CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 GIFT OF 
 George H. Ssblae 
 
„„ Cornell University Library 
 
 PS 2384.05 1907 
 
 ^""'SSnS^.fi'&y.f 0* adventures in the So 
 
 3 1924 022 029 403 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tinis bool< is in 
 tfie Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022029403 
 
EVERYMAN'S LIBRARY 
 EDITED BY ERNEST RHYS 
 
 FICTION 
 
 OMOO 
 
 BY HERMANN MELVILLE 
 
THE PUBLISHERS OF €F£1{T3i:L/f3^'S 
 LlB'I{^i'l<J WILL BE PLEASED TO SEND 
 FREELY TO ALL APPLICANTS A LIST 
 OF THE PUBLISHED AND PROJECTED 
 VOLUMES TO BE COMPRISED UNDER 
 THE FOLLOWING TWELVE HEADINGS: 
 
 TRAVEL ^ SCIENCE ^ FICTION 
 
 THEOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY 
 
 HISTORY ^ CLASSICAL 
 
 FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 ESSAYS ^ ORATORY 
 
 POETRY & DRAMA 
 
 BIOGRAPHY 
 
 ROMANCE 
 
 IN TWO STYLES OF BINDING, CLOTH, 
 FLAT BACK, COLOURED TOP, AND 
 LEATHER, ROUND CORNERS, GILT TOP. 
 
 London : J. M. DENT & CO. 
 
 New York: E. P. BUTTON & CO. 
 
EDITOR'S NOTE 
 
 " Omoo " is so close a sequel to " Typee," that it 
 almost forms a part of that work. Hermann Melville's 
 second' book appeared in 1847, published (as its, fore- 
 runner had been the year before) simultaneously in 
 London and New York. In " Omoo," as Mr. Arthur 
 Stedman says — " We leave for the most part the dreamy 
 pictures of island life, and find ourselves sharing the 
 extremely realistic discomforts of a Sydney whaler in 
 the early forties.'' Both books are without a doubt 
 largely autobiographical, and based on the writer's 
 early sea-adventures, of which his voyage in the 
 " Acushnet " in 1841-2, was the most memorable. 
 
 Hermann Melville was born in New York, on August 
 I, 1 819, and came of mixed Dutch and English stock. 
 His father was a merchant, and died before the boy left 
 school, whose charge then devolved on an uncle, a well- 
 to-do farmer. But Hermann, wishing to be free, soon 
 declared a love for the sea, and made his first voyage 
 as a cabin-boy. After leaving the sea finally in 1842, 
 Melville lived first in New York, and then for many years 
 near Pittsville, where he had for a time Nathaniel 
 Hawthorne as his neighbour. For fuller particulars 
 of his career, see the introduction to the companion 
 volume of " Typee." He died in New York, on Septem- 
 ber 28, 1 89 1. The following is the list of his published 
 volumes: — E. R. 
 
 December, 1907 
 
 Typee: Narrative of a Four Months' Residence among the 
 Natives of a Valley of the Marquesas Islands, etc., 1846; 
 Omoo, a Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas, '1847; 
 Mardi, and a Voyage Thither, 1848; Redburn, his First 
 Voyage, 1848; White Jacket; or, The World in a Man of War, 
 1850; The Whale (or, Moby Dick), 1851; Pierre; or. The 
 Ambiquities, 1852; Israel Potter: his Fifty Years of Exile, 
 1855; The Piazza Tales, 1856; The Confidence Man, his 
 Masquerade, 1857; Battle Pieces and Aspects of the War, 
 1866; Clarel: a Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land, 1876. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Nowhere, perhaps, are the proverbial characteristics of 
 sailors shown under wilder aspects than in the South 
 Seas. For the most part, the vessels navigating those 
 remote waters are engaged in the Sperm Whale Fishery; 
 a business which is not only peculiarly fitted to attract 
 the most reckless seamen of all nations, but, in various 
 ways, is calculated to foster in them a spirit of the utmost 
 licence. These voyages, also, are unusually long and 
 perilous ; the only harbours accessible are among the bar- 
 barous or semi-civilized islands of Polynesia, or along the 
 lawless western coast of South America. Hence, scenes 
 the most novel, and not directly connected with the 
 business of whaling, frequently occur among the crews 
 of ships in the Pacific. 
 
 Without pretending to give any account of the whale- 
 fishery (for the scope of the narrative does not embrace 
 the subject), it is, partly, the object of this work to convey 
 some idea of the kind of life to which allusion is made by 
 means of a circumstantial history of adventures befalling 
 the author. 
 
 Another object proposed is to give a familiar account 
 of the present condition of the converted Polynesians, as 
 affected by their promiscuous intercourse with foreigners, 
 and the teachings of the missionaries, combined. 
 
 As a roving sailor, the author spent about three months 
 
X 
 
 Preface 
 
 in various parts of the islands of Tahiti and Imeeo, and 
 under circumstances most favourable for correct observa- 
 tions on the social condition of the natives. 
 
 In every statement connected with missionary opera- 
 tionSj a strict adherence to facts has, of course, been 
 scrupulously observed ; and in some instances it has even 
 been deemed advisable to quote previous voyagers, in 
 corroboration of what is offered as the fruit of the author's 
 own observations. Nothing but an earnest desire for 
 truth and good has led him to touch upon this subject at 
 all. And if he refrains from offering hints as to the best 
 mode of remedying the evils which are pointed out, it is 
 only because he thinks that, after being made acquainted 
 with the facts, others are better qualified to do so. 
 
 Should a little jocoseness be shown upon some curious 
 traits of the Tahitians, it proceeds from no intention to 
 ridicule : things are merely described as, from their entire 
 novelty, they first struck an unbiassed observer. 
 
 The present narrative necessarily begins where " Typee " 
 concludes, but has no further connection with the latter 
 work. All, therefore, necessary for the reader to under- 
 stand, who has not read " Typee," is given in a brief 
 introduction. 
 
 No journal was kept by the author during his wander- 
 ings in the South Seas; so that, in preparing the ensuing 
 chapters for the press, precision with respect to dates 
 would have been impossible; and every occurrence has 
 been put down from simple recollection. The frequency, 
 however, with which these incidents have been verbally 
 related, has tended to stamp them upon the memory. 
 
 Although it is believed that one or two imperfect Poly 
 
Preface xi 
 
 nesian vocabularies have been published, none of the 
 Tahitian dialect has as yet appeared. At any rate, the 
 author has had access to none whatever. In the use of 
 the native words, therefore, he has been mostly governed 
 by the bare recollection of sounds. 
 
 Upon several points connected with the history and 
 ancient customs of Tahiti, collateral information has been 
 obtained from the oldest books of South Sea voyages and 
 also from the " Polynesian Researches " oif Ellis. 
 
 The title of the work — Omoo — ^is .borrowed from the 
 dialect of the Marquesas Islands, where, among other 
 uses, the word signifies a rover, or rather a person wander- 
 ing from one island to another, like some of the natives, 
 known among their countrymen as " Taboo kannakers." 
 
 In no respect does the author make pretensions to 
 philosophic research. In a familiar way, he has merely 
 described what he has seen; and if reflections are occa- 
 sionally indulged in, they are spontaneous, and such as 
 would, very probably, suggest themselves to the most 
 casual observer. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 chapter page 
 
 Introduction ...... i 
 
 I. My Reception Aboard .... 2 
 
 II. Some Account of the Ship . . 6 
 
 III. Further Account of the Julia . 
 
 IV. A Scene in the Forecastle ... 14. 
 V. What happened at Hytyhoo . . .18 
 
 VI. We touch at La Dominica .... 22 
 
 VII. What happened at Hannamanoo . . 25 
 
 VIII. The Tattooers of La Dominica ... 29 
 IX. We steer to the Westward — State of 
 Affairs ...... 
 
 X. A Sea-parlour described, with some of its 
 
 Tenants ...... 
 
 XI. Doctor Long Ghost a Wag — One of his 
 Capers ...... 
 
 XII. Death and Burial of Two, of the Crew 
 
 XIII. Our Destination changed . 
 
 XIV. Rope Yarn 
 
 XV. Chips and Bungs ..... 
 
 XVI. We encounter a Gale 
 XVII. The Coral Islands .... 
 
 XVIII. Tahiti 
 
 XIX. A Surprise — More about Bembo . 
 XX. The Round Robin — Visitors from Shore 
 XXI. Proceedings of the Consul 
 XXII. The Consul's Departure 
 
 XXIII. The Second Night off Pafeetee 
 
 XXIV. Outbreak of the Crew 
 XXV. Jermin encounters an old Shipmate . 
 
 XXVI. We enter the Harbour — Jim the Pilot 
 xji 
 
 32 
 37 
 
 41 
 44 
 5c 
 52 
 St 
 5S 
 61 
 6€ 
 6g 
 75 
 8c 
 86 
 
 8a 
 94 
 95 
 
 IOC 
 
L;ontents xiii 
 
 CHAPTEil PAGE 
 
 XXVII. A Glance at Papeetee — We are sent aboard 
 
 THE Frigate ...... 105 
 
 XXVIII. Reception from the Frenchman . . .110 
 
 XXIX. The Reine Blanche .... 112. 
 
 XXX. They take Us Ashore — What happened 
 there . . . . . ' . 
 
 XXXI. The Calabooza Beretanee . 
 XXXII. Proceedings of the French at Tahiti 
 
 XXXIII. We receive Calls at the Hotel de Calabooza 
 
 XXXIV. Life at the Calabooza 
 XXXV. Visit from an old Acquaintance 
 
 XXXVI. We are carried before the Consul and 
 Captain ...... 
 
 XXXVII. The French Priests fay their Respects 
 XXXVIII. Little Jule sails without Us 
 XXXIX. Jermin serves Us a Good Turn — Friendships 
 IN Polynesia ..... 
 
 XL. We take unto Ourselves Friends 
 XLI. We levy Contributions on the Shipping 
 XLII. Motoo-Otoo — A Tahitian Casuist 
 XLIII. One is judged by the Company He keeps 
 XLIV. Cathedral of Papoar — The Church of the 
 Cocoa-nuts ..... 
 
 XLV. A Missionary's Sermon; with ^kM^ Re- 
 flections ...... 
 
 XLVI. Something about the Kannakippers . 
 XLVII. How They dress in Tahiti . 
 
 XLVIII. Tahiti as it is 
 
 XLIX. SaMe Subject continued 
 
 L. Something happens to Long Ghost 
 LI. Wilson gives Us the Cut — Departure for 
 
 Imeeo 
 
 LII. The Valley of Martair 
 LIII. Farming in Polynesia .... 
 
 LIV. Some Account of the Wild Cattle in Poly- 
 nesia ...... 
 
 LV. A Hunting Ramble with Zeke 
 LVI. Mosquitoes ...... 
 
 LVII. The Second Hunt in the Mountains . 
 
XIV Contents 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 LVIII. The Hunting- Feast; and a Visit to Afrehito 230 
 
 LIX. The Murphies 233 
 
 LX. What They thought of Us in Martair . 237 
 
 LXI. Preparing for the Journey . . . 241 
 
 LXII. Tamai . . 244 
 
 LXIII. A Dance in the Valley . . 247 
 
 LXIV. Mysterious ...... . 250 
 
 LXV. The Hegira, or Flight . . . 252 
 
 LXVI. How We were to get to Taloo . . 257 
 
 LXVII. The Journey round the Beach . 260 
 
 LXVin. A Dinner-Party in Imeeo . . . 266 
 
 LXIX. The Cocoa-Palm ...... 270 
 
 LXX. Life at Loohooloo . . . . 275 
 
 LXXI. We start for Taloo ..... 278 
 
 LXXII. A Dealer in the Contraband . . 282 
 
 LXXin. Our Reception in Partoowye . . . 287 
 LXXIV. Retiring for the Night — The Doctor grows 
 
 Devout ....... 292 
 
 LXXV. A Ramble through the Settlement . . 295 
 
 LXXVI. An Island Jilt — We visit the Ship . 299 
 LXXVII. A Party of Rovers — Little Loo and the 
 
 Doctor . . ... 303 
 
 LXXVIII. Mrs. Bell . 307 
 
 LXXIX. Taloo Chapel — Holding Court in Polynesia 309 
 
 LXXX. Queen Pomaree ...... 314 
 
 LXXXL We visit the Court . . ' . . . 319 
 
 LXXXII. Which ends the Book .... 324 
 
OMOO: 
 
 ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH SEAS 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 In the summer of 1842, the author of this narrative^ as a 
 sailor before the mastj visited the Marquesas Islands in an 
 American South Seaman. At the island of Nukuheva he 
 left his vessel, which afterward sailed without him. Wan- 
 dering in the interior, he came upon the valley of Typee, 
 inhabited by a primitive tribe of savages, from which 
 valley a fellow-sailor who accompanied him soon after- 
 ward effected his escape. The author, however, was de- 
 tained in an indulgent captivity for about the space of 
 four months ; at the end of which period, he escaped in a 
 boat which visited the bay. 
 
 This boat belonged to a vessel in need of men, which had 
 recently touched at a neighbouring harbour of the same 
 island, where the captain had been informed of the author's 
 detention in Typee. Desirous of adding to his crew, he 
 sailed round thither, and " hove to " off the mouth of the 
 bay. As the Typees were considered hostile, the boat, 
 manned by " Taboo " natives from the other harbour, Vas 
 then sent in, with an interpreter at thei^. head, to procure 
 the author's -release. This was finally accomplished, 
 though not without peril to all concerned. At the time 
 of his escape, the author was suffering severely from 
 lameness. 
 
 The boat having gained the open sea, the ship appeared 
 in the distance. Here the present narrative opens. 
 
PART I 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 MY RECEPTION ABOARD 
 
 It was the middle of a bright tropical afternoon that we 
 made good our escape from the bay. The vessel we 
 sought lay with her main-topsail aback about a league 
 from the land, and was the only object that broke the 
 broad expanse of the ocean. 
 
 On approaching, she turned out to be a small, slatternly- 
 looking craft, her hull and spars a dingy black, rigging all 
 slack and bleached nearly white, and everything denoting 
 an ill state of affairs aboard. The four boats hanging from 
 her sides proclaimed her a whaler. Leaning carelessly 
 over the bulwarks were the sailors, wild, haggard-looking 
 fellows in Scotch caps and faded blue frocks; some of 
 them with cheeks of a mottled bronze, to which sickness 
 soon changes the rich berry-brown of a seaman's com- 
 plexion in the tropics. 
 
 On the quarter-deck was one whom I took for the chief 
 mate. He wore a broad-brimmed Panama hat, and his 
 spy-glass was levelled as we advanced. 
 
 When we came alongside, a low cry ran fore and aft the 
 deck, and everybody gazed at us with inquiring eyes. 
 And well they might. To say nothing of the savage boat's 
 crew, panting with excitement, all gesture and vociferation, 
 my own appearance was calculated to excite curiosity. A 
 robe of the native cloth was thrown over my shoulders, my 
 hair and beard were uncut, and I betrayed other evidences 
 of my recent adventure. Immediately on gaining the 
 deck, they beset me on all sides with questions, the half of 
 which I could not answer, so incessantly were they put. 
 
 As an instance of the curious coincidences which often 
 befall the sailor, I must here mention that two counten- 
 ances before me were familiar. One was that of an old 
 man-of-war's-man, whose acquaintance I had made in Rio 
 
 2 
 
My Reception Aboard 3 
 
 de Janeiro, at which place touched the ship in which I 
 sailed from home. The other was a young man, whom, 
 four years previous, I had frequently met in a sailor board- 
 ing-house in Liverpool. I remembered parting with him 
 at Prince's Dock Gates, in the midst of a swarm of police- 
 officers, truckmen, stevedores, beggars, and the like. And 
 here we were again: — ^years had rolled by, many a league 
 of ocean had been traversed, and we were thrown together 
 under circumstances which almost made me doubt my 
 own existence. 
 
 But a few moments passed ere I was sent for into the 
 cabin by the captain. 
 
 He was quite a young man, pale and slender, more like a 
 sickly counting-house clerk than a bluff sea-captain. Bid- 
 ding me be seated, he ordered the steward to hand me a 
 glass of Pisco.^ In the state I was, this stimulus almost 
 made me delirious ; so that of all I then went on to relate 
 concerning my residence on the island I can scarcely re- 
 member a word. After this I was asked whether I desired 
 to " ship " ; of course I said yes ; that is, if he would allow 
 me to enter for one cruise, engaging to discharge me, if I 
 so desired, at the next port. In this way men are fre- 
 quently shipped on board whalemen in the South Seas. 
 My stipulation was acceded to, and the ship's articles 
 handed me to sign. 
 
 The mate was now called below, and charged to make a 
 " well man " of me; not, let it be borne in mind, that the 
 captain felt any great compassion for me, he only desired 
 to have the benefit of my services as soon as possible. 
 
 Helping me on deck, the mate stretched me out on the 
 windlass and commenced examining my limb; and then 
 doctoring it after a fashion with something from the medi- 
 cine-chest, rolled it up in a piece of an old sail, making so 
 big a bundle that, with my feet resting on the windlass, 
 I might have been taken for a sailor with the gout. While 
 this was going on, someone removing my tappa cloak 
 
 1 This spirituous liquor derives its name from a considerable town 
 in Peru, where it is manufactured in large quantities. It is well 
 known along the whole western coast of South America, whence 
 some of it has been exported to Australia. It is very cheap. 
 
4 Omoo 
 
 slipped on a blue frock in its place; and anotherj actuated 
 by the same desire to make a civilized mortal of me, 
 flourished about my head a great pair of sheepshears, to 
 the imminent jeopardy of both ears, and the certain de- 
 struction of hair and beard. 
 
 The day was now drawing to a close, and, as the land 
 faded from my sight, I was all alive to the change in my 
 condition. But how far short of our expectations is 
 oftentimes the fulfilment of the most ardent hopes. Safe 
 aboard of a ship — so long my earnest prayer — ^with home 
 and friends once more in prospect, I nevertheless felt 
 weighed down by a melancholy that could not be shaken 
 off. It was the thought of never more seeing those who, 
 notwithstanding their desire to retain me a captive, had, 
 upon the whole, treated me so kindly. I was leaving 
 them for ever. 
 
 So unforeseen and sudden had been my escape, so ex- 
 cited had I been through it all, and so great the contrast 
 between the luxurious repose of the valley, and the wild 
 noise and motion of a ship at sea, that at times my recent 
 adventures had all the strangeness of a dream; and I 
 could scarcely believe that the same sun now setting over 
 a waste of waters, had that very morning risen above the 
 mountains and peered in upon me as I lay on my mat in 
 Typee. 
 
 Going below into the forecastle just after dark, I was in- 
 ducted into a wretched " bunk " or sleeping-box built over 
 another. The rickety bottoms of both were spread with 
 several pieces of a blanket. A battered tin can was then 
 handed me, containing about half a pint of " tea " — sO' 
 called by courtesy, though whether the juice of such stalks 
 as one finds floating therein deserves that title, is a matter 
 all shipowners must settle with their consciences. A cube 
 of salt beef, on a hard round biscuit by way of platter, 
 was also handed up; and without more ado, I made a 
 meal, the salt flavour of which, after the Nebuchadnezzar 
 fare of the valley, was positively delicious. 
 
 While thus engaged, an old sailor on a chest just under 
 me was puffing out volumes of tobacco smoke. My supper 
 finished, he brushed the stem of his sooty pipe against the 
 
My Reception Aboard 5 
 
 sleeve of his frock, and politely waved it toward me. The 
 attention was sailor-like; as for the nicety of the thing, no 
 man who has lived in forecastles is at all fastidious; and 
 so, after a few vigorous whiffs to induce repose, I turned 
 over and tried my best to forget myself. But in vain. 
 My crib, instead of extending fore and aft, as it should 
 have done, was placed athwartships, that is, at right 
 angles to the keel; and the vessel, going before the wind, 
 rolled to such a degree, that every time my heels went up 
 and my head went down, I thought I was on the point of 
 turning a somerset. Beside this, there were still more 
 annoying causes of inquietude; and every once in a while 
 a splash of water came down the open scuttle, and flung 
 the spray in my face. 
 
 At last, after a sleepless night, broken twice by the mer- 
 ciless call of the watch, a peep of daylight struggled into 
 view from above, and someone came below. It was my 
 old friend with the pipe. 
 
 " Here, shipmate," said I, " help me out of this place, 
 and let me go on deck." 
 
 " Halloa, who's that croaking? " was the rejoinder, as 
 he peered into the obscurity where I lay. " Ay, Typee, 
 my king of the cannibals, is it you ! But I say, my lad, 
 how's that spar of your'n? the mate says it's in a devil of 
 a way; and last night set the steward to sharpening the 
 handsaw: hope he won't have the carving of ye." 
 
 Long before daylight we arrived off the bay of Nuku- 
 heva, and making short tacks until morning, we then ran 
 in and sent a boat ashore with the natives who had brought 
 me to the ship. Upon its return, we made sail again, and 
 stood off from the land. There was a fine breeze; and 
 notwithstanding my bad night's rest, the cool, fresh air of 
 a morning at sea was so bracing, that, as soon as I breathed 
 it, my spirits rose at once. 
 
 Seated upon the windlass the greater portion of the day, 
 and chatting freely with the men, I learned the history of 
 the voyage thus far, and everything respecting the ship 
 and its present condition. 
 
 These matters I will now throw together in the next 
 chapter. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE SHIP 
 
 First and foremost, I must give some account of the 
 Julia herself; or " Little Jule/' as the sailors familiarly 
 styled her. 
 
 She was a small barque of a beautiful model, something 
 more than two hundred tons, Yankee-built and very old. 
 Fitted for a privateer out of a New England port during 
 the war of 1812, she had been captured at sea by a British 
 cruiser, and, after seeing all sorts of service, was at last 
 employed as a government packet in the Australian seas. 
 Being condemned, however, about two years previous, she 
 was purchased at auction by a house in Sydney, who, 
 after some slight repairs, dispatched her on the present 
 voyage. 
 
 Notwithstanding the repairs, she was still in a miserable 
 plight. The lower masts were said to be unsound; the 
 standing rigging was much worn; and, in some places, 
 even the bulwarks were quite rotten. Still, she was toler- 
 ably tight, and but little more than the ordinary pumping 
 of a morning served to keep her free. 
 
 But all this had nothing to do with her sailing; at that, 
 brave Little Jule, plump Little Jule, was a witch. Blow 
 high, or blow low, she was always ready for the breeze; 
 and when she dashed the waves from her prow, and 
 pranced, and pawed the sea, you never thought of her 
 patched sails and blistered hull. How the fleet creature 
 would fly before the wind! rolling, now and then, to be 
 sure, but in very playfulness. Sailing to windward, no 
 gale could bow her over: with spars erect, she looked 
 right up into the wind's eye, and so she went. 
 
 But after all. Little Jule was not to be confided in. 
 Lively enough, and playful she was, but on that very ac- 
 
 6 
 
Some Account ot the Ship 7 
 
 count the more to be distrusted. Who knew, but that 
 like some vivacious old mortal all at once sinking into a 
 decline, she might, some dark night, spring a leak and 
 carry us all to the bottom. However, she played us no 
 such ugly trick, and therefore, I wrong Little Jule in sup- 
 posing it. 
 
 She had a free roving commission. According to her 
 papers she might go whither she pleased — ^whaling, sealing, 
 or anything else. Sperm whaling, however, was what she 
 relied upon; though, as yet, only two fish had been 
 brought alongside. 
 
 The day they sailed out of Sydney Heads, the ship's 
 company, all told, numbered some thirty- two souls; now, 
 they mustered about twenty; the rest had deserted. 
 Even the three junior mates who had headed the whale- 
 boats were gone: and of the four harpooners, only one 
 was left, a wild New Zealander, or " Mowree," as his 
 countrymen are more commonly called in the Pacific. 
 But this was not all. More than half the seamen remain- 
 ing were more or less unwell from a long sojourn in a dissi- 
 pated port; some of them wholly unfit for duty, one or 
 two dangerously ill, and the rest managing to stand their 
 watch though they could do but little. 
 
 The captain was a young cockney, who, a few years 
 before, had emigrated to Australia, and, by some favourit- 
 ism or other, had procured the command of the vessel, 
 though in no wise competent. He was essentially a lands- 
 man, and though a man of education, no more meant for 
 the sea than a hairdresser. Hence everybody made fun 
 of him. They called him "The Cabin Boy," "Paper 
 Jack," and half a dozen other undignified names. In 
 truth, the men made no secret of the derision in which 
 they held him ; and as for the slender gentleman himself, 
 he knew it all very well, and bore himself with becoming 
 meekness. Holding as little intercourse with them as 
 possible, he left everything to the chief mate, who, as the 
 story went, had been given his captain in charge. Yet, 
 despite his apparent unobtrusiveness, the silent captain 
 had more to do with the men than they thought. In 
 short, although one of your sheepish-looking fellows, he 
 
8 Omoo 
 
 had a sort of still, timid cunning, which no one would have 
 suspected, and which, for that very reason, was all the 
 more active. So the bluff mate, who always thought he 
 did what he pleased, was occasionally made a tool of; and 
 some obnoxious measures which he carried out, in spite of 
 all growlings, were little thought to originate with the 
 dapper little fellow in nankeen jacket and white canvas 
 pumps. But, to all appearance, at least, the mate had 
 everything liis own way ; indeed, in most things this was 
 actually the case; and it was quite plain that the captain 
 stood in awe of him. 
 
 So far as courage, seamanship, and a natural aptitude 
 for keeping riotous spirits in subjection were concerned, 
 no man was better qualified for his vocation than John 
 Jermin. He was the very beau-ideal of the efficient race 
 of short, thick-set men. His hair curled in little rings of 
 iron gray all over his round, bullet head. As for his coun- 
 tenance, it was strongly marked, deeply pitted with the 
 small-pox. For the rest, there was a fierce little squint 
 out of one eye; the nose had a rakish twist to one side; 
 while his large mouth, and great white teeth, looked ab- 
 solutely sharkish when he laughed. In a word, no one, 
 after getting a fair look at him, would ever think of im- 
 proving the shape of his nose, wanting in symmetry as it 
 was. Notwithstanding his pugnacious looks, however, 
 Jermin had a heart as big as a bullock's; that you saw at 
 a glance. 
 
 Such was our mate; but he had one failing : he abhorred 
 all weak infusions, and cleaved manfully to strong drink. 
 At all times he was more or less under the influence of it. 
 Taken in moderate quantities, I beheve, in my soul, it did 
 a man Uke him good ; brightened his eyes, swept the cob- 
 webs out of his brain, and regulated his pulse. But the 
 worst of it was, that sometimes he drank too much, and a 
 more obstreperous fellow than Jermin in his cups, you 
 seldom came across. He was always for having a fight; 
 but the very men he flogged loved him as a brother, for 
 he had such an irresistibly good-natured way of knocking 
 them down, that no one could find it in his heart to bear 
 malice against him. So much for stout little Jermin. 
 
Some Account of the Ship 9 
 
 All English whaleman are bound by law to carry a physi- 
 cian, who, of comse, is rated a gentleman, and lives in the 
 cabin, with nothing but his professional duties to attend 
 to; but incidentally he drinks " flip " and plays cards 
 with the captain. There was such a worthy aboard of the 
 Julia; but, curious to tell, he lived in the forecastle with 
 the men. And this was the way it happened. 
 
 In the early part of the voyage the doctor and the cap- 
 tain lived together as pleasantly as could be. To say 
 nothing of many a can they drank over the cabin transom, 
 both of them had read books, and one of them had 
 travelled; so their stories never flagged. But once on a 
 time they got into a dispute about politics, and the doctor, 
 moreover, getting into a rage, drove home an argument 
 with his fist, and left the captain on the floor literally 
 silenced. This was carrying it with a high hand; so he 
 was shut up in his state-room for ten days, and left/to 
 meditate on bread and water, and the impropriety of fly- 
 ing into a passion. Smarting under his disgrace, he under- 
 took, a short time after his liberation, to leave the vessel 
 clandestinely at one of the islands, but "was brought back 
 ignominiously, and again shut up. Being set at large for 
 the second time, he vowed he would not live any longer 
 with the captain, and went forward with his chests among 
 the sailors, where he was received with open arms as a 
 good fellow and an injured man. 
 
 I must give some further account of him, for he figures 
 largely in the narrative. His early history, like that of 
 many other heroes, was enveloped in the profoundest ob- 
 scurity ; though he threw out hints of a patrimonial estate, 
 a nabob uncle, and an unfortunate affair which sent him 
 a-roving. All that was known, however, was this. He 
 had gone out to Sydney as assistant-surgeon of an emi- 
 grant ship. On his arrival there, he went back into the 
 country, and after a few months' wanderings, returned to 
 Sydney penniless, and entered as doctor aboard of the 
 Julia. 
 
 His personal appearance was remarkable. He was over 
 six feet high — a tower of bones, with a complexion abso- 
 lutely colourless, fair hair, and a light unscrupulous gray 
 
lo Omoo 
 
 eye, twinkKng occasionally at the very devil of mischief, 
 ./toong the crew, he went by the name of the Long Doctor, 
 or more frequently still, Doctor Long Ghost. And from 
 whatever high estate Doctor Long Ghost inight have 
 fallen, he had certainly at some time or other spent money, 
 drunk Burgundy, and associated with gentlemen. 
 
 As for his learning, he quoted Virgil, and talked of 
 Hobbes of Malmsbury, beside repeating poetry by the 
 canto, especially Hudibras. He was, moreover, a man 
 who had seen the world. In the easiest way imaginable, 
 he could refer to an amour he had in Palermo, his Kon- 
 hunting before breakfast among the CafEres, and the 
 quahty of the coffee to be drunk in Muscat; and about 
 these places, and a hundred others, he had more anecdotes 
 than I can tell of. Then such mellow old songs as he sang, 
 in a voice so round and racy, the real juice of sound. 
 How such notes came forth from his lank body was a 
 constant marvel. 
 
 Upon the whole. Long Ghost was as entertaining a com- 
 panion as one could wish; and to me in the Julia, an 
 absolute godsend. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE JULIA 
 
 Owing to the absence of anything like regular discipline, 
 the vessel was in a state of the greatest uproar. The cap- 
 tain, having for some time past been more or less confined 
 to the cabin from sickness, was seldom seen. The mate, 
 however, was as hearty as a young lion, and ran about 
 the decks making himself heard at all hours. Bembo, the 
 New Zealand harpooner, held little intercourse with any- 
 body but the mate, who could talk to him freely in his 
 own lingo. Part of his time he spent out on the bowsprit, 
 fishing for albicores with a bone hook; and occasionally 
 he waked all hands up of a dark night dancing some can- 
 nibal fandango all by himself on the forecastle. But, upon 
 the whole, he was remarkably quiet, though something in 
 his eye showed he was far from being harmless. 
 
 Doctor Long Ghost, having sent in a written resignation 
 as the ship's doctor, gave himself out as a passenger for 
 Sydney, and took the world quite easy. As for the crew, 
 those who were sick seemed marvellously contented for 
 men in their condition; and the rest, not displeased with 
 the general licence, gave themselves little thought of the 
 morrow. 
 
 The Julia's provisions were very poor. When opened, 
 the barrels of pork looked as if preserved in iron rust, and 
 diffused an odour like a stale ragout. The beef was worse 
 yet; a mahogany-coloured fibrous substance, so tough and 
 tasteless, that I almost believed the cook's story of a 
 horse's hoof with the shoe on having been fished up out of 
 the pickle of one of the casks. Nor was the biscuit much 
 better; nearly all of it was broken into hard, little gun- 
 flints, honeycombed through and through, as if the worms 
 usually infesting this article in long tropical voyages had, 
 II 
 
1 2 Omoo 
 
 in boring after nutriment, come out at the antipodes with- 
 out finding anything. 
 
 Of what sailors call " small stores," we had but little. 
 " Tea," however, we had in abundance; though, I dare 
 say, the Hong merchants never had the shipping of it. 
 Beside this, every other day we had what Enghsh seamen 
 call " shot soup " — great round peas, polishing themselves 
 like pebbles by rolling about in tepid water. 
 
 It was afterward told me, that all our provisions had 
 been purchased by the owners at an auction sale of con- 
 demned navy stores in Sydney. 
 
 But notwithstanding the wateriness of the first course of 
 soup, and the saline flavour of the beef and pork, a sailor 
 might have made a satisfactory meal aboard of the Julia 
 had there been any side dishes — a potato or two, a yam, 
 or a pla^Wn. But there was nothing of the kind. Still, 
 there was something else, which, in the estimation of the 
 men, made up for all deficiencies ; and that was the regular 
 allowance of Pisco. 
 
 It may seem strange that in such a state of afiairs the 
 captain should be willing to keep the sea with his ship. 
 But the truth was, that by lying in harbour, he ran the 
 risk of losing the remainder of his men by desertion; and 
 as it was, he still feared that, in some outlandish bay or 
 other, he might one day find his anchor down, and no crew 
 to weigh it. 
 
 With judicious officers the most unruly seamen can at 
 sea be kept in some sort of subjection; but once get them 
 within a cable's length of the land, and it is hard restrain- 
 ing them. It is for this reason that many South Sea 
 whalemen do not come to anchor for eighteen or twenty 
 months on a stretch. When fresh provisions are needed, 
 they run for the nearest land — heave to eight or ten miles 
 off, and send a boat ashore to trade. The crews manning 
 vessels like these are for the most part villains of all 
 nations and dyes; picked up in the lawless ports of the 
 SpEinish Main, and among the savages of the islands. 
 Like galley-slaves, they are only to be governed by 
 acourges and chains. Their officers go among them with 
 dirk and pistol — concealed, but ready at a grasp. 
 
Further Account of the Julia 1 3 
 
 Not a few of our own crew were men of this stamp; but, 
 riotous at times as they were, the bluff drunken energies of 
 Jermin were just the thing to hold them in some sort of 
 noisy subjection. Upon an emergency, he flew in among 
 them, showering his kicks and cuffs right and left, and 
 " creating a sensation " in every direction. And as 
 hinted before, they bore this knock-down authority with 
 great good-humour. A sober, discreet, dignified officer 
 could have done nothing with them; such a set would 
 have thrown him and his dignity overboard. 
 
 Matters being thus, there was nothing for the ship but 
 to keep the sea. Nor was the captain without hope that 
 the invalid portion of his crew, as well as himself, would 
 soon recover; and then there was no telling what luck in 
 the fishery might yet be in store for us. At any rate, at 
 the time of my coming aboard, the report was, that Cap- 
 tain Guy was resolved upon retrieving the past, and filling 
 the vessel with oil in the shortest space possible. 
 
 With this intention, we were now shaping our course for 
 Hytyhoo, a village on the island of St. Christina — one of 
 the Marquesas, and so named by Mendanna — ^for the pur- 
 pose of obtaining eight seamen, who, some weeks before, 
 had stepped ashore there from the Julia. It was sup- 
 posed that, by this time, they must have recreated them- 
 selves sufficiently, and would be glad to return to their 
 duty. 
 
 So to Hytyhoo, with all our canvas spread, and coquet- 
 ting with the warm, breezy Trades, we bowled along; 
 gliding up and down the long, slow swells, the bonettas 
 and albicores frolicking round us. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 A SCENE IN THE FORECASTLE 
 
 I HAD scarcely been aboard of the ship twenty-four hours, 
 when a circumstance occurred, which, although noways 
 picturesque, is so significant of the state of affairs that I 
 cannot forbear relating^ it. 
 
 In the first place, however, it must be known, that 
 among the crew was a man so excessively ugly, that he 
 went by the ironical appellation of " Beauty." He was 
 the ship's carpenter; and for that reason was sometimes 
 known by his nautical cognomen of " Chips." There was 
 no absolute deformity about the man ; he was symmetri- 
 cally ugly. But ill favoured as he was in person. Beauty 
 -was none the less ugly in temper; but no one could blame 
 him; his countenance had soured his heart. Now Jermin 
 and Beauty were always at sword's points. The truth 
 was, the latter was the only man in the ship whom the 
 mate had never decidedly got the better of; and hence 
 the grudge he bore him. As for Beauty, he prided him- 
 self upon talking up to the mate, as we shall soon see. 
 
 Toward evening there was something to be done on deck, 
 and the carpenter who belonged to the watch was missing. 
 " Where's that skulk. Chips? " shouted Jermin down the 
 forecastle scuttle. 
 
 " Taking his ease, d'ye see, down here on a chest, if you 
 want to know," replied that worthy himself, quietly with- 
 drawing his pipe from his mouth. This insolence flung 
 the fiery little mate into a mighty rage; but Beauty said 
 nothing, puffing away with all the tranquillity imaginable. 
 Here it must be remembered that, never mind what may 
 he the provocation, no prudent officer ever dreams of 
 entering a ship's forecastle on a hostile visit. If he wants 
 to see anybody who happens to be there, and refuses to 
 14 
 
A Scene in the Forecastle 1 5 
 
 come up, why he must wait patiently until the sailor is 
 willing. The reason is this. The place is very dark: and 
 nothing is easier than to knock one descending on the head, 
 before he knows where he is, and a very long while before 
 he ever finds out who did it. 
 
 Nobody knew this better than Jermin, and so he con- 
 tented himself with looking down the scuttle and storm- 
 ing. At last Beauty made some cool observation which 
 set him half wild. 
 
 " Tumble on deck," he then bellowed — " come, up with 
 you, or I'll jump down and make you." The carpenter 
 begged him to go about it at once. 
 
 No sooner said than done: prudence forgotten, Jermin 
 was there ; and by a sort of instinct, had his man by the 
 throat before he could well see him. One of the men now 
 made a rush at him, but the rest dragged him off, protests 
 ing that they should have fair play. 
 
 " Now come on deck,"' shouted the mate, struggling like 
 a good fellow to hold the carpenter fast. 
 
 " Take me there," was the dogged answer, and Beauty 
 wriggled about in the nervous grasp of the other like a 
 couple of yards of boa-constrictor. 
 
 His assailant now undertook to make him up into' a 
 compact bundle, the more easily to transport him. While 
 thus occupied, Beauty got his arms loose, and threw him 
 over backward. But Jermin quickly recovered himself, 
 when for a time they had it every way, dragging each 
 other about, bumping their heads against the projecting 
 beams, and returning each other's blows the first favour- 
 able opportunity that offered. Unfortunately, Jermin at 
 last slipped and fell; his foe seating himself on his chest, 
 and keeping him down. Now this was one of those situa- 
 tions in which the voice of counsel, or reproof, comes 
 with peculiar unction. Nor did Beauty let the oppor- 
 tunity slip. But the mate said nothing in reply, only 
 foaming at the mouth and struggling to rise. 
 
 Just then a thin tremor of a yalce was heard from above. 
 It was the captain; who, happening to ascend to the 
 quarter-deck at the commencement of the scuffle, would 
 gladly have returned to the cabin, but was prevented by 
 
1 6 Omoo 
 
 the fear of ridicule. As the din increased, and it became 
 evident that his officer was in serious trouble, he thought 
 it would never do to stand leaning over the bulwarks, so 
 he made his appearance on the forecastle, resolved, as his 
 best policy, to treat the matter lightly. 
 
 " Why, why," he begun, speaking pettishly, and very 
 fast, " what's all this about? — ^Mr. Jermin, Mr. Jermin — 
 carpenter, carpenter; what are you doing down there? 
 Come on deck; come on deck." 
 
 Whereupon Doctor Long Ghost cries out in a squeak, 
 "Ah! Miss Guy, is that you? Now, my dear, go right 
 home, or you'll get hurt." 
 
 " Pooh, pooh ! you, sir, whoever you are, I was not 
 speaking to you; none of your nonsense. Mr. Jermin, I 
 was talking to you; have the kindness to come on deck, 
 sir; I want to see you." 
 
 " And how, in the devil's name, am I to get there? " 
 cried the mate, furiously. " Jump down here. Captain 
 Guy, and show yourself a man. Let me up, you Chips! 
 unhand me, I say ! Oh ! I'll pay you for this, some day ! 
 Come on. Captain Guy! " 
 
 At this appeal, the poor man was seized with a perfect 
 spasm of fidgets. " Pooh, pooh, carpenter; have done 
 with your nonsense! Let him up, sir; let him up! Do 
 you hear? Let Mr. Jermin come on deck ! " 
 
 " Go along with you. Paper Jack," replied Beauty; 
 " this quarrel's between the mate and me; so go aft, 
 where you belong ! " 
 
 As the captain once more dipped his head down the 
 scuttle to make answer, from an unseen hand he received, 
 full in the face, the contents of a tin can of soaked biscuit 
 and tea-leaves. The doctor was not far off just then. 
 Without waiting for anything more, the discomfited 
 gentleman, with both hands to his streaming face, re- 
 treated to the quarter-deck. 
 
 A few moments more, and Jermin, forced to a com- 
 promise, followed after, in his torn frock and scarred face, 
 looking for all the world as if he had just disentangled 
 himself from some intricate piece of machinery. For 
 about half an hour both remained in the cabin, where the 
 
A Scene in the Forecastle 17 
 
 mate's rough tones were heard high above the low, smooth 
 voice of the captain. 
 
 Of all his conflicts with the men, this was the first in 
 which Jermin had been worsted; and he was propor- 
 tionably enraged. Upon going below — ^as the steward 
 afterward told us — ^he bluntly informed Guy that, for the 
 future, he might look out for his ship himself; for his part, 
 he had done with her, if that was the way he allowed his 
 officers to be treated. After many high words, the cap- 
 tain finally assured him that, the first fitting opportunity, 
 the carpenter should be cordially flogged; though, as 
 matters stood, the experiment would be a hazardous one. 
 Upon this Jermin reluctantly consented to drop the 
 matter for the present; and he soon drowned all thoughts 
 of it in a can of flip, which Guy had previously instructed 
 the steward to prepare, as a sop to allay his wrath. 
 
 Nothing more ever came of this. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 WHAT HAPPENED AT HYTYHOO 
 
 Less than forty-eight hours after leaving Nukuheva, the 
 blue, looming island of St. Christina greeted us from afar. 
 Drawing near the shore, the grim, black spars and waspish 
 hull of a small man-of-war craft crept into view; the 
 masts and yards lined distinctly against the sky. She 
 was riding to her anchor in the bay, and proved to be a 
 French corvette. 
 
 This pleased our captain exceedingly, and, coming on 
 deck, he examined her from the mizzen rigging with his 
 glass. His original intention was not to let go an anchor; 
 but, counting upon the assistance of the corvette in case 
 of any difficulty, he now changed his mind, and anchored 
 alongside of her. As soon as a boat could be lowered, he 
 then went ofE to pay his respects to the commander, and, 
 moreover, as we supposed, to concert measures for the 
 apprehension of the runaways. 
 
 Returning in the course of twenty minutes, he brought 
 along with him two officers in undress and whiskers, and 
 three or four drunken obstreperous old chiefs; one with 
 his legs thrust into the armholes of a scarlet vest, another 
 with a pair of spurs on his heels, and a third in a cocked 
 hat and feather. In addition to these articles, they 
 merely wore the ordinary costume of their race — a sUp of 
 native cloth about the loins. Indecorous as their be- 
 haviour was, these worthies turned out to be a deputation 
 from the reverend the clergy of the island; and the 
 object of their visit was to put our ship under a rigorous 
 " Taboo," to prevent the disorderly scenes and facilities 
 for desertion which would ensue, were the natives — men 
 and women — allowed to come off to us freely. 
 
 There was Uttle ceremony about the matter. The 
 i8 
 
What Happened at Hytyhoo 19 
 
 priests went aside for a moment, laid their shaven old 
 crowns together, and went over a little munimery. 
 Whereupon, their leader tore a long strip from his girdle 
 of white tappa, and handed it to one of the French officers, 
 who, after explaining what was to be done, gave it to 
 Jermin. The mate at once went out to the end of the 
 flying jib boom, and fastened there the mystic symbol of 
 the ban. This put to flight a party of girls who had been 
 observed swimming towards us. Tossing their arms 
 about, and splashing the water like porpoises, with loud 
 cries of " taboo! taboo! " they turned about and made 
 for the shore. 
 
 The night of our arrival, the mate and the Mowree were 
 to stand " watch and watch," relieving each otheT every 
 four hours; the crew, as is sometimes customary when 
 lying at an anchor, being allowed to remain all night below. 
 A distrust of the men, however, was, in the present in- 
 stance, the principal reason for this proceeding. Indeed, 
 it was all but certain, that sonde kind of atteijipt would 
 be made at desertion; and therefore, when Jermin's first 
 watch came on at eight bells (midnight)— by which time 
 all was quiet — he mounted to the deck with a flask of 
 spirits in one hand, and the other in readiness to assail the 
 first countenance that showed itself above the forecastle 
 scuttle. 
 
 Thus prepared, he doubtless meant to stay awake; but 
 for all that, he before long fell asleep ; and slept with such 
 hearty good-will too, that the men who left us that night 
 might have been waked up by his snoring. Certain it 
 was, the mate snored most strangely; and no wonder, 
 with that crooked bugle of his. When he came to him- 
 self it was just dawn, but quite light enough to show two 
 boats gone from the side. In an instant he knew what had 
 happened. 
 
 Dragging the Mowree out of an old sail where he was 
 napping, he ordered him to clear away another boat, and 
 then darted into the cabin to tell the captain the news. 
 Springing on deck again, he drove down into the fore- 
 castle for a couple of oarsmen, but hardly got there before 
 there was a cry, and a loud splash heard over the side. 
 
20 Omoo 
 
 It was the Mowree and the boat — ^into which he had just 
 leaped to get ready for lowering — trolling over and over 
 in the water. 
 
 The boat having at nightfall been hoisted up to its place 
 over the starboard quarter, someone had so cut the 
 tackles which held it there, that a moderate strain would 
 at once part them. Bembo's weight had answered the 
 purpose, showing that the deserters must have ascer- 
 tained his specific gravity to a fibre of hemp. There was 
 another boat remaining; but it was as well to examine it 
 before attempting to lower. And it was well they did; 
 for there was a hole in the bottom large enough to drop 
 a barrel through: she had been scuttled most ruthlessly. 
 
 Jermin was frantic. Dashing his hat upon deck, he was 
 about to plunge overboard and swim to the corvette for a 
 cutter, when Captain Guy made his appearance and begged 
 him to stay where he was. By this time the officer of the 
 deck aboard the Frenchman had noticed our movements, 
 and hailed to know what had happened. Guy informed 
 him through his trumpet, and men to go in pursuit were 
 instantly promised. There was a whistling of a boat- 
 swain's pipe, an order or two, and then a large cutter pulled 
 out from the man-of-war's stern, and in half a dozen 
 strokes was alongside. The mate leaped into her, and 
 they pulled rapidly ashore. 
 
 Another cutter, carrying an armed crew, soon followed. 
 
 In an hour's time the first returned, towing the two 
 whale-boats, which had been found turned up like tor- 
 toises on the beach. 
 
 Noon came, and nothing more was heard from the 
 deserters. Meanwhile Doctor Long Ghost and myself 
 lounged about, cultivating an acquaintance, and gazing 
 upon the shore scenery. The bay was as calm as death; 
 the sun high and hot; and occasionally a still gliding 
 canoe stole out from behind the headlands, and shot 
 across the water. 
 
 And all the morning long our sick men limped about the 
 deck, casting wistful glances inland, where the palm-trees 
 waved and beckoned them into their reviving shades. 
 Poor invalid rascals! How conducive to the restoration 
 
What Happened at Hytyhoo 2 1 
 
 of their shattered health would have been those delicious 
 groves ! But hard-hearted Jermin assured them, with an 
 oath, that foot of theirs should never touch the beach. 
 
 Toward sunset a crowd was seen coming down to the 
 water. In advance of all were the fugitives — bareheaded 
 — their frocks and trousers hanging in tatters, every face 
 covered with blood and dust, and their arms pinioned be- 
 hind them with green thongs. Following them up, was a 
 shouting rabble of islanders, pricking them with the points 
 of their long spears, the party from the corvette menacing 
 them in flank with their naked cutlasses. 
 
 The bonus of a musket to the King of the Bay, and the 
 promise of a tumblerful of powder for every man caught, 
 had set the whole population on their track; and so suc- 
 cessful was the hunt, that not only were that morning's 
 deserters brought back, but five of those left behind on 
 a former visit. The natives, however, were the mere 
 hounds of the chase, raising the game in their coverts, but 
 leaving the securing of it to the Frenchmen. Here, as 
 elsewhere, the islanders have no idea of taking part in 
 such a scuffle as ensues upon the capture of a party of 
 desperate seamen. 
 
 The runaways were at once brought aboard, and, though 
 they looked rather sulky, soon came round, and treated the 
 whole affair as a frolicsome adventure. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 WE TOUCH AT LA DOMINICA 
 
 Fearful of spending another night at Hytyhoo, Captain 
 Guy caused the ship to be got under way shortly after dark. 
 
 The next morning, when all supposed that we were fairly 
 embarked for a long cruise, our course was suddenly altered 
 for La Dominica, or Hivarhoo, an island just north of the 
 one we had quitted. The object of this, as we learned, 
 was to procure, if possible, several English sailors, who, 
 according to the commander of the corvette, had recently 
 gone ashore there from an American whaler, and were 
 desirous of shipping aboard one of their own country 
 vessels. 
 
 We made the land in the afternoon, coming abreast of 
 a shady glen opening from a deep bay, and winding by 
 green defiles far out of sight. " Hands by the weather- 
 main-brace! " roared the mate, jumping up on the bul- 
 warks; and in a moment the prancing Julia, suddenly 
 arrested in her course, bridled her head like a steed reined 
 in, while the foam flaked under her bows. 
 
 This was the place where we expected to obtain the 
 men; so a boat was at once got in readiness to go ashore. 
 Now it was necessary to provide a picked crew — ^men the 
 least likely to abscond. After considerable deliberation 
 on the part of the captain and mate, four of the seamen 
 were pitched upon as the most trustworthy; or rather 
 they were selected from a choice assortment of suspicious 
 characters as being of an inferior order of rascality. 
 
 Armed with cutlasses all round — the natives were said 
 to be an ugly set — they were followed over the side by the 
 invalid captain, who, on this occasion, it seems, was deter- 
 mined to signalize himself. Accordingly, in addition to 
 his cutlass, he wore an old boarding belt, in which was 
 thrust a brace of pistols. They at once shoved off. 
 
We Touch at La Dominica 23 
 
 My friend Long Ghost hadj among other things which 
 looked somewhat strange in a ship's forecastle, a capital 
 spy-glass, and on the present occasion we had it in 
 use. 
 
 When the boat neared the head of the inlet, though 
 invisible to the naked eye, it was plainly revealed by the 
 glass; looking no bigger than an egg-shell, and the men 
 diminished to pigmies. 
 
 At last, borne on what seemed a long flake of foam the 
 tiny craft shot up the beach amid a shower of sparkles. 
 Not a soul was there. Leaving one of their number by 
 the water, the rest of the pigmies stepped ashore, looking 
 about them very circumspectly, pausing now and then 
 hand to ear, and peering under a dense grove which swept 
 down within a few paces of the sea. No one came, and to 
 all appearances everything was as still as the grave. Pre- 
 sently he with the pistols, followed by the rest flourishing 
 their bodkins, entered the wood and were soon lost to view. 
 They did not stay long; probably anticipating some in- 
 hospitable ambush were they to stray any distance up the 
 glen. 
 
 In a few moments they embarked again, and were soon 
 riding pertly over the waves of the bay. All of a sudden 
 the captain started to his feet — the boat spun round, and 
 again made for the shore. Some twenty or thirty natives 
 armed with spears which through the glass looked like 
 reeds, had just come out of the grove, and were apparently 
 shouting to the strangers not to be in such a hurry, but 
 return and be sociable. But they were somewhat dis- 
 trusted, for the boat paused about its length from the 
 beach, when the captain standing up in its head delivered 
 an address in pantomime, the object of which seemed to 
 be, that the islanders should draw near. One of them 
 stepped forward and made answer, seemingly again urging 
 the strangers not to be difKdent, but beach their boat. 
 The captain declined, tossing his arms about in another 
 pantomime. In the end he said something which made 
 them shake their spears; whereupon he fired a pistol 
 among them, which set the whole party running ; while one 
 poor little fellow, dropping his spear and clapping his hand 
 
24 Omoo 
 
 behind him, limped away in a manner which almost made 
 me itch to get a shot at his assailant. 
 
 Wanton acts of cruelty like this are not unusual on the 
 part of sea captains landing at islands comparatively un- 
 known. Even at the Pomotu group, but a day's sail from 
 Tahiti, the islanders coming down to the shore have 
 several times been fired at by trading schooners passing 
 through their narrow channels; and this too as a mere 
 amusement on the part of the ruffians. 
 
 Indeed, it is almost incredible, the light in which many 
 sailors regard these naked heathens. They hardly con- 
 sider them human. But it is a curious fact, that the more 
 ignorant and degraded men are, the more contemptuously 
 they look upon those whom they deem their inferiors. 
 
 All powers of persuasion being thus lost upon these 
 foolish savages, and no hope left of holding further inter- 
 course, the boat returned to the ship. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 WHAT HAPPENED AT HANNAMANOO 
 
 On the other side of the island was the large and populous 
 bay of Hannamanoo, where the men sought might yet be 
 found. But as the sun was setting by the time the boat 
 came alongside, we got our off-shore tacks aboard and 
 stood away for an offing. About daybreak we wore, and 
 ran in, and by the time the sun was well up, entered the 
 long, narrow channel dividing the islands of La Dominica 
 and St. Christina. 
 
 On one hand was a range of steep green bluffs hundreds 
 of feet high, the white huts of the natives here and there 
 nestling like bird's nests in deep clefts gushing with ver- 
 dure. Across the water, the land rolled away in bright 
 hillsides, so warm and undulating that they seemed 
 almost to palpitate in the sun. On we swept, past bluff 
 and grove, wooded glen and valley, and dark ravines 
 lighted up far inland with wild falls of water. A fresh 
 land-breeze filled our sails, the embayed waters were 
 gentle as a lake, and every wave broke with a tinkle 
 against our coppered prow. 
 
 On gaining the end of the channel we rounded a point, 
 and came full upon the bay of Hannamanoo. This is the 
 only harbour of any note about the island, though as far 
 as a safe anchorage is concerned it hardly deserves the 
 title. 
 
 Before we held any communication with the shore, an 
 incident occurred which may convey some further idea of 
 the character of our crew. 
 
 Having approached as near the land as we could pru- 
 dently, our headway was stopped, and we awaited the 
 arrival of a canoe which was coming out of the bay. All 
 at once we got into a strong current, which swept us 
 25 
 
26 Omoo 
 
 rapidly toward a rocky promontory forming one side of 
 the harbour. The wind had died away; so two boats 
 were at once lowered for the purpose of pulling the ship's 
 head round. Before this could be done^ the eddies were 
 whirling upon all sides, and the rock so near that it seemed 
 as if one might leap upon it from the masthead. Not- 
 withstanding the speechless fright of the captain, and the 
 hoarse shouts of the unappalled Jermin, the men handled 
 the ropes as deliberately as possible, some of them chuck- 
 ling at the prospect of going ashore, and others so eager 
 for the vessel to strike, that they could hardly contain 
 themselves. Unexpectedly a countercurrent befriended 
 us, and assisted by the boats we were soon out of danger. 
 
 What a disappointment for our crew! All their little 
 plans for swimming ashore from the wreck, and having a 
 fine time of it for the rest of their days, thus cruelly nipped 
 in the bud. 
 
 Soon after, the canoe came alongside. In it were eight 
 or ten natives, comely, vivacious-looking youths, all ges- 
 ture and exclamation; the red feathers in their head- 
 bands perpetually nodding. With them also came a 
 stranger, a renegado from Christendom and humanity — a 
 white man, in the South Sea girdle, and tattooed in the 
 face. A broad blue band stretched across his face from 
 ear to ear, and on his forehead was the taper figure of a 
 blue shark, nothing but fins from head to tail. 
 
 Some of us gazed upon this man with a feeling akin to 
 horror, no ways abated when informed that he had volun- 
 tarily submitted to this embellishment of his countenance. 
 What an impress! Far worse than Cain's — his was per- 
 haps a wrinkle, or a freckle, which some of our modern 
 cosmetics might have effaced; but the blue shark was a 
 mark indelible, which all the waters of Abana and Pharpar, 
 rivers of Damascus, could never wash out. He was an 
 Englishman, Lem Hardy he called himself, who had de- 
 serted from a trading brig touching at the island for wood 
 and water some ten years previous. He had gone ashore 
 as a sovereign power armed with a musket and a bag of 
 ammunition, and ready if need were, to prosecute war on 
 his own account. The country was divided by the hostile 
 
What Happened at Hannamanoo 27 
 
 kings of several large valleys. With one of them^ from 
 whom he first received overtures, he formed an alliance, 
 and became what he now was, the military leader of the 
 tribe, and war-god of the entire island. 
 
 His campaigns beat Napoleon's. In one night attack, 
 his invincible musket, backed by the light infantry of 
 spears and javelins, vanquished two clans, and the next 
 morning brought all the others to the feet of his royal ally. 
 
 Not was the rise of his domestic fortunes at all behind 
 the Corsican's: three days after landing, the exquisitely 
 tattooed hand of a princess was his ; receiving along with 
 the damsel as her portion, one thousand fathoms of fine 
 tappa, fifty double-braided mats of split grass, four hun- 
 dred hogs, ten houses in different parts of her native 
 valley, and the sacred protection of an express edict of the 
 Taboo, declaring his person inviolable for ever. 
 
 Now, this man was settled for life, perfectly satisfied 
 with his circumstances, and feeling no desire to return to 
 his friends. " Friends," indeed, he had none. He told 
 me his history. Thrown upon the world a foundling, his 
 paternal origin was as much a mystery to him as the 
 genealogy of Odin; and, scorned by everybody, he fled 
 the parish workhouse when a boy, and launched upon the 
 sea. He had followed it for several years, a dog before 
 the mast, and now he had thrown it up for ever. 
 
 And for the most part, it is just this sort of men — so 
 many of whom are found among sailors — uncared for by 
 a single soul, without ties, reckless, and impatient of the 
 restraints of civilization, who are occasionally found quite 
 at home upon the savage islands of the Pacific. And, 
 glancing at their hard lot in their own country, what 
 marvel at their choice ? 
 
 According to the renegade, there was no other white 
 man on the island; and as the captain could have no 
 reason to suppose that Hardy intended to deceive us, he 
 concluded that the Frenchmen were in some way or other 
 mistaken in what they had told us. However, when our 
 errand was made known to the rest of our visitors, one of 
 them, a fine, stalwart fellow, his face all eyes and ex- 
 pression, volunteered for a cruise. All the wages he asked 
 
28 Omoo 
 
 was a red shirt, a pair of trousers, and a hat, which were 
 to be put on there and then; besides a plug of tobacco 
 and a pipe. The bargain was struck directly; but 
 Wymontoo afterward came in with a codicil, to the effect 
 that a friend of his, who had come along with him, should 
 be given ten whole sea-biscuits, without crack or flaw, 
 twenty perfectly new and symmetrically straight nails, and 
 one jack-knife. This being agreed to, the articles were at 
 once handed over; the native receiving them with great 
 avidity, and in the absence of clothing, using his mouth as 
 a pocket to put the nails in. Two of them, however, were 
 first made to take the place of a pair of ear-ornaments, 
 curiously fashioned out of bits of whitened wood. 
 
 It now began breezing strongly from seaward, and no 
 time was to be lost in getting away from the land; so 
 after an affecting rubbing of noses between our new ship- 
 mate and his countrymen, we sailed away with him. 
 
 To our surprise, the farewell shouts from the canoe, as 
 we dashed along under belUed royals, were heard un- 
 moved by our islander; but it was not long thus. That 
 very evening, when the dark blue of his native hills sunk 
 in the horizon, the poor savage leaned over the bulwarks, 
 dropped his head upon his chest, and gave way to irre- 
 pressible emotions. The ship was plunging hard, and 
 Wymontoo, sad to tell, in addition to his other pangs, 
 was terribly sea-sick. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE TATTOOERS OF LA DOMINICA 
 
 For a while leaving Little Jule to sail away by herself^ I 
 will here put down come curious information obtained 
 from Hardy. 
 
 The renegado had lived so long on the island that its 
 customs were quite familiar; and I much lamented that, 
 from the shortness of our stay, he could not tell us more 
 than he did. 
 
 From the little intelligence gathered, however, I learned 
 to my surprise that, in some things, the people of Hivar- 
 hoo, though of the same group of islands, differed con- 
 siderably from my tropical friends in the valley of Typee. 
 
 As his tattooing attracted so much remark, Hardy had 
 a good deal to say concerning the manner in which that 
 art was practised upon the island. 
 
 Throughout the entire cluster the tattooers of Hivarhoo 
 enjoyed no small reputation. They had carried their art 
 to the highest perfection, and the profession was esteemed 
 most honourable. No wonder, then, that like genteel 
 tailors, they rated their services very high; so much so 
 that none but those belonging to the higher classes could 
 afford to employ them. So true was this, that the ele- 
 gance of one's tattooing was in most cases a sure indica- 
 tion of birth and riches. 
 
 Professors in large practice Uved in spacious houses, 
 divided by screens of tappa into numerous little apart- 
 ments, where subjects were waited upon in private. The 
 arrangement chiefly grew out of a singular or-dinance of 
 the Taboo, which enjoined the strictest privacy upon all 
 men, high and low, while under the hands of a tattooer. 
 For the time, the slightest intercourse with others is pro- 
 hibited, and the small portion of food allowed is pushed 
 under the curtain by an unseen hand. The restriction 
 with regard to food, is intended to reduce the blood, so as 
 to diminish the inflammation consequent upon puncturing 
 the skin. As it is, this comes on very soon, and takes 
 39 
 
30 Omoo 
 
 some time to heal; so that the period of seclusion gener- 
 ally embraces many days, sometimes, several weeks. 
 
 All traces of soreness vanished, the subject goes abroad; 
 but only again to return; for, on account of the pain, only 
 a small surface can be operated upon at once; and as the 
 whole body is to be more or less embellished by a process 
 so slow, the studios alluded to are constantly filled. Inr 
 deed, with a vanity elsewhere unheard of, many spend no 
 small portion of their days thus sitting to an artist. 
 
 To begin the work, the period of adolescence is esteemed 
 the most suitable. After casting about for some eminent 
 tattooer, the friends of the youth take him to his house to 
 have the outlines of the general plan laid out. It behoves 
 the professor to have a nice eye, for a suit to be worn for 
 life should be well cut. 
 
 Some tattooers, yearning after perfection, employ, at 
 large wages, one or two men of the commonest order — 
 vile fellows, utterly regardless of appearances, upon whom 
 they first try their patterns and practise generally. 
 Their backs remorselessly scrawled over, and no more 
 canvas remaining, they are dismissed, and ever after go 
 about, the scorn of their countrymen. 
 
 Hapless wights ! thus martyred in the cause of the Fine 
 Arts. 
 
 Beside the regular practitioners, there are a parcel of 
 shabby, itinerant tattooers, who, by virtue of their calling, 
 stroll unmolested from one hostile bay to another, doing 
 their work dog-cheap for the multitude. They always 
 repair to the various religious festivals, which gather 
 great crowds. When these are concluded, and the places 
 where they are held vacated even by the tattooers, 
 scores of little tents of coarse tappa are left standing, 
 each with a solitary inmate, who, forbidden to talk to his 
 unseen neighbours, is obliged to stay there till completely 
 healed. The itinerants are a reproach to their profession, 
 mere cobblers, dealing in nothing but jagged lines and 
 clumsy patches, and utterly incapable of soaring to those 
 heights of fancy attained by the gentlemen of the faculty. 
 
 All professors of the arts love to fraternize; and so, in 
 Hannamanoo, the tattooers came together in the chapters 
 of their worshipful order. In this society, duly organizedi 
 
The Tattooers of La Dominica 3 i 
 
 and conferring degrees, Hardy, from his influence as a 
 white, was a sort of honorary Grand Master. The blue 
 shark, and a sort of Urim and Thummim engraven upon 
 his chest, were the seal of his initiation. All over Hivar- 
 hoo are established these orders of tattooers. The way 
 in which the renegade's came to be founded is this. A 
 year or two after his landing there happened to be a season 
 of scarcity, owing to the partial failure of the breadfruit 
 harvest for several consecutive seasons. This brought 
 about such a falling off in the number of subjects for 
 tattooing that the profession became quite needy. The 
 royal ally of Hardy, however, hit upon a benevolent ex- 
 pedient to provide for their wants, at the same time con- 
 ferring a boon upon many of his subjects. 
 
