readings  of  your  baro- 
meter, and  the  thermometer  will  be  taken  every  six  hours,  and  as  often 
also  as  any  change  of  altitude  or  temperature  may  require. 

If  by  any  accident  your  barometer  should  be  broken  on  the  heights, 
try  the  temperature  at  which  water  boils. 

It  is  required  of  you  to  obtain  the  heights  of  all  mountain  ranges  and 


APPENDIX:  5I7 

peaks,  and  the  geographical  position  of  those  which  have  well-defined 
peaks. 

I  need  not  inform  you  that  sketches  from  the  tops  of  high  hills,  with 
good  bearings,  will  go  far  to  illustrate  the  country  through  which  you 
pass ;  the  delay  of  a  day  for  this  purpose  will  be  amply  repaid  by  the 
information  obtained. 

10th.  It  may  be  desirable  for  the  scientific  gentlemen  to  make  occa- 
sional short  excursions  from  your  direct  route.  You  will  in  that  case 
afford  all  facilities  in  your  power  to  prosecute  their  researches. 

11th.  The  information  also  expected  from  your  party,  will  be  names 
of  tribes,  numbers,  manners,  customs,  mode  of  living,  habits,  charac- 
ter, disposition,  and  incidents  that  may  occur  to  the  party,  as  also  the 
timber,  kinds  and  quality,  soils,  climate,  &c*  And  if  you  meet  with 
any  settlers,  note  their  condition,  whence  from^  &c. 

12th.  Should  you  visit  any  of  the  forts  or  stations  of  the  Honourable 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  you  will  procure  every  information  relative  to 
them,  together  with  that  of  any  missionaries,  and  Indian  superstitions, 
tales  of  adventures,  and  history,  that  may  be  well  authenticated.  The 
notes  and  journals  should  be  full,  and  so  as  to  be  well  understood  by 
others  without  the  necessity  of  explanation ;  also  a  regular  system  of 
writing  them  up  before  going  to  rest. 

13th.  Keep  your  party  always  armed^  night  and  day;  this  must 
never  be  omitted;  a  dog  or  two  in  your  camp,  besides  the  usual  watch, 
would  be  advisable. 

All  the  gentlemen  of  your  party  will  take  turns  in  watching,  and  the 
others  also  divided  according  to  their  numbers. 

14th.  You  will  study  the  safety  as  well  as  comfort  of  your  party, 
and  will  bear  in  mind  particularly  the  instructions  for  the  intercourse 
with  natives  in  my  Greneral  Order  of  the  1st  of  May  last 

The  route  to  be  pursued  by  the  party,  is  up  the  Willamette  Valley 
in  a  southerly  direction,  crossing  the  Umpqna  river  and  mountains, 
thence  south  and  west  of  the  Shaste  Mountains  to  latitude  42^  N* 

Very  i^espectfuUy,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)        Cbaklbs  Wilkes, 

Gomimndinf  E^qilorin;  Expedition*, 
To  LncmDfAMT  Gborob  F.  Emmomi, 

U.  S.  Ship  Peacock. 


U.  S.  Brig  Porpoiae, 

Coliimbia  River,  SepL  Ist,  1841. 
Siay— 

As  additional  orders  to  those  of  the  15th  June,  you  will  observe  the 
following,  viz. : 

2T 


618  APPENDIX. 

Passed  Midshipmen  £]d  and  Colvocoressist  Messrs.  Dana  and 
Brackenridge,  Sergeant  Stearns,  and  Henry  Waltham,  an  ordinary 
seaman,  are  added  to  your  party. 

YoQ  will  leave  your  encampment  in  the  Willamette  at  the  earliest 
possible  hour. 

Your  route  from  thence  will  be  through  the  Willamette  Valley, 
south  towards  California,  and  if  possible  west  of  the  Shaste  Moun- 
tains, thence  to  strike  the  waters  of  the  Sacramento,  passing  over  the 
head  waters  of  various  streams  that  empty  into  the  ocean,  viz.,  the 
Umpqua,  Klamet,  and  their  branches. 

Your  party  is  now  composed  of  twenty  officers  and  men :  the  addi- 
tion of  five  or  six  more  good  and  trusty  men,  will,  I  think,  be  amply 
sufficient  to  insure  your  safety,  and  enable  you  to  proceed  with  all 
despatch :  any  more  than  is  necessary  to  insure  safety,  I  view  as  likely 
to  retard  your  progress. 

After  you  start,  which  must  not  be  later  than  the  5th  or  6th,  I  give 
you  twenty-five  days  to  reach  the  forks  of  the  Sacramento,  where  the 
boats  of  the  Vincennes  or  squadron  will  be  on  the  30th  of  September. 

If  you  should  fall  upon  the  Sacramento,  taking  a  more  easterly  route, 
you  will,  if  you  find  it  difficult  to  proceed  with  your  horses,  abandon 
them,  and  proceed  in  canoes  down  the  river. 

It  is  possible  you  may  have  to  construct  them ;  and  rough  ones  will 
answer  your  purpose  for  navigating  the  river  to  its  mouth,  where  you 
will  find  the  Vincennes  at  anchor. 

In  conversation,  I  have  impressed  upon  you  the  necessity  of  not 
losing  time,  and  bear  in  mind  that  in  order  to  gain  this  desirable  end,  it 
will  be  necessary  for  you  to  press  your  party  all  you  can.  The  saving 
of  a  few  horses  must  not  impede  your  advance,  particularly  after  you 
have  passed  the  hostile  Indians. 

I  desire  that  you  will  endeavour  to  reach  your  destination  in  the 
time  specified,  as  it  may  save  the  party  sent  to  meet  you,  and  the 
service,  much  delay. 

The  route  you  will  probably  follow,  is  that  usually  taken  by  the 
Company's  party;  but  in  your  advance,  when  it  is  safe,  it  may  be 
desirable  for  a  part  to  deviate,  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  information. 

Although  your  orders  are  marked  **  confidential,"  you  will  show  them 
to  Passed  Midshipmen  Eld  and  Colvocoressis,  that  they  may  be  aware 
of  the  duties  to  be  performed  in  case  of  accident  to  you.  And  no 
important  hostile  step  will  be  taken  unless  through  a  council,  in  which 
all  the  gentlemen  accompanying  you  will  join ;  and  you  will  be  parti- 
cularly careful  that  no  act  of  aggrievance  by  yout  party  shouM  bring 
about  such  an  event 


APPENDIX.  519 

I  again  refer  you  to  my  General  Order  of  the  Ist  of  May  last,  in 

relation  to  intercourse  with  Indians* 

And  am*  very  respectfully* 

Your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)        Chaslbs  Wilkes, 

Commanding  Riptoriny  ExpedHiiitt. 

P.  S.  I  have  placed  a  magnetic  apparatus  and  needle  in  charge  of 
Mr.  Eld,  with  which  he  will  make  observations  every  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  on  your  route. 

You  will  give  Mr.  Rodgers  an  order  on  me  for  the  amount  due  him, 
and  inform  him  that  his  services  are  no  longer  required  by  you. 

I  am,  respectfully,  &c., 

(Signed)  Charles  Wilkes, 

Cnmnmnding  Fiiploriny  Expedition. 
Lmi'MMMiT  G.  F.  EioroKB, 


V. 

U.  S.  Brig  PorpoiBe, 

Columbia  Ri?er,  Oct  3d,  1841. 

Dba&  Snt,-* 

Being  obliged  from  the  lateness  of  the  season  to  abandon  the  inten- 
tion I  had  of  using  the  launch  of  the  late  United  States  ship  Peacock 
for  the  exploration  of  the  coast  to  the  southward  of  this  river,  I  have 
thought  that  I  could  not  possibly  place  her  to  a  better  use  than  by 
leaving  her  as  a  pilot-boat  for  communication  with  vessels  off  the 
dangerous  bar  of  this  river,  and  to  afford  relief,  by  giving  pilots  and 
assistance  to  those  that  are  coming  in,  or  in  cases  of  accident 

It  was  my  intention  to  have  spoken  to  you  on  the  subject  before  I 
left  Vancouver;  but,  among  the  many  duties  that  occupied  my  atten- 
tion, it  was  forgotten. 

I  have  spoken  to  Mr.  Burnie  in  relation  to  taking  the  launch  in 
charge  for  that  purpose,  but  he  has  referred  me  to  you,  as  he  did  not 
feel  authorized  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  acting  for  the  Company. 

I  will  now  state  in  a  few  words  the  charge  I  wish  the  Honourable 
Hudson  Bay  Company  to  assume,  viz. : 

That  the  launch  be  kept  at  Fort  George,  under  the  special  charge 
of  the  agent  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
affording  aid  and  relief  to  all  vessels  requiring  assistance  of  any  kind, 
and  to  furnish  pilots  for  entering  the  river,  until  called  for  by  some* 


5a0  APP£NDIX. 

person  authorized  by  me  or  the  government  of  the  United  States*  to 
receive  her. 

In  making  this  request,  I  am  well  aware  of  the  desire  the  Honourable 
Hudson  Bay  Company  and  its  officers  have  always  shown  to  do  every 
thing  in  their  power  to  afford  relief  to  those  in  distress,  and  the  deep 
feeling  all  attached  to  this  squadron  have  evinced  for  the  relief 
extended  to  ourselves  individually,  during  the  late  disaster ;  wd  it  will 
only  be  placing  a  suitable  boat  in  the  hands  of  the  Company,  in  which 
to  afford  relief  more  promptly.  I  therefore  have  little  doubt  but  that 
you  will  not  object  to  assume  the  charge,  and  I  assure  you  it  will 
afford  me  great  satisfaction  hereafter,  to  hear  that  she  has  been  of  any 
use  in  saving  lives  or  property. 

The  launch  will  be  left  with  Mr.  Bumie,  with  all  her  fixtures 

complete. 

I  am,  with  much  respect, 

Youn,  &c«, 

Cha&les  Wilkes, 
CSommAndiof  Pyplorjiyy 
To  Jomf  M'Laoqhlim,  Esa^ 

Chief  Futor,  H.  &  C.  Fort  Vanooaw. 


VL 

tJ.  8.  Brig  Forpoifle, 

Colombia  River, 

Aagoflt  7th,  1841. 
SlE,— 

You  are  transferred  to  the  Vincennesi  now  laying  off  and  on  the 
river,  in  order  to  carry  her  to  the  bay  of  San  Francisco ;  and  you  will, 
without  delay,  proceed  to  that  port,  and  report  your  arrival  duly  to 
the  Commandant  of  the  Presidio  as  coming  for  the  purpose  of  refresh- 
ing the  crew,  and  to  await  my  arrival  with  the  rest  pf  the  squadron. 

After  this  ceremony  is  performed,  you  will  proceed  with  the  ship 
to  anchor  near  the  island  of  Molate,  in  the  northern  branch  of  the 
bay ;  when  you  will  safely  moor  the  Vincennes,  leaving  her  in  charge 
of  Lieutenant  Carr,  with  one  other  lieutenant,  Passed  Midshipman 
Davis,  and  three  midshipmen,  and  proceed  with  six  boats,  including 
your  own,  to  examine  the  river  Sacramento  and  its  branches.  This 
you  will  do  by  running  to  its  head  waters,  or  as  far  as  it  is  practicable 
to  pursue  the  river  with  a  boat,  and  then  bring  the  survey  down  from 
itte  extreme  point  arrived  at,  where  your  latitude  and  longitude  must 
be  carefully  determined.     This  it  is  believed  wUl  be  on  the  head 


APPENDIX  521 

waters*  called  on  the  map  "Pitt  River."  From  this  position  and 
others  you  will  get  a  view  of  the  different  mountains,  particularly  the 
Shaste  Peak,  the  most  southern  one  in  the  territory  of  Oregon. 

Your  attention,  besides  being  directed  to  the  rivers,  will  embrace 
as  much  of  the  surrounding  country  as  possible,  in  order  to  afford  the 
fullest  information  relative  thereto,  including  soil,  timber,  &c. 

On  your  arrival  at  the  anchorage  off  Molate,  you  will  select  a 
place,  with  Lieutenant  Carr,  for  the  observatory ;  and  he  will  super- 
intend the  landing  and  putting  up  of  the  transit  for  observations  of 
moon  culminating  stars,  and  the  rating  of  the  chronometers.  The 
magnetic  instrument  of  Gauss,  and  likewise  the  meteorological  instru- 
ments, will  be  put  up,  that  the  usual  and  regular  observations  may  go 
forward. 

The  preserved  meats  and  cranberries  on  board  the  Vincennes  are 
not  to  be  used  except  for  the  sick,  and  no  grog  is  to  be  served  to  the 
crews  of  boats  on  surveying  duty ;  but  they  must  be  regularly  supplied 
with  their  rations.' 

The  crews  of  boats  on  surveying  excursions  will  have  their  allow- 
ance of  beef  and  pork  increased  one-halC 

The  five  boats  that  accompany  you  will  be  placed  under  charge 
of  Lieutenants  Alden  and  Budd,  Passed  Midshipman  Sandford,  and 
Midshipmen  Hammersly  and  Elliott;  and  the  launch,  under  charge  of 
Mr.  Williamson,  will  also  be  taken  to  carry  provisions  and  tents. 

Observations  for  chronometers  and  equal  altitudes  will  be  taken  the 
day  of  your  arrival,  if  possible,  together  with  circummeridian  obser- 
vations, and  transit  bearings  obtained,  to  ascertam  the  accuracy  of 
Beechey's  survey,  which  you  will  apply  to  his  chart,  if  two  or  three 
can  be  obtained  at  or  near  the  same  spot  (by  looking  at  the  chart 
several  meet  my  eye  near  the  island  of  Los  Alcatrazes,  with  it  and  the 
surrounding  points  and  headlands) ;  and  it  would  be  well  to  send  an 
officer  (Mr.  Totten)  there  to  obtain  a  round  of  angles,  and  at  the  same 
time  get  observations  for  time. 

Dr.  Pickering  will  accompany  the  expedition  of  boats,  and  Lieutenant 
Case,  Acting  Master  Totten,  and  Passed  Midshipman  May,  be  employed 
plotting. 

I  enclose  a  memorandum  for  Lieutenant  Carr,  which  you  will  hand 

to  him  when  you  leave  the  ship. 

I  am,  &c, 

Charles  Wilkbb, 
ComnitiidiDg  EiplcK-ini^  Expedition. 
LiKUT.  Com.  C.  Ringoold, 

U.  S.  Brig  Porpoiio. 

VOL.V.  2T2  66 


532 


APPENDIX. 


VII. 


OFFICIAL  STATEMENT  OF  THE  POPT7LATION  OF  UPPER  CALIFORNIA  RESIDENT 
IN  EACH  MISSION,  IN  1828,  AS  MADE  BT  THE  MISSIONARIES. 


MISIIONB. 


lOKlflDIOTIOR  or  BAIT  nULNCUOO. 

Presidio  de  San  Francisco    .    .    • 

Pueblo  de  San  Joie 

Miiaion  of  San  Francivoo  Solano . 

de  Ra&el 

San  Francisco    .... 

Sante  Clara 

San  Jose 

Santa  Cms 


u 


M 


jOftisoicnoR  or  MoimaiT. 


Presidio  de  Monterey 
Villa  de  Brancaforte 
Mission  of  San  Juan 
•«      San  Carlos 
*•      de  la  Soledad 
••      San  Antonio 
•*       San  Mi  j^el 
M      San  Luis    . 


joaisDicnoR  or  banta  BAaiAiA. 

Presidio  de  Santa  Barbara   . 
Misnoa  of  la  Pnrissima  .    . 

*«      Santa  Inea     .    .    . 

M       Santa  Barbara    .    . 

**      San  Buena  Ventura 

*•       San  Fernando    .    . 

JOftlSDUTIOII  or  SAN  DHOO. 

Pueblo  de  la  Reyna  de  los  Angelos 
Presidio  de  San  IHego 
ion  San  Gabriel 

San  Juan  C^iista 

San  Lois  Key     . 

San  Diegro 


Total 


Priests. 


1 
1 
1 
9 
1 
9 


1 
9 
1 
1 
1 


1 
9 
9 
1 


9 
9 
9 
9 


98 


Men. 


194 

166 
985 
406 
146 
759 
893 
999 


311 
59 
480 
109 
910 
394 
349 
911 


167 
151 
149 
374 
389 
949 


569 
995 
574 
464 

U38 
750 


10,319 


Women. 


85 
145 
949 

410 

65 

491 

659 

94 


190 

34 

351 

79 

81 

909 

999 

103 


190 
918 
136 
967 
983 
996 


491 
109 
479 
346 
984 
590 


7,632 


Boys.!  61 


Girls. 


89 
103 

88 
105 

13 

68 
100 

30 


110 
97 
85 
34 
98 
51 
46 
8 


169 
47 
89 
51 
66 

177 


913 
115 
171 


398 
169 


9,693 


73 
110 

90 
106 

13 

60 
145 

90 


97 
17 
71 
91 
90 
17 
61 
7 


164 
34 
96 
70 
59 

181 


909 

89 
171 

70 
968 
146 


9^8 


Total 


371 

594 

705 

1,097 

936 

1,371 

1,767 

366 


708 
130 
987 
936 


711 
748 
399 


613 
450 
456 
769 
791 
833 


1,388 
608 

1,388 
947 

9,788 
1,578 


9a,105 


NviK.— Of  the  93,105  inhabitants  exhibited  by  this  statement,  4342  are  people  ol 
character  (^pente  de  rason),  distributed  among  the  following  places: — Presidio  of  San 
Francisco,  371 ;  town  of  San  Jose  of  Groadaloupe,  594 ;  presidio  of  Monterey,  T08 ;  villa 
of  Brancaforte,  30 ;  preqidio  of  Santa  Barbara,  613 ;  town  of  Reyna  de  los  Angelos,  1,388 ; 
presidio  of  San  Diego,  608 :  the  remaining  18,763  are  neophytes. 

