CHAPTER X.
Our passage to the Sandwich Islands was quick and pleasant. On the 6th of December we made Owhyhee, stood along shore towards Toyhoy (Kawaihae) bay, and ran in. Finding no natives came off, we sent the whale boat on shore to know what was the reason. The boat soon returned with an account that the natives were celebrating their annual festival, called muckka-hitee (makahiki). This festival lasts a month, during which time a canoe is not allowed to go on salt water. We also heard, that king Tameahmeah was then at the village of Tyroa, his favourite residence; we made all sail for that place, where we arrived on the 10th, and came too with our only bower anchor off the Moral. No canoes being allowed to come off, Captain Jennings went on shore to see the king; in the evening the boat returned with some hogs and tarrow. The king Tameahmeah told Captain Jennings if he would go to the Island of Woahoo, and remain until the muckka-hitee was over, he should be then able to agree with him about the purchase of the ship. We accordingly left Tyroa; when we got our anchor up, we found one arm broken off. We made all sail for Woahoo, and on the 14th arrived off the harbour. Captain Jennings went on shore, and sent off an anchor. We then came too outside the reef, in 14 fathoms over a sandy bottom, and on the 18th we got into the harbour. We found the king's brig had returned from Canton, and was laid up We found here the brig Bordeaux Packet, which had been purchased from the Americans about a month before. A large ship, called the Myrtle, was condemned by the Russians, and hauled on shore. We moored close to the shore and saluted the fort, which was returned by them. In the night it came on to blow very hard from the N. E., and continued for several days.
We sent John Carpenter on shore, and discharged him of the crew. The taboo was still on, consequently none of the natives came on board. On the 24th of December, the muckkahitee being over, the king's prime minister, named Kreymokoo (Kalaimoku), commonly called Pitt, came on board with all the chiefs, accompanied by John Young, to inspect the vessel, previous to their purchasing of her. They seemed much astonished at our large battery guns; we got one on deck, and, mounting it, fired several rounds of shot, at which the chiefs were much pleased, and the natives crowded from all parts of the island to see the poo'nu'ee (pu nui), as they call a great gun. They were all very particular in measuring its length, breadth, and size of the bore. After the chiefs had carefully inspected every part of the brig, John Young was asked his opinion of her. He told Mr. Pitt she would answer their purpose very well. Kreymokoo upon this agreed to give twice the full of the vessel of sandal wood for her, to be delivered in a space of time not exceeding six months, and that we should hold possession of the vessel till all the wood was delivered, and that we were to be found in provisions while we remained on the island. An agreement was drawn up and signed by Captain Jennings and Kreymokoo. The next day being Christmas day, we invited all the chiefs and respectable white men on the island to dine with us on shore; we spent a most pleasant day, and the chiefs remained with us to a late hour. We had a dinner cooked apart for the chiefs' wives, as they were not allowed to eat with the men. Next day we took on board the king's taxes, and January 11th, 1818, we sailed for Owhyhee, the brig loaded with provisions and cloth of the country, this being the time at which the natives pay their half-year's taxes. We had also a number of chiefs on board, and about 400 natives, men, women, and children. There was scarcely room to move on the decks or in the cabin; even the chains, tops and bowsprit were crowded with them. We touched at Mowee, where they all landed for a few days, and nothing went forward but feasting and rejoicing. On the 16th, the chiefs again came on board, and we got under weigh for Owhyhee, the ship, as before, full of natives. In crossing the channel, between Mowee and Owhyhee, we were near upsetting the vessel, being top heavy, from the number of them on deck and about the rigging. On the 18th, we anchored off Tyroa, and Tameameah came on bord. On his approach, all the natives jumped overboard, and left us clear decks. We commenced firing a salute, when the king called out to us, in a pleasant tone, to stop, as the powder was now his, and he wanted it for other purposes, probably for the Russians, if they should come to trouble him. He was delighted with the large guns; and the natives came on board, as at Woahoo, to see the poo'nu'ee. Their fame was soon spread over the island, but the next day we landed them, and by that means got rid of the curious natives; they were placed in a square in front of the royal residence, where thousands of the people were daily collected to look at them. Tameameah found one fault with them , which was, that they took too much powder, (a charge being four pounds), but he took all our small arms, powder, and everything he thought would be useful to him, and made the brig over to his son and heir Rieo Rieo (Liholiho). On the 26th of January, we sailed