LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Chap. Copyright No. Shell ^H^ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. , « * IVIY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. / BY W. L. FOSDICK. Portraying life on the Ocean as it was sixty years ago. Interesting and instructive reminiscences of travel and adventure on l^nd and sea, extending over a per- iod of seven and one-hall' years, including a de- scription of whaling, and the experiences of three years spent with the natives of the South Pacific ■The seal the sea ! the open sea The blue, the fresh, the ever free Without a mark, without abound, a *i /\£a i i P ^ I^ It runneth the earth's wide regions round. ' w v/ y ^ L** -"^ It plays with the clouds; it mocks the skies; Or like a cradled creature lies." —Barry Cornwall. SHAWANO. WIS.. WTEOAXD .^ ESSKR, PTlIXTFTiS. DEDICATION. To gratify the wishes of my Chihlren and Grandchildren this work was undertaken; and to them it is affectionately dedicated, by The Author. CTPYEIGHTEri, PREFACE HEN I begnn writing the sketches of my early life emboflied in this volume, I did not intend them fo^' pnblicntion. At the request of m^^ children nnd grnndchildreii, T undertook to prepare for them a sim- ple narrative of my ti'&vels on land and sea, without the emhplli-slunents of the book-maker's art. Simply something they-couJd read and keep in remembrance of me and as a relic of my boyhood days. But as I continued to write until my manuscript as- sumed coQsiderable proportions, my family and friends persuaded me to re-write the whole and put it in shape for rhe press. The result is herewith submitted to the con- sideration of the reading public. This book is a faithful record of my personal experience and observation, and if he who reads for information shall feel himself repaid when he has finished its pages, I shall d^em that my best reward. It is a great source of pleasure and satisfaction to me to have seen the wonders of nature, and to know that God in his providence has provided for the sustenance of his children of every race and degree, high and low, in every land and chme. W. L. FOSDICK. Shawano, Wis., January 20, 1897. ^y ¥dyagd Arounil the Globe. CHAPTER I. FROM T^AKE COUNTY TO THE EQUATOR. Opening scenes— A friend Ht Albanj'— The whaleship Margaret Scott— Capt. Plaskett. the ' Old Hor»e"— The stiirt from New Bedford— Making Marline- Purpoi>e fi-ihing-Flying fish— Sailors' laws— Cape de Verde Islands— Capt. Plaskeit has tremens— CrOHsing the equator— Neptune initiates a subject —Incidents and anecdotes. I was born in the northern part of the state of New York, in the year 1823. The following year my parents removed to Lake county, Ohio. Here my mother died when I was about seven years of age, and my father followed her about seven years later. Tlit^ following year, at the age of fifteen, I had deter- mined to fee more of the phmer, on which we live, and pre- pared to go to sea. My guardian, B-Tijamia Blish by name, and a very worthy g.^ntleman, tried to persuarle me to re- main at school. Friends joine;! him in the effort to over- come resolution by portraying the dangers and hardships of a seaman's life. But I had made up my mind to see something of the other side of the world. In conversation with a gentleman by the name of Packard, I had made my wishes known. He had formerly resided at Nantucket, a great whaling port at the time of which I write. He wrote to some ship owners for me. In reply they stated that they had several fine ships fitting out for sea, wanted men and boys and could give me a berth. My uncle was captain of a v^essel on Lake Erie and {] MY VOYAGE AROUND THE (il.OCE. I had passage with him from Lalse county to Buffalo. N Y. lie tried to dissuade me from my purpose, but my mind was unalterably fixed and T continued my journey, y\ii the Erie canal to Albany. While crossiQ,2,' a drawbridge at the latter place, an old Eaglishm in wlio attended the draw and run a little peanut stand, hniled me and the following dialogue ensued: •'.V[/ la 1, where are you going?" "1 am goin.^; on a whaling voyage," " Wiiere are you from ?" "Oh'o." "What part of the state?" "Faii'poi't." "Wiicvb is yoar name?" '•Fosdiclv." '•What! Colonel Fo.^dick's son?" "Yes, sir." "I knew yon I' i'a,ther wt-ll " He took an interest in me at once, and finally said: "If you are short of money, I will get a m;in to take charge of you; you will not have to pay anything until you are on board of a ship, then it will be charged to you and deducted from your wages." I thought that would be all right. He went on board the steamer Knickerbocker with me and talked w^ith one of the officers who took me in <.'harge. At 4 o'clock p. m. w>^ w.ive under way en route for Nevv York where we arrived the following morning at 9 o'clock. Tlie officer went with me across the city to whei'e the shipping offi :'es were located oa the E ist River side, a dis- tM.nce of about three miies from where the steamer landed. Above the door, of the office we entered, a strip of canvass was stretched d sp'^ying the pietni'e of a wi.ala and the wonls, "Whalemen Wanted." The officer talked vdch the man at the desk, received some nioaey (my fare on the :my voyage arouxb the globe. 7 steiaiPT I presume) and went aw;iy. The man then asked my name, and when I told him replied: "That is my name, we ar-e (tonnepted, and I know sevei-al mnriners by the n^me o^ Fo-idick." The office was nicely fitted up including a fine libraiT. He directed me to a place on Cherry street where I could board until he had secured more men, then we would proceed to New Bedford. About four weeks later, in com- pany with eleven other.s, I was sent on to New Bedford. The steam ^r \Va«!hinf>'ton took us as far as Stonington, R. I., when we took the c m-h aii I finished the journey by rail. We found them f'n<^,i,'i,vd in coppering the bottom of our vessel, and we staid at a board in,^ house six weeks before she was rei.dy for se.i. She was a four boat ship fitted out for a four years' vo3^age. The ship was named .VI ir^aret Scotc, aft ?r the wife of General Winfiela Si.^ott, and the figurehead was a lifedike representation of thie head and bust of that lady. Splendid life-size portraits of (Jenpra.l Scott and wife reclining under a cinopy copTposed of American flags and the national coat ol' arms a/1'^rned the stern. Tlie captain, Willjam Plaskett, v.as a rough, drmking man. but his reputation as a lucky whaleman always se- cured him a ship. Ilewoaldwilk around in the shipping office and, in the hearing of sailors, would say to Mr. Park- hurst, one of the owners: 'T want you to ship me good men, for 1 ani a. horse !'' — "Hell afloat,'' and other remarks of like import. Among those who heard him were six sail- ors who made up their minds to ship with him and arrange a little program for his benefit. When all the details of fit- ting had been completed and the ship had hauled out into the Kay ready for the start, these men came alongside in a, boat by themselves. One of them climbed onto the deck and the others passed him a. number of articles not oand in the ratalo2:ue of a whaiem.vn's outfit. These in- 8 MY VOYAGE AROL^'D THE GLOBE. c'ndpd a saddle; a bridle; n, pair of spurs; a heavy whip and a bundle of hay. The CMpfcfiin was walking on the quarter deck at the time, in company with the pilot and officers. When his eye caught the layout piled on deck, he stopped short and vipw,^d it with astonishment. "What do you mean by bringing that rigp^ing on board ship?" he demand- ed. One of the men stepped forward and said: "We heard you say you are a horse;~we intend to do our duty as men, and if you do not do yours as master of the ship, we will s iddle you, put the bits in your mouth, ride you with whip and spur, and feed you on that bundle of hay." When I say that Capt. Plaskett wan angry, I put it mild, but he had to !«;wallow his wrath and content himself with ordering them to go ashore, declaring that he would not go to sea with such men. Of course, they expected this and went will- ingly. We were delayed two days g.-tting men to fill their plaites. When the ship's onipany was complete there wei-e foi ty- three persons on board. The crew numbered thirty-two, and the passenger list eleven, to wit: A cai-penter and his wife, bourn] for the island of Tahiti, one of the Society group; four Mormon missionaries, bound for South Pacific points, and a Dr. Winslow, wife, two children and servant girl, bound for the island of Mauee, one of the Hawaiian group, to take charge of a hospital under government ap- pointment. It was on the Gth day of October, 1888, that we sailed. We soon left the headlands of Buzzards Bay astein, the broad Atlantic with its mysteries, its dangers and attrac- tions lay before us, and our good ship made obeisance to Noptune as she felt the heavy ground swell of old ocean. This Wiis the first vr)yage fo S'veral of the crew and they were seasick. The passengers succund)ed to the inevitable and did not show themselves for nearly' n week. The second ^fV VOYAOE AROriXI* THE fiLORE. (l;iy out \ve8a\v;ilnrge wbaleship on the wind, homeward bound. She looked ^rand with all sail spread to the breeze. Some of onr men would have given most anything^ to have been on board of her. Sea.'^icknes.s had resulted into home- sickness, but they had to stand it. Ifter crossing the gulf stream, we ran into fine weather. The green hands had i-e- covered from seasickness, were getting their "sea leo-s" on and everything began to move ship shape. When we had l)een out three weeks, we had become ac- quainted with each other. Parley B. Pratt, one of the mis- sionaries, was a very good story teller and liked to mingle with the sailors Another of these missionaries was nearly dead with consumption when he came on board at New Bedford and when we had been out about four weeks, he died Farther on, in portraying the details of a sailor's life, I include a description of a burial at sea and will omit it liere. We, the new hands, had learned some sailor phrases; could box i-hecompMss; steer our trick at the wheel; tie some of the sailor k»»ots; go up the ratlines in seaman-like style, and began to consider ourselves "old salts". When not engaged in attending to the regular routine of ship duty, we were kept busy unlaying old standing rigging, i.e., pull out tlie rope yarns, knot them together and wind them in balls, preparatory to making spun yarn or marline. The mirlia? is mi b by twisting thre3 strands of rop9 yarn to- gether with a contrivance called a wench. This consists of a long woorlen spindle with an iron hook at the outer end, driven by a balance wheel attached to the windlass bits. One man turns the wench and one man attends to the twisting, rubbing the marline with a piece of tarred parsling as he spins. The marline is used for baling the whalebone; seizing and sei-ving nhe rigging, etc. Then we had sails to 10 MY VOYAriE AROUND THE (ILOBE. TTieiul, chafing g'ear to put on, etc. In short, plenty of work first, last, and all the time. A certain old lady once said to nie: "La, sakes ! I thought sailors had nothing to do but sit down and let the wind blow 'em around." Otliers ni;iy entertain the same idea but it is a mistake. One day as we were nearing the Cape Verde islands, with a. stiff breeze on our starboard quarter, we saw a school of porpoises making for the ship. They love to phiy in the foam and spray under the bows, and tumble in the billows rolled up l)y a ship when she is sailing fast. But indulgence in this pastime often costs a porpoise his life. A man goes out on the maniugale guys with a sort of spear called a grains, consisting of one tine with a jointed flange, orbeaixl that opens after it is thrust into the fish and holds him firndy impaled until landed on deck. The pan of the lower jaw contains a fatty su'bstance that yields uearlj^ its bulk in oil of very superior quality, for lubricating delicate ma- chinery such as watches, clocks, etc. The flesh hashed with pork makes vi-i-y good eating, and is sometimes used. Schools of flying fish are seen frequently in these seas. They usually appear shooting out from the crest of a wave, and do not s.^cm to be able to rise readily from the flat sur- fa(ie of the water during a calm. Their flight induced by the app:>ai'an('e of so;ne enemy, no doubt, is short, seldom exceeding ten rods, if not carried farther by the wind. They are sometimes bh)vvn on board ship. We caught two in this way. The wings make nice book marks. Onboard ship sailors have laws of their own that are rrgi MY VOVACE AROrXl) THE fILOBE. "There are others on l^oard who never crossed the equa- tor before; why don't vou shave them?*' '^We shall shave some of them some dark night. Some will never make sailors and will be put ashore the first. port we enter. Now, men, take this subject forward and wash him up. He will nf^t fear to cross the equator hereafter." MY VOYAGE AROrXD THE GLOBE. 17 CHAPTER II. WHALE FISHING. Preparatory arrangements aboard ship— The pursuit and capture of leviathan —Dangers of the chase— Securing and stowing the oil and bone— Death of our first mate— St. Paul's Island— Captain and new mate have a r ow— Trou- ble between the captain and Dr. Winslow— Island of Toboai— Arrive at Tahiti. We had now entered upon the South Atlantic whaling grounds, and when we reached a point a few degrees south of the Tristan d' Acunha Islands, began our work. Before proceeding to relate our experiences in the chase of leviathan, 1 will describe and explain some things that may interest the reader and enable him to better understand what follows. Each man gets his board and a certain share of oil and bone, according to his experience as a sailor, or whaleman. This share, called a "lay", constitutes his only compensa- tion for services and is lucrative in proportion to the suc- cess of the voyage. If the ship returns with a. full cargo, he has a good sum to his credit when he settles up. There are four mates, each has command of a boat when in chase of the whale, and when acting in this capacity is called boa theader, and it is part of his duty to 'a nee the whale. The hnrpooner, always an experienced seaman, throws the harpoons and makes fast to the whale. The boats are twenty-six feet in length, built of light mat-erial, l,o\v and stern shaped alike that they may be backed or shoved astern when necessary, as easily as they can be propelled ahead. And it is always necessary to back 18 MY VOYAHE AROT NT) TOE (ILOBE. away as soon as the whale feels iron, and the best time the whalemen can make is none too quick. The oarlocks are muffled that they may approach the gigantic prey without noise. Sockets in the bottom of the boat hold the oars apeak when the men are attending to other duties. When in fair striking distance, the harpooner, standing in the bows, throws the barbed harpoons and they plunge deep in- to the monster's side. Six men constitutes a boat's crew, always; every man handles an oar; each oar has a name, to- wit: Harpooneer oar, bow oar, midship oar, tub oar, after oar and steering oar. In the bows are two harpoons, two lances, and a hatch- et and knife to cut the line in case of accident. In the stern are kept a compass, a lantern, six sperm candles, a keg of sea bread and sometimes an extra keg of water. Some car- ry a quadrant to assist in calculating latitude in case the boat should get lost from the ship. In the after part of the boat are a large and a small tub holding the whale lines. The lines are made of best manilla and are prepared and coiled in the tubs before they are placed in the boats in the following manner: A line with a heavy billet of wood attached is towed astern of the ship from twelve to twenty-four hours. It is then handed on board and dried, then passed over a block aloft, brought down and coiled into the tubs back-handed. Beginning at the outside, the line is coiled snug and smooth to the centre carried straight across to the outside again andthe process repeated until the tubs are full. The two hold about one hundred and fifty fathoms of line. That in the large tub is run out first and the reserve line in the small tub bent on, if necessary. Sometimes the entire length is insufficient,'when the whale sounds unusually deep or makes straight away MV VOYADE AROUND THE CILOBE. 