In  the  year  1840,  the  returns  for  the  mission  of  Santa  Clara,  which  mission  was  esta 
Uished  in  1771,  gave  86  baptisms,  of  whom  56  were  white,  and  30  neophytes.    Marriages 
were  but  10,  5  of  each ;  and  deaths  97,  of  whom  24  were  whites,  and  73  natives.    Since 
the  foundation  of  the  mission  there  have  been  10,083  baptisms,  9,750  marriages,  and 
7,571  deaths. 


APPENDIX.  023 


VIII. 

U.  S.  Ship  Vincennes, 

H<molulii,  Not.  23d,  1841. 
SlK,— 

I  have  the  honour  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  communica- 
tion of  this  date,  respecting  a  man  belonging  to  this  ship,  by  the  name 
of  Lewis  Herron.  In  replying  to  it,  I  would  in  the  first  place  make 
known  to  you  the  desire  I  have  always  evinced,  and  still  do,  to  cause 
all  under  my  command  to  respect  the  laws  of  the  Islands,  and  to  suffer 
the  penalties  when  infringed,  provided  a  proper  trial  has  been  had. 
Such  not  having  been  the  case  in  the  present  instance,  in  my  opinion, 
I  deemed  it  a  duty  I  owe  to  those  under  my  command,  and  all  other 
American  citizens,  as  well  as  to  your  government,  to  interpose,  and 
prevent  punishments  being  inflicted. 

The  case  as  I  view  it  is  this,  viz. :  Lewis  Herron,  during  his  liberty 
on  shore,  quietly  desires  to  enter  a  public  house,  and  is  met  at  the  door 
by  a  man  with  a  cutlass,  who  refuses  him  admittance,  and  afler  a  little 
altercation,  he  is  assaulted  and  wounded  in  the  leg  with  the  cutlass. 
This  excites  his  passion,  (as  well  it  might,)  and  he  takes  the  weapon 
from  the  aggressor  and  inflicts  several  blows  on  him  with  its  flat  side; 
finds  himself  attacked  by  several ;  inflicts  a  wound,  and  is  found  in 
possession  of  the  weapon  by  the  police ;  he  is  apprehended  and  taken 
td  the  fort 

The  next  day  he  is  brought  before  you ;  you  hold  an  examination, 
without  the  formality  of  a  trial,  receive  testimony  (not  on  oath),  and 
pass  sentence  on  him,  unknown  to  any  one,  to  receive  one  hundred 
lashes,  and  pay  a  fine  of  fifty  dollars. 

Application  is  made  to  you  by  my  order,  for  a  trial  by  jury,  which 
I  was  informed  you  engaged  to  give  the  next  morning;  to  my  great 
surprise,  the  first  news  I  learn  is,  that  you  have  inflicted  twenty-eight 
lashes  at  eight  o'clock,  and  intend  to  subject  him  to  seventy-two  more, 
and  a  fine  of  fifiy  dollars* 

Now  it  strikes  me,  that  the  magnitude  of  the  punishment  presented 
by  the  laws  ought  to  have  caused  you  to  order  a  trial  by  jury,  which, 
according  to  treaty,  is  fully  acknowledged,  and  then  the  person  woukl 
have  had  full  opportunity  for  a  fair  and  impartial  trial. 

It  appears  most  clearly  to  my  mind,  that  you  lost  sight  of  the  dis- 
tinction of  using  weapons  to  assault  and  with  criminal  intention,  and 
their  accidental  use  in  defence,  or  from  provocation. 

It  appears  to  be  very  clear  that  you  were  of  opinion  that  he  did 


534  APPENDIX. 

not  carry  them,  had  not  brought  them,  or  was  guilty  of  a  breach  of  the 
first  part  of  the  law,  viz.,  carrying  unlawful  weapons,  for  you  sentenced 
another  who  made  the  first  attack  upon  him ;  and  equally  clear  that 
he  did  not  inflict  any  wound  until  he  was  assaulted  by  several,  and  in 
self-defence,  and  had  received  great  provocation  to  use  the  weapon  he 
had  taken  from  the  man  who  attacked  him.  This  might  have  occurred 
to  any  one  walking  peaceably  in  the  street,  aud  yet  you  adjudge  him 
guilty  of  the  worst  motives,  in  having  in  his  possession  the  weapon, 
and  order  him  to  receive,  aAer  a  very  informal  hearing,  the  severest 
penalty  of  the  law ;  and  that  too,  after  his  trial  had  been  demanded  by 
jury,  and  you  had  been  understood  to  grant  the  requ^t  Is  this  right? 
I  think  not.  Under  these  circumstances,  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  interpose, 
and  protect  him  from  a  farther  infliction  of  lashes,  which  you  now 
inform  me  is  remitted ;  but  that  his  fine  is  still  to  be  paid. 

In  demanding  the  man,  I  would  have  you  distinctly  to  understand, 
that  it  is  not  my  desire  to  screen  him  from  proper  or  legal  punish- 
ment^ provided  he  is  found  guilty  of  an  offence  by  a  tribunal  invested 
with  power  to  try  the  case ;  but  I  object  to  any  informal  proceedings, 
particularly  where  an  ignominious  and  severe  punishment  is  to  be 
inflicted. 

The  case,  as  I  now  view  it,  stands  thus :  the  man  has  received 
twenty-eight  lashes  by  your  authority,  and  is  required  to  pay  fifty 
dollars,  without  being  allowed  a  proper  trial,  or  such  as  he  was  justly 
entitled  to,  and  was  claimed  for  him,  and  at  which  testimony  would 
have  been  brought  to  show  that  he  was,  prior  to,  and  at  the  time  <^ 
entering  the  premises,  peaceably  inclined,  with  no  weapons  on  him ; 
when  he  was  assaulted  by  one  carrying  unlawful  weapons,  and 
resents  it;  unfortunately  proves  the  most  powerful,  and  gets  pos- 
session of  the  weapon ;  is  attacked  by  others,  whom  he  defends  him- 
self against,  and  is  then  taken  and  punished,  without  an  opportunity 
of  bringing  proof  of  his  good  character,  which  there  are  many  to 
vouch  for ;  and  suffers  part  of  a  punishment  that  would  be  inflicted  on 
an  assassin. 

The  punishment  already  inflicted  prevents  me  from  soliciting  a 
new  trial ;  but  I  do,  and  must  claim  that  a  further  hearing  be  had,  in 
the  same  informal  manner,  to  examine  if  his  intentions  Yfere  criminal, 
by  making  an  unprovoked  attack  on  the  persons,  and  not  one  of  self- 
defence,  and  under  the  circumstances  excusable,  before  I  can  consent 
to  the  payment  of  a  fine,  which  I  cannot  but  view  as  excessive. 

In  being  brought  to  this  conclusion,  I  must  again  impress  upon 
you,  that  it  will  always  be  my  desire  to  show  the  utmost  deference  to 
your  laws,  and  to  cause  them  to  be  observed  by  all  those  under  my 


APPENDIX.  535 

commaDd,  and  that  I  disclaim  all  intention  of  interfering  with  their 
execution ;  but  while  I  make  this  avowal,  I  must  at  the  same  time, 
as  I  feel  myself  in  duty  bound,  state,  that  I  object  to  any  informal  or 
arbitrary  punishment  being  inflicted  upon  any  under  my  command, 
without  the  due  observance  of  the  forms  provided  for  by  treaty 
stipulations. 

I  am,  &c«, 

Cbarlbs  Wilkbs, 

Commindiog  Exploriiif  Ezpeditiofi. 
To  GoYnuioa  Kkeuaiuoa^ 

Oahn. 


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APPENDIX 


I X. — Continued. 


STATISTICS  OF  SCHOOLS* 


fTAnom. 

SCHOOLa, 

TBACB- 
XR8. 

BCBO- 

KKATMCma. 

WUTBBa. 

AEITB- 

Msna 

oBoaaA* 

fHT. 

HAWAII. 

Hilo  .... 

eo 

190 

9,500 

Waimea .    .    . 

S2 

93 

1,000 

560 

950 

560 

100 

Kohala   .    .    . 

99 

59 

1,100 

309 

85 

993 

Kailua    .    .    . 

16 

96 

1,070 

996 

55 

969 

55 

Kealakekua 

U 

34 

1,837 

599 

80 

356 

50 

MAUI. 

Hana.    .    .    . 

99 

99 

1,477 

593 

Wailokn     .    . 

99 

60 

9,914 

750 

604 

Lahaina .    .    . 

16 

35 

1490 

584 

156 

369 

909 

6 

6 

974 

XOUIKAl.      . 

9 

10 

1«030 

379 

97 

148 

55 

OAHU. 

Kaneohe     .    . 

9 

9 

900 

HoDolula  I.     . 

13 

15 

859 

397 

60 

935 

194 

II.   . 

4 

9 

470 

900 

* 

Ewa  .... 

16 

13 

550 

, 

WaialoA     .    . 

13 

14 

757 

339 

145 

957 

67     1 

KAVAL 

WaioU    .    .    . 

14 

18 

467 

900 

53 

178 

44 

Libiie     .    .    . 

6 

6 

981 

138 

Koloa     .    .    . 

4 

5 

996 

93 

50 

51 

Waimea      .    . 
Total     .    . 

15 

15 

509 

308 

900 

300 

85 

357 

505 

18,034 

5,514 

961 

3,546 

789 

X. 


U.  &  Ship  VmoemiM, 

At  Sea,  Not.  98th,  1841. 

SlEy— 

You  are  about  to  explore  the  range  of  islands  and  shoals  to  the 
northward  and  westward  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  in  company  with 
the  Oregon. 

This  finished,  you  will  proceed  towards  the  coast  of  Japan,  through 
the  usual  cruising-ground  of  our  whalers. 

Your  route  is  particularly  pointed  out  on  your  charts,  which  you 
will  receive  herewith.  There  are  many  dangerous  shoals  and  reefs 
said  to  exists  and  of  which  we  have  little  accurate  knowledge. 


APPENDIX.  5^ 

The  course  pointed  out  is  intended  to  lead  you,  by  the  time  you 
reach  the  coast  of  Japan,  near  the  South  Island. 

You  will  pay  particular  attention  to  trying  the  current  daily,  if 
possible ;  and  when  running  at  night,  in  order  to  avoid  passing  over 
banks,  &c.,  you  will  get  a  cast  of  the  patent  lead  every  hour,  about 
forty  fathoms  up  and  down.  This  may  be  easily  done,  sailing  at  the 
rate  of  seven  knots. 

Your  dip  and  intensity  apparatus  will  be  used  at  every  island  you 
can  find  at  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  apart  I  wish  a  series  to  be 
carried  across  this  ocean. 

You  will  pay  particular  attention  to  your  sailing  and  keeping  toge- 
ther ;  and  when  the  weather  proves  fine,  spread  so  as  to  cover  as  much 
space  as  possible,  keeping  two  good  men  on  the  look-out 

There  are  several  reefs  lying  off  Gardner's  Island,  on  its  north  as 
well  as  its  south  side. 

In  the  vicinity  of  shoals,  or  where  they  are  supposed  to  exist,  you 
will  not  run  at  night,  taking  care  not  to  fall  to  leeward  of  their  locality. 

Any  islands  or  reefs  fallen  in  with  must  be  carefully  surveyed  to 
ascertain  the  extent  of  their  dangers,  and  you  will  ascertain  also  if  they 
afford  any  supplies  of  wood  and  water,  whereat  a  vessel  might  recruit 

Every  three  days  you  will  get  a  comparison  with  the  Oregon's 
chronometers ;  and  your  positions,  together  with  courses,  must  be  repre- 
sented on  your  charts. 

After  you  have  reached  the  locality  of  the  islands  of  Todos  los 
Santos  and  that  called  South  Island  on  the  chart  of  Arrowsmith,  you 
will  pass  directly  into  the  China  seas  by  Formosa  Passage,  making  the 
north  Bashee,  and  then  proceed  direct  to  Singapore,  where  you  will 
arrive  without  fail  in  the  first  week  of  February,  and  there  await  me 
or  orders. 

There  are  many  shoals  and  reefs  which  it  is  impossible  for  me  to 
draw  your  attention  to  particularly ;  but  I  desire  that  you  will  let  no 
opportunity  pass  of  gaining  information  relative  to  every  thing  that 
may  lay  in  your  route  towards  the  coast  of  Japan,  and  that  may  be 
useful  to  our  whaling  interests. 

Wishing  you  a  pleasant  cruise,  I  am,  &c., 

Chables  Wilkes, 
Commanding  Exploring  Expedition 
LnuT.  Com.  C.  Rinogold, 

U.  S.  Brig  Porpoise. 


VOL.  V.  2  U  ^ 


MO  APPENDIX. 


XL 

U.  S.  Ship  ^Hnoeiuief, 

At  Set,  Not.  99th,  184L 

SlR^ — 

You  will  proceed  to  Strong's  and  Ascension  Island,  survey  their 
harbours^  obtain  all  the  information  in  your  power,  and  at  the  former 
make  examinations  for  the  wreck  of  the  Waverley. 

From  thence  you  will  pass  to  Manilla,  through  the  Straits  of  Bema- 
dino,  where  you  will  arrive  without  fail  by  the  10th  of  January,  1842« 

You  will  run  for  all  islands  and  reefs  lying  in  yoqr  track,  and  obtain 
all  the  information  in  your  power,  relative  to  the  supplies  they  sSord ; 
inquire  into  the  character  of  the  white  men  residing  on  them,  and 
collect  as  many  curiosities  as  possible. 

You  will  be  particular  in  your  intercourse  with  the  people  of  Strong's 
and  Ascension  Islands,  as  they  are  reported  to  be  in  possession  of  a 
bad  set  of  runaway  white  men. 

All  the  information  you  can  obtain  must  be  carefully  noted. 

I  shall  expect  you  to  execute  the  duties  committed  to  you  with 
promptness,  and  I  may  fall  in  with  you  prior  to  your  reaching  Manilla ; 
but  this  will  make  no  difference  in  your  operations. 

At  Manilla,  you  will  await  me  or  orders.    Wishing  you  a  pleasant 

cruise, 

I  am,  d&c., 

Chakles  Wilksb, 
Commanding  Kiploriny  Ejqpeditioa. 
AcTDiQ-MmBt  8.  R.  Knox, 

U.  a  SehodDor  Flying-Fith. 


APPENDIX. 


Ml 


XIL 


COMPABATIVB  8TATB1ISIIT  OF  BZF0RT8  FROM  MAMltLA  DURING  THS  TSAR8 

1840  ABD  1841. 


(Europe  •  • 
United  States 
Sydney  .  . 
Bombay,  dtc 

£  Europe     .    . 

Hemp /  United  SUtee 

f  Singapore,  &«. 

i  Europe     .    . 
CoAo   .....      /  United  States 

f  Sydney    •    • 

C  Europe 

Indigo /  United  States 

f  Singapore,  &«. 


Tortoise-shell 


Europe     . 
United  States 
Singapore,  &c 


Moa«^p.«iAdi.  {test;^; 


Hats 


i  Eur 

7  Uni 
isini 


Europe  .  • 
United  Statee 
Singapore,  &«. 


4,  *'  i  Europe     •    . 

Hides    .....     }  UnitedStates 


f  Singapore,  4tc 


119,855  piculs. 
58,100     - 
45,000     •* 
33,000     » 


250,955     " 

15,510     " 
68,280     •• 


83,790 

2,854 
530 


3,384 


a 
u 

u 
tt 


1,185  quintals. 
2,873     •• 


4,058     •• 


1,^65 

874    - 


2,239 


2,840  picub. 
52     •* 


2,892 


8,110  hats. 
3,860    •« 
10,610    •• 


22,580 


61,071  piouls. 
210     •• 


6,281 


98,000  piculs. 

49,600 

M 

45,000 

M 

43,000 

U 

235,600 

18,500 

62,700 

5,800 

87,000 

2,027 

137 

1,726 


tt 

M 
U 


3,890     •« 

3,600  quintals. 
3,500     •« 
300     •* 


7,400 

1,671 

1,540 
2,330 

5^1 

1,894 
287 

2,181 


u 
tt 


4,540  hats. 
7,614    " 
36,713    »* 


48,867 


4,549  piculs. 
712     •• 

4,380     ^ 

« 


9,641 


682  APPENDIX. 


XIIL 


I,  Mohamed,  Sultan  of  Sooloo,  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  trade 
with  the  people  of  the  United  States  of  America,  do  promise  hereby  and 
bind  myself  that  I  will  afford  full  protection  to  all  vessels  of  the  United 
States,  and  their  commanders  and  crews,  visiting  any  of  the  islands  of 
my  dominions,  and  they  shall  be  allowed  to  trade  on  t-he  terms  of  the 
most  favoured  nation,  and  receive  such  provisions  and  necessaries  as 
they  may  be  in  want  of. 

2dly.  In  case  of  shipwreck  or  accident  to  any  vessel,  I  will  afford 
them  all  the  assistance  in  my  power,  and  protect  the  persons  and 
property  of  those  wrecked,  and  afford  them  all  the  assistance  in  ray 
power  for  its  preservation  and  safe-keeping,  and  for  the  return  of  the 
oiScers  and  crews  of  said  vessels  to  the  Spanish  settlements,  or 
wherever  they  may  wish  to  proceed. 