from Owhyhee towards Mowee, with our usual cargo of natives; next day we anchored in Lehina Roads, and took on board the king's taxes, and made sail for Woahoo. In our passage down, during the night, a star shot very vividly—the natives gave a sudden scream, and told us that the star shooting foretold the death of an Owhyhee chief. On the first of February we arrived at Woahoo; in crossing the reef the brig took the ground, but was soon lightened by the natives jumping overboard and swimming on shore. About a week after our arrival, a chief, named Tereacoo (Kaleioku) died suddenly; he went to bed well over night, and in the morning got up, and according to custom, smoked a pipe, after which he lay down and died. All the natives were immediately tabooed, or prohibited from going on the water; they all appeared to be in great grief, crying and making a dreadful noise. They commenced knocking out they teeth, cutting off their hair, and burning their flesh with the bark of a tree; both men and women going about quite naked, to demonstrate their grief.
On the death of the chief, the priests assembled; they fenced the house in for about fifty yards square with wands, having white flags flying on them. None of the natives dare come inside this fence, though several thousands of them were collected round it. There was a large fire made on the outside of the house and inside of the fence or prohibited space; the priests then began cutting up the body. They brought the heart out, and set it in the fire, praying very devoutly while it was burning; after which they collected the ashes, put them into a calabash, or gourd, slung it to a pole, and spread a beautiful feather cloak over it. Then two of the chiefs, Hikanees, or confidential men, took the pole on their shoulders, and ran towards the water, crying out very loud, "Noho, noho!" (which means sit or lie down;) as these men passed, all the natives lay down and stripped themselves. They walked up to their middle in water, and deposited the ashes; afterwards the liver and all the inside were treated in the same manner. At sundown this part of the ceremony ceased, and a crier went round the village, calling out, that if any man, woman, or child, were seen out of their houses, or showed a light or fire, or even smoked a pipe, after 8 o'clock that evening, they would instantly be put to death. These restrictions extended not only to the white people, but even to the ships in the harbour; nay, hogs, dogs, fowls, etc., were not allowed to be out, least they should make a noise, nor were the ships suffered to strike the bells next morning.
At sunrise the Taboo was taken off the ships, but still remained in force on shore. This day the priests were employed burning the flesh off the bones, and scraping them quite clean; the ashes were deposited in the sea; the bones were then carefully packed up, and a large double canoe dispatched with them to Owhyhee. Six hours after the canoe sailed, the Taboo was taken off the bay, and canoes were allowed to go on the water;—in this manner they employ ceremonies towards all the people of rank. The common people dig up the bones of their relatives after the flesh is rotted from them, scrape and clean them well, wrap them up in cloth, put them into calabashes, or gourds, and hang them up in their houses.
We lay in the harbour until the 17th of March, 1818, without anything particular occuring, until that day, when we received orders from Tameameah to proceed to the island of Atooai (Kauai) for a cargo of sandal-wood. Teymotoo, or Cox, with several other chiefs, came on board. We made sail, and on the following day came too in Whymea Roads. One mile from the village, the English ensign was displayed on a very fine fort, mounting about thirty guns; the natives came off in great numbers; they informed us that the Russians had built the fort, in which there were dungeons, and had actually gone so far as to confine some white men and natives. The Russians advised Tamoree (Kaumualii), king of Atooai, to shake off Tameameah's yoke, and declare war against him, in which they would assist him; they made him a present of a schooner, and he gave them in return a large tract of land. Tama'honreeranee (Kamahalolani), the head chief under Tamooree, was averse to these proceedings. The Russians wished to send Tamooree to Petersburg, but could never get him on board. At length Tamooree discovered that they wished to possess themselves of the island; he consulted with his chiefs, returned their schooner, (which they refused,) and ordered them on board their ships, three of which were lying in a snug harbour[1] at the west end of the island. They resisted, and a scuffle ensued, in which three Russians and several natives were killed, but the latter at last forced them on board, and Doctor Shefham made his escape to Canton in an American vessel. The Russian ships went to Norfolk Sound. The fort does great credit to the engineer; it is situate on a high point at the entrance of the river, and protects the whole town. The king, chiefs, and about 150 warriors live within it, and keep a regular guard; they have a number of white men for the purpose of working the guns, etc.