 By sound of conch-shell it was proclaimed before the 
 palace, on the beach, and at the head of the valley, that 
 Noomai, King of Hannamanoo, and friend of Hardee- 
 Hardee, the white, kept open heart and table for all 
 tattooers whatsoever; but to entitle themselves to this 
 hospitality, they were commanded to practise without fee 
 upon the meanest native soliciting their services. 
 
 Numbers at once flocked to the royal abode, both 
 artists and sitters. It was a famous time ; and the build- 
 ings of the palace being " taboo " to all but the tattooers 
 and chiefs, the sitters bivouacked on the common, and 
 formed an extensive encampment. 
 
 . The " Lora Tattoo," or the Time of Tattooing, will be long 
 remembered. An enthusiastic sitter celebrated the event 
 in verse. Several lines were repeated to us by Hardy, some 
 of which, in a sort of colloquial chant he translated nearly 
 
 thus: " Where is that sound? 
 
 In Hannamanoo. 
 And wherefore that sound? 
 The sound of a hundred hammers, 
 Tapping, tapping, tapping 
 The shark teeth.* 
 "Where is that light? 
 Round about the king's house, 
 And the small laughter? 
 The small, merry laughter it is 
 Of the sons and daughters of the tattooed." 
 
 ' The colouring matter is inserted by means of si shark's tooth 
 attached to the end of a short stick, which is struck upon the other 
 end with a small mallet of wood. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 WE STEER TO THE WESTWARD — STATE OF AFFAIRS 
 
 The night we left Hannamanoo was bright and starry, and 
 so warm that, when the watches were reheved, most of the 
 men, instead of going below, flung themselves around the 
 foremast. 
 
 Toward morning, finding the heat of the forecastle un- 
 pleasant, I ascended to the deck where everything was 
 noiseless. The Trades were blowing with a mild, steady 
 strain upon the canvas, and the ship heading right out into 
 the immense blank of the Western Pacific. The watch 
 were asleep. With one foot resting on the rudder, even 
 the man at the hehn nodded, and the mate himself, with 
 arms folded, was leaning against the capstan. 
 
 On such a night, and all alone, reverie was inevitable. I 
 leaned over the side, and could not help thinking of the 
 strange objects we might be sailing over. 
 
 But my meditations were soon interrupted by a gray, 
 spectral shadow cast over the heaving billows. It was 
 the dawn, soon followed by the first rays of the morning. 
 They flashed into view at one end of the arched night, like 
 — to compare great things with small — the gleamings of 
 Guy Fawkes's lantern in the vaults of the Parliament 
 House. Before long, what seemed a live ember rested for 
 a moment on the rim of the ocean, and at last the blood- 
 red sun stood full and round in the level East, and the 
 long sea-day began. 
 
 Breakfast over, the first thing attended to was the 
 formal baptism of Wymontoo, who, after thinking over 
 his affairs during the night, looked dismal enough. 
 
 There were various opinions as to a suitable appellation. 
 Some maintained that we ought to call him " Sunday," 
 that being the day we caught him; others, " Eighteen 
 32 
 
We Steer to the Westward 3^ 
 
 Forty-two," the then year of our Lord; while Doctor 
 Long Ghost remarked that he ought, by all means, to 
 retain his original name, — ^Wymontoo-Hee, meaning (as 
 he maintained), in the figurative language of the island, 
 something analogous to one who had got himself into a 
 scrape. The mate put an end to the discussion by sousing 
 the poor fellow with a bucket of salt water, and bestowing 
 upon him the nautical appellation of " Luff." 
 
 Though a certain mirthfulness succeeded his first pangs 
 at leaving home, Wymontoo — we will call him thus — 
 gradually relapsed into his former mood, and became very 
 melancholy. Often I noticed him crouching apart in the 
 forecastle, his strange eyes gleaming restlessly, and watch- 
 ing the slightest movement of the men. Many a time he 
 must have been thinking of his bamboo hut, when they 
 were talking of Sydney and its dance-houses. 
 
 We were now fairly at sea, though to what particular 
 cruising-ground we were going, no one knew; and, to all 
 appearances, few cared. The men, after a fashion of 
 their own, began to settle down into the routine of sea- 
 life, as if everything was going on prosperously. Blown 
 along over a smooth sea, there was nothing to do but steer 
 the ship, and relieve the " look-outs " at the mast-heads. 
 As for the sick, they had two or three more added to their 
 number — the air of the island having disagreed with the 
 constitutions of several of the runaways. To crown all, 
 the captain again relapsed, and became quite ill. 
 
 The men fit for duty were divided into two small 
 watches, headed respectively by the mate and the 
 Mowree; the latter, by virtue of his being a harpooner, 
 succeeding to the place of the second mate, who had 
 absconded. 
 
 In this state of things whaling was out of the question; 
 but in the face of everything, Jermin maintained that the 
 invalids would soon be well. However that might be, with 
 the same pale blue sky overhead, we kept running steadily 
 to the westward. Forever advancing, we seemed always 
 in the same place, and every day was the former lived over 
 again. We saw no ships, expected to see none. No sign 
 of life was perceptible but the porpoises and other fish 
 
 c 
 
34 Omoo 
 
 sporting under the bows like pups ashore. But, at in- 
 tervals, the gray albatross, peculiar to these seas, came 
 flapping his immense wings over us, and then skimmed 
 away silently as if from a plague-ship. Or flights of the 
 tropic bird, known among seamen as the " boatswain,'' 
 wheeled round and round us, whistling shrilly as they flew. 
 
 The uncertainty hanging over our destination at this 
 time, and the fact that we were abroad upon waters com- 
 paratively little traversed, lent an interest to this portion 
 of the cruise which I shall never forget. 
 
 From obvious prudential considerations the Pacific has 
 been principally sailed over in known tracts, and this is the 
 reason why new islands are still occasionally discovered 
 by exploring ships and adventurous whalers, notwith- 
 standing the great number of vessels of all kinds of late 
 navigating this vast ocean. Indeed, considerable portions 
 still remain wholly unexplored; and there is doubt as to 
 the actual existence of certain shoals, and reefs, and small 
 clusters of islands vaguely laid down in the charts. The 
 mere circumstance, therefore, of a ship like ours penetrat- 
 ing into these regions, was sufficient to cause any reflecting 
 mind to feel at least a little uneasy. For my own part, 
 the many stories I had heard of ships striking at midnight 
 upon unknown rocks, with all sail set, and a slumbering 
 crew, often recurred to me, especially, as from the absence 
 of discipline, and our being so shorthanded, the watches 
 at night were careless in the extreme. 
 
 But no thoughts like these were entertained by my reck^ 
 less shipmates ; and along we went, the sun every evening 
 setting right ahead of our jib boom. 
 
 For what reason the mate was so reserved with regard 
 to our precise destination was never made known. The 
 stories he told us, I, for one, did not beheve; deeming 
 them all a mere device to lull the crew. 
 
 He said we were bound to a fine cruising ground, scarcely 
 known to other whalemen, which he had himself discovered 
 when commanding a small brig upon a former voyage. 
 Here, the sea was aUve with large whales, so tame that 
 all you had to do was to go up and kill them : they were 
 too frightened to resist. A little to leeward of this was 
 
State of Affairs 3 5 
 
 a small cluster of islands, where we were going to refit, 
 abounding with delicious fruits, and peopled by a race 
 almost wholly unsophisticated by intercourse with 
 strangers. 
 
 In order, perhaps, to guard against the possibility of any- 
 one finding out the precise latitude and longitude of the 
 spot we were going to, Jermin never revealed to us the 
 ship's place at noon, though such is the custom aboard of 
 most vessels. 
 
 Meanwhile, he was very assiduous in his attention to the 
 invalids. Doctor Long Ghost having given up the keys 
 of the medicine-chest, they were handed over to him ; and, 
 as physician, he discharged his duties to the satisfaction 
 of all. Pills and powders, in most cases, were thrown to 
 the fish, and in place thereof, the contents of a mysterious 
 little quarter cask were produced, diluted with water from 
 the " butt." His draughts were mixed on the capstan, in 
 cocoa-nut shells marked with the patients' names. Like 
 shore doctors, he did not eschew his own medicines, for his 
 professional calls in the forecastle were sometimes made 
 when he was comfortably tipsy: nor did he omit keeping 
 his invalids in good-humour, spinning his yarns to them,, 
 by the hour, whenever he went to see them. 
 
 Owing to my lameness, from which I soon began to re- 
 cover, I did no active duty, except standing an occasional 
 " trick " at the helm. It was in the forecastle chiefly, that 
 I spent m_y time, in company with the Long Doctor, who. 
 was at great pains to make himself agreeable. His books, 
 though sadly torn and tattered, were an invaluable re- 
 source. I read them through again and again, including 
 a learned treatise on the yellow fever. In addition to- 
 these, he had an old file of Sydney papers, and I soon 
 became intimately acquainted with the localities of all 
 the advertising tradesmen there. In particular, the 
 rhetorical flourishes of Stubbs, the real-estate auctioneer, 
 diverted me exceedingly, and I set him down as no other 
 than a pupil of Robins the Londoner. 
 
 Aside from the pleasure of his society, my intimacy with 
 Long Ghost was of great service to me in other respects. 
 His disgrace in the cabin only confirmed the good-will ot 
 
36 Omoo 
 
 the democracy in the forecastle; and they not only treated 
 him in the most friendly manner, but looked up to him 
 with the utmost deference, besides laughing heartily at all 
 his jokes. As his chosen associate, this feeling for him 
 extended to me, and gradually we came to be regarded in 
 the light of distinguished guests. At meal-times we were 
 always first served, and otherwise were treated with much 
 respect. 
 
 Among other devices to kill time, during the frequent 
 calms. Long Ghost hit upon the game of chess. With a 
 jack-knife, we carved the pieces quite tastefully out of bits 
 of wood, and our board was the middle of a chest-lid, 
 chalked into squares, which, in playing, we straddled at 
 either end. Having no other suitable way of distinguish- 
 ing the sets, I marked mine by t)dng round them little 
 scarfs of black silk, torn from an old neck-handkerchief. 
 Putting them in mourning this way, the doctor said, was 
 quite appropriate, seeipg that they had reason to feel sad 
 three games out of four. Of chess, the men never could 
 make head nor tail; indeed, their wonder rose to such a 
 pitch that they at last regarded the mysterious move- 
 ments of the game with something more than perplexity; 
 and after puzzling over them through several long engage- 
 ments, they came to the conclusion that we must be a 
 couple of necromancers. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 A SEA-PARLOUR DESCRIBED, WITH SOME OF ITS 
 TENANTS 
 
 I MAY as well give some idea of the place in which the 
 doctor and I lived together so sociably. 
 
 Most persons know that a ship's forecastle embraces 
 the forward part of the deck about the bowsprit: the same 
 term, however, is generally bestowed upon the sailors' 
 sleeping-quarters, which occupy a space immediately be- 
 neath, and are partitioned off by a bulkhead. 
 
 Planted right in the bows, or, as sailors say, in the very 
 eyes of the ship, this delightful apartment is of a triangular 
 shape, and is generally fitted with two tiers of rude bunks. 
 Those of the Julia were in a most deplorable condition, mere 
 wrecks, some having been torn down altogether to patch 
 up others; and on one side there were but two standing. 
 But with most of the men it made little difference whether 
 they had a bunk or not, since, having no bedding, they 
 had nothing to put in it but themselves. 
 
 Upon the boards of my own crib I spread all the old 
 canvas and old clothes I could pick up. For a pillow, I 
 wrapped an old jacket round a log. This helped a little 
 the wear and tear of one's bones when the ship rolled. 
 
 Rude hammocks made out of old sails were in many 
 cases used as substitutes for the demolished bunks; but 
 the space they swung in was so confined that they were 
 far from being agreeable. 
 
 The general aspect of the forecastle was dungeon-like 
 and dingy in the extreme. In the first place, it was not 
 five feet from deck to deck, and even this space was 
 encroached upon by two outlandish cross-timbers bracing 
 the vessel, and by the sailors' chests, over which you must 
 needs crawl in getting about. At meal-times, and especi- 
 37 
 
38 
 
 Omoo 
 
 ally when we indulged in after-dinner chat, we sat about 
 the chests like a parcel of tailors. 
 
 In the middle of all were two square, wooden columns, 
 denominated in marine architecture " Bowsprit Bitts." 
 They were about a foot apart, and between them, by 
 a rusty chain, swung the forecastle lamp, burning day 
 and night, and forever casting two long black shadows. 
 Lower down, between the bitts, was a locker, or sailors' 
 pantry, kept in abominable disorder, and sometimes re- 
 quiring a vigorous cleaning and fumigation. 
 
 All over, the ship was in a most dilapidated conditionj 
 but in the forecastle it looked like the hollow of an old tree 
 going to decay. In every direction the wood was damp 
 and discoloured, and here and there soft and porous. 
 Moreover, it was hacked and hewed without mercy, the 
 cook frequently helping himself to splinters for kindling- 
 wood from the bitts and beams. Overhead, every carline 
 was sooty, and here and there deep holes were burned in 
 them, a freak of some drunken sailors on a voyage long 
 previous. 
 
 From above, you entered by a plank, with two cleets, 
 slanting down from the scuttle, which was a mere hole in 
 the deck. There being no slide to draw over in case of 
 emergency, the tarpaulin temporarily placed there was 
 little protection from the spray heaved over the bows ; so 
 that in anything of a breeze the place was miserably wet. 
 In a squall, the water fairly poured down in sheets like a 
 cascade, swashing about, and afterward spirting up be- 
 tween the chests hke the jets of a fountain. 
 
 Such were our accommodations aboard of the Julia; 
 but bad as they were, we had not the undisputed posses- 
 sion of them. Myriads of cockroaches, and regiments of 
 rats disputed the place with us. A greater calamity than 
 this can scarcely befall a vessel in the South Seas. 
 
 So warm is the climate that it is almost impossible to get 
 rid of them. You may seal up every hatchway, and fumi- 
 gate the hull till the smoke forces itself out at the seams, 
 and enough will survive to repeople the ship in an incred- 
 ibly short period. In some vessels, the crews of which 
 after a hard fight have given themselves up, as it were, for 
 
A Sea-Parlour Described 39 
 
 lost, the vermin seem to take actual possession, the sailors 
 being mere tenants by sufferance. With Sperm Whale- 
 men, hanging about the Line, as many of them do for a 
 couple of years on a stretch, it is infinitely worse than with 
 other vessels. 
 
 As for the Julia, these creatures never had such free and 
 easy times as they did in her crazj^ old hull; every chink 
 and cranny swarmed with them ; they did not live among 
 you, but you among them. So true was this, that the 
 business of eating and drinking was better done in the 
 dark than in the light of day. 
 
 Concerning the cockroaches, there was an extraordinary 
 phenomenon, for which none of us could ever account. 
 
 Every night they had a jubilee. The first symptom 
 was an unusual clustering and humming among the 
 swarms lining the beams overhead, and the inside of the 
 sleeping-places. This was succeeded by a prodigious 
 coming and going on the part of those living out of sight. 
 Presently they all came forth ; the larger sort racing over 
 the chests and planks; winged monsters darting to and 
 fro in the air; and the small fry buzzing in heaps almost 
 in a state of fusion. 
 
 On the first alarm, all who were able darted on deck; 
 while some of the sick who were too feeble, lay perfectly 
 quiet — the distracted vermin running over them at 
 pleasure. The performance lasted some ten minutes, 
 during which no hive ever hummed louder. Often it was 
 lamented by us that the time of the visitation could never 
 be predicted; it was liable to come upon us at any hour 
 of the night, and what a relief it was, when it happened to 
 fall in the early part of the evening. 
 
 Nor must I forget the rats: they did not forget me. 
 Tame as Trenck's mouse, they stood in their holes peering 
 at you like old grandfathers in a doorway. Often they 
 darted in upon us at meal-times, and nibbled our food. 
 The first time they approached Wymontoo, he was actu- 
 ally frightened; but becoming accustomed to it, he soon 
 got along with them much better than the rest. With 
 curious dexterity he seized the animals by their legs, and 
 flung them up the scuttle to find a watery grave. 
 
40 Omoo 
 
 But I have a story of my own to tell about these rats. 
 One day the cabin steward made me a present of some 
 molasses, which I was so choice of that I kept it hid away 
 in a tin can in the farthest corner of my bunk. Faring as 
 we did, this molasses dropped upon a biscuit was a positive 
 luxury, which I shared with none but the doctor, and then 
 only in private. And sweet as the treacle was, how could 
 bread thus prepared and eaten in secret be otherwise than 
 pleasant. 
 
 One night our precious can ran low, and in canting it 
 over in the dark, something beside the molasses slipped 
 out. How long it had been there, kind Providence never 
 revealed; nor were we over anxious to know; for we 
 hushed up the bare thought as quickly as possible. The 
 creature certainly died a luscious death, quite equal to 
 Clarence's in the butt of Malmsey. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 DOCTOR LONG GHOST A WAG — ONE OF HIS CAPERS 
 
 Grave though he was at times, Doctor Long Ghost was a 
 decided wag. 
 
 Everyone knows what lovers of fun sailors are ashore — 
 afloat, they are absolutely mad after it. So his pranks 
 were duly appreciated. 
 
 The poor old black cook ! Unlashing his hammock for 
 the night, and finding a wet log fast asleep in it; and then 
 waking in the morning with his woolly head tarred. 
 Opening his coppers, and finding an old boot boiling away 
 as saucy as could be, and sometimes cakes of pitch candy- 
 ing in his oven. 
 
 Baltimore's ^ tribulations were indeed sore; there was 
 no peace for him day nor night. Poor fellow! he was 
 altogether too good-natured. Say what they will about 
 easy-tempered people, it is far better, on some accounts, 
 to have the temper of a wolf. Whoever thought of taking 
 liberties with gruff Black Dan ? 
 
 The most curious of the doctor's jokes, was hoisting the 
 men aloft by the foot or shoulder, when they fell asleep on 
 deck during the night-watches. 
 
 Ascending from the forecastle on one occasion, he found 
 every soul napping, and forthwith went about his capers. 
 Fastening a rope's end to each sleeper, he rove the lines 
 through a number of blocks, and conducted them all to 
 the windlass ; then, by heaving round cheerily, in spite of 
 cries and struggles, he soon had them dangling aloft in all 
 directions by arms and legs. Waked by the uproar, we 
 rushed up from below, and found the poor fellows swinging 
 in the moonlight from the tops and lower yard-arms, like 
 a parcel of pirates gibbeted at sea by a cruiser. 
 
 ' He was so called from the place of his birth, being a runaway- 
 Maryland slave. 
 
 41 
 
42 Omoo 
 
 Connected with this sort of diversion was another 
 prank of his. During the night some of those on deck 
 would come below to light a pipe^ or take a mouthful of 
 beef and biscuit. Sometimes they fell asleep; and being 
 missed directly that anything was to be done, their ship- 
 mates often amused themselves by running them aloft 
 -with a pulley dropped down the scuttle from the fore-top. 
 
 One night, when all was perfectly still, I lay awake in 
 the forecastle; the lamp was burning low and thick, and 
 swinging from its blackened beam; and with the uniform 
 motion of the ship, the men in the bunks rolled slowly 
 from side to side; the hammocks swaying in unison. 
 
 Presently I heard a foot upon the ladder, and looking 
 "up, saw a wide trousers' leg. Immediately, Navy Bob, 
 a stout old Triton, stealthily descended, and at once went 
 to groping in the locker after something to eat. 
 
 Supper ended, he proceeded to load his pipe. Now, for 
 a good comfortable smoke at sea, there never was a better 
 place than the Julia's forecastle at midnight. To enjoy 
 the luxury, one wants to fall into a kind of dreamy reverie, 
 only known to the children of the weed. And the very 
 atmosphere of the place, laden as it was with the snores of 
 the sleepers, was inducive of this. No wonder, then, that 
 after a while Bob's head sunk upon his breast; presently 
 his hat fell off, the extinguished pipe dropped from his 
 mouth, and the next moment he lay out on the chest as 
 tranquil as an infant. 
 
 Suddenly an order was heard on deck, followed by the 
 trampling of feet and the hauling of rigging. The yards 
 were being braced, and soon after the sleeper was missed : 
 for there was a whispered conference over the scuttle. 
 
 Directly a shadow glided across the forecastle and noise- 
 lessly approached the unsuspecting Bob. It was one of 
 the watch with the end of a rope leading out of sight up 
 the scuttle. Pausing an instant, the sailor pressed softly 
 the chest of his victim, sounding his slumbers; and then 
 hitching the cord to his ankle, returned to the deck. 
 
 Hardly was his back turned, when a long limb was 
 thrust from a hammock opposite, and Doctor Long Ghost, 
 leaping forth warily, whipped the rope from Bob's ankle. 
 
Doctor Long Ghost a Wag 43 
 
 and fastened it like lightning to a great lumbering chest, 
 the property of the man who had just disappeared. 
 
 Scarcely was the thing done, when lo ! with a thunder- 
 ing bound, the clumsy box was torn from its fastenings, 
 and banging from side to side, flew toward the scuttle. 
 Here it jammed; and thinking that Bob, who was as 
 strong as a windlass, was grappling a beam and trying to 
 cut the line, the jokers on deck strained away furiously. 
 On a sudden, the chest went aloft, and striking against 
 the mast, flew open, raining down on the heads of a party 
 the merciless shower of things too numerous to mention. 
 
 Of course the uproar roused all hands, and when we 
 hurried on deck, there was the owner of the box, looking 
 aghast at its scattered contents, and with one wandering 
 hand taking the altitude of a bump on his head. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 DEATH AND BURIAL OF TWO OF THE CREW 
 
 The mirthfubiess which at times reigned among us was in 
 strange and shocking contrast with the situation of some 
 of the invalids. Thus at least did it seem to me, though 
 not to others. 
 
 But an event occurred about this period, which, in re- 
 moving by far the most pitiable cases of suffering, tended 
 to make less grating to my feelings the subsequent con- 
 duct of the crew. 
 
 We had been at sea about twenty days, when two of 
 the sick who had rapidly grown worse, died one night 
 within an hour of each other. 
 
 One occupied a bunk right next to mine, and for several 
 days had not risen from it. During this period he was 
 often delirious, starting up and glaring around him, and 
 sometimes wildly tossing his arms. 
 
 On the night of his decease, I retired shortly after the 
 middle watch began, and waking from a vague dream of 
 horrors, felt something clammy resting on me. It was 
 the sick man's hand. Two or three times during the 
 evening previous, he had thrust it into my bunk, and I 
 had quietly removed it; but now I started and flung it 
 from me. The arm fell stark and stiff, and I knew that 
 he was dead. 
 
 Waking the men, the corpse was immediately rolled up 
 in the strips of blanketing upon which it lay, and carried 
 on deck. The mate was then called, and preparations 
 made for an instantaneous burial. Laying the body out 
 on the forehatch, it was stitched up in one of the ham- 
 mocks, some " kentledge " being placed at the feet in- 
 stead of shot. This done, it was borne to the gangway, 
 and placed on a plank laid across the bulwarks. Two 
 44 
 
Death and Burial of Two of the Crew 45 
 
 men supported the inside end. By way of solemnity, 
 the ship's headway was then stopped by hauling aback 
 the main-top-sail. 
 
 The mate, who was far from being sober, then staggered 
 up, and holding on to a shroud, gave the word. As the 
 plank tipped, the body slid off slowly, and fell with a 
 splash into the sea. A bubble or two, and nothing more 
 was seen. 
 
 "Brace forward!" The main-yard swung round to 
 its place, and the ship glided on, whilst the corpse, per- 
 haps, was still sinking. 
 
 We had tossed a shipmate to the sharks, but no one 
 would have thought it, to have gone among the crew 
 immediately after. The dead man had been a churlish, 
 unsocial fellow, while alive, and no favourite; and now 
 that he was no more, little thought was bestowed upon 
 him. AU that was said was concerning the disposal of 
 his chest, which, having been always kept locked, was sup- 
 posed to contain money. Someone volunteered to break 
 it open, and distribute its contents, clothing and all, 
 before the captain should demand it. 
 
 While myself and others were endeavouring to dissuade 
 them from this, all started at a cry from the forecastle. 
 There could be no one there but two of the sick, unable to 
 crawl on deck. We went below, and found one of them 
 dying on a chest. He had fallen out of his hammock in 
 a fit, and was insensible. The eyes were open and fixed, 
 and his breath coming and going convulsively. The men 
 shrunk from him; but the doctor, taking his hand, held 
 it a few moments in his, and suddenly letting it fall, ex- 
 claimed, " He's gone ! " The body was instantly borne 
 up the ladder. 
 
 Another hammock was soon prepared, and the dead 
 sailor stitched up as before. Some additional ceremony, 
 however, was now insisted upon, and a Bible was called 
 for. But none was to be had, not even a Prayer Book. 
 When this was made known, Antone, a Portuguese, from 
 the Cape-de-Verd Islands, stepped up, muttering some- 
 thing over the corpse of his countryman, and, with his 
 linger, described upon the back of the hammock the 
 
46 Omoo 
 
 figure of a large cross; whereupon it received the death- 
 launch. 
 
 These two men both perished from the proverbial indis- 
 cretions of seamen, heightened by circumstances apparent; 
 but had either of them been ashore under proper treat- 
 ment, he would, in all human probability, have recovered. 
 
 Behold here the fate of a sailor! They give him the 
 last toss, and no one asks whose child he was. 
 
 For the rest of that night there was no more sleep. 
 Many stayed on deck until broad morning, relating to 
 each other those marvellous tales of the sea which the 
 occasion was calculated to call forth. Little as I believed 
 in such things, I could not listen to some of these stories 
 unaffected. Above all was I struck by one of the car- 
 penter's. 
 
 On a voyage to India, they had a fever aboard, which 
 carried off nearly half the crew in the space of a few days. 
 After this the men never went aloft in the night-time, 
 except in couples. When top-sails were to be reefed, 
 phantoms were seen at the yard-arm ends ; and in tacking 
 ship, voices called aloud from the tops. The carpenter 
 himself, going with another man to furl the main-top- 
 gallant-sail in a squall, was nearly pushed from the rigging 
 by an unseen hand; and his shipmate swore that a wet 
 hammock was flirted in his face. 
 
 Stories like these were related as gospel truths, by 
 those who declared themselves eye-witnesses. 
 
 It is a circumstance not generally known, perhaps, that 
 among ignorant seamen, Finlanders, or Finns, as they are 
 more commonly called, are regarded with peculiar super- 
 stition. For some reason or other, which I never could 
 get at, they are supposed to possess the gift of second 
 sight, and the power to wreak supernatural vengeance 
 upon those who offend them. On this account they have 
 great influence among sailors, and two or three with 
 whom I have sailed at different times were persons well 
 calculated to produce this sort of impression, at least upon 
 minds disposed to believe in such things. 
 
 Now, we had one of these sea-prophets aboard; an old,, 
 yellow-haired fellow, who alwayg wore a rude seal-skin 
 
Death and Burial of Two of the Crew 47 
 
 cap of his own make^ and carried his tobacco in a laige 
 pouch made of the same stuff. Van^ as we called him, 
 was a quiet, inoffensive man, to look at, and, among such 
 a set, his occasional peculiarities had hitherto passed for 
 nothing. At this time, however, he came out with a, 
 prediction, wjiich was none the less remarkable from its 
 absolute fulfilment, though not exactly in the spirit in 
 which it was given out. 
 
 The night of the burial he laid his hand on the old horse- 
 shoe nailed as a charm to the foremast, and solemnly told 
 us that, in less than three weeks, not one quarter of our 
 number would remain aboard the ship — by that time they 
 would have left her for ever. 
 
 Some laughed; Flash Jack called him an old fool; but 
 among the men generally it produced a marked effect. 
 For several days a degree of quiet reigned among us, and 
 allusions of such a kind were made to recent events, as. 
 could be attributed to no other cause than the Finn's 
 omen. 
 
 For my own part, what had lately come to pass waa 
 not without its influence. It forcibly brought to mind, 
 our really critical condition. Doctor Long Ghost, too, 
 frequently revealed his apprehensions, and once assured, 
 me that he would give much to be safely landed upon any 
 island around us. 
 
 Where we were, exactly, no one but the mate seemed tO' 
 know, nor whither we were going. The captain — a mera 
 cipher — was an invalid in his cabin ; to say nothing more: 
 of so many of his men languishing in the forecastle. 
 
 Our keeping the sea under these circumstances, a. 
 matter strange enough at first, now seemed wholly un- 
 warranted; and added to all was the thought that our 
 fate was absolutely in the hand of the reckless Jermin. 
 Were anything to happen to him, we would be left with-- 
 out a navigator, for, according to Jermin himself, he had,, 
 from the commencement of the voyage, always kept the- 
 ship's reckoning, the captain's nautical knowledge being; 
 insufficient. 
 
 But considerations like these, strange as it may seem,, 
 seldom or never occurred to the crew. They were aliva 
 
48 
 
 Omoo 
 
 only to superstitious fears; and when, in apparent con- 
 tradiction to the Finn's prophecy, the sick men rallied a 
 httle, they began to recover their former spirits, and the 
 recollection of what had occurred insensibly faded from 
 their minds. In a week's time, the unworthiness of Little 
 Jule as a sea vessel, always a subject of jest, now became 
 more so than ever. In the forecastle. Flash Jack, with 
 his knife, often dug into the dank, rotten planks ribbed 
 between us and death, and flung away the splinters with 
 some sea joke. 
 
 As to the remaining invalids, they were hardly ill 
 enough to occasion any serious apprehension, at least for 
 the present, in the breasts of such thoughtless beings as 
 themselves. And even those who suffered the most, 
 studiously refrained from any expression of pain. 
 
 The truth is, that among sailors as a class, sickness at 
 sea is so heartily detested, and the sick so little cared for, 
 that the greatest invalid generally strives to mask his 
 sufferings. He has given no sympathy to others, and he 
 expects none in return. Their conduct, in this respect, 
 so opposed to their generous-hearted behaviour ashore, 
 painfully affects the landsman on his first intercourse with 
 them as a sailor. 
 
 Sometimes, but seldom, our invalids inveighed against 
 their being kept at sea, where they could be of no service, 
 -when they ought to be ashore and in the way of recovery. 
 But — " Oh! cheer up — cheer up, my hearties! " — the 
 mate would say. And after this fashion he put a stop to 
 their murmurings. 
 
 But there was one circumstance, to which heretofore I 
 have but barely alluded, that tended more than anything 
 €lse to reconcile many to their situation. This was the 
 receiving regularly, twice every day, a certain portion of 
 Pisco, which was served out at the capstan, by the 
 steward, in little tin measures called " tots." 
 
 The lively affection seamen have for strong drink is 
 well known; but in the South Seas, where it is so seldom 
 to be had, a thoroughbred sailor deems scarcely any price 
 too dear which will purchase his darling " tot." Now- 
 adays, American whalemen in the Pacific never think of 
 
Death and Burial of Two of the Crew 49 
 
 carrying spirits as a ration; and aboard of most of them, 
 it is never served out even in times of the greatest hard- 
 ships. All Sydney whalemen, however, still cling to the 
 old custom, and carry it as a part of the regular supplies 
 for the voyage. 
 
 In port, the allowance of Pisco was suspended; with a 
 view, undoubtedly, of heightening the attractions of being 
 out of sight of land. 
 
 Now, owing to the absence of proper discipline, our 
 sick, in addition to what they took medicinally, often 
 came in for their respective "tots" convivially; and, 
 added to all this, the evening of the last day of the week 
 was always celebrated by what is styled on board of Eng- 
 lish vessels, " The Saturday-night bottles." Two of these 
 were sent down into the forecastle, just after dark; one 
 for the starboard watch, and the other for the larboard. 
 
 By prescription, the oldest seaman in each claims the 
 treat as his, and, accordingly, pours out the good cheer 
 and passes it round like a lord doing the honours of his 
 table. But the Saturday-night bottles were not all. The 
 carpenter and cooper, in sea parlance. Chips and Bungs, 
 who were the " Cods," or leaders of the forecastle, in some 
 way or other, managed to obtain an extra supply, which 
 perpetually kept them in fine after-dinner spirits, and, 
 moreover, disposed them to look favourably upon a state 
 of affairs like the present. 
 
 But where were the sperm whales all this time? In 
 good sooth, it made little matter where they were, since 
 we were in no condition to capture them. About this 
 time, indeed, the men came down from the mast-heads, 
 where, until now, they had kept up the form of relieving 
 each other every two hours. They swore they would go 
 ihere no more. Upon this, the mate carelessly observed 
 mat they would soon be where look-outs were entirely 
 unnecessary, the whales he had in his eye (though Flash 
 Jack said they were all in his) being so tame that they 
 made a practice of coming round ships, and scratching 
 their backs against them. 
 
 Thus went the world of waters with us, some four weeks 
 or more after leaving Hannamanoo. 
 
 D 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 OUR DESTINATION CHANGED 
 
 It was not long after the death of the two men, that Cap- 
 tain Guy was reported as fast declining, and in a day or 
 two more, as dying. The doctor, who previously had 
 refused to enter the cabin upon any consideration, now 
 relented, and paid his old enemy a professional visit. 
 
 He prescribed a warm bath, which was thus prepared. 
 The skylight being removed, a cask was lowered down 
 into the cabin, and then filled with buckets of water from 
 the ship's coppers. The cries of the patient, when dipped 
 into his rude bath, were most painful to hear. They at 
 last laid him on the transom, more dead than alive. 
 
 That evening, the mate was perfectly sober, and coming 
 forward to the windlass, where we were lounging, sum- 
 moned aft the doctor, myself, and two or three others 
 of his favourites; when, in the presence of Bembo the 
 Mowree, he spoke to us thus : 
 
 " I have something to say to ye, men. There's none 
 but Bembo here as belongs aft, so I've picked ye out as 
 the best men for'ard to take counsel with, d'ye see, con- 
 sarning the ship. The captain's anchor is pretty nigh 
 atrip; I shouldn't wonder if he croaked afore morning. 
 So what's to be done? If we have to sew him up, some 
 of those pirates there for'ard may take it into their heads 
 to run off with the ship, because there's no one at the 
 tiller. Now, I've detarmined what's best to be done ; but 
 I don't want to do it unless I've good men to back me, and 
 make things all fair and square if ever we get home again." 
 
 We all asked what his plan was. 
 
 " I'll tell ye what it is, men. If the skipper dies, all 
 agree to obey my orders, and in less than three weeks I'll 
 engage to have five hundred barrels of sperm oil under 
 
 5° 
 
Our Destination Changed 5 i 
 
 hatches : enough to give every mother's son of ye a hand- 
 ful of dollars when we get to Sydney. If ye don't agree 
 to this, ye won't have a farthing coming to ye." ^ 
 
 Doctor Long Ghost at once broke in. He said that 
 such a thing was not to be dreamt of; that if the captain 
 died, the mate was in duty bound to navigate the ship to 
 the nearest civilized port, and deliver her up into an Eng- 
 lish consul's hands; when, in all probability, after a run 
 ashore, the crew would be sent home. Everything forbade 
 the mate's plan. " Still," said he, assuming an air of 
 indifference, " if the men say stick it out, stick it out say 
 I ; but in that case, the sooner we get to those islands of 
 yours the better." 
 
 Something more he went on to say ; and from the manner 
 in which the rest regarded him, it was plain that our fate 
 was in his hands. It was finally resolved upon, that if 
 Captain Guy was no better in twenty-four hours, the 
 ship's head should be pointed for the island of Tahiti. 
 
 This announcement produced a strong sensation — the 
 sick rallied — and the rest speculated as to what was next 
 to befall us; while the doctor, without alluding to Guy, 
 congratulated me upon the prospect of soon beholding a 
 place so famous as the island in question. 
 
 The night after the holding of the council, I happened 
 to go on deck in the middle watch, and found the yards 
 braced sharp up on the larboard tack, with the South 
 East Trades strong on our bow. The captain was no 
 better; and we were off for Tahiti. 
 
 ' The men were shipped " by the lay " ; m other words, they 
 received no wages; but, by the articles, were entitled to a certain, 
 portion of the profits of the voyage. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 ROPE YARN 
 
 While gliding along on our way, I cannot well omit some 
 account of a poor devil we had among us, who went by the 
 name of Rope Yam, or Ropey. 
 
 He was a nondescript who had joined the ship, as a lands- 
 man. Being so excessively timid and awkward, it was 
 thought useless to try and make a sailor of him; so he was 
 translated into the cabin as steward ; the man previously 
 filling that post, a good seaman, going among the crew 
 and taking his place. But poor Ropey proved quite as 
 clumsy among the crockery as in the rigging ; and one day 
 when the ship was pitching, having stumbled into the 
 cabin with a wooden tureen of soup, he scalded the 
 officers so that they didn't get over it in a week. Upon 
 which, he was dismissed, and returned to the forecastle. 
 
 Now, nobody is so heartily despised as a pusillanimous, 
 lazy, good-for-nothing land-lubber; a sailor has no bowels 
 of compassion for him. Yet, useless as such a character 
 may be in many respects, a ship's company is by no means 
 disposed to let him reap any benefit from his deficiencies. 
 Regarded in the light of a mechanical power, whenever 
 there is any plain, hard work to be done, he is put to it 
 like a lever; everyone giving him a pry. 
 
 Then, again, he is set about all the vilest work. Is there 
 a heavy job at tarring to be done, he is pitched neck and 
 shoulders into a tar-barrel, and set to work at it. More- 
 over, he is made to fetch and carry like a dog. Like as not, 
 if the mate sends him after his quadrant, on the way he is 
 met by the captain, who orders him to pick some oakum ; 
 and while he is hunting up a bit of rope, a sailor comes 
 along and wants to know what the deuce he's after, and 
 bids him be off to the forecastle. 
 
Rope Yarn 53 
 
 " Obey the last order," is a precept itiviolable at sea- 
 So the land-lubber, afraid to refuse to do anything, rushes 
 about distracted, and does nothing : in the end receiving a 
 shower of kicks and cuffs from all quarters. 
 
 Added to his other hardships, he is seldom permitted to 
 open his mouth unless spoken to; and then, he might 
 better keep silent. Alas for him ! if he should happen to 
 be anything of a droll; for in an evil hour should he per- 
 petrate a joke, he would never know the last of it. 
 
 The witticisms of others, however, upon himself, must be 
 received in the greatest good-humour. 
 
 Woe be unto him, if at meal-times he so much as look 
 sideways at the beef-kid before the rest are helped. 
 
 Then he is obliged to plead guilty to every piece of mis- 
 chief which the real perpetrator refuses to acknowledge; 
 thus taking the place of that sneaking rascal nobody, 
 ashore. In short, there is no end to his tribulations. 
 
 The land-lubber's spirits often sink, and the first result 
 of his being moody and miserable is naturally enough an 
 utter neglect of his toilet. 
 
 The sailors perhaps ought to make allowances; but 
 heartless as they are, they do not. No sooner is his clean- 
 liness questioned than they rise upon him like a mob of 
 the Middle Ages upon a Jew; drag him into the lee- 
 scuppers, and strip him to the buff. In vain he bawls for 
 mercy; in vain calls upon the captain to save him. 
 
 Alas ! I say again, for the land-lubber at sea. He is the 
 veriest wretch the watery world over. And such was Rope 
 Yarn; of all land-lubbers, the most lubberly and most 
 miserable. A forlorn, stunted, hook-visaged mortal he 
 was too ; one of those whom you know at a glance to have 
 been tried hard and long in the furnace of affliction. His 
 face was an absolute puzzle; though sharp and sallow, it 
 had neither the wrinkles of age nor the smoothness of 
 youth; so that for the soul of me, I could hardly tell 
 whether he was twenty-five or fifty. 
 
 But to his history. In his better days, it seems he had 
 been a journeyman baker in London, somewhere about 
 Holborn; and on Sundays wore a blue coat and metal 
 buttons, and spent his afternoons in a tavern, smoking his 
 
54 Omoo 
 
 pipe and drinking his ale like a free and easy journeyman 
 baker that he was. But this did not last long; for an 
 intermeddling old fool was the ruin of him. He was told 
 that London might do very well for elderly gentlemen and 
 invalids; but for a lad of spirit, Australia was the Land of 
 Promise. In a dark day Ropey wound up his affairs and 
 embarked. 
 
 Arriving in Sydney with a small capital, and after a 
 while waxing snug and comfortable by dint of hard knead- 
 ing, he took unto himself a wife; and so far as she was 
 concerned, might then have gone into the country and 
 retired; for she effectually did his business. In short, the 
 lady worked him woe in heart and pocket ; and in the end, 
 ran off with his till and his foreman. Ropey went to the 
 sign of the Pipe and Tankard ; got fuddled ; and over his 
 fifth pot meditated suicide — an intention carried out; 
 for the next day he shipped as landsman aboard the Julia, 
 South Seaman. 
 
 The ex-baker would have fared far better, had it not 
 been for his heart, which was soft and underdone. A kind 
 word made a fool of him; and hence most of the scrapes 
 he got into. Two or three wags, aware of his infirmity, 
 used to " draw him out " in conversation whenever the 
 most crabbed and choleric old seamen were present. 
 
 To give an instance. The watch below, just waked 
 from their sleep, are all at breakfast; and Ropey, in one 
 comer, is disconsolately partaking of its delicacies. Now, 
 sailors newly waked are no cherubs; and therefore not a 
 word is spoken, everybody munching his biscuit, grim and 
 unshaven. At this juncture an affable-looking scamp^ 
 Flash Jack — crosses the forecastle, tin can in hand, and 
 seats himself beside the land-lubber. 
 
 " Hard fare this, Ropey," he begins; "hard enough, 
 too, for them that's known better and lived in Lun'nun. 
 I say now, Ropey, s'posing you were back to Holborn this 
 morning, what would you have for breakfast, eh? " 
 
 "Have for breakfast!" cried Ropey in a rapture. 
 " Don't speak of it!" 
 
 " What ails that fellow? " here growled an old sea-bear, 
 turning round savagely. 
 
Rope Yarn 55 
 
 " Oh, nothing, nothing," said Jack; and then, leaning 
 over to Rope Yarn, he bade him go on, but speak lower. 
 
 " Well, then," said he, in a smuggled tone, his eyes light- 
 ing up like two lanterns, " well, then, I'd go to Mother 
 Moll's that makes the great muffins: I'd go there, you 
 know, and cock my foot on the 'ob, and call for a noggin o' 
 somethink to begin with." 
 
 "What then, Ropey?" 
 
 " Why then. Flashy," continued the poor victim, un- 
 consciously warming with his theme: "why then, I'd 
 draw my chair up and call for Betty, the gal wot tends to 
 customers. Betty, my dear, says I, you looks charmin' 
 this momin' ; give me a nice rasher of bacon and h'eggs 
 Betty my love; and I wants a pint of h'ale, and three nice 
 h'ot muffins and butter— and a slice of Cheshire; and 
 Betty, I wants — " 
 
 " A shark-steak, and be hanged to you ! " roared Black 
 Dan, with an oath. Whereupon, dragged over the chests, 
 the ill-starred fellow is pummelled on deck. 
 
 1 always made a point of befriending poor Ropey when I 
 could; and, for this reason, was a great favourite of his. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 CHIPS AND BUNGS 
 
 Bound into port, Chips and Bungs increased their devo- 
 tion to the bottle; and, to the unspeakable envy of the 
 rest, these jolly companions — or " the Partners," as the 
 men called them — rolled about deck, day after day, in 
 the merriest mood imaginable. 
 
 But jolly as they were in the main, two more discreet 
 tipplers it would be hard to find. No one ever saw them 
 take anything, except when the regular allowance was 
 served out by the steward; and to make them quite sober 
 and sensible, you had only to ask them how they contrived 
 to keep otherwise. Some time after, however, their secret 
 leaked out. 
 
 The casks of Pisco were kept down the after-hatchway, 
 which, for this reason, was secured with bar and padlock. 
 The cooper, nevertljeless, from time to time, effected a 
 burglarious entry, by descending into the fore-hold; and 
 then, at the risk of being jammed to death, crawling along 
 over a thousand obstructions, to where the casks were 
 stowed. 
 
 On the first expedition, the only one to be got at lay 
 among others, upon its bilge with the bung-hole well over. 
 With a bit of iron hoop, suitably bent, and a good deal of 
 prying and punching, the bung was forced in; and then 
 the cooper's neck-handkerchief, attached to the end of 
 the hoop, was drawn in and out — the absorbed liquor 
 being deliberately squeezed into a small bucket. 
 
 Bungs was a man after a barkeeper's own heart. Drink- 
 ing steadily, until just manageably tipsy, he contrived to 
 continue so ; getting neither more nor less inebriated, but, 
 to use his own phrase, remaining " just about right." 
 When in this interesting state, he had a free lurch in his 
 56 
 
Chips and Bungs t^j 
 
 gaitj a queer way of hitching up his waistbands, looked 
 unnecessarily steady at you when speaking, and for the 
 rest, was in very tolerable spirits. At these times, more- 
 over, he was exceedingly patriotic; and in a most amusing 
 way, frequently showed his patriotism whenever he hap- 
 pened to encounter Dunk, a good-natured, square-faced 
 Dane, aboard. 
 
 It must be known here, by the bye, that the cooper had 
 a true sailor admiration for Lord Nelson. But he enter- 
 tained a very erroneous idea of the personal appearance 
 of the hero. Not content with depriving him of an eye 
 and an arm, he stoutly maintained that he had also lost a 
 leg in one of his battles. Under this impression, he some- 
 times hopped up to Dunk with one leg curiously locked 
 behind him into his right arm, at the same time closing 
 an eye. 
 
 In this attitude he would call upon him to look up, and 
 behold the man who gave his countrymen such a thrashing 
 at Copenhagen. " Look you. Dunk," says he, staggering 
 about, and winking hard with one eye to keep the other 
 shut, " Look you; one man — ^hang me, halj a man — ^with 
 one leg, one arm, one eye- — hang me, with only a piece of 
 a carcase, flogged your whole shabby nation. Do you 
 deny it you lubber? " 
 
 The Dane was a mule of a man, and understanding but 
 little English, seldom made anything of a reply; so the 
 cooper generally dropped his leg, and marched ofE, with 
 the air of a man who despised saying anything further. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 WE ENCOUNTER A GALE 
 
 The mild blue weather we enjoyed after leaving the Mar- 
 quesas gradually changed as we ran farther south and 
 approached Tahiti. In these generally tranquil seas, 'the 
 wind sometimes blows with great violence; though, as 
 every sailor knows, a spicy gale in the tropic latitudes of 
 the Pacific is far different from a tempest in the howling 
 North Atlantic. We soon found ourselves battling with 
 the waves, while the before mild Trades, like a woman 
 roused, blew fiercely, but still warmly, in our face. 
 
 For all this, the mate carried sail without stint; and as 
 for brave little Jule, she stood up to it well; and though 
 once in a while floored in the trough of a sea, sprang to her 
 keel again and showed play. Every old timber groaned 
 — every spar buckled — every chafed cord strained; and 
 yet, spite of all, she plunged on her way like a racer. Jer- 
 min, sea-jockey that he was, sometimes stood in the fore- 
 chains, with the spray every now and then dashing over 
 him, and shouting out, " Well done, Jule — dive into it, 
 sweetheart. Hurrah ! " 
 
 One afternoon there was a mighty queer noise aloft, 
 which set the men running in every direction. It was the 
 main-t' -gallant-mast. Crash ! it broke off just above the 
 cap, and held there by the rigging, dashed with every roll 
 from side to side, with all the hamper that belonged to it. 
 The yard hung by a hair, and at every pitch, thumped 
 against the cross-trees ; while the sail streamed in ribbons, 
 and the loose ropes coiled, and thrashed the air, like 
 whip-lashes. " Stand from under! " and down came the . 
 rattling blocks, like so many shot. The yard, with a. . 
 snap and a plunge, went hissing into the sea, disappeared, 
 S8 
 
We Encounter a Gale 59 
 
 and shot its full length out again. The crest of a great 
 wave then broke over it — the ship rushed by — and we saw 
 the stick no more. 
 
 While this lively breeze continued, Baltimore, our old 
 black cook, was in great tribulation. 
 
 Like most South Seamen, the Julia's " caboose," or cook- 
 house, was planted on the larboard side of the forecastle. 
 Under such a press of canvas, and with the heavy sea run- 
 ning the barque, diving her bows under, now and then 
 shipped green glassy waves, which, breaking over the head- 
 rails, fairly deluged that part of the ship, and washed clean 
 aft. The caboose-house — thought to be fairly lashed 
 down to its place — served as a sort of breakwater to the 
 inundation. 
 
 About these times, Baltimore always wore what he 
 called his " gale suit," among other tlungs comprising a 
 Sou'-wester and a huge pair of well-anointed sea-boots, 
 reaching almost to his knees. Thus equipped for a duck- 
 ing or a drowning, as the case might be, our culinary high- 
 priest drew to the slides of his temple, and performed his 
 sooty rites in secret. 
 
 So afraid was the old man of being washed overboard 
 that he actually fastened one end of a small line to his 
 waistbands, and coiling the rest about him, made use of it 
 as occasion required. When engaged outside, he unwound 
 the cord, and secured one end to a ring-bolt in the deck; 
 so that if a chance sea washed him off his feet, it could do 
 nothing more. 
 
 One evening just as he was getting supper, the Julia 
 reared up on her stern like a vicious colt, and when she 
 settled again forward, fairly dished a tremendous sea. 
 Nothing could withstand it. One side of the rotten head- 
 bulwarks came in with a crash; it smote the caboose, tore 
 it from its moorings, and after boxing it about, dashed it 
 against the windlass, where it stranded. The water then 
 poured along the deck like a flood rolling over and over, 
 pots, pans, and kettles, and even old Baltimore himself, 
 who went breaching along like a porpoise. 
 
 Striking the taffrail, the wave subsided, and washing 
 from side to side, left the drowning cook high and dry on 
 
6o Omoo 
 
 the after-hatch: his extinguished pipe still between his 
 teeth, and almost bitten in two. 
 
 The few men on deck having sprung into the main- 
 rigging, sailor-like, did nothing but roar at his calamity. 
 
 The same night, our flying-jib-boom snapped off like a 
 pipe-stem, and our spanker-gaff came down by the run. 
 
 By the following morning, the wind in a great measure 
 had gone down; the sea with it; and by noon we had re- 
 paired our damages as well as we could, and were sailing 
 along as pleasantly as ever. 
 
 But there was no help for the demolished bulwarks ; we 
 had nothing to replace them ; and so, whenever it breezed 
 again, our dauntless craft went along with her splintered 
 prow dripping, but kicking up her fleet heels just as high 
 as before. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 THE CORAL ISLANDS 
 
 How far we sailed to the westward after leaving the Mar- 
 quesas^ or what might have been our latitude and longi- 
 tude at any particular time, or how many leagues we 
 voyaged on our passage to Tahiti, are matters about 
 which, I am sorry to say, I cannot with any accuracy en- 
 lighten the reader. Jermin, as navigator, kept our reckon- 
 ing; and, as hinted before, kept it all to himself. At 
 noon, he brought out his quadrant, a rusty old thing, so 
 odd-looking that it might have belonged to an astrologer. 
 
 Sometimes, when rather flustered from his potations, he 
 went staggering about deck, instrument to eye, looking all 
 over for the sun — a phenomenon which any sober observer 
 might have seen right overhead. How upon earth he con- 
 trived, on some occasions, to settle his latitude, is more 
 than I can tell. The longitude he must either have ob- 
 tained by the Rule of Three, or else by special revelation. 
 Not that the chronometer in the cabin was seldom to be 
 relied on, or was any ways fidgety; quite the contrary; 
 it stood stock-still; and by that means, no doubt, the true 
 Greenwich time — at the period of stopping, at least-^was 
 preserved to a second. 
 
 The mate, however, in addition to his " Dead Reckon- 
 ing," pretended to ascertain his meridian distance from 
 Bow Bells by an occasional lunar observation. This, I be- 
 lieve, consists in obtaining with the proper instruments the 
 angular distance between the moon and some one of the 
 stars. The operation generally requires two observers 
 to take sights, and at one and the same time. 
 
 Now, though the mate alone might have been thought 
 well calculated for this, inasmuch as he generally saw 
 things double, the doctor was usually called upon to play 
 6i 
 
62 Omoo 
 
 a sort of second quadrant to Jermin's first; and what 
 with the capers of both, they used to furnish a good deal 
 of diversion. The mate's tremulous attempts to level his 
 instrument at the star he was after, were comical enough. 
 For my own part, when he did catch sight of it, I hardly 
 knew how he managed to separate it from the astral host 
 revolving in his own brain. 
 
 However, by hook or by crook, he piloted us along ; and 
 before many days, a fellow sent aloft to dam a rent in the 
 fore-top-sail, threw his hat into the air, and bawled out 
 "Land, ho!" 
 
 Land it was ; but in what part of the South Seas, Jermin 
 alone knew, and some doubted whether even he did. But 
 no sooner was the announcement made, than he came 
 running on deck, spy-glass in hand, and clapping it to his 
 eye, turned round with the air of a man receiving indubit- 
 able assurance of something he was quite certain of before. 
 The land was precisely that for which he had been steering; 
 and, with a wind, in less than twenty-four hours we would 
 sight Tahiti. What he said was verified. 
 
 The island turned out to be one of the Pomotu or Low 
 Group — sometimes called the Coral Islands — perhaps the 
 most remarkable and interesting in the Pacific. Lying to 
 the east of Tahiti, the nearest are within a day's sail of 
 that place. 
 
 They are very numerous; mostly small, low, and level; 
 sometimes wooded, but always covered with verdure. 
 Many are crescent-shaped; others resemble a horse-shoe 
 in figure. These last are nothing more than narrow circles 
 of land surrounding a smooth lagoon, connected by a 
 single opening with the sea. Some of the lagoons, said to 
 have subterranean outlets, have no visible ones; the in- 
 closing island, in such cases, being a complete zone of 
 emerald. Other lagoons still, are girdled by numbers of 
 small, green islets, very near to each other. 
 
 The origin of the entire group is generally ascribed to 
 the coral insect. 
 
 According to some naturalists, this wonderful little 
 creature, commencing its erections at the bottom of the 
 sea, after the lapse of centuries, carries them up to the 
 
The Coral Islands 63 
 
 surface, where its labours cease. Here, the inequalities 
 of the coral collect all floating bodies: forming, after a 
 time, a soil, in which the seeds carried thither by birds 
 germinate, and cover the whole with vegetation. Here 
 and there, all over this archipelago, numberless naked, 
 detached coral formations are seen, just emerging, as it 
 were from the ocean. These would appear to be islands 
 in the very process of creation — at any rate, one involun- 
 tarily concludes so, on beholding them.^ 
 
 As far as I know, there are but few bread-fruit trees in 
 any part of the Bomotu group. In many places the cocoa- 
 nut even does not grow; though, in others, it largely 
 flourishes. Consequently, some of the islands are alto- 
 gether uninhabited; others support but a single family; 
 and in no place is the population very large. In some re- 
 spects the natives resemble the Tahitians : their language, 
 too, is very similar. The people of the southeasterly 
 clusters — concerning whom, however, but little is known — 
 have a bad name as cannibals; and for that reason their 
 hospitality is seldom taxed by the mariner. 
 
 Within a few years past, missionaries from the Society 
 group have settled among the Leeward Islands, where the 
 natives have treated them kindly. Indeed, nominally, 
 many of these people are now Christians; and, through 
 the political influence of their instructors, no doubt, a 
 short time since came under the allegiance of Pomaree, 
 the Queen of Tahiti; with which island they always 
 carried on considerable intercourse. 
 
 The Coral Islands are principally visited by the pearl- 
 shell fishermen, who arrive in small schooners, carrying 
 not more than five or six men. 
 
 For a long while the business was engrossed by Meren- 
 hout, the French Consul at Tahiti, but a Dutchman by 
 birth, who, in one year, is said to have sent to France 
 fifty thousand dollars' worth of shells. The oysters are 
 
 ' The above is the popular idea on the subject. But of late, a 
 theory directly the reverse has been started. Instead of regarding 
 the phenomena last described as indicating anything like an active, 
 creative power now in operation, it is maintained that, together 
 with the entire group, they are merely the remains of a continent, 
 long ago worn away, and broken up by the action of the sea. 
 
64 Omoo 
 
 found in the lagoons, and about the reefs; and, for half- 
 a-dozen nails a day, or a compensation still less, the 
 natives are hired to dive after them. 
 
 A great deal of cocoa-nut oil is also obtained in vanous 
 places. Some of the uninhabited islands are covered with 
 dense groves ; and the ungathered nuts which have fallen 
 year after year, lie upon the ground in incredible quan- 
 tities. Two or three men, provided with the necessary 
 apparatus for trying out the oil, will, in the course of a 
 \veek or two, obtain enough to load one of the large sea- 
 canoes. 
 
 Cocoa-nut oil is now manufactured in different parts of 
 the South Seas, and forms no small part of the traffic 
 carried on with trading vessels. A considerable quantity 
 is annually exported from the Society Islands to Sydney. 
 It is used in lamps and for machinery, being much cheaper 
 than the sperm, and, for both purposes, better than the 
 right-whale oil. They bottle it up in large bamboos, six 
 or eight feet long; and these form part of the circulating 
 medium of Tahiti. 
 
 To return to the ship. The wind dying away, evening 
 came on before we drew near the island. But we had it in 
 view during the whole afternoon. 
 
 It was small and round, presenting one enamelled level, 
 free from trees, and did not seem four feet above the 
 water. Beyond it was another and larger island, about 
 which a tropical sunset was throwing its glories ; flushing 
 all that part of the heavens, and making it flame like a 
 vast dyed oriel illuminated. 
 
 The Trades scarce filled our swooning sails ; the air was 
 languid with the aroma of a thousand strange, flowering 
 shrubs. Upon inhaling it, one of the sick, who had 
 recently shown symptoms of scurvy, cried out in pain, 
 and was carried below. This is no unusual effect in such 
 instances. 
 
 On we glided, within less than a cable's length of the 
 shore, which was margined with foam that sparkled all 
 round. Within, nestled the still, blue lagoon. No living 
 thing was seen, and, for aught we knew, we might have 
 been the first mortals who had ever beheld the spot. The 
 
The Coral Islands 65 
 
 thought was quickening to the fancy; nor could I help 
 dreaming of the endless grottoes and galleries^ far below 
 the reach of the mariner's lead. 
 
 And what strange shapes were lurking there ! Think of 
 those arch creatures, the mermaids, chasing each other in 
 and out of the coral cells, and catching their long hair in 
 the coral twigs! 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 TAHITI 
 
 At early dawn of the following morning we saw the Peaks 
 of Tahiti. In clear weather they may be seen at the dis- 
 tance of ninety miles. 
 
 " Hivarhoo ! " shouted Wymontoo, overjoyed, and 
 miming out upon the bowsprit when the land was first 
 faintly descried in the distance. But when the clouds 
 floated away, and showed the three peaks standing like 
 obelisks against the sky; and the bold shore undulating 
 along the horizon, the tears gushed from his eyes. Poor 
 fellow! It was not Hivarhoo. Green Hivarhoo was 
 many a long league off. 
 
 Tahiti is by far the most famous island in the South 
 Seas; indeed, a variety of causes has made it almost 
 classic. Its natural features alone distinguish it from the 
 surrounding groups. Two round and lofty promontories, 
 whose mountains rise nine thousand feet above the level 
 of the ocean, are connected by a low, narrow isthmus; 
 the whole being some one hundred miles in circuit. From 
 the great central peaks of the larger peninsula — Orohena, 
 Aorai, and Pirohitee — the land radiates on all sides to the 
 sea in sloping green ridges. Between these are broad and 
 shadowy valleys — in aspect, each a Tempe — watered with 
 fine streams, and thickly wooded. Unlike many of the 
 other islands, there extends nearly all round Tahiti a belt 
 of low, alluvial soil, teeming with the richest vegetation. 
 Here, chiefly, the natives dwell. 
 
 Seen from the sea, the prospect is magnificent. It is 
 one mass of shaded tints of green, from beach to mountain 
 top; endlessly diversified with valleys, ridges, glens, and 
 cascades. Over the ridges, here and there, the loftier 
 peaks fling their shadows, and far down the valleys. At 
 66 
 
Tahiti 67 
 
 the head of these, the waterfalls flash out into the sun- 
 light, as if pouring through vertical bowers of verdure. 
 Such enchantment, too, breathes over the whole, that it 
 seems a fairy world, all fresh and blooming from the hand 
 of the Creator. 
 
 Upon a near approach, the picture loses not its attrac- 
 tions. It is no exaggeration to say that, to a European of 
 any sensibility, who, for the first time, wanders back into 
 these valleys — away from the haunts of the natives — the 
 ineffable repose and beauty of the landscape is such, that 
 every object strikes him like something seen in a dream; 
 and for a time he almost refuses to beUeve that scenes like 
 these should have a commonplace existence. No wonder 
 that the French bestowed upon the island the appellation 
 of the New Cytherea. " Often," says De Bourgainville, 
 " I thought I was walking in the Garden of Eden." 
 
 Nor, when first discovered, did the inhabitants of this 
 charming country at all diminish the wonder and admira- 
 tion of the voyager. Their physical beauty and amiable 
 dispositions harmonized completely with the softness of 
 their clime. In truth, everything about them was cal- 
 culated to awaken the liveliest interest. Glance at their 
 civil and religious institutions. To their king, divine 
 rights were paid; while for poetry, their mythology 
 rivalled that of ancient Greece. 
 
 Of Tahiti, earlier and more full accounts were given, 
 than of any other island in Polynesia; and this is the 
 reason why it still retains so strong a hold on the sym- 
 pathies of all readers of South Sea voyages. The journals 
 of its first visitors, containing, as they did, such romantic 
 descriptions of a country and people before unheard of, 
 produced a marked sensation throughout Europe; and 
 when the first Tahitians were carried thither, Omai in 
 London, and Aotooroo in Paris, were caressed by nobles, 
 scholars, and ladies. 
 
 In addition to all this, several eventful occurrences, 
 more or less connected with Tahiti, have tended to in- 
 crease its celebrity. Over two centuries ago, Quiros, the 
 Spaniard, is supposed to have touched at the island; and 
 at intervals, Wallis, Byron, Cook, De Bourgainville, Van- 
 
68 Omoo 
 
 couver, Le Perouse, and other illustrious navigators re- 
 fitted their vessels in its harbours. Here the famous 
 Transit of Venus was observed, in 1769. Here the 
 memorable mutiny of the Bounty afterwards had its 
 origin. It was to the pagans of Tahiti that the first regu- 
 larly constituted Protestant missionaries were sent; and 
 from their shores also, have sailed successive missions to 
 the neighbouring islands. 
 
 These, with other events which might be mentioned, 
 have united in keeping up the first interest which the place 
 awakened ; and the recent proceedings of the French have 
 more than ever called forth the sympathies of the public. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 A SURPRISE — MORE ABOUT BEMBO 
 
 The sight of the island was right welcome. Going into 
 harbour after a cruise is always joyous enough, and the 
 sailor is apt to indulge in all sorts of pleasant anticipa- 
 tions. But to us, the occasion was heightened by many 
 things peculiar to our situation. 
 
 Since steering for the land, our prospects had been much 
 talked over. By many it was supposed that, should the 
 captain leave the ship, the crew were no longer bound by 
 her articles. This was the opinion of our forecastle 
 Cokes; though, probably, it would not have been sanc- 
 tioned by the Marine Courts of Law. At any rate, such 
 was the state of both vessel and crew that, whatever might 
 be the event, a long stay, and many holidays in Tahiti, 
 were confidently predicted. 
 
 Everybody was in high spirits. The sick, who had been 
 improving day by day since the change in our destination, 
 were on deck, and leaning over the bulwarks; some all 
 animation, and others silently admiring an object un- 
 rivalled for its stately beauty — Tahiti from the sea. 
 