10 until it becomes necessary to cut loose to save the boat and crew. The care taken in preparing and coiling the line, as above described, is necessary to make sure that it will pay out without kinking. When a whale is sighted and the boat is ready for the start, the exposed end of che line is lifted from the large tub, passed with a turn or two around a post in the stern, called a loggerhead, carried forward over the oars to the bow, passed throuj^h a groove or chock lined with zinc or lead, brought l»ack to the right a little and bent onto the har- poons. There are several species of whale to-wit: The sperm whale, the black or right whale, the fin-backed, the hump- backed and the sulphur bottom. The first two are the kind sought. The others do not yield oil enough to pay, and the two last named are found mostly in bays aud inlets. The black fish is the smallest of the whalespecies and yields from three to five barrels of oil. The sperm whale, has but one spout and blows ahead. The right whale has two and sprays right and left. The black or right whale is found mostly in high latitudes both nf»rth and south, its particu- lar haunts being determined by the presence of ''britt"upqn which it feeds. The sperm whale Is found iu the temperate and torrid zones, is provided with teeth and fee^s upon squid and fish. The sperm whale's defense is his, head, the right whale defends with his flukes. Two men are kept aloft on the top gallaiit crosstrees, fore and main, on lookout for whale, and arprelieyed every two hours. When a whale appears on the surface or spouts, the man that describes it sings out: '*There she blows!" "Where away?'' "Two points off the .starboard bow/' 2 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. *'What iloes she look like? "Right whale," There is grejit excitement when a whale is sighted, in get- ting the boats r.?ady for the start. The preliminaries are quickly disposed of and at the order "lower away" the boat is let over the side by means of the davitt tackles with two men in it ready to unhook the minute she touches the water. It requires tact to get dowu the ship's side into the boat, as the ship is rolling and the boat setting away into the trough of the sea. Sometimes you may step off the chains thinking 3'ou have but a short step and drop eight or ten feet into the bottom of the boat. You have to watch your chance and step quick. Now the boats are off after the whale, and during their absence the ship is managed by the carpenter or boatbuild- er, cooper, blacksmith, steward, cook and cabin boy. One man is sent aloft with a waif — apiece of painted cloth drawn over a hoop with a long handle attached, to "waif" or sig- nal the direction of the whale to the boats. From his point of vantage he can see farther than the men in the boats. The men pull with a will and the boats fairly tiy. The boat- header encouraging them with promises of new suits, houses and lots, etc. You can tell by the expression of his face when the monster is near. A moment later you can hear the whale spouting and feeding, then the command: "Stand up." The harpooneer peaks his oar, grabs the harpoons, throws them in quick succession, and sings out: "Stern all!" The wh ile sounds or goes down at a lively rate. The offi- cers change places and the mate uses the lance. They hold on the line as it goes around the loggerhead. The whale stays under water from fifteen to forty-five minutes, and when he reappears above the surface starts off at a terrific speed, lashing the sea furiously with hi3 flukes, the blows resounding like claps of thunder. It is said MY VOYAGE AROUXD THE fiLOBE. 21 thoy ^o at the rate of forty nnles an hour. The men peak their oars, turn on the thwarts and haul line to overtake the prey. No attempt is made to recoil the line and it is dropped and townd astern as they advance. At the proper point the men return to the oars and pull for the monster's side, taking care to keep out of his sight and away from his flukes. The heart or "life" lies just hack of the pectoral fin, and the lance must reach it to kill. When the boat gains the proper position, the mate uses the lance, and if he strikes the vital point the whale begins to spout blood; then the boat must get away quick for he is terrible in his "flurry" or death throes. It is lively work from first to last anwn into the ocean. When pulling onto a whale, the boatheader holds the steering oar and watches the game. He will not allow the men to look forward, for some have been known to become panic stricken at sight of the monster when near at hand, and jump out of the boat rather than run the chances of going nearer. The terrific noise and awful appearance of tlu' leviatiian isenough to frighten anyone but an old whale- man. One day we captured a small black whale, or "calf." These are sometimes killed with the harpoons, and our har- ]>ooneer succeeded in reaching the vitals in this instance. Tjie stricken whale spouted blood at once, his flukes sank limply into the sea, and he aised his head above the sur- 24 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. face anrl o^roaned, or bellowed equal to the heaviest clap of thunder I ever heard, it fairly made the boat tremble. This one only yielded forty barrels of oil. A sad accident resulting in the death of our first mate happened when we were in forty-five south latitude and at a point southeast of the Tristan Islands. We sighted a large right whale off our starboard beam and about two miles distance. We judged that he would have yielded four hun- dred barrels of oil it we had succeeded in killing him. Three boats lowered and pulled after him. The mate's boat did not lower, but took what is called "ship's chance," that is the chance that the whale will dive before the other boats get in striking distance and come up between them and the ship, which was just what happened in this instance. He came up within half a mile of the ship. I belonged to the mate's boat, and as soon as the whale reappeared, the orders: "Main yard aback and lower away! Give away men!" were given. We went onto him and put both harpoons into him. He sonnded, came up and made off in the direction of the other floats. The second mate fastened to him, and then we knew there would be fun, strife for the honor of killing the whale, as a record is kept in the ship's journal and is a good recommend for the officer who secures the most prizes. There is danger of getting stove when two boats are try- ing to use the lance. In their eagerness and excitement caution is forgotten. We went up to him on the right side an«l the mate was lancing him and saying: "Hold her up, boys, I'll fix him!" I was pulling the midship oar and saw that the monster was drawing ahead, every sweep of his flukes brought him nearer the boat, I knew we were in dan- ger. The mate sang out: "Stern, all!'' MY VOYAGE AROFXD THE GEOBE. 25 We dropped our oai'd and ^'ave one shove astern, just as the whale made a side sweep with his flukes, cutting off the head of the boat and hurling the mate into the sea twenty feet away. The third boat picked him up and started for the ship. Our boat sank, but b,y laying- the oars across the gunwales and standing on them, we could keep Qur heads above the surface of the water. The second mate was still fast to the whale, and as we stood in the wa,ter up to our necks, the monster came rushing toward-! u-; making a, hor- rible noise. I thought he was going to run us ? we were coasting back to where we were receiving cargo, 36 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE CrLOBE. the French cutter came around a point of land ahead and ran down to wards us before the wind. Our captain ordered: "Hoist the colors, quick!" We run them up but they wound around the signal halyards, as if ashamed to float. When in hailiaf»- distance, the commander of the cutter ordered our captaiu to bring his clearance papers on board. Our captain replied: ''The sea is so heavy it will swamp our boat." The cutter ran out a thirty two pounder, and our captain ordered us to lower away the boat without further parley, and we weat aboard the cutter with our clearance papers. The old Corsican was walking the quarter deck, and our captain went aft, hat in hand, and submitted his papers to him. When he had inspected them he said: ''I have a luiud to take you back to Tahiti, but will permit you to continue your voyage, and will report you to the Commodore.? The Frenchman's gun did not make us feel friendly towards them, and we decided, unanimously, that this should be our last voyage under the French flag. We brought tlie schooner back to Townoa, turned her over to the owners and all hands quit. I think the cargo w^as for the natives, and some dark night was put ashore at some point up the coast. From Townoa I returned to Pata. The French governor of the island resided at Pata, mar- tial law prevailed and sentinels were stationed throughout the town. A cannon was fired every morning at sunrise, and again at 9 o'clock in the evenmg, when everybody had to be under cover, or on board a ship. If they caught you out later they would put you in the calaboose and you had live dollars fine to pay in the morning. Beside the cutter that overhauled us on our voyage to the Windward Islands, the French had a steamer cruising MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 87 about, and the frigate Euraine, with the Commodore a- board, lying iu the harbor. An English cutter was anchored in the bay, the frigate Collingwood cruised outside the harbor, and Salamander laid at Amro, a small island in sight of Tahiti. All were evidently watching the progress of affairs. PoQiae, queen of Society Islands, did not like the French, would not stay on shore, and was entertained on board the English cutter. Oneda>'tjhe French transport, Bourbonais, came into port with armj* stores and four hundred soldiers on board. 8he engaged an English pilot. When coming through the entrance the wind was light, she did not mind her helm, the tide set her onto a rock, stove a hole in her bottom and she partly tilled with water. They lightened her of part of her cargo and the steamer towed h^r off, but she sank before reaching her dock. They thought the pilot did it purposely through malice, and he was arrested and put in irons. There was enmity berw.^en the French and English officers. The French tore the ii ig from the English consulate, trailed it in the dust, and perpetrated other insults. The English -commander ran in and conferred with the French Conmiodore, on board the Euraine. The latter a- greed not to molest the natives further until they could hear -from their respective countries. But the next day the French sent three hundred soldiers up the coast to Foint Venus, opened fire on the natives and burned their dwell- ings. The English missionary located there politely asked the officer in command not to burn his house, but it was in flames a few minutes later; and the missionary was killed purposely, or by a stray bullet. The English cutter sent a boat and brought him to Pata, where he was buried. The Salamander steamed over from Amro, ran into the 88 MY VOYAGE AROUXD THE GLOBE. harbor and challenged the Freach Commodore to come out-" side the reef and settle matters, but the Frenchman declined the invitation. Many expected that these troubles would lead to a war between the two nations. The French lost seventy men that day at Point Venus. The natives were sheltered by the thickets and cocoanut trees, and reported only three killed. I went up in company with some other bovs, and we were watching the battle from the beach, but when we saw the old missionary fall we conclu(ied that we had better re- turn to Pata. Tahiti lies in about 15° south latitude and 150° west longitude. It is one of the prettiest islands in the south Pacific and is called the ''garden of the seas." It is about one hundred miles in length by seventy-five in breath. Its highest mountain rises above the clouds, its summit divid- ed into four peaks. Fri»m the side of this mountain bursts the great spring, the fouuta^in head of the brook heretofore described. When 3^ou enter the harbor of Pata, one of the most beautiful landscapes on the globe greets your view. The beach is skirted with a low growth of cocoanut trees, inter- spersed with lemon and orange. Flowers everywhere, their rich perfumes permeating the atmosphere. The native dwell- ings nestling under the trees fidds life and picturesqueness to the scene. All along the beach groups of boys and girls are seen sporting in social ghe, some sitting, others prome- nading, all happy, seemingly, as nature itself. Canoes shov- ing off for a fish in the bay, others returning laden with finuy prizes. They are a light-hearted, happy race of peo- ple and their merry laughter is heard on every hand. All in all it is a scene never to be forgotten. When compared with savage races generally, these peo- ple present many striking and pleasing contrasts in nation- MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 39 n.l characteristics and social customs and conditions. Tiiej are a very mild tempered and affectionate rnce, living- in the utmost harmony amon"; themselves. VV^irsliippers of idols and subjects of darkness and superstition for unknown ages, they possess in a higli degree of the anii;il)le qualities genernlly supposed to pertain to more enlightened races. These extraordinary