Our chiefs landed, and were well received by Tamooree; and the next morning they commenced sending wood on board. About 500 canoes were employed in bringing it off, and by the 25th of March we had the ship quite full. The king behaved extremely well, and sent us off plenty of hogs and vegetables. Our chiefs came on board, as did also some Atooi chiefs. We weighed and made sail for Woahoo, where we anchored the next day, landed our wood, and lay until the 19th, when we took on board a cargo of salt for the west end of Woahoo. Next day we sailed for Whymea bay, on the west end of the island, to get another cargo of wood. In our passage we touched at Wyeni (Waianae), and took on board some wood and hogs. We lay here for a few days, and then sailed along shore for Whymea, where we arrived on the 22rd, threw our ballast out, and took on board a full cargo of wood in thirty-six hours—more than 200 canoes employed in bringing it off, day and night. We weighed and made sail for Honororoa, where we arrived on the 28th, and sent the wood on shore. On the 1st of May, 1818, we had all our wood on shore and stored. On the 2nd of May, we hauled down the English colours, and hoisted the island colours, saluting them with seven guns; we then gave the ship up to Kreymokoo, or Pitt, and went on shore to the houses prepared for our reception. It was with the greatest regret I left the ship, for it seemed as if I had lost my home; and in fact it was some time before I felt myself at all comfortable. I had sailed on board the Columbia from August, 1813, to May, 1818, a period of nearly five years; when she left England, the crew consisted of twenty-five persons, and when we sold the vessel at these islands, the steward and a black man (who had been for several years with me in the West Indian trade) and myself were all that remained, and even these left before the vessel was given up. Our houses were the largest and most pleasantly situated of any in the village, and fronting the harbour: (they were built by four different villages, each taking a house to build and furnish), and quite finished in three days. They consisted of two sleeping houses and two eating houses, (the one for women and the other for men); the sleeping-houses and women's eating-house were surrounded by a fence fifty yards square; the men's eating-house was outside of this fence, but fenced in in like manner, with a door that led from the sleeping-house fence to it. The houses are built in the following- manner; they begin by driving stakes in the ground eight feet high and three feet apart, forked at the upper ends, in which forks are laid handsome straight poles; the ridge pole is raised by temporary stakes, the rafters are forked at the lower ends , which rest on the forks of the upright; the upper ends of the rafters cross each other on the ridge-pole, and are well lashed to it; a second ridge pole is now placed in the cross of the rafters above the first one, to which it is well lashed; they then tie on neat twigs or canes, in the manner of laths, and thatch the house all over with dry grass or leaves of the tee-root. There was a door and two windows in the end. The interiors were beat down quite hard, and a quantity of rushes strewed smooth, and well covered with a large coarse mat, made the size of the house, above which others were laid of a finer quality. At one end was built a large bed-place, stuffed with dry grass, and covered neatly with mats. Along each side were built sofas, stuffed and covered the same as the bed, to keep which out of sight there was a light partition. In front of the house was built a raini (lanai), or shed, covered with the branches of cocoanut trees, and here also a sofa was built. The square in front of the house was strewed each morning with green rushes. We had a man from Tameameah who acted as steward, and whose business it was to find us in everything we wanted. We had also a watchman to walk round the houses at night, to give the alarm of fire, which happens frequently.
- ↑ Refers to Hanalei.