 The quarter-deck, however, furnished a marked con- 
 trast to what was going on at the other end of the ship. 
 The Mowree was there, as usual, scowling by himself; and 
 Jermin walked to and fro in deep thought, every now and 
 then looking to windward, or darting into the cabin and 
 quickly returning. 
 
 With all our light sails wooingly spread, we held on our 
 way, until, with the doctor's glass, Papeetee, the village 
 metropolis of Tahiti, came into view. Several ships were 
 descried lying in the harbour, and among them, one which 
 ioomed up black and large; her two rows of teeth pro- 
 claiming a frigate. This was the Reine Blanche, last from 
 % 
 
7© Omoo 
 
 the Marquesas, and carrying at the fore the flag of Rear- 
 Admiral Du Petit Thouars. Hardly had we made her 
 out, when the booming of her guns came over the water. 
 She was firing a salute, which afterwards turned out to be 
 in honour of a treaty ; or rather — as far as the natives were 
 concerned — a forced cession of Tahiti to the French, that 
 morning concluded. 
 
 The cannonading had hardly died away, when Jermin's 
 voice was heard giving an order so unexpected that every- 
 one started. " Stand by to haul back the main-yard! " 
 
 " What's that mean.? " shouted the men, " are we not 
 going into port? " 
 
 " Tumble after here, and no words! " cried the mate; 
 and in a moment the main-yard swung round, when, with 
 her jib-boom pointing out to sea, the Julia lay as quiet as 
 a duck. We all looked blank — what was to come next ? 
 
 Presently the steward made his appearance, carrying a 
 mattress, which he spread out in the stern-sheets of the 
 captain's boat; two or three chests, and other things be- 
 longing to his master, were similarly disposed of. 
 
 This was enough. A slight hint suffices for a sailor. 
 
 Still adhering to his resolution to keep the ship at sea in 
 spite of everything, the captain, doubtless, intended to 
 set himself ashore, leaving the vessel, under the mate, to 
 resume her voyage at once; but after a certain period 
 agreed upon, to touch at the island, and take him off. 
 All this, of course, could easily be done without approach- 
 ing any nearer the land with the Julia than we now were. 
 Invalid whaling captains often adopt a plan like this; 
 but, in the present instance, it was wholly unwarranted; 
 and, everything considered, at war with the commonest 
 principles of prudence and humanity. And, although, 
 on Guy's part, this resolution showed more hardihood 
 than he had ever been given credit for, it, at the same 
 time, argued an unaccountable simplicity, in supposing 
 that such a crew would, in any way, submit to the outrage. 
 
 It was soon made plain that we were right in our sus- 
 picions; and the men became furious. The cooper and 
 carpenter volunteered to head a mutiny forthwith; and 
 while Jermin was below, four or five rushed aft to fasten 
 
A Surprise 71 
 
 down the cabin scuttle; others, throwing down the main- 
 braces, called out to the rest to lend a hand, and fill away 
 for the land. All this was done in an ins^nt; and things 
 were looking critical, when Doctor Long Ghost and my- 
 self prevailed upon them to wa.it a while, and do nothing 
 hastily; there was plenty of time, and the ship was com- 
 pletely in our power. 
 
 While the preparations were still going on in the cabin, 
 we mustered the men together, and went into counsel upon 
 the forecastle. 
 
 It was with much difficulty that we could bring these 
 rash spirits to a calm consideration of the case. But the 
 doctor's influence at last began to tell; and, with a few 
 exceptions, they agreed to be guided by him; assured 
 that, if they did so, the ship would eventually be brought 
 to her anchors without anyone getting into trouble. 
 Still they told us, up and down, that if peaceable means 
 failed, they would seize Little Jule, and carry her into 
 Papeetee, if they all swung for it; but, for the present, 
 the captain should have his own way. 
 
 By this time everything was ready; the boat was 
 lowered and brought to the gangway; and the captain 
 was helped on deck by the mate and steward. It was the 
 first time we had seen him in more than two weeks, and 
 he was greatly altered. As if anxious to elude every eye, 
 a broad-brimmed Payata hat was pulled down over his 
 brow; so that his face was only visible when the brim 
 flapped aside. By a sling, rigged from the main-yard, 
 the cook and Bembo now assisted in lowering him into the 
 boat. As he went moaning over the side, he must have 
 heard the whispered maledictions of his crew. 
 
 While the steward was busy adjusting matters in the 
 boat, the mate, after a private interview with the Mowree, 
 turned round abruptly, and told us that he was going ashore 
 with the captain, to return as soon as possible. In his 
 absence, Bembo, as next in rank, would command ; there 
 being nothing to do but keep the ship at a safe distance 
 from the land. He then sprang into the boat, and, with 
 only the cook and steward as oarsmen, steered for the 
 shore. 
 
72 Omoo 
 
 Guy's thus lea.ving the ship in the men's hands, con- 
 trary to the mate's advice, was another evidence of his 
 simplicity; foi^at this particular juncture, had neither 
 the doctor nor myself been aboard, there is no telling 
 what they might have done. 
 
 For the nonce, Bembo was captain ; and, so far as mere 
 seamanship was concerned, he was as competent to com- 
 mand as anyone. In truth, a better seaman never swore. 
 This accomplishment, by the- bye, together with a sur- 
 prising familiarity with most nautical names and phrases, 
 comprised about all the English he knew. 
 
 Being a harpooner, and, as such, having access to the 
 cabin, this man, though not yet civilized, was, according 
 to sea usages, which know no exceptions, held superior to 
 the sailors; and therefore nothing was said against his 
 being left in charge of the ship; nor did it occasion any 
 surprise. 
 
 Some additional account must be given of Bembo. In 
 the first place, he was far from being liked. A dark, 
 moody savage, everybody but the mate more or less dis- 
 trusted or feared him. Nor were these feelings unre- 
 ciprocated. Unless duty called, he seldom went among 
 the crew. Hard stories too were told about him; some- 
 thing, in particular, concerning an hereditary propensity 
 to kill men and eat them. True, he came from a race of 
 cannibals ; but that was all that was known to a 
 certainty. 
 
 Whatever unpleasant ideas were connected with the 
 Mowree, his personal appearance no way lessened them. 
 Unlike most of his countrymen, he was, if anything, below 
 the ordinary height; but then, he was all compact, and 
 under his swart, tattooed skin, the muscles worked like 
 steel rods. Hair, crisp, and coal-black, curled over shaggy 
 brows, and ambushed small, intense eyes, always on the 
 glare. In short, he was none of your effeminate bar- 
 barians. 
 
 Previous to this, he had been two or three voyages in 
 Sydney whalemen; always, however, as in the present 
 instance, shipping at the Bay of Islands, and receiving 
 his discharge there on the homeward-bound passage. In 
 
More About Bembo 73 
 
 this way, his countrymen frequently enter on board the 
 colonial whaling vessels. 
 
 There was a man among us who had sailed with the 
 Mowree on his first voyage, and he told me that he had 
 not changed a particle since then. 
 
 Some queer things this fellow told me. The following 
 is one of his stories. I give it for what it is worth; pre- 
 mising, however, that from what I know of Bembo, and 
 the foolhardy, dare-devil feats sometimes performed in 
 the sperm-whale fishery, I believe in its substantial truth. 
 
 As may be believed, Bembo was a wild one after a fish ; 
 indeed, all New Zealanders engaged in this business are; 
 it seems to harmonize sweetly with their blood-thirsty 
 propensities. At sea, the best English they speak is the 
 South Seaman's slogan in lowering away, " A dead whale, 
 or a stove boat ! " Game to the marrow, these fellows 
 are generally selected for harpooners; a post in which a 
 nervous, timid man would be rather out of his element. 
 
 In darting, the harpooner, of course, stands erect in the 
 head of the boat, one knee braced against a support. But 
 Bembo disdained this; and was always pulled up to his 
 fish, balancing himself right on the gunwale. 
 
 But to my story. One morning, at daybreak, they 
 brought him up to a large, long whale. He darted his 
 harpoon, and missed; and the fish sounded. After a 
 while, the monster rose again, about a mile off, and they 
 made after him. But he was frightened, or " gallied," as 
 they call it; and noon came, and the boat was still chasing 
 him. In whaling, as long as the fish is in sight, and no 
 matter what may have been previously undergone, there 
 is no giving up, except when night comes; and nowa- 
 days, when whales are so hard to be got, frequently not 
 even then. At last, Bembo's whale was alongside for the 
 second time. He darted both harpoons; but, as some- 
 times happens to the best men, by some unaccountable 
 chance, once more missed. Though it is well known that 
 such failures wiU happen at times, they, nevertheless, 
 occasion the bitterest disappointment to a boat's crew, 
 generally expressed in curses both loud and deep. And 
 no wonder. Let any man pull with might and main for 
 
74 Omoo 
 
 hours and hours together, under a burning sun; and if it 
 do not make him a Kttle peevish, he is no sailor. 
 
 The taunts of the seamen may have maddened the Mow- 
 ree; however it was, no sooner was he brought up again, 
 than, harpoon in hand, he bounded upon the whale's back, 
 and for one dizzy second was seen there. The next, all 
 was foam and fury, and both were out of sight. The men 
 sheered off, flinging overboard the line as fast as they 
 could; while ahead, nothing was seen but a red whirlpool 
 of blood and brine 
 
 Presently, a dark object swam out; the line began to 
 straighten; then smoked round the loggerhead, and, 
 quick as thought, the boat sped like an arrow through the 
 water. They were " fast," and the whale was running. 
 
 Where was the Mowree? His brown hand was on the 
 boat's gunwale; and he was hauled aboard in the very 
 midst of the mad bubbles that burst under the bows. 
 
 Such a man, or devil, if you will, was Bembo. 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE ROUND ROBIN — VISITORS FROM SHORE 
 
 After the captain left, the land-breeze died away; and, 
 as is usual about these islands, toward noon it fell a dead 
 calm. There was nothing to do but haul up the courses, 
 run down the jib, and lay and roll upon the swells. The 
 repose of the elements seemed to communicate itself to 
 the men ; and for a time there was a lull. 
 
 Early in the afternoon, the mate, having left the captain 
 at Papeetee, returned to the ship. According to the 
 steward, they were to go ashore again right after dinner 
 with the remainder of Guy's effects. 
 
 On gaining the deck, Jermin purposely avoided us and 
 went below without saying a word. Meanwhile, Long 
 Ghost and I laboured hard to diffuse the right spirit 
 among the crew; impressing upon them that a little 
 patience and management would, in the end, accomplish 
 all that their violence could; and that, too, without 
 making a serious matter of it. 
 
 For my own part, I felt that I was under a foreign flag ; 
 that an EngUsh consul was close at hand, and that sailors 
 seldom obtain justice. It was best to be prudent. Still, 
 so much did I sympathize with the men, so far, at least, 
 as their real grievances were concerned; and so con- 
 vinced was I of the cruelty and injustice of what Captain 
 Guy seemed bent upon, that if need were, I stood ready 
 to raise a hand. 
 
 In spite of all we could do, some of them again became 
 most refractory, breathing nothing but downright mutiny. 
 When we went below to dinner these fellows stirred up 
 such a prodigious tumult that the old hull fairly echoed. 
 Many, and fierce too, were the speeches delivered, and 
 uproarious the comments of the sailors. Among others 
 75 
 
76 
 
 Omoo 
 
 Long Jim, or— as the doctor afterwards called him — 
 Lacedsemonian Jim, rose in his place, and addressed the 
 forecastle parliament in the following strain : 
 
 " Look ye, Britons! if after what's happened, this here 
 craft goes to sea with us, we are no men; and that's the 
 way to say it. Speak the word, my livelies, and I'll pilot 
 her in. I've been to Tahiti before and I can do it." 
 Whereupon, he sat down amid a universal pounding of 
 chest-lids, and cymbaling of tin pans; the few invalids, 
 who, as yet, had not been actively engaged with the rest, 
 now taking part in the applause, creaking their bunk- 
 boards and swinging their hammocks. Cries also were 
 heard, of " Handspikes and a shindy ! " " Out stun- 
 sails!" ^'Hurrah!" 
 
 Several now ran on deck, and, for the moment, I 
 thought it was all over with us ; but we finally succeeded 
 in restoring some degree of quiet. 
 
 At last, by way of diverting their thoughts, I proposed 
 that a " Round Robin " should be prepared and sent 
 ashore to the consul by Baltimore, the cook. The idea 
 took mightily, and I was told to set about it at once. On 
 turning to the doctor for the requisite materials, he told 
 me he had none; there was not a fly-leaf, even in any of 
 his books. So, after great search, a damp, mustj'^ volume, 
 entitled " A History of the most Atrocious and Bloody 
 Piracies," was produced, and its two remaining blank 
 leaves being torn out, were by help of a little pitch 
 lengthened into one sheet. For ink, some of the soot 
 over the lamp was then mixed with water, by a fellow of 
 a literary turn; and an immense quill, plucked from a 
 distended albatross' wing, which, nailed against the bow- 
 sprit bitts, had long formed an ornament of the fore- 
 castle, supplied a pen. 
 
 Making use of the stationery thus provided, I indited, 
 upon a chest-lid, a concise statement of our grievances; 
 concluding with the earnest hope that the consul would 
 at once come off, and see how matters stood for himself. 
 Right beneath the note was described the circle about 
 which the names were to be written; the great object of 
 a Round Robin being to arrange the signatures in such a 
 
The Round Robin 'jy 
 
 way that, although they are all found in a ring, no man 
 can be picked out as the leader of it. 
 
 Few among them had any regular names; many 
 answering to some familiar title, expressive of a personal 
 trait; or oftener still, to the name of the place from which 
 they hailed; and in one or two cases were known by a 
 handy syllable or two, significant of nothing in particular 
 but the men who bore them. Some, to be sure, had, for 
 the sake of formality, shipped under a feigned cognomen, 
 or "Purser's name"; these, however, were almost for- 
 gotten by themselves; and so, to give the document an 
 air of genuineness, it was decided that every man's name 
 should be put down as it went among the crew. 
 
 It is due to the doctor to say that the circumscribed 
 device was his. 
 
 Folded, and sealed with a drop of tar, the Round 
 Robin was directed to "The English Consul, Tahiti"; 
 and, handed to the cook, was by him delivered into that 
 gentleman's hands as soon as the mate went ashore. 
 
 On the return of the boat, sometime after dark, we 
 learned a good deal from old Baltimore, who, having been 
 allowed to run about as much as he pleased, had spent 
 his time gossiping. 
 
 Owing to the proceedings of the French, everything in 
 Tahiti was in an uproar. Pritchard, the missionary con- 
 sul, was absent in England; but his place was temporarily 
 filled by one Wilson, an educated white man, born on the 
 island, and the son of an old missionary of that name 
 still hving. 
 
 With natives and foreigners alike, Wilson the younger 
 was exceedingly unpopular, being held an unprincipled 
 and dissipated man, a character verified by his subsequent 
 conduct. Pritchard's selecting a man like this to attend 
 to the duties of his office, had occasioned general dissatis- 
 faction ashore. 
 
 Though never in Europe or America, the acting consul 
 had been several voyages to Sydney in a schooner belong- 
 ing to the mission; and therefore our surprise was lessened, 
 when Baltimore told us, that he and Captain Guy were 
 as sociable as could be — old acquaintances, in fact; and 
 
78 
 
 Omoo 
 
 that the latter had taken up his quarters at Wilson's 
 house. For us this boded ill. 
 
 The mate was now assailed by a hundred questions as 
 to what was going to be done with us. His only reply 
 was, that in the morning the consul would pay us a visit, 
 and settle everything. 
 
 After holding our ground off the harbour during the 
 night, in the morning a shore boat, manned by natives,, 
 was seen coming off. In it were Wilson and another 
 white man, who proved to be a Doctor Johnson, an Eng- 
 lishman, and a resident physician of Papeetee. 
 
 Stopping our headway as they approached, Jermin 
 advanced to the gangway to receive them. No sooner 
 did the consul touch the deck, than he gave us a specimen 
 of what he was. 
 
 " Mr. Jermin," he cried loftily, and not deigning to 
 notice the respectful salutation of the person addressed, 
 " Mr. Jermin, tack ship, and stand off from the land." 
 
 Upon this, the men looked hard at him, anxious to see 
 what sort of a looking " cove " he was. Upon inspection, 
 he turned out to be an exceedingly minute " cove," with 
 a viciously pugged nose, and a decidedly thin pair of legs. 
 There was nothing else noticeable about him. Jermin, 
 with ill-assumed suavity, at once obeyed the order, and 
 the ship's head soon pointed out to sea. 
 
 Now, contempt is as frequently produced at first sight 
 as love; and thus was it with respect to Wilson. No one 
 could look at him without conceiving a strong dislike, as 
 a cordial desire to entertain such a feeling the first favour- 
 able opportunity. There was such an intolerable air of 
 conceit about this man that it was almost as much as one 
 could do to refrain from running up and affronting him. 
 
 " So the counsellor is come," exclaimed Navy Bob, who, 
 like all the rest, invariably styled him thus, much to mine 
 and the doctor's diversion. " Ay," said another, " and 
 for no good, I'll be bound." 
 
 Such were some of the observations made, as Wilson 
 and the mate went below conversing. 
 
 But no one exceeded the cooper in the violence with 
 which he inveighed against the ship and everything con- 
 
Visitors from Shore 79 
 
 nected with her. Swearing like a trooper, he called the 
 mam-mast to witness that, if he (Bungs) ever again went 
 out of sight of land in the Julia, he prayed Heaven that 
 a fate might be his— altogether too remarkable to be 
 here related. 
 
 Much had he to say also concerning the vileness of what 
 we had to eat— not fit for a dog; besides enlarging upon 
 the imprudence of intrusting the vessel longer to a man 
 of the mate's intemperate habits. With so many sick, 
 too, what could we expect to do in the fishery? It was 
 no use talking; come what come might, the ship must 
 let go her anchor. 
 
 Now, as Bungs, besides being an able seaman, a " Cod " 
 m the forecastle, and about the oldest man in it, was, 
 moreover, thus deeply imbued with feelings so warmly 
 responded to by the rest, he was all at once selected to 
 officiate as spokesman, as soon as the consul should see 
 fit to address us. The selection was made contrary to 
 mine and the doctor's advice; however, all assured us 
 they would keep quiet, and hear everything Wilson had 
 to say, before doing anything decisive. 
 
 We were not kept long in suspense; for very soon he 
 was seen standing in the cabin gangway, with the tar- 
 nished tin case containing the ship's papers; and Jermin 
 at once sung out for the ship's company to muster on the 
 quarter-deck. 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 
 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONSUL 
 
 The order was instantly obeyed, and the sailors ranged 
 themselves, facing the consul. 
 
 They were a wild company; men of many climes — not 
 at all precise in their toilet arrangements, but picturesque 
 in their very tatters. My friend, the Long Doctor, was 
 there too; and with a view, perhaps, of enlisting the 
 sympathies of the consul for a gentleman in distress, had 
 taken more than ordinary pains with his appearance. 
 But among the sailors, he looked like a land-crane blown 
 off to sea, and consorting with petrels. 
 
 The forlorn Rope Yarn, however, was by far the most 
 remarkable figure. Land-lubber that he was, his outfit 
 of sea-clothing had long since been- confiscated ; and he 
 was now fain to go about in whatever he could pick up. 
 His upper garment — an unsailor-like article of dress 
 which he persisted in wearing, though torn from his back 
 twenty times in the day — was an old " claw-hammer 
 jacket," or swallow-tail coat, formerly belonging to Cap- 
 tain Guy, and which had formed one of his perquisites 
 when steward. 
 
 By the side of Wilson was the mate, bareheaded, his 
 gray locks lying in rings upon his bronzed brow, and his 
 keen eye scanning the crowd as if he knew their every 
 thought. His frock hung loosely, exposing his round 
 throat, mossy chest, and short and nervous arm em- 
 bossed with pugilistic bruises, and quaint with many a 
 device in India ink. 
 
 In the midst of a portentous silence, the consul un- 
 rolled his papers, evidently intending to produce an 
 effect by the exceeding bigness of his looks. 
 
 "Mr. Jermin, call off their names;" and he handed., 
 him a list of the ship's company. 
 80 
 
Proceedings of the Consul 8 1 
 
 All answered but the deserters and the two mariners at 
 the bottom of the sea. 
 
 It was now supposed that the Round Robin would be 
 produced, and something said about it. But not so. 
 Among the consul's papers that unique document was 
 thought to be perceived; but, if there, it was too much 
 despised to be made a subject of comment. Some pre- 
 sent, very justly regarding it as an uncommon literary 
 production, had been anticipating all sorts of miracles 
 therefrom; and were, therefore, much touched at this 
 neglect. 
 
 " Well, men," began Wilson again after a short pause, 
 " although you all look hearty enough, I'm told there are 
 some sick among you. Now then, Mr. Jermin, call off 
 the names on that sick-list of yours, and let them go over 
 to the other side of the deck — I should like to see who 
 they are." 
 
 " So, then," said he, after we had all passed over, " you 
 are the sick fellows, are you? Very good: I shall have 
 you seen to. You will go down into the cabin, one by 
 one, to Doctor Johnson, who will report your respective 
 cases to me. Such as he pronounces in a dying state I 
 shall have sent ashore; the rest will be provided with 
 everything needful, and remain aboard." 
 
 At this announcement, we gazed strangely at each other, 
 anxious to see who it was that looked like dying, and 
 pretty nearly deciding to stay aboard and get well, rather 
 than go ashore and be buried. There were some, never- 
 theless, who saw very plainly what Wilson was at, and 
 they acted accordingly. For my own part, I resolved to 
 assume as dying an expression as possible; hoping that, 
 on the strength of it, I might be sent ashore, and so get rid 
 of the ship without any further trouble. 
 
 With this intention, I determined to take no part in 
 anything that might happen until my case was decided 
 upon. As for the doctor, he had all along pretended to 
 be more or less unwell; and by a significant look now 
 given me, it was plain that he was becoming decidedly 
 worse. 
 
 The invalids disposed of for the present, and one of 
 
82 Omoo 
 
 them having gone below to be examined, the consul 
 turned round to the rest, and addressed them as 
 follows : — 
 
 " Men, I'm going to ask you two or three questions — 
 let one of you answer yes or no, and the rest keep silent. 
 Now then: Have you anything to say against your mate, 
 Mr. Jermin ? " And he looked sharply among the sailors, 
 and, at last, right into the eye of the cooper, whom every- 
 body was eyeing. 
 
 " Well, sir," faltered Bungs, " we can't say anything 
 against Mr. Jermin's seamanship, but — " 
 
 " I want no huts" cried the consul, breaking in: " an- 
 swer me yes or no — have you anything to say, against Mr. 
 Jermin? " 
 
 " I was going on to say, sir; Mr. Jermin's a very good 
 man; but then^" Here the mate looked marlingspikes 
 at Bungs; and Bungs, after stammering out something, 
 looked straight' down to a seam in the deck, and stopped 
 short. 
 
 A rather assuming fellow heretofore, the cooper had 
 sported many feathers in bis cap; he was now showing 
 the white one. 
 
 " So much then for that part of the business," exclaimed 
 Wilson, smartly; " you have nothing to say against him, 
 I see." 
 
 Upon this, several seemed to be on the point of saying 
 a good deal; but disconcerted by the cooper's conduct, 
 checked themselves, and the consul proceeded. 
 
 " Have you enough to eat, aboard ? answer me, you 
 man who spoke before." 
 
 " Well, I don't know as to that," said the cooper, look- 
 ing excessively uneasy, and trying to edge back, but 
 pushed forward again. " Some of that salt horse ain't as 
 sweet as it might be." 
 
 " That's not what I asked you," shouted the consul, 
 growing brave quite fast; " answer my questions as I 
 put them, or I'll find a way to make you." 
 
 This was going a little too far. The ferment, into 
 which the cooper's poltroonery had thrown the sailors, 
 now brooked no restraint; and one of them — a young 
 
Proceedings of the Consul 83 
 
 American who went by the name of Salem''^^dashed out 
 from among the rest, and fetching the cooper a blow that 
 sent him humming over toward the consul^ flourished a 
 naked sheath-knife in the air, and burst forth with " I'm 
 the little fellow that can answer your questions ; just put 
 them to me once, counsellor." 
 
 But the " counsellor " had no more questions to ask 
 just then; for at the alarming apparition of Salem's 
 knife, and the extraordinary effect produced upon Bungs, 
 he had popped his head down the companion-way, and 
 was holding it there. 
 
 Upon the mate's assuring him, however, that it was all 
 over, he looked up, quite flustered, if not frightened, but 
 evidently determined to put as fierce a face on the matter 
 as practicable. Speaking sharply, he warned all present 
 to " look out "; and then repeated the question, whether 
 there was enough to eat aboard. Everyone now turned 
 spokesman ; and he was assailed by a perfect hurricane of 
 yells, in which the oaths fell like hailstones. 
 
 " How's this! what d'ye mean? " he cried, upon the 
 first lull; "who told you all to speak at once? Here, 
 you man with the knifjE, you'll be putting someone's 
 eyes out yet; d'ye hear, you sir? You seem to have a 
 good deal to say, who are you, pray; where did you ship ? " 
 
 "I'm nothing more nor a bloody beach-comber,"'^ re- 
 torted Salem, stepping forward piratically and eyeing 
 him; " and if you want to know, I shipped at the Islands 
 about four months ago." 
 
 " Only four months ago? And here you have more to 
 say than men who have been aboard the whole voyage; " 
 and the consul made a dash at looking furious, but failed. 
 
 ' So, called from the place he hailed from; a well-known sea-port 
 on the coast of Massachusetts. 
 
 ^ This is a term much in vogue among sailors in the Pacific. It 
 is applied to certain roving .characters, who, without attaching 
 themselves permanently to any vessel, ship now and then for a 
 short cruise in a whaler; but upon the condition only of being 
 honourably discharged the very next time the anchor takes hold of 
 the bottom; no matter where. They are, mostly, a reckless, rol- 
 licking set, wedded to the Pacific, and never dreaming of ever 
 doubling Cape Horn again on a homeward-bound passage. Hence, 
 theirreputation is a bad one. 
 
84 Omoo 
 
 " Let me hear no more from you, sir. Where's that re- 
 spectable, gray-headed man, the cooper? he's the one to 
 answer my questions." 
 
 " There's no 'spectable, gray-headed men aboard," 
 returned Salem; "we're all a parcel of mutineers and 
 pirates ! " 
 
 All this time, the mate was holding his peace ; and 
 Wilson, now completely abashed, and at a loss what to do, 
 took him by the arm, and walked across the deck. Re- 
 turning to the cabin-scuttle, after a close conversation, he 
 abruptly addressed the sailors, without taking any further 
 notice of what had just happened. 
 
 " For reasons you all know, men, this ship has been 
 placed in my hands. As Captain Guy will remain ashore 
 for the present, your mate, Mr. Jermin, will' command 
 until his recovery. According to my judgment, there is 
 no reason why the voyage should not be at once resumed ; 
 especially, as I shall see that you have two more har- 
 pooners, and enough good men to man three boats. As 
 for the sick, neither you nor I have anything to do with 
 them; they will be attended to by Doctor Johnson; but 
 I've explained that matter before. As soon as things 
 can be arranged — in a day or two, at farthest — you will 
 go to sea for a three months' cruise, touching here, at the 
 end of it, for your captain. Let me hear a good report of 
 you, now, when you come back. At present, you will 
 continue lying off and on the harbour. I will send you 
 fresh provisions as soon as I can get them. There: I've 
 nothing more to say; go forward to your stations." 
 
 And, without another word, he wheeled round to descend 
 into the cabin. But hardly had he concluded before the 
 incensed men were dancing about him on every side, and 
 calling upon him to lend an ear. Each one for himself 
 denied the legality of what he proposed to do; insisted 
 upon the necessity for taking the ship in ; and finally gave 
 him to understand, roughly and roundly, that go to sea 
 in her they would not. 
 
 In the midst of this mutinous uproar, the alarmed consul 
 stood fast by the scuttle. His tactics had been decided 
 upon beforehand ; indeed, they must have been concerted 
 
Proceedings of the Consul 85 
 
 ashore, between him and the captain; for all he said, as 
 he now hurried below, was, " Go forward, men; I'm 
 through with you: you should have mentioned these 
 matters before: my arrangements are concluded: go 
 forward, I say; I've nothing more to say to you." And, 
 drawing over the slide of the scuttle, he disappeared. 
 
 Upon the very point of following him down, the atten- 
 tion of the exasperated seamen was called off to a party 
 who had just then taken the recreant Bungs in hand. 
 Amid a shower of kicks and cuffs, the traitor was borne 
 along to the forecastle, where — I forbear to relate what 
 followed. 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 
 THE consul's departure 
 
 During the scenes just described. Doctor Johnson was 
 engaged in examining the sick, of whom, as it turned out, 
 all but two were to remain in the ship. He had evidently 
 received his cue from Wilson. 
 
 One of the last called below into the cabin, just as the 
 quarter-deck gathering dispersed, I came on deck quite in- 
 censed. My lameness, which, to tell the truth, was now 
 much better, was put down as, in a great measurfe, affected ; 
 and my name was on the Hst of those who would be fit for 
 any duty in a day or two. This was enough. As for 
 Doctor Long Ghost, the shore physician, instead of extend- 
 ing to him any professional sympathy, had treated him 
 very cavalierly. To a certain extent, therefore, we were 
 now both bent on making common cause with the sailors. 
 
 I must explain myself here. All we wanted was to have 
 the ship snugly anchored in Papeetee Bay; entertaining 
 no doubt that, could this be done, it would in some way or 
 other peaceably lead to our emancipation. Without a 
 downright mutiny, there was but one way to accomphsh 
 this : to induce the men to refuse all further duty, unless 
 it were to work the vessel in. The only difficulty lay in 
 restraining them within proper bounds. Nor was it with- 
 out certain misgivings, that I found myself so situated, 
 that I must necessarily link myself, however guardedly, 
 with such a desperate company ; and in an enterprise, too, 
 of which it was hard to conjecture what might be the re- 
 sult. But anything like neutrality was out of the question ; 
 and unconditional submission was equally so. 
 
 On going forward, we found them ten times more 
 tumultuous than ever. After again restoring some degree 
 of tranquillity, we once more urged our plan of quietly 
 refusing duty, and awaiting the result. At first, few 
 would hear of it; but in the end, a good number were con- 
 vinced by our representations. Others held out. Nor were 
 those who thought with us in all things to be controlled. 
 
 Upon Wilson's coming on deck to enter his boat, he was 
 86 
 
The Consul's Departure 87 
 
 beset on all sides; and, for a moment, I thought the ship 
 would be seized before his very eyes. 
 
 " Nothing more to say to you, men: my arrangements 
 are made. Go forward, where you belong. I'll take no 
 insolence; " and, in a tremor, Wilson hurried over the side 
 in the midst of a volley of execrations. 
 
 Shortly after his departure, the mate ordered the cook 
 and steward into his boat; and saying that he was going to 
 see how the captain did, left us, as before, under the charge 
 of Bembo. 
 
 At this time we were lying becalmed, pretty close in 
 with the land (having gone about again), our main-top- 
 sail flapping against the mast with every roll. 
 
 The departure of the consul and Jermin was followed by 
 a scene absolutely indescribable. The sailors ran about 
 deck like madmen; Bembo, all the while leaning against 
 the taff-rail by himself, smoking his heathenish stone pipe, 
 and never interfering. 
 
 The cooper, who that morning had got himself into a 
 fluid of an exceedingly high temperature, now did his best 
 to regain the favour of the crew. " Without distinction 
 of party," he called upon all hands to step up, and partake 
 of the contents of his bucket. 
 
 But it was quite plain that, before offering to intoxicate 
 others, he had taken the wise precaution of getting well 
 tipsy himself. He was now once more happy in the affec- 
 tion of his shipmates, who, one and all, pronounced him 
 sound to the kelson. 
 
 The Pisco soon told; and, with great difficulty, we re- 
 strained a party in the very act of breaking into the after- 
 hold in pursuit of more. 
 
 All manner of pranks were now played. 
 
 " Mast-head, there! what d'ye see? " bawled Beauty, 
 hailing the main-truck through an enormous copper funnel. 
 " Stand by for stays," roared Flash Jack, hauling off with 
 the cook's axe, at the fastening of the main-stay. " Looky 
 out for 'quails ! " shrieked the Portuguese, Antone, darting 
 a handspike through the cabin skylight. And " Heave 
 round cheerly, men," sung out Navy Bob, dancing a horn- 
 pipe on the forecastle. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 THE SECOND NIGHT OFF PAPEETEE 
 
 Toward sunset, the mate came off, singing merrily, in the 
 stern of his boat; and in attempting to climb up the side, 
 succeeded in going plump into the water. He was rescued 
 by the steward, and carried across the deck with many 
 moving expressions of love for his bearer. Tumbled into 
 the quarter-boat, he soon fell asleep, and waking about 
 midnight, somewhat sobered, went forward among the 
 men. Here, to prepare for what follows, we must leave 
 him for a moment. 
 
 It was now plain enough that Jermin was by no means 
 unwilling to take the Julia to sea; indeed, there was 
 nothing he so much desired ; though what his reasons were, 
 seeing our situation, we could only conjecture. Neverthe- 
 less, so it was ; and having counted much upon his rough 
 popularity with the men to reconcile them to a short 
 cruise under him, he had consequently been disappointed 
 in their behaviour. Still, thinking that they would take 
 a different view of the matter, when they came to know 
 what fine times he had in store for them, he resolved upon 
 trying a little persuasion. 
 
 So on going forward, he put his head down the forecastle^ 
 scuttle, and hailed us quite cordially^ inviting us down into 
 the cabin; where, he said, he had something to make 
 merry withal. Nothing loth, we went; and throwing 
 ourselves along the transom, waited for the steward to 
 serve us. 
 
 As the can circulated, Jermin, leaning on the table and 
 occupying the captain's arm-chair secured to the deck, 
 opened his mind, as bluntly and freely as ever. He was by 
 no means yet sober. 
 
 He told us we were acting very foolishly; that if we only 
 88 
 
The Second Night ofF Papeetee 89 
 
 stuck to the ship, he would lead us all a jovial life of it; 
 enumerating the casks still remaining untapped in the 
 Julia's wooden cellar. It was even hinted vaguely that 
 such a thing might happen as our not coming back for the 
 captain; whom he spoke of but lightly; asserting, what 
 he had often said before, that he was no sailor. 
 
 Moreover, and perhaps with special reference to Doctor 
 Long Ghost and myself, he assured us generally that, if 
 there were any among us studiously inclined, he would take 
 great pleasure in teaching such the whole art and mystery 
 of navigation, including the gratuitous use of his quadrant. 
 
 I should have mentioned that, previous to this, he had 
 taken the doctor aside, and said something about rein- 
 stating him in the cabin with augmented dignity; beside 
 throwing out a hint that I myself was in some way or 
 other to be promoted. But it was all to no purpose ; bent 
 the men were upon going ashore, and there was no moving 
 them. 
 
 At last he flew into a rage — much increased by the fre- 
 quency of his potations — and with many imprecations, 
 concluded by driving everybody out of the cabin. We 
 tumbled up the gangway in high good-humour. 
 
 Upon deck everything looked so quiet that some of the 
 most pugnacious spirits actually lamented that there was 
 so little prospect of an exhilarating disturbance before 
 morning. It was not five minutes, however, ere these 
 fellows were gratified. 
 
 Sydney Ben — said to be a runaway Ticket-of-Leave- 
 Man,^ and for reasons of his own, one of the few who still 
 remained on duty — had, for the sake of the fun, gone 
 down with the rest into the cabin; where Bembo, who 
 meanwhile was left in charge of the deck, had frequently 
 called out for him. At first, Ben pretended not to hear; 
 but on being sung out for again and again, bluntly refused; 
 
 ' Some of the most " promising " convicts in New South Wales 
 are hired out to the citizens as servants ; thus being in some degree 
 permitted to go at large, government, however, still claiming them 
 as wards. -Tliey are provided with tickets, which they are obliged 
 to show to anyone who pleases to suspect their being abroad 
 without warrant. Hence the above appellation. This was the 
 doctor's explanation of the term. 
 
90 Omoo 
 
 at the same time, casting some illiberal reflections on the 
 Mowree's maternal origin, which the latter had been long 
 enough among the sailors to understand as in the highest 
 degree offensive. So just after the men came up from 
 below, Bembo singled him out, and gave him such a 
 cursing in his broken lingo that it was enough to frighten 
 one. The convict was the worse for liquor; indeed the 
 Mowree had been tippling also, and before we knew it, a 
 blow was struck by Ben, and the two men came together 
 like magnets. 
 
 The Ticket-of-Leave-Man was a practised bruiser; but 
 the savage knew nothing of the art pugilistic: and so 
 they were even. It was clear hugging and wrenching till 
 both came to the deck. Here they rolled over and over in 
 the middle of a ring which seemed to form of itself. At 
 last the white man's head fell back, and his face grew 
 purple. Bembo's teeth were at his throat. Rushing in 
 all round, they hauled the savage off, but not until re- 
 peatedly struck on the head would he let go. 
 
 His rage was now absolutely demoniac ; he lay glaring 
 and writhing on the deck, without attempting to rise. 
 Cowed, as they supposed he was, from his attitude, the 
 men, rejoiced at seeing him thus humbled, left him; after 
 rating him, in sailor style, for a cannibal and a coward. 
 
 Ben was attended to, and led below. 
 
 Soon after this, the rest also, with but few exceptions, 
 retired into the forecastle ; and having been up nearly all 
 the previous night, they quickly dropped about the chests 
 and rolled into the hammocks. In an hour's time, not a 
 sound could be heard in that part of the ship. 
 
 Before Bembo was dragged away, the mate had in vain 
 endeavoured to separate the combatants, repeatedly 
 striking the Mowree; but the seamen interposing, at last 
 kept him off. 
 
 And intoxicated as he was, when they dispersed, he knew 
 enough to charge the steward — a steady seaman be it re- 
 membered — with the present safety of the ship; and then 
 went below, when he fell directly into another drunken 
 sleep. 
 
 Having remained upon deck with the doctor some time 
 
The Second Night off Papeetee 9 i 
 
 after the rest had gone below, I was just on the point of 
 following him down, when I saw the Mowree rise, draw a 
 bucket of water, and holding it high above his head, pour 
 its contents right over him. This he repeated several 
 times. There was nothing very peculiar in the act, but 
 something else about him struck me. However, I thought 
 no more of it, but descended the scuttle. 
 
 After a restless nap, I found the atmosphere of the fore- 
 castle so close, from nearly all the men being down at the 
 same time, that I hunted up an old pea-jacket and went on 
 deck; intending to sleep it out there till morning. Here I 
 found the cook and steward, Wymontoo, Rope Yarn, and 
 the Dane; who, being all quiet, manageable fellows, and 
 holding aloof from the rest since the captain's departure, 
 had been ordered by the mate not to go below until sunrise. 
 They were lying under the lee of the bulwarks; two or 
 three fast asleep, and the others smoking their pipes, and 
 conversing. 
 
 To my surprise, Bembo was at the helm; but there 
 being so few to stand there now, they told me, he had 
 offered to take his turn with the rest, at the same time 
 heading the watch; and to this, of course, they made no 
 objection. 
 
 It was a fine, bright night; all moon and stars, and white 
 crests of waves. The breeze was light, but freshening; 
 and close-hauled, poor little Jule, as if nothing had hap- 
 pened, was heading in for the land, which rose high and 
 hazy in the distance. 
 
 After the day's uproar, the tranquillity of the scene was 
 soothing, and I leaned over the side to enjoy it. 
 
 More than ever did I now lament my situation — but it 
 was useless to repine, and I could not upbraid myself. 
 So at last, becoming drowsy, I made a bed with my jacket 
 under the windlass, and tried to forget myself. 
 
 How long I lay there, I cannot tell ; but as I rose, the 
 first object that met my eye was Bembo at the helm; his 
 dark figure slowly rising and faUing with the ship's motion 
 against the spangled heavens behind. He seemed all im- 
 patience and expectation; standing at arm's length from 
 the spokes, with one foot advanced, and his bare head 
 
92 Omoo 
 
 thrust forward. Where I was, the watch were out of sight ; 
 and no one else was stirring; the deserted decks and broad 
 white sails were gleaming in the moonlight. 
 
 Presently, a swelling, dashing sound came upon my ear, 
 and I had a sort of vague consciousness that I had been 
 hearing it before. The next instant I was broad awake 
 and on my feet. Right ahead, and so near that my heart 
 stood still, was a long line of breakers, heaving and frothing. 
 It was the coral reef girdling the island. Behind it, and 
 almost casting their shadows upon the deck, were the 
 sleeping mountains, about whose hazy peaks the gray 
 dawn was just breaking. The breeze had freshened, and 
 with a steady, gliding motion, we were running straight 
 for the reef. 
 
 All was taken in at a glance; the fell purpose of Bembo 
 was obvious, and with a frenzied shout to wake the watch, 
 I rushed aft. They sprang to their feet bewildered; and 
 after a short, but desperate scufHe, we tore him from the 
 helm. In wrestling with him, the wheel — left for a moment 
 unguarded — flew to leeward, thus, fortunately, bringing 
 the ship's head to the wind, and so retarding her progress. 
 Previous to this, she had been kept three or four points 
 free, so as to close with the breakers. Her headway now 
 shortened, I steadied the helm, keeping the sails just lifting, 
 while we glided obliquely toward the land. To have run 
 off before the wind — an easy thing — would have been 
 almost instant destruction, owing to a curve of the reef in 
 that direction. At this time, the Dane and the steward 
 were still struggling with the furious Mowree, and the 
 others were running about irresolute and shouting. 
 
 But darting forward the instant I had the helm, the 
 old cook thundered on the forecastle with a handspike, 
 " Breakers ! breakers close aboard ! — 'bout ship ! 'bout 
 ship!" 
 
 Up came the sailors, staring about them in stupid horror. 
 
 " Haul back the head-yards ! " " Let go the lee fore- 
 brace!" "Ready about! about!" were now shouted 
 on all sides; while distracted by a thousand orders, they 
 ran hither and thither; fairly panic-stricken. 
 
 It seemed all over with us; and I was just upon the 
 
The Second Night off Papeetee 93 
 
 point of throwing the ship full into the wind (a step, which, 
 saving us for the instant, would have sealed our fate in 
 the end), when a sharp cry shot by my ear like the flight 
 of an arrow. 
 
 It was Salem: " All ready for'ard; hard down! " 
 
 Round and round went the spokes — the Julia, with her 
 short keel, spinning to windward like a top. Soon, the 
 jib-sheets lashed the stays, and the men, more self- 
 possessed, flew to the braces. 
 
 " Main-sail haul ! " was now heard, as the fresh breeze 
 streamed fore and aft the deck; and directly the after- 
 yards were whirled round. 
 
 In a half-a-minute more, we were saiUng away from the 
 land on the other tack, with every sail distended. 
 
 Turning on our heel within little more than a biscuit's 
 toss of the reef, no earthly power could have saved us, 
 were it not that, up to the very brink of the coral rampart, 
 there are no soundings. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 OUTBREAK OF THE CREW 
 
 The purpose of Bembo had been made known to the men 
 generally by the watch; and now that our salvation was 
 certain, by an instinctive impulse they raised a cry, and 
 rushed toward him. 
 
 Just before liberated by Dunk and the steward, he was 
 standing doggedly by the mizzen-mast; and, as the infuri- 
 ated sailors came on, his bloodshot eye rolled, and his 
 sheath-knife glittered over his head. 
 
 " Down with him! " " Strike him down! " " Hang 
 him at the main-yard! " such were the shouts now raised. 
 But he stood unmoved, and, for a single instant, they 
 absolutely faltered. 
 
 "Cowards!" cried Salem, and he flung himself upon 
 him. The steel descended like a ray of light; but did no 
 harm; for the sailor's heart was beating against the 
 Mowree's before he was aware. 
 
 They both fell to the deck, when the knife was instantly 
 seized, and Bembo secured. 
 
 "For'ard! for'ard with him!" was again the cry; 
 " give him a sea-toss ! " " Overboard with him ! " and he 
 was dragged along the deck, struggling and fighting with 
 tooth and nail. 
 
 All this uproar immediately over the mate's head at 
 last roused him from his drunken nap, and he came 
 staggering on deck. 
 
 " What's this? " he shouted, running right in among 
 them. 
 
 " It's the Mowree, zur; they are going to murder him, 
 zur," here sobbed poor Rope Yarn, crawling close up to 
 him. 
 
 "Avast! avast!" roared Jermin, making a spring 
 94 
 
Outbreak of the Crew 95 
 
 toward Bembo, and dashing two or three of the sailors 
 aside. At this moment the wretch was partly flung over 
 the bulwarks, which shook with his frantic struggles. In 
 vain the doctor and others tried to save him: the men 
 listened to nothing. 
 
 "Murder and mutiny, by the salt sea!" shouted the 
 mate ; and dashing his arms right and left, he planted his 
 iron hand upon the Mowree's shoulder. 
 
 " There are two of us now; and as you serve him, you 
 serve me," he cried, turning fiercely round. 
 
 " Over with them together, then," exclaimed the car- 
 penter, springing forward; but the rest fell back before 
 the courageous front of Jermin, and, with the speed of 
 thought, Bembo, unharmed, stood upon deck. 
 
 "Aft with ye ! " cried his deliverer; and he pushed him 
 right among the men, taking care to follow him up close. 
 Giving the sailors no time to recover, he pushed the 
 Mowree before him, till they came to the cabin scuttle, 
 when he drew the slide over him, and stood still. 
 Throughout, Bembo never spoke one word. 
 
 " Now for'ard where ye belong! " cried the mate, ad- 
 dressing the seamen, who by this time, rallying again, had 
 no idea of losing their victim. 
 
 " The Mowree! the Mowree! " they shouted. 
 
 Here the doctor, in answer to the mate's repeated ques- 
 tions, stepped forward, and related what Bembo had been 
 doing; a matter which the mate but dimly understood 
 from the violent threatenings he had been hearing. 
 
 For a moment he seemed to waver; but at last, turning 
 the key of the padlock of the slide, he breathed through 
 his set teeth — " Ye can't have him; I'll hand him over to 
 the consul; so for'ard with ye, I say: when there's any 
 drowning to be done, I'll pass the word; so away with ye, 
 ye blood-thirsty pirates." 
 
 It was to no purpose that they begged or threatened: 
 Jermin, although by no means sober, stood his ground 
 manfully, and before long they dispersed, soon to forget 
 everything that had happened. 
 
 Though we had no opportunity to hear him confess it, 
 Bembo's intention to destroy us was beyond all question. 
 
96 
 
 Omoo 
 
 His only motive could have been a desire to revenge the 
 contumely heaped upon him the night previous, operating 
 upon a heart irreclaimably savage, and at no time frater- 
 nally disposed toward the crew. 
 
 During the whole of this scene the doctor did his best to 
 save him. But well knowing that all I could do would 
 have been equally useless, I maintained my place at the 
 wheel. Indeed, no one but Jermin could have prevented 
 this murder. 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 JERMIN ENCOUNTERS AN OLD SHIPMATE 
 
 During the morning of the day which dawned upon the 
 events just recounted, we remained a little to leeward of 
 the harbour, waiting the appearance of the consul, who 
 had promised the mate to come off in a shore boat for the 
 purpose of seeing him. 
 
 By this time the men had forced his secret from the 
 cooper, and the consequence was that they kept him 
 continually coming and going from the after-hold. The 
 mate must have known this; but he said nothing, not- 
 withstanding all the dancing and singing, and occasional 
 fighting which announced the flow of the Pisco. 
 
 The peaceable influence which the doctor and myself 
 had heretofore been exerting, was now very nearly at an 
 end. 
 
 Confident, from the aspect of matters, that the ship, 
 after all, would be obliged to go in; and learning, more- 
 over, that the mate had said so, the sailors, for the present, 
 seemed in no hurry about it; especially as the bucket of 
 Bungs gave such generous cheer. 
 
 As for Bembo, we were told that, after putting him in 
 double irons, the mate had locked him up in the captain's 
 state-room, taking the additional precaution of keeping 
 the cabin scuttle secured. From this time forward we 
 never saw the Mowree again, a circumstance which will 
 explain itself as the narrative proceeds. 
 
 Noon came, and no consul; and as the afternoon ad- 
 vanced without any word even from the shore, the mate 
 was justly incensed; more especially as he had taken 
 great pains to keep perfectly sober against Wilson's 
 arrival. 
 
 Two or three hours before sundown, a small schooner 
 97 G 
 
98 
 
 Omoo 
 
 came out of the harbour, and headed over for the adjoin- 
 ing island of Imeeo, or Moreea, in plain sight, about fifteen 
 miles distant. The wind failing, the current swept her 
 down under our bows, where we had a fair glimpse of the 
 natives on her decks. 
 
 There were a score of them, perhaps, lounging upon 
 spread mats, and smoking their pipes. On floating so 
 near, and hearing the maudlin cries of our crew, and be- 
 holding their antics, they must have taken us for a pirate; 
 at any rate, they got out their sweeps, and pulled away 
 as fast as they could ; the sight of our two six-pounders, 
 which, by way of a joke, were now run out of the side- 
 ports, giving a fresh impetus to their efforts. But they 
 had not gone far, when a white man, with a red sash 
 about his waist, made his appearance on deck, the natives 
 immediately desisting. 
 
 Hailing us loudly, he said he was coming aboard; and 
 after some confusion on the schooner's decks, a small 
 canoe was launched overboard, and, in a minute or two, 
 he was with us. He turned out to be an old shipmate of 
 Jermin's, one Viner, long supposed dead, but now resident 
 on the island. 
 
 The meeting of these men, under the circumstances, is 
 one of a thousand occurrences appearing exaggerated in 
 fiction; but, nevertheless, frequently realized in actual 
 lives of adventure. 
 
 Some fifteen years previous, they had sailed together as 
 officers of the barque Jane, of London, a South Seaman. 
 Somewhere near the New Hebrides, they struck one night 
 upon an unknown reef; and, in a few hours, the Jane 
 went to pieces. The boats, however, were saved; some 
 provisions also, a quadrant, and a few other articles. But 
 several of the men were lost before they got clear of the 
 wreck. 
 
 The three boats, commanded respectively by the cap- 
 tain, Jermin, and the third mate, then set sail for a small 
 English settlement at the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. 
 Of course they kept together as much as possible. After 
 being at sea about a week, a Lascar in the captain's boat 
 went crazy; and, it being dangerous to keep him, they 
 
Jermin Encounters an Old Shipmate 99 
 
 tried to throw him overboard. In the confusion that 
 ensued the boat capsized from the sail's " jibing "; and a 
 considerable sea running at the time, and the other boats 
 being separated more than usual, only one man was 
 picked up. The very next night it blew a heavy gale;, 
 and the remaining boats taking in all sail, made bundles, 
 of their oars, flung them overboard, and rode to them with 
 plenty of line. When morning broke, Jermin and his 
 men were alone upon the ocean: the third mate's boat, 
 in all probability, having gone down. 
 
 After great hardships, the survivors caught sight of a 
 brig, which took them on board, and eventually landed 
 them at Sydney. 
 
 Ever since then our mate had sailed from that port, 
 never once hearing of his lost shipmates, whom, by this 
 time, of course, he had long given up. Judge, then, his. 
 feelings when Viner, the lost third mate, the instant he 
 touched the deck, rushed up and wrung him by the hand. 
 
 During the gale his line had parted; so that the boat, 
 drifting fast to leeward, was out of sight by morning. Re- 
 duced, after this, to great extremities, the boat touched, 
 for fruit, at an island of which they knew nothing. The 
 natives, at first, received them kindly; but one of the 
 men getting into a quarrel on account of a woman, and 
 the rest taking his part, they were all massacred but 
 Viner, who, at the time, was in an adjoining village. 
 After staying on the island more than two years, he finally 
 escaped in the boat of an American whaler, which landed 
 him at Valparaiso. From this period he had continued 
 to follow the seas, as a man before the mast, until about 
 eighteen months previous, when he went ashore at Tahiti, 
 where he now owned the schooner we saw, in which he 
 traded among the neighbouring islands. 
 
 The breeze springing up again just after nightfall, 
 Viner left us, promising his old shipmate to see him again,, 
 three days hence, in Papeetee harbour. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 WE ENTER THE HARBOUR — ^JIM THE PILOT 
 
 Exhausted by the day's wassail, most of the men went 
 laelow at an early hour, leaving the deck to the steward 
 and two of the men remaining on duty; the mate, with 
 Baltimore and the Dane, engaging to relieve them at 
 midnight. At that hour, the ship — ^now standing off 
 shore, under short sail — was to be tacked. 
 
 It was not long after midnight, when we were wakened 
 in the forecastle by the hen roar of Jermin's voice, order- 
 ing a pull at the jib-halyards; and soon afterwards, a 
 handspike struck the scuttle, and all hands were called to 
 take the ship into port. 
 
 This was wholly unexpected; but we learned directly 
 that the mate, no longer relying upon the consul, and re- 
 nouncing all thought of inducing the men to change their 
 minds, had suddenly made up his own. He was going to 
 beat up to the entrance of the harbour, so as to show a 
 signal for a pilot before sunrise. 
 
 Notwithstanding this, the sailors absolutely refused to 
 assist in working the ship under any circumstances what- 
 ever: to all mine and the doctor's entreaties lending a 
 deaf ear. Sink or strike, they swore they would have 
 nothing more to do with her. This perverseness was to 
 be attributed, in a great measure, to the effects of their 
 late debauch. 
 
 With a strong breeze, all set sail, and the ship in the 
 hands of four or five men, exhausted by two nights' 
 watching, our situation was bad enough; especially as 
 the mate seemed more reckless than ever, and we were 
 naw to tack ship several times close under the land. 
 
 Well knowing that if anything untoward happened to 
 
We Enter the Harbour i o i 
 
 the vessel before morning, it would be imputed to the 
 conduct of the crew, and so lead to serious results, should 
 they ever be brought to trial; I called together those on 
 deck to witness my declaration; — that now that the 
 Julia was destined for the harbour (the only object for 
 which /, at least, had been struggling), I was willing to do 
 what I could toward carrying her in safely. In this step 
 I was followed by the doctor. 
 
 The hours passed anxiously until morning; when, being 
 well to windward of the mouth of the harbour, we bore up 
 for it, with the union-jack at the fore. No sign, however, 
 of boat or pilot was seen; and after running close in several 
 times, the ensign was set at the mizzen-peak, union down 
 in distress. But it was of no avail. 
 
 Attributing to Wilson this unaccountable remissness 
 on the part of those ashore, Jermin, quite enraged, now 
 determined to stand boldly in upon his own responsibility ; 
 trusting solely to what he remembered of the harbour on a 
 visit there many years previous. 
 
 This resolution was characteristic. Even with a com- 
 petent pilot, Papeetee Bay is considered a ticklish one to 
 enter. Formed by a bold sweep of the shore, it is pro- 
 tected seaward by the coral reef, upon which the rollers 
 break with great violence. After stretching across the 
 bay, the barrier extends on towards Point Venus,i in the 
 district of Matavia, eight or nine miles distant. Here 
 there is an opening, by which ships enter, and glide down 
 the smooth, deep canal, between the reef and the shore, 
 to the harbour. But, by seamen generally, the leeward 
 entrance is preferred, as the wind is extremely variable 
 inside the reef. This latter entrance is a break in the 
 barrier directly facing the bay and village of Papeetee. 
 It is very narrow; and from the baffling winds, currents, 
 and sunken rocks, ships now and then grate their keels 
 against the coral. 
 
 But the mate was not to be daunted; so, stationing 
 what men he had at the braces, he sprang upon the bul- 
 warks, and, bidding everybody keep wide awake, ordered 
 
 ' The most northerly point of the island ; and so called from 
 Cook's observatory being placed there during his first visit. 
 
102 Omoo 
 
 the helm up. In a few moments, we were running in. 
 Being toward noon, the wind was fast leaving us, and, by 
 the time the breakers were roaring on either hand, little 
 more than steerage-way was left. But on we glided^ — 
 smoothly and deftly; avoiding the green, darkling objects 
 here and there strewn in our path; Jermin occasionally 
 looking down in the water, and then about him, with the 
 utmost calmness, and not a word spoken. Just fanned 
 along thus, it was not many minutes ere we were past all 
 danger, and floated into the placid basin within. This 
 was the cleverest specimen of his seamanship that he ever 
 gave us. 
 
 As we held on toward the frigate and shipping, a canoe, 
 coming out from among them, approached. In it were a 
 boy and an old man — both islanders; the former nearly 
 naked, and the latter dressed in an old naval frock-coat. 
 Both were paddling with might and main; the old man, 
 once in a while, tearing his paddle out of the water; 
 and, after rapping his companion over the head, both 
 fell to with fresh vigour. As they came within hail, 
 the old fellow, springing to his feet and flourishing 
 his paddle, cut some of the queerest capers ; all the while 
 jabbering something which at first we could not under- 
 stand. 
 
 Presently we made out the following: — "Ah! you 
 pemi, ah! — ^you come! — What for you come? — You be 
 fine for come no pilot. — I say, you hear ? — I say, you ita 
 maitui (no good). — You hear 1 — You no pilot. — Yes, 
 
 you d me, you no pilot 't all; I d you; you 
 
 hearV 
 
 This tirade, which showed plainly that, whatever the 
 profane old rascal was at, he was in right good earnest, 
 produced peals of laughter from the ship. Upon which, 
 he seemed to get beside himself; and the boy, who, with 
 suspended paddle, was staring about him, received a 
 sound box over the head, which set him to work in a 
 twinkling, and brought the canoe quite near. The orator 
 now opening afresh, it turned out that his vehement 
 rhetoric was all addressed to the mate, still standing con- 
 spicuously on the bulwarks. 
 
Jim the Pilot 103 
 
 But Jermin was in no humour for nonsense ; so, with a 
 sailor's blessing, he ordered him off. The old fellow then 
 flew into a regular frenzy, cursing and swearing worse than 
 any civilized being I ever heard. 
 
 "You sabbee^ me?" he shouted. "You know me, 
 ah? Well; me Jim, me pilot — been pilot now long 
 time." 
 
 " Ay," cried Jermin, quite surprised, as indeed we all 
 were, " you are the pilot, then, you old pagan. Why 
 didn't you come off before this? " 
 
 "Ah! me sabbee, — me know — you piratee (pirate) — 
 see you long time, but no me come — I sabbee you — ^you 
 ita maitai nuee (superlatively bad)." 
 
 " Paddle away with ye," roared Jermin, in a rage; 
 " be off ! or I'll dart a harpoon at ye ! " 
 
 But, instead of obeying the order, Jim, seizing his 
 paddle, darted the canoe right up to the gangway, and, in 
 two hounds, stood on deck. Pulling a greasy silk hand- 
 kerchief still lower over his brow, and improving the sit of 
 his frock-coat with a vigorous jerk, he then strode up to 
 the mate; and, in a more flowery style than ever, gave 
 him to understand that the redoubtable " Jim," himself, 
 was before him; that the ship was his until the anchor 
 was down; and he should like to hear what anyone had to 
 say to it. 
 
 As there now seemed little doubt that he was all he 
 claimed to be, the Julia was at last surrendered. 
 
 Our gentleman now proceeded to bring us to an anchor, 
 jumping up between the knight-heads, and bawling out 
 " Luff! luff! keepy off I keepy off 1 " and insisting upon 
 each time being respectfully responded to by the man at 
 the helm. At this time our steerage-way was almost 
 gone; and yet, in giving his orders, the passionate old 
 man made as much fuss as a white squall aboard the 
 Flying Dutchman. 
 
 Jim turned out to be the regular pilot of the harbour; 
 a post, be it known, of no small profit; and, in his eyes, at 
 
 ^ A corruption pi the French word savoir, much in use among 
 sailors of all nations, and hence made familiar to many of the 
 natives of Polynesia. 
 
1 04 Omoo 
 
 leastj invested with immense importance.^ Our uncere- 
 monious entrance, therefore, was regarded as highly in- 
 sulting, and tending to depreciate both the dignity and 
 lucrativeness of his office. 
 
 The old man is something of a wizard. Having an un- 
 derstanding with the elements, certain phenomena of 
 theirs are exhibited for his particular benefit. Unusually 
 clear weather, with a fine steady breeze, is a certain sign 
 that a merchantman is at hand; whale-spouts seen from 
 the harbour are tokens of a whaling vessel's approach; 
 and thunder and lightning, happening so seldom as they 
 do, are proof positive that a man-of-war is drawing near. 
 
 In short, Jim, the pilot, is quite a character in his way; 
 and no one visits Tahiti without hearing some curious 
 story about him. 
 
 ' For a few years past, more than one hundred and fifty sail have 
 annually touched at Tahiti. They are principally whalemen, 
 whose cruising-grounds lie in the vicinity. The harbour dues — 
 going to the queen — are so high that they have often been pro- 
 tested against. Jim, I believe, gets five silver dollars for every 
 ship brought in. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII 
 
 A GLANCE AT PAPEETEE — WE ARE SENT ABOARD THE 
 FRIGATE 
 
 The village of Papeetee struck us all very pleasantly. 
 Lying in a semicircle round the bay, the tasteful mansions 
 of the chiefs and foreign residents impart an air of tropical 
 elegance, heightened by the palm-trees waving here and 
 there, and the deep-green groves of the Bread-Fruit in 
 the background. The squalid huts of the common people 
 are out of sight, and there is nothing to mar the prospect. 
 
 All round the water extends a wide, smooth beach of 
 mixed pebbles and fragments of coral. This forms the 
 thoroughfare of the village; the handsomest houses all 
 facing it — ^the fluctuation of the tides ^ being so incon- 
 siderable that they cause no inconvenience. 
 
 The Pritchard residence — a fine large building — occu- 
 pies a site on one side of the bay : a green lawn slopes off to 
 the sea : and in front waves the English flag. Across the 
 water, the tricolour also, and the stars and stripes, distin- 
 guish the residences of the other consuls. 
 
 What greatly added to the picturesqueness of the bay 
 at this time was the condemned hull of a large ship, which, 
 at the farther end of the harbour, lay bilged upon the 
 beach, its stern settled low in the water, and the other end 
 high and dry. From where we lay, the trees behind 
 seemed to lock their leafy boughs over its bowsprit; 
 which, from its position, looked nearly upright. 
 
 She was an American whaler, a very old craft. Having 
 sprung a leak at sea, she had made all sail for the island, to 
 
 ' The Newtonian theory concerning the tides does not hold good 
 at Tahiti; where, throughout the year, the waters uniformly com- 
 mence ebbing at noon and midnight, and flow about sunset and 
 daybreak. Hence the term Tooerar-Po is used alike to express 
 high-water and midnight. 
 
 105 
 
io6 Omoo 
 
 "heave down for repairs. Found utterly unseaworthy-j 
 however, her oil was taken out and sent home in another 
 vessel ; the hull was then stripped and sold for a trifle. 
 
 Before leaving Tahiti, I had the curiosity to go over 
 this poor old ship, thus stranded on a strange shore. 
 What were my emotions, when I saw upon her stern the 
 name of a small town on the river Hudson! She was 
 from the noble stream on whose banks I was born; in 
 whose waters I had a hundred times bathed. In an in- 
 stant, palm-trees and elms — canoes and skiffs — church 
 spires and bamboos — all mingled in one vision of the 
 present and the past. 
 
 But we must not leave little Jule. 
 
 At last the wishes of many were gratified; and like an 
 aeronaut's grapnel, her rusty little anchor was caught in 
 the coral groves at the bottom of Papeetee Bay. This 
 must have been more than forty days after leaving the 
 Marquesas. 
 
 The sails were yet unfurled, when a boat came along- 
 side with our esteemed friend Wilson, the consul. 
 
 " How's this, how's this, Mr. Jermin? " he began, look- 
 ing very savage as he touched the deck. " What brings 
 you in without orders? " 
 
 " You did not come off to us, as you promised, sir; and 
 there was no hanging on longer with nobody to work the 
 ship," was the blunt reply. 
 