features were noted by the first white man who yisittMl these islnnds. The island is very healthy. There is no wet or marshy land. Tlie cliin.ite is perfect, teinpjratui-e varit^s hut little from 80° Far. the year round, perpetual summer without excessive* heat. The low or flat lands run back to the foot hills or tablelands, in some places ten to twenty miles in width, while at some points the highlands come down near- ly to the sea. The valleys along the streams are great or- chards of lemon. u,}(J not succeed, ,U4 ^ ^i r ..., r. 44 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. The natives of the Chain Islands, a group situated a few degrees north of the equator^ are ex pert swimmers and not- ed divers. A French ship sank in the harbor of Tahiti and- they hired some of these natives to dive and fasten to th«,- anchors and sails. The Chain Islands are not as prod uqt. tive as some of the other groups. The natives of some groups are surly, have an ugly dis- posi^ion and it is difficult to trade with them. It is strange there should be such marked differences in the characteristics and conditions of the natives on the dif- ferent groups so near to each other. On some of the islands, not yet visited by missionaries, converts from other groups had taught them to forsake their sins and love Otua. But some are slow of compre- hension and made slow progre^ss. Time lias wrought a change, no doubt. Some may think tlv-y are all Christian, ized but they are not half civilized. , Heathen nature needs watching by the missionary, you will find. Captain Cook gives us some idea of cert lin groups in his account of his voyage around the world; but it would be difficult to name two where the native characteristics and disposition are identical. Compare any two that you please and you will find one superior to the other intellectually, and in the exhibition of mechanical genius. These will re- spond to the influences of civilization and improve their condition as they become enlightened; while others seem dazed at the superiority of the white man's ships, 'equip- ment and knowledge. It would seem that they at once re- gard it as impossible for them to attaih to the higher pos- sibilities of life, the prospect discourages them, they aban- don ambition, become lazy and apathetic, and are sunk be- low their native status in the scale of humanity by contact with civilization. If I renolember rightly, Captain Cook notes this in the journal of Kis last voyage that they were MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 45 not as indiistrioiiH an>l thrifty as when he first visited them. On some islands they punish criminals by mailing them beat ornato or nntive rioth. On other gr'>ups no attention is paid to the off«^uder. 1 thinic there are some small islands that will never be settled by foreigners. Generally speakinp^, it may be a question whether these islanders have been benefitted by contact with civilization, or not. The missionary comes and tells them they must be good and love one another. The words and actions of the next white man that comes among them are not in keeping with the teachings of the missionary. The native is quick to note the inconsistency, and I have often thought that the influence of the evil doers more than counter- balances the opp jsing force. If the white man's religion, is all the missionary claims it to be, it is incomprehensible to these simple children of the isles that all white men are not Christians. To them it is a great stumbling block, and re- tards the success of missionary work. When we had cruised from group to group for several months and the brig was about ready to sail for New Zea- land, we touched at the Friendly Islandt?, situated in 18 and 19 south latitude and 170 west longitude. Tonga is the largest of this group, and is said to be eighty to ninety miles in length. Near it are a number of smaller islands, or inotus. The next in size is Vavau, distant about two de- grees from Tonga. Midway between them are eleven small- er islands, called the Habias. I can name the most of them: Tongua, Harfeva, Oua, Namuka, Lafouka, Kau, Tofua. Have forgotten the names of the remaining five. These were not inhabited. The soil is of volcanic origin and very pro- ductive. Nearly everything required by the nati yes grows spontaneously. Yams, sweet potatoes and tarrow are cul- 46 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBEl '' tivated. Th^^tarrow looks like white turnip. It is dried and pounded into flour, therf made iato pudding, and is a very wholesome food. Br^ad fruit, bananas, lemons, limes, oranges, cocoanut, pineapples, lashe, etc. grow without cul- tivation. Very little labor is necessary to afford them a living, as nature hjis provided nearly everything they need. It was my lot to be taken sick about this time, and they left meottv one of the small islands called Harfeva, and* it transpired that I remained on the group about three years. It was in thamonthof Augustthat I was put ashore and the brig, expected to return about the first of January, follow- ing. The captain left six barrels to be filled with cocoanut oil during his absence. I had mv choicetovgo with the ves- sel pr stay on the island, and decided to remain. The na- tives told the captain they would take car^ of me, and he agreed to recompense them when h(i came-a^ain. But the Shepherdess did not return, and I heard afterward that she was sold for debt. I was unable to walk and ^had to be car- ried ashore, ^^-v ,/;^ MY YOYAOE AROUND THE GLOBE. 47 TH AFTER V. LIFE AMONG THE N ATI YES. The old lady doctor— Primitive barbering- Lifa Lafa— An exisiting experience —An object lesson— Learning the language— Go to. Tonga— A native festi- val-Mr. Thomas, aiidhis unregenerate charge— Tiie bark Jane Eliza— The dttrkey steward again^— News of the whaleship— Earthquakes— Go to Ya vaunjlnterpreting— Choosing a tamai— Joseph Arnold— Work of the mis- sions—Native characteristics, etc. I was now alone with the islanders, sick, helpless and entirely at their inercj. I could not understand a word of their language, and tliev were equally .ignorant of English; but they vvw*' kind to me. An old lady doctor took me in charge, and tiit- tir^st thing she did was to shave the hair all off my head with a mussle shell; called Neichfiugota. I would not care to patronize a barber indefinitely who used a razor of that description, but it did its work well, if it did pull. They think it a good thing to do, and practice it in trei}nthe missionaries have wrought a wonderful change in them since they have been among them. They would often :isk me if we v/ere all Christians in Amalika. I had to ad- mit that such was not the cast-. They thought it strange, as we had the Bible and were enlightened. I explained in this wsy: Some will never be (Jliristians under any circum- stances, because they are controlled or influenced by a hiuraalie oku kov'i, (a ba i spirit) while others were in- fluenced by launmUe naoni am, (the hcly spirit. ) The sciiools were taught by the missionaries and their wiyes, and were yet in their infancy. They had a small hand printing press and had published leaves and pamph- lets, and translations of portions of the Bible, (of the New Testament, principally) into the native tongue. ^ Old a/id ynnng could be seen going to school with these leaves in 54 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. their hands, all pvidently aDxioiis to learn. They had printed some small hymn books, also, and many of the pupils could read and sing very well, considering that they had been under instruction only a. short time. The mis- sionaries drilled them nearly every da.y and exhibited great patience in teaching them, They held morning, afternoon and evening meetings, and singing was a regular feature every session. I learned the alphabet of the young man who run the printing press, and can read some. Nearly all of the letters have the broad sound. ~i is eand e is a. Example: Tagata, a as in car. There are not as many letters as in the Eng- lish alphabet. They are fond of company, very social and great talkers. They haye gatherings, festivals and amusements nearl^^ every week, and are very friendly and kind to each other. Comparing the pagans on the island of Tonga with their converted neighbors, I could detect very little difference in their mode of living. They traded and mingled together in social intercourse without contention. The missionary and converted portion had tried to frighten them into Christ- ianity by threats of war, but to no purpose. They were ready to fight rather than give up their way of worship, and the attempt to coerce them was abandoned. Their worst enemies were the Fiji islanders, with whom they fought several battles. The Fijians were the aggres- sors, coming to attack the Friendly islanders in large canoes. They always went away satisfied that they were whipped. The Fijians are a quarrelsome people. They appear to be a different race from the natives of any other group in the South Pacific. They are different in feature, darker of complection and are fierce, warlike, treacherous and restless MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. Oo in the extreme. I huve talked with them about their mean ness, but they did not care to converse on that subject. Thej are a large, well formed, athletic people, able to endure any amount of hardship. The Fiji p;roup comprises about eighty islands. The chmate is fine and all tropical fruits grow to perfection. I understand that they have since been converted to Christianity, the Friendly islanders assisting the mission- aries materially in the work. 5G MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. (CHAPTER VI. ETFE AMONG THE ^XTiVE-i.— Continued. The native dress— Manufactures; cloth, ma's, etc., — Cooking— Bread fruit— The cocaanut tree and fruit — Marriage ceremony — The feitoka or native ceme- teiy— Turtle hunting— Rambles in the interior— The tabued grave— The missionary's goat— Tlie vaka or native canoe. The natives are very clean and tidv, considerui;^ the way iu which they have to live. The dress consists of a vala made from the bark of a tree called tutu. This tree is about four inches in circumference and about eight feet in height. The bark being verj^ tough and strong is stripped off in one piece. It is then soaked in salt water, and the browQ or outside bark which is very thin is scraps.! off with a iinife or shell. The strip is then laid over a smooth tim- ber and beaten with an instrument called ika, i. e. a squai-e stick about a foot long, with two smooth faces and two grooved lengthwise. Beating with the grooved sides spreads the bark and with the smooth sides reduces it to even thick- ness. The finished strips are about one foot in width, and when they have prepared a sufficient quantity they paste them together, three layers thick, and the finished product is col- ored in stripes and checks. The coloring matter is obtain- ed from a certain nut. A fine mat with a braided fringe, called a chichi is worn over the vala. Tlie headdress com- pletes the native costume, and is made by plaiting small fibers of cocoanut husk, interwoven with a small perfumed bud called kakala. As the temperature is always warm they never suffer from cold, or momoko, as they call it. MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 57 Sometimes they buy cotton cloth of the traders. Thej had not learned the us 3 or value of money, or paanga, but bartered their commodities for hatrhets, flint lock muskets, lookingglasses, beads, blue or brown denims, etc. It cost but very little in shipping to get supplied with all the fresh provisions ne«=^ded. At that time you could buy a pig that would weigh from 100 to 150 pounds for ofa ua, that is two reaches of cloth with the arms outstretched. The natives paid a good price for everything they got. The islanders had a rude and novel way of cooking. In the first place they built a beto, or cook-house. Then in the center of the earth floor they dug a hole about four feet in width by two in depth and paved the bottom with small cobble stones. 'When the pig (which is always roasted whole), and the vegetables are ready, a fire is built in the oven and kept burning until the stones are properly heated, when the coals are raked out and some small limbs are laid over the stones, on which the pig is laid. A few small stones are heated, wrapped in dry banana leaves and placed inside the pig. They have a laro:e leaf called lepa, about the size of a large cabbage leaf, that is tough. Four or five of tliese a,re firmly yjinned together with cocoa- nut leaf stalks, and the oven is covered four or five inches thick with these pads of lepa. Over this is placed a layer o soil about two inches thick. After about an hour they scrape off the layer of soil, remove the lepa covering, and the pig and contents are found baked as nicely. and evenly as anything you ever saw. They bake once a week, but never eat warm food, or use warm drinks. They think it injures the health and is bad for the teeth. I think they are about right, as I never saw one of them with decayed teeth. The cooked meat is cut into small pieces, wrapped in dry banana leaves and hungup. The atmosphf^re is so pure 58 ilY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. that it seldom spoils. Neio^hbor divides with neio:hbor, and they accommodate each other without stint. The bread-fruit tree grows luxuriently, is an abundant and perpetual bearer in most of the south sea islands, and furnishes wholesome sustenance without cultivation. The natives are very liberal and supply ships with fresh provis- ions for little or notliing. Uninhabited islands are stocked with hogs and fowls, free to all the world in cases of ship- wreck. There is plenty of cocoannts, fruits, etc., for them to feed on, and left to themselves they thrive and multiply. Thf» bread-fruit tree attHins a height of from ten to twenty feet. The leaf is much the size and shape of a maple leaf. The fruit is borne on small branches of the large limbs, is a little oblong in shape, is about as large as an average sized cabbage head when fully grown, and of a greenish color. When cut a milky substance oozes out. and it is not good to eat raw. It is very white after it is baked, but has a centre core that is not good to eat. There are other ways of preparing it. One method is to pound, knead, roll and cut it into small pieces. These are placed in a dish, sugar-cane juice and cocoanut milk is added and the whole cooked over a slow tire until it thickens and resembles sweetened cream. The natives called it feikekai. It is an extra dish with them an most anyone would relish it. In whatever manner prepared, the bread-fruit is a healthful and very nutritious food. The tree has economi- cal value beside the fruit. The limbs are used for rafters in building their houses. They are tied together with kafa., and are of sufficient strength to sustain the light thatch of cane or cocoanut leaves with which they are covered. The bread-fruit is a staple article with them. The cocoanut tree is called niu by the natives, and its fruit is of great value to them. It grows luxuriently with- out CM re or culture. When ripe, the nuts fall to the ground MY VOYAGE AROUND THE OLOBE. 