3dly.  That  any  one  of  my  subjects  who  shall  do  any  injury  or  harm 
to  the  commanders  or  crews  belonging  to  American  vessels,  shall 
receive  such  punishment  as  his  crime  merits. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal,  in  presence 
of  the  datus  and  chiefs  at  Soung,  island  of  Sooloo. 

February  5th,  1842. 


[L.S.] 


^v;^3^^4i 


[l.  6.] 

Witnesses. 


^€^tr^^^ 


Charles  WtLKEB,  ^  f  •  C/^*      ^  ^     ^   ♦ 

Commanding  Exploring  ExpedttiofL 

WiLUAu  L.  Hudson, 

Late  commanding  U.  S.  Ship  Pdaoock. 

R.  B.  Waldron, 

Poraer,  U.  S.  Exploring  Expedition. 


APPENDIX.  533 


XIV. 

U.  S.  Ship  Vincennes, 

Singapore  Roads,  Feb.  26U^  1843. 

After  leaving  the  Straits  of  Sunda,  you  will  be  goverDed  by  the 
following  instructions,  viz. : 

You  will  proceed  to  the  westward  across  the  Indian  Ocean,  passing 
five  or  six  hundred  miles  to  the  southward  of  the  island  of  Panaw, 
double  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  visit  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  where 
you  will  lose  no  time  in  filling  up  with  water,  and  proceed  from  thence 
to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  at  which  place  you  will  make  experiments  for  dip 
and  intensity,  on  the  island  of  Enxados,  and  take  on  board  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  bread  for  the  passage  to  New  York. 

When  you  arrive  at  New  York,  you  will  cause  all  journals,  memo- 
randums, remarks,  writings,  drawings,  sketches  and  paintings,  as  well 
as  all  specimens  of  any  kind,  to  be  delivered  to  you ;  which,  together 
with  your  own  journal,  you  will  have  carefully  boxed  up  and  sealed  in 
the  presence  of  two  commissioned  officers ;  marked  Exploring  Expe- 
dition, and  hold  them  subject  to  my  orders. 

On  your  arrival  at  New  York,  you  will  find  orders  from  me,  or,  if  I 
should  not  have  arrived,  you  will  report  by  letter  to  the  Honourable 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  sending  him  a  copy  of  this  order. 

You  are  supplied  with  Six's  self-registering  thermometer,  with  which 
you  will  obtain  the  temperature  daily,  at  the  depth  of  one  hundred 
fathoms,  when  your  morning  sights  are  taken ;  at  which  time  you  will 
note  in  tables  the  latitude  and  longitude,  the  current  (velocity  and 
direction),  masthead  temperature,  deck  temperature,  and  temperature 
at  the  depth  of  one  hundred  fathoms,  and  at  the  surface. 

You  will  examine  all  shoals,  banks,  and  positions  marked  **  doubt- 
ful," that  may  lay  in  or  near  your  track. 

At  St.  Helena,  you  will  leave  letters  informing  me  of  your  proceed- 
ings, and  you  will  lose  no  time  in  making  your  way  to  your  final  port 
of  destination,  as  it  is  all-important  you  should  reach  the  United  States 
at  as  early  a  day  as  possible. 

On  dropping  your  anchor  in  New  York  Bay,  you  will  pay  to  each 
of  your  crew  ten  dollars,  and  sufier  them  to  leave  the  vessel  at  once, 
as  their  time  will  have  expired ;  and  retain  only  as  many  as  will  volun- 
teer to  take  charge  of  the  brig. 

In  the  event  of  my  arriving  before  you,  orders  will  meet  you  for  the 
disposition  of  the  journals,  &c.,  of  which  you  will  take  particular  care, 

2U2 


534  APPENDIX. 

placing  them  in  charge  of  a  suitable  person  for  safe-keeping,  until  far- 
ther orders  from  the  Department,  or  myself. 

In  passing  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  you  will  keep  a  good 
look-out  for  ice,  as  it  is  sometimes  seen  at  this  season. 

The  enclosed  notice  of  an  island  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  will 
claim  your  attention ;  and  if  possible  you  may  pass  over  or  near  the 
spot,  in  order  to  verify  or  disprove  its  existence  in  that  position. 

Let  your  stay  at  St  Helena  be  as  short  as  possible ;  Horsburgh's 
directions  relative  to  making  and  anchoring  at  the  island,  are  good. 

I  herewith  enclose  you  the  error  and  rate  of  your  chronometer, 
•obtained  by  comparison  with  this  ship^s  standard,  which  has  been 
performing  very  accurately  since  we  left  Oahu. 

Wishing  you  a  safe  and  pleasant  passage,  and  a  happy  meeting  with 

your  friends, 

I  am,  &c., 

Charles  Wilkes, 
ConunBnding  Ezplotiiig' 
Lncrr.  Com.  C.  RmaooLOi, 

U.  S.  Brig  Porpoiie. 


P.  S.  You  will  make  magnetic  experiments  at  the  island  of  St. 
Helena. 

Similar  orders  to  Lieutenant-Commandant  Carr  of  the  Oregon ;  in  a 
postscript  to  which,  he  was  required  to  make  experiments  for  intensity 
with  Gauss's  magnetic  instrument,  at  the  island  of  Enxados. 

C.W. 


APPENDIX. 


686 


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CO  11 «  f-i  1-^  ol 


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536 


APPENDIX. 


XVI. 


TABLE    OF    THE    VALUE   OF    BRITISH    AND   OF   OTHER   COINS   CURRENT    AT    THE 
ISLAND   OF    ST.    HELENA,    AS   ESTABLISHED  BT   A    PROCLAMATION,  DATED    ST 
HELENA,  29th  FEBRUARY,  1836. 


SORT  OF 
COIN. 


NAM!  OF  XACH  COIN. 


Gold 


Doubloon 


SiLvn 


Joe     .    .    .    .    . 
Mohor     •    .    .    . 


Mohar    .    .    .    . 

Moidore, .    •    •    • 
Sovereign    .    .    . 


Napoleon     .    .    . 


Ten  Guilder     .    . 


Louis  d'Or  .  .  . 
Venetian.  .  .  . 
Star  Pagodoe    .    . 


Porto  Nova  pagodoe 
Duccatoon  .    .    • 


Crown     .    .    •    • 


Shilling  .... 


3  Gnilder     .    .    • 
Dollar     .    .    .    • 


OF  WHAT  OOtTimiT. 


Spain,    and    South    American 

States,  

N.  B. — ^Hal^  quarter,  eighth, 

and  sixteenth,  of  proportion. 

ate  value. 

Portugal, 

Bengal  (having  the  star),     .    . 
N.  B. — ^Half  and  quarter,  of  pro- 

portionate  value. 
Bombay  (and  every  other  Mo- 

tur) 

Portugal, 

England, 

N.  B. — HalC  of  proportionate 

value. 
France,     ........ 

N.  B.  —  Double  Napoleon,  of 

double  value. 

Holland, 

N.  B. — Half^  of  proportionate 

value. 

France, . 

Venice, 

East  Indies, 

N.  B.~Double  Star  Pagodoe,  of 

double  value. 

East  Indies, 

Holland, 

N.  B. — Hal(  of  proportionate 

value. 

England, 

N.  B. — Hal^  of  proportionate 

value. 

England, 

N.B. — HaH  quarter,  and  eighth, 

of  proportionate  value. 

Holland, 

United  States,  South  American 

States,  and  Spain  (all  alike), 
N.  B. — Half^  quarter,  eighth, 

and  sixteenth,  of  proportion. 

ate  value,  except  the  latter, 

which    loses    the    fi'action, 

when  passed  separately. 


Value  of  each 
coin  in  Bri. 
tish  Sterling 
at  StHelena. 


£    fl.     d. 
3     6     0 


1    13     3 
1    13     3 


1  10  3 
16  0 
1      0     0 


15     7 


15     7 


15  7 
9  4 
7     3 


5     6 
5     4 


5  0 

1  0 

4  8 

4  4 


Value  of  each 

coin  reduced 

into  U.  S. 

Money. 


15  33-07 


7  67-30 
7  67-30 


6  96*15 
6  00 
4  61*53 


3  59*61 

3  59*61 

3  59*61    ! 

2  15^    i 

1  67*30    ! 


1  36*92 
1  23*07 


1  15*38 

23.07 

1  07*70 
1  00 


APPENDIX. 


537 


X  V  L — Continued. 


■O&TOF 
OOIII. 


SiLVDl 


NAME  or  lAOB  COIN. 


Corm 


Half  Star  Pajrodoo 


Colonial  Piece 


Sicca  Rupee 


Rnpee 


Guilder 
5  Franc 
3  Franc 
1  Franc 


Hal£>penny 
Cent   .    . 


OF  WHAT  OOUimiY. 


ESast  Indies, 

N.  B. — Quarter,  of  proportion, 
ateyalue. 

England, 

N.  B. — Half  and  quarter,  of  pro* 
portionate  Talne. 

Bengal  (having  the  star),     .    . 

N.  B. — ^Half  and  quarter,  of  pro. 
portionate  Talue,  except  the 
latter,  which  loses  the  frac- 
tion when  passed  separately. 

Bombay  (and  other  parts  of 
East  Indies), 

N.  B.^Half  and  quarter,  of 
proportionate  value,  but  lose 
the  fraction  when  passed  se- 
parately. 

Holland, 

France, 

M  


Value  of  each 
coin  in  Bri. 
tish  Sterling 
atStJEIelena. 


u 


N.  B. — Half  franc,  of  propor- 

tionate  value. 
England,   and    Tarions    other 

countries. 
United  States, 


fl. 
3 


1 

4 
1 


d. 

8 


3     4 


3     1 


Value  of  each 

coin  reduced 

into  U.  S. 

Money. 


1 


1    11 


6 

0 

8 

10 


i 


$     e, 
84*61 

53-84 

48-07 


44-33 


34-61 
93-53 
3846 
19-33 


01 
01 


N.  R — ^The  American  eagle  ($10),  half  eagle  (#5),  and  quarter  eagle  (|3  50),  are  not 
current  at  St.  Helena,  as  a  legal  tender,  nor  is  the  dime  or  half  dime. 

No  paper  bank  note  will  pass,  except  that  of  the  Bank  of  England. 

None  of  the  silver  coins  of  Portugal  or  the  Braxils,  nor  of  the  island  of  Ceylon,  nor 
the  Grennan  crown  or  Austrian  dollar,  are  current 

No  other  moneys  but  those  enumerated  in  the  above  table  are  recognised  as  a  legal 
tender  at  St  Helena. 


VOL.  V. 


68 


588 


APPENDIX. 


XVII. 

VALUE  OF  EXCHANGE  ON  LONDON  AND  THE  UNITED  STATES  AT  DIFFERENT 
FORTS  VISITED  BT  THE  EXPLORING  SQUADRON,  MADE  UP  TO  1842. 


rOETI. 

Amount  realised  in  dol- 

Ian  per  J^lOO  aterling 

exchange  on  LondoD. 

Rate  of  Ezcfaanfe  on  the 
United  Statee. 

VahieofSiher 
Dollaia. 

Madeira    .    .    . 

£100  aella  fbr  9460 

10  to  13  per  cent  din. 

Pte. 

Rio  de  Janeiro  . 

100    u      u    440 

12  to  14      «         - 

« 

Valparaiso     .    . 

100    "      «    520 

Far. 

« 

Lima    .... 

100   «      "    510 

M 

« 

Sydney,  N.  aw. 

100   «      •*    480 

10  per  cent  diae. 

« 

California.    .    . 

100    ""    450 

12      «          •* 

« 

Sandwich  lalandi 

100   "      ••    430 

12  to  15  per  cent  diac . 

•1 

Manilla     .    .    . 

100    -      ••    450 

10                    tt              a 

« 

Sin^^pore  • 

100   -      -    450 

10                   a             « 

w 

Cape  Town    .    . 

100    '^      '^    444 

10                    a              4» 

« 

St  Helena     •    . 

100   ^      •«    444 

10                    «              tt 

w 

> 


i 

1 

I 

Cm 


o  S  fi  'd  fi 

.2  J  'J  J  ;a 


I 
I 

Cm 


^  s 


£  «i  iz:  ^  t>  ^  ^  iz: 


o  d  ^ 

•§  •§  i  a 


Nomber  of  beats 

of  Polw  in  a  mi- 

note. 


Cireiimferenoe  of 
Head. 


Lengrth  of  Foot 


Length  of  Hand. 


5*o  t-^evHCvooi-iOfHoeetoooti-i 


i 


»«G0»«Q0COQ0»«<«G0r<-G0r<-»«t«t«<Ot* 


Nomber  ofTeeth. 


Length  of  Collar 
Bone. 


O909^CO09COO$^O$^C)0505^^09M03 


00  <0  U)  <0  »«  ^  ?U)  t«  CO  W)  <«  »?S'9  <«<«<« 


Length  of  Arm. 


Lower  Line. 


Upper  Line. 


S  ?S  5S  £S  S  S  2  SS  S  S  22  ^13  ?2  2  fc  fc 


•  ♦ 


.S3 


(»r^  t* 


<o«e»«u)ao»«(0(0>ou)^»« 


i 


<ot«00t«^»«cot«u)»«r*(ocdio(O^t* 


Front  liine. 


Facial  Angle. 


Height 


i 


It 


O)  ^  ^  W)CQ  CO 


toco  "* 


y 


^G«o«oofifi0'^emr*»«oc«i-40^ao 


^ao-HOOG«cofH^e«-Ht«<ocoe)^»«(0 


I 


CM 


•      •      •      •      • 


•       •       • 


,t 


l-§^- 


C-£|||l 

.  _  2  -S  -S  »  >  »  f 'I*'!*!  ?1  STj 


.9 


r 

•3 

a 

I 

a 


I 


I 


1  I 

'  I 

.a 
£ 

S 

1  i 

1    a 

5  Is! 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


2V 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


Abernethy,  Mr.,  kindness  of^  iv.  351 

Accraiolis,  A.,  i.  13 

Acrostichura  Grande,  ii.  181 

Adventure  Islets-,  i.  136 

Adams,  Governor,  iv.  96 

Adams,  Point,  iv.  322 

Agricultural  Society,  N.  S.  W^  ii.  183, 206 

Agriculture,  Santa  Clara,  v.  207 ;  Luzon,  v. 

283 
Ague,  Oregon  v.  228 
Aguillas  Bank,  current  on,  v.  419 
Ahii  Ishnd,  i.  336 ;  iv.  263 
Aiva  Islands,  iii.  170 
Aimable  Josephine,  brig^,  iii.  293 
Alderson,  Mr.  George,  i.  Iil3 
Aldunate,  General,  i.  223 
Alpamarca,  i.  261 
Aliko,  the  Pilot,  iii.  249 
Alphabet,  Feejce,  iii.  325 
Alexander,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  69 
Alvarado,  General,  v.  165 
Aliza,  Senor,  v.  204 
Allshouse,  Joseph,  v.  255 
Amancaes,  Valley  of,  i.  244 
Amusements,  Chili,  i.  170;  Tahiti,  IL  8 — 

25 ;  Samoa,  ii.  135 ;  Feejee,  iii.  331 ; 

Honolulu,  iv.  58;   Kingsmill,  v.  100; 
.Califomia,v.  175— 195 
Ambatiki  Island,  iii.  184 
American  boat-builders,  iv.  337,  342 
Antarctic    cruise,  plans   for  first,  i.   120; 

second,  ii.  281 ;  continent,  ii.  316,  325 
Embassadors,  Fccjee,  iii.  81 
Ambau,  iii.  110;   Queen  of,  iii.  192;  bay 

of,  iii.  293 ;  burnt,  iii.  361 
Andulong,  ascent  ofy  iii.  50 
Angasa  Island,  iii.  168 
Angau  Island,  iii.  186 
Anganga  Island,  iii.  248 


Anderson,  Mr.,  iv.  305 ;  v.  133 

Anderson,  John,  missing,  v.  56 

Antique,  bay  of,  v.  325 

Aoral  Peak,  iL  5,  52 

Apia,  harbour  of,  ii.  88;  storm  at,  v.  19; 

trading,  v.  21 ;  deserters,  y.  25 ;  island 

of;v.  69 
Apolima  Island,  ii.  107 
Apple-Tree  Cove,  iv.  303 
Apamama  Island,  v.  64 
Army,  Brazil,  i.  85;  Chili,  i.  304;  Feejee, 

iii.  79 ;  PhUippines,  v.  292 
Ariel  Rocks,  i.  94 
Arequipa,  i.  296 
Arms,  Samoa,  ii.   151;    Feejee,   iii.   343; 

Drummond*s  Island,  v.  48 ;  Kingsmill, 

y.  47 ;  Sacramento,  v.  185 
ArgoReeCiii.  170 
Arro,  attack  upon,  iii.  274 
Aratica  Island,  party  landed  upon,  iv.  264 ; 

return  to,  iv.  267 
Archangel  Island,  iv.  266 
Arrow-root,  iv.  214 
Arguello,  General,  v.  162 
Armenians,  v.  393 
Arabs,  v.  394 
Ashantees,  i.  56 
Aspland's  Island,  i.  136 
Asau  Inlet,  ii.  108 
Astrolabe  Canal,  iii.  6 
Asaua  Islands,  expedition  to,  iii.  247 
Astronomy,  Hawaiian,  iv.  42 
Astoria,  arrival  at,  iv.  320;  description  of, 

iv.  320 ;  forests,  v.  116;  fishery,  v.  116 
Ata,  ii.  95 

Aurora  Australis,  i.  151 ;  ii.  322,  328,  360 
Auckland  Islands,  ii.  351 ;  botany  of;  ii.  352 
Australian  Club,  ii.  161 
Australia,  climate,  ii.  175;  natives,  ii.  184, 

(MS) 


M4 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


355;  customs,  ii.  186,  195;  masic,  ii. 