 " So the infernal scoundrels held out — did they? Very 
 good; I'll make them sweat for it," and he eyed the 
 scowling men with unwonted intrepidity. The truth was, 
 he felt safer now, than when outside the reef. 
 
 " Muster the mutineers on the quarter-deck," he con- 
 tinued. " Drive them aft, sir, sick and well: I have a 
 word to say to them." 
 
 " Now, men," said he, " you think it's all well with you, 
 I suppose. You wished the ship in, and here she is. 
 Captain Guy's ashore, and you think you must go too: 
 but we'll see about that — I'll miserably disappoint you." 
 (These last were his very words.) " Mr. Jermin, call off 
 the names of those who did not refuse duty, and let them 
 go over to the starboard side." 
 
A Glance at Papeetee 107 
 
 This done, a list was made out of the " mutineers," as 
 he was pleased to call the rest. Among these, the doctor 
 and myself were included; though the former stepped 
 forward, and boldly pleaded the office held by him when 
 the vessel left Sydney. The mate also — ^who had always 
 been friendly — stated the service rendered by myself two 
 nights previous, as well as my conduct when he announced 
 his intention to enter the harbour. For myself, I stoutly 
 maintained that, according to the tenor of the agreement 
 made with Captain Guy, my time aboard the ship had 
 expired — the cruise being virtually at an end, however it 
 had been brought about — and I claimed my discharge. 
 
 But Wilson would hear nothing. Marking something 
 in my manner, nevertheless, he asked my name and 
 country; and then observed with a sneer, " Ah, you are 
 the lad, I see, that wrote the Round Robin; I'll take good 
 care of you, my fine fellow — step back, sir." 
 
 As for poor Long Ghost, he denounced him as a " Sydney 
 Flash-Gorger "; though what under heaven he meant by 
 that euphonious title is more than I can tell. Upon this, 
 the doctor gave him such a piece of his mind that the 
 consul furiously commanded him to hold his peace, or 
 he would instantly have him seized into the rigging and 
 flogged. There was no help for either of us — we were 
 judged by the company we kept. 
 
 All were now sent forward ; not a word being said as to 
 what he intended doing with us. 
 
 After a talk with the mate, the consul withdrew, going 
 aboard the French frigate, which lay within a cable's 
 length. We now suspected his object; and since matters 
 had come to this pass, were rejoiced at it. In a day or 
 two the Frenchman was to sail for Valparaiso, the usual 
 place of rendezvous for the English squadron in the 
 Pacific; and doubtless, Wilson meant to put us on board, 
 and send us thither to be delivered up. Should our con- 
 jecture prove correct, all we had to expect, according to 
 our most experienced shipmates, was the fag end of a 
 cruise in one of her majesty's ships, and a discharge before 
 long at Portsmouth. 
 
 We now proceeded to put on all the clothes we could — 
 
io8 Omoo 
 
 frock over frock, and trousers over trousers — so as to be 
 in readiness for removal at a moment's warning. Armed 
 ships allow nothing superfluous to litter up the deck; and 
 therefore, should we go aboard the frigate, our chests and 
 their contents would have to be left behind. 
 
 In an hour's time, the first cutter of the Reine Blanche 
 came alongside, manned by eighteen or twenty sailors, 
 armed with cutlasses and boarding pistols — the officers, 
 of course, wearing their side-arms, and the consul in an 
 official cocked hat borrowed for the occasion. The boat 
 was painted a " pirate black," its crew were a dark, grim- 
 looking set, and the officers uncommonly fierce-looking 
 little Frenchmen. On the whole they were calculated to 
 intimidate — the consul's object, doubtless, in bringing 
 them. 
 
 Summoned aft again, everyone's name was called separ- 
 ately; and being solemnly reminded that it was his last 
 chance to escape punishment, was asked if he still refused 
 duty. The response was instantaneous : " Ay, sir, I do." 
 In some cases followed up by divers explanatory observa- 
 tions, cut short by Wilson's ordering the delinquent to 
 the cutter. As a general thing, the order was promptly 
 obeyed — some taking a sequence of hops, skips, and 
 jumps, by way of showing not only their unimpaired 
 activity of body, but their alacrity in complying with all 
 reasonable requests. 
 
 Having avowed their resolution not to pull another 
 rope of the Julia's — even if at once restored to perfect 
 health — all the invalids, with the exception of the two to 
 be set ashore, accompanied us into the cutter. They 
 were in high spirits; so much so that something was 
 insinuated about their not having been quite as ill as 
 pretended. 
 
 The cooper's name was the last called ; we did not hear 
 what he answered, but he stayed behind. Nothing was 
 done about the Mowree. 
 
 Shoving clear from the ship, three loud cheers were 
 raised; Flash Jack and others receiving a sharp repri- 
 mand for it from the consul. 
 
 " Good-bye, Little Jule," cried Navy Bob, as we swept 
 
We are Sent Aboard the Frigate 109 
 
 under the bows. " Don't fall overboard, Ropey," said 
 another to the poor land-lubber, who, with Wymontoo,. 
 the Dane, and others left behind, was looking over at us 
 from the forecastle. 
 
 " Give her three more! " cried Salem, springing to his 
 feet and whirling his hat round. " You sacre dam 
 raskeel," shouted the lieutenant of the party, bringing 
 the flat of his sabre across his shoulders, " you now 
 keepy steel." 
 
 The doctor and myself, more discreet, sat quietly in 
 the bow of the cutter; and for my own part, though I did 
 not repent what I had done, my reflections were far from 
 being enviable. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 RECEPTION FROM THE FRENCHMAN 
 
 In a few moments, we were paraded in the frigate's gang- 
 way; the first Ueutenant — an elderly yellow-faced officer, 
 in an ill-cut coat and tarnished gold lace — coming up, and 
 frowning upon us. 
 
 This gentleman's head was a mere bald spot; his legs, 
 sticks; in short, his whole physical vigour seemed ex- 
 hausted in the production of one enormous moustache. 
 Old Gamboge, as he was forthwith christened, now re- 
 ceived a paper from the consul; and, opening it, pro- 
 ceeded to compare the goods delivered with the invoice. 
 
 After being thoroughly counted, a meek little midship- 
 man was called, and we were soon after given in custody 
 to half-a-dozen sailor-soldiers — fellows with tarpaulins 
 and muskets. Preceded by a pompous functionary 
 (whom we took for one of the ship's corporals, from his 
 ratan and the gold lace on his sleeve), we were now 
 escorted down the ladders to the berth-deck. 
 
 Here we were politely handcuffed, all round; the man 
 with the bamboo evincing the utrhost solicitude in giving us 
 a good fit from a large basket of the articles of assorted sizes . 
 
 Taken by surprise at such an uncivil reception, a few 
 of the party demurred; but all coyness was, at last, over- 
 come; and finally our feet were inserted into heavy 
 anklets of iron, running along a great bar bolted down to 
 the deck. After this, we considered ourselves perman- 
 ently established in our new quarters. 
 
 "The deuce take their old iron!" exclaimed the 
 doctor; " if I'd known this, I'd stayed behind." 
 
 " Ha, ha! " cried Flash Jack, " you're in for it. Doctor 
 Long Ghost." 
 
 " My hands and feet are, any way," was the reply. 
 
 They placed a sentry over us; a great lubber of a 
 
 iellow, who marched up and down with a dilapidated old 
 
 cutlass of most extraordinary dimensions. From its 
 
 length, we had some idea that it was expressly intended 
 
 no 
 
Reception from the Frenchman 1 1 1 
 
 to keep a crowd in order — reaching over the heads of 
 half-a-dozen, say, so as to get a cut at somebody behind. 
 
 "Mercy!" ejaculated the doctor with a shudder. 
 " what a sensation it must be to be killed by such a tool.'" 
 
 We fasted till night, when one of the boys came along: 
 with a couple of " kids " containing a thin, saffron- 
 coloured fluid, with oily particles floating on top. The- 
 young wag told us this was soup: it turned out to be 
 nothing more than oleaginous warm water. Such as it 
 was, nevertheless, we were fain to make a meal of it, our 
 sentry being attentive enough to undo our bracelets. 
 The " kids " passed from mouth to mouth, and were- 
 soon emptied. 
 
 The next morning, when the sentry's back was turned, 
 someone, whom we took for an English sailor, tossed over 
 a few oranges, the rinds of which we afterward used for 
 cups. 
 
 On the second day nothing happened worthy of record.. 
 On the third, we were amused by the following scene. 
 
 A man, whom we supposed a boatswain's mate, from the: 
 silver whistle hanging from his neck, came below, driving; 
 before him a couple of blubbering boys, and followed by 
 a whole troop of youngsters in tears. The pair, it seemed,, 
 were sent down to be punished by command of an officer ; 
 the rest had accompanied them out of sympathy. 
 
 The boatswain's mate went to work without delay,, 
 seizing the poor little culprits by their loose frocks, and 
 using a ratan without mercy. The other boys wept, 
 clasped their hands, and fell on their knees ; but in vain j 
 the boatswain's mate only hit out at them; once in a. 
 while making them yell ten times louder than ever. 
 
 In the midst of the tumult, down comes a midshipman,, 
 who, with a- great air, orders the man on deck, and run- 
 ning in among the boys, sets them to scampering in all 
 directions. 
 
 The whole of this proceeding was regarded with infinite- 
 scorn by Navy Bob, who, years before, had been captaia 
 of the foretop on board a line-of-battle ship. In his es- 
 timation, it was a lubberly piece of business throughout: 
 they did things differently in the English navy. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 THE REINE BLANCHE 
 
 I CANNOT forbear a brief reflection upon the scene ending 
 the last chapter. 
 
 The ratanning of the young culprits, although signi- 
 rficant of the imperfect discipline of a French man-of-war, 
 rmay also be considered as in some measure character- 
 istic of the nation. 
 
 In an American or English ship, a boy when flogged is 
 either lashed to the breech of a gun, or brought right up 
 to the gratings, the same way the men are. But as a 
 general rule, he is never punished beyond his strength. 
 You seldom or never draw a cry from the young rogue. 
 He bites his tongue and stands up to it like a hero. If 
 -practicable (which is not always the case), he makes a 
 -point of smiling under the operation. And so far from 
 his companions taking any compassion on him, they 
 .always make merry over his misfortunes. Should he 
 turn baby and cry, they are pretty sure to give him after- 
 ward a sly pounding in some dark corner. 
 , This tough training produces its legitimate results.-' 
 The boy becomes, in time, a thoroughbred tar, equally 
 ready to strip and take a dozen on board his own ship, or, 
 •cutlass in hand, dash pell-mell on board the enemy's. 
 Whereas the young Frenchman, as all the world knows, 
 makes but an indifferent seaman; and though, for the 
 most part, he fights well enough, somehow or other he 
 :seldom fights well enough to beat. 
 
 ' I do not wish to be understood as applauding the flogging 
 system practised in men-of-war. As long, however, as navies are 
 needed, there is no substitute for it. War being the greatest of 
 evils, ail its accessories necessarily partake of the same character; 
 .wand this is about all that cai-i be said in defence of flogging. 
 112 
 
The Reine Blanche 1 1 3 
 
 How few sea-battles have the French ever won! But 
 more: how few ships have they ever carried by the board 
 — that true criterion of naval courage ! But not a word 
 against French bravery — there is plenty of it; but not of 
 the right sort. A Yankee's, or an Englishman's, is the 
 downright Waterloo " game." The French fight better 
 on land; and not being essentially a maritime people, 
 they ought to stay there. The best of shipwrights, they 
 are no sailors. 
 
 And this carries me back to the Reine Blanche, as noble 
 a specimen of what wood and iron can make as ever 
 floated. 
 
 She was a new ship: the present her maiden cruise. 
 The greatest pains having been taken in her construction, 
 she was accounted the " crack " craft in the French navy; 
 She is one of the heavy sixty-gun frigates now in vogue 
 all over the world, and which we Yankees were the first 
 to introduce. In action these are the most murderous 
 vessels ever launched. 
 
 The model of the Reine Blanche has all that warlike 
 comeliness only to be seen in a fine fighting ship. Still, 
 there is a good deal of French flummery about her — 
 brass plates and other gewgaws stuck on all over, like 
 baubles on a handsome woman. 
 
 Among other things, she carries a stern gallery resting 
 on the upUfted hands of two Caryatides, larger than life. 
 You step out upon this from the commodore's cabin. To 
 behold the rich hangings, and mirrors, and mahogany 
 within, one is almost prepared to see a bevy of ladies trip 
 forth on the balcony for an airing. 
 
 But come to tread the gun-deck, and all thoughts like 
 these are put to flight. Such batteries of thunderbolt 
 hurlers ! with a sixty-eight-pounder or two thrown in as 
 make-weights. On the spar-deck, also, are carronades of 
 enormous calibre. 
 
 Recently built, this vessel, of course, had the benefit of 
 the latest improvements. I was quite amazed to see on 
 what high principles of art some exceedingly simple 
 things were done. But your Gaul is scientific about every- 
 thing; what other people accomplish by a few hard 
 
114 Omoo 
 
 knocks, he delights in achieving by a complex arrange- 
 ment of the pulley, lever, and screw. 
 
 What demi-semi-quavers in a French air ! In exchang- 
 ing naval courtesies, I have known a French band play 
 " Yankee Doodle " with such a string of variations that 
 no one but a " pretty 'cute " Yankee could tell what 
 they were at. 
 
 In the French navy they have no marines ; their men, 
 taking turns at carrying the musket, are sailors one 
 moment, and soldiers the next; a fellow running aloft in 
 his line frock to-day, to-morrow stands sentry at the 
 admiral's cabin door. This is fatal to anything like 
 proper sailor pride. To make a man a seaman, he should 
 be put to no other duty. Indeed, a thorough tar is unfit 
 for anything else ; and what is more, this fact is the best 
 evidence of his being a true sailor. 
 
 On board the Reine Blanche, they did not have enough 
 to eat; and what they did have was not of the right sort. 
 Instead of letting the sailors file their teeth against the 
 rim of a hard sea-biscuit, they baked their bread daily in 
 pitiful little rolls. Then they had no " grog "; as a sub- 
 stitute, they drugged the poor fellows with a thin, sour 
 wine — the juice of a few grapes, perhaps, to a pint of the 
 juice of water - facets. Moreover, the sailors asked for 
 meat, and they gave them soup; a rascally substitute, 
 as they well knew. 
 
 Ever since leaving home, they had been on " short 
 allowance." At the present time, those belonging to the 
 boats — and thus getting an occasional opportunity to run 
 ashore — frequently sold their rations of bread to some 
 less fortunate shipmate for sixfold its real value. 
 
 Another thing tending to promote dissatisfaction 
 among the crew was their having such a devil of a fellow 
 for a captain. He was one of those horrid naval bores — 
 a great disciplinarian. In port, he kept them constantly 
 exercising yards and sails, and manoeuvring with the 
 boats; and at sea, they were forever at quarters; run- 
 ning in and out the enormous guns, as if their arms were 
 made for nothing else. Then there was the admiral aboard, 
 also ; and, no doubt, he too had a paternal eye over them. 
 
The Reine Blanche 1 1 5 
 
 In the ordinary routine of duty, we could not but be 
 struck with the listless, slovenly behaviour of these men; 
 there was nothing of the national vivacity in their move- 
 ments; nothing of the quick precision perceptible on the 
 deck of a thoroughly-disciplined armed vessel. ' 
 
 All this, however, when we came to know the reason, 
 was no matter of surprise; three-fourths of them were 
 pressed men. Some old merchant sailors had been seized 
 the very day they landed from distant voyages; while 
 the landsmen, of whom there were many, had been driven 
 down from the country in herds, and so sent to sea. 
 
 At the time, I was quite amazed to hear of press-gangs 
 in a day of comparative peace; but the anomaly is ac- 
 counted for by the fact that, of late, the French have 
 been building up a^ great military marine, to take the 
 place of that whitfh Nelson gave to the waves of the sea 
 at Trafalgar. But it is to_ be hoped that they are not 
 building their ships for the people across the channel to 
 take. In case of a war, what a fluttering of French en- 
 signs there would be 1 
 
 Though I say the French are no sailors, I am far from 
 seeking to underrate them as a people. They are an 
 ingenious and right gallant nation. And, as an American, 
 I take pride in asserting it. 
 
CHAPTER XXX 
 
 THEY TAKE US ASHORE — WHAT HAPPENED THERE 
 
 Five days and nights, if I remember right, we were aboard 
 the frigate. On the afternoon of the fifth, we were told 
 that the next morning she sailed for Valparaiso. Re- 
 joiced at this, we prayed, fpr a speedy passage. But, as 
 it turned out, the consi4l.had no idea of letting us off so 
 easily. To our no small surprise, an officer came along 
 toward night, and ordered us out of irons. Being then 
 mustered in the gangway, we were escorted into a cutter 
 alongside, and pulled ashore. 
 
 Accosted by Wilson as we struck the beach, he delivered 
 us up to a numerous guard of natives, who at once con- 
 ducted us to a house near by. Here we were made to sit 
 down under a shade without; and the consul and two 
 elderly European residents passed by us, and entered. 
 
 After. some delay, during which we were much diverted 
 by the hilarious good-nature of our guard — one of our 
 number was called out for, followed by an order for him 
 to enter the house alone. 
 
 On returning a moment after, he told us we had little 
 to encounter. It had simply been asked whether he 
 still continued of the same mind; on replying yes, somer 
 thing was put down upon a piece of paper, and he was 
 waved outside. All being summoned in rotation, my 
 own turn came at last. 
 
 Within, Wilson and his two friends were seated magis- 
 terially at a table — an inkstand, a pen, and a sheet of paper 
 lending quite a business-like air to the apartment. These 
 three gentlemen, being arrayed in coats and pantaloons, 
 looked respectable, at least in a country where complete 
 suits of garments are so seldom met with. One present 
 ii6 
 
They Take Us Ashore i ly 
 
 essayed a solemn aspect; but having a short neck and 
 full face, only made out to look stupid. 
 
 It was this individual who condescended to take a 
 paternal interest in myself. After declaring my resolu- 
 tion with respect to the ship unalterable, I was proceed- 
 ing to withdraw, in compliance with a sign from the 
 consul, when the stranger turned round to him, saying, 
 " Wait a minute, if you please, Mr. Wilson; let me talk 
 to that youth. Come here, my young friend: I'm ex- 
 tremely sorry to see you associated with these bad men; 
 do you know what it will end in? " 
 
 " Oh, that's the lad that wrote the Round Robin," 
 interposed the consul. " He and that rascally doctor 
 are at the bottom of the whole affair — go outside, sir." 
 
 I retired as from the presence of royalty; backing out 
 with many bows. 
 
 The evident prejudice of Wilson against both the 
 doctor and myself was by no means inexplicable. A man 
 of any education before the mast is always looked upon 
 with dislike by his captain; and, never mind how peace- 
 able he may be, should any disturbance arise, from his 
 intellectual superiority, he is deemed to exert an under- 
 hand influence against the officers. 
 
 Little as I had seen of Captain Guy, the few glances 
 cast upon me after being on board a week or so were 
 sufficient to reveal his enmity — a feeling quickened by 
 my undisguised companionship with Long Ghost, whom 
 he both feared and cordially hated. Guy's relations with 
 the consul readily explains the latter's hostility. 
 
 The examination over, Wilson a:nd his friends advanced 
 to the doorway; when the former, assuming a severe ex- 
 pression, pronounced our perverseness infatuation in the 
 extreme. Nor was there any hope left: our last chance 
 for pardon was gone. Even were we to become contrite 
 and crave permission to return to duty, it would not now 
 be permitted. 
 
 " Oh ! get along with your gammon, counsellor," ex- 
 claimed Black Dan, absolutely indignant that his under- 
 standing should be thus insulted. 
 Quite enraged, Wilson bade him hold his peace; and 
 
1 1 8 Omoo 
 
 then, summoning a fat old native to his side, addressed 
 him in Tahitian, giving directions for leading us away to 
 a place of safe keeping. 
 
 Hereupon, being marshalled in order, with the old man 
 at our head, we were put in motion, with loud shouts, along 
 a fine pathway, running far on through wide groves of the 
 cocoa-nut and bread-fruit. 
 
 The rest of our escort trotted on beside us in high good- 
 humour; jabbering broken English, and in a hundred ways 
 giving us to understand that Wilson was no favourite of 
 theirs, and that we were prime, good fellows for holding 
 out as we did. They seemed to know our whole history. 
 
 The scenery around was delightful. The tropical day 
 was fast drawing to a close; and from where we were, the 
 sun looked like a vast red fire burning in the woodlands — 
 its rays falling aslant through the endless ranks of trees, 
 and every leaf fringed with ilame. Escaped from the con- 
 fined decks of the frigate, the air breathed spices to us; 
 streams were heard flowing; green boughs were rocking; 
 and far inland, all sunset flushed, rose the still, steep peaks 
 of the island. 
 
 As we proceeded, I was more and more struck by the 
 picturesqueness of the wide, shaded road. In several 
 places, durable bridges of wood were thrown over large 
 water-courses; others were spanned by a single arch of 
 stone. In any part of the road, three horsemen might 
 have ridden abreast. 
 
 This beautiful avenue — by far the best thing which 
 civilization has done for the island — is called by foreigners 
 " the Broom Road," though for what reason I do not 
 know. Originally planned for the convenience of the 
 missionaries journeying from one station to another, it 
 almost completely encompasses the larger peninsula; 
 skirting for a distance of at least sixty miles along the low, 
 fertile lands bordering the sea. But on the side next 
 Taiarboo, or the lesser peninsula, it sweeps through a 
 narrow, secluded valley, and thus crosses the island in 
 that direction. 
 
 The uninhabited interior, being almost impenetrable 
 from the densely-wooded glens, frightful precipices, and 
 
What Happened There i 1 9 
 
 sharp mountain ridges absolutely inaccessible, is but little 
 known, even to the natives themselves; and so, instead 
 of striking directly across from one village to another, 
 they follow the Broom Road round and round.^ 
 
 It is by no means, however, altogether travelled on foot; 
 horses being now quite plentiful. They were introduced 
 from Chili; and possessing all the gaiety, fleetness, and 
 docility of the Spanish breed, are admirably adapted to 
 the tastes of the higher classes, who as equestrians have 
 become very expert. The missionaries and chiefs never 
 think of journeying except in the saddle; and at all hours 
 of the day you see the latter galloping along at full speed. 
 Like the Sandwich Islanders, they ride like Pawnee-Loups. 
 
 For miles and miles I have travelled the Broom Road, 
 and never wearied of the continual change of scenery. 
 But wherever it leads you — whether through level woods, 
 across grassy glens, or over hills waving with palms — the 
 bright blue sea on one side, and the green mountain pin- 
 nacles on the other, are always in sight. 
 
 ' Concerning the singular ignorance of the natives respecting 
 their own country, it may be here observed that a considerable 
 inland lake — Whaiherea by name — is known to exist, although 
 theur accounts of it strangely vary. Some told nie it had no bottom, 
 no outlet, and no inlet; others, that it fed all the streams on the 
 island. A sailor of my acquaintance said that he once visited this 
 marvellous lake as one of an exploring party from an English sloop- 
 of-war. It was found to be a great curiosity : very small, deep, and 
 green ; a choice well of water bottled up among the mountains, and 
 abounding with delicious fish. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI 
 
 THE CALABOOZA BERETANEE 
 
 About a mile from the village we came to a halt. 
 
 It was a beautiful spot. A mountain stream here flowed 
 at the foot of a verdant slope ; on one hand, it murmured 
 along until the waters, spreading themselves upon a beach 
 of small, sparkling shells, trickled into the sea; on the 
 other was a long defile, where the eye pursued a gleaming, 
 sinuous thread, lost in shade and verdure. 
 
 The ground next the road was walled in by a low, rude 
 parapet of stones; and, upon the summit of the slope 
 beyond, was a large, native house, the thatch dazzling 
 white, and in shape an oval. 
 
 " Calabooza ! Calabooza Beretanee ! " (the English Jail), 
 cried our conductor, pointing to the building. 
 
 For a few months past, having been used by the consul 
 as a house of confinement for his refractory sailors, it was 
 thus styled to distinguish it from similar places in and 
 about Papeetee. 
 
 Though extremely romantic in appearance, on a near 
 approach it proved but ill adapted to domestic comfort. 
 In short, it was a mere shell, recently built, and still un- 
 finished. It was open all round, and tufts of grass were 
 growing here and there under the very roof. The only 
 piece of furniture was the " stocks," a clumsy machine 
 for keeping people in one place, which, I believe, is pretty 
 much out of date in most countries. It is still in use, how- 
 ever, among the Spaniards in South America; from whom, 
 it seems, the Tahitians have borrowed the contrivance, 
 as well as the name by which all places of confinement 
 are known among them. 
 
 The stocks were nothing more than two stout timbers, 
 about twenty feet in length, and precisely alike. One 
 
 120 
 
The Calabooza Beretanee 1 2 1 
 
 was placed edgeways on the ground, and the other, resting 
 on top, left, at regular intervals along the seam, several 
 round holes, the object of which was evident at a glance. 
 
 By this time, our guide had informed us that he went 
 by the name of " Capin Bob " (Captain Bob); and a 
 hearty old Bob he proved. It was just the name for him. 
 From the first, so pleased were we with the old man that 
 we cheerfully acquiesced in his authority. 
 
 Entering the building, he set us about fetching heaps of 
 dry leaves to spread behind the stocks for a couch. A 
 trunk of a small cocoa-nut tree was then placed for a bolster 
 — rather hard one, but the natives are used to it. For a 
 pillow, they use a little billet of wood, scooped out, and 
 standing on four short legs — a sort of head-stool. 
 
 These arrangements completed. Captain Bob proceeded 
 to " hannapar," or secure us, for the night. The upper 
 timber of the machine being lifted at one end, and our 
 ankles placed in the semicircular spaces of the lower one, 
 the other beam was then dropped; both being finally 
 secured together by an old iron hoop af either extremity. 
 This initiation was performed to the boisterous mirth of 
 the natives, and diverted ourselves not a little. 
 
 Captain Bob now bustled about, like an old woman see- 
 ing the children to bed. A basket of baked " taro," or 
 Indian turnip, was brought in, and we were given a piece 
 all round. Then a great counterpane of coarse, brown 
 " tappa," was stretched over the whole party; and, after 
 sundry injunctions to " moee-moee," and be " maitai " — 
 in other words, to go to sleep, and be good boys — we were 
 left to ourselves, fairly put to bed and tucked in. 
 
 Much talk was now had concerning our prospects in life ; 
 but the doctor and I, who lay side by side, thinking the 
 occasion better adapted to meditation, kept pretty silent; 
 and, before long, the rest ceased conversing, and, wearied 
 with loss of rest on board the frigate, were soon sound 
 asleep. 
 
 After sliding from one reverie into another, I started, 
 and gave the doctor a pinch.- He was dreaming, however; 
 and, resolved to follow his example, I troubled him no 
 more. 
 
122 Omoo 
 
 How the rest managed, I know not; but for my own 
 part, I found it very hard to get to sleep. The conscious- 
 ness of having one's foot pinned; and the impossibility 
 of getting it anywhere else than just where it was, was 
 most distressing. 
 
 But this was not all: there was no way of lying but 
 straight on your back; unless, to be sure, one's limb went 
 round and round in the ankle, like a swivel. Upon getting 
 into a sort of doze, it was no wonder this uneasy posture 
 gave me the nightmare. Under the delusion that I was 
 about some gymnastics or other, I gave my unfortunate 
 member such a twitch that I started up with the idea that 
 someone was dragging the stocks away. 
 
 Captain Bob and his friends lived in a little hamlet hard 
 by; and when morning showed in the East, the old gentle- 
 man came forth from that direction likewise, emerging 
 from a grove, and saluting us loudly as he approached. 
 
 Finding everybody awake, he set us at hberty; and, 
 leading us down to the stream, ordered every man to strip 
 and bathe. 
 
 "All ban's, my boy, hanna-hanna, wash!" he cried. 
 Bob was a linguist, and had been to sea in his day, as he 
 many a time afterwards told us. 
 
 At this moment, we were all alone with him; and it 
 would have been the easiest thing in the world to have given 
 him the slip; but he seemed to have no idea of such a 
 thing; treating us so frankly and cordially, indeed, that 
 even had we thought of running, we should have been 
 ashamed of attempting it. He very well knew, neverthe- 
 less (as we ourselves were not slow in finding out), that, 
 for various reasons, any attempt of the kind, without some 
 previously arranged plan for leaving the island, would be 
 certain to fail. 
 
 As Bob was a rare one every way, I must give some 
 account of him. There was a good deal of " personal ap- 
 pearance " about him; in short, he was a corpulent giant, 
 over six feet in height, and literally as big round as a hogs- 
 head. The enormous bulk of some of the Tahitians has 
 been frequently spoken of by voyagers. 
 
 Beside being the English consul's jailer, as it were, he 
 
The Calabooza Beretanee 123 
 
 carried on a little Tahitian farming; that is to say, he 
 owned several groves of the bread-fruit and palm, and 
 never hindered their growing. Close by was a " taro " 
 patch of his which he occasionally visited. 
 
 Bob seldom disposed of the produce of his lands; it was 
 all needed for domestic consumption. Indeed, for gor- 
 mandizing, I would have matched him against any three 
 common-council men at a civic feast. 
 
 A friend of Bob's told me that, owing to his voracious- 
 ness, his visits to other parts of the island were much 
 dreaded;- for, according to Tahitian customs, hospitality 
 without charge is enjoined upon everyone; and though 
 it is reciprocal in most cases, in Bob's it was almost out 
 of the question. The damage done to a native larder in 
 one of his morning calls was more than could be made 
 good by his entertainer's spending the holidays with 
 them. 
 
 The old man, as I have hinted, had, once upon a time, 
 been a cruise or two in a whaling-vessel; and, therefore, 
 he prided himself upon his English. Having acquired 
 what he knew of it in the forecastle, he talked little else 
 than sailor phrases, which sounded whimsically enough. 
 
 I asked him one day how old he was. " Olee? " he 
 exclaimed, looking very profound in consequence of 
 thoroughly understanding so subtile a question — "Oh! 
 very olee — 'tousand 'ear — more — big man when Capin 
 Tootee (Captain Cook) heavey in sight." (In sea parlance, 
 came into view.) 
 
 This was a thing impossible ; but adapting my discourse 
 to the man, I rejoined — "Ah! you see Capin Tootee — 
 well, how you like him? " 
 
 "Oh! he maitai: (good) friend of me, and know my 
 wife." 
 
 On my assuring him strongly that he could not have 
 been bom at the time, he explained himself by saying 
 that he was speaking of his father, all the while. This, 
 indeed, might very well have been. ' 
 
 It is a curious fact that all these people, young and old, 
 •will tell you that they have enjoyed the honour of a 
 personal acquaintance with the great navigator; and if 
 
124 Omoo 
 
 you listen to them, they will go on and tell anecdotes with- 
 out end. This springs from nothing but their great desire 
 to please; well knowing that a more agreeable topic for a 
 white man could not be selected. As for the anachronism 
 of the thingj they seem to have no idea of it: days and 
 years are all the same to them. 
 
 After our sunrise bath, Bob once more placed us in the 
 stocks, almost moved to tears at subjecting us to so great 
 a hardship; but he could not treat us otherwise, he said, 
 on pain of the consul's displeasure. How long we were 
 to be confined, he did not know; nor what was to be done 
 with us in the end. 
 
 As noon advanced, and no signs of a meal were visible, 
 someone inquired whether we were to be boarded, as well 
 as lodged, at the Hotel de Calabooza? 
 
 "Vast heavey " (avast heaving, or wait a. bit) — said 
 Bob — " kow-kow " (food) " come ship by by." 
 
 And, sure enough, along comes Rope Yam with a 
 wooden bucket of the Julia's villainous biscuit. With a 
 grin, he said it was a present from Wilson: it was all we 
 were to get that day. A great cry was now raised; and 
 well was it for the land-lubber that he had a pair of legs, 
 and the men could not use theirs. One and all, we re- 
 solved not to. touch the bread, come what come might; 
 and so we told the natives. 
 
 Being extravagantly fond of ship-biscuit — the harder 
 the better — ^they were quite overjoyed; and offered to 
 give us, every day, a small quantity of baked bread-fruit 
 and Indian turnip in exchange for the bread. This we 
 agreed to; and every morning afterward, when the 
 bucket came, its contents were at once handed over to Bob 
 and his friends, who never ceased munching until nightfall. 
 
 Our exceedingly frugal meal of bread-fruit over. Captain 
 Bob waddled up to us with a couple of long poles hooked 
 at one end, and several large baskets of woven cocoa-nut 
 branches. 
 
 Not far off was an extensive grove of orange-trees in 
 full bearing; and myself and another were selected to go 
 with him, and gather a supply for the party. When we 
 went in among the trees, the sumptuousness of the orchard 
 
The Calabooza Beretanee 125 
 
 was unlike anything I had ever seen; while the fragrance 
 shaken from the gently waving boughs regaled our senses 
 most delightfully. 
 
 In many places the trees formed a dense shade, spread- 
 ing overhead a dark, rustling vault, groined with boughs, 
 and studded here and there with the ripened spheres, like 
 gilded balls. In several places, the overladen branches 
 were borne to the earth, hiding the trunk in a tent of foli- 
 age. Once fairly in the grove, we could see nothing else; 
 it was oranges all round. 
 
 To preserve the fruit from bruising, Bob, hooking the 
 twigs with his pole, let them fall into his basket. But this 
 would not do for us. Seizing hold of a bough, we brought 
 such a shower to the ground that our old friend was fain 
 to run from under. Heedless of remonstrance, we then re- 
 clined in the shade, and feasted to our heart's content. 
 Heaping up the baskets afterward, we returned to our 
 comrades, by whom our arrival was hailed with loud 
 plaudits; and in a marvellously short time, nothing was 
 left of the oranges we brought but the rinds. 
 
 While inmates of the Calabooza, we had as much of the 
 fruit as we wanted; and to this cause, and others that 
 might be mentioned, may be ascribed the speedy restora- 
 tion of our sick to comparative health. 
 
 The orange of Tahiti is delicious — small and sweet, with 
 a thin, dry rind. Though now abounding, it was unknown 
 before Cook's time, to whom the natives are indebted for 
 so great a blessing. He likewise introduced several other 
 kinds of fruit; among these were the fig, pine-apple, and 
 lemon, now seldom met with. The lime still grows, and 
 some of the poorer natives express the juice to sell to the 
 shipping. It is highly valued as an anti-scorbutic. Nor 
 was the variety of foreign fruits and vegetables which 
 were introduced the only benefit conferred by the first 
 visitors to the Society group. Cattle and sheep were left 
 at various places. More of them anon. 
 
 Thus, after all that of late years has been done for these 
 islanders. Cook and Vancouver may, in one sense at least, 
 be considered their greatest benefactors. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FRENCH AT TAHITI 
 
 As I happened to arrive at the island at a very interesting 
 period in its political affairs, it may be well to give some 
 little account here of the proceedings of the French, by 
 way of episode to the narrative. My information was ob- 
 tained at the time from the general reports then rife among 
 the natives, as well as from what I learned upon a subse- 
 quent visit, and reliable accounts which I have seen since 
 reaching home. 
 
 It seems that for some time back the French had been 
 making repeated ineffectual attempts to plant a Roman 
 Catholic mission here. But, invariably treated with con- 
 tumely, they sometimes met with open violence ; and, in 
 every case, those directly concerned in the enterprise were 
 ultimately forced to depart. In one instance, two priests, 
 Laval and Caset, after enduring a series of persecutions, 
 were set upon by the natives, maltreated, and finally 
 carried aboard a small trading schooner, which eventually 
 put them ashore at Wallis' island — a savage place — some 
 two thousand miles to the westward. 
 
 Now, that the resident English missionaries authorized 
 the banishment of these priests is a fact undenied by 
 themselves. I was also repeatedly informed that by 
 their inflammatory harangues they instigated the riots 
 which preceded the sailing of the schooner. At all events, 
 it is certain that their unbounded influence with the 
 natives would easily have enabled them to prevent every- 
 thing that took place on this occasion, had they felt so 
 inclined. 
 
 Melancholy as such an example of intolerance on the 
 part of Protestant missionaries must appear, it is not the 
 only one, and by no means the most flagrant, which might 
 126 
 
Proceedings of the French at Tahiti 127 
 
 be presented. But I forbear to mention any others ; since 
 they have been more than hinted at by recent voyagers, 
 and their repetition here would perhaps be attended with 
 no good effect. Besides, the conduct of the Sandwich 
 Island missionaries in particular has latterly much 
 amended in this respect. 
 
 The treatment of the two priests formed the principal 
 ground (and the only justifiable one) upon which Du 
 Petit Thouars demanded satisfaction; and which subse- 
 quently led to his seizure of the island. In addition to 
 other things, he also charged that the flag of Merenhout, 
 the consul, had been repeatedly insulted, and the property 
 of a certain French resident violently appropriated by the 
 government. In the latter instance, the natives were 
 perfectly in the right. At that time, the law against tie 
 traffic in ardent spirits (every now and then suspended and 
 revived) happened to be in force; and finding a large 
 quantity on the premises of Victor, a low, knavish ad- 
 venturer from Marseilles, the Tahitians pronounced it 
 forfeit. 
 
 For these, and similar alleged outrages, a large pecuniary 
 restitution was demanded (10,000 dollars), which there 
 being no exchequer to supply, the island was forthwith 
 seized, under cover of a mock treaty, dictated to the chiefs 
 on the gun-deck of Du Petit Thouars' frigate. But, not- 
 withstanding this formality, there seems now little doubt 
 that the downfall of the Pomarees was decided upon at 
 the Tuilleries. 
 
 After establishing the Protectorate, so called, the rear- 
 admiral sailed; leaving M. Bruat governor, assisted by 
 Reine and Carpegne, civilians, named members of the 
 Council of Government, and Merenhout, the consul, now 
 made Commissioner Royal. No soldiers, however, were 
 landed until several months afterward. As men, Reine 
 and Carpegne were not disliked by the natives; but Bruat 
 and Merenhout they bitterly detested. In several inter- 
 views with the poor queen, the unfeeling governor sought 
 to terrify her into compliance with his demands ; clapping 
 his hand upon his sword, shaking his fist in her face, and 
 swearing violently. " Oh, king of a great nation," said 
 
128 Omoo 
 
 Pomaree, in her letter to Louis Philippe, " fetch away 
 this man; I and my people cannot endure his evil doings. 
 He is a shameless man." 
 
 Although the excitement among the natives did not 
 wholly subside upon the rear -admiral's departure, no 
 overt act of violence immediately followed. The queen 
 had fled to Imeeo ; and the dissensions among the chiefs, 
 together with the ill-advised conduct of the missionaries, 
 prevented a union upon some common plan of resistance. 
 But the great body of the people, as well as their queen, 
 confidently relied upon the speedy interposition of Eng- 
 land — a nation bound to them by many ties, and which, 
 more than once, had solemnly guaranteed their indepen- 
 dence. 
 
 As for the missionaries, they openly defied the French 
 governor, childishly predicting fleets and armies from 
 Britain. But what is the welfare of a spot like Tahiti to 
 the mighty interests of France and England ! There was 
 a remonstrance on one side, and a reply on the other; and 
 there the matter rested. For once in their brawling lives, 
 St. George and St. Denis were' hand and glove; and they 
 were not going to cross sabres about Tahiti. 
 
 During my stay upon the island, so far as I could see, 
 there was little to denote that any change had taken place 
 in the government. Such laws as they had were ad- 
 ministered the same as ever; the missionaries went about 
 unmolested, and comparative tranquillity everywhere 
 prevailed. Nevertheless, I sometimes heard the natives 
 inveighing against the French (no favourites, by the bye, 
 throughout Polynesia), and bitterly regretting that the 
 queen had not, at the outset, made a stand. 
 
 In the house of the chief Adeea, frequent discussions 
 took place concerning the abiHty of the island to cope 
 with the French: the number of fighting men and muskets 
 among the natives were talked of, as well as the propriety 
 of fortifying several heights overlooking Papeetee. Im- 
 puting these symptoms to the mere resentment of a recent 
 outrage, and not to any determined spirit of resistance, I 
 little anticipated the gallant, though useless warfare, so 
 soon to follow my departure. 
 
Proceedings of the French at Tahiti 129 
 
 At a period subsequent to my first visit, the island, 
 which before was divided into nineteen districts, with a 
 native chief over each, in capacity of governor and judge, 
 was, by Bruat, divided into four. Over these he set as 
 many recreant chiefs, Kitoti, Tati, Utamai, and Paraita; 
 to whom he paid 1000 dollars each, to secure their assist- 
 ance in carrying out his evil designs. 
 
 The first blood shed, in any regular conflict, was at 
 Mahanar, upon the peninsula of Taraiboo. The fight 
 originated in the seizure of a number of women from the 
 shore by men belonging to one of the French vessels of 
 war. In this affair, the islanders fought desperately, kill- 
 ing about fifty of the enemy, and losing ninety of their own 
 number. The French sailors and marines, who, at the 
 time, were reported to be infuriated with liquor, gave no 
 quarter; and the survivors only saved themselves by 
 fleeing to the mountains. Subsequently, the battles of 
 Hararparpi and Fararar were fought, in which the in- 
 vaders met with indifferent success. 
 
 Shortly after the engagement at Hararparpi, three 
 Frenchmen were waylaid in a pass of the valleys, and 
 murdered by the incensed natives. One was Lefevre, a 
 notorious scoundrel, and a spy, whom Bruat had sent to 
 conduct a certain Major Fergus (said to be a Pole) to the 
 hiding-place of four chiefs, whom the governor wished to 
 seize and execute. This circumstance violently inflamed 
 the hostility of both parties. 
 
 About this time, Kitoti, a depraved chief, and the pliant 
 tool of Bruat, was induced by him to give a great feast in 
 the Vale of Paree, to which all his countrymen were in- 
 vited. The governor's object was to gain over all he 
 could to his interests ; he supplied an abundance of wine 
 and brandy, and a scene of bestial intoxication was the 
 natural consequence. Before it came to this, however, 
 several speeches were made by the islanders. One of 
 these, delivered by an aged warrior, who had formerly 
 been at the head of the celebrated Aeorai Society, was 
 characteristic. " This is a very good feast," said the reel- 
 ing old man, " and the wine also is very^good; but you 
 
 I 
 
130 Omoo 
 
 evil-minded Wee-Wees (French)j and you false-hearted 
 men of Tahiti, are all very bad." 
 
 By the latest accounts, most of the islanders still refuse 
 to submit to the French; and what turn events may here- 
 after take, it is hard to predict. At any rate, these dis- 
 orders must accelerate the final extinction of their race. 
 
 Along with the few officers left by Du Petit Thouars 
 were several French priests, for whose unobstructed exer- 
 tions in the dissemination of their faith, the strongest 
 guarantees were provided by an article of the treaty. 
 But no one was bound to offer them facilities; much less 
 a luncheon, the first day they went ashore. True, they 
 had plenty of gold; but to the natives it was anathema — 
 taboo — ^and, for. several hours and some odd minutes, 
 they would not touch it. Emissaries of the Pope and the 
 devil, as the strangers were considered — the smell of 
 sulphur hardly yet shaken out of their canonicals — what 
 islander would venture to jeopardize his soul, and call 
 down a blight on his bread-fruit, by holding any inter- 
 course with them! That morning the priests actually 
 picnicked in grove of cocoa-nut trees; but, before night. 
 Christian hospitality — in exchange for a commercial 
 equivalent of hard dollars — was given them in an adjoining 
 house. 
 
 Wanting in civility, as the conduct of the English mis- 
 sionaries may be thought, in withholding a decent recep- 
 tion to these persons, the latter were certainly to blame 
 in needlessly placing themselves in so unpleasant a pre- 
 dicament. Under far better auspices, they might have 
 settled upon some one of the thousand unconverted isles 
 of the Pacific, rather than have forced themselves thus 
 upon a people already professedly Christians. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII 
 
 WE RECEIVE CALLS AT THE HOTEL DE CALABOOZA 
 
 Our place of confinement being open all round, and so 
 near the Broom Road, of course we were in plain sight of 
 everybody passing; and, therefore, we had no lack of 
 visitors among such an idle, inquisitive set as the Tahi- 
 tians. For a few days, they were coming and going con- 
 tinually; while, thus ignobly fast by the foot, we were 
 fain to give passive audience. 
 
 During this period, we were the lions of the neighbour- 
 hood; and, no doubt, strangers from the distant villages 
 were taken to see the " Karhowrees " (white men), in the 
 same way that countrymen, in a city, are gallanted to the 
 Zoological Gardens. 
 
 All this gave us a fine opportunity of making observa- 
 tions. I was painfully struck by the considerable number 
 of sickly or deformed persons; undoubtedly made so by 
 a virulent complaint, which, under native treatment, 
 almost invariably affects, in the end, the muscles and 
 bones of the body. In particular, there is a distortion of 
 the back, most unsightly to behold, originating in a 
 horrible form of the malady. 
 
 Although this, and other bodily afflictions, were un- 
 known before the discovery of the islands by the whites, 
 there are several cases found of the Fa-Fa, or Elephan- 
 tiasis — -3. native disease, which seems to have prevailed 
 among them from the earliest antiquity. Affecting the 
 legs and feet alone, it swells them, in some instances, to 
 the girth of a man's body, covering the skin with scales. 
 It might be supposed that one, thus afflicted, would be 
 incapable of walking; but, to all appearance, they seem 
 to be nearly as active as anybody; apparently suffering 
 no pain, and bearing the calamity with a degree of cheer- 
 fulness truly marvellous. 
 
 131 
 
132 Omoo 
 
 The Fa-Fa is very gradual on its approaches, and 
 years elapse before the limb is fully swollen. Its origin 
 is ascribed by the natives to various causes; but the 
 general impression seems to be that it arises, in most 
 cases, from the eating of unripe bread-fruit and Indian 
 turnip. So far as I could find out, it is not hereditary. 
 In no stage do they attempt a cure ; the complaint being 
 held incurable. 
 
 Speaking of the Fa-Fa reminds me of a poor fellow, a 
 sailor, whom I afterward saw at Roorootoo, a lone island, 
 some two days' sail from Tahiti. 
 
 The island is very small, and its inhabitants nearly ex- 
 tinct. We sent a boat off to see whether any yams were 
 to be had, as, formerly, the yams of Roorootoo were as 
 famous among the islands round about, as Sicily oranges 
 in the Mediterranean. Going ashore, to my surprise, I 
 was accosted, near a little shanty of a church, by a white 
 man, who limped forth from a wretched hut. His hair 
 and beard were unshorn, his face deadly pale and haggard, 
 and one limb swelled with the Fa-Fa to an incredible big- 
 ness. This was the first instance of a foreigner suffering 
 from it that I had ever seen, or heard of; and the spec- 
 tacle shocked me accordingly. 
 
 He had been there for years. From the first symptoms, 
 he could not believe his complaint to be what it really was, 
 and trusted it would soon disappear. But when it be- 
 came plain that his only chance for recovery was a 
 speedy change of climate, no ship would receive him as a 
 sailor: to think of being taken as a passenger was idle. 
 This speaks little for the humanity of sea captains; but 
 the truth is that those in the Pacific have little enough of 
 the virtue; and, nowadays, when so many charitable 
 appeals are made to them, they have become calldbs. 
 
 I pitied the poor fellow from the bottom of my heart; 
 but nothing could I do, as our captain was inexorable. 
 " Why," said he, " here we are — started on a six months' 
 cruise — I can't put back; and he is better off on the island 
 than at sea. So on Roorootoo he must die." And prob- 
 ably he did. 
 
 I afterwards heard of this melancholy object, from two 
 
Calls at the Hotel de Calabooza 133 
 
 seamen. His attempts to leave were still unavailing, 
 and his hard fate was fast closing in. 
 
 Notwithstanding the physical degeneracy of the Tahi- 
 tians as a people, among the chiefs, individuals of person- 
 able figures are still frequently met with; and, occasion- 
 ally, majestic-looking men, and diminutive women as 
 lovely as the nymphs who, nearly a century ago, swam 
 round the ships of Wallis. In these instances, Tahitian 
 beauty is quite as seducing as it proved to the crew of the 
 Bounty; the young girls being just such creatures as a 
 poet would picture in the tropics — soft, plump, and 
 dreamy-eyed. 
 
 The natural complexion of both sexes is quite light; 
 but the males appear much darker, from their exposure 
 to the sun. A dark complexion, however, in a man, is 
 highly esteemed, as indicating strength of both body and 
 soul. Hence there is a saying, of great antiquity among 
 them, 
 
 " If dark the cheek of the mother, 
 The son will sound the war-conch; 
 If strong her frame, he will give laws." 
 
 With this idea of manliness, no wonder the Tahitians 
 regard all pale and tepid-looking Europeans as weak and 
 feminine; whereas, a sailor, with a cheek like the breast 
 of a roast turkey, is held a lad of brawn: to use their own 
 phrase, a " taata tona," or man of bones. 
 
 Speaking of bones recalls an ugly custom of theirs, now 
 obsolete — that of making fish-hooks and gimblets out of 
 those of their enemies. This beats the Scandinavians 
 turning people's skulls into cups and saucers. 
 
 But to return to the Calabooza Beretanee. Immense 
 was the interest we excited among the throngs that called 
 there; they would stand talking about us by the hour, 
 growing most unnecessarily excited too, and dancing up 
 and down with all the vivacity of their race. They in- 
 variably sided with us ; flying out against the consul, and 
 denouncing him as " Ita maitai nuee," or very bad ex- 
 ceedingly. They must have borne him some grudge or 
 other. 
 
 Nor were the women, sweet souls, at all backward in 
 
1 34 Omoo 
 
 visiting. Indeed, they manifested even more interest 
 than the men; gazing at us with eyes full of a thousand 
 meanings, and conversing with marvellous rapidity. 
 But, alas ! inquisitive though they were, and, doubtless, 
 taking some passing compassion on us, there was little 
 real feeling in them after all, and still less sentimental 
 sympathy. Many of them laughed outright at us, noting 
 only what was ridiculous in our plight. 
 
 I think it was the second day of our confinement that 
 a wild, beautiful girl burst into the Calabooza, and, throw- 
 ing herself into an arch attitude, stood afar off, and gazed 
 at us. She was a heartless one: — tickled to death with 
 Black Dan's nursing his chafed ankle, and indulging in 
 certain moral reflections on the consul and Captain Guy. 
 After laughing her fill at him, she condescended to notice 
 the rest; glancing from one to another in the most 
 methodical and provoking manner imaginable. When- 
 ever anything struck her comically, you saw it like a flash 
 ■ — ^her finger levelled instantaneously, and, flinging her- 
 self back, she gave loose to strange, hollow little notes of 
 laughter, that sounded hke the bass of a music-box, play- 
 ing a lively air with the lid down. 
 
 Now, I knew not that there was anything in my own 
 appearance calculated to disarm ridicule; and indeed, to 
 have looked at all heroic, under the circumstances, would 
 have been rather difficult. Still, I could not but feel ex- 
 ceedingly annoyed at the prospect of being screamed at, 
 in turn, by this mischievous young witch, even though 
 she were but an islander. And, to tell a secret, her beauty 
 had something to do with this sort of feeling; and, 
 pinioned as I was to a log, and clad most unbecomingly, 
 I began to grow sentimental. 
 
 Ere her glance fell upon me, I had, unconsciously, 
 thrown myself into the most graceful attitude I could 
 assume, leaned my head upon my hand, and summoned 
 up as abstracted an expression as possible. Though my 
 face was averted, I soon felt it flush, and knew that the 
 glance was on me; deeper and deeper grew the flush, and 
 not a sound of laughter. 
 
 Delicious thought! she was moved at the sight of me. 
 
Calls at the Hotel de Calabooza 135 
 
 I could stand it no longer, but started up. Lo! there 
 she was; her great hazel eyes rounding and rounding in 
 her head, like two stars, her whole frame in a merry- 
 quiver, and an expression about the mouth that was 
 sudden and violent death to anything like, sentiment. 
 
 The next moment she spun round, and, bursting from 
 peal to peal of laughter, went racing out of the Calabooza; 
 and, in mercy to me, never returned. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV 
 
 LIFE AT THE CALABOOZA 
 
 A FEW days passed; and, at last, our docility was rewarded 
 by some indulgence on the part of Captain Bob. 
 
 He allowed the entire party to be at large during the 
 day; only enjoining upon us always to keep within hail. 
 This, to be sure, was in positive disobedience to Wilson's 
 orders ; and so, care had tp be taken that he should not 
 hear of it. There was little fear of the natives telling 
 him; but strangers travelling the Broom Road might. 
 By way of precaution, boys were stationed as scouts 
 along the road. At sight of a white man, they sounded 
 the alarm! when we all made for our respective holes 
 (the stocks being purposely left open): the beam then 
 descended, and we were prisoners. As soon as the 
 traveller was out of sight, of course, we were liberated. 
 
 Notwithstanding the regular supply of food which we 
 obtained from Captain Bob and his friends, it was so 
 small that we often felt most intolerably hungry. We 
 could not blame them for not bringing us more, for we 
 soon became aware that they had to pinch themselves 
 in order to give us what they did; besides, they received 
 nothing for their kindness but the daily bucket of bread. 
 
 Among a people like the Tahitians, what we call " hard 
 times " can only be experienced in a scarcity of edibles; 
 yet, so destitute are many of the common people that 
 this most distressing consequence of civilization may be 
 said, with them, to be ever present. To be sure, the 
 natives about the Calabooza had abundance of limes and 
 oranges; but what were these good for, except to impart 
 a still keener edge to appetites which there was so little 
 else to gratify? During the height of the bread-fruit 
 season, they fare better; but, at other times, the demands 
 of the shipping exhaust the uncultivated resources of the 
 island; and the lands^being mostly ^^owned by the chiefs, 
 136 
 
Life at the Calabooza 137 
 
 the inferior orders have to suffer for their cupidity. De- 
 prived of their nets, many of them would starve. 
 
 As Captain Bob insensibly remitted his watchfulness, 
 and we began to stroll farther and farther from the Cala- 
 booza, we managed, by a systematic foraging upon the 
 country round about, to make up some of our deficiencies. 
 And fortunate it was that the houses of the wealthier 
 natives were just as open to us as those of the most desti- 
 tute; we were treated as kindly in one as the other. 
 
 Once in a while, we came in at the death of a chief's 
 pig; the noise of whose slaughtering was generally to be 
 heard at a great distance. An occasion like this gathers 
 the neighbours together, and they have a bit of a feast, 
 where a stranger is always welcome. A good loud squeal, 
 therefore, was music in our ears. It showed something 
 going on in that direction. 
 
 Breaking in upon the party tumultuously, as we did, 
 we always created a sensation. Sometimes, we found 
 the animal still alive and struggling; in which case, it 
 was generally dropped at our approach. To provide for 
 these emergencies. Flash Jack generally repaired to the 
 scene of operations with a sheath-knife between his teeth, 
 and a club in his hand. Others were exceedingly officious 
 in singeing off the bristles, and disembowelling. Doctor 
 Long Ghost and myself, however, never meddled with 
 these preliminaries, but came to the feast itself with un- 
 impaired energies. 
 
 Like all lank men, my long friend had an appetite of his 
 own. Others occasionally went about seeking what they 
 might devour, but he was always on the alert. 
 
 He had an ingenious way of obviating an inconvenience 
 which we all experienced at times. The islanders seldom 
 use salt with their food; so he begged Rope Yam to bring 
 him some from the ship ; also a little pepper, if he could ; 
 which, accordingly, was done. This he placed in a small 
 leather wallet — ^a " monkey bag " (so called by sailors) — 
 usually worn as a purse about the neck. 
 
 " In my opinion," said Long Ghost, as he tucked the 
 wallet out of sight, " it behooves a stranger, in Tahiti, to 
 have his knife in readiness, and his castor slung." 
 
CHAPTER XXXV 
 
 VISIT FROM AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 
 
 We had not been many days ashore, when Doctor Johnson 
 was espied coming along the Broom Road. 
 
 We had heard that he meditated a visit, and suspected 
 what he was after. Being upon the consul's hands, all 
 our expenses were of course payable by him in his official 
 capacity; and, therefore, as a friend of Wilson, and sure 
 of good pay, the shore doctor had some idea of allowing 
 us to run up a bill with him. True, it was rather awk- 
 ward to ask us to take medicines which, on board the 
 ship, he told us were not needed. However, he resolved 
 to put a bold face on the matter, and give us a call. 
 
 His approach was announced by one of the scouts, upon 
 which someone suggested that we should let him enter, 
 and then put him in the stocks. But Long Ghost proposed 
 better sport. What it was, we shall presently see. 
 
 Very bland and amiable. Doctor Johnson advanced, 
 and, resting his cane on the stocks, glanced to right and 
 left, as we lay before him. " Well, my lads " — ^he began 
 — " how do you find yourselves to-day? " 
 
 Looking very demure, the men made some rejoinder; 
 and he went on. 
 
 " Those poor fellows I saw the other day — the sick, I 
 mean — how are they? " and he scrutinized the company. 
 At last, he singled out one who was assuming a most un- 
 earthly appearance, and remarked that he looked as if 
 he were extremely ill. " Yes," said the sailor dolefully, 
 " I'm afeard, doctor, I'll soon be losing the number of 
 my mess! " (a sea phrase, for departing this life) and he 
 closed his eyes, and moaned. 
 
 " What does he say? " said Johnson, turning round 
 eagerly. 
 
 138 
 
Visit from an Old Acquaintance 139 
 
 " Why," exclaimed Flash Jack, who volunteered as 
 interpreter, " he means he's going to croak " (die). 
 
 " Croak ! and what does that mean, applied to a 
 patient? " 
 
 "Oh! I understand," said he, when the word was 
 explained; and he stepped over the stocks, and felt the 
 man's pulse. 
 
 " What's his name? " he asked, turning this time to 
 old Navy Bob. 
 
 " We calls him Jingling Joe," replied that worthy. 
 
 " Well then, men, you must take good care of poor 
 Joseph; and I will send him a powder, which must be 
 taken according to the directions. Some of you know 
 how to read, I presume? " 
 
 " That ere young cove does," replied Bob, pointing to- 
 ward the place where I lay, as if he were directing atten- 
 tion to a sail at sea. 
 
 After examining the rest- — some of whom were really 
 invalids, but convalescent, and others only pretending 
 to be labouring under divers maladies, Johnson turned 
 round, and addressed the party. 
 
 " Men," said he, " if any more of you are ailing, speak 
 up, and let me know. By order of the consul, I'm to call 
 every day ; so if any of you are at all sick, it's my duty to 
 prescribe for you. This sudden change from ship fare to 
 shore living plays the deuce with you sailors, so be 
 cautious about eating fruit. Good-day! I'll send you 
 the medicines the first thing in the morning." 
 
 Now, I am inclined to suspect that with all his want of 
 understanding, Johnson must have had some idea that 
 we were quizzing him. Still, that was nothing, so long 
 as it answered his purpose; and therefore, if he did see 
 through us, he never showed it. 
 
 Sure enough, at the time appointed, along came a 
 native lad with a small basket of cocoa-nut stalks, filled 
 with powders, pill-boxes, and vials, each with names and 
 directions written in a large, round hand. The sailors, 
 one and all, made a snatch at the collection, under the 
 strange impression that some of the vials were seasoned 
 with spirits. But, asserting his privilege as physician to 
 
140 Omoo 
 
 the first reading of the labels, Doctor Long Ghost was at 
 last permitted to take possession of the basket. 
 
 The first thing lighted upon was a large vial, labelled — 
 " For William— rub well in." 
 
 This vial certainly had a spirituous smell; and upon 
 handing it to the patient, he made a summary internal 
 application of its contents. The doctor looked aghast. 
 
 There was now a mighty commotion. Powders and 
 pills were voted mere drugs in the market, and the holders 
 of vials were pronounced lucky dogs. Johnson must have 
 known enough of sailors to make some of his medicines 
 palatable — this, at least. Long Ghost suspected. Certain 
 it was, everyone took to the vials; if at all spicy, direc- 
 tions were unheeded, their contents all going one road. 
 
 The largest one of all, quite a bottle indeed, and having 
 a sort of burnt brandy odour, was labelled — " For Daniel, 
 drink freely, and until relieved." This Black Dan pro- 
 ceeded to do; and would have made an end of it at once, 
 had not the bottle, after a hard struggle, been snatched 
 from his hands, and passed round, like a jovial decanter. 
 The old tar had complained of the effects of an im- 
 moderate eating of fruit. 
 
 Upon calling the following morning, our physician 
 found his precious row of patients reclining behind the 
 stocks, and doing " as well as could be expected." 
 
 But the pills and powders were found to have been per- 
 fectly inactive: probably because none had been taken. 
 To make them efficacious, it was suggested that, for the 
 future, a bottle of Pisco should be sent along with them. 
 According to Flash Jack's notions, unmitigated medical 
 compounds were but dry stuff at the best, and needed 
 something good to wash them down. 
 
 Thus far, our own M.D., Doctor Long Ghost, after 
 starting the frolic, had taken no further part in it; but 
 on the physician's third visit, he took him to one side, 
 and had a private confabulation. What it was, exactly, 
 we could not tell; but from certain illustrative signs and 
 gestures, I fancied that he was describing the symptoms 
 of some mysterious disorganization of the vitals, which 
 must have come on within the hour. Assisted by his 
 
Visit from an Old Acquaintance 141 
 
 familiarity with medical terms, he seemed to produce a 
 marked impression. At last, Johnson went his way, 
 promising aloud that he would send Long Ghost what 
 he desired 
 
 When the medicine boy came along the following 
 morning, the doctor was the first to accost him, walking 
 off with a small purple vial. This time, there was little 
 else in the basket but a case-bottle of the burnt brandy 
 cordial, which, after much debate, was finally disposed of 
 by someone pouring the contents, little by httle, into the 
 half of a cocoa-nut shell, and so giving all who desired a 
 glass. No further medicinal cheer remaining, the men 
 dispersed. 
 
 An hour or two passed, when Flash Jack directed 
 attention to my long friend, who, since the medicine 
 boy left, had not been noticed till now. With eyes 
 closed, he was lying behind the stocks, and Jack was 
 lifting his arm and letting it fall as if life were extinct. 
 On running up with the rest, I at once connected the 
 phenomenon with the mysterious vial. Searching his 
 pocket, I found it, and holding it up, it proved to be 
 laudammi. Flash Jack, snatching it from my hand in a 
 rapture, quickly informed all present what it was; and 
 with much glee, proposed a nap for the company. Some 
 of them not comprehending him exactly, the apparently 
 defunct Long Ghost — who lay so still that I a little sus- 
 pected the genuineness of his sleep — was rolled about as 
 an illustration of the virtues of the vial's contents. The 
 idea tickled everybody mightily; and throwing them- 
 selves down, the magic draught was passed from hand to 
 hand. Thinking that, as a matter of course, they must 
 at once become insensible, each man, upon taking his sip, 
 fell back, and closed his eyes. 
 
 There was little fear of the result, since the narcotic 
 was equally distributed. But, curious to see how it 
 would operate, I raised myself gently after a while, and 
 looked around. It was about noon, and perfectly still; 
 and as we all daily took the siesta, I was not much sur- 
 prised to find everyone quiet. Still, in one or two in- 
 stances, I thought I detected a little peeping. 
 
142 Omoo 
 
 Presently, I heard a footstep, and saw Doctor Johnson 
 approaching. 
 
 And perplexed enough did he look at the sight of his 
 prostrate file of patients, plunged, apparently, in such un- 
 accountable slumbers. 
 
 " Daniel," he cried, at last, punphing in the side with 
 his cane the individual thus designated — " Daniel, my 
 good fellow, get up! do you hear? " 
 
 But Black Dan was immovable; and he poked the 
 next sleeper. 
 
 "Joseph, Joseph! come, wake up! it's me. Doctor 
 Johnson." 
 
 But Jingling Joe, with mouth open, and eyes shut, was 
 not to be started. 
 
 " Bless my soul! " he exclaimed, with uplifted hands 
 and cane, "what's got into 'em? I say, men" — ^he 
 shouted, running up and down — "come to life, men! 
 what under the sun's the matter with you? " and he 
 struck the stocks, and bawled with increased vigour. 
 