59 and lie a year or more uatil the rainy season comes on and moistens the husk and the soil. You have noticed the three circular spots, or scars near the large end of a cocoanut. In one of these the shell is thin enough to be ensily pierced with a pin, and from it the sprout starts. The kernel, or meat consists largely of albumen and furnishes nourishment for the young- plant; and the milk furnishes moisture. The tree begins to bear when eight to ten years old, and continues to bear for many years. Full grown trees are about two feet in diameter, and from sixty to one hundred feet high. The nuts grow on a stem yery much like grapes, and may be seen in all stages of development on the same stem, from ripe nuts at the base to blossoms at the apex. The fruit stems grow out from the base of the leaves. From this tree they constructed their houses complete without using a nail. The frame work is tied together in nice shape with kafa, or sinnet. Kafa is made from the husk of the nut and is very strong, and is used for many other purposes, such as fish lines and nets, boat building and larger ropes. Their roofs are thatched with the leaves, their floors are carpeted with mats braided of same, called tajkapau, and mat« form the doors and walls. They make combs of the split ends ot leaf stalks. The sap is used as a beverage. To obtain it, a blossom stem is cut off above the nuts, and a dish made of a shell called a bohonie is hung beneath to catch the flow. From one to four quarts of sap are obtainedfrom each stem. It tastes like sweet cider, and by distilling it the natives get a sort of liquor that is very intoxicating. To get the oil, the nuts are broken, then scraped over an iron with teeth filed into it and nailed to a pieae of clrnber. The meat or oil substance falls into a trough, and when it is full it is set in the sun and covered with a thin mat, and the oil runs out after it stands a while. The oil is sold to 60 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. traders and yields quite a revenue. They use the oil for anointing the body, and when deliciously perfumed with sandalwood, for oiling the hair. They make very service- able baskets of the leaves by splitting the mid-rib and bend- ing the halves together to form the rim, then plaiting the leaflets. The milk of young eocoanuts is much used for drinking and cooKing. The shells are scraped, polished and ornamented for dishes. They fatten their hogs on the meat and use the shells for fuel. Most of their cordage is made from the fiber of the husk. The cocoanutpalm may be said to be the mainstay of the Kanaka. VAKAMAU. OR Marriage Ceremony. A marriage is a gala occasion, celebrated by feasting and general rejoicing. In anticipation of the event, the friends and relatives of each contracting party roasts pigs and bread-fruit, and prepare the most elaborate spread of viands the country affords. In the fore part of the day set for the ceremony, the groom's party exchange what they have prepared for that contributed by the bride's friends, and they eat, and drink kava, and have a social time until about four o'clock in the afternoon, when they all assemble together. The contracting parties meet, shake hands and sit together, and the feasting continues until all are satisfied. The couple then comes forward and stand before the aga, or chief. The chief's wife brings wreathes of perfumed buds, and places one upon the head and another around the waist of each. Thy aga then gives them some good advice, and pronounces them man and wife. A dance by moonlight usually closes the festivities. They dance in a circle, or waltz. They have reeds of different sizes and lengths that they play with considerable skill, making very good music. MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 61 Since the missionaries have been m mo n^- them, thej mar?-y them over again accordinji- to church forrnula. As man and wife thev 11 ye together in harmony, and divorces and family quarrels are unheard of. In m;iny respects we might pattern after them to our advantage. Their moral character is good (speaking of the Friendly islanders), and are a thrifty and tidy people, keeping tlinir abas, or yards, clean and in good order. They take pride in raising yams, bananas and other fruits. A cemetery, or feitoka hs they call it, is enclosed by a wall of cocoanut logs four feet high, and the entire space filled in level with the top of the wall. When one of their people dies they wrap him in native cloth, and bury with him some of the implements he has used in life. If he was a warrior, a, war club, or spear is laid beside him. After the grave is filled with earth they bring baskets of small, white pebbles and sea shells and lay them on the grave. The baskets are made of cocoanut le.ives, as heretofore describ- <'d, and after they have been once used for this purpose, it is tahu, or against the law to use them for anything else, and they throw them into a hole and never touch them again. It was their heathen custom to howl and cry for three days, lamenting for the departed, but they gave this up when they embraced Christianitj'. During certain months of the year the turtles come up on the beach to lay their eggs, choosing, generally, the outlying, uninhabited islands. The natives go over in ca- noes and hunt them, armed with spears, or sticks. When one of them sights a turtle he makes a rush at him, and the turtle makes for the water, all the time throwing sand back with his claws, as a defense. But they turn him over on his back and he is captured. The shell is cut off dried and pre pared for sale to the traders. At that time it was worth 62 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. four dollars a pound in Sydney. It is manufactured into combs and other articles. When I first came to the island of Vavau, the natives were all strangers to me, of course. But I went freely when I pleased. I would start off on a tramp, following their paths or halas, and penetrate mto the interior. It was a beautiful conntry. At many places the hmbs of the trees int«^rlocked over the path. At intervals of two or three miles I would come to villages, or settlements of half a doz- en houses, perhaps, delightfully situated amid the groves of orange, banana, and bread fruit. The children playing in the shade would be the first to notice my approach, and run to the house crying ^papalangi,'' meaning foreigner. I would go to the house and say: ''Jut ofa kia ^oa," that is "my love to you," their usual way of accosting each ether. The reply would be: ^'Takanofa/^ that is "come in and ."it down," — wondering that I could speak their language. After talking awhile they would express themselves as very glad that I came to see them, and I often remaintd four or five days. They would ask me all about Amalika. When j would tell them of the cold {momoko) so severe that rain {fefeka) gets hard, they would shrug their shoulders and say: '^Takoi manavaha," meaning, that beats all. It was very hard to explainabout railroads and many other things so that they could understand I. Sometimes I would be gune two weeks at a time, wandering from one settlement to an- other, and found them always a hospitable people, eager to listen and learn all they could about other countries. I was walking with a native one day, some distance from any settlement, and we came to a certain thicket. He pointed to it and said: "There is a place that is tabu for us to go." I asked him what he meant by saying it was tabu, and he re!a,ted this story: Sjme years previoa-s there were two men living on the islauc^, one a Cape Yorde Port- MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. C)3 uo'ese and the other a Spaniard. They botli fell in love with the same native girl. At a party one evening-, the girl was eating a piece of sngar cane. The Spaniard asked her to give him some of it, and she refused. The Portugese said: "I think she will divide with me." and said to her: ''Makonga tosi?'' and she broke it and gave him a part. The Spaniard was offended and jealous, and that night he went to the house where the Portugese staid and killed him. "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," is the native law They pursued themurderer, and on the third day they caught him in this thi»ket, clubbed him to death and buried him where he fell. He had a bad spirit {lajumalie) and no native would go near his graye. As we traveled through the woods we cameacross droves of pigs all sizes, running wild, fowls of domestic breed that had been in the thicket so long that fchey would run, fly and skulk under the bushes at oar approach. The Friendly Islands are very well timbered, but very little use is made of it except for fuel and canoe building. Tiiere was at one time quite a trade in sandal wood, but it had been mostly cut off, or died out. Some of the islands are well supplied with good fresh water springs; others have no fresh water at all except what they catch in cisterns, but the milk of young cocoanuts is the principal beverage of the natives. Sugar cane and sea island cotton grows on most of the groups. The Friendly islanders are a healthy, well formed, athlet- ic people, of a light brown color. Some of them areas white as the English. They are expert swimmers, and have killed sharks with knives. They told me of two young women who swam from Tonga to Oua, a distance of eight miles, on one occasion when they were at war with the Fijians. One time when the missionary vessel, Tryton, came in 64 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. with supplies, she brought with the rest a two wheeled cart, to use in transporting the goods from the landing to the warehouse. As the missionary was going away that day to preach on a small island near by, he requested me to procure some native boys and oversee the work of hauling and stowing the goods left by the vessel. I engaged the services of about a dozen boys, and they did the hauling by means of ropes attached to the cart. They would sing as they trudged along, making a fearful noise, in full chorus* As we approached the warehouse in the back yard, we passed a narrow lane, fenced with reeds about eight feet high, that led up to the back door of the mission house. This door consisted of two sections, like a mill door. To the left as you entered the door, was the dining room, and the table was spread for dinner. The back and front win- dow of the dming room were in line with the place where T stood, and I could see the interior plainly. The missionary had a large goat that furnished the milk for tea. As we swung into view, with the vocal band in full play, I noticed the goat in the lawn, and that the upper half of the duor was open. I saw at once that the animal was frightened by the noise, and I tried to stop the boys, but they did not hear me. The goat selected the door as the only means of escape, and leaped over the closed half. The girls screamed^ the goat rushed into the dining room, sprang upon the ta- ble and swept cloth, dishes and all to the floor with an in- fernal clatter, and the next bound went through the -vindow carrying glass, sash and all into the front yard. The boys left me in a hurry and hid, Mrs. Turner came out and lectured me severely. She used no profane language, but looked very much like it, said she would never have thought it of an Englishman. But sh<' soon saw that I was not to blame, as I could not manage a piratical crew of boys. The old man came home next morning. He met me with a smile MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 05 and said: ''You had bad luck, bnt I cannot bianip any onp, as accidents will happen." I asked his forgiveness. In building the vaka,, or native canoe, they first erect a boat-house in which the canoe is built and kept until ready to launch. The material is accumulated and the craft planned. Then, as we would say, they make a bee, and on the day set as many as forty may be seen engaged in the work. Some making ka,fa, or sinnet with which the plaidcs are fastened together. Not a nail or piece of iron of finy description enters into the construction of the vessel. Some a.re hewing planks for the sides. The planks are dressed with a groove on both edges. The grooves lap one into an- other as the planks are built together, pierced with holes and thejoint laced firmly \y\t\ikafci. When the timber is not of sutficient length, they splice the ends so that they cannot pull ap.irt. All the joints and seams are calked, orgummed with a material of their own make. Some of these canoes are seventy -five feet long, fourteen foot beam, witli four to six fept depth of hold. When the large canoe is finished tliH^y build a smaller one, and the two are placed about ten feel apart and fastened together by cross beams decked over. In sailing the craft, the small canoe is always kept to windward. It takes about two years to build one of this magnitude, as they only work on it at intervals, and arn provided for the use of the king or missionary. The method of sailing the vaka\s, very ingenious. The short mast, working on a pivot, can be slacked over to either end of the canoe. When they g^t under way the yard is hauled up to the head of the mast, then inclined at such an angle that the mast, the yard and the deck form a triangle; the halyards acting as stays. When rhey want to go about the mast is slacked over to the reverse, the tack and sheet change places and the stem becomes the stern. They can 66 MY VOYAGE AEOUND THE GLOBE. steer from either end, as bow and stern are alike. The sails are woven of rushes or bark. With a fair breeze, the craft is capable of making fifteen knots an hour. MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 67 CHAPTER YII. LIFE AMONG THE ^sATIYES.—ConclurJec]. Joe Arnold, pilot, and the missionary's cast off beaver hat— Piloting and inter- preting—Joe's blacksmithing outfit — Our business flourishes— Chief Nafau, my tamai (father)— Sad fate of a young whaleman— Flogging a brutal pun- ishment—A better way — Capt. Benj, Price of Boston— Lif the natives; their history, manners, customs, etc.