190 ;  weapons,  ii.  191 ;  canoes,  ii.  193 ; 

religion,  ii.  197 
Australian  Stream,  t.  473 
Avia,  island  o£t  iii.  179 
Ava  drinking,  iii.  115, 122,  157 

Bail  J,  Francis,  i.  145 

Bacon,  Passed  Midshipman,  i.  207 

Ball's  Pyramid,  ii.  160 

Bathurst,  town  of,  it  259 

Bay  of  Islands,  ii.  371 

Bateman,  David,  death  of,  iii  66 

Baino  Harbour,  iii.  181 

Ba,  iii.  209 

Barbers,  Feejee,  iii.  75 

Barclay  de  Tolly,  island  o^  it.  265 

Bachelet,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  349 

Babcock,  Dr.,  iv.  353 

Bailey,  Dr.,  and  Mrs.,  iv.  362 

Barometer,  accident  to,  iv.  429 

Baker's  Bay,  iv.  494;  v.  114 

Barclay,  Dr.,  v.  136 

Badger,  v.  193 

Balingtang,  straits  of,  v.  269 

Baring's  Island,  v.  271 

Banham  Island,  v.  271 

Banca,  Manilla,  v.  302 

Banajoa,  ascent  of,  v.  313 ;  height,  v.  314 

Baia,  V.  315 

Baiios,  Brazil,  i.  263;  Luzon,  v.  281,  315 

BajowB,  v.  356 

Balabac,  straits  of,  v.  358—365 

Balambangan  Island,  v.  351 

Balestier,  Mr.,  v.  373 

Banca,  straits  o^  v.  413;  mines  of;  v.  414 

Bance,  Commander,  R.  N.,  v.  421 

Baxter,  accident  to,  iii.  233 ;  death  oC  iii.  303 

Bartlett,  Mr.  Edwin,  i.  307 

Bean,  Mr.,  i.  23 

Benguclan,  i.  59 

Bevan,  Mr.  R.,  i.  262 

Bermudez,  General,  i.  288 

Bcllinghansen's  Island,  ii.  63 

Belcher,  Captain,  iii.  182 

Bcthune's  Point,  iii.  125 

Bear,  grisly,  v.  184 

Bemad  ino,  straits  of,  v.  272 

Bilocheros,  i.  177 

Biggs,  Mr.,  i.  253 

Birds,  New  Zealand,  ii.  413 

Biche  de  mar,  iii.  219 

Biva  Island,  iii.  314 

Bimie  Island,  iii.  370 

Birnie,  Mr.,  kindness  of,  iv.  320,  494 

BiUy  Bruce,  iv.  332 ;  v.  135 

Bishop,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  80 

Bishop':^  Island,  v.  62 

Blanchard,  Mr.,  i.  187 

Blanco,  Admiral,  i.  213 


Blue  Mountains,  N.  S.  W.,  ii.  257  ;  Oregon* 

iv.  396 
Blackfish,  iv.  221 
Blaxland,  Mr.  John,  ii.  268 
BUck,  Mr.,  iv.  369 
Blackler,  Mr.  S.  R.,  iL  6 
B<xiavista,  i.  28 
Bom  Felix  Shoal,  i.  28 
Bonetta  Rocks,  i.  28 
Bouvet's  Sandy  Isle,  i.  38 
Botofogo,  i.  65 
Botany,  Auckland  Isles,  i.  352;  Samoan, 

ii.   119;  New  South  Wales,  ii.   180; 

Hawaiian,  iv.  283;   Duke  of  York's, 

V.  9 ;  Singapore,  v.  379 
Boat.bnilders,  iv.  337,  342 
Bowditch  Island,  v.  3 — 10;  canoes,  v.  11; 

native,  v.  12 ;  drill,  v.  17 
Bodega,  v.  179 
Boundary  Range,  v.  236 
Bourke,  Sir  Richard,  ii.  207 
Boring  party,  operations  o^  iv.  267 
Brazil,  character,  i.  79 ;  political  state,  i.  80; 

courts,  i.  83 ;  army,  i.  85 ;  navy,  L  85 ; 

schools,  i.  85 
Brett,  Cape,  iii.  3 

Bread,  baking,  iv.  409 ;  supply  of,  v.  144 
Bridgeman's  Island,  i.  136 
Brisbane,  Sir  Thomas,  ii.  206 
Brook,  Dr.,  ii.  247 
Broom  Road,  ii.  31 
Braiding,  Feejee  mode  of^  iii.  338 
Brigade,  departure  of,  iv.  378 
Brook's  Island,  v.  4 
Brooke,  Mr.,  v.  360 
Brahmins,  v.  390 
Brinsmadc,  Mr.,  iii.  374 
Burden,  H.  J.  Esq.,  L  6,  24 
Bulnes,  General,  i.  249 
Bulimns  Shougii,  ii.  395 
Burton,  Judge,  charge  to  jury,  ii.  229 
:  Burial  alive,  escape  from,  iii.  174 
I  Budd's  Island,  iii.  302 
I  Bute  Prairie,  iv.  415 
Budd,  Lieutenant,  iv.  245 
Buckskin,  mode  of  preparing,  iv.  317 
Bumham,  Mr.,  kindness  of;  iv.  67 
Bull-bait,  San  Francisco,  v.  199 
Burial  ground,  Oregon,  v.  219 
Buffalo,  Luzon,  v.  284 
Byron,  Lord,  iv.  7 

Carved  Planks,  Oregon,  v.  128 

Casa  Blanca,  i.  178 

Canta,  i.  256 

Casa  Cancha,  i.  259 

Callao,   population,  i.  235;  earthquakes,  i. 

235;  position  of,  i.  309 
Carlshoff  Island,  i.  333;  formation  of,  i.  334 
Carving,  New  Zealand,  ii.  385 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


545 


Camden,  town  of,  ii.  265 

Carr,  Cape,  ii.  321 

Calvert,  Rev.  Mr.,  iii.  170, 173 

Caves,  Oaha,  iv.  84 

CargiU,  Rev.  Mr^  iii.  Ill,  191 

CannilMdism,  Feejee,  iii.  101, 334 

Camboy*8  Island,  iv.  265 

Cashes  Island,  iv.  277 

Calendar,  Feejee,  iiL  341 ;  Hawaiian,  iv. 
42 ;  Indian,  iv.  450 

Canal  dc  Arro,  iv.  484 

Canoes,  Wytoohee,  i.  319 ;  Paumoto,  i.  327; 
Tahiti,  ii.  21 ;  Samoa,  ii.  143;  Feejee, 
iii  345;  Northwest  Coast,  iv.  300; 
mode  of  repairing,  iv.  381 ;  Bowditch 
Island,  v.  11 ;  Dnimmond*8  Island,  v. 
49 ;  Kin^mill,  v.  94 

Casenove,  Chief,  iv.  370 

Cattle,  Hawaii,  iv.  200 

Cattle.pits,  Hawaii,  iv.  204 

Castle,  Mr.,  accident  to,  iv.  206 

Cascades,  Colombia,  iv.  380 

Carr,  Lieutenant,  v.  253 

Caldera,  Fort,  v.  328 

Campo  Santo,  Manilla,  v.  303 

California,  v.  151 ;  climate,  v.  154 ;  riven, 
V.  157;  bajs,  v.  158;  productions,  v. 
159;  fishery,  v.  160;  trade,  v.  161; 
history,  v.  162;  revolution,  v.  165; 
Indians,  v.  172;  amusementa,  v.  175, 
195;  character,  v.  176;  birds,  v.  183; 
beasts,  v.  193 ;  society,  v.  194 

Caffres,  v.  433 ;  character  o^  i.  62 

Callapuya  Indians,  v.  223 

Caponcs,  Cape,  v.  270 

Cagrayan  Sooloo,  islands  o£,  v.  357 

Cape  Town,  v.  422;  government,  v.  424; 
police,  V.  426;  laws,  v.  426;  taxes,  v. 
427 ;  revenue,  v.  428 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  v.  413,  420 ;  cultiva. 
tion,  v.  429  ;  commerce,  v.  430;  slaves, 
V.431 

Character,  Brazil,  i.  79  ;  natives,  Samoa,  ii. 
126;  New  Zealand,  ii.  398;  Feejee, 
iii.  79 ;  Hawaiian,  iv.  45 ;  California, 
V.  176 ;  Sooloo,  v.  342 ;  Caffres,  v.  433 

Chase,  Mr.,  i.  198 

Chicrine,  i.  273 

Chili,  i.  165;  amusements,  1.  170;  climate, 
i.  184 ;  earthquakes,  i.  199 ;  religion, 
i.  200 ;  commerce,  i.  201 ;  population, 
i.  202;  government,!.  203;  army  and 
navy,  i.  204 ;  political  history,  i.  211 

Ciialham  Island,  ii.  404 

Charley,  Chief,  ii.  406 

Chain-Gang,  Sydney,  ii.  215 

Chiefs  of  Tahiti,  ii.  18 

Chichia,  iii.  176 

Christening,  Feejee,  iii.  94 

Chicobea,  iii.  303,  376 

VOL.  V.  2  V  2  69 


Chiefs*  council,  Oahu,  mode  of  conducting, 
iv.  9 ;  school,  Oahu,  iii.  388 

ChiePs  wife,  murder  of^  iv.  29  ;  trial  of  the 
murderers,  iv.  30;  their  sentence,  iv.  30 

Chimikaine,  iv.  438 

Chickeeles  river,  iv.  313 ;  v.  129 ;  Indians, 
iv.  313,  373 

Chinook  lodge,  iv.  322;  Indians,  v.  118; 
religion,  v.  119 

Child*8  head,  distortion  of,  iv.  388 

Champooing,  iv.  347 

Chronometer,  anecdote  of,  iv.  373 

Chico,  Colonel,  v.  164 

Church  discipline,  Luzon,  v.  315 

Chinese,  v.  382  ;  temple,  v.  383 ;  celebration, 
V.  384;  processions,  v.  386;  burial, 
places,  V.  394;  junk,  v.  398 

Clermont  de  Tonnerre  Island,  i.  311 

aendon,  Mr.  J.  R.,  ii.  375 

Claims,  New  Zealand,  ii.  377 

Cloudy  Bay,  ii.  407 

Clifton,  town  of;  ii.  266 

Clown,  Feejee,  iii.  188 

Club  Dance,  Feejee,  iii.  190 

Climate,  Rio  Negro,  i.  100;  Chili,  i.  184, 
203 ;  Peru,  i.  248 ;  Tutuila,  ii.  81 ;  Sa- 
moa, ii.  118;  Australia,  ii.  175;  New 
Zealand,  ii.  410 ;  Tonga,  iii.  32 ;  Fee. 
jee,  iii.  321 ;  Kauai,  iv.  71 ;  Waialaa, 
iv.  76 ;  Kona,  iv.  95 ;  Hawaiian  Islands, 
iv.  284;  Dalles,  iv.  387;  Colville,  iv. 
445 ;  Oregon,  iv.  454 ;  Kingsmill,  v. 
105;  Calii'ornia,  v.  155;  Sooloo,  v.  356; 
Singapore,  v.  408 

aatsop,  iv.  32^ 

Clarendon,  ship,  v.  418 

Coffee,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  i.  53;  Hawaii,  iv. 
208;  Manma,v.289 

Corrobory  Dance,  ii.  1 

Congo,  i.  60 

Corcovado  Mountain,  i.  65,  74 

Courts,  Brazil,  i.  83 ;  Tahiti,  ii.  50 ;  New 
South  Wales,  ii.  205,  237 ;  martial,  iv. 
57 

Coan,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  209 

Commerce,  Madeira,  i.  17;  Chili,  i.  201 
Peru,  i.  303;  Tahiti,  ii.  35;  Papieti 
ii.  48;    New  South   Wales,  ii    273 
Hawaiian  Group,  iv.  261 ;  Manilla,  v 
302 ;  Sooloo,  v.  347 ;  Singapore,  v.  399 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  v.  430 

Cornwallis  Island,  i.  139 ;  v.  267, 271 

Cood,  Mr.,  i.  165 

Cordilleras  Mountains,  i.  184 

Concon,  valley  of,  i.  187 

Corpus  Christi,  celebration  of,  i.  243 

Coral  Islands,  section  of,  i.  316;  theory, 
iv.268 

Convicts,  New  South  Wales,  u.  208 ;  Singa. 
pore,  V.  391 


546 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Coal  piU,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  246 
Connel,  Paddy,  his  history,  iii.  68;  his  death, 

iii.  361 
Corodowdow,  iii.  144 
Cook,  Captain,  monument  to,  iv.  93 
Costume,  Indian,  iv.  398 
Corongang'a,  town  of,  iii.  124 
Concome]y*s  tomb,  iv.  321 
Cornelius,  chief,  iv.  439 
Colville,  arrival  at,  iv.  440 ;  climate  iv.  443 ; 

position,  iv.  454 
Columbia  River,  voyage  to,  iv.  293 ;  bar  of, 

iv.  293 ;  river,  iv.  319,  430 ;  ascent  of, 

iv.  371 
Coffin  Rock,  iv.  325 ;  v.  142 
Comparison,  Mauna  Loa  and  Maona  Kea, 

iv.  160 
Complaints  against  crew,  iv.  231 
Cowlitz,  farm  o^  iv.  315 ;  river,  iv.  317 ; 

ascent  of,  iv.  372 
Condition  of  men,  iv.  147 
Constitution,  Hawaii,  iv.  21 
Conduct  of  the  foreign  residents,  Honolulu, 

iv.  7 
Coffin,  Mount,  v.  121 
Columbia,  barque,  v.  145 
Colorado  River,  v.  182 
Cotton,  Manilla,  v.  289 
Cock.figliting,  Manilla,  ▼.  360 
Coin,  Singapore,  v.  392 
Coemcnes  River,  v.  247 
Corre^idor  Island,  v.  270 
Copper  Island,  v.  269 
Cochin  China  ships,  v.  397 
Constantia,  vineyard  of,  v.  433 
Current  Log,  i.  4 
Curral,  descent  of^  i.  12 
Culnai,  i.  258 

Currency  Lass,  schooner,  iii.  149 
Cunningham,  murder  of,  iii.  225 
Customs,  Samoa,  ii.  137, 147  ;  Australia,  it 

195;  Tonga,  iU.   17,  26;  Feejee,  ui. 

73 ;   Indians,  iv.  456,  454 ;  Sooloo,  v. 

343;  Dyacks,  V.  361 
Current,  Aguillas  Bank,  v.  419 ;  ocean,  v. 

457,  467 ;  Labrador,  v.  459 ;  Rennell, 

V.  463 ;  Equatorial,  v.  466;  Patagonian, 

V.  468 ;  Australian,  v.  472 
Cunningham,  Mr.,  ii.  166 
Craven,  Lieutenant,  i.  206 
Crime,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  231 
Croker,  Captain,  death  of,  iii.  302 
Crater,  Kilauea,  iv.  102 
Crew,  reshipment  of,  iii.  385 
Creole  Creek,  v.  222 

Darling,  Sir  Ralph,  ii.  206 
Dawson,  Mr.,  ii.  206,  248 
Dances,  Samoa,  ii.  134 ;  Corrobory,  ii.  188; 
Feejoe,  iii.  190 


David  Ogilby,  attempt  to  capture  brig,  iii. 
295 

Dalles,  misqion,  iv.  382;  fishing  huts,  iv. 
383 ;  fishing,  iv.  386 ;  climate,  iv.  387  ; 
accident  at,  iv.  403 

Dawson,  the  guide,  iv.  202 

Dairy,  NisquoUy,  iv.  307 

Day,  Mr.,  v.  27 

Datu  Mulu,  V.  334 

Deserta  Shoal,  i.  8 

Deception  Island,  i.  143 

Devil's  towns,  Tonga,  iL  82 

Dean*B  Island,  iL  63 

Deception  Passage,  iv.  482 

De  Fuca*8  Straits,  iv.  296 ;  Pillar,  iv.  488 

De  Peyster's  Group,  v.  40;  natives  o£|  v. 
40 ;  dress,  v.  42 

Destruction  Isle,  iv.  295 

De  Langle,  massacre  oC,  ii.  73 

Deborah,  her  residence,  iv.  68 

De  Haven,  Lieutenant,  his  arrival  at  Gray*s 
Harbour,  v.  131 

Destruction  River,  v.  240 

Diego  Ramieres,  island  of,  i.  149 

Dips,  magnetic,  ii.  290 

Discovery,  New  South  Wales,  iL  201 ;  Ant- 
arctic Continent,  ii.  292 

Disappointment  Bay,  ii.  310 

Discovery  Harbour,  iii.  177 ;  Port,  iv.  298 

Diagram  of  ice,  ii.  31 1 

Diseases,  TahiU,  ii.  49;  Samoa,  iL  134; 
Tonga,  ui.  33 ;  Feejee,  iiL  327 ;  Ha- 
waiian,  iv.  285;  Indian,  iv.  482;  Kings- 
miU,  V.  104  ;  Singapore,  v.  409 

Districts,  Feejee,  iii.  61 

Disappointment,  Cape,  iv.  293 

Dillon's  Rock,  iiL  217 

Dispute  with  Spokane  Indians,  iv.  458 

Diell,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  6 

Disturbances  at  Honolulu,  account  of^  ir. 
12 

Diamond  Hill,  iv.  85 

Dickinson,  Rev.  Mr.,  v.  396 

Don  Pedro,  L  48 

Dolphin  Shoal,  ii.  40 

Doggett,  brig  Charles,  capture  of,  iii.  104 

Doctors,  Hawaii,  iv.  286 

Downhaul,  John,  iv.  144 

Douglass,  the  botanist,  iv.  205 

Dowsett,  Captain,  v.  105 ;  his  ftte,  v.  106 

Don  Miguel,  v.  202 

Dress,  Madeira,  L  18;  Guachos,  L  96; 
Lima,  i.  237 ;  Tahiti,  iL  29 ;  Samoa, 
iL  140;  New  Zealand,  iL  388;  Feejee, 
iiL  355;  De  Peyster's,  v.  42;  Drum, 
mond's,  v.  47;  Indian,  iv.  398;  Ma. 
nilla,  V.  299 ;  Sooloo,  v.  343 

Drum,  Feejee,  iii.  300 

Drummond's  Island,  v.  45 ;  natives,  v.  46; 
dress,  v.  47 ;  arms,  v.  48 ;  canoes,  v.  49 ; 


GENERAL    IN  D  E  X. 