 At last he paused, folded his hands over the head of his 
 cane, and steadfastly gazed upon us. The notes of the 
 nasal orchestra were rising and falling upon his ear, and 
 a new idea suggested itself. 
 
 " Yes, yes; the rascals must have been getting boozy. 
 Well, it's none of my business — I'll be off; " and off he 
 went. 
 
 No sooner was he out of sight, than nearly all started 
 to their feet, and a hearty laugh ensued. 
 
 Like myself, most of them had been watching the 
 event from under a sly eyelid. By this time, too, Doctor 
 Long Ghost was as wide awake as anybody. What were 
 his reasons for taking laudanum, — ^if, indeed, he took any 
 whatever, — is best known to himself; and, as it is neither 
 mine nor the reader's business, we will say no more 
 about it. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI 
 
 WE ARE CARRIED BEFORE THE CONSUL AND CAPTAIN 
 
 We had been inmates of the Calabooza Beretanee about 
 two weeks, when, one morning, Captain Bob, coming from 
 the bath, in a state of utter nudity, brought into the building 
 an armful of old tappa, and began to dress to go out. 
 
 The operation was quite simple. The tappa — of the 
 coarsest kind — was in one long, heavy piece; and, fasten- 
 ing one end to a column of Habiscus wood supporting 
 the Calabooza, he went off a few paces, and putting the 
 other about his waist, wound himself right up to the post. 
 This unique costume, in rotundity something like a, 
 farthingale, added immensely to his large bulk; so much 
 so that he fairly waddled in his gait. But he was only 
 adhering to the fashion of his fathers; for, in the olden 
 time, the " Kihee," or big girdle, was quite the mode 
 for both sexes. Bob, despising recent innovations, still 
 clung to it. He was a gentleman of the old school — one 
 of the last of the Kihees. 
 
 He now told us that he had orders to take us before 
 the consul. Nothing loth, we formed in procession; and, 
 with the old man at our head, sighing and labouring like 
 an engine, and flanked by a guard of some twenty natives, 
 we started for the village. 
 
 Arrived at the consular office, we found Wilson there, 
 and four or five Europeans, seated in a row facing us; 
 probably with the view of presenting as judicial an ap- 
 pearance as possible. 
 
 On one side was a couch, where Captain Guy reclined. 
 He looked convalescent; and, as we found out, intended 
 soon to go aboard his ship. He said nothing, but left 
 everything to the consul. 
 
 The latter now rose, and, drawing forth a paper from a 
 large roll tied with red tape, commenced reading aloud. 
 
 It purported to be, " the affidavit of John Jermin, first 
 officer of the British Colonial Barque Julia; Guy, Master; "" 
 143 
 
1 44 Omoo 
 
 and proved to be a long statement of matters, from the 
 time of leaving Sydney, down to our arrival in the harbour. 
 Though artfully drawn up so as to bear hard against 
 every one of us, it was pretty correct in the details; ex- 
 cepting that it was wholly silent as to the manifold 
 derelictions of the mate himself^ — -a fact which imparted 
 unusual significance to the concluding sentence, " And 
 furthermore, this deponent sayeth not." 
 
 No comments were made, although we all looked round 
 for the mate to see whether it was possible that he could 
 have authorized this use of his name. But he was not 
 present. 
 
 The next document produced was the deposition of 
 the captain himself. As on all other occasions, however, he 
 had very little to say for himself, and it was soon set aside. 
 
 The third affidavit was that of the seamen remaining 
 aboard the vessel, including the traitor Bungs, who, it 
 seemed, had turned ship's evidence. It was an atrocious 
 piece of exaggeration, from beginning to end; and those 
 who signed it could not have known what they were about. 
 Certainly Wymontoo did not, though his mark was there. 
 In vain the consul commanded silence during the reading 
 of this paper; comments were shouted out upon every 
 paragraph. 
 
 The affidavits read, Wilson, who, all the while, looked 
 as stiff as a poker, solemnly drew forth the ship's articles 
 from their tin case. This document was a discoloured, 
 musty, bilious-looking affair, and hard to read. When 
 finished, the consul held it up; and, pointing to the marks 
 of the ship's company, at the bottom, asked us, one by 
 one, whether we acknowledged the same for our own. 
 
 "What's the use of asking that?" said Black Dan; 
 " Captain Guy there knows as well as we they are." 
 
 " Silence, sir! " said Wilson, who, intending to produce 
 a suitable impression by this ridiculous parade, was not a 
 little mortified by the old sailor's bluntness. 
 
 A pause of a few moments now ensued; during which 
 the bench of judges communed with Captain Guy, in a 
 low tone, and the sailors canvassed the motives of the 
 consul in having the affidavits taken. 
 
Before the Consul and Captain 145 
 
 The general idea seemed to be that it was done with a 
 view of " bouncing," or frightening us into submission. 
 Such proved to be the case; for Wilson, rising to his feet 
 again, addressed us as follows: — 
 
 " You see, men, that every preparation has been made 
 to send you to Sydney for trial. The Rosa (a small 
 Australian schooner, lying in the harbour) will sail for 
 that place in the course of ten days, at farthest. The 
 Julia sails on a cruise this day week. Do you still refuse 
 duty?" 
 
 We did. 
 
 Hereupon the consul and captain exchanged glances; 
 and the latter looked bitterly disappointed. 
 
 Presently I noticed Guy's eye upon me; and, for the 
 first time, he spoke, and told me to come near. I stepped 
 forward. 
 
 " Was it not you that was taken off the island? " 
 
 " It was." 
 
 " It is you then who owe your life to my humanity. 
 Yet this is the gratitude of a sailor, Mr. Wilson ! " 
 
 " Not so, sir." And I at once gave him to understand 
 that I was perfectly acquainted with his motives in send- 
 ing a boat into the bay; his crew was reduced, and he 
 merely wished to procure the sailor whom he expected to 
 iind there. The ship was the means of my deliverance, 
 and no thanks to the benevolence of its captain. 
 
 Doctor Long Ghost also had a word to say. In two 
 masterly sentences he summed up Captain Guy's char- 
 acter, to the complete satisfaction of every seaman present. 
 
 Matters were now growing serious; especially as the 
 sailors became riotous, and talked about taking the consul 
 and the captain back to the Calabooza with them. 
 
 The other judges fidgeted, and loudly commanded 
 silence. It was at length restored ; when Wilson, for the 
 last time addressing us, said something more about the 
 Rosa and Sydney, and concluded by reminding us that a 
 week would elapse ere the Julia sailed. 
 
 Leaving these hints to operate for themselves, he dis- 
 missed the party, ordering Captain Bob and his friends 
 to escort us back whence we came. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII 
 
 THE FRENCH PRIESTS PAY THEIR RESPECTS 
 
 A DAY or two after the events just related, we were 
 lounging in the Calabooza Beretanee, when we were 
 honoured by a visit from three of the French priests ; and 
 as about the only notice ever taken of us by the English 
 missionaries was their leaving their cards for us, in the 
 shape of a package of tracts, we could not help thinking 
 that the Frenchmen, in making a personal call, were at 
 least much better bred. 
 
 By this time they had settled themselves down quite 
 near our habitation. A pleasant little stroll down the 
 Broom Road, and a rustic cross peeped through the trees ; 
 and soon you came to as charming a place as one would 
 wish to see: a soft knoll, planted with old bread-fruit 
 trees; in front, a savannah, sloping to a grove of palms, 
 and, between these, glimpses of blue, sunny waves. 
 
 On the summit of the knoll was a rude chapel, of bam- 
 boos; quite small, and surmounted by the cross. Be- 
 tween the canes, at nightfall, the natives stole peeps at a 
 small portable altar; a crucifix to correspond, and gilded 
 candlesticks and censers. Their curiosity carried them 
 no further; nothing could induce them to worship there. 
 Such queer ideas as they entertained of the hated 
 strangers! Masses and chants were nothing more than 
 evil spells. As for the priests themselves, they were no 
 better than diabolical sorcerers; like those who, in old 
 times, terrified their fathers. 
 
 Close by the chapel was a range of native houses; 
 rented from a chief, and handsomely furnished. Here 
 lived the priests; and very comfortably, too. They 
 looked sanctimonious enough abroad; but that went for 
 nothing; since, at home, in their retreat, they were a 
 146 
 
French Priests Pay Their Respects 147 
 
 club of Friar Tucks; holding priestly wassail over many 
 a good cup of red brandy^ and rising late in the morning. 
 
 Pity it was they couldn't marry — pity for the ladies of 
 the island, I mean, and the cause of morality; for what 
 business had the ecclesiastical old bachelors with such a 
 set of trim little native handmaidens ? These damsels 
 were their first converts; and devoted ones they were. 
 
 The priests, as I said before, were accounted necro- 
 mancers: the appearance of two of our three visitors 
 might have justified the conceit. 
 
 They were little, dried-up Frenchmen, in long, straight 
 gowns of black cloth, and unsightly three-cornered hats 
 — so preposterously big that, in putting them on, the 
 reverend fathers seemed to extinguish themselves. 
 
 Their companion was dressed differently. He wore 
 a sort of yellow, flannel morning gown, and a broad- 
 brimmed Manilla hat. Large and portly, he was also 
 hale and fifty ; with a complexion like an autumnal leaf — 
 handsome blue eyes — ^fine teeth, and a racy Milesian 
 brogue. In short, he was an Irishman; Father Murphy, 
 by name; and, as such, pretty well known, and very 
 thoroughly disliked, throughout all the Protestant mis- 
 sionary settlements in Polynesia. In early youth, he had 
 been sent to a religious seminary in France; and, taking 
 orders there, had but once or twice afterward revisited 
 his native land. 
 
 Father Murphy marched up to us briskly; and the first 
 words he uttered were, to ask whether there were any 
 of his countrymen among us. There were two of them; 
 one, a lad of sixteen — a bright, curly-headed rascal — and, 
 being a young Irishman, of course, his name was Pat. 
 The other was an ugly, and rather melancholy-looking 
 scamp; one M'Gee, whose prospects in life had been 
 blasted by a premature transportation to Sydney. This 
 was the report, at least, though it might have been scandal. 
 
 In most of my shipmates were some redeeming quali- 
 ties; but about M'Gee, there was nothing of the kind; 
 and forced to consort with him, I could not help regretting, 
 a thousand times, that the gallows had been so tardy. 
 As if impelled, against her will, to send him into the world. 
 
148 
 
 Omoo 
 
 Nature had done all she could to insure his being taken 
 for what he was. About the eyes there was no mistaking 
 him; with a villainous cast in one^ they seemed suspicious 
 of each other. 
 
 Glancing away from him at once, the bluff priest rested 
 his gaze on the good-humoured face of Pat, who, with a 
 pleasant roguishness, was " twigging " the enormous hats 
 (or " Hytee Belteezers," as land beavers are called by 
 sailors), from under which, like a couple of snails, peeped 
 the two little Frenchmen. 
 
 Pat and the priest were both from the same town in 
 Meath; and, when this was found out, there was no end 
 to the questions of the latter. To him, Pat seemed a 
 letter from home, and said a hundred times as much. 
 
 After a long talk between these two, and a little broken 
 English from the Frenchmen, our visitors took leave; but 
 Father Murphy had hardly gone a dozen rods when back 
 he came, inquiring whether we were in want of anything. 
 
 " Yes," cried one, " something to eat." Upon this he 
 promised to send us some fresh wheat bread, of his own 
 baking; a great luxury in Tahiti. 
 
 We all felicitated Pat upon picking up such a friend, 
 and told him his fortune was made. 
 
 The next morning, a French servant of the priest's 
 made his appearance with a small bundle of clothing for 
 our young Hibernian; and the promised bread for the 
 party. Pat being out at the knees and elbows^ and, like 
 the rest of us, not full inside, the present was acceptable 
 all round. 
 
 In the afternoon, Father Murphy himself came along; 
 and, in addition to his previous gifts, gave Pat a good deal 
 of advice : said he was sorry to see him in Umbo, and that 
 he would have a talk with the consul about having him 
 set free. 
 
 We saw nothing more of him for two or three days; at 
 the end of which time he paid us another call, telling Pat 
 that Wilson was inexorable, having refused to set him at 
 liberty, unless to go aboard the ship. This, the priest 
 now besought him to do forthwith; and so escape the 
 punishment which, it seems, Wilson had been hinting at 
 
French Priests Pay Their Respects 149 
 
 to his intercessor. Pat, however, was staunch against en- 
 treaties ; and, with all the ardour of a sophomorean sailor, 
 protested his intention to hold out to the last. With 
 none of the meekness of a good little boy about him, the 
 blunt youngster stormed away at such a rate that it was 
 hard to pacify him ; and the priest said no more. 
 
 How it came to pass — whether from Murphy's speaking 
 to the consul, or otherwise, we could not tell — but the 
 next day, Pat was sent for by Wilson, and being escorted 
 to the village by our good old keeper, three days elapsed 
 before he returned. 
 
 Bent upon reclaiming him, they had taken him on board 
 the ship; feasted him in the cabin; and, finding that of no 
 avail, down they thrust him into the hold, in double irons, 
 and on bread and water. All would not do; and so he 
 was sent back to the Calabooza. Boy that he was, they 
 must have counted upon his being more susceptible to 
 discipline than the rest. 
 
 The interest felt in Pat's welfare, by his benevolent 
 countryman, was very serviceable to the rest of us ; especi- 
 ally as we all turned Catholics, and went to mass every 
 morning, much to Captain Bob's consternation. Upon 
 finding it out, he threatened to keep us in the stocks if we 
 did not desist. He went no farther than this, though; 
 and so, every few days, we strolled down to the priest's 
 residence, and had a mouthful to eat, and something 
 generous to drink. In particular. Dr. Long Ghost and 
 myself became huge favourites with Pat's friend; and 
 many a time he regaled us from a quaint-looking travelling 
 case for spirits, stowed away in one comer of his dwelling. 
 It held four square flasks, which, somehow or other, 
 always contained just enough to need emptying. In 
 truth, the fine old Irishman was a rosy fellow in canonicals. 
 His countenance and his soul were always in a glow. It 
 may be ungenerous to reveal his failings, but he often 
 talked thick, and sometimes was perceptibly eccentric in 
 his gait. 
 
 I never drink French brandy but I pledge Father 
 Murphy. His health again! And many jolly proselytes 
 may he make in Polynesia ! 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII 
 
 LITTLE JULE SAILS WITHOUT US 
 
 To make good the hint thrown out by the consul upon 
 the conclusion of the Farce of the Affidavits, we were 
 again brought before him within the time specified. 
 
 It was the same thing over again : he got nothing out of 
 us, and we were remanded ; our resolute behaviour annoy- 
 ing him prodigiously. 
 
 What we observed led us to form the idea that, on first 
 learning the state of affairs on board the Julia, Wilson 
 must have addressed his invalid friend, the captain, some- 
 thing in the following style : 
 
 " Guy, my poor fellow, don't worry yourself now about 
 those rascally sailors of yours. I'll dress them out for 
 you — just leave it all to me, and set your mind at rest." 
 
 But handcuffs and stocks, big looks, threats, dark hints, 
 and depositions, had all gone for nought. 
 
 Conscious that, as matters now stood, nothing serious 
 could grow out of what had happened ; and never dream- 
 ing that our being sent home for trial had ever been really 
 thought of, we thoroughly understood Wilson, and laughed 
 at him accordingly. 
 
 Since leaving the Julia, we had caught no glimpse of 
 the mate; but we often heard of him. 
 
 It seemed that he remained on board, keeping house in 
 the cabin for himself and Viner; who, going to see him 
 according to promise, was induced to remain a guest. 
 These two cronies now had fine times; tapping the cap- 
 tain's quarter-casks, playing cards on the transom, and 
 giving balls of an evening to the ladies ashore. In short, 
 they cut up so many queer capers that the missionaries 
 complained of them to the consul ; and Jermin received a 
 sharp reprimand. 
 
 This so affected him that he still drank more freely than 
 before; and one afternoon, when mellow as a grape, he 
 ISO 
 
Little Jule Sails Without Us 151 
 
 took umbrage at a canoe full of natives^ who, on being 
 hailed from the deck to come aboard and show their 
 papers, got frightened, and paddled for the shore. Lower- 
 ing a boat instantly, he equipped Wymontoo and the 
 Dane with a cutlass apiece, and. seizing another himself, 
 off they started in pursuit, the ship's ensign flying in 
 the boat's stern. The alarmed islanders, beaching their 
 canoe, with loud cries fled through the village, the mate 
 after them, slashing his naked weapon to right and left. 
 A crowd soon collected; and the " Karhowree toonee," 
 or crazy stranger, was quickly taken before Wilson. 
 
 Now, it so chanced that, in a native house hard by, the 
 consul and Captain Guy were having a quiet game at 
 cribbage by themselves, a decanter on the table standing 
 sentry. The obstreperous Jermin was brought in; and 
 finding the two thus pleasantly occupied, it had a sooth- 
 ing effect upon him; and he insisted upon taking a hand 
 at the cards, and a drink of the brandy. As the consul 
 was nearly as tipsy as himself, and the captain dared not 
 object for fear of giving offence, at it they went — all 
 three of them — and made a night of it; the mate's delin- 
 quencies being summarily passed over, and his captors 
 sent away. 
 
 An incident worth relating grew out of this freak. 
 
 There wandered about Papeetee, at this time, a 
 shrivelled little fright of an Enghshwoman, known among 
 sailors as " Old Mother Tot." From New Zealand to the 
 Sandwich Islands, she had been all over the South Seas; 
 keeping a rude hut of entertainment for mariners, and 
 supplying them with rum and dice. Upon the missionary 
 islands, of course, such conduct was severely punishable; 
 and at various places. Mother Tot's establishment had 
 been shut up, and its proprietor made to quit in the first 
 vessel that could be hired to land. her elsewhere. But, 
 with a perseverance invincible, wherever she went she 
 always started afresh; and so became notorious every- 
 where. 
 
 By some wicked spell of hers, a patient, one-eyed little 
 cobbler followed her about, mending shoes for white men, 
 doing the old woman's cooking, and bearing all her abuse 
 
152 Omoo 
 
 without grumbling. Strange to relate^ a battered Bible 
 was seldom out of his sight; and whenever he had leisure, 
 and his mistress' back was turned, he was forever poring 
 over it. This pious propensity used to enrage the old 
 crone past belief; and oftentimes she boxed his ears with 
 the book, and tried to bum it. Mother Tot and her man 
 Josy were, indeed, a curious pair. 
 
 But to my story. 
 
 A week or so after our arrival in the harbour, the old 
 lady had once again been hunted down, and forced for the 
 time to abandon her nefarious calling. This was brought 
 about chiefly by Wilson, who, for some reason unknown, 
 had contracted the most violent hatred for her; which, on 
 her part, was more than reciprocated. 
 
 Well : passing, in the evening, where the consul and his 
 party were making merry, she peeped through the bam- 
 boos of the house; and straightway resolved to gratify 
 her spite. 
 
 The night was very dark; and providing herself with a 
 huge ship's lantern, which usually swung in her hut, she 
 waited till they came forth. This happened about mid- 
 night; Wilson making his appearance, supported by two 
 natives, holding him up by the arms. These three went 
 first; and just as they got under a deep shade, a bright 
 light was thrust within an inch of Wilson's nose. The 
 old hag was kneeling before him, holding the lantern with 
 uplifted hands. 
 
 " Ha, ha ! my fine counsellor," she shrieked ; "ye perse- 
 cute a lone old body like me for selling rum — do ye ? And 
 here ye are, carried home drunk — Hoot! ye villain, I 
 scorn ye ! " And she spat upon him. 
 
 Terrified at the apparition, the poor natives — arrant be- 
 lievers in ghosts — dropped the trembling consul, and fled 
 in all directions. After giving full vent to her rage. Mother 
 Tot hobbled away, and left the three revellers to stagger 
 home the best way they could. 
 
 The day following our last interview with Wilson, we 
 learned that Captain Guy had gone on board his vessel for 
 the purpose of shipping a new crew. There was a round 
 bounty offered; and a heavy bag of Spanish dollars, with 
 
Little Jule Sails Without Us 153 
 
 the Julia's articles ready for signing, were laid on the 
 capstan-head. 
 
 Now, there was no lack of idle sailors ashore, mostly 
 " Beachcombers," who had formed themselves into an 
 organized gang, headed by one Mack, a Scotchman, whom 
 they styled the Commodore. By the laws of the fraternity, 
 no member was allowed to ship on board a vessel unless 
 granted permission by the rest. In this way the gang 
 controlled the port, all discharged seamen being, forced to 
 join them. 
 
 To Mack and his men our story was well known ; indeed, 
 they had several times called to see us ; and of course, as 
 sailors and congenial spirits, they were hard against 
 Captain Guy. 
 
 Deeming the matter important, they came in a body to 
 the Calabooza, and wished to know whether, all things 
 considered, we thought it best for any of them to join the 
 Julia. 
 
 Anxious to pack the ship off as soon as possible, we 
 answered, by all means. Some went so far as to laud the 
 Julia to the skies as the best and fastest of ships. Jermin 
 too, as a good fellow, and a sailor every inch, came in for 
 his share of praise; and as for the captain — quiet man, he 
 would never trouble anyone. In short, every induce- 
 ment we could think of was presented; and Flash Jack 
 ended by assuring the beachcombers solemnly that, now 
 we were all well and hearty, nothing but a regard to prin- 
 ciple prevented us from returning on board ourselves. 
 
 The result was that a new crew was finally obtained, to- 
 gether with a steady New Englander for second mate, and 
 three good whalemen for harpooners. In part, what was 
 wanting for the ship's larder was also supplied; and as far 
 as could be done in a place like Tahiti, the damages the 
 vessel had sustained were repaired. As for the Mowree, 
 the authorities refusing to let him be put ashore, he was 
 carried to sea in irons, down in the hold. What eventu- 
 ally became of him we never heard. 
 
 Ropey, poor poor Ropey, who a few days previous had 
 fallen sick, was left ashore at the sailor hospital at Townor, 
 a small place upon the beach between Papeetee and 
 
154 Orrioo 
 
 Matavai. Here, some time after, he breathed his last. 
 No one knew his complaint: he must have died of hard 
 times. Several of us saw him interred in the sand, and I 
 planted a rude post to mark his resting-place. 
 
 The cooper, and the rest who had remained aboard from 
 the first, of course, composed part of the Julia's new crew. 
 
 To account for the conduct, all along, of the consul and 
 captain, in trying so hard to alter our purpose with respect 
 to the ship, the following statement is all that is requisite. 
 Beside an advance of from fifteen to twenty-five dollars 
 •demanded by every sailor shipping at Tahiti, an additional 
 sum for each man so shipped has to be paid into the hands 
 of the government, as a charge of the port. Beside this, 
 the men — with here and there an exception — will only 
 ship for one cruise, thus becoming entitled to a discharge 
 before the vessel reaches home ; which, in time, creates the 
 necessity of obtaining other men, at a similar cost. Now, 
 the Julia's exchequer was at low-water mark, or rather, 
 it was quite empty; and to meet these expenses, a good 
 part of what little oil there was aboard had to be sold for 
 a song to a merchant of Papeetee. 
 
 It was Sunday in Tahiti, and a glorious morning, when 
 Captain Bob, waddling into the Calabooza, startled us by 
 announcing " Ah — ^my boy — shippy you, harre — maky 
 sail ! " In other words, the Julia was off. 
 
 The beach was quite near, and in this quarter altogether 
 uninhabited; so down we ran, and, at cable's length, saw 
 Kttle Jule gliding past — top-gallant-sails hoisting, and a 
 boy aloft with one leg thrown over the yard, loosing the 
 fore-royal. The decks were all life and commotion; the 
 sailors on the forecastle singing " Ho, cheerly men! " as 
 they catted the anchor; and the gallant Jermin, bare- 
 headed as his wont, standing up on the bowsprit, and 
 issuing his orders. By the man at the helm stood Captain 
 Guy, very quiet and gentlemanly, and smoking a cigar. 
 Soon the ship drew near the reef, and, altering her course, 
 glided out through the break, and went on her way. 
 
 Thus disappeared little Jule, about three weeks after 
 entering the harbour : and nothing more have I ever heard 
 of her. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX 
 
 JERMIN SERVES US A GOOD TURN — FRIENDSHIPS 
 IN POLYNESIA 
 
 The ship out of the way, we were quite anxious to know 
 what was going to be done with us. On this head, Captain 
 Bob could tell us nothing ; no further, at least, than that 
 he still considered himself responsible for our safe-keeping. 
 However, he never put us to bed any more; and we had 
 everything our own way. 
 
 The day after the Julia left, the old man came up to us 
 in great tribulation, saying that the bucket of bread was 
 no longer forthcoming, and that Wilson had refused to 
 send anything in its place. One and all, we took this for 
 a hint to disperse quietly, and go about our business. 
 Nevertheless, we were not to be shaken off so easily ; and 
 taking a malicious pleasure in annoying our old enemy, 
 we resolved, for the present, to stay where we were. For 
 the part he had been acting, we learned that the consul 
 was the laughing-stock of all the foreigners ashore, who 
 frequently twitted him upon his hopeful proteges of the 
 Calabooza Beretanee. 
 
 As we were wholly without resources, so long as we re- 
 mained on the island no better place than Captain Bob's 
 could be selected for an abiding-place. Beside, we heartily 
 loved the old gentleman, and could not think of leaving 
 him; so, telling him to give no thought as to wherewithal 
 we should be clothed and fed, we resolved, by extending 
 and systematizing our foraging operations, to provide for 
 ourselves. 
 
 We were greatly assisted by a parting legacy of Jermin's. 
 To him we were indebted for having all our chests sent 
 ashore, and everything left therein. They were placed 
 in the custody of a petty chief living near by, who was 
 instructed by the consul not to allow them to be taken 
 away ; but we might call and make our toilets whenever 
 we pleased. 
 
 We went to see Mahinee, the old chief; Captain Bob 
 going along, and stoutly insisting upon having the chattels 
 
 155 
 
156 
 
 Omoo 
 
 delivered up. At last this was done; and in solemn pro- 
 cession the chests were borne by the natives to the Cala- 
 booza. Here^ we disposed them about quite tastefully; 
 and made such a figure that, in the eyes of old Bob and 
 his friends, the Calabooza Beretanee was by far the most 
 sumptuously furnished saloon in Tahiti. 
 
 Indeed, so long as it remained thus furnished, the native 
 courts of the district were held there; the judge, Mahinee, 
 and his associates, sitting upon one of the chests, and the 
 culprits and spectators thrown at full length upon the 
 ground, both inside of the building and under the shade 
 of the trees without; while, leaning over the stocks as 
 from a gallery, the worshipful crew of the Julia looked on, 
 and canvassed the proceedings. 
 
 I should have mentioned before that, previous to the 
 vessel's departure, the men had bartered away all the 
 clothing they could possibly spare; but now, it was re- 
 solved to be more provident. 
 
 The contents of the chests were of the most miscellaneous 
 description: — sewing utensils, marling-spikes, strips of 
 calico, bits of rope, jack-knives; nearly everything, in 
 short, that a seaman could think of. But of wearing 
 apparel, there was little but old frocks, remnants of 
 jackets, and legs of trousers, with now and then the foot of 
 a stocking. These, however, were far from being valueless; 
 for, among the poorer Tahitians, everything European is 
 highly esteemed. They come from "Beretanee, Fenooa 
 Pararee " (Britain, Land of Wonders), and that is enough. 
 
 The chests themselves were deemed exceedingly precious, 
 especially those with unfractured locks, which would ab- 
 solutely click, and enable the owner to walk off with the 
 key. Scars, however, and bruises, were considered great 
 blemishes. One old fellow, smitten with the doctor's 
 large mahogany chest (a well-filled one, by the bye), and 
 finding infinite satisfaction in merely sitting thereon, was 
 detected in the act of applying a healing ointment to a 
 shocking scratch which impaired the beauty of the lid. 
 
 There is no telling the love of a Tahitian for a sailor's 
 trunk. So ornamental is it held as an article of furniture 
 in the hut, that the women are incessantly tormenting 
 their husbands to bestir themselves, and make them a 
 
Jermin Serves Us a Good Turn 157 
 
 present of one. When obtained, no pier-table just placed 
 in a drawing-room is regarded with half the delight. For 
 these reasons, then, our coming into possession of our 
 estate at this time was an important event. 
 
 The islanders are much like the rest of the' world; and 
 the news of our good fortune brought us troops of " tayos," 
 or friends, eager to form an alliance after the national 
 custom, and do our slightest bidding. 
 
 The really curious way in which all the Polynesians are 
 in the habit of making bosom friends at the shortest pos- 
 sible notice is deserving of remark. Although, among a 
 people like the Tahitians, vitiated as they are by sophisti- 
 cating influences, this custom has in most cases degener- 
 ated into a mere mercenary relation, it nevertheless had 
 its origin in a fine, and in some instances, heroic sentiment, 
 formerly entertained by their fathers. 
 
 In the annals of the island are examples of extravagant 
 friendships, unsurpassed by the story of Damon and 
 Pythias: in truth, much more wonderful; for, notwith- 
 standing the devotion — even of life in some cases — to 
 which they led, they were frequently entertained at first 
 sight for some stranger from another island. 
 
 Filled with love and admiration for the first whites who 
 came among them, the Polynesians could not testify the 
 warmth of their emotions more strongly than by instan- 
 taneously making their abrupt proffer of friendship. 
 Hence, in old voyages we read of chiefs coming off from 
 the shore in their canoes, and going through with strange 
 antics, expressive of the desire. In the same way, their 
 inferiors accosted the seamen; and thus the practice has 
 continued in some islands down to the present day. 
 
 There is a small place, not many days' sail from Tahiti, 
 and seldom visited by shipping, where the vessel touched 
 to which I then happened to belong. 
 
 Of course, among the simple-hearted natives, we had a 
 friend all round. Mine was Poky, a handsome youth, who 
 never could do enough for me. Every morning at sunrise, 
 his canoe came alongside loaded with fruits of all kinds; 
 upon being emptied, it was secured by a line to the bow- 
 sprit, under which it lay all day long, ready at any time 
 to carry its owner ashore on an errand. 
 
158 
 
 Omoo 
 
 Seeing him so indefatigable, I told Poky one day that I 
 was a virtuoso in shells and curiosities of all kinds. That 
 was enough; away he paddled for the head of the bay, and 
 I never saw him again for twenty-four hours. The next 
 morning, his canoe came gliding slowly along the shore 
 with the full-leaved bough of a. tree for a sail. For the 
 purpose of keeping the things dry, he had also built a sort 
 of platform just behind the prow, railed in with green 
 wicker-work; and here was a heap of yellow bananas 
 and cowree shells; young cocoa-nuts and antlers of red 
 coral; two or three pieces of carved wood; a little pocket- 
 idol, black as jet, and rolls of printed tappa. 
 
 We were given a holiday; and upon going ashore. Poky, 
 of course, was my companion and guide. For this, no 
 mortal could be better qualified; his native country was 
 not large, and he knew every inch of it. Gallanting me 
 about, everyone was stopped and ceremoniously intro- 
 duced to Poky's " tayo karhowree nuee " or his particular 
 white friend. 
 
 He showed me all the lions ; but more than all, he took 
 me to see a charming lioness — a young damsel — the 
 daughter of a chief — the reputation of whose charms had 
 spread to the neighbouring islands, and even brought 
 suitors therefroni. Among these was Tooboi, the heir of 
 Tamatory, King of Raiatair, one of the Society Isles. The 
 girl was certainly fair to look upon. Many heavens were 
 in her sunny eyes; and the outline pf that arm of hers, 
 peeping forth from a capricious tappa robe, was the very 
 curve of beauty. 
 
 Though there was no end to Poky's attentions, not a 
 syllable did he ever breathe of reward ; but sometimes he 
 looked very knowing. At last the day came for sailing, 
 and with it, also, his canoe, loaded down to the gunwale 
 with a sea stock of fruits. Giving him all I could spare 
 from my chest, I went on deck to take my place at the 
 windlass; for the anchor was weighing. Poky followed, 
 and heaved with me at the same handspike. 
 
 The anchor was soon up ; and away we went out of the 
 bay with more than twenty shallops towing astern. At last 
 they left us ; but long as I could see him at all, there was 
 Poky, standing alone and motionless in the bow of his canoe. 
 
PART II 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 WE TAKE UNTO OURSELVES FRIENDS 
 
 The arrival of the chests made my friend, the doctor, by 
 far the wealthiest man of the party. So much the better 
 for me, seeing that I had little or nothing myself; though, 
 from our intimacy, the natives courted my favour almost 
 as much as his. 
 
 Among others, Kooloo was a candidate for my friend- 
 ship; and being a comely youth, quite a buck in his way, 
 I accepted his overtures. By this, I escaped the impor- 
 tunities of the rest; for be it known that, though little 
 inclined to jealousy in love matters, the Tahitian will 
 hear of no rivals in his friendship. 
 
 Kooloo, running over his qualifications as a friend, first 
 of all informed me that he was a " Mickonaree," thus 
 declaring his communion with the church. 
 
 The way this " tayo " of mine expressed his regard 
 was by assuring me over and over again that the love he 
 bore me was " nuee, nuee, nuee," or infinitesimally ex- 
 tensive. All over these seas, the word " nuee " is signi- 
 ficant of quantity. Its repetition is like placing ciphers 
 at the right hand of a numeral ; the more places you carry 
 it out to, the greater the sum. Judge, then, of Kooloo's 
 esteem. Nor is the allusion to the ciphers at all inappro- 
 priate, seeing that, in themselves, Kooloo's professions 
 turned out to be worthless. He was, alas! as sounding 
 brass and a tinkling cymbal; one of those who make no 
 music unless the clapper be silver. 
 
 In the course of a few days, the sailors, like the doctor 
 and myself, were cajoled out of everything, and our 
 " tayos," all round, began to cool off quite sensibly. So 
 remiss did they become in their attentions that we could 
 no longer rely upon their bringing us the daily supply of 
 food, which all of them had faithfully promised. 
 159 
 
1 60 Omoo 
 
 As for Kooloo, after sponging me well, he one' morning 
 played the part of a retrograde lover; informing me that 
 his affections had undergone a change; he had fallen in 
 love at first sight with a smart sailor, who had just stepped 
 ashore quite flush from a lucky whaling-cruise. 
 
 It was a touching interview, and with it, our connection 
 dissolved. But the sadness which ensued would soon 
 have been dissipated, had not my sensibilities been 
 wounded by his indelicately sporting some of my gifts 
 very soon after this transfer of his affections. Hardly a 
 day passed that I did not meet him on the Broom Road, 
 airing himself in a regatta shirt which I had given him 
 in happier hours. 
 
 He went by with such an easy saunter too, looking me 
 pleasantly in the eye, and merely exchanging the cold 
 salute of the road: — " Yar onor, boyoee," a mere side- 
 walk how d'ye do. After several experiences like this, I 
 began to entertain a sort of respect for Kooloo, as quite a 
 man of the world. In good sooth, he turned out to be 
 one; in one week's time giving me the cut direct, and 
 lounging by without even nodding. He must have taken 
 me for part of the landscape. 
 
 Before the chests were quite empty, we had a grand 
 washing in the stream of our best raiment, for the pur- 
 pose of looking tidy, and visiting the European chapel in 
 the village. Every Sunday morning it is open for divine 
 service, some member of the mission officiating. This 
 was the first time we ever entered Papeetee unattended 
 by an escort. 
 
 In the chapel there were about forty people present, 
 including the officers of several ships in harbour. It was 
 an energetic discourse, and the pulpit cushion was well 
 pounded. Occupying a high seat in the synagogue, and 
 stiff as a flagstaff, was our beloved guardian, Wilson. I 
 shall never forget his look of wonder when his interesting 
 ■wards filed in at the doorway, and took up a seat directly 
 facing him. 
 
 Service over, we waited outside in hopes of seeing more 
 of him; but sorely annoyed at the sight of us, he recon- 
 noitred from the window, and never came forth until we 
 had started for home. 
 
CHAPTER XLI 
 
 WE LEVY CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE SHIPPING 
 
 Scarcely a week went by after the Julia's sailing, when, 
 with the proverbial restlessness of sailors, some of the 
 men began to grow weary of the Calabooza Beretanee, 
 and resolved to go boldly among the vessels in the bay, 
 and offer to ship. 
 
 The thing was tried ; but though strongly recommended 
 by the commodore of the beachcombers, in the end they 
 were invariably told by the captains to whom they applied 
 that they bore an equivocal character ashore, and would 
 not answer. So often were they repulsed that we pretty 
 nearly gave up all thoughts of leaving the island in this 
 way; and growing domestic again, settled down quietly 
 at Captain Bob's. 
 
 It was about this time that the whaling-ships, which 
 have their regular seasons for cruising, began to arrive at 
 Papeetee; and of course their crews frequently visited 
 us. This is customary all over the Pacific. No sailor 
 steps ashore, but he straightway goes to the " Calabooza," 
 where he is almost sure to find some poor fellow or other 
 in confinement for desertion, or alleged mutiny, or some- 
 thing of that sort. Sympathy is proffered, and if need 
 be, tobacco. The latter, however, is most in request; as 
 a solace to the captive, it is invaluable. 
 
 Having fairly carried the day against both consul and 
 captain, we were objects of even more than ordinary in- 
 terest to these philanthropists ; and they always cordially 
 applauded our conduct. Besides, they invariably brought 
 along something in the way of refreshments ; occasionally 
 smuggling in a little Pisco. Upon one occasion, when 
 there was quite a number present, a calabash was passed 
 round, and a pecuniary collection taken up for our benefit. 
 
 One day a newcomer proposed that two or three of us 
 should pay him a sly, nocturnal visit aboard his ship; 
 engaging to send us away well freighted with provisions. 
 This was not a bad idea ; nor were we at all backward in 
 
 i6i L 
 
1 62 Omoo 
 
 acting upon it. Night after night every vessel in the 
 harbour was visited in rotation, the foragers borrowing 
 Captain Bob's canoe for the purpose. As we all took 
 turns at this — two by two — in due course it came to Long 
 Ghost and myself, for the sailors invariably hnked us 
 together. In such an enterprise, I somewhat distrusted 
 the doctor, for he was no sailor, and very tall; and a 
 canoe is the most ticklish of navigable things. However, 
 it could not be helped ; and so we went. 
 
 But a word about the canoes before we go any further. 
 Among the Society Islands, the art of building them, like 
 all native accomplishments, has greatly deteriorated; 
 and they are now the most inelegant, as well as^Kttie most 
 insecure of any in the South Seas. In Cook's time, ac- 
 cording to his account, there was at Tahiti a royal fleet of 
 seventeen hundred and twenty large war canoes, hand- 
 somely carved, and otherwise adorned. At present, those 
 used are quite small; nothing more than logs hollowed 
 out, sharpened at one end, and then launched into the 
 water. 
 
 To obviate a certain rolling propensity, the Tahitians, 
 like all Polynesians, attach to them what sailors call an 
 " outrigger." It consists of a pole floating alongside, 
 parallel to the canoe, and connected with it by a couple 
 of cross sticks, a yard or more in length. Thus equipped, 
 the canoe cannot be overturned, unless you overcome the 
 buoyancy of the pole, or lift it entirely out of the water. 
 
 Now, Captain Bob's " gig " was exceedingly small; so 
 small, and of such a grotesque shape, that the sailors 
 christened it the Pill Box; and by this appellation it 
 always went. In fact, it was a sort of " sulky," meant 
 for a solitary paddler, but, on an emergency, capable of 
 floating two or three. The outrigger was a mere switch, 
 alternately rising in air, and then depressed in the water. 
 
 Assuming the command of the expedition, upon the 
 strength of my being a sailor, I packed the Long Doctor 
 with a paddle in the bow, and then shoving off, leaped 
 into the stern; thus leaving him to do all the work, and 
 reserving to myself the dignified sinecure of steering. All 
 would have gone on well, were it not that my paddler 
 
Contributions on the Shipping 163 
 
 made such clumsy work that the water spattered, and 
 showered down upon us without ceasing. Continuing to 
 ply his tool, however, quite energetically, I thought he^ 
 would improve after a while, and so let him alone. But 
 by and bye, getting wet through with this little storm we 
 were raising, and seeing no signs of its clearing off, I con- 
 jured him, in mercy's name, to stop short, and let me 
 wring myself out. Upon this, he suddenly turned round, 
 when the canoe gave a roll, the outrigger flew overhead, 
 and the next moment came rap on the doctor's skull, and 
 we were both in the water. 
 
 Fortunately, we were just over a ledge of coral, not 
 half-a-fathom under the surface. Depressing one end of 
 the filled canoe, and letting go of it quickly, it bounced 
 up, and discharged great part of its contents; so that we 
 easily baled out the remainder, and again embarked. 
 This time, my comrade coiled himself away in a very 
 small space; and enjoining upon him not to- draw a single 
 unnecessary breath, I proceeded to urge the canoe along 
 by myself. I was astonished at his docility, never speak- 
 ing a word, and stirring neither hand nor foot; but the 
 secret was, he was unable to swim, and in case we met 
 with a second mishap, there were no more ledges beneath 
 to stand upon. " Browning's but a shabby way of going 
 out of the world," he fexclaimed, upon my rallying him; 
 " and I'm not going to be guilty of it." 
 
 At last, the ship was at hand, and we approached with 
 much caution, wishing to avoid being hailed by anyone 
 from the quarter-deck. Dropping silently under her 
 bows, we heard a low whistle — the signal agreed upon — 
 and presently a goodly-sized bag was lowered over to us. 
 
 We cut the line, and then paddled away as fast as we 
 could, and made the best of our way home. Here, we 
 found the rest waiting impatiently. 
 
 The bag turned out to be well filled with sweet potatoes 
 boiled, cubes of salt beef and pork, and a famous sailors' 
 pudding, what they call " duff," made of flour and water, 
 and of about the consistence of an underdone brick. 
 With these delicacies, and keen appetites, we went out 
 into the moonlight, and had a nocturnal picnic. 
 
CHAPTER XLII 
 
 MOTOO-OTOO — ^A TAHITIAN CASUIST 
 
 The Pill Box was sometimes employed for other purposes 
 than that described in the last chapter. We sometimes 
 went a-pleasuring in it. 
 
 Right in the middle of Papeetee harbour is a bright, 
 green island, one circular grove of waving palms, and 
 scarcely a hundred yards across. It is of coral forma- 
 tion; and all round, for many rods out, the bay is so 
 shallow that you might wade anywhere. Down in these 
 waters, as transparent as air, you see coral plants of every 
 hue and shape imaginable: — antlers, tufts of azure, 
 waving reeds like stalks of grain, and pale green buds 
 and mosses. In some places, you look through prickly 
 branches down to a snow-white floor of sand, sprouting 
 with flinty bulbs; and crawling among these are strange 
 shapes : — some bristling with spikes, others clad in shining 
 coats of mail, and here and there, round forms all spangled 
 with eyes. , 
 
 The island is called Motoo-Otoo; and around Motoo- 
 Otoo have I often paddled of a white moonlight night, 
 pausing now and then to admire the marine gardens 
 beneath. 
 
 The place is the private property of the queen, who has 
 a residence there — a melancholy-looking range of bamboo 
 houses — ^neglected and falling to decay among the trees. 
 
 Commanding the harbour as it does, her majesty has 
 done, all she could to make a fortress of the island. The 
 margin has been raised and levelled, and built up with a 
 low parapet of hewn blocks of coral. Behind the parapet 
 are ranged, at wide intervals, a number of rusty old cannon, 
 of all fashions and calibres. They are mounted upon 
 lame, decrepit-looking carriages, ready to sink under the 
 164 
 
Motoo-Otoo 165 
 
 useless burden of bearing them up. Indeed, two or three 
 have given up the ghost altogether, and the pieces they 
 sustained lie half buried among their bleaching bones. 
 Several of the cannon are spiked ; probably with a view 
 of making them more formidable; as they certainly must 
 be to anyone undertaking to fire them off. 
 
 Presented to Pomaree at various times by captains of 
 British armed ships, these poor old " dogs of war," thus 
 toothless and turned out to die, formerly bayed in full 
 pack as the battle-hounds of Old England. 
 
 There was something about Motoo-Otoo that struck 
 my fancy; and I registered a vow to plant my foot upon 
 its soil, notwithstanding an old bareheaded sentry menaced 
 me in the moonlight with an unsightly musket. As my 
 canoe drew scarcely three inches of water, I could paddle 
 close up to the parapet without grounding; but every 
 time I came near, the old man ran toward me, pushing 
 his piece forward, but never clapping it to his shoulder. 
 Thinking he only meant to frighten me, I at last dashed 
 the canoe right up to the wall, purposing a leap. It was 
 the rashest act of my life; for never did cocoa-nut come 
 nearer getting demolished than mine did then. With 
 the stock of his gun, the old warder fetched a tremendous 
 blow, which I managed to dodge; and then falling back, 
 succeeded in paddling out of harm's reach. 
 
 He must have been dumb; for never a word did he 
 utter; but grinning from ear to ear, and with his white 
 cotton robe streaming in the moonlight, he looked more 
 like the spook of the island than anything mortal. 
 
 I tried to effect my object by attacking him in the 
 rear — but he was all front; running about the place as I 
 paddled, and presenting his confounded musket wherever 
 I went. At last I was obliged to retreat; and to this 
 day my vow remains unfulfilled. 
 
 It was a few days after my repulse from before the 
 walls of Motoo-Otoo that I heard a curious case of 
 casuistry argued between one of the most clever and 
 intelligent natives I ever saw in Tahiti, a man by the 
 name of Arheetoo, and our learned Theban of a doctor. 
 
 It was this: — ^whether it was right and lawful for any- 
 
1 66 Omoo 
 
 one, being a native, to keep the European Sabbath, in 
 preference to the day set apart as such by the mis- 
 sionaries, and so considered by the islanders in general. 
 
 It must be known that the missionaries of the good 
 ship Duff, who more than half-a-century ago established 
 the Tahitian reckoning, came hither by the way of the 
 Cape of Good Hope ; and by thus sailing to the eastward, 
 lost one precious day of their lives all round, getting 
 about that much in advance of Greenwich time. For 
 this reason, vessels coming round Cape Horn — as they 
 most all do nowadays — ^find it Sunday in , Tahiti, when, 
 according to their own view of the matter, it ought to 
 be Saturday. But as it won't do to alter the log, the 
 sailors keep their Sabbath, and the islanders theirs. 
 
 This confusion perplexes the poor natives mightily; 
 and it is to no purpose that you endeavour to explain so 
 incomprehensible a phenomenon. I once saw a worthy 
 old missionary essay to shed some light on the subject; 
 and though I understood but few of the words employed, 
 I could easily get at the meaning of his illustrations. 
 They were something like the following: 
 
 " Here," says he, " you see this circle " (describing a 
 large one on the ground with a stick); " very good; now 
 you see this spot here " (marking a point in the peri- 
 meter): "well; this is Beretanee (England), and I'm 
 going to sail round to Tahiti. Here I go, then (follow- 
 ing the circle round), and there goes the sun (snatching 
 up another stick, and commissioning a bandy-legged 
 native to travel round with it in a contrary direction). 
 Now then, we are both off, and both going away from 
 each other; and here you see I have arrived at Tahiti 
 (making a sudden stop); and look now where Bandy 
 Legs is ! " 
 
 But the crowd strenuously maintained that Bandy 
 Legs ought to be somewhere above them in the atmos- 
 phere ; for it was a traditionary fact that the people from 
 the Duff came ashore when the sun was high overhead. 
 And here the old gentleman, being a very good sort of 
 man, doubtless, but no astronomer, was obliged to give up. 
 
 Arheetoo, the casuist alluded to, though a member of 
 
A Tahitian Casuist i 67 
 
 the church, and extremely conscientious about what 
 Sabbath he kept, was more liberal in other matters. 
 Learning that I was something of a " mickonaree " (in 
 this sense, a man able to read, and cunning in the use of 
 the pen), he desired the slight favour of my forging for 
 him a set of papers; for which, he said, he would be 
 much obliged, and give me a good dinner of roast pig and 
 Indian turnip in the bargain. 
 
 Now, Arheetoo was one of those who board the shipping 
 for their washing; and the competition being very great 
 (the proudest chiefs not disdaining to solicit custom in 
 person, though the work is done by their dependants), 
 he had decided upon a course suggested by a knowing 
 sailor, a friend of his. He wished to have manufactured 
 a set of certificates, purporting to come from certain man- 
 of-war and merchant captains, known to have visited the 
 island; recommending him as one of the best getters up 
 of fine linen in all Polynesia. 
 
 At this time, Arheetoo had known me but two hours; 
 and, as he made the proposition very coolly, I thought it 
 rather presumptuous, and told him so. But as it was 
 quite impossible to convey a hint, and there was a slight 
 impropriety in the thing, I did not resent the insult, but 
 simply declined. 
 
CHAPTER XLIII 
 
 ONE IS JUDGED BY THE COMPANY HE KEEPS 
 
 Although, from its novelty, life at Captain Bob's was 
 pleasant enough, for the time ; there were some few an- 
 noyances connected with it anything but agreeable to a 
 " soul of sensibility." 
 
 Prejudiced against us by the malevolent representa- 
 tions of the consul and others, many worthy foreigners 
 ashore regarded us as a set of lawless vagabonds ; though, 
 truth to speak, better behaved sailors never stepped on 
 the island, nor any who gave less trouble to the natives. 
 But, for all this, whenever we met a respectably-dressed 
 European, ten to one he shunned us by going over to the 
 other side of the road. This was very unpleasant, at least 
 to myself; though, certes, it did not prey upon the minds 
 of the others. 
 
 To give an instance. 
 
 Of a fine evening in Tahiti — but they are all fine even- 
 ings there — you may see a bevy of silk bonnets and 
 parasols passing along the Broom Road: perhaps a band 
 of pale, little white urchins — sickly exotics — and, oftener 
 still, sedate, elderly gentlemen, with canes; at whose 
 appearance the natives, here and there, slink into their 
 huts. These are the missionaries, their wives, and 
 children, taking a family airing. Sometimes, by the bye, 
 they take horse, and ride down to Point Venus and back ; 
 a distance of several miles. At this place is settled the 
 only survivor of the first missionaries that landed — an 
 old, white-headed, saint-like man, by the name of Wilson, 
 the father of our friend, the consul. 
 
 The little parties on foot were frequently encountered; 
 and, recalling, as they did, so many pleasant recollections 
 of home and the ladies, I really longed for a dress coat 
 i68 
 
Une Judged by Company He Keeps 169 
 
 and beaver that I might step up and pay my respects. 
 But, situated as I was, this was out of the question. Oh 
 one occasion, however, I received a kind, inquisitive 
 glance from a matron in gingham. Sweet lady! I have 
 not forgotten her: her gown was a plaid. 
 
 But a glance, like hers, was not always bestowed. 
 
 One evening, passing the verandah of a missionary's 
 dwelling, the dame, his wife, and a pretty, blonde young 
 girl, with ringlets, were sitting there, enjoying the sea- 
 breeze, then coming in, all cool and refreshing, from the 
 spray of the reef. As I approached, the old lady peered 
 hard at me; and her very cap seemed to convey a prim 
 rebuke. The blue, English eyes, by her side, were also 
 bent on me. But, oh Heavens ! what a glance to receive 
 from such a beautiful creature ! As for the mob cap, not 
 a fig did I care for it; but, to be taken for anything but a 
 cavalier, by the ringleted one, was absolutely unendur- 
 able. 
 
 I resolved on a courteous salute, to show my good- 
 breeding, if nothing more. But, happening to wear a 
 sort of turban — hereafter to be particularly alluded to^ 
 there was no taking it off and putting it on again with 
 anything like dignity. At any rate, then, here goes a 
 bow. But, another difficulty presented itself; my loose 
 frock was so voluminous that I doubted whether any 
 spinal curviature would be perceptible. 
 
 " Good evening, ladies," exclaimed I, at last, advanc- 
 ing winningly; " a delightful air from the sea, ladies." 
 
 Hysterics and hartshorn ! who would have thought it ? 
 The young lady screamed, and the old one came near "1 
 fainting. As for myself, I retreated in double-quick time; 
 and scarcely drew breath until safely housed in the Cala- 
 booza. 
 
 J 
 
CHAPTER XLIV 
 
 CATHEDRAL OF PAPOAR — THE CHURCH OF THE 
 COCOA-NUTS 
 
 On Sundays I always attended the principal native church, 
 on the outskirts of the village of Papeetee, and not far 
 from the Calabooza Beretanee. It was esteemed the best 
 specimen of architecture in Tahiti. 
 
 Of late, they have built their places of worship with 
 more reference to durability than formerly. At one time, 
 there were no less than thirty-six on the island — mere 
 bams, tied together with thongs, which went to destruc- 
 tion in a very few years. 
 
 One, built many years ago in this style, was a most 
 remarkable structure. It was erected by Pomaree II., 
 who, on this occasion, showed all the zeal of a royal 
 proselyte. The building was over seven hundred feet in 
 length, and of a proportionate width; the vast ridge- 
 pole was at intervals supported by a row of thirty-six 
 cylindrical trunks of the bread-fruit tree ; and, all round, 
 the wall-plates rested on shafts of the palm. The roof — 
 steeply inclining to within a man's height of the ground — 
 was thatched with leaves, and the sides of the edifice were 
 open. Thus spacious was the Royal Mission Chapel of 
 Papoar. 
 
 At its dedication, three distinct sermons were, from 
 different pulpits, preached to an immense concourse 
 gathered from all parts of the island. 
 
 As the chapel was built by the king's command, nearly 
 as great a multitude was employed in its construction as 
 swarmed over the scaffolding of the great temple of the 
 Jews. Much less time, however, was expended. In less 
 than three weeks from planting the first post, the last tier 
 of palmetto-leaves drooped from the eaves, and the work 
 was done. 
 
 170 
 
Cathedral of Papoar 1 7 1 
 
 Apportioned to the several chiefs and their dependants, 
 the labour, though immense, was greatly facilitated by 
 everyone's bringing his post, or his rafter, or his pole 
 strung with thatching, ready for instant use. The 
 materials thus prepared being afterward secured together 
 by thongs, there was literally " neither hammer, nor axe, 
 nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was build- 
 
 But the most singular circumstance connected with 
 this South Sea cathedral remains to be related. As well 
 for the beauty as the advantages of such a site, the 
 islanders love to dwell near the mountain streams; and 
 so, a considerable brook, after descending from the hills 
 and watering the valley, was bridged over in three places, 
 and swept clean through the chapel. 
 
 Flowing waters ! what an accompaniment to the songs 
 of the sanctuary; mingling with them the praises and 
 thanksgivings of the green solitudes inland. 
 
 But the chapel of the Polynesian Solomon has long since 
 been deserted. Its thousand rafters of habiscus have 
 decayed, and fallen to the ground; and now, the stream 
 murmurs over them in its bed. 
 
 The present metropolitan church of Tahiti is very un- 
 like the one just described. It is of moderate dimensions, 
 boarded over, and painted white. It is furnished also 
 with blinds, but no sashes; indeed, were it not for the 
 rustic thatch, it would remind one of a plain chapel at 
 home. 
 
 The woodwork was all done by foreign carpenters, of 
 whom there are always several about Papeetee. 
 
 Within, its aspect is unique, and cannot fail to interest 
 a stranger. The rafters overhead are bound round with fine 
 matting of variegated dyes; and all along the ridge-pole 
 these trappings hang pendent, in alternate bunches of 
 tassels and deep fringes of stained grass. The floor is 
 composed of rude planks. Regular aisles run between 
 ranges of native settees, bottomed with crossed braids of 
 the cocoa-nut fibre, and furnished with backs. 
 
 But the pulpit, made of a dark, lustrous wood, and 
 standing at one end, is by far the most striking object. It 
 
172 Omoo 
 
 is preposterously lofty; indeed^ a capital bird's-eye view 
 of the congregation ought to be had from its summit. 
 
 Nor does the church lack a gallery, which runs round on 
 three sides, and is supported by columns of the cocoa-nut 
 tree. 
 
 Its facings are here and there daubed over with a 
 tawdry blue; and in other places (without the slightest 
 regard to uniformity), patches of the same colour may be 
 seen. In their ardour to decorate the sanctuary, the con- 
 verts must have borrowed each a brush full of paint, and 
 zealously daubed away at the first surface that offered. 
 
 As hinted, the general impression is extremely curious. 
 Little light being admitted, and everything being of a dark 
 colour, there is an indefinable Indian aspect of duskiness 
 throughout. A strange, woody smell, also — ^more or less 
 pervading every considerable edifice in Polynesia — is at 
 once perceptible. It suggests the idea of worm-eaten idols 
 packed away in some old lumber-room at hand. 
 
 For the most part, the congregation attending this 
 church is composed of the better and wealthier orders — 
 the chiefs and their retainers; in short, the rank and 
 fashion of the island. This class is infinitely superior in 
 personal beauty and general healthfulness to the " maren- 
 hoar," or common people; the latter having been more 
 exposed to the worst and most debasing evils of foreign 
 intercourse. On Sundays, the former are invariably 
 arrayed in their finery; and thus appear to the best ad- 
 vantage. Nor are they driven to the chapel, as some of 
 their inferiors are to other places of worship ; on the con- 
 trary, capable of maintaining a handsome exterior, and 
 possessing greater intelligence, they go voluntarily. 
 
 In respect of the woodland colonnade supporting its 
 galleries, I called this chapel the Church of the Cocoa- 
 nuts. 
 
 It was the first place for Christian worship in Polynesia 
 that I had seen; and the impression upon entering during 
 service was all the stronger. Majestic-looking chiefs 
 whose fathers had hurled the battle-club, and old men 
 who had seen sacrifices smoking upon the altars of Oro, 
 were there. And hark! hanging from the bough of a 
 
I'he Church of the Cocoa-Nuts 173 
 
 bread-fruit tree without, a bell is being struck with a bar 
 of iron by a native lad. In the same spot, the blast of the 
 war-conch had often resounded. But to the proceedings 
 within. 
 
 The place is well filled. Everywhere meets the eye the 
 gay calico draperies worn on great occasions by the higher 
 classes, and forming a strange contrast of patterns and 
 colours. In some instances, these are so fashioned as to 
 resemble as much as possible European garments. This 
 is in excessively bad taste. Coats and pantaloons, too, 
 are here and there seen; but they look awkwardly enough, 
 and take away from the general effect. 
 
 But it is the array of countenances that most strikes 
 you. Each is suffused with the peculiar animation of 
 the Polynesians, when thus collected in large numbers. 
 Every robe is rustling, every limb in motion, and an in- 
 cessant buzzing going on throughout the assembly. The 
 tumult is so great that the voice of the placid old mis- 
 sionary, who now rises, is almost inaudible. Some de- 
 gree of silence is at length obtained through the exertions 
 of half-a-dozen strapping fellows, in white shirts and no 
 pantaloons. Running in among the settees, they are at 
 great pains to inculcate the impropriety of making a noise 
 by creating a most unnecessary racket themselves. This 
 part of the service was quite comical. 
 
 There is a most interesting Sabbath School connected 
 with the church; and the scholars, a vivacious, mischiev- 
 ous set, were in one part of the gallery. I was amused by 
 a party in a corner. The teacher sat at one end of the 
 bench, with a meek little fellow by his side. When the 
 others were disorderly, this young martyr received a rap ; 
 intended, probably, as a sample of what the rest might 
 expect, if they didn't amend. 
 
 Standing in the body of the church, and leaning against 
 a pillar, was an old man, in appearance very different 
 from others of his countrymen. He wore nothing but a 
 coarse, scant mantle of faded tappa; and from his staring, 
 bewildered manner, I set him down as an aged bumpkin 
 from the interior, unaccustomed to the strange sights and 
 sounds of the metropolis. This old worthy was sharply 
 
174 Omoo 
 
 reprimanded for standing up, and thus intercepting the 
 view of those behind; but not comprehending exactly 
 what was said to him, one of the white-Uveried gentry 
 made no ceremony of grasping him by the shoulders, and 
 fairly crushing him down into a seat. 
 
 During all this, the old missionary in the pulpit — as well 
 as his associates beneath, never ventured to interfere — 
 leaving everything to native management. With South 
 Sea islanders, assembled in any numbers, there is no other 
 way of getting along. 
 
CHAPTER XLV 
 
 missionary's sermon; with some reflections 
 
 Some degree of order at length, restored, the service was 
 continued, by singing. The choir was composed of twelve 
 or fifteen ladies of the mission, occupying a long bench to 
 the left of the pulpit. Almost the entire congregation 
 joined in. 
 
 The first air fairly startled 'me; it was the brave tune 
 of Old Hundred, adapted to a Tahitian psalm. After the 
 graceless scenes I had recently passed through, this cir- 
 cumstance, with all its accessories, moved me forcibly. 
 
 Many voices around were of great sweetness and com- 
 pass. The singers, also, seemed to enjoy themselves 
 mightily; some of them pausing, now and then, and look- 
 ing round, as if to realize the scene more fully. In truth, 
 they sang right joyously, despite the solemnity of the 
 tune. 
 
 The Tahitians have much natural talent for singing; 
 and, on all occasions, are exceedingly fond of it. I have 
 often heard a stave or two of psalmody, hummed over by 
 rakish young fellows, like a snatch from an opera. 
 
 With respect to singing, as in most other matters, the 
 Tahitians widely differ from the people of the Sandwich 
 Islands ; where the parochial flocks may be said rather to 
 bleat than sing. 
 
 The psalm concluded, a prayer followed. Very con- 
 siderately, the good old missionary made it short; for the 
 congregation became fidgety and inattentive as soon as 
 it commenced. 
 
 A chapter of the Tahitian Bible was now read; a text 
 selected; and the sermon began. It was listened to with 
 more attention than I had anticipated. 
 
 Having been informed, from various sources, that the 
 175 
 
176 
 
 Omoo 
 
 discourses of the missionaries, being calculated to engage 
 the attention of their simple auditors, were, naturally 
 enough, of a rather amusing description to strangers; in 
 short, that they had much to say about steamboats, lord 
 mayor's coaches, and the way fires are put out in London, 
 I had taken care to provide myself with a good interpreter, 
 in the person of an intelligent Hawaiian sailor, whose 
 acquaintance I had made. 
 
 " Now, Jack," said I, before entering, " hear every 
 word, and tell me what you can as the missionary goes 
 on." 
 
 Jack's was not, perhaps, a critical version of the dis- 
 course; and at the time, I took no notes of what he said. 
 Nevertheless, I will here venture to give what I remember 
 of it; and, as far as possible, in Jack's phraseology, so as 
 to lose nothing by a double translation. 
 
 " Good friends, I glad to see you; and I very well like 
 to have some talk with you to-day. Good friends, very 
 bad times in Tahiti ; it make me weep. Pomaree is gone 
 — the island no more yours, but the Wee-wees (French). 
 Wicked priests here, too; and wicked idols in woman's 
 clothes, and brass chains.^ 
 
 " Good friends, no you speak, or look at them — but I 
 know you won't — ^they belong to a set of robbers — the 
 wicked Wee-wees. Soon these bad men be made to go 
 very quick. Beretanee ships of thunder come and away 
 they go. But no more 'bout this now. I speak more 
 by by. 
 
 " Good friends, many whale-ships here now; and many 
 bad men come in 'em. No good sailors living — that you 
 know very well. They come here, 'cause so bad they no 
 keep 'em home. 
 
 " My good little girls, no run after sailors — no go where 
 they go; they harm you. Where they come from, no 
 good people talk to 'em — just Uke dogs. Here, they talk 
 to Pomaree, and drink arva with great Poofai.^ 
 
 " Good friends, this very small island, but very wicked, 
 
 ' Meaning the showy image of the Virgin in the little Catholic 
 chapel. 
 
 '■^ The word " arva," as here employed, means brandy. Poofai 
 was one of the highest chiefs on the island, and a jolly companion. 
 
Missionary's Sermon 177 
 
 and very poor; these two go together. WhyBeretanee 
 so great? Because that island good island, and send 
 mickonaree^ to poor kannaka.^ In Beretanee, evey man 
 rich: plenty things to buy; and plenty things to sell. 
 Houses bigger than Pomaree's, and more grand. Every- 
 body, too, ride about in coaches, bigger than hers;^ and 
 wear fine tappa every day. (Several luxurious appliances 
 of civilization were here enumerated, and described.) 
 