— Capt. Bligh's estimate— Old Joe and Cap- tain Clark— Natives ot different gr oups compared- On this group of thirteen isl mds there were only four white men, the two missionaries, Joseph Arnold and my- self. I have mentioned old Joe heretofore. Hewasa. happy dispositioned, queer old genius. As he was a blacksmith by trade, it was his ambition to get a bellows and a few tools, so that he could do work for the Kanakas. He sat think- ing for some time one day, and finally said to me: ''I have thought out a plan, and if it works I believe it will help us. We have heretofore assisted ships to enter the harbor, free of charge. Hereafter we must act as pilots and get paid for our services. I am going up to old man Turner's and see if he has a plug hat I can borrow, or buy; that will make us look dignified as pilots should. Perhaps I can get ma- terial for a bellovvs, and a few tools. I think it will pay."' So away he went to see the old missionary. In about half an hour he returned with the hat It had seen its best days, but we repaired it by wiping it, pressing out the short kinks and applying a little cocoanut oil to lay the nap and re- store the polish. About three weeks later the natives sight- ed a ship in the offtng, standing in towards the island. We engaged two natives with their canoe to take us out to the inlet of the bay, about three miles. We put on our best 68 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. rigging, Joe wearing the hat and sporting a cane; we made quite a respectable appearance. When we met the ship, she backed her main yard and hove to. We went on board and asked if they wanted a pilot. The captain asked our price. Joe told him one dollar a foot for the water she drew, seventeen feet, and take it in trade,— clothing, efcc. Money was not legal tender at that tirn9. Tlae captain said: "All right; tike char;>:e ot the sailing of the ship." There was only one plaje in the bay where there was good am-horage; that was in eight fathoms of water. The rest of the bay was from twenty to forty fathoms deep, and we might have run the jibboon mto the bushes anywhere without ground- ing the ship. There was absolutely nothing in the way of coming to the anchorage, but the old pilot would have the men changing the course, or shifting s.iil to avoid an ima- ginary shoal or rock. And I would be tellling the men in the hearing of the officers, that Joe was an accomplished pilot, and knew every foot of ground in the bay. We came to an anchor all right. Joe bought material for a bellows; canvass, pitch, tar, nails and an old gun barrel to serve as a nozzle or pipe to carry wind to the forge; some tools,— tongs, hammer, tiles and a small vice. The balance of our pilot's fee, and five dollars additional that I got for inter- preting while they were securing supplies, we took in cloth- ing and other articles. After our return home, we would have a good time cuffing the old beaver up to a peak, then we would slick it up again for the good it had done and hang it up to await the arrival of another ship. We next had the Kanakas bring us a log about eight feet long, borrowed a pit saw from the missionary and made lumber for the bellows. When the frame was made, we cov- ered it with the canvass, applied pitch and tar, and when all complete we had quite a respectable looking and servi(^e- able bellows. It was not nearl3^as air tight . I found him to be as represented, a gentleman in every re- spect. About sunrise on the morning of the fourth day, we were talking together near the landing, not thinking of danger, when the chief officer and four men came upon us. They were so near when we discovered their presence that retreat was impossible. He gave himself up, but told the officer he would never do any more work on the whale ship. The ship had laid off and on, standing out to sea during the day and returning at night. I had heard of this trick before, and had warned the young man that they might play it on him,, but he thought the ship had gone. He felt bad, but had to go. I saw one of his shipmates two years later, in Honolulu, and learned his sad fate. After they got him aboard of the ship, he refused to work and they seized him up to the rigging and whipped him terribly. Again he refused to work and they stripped him the second time and flogged him until the blood ran down his back. He finally went to work and sometime afterwards was one of a boat's crew that went after a right whale. They fastened to the whale and the monster struck the boat with his flukes, threw it into the air and killed two men. ., My friend was hurt, or killed by the blow, ns he did not rise to the surface and was 7'2 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE CLOEK. never seen again. When the sailor told me of his death, I felt as though I had lost an intimate friend. I consider flogging one of the most disgraceful and bru- tish punishments that man can inflict upon his fellow man, and It is well that it has been abolished. No officer ever practiced it without gaining the ill-will of his men, that sometimes culminated in mutiny. I think there is a better way than to flog men. An in- stance that occurred on board the ship I came home in will serve to illustrate. One of the crew was a Scotch boy. He was at the wheel, the second mate spoke to him, thought the boy's answer did not show due respect to the dignity of a superior, and had him seized up to the rigging. While the officers were at dinner the men cut him down and had him in the forecastle taking his dinner. The officer came to the companion way and called for the! boy to come up on deck. We told him he would come when he had eaten his dinner. When the boy went aft, the captain met him and talked to him as a father would to a son. It did the boy more good than a dozen floggings. That was Captain Benjamin Price, of Boston; that was his way, and his men all respected him. He was then a white-haired old man of sevent^'-two years, had made eighteen East India voyages, and served under Commodore Perry, on Lake Erie, in the war of 1812 This ^as his last sea voyage. How were these islands inhabited? How and from whence did they come? nearly three thousand miles from the mainland, Austmlia being the nearest. They have no knowledge of navigation, or yessels suitable for so long a voyage. There are several groups, Society, Samoa n, Friendly, Fiji, New Hebrides and others, audit is a remark- able fact that the Fiji islanders area different race of people than are found on the other groups, darker complection- ed, different in feature and disposition. They have been MY VOYAOtE around THE GLOBE. 78 harder to civilize or Christialiize. The Fijis are surrounded by the other groups. It' the original inhabitants had been driven from some distant shore, lost at sea and finally land- ed on one of the groups, from whence they gradually spread from island to island, naturally they would be all of one race. The natives never venture fai" from their own islands. The fcf'Utheast trade winds blow from nearly thesame direc- tion the year round, and with the sun and stars serves to guide them from one island to another. When I was with them in 1842, a few were yet living who remembered Capt. (;;ook, and showed me presents he gave them when he stopped there on his voyage around the world. They had no recollection or tradition of ships com- ing to their shores before his time, and it must have been many years, if ever. They have no idea of their origin, or from whence they came. They worship their otua, or God, believe mlaumalie or spirit, believe in and practice cu'cumcision and worship idols. I have seen some of their idols and talked with them about their worship, but could gain no definite ideas from them. They are a very singular people. They do not in- crease rapidly or their islands would be overrun, and their feitokas (cemeteries) are not large. The islands would sup- port a dense population, as half the area might be convert- ed into the richest of gardens, and the other half be suffi- (dent for the natural fruit groves. They are very careful sailors. When going from one island to another they start early so as to sight land before dark. If the winds are light they use their paddles, also. In that latitude the nights are short. I have made voyages of sevi'i-al hundred miles with them, and had no fear that they would not make the passage safely. These seas are seldom swept by heayy storms, and with sails taken in the canoes 74 MY A^OYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. will stand pretty rough weather, but would not proye sea- worthy for long' voyages; and I do not think the natives originally came to theislands in similar crafts, as emigrants from some foreign shore. One day, as Joe and I sat together swapping tales of adventure, the natives reported another ship in sight, head- ed for the island. We gathered up our outfit, gave the old beaver a good brushing, boarded our canoe and went out and met the ship. This was the third ship we brought into the harbor. Joe mounted to the deck with great dignity, and as soou as the captain saw him he called out: "Hello! Joe Arnold, is that you?" Joe replied: "Hello, Capt. Clark, I never expected to see you again this side oi our happy home!" "Well, Joe," said the captain, "you appear to be all right." Joe said: "Do you want a pilot?— that is my business at present." "Can you take us in?" "If T can't, this old beaver can." ' All right, the men will obey your orders." We brought the ship to anchor and had supper with the captain. During our conversation, he said to Joe: "I am homeward bound, and if you will go home with me, you will fare as good as I, and need not do a hands turn." Joe had made three whaling voyages with him. Joe replied: "Captain Clark, you see that rise of ground?" (pointing shoreward) "that is our feitoka or cemetery. I shall lay my bones there,— if you would give me half of the city of Bos- ton, I would not go home with you." "Well," said the captain, "I think you have a pleasant place to live here and a fine climate; I will not urge you, bub would like j'-our com- panj^ home," "Thank you, Captain, lamsatifled here with the Kanakas." Captain Clai'k appeared to be a fine man. He paid us twelve dollars pilotage. I assisted him in pur- chasing supplies, for which he paid me liberally. The British ship, Bounty, wa,s sent to these islands by the English government for the purpose of collecting bread MY YOYAfrE AROUND THE GLOBE. 75 fruit plants for the West Indies. She i^emained six months, and the following extract from the report of her comman- der, Captain Bligh, is a. just tribute to the natiYes: "They were a mild tempered, socijil and affectionate race, livino; in the utmost hirmony among themselves, and their whole lives being one unvaried round of cheerful content- ment, luxurious ease, and healthful exercise and amusement. The women are handsome, mild and cheerful in their man- ners and conversation, possessed of great sensibility, and have sufficient delicacy to make them admired and be- loved." Tiiey were very kind to me, and wished me to remain with them, but I was young and wished to see other parts of the globe. I have never found a better or more healthful climate than these islands, but the thought of being so far away from civilzation made me lonely at times; but I have found that it makes but little difference where a person is, if he is contented with his lot. In going about among the different groups, I learned something of human nature, and had an opportunity to note the changes wrought by civilization. There is a mark- ed difference in customs and usages regarding the female sex. On some groups they are treated as menials and slaves, compelled to cultivate the gardens, get the fuel for cooking and do all the drudgery. On other groups the men treat them kindly and as equals. They are only re- quired to attend to their household affairs and make the native cloth. Those who treat their women with kindness and respect are a better class of people, always,— less trea- cherous, and easier to civilize and Christianize. The Fijians or Mulgrave natives trpat their women like brutes, and sometimes kill tliein because they do not make good war- ricK's. Christianity has bettered their condition, but it has cost the lives of some good men to instill a sense of right and justice into their savage and preyerso natures. 76 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. CHAPTER YIII. MY TRIP TO THE NORTH. Bidding adieu ta the Friendly islanders— Old Joe's lecture— Reflection, "The Mariner's Grave— Arrive at Petropaulovski— Furs and salmon— A trip into the country— A clam bake— The Kamtchatkan dog— Start for the Hawaiian Islands— We encounter a gale— Arrive at Honolulu— My seaman's permit— The Hawaiian group— Kamehameha III— Tars and Poe— The great volca- noes— Capt. Cook's monument— Meet an old friend— The hoarding house and the milk bottles— A day on horsehaek—The "Blonde" dance house- Sailor characteristics- Pastimes at sea— The gonie. When I had been on the ishinds nearly three years, a ship came that wanted a man. She was bound for KaQit- chatka and Behring's Sea. The owners had agents at Petro- paulovski procuring seal skins and other furs. She oaine around the cape of Good Hope, touching at the islands of Jav^a and Borneo, in the East Indies. I shipped for the trip, to terminate at the Sandwich Islands. I bade adieu to my old father, Nafau, the chief who adopted me. They did not want me to go. I next informed old Joe of my intention to leave the islands. He looked at me, and this is the lecture he gaye me: "Ycu littlefool! Wli fit is the matter with you? What ails you? You will never find another place like this on the globe. I have sailed every sea on the face of the earth, and you will never find a phice where you can live as easy as you can here. I think you are getting crazy!" I said to him: "You have seen the World, and are getting old. lam young, have not, seen much of the world, and do not feol like spend- ing my younger »lays here." When we were out of the harbor and had secured our an- chor on the bows and cleared the deck, T had time to reflect. MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 77 and to think over my experience with the natives. I looked back at the island, recalled my trials, my "ups and downs", the Ccire the natives had for rae, and f9lt o;ratet'ul to them. They had taken care of me without expecting to be reward- ed fur their trouble, and I told them in grateful and kindly remembrance. I found the captain and crew a very pleasant lot of men. The bark was a good sailer, and everything went on smoothly. We ran past the Mulgrave Islands, near w^hich the whaleship E^sex was sunk by a sperm whale, and some of the crew were killed by the natives. We sailed in May, and nothing of importance occurred during our passage to the north. After we arrived in the sea of Karatchatka, we spoke a ship. Oae of her crew had recently^ died and they had buried him on a lonely island, with a rough box for a coffin. They thought it the right thing to do, as they were near the island when he died, and the crew volunteered to take him ashore. One of his shipmates had composed the fol- lowing verses in memory of the event, and they gave us a copy: THE 3IARINER'S GRAVE. J remember the night,— it was stormy and wet, And dismal]^ dashed the dark wave, As the rain and the sleet, cold and heavily beat On the mariner's new made grave. I remember: it was down in a lonesome dell. And near to a gloomy cave: Where the wild winds wail 'round the wanderer pale, That we dug the mariner's grave. 