547 


women,  ▼.  51 ;  towns,  v.  58  ;  food,  v. 

61 ;  ch&racter,  ▼.  61 
Drill,  Bowditch  Island,  v.  17 
Drayton,  Mr.,  ascends  the  Columbia,  iv.  378 
Ducatel,  Dr.,  i.  97 
DUJrviUe,  Admiral,  u.  281 
Duke   of  York's  Island,  y.  5 ;   botany  oC, 

V.9 
Duke  of  Clarence's  Island,  v.  10 
Duff  Reef,  iii.  251 

Duck  establishments,  Manilla,  v.  301 
Dyacks'  customs,  v.  361;  arms,  ▼.  363; 

religion,  t.  362 

Earthquakes,  Chili,  i.  199,  255 ;  effect  of, 
i.  246;  Samoa,  it.  113;  New  South 
Wales,  ii.  270;  Hawaiian  Group,  iv. 
229 

Echandia,  General,  v.  163 

Education,  New  South  Wales,  ii  237 

Eels,  Rev.  Mr.,  It.  455 

Egleston,  Captain,  iii.  49 

Egmont,  Mount,  iL  405 

Eimeo,  ii.  56 

Elephant  Island,  i.  139 

Eld's  Peak,  ii.  293 

Eld  Island,  iU.  258 

Eld,  Mr.,  and  native,  iv.  132 ;  his  party  to 
Gray's  Harbour,  iv.  477;  his  party 
relieved,  v.  131 ;  his  party  return,  v. 
134 

Electricity  easily  excited,  iv.  134 

EUice's  Group,  v.  37 ;  native  of,  v.  38 

Eliza,  brig,  wreck  of,  iii.  62 

Election,  Philippines,  v.  309 

Elk  Mountains,  v.  224 

Elk  River,  v.  225 

Emerald  Isle,  ii.  285 

Emmons'  Bay,  iii.  256 

Emerson,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  74 

Emmons'  Peak,  v.  236 

■Embarcadero,  v.  200 

Emmons,  Lieutenant,  his  party  to  Cali- 
fornia, V.  134 ;  difficulties,  v.  135 

English  Jim,  ii.  4 

Entertainment,  king  of  Rewa,  iii.  116; 
Kanuha's,  iv.  207 

Enkaba,  island  of,  iii.  168 

Enderbury's  Island,  iii.  371 ;  v.  4 

Encampments,  height  of,  on  route  to  Canada 
from  Oregon,  v.  137 

EootL,  island  of,  iii.  6 

f>)uipment,  articles  o^  v.  217 

Elquatorial  Current,  v.  465,  475 

Eruption  of  Mauna  Loa,  iv.  187 

Erromago,  iii.  26 

Escudero,  Don,  v.  313 

Ewa,  province  of,  iv.  79 ;  lake  of,  iv.  82 

Executive  Council,  Now  South  Wales,  ii. 
223 


Exploring  Isles,  iiL  179 
Executions,  Hawaii,  iv.  41 
Exports,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  271 
Eyeglass  stolen,  iv.  410 

Fasetootai,  ii.  92 

Fawn  Harbour,  iii.  181 

Faulitz  Plains,  iv.  358 ;  v.  218 

Farnham,  Mr.,  anecdote  of,  iv.  362 

Faroilip  Island,  v.  271 

Feejee,  eastern  group,  iii.  45 ;  districts,  iii. 
61 ;  history,  iii.  62 ;  customs,  iii.  73 ; 
girls,  iii.  75;  barbers,  iii.  75;  character, 
iii.  76;  salutation,  iii.  79;  army,  iii. 
79 ;  flags,  iii.  80;  fortifications,  iii.  81 ; 
ambassadors,  iii.  81 ;  religion,  iii.  82 ; 
superstitions,  iii.  85 ;  oracle,  iii.  89 ; 
festivals,  iii.  91 ;  marriage,  iii.  92 ; 
midwifery,  iii.  93 ;  christening,  iii.  94 ; 
burial,  iii.  95 ;  sacrifices,  iii.  97 ;  can. 
nibalism,  iii.  101,  154,  237;  tombs, 
iii  231;  music,  iii.  246;  fishing,  iii. 
292;  drum,  iii.  300;  climate,  iii.  321; 
tides,  iiL  322 ;  population,  *  iii.  323 ; 
alphabet,  iii.  325;  diseases,  iii.  327; 
amusements,  iii.  331;  messengers,  iii. 
332;  women,  iiL  332;  food,  iiL  333, 
350;  productions,  iiL  333;  calendar, 
iiL  341;  arms,  iii.  343;  canoes,  iiL 
345;  pottery,  iiL  348;  mode  of  sitting, 
iii.  351 ;  employments,  iii.  352 ;  hair, 
iii.  353 ;  dress,  iii.  355 ;  trade,  iii.  357; 
missionary  operations,  iiL  358 

Feather  River,  v.  182 ;  return  to,  v.  190 

Feis  Island,  v.  271 

Fisheries,  New  South  Wales,  u.  271 

Fiery  Spirits,  iii.  301 

Ficid.ice,  ii.  294 

Figueroa,  General,  v.  163 

Flying-Fish  puts  back  from  southern  cruise, 
ii.  359 ;  arrival  at  Ovolau,  iii.  53 ;  ac- 
cident to,  V.  70 ;  sold,  v.  410 

Flood,  New  SouUi  Wales,  iL  172;  WeUing. 
ton,  263 

Flint's  Island,  iii.  277 

Fletcher's  Island,  v.  5 

Flathead  tribe,  iv.  447 

Flag  Station,  iv.  141 

Fono  or  Council,  Samoa,  ii.  88, 102 

Formation  of  Tongataboo,  iiL  31 

Foxall,  Edmund,  iL  71 

Food,  Feejee,  iii.  333 ;  Indian,  iv.  452 

Forbes,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  90 

Forrest,  Mr.,  iv.  315 

Fossil  remains,  Oregon,  iv.  360 

Foreign  residents,  Honolulu,  conduct  of, 
iv.  7 

Forbes,  Mr.,  v.  248 

Folger's  Island,  v.  268 

French  Shoal,  L  36 


548 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Frio,  Cape,  i.  39 

Freyre,  General,  i.  212,  218,  291 ;  ii.  42. 

Frunch  squadron  refuse  to  speak  the  Por- 
poise, ii.  343 

Fraser's  River,  iv.  483,  454 

Frost,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  322 

French-Frigate  Shoal,  v.  367 

Funchal,  i.  6, 19 

Fuegians,  appearance  of^  i.  122;  music,  i. 
125. 127 

Fungasar,  ii.  75 

Funeral  ceremonies,  Feejee,  iii.  98 

Fulanga,  iii.  166 

Fuse,  destruction  of,  ▼.  31 

Gardiner,  Mr.  F.,  i.  29 

Grardnor,  Mr.  John,  i.  40 

Gamarra,  General,  i.  286,  295 

Gale,  Baj  of  Islands,  ii.  381 

Games,  Hawaii,  iv.  47 

Gay,  George,  iv.  357  ;  anecdote  o£|  iv.  360 

Gaspar  Island,  v.  267  , 

Gangriere,  Mr.,  v.  225 

George,  Pilot,  v.  114 

Geology,  Samoa,  ii.  1 12 ;  New  Sooth  Wales, 
ii.  167, 172 

Geiger,  Mr.,  v.  178 

Gcntoo,  V.  395 

Gipps,  Sir  George,  ii.  161,  213 

Gimblet  Religion,  ii.  99 

Gimblet,  Joe,  v.  26 

Gingi,  Chief;  iii.  227 

Gloria,  i.  65 

Goat  Island,  iii.  152 

Government,  Madeira,  i.  18 ;  Chili,  i.  203 ; 
Tahiti,  ii.  17;  Samoa,  ii.  152;  New 
South  Wales,  ii.  222;  Kingsmill,  v.  85 ; 
Manilla,  v.  278 ;  Philippines,  v.  280 ; 
Sooloo,  V.  344 ;  Singapore,  v.  377 

Grovemment  expenses.  New  Zealand,  ii.  278 

Good  Success  Bay,  i.  113,  140;  plants,  i. 
115 

Governor,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  222 

Groro  Island,  iii.  199 

Goodrich,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  208 

Gray,  Wm.,  iL  70 

Grande  Ronde,  iv.  395 

Grande  Coulee,  iv.  436 

Grand  Rapid  Hills,  iv.  390 

Gray's  Harbour,  arrival  at,  v.  129 ;  produc- 
tions, V.  130 ;  tides,  v.  132;  Indians,  v. 
132;  departure  from,  v.  133 

Graham  and  foreigners,  capture  of,  v.  169 

Green,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  240 

Grigan,  island  of,  v.  269 

Gulf  Stream,  i.  4 ;  v.  452 

Guachos,  dress,  i.  96 ;  i.  102 

Guanacoes,  i.  185 

Gutieres,  General,  v.  164 

Giiardipii,  Lake,  v.  222 


Guinea  Current,  v.  464 

Harden,  Benjamin,  i.  106 

Hawaiian  Group,  natives,  iii.  375 ;  iv.  3 ; 

constitution,    iv.    21 ;     succession     to 

throne,  iv.  31 ;    punishment,  iv.    33 ; 

taxes,  iv.  36 ;  executions,  iv.  41 ;  as- 
tronomy,   iv.    42 ;    calendar,    iv.    42 ; 

navigation,  iv.  44 ;  character,  iv.  45 ; 

music,  iv.  47  ;  games,  iv.  47 ;  doctors, 

iv.  286;  productions,  iv.  282;  botany, 

iv.  283 ;  climate,  iv.  284 ;  diseases,  i?. 

285 ;  commerce,  v.  260  ;  remarks  on, 

V.  261 ;  final  leave,  v.  265 
Hawaii   Island,  iv.  89;  vegetation,  iv.  99; 

manufactures,  iv.  97 ;  journey  across, 

iv.99 
Hanapepe  Valley,  iv.  62 
Halelea,  district  of,  iv.  70 
Hale,  Mr.,  journey  of,  iv.  466 
Habits,  Sooloo,  v.  343 
Hairs  Island,  v.  64 
Halcyon  Island,  v.  268 
Halcon,  Captain,  v.  294 
Heath  Forest,  i.  15 
Hemp,  New  Zealand,  ii.  412;  Manilla,  v. 

288 
Henrietta,  Queen,  iii.  228 
Henry,  Midshipman  Wilkes,  murder  of^  iii 

262,  268 
Henry's  Island,  iiL  272 
Herron,  Lewis,  trial  of,  v.  258 
Henderville  Island,  v.  63 
Hitoti,  ii.  44 
Hihifo,  iii.  11 

History,  Feejee,  iii.  62 ;  Sooloo,  v.  348 
Hilo  Bay,  iv.  113,  230;  viUage  of,  iv.  115; 

return  to,  iv.  187 
Hieroglyphic  Rocks,  iv.  389 
High  Prairie,  iv.  432 

Hindoo  processions,  v.  387 ;  theatres,  v.  38S 
Houses,  Madeira,  i.  19 ;  Wytoohee  Island,  i. 

323 ;  Tahiti,  u.  21 ;  Samoan,  ii.  145 ; 

New  Zealand,  ii.  385 ;  Feejee,  ui.  305, 

344 ;  Sooloo,  v.  333 
Hobson,  G.  G.,  Esq.,  i.  165, 205 
Honden  Island,  i.  316 
Hokianga,  visit  to,  ii.  373 
Hobson,  Captain,  his  treaty,  ii.  375;  his 

proclamation,  ii.  378 
Hoia,  iL  393 
Hoom  IsUnd,  ii.  158 
Houseman,  James,  iii.  115 
Honolulu,  iii.  367;  water,  iv.  4;  Saturday 

at,  iv.  51 ;  school  celebration,  iv.  52 ; 

cemetery,  iv.  54 ;  amusements,  iv.  58 
Horseshoe  Reef,  iii.  200 
Holmes,  Dr.,  adventure  of^  iii.  253 
Hood,  Mount,  iv.  336 
Holden,  Benjamin,  i.  250 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


519 


Hood*8  Canal,  W.  411 

Hook  Bwingring,  Singapore,  ▼.  390 

Hones,  sale  o^  San  Francisco,  ▼.  950 

Hont's  Island,  y.  415 

Hottentots,  ▼.  431 

Hunter,  Wm.,  Esq.,  i.  41 

Huara,  convention  oi^  i.  291 

Hanter*8  River,  ii.  245,  255 

HulPs  Island,  iu.  370;  v.  4 

Hunt,  Rev.  Mr.,  iii.  191,  240 

Hndson^s  Island,  v.  44 

Honter^s  Island,  v.  271 

Hudson  Baj  Company,  posts,  v.  136 

Icy  1>aTrier,  ii.  286 
Ice,  field,  ii.  294 

Icebergs,  ii.  298;  landing  on,  ii.  324;  forma- 
tion of,  ii.  330 ;  drift  of;  U.  333 
Ice,  diagram  o^  ii.  311 ;  watering  on,  ii. 

325 
Illawarra,  district  of,  ii.  171,  242;  extent  of, 

iL244 
Immigration,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  226 
Indians,  iv.  297;  dice,  iv.  367;  mortality, 

iv.  370;   incantations,  iv.  400;    Nis. 

qoally,  it.    417 ;    prophecy,  iv.    439 ; 

tribes,  iv.  443,  471;    food,  iv.    446; 

superstitions,    iv.    469 ;    calendar,    iv. 

450;   customs,    iv.    456;    legend,    iv. 

466;    gambling,    v.    117;    widow,   v. 

118 ;  conduct  of,  at  Gray^s  Harbour,  v. 

130 ;  dance,  v.  180 ;  diseases,  v.  181 
Indian  Ocean,  v.  416 
Indigo,  Manilla,  v.  290 
Irogotes  Indians,  v.  306 
Islands,  search  for,  v.  4 
Inhabitants,  Lima,  i.  242;  Tahiti,  ii.  14; 

Manilla,  v.  278 ;  Singapore,  v.  374 

Jaquel,  vega  o^  i.  194 

Japanese  Junk,  shipwrecked,  iv.  295 ;  ap- 
pearance, V.  398 

Jarvis^s  Island,  v.  4 

Jane*s  Island,  v.  266 

John  Day^s  River,  iv.  402 

Johnson,  Lieutenant,  lost,  iv.  435 ;  his  party 
return  to  Nisqually,  iv.  477 

Johnson's  farm,  iv.  361 

July,  Fourth  of,  iii.  200 ;  iv.  412 

Junta  dc  Comercio,  Manilla,  v.  279 

Judd,  Dr.,  iv.  112 ;  descent  into  Kilanea,  iv. 
172 ;  narrow  escape,  iv.  173 

Kasanji,  i.  60 

Kangaroo  Valley,  ii.  169 

Kaurie  Pine,  ii.  412 

Kai  Levuka,  iii.  61 

Katu  Mbithi,  iii.  158,  308 ;  his  fVmeral,  iii. 