 " Good friends, little to eat left at my house. Schooner 
 from Sydney no bring bag of flour: and kannaka no bring 
 pig and fruit enough, Mickonaree do great deal for kan- 
 naka ; kannaka do little for mickonaree. So, good friends, 
 weave plenty of cocoa-nut baskets, fill 'em, and bring 'em 
 to-morrow." 
 
 Such was the substance of great part of this discourse; 
 and, whatever may be thought of it, it was specially 
 adapted to the minds of the islanders : who are susceptible 
 to no impressions, except from things palpable, or novel 
 and striking. To them, a dry sermon would be dry indeed. 
 
 The Tahitians can hardly ever be said to reflect: they 
 are all impulse; and so, instead of expounding dogmas, 
 the missionaries give them the large type, pleasing cuts, 
 and short and easy lessons of the primer. Hence, anything 
 like a permanent religious impression is seldom or never 
 produced. 
 
 In fact, there is, perhaps, no race upon earth, less dis- 
 posed, by nature, to the monitions of Christianity, than 
 the people of the South Seas. And this assertion is made 
 with full knowledge of what is called the " Great Revival 
 at the Sandwich Islands," about the year 1836; when 
 several thousands were, in the course of a few weeks, 
 admitted into the bosom of the Church. But this result 
 was brought about by no sober moral convictions; as an 
 
 ' This word, evidently a corruption of " missionary," is used 
 under various significations by the natives. Sometimes, it is 
 applied to a communicant of the church. But, above, it has its 
 original meaning. 
 
 '' A word generally used by foreigners to designate the natives 
 of Polynesia. 
 
 " Pomaree, some time previous, had received a present of a 
 chariot from Queen Victoria. It was afterward sent to Ohau 
 (Sandwich Islands), and there sold to pay her debts. 
 
 M 
 
178 Omoo 
 
 almost instantaneous relapse into every kind of licentious- 
 ness soon after testified. It was the legitimate effect of 
 a morbid feeling, engendered by the sense of severe 
 physical wants, preying upon minds excessively prone 
 to superstition ; and, by fanatical preaching, inflamed into 
 the belief that the gods of the missionaries were taking 
 vengeance upon the wickedness of the land.^ 
 
 It is a noteworthy fact that those very traits in the 
 Tahitians, which induced the London Missionary Society 
 to regard them as the most promising subjects for conver- 
 sion, and which led, moreover, to the selection of their 
 island as the very first field for missionary labour, eventu- 
 ally proved the most serious obstruction. An air of soft- 
 ness in their manners, great apparent ingenuousness and 
 docility, at first misled; but these were the mere accom- 
 paniments of an indolence, bodily and mental; a constitu- 
 tional voluptuousness; and an aversion to the least re- 
 straint; which, however fitted for the luxurious state of 
 nature, in the tropics, are the greatest possible hin- 
 drances to the strict moralities of Christianity. 
 
 Added to all this is a quality inherent in Polynesians; 
 and more akin to hypocrisy than anything else. It leads 
 them to assume the most passionate interest in matters 
 for which they really feel little or none whatever; but in 
 which, those whose power they dread, or whose favour 
 they court, they believe to be at all affected. Thus, in 
 their heathen state, the Sandwich Islanders actually 
 knocked out their teeth, tore their hair, and mangled 
 their bodies with shells, to testify their inconsolable grief 
 at the demise of a high chief, or member of the royal family. 
 And yet, Vancouver relates that, on such an occasion, upon 
 which he happened to be present, those apparently the 
 most abandoned to their feelings, immediately assumed 
 the utmost light-heartedness on receiving the present of 
 a penny whistle, or a Dutch looking-glass. Similar in- 
 stances, also, have come under my own observation. 
 
 The following is an illustration of the trait alluded to, as 
 
 occasionally manifested among the converted Polynesians. 
 
 ' At this period, many of the population were upon the verge of 
 starvation. 
 
Missionary's Sermon 179 
 
 At one of the Society Islands — Raiatair, I believe — the 
 natives, for special reasons, desired to commend them- 
 selves particularly to the favour of the missionaries. 
 Accordingly, during divine service, many of them behaved 
 in a manner, otherwise unaccountable, and precisely 
 similar to their behaviour as heathens. They pretended 
 to be wrought up to madness by the preaching which 
 they heard. They rolled their eyes; foamed at the 
 mouth; fell down in fits ; and so were carried home. Yet, 
 strange to relate, all this was deemed the evidence of the 
 power of the Most High; and, as such, was heralded 
 abroad. 
 
 But, to return to the Church of the Cocoa-nuts. The 
 blessing pronounced, the congregation disperse; enliven- 
 ing the Broom Road with their waving mantles. On 
 either hand, they disappear down the shaded pathways, 
 which lead off from the main route, conducting to hamlets 
 in the groves, or to the little marine villas upon the beach. 
 There is considerable hilarity; and you would suppose 
 them just from an old-fashioned " hevar," or jolly heathen 
 dance. Those who carry Bibles swing them carelessly 
 from their arms by cords of sinuate. 
 
 The Sabbath is no ordinary day with the Tahitians. So 
 far as doing any work is concerned, it is scrupulously ob- 
 served. The canoes are hauled up on the beach; the nets 
 are spread to dry. Passing by the hen-coop huts on the 
 roadside, you find their occupants idle, as usual; but less 
 disposed to gossip. After service, repose broods over the 
 whole island ; the valleys reaching inland look stiller than 
 ever. 
 
 In short, it is Sunday — their " Taboo Day "; the very 
 word formerly expressing the sacredness of their pagan 
 observances now proclaiming the sanctity of the Christian 
 Sabbath. 
 
CHAPTER XLVI 
 
 SOMETHING ABOUT THE KANNAKIPPERS 
 
 A WORTHY young man, formerly a friend of mine (I speak 
 of Kooloo with all possible courtesy, since after our in- 
 timacy there would be an impropriety in doing otherwise) 
 — this worthy youth, having some genteel notions of re- 
 tirement, dwelt in a " maroo boro," or bread-fruit shade, 
 a pretty nook in a wood, midway between the Calabooza 
 Beretanee and the Church of Cocoa-nuts. Hence, at the 
 latter place, he was one of the most regular worshippers. 
 
 Kooloo was a blade. Standing up in the congregation 
 in all the bravery of a striped calico shirt, with the skirts 
 rakishly adjusted over a pair of white sailor trousers, and 
 hair well anointed with cocoa-nut oil, he ogled the ladies 
 with an air of supreme satisfaction. Nor were his glances 
 unreturned. 
 
 But such looks as the Tahitian belles cast at each other: 
 frequently turning up their noses at the advent of a new 
 cotton mantle recently imported in the chest of some 
 amorous sailor. Upon one occasion, I observed a group 
 of young girls, in tunics of coarse, soiled sheeting, disdain- 
 fully pointing at a damsel in a flaming red one. " Oee 
 tootai owree!" said they with ineffable scorn, " itai 
 maitai!" (you are a good-for-nothing huzzy, no better 
 than you should be). 
 
 Now, Kooloo communed with the church; so did all 
 these censorious young ladies. Yet after eating bread- 
 fruit at the Eucharist, I knew several of them, the same 
 night, to be guilty of some sad derelictions. 
 
 Puzzled by these things, I resolved to find out, if pos- 
 sible, what ideas, if any, they entertained of religion ; but 
 as one's spiritual concerns are rather delicate for a stranger 
 to meddle with, I went to work as adroitly as I could. 
 
 i8o 
 
About the Kannakippers 1 8 i 
 
 Farnow, an old native who had recently retired from 
 active pursuits, having thrown up the business of being 
 a sort of running footman to the queen, had settled down 
 in a snug little retreat, not fifty rods from Captain Bob's. 
 His selecting our vicinity for his residence may have been 
 with some view to the advantages it afforded for intro- 
 ducing his three daughters into polite circles. At any 
 rate, not averse to receiving the attentions of so devoted 
 a gallant as the doctor, the sisters (communicants, be it 
 remembered) kindly extended to him free permission to 
 visit them sociably whenever he pleased. 
 
 We dropped in one evening, and found the ladies at 
 home. My long friend engaged his favourites, the two 
 younger girls, at the game of " Now," or hunting a stone 
 under three piles of tappa. For myself, I lounged on a 
 mat with Ideea the eldest, dallying with her grass fan, and 
 improving my knowledge of Tahitian. 
 
 The occasion was well adapted to my purpose, and I 
 began. 
 
 " Ah, Ideea, mickonaree oee? " the same as drawling 
 out — " By the bye. Miss Ideea, do you belong to the 
 church? " 
 
 " Yes, me mickonaree," was the reply. 
 
 But the assertion was at once qualified by certain reser- 
 vations ; so curious that I cannot forbear their relation. 
 
 " Mickonaree ena " (church member here), exclaimed 
 she, laying her hand upon her mouth, and a strong em- 
 phasis on the adverb. In the same way, and with similar 
 exclamations, she touched her eyes and hands. This done, 
 her whole air changed in an instant; and she gave me 
 to understand, by unmistakable gestures, that in certain 
 other respects she was not exactly a " mickonaree." In 
 short, Ideea was 
 
 " A sad good Christian at the heart — 
 A \ e;y heathen in the carnal part." ' 
 
 The explanation terminated in a burst of laughter, in 
 which all three sisters joined; and for fear of looking sUly, 
 the doctor and myself. As soon as good-breeding would 
 permit, we took leave. 
 
 ' Pope. (Epistle to]^a lady). 
 
1 82 Omoo 
 
 The hypocrisy in matters of religion, so apparent in all 
 Polynesian converts, is most injudiciously nourished in 
 Tahiti by a zealous, and in many cases, a coercive super- 
 intendence over their" spiritual well-being. But it is only 
 manifested with respect to the common people, their 
 superiors being exempted. 
 
 On Sunday mornings, when the prospect is rather small 
 for a full house in the minor churches, a parcel of fellows 
 are actually sent out with ratans into the highways and 
 byways as whippers-in of the congregation. This is a 
 sober fact.^ 
 
 These worthies constitute a religious police; and you 
 always know them by the great white diapers they wear. 
 On week days they are quite as busy as on Sundays;]; to 
 the great terror of the inhabitants, going all over the island, 
 and spying out the wickedness thereof. 
 
 Moreover, they are the collectors of fines — ^levied gener- 
 ally in grass mats — for obstinate non-attendance upon 
 divine worship, and other offences amenable to the ecclesi- 
 astical judicature of the missionaries. 
 
 Old Bob called these fellows " kannakippers " a corrup- 
 tion, I fancy, of our word constable. 
 
 He bore them a bitter grudge; and one day, drawing 
 near home, and learning that two of them were just then 
 making a domiciliary visit at his house, he ran behind a 
 bush; and as they came forth, two green bread-fruit from 
 a hand unseen took them each between the shoulders. 
 The sailors in the Calabooza were witnesses to this, as well 
 as several natives; who, when the intruders were out of 
 sight, applauded Captain Bob's spirit in no measured 
 terms; the ladies present vehemently joining in. Indeed, 
 the kannakippers have no greater enemies than the latter. 
 And no wonder: the impertinent varlets, popping into 
 their houses at all hours, are forever prying into their 
 peccadilloes. 
 
 Kooloo, who at times was patriotic and pensive, and 
 
 mourned the evils under which his country was groaning, 
 
 ' With abhorrence and disgust the custom is alluded to by a late 
 benevolent visitor at the island. See page 763 of the " Memoirs 
 of the Life and Gospel Labours of the late Daniel Wheeler." A 
 work hereafter to be more particularly alluded to. 
 
About the Kannakippers 183 
 
 frequently inveighed against the statute which thus 
 authorized an utter stranger to interfere with domestic 
 arrangements. He himself — quite a ladies' man — had 
 often been annoyed thereby. He considered the kanna- 
 kippers a bore. 
 
 Beside their confounded inquisitiveness, they add insult 
 to injury, by making a point of dining out every day at 
 some hut within the limits of their jurisdiction. As for 
 the gentleman of the house, his meek endurance of these 
 things is amazing. But " good easy man/' there is 
 nothing for him but to be as hospitable as possible. 
 
 These gentry are indefatigable. At the dead of night 
 prowling round the houses, and in the daytime hunting 
 amorous couples in the groves. Yet in one instance the 
 chase completely baffled them. 
 
 It was thus. 
 
 Several weeks previous to our arrival at the island, 
 someone's husband and another person's wife, having 
 taken a mutual fancy for each other, went out for a walk. 
 The alarm was raised, and with hue and cry they were 
 pursued; but nothing was seen of them again until the 
 lapse of some ninety days ; when we were called out from 
 the Calabooza to behold a great mob inclosing the lovers, 
 and escorting them for trial to the village. 
 
 Their appearance was most singular. The girdle ex- 
 cepted, they were quite naked; their hair was long, burned 
 yellow at the ends, and entangled with burrs; and their 
 bodies scratched and scarred in all directions. It seems 
 that, acting upon the " love in a cottage " principle, they 
 had gone right into the interior; and throwing up a hut 
 in an uninhabited valley, had lived there, until in an 
 unlucky stroll they were observed and captured. 
 
 They were subsequently condemned to make one hun- 
 dred fathoms of Broom Road — a six months' work, if not 
 more. 
 
 Often, when seated in a house, conversing quietly with 
 its inmates, I have known them betray the greatest con- 
 fusion at the sudden announcement of a kannakipper's 
 being in sight. To be reported by one of these officials as 
 a " Tpotai Owree " (in general, signifying a bad person or 
 
184 Omoo 
 
 disbeliever in Christianity), is as much dreaded as the 
 forefinger of Titus Oates was, levelled at an alleged papist. 
 But the islanders take a sly revenge upon them. Upon 
 entering a dwelling, the kannakippers oftentimes volun- 
 teer a Pharisaical prayer-meeting: hence, they go in 
 secret by the name of " Boora-Artuas," literally, " Pray- 
 to-Gods." 
 
CHAPTER XLVII 
 
 HOW THEY DRESS IN TAHITI 
 
 Except where the employment of making " tappa " is 
 inflicted as a punishment, the echoes of the cloth-mallet 
 have long since died away in the listless valleys of Tahiti. 
 Formerly, the girls spent their mornings like ladies at their 
 tambour frames; now, they are lounged away in almost 
 utter indolence. True, most of them make their own 
 garinents; but this comprises but a stitch or two; the 
 ladies of the mission, by the bye, being entitled to the 
 credit of teaching them to sew. 
 
 The " kihee whihenee," or petticoat, is a mere breadth 
 of white cotton, or calico; loosely enveloping the person, 
 from the waist to the feet. Fastened simply by a single 
 tuck, or by twisting the upper corners together, this gar- 
 ment frequently becomes disordered; thus affording an 
 opportunity of being coquettishly adjusted. Over the 
 " kihee," they wear a sort of gown, open in front, very 
 loose, and as negligent as you please. The ladies here 
 never dress for dinner. 
 
 But what shall be said of those horrid hats ! Fancy a 
 bunch of straw, plaited into the shape of a coal-scuttle, 
 and stuck, bolt upright, on the crown ; with a yard or two 
 of red ribbon flying about like kite-strings. Milliners of 
 Paris, what would ye say to them ! Though made by the 
 natives, they are said to have been first contrived and re- 
 commended by the missionaries' wives; a report which, 
 I really trust, is nothing but scandal. 
 
 Curious to relate, these things for the head are esteemed 
 exceedingly becoming. The braiding of the straw is one 
 of the few employments of the higher classes ; all of which 
 but minister to the silliest vanity. The young girls, how- 
 ever, wholly eschew the hats ; leaving those dowdy old 
 souls, their mothers, to make frights of themselves. 
 
 185 
 
1 86 Omoo 
 
 As for the men, those who aspire to European gar- 
 ments seem to have no perception of the relation subsist- 
 ing between the various parts of a gentleman's costume. 
 To the wearer of a coat, for instance, pantaloons are by 
 no means indispensable; and a bell-crowned hat and a 
 girdle are full dress. The young sailor, for whom Kooloo 
 deserted me, presented him with a shaggy old pea-jacket; 
 and with this buttoned up to his chin, under a tropical 
 sun, he promenaded the Broom Road, quite elated. 
 Doctor Long Ghost, who saw him thus, ran away with 
 the idea that he was under medical treatment at the 
 time — in the act of taking, what the quacks call, a 
 " sweat." 
 
 A bachelor friend of Captain Bob rejoiced in the posses- 
 sion of a full European suit; in which he often stormed the 
 ladies' hearts. Having a military leaning, he ornamented 
 the coat with a great scarlet patch on the breast; and 
 mounted it also, here and there, with several regimental 
 buttons, slyly cut from the uniform of a parcel of drunken 
 marines sent ashore on a holiday from a man-of-war. 
 But, in spite of the ornaments, the dress was not exactly 
 the thing. From the tightness of the cloth across the 
 shoulders, his elbows projected from his sides, like an un- 
 gainly rider's; and his ponderous legs were jammed so 
 hard into his slim, nether garments that the threads of 
 every seam showed; and, at every step, you looked for a 
 catastrophe. 
 
 In general, there seems to be no settled style of dressing 
 among the males; they wear anything they can get; in 
 some cases, awkwardly modifying the fashions of their 
 fathers so as to accord with their own altered views of 
 what is becoming. 
 
 But ridiculous as many of them now appear, in foreign 
 habiliments, the Tahitians presented a far different appear- 
 ance in the original national costume; which was grace- 
 ful in the extreme, modest to all but the prudish, and 
 peculiarly adapted to the climate. But the short kilts 
 of dyed tappa, the tasselled maroes, and other articles 
 formerly worn, are, at the present day, prohibited by law, 
 as indecorous. For what reason necklaces and garlands 
 
How They Dress in Tahiti 187 
 
 of flowers, among the women, are also forbidden, I never 
 could learn; but, it is said, that they were associated, in 
 some way, with a forgotten heathen observance. 
 
 Many pleasant, and, seemingly, innocent sports and 
 pastimes, are likewise interdicted. In old times, there 
 were several athletic games practised, such as wrestling, 
 foot-racing, throwing the javelin, and archery. In all 
 these they greatly excelled; and, for some, splendid 
 festivals were instituted. Among their everyday amuse- 
 ments were dancing, tossing the football, kite-flying, 
 flute-playing, and singing traditional ballads; now, all 
 punishable offences; though most of them have been so 
 long in disuse that they are nearly forgotten. 
 
 In the same way, the " Opio," or festive harvest-home 
 of the bread-fruit, has been suppressed; though, as de- 
 scribed to me by Captain Bob, it seemed wholly free from 
 any immoral tendency. Against tattooing, of any kind, 
 ■ there is a severe law. 
 
 That this abolition of their national amusements and 
 customs was not willingly acquiesced in, is shown in the 
 frequent violation of many of the statutes inhibiting 
 them ; and, especially, in the frequency with which their 
 " hevars," or dances, are practised in secret. 
 
 Doubtless, in thus denationalizing the Tahitians, as it 
 were, the missionaries were prompted by a sincere desire 
 for good; but the effect has been lamentable. Supplied 
 with no amusements in place of those forbidden, the 
 Tahitians, who require more recreation than other people, 
 have sunk into a listlessness, or indulge in sensualities, a 
 hundred times more pernicious than all the games ever 
 celebrated in the Temple of Tanee. 
 
CHAPTER XLVIII 
 
 TAHITI AS IT IS 
 
 As in the last few chapters, several matters connected 
 with the general condition of the natives have been inci- 
 dentally touched upon, it may be well not to leave so im- 
 portant a subject in a state calculated to convey erroneous 
 impressions. Let us bestow upon it, therefore, something 
 more than a mere cursory glance. 
 
 But in the first place, let it be distinctly understood 
 that, in all I have to say upon this subject, both here and 
 elsewhere, I mean no harm to the missionaries nor their 
 cause; I merely desire to set forth things as they actually 
 exist. 
 
 Of the results which have flowed from the intercourse of 
 foreigners with the Polynesians, including the attempts to 
 civiKze and Christianize them by the missionaries, Tahiti, 
 on many accounts, is obviously the fairest practical 
 example. Indeed, it may now be asserted that the ex- 
 periment of Christianizing the Tahitians, and improving 
 their social condition by the introduction of foreign 
 customs, has been fully tried. The present generation 
 have grown up under the auspices of their religious in- 
 structors. And although it may be urged that the 
 labours of the latter have at times been more or less 
 obstructed by unprincipled foreigners, still, this in no 
 wise renders Tahiti any the less a, fair illustration; for, 
 with obstacles like these, the missionaries in Polynesia 
 must always, and everywhere struggle. 
 
 Nearly sixty years have elapsed since the Tahitian 
 mission was started; and, during this period, it has re- 
 ceived the unceasing prayers and contributions of its 
 friends abroad. Nor has any enterprise of the kind 
 
Tahiti As It Is 189 
 
 called forth more devotion on the part of those directly 
 employed in it. 
 
 It matters not that the earlier labourers in the work, 
 although strictly conscientious, were, as a class, ignorant, 
 and, in many cases, deplorably bigoted : such traits have, 
 in some degree, characterized the pioneers of all faiths. 
 And although in zeal and disinterestedness the mission- 
 aries now on the island are, perhaps, inferior to their pre- 
 decessors, they have, nevertheless, in their own way at 
 least, laboured hard to make a Christian people of their 
 charge. 
 
 Let us now glance at the most obvious changes wrought 
 in their condition. 
 
 The entire system of idolatry has been done away ; to- 
 gether with several barbarous practices engrafted thereon. 
 But this result is not so much to be ascribed to the mis- 
 sionaries, as to the civilizing effects of a long and constant 
 intercourse with whites of all nations; to whom, for many 
 years, Tahiti has been one of the principal places of resort 
 in the South Seas. At the Sandwich Islands, the potent 
 institution of the Taboo, together with the entire pagan- 
 ism of the land, was utterly abolished by a voluntary act 
 of the natives some time previous to the arrival of the 
 first missionaries among them. 
 
 The next most striking change in the Tahitians is this. 
 From the permanent residence among them of influential 
 and respectable foreigners, as well as from the frequent 
 visits of ships-of-war, recognizing the nationality of the 
 island, its inhabitants are no longer deemed fit subjects for 
 the atrocities practised upon mere savages; and hence, 
 secure from retaliation, vessels of all kinds now enter 
 their harbours with perfect safety. 
 
 But let us consider what results are directly ascribable 
 to the missionaries alone. 
 
 In all cases, they have striven hard to mitigate the evils 
 resulting from the commerce with the whites in general. 
 Such attempts, however, have been rather injudicious, 
 and often ineffectual: in truth, a barrier almost insur- 
 mountable is presented in the dispositions of the people 
 themselves. Still, in this respect, the morality of the 
 
190 Omoo 
 
 islanders is, upon the whole, improved by the presence 
 of the missionaries. 
 
 But the greatest achievement of the latter, and one 
 which in itself is most hopeful and gratifying, is that they 
 have translated the entire Bible into the language of the 
 island; and I have myself known several who were able 
 to read it with facility. They have also established 
 churches, and schools for both children and adults; the 
 latter, I regret to say, are now much neglected: which 
 must be ascribed, in a great measure, to the disorders 
 growing out of the proceedings of the French. 
 
 It were unnecessary here to enter diffusely into matters 
 connected with the internal government of the Tahitian 
 churches and schools. Nor, upon this head, is my in- 
 formation copious enough to warrant me in presenting 
 details. But we do not need them. We are merely con- 
 sidering general results, as made apparent in the moral 
 and religious condition of the island at large. 
 
 Upon a subject like this, however, it would be alto- 
 gether too assuming for a single individual to decide; 
 and so, in place of my own random observations, which 
 may be found elsewhere, I will here present those of 
 several known authors, made under various circumstances, 
 at different periods, and down to a comparative late date. 
 A few very brief extracts will enable the reader to mark 
 for himself what progressive improvement, if any, has 
 taken place. 
 
 Nor must it be overlooked that, of these authorities, the 
 two first in order are largely quoted by the Right Rever- 
 end M. Russell, in a work composed for the express pur- 
 pose of imparting information on the subject of Christian 
 missions in Polynesia. And he frankly acknowledges, 
 moreover, that they are such as " cannot fail to have 
 great weight with the public." ^ 
 
 After alluding to the manifold evils entailed upon the 
 natives by foreigners, and their singularly inert condition ; 
 and after somewhat too severely denouncing the undeni- 
 
 ' Polynesia: or an Historical Account of the Principal Islands 
 of the South Sea; By the Right Rev. M. Russell, LL.D. (Harpers' 
 Family Library Edition), p. 96. 
 
iahiti As it Is 191 
 
 able errors of the mission^ Kotzebue^ the Russian navi- 
 gator, says, " A rehgion like this, which forbids every inno- 
 cent pleasure, and cramps or annihilates every mental 
 power, is a libel on the divine founder of Christianity. It 
 is true that the religion of the missionaries has, with a 
 great deal of evil, effected some good. It has restrained 
 the vices of theft and incontinence ; but it has given birth 
 to ignorance, hypocrisy, and a hatred of all other modes 
 of faith, which was once foreign to the open and bene- 
 volent character of the Tahitian." ^ 
 
 Captain Beechy says that, while at Tahiti, he saw 
 scenes " which must have convinced the great sceptic 
 of the thoroughly immoral condition of the people, and 
 which would force him to conclude, as Turnbull ^ did, 
 many years previous, that their intercourse with the 
 Europeans had tended to debase, rather than exalt their 
 condition."^ 
 
 About the year 1834, Daniel Wheeler, an honest- 
 hearted Quaker, prompted by motives of the purest 
 philanthropy, visited, in a vessel of his own, most of the 
 missionary settlements in the South Seas. He remained 
 some time at Tahiti; receiving the hospitalities of the 
 missionaries there, and, from time to time, exhorting the 
 natives. 
 
 After bewailing their social condition, he frankly says 
 of their religious state, " Certainly, appearances are un- 
 promising ; and however unwilling to adopt such a conclu- 
 sion, there is reason to apprehend that Christian principle 
 is a great rarity." * 
 
 Such, then, is the testimony of good and unbiassed men, 
 who have been upon the spot; but, how comes it to differ 
 
 'A New Voyage round the World in the years 1823-24-25-26: 
 By Otto Von Kotzebue, Post Captain in the Russian Imperial Ser- 
 vice (London, 1830; 2 vols. 8vo.), vol. i. p. 168. 
 
 '' The author of a Voyage round the World, in the years i8(bo- 
 1804 (3 vols. 8vo., London, 1805). 
 
 ' Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Bherring's Straits, 
 under the command of Captain F. W. Beechy, R.N. (London, 
 1831), vol. i. p. 287. 
 
 ' Memoirs of the Life and Gospel Labours of the late Daniel 
 Wheeler, a minister of the Society of Friends (London, 1842, Bvo.), 
 p. 757 
 
192 Omoo 
 
 so widely from impressions of others at home? Simply 
 thus: instead of estimating the result of missionary 
 labours by the number of heathens who have actually 
 been made to understand and practise (in some measure 
 at least) the precepts of Christianity, this result has been 
 unwarrantably inferred from the number of those who, 
 without any understanding of these things, have in any 
 way been induced to abandon idolatry and conform to 
 certain outward observances. 
 
 By authority of some kind or other, exerted upon the 
 natives through their chiefs, and prompted by the hope of 
 some worldly benefit to the latter, and not by appeals to 
 the reason, have conversions in Polynesia been in most 
 cases brought about. 
 
 Even in one or two instances — so often held up as won- 
 derful examples of divine power — where the natives have 
 impulsively burned their idols, and rushed to the waters 
 of baptism, the very suddenness of the change has but 
 indicated its unsoundness. Williams, the martyr of 
 Erromanga, relates an instance where the inhabitants 
 of an island professing Christianity voluntarily assembled, 
 and solemnly revived all their heathen customs. 
 
 All the world over, facts are more eloquent than words ; 
 the following will show in what estimation the mission- 
 aries themselves hold the present state of Christianity 
 and morals among the converted Polynesians. 
 
 On the island of Imeeo (attached to the Tahitian 
 mission) is a seminary under the cjjiarge of the Rev. Mr. 
 Simpson and wife, for the education of the children of the 
 missionaries, exclusively. Sent home — in many cases, 
 at a very early age— to finish their education, the pupils 
 here are taught nothing but the rudiments of knowledge ; 
 nothing more than may be learned in the native schools. 
 Notwithstanding this, the two races are kept as far as 
 possible from associating; the avowed reason being to 
 preserve the young whites from moral contamination. 
 The better to insure this end, every effort is made to pre- 
 vent them from acquiring the native language. 
 
 They went even further at the Sandwich Islands; 
 where, a few years ago, a playground for the children of 
 
Tahiti As It Is 193 
 
 the missionaries was inclosed with a fence many feet high, 
 the more effectually to exclude the wicked little Hawaiians. 
 
 And yet, strange as it may seem, the depravity among 
 the Polynesians, which renders precautions like these 
 necessary, was in a measure unknown before their inter- 
 course with the whites. The excellent Captain Wilson, 
 who took the first missionaries out to Tahiti, affirms that 
 the people of that island had, in many things, " more re- 
 fined ideas of decency than ourselves." ^ Vancouver, also, 
 has some noteworthy ideas on this subject, respecting the 
 Sandwich Islanders.^ 
 
 That the immorality alluded to is continually increasing 
 is plainly shown in the numerous, severe, and perpetually 
 violated laws against licentiousness of all kinds in both 
 groups of islands. 
 
 It is hardly to be expected that the missionaries would 
 send home accounts of this state of things. Hence, Cap- 
 tain Beechy, in alluding to the " Polynesian Researches " 
 of ElUs, says that the author has impressed his readers 
 with a far more elevated idea of the moral condition of 
 the Tahitians, and the degree of civilization to which they 
 have attained, than they deserve; or, at least, than the 
 facts which came under his observation authorized. He 
 then goes on to say that, in his intercourse with the 
 islanders, " they had no fear of him, and consequently 
 acted from the impulse of their natural feeling; so that 
 he was the better enabled to obtain a correct knowledge 
 of their real disposition and habits." ' 
 
 From my own familiar intercourse with the natives, 
 this last reflection still more forcibly applies to myself. 
 
 ' A Missionary Voyage to the South Pacific Ocean, Appendix, 
 PP- 336, 342- 
 
 ^ See Vancouver's Voyages, 4to edition, vol. i. p. 172. 
 ' Beechy's Narrative, p. 269. 
 
CHAPTER XLIX 
 
 SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED 
 
 We have glanced at their moral and religious condi- 
 tion; let us see how it is with them socially, and in other 
 respects. 
 
 It has been said that the only way to civilize a people 
 is to form in them habits of industry. Judged by this 
 principle, the Tahitians are less civilized now than formerly. 
 True, their constitutional indolence is excessive; but 
 surely, if the spirit of Christianity is among them, so un- 
 christian a vice ought to be, at least, partially remedied. 
 But the reverse is the fact. Instead of acquiring new 
 occupations, old ones have been discontinued. 
 
 As previously remarked, the manufacture of tappa is 
 nearly obsolete in many parts of the island. So, too, 
 with that of the native tools and domestic utensils; very 
 few of which are now fabricated, since the superiority of 
 European wares has been made so evident. 
 
 This, however, would be all very well were the natives 
 to apply themselves to such occupations as would enable 
 them to supply the few articles they need. But they are 
 far from doing so; and the majority being unable to 
 obtain European substitutes for many things before made 
 by themselves, the inevitable consequence is seen in the 
 present wretched and destitute mode of life among the 
 common people. To me, so recently from a primitive 
 valley of the Marquesas, the aspect of most of the dwell- 
 ings of the poorer Tahitians, and their general habits, 
 seemed anything but tidy; nor could I avoid a com- 
 parison, immeasurably to the disadvantage of these 
 partially civilized islanders. 
 
 In Tahiti, the people have nothing to do ; and idleness, 
 everywhere, is the parent of vice. " There is scarcely 
 anything," says the good old Quaker Wheeler, " so strik- 
 ing, or pitiable, as their aimless, nerveless mode of spend- 
 ing Hfe." 
 
 194 
 
Same Subject Continued 195 
 
 Attempts have repeatedly been made to rouse them 
 from their sluggishness ; but in vain. Several years ago, 
 the cultivation of cotton was introduced; and, with their 
 usual love of novelty, they went to work with great 
 alacrity; but the interest excited quickly subsided, and 
 now, not a pound of the article is raised. 
 
 About the same time, machinery for weaving was sent 
 out from London; and a factory was started at Afrehitoo, 
 in Imeeo. The whiz of the wheels and spindles brought 
 in volunteers from all quarters, who deemed it a privilege 
 to be admitted to work: yet, in six months, not a boy 
 could be hired; and the machinery was knocked down, 
 and packed off to Sydney. 
 
 It was the same way with the cultivation of the sugar- 
 cane, a plant indigenous to the island; peculiarly fitted 
 to the soil and climate, and of so excellent a quality 
 that Bligh took slips of it to the West Indies. All the 
 plantations went on famously for a while; the natives 
 swarming in the fields like ants, and making a prodigious 
 stir. What few plantations now remain are owned and 
 worked by whites; who would rather pay a drunken 
 sailor eighteen or twenty Spanish dollars a month, than 
 hire a sober native for his " fish and taro." 
 
 It is well worthy remark here, that every evidence of 
 civilization among the South Sea Islands directly per- 
 tains to foreigners; though the fact of such evidence 
 existing at all is usually urged as a proof of the elevated 
 condition of the natives. Thus, at Honolulu, the capital 
 of the Sandwich Islands, there are fine dwelling-houses, 
 several hotels, and barber-shops, ay, even billiard-rooms; 
 but all these are owned and used, be it observed, by 
 whites. There are tailors, and blacksmiths, and car- 
 penters also; but not one of them is a native. 
 
 The fact is, that the mechanical and agricultural em- 
 ployment of civilized life require a kind of exertion alto- 
 gether too steady and sustained to agree with an indolent 
 people like the Polynesians. Calculated for a state of 
 nature, in a climate providentially adapted to it, they are 
 unfit for any other. Nay, as a race, they caimot other- 
 wise long exist. 
 
196 
 
 Omoo 
 
 The following statement speaks for itself. 
 
 About the year 1777, Captain Cook estimated the popu- 
 lation of Tahiti at about two hundred thousand.^ By a 
 regular census, taken some four or five years ago, it was 
 found 'to be only nine thousand.^ This amazing de- 
 crease not only shows the malignancy of the evils neces- 
 sary to produce it; but, from the fact, the inference 
 unavoidably follows that all the wars, child murders, and 
 other depopulating causes, alleged to have existed in 
 former times, were nothing in comparison to them. 
 
 These evils, of course, are solely of foreign origin. To 
 say nothing of the effects of drunkenness, the occasional 
 inroads of the small-pox, and other things which might 
 be mentioned, it is sufficient to allude to a virulent disease 
 which now taints the blood of at least two-thirds of the 
 common people of the island; and, in some form or other, 
 is transmitted from father to son. 
 
 Their first horror and consternation at the earlier 
 ravages of this scourge were pitiable in the extreme. 
 The very name bestowed upon it is a combination of all 
 that is horrid and unmentionable to a civilized being. 
 
 Distracted with their sufferings, they brought forth 
 their sick before the missionaries, when they were preach- 
 ing, and cried out, " Lies, lies! you tell us of salvation; 
 and, behold, we are dying. We want no other salvation 
 than to live in this world. Where are there any saved 
 through your speech? Pomaree is dead; and we are all 
 dying with your cursed diseases. When will you give over ? " 
 
 * " I was convinced," he adds, " that from the vast swarms that 
 everywhere appeared, this estimate was not at all too great." 
 
 ' For an allusion to this census, see one of the chapters on Tahiti 
 in the volumes of the U. S. Exploring Expedition. And, for the 
 almost incredible depopulation of the Sandwich Islands, in recent 
 years, see the same work. The progressive decrease, in certain 
 districts, for a considerable period, is there marked. 
 
 Ruschenberger, an intelligent surgeon in the United States Navy, 
 takes the following instance from the records kept on the islands. 
 The district of Rohalo, in Hawaii, at one time numbered 8679 souls : 
 four years after, the population was 6175: decrease, in that time, 
 2504. No extraordinary cause is assigned for this depopulation. 
 Vide a Voyage round the World, in the years 1835-36-37. By 
 W. S. Ruschenberger, M.D. (Philadelphia, 1838, 8vo'.) The chapter 
 on the Sandwich Islands. 
 
Same Subject Continued 197 
 
 At present, the virulence of the disorder, in individual 
 cases, has somewhat abated; but the poison is only the 
 more widely diffused. 
 
 " How dreadful and appalling," breaks forth old 
 Wheeler, " the consideration that the intercourse of dis- 
 tant nations should have entailed upon these poor, un- 
 tutored islanders a curse unprecedented, and unheard 
 of, in the annals of history." 
 
 In view of these things, who can remain blind to the 
 fact that, so far as mere temporal felicity is concerned, 
 the Tahitians are far worse off now, than formerly; and 
 although their circumstances, upon the whole, are bettered 
 by the presence of the missionaries, the benefits conferred 
 by the latter become utterly insignificant when confronted 
 with the vast preponderance of evil brought about by 
 other means. 
 
 Their prospects are hopeless. Nor can the most de- 
 voted efforts now exempt them from furnishing a marked 
 illustration of a principle which history has always exem- 
 plified. Years ago brought to a stand, where all that is 
 corrupt in barbarism and civilization unite, to the ex- 
 clusion of the virtues of either state; like other uncivi- 
 lized beings, brought into contact with Europeans, they 
 must here remain stationary until utterly extinct. 
 
 The islanders themselves are mournfully watching 
 their doom. Several years since, Pomaree II. said to 
 Tyreman and Bennet, the deputies of the London Mis- 
 sionary Society, " You have come to see me at a very 
 bad time. Your ancestors came in the time of men, 
 when Tahiti was inhabited: you are come to behold just 
 the remnant of my people." 
 
 Of like import was the prediction of Teearmoar, the 
 
 high-priest of Paree; who lived over a hundred years ago. 
 
 I have frequently heard it chanted, in a low, sad tone, 
 
 by aged Tahitians : — 
 
 "■ A harree ta fow, 
 A toro ta farraro, 
 A now ta tararta." 
 
 The palm-tree shall grow. 
 The coral shall spread. 
 But man shall cease. 
 
CHAPTER L 
 
 SOMETHING HAPPENS TO LONG GHOST 
 
 We will now return to the narrative. 
 
 The day before the Julia sailed. Dr. Johnson paid his 
 last call. He was not quite so bland as usual. All he 
 wanted was the men's names to a paper, certifying to 
 their having received from him sundry medicaments 
 therein mentioned. This voucher, endorsed by Captain 
 Guy, secured his pay. But he would not have obtained 
 for it the sailors' signs manual, had either the doctor or 
 myself been present at the time. 
 
 Now, my long friend wasted no love upon Johnson; 
 but, for reasons of his own, hated him heartily : all the 
 same thing in one sense; for either passion argues an 
 object deserving thereof. And so, to be hated cordially, 
 is only a left-handed compliment; which shows how 
 foolish it is to be bitter against anyone. 
 
 For my own part, I merely felt a cool, purely incidental, 
 and passive contempt for Johnson, as a selfish, mercenary 
 apothecary, and hence, I often remonstrated with Long 
 Ghost when he iiew out against him, and heaped upon 
 him all manner of scurrilous epithets. In his professional 
 brother's presence, however, he never acted thus; main- 
 taining an amiable exterior, to help along the jokes which 
 were played. 
 
 I am now going to tell another story in which my long 
 friend figures with the physician: I do not wish to bring 
 one or the other of them too often upon the stage; but 
 as the thing actually happened, I must relate it. 
 
 A few days after Johnson presented his bill, as above 
 
 mentioned, the doctor expressed to me his regret that, 
 
 although he (Johnson) had apparently been played off 
 
 for our entertainment, yet, nevertheless, he had made 
 
 198 
 
Something Happens to Long Ghost 199 
 
 money out of the transaction. And I wonder^ added the 
 doctor, if that now he cannot expect to receive any 
 further pay, he could be induced to call again. 
 
 By a curious coincidence, not five minutes after making 
 this observation, Doctor Long Ghost himself fell down 
 in an unaccountable fit; and without asking anybody's 
 leave. Captain Bob, who was by, at once dispatched a 
 boy, hot foot, for Johnson. 
 
 Meanwhile, we carried him into the Calabooza; and 
 the natives, who assembled in numbers, suggested various 
 modes of treatment. One rather energetic practitioner 
 was for holding the patient by the shoulders, while some- 
 body tugged at his feet. This resuscitatory operation 
 was called the " Potata "; but thinking our long comrade 
 sufficiently lengthy without additional stretching, we 
 declined potataing him. 
 
 Presently the physician was spied coming along the 
 Broom Road at a great rate, and so absorbed in the 
 business of locomotion, that he heeded not the impru- 
 dence of being in a hurry in a tropical clima1;e. He was 
 in a profuse perspiration; which must have been owing 
 to the warmth of his feelings, notwithstanding we had 
 supposed him a man of no heart. But his benevolent 
 haste upon this occasion was subsequently accounted for: 
 it merely arose from professional curiosity to behold a 
 case most unusual in his Polynesian practice. Now, 
 under certain circumstances, sailors, generally so frolic- 
 some, are exceedingly particular in having everything 
 conducted with the strictest propriety. Accordingly, 
 they deputed me, as his intimate friend, to sit at Long 
 Ghost's head, so as to be ready to officiate as " spokes- 
 man " and answer all questions propounded, the rest to 
 keep silent. 
 
 "What's the matter?" exclaimed Johnson, out of 
 breath, and bursting into the Calabooza: "how did it 
 happen ?^ — speak quick!" and he looked at Long 
 Ghost. • 
 
 I told him how the fit came on. 
 
 " Singular " — ^he observed — " very : good enough pulse ; " 
 and he let go of it, and placed his hand upon the heart. 
 
200 Omoo 
 
 " But what's all that frothing at the mouth? " he con- 
 tinued; " and bless me ! look at the abdomen ! " 
 
 The region thus denominated exhibited the most un- 
 accountable symptoms. A low, rumbling sound was 
 heard; and a sort of undulation was discernible beneath 
 the thin cotton frock. 
 
 " Colic, sir? " suggested a bystander. 
 
 "Colic be hanged!" shouted the physician; "who 
 ever heard of anybody in a trance of the coHc? " 
 
 During this, the patient lay upon his back, stark and 
 straight, giving no signs of Kfe except those above men- 
 tioned. 
 
 " I'll bleed him! " cried Johnson at last — " run for a 
 calabash, one of you! " 
 
 " Life ho! " here sung out Navy Bob, as if he had just 
 spied a sail. 
 
 " What under the sun's the matter with him! " cried 
 the physician, starting at the appearance of the , mouth, 
 which had jerked to one side, and there remained fixed. 
 
 " Pr'aps it's St. Witus's hornpipe," suggested Bob. 
 
 " Hold the calabash ! " — ^and the lancet was out in a 
 moment. 
 
 But before the deed could be done, the face became 
 natural; — a sigh was heaved; — the eyelids quivered, 
 opened, closed; and Long Ghost, twitching all over, 
 rolled on his side, and breathed audibly. By degrees, he 
 became sufficiently recovered to speak. 
 
 After trying to get something coherent out of him, John- 
 son withdrew; evidently disappointed in the scientific 
 interest of the case. Soon after his departure, the doctor 
 sat up; and upon being asked what upon earth ailed 
 him, shook his head mysteriously. He then deplored the 
 hardship of being an invalid in such a place, where there 
 was not the slightest provision for his comfort. This 
 awakened the compassion of our good old keeper, who 
 offered to send him to a place where he would be better 
 cared for. Long Ghost acquiesced; altid being at once 
 mounted upon the shoulders of four of Captain Bob's 
 men, was marched o£f in state, like the Grand Lama of 
 Thibet. 
 
Something Happens to Long Ghost 201 
 
 Now, I do not pretend to account for his remarkable 
 swoon; but his reason for suffering himself to be thus re- 
 moved from the Calabooza was strongly suspected to be 
 nothing more than a desire to insure more regularity in 
 his dinner-hour; hoping that the benevolent native to 
 whom he was going would set a good table. 
 
 The next morningj we were all erwyiag his fortune; 
 when, of a sudden, he bolted in upon us, looking decidedly 
 out of humour. 
 
 " Hang it! " he cried, " I'm worse off than ever; let 
 me have some breakfast! " We lowered our slender bag 
 of ship-stores from a rafter, and handed him a biscuit. 
 While this was being munched, he went on and told us 
 his story. 
 
 " After leaving here, they trotted me back into a valley, 
 and left me in a hut, where an old woman lived by herself. 
 This must be the nurse, thought I ; and so I asked her to 
 kill a pig, and bake it; for I felt my appetite returning. 
 ' Ita I ita 1 — oee mattee — mattee nuee ' — (no, no ; you too 
 sick). ' The devil mattee ye,' said I — ' give me something 
 to eat ! ' But nothing could be had. Night coming on, 
 I had to stay. Creeping into a corner, I tried to sleep; 
 but it was to no purpose; — the old crone must have had 
 the quinsy, or something else; and she kept up such a 
 wheezing and choking that at last I sprang up, and 
 groped after her; but she hobbled away like a goblin; 
 and that was the last of her. As soon as the sun rose, I 
 made the best of my way back; and here I am." 
 
 He never left us more, nor ever had a second fit. 
 
CHAPTER LI 
 
 WILSON GIVES US THE CUT — DEPARTURE FOR IMEEO 
 
 About three weeks after the Julia's sailing, our condition 
 began to be a little precarious. We were without any 
 regular supply of food; the arrival of ships was growing 
 less frequent; and, what was worse yet, all the natives 
 but good old Captain Bob began to tire of us. Nor was 
 this to be wondered at; we were obliged to live upon their 
 benevolence, when they had little enough for themselves. 
 Beside, we were sometimes driven to acts of marauding; 
 such as kidnapping pigs, and cooking them in the groves; 
 at which their proprietors were by no means pleased. 
 
 In this state of affairs, we determined to march off to 
 the consul in a body; and, as he had brought us to these 
 straits, demand an adequate maintenance. 
 
 On the point of starting. Captain Bob's men raised the 
 most outrageous cries, and tried to prevent us. Though 
 hitherto we had strolled about wherever we pleased, this 
 grand conjunction of our whole force, upon one particular 
 expedition, seemed to alarm them. But we assured 
 them that we were not going to assault the village; and 
 so, after a good deal of gibberish, they permitted us to 
 leave. 
 
 We went straight to the Pritchard residence, where the 
 consul dwelt. This house — to which I have before re- 
 ferred — is quite commodious. It has a wide verandah, 
 glazed windows, and other appurtenances of a civilized 
 mansion. Upon the lawn in front are palm-trees standing 
 erect here and there, like sentinels. The Consular Office, 
 a small building by itself, is inclosed by the same picket 
 which fences in the lawn. 
 
 We found the office closed; but, in the verandah of the 
 dwelling-house, was a lady performing a tonsorial opera- 
 
Wilson Gives Us the Cut 203 
 
 tion on the head of a prim-looking, elderly European, in 
 a low, white cravat; — the most domestic little scene I had 
 witnessed since leaving home. Bent upon an interview 
 with Wilson, the sailors now deputed the doctor to step 
 forward as a polite inquirer after his health. 
 
 The pair stared very hard as he advanced ; but no ways 
 disconcerted, he saluted them gravely, and inquired for 
 the consul. 
 
 Upon being informed that he had gone down to the 
 beach, we proceeded in that direction; and soon met a 
 native, who told us that, apprised of our vicinity, Wilson 
 was keeping out of the way. We resolved to meet him; 
 and passing through the village, he suddenly came walk- 
 ing towards us; having apparently made up his mind 
 that any attempt to elude us would be useless. 
 
 " What do you want of me, you rascals ? " he cried — a 
 greeting which provoked a retort in no measured terms. 
 At this juncture, the natives began to crowd round, and 
 several foreigners strolled along. Caught in the very act 
 of speaking to such disreputal)le acquaintances, Wilson 
 now fidgeted, and moved rapidly toward his office; the 
 men following. Turning upon them incensed, he bade 
 them be off — he would have nothing more to say to us; 
 and then, hurriedly addressing Captain Bob in Tahitian, 
 he hastened on, and never stopped till the postern of 
 Pritchard's wicket was closed behind him. 
 
 Our good old keeper was now highly excited, bustling 
 about in his huge petticoats, and conjuring us to return to 
 the Calabooza. After a little debate, we acquiesced. 
 
 This interview was decisive. Sensible that none of the 
 charges brought against us would stand, yet unwilling 
 formally to withdraw them, the consul now wished to get 
 rid of us altogether; but without being suspected of en- 
 couraging our escape. Thus only could we account for 
 his conduct. 
 
 Some of the party, however, with a devotion to prin- 
 ciple truly heroic, swore they would never leave him, 
 happen what might. For my own part, I began to long 
 for a change ; and as there seemed to be no getting away 
 in a ship, I resolved to hit upon some other expedient. 
 
204 Omoo 
 
 But first, I cast about for a comrade; and of course the 
 long doctor was chosen. We at once laid our heads to- 
 gether; and for the present, resolved to disclose nothing 
 to the rest. 
 
 A few days previous, I had fallen in with a couple of 
 Yankee lads, twins, who, originally deserting their ship at 
 Fanning's Island (an uninhabited spot, but exceedingly 
 prolific in fruit of all kinds), had, after a long residence 
 there, roved about among the Society group. They were 
 last from Imeeo — the island immediately adjoining — 
 where they had been in the employ of two foreigners who 
 had recently started a plantation there. These persons, 
 they said, had charged them to send over from Papeetee, 
 if they could, two white men for field-labourers. 
 
 Now, all but the prospect of digging and delving suited 
 us exactly; but the opportunity for leaving the island 
 was not to be slighted ; and so we held ourselves in readi- 
 ness to return with the planters; who, in a day or two, 
 were expected to visit Papeetee in their boat. 
 
 At the interview which ensued, we were introduced to 
 them as Peter and Paul; and they agreed to give Peter 
 and Paul fifteen silver dollars a month, promising some- 
 thing more should we remain with them permanently. 
 What they wanted was men who would stay. To elude 
 the natives — many of whom, not exactly understanding 
 our relations with the consul, might arrest us, were they 
 to see us departing—the coming midnight was appointed 
 for that purpose. 
 
 When the hour drew nigh, we disclosed our intention to 
 the rest. Some upbraided us for deserting them; others 
 applauded, and said that, on the first opportunity, they 
 would follow our example. At last, we bade them fare- 
 well. And there would now be a serene sadness in think- 
 ing over the scene — since we never saw them again — had 
 not all been dashed by M'Gee's picking the doctor's 
 pocket of a jack-knife, in the very act of embracing him. 
 
 We stole down to the beach, where, under the shadow 
 of a grove, the boat was waiting. After some delay, we 
 shipped the oars, and pulling outside of the reef, set the 
 sail; and with a fair wind, glided away for Imeeo. 
 
Departure for Imeeo 205 
 
 It was a pleasant trip. The moon was up — the air, 
 warm — the waves, musical — and all above was the 
 tropical night, one purple vault hung round with soft, 
 trembling stars. 
 
 The channel is some five leagues wide. On one hand, 
 you have the three great peaks of Tahiti lording it over 
 ranges of mountains and valleys; and on the other, the 
 equally romantic elevations of Imeeo, high above which 
 a lone peak, called by our companions, " the Marling- 
 spike," shot up its verdant spire. 
 
 The planters were quite sociable. They had been sea- 
 faring men, and this, of course, was a bond between us. 
 To strengthen it, a flask of wine was produced, one of 
 several which had been procured in person from the 
 French admiral's steward; for whom the planters, when 
 on a former visit to Papeetee, had done a good turn, by 
 introducing the amorous Frenchman to the ladies ashore. 
 Besides this, they had a calabash filled with wild boar's 
 meat, baked yams, bread-fruit, and Tombez potatoes. 
 Pipes and tobacco also were produced ; and while regaling 
 ourselves, plenty of stories were told about the neighbour- 
 ing islands. 
 
 At last we heard the roar of the Imeeo reef; and gliding 
 through a break, floated over the expanse within, which 
 was smooth as a young girl's brow, and beached the boat. 
 
CHAPTER LII 
 
 THE VALLEY OF MARTAIR 
 
 We went up through groves to an open space, where we 
 heard voices, and a Ught was seen gUmmering from out a 
 bamboo dwelling. It was the planters' retreat; and in 
 their absence, several girls were keeping house, assisted 
 by an old native, who, wrapped up in tappa, lay in the 
 corner, smoking. 
 
 A hasty meal was prepared, and after it we essayed a 
 nap; but, alas! a plague, little anticipated, prevented. 
 Unknown in Tahiti, the mosquitoes 'here fairly eddied 
 round us. But more of them anon. 
 
 We were up betimes, and strolled out to view the 
 country. We were in the valley of Martair; shut in, oil 
 both sides, by lofty hills. Here and there were steep cliffs, 
 gay with flowering shrubs, or hung with pendulous vines, 
 swinging blossoms in the air. Of considerable width at 
 the sea, the vale contracts as it runs inland ; terminating, 
 at the distance of several miles, in a range of the most 
 grotesque elevations, which seem embattled with turrets 
 and towers, grown over with verdure, and waving with 
 trees. The valley itself is a wilderness of woodland; 
 with links of streams flashing through, and narrow path- 
 ways fairly tunnelled through masses of foliage. 
 
 AH alone, in this wild place, was the abode of the 
 planters; the only one back from the beach — their sole 
 neighbours, the few fishermen and their families, dwell- 
 ing in a small grove of cocoa-nut trees whose roots were 
 washed by the sea. 
 
 The cleared tract which they occupied comprised some 
 
 thirty acres, level as a prairie, part of which was under 
 
 cultivation; the whole being fenced in by a stout palisade 
 
 of trunks and boughs of trees staked firmly in the ground. 
 
 206 
 
The Valley of Martair 207 
 
 This was necessary as a defence against the wild cattle 
 and hogs overrunning the island. 
 
 Thus far, Tombez potatoes ^ were the principal crop 
 raised; a ready sale for them being obtained among the 
 shipping touching at Papeetee. There was a small patch 
 of the taro, or Indian turnip, also ; another of yams ; and 
 in one comer, a thrifty growth of the sugar-cane, just 
 ripening. 
 
 On the side of the inclosure next the sea was the house; 
 newly built of bamboos, in the native style. The furni- 
 ture consisted of a couple of sea-chests, an old box, a few 
 cooking utensils, and agricultural tools; together with 
 three fowling-pieces, hanging from a rafter; and two 
 enormous hammocks swinging in opposite corners, and 
 composed of dried bullocks' hides, stretched out with 
 poles. 
 
 The whole plantation was shut in by a dense forest; 
 and, close by the house, a dwarfed " Aoa," or species of 
 banian-tree, had purposely been left twisting over the 
 palisade, in the most grotesque manner, and thus made a 
 pleasant shade. The branches of this curious tree afforded 
 low perches, upon which the natives frequently squatted, 
 after the fashion of their race, and smoked and gossiped 
 by the hour. 
 
 We had a good breakfast of fish — speared by the 
 natives, before sunrise, on the reef — spudding of Indian 
 turnip, fried bananas, and roasted bread-fruit. 
 
 During the repast, our new friends were quite sociable 
 and communicative. It seems that, like nearly all 
 uneducated foreigners, residing in Polynesia, they had, 
 some time previous, deserted from a ship; and, having 
 heard a good deal about the money to be made by raising 
 supplies for whaling-vessels, they determined upon em- 
 barking in the business. Strolling about, with this inten- 
 tion, they, at last, came to Martair; and, thinking the 
 soil would suit, set themselves to work. They began by 
 
 ' Perhaps the finest sweet potato in the world. It derives its 
 name from a district of Peru, near Cape Blanco, very favourable to 
 its growth ; where; also, it is extensively cultivated ; the root is very 
 large : sometimes as big as a good-size^ melon. 
 
2o8 Omoo 
 
 finding out the owner of the particular spot coveted, and 
 then making a " tayo " of him. 
 
 He turned out to be Tonoi, the chief of the fishermen: 
 who, one day, when exhilarated with brandy, tore his 
 meagre tappa from his loins, and gave me to know that 
 he was allied by blood with Pomaree herself; and that 
 his mother came from the illustrious race of pontiffs, who, 
 in old times, swayed their bamboo crosier over all the 
 pagans of Imeeo. A regal, and right reverend lineage! 
 But, at the time I speak of, the dusky noble was in decayed 
 circumstances, and, therefore, by no means unwilling to 
 alienate a few useless acres. As an equivalent, he re- 
 ceived from the strangers two or three rheumatic old 
 muskets, several red woollen shirts, and a promise to be 
 provided for in his old age : he was always to find a home 
 with the planters. 
 
 Desirous of living on the cosy footing of a father-in- 
 law, he frankly offered his two daughters for wives; but 
 as such, they were politely declined; the adventurers, 
 though not averse to courting, being unwilling to entangle 
 themselves in a matrimonial alliance, however splendid 
 in point of family. 
 
 Tonoi's men, the fishermen of the grove, were a sad set. 
 Secluded, in a great measure, from the ministrations of the 
 missionaries, they gave themselves up to all manner of 
 lazy wickedness. StrolUng among the trees of a morning, 
 you came upon them napping on the shady side of a canoe 
 hauled up among the bushes; lying on a tree smoking; 
 or, more frequently still, gambling with pebbles ; though, 
 a little tobacco excepted, what they gambled for at their 
 outlandish games, it would be hard to tell. Other idle 
 diversions they had also, in which they seemed to take 
 great deUght. As for fishing, it employed but a small 
 part of their time. Upon the whole, they were a merry, 
 indigent, godless race. 
 
 Tonoi, the old sinner, leaning against the fallen trunk 
 of a cocoa-nut tree, invariably squandered his mornings 
 at pebbles; a gray-headed rook of a native regularly 
 plucking him of every other stick of tobacco obtained 
 from his friends, the planters. Toward afternoon, he 
 
The Valley of Martair 209 
 
 strolled back to their abode; where he tarried till the 
 next morning, smoking and snoozing, and, at times, 
 prating about the hapless fortunes of the House of Tonoi. 
 But like any other easy-going old dotard, he seemed for 
 the most part perfectly content with cheerful board and 
 lodging. 
 
 On the whole, the valley of Martair was the quietest 
 place imaginable. Could the mosquitoes be induced to 
 emigrate, one might spend the month of August there 
 quite pleasantly. But this was not the case with , the 
 luckless Long Ghost and myself; as will presently be seen. 
 
CHAPTER LIII 
 
 FARMING IN POLYNESIA 
 
 The planters were both whole-souled fellows; but, in 
 other respects, as unlike as possible. 
 
 One was a tall, robust Yankee, born in the backwoods 
 of Maine, sallow, and with a long face; — the other was a 
 short little Cockney, who had first clapped his eyes on the 
 Monument. 
 
 The voice of Zeke, the Yankee, had a twang like a 
 cracked viol; and Shorty (as his comrade called him), 
 clipped the aspirate from every word beginning with one. 
 The latter, though not the tallest man in the world, was a 
 good-looking young fellow of twenty-five. His cheeks 
 were dyed with the fine Saxon red, burned deeper from his 
 roving life: his blue eye opened well, and a profusion of 
 fair hair curled over a well-shaped head. 
 
 But Zeke was no beauty. A strong, ugly man, he was 
 well adapted for manual labour; and that was all. His 
 eyes were made to see with, and not for ogling. Com- 
 pared with the Cockney, he was grave, and rather taciturn; 
 but there was a deal of good old humour bottled up in 
 him, after all. For the rest, he was frank, good-hearted, 
 shrewd, and resolute ; and like Shorty, quite illiterate. 
 
 Though a curious conjunction, the pair got along to- 
 gether famously. But, as no two men were ever united 
 in any enterprise without one getting the upper hand of 
 the other, so in most matters Zeke had his own way. 
 Shorty, too, had imbibed from him a spirit of invincible 
 industry; and Heaven only knows what ideas of making 
 a fortune on their plantation. 
 
 We were much concerned at this; for the prospect of 
 their setting us, in their own persons, an example of down- 
 right hard labour, was anything but agreeable. But it 
 was now too late to repent what we had done. 
 
 2IO 
 
Farming in Polynesia 2 1 1 
 
 The first day — thank fortune — we did nothing. Hav- 
 ing treated us as guests thus far, they no doubt thought 
 it would be wanting in delicacy to set us to work before 
 the compliments of the occasion were well over. The 
 next morning, however, they both looked business-like, 
 and we were put to. 
 
 " Wall, b'ys " (boys), said Zeke, knocking the ashes out 
 of his pipe, after breakfast — " we must get at it. Shorty, 
 give Peter there (the doctor), the big hoe, and Paul the 
 other, and let's be off." Going to a corner, Shorty 
 brought forth three of the implements; and distributing 
 them impartially, trudged on after his partner, who took 
 the lead with something in the shape of an axe. 
 
 For a moment left alone in the house, we looked at each 
 other, quaking. We were each equipped with a great, 
 clumsy piece of a tree, armed at one end with a heavy, 
 fiat mass of iron. 
 
 The cutlery part — especially adapted to a primitive 
 soil — was an importation from Sydney ; the handles must 
 have been of domestic manufacture. " Hoes " — so called 
 ■ — we had heard of, and seen; but they were harmless in 
 comparison with the tools in our hands. 
 
 " What's to be done with them? " inquired I of Peter. 
 
 " Lift them up and down," he replied; " or put them 
 in motion some way or other. Paul, we are in a scrape — 
 but hark!, they are calling; " and shouldering the hoes, 
 off we marched. 
 
 Our destination was the farther side of the plantation, 
 where the ground, cleared in part, had not yet been broken 
 up ; but they were now setting about it. Upon halting, I 
 asked why a plough was not used; some of the young wild 
 steers might be caught and trained for draught. 
 
 Zeke replied that, for such a purpose, no cattle, to his 
 knowledge, had ever been used in any part of Polynesia. 
 As for the soil of Martair, so obstructed was it with roots, 
 crossing and recrossing each other at all points, that no 
 kind of a plough could be used to advantage. The heavy 
 Sydney hoes were the only thing for such land. 
 
 Our work was now before us; but, previous to com- 
 mencing operations, I endeavoured to engage the Yankee 
 
2 1 2 Omoo 
 
 in a little further friendly chat concerning the nature of 
 virgin soils in general, and that of the valley of Martair in 
 particular. So masterly a stratagem made Long Ghost 
 brighten up; and he stood by ready to join in. But what 
 our friend had to say about agriculture all referred to the 
 particular part of his plantation upon which we stood; 
 and having communicated enough on this head to enable 
 us to set to work to the best advantage, he fell to, him- 
 self; and Shorty, who had been looking on, followed suit. 
 
 The surface, here and there, presented closely ampu- 
 tated branches of what had once been a dense thicket. 
 They seemed purposely left projecting, as if to furnish a 
 handle whereby to drag out the roots beneath. After 
 loosening the hard soil, by dint of much thumping and 
 pounding, the Yankee jerked one of the roots this way 
 and that, twisting it round and round, and then tugging 
 at it horizontally. 
 
 "Come! lend us a hand!" he cried, at last; and 
 running up, we all four strained away in concert. The 
 tough obstacle convulsed the surface with throes and 
 spasms; but stuck fast, notwithstanding. 
 
 " Dumn it ! " cried Zeke, " we'll have to get a rope; run 
 to the house. Shorty, and fetch one." 
 
 The end of this being attached, we took plenty of room, 
 and strained away once more. 
 
 " Give us a song. Shorty," said the doctor;, who was 
 rather sociable, on a short acquaintance. Where: the 
 work to be accomplished is any way difficult, this mode 
 of enlivening toil is quite efficacious among sailors. So, 
 willing to make everything as cheerful as possible. Shorty 
 struck up, " Were you ever in Dumbarton ? " a marvel- 
 lously inspiring, but somewhat indecor&us windlass 
 chorus. 
 