78 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. I remember how slow the bearers trod, — And sad was the look they gave, — As they rested their load near its last abode. And gazed on the mariner's? grave. I remember a tear as it slowly slid Down the cheek of his messmates brave; As it fell on the lid it soon was hid, For closed was Tlie mariner's grave. Now o'er his cold bier the brier is trod, — The wild flowers mournfully wave, And the willow weeps, while the moonbeam sleeps On the mariner's silent grave. It was in the month of August that we sailed along the coast, and ic was very warm in the valleys; but the moun- tains in plain view, were covered with ice and snow. The sharp contrast, always striking, is marvelous to him who sees the like for the tirst time. The seasons are of too short duration to raise vegetables or crops of any kind success- fully. We ran up the harbor about eight miles and dropped anchor at Petropaulovski, a Russian penal colony. It has a dock for the use of ships taking or discharging freight. On a high piece of ground to the left of the landing were about twenty dismounted brass cannons, which must have lain there for 3^ears as they were nearly covered with soil. When they were brought it was intended to build a fort,but the work had been suspended because of lack of funds. The first building to the right of the quay was a church with a chime of bells. I think it would compare with Noah's ark in architectural design. The other buildings and shops were much after the same pattern, and most of them built of logs. Onr ship's agent 7'esided here with his family, and MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 79 boiio;ht furs and salmon, for her New York owners. The countiy aboan^ls in seal and other fur bearing animals. It it- a great place for salmon, and immense quantities are salted and dried for export. They feed their dogs salmon and dried bear's meat. The winter dress is made of fur, and one garment is so constructed as to encase the entire per- son, including head and feet. A peculiar kind of dog which never barks, is the most valuable domestic animal. All the timber used for fuel and building purposes is hauled on sleds, by these dogs, during the winter season. They are al^o used to carry the mails over the mountains into Rus- sian Siberia. They will travel all day without stopping to feed, and make better time than the reindeer. The latter must have dinner, and will break through the crust where the dog will not. Carpenters, blacksmiths and other arti- sans were located here. The woodworkers draw the plane towards them instead of pushing it as we do. It looks awk- ward, but their work looks well when finished. We were given liberty one day, and took a trip into the country. We saw a few small farms, but the products were confined to turnips or potatoes and a few other vegetables, and some oats and hay. lb is a wonderful country for wild berries, and they grow in great variety and abundance. At the time there was a French, a Prussian and a Russi- an war vessel in the harbor, besides our bark. We had a pleasant time with the boys, considering the number of languages we were obliged to murder. We could all drink wine, or atka, they called it, and it made us all talk about the same tongue and feel happy for two days. The days were very warm until about sunset, when we would be attacked by a swarm of the largest and most voracious mosquitoes I ever saw. The sailors called them the Russian eagle. About midnight they would crawl into the bushes. 80 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. One day our agent and family, the Iliissian nobility, and officers of the several sliips, with four boat's crews, armed witli spades, shovels, pici^s, baskets and tubs, went out about six miles into the bay, clamming. Provisions and other necessaries had been provided for a good time. We reached the clam grounds at ebb tide, and found a large surface of sand bare of water. The sand was full of small holes. We would thrust the spades down beside these holes, the water would .«purt up bringing the clams to view, and vTe gathered several baskets and tubs full. We carried them ashore, dug holes in the sand, built fires, covered the clams with hot sand and they were soon rt'didy to eat. When the nobility had dined, the sailors finished the rest. In the meantime the others wei-e having a good time b^^ them- selves, and finall}^ began playing "one old cat," as the boys call it, with spades, picks and shovels for bats, and baskets and tubs for balls. To hear the confusion of tongues, one w^ould think that Babel was about completed. There were some bloody noses when the fun was over- At flood tide we loaded the fragments into the boats and pulled for the harbor, arriving about sunset. Daring the summer months, they chain their dogs along side a small stream of water, and feed them, except the "leaders," which are allowed to run at large. They are a short eared, bushy tailed dog, and when the bells begin to chime they all set up a howl, and it is impossible to hear anything else while it lasts. It is a. hard looking place to live. We set sail one afternoon, and when we got inside it be- gan to blow a gale. We were in a large bay, and had a hard time beating off shore, but when we were clear of the land we headed down the coast for the Hawaiian Islands. One day as we were running near the coast we heard a noise like cannonading, and lookiag in shore through the ship's glass, we could see whale's flukes rising and falling, and MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 81 every stroke on the water sounded like the report of a heavy cannon. They were sulphur bottom species sporting in the bay. After the gale we had fine weather, made a good run, and came to anchor in the harbor of Honolulu, on the 15th day oi: October. Here the voyage ended for me. In order to remain on shore, a sailor must take the oath ol allegiance, or obtain a "seaman's permit," at a cost of |2.00, good for sixty days, and must be renewed when the time expires, or take the oath of allegiance. I obtained a permit, of which the following is a copy: SEAMAN'S PERMIT. \ ROYAL ) 1 STAMP I ^ v^-.^^- Permission is given to Lawrence Fosdick on board the Ar. B'k Acasta St., now lying in the harbor of Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, to remain on the island of Oahu, for sixty days, he being discharged from the obliga- tions of his shipping articles by his captain. Port of Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands. Oct. 30th, 1846. P. PENBALLOW, per Arthur Pritchwood. 82 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. The islands are in about 19-24 norfch ot" the equator. Some of them are very nice islands Ten islands are com- prised in the o^ronp. O.ihu is the capital island. It is not the largest, but has a p issa-ble harbor, protected by a reef breakwater, seaward. Honolulu is the capital. In 1846 Kamehameha III was king, but the islands were practically governed by the English. The missionaries were Ameri- cans, The soil is of volcanic origin a,nd produces most of the fruits common to the tropics. There are stretches of rich level lands along the coast, bearing large cocoanut groves, sugar cane a,nd sea island cotton. No Qse was made of the cotton and cane at that time. The tarovoot was extensively cultivated, and formed the staple article of the food of the natives, especially of the poorer class. It grows in low, wet lands and resembles the turnip. It is dried, pounded into flour and made into a sort of porridge called poe. It is a very wholesome and nutri- tious food. Knives and forks had not come into fashion in Honr>lulu at this time, and the natives ate with their fin- gers. It was said of the poe that the upper classes made it thick and used one finger; the next cla^s lower made it somewhat thinner and used two fingers, the poor made it still thinner and used four fingers; the very poor made it very thin and used the whole hand. Hence, there was one finger, two finger, four linger and whole hand poe. Wheth- er this was true or not I do not know. Those I saw eiting used one or two fingers. The natives were a kind and simple ra.ce, but they ha.ve learned the evil h ibits of foreigners, such as drunkenness, thieving and prostitution. It has been the lia-rdest ta,sk of the missionaries to counteract the evil introduced by de- praved foreigners, but they have done good work. I remember seeing King Kamehameha on his way to church one Sunday morning. He had on a plug hat, check. MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 83 ered swallow tailed coat, white pants and vest, and sported a cane, but was barefooted. He looked comical. The group of islands contains about six thousand square miles. The climate is fine but the natives are degenerating and dying oufc. MaunaLoa, in Hawaii, is the largest active volcano on the globe, and the extinct crater of Mauna Ha- leakala, on Maui, is by far the largest known. I visited the latter, and was down the coast as far as Diamond Rock and the Weiititi plains. King Kameha.meha was expert with the spear and war club, and appeM,red to be fond of sport. He would allow four men to throw spears at him at a. time, and he would ward off the spears and catch tbem in his hand. He ap- peared to be respected and well liked by his subjects. The natives are good swimmers, and will stay in the breakers an hour at a time with their surf boards. They are a singular people. They kilk^l Captain Cook in Kala- kua Bay. A cocoanut stump coated with pitch and tar, is the monument that marks the spot where the tragedy oc- curred. Whenever a ship stops here the sailors add a new coat of pitch and tar to preserve it The natives deeply re- gret the crime. One day, as I was walking up the street in Honolulu, I met a lady with a basket on her arm. I noticed that she w IS looking at me rather sharp, and as she came up to me she said: "I believe T know you, I thmk you are one of the sailors who came from America, around the Cape of Good Hope to the island of Tahiti," I was surprised, but recog- nized her at once as Mary, .the former servant of Dr. Win- slow. She was glad to see me, and I asked her what she was doing in Honolulu. She told me she had been married more than two years, to a good, kind husband, and had two children. I congratulated her onher good fortune, and said to her: "Yon are worthv of a good man, an«l if you 84 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. can talk as well as jO)i could on the "spouter," yon can en- tertain him." She replied: ''Yes?!, I used to have as much lip as a right whale, as the men would say. I try to make it pleasant for my husband. I should be glad to have you call and see us." I thanked her for the invitation. I did not see her again, but it seemed like meeting an old ship- mate. Tliere was bub oiie fii'sfc class hotel in Honolulu at that time. The other stopping places were one story board buildings, where seamen boarded. The sleeping apart- ments were small board houses, with nothing for beds but mats spread ov^er straw. The house where we boarded was provided with a long table that would seat thirty persons. Half a dozen mechanics boarded at the same place. I pre- sume that milk pitchers were not in fashion, as the milk was brought to the table in small black bottles, and these were invariably placed at the head of the table where the carpenters sat^ and by the time they found their way to old Jack tar's end oli the table they were empty. One morning we held a consultation; the partialicy shown to the carpen- ters was unanimously condemned, we fixed upon a plan that we thought would insure a fair distribution of milk in the future, and proceeded to carry it out. We went in to breakfast, and as soon as we were seated the old salt at the foot of the table sang out: "Scull Black Betty dowixfhis way!" The moment the order was given the bottles went sailing the whole length ol" the table, followed by potatoes, etc. The landlord, trying to queli the riot, said we should have fair play and made us all sorts of good promises. After breakfast we concluded to bake a cruise down the coast. Fifteen of us went to the stables and hired horses to ride, as there were few vehicles at that time. The price was two dollars each, in advance, for the use of horse, sad- dle, bridle and whip. These horses never trot but go at a MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 85 gallop if urged off a walk. VVlim W3 were out of town, we stopped {«nd chose a, captain and other officers to command the fleet, then set sail down the coast. It was a fine flat country for miles b;ick from the coast, largely occupied by groves ol'cocoanut, orange and lemon, and patches of taro and pineapple. Native dwellings were scattered through the groves. We stopped occasionallj^ and talked with a Kana- ka who could speak a few words of English After cruising a few hours the order was given to about ship and steer for honne. We had ridden a short distance on our return, when one of our crew sang out: ''Sail, ho!" '*Where away?" replied the captain. "Dead ahead." "What does she look like?" ' She is a piratical looking craft." "Which way is she headed?" "Towards Honolulu." "We will give her chase." We increased our speed, and when we were within twenty rods of her discovered that it was a native girl who had come out of a cross road. Our captain sang out: "Shake the reefs out of the topsails and sheet home the top gallant sails!" The captain of the craft ahead turned, looked back, put her band to her face and waved us a challenge to come on, but she left us like the wind. She had a good sailing craft and was soon out of sight. As we rode into town it rained hard for about fifteen minutes, and made the roads very slippery. A Prussian sailor stopped his horse and said: "My craft gave a lee lurch and carried away one of my main shrouds. We will have to heave to, slack up the lanyards and put a shroud knot in the rigging." I soon fixed his stirrup strap. We turned and rode up a valley into the mountains, and from an elevated point of vantage enjoyed a grand and 86 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. nomprehensive view of the country, the town and the har- l~)or' and shippino;. We spent f-several hours very pleasantly, then about ship and started homeward bound, arriving in Honolulu about dark. There was a large building in Honolulu ?iamed