159 
Kambara  Island,  iii.  167 


Katafanga,  iii.  177 

Kanathia  Island,  iii.  250 

Kantavu  Island,  iiL  288 

Kaiviti,  schooner,  iii.  312 

Kamehameha  III.,  visit  to,  iv.  3;  his  ap- 
pearance, iv.  4 ;  interview  with,  iv. 
10 ;  advice  to,  iv.  19 ;  visit  from,  iv. 
237 ;  visit  to,  iv.  238 ;  his  wife,  iv. 
238 

Kaiha,  anecdote  of^  iv.  45 

Kauai,  island  o^  iv.  51 ;  journey  across,  iv. 
66 ;  productions,  iv.  71 ;  climate,  iv 
71 ;  schools,  iv.  73 

Kaala,  Mount,  iv.  75 ;  ascent  of,  iv.  78 

Kaluamei  Falls,  iv.  76 

Kaneohe,  iv.  84 

Kaili,  iv.  100 

Kanaka,  iv.  112;  desertion  of,  iv.  134, 
missing,  iv.  168;  shipping  of,  iii.  386; 
mode  of  carrying,  iii.  389 

Kalumo,  the  guide,  iv.  116 

Kapuahi,  iv.  120 

Kapoho  Point,  iv.  186 

Kahoolawe,  iv.  244 

Kanuha,  his  entertainment,  iv.  207 

Kaquines,  straits  of,  v.  127 

Kendikendi,  ascent  of,  iii.  172 

Kea,  island  of^  iiL  252 

Kekauluohi,  her  appearance,  iv.  4 ;  regent, 
iv.  257 

Kealakeakua,  bay  of,  iv.  92 

Keaweehu,  iv.  135 ;  his  appearance,  iv.  151 

Keeau,  iv.  191 

Kenemoneha,  chief,  iv.  245 

Kettle  Falls,  Oregon,  iv.  444 

Kekuanaoa,  Governor,  iii.  384 ;  visit  of,  iii. 
388 

Kemin's  Island,  iii.  368 

King's  Island,  i.  325 

Kiama,  blow  hole  at,  ii.  245 ;  scenery,  ii. 
245 

Kie  Island,  iii.  383 

King  George,  iii.  7 ;  his  town,  iii.  13 ;  his 
house,  iii.  15 

King  Tubou*s  town,  iii.  14 

Kiwe,  the  guide,  iv.  121 

Kilauea,  crater  of,  iv.  102,  165;  arrival  at, 
iv.  123;  description  o^  iv.  124;  sulphur 
bank,  iv.  169 ;  survey  of,  iv.  170 ;  beau- 
tiful eruption,  iv.  174 ;  departure  from, 
iv.  179 ;  last  visit  to,  iv.  221 ;  sUte  of, 
iv.224 

Kirby,  John,  v.  65 ;  his  history,  v.  65 

Kinkla  tribe,  v.  188 ;  employments,  v.  168 ; 
language,  v.  189 ;  bows  and  arrows,  v. 
189 

Kingsmill  customs,  v.  79;  islands,  v.  80; 
soil,  V.  81 ;  cultivation,  v.  81 ;  peopling, 
V.  81 ;  social  state,  v.  83 ;  government, 
V.  84;  religion,  v.  86;  priests,  v.  87; 


550 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Buperstitions,  t.  88;  employments,  v. 
89,  91 ;  vices,  ▼.  90 ;  character,  ▼.  90 ; 
war,  V.  91 ;  weapons,  ▼.  93;  houses,  ▼. 
94;  canoes,  ▼,  94;  mats,  ▼.  94;  jEbod, 
V.  96 ;  amusements,  ▼.  99 ;  mar- 
riages, V.  101 ;  tattooing,  ▼.  103 ;  dis- 
eases,  ▼.  104 ;  climate,  ▼.  105 ;  popula- 
tion,  ▼.  105 ;  trade,  ▼.  106 

Kihas,  Padre,  v.  199 

Kiackamus  village,  iv.  368 

Kluckullum  River,  v.  126 

Klamet  River,  ▼.  237 

Klings,  V.  389 

Kororarika,  ii.  374 

Komo  Island,  iii.  168 

Koloa,  district  ot,  iv.  64 

Konahaunui  Mountains,  iv.  75 

Kona,  district  of^  iv.  94 ;  climate,  iv.  95 

Kohala,  district  o^  iv.  219 

Korsakoff  Island,  v.  108 

Kru8enstern*8  Island,  ii.  63  • 

Kula,  district  of,  iv.  251 

Kuria  Island,  v.  65 

Kamalatiz  Lake,  v.  127 

Lafuente,  General,  i.  224,  249, 286, 399 

La  Vinda  Mountain,  i.  258 

La  Mar,  General,  i.  286,  298 

Lazereff  Island,  ii.  63 

Lauto  Lake,  ii.  96 

Lang,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  252 

Lambie  Mount,  ii.  258 

Laughing  Jackass,  N.  S.  W.,  ii.  266 

Lakemba,  iii.  144, 165 

Lati  Island,  iii.  380 

La  Place,  Captain,  his  conduct  at  Oahu,  iv. 

14,   16;    his    departure,    iv.   18;    his 

treaty,  iv.  18 ;  its  consequences,  iv.  18 
Lance-throwing,  Honolulu,  iv.  56 
Lafon,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  67 
Lava,  description  ot,  iv.  143;  varieties,  iv. 

177;  flow  o^  iv.  185 ;  visit  to  plain,  iv. 

215 
Lahainaluna,  seminary  o^  iv.  246 
Lahaina,  town  oii  iv.  237 
Labour  in  Oregon,  price  of,  iv.  365 
La  Framboise,  Michel,  iv.  349  ;  v.  143 
La  Bonte,  iv.  358 
La  Tdte  Mountain,  iv.  422 
Lapwai  Mission,  iv.  460 
Laguna  de  Bay,  v.  311 
Labrador  Current,  v.  459 
Legislative  CouncU,  N.  S.  W.,  ii.  223 
Levuka,  town  o^  iii,  49  ;  garden  at,  iii.  60 ; 

war  at,  iii.  361 
Lebouni  People,  iiL  291 
Lecumba  Point,  iii  307 
Lee,  Rev.  Jason,  iv.  341 
Leonidas,  Ship,  iiL  218 
Leave-taking,  Vancouver,  iv.  371 


Legend,  Indian,  iv.  466 

Light,  Zodiacal,  i.  230 ;  v.  450 

Lima,  L  236;  dress,  i.  237 ;  market,  L  240 ; 

library,  i.  241 ;  museum,  i.  241 ;  inha- 

bitants,  i.  242 
Liverpool  Mountains,  iL  170 ;  town  o^  iL  266 
Literary  Institutions,  N.  S.  W.,  iL  273 
Little  Powder  River,  iv.  363 
Lordello^  Baron,  L  9 
Locke,  Mr.,  kindness  oi^  iv.  74 
Longley,  Wm.  8.,  lost,  iv.  143;  fbund,  iT. 

146 
Luck*s  House,  iL  260 
Lua  Pele,  iv.  171 
Luzon,  idand  o^  v.  281 ;  it«  formation,  t. 

282 ;  minerals,  v.  282 ;  volcanic  action 

on,  v.  283 ;  soil,  v.  283 ;  productions,  y 

283 ;  agriculture,  v.  284 
Lucepara  Passage,  v.  415 

Madeira,  i.  6 ;  sledge,  L  10 ;  statistics,  L  1& 

commerce,  L  17  ;  dress,  L  18;  govern 

ment,  L  18 ;  houses,  L  19 ;  plants,  L  20 

wine,  i.  20 
Maria  Rock,  i.  28 
Makuan,  i.  61 
Maypo,  plain  oi^  i.  178 
Markets,  Santiago,  L   180;  Lima,  L  240; 

Manilla,  v.  301 ;  Singapore,  v.  391 
Marines,  conduct  o^  L  232;  review  o£,  ii. 

113 
Mathews,  Mr.,  L  244 
Manhii  Island,  i.  336 ;  iv.  263 
Mango  Island,  iii.  176 
Manua,  ii.  65 
Matafba,  ii.  82 
Malietoa,  ii.  93, 102 ;  v.  23 
Maletau,  ii.  103 
Manono  Island,  ii.  107 
Matthews'  Rock,  ii.  159 
Macquarie,  Govemw,  iL  165,  213 
Macquarie,    fort,    iL    161;    lake«   iL   248; 

island,  iL  287 
Maconochie,  Captain,  his  plan  for  managing 

convicts,  ii.  216 
Maitland,  town  of,  ii.  256 
Malevuvu,  iiL  177 
Malatta  Island,  iiL  179 
Malaki  Passage,  iiL  210 
Malina  Island,  iiL  250 
Malolo  Island,  iii.  265;  natives  of,  beg  for 

pardon,  iii.  282 ;  observations  on  mur. 

ders  at,  iiL  284;   departure  from,  iiL 

286 
Mali  Island,  iii.  303 ;  Passage,  UL  315 
Maro,  David,  iv.  6,  250 
Manuel  Rodriguez,  island  o^  iv.  263 
Magnetic  Equator,  situation  of^  iv.  263 
Margaret's  Island,  iv.  265 
Maika,  iv.  55 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


551 


Manufactures,    natiTet*,    Hawaii,    iv.   97; 

sugar,  Hawaii,  iv.  208 ;  Tahiti,  ii.  53 
Manna  Loa,  iv.  Ill;  set  out  for,  iv.  116; 

view  o^  iv.  122;  natives  mutiny,  iv. 

125;   reach  terminal  crater,  iv.  142; 

description  of,  iv.  143;   descent  into, 

iv.  152 ;  arrival  of  party  from  ship,  iv. 

144 ;  depth  of  crater,  iv.  157 ;  weather, 

iv.  150;  storm,  iv.  156;  circuit  of^  iv. 

159 ;  comparison  with  Mauna  Kea,  iv. 

225 
Mauna  Kea,  height  o^  iv.  160;  ascent  of, 

iv.  199 ;  description  o^  iv.  203 ;  descent 

of,  iv.  205 
Mauna  Haleakala,  asoent  o^  iv.  253)  de- 
scription o(  iv.  254;  descent  tiC,  iv. 

256 
Maui,  island  o€,  iv.  235 
Madison,  Port,  iv.  804 
Maxwell,  Mr.,  iv.  454 
Mataatu,  v.  33 
Mataiayatele  village,  v.  89 
Matetou,  v.  30 
Matuku  Island,  iii.  146 
Maraki,  v.  70,  71 
Makin  Island,  v.  72;   natives  of,  v.  73; 

canoes,  v.  74 
Magnolia,  ship,  v.  109 
Mask,  Northwest  Indians,  v.  146 
Marsh,  Dr.,  v.  182 
Martinez,  SeHor,  v.  195 
Maid  Creek,  v.  223 
Maloon's  Island,  v.  266 
Manilla,  arrival  at,  v.  275 ;  situation,  v.  276 ; 

description  of^  v.  277;  inhabitants,  v. 

278;   government,  v.  279;    hemp,  v. 

288;  coffee,  v.  289;  cotton,  v.  289; 

indigo,  V.  290 ;  mode  of  living,  v.  297 ; 

customs,  V.  297;  music,  v.  298;  drives, 

V.  298 ;  markets,  v.  301 ;  trade,  v.  302 ; 

churches,  v.  304 ;  monks,  v.  305 
Magelhaens,  v.  279 
Magjaijai,  v.  313 
Maquiling,  Mount,  v.  318 
Marongas  Island,  v.  340 
Mangaee  Islands,  v.  358 
Marama,  feast  of^  v.  387 
Malays,  habits  o^  v.  393 ;  peninsula,  v.  404; 

animals  of^  v.  407    . 
Maro  Reef,  v.  367 
Mbure,  iii.  49 

Mbatu,  iii.  87 ;  their  incantations,  ill.  88 
Mbua  district,  iii.  150,  211 ;  history  o^  iii. 

215  ;  survey  of  bay,  iii.  303 
Mbenga,  iii.  207 
Meteors,  i.  35 
Mclithriptes  Pacifica,  iv.  4 
MerriPs  Island,  iv.  265 
Medicine-men,  Northwest  Indians,  iv.  369 
Meteorological  Diary,  Vancouver,  v.  138 


Mercador,  Padre,  v.  204 

Misericordia,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  i.  47 

Minas,  i.  54 

Missionaries*  schools,  Tahiti,  ii.  9 ;  succi^s 
at  Tahiti,  ii.  12;  Samoan,  ii.  127 ;  New 
South  Wales,  ii.  250;  New  Zealand, 
iL  382;  Somu-somu,  iii.  153;  treat- 
ment oi^  at  Somu-somu,  iii.  298 ; 
Feejee,  iii.  358;  residence,  Honolulu, 
iv.  5;  printing  establishment,  iv.  5; 
Lahaina  seminary,  iv.  246 ;  Oregon, 
iv.  331,  354;  farm,  Oregon,  iv.  351; 
hospital,  iv.  351;  Lapwai,  iv.  460; 
school,  iv.  465 ;  Savaii,  v.  22 ;  Oregon, 
V.  220 

Mitchell,  Major,  iL  172,  258 

Mill,  saw,  at  Hawaii,  iv.  199 ;  Sugar,  Ha. 
waii,  iv.  242;  grist,  Oregon,  iv.  335; 
saw,  Oregon,  iv.  335 

Mindoro  Island,  v.  323 

Mindanao  Island,  v.  328 

Mindoro,  fort  o^  v.  328 

Minor's  farm,  iv.  253 

Mocha  Island,  i.  161 

Moran,  General,  i.  295 

Morenhout,  Mr.,  ii.  6 

Motha  Island,  iii.  168 

Moto-utu,  ii.  41 

Mowna,  ii.  74 

Moa,  iii.  16,  22 

Moala  Island,  iii.  146 

Moturiki  Island,  iii.  148 ;  passage,  iii.  148 

Mokungai  Island,  iii.  187 

Monkey.fiice  Passage,  iii.  217 

Monument  to  officers,  iii.  311 

Moon,  eclipse  of,  iii.  362 

Molokai  Island,  iv.  259 

Moore,  Mr.,  iv.  361 

Mole,  V.  23 

Monterey,  v.  163 

Moore,  Josiah,  Esq.,  v.  275 

Moodie,  Donald,  Eisq.,  v.  425 

Mudjana,  i.  63 

Mundjolo,  i.  59 

Music,  Fuegians,  i.  127 ;  Feejee,  iii.  246 ; 
native,  Australia,  ii.  190 

Museum,  Lima,  i.  241 

Mufa,  iii.  16 

Mumui,  iii.  17 

Munia,  iii.  177 

Mumbolithe,  iiL  187 

Muthuata,  thefl  at,  iii.  230 ;  ascent  of  peak, 
iii.  233 ;  departure  from,  iii.  313 ;  town 
of,  iii.  225 

Murder  of  Gideon  Smith,  iv.  104 

Mulgrave's  Islands,  v.  113 

Murphy,  Mr.,  V.  199 

Myandone,  chief  of,  iii.  304 

M'Keever,  Commodore,  U.  S.  N^  i.  206,  307 

M'Call,  Edward,  Esq.,  i.  307 


552 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


M*Leay,  Alexander,  Esq.,  ii.  190 

M'Gill,  ii.  253 

M*Kean'8  Island,  iii.  369 

M'Laughlin,  Dr.,  iv.  327,  341 ;  tUIU  the 
ship,  iv.  413;  kindness,  v.  115;  his 
conduct,  V.  136 ;  letter  to,  v.  147 

M'Niel,  Captain,  iv.  305  ;  ▼.  124 

M'Donald,  Mr.,  iv.  434 

M*Lean,  Mr.,  iv.  468 

M'Kaj,  Thomas,  v.  221 

M*Kenzie*8  Group,  v.  272 

Navy,  Brazil,  i.  85 ;  Chili,  i.  204 

Natives,  Australia,  ii.  255 ;  Tonga,  iiL  25 ; 
Hawaii,  iii.  375 

Naturalists,  operations  o^  New  Zealand,  iL 
270 

Namuka  Island,  iii.  168 

Naiau  Island,  iii.  175 

Naitamba,  iii.  180 

Nairai  Island,  iii.  184 

Navula  Passage,  iii.  208 

Naloa  Bay,  iii.  222,  308 

Nanuku  Passage,  iii.  251 

Naviti,  iii.  258 

NaUva  Bay,  iii.  377 

Napolo,  iv.  90 

Natives,  Hawaii,  their  selfishness,  iv.  133; 
pride,  iv.  257 ;  rights  of  relationship, 
iv.  257;  industry,  iv.  251;  EUioe's 
Group,  V.  38 

Nanavalie,  Sand  Hills,  iv.  188 

Narrows,  Puget  Sound,  iv.  305 

Navigation,  Hawaiian,  iv.  44 

Nappa  Valley,  v.  196 

Napier,  Sir  George,  v.  425 

Natal.  Port,  v.  433 

Nanvitz,  Lake,  v.  127 

Newman,  Mr.  H.,  i.  191 

New  South  Wales,  ii.  157 ;  geology,  iL  172; 
floods,  ii.  172;  rivers,  ii.  173;  salt,  ii. 
174;  salt  lakes,  ii.  174;  mountains, 
ii.  174;  climate,  ii.  175;  vegetation, 
ii.  178 ;  botany,  ii.  188 ;  wine,  ii.  183 ; 
discovery,  iL  201 ;  convicts,  ii.  205, 
237 ;  convict  rations,  iL  219 ;  factory, 
ii.  204;  social  system,  ii.  217  ;  society, 
ii.  220 ;  government,  iL  222  ;  governor, 
ii.  222 ;  lieutenant-governor,  ii.  223 ; 
executive  council,  ii.  223;  legislative 
council,  ii.  223;  regulations,  ii.  224; 
immigration,  ii.  226 ;  price  of  land,  ii. 
227 ;  crime,  ii.  231,  236 ;  convictions, 
ii.  229,  235;  education,  iL  237;  re- 
ligion,  ii.  238;  coal-pits,  ii.  246;  mar-  | 
riages,  iL  247 ;  missionaries,  ii.  260 ;  . 
mails  and  post-office,  ii.  256;  sheep  and 
wool,  ii.  262 ;  population,  ii.  264,  274 ; 
language,  iL  284 ;  ^  laughing  jackass," 
ii.    266 ;    ornithology,    ii.    266 ;    salt- 


works,  iL  268 ;  saline  lakes,  ii.  269 ; 
earthquakes,  ii.  270;  commerce,  iL 
271 ;  fisheries,  ii.  271 ;  oommeroe  with 
United  SUtes,  iL  273 