 At last, the Yankee cast a damper on his enthusiasm 
 by exclaiming, in a pet, " Oh ! dumn your singing ! keep 
 quiet, and pull away!" This we now did, in the most 
 uninteresting silence; until, with a jerk that made every 
 elbow hum, the root dragged out; and, most inelegantly, 
 we all landed upon the ground. The doctor, quite ex- 
 hausted, stayed there; and, deluded into believing that, 
 
Farming in Polynesia 2 1 3 
 
 after so doughty a performance, we would be allowed a 
 cessation of toil, took off his hat, and fanned himself. 
 
 " Rayther a hard customer, that, Peter," observed the 
 Yankee, going up to him: " but it's no use for any on 'em 
 to hang back; for I'm dumned if they haint got to come 
 out, whether or no. Hurrah ! let's get at it agin ! " 
 
 "Mercy!" ejaculated the doctor, rising slowly, and 
 turning round. " He'll be the death of us ! " 
 
 Falling to with our hoes again, we worked singly, or 
 together, as occasion required, until " Nooning Time " 
 came. 
 
 The period, so called by the planters, embraced about 
 three hours in the middle of the day; during which it was 
 so excessively hot, in this still, brooding valley, shut out 
 from the Trades, and only open toward the leeward side 
 of the island, that labour in the sun was out of the ques- 
 tion. To use a hyperbolical phrase of Shorty's, " It was 
 'ot enough to melt the nose h'off a brass monkey." 
 
 Returning to the house. Shorty, assisted by old Tonoi, 
 cooked the dinner; and, after we had all partaken thereof, 
 both the Cockney and Zeke threw themselves into one of 
 the hammocks, inviting us to occupy the other. Thinking 
 it no bad idea, we did so ; and, after skirmishing with the 
 mosquitoes, managed to fall into a doze. As for the 
 planters, more accustomed to " Nooning," they, at once, 
 presented a nuptial back to each other; and were soon 
 snoring away at a great rate. Tonoi snoozed on a mat, in 
 one corner. 
 
 At last, we were roused by Zeke's crying out, " Up b'ys; 
 up! rise, and shine; time to get at it agin! " 
 
 Looking at the doctor, I perceived, very plainly, that 
 he had decided upon something. 
 
 In a languid voice, he told Zeke that he was not very 
 well: indeed, that he had not been himself for some time 
 past; though a little rest, no doubt, would recruit him. 
 The Yankee thinking, from this, that our valuable ser- 
 vices might be lost to him altogether, were he too hard 
 upon us at the outset, at once begged us both to consult 
 our own feelings, and not exert ourselves for the present, 
 unless we felt like it. Then — without recognizing the 
 
2 14 Omoo 
 
 fact that my comrade claimed to be actually unwell^he 
 simply suggested that, since he was so tired, he had better, 
 perhaps, swing in his hammock for the rest of the day. 
 If agreeable, however, I myself might accompany him 
 upon a little bullock - hunting excursion in the neighs 
 bouring hills. In this proposition, I gladly acquiesced; 
 though Peter, who was a great sportsman, put on a long 
 face. The muskets and ammunition were forthwith got 
 from overhead; and, everything being then ready, Zeke 
 cried out, " Tonoi! come; aramai! (get up) we want you 
 for pilot. Shorty, my lad, look arter things, you know; 
 and if you likes, why, there's them roots in the field 
 yonder." 
 
 Having thus arranged his domestic affairs to please 
 himself, though little to Shorty's satisfaction, I thought, 
 he slung his powder-horn over his shoulder, and we 
 started. Tonoi was, at once, sent on in advance; and 
 leaving the plantation, he struck into a path which led 
 toward the mountains. 
 
 After hurrying through the thickets for some time, we 
 came out into the sunlight, in an open glade, just under 
 the shadow of the hills. Here, Zeke pointed aloft to a 
 beetling crag far distant, where a bullock, with horns 
 thrown back, stood like a statue. 
 
CHAPTER LIV 
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE WILD CATTLE IN POLYNESIA 
 
 Before we proceed further, a word or two concerning 
 these wild cattle, and the way they came on the island. 
 
 Some fifty years ago, Vancouver left several bullocks, 
 sheep and goats, at various places in the Society group. 
 He instructed the natives to look after the animals care- 
 fully; and by no means to slaughter any until a consider- 
 able stock had accumulated. 
 
 The sheep must have died off: for I never saw a solitary 
 fleece in any part of Polynesia. The pair left were an ill- 
 assorted couple, perhaps; separated in disgust, and died 
 without issue. 
 
 As .for the goats, occasionally you come across a black, 
 misanthropic ram, nibbling the scant herbage of some 
 height inaccessible to man, in preference to the sweet 
 grasses of the valley below. The goats are not very 
 numerous. 
 
 The bullocks, coming of a prolific ancestry, are a hearty 
 set, racing over the island of Imeeo in considerable 
 numbers, though in Tahiti but few of them are seen. At 
 the former place, the original pair must have scampered 
 off to the interior since it is now so thickly populated by 
 their wild progeny. The herds are the private property 
 of Queen Pomaree ; from whom the planters had obtained 
 permission to shoot for their own use as many as they 
 pleased. 
 
 The natives stand in great awe of these cattle; and for 
 this reason are excessively timid in crossing the island, 
 preferring rather to sail round to an opposite village in 
 their canoes. 
 
 Tonoi abounded in bullock stories ; most of which, by 
 the bye, had a spice of the marvellous. The following is 
 one of these. 
 
 Once upon a time, he was going over the hills with a 
 
 brother — ^now no more — when a great bull came bellowing 
 
 out of a wood, and both took to their heels. The old 
 
 chief sprang into a tree; his companion, flying in an 
 
 215 
 
2 1 6 Omoo 
 
 opposite direction, was pursued, and, in the very act of 
 reaching up to a bough, trampled underfoot. The un- 
 happy man was then gored — tossed in the air — and finally 
 run away with on the bull's horns. More dead than alive, 
 Tonoi waited till all was over, and then made the best of 
 his way home. The neighbours, armed with two or three 
 muskets, at once started to recover, if possible, his un- 
 fortunate brother's remains. At nightfall, they returned 
 without discovering any trace of him ; but the next morn- 
 ing, Tonoi himself caught a glimpse of a bullock, march- 
 ing across the mountain's brow, with a long dark object 
 borne aloft on his horns. 
 
 Having referred to Vancouver's attempts to colonize the 
 islands with useful quadrupeds, we may as well say some- 
 thing concerning his success upon Hawaii, one of the 
 largest islands in the whole Polynesian Archipelago; and 
 which gives the native name to the well-known cluster 
 named by Cook in honour of Lord Sandwich. 
 
 Hawaii is some one hundred leagues in circuit, and 
 covers an area of over four thousand miles. Until within 
 a few years past, its interior was almost unknown, even 
 to the inhabitants themselves, who, for ages, had been 
 prevented from wandering thither by certain strange 
 superstitions. Pelee, the terrific goddess of the volcanoes 
 Mount Roa and Mount Kea,i was supposed to guard all 
 the passes to the extensive valleys lying round their base. 
 There are legends of her having chased with streams of 
 fire several impious adventurers. Near Hilo, a jet-black 
 cliff is shown, with the vitreous torrent apparently pour- 
 ing over into the sea: just as it cooled after one of these 
 supernatural eruptions. 
 
 To these inland valleys, and the adjoining hillsides, 
 which are clothed in the most luxuriant vegetation, Van- 
 couver's bullocks soon wandered; and unmolested for a 
 long period, multiplied in vast herds. 
 
 ' Perhaps the most remaorkable volcanoes in the world. For very 
 interesting accounts of three adventurous expeditions to their 
 summits (seventeen thousand feet above the level of the sea), see 
 Lord Byron's Voyage of H. B. M. Ship Blonde; Ellis's Journal of 
 a Visit to the Sandwich Islands; and Wilke's Narrative of the U. S. 
 Exploring Expedition. 
 
The Wild Cattle of Polynesia 2 1 7 
 
 Some twelve or fifteen years ago, the natives lost sight 
 of their superstitions, and learning the value of the hides 
 in commerce, began hunting the creatures that wore them; 
 but being very fearful and awkward in a business so novel, 
 their success was small; and it was not until the arrival 
 of a party of Spanish hunters, men regularly trained to 
 their calling upon the plains of California, that the work 
 of slaughter was fairly begun. 
 
 The Spaniards were showy fellows, tricked out in gay 
 blankets, leggings worked with porcupine quills, and jing- 
 ling spurs. Mounted upon trained Indian mares, these 
 heroes pursued their prey up to the very base of the burn- 
 ing mountains; making the profoundest solitudes ring 
 with their shouts, and flinging the lasso under the very 
 nose of the vixen goddess Pelee. Hilo, a village upon the 
 coast, was their place of resort : and thither flocked roving 
 whites from all the islands of the group. As pupils of the 
 dashing Spaniards, many of these dissipated fellows, quaff- 
 ing too freely of the stirrup-cup, and riding headlong after 
 the herds, when they reeled in the saddle, were unhorsed 
 and killed. 
 
 This was about the year 1835, when the present king, 
 Tammahamaha III., was a lad. With royal impudence 
 laying claim to the sole property of the cattle, he was de- 
 lighted with the idea of receiving one of every two silver 
 dollars paid down for their hides; so, with no thought 
 for the future, the work of extermination went madly on. 
 In three years' time, eighteen thousand bullocks were 
 slain, almost entirely upon the single island of Hawaii. 
 
 The herds being thus nearly destroyed, the sagacious 
 young prince imposed a rigorous " taboo " upon the few 
 surviving cattle, which was to remain in force for ten years. 
 During this period — ^not yet expired — all hunting is for- 
 bidden, unless directly authorized by the king. 
 
 The massacre of the cattle extended to the hapless goats. 
 In one year, three thousand of tlftir skins were sold to the 
 merchants of Honolulu, fetching a quartila, or a shilling 
 sterling apiece. 
 
 After this digression, it is time to run on after Tonoi and 
 the Yankee. 
 
CHAPTER LV 
 
 A HUNTING RAMBLE WITH ZEKE 
 
 At the foot of the mountain, a steep path went up among 
 rocks and clefts mantled with verdure. Here and there 
 were green gulfs, down which it made one giddy to peep. 
 At last we gained an overhanging, wooded shelf of land 
 which crowned the heights; and along this, the path, well 
 shaded, ran like a gallery. 
 
 In every direction the scenery was enchanting. There 
 was a low, rustling breeze; and below, in the vale, the 
 leaves were quivering; the sea lay, blue and serene, in the 
 distance; and inland the surface swelled up, ridge after 
 ridge, and peak upon peak, all bathed in the Indian haze 
 of the Tropics, and dreamy to look upon. Still valleys, 
 leagues away, reposed in the deep shadows of the moun- 
 tains ; and here and there, waterfalls lifted up their voices 
 in the solitude. High above all, and central, the " Mar- 
 ling-spike " lifted its finger. Upon the hillsides, small 
 groups of bullocks were seen; some quietly browsing; 
 others slowly winding into the valleys. 
 
 We went on, directing our course for a slope of these 
 hills, a mile or two further, where the nearest bullocks 
 were seen. 
 
 We were cautious in keeping to the windward of them; 
 their sense of smell and hearing being, like those of all 
 wild creatures, exceedingly acute. 
 
 As there was no knowing that we might not surprise 
 some other kind of game in the coverts through which we 
 were passing, we crept along warily. 
 
 The wild hogs of the island are uncommonly fierce ; and 
 as they often attack the natives, I could not help following 
 Tonoi's example of once in a while peeping in under the 
 foliage. Frequent retrospective glances also served to 
 assure me that our retreat was not cut off. 
 218 
 
A Hunting Ramble with Zeke 2 1 9 
 
 As we rounded a clump of bushes, a noise behind them, 
 like the crackling of dry branches, broke the stillness. In 
 an instant, Tonoi's hand was on a bough, ready for a spring, 
 and Zeke's finger touched the trigger of his piece. Again 
 the stillness was broken; and thinking it high time to get 
 ready, I brought my musket to my shoulder. 
 
 "Look sharp!" cried the Yankee; and dropping on 
 one knee, he brushed the twigs aside. Presently, off went 
 Bis piece ; and with a wild snort, a black, bristling boar — his 
 cherry red hp curled up by two glittering tusks — dashed, 
 unharmed, across the path, and crashed through the oppo- 
 site thicket. I saluted him with a charge as he disap- 
 peared; but not the slightest notice was taken of the 
 civility. 
 
 By this time, Tonoi, the illustrious descendant of the 
 Bishops of Imeeo, was twenty feet from the ground. 
 " Aramai! come down, you old fool! " cried the Yankee; 
 " the pesky critter's on t'other side of the island afore 
 this." 
 
 " I rayther guess," he continued, as we began reloading, 
 " that we've spoiled sport by firing at that 'ere tarnal hog. 
 Them bullocks heard the racket, and is flinging their tails 
 about now on the keen jump. Quick, Paul, and let's climb 
 that rock yonder, and see if so be there's any in sight." 
 
 But none were to be seen, except at such a distance that 
 they looked like ants. 
 
 As evening was now at hand, my companion proposed 
 our returning home forthwith; and then, after a sound 
 night's rest, starting in the morning upon a good day's 
 hunt with the whole force of the plantation. 
 
 Following another pass in descending into the valley, 
 we passed through some nobly wooded land on the face of 
 the mountain. 
 
 One variety of tree particularly attracted my attention. 
 The dark mossy, stem, over seventy feet high, was per- 
 fectly branchless for many feet above the ground, when it 
 shot out in broad boughs laden with lustrous leaves of the 
 deepest green. And all round the lower part of the trunk, 
 thin, slab-like buttresses of bark, perfectly smooth, and 
 radiating from a common centre, projected along the 
 
220 Omoo 
 
 ground for at least two yards. From below, these natural 
 props tapered upward until gradually blended with the 
 trunk itself. There were signs of the wild cattle having 
 sheltered themselves behind them. Zeke called this the 
 canoe tree; as in old times it supplied the navies of the 
 Kings of Tahiti. For canoe building, the wood is still 
 used. Being extremely dense, and impervious to worms, 
 it is very durable. 
 
 Emerging from the forest, when half way down the hill- 
 side, we came upon an open space, covered with ferns and 
 grass, over which a few lonely trees were casting long 
 shadows in the setting sun. Here, a piece of ground some 
 hundred feet square, covered with weeds and brambles, 
 and sounding hollow to the tread, was inclosed by &, ruinous 
 wall of stones. Tonoi said it was an almost forgotten 
 burial-place, of great antiquity, where no one had been 
 interred since the islanders had been Christians. Sealed 
 up in dry, deep vaults, many a dead heathen was lying 
 here. 
 
 Curious to prove the old man's statement, I was anxious 
 to get a peep at the catacombs; but hermetically over- 
 grown with vegetation as they were, no aperture was 
 visible. 
 
 Before gaining the level of the valley, we passed by the 
 site of a village, near a watercourse, long since deserted. 
 There was nothing but stone walls, and rude dismantled 
 foundations of houses, constructed of the same material. 
 Large trees and brushwood were growing rankly among 
 them. 
 
 I asked Tonoi how long it was since anyone had lived 
 here. " Me, tammaree (boy) — plenty kannaker (men) 
 Martair," he replied. " Now, only poor pehe kannaka 
 (fishermen) left — me born here." 
 
 Going down the valley, vegetation of every kind pre- 
 sented a different aspect from that of the high land. 
 
 Chief among the trees of the plain on this island is the 
 " AH," large and lofty, with a massive trunk, and broad, 
 laurel-shaped leaves. The wood is splendid. In Tahiti, I 
 was shown a narrow, polished plank fit to make a cabinet 
 for a king. Taken from the heart of the tree, it was of a 
 
A Hunting Ramble with Zeke 221 
 
 deep, rich scarlet, traced with yellow veins, and in some 
 places clouded with hazel. 
 
 In the same grove with the regal "Ati," you may see the 
 beautiful flowering " Hoioo " ; its pyramid of shining leaves 
 diversified with numberless small, white blossoms. 
 
 Planted with trees as the valley is almost throughout 
 its entire length, I was astonished to observe so very few 
 which were useful to the natives: not one in a hundred 
 was a cocoa-nut or bread-fruit tree. 
 
 But here Tonoi again enlightened me. In the sanguin- 
 ary religious hostilities which ensued upon the conversion 
 to Christianity of the first Pomaree, a war-party from 
 Tahiti destroyed (by " girdling " the bark) entire groves 
 of these invaluable trees. For some time afterward they 
 stood stark and leafless in the sun; sad monuments of the 
 fate which befell the inhabitants of the valley. 
 
CHAPTER LVl 
 
 MOSQUITOES 
 
 The night following the hunting trip, Long Ghost and 
 myself, after a valiant defence, had to fly the house on 
 account of the mosquitoes. 
 
 And here I cannot avoid relating a story, rife among the 
 natives, concerning the manner in which these insects 
 were introduced upon the island. 
 
 Some years previous, a whaling captain, touching at an 
 adjoining bay, got into difficulty with its inhabitants, and 
 at last carried his complaint before one of the native 
 tribunals ; but receiving no satisfaction, and deeming him- 
 self aggrieved, he resolved upon taking signal revenge. 
 One night, he towed a rotten old water-cask ashore, and 
 left it in a neglected Taro patch where the ground was 
 warm and moist. Hence the mosquitoes. 
 
 I tried my best to learn the name of this man; and 
 hereby do what I can to hand it down to posterity. It 
 was Coleman — Nathan Coleman. The ship belonged to 
 Nantucket. 
 
 When tormented by the mosquitoes, I found much 
 relief in coupling the word " Coleman " with another of 
 one syllable, and pronouncing them together energetically. 
 
 The doctor suggested a walk to the beach, where there 
 was a long, low shed tumbling to pieces, but open length- 
 wise to a cur ent of air which he thought might keep oft 
 the mosquitoes. So thither we went. 
 
 The ruin partially sheltered a relic of times gone by, 
 which, a few days after, we examined with much curiosity. 
 It was an old war-canoe, crumbling to dust. Being sup- 
 ported by the same rude blocks upon which, apparently, 
 it had years before been hollowed out, in all probability it 
 had never been afloat. 
 
 Outside, it seemed originally stained of a green colour, 
 
Mosquitoes 223 
 
 which, here and there, was now changed into a dingy 
 purple. The prow terminated in a high, blunt beak; 
 both sides were covered with carving ; and upon the stern 
 was something which Long Ghost maintained to be the 
 arms of the royal House of Pomaree. The device had 
 an heraldic look, certainly — being two sharks with the 
 talons of hawks clawing a knot left projecting from the 
 wood. 
 
 The canoe was at least forty feet long, about two wide, 
 and four deep. The upper part — consisting of narrow 
 planks laced together with cords of sinnate — had in many 
 places fallen off, and lay decaying upon the ground. Still, 
 there were ample accommodations left for sleeping; and 
 in we sprang — the doctor into the bow, and I into the 
 stern. I soon fell asleep; but waking suddenly, cramped 
 in every joint from my constrained posture, I thought, 
 for an instant, that I must have been prematurely screwed 
 down in my coffin. 
 
 Presenting my compliments to Long Ghost, I asked 
 how it fared with him. 
 
 " Bad enough," he replied, as he tossed about in the 
 outlandish rubbish lying in the bottom of our couch. 
 " Pah! how these old mats smell! " 
 
 As he continued talking in this exciting strain for some 
 time, I at last made no reply, having resumed certain 
 mathematical reveries to induce repose. But finding the 
 multiplication table of no avail, I summoned up a grayish 
 image of chaos in a sort of sliding fluidity, and was just 
 falling into a nap on the strength of it, when I heard a 
 a solitary and distinct buzz. The hour of my calamity 
 was at hand. One blended hum, the creature darted into 
 the canoe like a small swordfish; and I out of it. 
 
 Upon getting into the open air, to my surprise, there 
 was Long Ghost, fanning himself wildly with an old paddle. 
 He had just made a noiseless escape from a swarm which 
 had attacked his own end of the canoe. 
 
 It was now proposed to try the water; so a small fishing 
 canoe, hauled up near by, was quickly launched; and 
 paddling a good distance off, we dropped overboard the 
 native contrivance for an anchor — a heavy stone, attached 
 
224 Omoo 
 
 to a cable of braided bark. At this part of the island the 
 encircling reef was close to the shore, leaving the water 
 within smooth, and extremely shallow. 
 
 It was a blessed thought ! We knew nothing till sunrise, 
 when the motion of our aquatic cot awakened us. I 
 looked up, and beheld Zeke wading toward the shore, and 
 towing us after him by the bark cable. Pointing to the 
 reef, he told us we had had a narrow escape. 
 
 It was true enough; the water-sprites had rolled our 
 stone out of its noose, and we had floated away. 
 
CHAPTER LVII 
 
 THE SECOND HUNT IN THE MOUNTAINS 
 
 Fair dawned^ over the hills of Martair, the jocund morn- 
 ing of our hunt. 
 
 Everything had been prepared for it overnight j and, 
 when we arrived at the house, a good breakfast was spread 
 by Shorty : and old Tonoi was bustling about like an inn- 
 keeper. Several of his men, also, were in atttendance to 
 accompany us with calabashes of food; and, in case we 
 met with any success, to officiate as bearers of burdens on 
 our return. 
 
 Apprised, the evening previous, of the meditated sport, 
 the doctor had announced his willingness to take part 
 therein. 
 
 Now, subsequent events made us regard this expedition 
 as a shrewd device of the Yankee's. Once get us off on a 
 pleasure trip, and with what face could we afterward refuse 
 to work? Beside, he enjoyed all the credit of giving us a 
 holiday. Nor did he omit assuring us that, work or play, 
 our wages were all the while running on. 
 
 A dilapidated old musket of Tonoi's was borrowed for 
 the doctor. It was exceedingly short and heavy, with a 
 clumsy lock, which required a strong finger to pull the 
 trigger. On trying the piece by firing at a mark. Long 
 Ghost was satisfied that it could not fail of doing execution: 
 the charge went one way, and he the other. 
 
 Upon this, he endeavoured to negotiate an exchange of 
 muskets with Shorty; but the Cockney was proof against 
 his blandishments; at last, he intrusted his weapon to one 
 of the natives to carry for him. 
 
 Marshalling our forces, we started for the head of the 
 valley; near which a path ascended to a range of high 
 land, said to be a favourite resort of the cattle. 
 
 225 p 
 
226 Omoo 
 
 Shortly after gaining the heights, a small herd, some way 
 off, was perceived entering a wood. We hurried on; and, 
 dividing our party, went in after them at four different 
 points; each white man followed by several natives. 
 
 I soon found myself in a dense covert; and, after look- 
 ing round, was just emerging into a clear space, when I 
 heard a report, and a bullet knocked the bark from a tree 
 near by. The same instant there was a trampling and 
 crashing; and five bullocks, nearly abreast, broke into 
 view across the opening, and plunged right toward the 
 spot where myself and three of the islanders were standing. 
 
 They were small, black, vicious-looking creatures ; with 
 short, sharp horns, red nostrils, and eyes like coals of fire. 
 On they came — their dark woolly heads hanging down. 
 
 By this time my island backers were roosting among 
 the trees. Glancing round, for an instant, to discover a 
 retreat in case of emergency, I raised my piece, when a 
 voice cried out, from the wood, " Right between the 'oms, 
 Paul ! right between the 'orns 1 " Down went my barrel 
 in range with a small white tuft on the forehead of the 
 headmost one; and, letting him have it, I darted to one 
 side. As I turned again, the five bullocks shot by like a 
 blast, making the air eddy in their wake. 
 
 The Yankee now burst into view, and saluted them in 
 flank. Whereupon, the fierce little bull with the tufted 
 forehead flirted his long tail over his buttocks; kicked 
 out with his hind feet, and shot forward a full length. 
 It was nothing but a graze; and, in an instant, they were 
 out of sight, the thicket into which they broke rocking 
 overhead, and marking their progress. 
 
 The action over, the heavy artillery came up, in the 
 person of the Long Doctor with his blunderbuss. 
 
 " Where are they? " he cried, out of breath. 
 
 " A mile or two h'off, by this time," replied the Cockney. 
 " Lord, Paul ! you ought to've sent an 'ailstone into that 
 little black 'un." 
 
 While excusing my want of skill, as well as I could, 
 Zeke, rushing forward, suddenly exclaimed, " Creation! 
 what are you 'bout there, Peter? " 
 
 Peter, incensed at our ill luck, and ignorantly imputing 
 
Second Hunt in the Mountains 227 
 
 it to the cowardice of our native auxiliaries, was bringing 
 his piece to bear upon his trembling squire — the musket- 
 carrier — now descending a tree. 
 
 Pulling trigger, the bullet went high over his head; 
 and, hopping to the ground, bellowing like a calf, the 
 fellow ran away as fast as his heels could carry him. The 
 rest followed us, after this, with fear and trembling. 
 
 After forming our line of march anew, we went on for 
 several hours without catching a glimpse of the game; 
 the reports of the muskets having been heard at a great 
 distance. At last, we mounted a craggy height, to 
 obtain a wide view of the country. From this place, we 
 beheld three cattle quietly browsing in a green opening 
 of a wood below; the trees shutting them in all round. 
 
 A general re-examination of the muskets now took 
 place, followed by a hasty lunch from the calabashes : we 
 then started. As we descended the mountainside the 
 cattle were in plain sight until we entered the forest, 
 when we lost sight of them for a moment; but only to 
 see them again, as we crept close up to the spot where 
 they grazed. 
 
 They were a bull, a cow, and a calf. The cow was 
 lying down in the shade, by the edge of the wood; the 
 calf, sprawling out before her in the grass, licking her 
 lips; while old Taurus himself stood close by, casting a 
 paternal glance at this domestic little scene, and con- 
 jugally elevating his nose in the air. 
 
 " Now then," said Zeke, in a whisper, " let's take the 
 poor creeturs while they are , huddled together. Crawl 
 along, b'ys; crawl along. Fire together, mind; and not 
 till I say the word. 
 
 We crept up to the very edge of the open ground, and 
 knelt behind a clump of bushes; resting our levelled 
 barrels among the branches. The shght rustling was 
 heard. Taurus turned round, dropped his head to the 
 ground, and sent forth a low, sullen bellow ; then snuffed 
 the air. The cow rose on her foreknees, pitched forward 
 alarmedly, and stood upon her legs; while the calf, with 
 ears pricked, got right underneath her. All three were 
 now grouped, and in an instant would be off. 
 
2 28 Omoo 
 
 " I take the bull," cried our leader; " fire! " 
 
 The calf fell like a clod; its dam uttered a cry, and 
 thrust her head into the thicket; but she turned, and 
 came moaning up to the lifeless calf, going round and 
 round it, snuffing fiercely with her bleeding nostrils. A 
 crashing in the wood, and a loud roar, announced the 
 flying bull. 
 
 Soon, another shot was fired, and the cow fell. Leav- 
 ing some of the natives to look after the dead cattle, the 
 rest of us hurried on after the bull; his dreadful bellow- 
 ings guiding us to the spot where he lay. Wounded in 
 the shoulder, in his fright and agony he had bounded 
 into the wood; but when we came up to hini, he had 
 sunk to the earth in a green hollow, thrusting his black 
 muzzle into a pool of his own blood, and tossing it over 
 his hide in clots. 
 
 The Yankee brought his piece to a rest; and, the next 
 instant, the wild brute sprang into the air, and with his 
 forelegs crouching under him, fell dead. 
 
 Our island friends were now in high spirits ; all courage 
 and alacrity. Old Tonoi thought nothing of taking poor 
 Taurus himself by the horns, and peering into his glazed 
 eyes. 
 
 Our ship knives were at once in request; and, skinning 
 the cattle, we hung them high up by cords of bark from 
 the boughs of a tree. Withdrawing into a covert, we 
 there waited for the wild hogs ; which, according to Zeke, 
 would soon make their appearance, lured by the smell of 
 blood. Presently we heard them coming, in two or three 
 different directions ; and, in a moment, they were tearing 
 the offal to pieces. 
 
 As only one shot at these creatures could be relied on, 
 Ave intended firing simultaneously; but, somehow or 
 other, the doctor's piece went off by itself, and one of the 
 "hogs dropped. The others then breaking into the thicket, 
 the rest of us sprang after them ; resolved to have another 
 shot at all hazards. 
 
 The Cockney darted among some bushes; and, a few 
 moments after, we heard the report of his musket, followed 
 by a quick cry. On running up, we saw our comrade 
 
Second Hunt in the Mountains 229 
 
 doing battle with a young devil of a boar, as black as 
 night, whose snout had been partly torn away. Firing 
 when the game was in full career, and coming directly 
 toward him, Shorty had been assailed by the enraged 
 brute; it was now crunching the breech of the musket, 
 with which he had tried to club it; Shorty holding fast 
 to the barrel, and fingering his waist for a knife. Being 
 in advance of the others, I clapped my gun to the boar's 
 head, and so put an end to the contest. 
 
 Evening now coming on, we set to work loading our 
 carriers. The cattle were so small that a stout native 
 could walk off with an entire quarter; brushing through 
 thickets, and descending rocks without an apparent 
 effort; though, to tell the truth, no white man present 
 could have done the thing with any ease. As for the wild 
 hogs, none of the islanders could be induced to carry 
 Shorty's; some invincible superstition being connected 
 with its black colour. We were, therefore, obliged to 
 leave it. The othpr, a spotted one, being slung by green 
 thongs to a pole, was marched off with by two young 
 natives. 
 
 With our bearers of burdens ahead, we then commenced 
 our return down the valley. Half-way home, darkness 
 overtook us in the woods ; and torches became necessary. 
 We stopped, and made them of dry palm branches; and 
 then, sending two lads on in advance for the purpose of 
 gathering fuel to feed the flambeaux, we continued our 
 journey. 
 
 It was a wild sight. The torches, waved aloft, flashed 
 through the forest; and, where the ground admitted, the 
 islanders went along on a brisk trot, notwithstanding they 
 bent forward under their loads. Their naked backs were 
 stained with blood; and occasionally, running by each 
 other, they raised wild cries which startled the hillsides. 
 
CHAPTER LVIII 
 
 THE hunting-feast; and a visit to afrehitoo 
 
 Two bullocks and a boar ! No bad trophies of our day's 
 sport. So by torchlight we marched into the, plantation, 
 the wild hog rocking from its pole^ and the doctor singing 
 an old hunting-song — Tally-ho! the chorus of which 
 swelled high above the yells of the natives. 
 
 We resolved to make a night of it. Kindling a great 
 fire just outside the dwelling, and hanging one of the 
 heifer's quarters from a limb of the banian-tree, everyone 
 was at liberty to cut and broil for himself. Baskets of 
 roasted bread-fruit, and plenty of taro pudding; bunches 
 of bananas, and young cocoa-nuts, had also been provided 
 by the natives against our return. 
 
 The fire burned bravely, keeping off the mosquitoes, 
 and making every man's face glow like a beaker of Port. 
 The meat had the true wild-game flavour, not at all im- 
 paired by our famous appetites, and a couple of flasks of 
 white brandy, which Zeke, producing from his secret 
 store, circulated freely. 
 
 There was no end to my long comrade's spirits. After 
 telling his stories, and singing his songs, he sprang to his 
 feet, clasped a young damsel of the grove round the 
 waist, and waltzed over the grass with her. But there's 
 no telling all the pranks he played that night. The 
 natives, who delight in a wag, emphatically pronounced 
 him " maitai." 
 
 It was long after midnight ere we broke up ; but when 
 the rest had retired, Zeke, with the true thrift of a Yankee, 
 salted down what was left of the meat. 
 
 The next day was Sunday; and at my request, Shorty 
 accompanied me to Afrehitoo — a neighbouring bay, and 
 the seat of a mission, almost directly opposite Papeetee. 
 230 
 
A Visit to Afrehitoo 231 
 
 In Afrehitoo is a large church and school-house, both 
 quite dilapidated; and planted amid shrubbery on a fine 
 knoll, stands a very tasteful cottage, commanding a view- 
 across the channel. In passing, 1 caught sight of a grace- 
 ful calico skirt disappearing from the piazza through a 
 doorway. The place was the residence of the missionary. 
 
 A trim little sail-boat was dancing out at her moorings, 
 a few yards from the beach. 
 
 Straggling over the low lands in the vicinity were several 
 native huts — ^untidy enough — but much better every way 
 than most of those in Tahiti. 
 
 We attended service at the church, where we found but 
 a small congregation ; and after what I had seen in Papee- 
 tee, nothing very interesting took place. But the audi- 
 ence had a curious, fidgety look, which I knew not how to 
 account for until we ascertained that a sermon with the 
 eighth commandment for a text was being preached. 
 
 It seemed that there lived an Englishman in the district, 
 who, like our friends, the planters, was cultivating Tombez 
 potatoes for the Papeetee market. 
 
 In spite of all his precautions, the natives were in the 
 habit of making nocturnal forays into his inclosure, and 
 carrying off the potatoes. One night he fired a fowling- 
 piece, charged with pepper and salt, at several shadows 
 which he discovered stealing across his premises. They 
 fled. But it was like seasoning anything else; the 
 knaves stole again with a greater relish than ever; and 
 the very next night, he caught a party in the act of roast- 
 ing a basketful of potatoes under his own cooking-shed. 
 At last, he stated his grievances to the missionary; who, 
 for the benefit of his congregation, preached the sermon 
 we heard. 
 
 Now, there were no thieves in Martair; but then, the 
 people of the valley were bribed to be honest. It was 
 a regular business transaction between them and the 
 planter?. In consideration of so many potatoes " to 
 them in hand, duly paid," they were to abstain from 
 all depredations upon the plantation. Another security 
 against roguery was the permanent residence upon the 
 premises of their thief, Tonoi. 
 
232 Omoo 
 
 On our return to Martair in the afternoon^ we found 
 the doctor and Zeke making themselves comfortable. 
 The latter was reclining on the ground, pipe in mouth, 
 watching the doctor, who, sitting like a Turk, before a 
 large iron kettle, was sHcing potatoes and Indian turnip, 
 and now and then shattering splinters from a bone; all 
 of which, by turns, were thrown into the pot. He was 
 making what he called " Bullock broth." 
 
 In gastronomic affairs, my friend was something of an 
 artist; and by way of improving his knowledge, did 
 nothing the rest of the day but practise in what might be 
 called Experimental Cookery: broiling and grilling, and 
 deviling slices of meat, and subjecting them to all sorts 
 of igneous operations. It was the first fresh beef that 
 either of us had tasted in more than a year. 
 
 " Oh, ye'U pick up arter a while, Peter," observed 
 Zeke toward night, as Long Ghost was turning a great 
 rib over the coals — " what d'ye think, Paul? " 
 
 "He'll get along, I dare say," replied I; "he only 
 wants to get those cheeks of his tanned." To tell the 
 truth, I was not a little pleased to see the doctor's repu- 
 tation as an invalid fading away so fast; especially as, 
 on the strength of his being one, he had promised to have 
 such easy times of it, and very likely, too, at my expense. 
 
CHAPTER LIX 
 
 THE MURPHIES 
 
 Dozing in our canoe the next morning about daybreak, 
 we were awakened by Zeke's hailing us loudly from the 
 beach. 
 
 Upon paddling up, he told us that a canoe had arrived 
 overnight, from Papeetee, with an order from a ship 
 lying there for a supply of his potatoes; and as they 
 must be on board the vessel by noon, he wanted us to 
 assist in bringing them down to his sail-boat. 
 
 My long comrade was one of those who, from always 
 thrusting forth the wrong foot foremost when they rise, 
 or committing some other indiscretion of the limbs, are 
 more or less crabbed or sullen before breakfast. It was 
 in vain, therefore, that the Yankee deplored the urgency 
 of the case which obliged him to call us up thus early : — 
 the doctor only looked the more glum, and said nothing 
 in reply. 
 
 At last, by way of getting up a little enthusiasm for 
 the occasion, the Yankee exclaimed quite spiritedly, 
 " What d'ye say, then, b'ys, shall we get at it? " 
 
 " Yes, in the devil's name! " replied the doctor, like a 
 snapping turtle; and we moved on to the house. Not- 
 withstanding his ungracious answer, he probably thought 
 that, after the gastronomic performance of the day pre- 
 vious, it would hardly do to hang back. At the house, 
 we found Shorty ready with the hoes; and we at once 
 repaired to the farther side of the inclosure, where the 
 potatoes had yet to be taken out of the ground. 
 
 The rich, tawny soil seemed specially adapted to the 
 crop; the great yellow murphies rolling out of the hills 
 like eggs from a nest. 
 
 My comrade really surprised me by the zeal with 
 233 
 
234 Omoo 
 
 ■which he applied himself to his hoe. For my own part, 
 exhilarated by the cool breath of the morning, I worked 
 away like a good fellow. As for Zeke and the Cockney, 
 they seemed mightily pleased at this evidence of our 
 willingness to exert ourselves. 
 
 It was not long ere all the potatoes were turned out; 
 and then came the worst of it: they were to be lugged 
 down to the beach, a distance of at least a quarter of a 
 mile. And there being no such thing as a barrow, or 
 cart, on the island, there was nothing for it but spinal- 
 marrows and broad shoulders. Well knowing that this 
 part of the business would be anything but agreeable, 
 Zeke did his best to put as encouraging a face upon it as 
 possible; and giving us no time to indulge in desponding 
 thoughts, gleefully directed our attention to a pile of 
 rude baskets — made of stout stalks — which had been 
 provided for the occasion. So, without more ado, we 
 helped ourselves from the heap: and soon we were all 
 four staggering along under our loads. 
 
 The first trip down, we arrived at the beach together: 
 Zeke's enthusiastic cries proving irresistible. A trip oir 
 two more, however, and my shoulders began to grate in 
 their sockets; while the doctor's tall figure acquired 
 an obvious stoop. Presently, we both threw down our 
 baskets, protesting we could stand it no longer. But our 
 employers, bent, as it were, upon getting the work out of 
 us by a silent appeal to our moral sense, toiled away with- 
 out pretending to notice us. It was as much as to say, 
 " There, men, we've been boarding and lodging ye for 
 the last three days ; and yesterday ye did nothing earthly 
 but eat; so stand by now, and look at us working,' if ye 
 dare." Thus driven to it, then, we resumed our employ- 
 ment. Yet, in spite of all we could do, we lagged behind 
 Zeke and Shorty, who, breathing hard, and perspiring at 
 every pore, toiled away without pause or cessation. I 
 almost wickedly wished that they would load themselves 
 down with one potato too many. 
 
 Gasping as I was with my own hamper, I could not, 
 for the life of me, help laughing at Long Ghost. There 
 he went: — ^his long neck thrust forward, his arms twisted 
 
The Murphies 235 
 
 behind him to form a shelf for his basket to rest on; and 
 his stilts of legs every once in a while giving way under 
 him, as if his knee-joints slipped either way. 
 
 " There! I carry no more! " he exclaimed all at once, 
 flinging his potatoes into the boat, where the Yankee 
 was just then stowing them away. 
 
 " Oh, then," said Zeke, quite briskly, " I guess you and 
 Paul had better try the ' barrel-machine ' — come along, 
 I'll &K ye out in no time; " and, so saying, he waded 
 ashore, and ' hurried back to the house, bidding us 
 follow. 
 
 Wondering what upon earth the " barrel - machine " 
 could be, and rather suspicious of it, we limped after. On 
 arriving at the house, we found him getting ready a sort 
 of sedan-chair. It was nothing more than an old barrel 
 suspended by a rope from the middle of a stout oar. 
 Quite an ingenious contrivance of the Yankee's; and his 
 proposed arrangement with regard to mine and the 
 doctor's shoulders was equally so. 
 
 "There now!" said he, when everything was ready, 
 " there's no back-breaking about this ; you can stand 
 right up under it, you see: jist try it once; " and he 
 politely rested the blade of the oar on my comrade's 
 right shoulder, and the other end on mine, leaving the 
 barrel between us. 
 
 "Jist the thing!" he added, standing off admiringly, 
 while we remained in this interesting attitude. 
 
 There was no help for us; with broken hearts and 
 backs we trudged back to the field; the doctor all the 
 while saying masses. 
 
 Upon starting with the loaded barrel, for a few paces we 
 got along, pretty well, and were constrained to think the 
 idea not a bad one. But we did not long think so. In 
 less than five minutes we came to a dead halt, the spring- 
 ing and buckling of the clumsy oar being almost unendur- 
 able. 
 
 " Let's shift ends," cried the doctor, who did not relish 
 the blade of the stick, which was cutting into the blade of 
 his shoulder. 
 
 At last, by stages short and frequent, we managed to 
 
236 
 
 Omoo 
 
 shamble down the beach, where we again dumped our 
 cargo, in something of a pet. 
 
 " Miy not make the natives help? " asked Long Ghost, 
 rubbing his shoulder. 
 
 " Natives be dumned! " said the Yankee, " twenty on 
 'em ain't worth one white man. They never was meant 
 to work any, them chaps; and they knows it, too, for 
 dumned little work any on 'em ever does." 
 
 But, notwithstanding this abuse, Zeke was at last 
 obliged to press a few of the bipeds into service. " Ara- 
 mai ! " (come here) he shouted to several, who, reclining 
 on a bank, had hitherto been critical observers of our pro- 
 ceedings ; and, among other things, had been particularly 
 amused by the performance with the sedan-chair. 
 
 After making these fellows load their baskets together, 
 the Yankee filled his own, and then drove them before 
 him down to the beach. Probably he had seen the herds 
 of panniered mules driven in this way by mounted In- 
 dians along the great Callao to Lima. 
 
 The boat at last loaded, the Yankee, taking with him a 
 couple of natives, at once hoisted sail, and stood across 
 the channel for Papeetee. 
 
 The next morning at breakfast, old Tonoi ran in, and 
 told us that the voyagers were returning. We hurried 
 down to the beach, and saw the boat gliding toward us, 
 with a dozing islander at the helm, and Zeke standing up 
 in the bows, jingling a small bag of silver, the proceeds of 
 his cargo. 
 
CHAPTER LX 
 
 WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF US IN MARTAIR 
 
 Several quiet days now passed away, during which we 
 just worked sufficiently to sharpen our appetites; the 
 planters leniently exempting us from any severe toil. 
 
 Their desire to retain us became more and more evident ; 
 which was not to be wondered at; for, beside esteeming 
 us from the beginning a couple of civil, good-natured 
 fellows, who would soon become quite at home with them, 
 they were not slow in perceiving that we were far different 
 from the common run of rovers ; and that our society was 
 both entertaining and instructive to a couple of solitary,, 
 illiterate men like themselves. 
 
 In a literary point of view, indeed, they soon regarded 
 us with emotions of envy and wonder; and the doctor was 
 considered nothing short of a prodigy. The Cockney 
 found out that he (the doctor) could read a book upside 
 down, without even so much as spelling the big words 
 beforehand; and the Yankee, in the twinkling of an eye, 
 received from him the sum total of several arithmetical 
 items, stated aloud, with the view of testing the extent of 
 his mathematical lore. 
 
 Then, frequently, in discoursing upon men and things, 
 my long comrade employed such imposing phrases that, 
 upon one occasion, they actually remained uncovered 
 while he talked. 
 
 In short, their favourable opinion of Long Ghost in 
 particular rose higher and higher every day; and they 
 began to indulge in all manner of dreams concerning the 
 advantages to be derived from employing so learned a 
 labourer. Among other projects revealed was that of 
 building^a small craft of some forty tons for the purpose 
 237 
 
238 
 
 Omoo 
 
 of trading among the neighbouring islands. With a 
 native crew, we would then take turns cruising over the 
 tranquil Pacific ; touching here and there, as caprice sug- 
 gested, and collecting romantic articles of commerce; — 
 beach-de-mer, the pearl-oyster, arrow-root, ambergris, 
 sandal-wood, cocoa-nut oil, and edible birdnests. 
 
 This South Sea yachting was delightful to think of; 
 and straightway, the doctor announced his willingness 
 to navigate the future schooner clear of all shoals and 
 reefs whatsoever. His impudence was audacious. He 
 enlarged upon the science of navigation; treated us to a 
 dissertation on Mercator's Sailing and the Azimuth com- 
 pass; and went into an inexplicable explanation of the 
 Lord only knows what plan of his for infallibly settling 
 the longitude. 
 
 Whenever my comrade thus gave the reins to his fine 
 fancy, it was a treat to listen, and therefore I never inter- 
 fered; but, with the planters, sat in mute admiration 
 before him. This apparent self-abaserrient on my part 
 must have been considered as truly indicative of our re- 
 spective merits ; for, to my no small concern, I %uickly 
 perceived that, in the estimate formed of us. Long Ghost 
 began to be rated far above myself. For aught I knew, 
 indeed, he might have privately thrown out a hint con- 
 cerning the difference in our respective stations aboard 
 the Julia ; or else the planters must have considered him 
 some illustrious individual, for certain inscrutable reasons, 
 going incog. With this idea of him, his undisguised dis- 
 inclination for work became venial; and entertaining 
 such views of extending their business, they counted more 
 upon his ultimate value to them as a man of science than 
 as a mere ditcher. 
 
 Nor did the humorous doctor forbear to ^ foster an 
 opinion every way so advantageous to himself; at times, 
 for the sake of the joke, assuming airs of superiority over 
 myself, which, though laughable enough, were sometimes 
 annoying. 
 
 To tell the plain truth, things at last came to such a 
 pass that I told him, up and down, that I had no notion 
 to put up with his pretensions; if he were going to play 
 
What They Thought of Us 239 
 
 the gentleman, I was going to follow suit; and then there 
 would quickly be an explosion. 
 
 At this he laughed heartily; and after some mirthful 
 chat, we resolved upon leaving the valley as soon as we 
 could do so with a proper regard to politeness. 
 
 At supper, therefore, the same evening, the doctor 
 hinted at our intention. 
 
 Though much surprised, and vexed, Zeke moved not a 
 muscle. " Peter," said he at last — very gravely — and 
 after mature deliberation, " would you like to do the 
 cooking? It's easy work; and you needn't do anything 
 else. Paul's heartier; he can work in the field when it 
 suits him; and before long, we'll have ye at something 
 more agreeable: — won't we, Shorty? " 
 
 Shorty assented. 
 
 Doubtless, the proposed arrangement was a snug one; 
 especially the sinecure for the doctor; but I by no means 
 relished the functions allotted to myself — they were too 
 indefinite. Nothing final, however, was agreed upon; — 
 our intention to leave was revealed, and that was enough 
 for the present. But, as we said nothing further about 
 going, the Yankee must have concluded that we might 
 yet be induced to remain. He redoubled his endeavours 
 to make us contented. 
 
 It was during this state of affairs that, one morning, 
 before breakfast, we were set to weeding in a potato- 
 patch; and the planters being engaged at the house, we 
 were left to ourselves. 
 
 Now, though the pulling of weeds was considered by 
 our employers an easy occupation (for which" reason they 
 had assigned it to us), and although as a garden recreation 
 it may be pleasant enough, for those who like it — still, 
 long persisted in, the business becomes excessively irk- 
 some. 
 
 Nevertheless, we toiled away for some time, until the- 
 doctor, who, from his height, was obliged to stoop at a. 
 very acute angle, suddenly sprang upright; and with one 
 hand propping his spinal column, exclaimed, " Oh, that 
 one's joints were but provided with holes to drop a littla 
 oil through!" 
 
240 Omoo 
 
 Vain as the aspiration was for this proposed improve- 
 ment upon our species, I cordially responded thereto; 
 for every vertebra in my spine was articulating in sym- 
 pathy. 
 
 Presently, the sun rose over the mountains, inducing 
 that deadly morning languor so fatal to early exertion 
 in a warm climate. We could stand it no longer; but, 
 shouldering our hoes, moved on to this house, resolved to 
 impose no more upon the good-nature of the planters 
 by continuing one moment longer in an occupation so 
 extremely uncongenial. 
 
 We freely told them so. Zeke was exceedingly hurt, 
 and said everything he could think of to alter our deter- 
 mination; but, finding all unavailing, he very hospitably 
 urged us not to be in any hurry about leaving; for we 
 might stay with him as guests until we had time to decide 
 upon our future movements. 
 
 We thanked him sincerely; but replied that, the follow- 
 ing morning, we must turn our backs upon the hills of 
 3Iartair. 
 
CHAPTER LXI 
 
 PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY 
 
 During the remainder of the day we loitered about, talk- 
 ing over our plans. 
 
 The doctor was all ea,gerness to visit Tamai, a solitary- 
 inland village, standing upon the banks of a considerable 
 lake of the same name, and embosomed among groves. 
 From Afrehitoo you went to this place by a lonely path- 
 way leading through the wildest scenery in the world. 
 Much, too, we had heard concerning the lake itself, which 
 abounded in such delicious fish that, in former times, 
 angling parties occasionally came over to it from Papeetee. 
 
 Upon its banks, moreover, grew the finest fruit of the 
 islands, and in their greatest perfection. The " Ve," or 
 Brazilian plum, here attained the size of an orange ; and 
 the gorgeous " Arheea," or red apple of Tahiti, blushed 
 with deeper dyes than in any of the seaward valleys. 
 
 Beside all this, in Tamai dwelt the most beautiful and 
 unsophisticated women in the entire Society group. In 
 short, the village was so remote from the coast, and had 
 been so much less affected by recent changes than other 
 places that, in most things, Tahitian life was here seen as 
 formerly e'xisting in the days of young Otoo, the boy-king, 
 in Cook's time. 
 
 After obtaining from the planters all the information 
 which was neededj we decided upon penetrating to the 
 village; and after a temporary sojourn there, to strike 
 the beach again, and journey round to Taloo, a harbour 
 on the opposite side of the island. 
 
 We at once put ourselves in travelling trim. Just 
 
 previous to leaving Tahiti, having found my wardrobe 
 
 reduced to two suits (frock and trousers, both much the 
 
 worse for wear), I had quilted them together for mutual 
 
 241 Q 
 
24-2 Omoo 
 
 preservation (after a fashion peculiar to sailors); engraft- 
 ing a red frock upon a blue one, and producing thereby a 
 choice variety in the way of clothing. This was the ex- 
 tent of my wardrobe. Nor was the doctor by any means 
 better off. His improvidence had at last driven him to 
 don the nautical garb; but by this time his frock — a 
 light cotton one — had almost given out, and he had nothing 
 to replace it. Shorty very generously offered him one 
 which was a little less ragged; but the alms were proudly 
 refused; Long Ghost preferring to assume the ancient 
 costume of Tahiti — the " Roora." 
 
 This garment, once worn as a festival dress, is now 
 seldom' met with; but Captain Bob had often shown us 
 one which he kept as an heirloom. It was a cloak, or 
 mantle, of yellow tappa, precisely similar to the " poncho " 
 worn by the South - American Spaniards. The head 
 being slipped through a slit in the middle, the robe, hangs 
 about the person in ample drapery. Tonoi obtained 
 sufficient coarse brown tappa to make a short mantle of 
 this description; and in five minutes the doctor was 
 equipped. Zeke, eyeing his toga critically, reminded its 
 proprietor that there were many streams to ford, and 
 precipices to' scale, between Martair and Tamai; and if 
 he travelled in petticoats, he had better hold them up. 
 
 Besides other deficiences, we were utterly shoeless. In 
 the free and easy Pacific, sailors seldom wear shoes ; mine 
 had been tossed overboard the day we met the Trades; 
 and except in one or two tramps ashore, I had never worn 
 any since. In Martair, they would have been desirable: 
 but none were to be had; For the expeditioA we medi- 
 tated, however, they were indispensable. Zeke, oeing 
 the owner of a pair of huge, dilapidated boots, hanging 
 from a rafter like saddle-ba;gs, the doctor succeeded in 
 exchanging for them a case-knife, the last valuable article 
 in his possession. For myself, I made sandals from a 
 bullock's hide, such as are worn by the Indians in Cali- 
 fornia. They are made in a minute; the sole, rudely 
 fashioned to the foot, being confined across the instep by 
 three straps of leather. 
 
 Our headgear deserves a passing word. My comrade's 
 
preparing for the Journey 243 
 
 was a brave old Panama hat^ made of grasSj almost as fine 
 as threads of silk; and so elastic that, upon rolling it up, 
 it sprang into perfect shape again. Set off by the jaunty 
 slouch of this Spanish sombrero. Doctor Long Ghost, in 
 this and his Roora, looked like a mendicant grandee. 
 
 Nor was my own appearance in an Eastern turban less 
 distinguished. The way I came to wear it was this. My 
 hat having been knocked overboard a few days before 
 reaching Papeetee, I was obliged to mount an abominable 
 wad of parti-coloured worsted — what sailors call a Scotch 
 cap. Everyone knows the elasticity of knit wool ; and 
 this. Caledonian head-dress crowned my temples so effectu- 
 ally that tjie confined atmosphere engendered was preju- 
 dicial to my curls. In vain I tried to ventilate the cap : 
 every gash made seemed to heal whole in no time. Then 
 such a continual chafing as it kept up in a hot sun. 
 
 Seeing my '"dislike to the thing, Kooloo, my worthy 
 friend, prevailed upon me to bestow it upon him. I did 
 so ; hinting that a good boiling might restore the original 
 brilliancy of the colours. 
 
 It was then that I mounted the turban. Taking a new 
 Regatta frock of the doctor's, which was of a gay caUco, 
 and winding it round my head in folds, I allowed the 
 sleeves to droop behind — thus forming a good defence 
 against the sun, though in a shower it was best off. The 
 pendent sleeves adding much to the effect, the doctor 
 called me the Bashaw with Two Tails. 
 
 Thus arrayed, we were ready for Tamai ; in whose green 
 saloons we counted upon creating no small sensation. 
 
CHAPTER LXII 
 
 TAMAI 
 
 Long before sunrise the next morning my sandals were 
 laced oHj and the doctor had vaulted into Zeke's boots. 
 
 Expecting to see us again before we went to Taloo, the 
 planters wished us a pleasant journey; and, on parting, 
 very generously presented us with a pound Or two of what 
 sailors call " plug " tobacco; telling us to ;Cnt it up into 
 srnall change; the Virginian weed being- the principal 
 circulating medium on the island. ',' 
 
 Tamai, we were told, was not more thaii three or four 
 leagues distant; so making allowances for ^ wild road, 
 a few hours to rest at noon, and our determination to 
 take the journey leisurely, we counted upon reaching the 
 shores of the lake some time in the flush of the evening. 
 
 For several hours we went on slowly through wood and 
 ravine, and over hill and precipice, seeing nothing but 
 occasional herds of wild cattle, and often resting; until 
 we found ourselves, about noon, in the very heaift of the 
 island. 
 
 It was a green, cool hollow among the mountains, into 
 which we at last descended with a bound. The place was 
 gushing with a hundred springs, and shaded over with 
 great solemn trees, on whose mossy boles the moisture stood 
 in beads. Strange to say, no traces of the bullocks ever 
 having been here were revealed. Nor was there a sound 
 to be heard, nor a bird to be seen, nor any breath of wind 
 stirring the leaves. The utter solitude and silence were 
 oppressive; and after peering about under the shades, 
 and seeing nothing but ranks of dark, motionless trunks, 
 we hurried across the hollow, and ascended a steep moun- 
 tain opposite. 
 
 Midway up, we rested where the earth had gathered 
 about the roots of three palms, and thus formed a pleasant 
 244 
 
Tamai 241; 
 
 lounge, from which we looked down upon the hcrllow, now 
 one dark green tuft of woodland at our feet. Here we 
 brought forth a small calabash of " -poee," a parting 
 present from Tonoi. After eating heartily, we obtained 
 fire by two sticks, and throwing ourselves back, puffed 
 forth our fatigue in wreaths of smoke. At last we fell 
 asleep; nor did we waken till the sun had sunk so low 
 that its rays darted in upon us under the foliage. 
 
 Starting up, we then continued our journey; and as we 
 gained the mountain top — there, to our surprise, lay the 
 lake and village, of Tamai. We had thought it a good 
 league off. Where we stood, the yellow sunset was still 
 lingering; but over the valley below loner shadows were 
 stealing — the rippling green lake reflecting the houses and 
 trees just as they stood along its banks. Several small 
 eanoes, moored here and there to posts in the water, were 
 dancing upon the waves ; and one solitary fisherman was 
 paddling over to a grassy point. In front of the houses, 
 groups of natives were seen; some thrown at full length 
 upon the ground, and others indolently leaning against 
 the bamboos. 
 
 With whoop and halloo, we ran down the hills, the 
 villagers soon hurrying forth to see who were coming. 
 As we drew near, they gathered round, all curiosity to 
 know what brought the " karhowrees " into their quiet 
 country. The doctor contriving to make them under- 
 stand the purely social object of our visit, they gave us a 
 true Tahitian welcome ; pointing into their dwelUngs, and 
 saying they were ours as long as we chose to remain. 
 
 We were struck by the appearance of these people, both 
 men and women; so much more healthful than the in- 
 habitants of the bays. As for the young girls, they were 
 more retiring and modest, more tidy in their dress, and far 
 fresher and more beautiful than the damsels of the coast. 
 A thousand pities, thought I, that they should bury their 
 charms in this nook of a valley. 
 
 That night we abode in the house of Rartoo, a hospitable 
 old chief. It was right on the shore of the lake; and at 
 supper we looked out through a rustling screen of foliage 
 upon the surface of the starlit water. 
 
246 Omoo 
 
 The next day we rambled about, and found a happy 
 little community, comparatively free from many deplorable 
 evils to which the rest of their countrymen are subject. 
 Their time, too, was more occupied. To my surprise, the 
 manufacture of tappa was going on in several buildings. 
 European calicoes were seldom seen, and not many articles 
 of foreign origin of any description. 
 
 The people of Tamai were nominally Christians; but 
 being so remote from ecclesiastical jurisdiction, their re- 
 ligion sat lightly upon them. We had been told, even, 
 that many heatlienish games and dances still secretly 
 lingered in their valley. 
 
 Now the prospect of seeing an old-fashioned " hevar," 
 or Tahitian reel, was one of the inducements which brought 
 us here; and so, finding Rartoo rather liberal in his 
 religious ideas, we disclosed our desire. At first he de- 
 murred; and shrugging his shoulders like a Frenchman, 
 declared it could not be brought about — was a dangerous 
 matter to attempt, and might bring all concerned into 
 trouble. Bijt we overcame all this, convinced him that 
 the thing could be done, and a " hevar," a genuine pagan 
 fandango, was arranged for that very night. 
 
CHAPTER LXIII 
 
 A DANCE IN THE VALLEY 
 
 There were some ill-natured people — tell-tales — it seemed, 
 in Tamai; and hence there was a deal of mystery about 
 getting up the dance. 
 
 An hour of two before midnight, Rartoo entered the 
 house, and, throwing robes of tappa over us, bade us 
 follow at a distance behind him; and, until out of the 
 village, hood our faces. Keenly alive to the adventure, 
 we obeyed. At last, after taking a wide circuit, we came 
 out upon the farthest shore of the lake. It was a wide, 
 dewy space; lighted up by a full moon, and carpeted 
 with a minute species of fern growing closely together. 
 It swept right down to the water, showing the village 
 opposite, glistening among the groves. 
 
 Near the trees, on one side of the clear space, was a 
 ruinous pile of stones many rods in extent; upon which 
 had formerly stood a temple of Oro. At present, there 
 was nothing but a rude hut, planted on the lowermost 
 terrace. It seemed to have been used as a " tappa Jierree," 
 or house for making the native cloth. 
 
 Here we saw lights gleaming from between the bam- 
 boos, and casting long, rod-like shadows upon the ground 
 without. Voices also were heard. We went up, and had 
 a peep at the dancers who were getting ready for the 
 ballet. They were some twenty in number; waited upon 
 by hideous old crones, who might have been duennas. 
 Long Ghost proposed to send the latter packing; but 
 Rartoo said it would never do, and so they were permitted 
 to remain. 
 
 We tried to effect an entrance at the door, which was 
 fastened ; but, after a noisy discussion with one of the old 
 witches within, our guide became fidgety, and, at last, 
 247 
 
248 
 
 Omoo 
 
 told us to desist, or we would spoil all. He then led us- 
 off to a distance to await the performance; as the girls, 
 he said, did not wish to be recognized. He, furthermore, 
 made us promise to remain where we were until all was 
 over, and the dancers had retired. 
 
 We waited impatiently; and, at last, they came forth. 
 They were arrayed in short tunics of white tappa; with 
 garlands of flowers on their heads. Following them were 
 the duennas, who remained clustering about the house, 
 while the girls advanced a few paces ; and, in an instant, 
 two of them, taller than their companions, were standing, 
 side by side, in the middle of a ring formed by the clasped 
 hands of the rest. This movement was made in perfect 
 silence. 
 
 Presently the two girls join halnds overhead; and, cry- 
 ing out, " Ahloo! ahloo! " wave them to and fro. Upon 
 which the ring begins to circle slowly ; the dancef s moving 
 sideways, with their arms a little drooping. Soon they 
 quicken their pace; and, at last, fly round and round: 
 bosoms heaving, hair streaming, flowers dropping, and 
 every sparkling eye circling in what seemed a line of light. 
 
 Meanwhile, the pair within are passing and repassing 
 each other incessantly. Inclining sideways, so that their 
 long hair falls far over, they glide this way and that; one 
 foot continually in the air, and their fingers thrown forth, 
 and twirling in the moonbeams. 
 
 "Ahloo! ahloo!" again cry the dance queens; and 
 coming together in the middle of the ring, they once more 
 lift up the arch, and stand motionless. 
 
 " Ahloo! ahloo! " Every link of the circle is broken; 
 stnd the girls, deeply breathing, stand perfectly stiU. They 
 pant hard and fast a moment or two; and then, just as 
 the deep flush is dying away from their faces, slowly 
 recede, atll round; thus enlarging the ring. 
 
 Again the two leaders wave their hands, when the rest 
 jiause; and now, far apart, stand in the still moonlight 
 like a circle of fairies. Presently, raising a strange chant, 
 they softly sway themselves, gradually quickening the 
 movement, until, at length, for a few passionate moments, 
 with throbbing bosoms and glowing cheeks, they abandon 
 
A Dance in the Valley 249 
 
 themselves to all the spirit of the dance, apparently lost 
 to everything around. But soon subsiding again into the 
 same languid measure as before, they become motionless ; 
 and then, reeling forward on all sides, their eyes swimming 
 in their heads, join in one wild chorus, and sink into each 
 other's arms. 
 
 Such is the Lory-Lory, I think they call it; the dance of 
 the backsliding girls of Tamai. 
 
 While it was going on, we had as much as we could do 
 to keep the doctor from rushing forward and seizing a 
 partner. 
 
 They would give us no more " hevars " that night; and 
 Rartoo fairly dragged us away to a canoe, hauled up 
 on" the lake shore ; when we reluctantly embarked, and 
 paddling over to the village, arrived there in time for a 
 good nap before sunrise. 
 
 The next day, the doctor went about trying to hunt up 
 the overnight dancers. He thought to detect them by 
 their late rising ; but never was man more mistaken; for, 
 on first sallying out, the whole village was asleep, waking 
 up in concert about an hour after. But, in the course of 
 the day, he came across several whom he at once charged 
 with taking part in the " hevar." There were some prim- 
 looking fellows standing by (visiting elders from Afrehitoo, 
 perhaps), and the girls looked embarrassed; but parried 
 the charge most skilfully. 
 
 Though soft as doves, in general, the ladies of Tamai 
 are, nevertheless, flavoured with a slight tincture of what 
 we queerly enough call the "devil"; and they showed it 
 on the present occasion. For when the doctor pressed 
 one rather hard, she all at once turned round upon him, 
 and, giving him a box on the ear, told him to " hanree 
 perrar ! " (be off with himself.) 
 
CHAPTER LXIV 
 
 MYSTERIOUS 
 
 There was a little old man of a most hideous aspect 
 living in Tamai, who, in a coarse mantle of tappa, went 
 about the village, dancing, and singing, and making faces. 
 He followed us about wherever we went; and, when 
 unobserved by others, plucked at our garments, making 
 frightful signs for us to go along with him somewhere, and 
 see something. 
 