after the English frigate Blonde, fitted out with card tables, a bar at one end, and a small orchestra that furnished music night and day for sailors to dance. But you would find more young men of the town in the place at any time than sailors. Of course, some sailors resort to such places. Long voyages are monotonous, and they arebound to find so me recreation wdien ashore. Sosne people think that all sailors inva riably resort to the grog shop as soon as they get into port, but that is a mistnken and unjust conclusion. More than half of them aresti-ictly temperate, never enter such places, deposit their money in savings banks, and many have several thou- sand dollars laid by. Others invariably spend their last dime.. I remember one ohl tar who found nine cents in his pocket after we got out to sea. He held it in his hand, looked at it and said: "Dang my tarry top lights and top gallant eyebrows; why did I not spend that? I may chaw sand be- fore I have another chance, I have no wife or children and it will be lost!" A great many things are laid to sailors of which they are not guilty. They are fond of dancing the French four and telling stories, "spinning yarns," they call it. Some think the sailor has an easy time at sen, but that is a mistake. The ship is his home; he must keep eyerything in order; watch the elements, make or shorten sail and trim them to the winds. Beyond the ship nothing meets the eye but. the mighty expanse of water. They are frank and free hearted, and their hands are ever open to assist others in distress. They are accustomed to hardships and danger, but th=^ af- flicted never appeal to them in vain for sympathy or sue • MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 87 o.ov. In these humane qualities, they compare favorably, as a class, with tho^e who dwell on the land surrounded by all the comforts of life. Catching the porpoise and sharks are popular pastimes. A large white bird, called the gonie, affords considerable amusement. It measures ten feet from tip to tip of wing, -and has a habit of hovering about a ship when hove to dur- ing a gale. The sailors attach alarge lish hook to a strong line, tie on a piece of wood to keep it afloat, bait the hook with a piece of meat and heave it out into the water. The bird swoops down and swallows the bait, hook and all. The men haul on the line and the bird, with outstretched neck, uses his large webbed feet and treads back with all his might. They pull him on deck, where he will stagger about like a drunken man, and fight with his captors, but cannot fly off of the deck. They skin the claws, tan them in alum water and make purses of them that will take in coins as large as a half dollar, easily. The wing bones are hollow and they make needle cases of them to sell in port. Of the fine white down of the bod^^ they make pillows and bed spreads that are very nice and soft. 88 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE HOMEWARD BOLTED CHAPTER IX. HOMEWARD BOUND. The ship "Globe" and Capt. 3enj. Price— Island of Juan Fernandez— The quin- ces and the jackass— Valparaiso and the Spanish Main— "Old Ironsides" — Tom Coleman and his parrot— "Doubling the Horn"— "Magellan Clouds"— Incidents of a gale— Storms at sea— "1 he White Squall"— Our stay at Rio de Janeiro— Arrive at Boston. It was some time during the month of December that I shipped on board the ship Globe, of Boston, Capt. Benj. Price, master. She was homeward bound by way of the Spanish Main, and Cape Horn. She laid at Honolulu two or three weeks, and it was about the first of January, 1847, that we took our departure. We stopped at the island of Juan Fernandez, off the coast of Chili, to procure a supply of fresh water, as it is of better quality than can be found ^rV VOYAf;E AT^OUXl) THE nLOBE. R9 on the inn iiiln 11(1. As we ran nlon"' tlie vshore we could see lai'O'e herds of <>,'oats of all colors feeding on the table lands. We hove the ship to, there being no harbor, rafted the casks and towed them ashore. A spout had been laid from a large spring to the sea, and bj'- this means the casks were readilj^ filled, then towed back to th(> ^liip and hoisted on board. Quinces were pientifnl in the I'a vines a 'id six of us, went ashore one day with paiks to gather a (jn.intitv. The thickets were so dense that we c6uid not see twenty feet in any direction. After a little I became separated from the others. I was busy picking and thinking how nice the quin- ces would be made into preserves with m(>lasf^es, when all at once I heard an unea,rthly sound. I tin-a^d and ran down the ravine thinking all the animals in Africa were after me. I did not stop to choose my patli, but tore through the bushes, lost my hat and all of my quinces, and came out with a scratched face. Two of the mnii s.i w me running and wanted to know were I was going. I replied: '''J'o the ship. — Did you hear that noise?" ''Yes; it w^as a jackass bray- ing." I said: "It was worse than the rumbling sound of an earthquake, or the bellowing of a whale." They told me to go back and get my hat. I said: "I would not go back for a cargo of hats. If j^ou want to stay and pick quinces you can. lam going to leave tliis desolate place. Tiie quinces are sour." I went down towards the boat, ready to go aboard of the ship. I thought of what Selkirk said: "I cannot hear the sweet music of speech, — I start at the sound of my own." That must have been befoi-e the importation of jackasses. T told one of the officers that the beast had good lungs but the tone of his voice was not very melodious, and rather harsh. I have heard the same kind of animal since but none to equal that one. It was some time before I heard the last of quince picking. 90 MY VOYAGE AEOUXD THE GLOBE. From Juan Ferna-ndez, we sail(?(l to thft vSp-uii-ih main, and stopped at Valparaiso. It wasonf^ of the tougiiest pla- ces I ever was in. Seventy-tive sailors, called beachcomb- ers, were living there. They were rou^h fellows, and some of them kept puJparees, or n.s tlie E!i;Li;lishinan spells it, "hess hay-hell-tvvo hoes and a hen;" hell is the next thing to a pulparee. The old frigate Constitution ("Old Ironsides") was on station there, and one of the crew, an old Irish sailor, by the name of Tom Coleman, owned a parrot that could talk. He came on board one ni^'ht full of Spanish whiskey; the bird noticed it and sang out: "Tom Coleman, drunk!" Tom says: "What did you say?" The bird repeated: "Tom Coleman, drunk!" Tom picked up a piece of wood, struck the parrot and killed him. He did not intend to, and felt very bad when he realized what he had done in an angry moment. He sewed the bird up in a piece of canvass, bui'ied him and mourned the loss of his pet. It was in the month of June tliat we sailed out of the harbor and headed for Cape Horn. It was autumn in that latitude, and we had fine weather until we reached the lati- tude of southern Patagonia and Terra del Fuego. The weather grew gradually colder day by day. Strong west to southwest winds, accompanied by storms of snow and hail, gave us a heavy sea. We had the wind abaft the beam and the waves would break over the deck forward and amidship. Half hour tricks at the wheel were as long as a- man conld stand it without freezing. With close reefed main topsail and staysail, we held our course. The men stretched a rope from the mizzen mast to the main rigging, to hold to as they ran to and fro to keep from freezing. It was so rdoudy for several days that we could not take an observation from the sun, and we ran farther south than necessary to clear the cape. When we got our bearings we MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 91 found that we were in fi[ty-eif our experience while "doubling the Horn," you can see that a sailor's life is not all sunshine. Cape Horn is a tei-ror to seamen, — thej'' must be constantly on the lookout for icebergs, the cut- water and bobstays; each a mass of ice threatening destruc- tion. It is not as pleasant as n good home on shore. At any time when the weather is (dear, aligh^a^Jll a dark cloud, called the "Magellan Clouds," are to be seen hanging over the Straits of Magellan. I am unable to explain the cause of this singular phenomenon. I recollnct that the officers had a theory in regard to it, but have forgotten what they said. Rows of penquins are seen sitting on the rocks, look- ing like soldiers arrayed for battle. If disturbed they dive under water. When we were in the latitude of the La Platte River we spoke a Dutch galleyot, outward bound from Buenas Ayres, with a cargo of hides and tallow. They told us that the United States and Mexico were at war, and that we would have to look out for privateers. But when we arriv- ed at Rio de Janeiro, we found it was a, mistake, as Mexico had neither navy nor privateers. After coming around Cape Horn we had strong winds; and as our ship was a good sailer by the wind, she was "wet" forward. Some vessels sail better with a free wind, owing to the peculiar model of the craft and the wny the sails are set. The fast sailing yessel is more liable to be what the sailor calls "a wet ship," because she throw^s the 92 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. sea and the wind blows the spra.y across the deck. Yon wil 1 hear a sailor ask these questions when shipping on a strange vessel: ''Is she wet?" "Is i^ a good sea boat?" "Does she steer wild?" 4 fore and after or sehooner will lie about four or live points off the ^^ind and make fair headway; a square rigged ship about seven points. I remember one night, it was after we were getting into better weather this side of the cape, — the wind was blowing fresh at eight o'clock in the evening when the starboard watch went below, leaving the first mate's watch, to which I belonged, until twelve, midnight. The wind increased, but the mate was a great man to carry sail, and would nev- er give the order to shorten sail until he was obliged to for fear the masts might be carried away. We would hojje to hear the order before the wind blew a gale, but as time passed and the wind increased we would rather he would "rag it to her" until the other watch was called, He would walk the quarter deck, casting his eyes aloft watching the sails, the men expecting every moment to hear the order: "Clew up topgallant sails!" But he would make his turn and back to the man at the wheel, while the old ship ploughed through the wayes at a great rate, the water foaming under her bows and throwing the spray onto the forecastle deck. The sea was making the hissing sound, so familiar to sailors, like throwing a brand of fire into water. It seemed as though the ship wanted to fly, and we were anxious to hear eight bells. We knew that Dexter, the second mate, was an old "granny," as sailors call a timid or weak-kneed man, and would have his watch shorten sail as soon as he came on deck. The old ship was knocking the billows right and left, when the man at the wheel struck eight be^ls, and was quickly ansvyered by the bell forward on the Samson's-post and the welcome sound for us: "Star- board watch, ahoy! Tumble up here, you sleepers, and l?t MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 93 the wind blow jour eyes open!" Then some old salt growl- ed out: "Why don't you shorten sail?" They knew by the noise and thumping of the sea and the laboring of the ship that we were "ragging it to her," as the sailor nails carry- ing sail heav^^ They knew how the first mate would carry sail, and said he did it to fayor liis watch. The other watch came on deck. We went below, stowed ourselves in- to our berths, laughing to ourselves because we anticipated that they would be ordered aloft immediately to shorten sail; and it was not long before we heard the order given: "Take in top gallant sails and haul down flying jib! Stow the sails snug so they will not blow out from under the gas- kets." Then we could notice a difference in the motion of the vessel She did not plunge or labor so h.ii'd. When we came on deck at four o'clock in the morning, the wind had abated and we soon had all sail on her agiiin and were speeding away for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There are several kinds of storms with which ships have to contend. The regular gale is not so bad as the mon- soon, that terrible periodical wind of the Indian Ocean; the typhoon of the Chinese seas; or the white squall common to tropical latitudes. The regular gale comes on gradually and the mariner is notified of its approach in time to shorten sail and make everything secure. The waves rise higher than in the fierce squall, but follow one after an- other in regular succession, less dangerous than the con- tending currents of wind and swirling waves of sudden storms. But one must experience a storm at sea to fully comprehend the terrible aspects and dangers of the situa- tion. The ship is battling for life against the wind and waves; the sea is awful in its wrath, and it seems every mo- ment that the sailor's home must surely be engulfed in a watery grave. The storm sails are close-reefed topsail and fore topmast 94 MY VOYxiGE AEOUND THE GLOBE. staysail, whether the ship be hove to, or scadding before the wind. So.n.^ ships cannot run before the wind because the masts would roll out of them. It is owing to the mo- del, or because the bearings are not sufficient to prevent rolling-, but they work all right when hove to. The typhoon, Chinese Tae-iun, is a very dangerous storm. Its sudden appearance and strong rotary motion often dismast a ship before there is time to prepare to meet it. Fortunately, these storms are of short duration, and as the wind blows the sea down the waves are not heavy. The white squall gives the shortest warning. It comes wdth terrible velocity, under a cloudless sky, but woe to the ship that lies in its path. We encountered one off the Bra- zil Banks. We were sailing along with a light breeze on our starboard quarter. A few light, fleecy clouds were in sight, but nothing that indicated a storm. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon and I was serving my trick at the wheel. The captain, walking the quarter deck, chanced to cast his eyes to windward and saw that the sea was white. He sang out: "Clew up and shorten sail as quick as possible!" To me he said: "Keep her off before the wind." But before we had time to make anj^ preparation, the mizzen topsail was gone and the topgallant sails and royals blew out of the bott ropes, and all was confusion in less time than it takes to tell the story. In twenty minutes it was dead calm, but we had work the rest of the day to clear the wreck. It seemed as though it would take the masts out of the ship. MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 95 THE WHITE SQUALL. The sea was bright,— the bark rode well,— The breeze bore the tone of the vesper bell. 