Negroes,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  i.  54 

Newcastle,  town  o^  ii.  246 

Ndronga,  iiL  208 

New  Zealand,  iL  363,  369 ;  claims,  iL  377: 
government  expenses,  ii.  378;  laad 
company,  iL  380 ;  price  of  land,  ii. 
382;  missionaries,  iL  382;  taboo,  iL 
383 ;  carving,  iL  385;  houses,  iL  385 ; 
tombs,  iL  397;  dresi^  iii^^dSS;  fishing, 
ii.  389 ;  food,  iL  389 ;  ornaments,  ii. 
990;  native  character,  iL  398;  ap- 
pearance o^  iL  398 ;  traditions,  ii.  399 ; 
curiosities,  iL  400 ;  mission  operations, 
iL  401 ;  war-dance,  iL  403  ;  climate,  iL 
410 ;  soil,  ii.  410;  produce,  ii.  411 ;  hemp, 
ii.  412 ;  birds,  iL  413 ;  trade,  iL  413 

Nemena,  island  of)  iii.  151 

Ned's  House,  iv.  204 

New  York  Island,  iv.  281 

New  Caledonia,  iv.  450 

Nes  Perc4  Indians,  their  customs,  iv.  464 

Neah  Harbour,  iv.  485 

New  Dungeness,  iv.  483 

New  Helvetia,  v.  178;  geographical  poai 
tion,  V.  ISO  I  crops,  v.  193 

Negrito  Indians,  Luzon,  v.  306 ;  their  wea- 
pons, V.  307 

Necker  Island,  v.  366 

Ngaraningiou's  house,  iii.  119 

Nieto,  General,  L  294 

Ninito,  ii.  41 

Niihau,  island  o(  iv.  63 ;  population,  iv.  64 

Nisqually,  fort  at,  iv.  305;  description  oC 
iv.  417 ;  farm,  iv.  414 

Niculuita,  iv.  388 

Noir  Island,  L  157 

Northern  Posts,  Hudson  Bay  Co.,  iv.  451 

Northern  Section,  Oregon,  climate,  iv.  454 

North,  Rev.  Mr.,  v.  395 

Nukualofo,  iiL  7, 18 

Nukalau,  iii.  183 

Nugatobe  Islets,  iiL  249 

Nukumanu,  ilL  251 

Nuuanu,  valley  of,  iii.  390 

Nukutipipi  Island,  iv.  266 

Nyambana,  L  63 

Oahu,  island  of;  iii.  373;   Pali,  uL  391, 

Peacock  arrives  at,  v.  109 
Oak  Point,  Oregon,  iv.  319,  325 
O'Brien's  Island,  i.  136 
Obrajillo,  i.  256,  274 
Obrejoso,  i.  288, 294 
Observatory  Isle,  iiL   171;  Peak,  iii.  259 

Waiakea,  iv.  114 ;  magnetic.  Cape  of 

Good  Hope,  v.  434 ; 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


558 


Ocean,  temperature,  i.  310 

Ofoo,  ii.  65,  69 

Officers,  murder  of,  at  Malolo,  iii.  263, 378 

Ogle,  Alexander,  death  of,  i.  311 

Ogden,  MisB,  iv.  240 

Ogden,  Peter,  Esq.,  It.  364;  parting  with, 

iv.  372 
O'Higgins,  General,  i.  212 
Okonagan,  iv.  433 
Okimbo  Island,  iu.  180 
Oloosinga,  ii.  6^5,  67 
Olaa,  iv.  119 

Oneata,  island  ot,  iiL  169, 171 
O'Neill,  Mr.,  iv.  356 
Ooaigarra,  ii.  30 
Opotuno,  ii.  92, 104 ;  attempt  to  capture,  ii. 

101 
Opium  shops,  Manilla,  v.  403 
Organ  Mountains,  i.  €9 
Orange  Harbour,  i.  Ill,  120;  tide,  u  128; 

weather,  L  158 
Orohena,  peaik  of,  ii.  25,  44 
Orsmond,  Mr.,  ii.  33 
Orator,  king's,  Somu-somu^  iii.  299 
Order,  general,  iv.  301 
Oregon  missionaries,  iv.  331;  purchase  of 

brig,  iv.  495;  brig,  v.  115 ;  population, 

V.  140 
Orchard,  Port,  iv.  480 
Oroa,  Don  Marcelino,  v.  293 
Osborne,  Dr.,  R.  N.,  ii.  244 
Otooho,  island  of;  L  323 
Otapuna,  town  o^  ii.  34 
Otore,  ii.  42 
Otter  Creek,  v.  237 
Outfits  of  the  squadron,  i.  24 ;  ii.  274 
Ovolau,  iii.  45 ;  island  of,  iiL  52 ;  survey  o( 

iiL  148 

Patty's  OverfkUs,  L  35 

Palmer's  Land,  i.  136 

ParheU(m,  L  109 ;  iiL  4 

Patagonians,  food  of,  L  114 

Pasco,  mines  of,  L  266 ;  town  of,  i.  267 

Pachacamac,  L  278 

Paumotu  Group,  L  307 ;  it.  282 ;  canoe  o^ 

L340 
Paofiii,  iL  11 
Pappino  River,  ii.  25 
Papara,  iL  31 
Panawea,  ii.  31 
Papieti,  harbour  o^  iL  40,  47;   its  com- 

merce,  iL  48;   troubles    at,  iv.  272; 

police,  iv.  276 
Papa4>a,  harbour  of,  ii.  58 
Pago-pago,  harbour  of;  ii  7 
Parry,  Sir  Edward,  ii.  206 
Pangai-Montu,  iiL  16 
Pali,  Oahu,  iiL  391 
Paramatta,  factory  at,  iL  213;  town  o(  ii. 

VOL.  V.  2  W  70 


241 ;  observatory,  ii.  241 ;  telegraphy 

iL242 
Papaoa  schools,  ii.  272 ;  meeting  at,  iv.  273 
Panau,  iv.  181 
Pahuhali,  iv.  183,  216 
PandanuB  tree,  iv.  192 
Patrodnio,  island  of  v,  109 
Palermo,  Mount,  v.  153 
Pailolo  Channel,  v.  257 
Pativas,  Luzon,  v.  311 
Panay,  island  of,  v.  325 
Petcherai  Indians,  L  121 
Peru,  L  229 ;  climate,  i.  248 ;  journey  into, 

i.  253;  political  history,  i.  285;  com* 

merce,  L  303 
Pea,  u.  89 

Peacock  Bay,  iL  304 
Peacock,  accident  to^  ti.  300 ;  repairs,.  it» 

363;  return,  iL  364;  leaves  Sydney, 

iiL  37 ;  arrival  at  Eooa^  iii.  38 ;  lea^ves 

Rewa,    iiL    137;    aground,    iii.    206; 

narrow  escape,  v.  70;  wreck,  v.  110; 

loss  of,  iv.  489  ;  launch,  dispositiML  of^ 

V.  145 
Piner's  Bay,  ii.  317 
Penguins,  IL  326 
Peru  Island,  girls  of,  v.  67 
Pescadores  Island,  v.  108 
Penrhyn's  Island,  iv.  277 ;  natives  eCfv.  277 
Pendulum  Peak,  camp  on,  iv.  145 
Pendulum  observations  at  Hilo,  iv»  194 
Penn's  Cove,  iv.  481 
Phillips,  or  Thokanauto,  iiL  111 
Philippines,  discovery,  v.  279 ;  ezpeditioD 

to,  V.  ^80 ;  taken  possession  of  by  the 

Spaniards,  v  281 ;  population,,  v.  291 ; 

army,  v.  292 ;  revenue,  v.  30Z 
Phoenix  Group,  v.  5 
Pico,  peak  o^  L  5 
Pico  Ruivo,  L  22 
Pinto,  General,  L  213 
Pitohiti,  iL  46 
Pigeon  Bay,  ii.  407 
Pillar  Rock,  v.  120, 143 
PUot,  Hilo  Bay,  iv.  Ill 
Pit-craters,  Hawaii,  iv.  180- 
Pilot's  Cove,  iv.  303 
Pischous  River,  iv.  430 
Pierre,  Charles,  iv.  419 
Pinus  Lambertiana,  v.  232 
Plunket,  Mr.,  AttorneyXteneral,  iL  243 
Plumondon,  Simon,  iv.  316 
Porter,  George,  accident  to,  i.  6 
Porto  Praya,  L  29 ;  statistics,  L  32 
Political  state,  Brazil,  L  80 ;  history.  Chili, 

L211 
Portales,  Diego,  i.  222 
Population,  Chili,  L  202;  New  South  Wales, 

iL  264 ;  Tonga,  iii.  29 ;  Feejee,  iii.  323  ; 

Waimea,  iv.  62 ;  Niihau,  iv.  64  Kings- 


554 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


mill,  V.  105 ;  Oregon,  v.  140  ;  Singo. 

|K)re,  V.  404 ;  Cape   of  Good  Hope,  ▼. 

438 ;  St.  Helena,  V.  449 
PosUOifice,  New  South  Walea,  ii.  256 
Por}K)ise    and   French    squadron,    ii.  343; 

gale,  ii.  346 ;  returns  north,  ii.  349  ;  re. 

pairs,  iv.  281 ;  sickness  on  board,  i7.292 
Pomare,  ii.  376,  390 ;  Pas,  u.  386 
Pomare,  Charley,  ii.  391 
Port  Cooper,  ii.  405 
Port  Levy,  iL  406 
Port  Refuge,  iii.  380 
Pijrt  Safety,  iii  252 
Pottery,  Feejee,  iiL  348 
Police,  Tahiti,  iv.  276 
Porl  Townsend,  iv.  302 
Port  Lawrence,  iv.  303 
Port  Madison,  it.  304 
Pofit  Discovery,  iv.  298 
Ports,  northern,  Hudson  Bay  Company,  iv. 

451 
Port  Orchard,  iv.  480 
Poplars,  grove  ot^  v.  190 
Pomale,  ii.  74 
Prairies,  Rio  Negro,  i.   103;  Oregon,  iv. 

307;    UtUe,  iv.  423;   high,  iv.  432; 

Bute,  iv.  415 ;  country,  iv.  459 ;  Butes, 

V.  184,  245 
Prieto,  General,  i.  172,  213 
Pritchard,  Rev.  Mr.,  iL  6,  59 
Priests,  Feejee,  iii.  307 
Protection  Island,  iv.  298 
Productions,  Tonga,    iii.   32;  Feejee,    iii. 

333 ;  Kauai,  iv.  71 ;  California,  v.  159  ; 

Hawauan,  iv.  282;  New  Zealand,  ii.  411 
Puna,  iv.  188 
Puahai,  village  of,  iv.  206 
Puget  Sound,  iv.  304 ;  v.  137;  survey  of,  iv. 

479 
Puget  Island,  v.  121 
Puget  Sound  Company,  iv.  308 
Pultras,  Las,  v.  212 
Pylstart's  Island,  iii.  35 
Pini,  manufacture  oC  v.  297 
Prado,  Manilla,  v.  298 
Parsees,  habits  o(  v.  394 
Peralto,  family  of,  v.  200 

Quillota,  i.  187 

Queen  of  Rewa,  iii.  127 

Quiarlpi  tribe,  Oregon,  iv.  441 

Raraka,  island  of,  i.  326;  chief  oC  L  328; 

tattooing,  L  ^6 
Raymond,  W.  O.,  ii.  262 
Rabone,  Mr.,  iii.  9 
Ramhe,  island  of^  iii.  254 
Ragsdale,  the  guide,  iv.  134 
Rainier,  Mount,  iv.  413,  424 
Ramsey,  the  pilot,  v.  114 


Rancheros,  California,  v.  211 

Rajah  Bassa,  v.  415 

Rebello,  SeAor,  L  9 

Rativa  Island,  iii.  181 

Rations,  convicts,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  219 

Reid,  Passed  Midshipman,  i.  207 

Reynolds,  George,  i.  318 

Recreation  Island,  iL  64 

Religion,   Chili,  L  200;   Tutoik,  iL    80; 

Samoa,  u.    131;    Australia,  iL    197; 

New  South  Wales,  u.  238 ;  Tonga,  iiL 

22 ;  Feejee,  ui.  82 
Reynold's  Peak,  iL  293 
Refuge,  Port,  iiL  380 
Rewa,  iiL  109;  town  of;  iiL  118;  king  oi; 

visits  the  Peacock,  iiL  111 ;  queen.  o( 

iiL  127;  history  o(  iii.  132;  viMt  to, 

iu.l82 
Reid  Island,  inhabitants  o^  iv.  264 
Recruiting  Station,  Mauna  Loa,  iv.  138 
Reyes,  Punta  de  Los,  iv.  151 
Revolution,  California,  v.  166 
Rebellion,  Philippines,  v.  293 
Regulations,  Ssmoa,  iL  103 
Rennell  Current,  v.  463 
Rhio,  Straits  of;  v.  413 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  L  46 ;  statisttes,  L  86 
Rio  Negro,  salt,  L  98;   population,  L  99; 

tribes,  L  100 ;  climate,  L  100 
Rivers,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  173 
Ringgold's  Knoll,  iL  293 
Rivaletta,  ui.  103 
Ridgely,  Port,  iiL  250 
Ringgold's  Isles,  iiL  302 
Richards,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  8 
Richmond,  Dr.,  iv.  307 
Rice,  Manilla,  varieties,  v.  284 ;  harvetting^ 

V.  285 ;  mode  of  stacking,  v.  287 
Richardson,  Captain,  v.  194 
Robolua,  ii.  408 
Royal  George  Shoal,  ii.  63 
Rose  Island,  iL  63 
Rocks,  The,  iL  260 
Roes,  Captain  Sir  JameiH  iL  282 
Rosetta  Shoal,  iii.  5 
Rotuma  Island,  iiL  24 
Round  Island,  iiL  255 

Royal  ladies,  Mutfauata,  visit  to  ahip,  iiL  829 
Royal  feuds,  Tahiti,  iv.  272 
Route  from  United  States  to  Oregon,  iv.  474 
Rogues'  River,  v.  232 
Ruke-ruke  Bay,  iiL  217 

Santiago,  town  of,  L  180 ;  market,  L  183 
San  Felipe,  town  o^  L  192 ;  capper  mines, 

L194 
Santa  Cruz,  General,  L  218,  224,  292, 300 ; 

decree  o^  L  301 
San  Lorenxo,  L  231 
San  Miguel,  L  256 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


555 


Sftlaverrj,  General,  i,  299 

Sacket,  Lewis,  ii.  44 

Sagana,  ii.  93 

Sanga,iL  98 

Sutn^T^ii  GroDp,  ii.  117;  regfulations  of^  ii. 
103 ;  g;eogrraphical  position,  ii.  117 ; 
climate,  ii.  118;  size,  ii.  119;  botany, 
iL  119 ;  zoolo^,  ii.  132 ;  language,  ii. 
123;  diseases,  ii.  124;  character,  ii. 
126;  population,  ii.  130;  religion,  ii 
131  ;  dances,  ii.  134;  amusements,  ii. 
135;  games,  ii.  137,  147;  dress,  ii. 
140;  canoes,  iL  143;  houses,  iL  14^; 
arms,  ii.  151 ;  goyemment,  ii.  152 

Savaii,  island  of,  ii.  108 ;  geology,  iL  112 ; 
fishing  at,  ii.  112 

Sapapale,  ii.  108,  110 

Salealua,  ii.  108 

Salt,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  174 

Saline  Lakes,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  174, 269 

Salt  Works,  New  South  Wales,  ii.  268 

Sarah*s  Bosom,  ii.  353 

Sac,  John,  ii.  378 

Salutation,  mode  o^  Feejee,  iiL  79 

Savage,  Charley,  iiL  62 

Savupsavu,  iii.  165 ;  point,  iii.  195 ;  district 
of,  iii.  200 

Safety,  Port,  iiL  252 

Sau-sau  Passage,  iii.  254,  303 

Sandalwood  district,  iii.  306 

Saken  Island,  iv.  264 

San  Pablo  Island,  iv.  266 

Sand-hills,  Nanavalie,  !▼.  190 

Sand-hills,  Maui,  iv.  243 

Salmon-fishery,  Oregon,  iv.  418 

Salmon,  Indian  mode  of  taking,  iv.  398 

Salelese,  destruction  o^  v.  31 

San  Juan,  harbour  of,  iv.  485 

Saluafata,  destruction  of,  v.  31 

Sachap  River,  v.  127 

Sachal  Lake,  v.  126 

San  Francisco,  arrival  at,  v.  151 ;  presidio, 
V.  152 ;  bar  of,  v.  255 

San  Pedro  Island,  v.  271 

Sacramento  Indians,  arms,  v.  185 ;  appear- 
ance, V.  185 ;  rancherias,  v.  186;  theft, 
V.  187;  fish-weirs,  V.  188;  river,  v.  246 

San  Juan,  valley  o^  v.  154 

San  Pablo  Bay,  survey  o^  v.  177 

Santa  Clara,  visit  to,  v.  203 ;  mission,  v.  205 ; 
church,  V.  205 

San  Jo86,  pueblo  of,  v.  207 ;  alcalde,  v.  208 

Sanchez,  Seiior,  v.  212 

San  Joachim  River,  v.  247 

Sausalito,  position  of,  v.  253 

Salomon,  Don  Juan,  v.  294 

Santa  Cruz,  town  of,  Luzon,  v.  312 

San  Joe^,  Luzon,  v.  327 

Samboangan,  v.  328 

Sangboy*s  Island,  v.  331 


Sargasso  Sea,  v.  467 

Scarcity  of  water,  Mauna  Loa,  iv.  131 

Schools,  Kauai,  iv.  73 ;  Watluku,  iv.  240 ; 
Vancouver,  iv.  332 ;  Brazil,  i.  85 

Seal  Rocks,  i.  139 

Sea.Gull,  loss  of  schooner,  i.  205 

Seamen^s  chapel,  Honolulu,  iv.  6. 