'Twas a gallant bark, with a crew as brave As ever launched on the heaving wave. She shone in the li^ht of declining day — Each sail was set, and each heart was gay. She neared the land where beauty smiles,— The sunny shores of the Grecian Isles.— All thought of home, and that welcome dear Which soon should greet each wanderer's ear. In fancy they joined in the social throng,— In the festive dance— in the joyous song. A white cloud flies through the azure sky! What means that wild, despairing cry?— Farewell, vision scenes of home! — That cry is, "Help! help! help!" Where no help can come. — The white squall rides on the surging wave, And the bark is engulfed in an ocean grave! 96 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. We ran along the coast of Brazil to Rio de J.inBiro. The light house is situated on tiie port side as you eater the ba^', and is provided with a revolving double light— red und white The city is about eight miles up the bay. There are two ports,— one near the entrance and one at quarantine. It is a ianddoeked harbor roomy enough, to hold all the navies on the globe. Our captain wanted to get near th(» docks before we came to anchor, so we would not have to move again. He directed us to lay the cable along the decl<, and when they hailed us from the fort to Hit it with our hooks and let it clank dovva on deck, to make them believe we were hauling the cable. We were nearly opposite the fort when the order came: "Let go your 'ankra'!" That is the way the Port- ugese pronounced it. "Shake up the chains!" said the cap- tain. We were sailing right along, and the order, "Let go your 'ankra,'" was soon repeated, and emphasized a little later by the discharge of a blank cartridge. "Let go the anchor!" said the captain. Thao salute cost the ship two dollars. The inhabitants are of Portugese descent, and w^ere not a very interesting people at that time. We stayed there about four weeks,— painted the ship, received three thousand sacks of coffee and one hundred and seventy crates of oranges, and replenislied our supply oi water. The streets of the city a,re narrow, excepting the thoroughfares leading in from the country over which the coffee and other produce is hauled in. They were about a hundred years behind other nations in the way of improvements. The coffee was brought in sacks on carts so constructed that the axle turned with the wheels, and drawn by oxen, — a very primi- tive vehicle that made a fearful noise when in motion. The houses were low with tiled roofs, and devoid of beauty in architectural design. Negro slaves did all the heavy labor. MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. 97 One of the finest fountnins on the globe is situated in the palace square near the bay. The structure is square and is built of white marble, and the water is brought from the mountains. The water falls from four spouts, one on each side into a marble trough from whence the overflow runs into the bay. We had liberty days ashore. Our old cook had some deal with a grocer, owing him about three dollars and agreed to send him a keg of slush or grease that comes off the meat. He did not send it according to contract. The Portugese said it was a Yankee trick a ad that the cook could not soft soap him again. We told the cook, and he filled a keg with salt water soft soap and sent it to him. The grocer was mad and said he would fix the cook if he caught him on shore again. But he did not catch him. Sunday is the day of sport with the people. They in- dulge in cock fighting, displays of fireworks, etc., and show little respect for the Sabbath A.t last our cargo was all stowed away aad we were ready for sea. It was about the first of July that we sailed out of the harbor with a fair wind, homeward bound. The ship was soon breasting the waves of the broad Atlantic, and ready to battle with the storms once more. Rio de Janeiro is in about 24° south latitude, and we would soon be in the soutiieast trade winds that would waft us on until we reached the equatorial region of variable winds and fre- quent calms. A belt about fourteen degrees in width, seven on either side of the equator, called '"horse" latitude by sailors, is peculiar in this respect. A dead calm may con- tinue for a week or more, or light winds from every point of the compass may be experienced within an hour. Formerly, it was the general practice on shipboard to serve each man a ration of grog regularly every day; and usuallv, an additional allowance after extra work, such as 98 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE, reefing topsails, etc. Tliis practice lias been discontinued. The change is a wise reform and a blessing to sailors. I was returning from the theater one night in New York. It was after midnight. I heard some one speaking in a basement, and out of curiosity, I went down the steps and entered the room, where I found an old white-haired sea. captain deliv- ering a tempeT'ance lecture in true sailor style, to an audi- ence of fifteen or twenty old sailors. They listened atten- tively while he pictured the evils that result from the habit of drinking intoxicating liquors. After the lecture, every one of them made his mark after his name affixed to the pledge, and stated thnt heretofore they had never had a shot left in the locker after a bout in the grog shop, but that henceforth they wonld stow it away in a savings bank, and have something to help themselves with when thej^ finally came to anchor on shore. After crossing the equator we had a fine run as far as the Bermudas when we encountered some heavy rain squalls accompanfed by thunder and lightning, that gave us some trouble. We were now engaged in taking off the chafing gears and otherwise putting the ship in fine shape for enter- ing the harbor. We had some foggy days along our coast, when we would frequently hear the fog horns and meet small crafts. We hailed one, went on board of her and bought some water-melons and vegeta,bles. At the entrance to the bay we took a pilot and were soon at anchor in Boston harbor. It was the 19th day of August, 1847. As soon as we were alongside the dock, the boarding house sharks were after the sailors with their smiles and blarney, asking: "What house will you stop at? We have everything nice at the sailor's home. Have your morning tips before meals, good beds, and we will take your chests ashore." They take great interest in the MY VOYACrE AROUND THE GLOBE. 99 pallor's welfare, planning to bleed him of his last cent before he goes to sea again. You ^\ill see the sailor rolling along the sidewalk with his hands open as if to grasp a rope. He is ever ready to «hare his last dollar with his shipmates, and he Jiever passes a beggar without giving him a dime, at least. They had a friend in Father Taylor, who was devoted to their interests and welfare. He warned them to shun places of vi<'e, point- ed the way to the Sailor's Bethel, and invited them to come. There was not a place on the globe where he was unknown to sailors, and universally regarded as their best friend; and they brought him the relics and curiosities they gathered during their voyages. When we look at the hardships, sufferings and perils of the sailor's life, with its few enjoyments, let us remember with gratitude the service he renders to society. Consider that, through his courage and energy, we enjoy the many advantages of commerce, and the blessings of civilization and Christianity have been spread abroad. Therefore, let us hope that when he has made his last voyage and is bro- ken down by age and toil, he may find a sunny harbor secure from storms and trouble, where he may happily and tran- quillj' await the inevitable summons aloft. 1 00 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. CHAPTER X. THE mariner's LIFE.— ADVICE TO THE BOYS. Perhaps some of jou young: men have an inclination to become mariners. As I experienced something of the inside working of a sailor's life while sailing round our globe, I can give you a little advice: Never leave a good home to go to sea. There are plenty of rough boys in the large sea- ports, lounging about the docks and wharves who make good seamen. They are acquainted with sailors and ship- ping, and are better fitted for that kind of business. A voyage at sea is a good schooling for bad boys. I once heard of a boy by the name of James Packard who was in- dicted for petty larceny. He was allowed to choose be- tween going to prison or on board of a whale-ship. He chose the latter. His father told me some years later that James made a wise choice, as he became master of a ship, and a useful man. On the other hand if he had been sent to prison he might have become discouraged, thinking that everybody looked down on him, and ended by committing other crimes. It is not every man that will make a good sailor. He must be alert and active, — able to think and act at the same time. He must have his mind on his work, especially when aloft, for sometimes there is great danger and occa- sions that require quick work. I knew two voung men of Shawano, who wished to be- come sailors. I will not mention names. They went as far as Chicago and shipped on board of a sailing vessel. One day they undertook to go up aloft. One succeeded in climb- ing up about twenty-five feet, and the other about fifteen. :\[Y VOYAGE AROUXD THE GLOBE. 101 At this point the one in advance chanced to look down; he became giddj-headed and said to the oth^r: _"I don't be- lieve T will ever make a sailor. Let's go home to Shawano!" The other replied: "Have you got a good hold?" "Yes." And looking down at his shipmate, he found that he was hugging the rigging so close that he could hardly see him, and was gripping the shi-ouds so hard that the tar was ooz- ing out between his fingers. He said: "I am going home as soon as I can get loose." Number one replied: "Oh! you will make a. good sailor. A cyclone covild not blow you off the rigging." "Oh, come on, let 's go home!" They finally managed to- get loose and descend to the deck. They count- ed their ready money and found that they lacked about three dollars oi:' having money enough to pay their fare to Green Bay. Tliey succeeded in getting work at unloading lumbei- and posts from a vessel, and inadn up the deficiency-. At Green Bay, they took another invoice of their bank stock and found they had a balance of twenty cents in their favor. They c^ncbideMl to "spji.-e the main brace" and take the tow path to Shawano. When they arrived at Bonduel, they were tired and hun- gry and stopped at the house of a hospitable old farmer by the name of Stern, and asked for bread and milk. After eating heartily, one of them thrust his hand deep into his pocket as if to pull out a full purse, when, in fact, it did not contain one penny. The old man said it was all right, that he did not charge them anything. That relieved them, and they trudged on towards home. But they concluded to come into the city by the- pale light of the moon, for fear their shipmates at home would ask them what kind of a voyage they had made. They sneaked in hy way of the alleys, stowed themselves away in their berths to dream of the experience they had had of a sailor's life. Their minds 102 MY VOYAGE AEOUXD THE TiEOBE. wandered back to the rolling deep, and between .<=^nores one burst forth: "I am a little sailor boy. And would you i^now my wtoi-y? I've been across the ocean bbi(\ And seen it in its J2:lory. I've seen it on n snuimer's day. As gentle as a child; I've seen it in a, tempest. Like a giant hpi'ce and wild " '"'("h, stop that noise n.nd go to slee;)! You at-e no sail- or; you don't know a windlass froin an aiidjor." Shortly he dreamed again: "I've been in the ship When the waters were asleep, She seemed like a rock Ui-v steady place to kn^j^. I've been in the ship, When driven by a gale She plowed the foaming billows With her sad, riven sail." "Now, if yon don't stop that howling I will never go to sea with you again. Do you think we are on the raging- sea? We are in granny's bedi'oom. Now keep still. Yon will hear Mike Devlin call the morning watch pretty soon." If you try it, you will- find that the seamans life is fraught with hardship and danger. You will need lots of courage to make good sailors. Take my advice and stay on shore. I will endeavor tr> give you some idea of the inside work- ings of a sailors life. An American protection is a dofni- MY VOYAGE AROUXI) THE GLOBE. . 10-^ ment issued pursuant to the provisions of an act of Con- gress, pnssed for the relief and protection of Anierican sea- men. It bears the American eagle at the top, states 3'Our residence, name, a.ge, weight, height, color of hair and eves, complexion, etc. No sailor should neglect to obtain one before going to sea. It is invalual)le in case sickness, acci- dent, or anv difficulty befalls jou m a foreign land. Our government has a represent:] tive, called a consul, in every large se.-iport on the globe, and it is a part of his duty to relieve American seamen in distress, and settle differences between the men and officers of shipping. If a sailor has cause against an officer, he can make complaint to the con- sul and obtain redress. If sick, he will send yo-i to the hospital, nnd wIkmi you have recovered he will assist you in getting ;i iiorluT vessel. Every sailor is supposed to pny tv>'(^aty centiS per month out of his wages for the support of mnrinc liospitfiis. When you go on board of a ship that is r^nldy for sea, you are chosen by an officer and beeom;^ a member of his watch. The first mate heads the larboard watch, and the second mate the starboard, or Captain's watch. They are termed the starboard and larboard watches. Each watch has eight hours on deck, alternately, excepting the dog watches, as they are called, from four o'clock to six, and from six to eight p. m. This arrangement changes the time so that the same vv^^tch will not have to serve the sa-me hours every night. In the watches, each man serves a two hour trick at the wheel and two hours as lookout, succes- sively, in rotation. The regular routine of a sailor's life at sea is to trim, or shorten sail, as required, and keepeverythinginorderabout the ship. The dtjck is scrubbed every morning with a broom designed for that purpose. They have a stone with ropes attached, called a, holv stone. Two men draw it back and 104 MY VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE. forth. This process is called liolv stoning fche deck. A smaller stone, called a pra.yer book by sailers, is used where the large one cannot touch. As there is no soil, or dirt, everything is tidy and clean. Swabs ot ropej^arns are used to dry up the deck. They usually have plenty to do, wr>rking ship, making spun-yarn or marline, using the serving board, or mallet, and mending sails. There are what is termed running rigging, and standing rigging. The shrouds, baci