Serle  Island,  L  315 

Settler's  cottage.  New  South  Wales,  ii.  261 

Sea-elephants,  ii.  291 

Seru,  iii.  67, 142 

Sea^Gull  Group,  iv.  264 

Sebastian  del  Cano,  v.  280 

Semarara  Island,  v.  324 

Seedros,  v.  390 

Shoalhaven,  iv.  245 

Sheep  and  wool.  New  South  Wales,  ii.  262 ; 
cost  of,  ii.  263 ;  Captain  M*Arthnr  at- 
tempts to  introduce,  ii.  265 

Shy  lock,  ship,  wreck  of,  iii.  301,  378 

Shaste  country,  v.  237;  geology,  v.  238; 
mountains,  v.  240;  Indians,  v.  242; 
dress,  v.  243 ;  peak,  v.  240 

Shoalwater  Bay,  v.  133 

Shute's  River,  iv.  312 

Sicuani,  assembly  of^  i.  290 

Simpson,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  56 

Siusinga,  iL  99 

Siffleurs,  iv.  434 

Sickness  on  board  Porpoise,  iv.  292 

Sitting,  Feejee  mode  of,  iii.  351 

Singapore,  v.  366 ;  port  o^  v.  372 ;  descrip. 
tion  of^  V.  374;  inhabitants,  v.  374; 
government,  v.  377  ;  island  of,  v.  379  ; 
tigers  at,  v.  379 ;  botany,  v.  379 ;  pro- 
ductions, V.  380;  market,  v.  391 ;  coins, 
V.  392 ;  trades,  v.  392 ;  commerce,  v. 
399 ;  taxes,  v.  402;  remarks  on,  v.  404 ; 
climate,  v.  408 ;  diseases,  v.  409 

Simpson,  Sir  George,  v.  122 

Slacum,  William,  Esq.,  L  41 

Slacum,  Mr.,  introduction  of  cattle  into 
Oregon  by,  iv.  359 

Sly-Boots,  chief,  iv.  379 

Sleepy  Point,  iii.  248 

Smith,  William,  death  of,  iii.  312 

Smith,  Gideon,  murder  o^  iv.  104;  v.  25 

Smalocho  River,  iv.  422 

Smoking,  effects  of  on  Indians,  v.  131 

Snake  River,  iv.  401,  462 

Society,  New  Soutli  Wales,  iL  220 

Somu-somu,  iii.  141,  152,  252,  300,  377 ; 
missionaries,  iiL  153 ;  treaty,  iii.  157 

Springs,  Hot,  Taiaimi,  ii.  372;  Waikama, 
iii.  197 ;  analysis  of  its  waters,  iii.  199 

Spipen  River,  iv.  425,  469 

Spokane  Indians,  iv.  458 

Spalding,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  461 

Speiden  Island,  v.  44 

Squadron,  outfits,  Slc*,  ^dney,  ii.  274 


556 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Sooloo,  T.  323 ;  island,  v.  331 ;  canoes,  v. 

332 ;  houses,  y.  333 ;  customs,  v.  341 ; 

appearance,  y.  342 ;  dress,  v.  342  ;  cha. 

racter,  v.  342  ;  women,  v.  343 ;  habits, 

Y.  343 ;  government,  y.  344 ;  population, 

Y.  346 ;  duties,  y.  347 ;  commerce,  y. 

347;    history,  y.  348;   treaty,  y.  350; 

piracies,  y.  353 ;  visit  to  bultan,  y.  335 
Soung,  town  of,  v.  338;  market,  y.  338; 

fruits,  Y.  338 ;  theft  at,  v.  339 
St.  Anne  Shoal,  i.  5 
St.  Mlchaers  Island,  i.  5 
St  Christoval  Palace,  i.  48 
St.  Thomas's  Shoal,  i.  68, 88 
Stewart,  William,  i.  150 
St.  John's  Day,  i.  244 
St  Patrick's  Ball,  Sydney,  iL  365 
Staver*s  Island,  iv.  277 
Stetson,  Captain,  his  silk  estabUahment,  iv. 

59 
St  Helen's  Reach,  Columbia  River,  iv.  319 
Steamer,  Hudson  Bay  Company,  iv.  309 
St  Augustine  Island,  v.  44 
St.  Rafael  Mission,  v.  198 
St  Helena,  island  of,  y.  469 
Starling,  II.  B.  M.  schooner,  iii.  150 
Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  i.  67 ;  ascent  o£,  L 

67 
Sucre,  General,  i.  285 
Sunday,  Island,  iii.  5 
Superstition,  Feejee,  iii.  85 
Susui,  iii.  179 
Suva,  iii.  206 
Sualib  Bay,  boat  captured,  iii.  fUO ;  attack 

upcMi,  iii.  342 
Sualib,  town  of^  attack  upon,  iii.  274 
Sugar-Mills,  Koloa,  iv.  60 
Sunken  Forest,  Oregon,  iv.  381 
Suter,  (JapUin,  v.  178,  198,  246 
Sugar,  Manilla,  v.  289 
Sultan,  Sooloo,  visit  to,  y.  335 
Swain's  Island,  v.  18 
Sydney,  town  o€,  ii.  162 ;  botanical  garden, 

ii.   166 ;  literary  institutions,  iL  273 ; 

facilities  for  outfits,  ii.  276;    trades' 

union,   iii.    35;    grog<shops,    iii.    36; 

snakes,  iiL  37 
Sydney  Islands,  iii.  371 

Takwani,  i.  62 

Taloo  Harbour,  ii.  56 

Tofua,  Mount,  ii.  96 

Taiaimi,  hot  springs  at,  ii.  372 

Taii,  ii.  41 

Tahiti,  iL  3 ;  amusements,  iL  8,  25 ;  mission 
school,  ii.  9 ;  complaints  at,  ii.  10 ;  in- 
habitants, ii.  14;  government,  ii.  17; 
chieft,  iL  18;  religion,  iL  19 ;  canoes, 
iL  21  {  habitations,  ii.  21 ;  dress,  ii. 
23 ;  commerce,  ii.  35 ;  productions,  ii. 


36 ;  diseases,  ii.  49  ;  mannfacturea,  ii 
51 ;  theatre,  iL  55;  troubles,  iv.  274 

Taua,  ii.  6,  42 

Tamahaa,  iii.  27 

Tanoa,  iiL  54 ;  his  arrival,  iii.  54 ;  his  re. 
ception,  iii.  55;  Yisils  Vincennea,  iiL 
57 ;  rebellion  against,  iii.  64 

Taal,  Volcano  De,  v.  317;  analysis  of 
water,  v.  318 

Tabanaielli  Island,  iiL  168 

Tabutha  Island,  iii.  176 

Tasman's  Straits,  iii.  180 

Tduthake  IsUnd,  iii.  256 

Taweree  Island,  iv.  265 

Takurea  Island,  iv.  265 

TakaU  tribe,  iv.  451 

Tatouche  tribe  and  chief,  iv.  486 

Table  Bay,  v.  421 

Taxes,  Singapore,  y.  402 

Taupe,  King,  v.  13 

Tarawa  Island,  v.  69 

Tama,  y.  53 

Tekere,  King,  v.  74 

Terra  del  Fuego,  L  119 

Telanicolo  Mountain,  iii.  178 

Teku  Island,  iv.  264 

Temperance  cause,  Oregon,  iv.  330 

Teinhoven  Island,  iv.  277 

Tertulia,  Manilla,  v.  299 

Threlkeld,  Mr.,  ii.  248 

The  Rocks,  iL  260 

Thaki  Island,  iiL  169 

Theory  of  coral  islands,  iv.  268 

Tahiti  Island,  iv.  270 

Thompson,  Mr.,  y.  432 

Ticumbia,  island  of,  iiL  178 

Tidal  wave,  Pago-pago,  iL  83 ;  Hawaii,  iY. 
226 

Tides,  Feejee,  iii.  322 ;  Nisqually,  iv.  417 

Titcomb,  Mr.,  his  plantation,  iv.  70 

Tidias,  Chie^  iv.  427 

Toa,  iL  71,  75 

Tooa,  iiL  103 

To'o,  ii.  95 

Tongataboo,  iiL  3 — 6 ;  war  at,  iii.  8 ;  for- 
mation, iii.  31 

Tobacco  Plant,  whaler,  iii.  5 

Tonga  customs,  iii.  17 ;  canoes,  iiL  19 ; 
religion,  iiL  22 ;  population,  iiL  29  ; 
missionaries,  iiL  29 ;  swimmers,  iiL 
31 ;  productions,  iii.  32 ;  climate,  iii. 
32;  diseases,  iu.  33;  pilots,  iiL  35; 
war,  iiL  38 

Tova  Reef,  iii.  145 

Totoia  Island,  iii.  145 

Totten  Mount,  iii.  250 

Tomato,  Feejee,  iii.  309 

Tongue  Point,  iv.  326 ;  y.  119 

Tolben,  Dr.,  v.  305 

Triton  Bank,  i.  37 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


557 


TniYellmg,  Hawaii,  iv.  117 ;  Oregon,  iv. 

379 
Trappem,  Hudson  Bay  Company,  iv.  333 
Tribunal  of  Commerce,  Manilla,  v.  279 
Travel,  Ephraim,  y.  348 
Trading,  Apia,  ▼.  23 
Tracy*s  Island,  v.  40 
Triton,  whale-ship,  iii.  312 
Tollock  Reef;  i.  5 
Tutuila,  island  of,  ii.  70;  religion,  li.  80; 

climate,  ii.  81 ;  appearance  of,  ii.  87 
Tuvai,  ii.  88, 157 ;  his  sentence,  ii.  90 
Tucker,  Rev.  Mr.,  iii  7 
Tubou,  iii.  7 
Tucker,  Mrs.  iii.  13 
Tui  Levuka,  iii.  48 
Tubou  Totai,  iii.  143 
Tui  Mora,  iii.  212 
Tui  Mbua,  iii.  213 
Tui  Muthuata,  iii.  227 
Tubou  Harbour,  iii.  251 
Turtle,  Feejee,  iii.  261 
Tui  Mbua,  town  of;  iii.  307 
Tui  Illa-iUa,  iii.  377 
Tui  Neau,  iii.  169 
Turtle  Island,  iu.  379 
Turnbuli  Island,  iv.  266 
Tutui  grove,  iv.  69 
Turner^s  Encampment,  v.  333 
Tula  marshes,  v.  177 
Tui-Tokelau,  his  house,  v.  14 
Tye,  town  of,  iii.  243 

data,  ii.  41 

Ularua  Island,  iii.  168 

Umpqua,    fort,   v.   225;   country,    v.    }i&6^ 

mountains,  v.  227 
Underwood's  Tower,  iii.  191 
Underwood,  Lieutenant,  murder  o^  iii.  309 ; 

proceedings  in  relation  to,  iii.  310 
Upham  River,  ii.  265 
Upolu,  island  of,  ii.  88 ;  iii.  381 ;  geological 

structure,  ii.  97 
Utami,  ii.  34 
Utiroa,  attack  upon,  v.  59 ;  burnt,  v.  60 

Valparaiso,  i.  166;  police,  i.  168;  geogra- 
phical  position,  i.  229 

Vahaore,  ii.  44 

Vavasa,  ii.  89, 102 

Vasquez  Island,  iii.  6,  35 

Vatulele,  iii.  205,  287 

Vaturea,  iii.  215 

Vanua-valavo,  iii.  250 

Vashon's  Island,  iv.  304 

Vancouver,  description  of,  iv.  328 ;  granary 
and  farm,  iv.  334;  dinner  at,  v.  122; 
geographical  position,  v.  123;  mag- 
netic observations,  v.  123 

Vallejo,  Grovernor,  v,  197 

2W2 


Vanderford,  Benjamin,  death  of;  v.  447 

Vendovi,  iii.  120  ;  capture  of,  iii.  131 ;  leave- 
taking,  iii.  136 ;  death  of,  v.  453 

Vekai,  island  of,  iii.  176 

Veraki,  iii.  222 

Vidaurre,  General,  i.  222 

Vincennes  Island,  i.  330 ;  catching  fish,  i. 
331 

Vincennes,  gale  encountered  by,  ii.  313; 
leaves  icy  barrier,  ii.  338;  condition 
of;  iii.  56 

Victoria,  Mount,  ii.  258 

Vi-tonga,  iii.  183 

Viti-ran-rau,  iii.  261 

Victoria,  Greneral,  v.  163 

Viper  Shoal,  v.  366 

Voyageurs,  Hudson  Bay  Company,  iv.  392 

Votua  Island,  iii.  223 

Vomo  Island,  iii.  266 

Voona,  valley  o^  iii.  292 

Vuna  Island,  iii.  180 

Warley's  Shoal,  i.  35 

Waves,  height  of,  i.  135 

Waiherea  Lake,  ii.  25 

Wangarra,  town  of,  ii.  395 

Wallis  Island,  ii.  157 

Watson,  Mr.,  ii.  262 

Wailuku  River,  expedition  up,  iii.  121 

Wakaia  Island,  iii.  189 

Waikama,  hot  springs  o^  iii.  197 ;  analysis 

of  water,  iiL  199 
WaialaUai  Island,  ui.  259 
Waia  Island,  iii.  259 
War.  threatened  between  Ambau  and  Vuna, 

ni.  297 
WaUEer*s  Island,  iv.  263 
Waimea  district,  Kauai,  iv.  60;  population, 

iv.  63 
Wailioli,  Mount,  iv.  72 
Waialua  district,  iv.  74 ;  climate,  iv.  76 
Waianae  district,  iv.  81 
Waikiki,  iv.  86 
Waverley,  schooner,  iv.  106 
Water,  Mauna  Loa,  scarcity  of,  iv.  131 
Waldron's  Ledge,  Kilauea,  iv.  167 
Wailuku,  &lls  of,  iv.  213 ;  viUage,  iv.  239 ; 

ride  to,  iv.  239  ;  school,  iv.  240  ;  pass, 

iv.356 
Waimea  district,  Hawaii,  iv.  217 
Wave,  brig,  iv.  319 
Warrior's  Point,  iv.  326 ;  v.  121 
Waller,  Rev.  Mr.,  iv.  343 
WaUawaUa,  iv.  377;    fort,  iv.    391,  463, 

mission,  iv.  393 ;   river,  iv.  394 ;  gar- 
den at,  iv.  467 
Walker,  Mr.,  his  farm,  iv.  362 
Washington  Island,  v.  3 
Wake's  Island,  v.  267 
Wadsworth,  Commodore,  U.  S.  N.,  v.  468 


558 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


Weatherboard  Inn,  New  South  Wales,  ii. 

258 
Wellington,  flood  at,  ii.  263;   town  of,  ii. 

261 
White-jacket  Bail,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  i«  66 
Whippy,  David,  iii.  48 ;  letter  from,  iii.  360 
Whitman,  Dr.,  iy.  396 
Whaling,  v.  457 ;  grounds,  Pacific,  ▼.  487 ; 

Atlantic,  ▼.  490 ;  Indian  Ocean,  v.  490 
Whales,  mode  of  catching,  ▼.  496 ;  number 

of,  Y.  497 ;  right  whale  fishery,  y.  498 
Whale-ship,  difficulties  on  board  o£|  ▼.  498 ; 

scurvy,^  v.  501 ;   advice  to  owners,  v. 

501 ;  concluding  remarks,  v.  509 
WhalckiUer,  ii.  297 
Wilson,  Rev.  Mr^  ii.  7 
WUliams,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  92, 161 
Williams,  Mr.  John,  ii.  93 
Williams,  J.  W.,  Esq.,  ii  160 
Wine,  Madeira,  i.  21 ;  New  South  Wales,  ii. 

183 ;  Cape  Colony,  v.  429 
Wingen,  burning  mountain  o^  ii.  270 
Willamette  River,  ascent  o^  iv.  347;  iUli, 

iv.  363;  fishing,  iv.  366;  valley,  iv.  341 


Woolongong  District,  New  South  Wales,  ii. 
243 ;  geology,  ii.  245 

WoUaston's  Island,  i.  142 

WolcoDsky  Island,  iv.  265 

Wood,  Robert,  account  of  himself  v.  76 

Women,  Feejee,  iii.  332 

Wytoohee   Island,  1.  318;  canoes,  i.  319; 
natives,  i.  319 ;  chief  o^  i.  331 ;  pn^ 
ductions,  i.  323 ;  houses,  L  323 

Yalangalala  Island,  iii.  251 
Ya-asaua,  iii.  256 
Ya.sau-y.lau,  harbour  o^  iiL  256 
Yams,  demand  for,  iii.  299 
Yam  Hills,  Oregon,  iii.  357 
Yakima  River,  iv.  428,  468 
Yendua  Island,  iii.  254 
Yerba  Buena,  v.  152, 214,  249 
Young,  Mr.,  iv.  359  ;  his  farm,  iv.  359 
Young's  Creek,  v.  232 
Ythata,  iii.  249 
Yungai,  battle  of,  i.  293 

Zonoma,  town  of^  v.  196 


T  H  B    B  N  D.