 It was in vain that we tried to get rid of him. Kicks 
 and cuffs, even, were at last resorted to; but, though he 
 howled like one possessed, he would not go away, but still 
 haunted us. At last, we conjured the natives to rid us of 
 him ; but they only laughed ; so we were forced to endure 
 the dispensation as well as we could. 
 
 On the fourth night of our visit, returning home late 
 from paying a few calls through the village, we turned a 
 dark corner of trees, and came full upon our goblin friend : 
 as usual, chattering, and motioning with his hands. The 
 doctor, venting a curse, hurried forward; but, from some 
 impulse or other, I stood my ground, resolved to find out 
 what this unaccountable object wanted of us. Seeing me 
 pause, he crept close up to me, peered into my face, and 
 then retreated, beckoning me to follow; which I did. 
 
 In a few moments the village was behind us; and with 
 my guide in advance, I found myself in the shadow of the 
 heights overlooking the farther side of the valley. Here 
 my guide paused until I came up with him; when, side 
 by side, and without speaking, we ascended the hill. 
 
 Presently, we came to a wretched hut, barely distinguish- 
 able in the shade cast by the neighbouring trees. Pushing 
 aside a rude sliding door, held together with thongs, the 
 goblin signed me to enter. Within, it looked dark as pitch; 
 250 
 
Mysterious 251 
 
 so I gave him to understand that he must strike a light, 
 and go in before me. Without replying, he disappeared 
 in the darkness; and, after groping about, I heard two 
 sticks rubbing together, and directly saw a spark. A 
 native taper was then lighted, and I stooped, and entered. 
 
 It was a mere kennel. Foul old mats, and broken 
 cocoa-nut shells, and calabashes were strewn about the 
 floor of earth; and overhead I caught glimpses of the 
 stars through chinks in the roof. Here and there the 
 thatch had fallen through, and hung down in wisps. 
 
 I now told him to set about what he was going to do, or 
 produce whatever he had to show without delay. Look- 
 ing round fearfully, as if dreading a surprise, he com- 
 menced turning over and over the rubbish in one corner. 
 At last, he clutched a calabash, stained black, and with 
 the neck broken off; on one side of it was a large hole. 
 Something seemed to be stuffed away in the vessel; and 
 after a deal of poking at the aperture, a musty old pair of 
 sailor trousers was drawn forth; and, holding them up 
 eagerly, he inquired how many pieces of tobacco I would 
 give for them. 
 
 Without replying, I hurried away; the old man chasing 
 me, and shouting as I ran, until I gained the village. Here 
 I dodged him, and made my way hojne, resolved never to 
 disclose so inglorious an adventure. 
 
 To no purpose, the next morning, my comrade besought 
 me to enlighten him; I preserved a mysterious silence. 
 
 The occurrence served me a good turn, however, so long 
 as we abode in Tamai; for the old clothesman never after- 
 wards troubled me; but forever haunted the doctor, who, 
 in vain, supplicated Heaven to be delivered from him. 
 
CHAPTER LXV 
 
 THE HEGIRA, OR FLIGHT 
 
 " I SAY, doctor/' cried I, a few days after my adventure 
 with the goblin, as, in the absence of our host, we were one 
 morning lounging upon the matting in his dwelling, smok- 
 ing our reed pipes, " Tamai's a thriving place; why not 
 settle down? " 
 
 " Faith ! " said he, " not a bad idea, Paul. But do you 
 fancy they'll let us stay, though ? " 
 
 " Why, certainly; they would be overjoyed to have a 
 couple of Karh'owrees for townsmen." 
 
 " Gad ! you're right, my pleasant fellow. Ha ! ha ! 
 I'll put up a banana-leaf as a physician from London — de- 
 liver lectures on Polynesian antiquities — teach English in 
 five lessons, of one hour each — establish power-looms for 
 the manufacture of tappa — lay out a public park in the 
 middle of the village, and found a festival in honour of 
 Captain Cook ! " 
 
 " But, surely, not without stopping to take breath," 
 observed I. 
 
 The doctor's projects, to be sure, were of a rather vision- 
 ary cast; but we seriously thought, nevertheless, of pro- 
 longing our stay in the valley for an indefinite period ; and, 
 with this understanding, we were turning over various 
 plans for spending our time pleasantly, when several 
 women came running into the house, and hurriedly be- 
 sought us to heree 1 heree 1 (make our escape), crying out 
 something about the Mukonarees. 
 
 Thinking that we were about to be taken up under the 
 act for the suppression of vagrancy, we flew out of the 
 house, sprang into a canoe before the door, and paddled 
 with might and main over to the opposite side of the lake. 
 
 Approaching Rartoo's dwelling was a great crowd, 
 252 
 
The Hegira, or Flight 253 
 
 among which we perceived several natives, who, from 
 their partly European dress, we were certain did not reside 
 in Tamai. 
 
 Plunging into the groves, we thanked our stars that we 
 had thus narrowly escaped being apprehended as runaway 
 seamen, and marched off to the beach. This, at least, was 
 what we thought we had escaped. 
 
 Having fled the village, we could not think of prowling 
 about its vicinity, and then returning; in doing so we 
 might be risking our libejty again. We therefore deter- 
 mined upon journeying back to Martair; and setting our 
 faces thitherward, we reached the planters' house about 
 nightfall. They gave us a cordial reception, and a hearty 
 supper; and we sat up talking until a late hour. 
 
 We now prepared to go round to Taloo, a place from 
 which we were not far off when at Tamai; but wishing to 
 see as much of the island as we could, we preferred re- 
 turning to Martair, and then going round by way of the 
 beach. 
 
 Taloo, the only frequented harbour of Imeeo, lies on 
 the western side of the island, almost directly over against 
 Martair. Upon one shore of the bay stands the village of 
 Partoowye, a missionary station. In its vicinity is an 
 extensive sugar plantation — the best in the South Seas, 
 perhaps: — worked by a person from Sydney. 
 
 The patrimonial property of the husband of Pomaree, 
 and every way a delightful retreat, Partoowye was one of 
 the occasional residences of the court. But at the time I 
 write of it was permanently fixed there, the queen having 
 fled thither from Tahiti. 
 
 Partoowye, they told us, was by no means the place 
 Papeetee was. Ships seldom touched, and very few 
 foreigners were living ashore. A solitary whaler, however, 
 was reported to be lying in the harbour, wooding and 
 watering, and to be in want of men. 
 
 All things considered, I could not help looking upon 
 Taloo as offering " a splendid opening " for us adventurers. 
 To say nothing of the facilities presented for going to sea 
 in the whaler, or hiring ourselves out as day labourers in 
 the sugar plantation, there were hopes to be entertained 
 
254 Omoo 
 
 of being promoted to some office of high trust and emolu- 
 ment about the person of her majesty, the queen. 
 
 Nor was this expectation altogether Quixotic. In the 
 train of many Polynesian princes roving whites are fre- 
 quently found: gentleman pensioners of state, basking 
 in the tropical sunshine of thfe court, and leading the 
 pleasantest lives in the world. Upon islands little visited 
 by foreigners the first seaman that settles down is gener- 
 ally domesticated' in the family of the head chief or king'; 
 where he frequently discharges the functions of various 
 offices, elsewhete filled by as many different individuals. 
 As historiographer, for instance, he gives the natives some 
 account of' distant countries ; as commissioner of the arts 
 and sciences^ he ihstructs them in the use of the jack-knife, 
 and the beii way of shaping bits of iron hoop into spear- 
 heads; and a^ interpreter to his majesty, he facilitates 
 intercourse with strangers ; besides instructing the people 
 generally in the uses of the most common English phrases, 
 civil and profane; but oftener the latter. 
 
 These men generally marry well; often — like Hardy of 
 Hannamtoob — into the blood royal. 
 
 Sometimes they officiate as personal attendant, or 
 First Lord in Waiting, to the king. At Amboi, one of 
 the Tonga Islands, a vagabond Welshman bends his knee 
 as cupbearer to his cannibal majesty. He mixes his 
 morning cup of " arva," and, with profound genuflec- 
 tions, presents it in a cocoa-nut bowl, richly carved. 
 Upon another island of the same group, 'where it is cus- 
 tomary to bestow no small pains in dressing the hair — 
 frizzing it out by a curious process into an enormous 
 Pope's head — an old man-of-war's-man fills the post of 
 barber to the king. And as his majesty is not very neat, 
 his mop is exceedingly populous; so that, when Jack is 
 not engaged in dressing the head intrusted to his charge, 
 he busies himself in gently titillating it — a sort of skewer 
 being actually worn about in the patient's hair for that 
 special purpose. 
 
 Even upon the Sandwich Islands a low rabble of 
 foreigners is kept about the person of Tammahammaha 
 for the purpose of ministering to his ease or enjoyment. 
 
The Hegira, or Flight 255 
 
 Billy Loon,- a jolly little negro, tricked out in a soiled 
 blue jacket, studded all over with rusty bell buttons, and 
 garnished with shabby gold lace, is the royal drummer 
 and pounder of the tambourine. Joe, a wooden-legged 
 Portuguese who lost his leg by a whale, is violinist; and 
 Mordecai, as he is called, a villainous-looking scamp, 
 going about with his cups and balls in a side pocket, 
 diverts the court with his jugglery. These idle rascals 
 receive no fixed salary, being altogether dependent upon 
 the casual bounty of their master. Now and then they 
 run up a score at the Dance Houses in Honolulu, where 
 the illustrious Tammahammaha III. afterward calls and 
 settles the bill. 
 
 A few years since an auctioneer to his majesty came 
 near being added to the retinue of state. It seems that 
 he was the first man who had practised his vocation on 
 the Sandwich Islands; and delighted with the sport of 
 bidding upon his wares, the king was one of his best 
 customers. At last he besought the man to leave all and 
 follow him, and he should be handsomely provided for 
 at court. But the auctioneer refused; and so the ivory 
 hammer lost the chance of being borne before him on a 
 velvet cushion when the next king went to be crowned. 
 
 But it was not as strolling players, nor as footmen out 
 of employ, that the doctor and myself looked forward to 
 our approaching introduction to the court of the Queen 
 of Tahiti. On the contrary, as before hinted, we expected 
 to swell the appropriations of bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts 
 on the Civil List by filling some honourable office in her gift. 
 
 We were told that, to resist the usurpation of the 
 French, the queen was rallying about her person all the 
 foreigners she could. Her partiality for the English and 
 Americans was well known; and this was an additional 
 ground for our anticipating a favourable reception. 
 Zeke had informed us, moreover, that by the queen's 
 counsellors at Partoowye, a war of aggression against 
 the invaders of Papeetee had been seriously thought of. 
 Should this prove true, a surgeon's commission for the 
 doctor, and a lieutenancy for myself, were certainly 
 counted upon in our sanguine expectations. 
 
256 
 
 Orrioo 
 
 Such, then, were our views, and such our hopes in pro- 
 jecting a trip to Taloo. But in our most lofty aspira- 
 tions we by no means lost sight of any minor matters 
 which might help us to promotion. The doctor had in- 
 formed me that he excelled in playing the fiddle. I 
 now suggested that, as soon as we arrived at Partoowye, 
 we should endeavour to borrow a violin for him; or if 
 this could not be done, that he should manufacture some 
 kind of a substitute, and, thus equipped, apply for an 
 audience of the queen. Her well-known passion for 
 music would at once secure his admittance ; and so, under 
 the most favourable auspices, bring about our intro- 
 duction to her notice. 
 
 " And who knows," said my waggish comrade, throw- 
 ing his head back and performing an imaginary air by 
 bnskly drawing one arm across the other, " who knows 
 that I may not fiddle myself into her majesty's good 
 graces so as to become a sort of Rizzio to the Tahitian 
 princess." 
 
CHAPTER LXVI 
 
 HOW WE WERE TO GET TO TALOO 
 
 The inglorious circumstances of our somewhat premature 
 departure from Tamai filled the sagacious doctor, and 
 myself, with sundry misgivings for the future. 
 
 Under Zeke's protection, we were secure from all im- 
 pertinent interference in our. concerns on the part of the 
 natives. But as friendless wanderers over the island, we 
 ran the risk of being apprehended as runaways, and, as 
 such, sent back to Tahiti. The truth is that the rewards 
 constantly offered for the apprehension of deserters from 
 ships induce some of the natives to eye all strangers 
 suspiciously. 
 
 A passport was therefore desirable; but such a thing 
 had never been heard of in Imeeo. At last, Long Ghost 
 suggested that, as the Yankee was well known and much 
 respected all over the island, we should endeavour to 
 obtain from him' some sort of paper, not only certifying 
 to our having been in his employ, but also to our not 
 being highwaymen, kidnappers, nor yet runaway sea- 
 men. Even written in English, a paper like this would 
 answer every purpose; for the unlettered natives, stand- 
 ing in great awe of the document, would not dare to 
 molest us until acquainted with its purport. Then, if it 
 came to the worst, we might repair to the nearest mis- 
 sionary, and have the passport explained. 
 
 Upon informing Zeke of these matters, he seemed 
 highly flattered with the opinion we entertained of his 
 reputation abroad; and he agreed to oblige us. The 
 doctor at once offered to furnish him with a draught 
 of the paper; but he refused, saying he would write it 
 himself. With a rooster's quill, therefore, a bit of soiled 
 paper, and a stout heart, he set to work. Evidently he 
 
 257 R 
 
258 Omoo 
 
 was not accustomed to composition; for his literary- 
 throes were so violent that the doctor suggested that 
 some sort of a Caesarian operation might be necessary. 
 
 The precious paper was at last finished; and a great 
 curiosity it was. We were much diverted with his reasons 
 for not dating it. 
 
 " In this here dummed climmate," he observed, " a 
 feller can't keep the run of the months, nohow; cause 
 there's no seasons; no summer and winter, to go by. 
 One's etamally thinkin' it's always July, it's so pesky 
 hot." 
 
 A passport provided, we cast about for some means of 
 getting to Taloo. 
 
 The island of Imeeo is very nearly surrounded by a 
 regular breakwater of coral extending within a mile or 
 less of the shore. The smooth canal within furnishes 
 the best means of communication with the different 
 settlements; all of which, with the exception of Tamai, 
 are right upon the water. And so indolent are the 
 Imeeose that they think nothing of going twenty or 
 thirty miles round the island in a canoe in order to reach 
 a place not a quarter of that distance by land. But as 
 hinted before, the fear of the bullocks has something to 
 do with this. 
 
 The idea of journeying in a canoe struck our fancy 
 quite pleasantly; and we at once set about chartering 
 one, if possible. But none could we obtain. For not 
 only did we have nothing to pay for hiring one, but we 
 could not expect to have it loaned; inasmuch as the good- 
 natured owner would, in all probability, have to walk 
 along the beach as we paddled in order to bring back his 
 property when we had no further use for it. 
 
 At last, it was decided to commence our journey on 
 foot; trusting that we would soon fall in with a canoe 
 going our way, in which we might take passage. 
 
 The planters said we would find no beaten path: all we 
 had to do was to follow the beach; and however inviting 
 it might look inland, on no account must we stray from 
 it. In short, the longest way round was the nearest way 
 to Taloo. At intervals, there were little hamlets along 
 
How We Were to Get to Taloo 259 
 
 the shore, besides lonely fishermen's huts here and there, 
 where we could get plenty to eat without pay; so there 
 was no necessity to lay in any store. 
 
 Intending to be off before sunrise the next morning, 
 so as to have the benefit of the coolest part of the day, 
 we bade our kind hosts farewell overnight; and then, 
 repairing to the beach, we launched our floating pallet, 
 and slept away merrily till dawn. 
 
CHAPTER LXVII 
 
 THE JOURNEY ROUND THE BEACH 
 
 It was on the fourth day of the first month of the Hegira, 
 or flight from Tamai (we now reckoned our time thus), 
 that, rising bright and early, we were up and away out 
 of the valley of Martair before the fishermen even were 
 stirring. 
 
 It was the earliest dawn. The morning only showed 
 itself along the lower edge of a bank of purple clouds 
 pierced by the misty peaks of Tahiti. The, tropical day 
 seemed too languid to rise. Sometimes, starting fitfully, 
 it decked the clouds with faint edgings of pink and gray, 
 which, fading away, left all dim again. Anon, it threw 
 out thin, pale rays, growing lighter and lighter, until at 
 last, the golden morning sprang out of the East with a 
 bound — darting its bright beams hither and thither, 
 higher and higher, and sending them, broadcast, over 
 the face of the heavens. 
 
 All balmy from the groves of Tahiti came an indolent 
 air, cooled by its transit over the waters; and grateful 
 underfoot was the damp and slightly yielding beach, from 
 which the waves seemed just retired. 
 
 The doctor was in famous spirits ; removing his Roora, 
 he went splashing into the sea; and, after swimming a 
 few yards, waded ashore, hopping, skipping, and jump- 
 ing along the beach; but very careful to cut all his capers 
 in the direction of our journey. 
 
 Say what they will of the glowing independence one 
 feels in the saddle, give me the first morning flush of your 
 cheery pedestrian! 
 
 Thus exhilarated, we went on, as light-hearted and 
 care-free as we could wish. 
 
 And here I cannot refrain from lauding the very 
 260 
 
The Journey Round the Beach 261 
 
 iiisuperior inducements which most intertropical countries 
 safEord, not only to mere rovers like ourselves, but to 
 penniless people generally. In these genial regions one's 
 wants are naturally diminished; and those which remain 
 -are easily gratified; fuel, house-shelter, and, if you please, 
 clothing, may be entirely dispensed with. 
 
 How different our hard northern latitudes ! Alas ! the 
 lot of a " poor devil," twenty degrees north of the tropic 
 of Cancer, is indeed pitiable. 
 
 At last, the beach contracted to hardly a yard's width, 
 and the dense thicket almost dipped into the sea. In 
 place of the smooth sand, too, we had sharp fragments 
 of broken coral, which made travelling exceedingly un- 
 pleasant. "Lord! my foot!" roared the doctor, fetch- 
 ing it up for inspection, with a galvanic filing of the limb. 
 A sharp splinter had thrust itself into the flesh through 
 a hole in his boot. My sandals were worse yet; their 
 soles taking a sort of fossil impression of everything 
 trod upon. 
 
 Turning round a bold sweep of the beach, we came upon 
 a piece of fine, open ground, with a fisherman's dwelling 
 in the distance, crowning a knoll which rolled off into the 
 water. 
 
 The hut proved to be a low, rude erection, very recently 
 thrown up ; for the bamboos were still green as grass, and 
 the thatching fresh and fragrant as meadow hay. It 
 was open upon three sides; so that, upon drawing near, 
 •the domestic arrangements within were in plain sight. 
 No one was stirring; and nothing was to be seen but a 
 clumsy old chest of native workmanship, a few cala- 
 bashes, and bundles of tappa hanging against a post; and 
 a heap of something, we knew not what, in a dark corner. 
 Upon close inspection, the doctor discovered it to be a 
 loving old couple, locked in each other's arms, and rolled 
 together in a tappa mantle. 
 
 "Halloa! Darby!" he cried, shaking the one with a 
 beard. But Darby heeded him not; though Joan, a 
 wrinkled old body, started up in affright, and yelled 
 aloud. Neither of us attempting to gag her, she presently 
 became quiet; and, after staring hard and asking some 
 
262 Omoo 
 
 unintelligible questions, she proceeded to rouse her still 
 slumbering mate. 
 
 What ailed him we could not tell; but there was no 
 waking him. Equally in vain were all his dear spouse's 
 cuffs, pinches, and other endearments; he lay like a log, 
 face up, and snoring away like a cavalry trumpeter. 
 
 " Here, my good woman," said Long Ghost, " just let 
 me try; " and, taking the patient right by his nose, he so 
 lifted him bodily into a sitting position, and held him 
 there until his eyes opened. When this event came to 
 pass. Darby looked round like one stupefied; and then, 
 springing to his feet, backed away into a corner, from 
 which place we became the objects of his earnest and 
 respectful attention. 
 
 " Permit me, my dear Darby, to introduce to you my 
 esteemed friend and comrade, Paul," said the doctor, 
 gallanting me up with all the grimace and flourish imagin- 
 able. Upon this. Darby began to recover his faculties, 
 and surprised us not a little by talking a few words of 
 EngHsh. So far as could be understood, they were ex- 
 pressive of his having been aware that there were two 
 " karhowrees " in the neighbourhood; that he was glad 
 to see us, and would have something for us to eat in no 
 time. 
 
 How he came by his English was explained to us before 
 we left. Some time previous, he had been a denizen, 
 of Papeetee, where the native language is broidered 
 over with the most classic sailor phrases. He seemed to 
 be quite proud of his residence there; and alluded to it 
 in the same significant way in which a provincial informs 
 you that in his time he has resided in the capital. The 
 old fellow was disposed to be garrulous ; but being sharp- 
 set, we told him to get breakfast; after which we would 
 hear his anecdotes. While employed among the cala- 
 bashes, the strange, antiquated fondness between these 
 old semi-savages was really amusing. I made no doubt 
 that they were saying to each other, " yes, my love " — 
 " no, my life," just in the same way that some young 
 couples do, at home. 
 
 They gave us a hearty meal; and while we were dis- 
 
The Journey Round the Beach 263 
 
 cussing its merits, they assured us, over and over again, 
 that they expected nothing in return for their attentions ; 
 more: we were at liberty to stay aS long as we pleased; 
 and as long as we did stay, their house and everything 
 they had was no longer theirs, but ours; still more: 
 they themselves were our slaves — the old lady, to a degree 
 that was altogether superfluous. This, now, is Tahitian 
 hospitality! Self-immolation upon one's own hearth- 
 stone for the benefit of the guest. 
 
 The Polynesians carry their hospitality to an amazing 
 extent. Let a native of Waiurar, the westermost part 
 of Tahiti, make his appearance as a traveller at Partoo- 
 wye, the most easterly village of Imeeo; though a per- 
 fect stranger, the inhabitants on all sides accost him at 
 their doorways, inviting him to enter, and make himself 
 at home. But the traveller passes on, examining every 
 house attentively; until, at last, he pauses before one 
 which suits him, and then exclaiming, " ah, eda maitai " 
 (this one will do, I think), he steps in, and makes himself 
 perfectly at ease; flinging himself upon the mats, and 
 very probably calling for a nice young cocoa-nut, and a 
 piece of toasted bread-fruit, sliced thin, and done brown. 
 
 Curious to relate, however, should a stranger carrying 
 it thus bravely be afterward discovered to be without a 
 house of his own, why, he may thenceforth go a-begging 
 for his lodgings. The " karhowrees," or white men, are 
 exceptions to this rule. Thus it is precisely as in civilized 
 countries, where those who have houses and lands are 
 incessantly bored to death with invitations to come and 
 live in other people's houses; while many a poor gentle- 
 man who inks the seams of his coat, and to whom the 
 like invitation would be really acceptable, may go and 
 sue for it. But to the credit of the ancient Tahitians, it 
 should here be observed that this blemish upon their 
 hospitality is only of recent origin, and was wholly un- 
 known in old times. So told me. Captain Bob. 
 
 In Polynesia it is esteemed " a great hit " if a man 
 succeed in marrying into a family to which the best 
 part of the community is related (Heaven knows it is 
 otherwise with us). The reason is that, when he goes 
 
264 
 
 Omoo 
 
 a-travelling, the greater number of houses are the more 
 completely at his service. 
 
 Receiving a paternal benediction from old Darby and 
 Joan, we continued our journey; resolved to stop at the 
 very next place of attraction which offered. 
 
 Nor did we long stroll for it. A fine walk along a beach 
 of shells, and we came to a spot where, trees here and 
 there, the land was all meadow, sloping away to the water, 
 which stirred a sedgy growth of reeds bordering its margin. 
 Close by was a little cove, walled in with coral, where a 
 fleet of canoes was dancing up and down. A few paces 
 distant, on a natural terrace overlooking the sea, were 
 several native dwellings, newly thatched, and peeping 
 into view out of the foliage like summer-houses. 
 
 As we drew near, forth came a burst of voices, and, pre- 
 sently, three gay girls, overflowing with life, health, and 
 youth, and full of spirits and mischief. One was arrayed 
 in a flaunting robe of calico ; and her long black hair was 
 braided behind in two immense tresses, joined together at 
 the ends, and wreathed with the green tendrils of a vine. 
 From her self-possessed and forward air, I fancied she 
 might be some young lady from Papeetee on a visit to 
 her country relations. Her companions wore mere slips 
 of cotton cloth; their hair was dishevelled; and though 
 very pretty, they betrayed the reserve and embarrass- 
 ment characteristic of the provinces. 
 
 The little gipsy first mentioned ran up to me with great 
 cordiality; and, giving the Tahitian salutation, opened 
 upon me such a fire of questions that there was no under- 
 standing, much less answering them. But our hearty 
 welcome to Loohooloo, as she called the hamlet, was made 
 plain enough. Meanwhile, Doctor Long Ghost gallantly 
 presented an arm to each of the other young ladies; 
 which, at first, they knew not what to make of; but at 
 last, taking it for some kind of joke, accepted the civility. 
 
 The names of these three damsels were at once made 
 known by themselves : and being so exceedingly romantic, 
 I cannot forbear particularizing them. Upon my com- 
 rade's arms, then, were hanging Night and Morning, in 
 the persons of Farnowar, or the Day-Born, and Farnoopoo, 
 
The Journey Round the Beach 265 
 
 or the Night-Bom. She with the tresses was very ap- 
 propriately styled Marhar-Rarrar, the Wakeful, or Bright- 
 Eyed. 
 
 By this time, the houses were emptied of the rest of 
 their inmates — a few old men and women, and several 
 strapping young fellows rubbing their eyes and yawning. 
 All crowded round, putting questions as to whence we 
 came. Upon being informed of our acquaintance with 
 Zeke, they were delighted; and one of them recognized 
 the boots worn by the doctor. " Keekee (Zeke) maitai," 
 they cried, " nuee nuee hanna hanna portarto " — (makes 
 plenty of potatoes). 
 
 There was now a little friendly altercation as to who 
 should have the honour of entertaining the strangers. At 
 last, a tall old gentleman, by name Marharvai, with a bald 
 head and white beard, took us each by the hand, and led 
 us into his dwelling. Once inside, Marharvai, pointing 
 about with his staff, was so obsequious in assuring us that 
 his house was ours that Long Ghost suggested he might 
 as well hand over the deed. 
 
 It was drawing near noon; so after a light lunch of 
 roasted bread-fruit, a few whifEs of a pipe, and some 
 lively chatting, our host admonished the company to lie 
 down, and take the everlasting siesta. We complied; 
 and had a social nap all ground. 
 
CHAPTER LXVIII 
 
 A DINNER-PARTY IN IMEEO 
 
 It was just in the middle of the merry, mellow afternoon 
 that they ushered us to dinner, underneath a green shelter 
 of palm boughs ; open all round, and so low at the eaves 
 that we stooped to enter. 
 
 Within, the ground was strewn over with aromatic 
 ferns — called " nahee " — freshly gathered; which, stirred 
 underfoot, diffused the sweetest odour. On one side was 
 a row of yellow mats, inwrought with fibres of bark 
 stained a bright red. Here, seated after the fashion of 
 the Turk, we looked out, over a verdant bank, upon the 
 mild, blue, endless Pacific. So far round had we skirted 
 the island that the view of Tahiti was now intercepted. 
 
 Upon the ferns before us were laid several layers of 
 broad, thick " pooroo " leaves ; lapping over, one upon the 
 other.' And upon these were placed, side by side, newly- 
 plucked banana leaves, at least two yards in length, and 
 very wide; the stalks were withdrawn so as to make 
 them lie flat. This green cloth was set out and garnished 
 in the manner following : — 
 
 First, a number of " pooroo " leaves, by way of plates, 
 were ranged along on one side; and by each was a rustic 
 nut-bowl, half-filled with sea-water, and a Tahitian roll, or 
 small bread-fruit, roasted brown. An immense flat cala- 
 bash, placed in the centre, was heaped up with number- 
 less small packages of moist, steaming leaves: in each 
 was a small fish, baked in the earth, and done to a turn. 
 This pyramid of a dish was flanked on either side by 
 an ornamental calabash. One was brimming with the 
 golden-hued " poee," or pudding, made from the red plan- 
 tain of the mountains: the other was stacked up with 
 cakes of the Indian turnip, previously macerated in a 
 266 
 
A Dinner-Party in Imeeo 267 
 
 mortar, kneaded with the milk of the cocoa-nut, and then 
 baked. In the spaces between the three dishes were 
 piled young cocoa-nuts, stripped of their husks. Their 
 eyes had been opened and enlarged; so that each was a 
 ready-charged goblet. 
 
 There was a sort of side-cloth in one corner, upon which, 
 in bright, buff jackets, lay the fattest of bananas ; " avees," 
 red-ripe: guavas with the shadows of their crimson pulp 
 flushing through a transparent skin, and almost coming 
 and going there like blushes; oranges, tinged, here and 
 there, berry-brown; and great, jolly melons, which rolled 
 about in very portliness. Such a heap ! All ruddy, ripe, 
 and round — bursting with the good cheer of the tropical 
 soil from which they sprang ! 
 
 " A land of orchards! " cried the doctor, in a rapture; 
 and he snatched a morsel from a sort of fruit of which 
 gentlemen of the sanguine temperament are remarkably 
 fond; namely, the ripe cherry lips of Miss Day-Born, who 
 stood looking on. 
 
 Marharvai allotted seats to his guests; and the meal 
 began. Thinking that his hospitality needed some ac- 
 knowledgment, I rose, and pledged him in the vegetable 
 wine of the cocoa-nut; merely repeating the ordinary 
 salutation, " Yar onor boyoee." Sensible that some 
 compliment, after the fashion of white men, was paid him, 
 with a smile, and a courteous flourish of the hand, he bade 
 me be seated. No people, however refined, are more easy 
 and graceful in their manners than the Imeeose. 
 
 The doctor, sitting next our host, now came under his 
 special protection. Laying before his guest one of the 
 packages of fish, Marharvai opened it; and commended 
 its contents to his particular regards. But my comrade 
 was one of those who, on convivial occasions, can always 
 take care of themselves. He ate an indefinite number of 
 " Peehee Lee Lees " (small fish), his own and next neigh- 
 bour's bread-fruit; and helped himself, to right and left, 
 with all the ease of an accomplished diner-out. 
 
 " Paul," said he, at last, " you don't seem to be getting 
 along; why don't you try the pepper sauce? " and, by 
 way of example, he steeped a morsel of food into his 
 
268 Omoo 
 
 nutful of sea-water. On following suit, I found it quite 
 piquant, though rather bitter; but, on the whole, a capital 
 substitute for salt. The Imeeose invariably use sea- 
 water in this way, deeming it quite a treat; and consider- 
 ing that their country is surrounded by an ocean of catsup, 
 the luxury cannot be deemed an expensive one. 
 
 The fish were delicious ; the manner of cooking them in 
 the ground preserving all the juices, and rendering them 
 exceedingly sweet and tender. The plaintain pudding 
 was almost cloying; the cakes of Indian turnip, quite 
 palatable; and the roasted bread-fruit, crisp as toast. 
 
 During the meal, a native lad walked round and round 
 the party, carrying a long staff of bamboo. This he 
 occasionally tapped upon the cloth, before each guest; 
 when a white clotted substance dropped forth, with a 
 savour not unlike that of a curd. This proved to be 
 " Lownee," an excellent relish, prepared from the grated 
 meat of ripe cocoa-nuts, moistened with cocoa-nut milk 
 and salt water, and kept perfectly tight until a little past 
 the saccharine stage of fermentation. 
 
 Throughout the repast there was much lively, chatting 
 among the islanders, in which their conversational powers 
 quite exceeded ours. The young ladies, too, showed 
 themselves very expert in the use of their tongues, and 
 contributed much to the gaiety which prevailed. 
 
 Nor did these lively nymphs suffer the meal to languish; 
 for upon the doctor's throwing himself back, with an air 
 of much satisfaction, they sprang to their feet, and pelted 
 him with oranges and guavas. This, at last, put an end 
 to the entertainment. 
 
 By a hundred whimsical oddities, my long friend 
 became a great favourite with these people; and they 
 bestowed upon him a long, comical title, expressive of his 
 lank figure and Roora combined. The latter, by the 
 bye, never failed to excite the remark of everybody we 
 encountered. 
 
 The giving of nicknames is quite a passion with the 
 people of Tahiti and Imeeo. No one with any pecu- 
 liarity, whether of person or temper, is exempt; not even 
 strangers. 
 
A Dinner-Party in Imeeo 269 
 
 A pompous captain of a man-of-war, visiting Tahiti for 
 the second time, discovered that, among the natives, he 
 went by the dignified title of " Atee Poee "—literally, 
 Poee Head, or Pudding Head. Nor is the highest rank 
 among themselves any protection. The first husband of 
 the present queen was commonly known in the court 
 circles as " Pot Belly." He carried the greater part of 
 his person before him, to be sure; and so did the gentle- 
 manly George IV. — but what a title for a king consort ! 
 
 Even " Pomaree " itself, the royal patronymic, was, 
 originally, a mere nickname; and literally signifies, one 
 talking through his nose. The first monarch of that 
 name, being on a war party, and sleeping overnight among 
 the mountains, awoke one morning with a cold in his head; 
 and some wag of a courtier had no more manners than to 
 vulgarize him thus. 
 
 How different from the volatile Polynesian in this, as 
 in all other respects, is our grave and decorous North 
 American Indian. While the former bestows a name in 
 accordance with some humorous or ignoble trait, the 
 latter seizes upon what is deemed the most exalted or 
 warlike: pnd hence, among the red tribes, we have the 
 truly patrician appellations of " White Eagles," " Young 
 Oaks," " Fiery Eyes," and " Bended Bows." 
 
CHAPTER LXIX 
 
 THE COCOA-PALM 
 
 While the doctor and the natives were taking a digestive 
 nap after dinner^ I strolled forth to have a peep at the 
 country which could produce so generous a meal. 
 
 To my surprise, a fine strip of land in the vicinity of 
 the hamlet, and protected seaward by a grove of cocoa- 
 nut and bread-fruit trees, was under high cultivation. 
 Sweet potatoes, Indian turnips, and yams were growing; 
 also melons, a few pine-apples, and other fruits. Still 
 more pleasing was the sight of young bread-fruit and 
 cocoa-nut trees set out with great care, as if, for once, 
 the improvident Polynesian had thought of his posterity. 
 But this was the only instance of native thrift which ever 
 came under my observation. For, in all my rambles over 
 Tahiti and Imeeo, nothing so much struck me as the 
 comparative scarcity of these trees in many places where 
 they ought to abound. Entire valleys, like Martair, of 
 inexhaustible fertility are abandoned to all the rankness 
 of untamed vegetation. Alluvial flats bordering the sea, 
 and watered by streams from the mountains, are over- 
 grown with a wild, scrub guava-bush, introduced by 
 foreigners, and which spreads with such fatal rapidity that 
 the natives, standing still while it grows, anticipate its 
 covering the entire island. Even tracts of clear land, 
 which, with so little pains, might be made to wave with 
 orchards, lie wholly neglected. 
 
 When I considered their unequalled soil and climate, 
 thus unaccountably slighted, I often turned in amazement 
 upon the natives about Papeetee; some of whom all but 
 starve in their gardens run to waste. Upon other islands 
 which I have visited, of similar fertility, and wholly unre- 
 270 
 
The Cocoa-Palm 271 
 
 claimed from their first-discovered condition, no spectacle 
 of this sort was presented. 
 ^ The high estimation in which many of their fruit-trees 
 are held by the Tahitians and Imeeose — their beauty in 
 the landscape — their manifold uses, and the facility with 
 which they are propagated, are considerations which 
 render the remissness alluded to still more unaccountable. 
 The cocoa-palm is as an example; a tree by far the most 
 important production of Nature in the Tropics. To the 
 Polynesian it is emphatically the Tree of Life; trans- 
 cending even the bread-fruit in the multifarious uses to 
 which it is applied. 
 
 Its very aspect is imposing. Asserting its supremacy 
 by an erect and lofty bearing, it may be said to compare 
 with other trees as man with inferior creatures. 
 
 The blessings it confers are incalculable. Year after 
 year, the islander reposes beneath its shade, both eating 
 and drinking of its fruit; he thatches his hut with its 
 boughs, and weaves them into baskets to carry his food; 
 he cools himself with a fan platted from the young leaflets, 
 and shields his head from the sun by a bonnet of the 
 leaves; sometimes he clothes himself with the cloth-like 
 substance which wraps round the base of the stalks, whose 
 elastic rods, strung with filberts, are used "as a taper; the 
 larger nuts, thinned and polished, furnish him with a 
 beautiful goblet: the smaller ones, with bowls for his 
 pipes; the dry husks kindle his fires; their fibres are 
 twisted into fishing-Unes and cords for his canoes; he 
 heals his wounds with a balsam compounded from the 
 juice of the nut; and with the oil extracted from its meat 
 embalms the bodies of the dead. 
 
 The noble trunk itself is far from being valueless. 
 Sawn into posts, it upholds the islander's dwelling; con- 
 verted into charcoal, it cooks his food; and supported on 
 blocks of stone, rails in his lands. He impels his canoe 
 through the water with a paddle of the wood, and goes to 
 battle with clubs and spears of the same hard material. 
 
 In pagan Tahiti a cocoa-nut branch was the symbol of 
 regal authority. Laid upon the sacrifice in the temple, 
 it made the offering sacred; and with it the priests chas- 
 
272 Omoo 
 
 tised and put to flight the evil spirits which assailed them. 
 The supreme majesty of Oro, the great god of their 
 mythology, was declared in the cocoa-nut log from which 
 his image was rudely carved. Upon one of the Tonga 
 Islands, there stands a living tree revered itself as a deity. 
 Even upon the Sandwich Islands, the cocoa-palm retains 
 all its ancient reputation; the people there having 
 thought of adopting it as the national emblem. 
 
 The cocoa-nut is planted as follows : Selecting a suitable 
 place, you drop into the ground a fully ripe nut, and leave 
 it. In a few days, a thin, lance-like shoot forces itself 
 through a minute hole in the shell, pierces the husk, and 
 soon unfolds three pale-green leaves in the air; while 
 originating, in the same soft white sponge which now 
 completely fills the nut, a pair of fibrous roots, pushing 
 away the stoppers which close two holes in an opposite 
 direction, penetrate the shell, and strike vertically into 
 the ground. A day or two more, and the shell and husk, 
 which, in the last and germinating stage of the nut, are 
 so hard that a knife will scarcely make any impression, 
 spontaneously burst by some force within; and, hence- 
 forth, the hardy young plant thrives apace; and needing 
 no culture, pruning, or attention of any sort, rapidly ad- 
 vances to maturity. In four or five years it bears; in 
 twice as many more, it begins to lift its head among the 
 groves, where, waxing strong, it flourishes for near a 
 century. 
 
 Thus, as some voyager has said, the man who but drops 
 one of these nuts into the ground may be said to confer 
 a greater and more certain benefit upon himself and 
 posterity than many a life's toil in less genial climes. 
 
 The fruitfulness of the tree is remarkable. As long as 
 it lives it bears, and without intermission. Two hun- 
 dred nuts, besides innumerable white blossoms of others, 
 may be seen upon it at one time; and though a whole year 
 is required to bring any one of them to the germinating 
 point, no two, perhaps, are at one time in precisely the 
 same stage of growth. 
 
 The tree delights in a maritime situation. In its 
 greatest perfection, it is perhaps found right on the sea- 
 
The Cocoa-Palm 273 
 
 shore, where its roots are actually washed. But such in- 
 stances are only met with upon islands where the swell of 
 the sea is prevented from breaking on the beach by an 
 encircling reef. No saline flavour is perceptible in the nut 
 produced in such a place. Although it bears in any soil, 
 whether upland or bottom, it does not flourish vigorously 
 inland; and I have frequently observed that, when met 
 with far up the valleys, its tall stem inclines seaward, as if 
 pining after a more genial region. 
 
 It is a curious fact that if you deprive the cocoa-nut 
 tree of the verdant tuft at its head, it dies at once; and 
 if allowed to stand thus, the trunk, which, when ahve, is 
 encased in so hard a bark as to be almost impervious to 
 a bullet, moulders away, and, in an incredibly short 
 period, becomes dust. This is, perhaps, partly owing to 
 the peculiar constitution of the trunk, a mere cylinder of 
 minute hollow reeds, closely packed, and very hard ; but, 
 when exposed at top, peculiarly fitted to convey moisture 
 and decay through the entire stem. 
 
 The finest orchard of cocoa-palms I know, and the only 
 plantation of them I ever saw at the islands, is one that 
 stands right upon the southern shore of Papeetee Bay. 
 They were set out by the first Pomaree, almost half a 
 century ago; and the soil being especially adapted to 
 their growth, the noble trees now form a magnificent 
 grove, nearly a mile in extent. No other plant, scarcely 
 a bush, is to be seen within its precincts. The Broom 
 Road passes through its entire length. 
 
 At noonday, this grove is one of the most beautiful, 
 serene, witching places that ever was seen. High over- 
 head are ranges of green rustling arches; through which 
 the sun's rays come down to you in sparkles. You seem 
 lo be wandering through illimitable halls of pillars; every- 
 where you catch glimpses of stately aisles, intersecting 
 each other at all points. A strange silence, too, reigns 
 far and near; the air flushed with the mellow stillness of 
 a sunset. 
 
 But after the long morning calms, the sea-breeze comes 
 in; and creeping over the tops of these thousand trees, 
 they nod their plumes. Soon the breeze freshens; and 
 
 s 
 
274 Omoo 
 
 you hear the branches brushing against each other; and 
 the flexible trunks begin to sway. Toward evening the 
 whole grove is rocking to and fro ; and the traveller on the 
 Broom Road is startled by the frequent falling of the nuts, 
 snapped from their brittle stems. They come flying 
 through the air, ringing like jugglers' balls; and often 
 bound along the ground for many rods. 
 
CHAPTER LXX 
 
 LIFE AT LOOHOOLOO 
 
 Finding the society at Loohooloo very pleasant, the 
 young ladies, in particular, being extremely sociable; 
 and, moreover, in love with the famous good cheer of old 
 Marharvai, we acquiesced in an invitation of his to tarry 
 a few days longer. We might then, he said, join a small 
 canoe party which was going to a place a league or two 
 distant. So averse to all exertion are these people that 
 they really thought the prospect of thus getting rid of a 
 few miles' walking would prevail with us, even if there 
 were no other inducement. 
 
 The people of the hamlet, as we soon discovered, formed 
 a snug little community of cousins; of which our host 
 seemed the head. Marharvai, in truth, was a petty chief 
 who owned the neighbouring lands. And as the wealthy, 
 in most cases, rejoice in a numerous kindred, the family 
 footing upon which everybody visited him was, perhaps, 
 ascribable to the fact of his being the lord of the manor. 
 Like Captain Bob, he was, in some things, a gentleman of 
 the old school — a stickler for the customs of a past and 
 pagan age. 
 
 Nowhere else, except in Tamai, did we find the manners 
 of the natives less vitiated by recent changes. The old- 
 fashioned Tahitian dinner they gave us on the day of our 
 arrival was a fair sample of -their general mode of living. 
 
 Our time passed jdelightfully. The doctor went his 
 way, and I mine. With a pleasant companion, he was 
 forever strolling inland, ostensibly to collect botanical 
 specimens; while I, for the most part, kept near the sea; 
 sometimes taking the girls an aquatic excursion in a canoe. 
 
 Often we went fishing; not dozing over stupid hooks 
 275 
 
276 
 
 Omoo 
 
 and lines, but leaping right into the water, and chasing 
 our prey over the coral rocks, spear in hand. 
 
 Spearing fish is glorious sport. The Imeeose, all round 
 the island, catch them in no other way. The smooth 
 shallows between the reef and the shore, and, at low water, 
 the reef itself, being admirably adapted to this mode of 
 capturing them. At almost any time of the day — save 
 ever the sacred hour of noon — you may see the fish- 
 hunters pursuing their sport; with loud halloos, bran- 
 dishing their spears, and splashing through the water in 
 all directions. Sometimes a solitary native is seen, far out 
 upon a lonely shallow, wading slowly along, with eye 
 intent and poised spear. 
 
 But the best sport of all is going out upon the great 
 reef itself by torch -light. The natives follow this re- 
 creation with as much spirit as a gentleman of England 
 does the chase; and take full as much delight in it. 
 
 The torch is nothing more than a bunch of dry reeds, 
 bound firmly together : the spear, a long, light pole, with 
 an iron head, on one side barbed. 
 
 I shall never forget the night that old Marharvai and 
 the rest of us, paddling off to the reef, leaped at midnight 
 upon the coral ledges with waving torches and spears. 
 We were more than a mile from the land; the sullen 
 ocean, thundering upon the outside of the rocks, dashed 
 the spray in our faces, almost extinguishing the flam- 
 beaux; and, far as the eye could reach, the darkness of 
 sky and water was streaked with a long, misty line of 
 foam, marking the course of the coral barrier. The wild 
 fishermen, flourishing their weapons, and yelling like so 
 many demons to scare their prey, sprang from ledge to 
 ledge, and sometimes darted their spears in the very midst 
 of the breakers. 
 
 But fish-spearing was not the only sport we had at Loo- 
 hooloo. Right on the beach was a mighty old cocoa-nut 
 tree, the roots of which had been underwashed by the 
 waves so that the trunk inclined far over its base. From 
 the tuft of the tree a stout cord of bark depended, the 
 end of which swept the water several yards from the 
 shore. This was a Tahitian swing. A native lad seizes 
 
Life at Loohooloo 277 
 
 hold of the cord, and, after swinging to and fro quite 
 leisurely, all at once sends himaelf fifty or sixty feet from 
 the water, rushing through the air like a rocket. I doubt 
 whether any of our rope-dancers would attempt the feat. 
 For my own part, I had neither head nor heart for it; so, 
 after sending a lad aloft with an additional cord, by way 
 of security, I constructed a large basket of green boughs, 
 in which I and some particular friends of mine used to 
 swing over sea and land by the hour. 
 
CHAPTER LXXI 
 
 WE START FOR TALOO 
 
 Bright was the morning, and brighter still the smiles of 
 the young ladies who accompanied us, when we sprang 
 into a sort of family canoe — wide and roomy — and bade 
 adieu to the hospitable Marharvai and his tenantry. As 
 we . paddled away, they stood upon the beach, waving 
 their hands, and crying out, " aroha! aroha! " (farewell! 
 farewell !) as long as we were within hearing. 
 
 Very sad at parting with them, we endeavoured, never- 
 theless, to console ourselves in the society of our fellow- 
 passengers. Among these were two old ladies; but as 
 they said nothing to us, we will say nothing about them; 
 nor an5''thing about the old men who managed the canoe. 
 But of the three mischievous, dark-eyed young witches 
 who lounged in the stern of that comfortable old island 
 gondola, I have a great deal to say. 
 
 In the first place, one of them was Marhar-Rarrar, the 
 Bright-Eyed; and, in the second place, neither she nor 
 the romps, her companions, ever dreamed of taking the 
 voyage until the doctor and myself announced our inten- 
 tion; their going along was nothing more than a madcap 
 frolic; in short, they were a parcel of wicked hoydens, 
 bent on mischief, who laughed in your face when you 
 looked sentimental, and only tolerated your company 
 when making merry at your expense. 
 
 Something or other about us was perpetually awaking 
 their mirth. Attributing this to his own remarkable 
 figure, the doctor increased their enjoyment by assuming 
 the part of a Merry Andrew. Yet his cap and bells never 
 jingled but to some tune; and while playing the Tom- 
 fool, I more than suspected that he was trying to play the 
 rake. At home, it is deemed auspicious to go a-wooing 
 278 
 
We Start for Taloo 279 
 
 in epaulets ; but among the Polynesians, your best dress 
 in courting is motley. 
 
 A fresh breeze springing up, we set our sail of matting, 
 and glided along as tranquilly as if floating upon an inland 
 stream; the white reef on one hand, and the green shore 
 on the other. 
 
 Soon, as we turned a headland, we encountered another 
 canoe, paddling with might and main in an opposite direc- 
 tion; the strangers shouting to each other, and a tall 
 fellow in the bow dancing up and down like a crazy man. 
 They shot by us like an arrow, though our fellow-voyagers 
 shouted again and again for them to cease paddling. 
 
 According to the natives, this was a kind of royal mail- 
 canoe, carrying a message from the queen to her friends in 
 a distant part of the island. 
 
 Passing several shady bowers which looked quite in- 
 viting, we proposed touching, and diversifying the mono- 
 tony of a sea-voyage by a stroll ashore. So, forcing our 
 canoe among the bushes, behind a decayed palm lying 
 partly in the water, we left the old folks to take a nap in 
 the shade, and gallanted the others among the trees, 
 which were here trellised with vines and creeping shrubs. 
 
 In the early part of the afternoon, we drew near the 
 place to which the party were going. It was a solitary 
 house inhabited by four or five old women, who, when 
 we entered, were gathered in a circle about the mats, 
 eating poee from a cracked calabash. They seemed de- 
 lighted at seeing our companions, but rather drew up when 
 introduced to ourselves. Eyeing us distrustfully, they 
 whispered to know who we were. The answers they 
 received were not satisfactory; for they treated us with 
 marked coolness and reserve, and seemed desirous of 
 breaking off our acquaintance with the girls. Unwilling, 
 therefore, to stay where our company was disagreeable, 
 we resolved to depart without even eating a meal. 
 
 Informed of this, Marhar-Rarrar and her companions 
 evinced the most lively concern; and equally unmindful 
 of their former spirits, and the remonstrances of the old 
 ladies, broke forth into sobs and lamentations which were 
 not to be withstood. We agreed, therefore, to tarry until 
 
280 Omoo 
 
 they left for home; which would be at the " Aheharar," 
 or Falling of the Sun; in other words, at sunset. 
 
 When the hour arrivedj after much leave-taking, we saw 
 them safely embarked. As the canoe turned a bluff, they 
 seized the paddles from the hands of the old men, and 
 waved them silently in the air. This was meant for a 
 touching farewell, as the paddle is only waved thus when 
 the parties separating never more expect to meet. 
 
 We now continued our journey; and, following the 
 beach, soon came to a level and lofty overhanging bank, 
 which, planted here and there with trees, took a broad 
 sweep round a considerable part of the island. A fine 
 pathway skirted the edge of the bank; and often we 
 paused to admire the scenery. The evening was still and 
 fair, even for so heavenly a cUmate; and all round, as far 
 as the eye could reach, was the blending blue sky and 
 ocean. 
 
 As we went on, the reef -belt still accompanied us; 
 turning as we turned, and thundering its distant bass upon 
 the ear, like the unbroken roar of a cataract. Dashing 
 forever against their coral rampart, the breakers looked, 
 in the distance, like a line of rearing white chargers, reined 
 in, tossing their white manes, and bridling with foam. 
 
 These great natural breakwaters are admirably designed 
 for the protection of the land. Nearly all the Society 
 Islands are defended by them. Were the vast swells of 
 the Pacific to break against the soft alluvial bottoms 
 which in many places border the sea, the soil would soon 
 be washed away, and the natives be thus deprived of their 
 most productive lands. As it is, the banks of no rivulet 
 are firmer. 
 
 But the coral barriers answer another purpose. They 
 form all the harbours of this group, including the twenty- 
 four round about the shores of Tahiti. Curiously enough, 
 the openings in the reefs, by which alone vessels enter to 
 their anchorage, are invariably opposite the mouths of 
 running streams: an advantage fully appreciated by the 
 mariner who touches for the purpose of watering his ship. 
 
 It is said that the fresh water of the land, mixing with 
 the salts held in solution by the sea, so acts upon the 
 
We Start for Taloo 281 
 
 latter as to resist the formation of the coral; and hence 
 the breaks. Here and there, these openings are sen- 
 tinelled, as it were, by little fairy islets, green as emerald, 
 and waving with palms. Strangely and beautifully diver- 
 sifying the long line of breakers, no objects can strike the 
 fancy more vividly. Pomaree II., with a taste in watering- 
 places truly Tahitian, selected one of them as a royal 
 retreat. We passed it on our journey. 
 
 Omitting several further adventures which befell us 
 after leaving the party from Loohooloo, we must now 
 hurry on to relate what happened just before reaching 
 the place of our destination. 
 
CHAPTER LXXII 
 
 A DEALER IN THE CONTRABAND 
 
 It must have, been at least the tenth day, reckoning from 
 the Hegira, that we found ourselves the guests of Varvy, 
 an old hermit of an islander who kept house by himself 
 perhaps a couple of leagues from Taloo. 
 
 A stone's -cast from the beach there was a fantastic rock, 
 moss-grown and deep in a dell. It was insulated by a 
 shallow brook, which, dividing its waters, flowed on both 
 sides until united below. Twisting its roots round the 
 rock, a gnarled " Aoa " spread itself overhead in a wilder- 
 ness of foliage; the elastic branch-roots dependiiig from 
 the larger boughs insinuating themselves into every cleft, 
 thus forming supports to the parent stem. In some 
 places these pendulous branches, half -grown, had not 
 yet reached the rock; swinging their loose fibrous ends in 
 the air like whiplashes. 
 
 Varvy's hut, a mere coop of bamboos, was perched upon 
 a level part of the rock, the ridge-pole resting at one end 
 in a crotch of the " Aoa," and the other propped by a 
 forked bough planted in a fissure. 
 
 Notwithstanding our cries as we drew near, the first 
 hint the old hermit received of our approach was the 
 doctor's stepping up and touching his shoulder, as he was 
 kneeling over on a stone cleaning fish in the brook. He 
 leaped up, and stared at us. But with a variety of un- 
 couth gestures, he soon made us welcome; informing us, 
 by the same means, that he was both deaf and dumb ; he 
 then motioned us into his dwelling. 
 
 Going in, we threw ourselves upon an old mat, and 
 peered round. The soiled bamboos and calabashes looked 
 so uninviting that the doctor was for pushing on to Taloo 
 that night, notwithstanding it was near sunset. But at 
 length we concluded to stay where we were. 
 282 
 
A Dealer in the Contraband 283 
 
 After a good deal of bustling outside under a decrepit 
 shed, the old man made his appearance with our supper. 
 In one hand he held a flickering taper, and in the other, 
 a huge, flat calabash, scantily filled with viands. His 
 eyes were dancing in his head, and he looked from 
 the calabash to us, and from us to the calabash, 
 as much as to say, " Ah, my lads, what do ye think 
 of this, eh? Pretty good cheer, eh? " But the fish 
 and Indian turnip being none of the best, we made but 
 a sorry meal. While discussing it, the old man tried 
 hard to make himself understood by signs ; most of which 
 were so excessively ludicrous that we made no doubt he 
 was perpetrating a series of pantomimic jokes. 
 
 The remnants of the feast removed, our host left us for 
 a moment, returning with a calabash of portly dimensions 
 and furnished with a long, hooked neck, the mouth of 
 which was stopped with a wooden plug. It was covered 
 with particles of earth, and looked as if just taken from 
 some place underground. 
 
 With sundry winks and horrible giggles peculiar to the 
 dumb, the vegetable demijohn was now tapped; the old 
 fellow looking round cautiously, and pointing at it; as 
 much as to intimate that it contained something which 
 was " taboo," or forbidden. 
 
 Aware that intoxicating liquors were strictly prohibited 
 to the natives, we now watched our entertainer with much 
 interest. Charging a cocoa-nut shell, he tossed it off, and 
 then filling up again, presented the goblet to me. Dis- 
 liking the smell, I made faces at it; upon which he became 
 highly excited; so much so that a miracle was wrought 
 upon the spot. Snatching the cup from my hands, he 
 shouted out, " Ah, karhowree sabbee lee-lee, ena arva tee 
 maitai ! " in other words, what a blockhead of a white man ! 
 this is the real stuff ! 
 
 We could not have been more startled had a frog leaped 
 from his mouth. For an instant, he looked confused 
 enough himself; and then placing a finger mysteriously 
 upon his mouth, he contrived to make us understand 
 that at times he was subject to a suspension of the Dowers 
 of speech. 
 
284 
 
 Omoo 
 
 Deeming the phenomenon a remarkable one, every way, 
 the doctor desired him to open his mouth so that he 
 might have a look down. But he refused. 
 
 This occurrence made us rather suspicious of our host; 
 nor could we afterward account for his conduct, except 
 by supposing that his feigning dumbness might in some 
 way or other assist him in the nefarious pursuits in which 
 it afterward turned out that he was engaged. This con- 
 clusion, however, was not altogether satisfactory. 
 
 To oblige him, we at last took a sip of his " arva tee,'' 
 and found it very crude, and strong as Lucifer. Curious 
 to know whence it was obtained, we questioned him; 
 when, lighting up with pleasure, he seized the taper, and 
 led us outside the hut, bidding us follow. 
 
 After going some distance through the woods, we came 
 to a dismantled old shed of boughs, apparently abandoned 
 to decay. Underneath, nothing was to be seen but heaps 
 of decaying leaves and an immense, clumsy jar, wide- 
 mouthed, and by some means, rudely hollowed out from 
 a ponderous stone. 
 
 Here, for a while, we were left to ourselves ; the old man 
 placing the light in the jar, and then disappearing. He re- 
 turned, carrying a long, large bamboo, and a crotched 
 stick. Throwing these down, he poked under a pile of 
 rubbish, and brought out a rough block of wood, pierced 
 through and through with a hole, which was immediately 
 clapped on the top of the jar. Then planting the crotched 
 stick upright about two yards distant, and making it sus- 
 tain one end of the bamboo, he inserted the other end of 
 the latter into the hole in the block: concluding these 
 arrangements by placing an old calabash under the 
 farther end of the bamboo. 
 
 Coming up to us now with a sly, significant look, and 
 pointing admiringly at his apparatus, he exclaimed, " Ah, 
 karhowree, ena hannahanna arva tee ! " as much as to 
 say, " This, you see, is the way it's done." 
 
 His contrivance was nothing less than a native still, 
 where he manufactured his island " poteen." The dis- 
 array in which we found it was probably intentional, as 
 a security against detection. Before we left the shed, the 
 
A Dealer in the Contraband 285 
 
 old fellow toppled the whole concern over, and dragged 
 it away piecemeal. 
 
 His disclosing his secret to us thus was characteristic 
 of the " Tootai Owrees/' or contemners of the missionaries 
 among the natives; who, presuming that all foreigners 
 are opposed to the ascendancy of the missionaries, take 
 pleasure in making them confidants, whenever the enact- 
 ments of their rulers are secretly set at nought. 
 
 The substance from which the liquor is produced is 
 called " Tee," which is a large, fibrous root, something like 
 yam, but smaller. In its green state, it is exceedingly 
 acrid; but boiled or baked, has the sweetness of the sugar- 
 cane. After being subjected to the fire, macerated and 
 reduced to a certain stage of fermentation, the " Tee " is 
 stirred up with water, and is then ready for distillation. 
 
 On returning to the hut, pipes were introduced; and, 
 after a while. Long Ghost, who, at first, had relished the 
 " Arva Tee " as little as myself, to my surprise, began to 
 wax sociable over it, with Varvy ; and, before long, abso- 
 lutely got mellow, the old toper keeping him company. 
 
 It was a curious sight. Everyone knows that, so long 
 as the occasion lasts, there is no stronger bond of sympathy 
 and good feeling among men than getting tipsy together. 
 And how earnestly, nay, movingly, a brace of worthies, 
 thus employed, will endeavour to shed light upon, and 
 elucidate their mystical ideas ! 
 
 Fancy Varvy and the doctor, then, lovingly tippling, 
 and brimming over with a desire to become better ac- 
 quainted; the doctor politely bent upon carrying on the 
 conversation in the language of his host, and the old her- 
 mit persisting in trying to talk English. The result was 
 that, between the two, they made such a fricassee of vowels 
 and consonants that it was enough to turn one's brain. 
 
 The next morning, on waking, I heard a voice from the 
 tombs. It was the doctor solemnly pronouncing himself 
 a dead man. He was sitting up, with both hands clasped 
 over his forehead, and his pale face a thousand times paler 
 than ever. 
 
 "That infernal stuff has murdered me!" he cried. 
 " Heavens ! my head's all wheels and springs, like the 
 
286 Omoo 
 
 automaton chess-player! What's to be done, Paul? I'm 
 poisoned." 
 
 But, after drinking a herbal draught concocted by our 
 host, and eating a light meal, at noon, he felt much better; 
 so much so that he declared himself ready to continue 
 our journey. 
 
 When we came to start, the Yankee's boots were miss- 
 ing; and, after a diligent search, were not to be found. 
 Enraged beyond measure, their proprietor said that 
 Varvy must have stolen them ; but, considering his hospi- 
 tality, I thought this extremely improbable; though to 
 whom else to impute the theft I knew not. The doctor 
 maintained, however, that one who was capable of drug- 
 ging an innocent traveller with " Arva Tee " was capable 
 of anything. 
 
 But it was in vain that he stormed, and Varvy and I 
 searched; the boots were gone. 
 
 Were it not for this mysterious occurrence, and Varvy's 
 detestable liquors, I would here recommend all travellers 
 going round by the beach to Partoowye to stop at the 
 Rock, and patronize the old gentleman — the more especi- 
 ally as he entertains gratis. 
 
CHAPTER LXXIII 
 
 OUR RECEPTION IN PARTOOWYE 
 
 Upon starting, at last, I flung away my sandals — by this 
 time quite worn out — with the view of keeping company 
 with the doctor, now forced to go barefooted. Recover- 
 ing his spirits in good time, he protested that boots were 
 a bore after all, and going without them decidedly manly. 
 
 This was said, be it observed, while strolling along over 
 a soft carpet of grass ; a little moist, even at midday, from 
 the shade of the wood through which we were passing. 
 
 Emerging from this we entered upon a blank, sandy 
 tract, upon which the sun's rays fairly flashed; making 
 the loose gravel under foot well nigh as hot as the floor of 
 an oven. Such yelling and leaping as there was in getting 
 over this ground would be hard to surpass. We could 
 not have crossed at all — until toward sunset — had it not 
 been for a few small, wiry bushes growing here and there, 
 into which we every now and then thrust our feet to cool. 
 There was no little judgment necessary in selecting your 
 bush; for if not chosen judiciously, the chances were that, 
 on springing forward again, and finding the next bush 
 so far off that an intermediate cooling was indispensable, 
 you would have to run back to your old place again. 
 
 Safely passing the Sahara, or Fiery Desert, we soothed 
 our half-blistered feet by a pleasant walk through a 
 meadow of long grass, which soon brought us in sight of 
 a few straggling houses, sheltered by a grove on the out- 
 skirts of the village of Partoowye. 
 
 My comrade was for entering the first one we came to; 
 but, on drawing near, they had so much of an air of pre- 
 tension, at least for native dwellings, that I hesitated; 
 thinking they might be the residences of the higher chiefs, 
 from whom no very extravagant welcome was to be 
 anticipated. 
 
 While standing irresolute, a voice from the nearest house 
 hailed us: "Aramai! aramai, karhowree!" (Come in! 
 come in, strangers !) 
 
 287 
 
288 Omoo 
 
 We at once entered, and were warmly greeted. The 
 master of the house was an aristocratic-looking islander, 
 dressed in loose hnen drawers, a fine white shirt, and a 
 sash of red silk tied about the waist, after the fashion of 
 the Spaniards in Chili. He came up to us with a free, 
 frank air, and, striking his chest with his hand, introduced 
 himself as Ereemear Po-Po; or, to render the Christian 
 name back again into English — Jeremiah Po-Po. 
 
 These curious combinations of names among the people 
 of the Society Islands originate in the following way. 
 When a native is baptized, his patronymic often gives 
 offence to the missionaries, and they insist upon changing 
 to something else whatever^is objectionable therein. So, 
 when Jeremiah came to the font, and gave his name as 
 Narmo-Nana Po-Po (something equivalent to The-Darer- 
 of-Devils-by-Night), the reverend gentleman officiating 
 told him that such a heathenish appellation would never 
 do, and a substitute must be had; at least for the devil 
 part of it. Some highly respectable Christian appellations 
 were then submitted, from which the candidate for ad- 
 mission into the church was at liberty to choose. There 
 was Adamo (Adam), Nooar (Noah), Daveedar (David), 
 Earcobar (James), Eorna (John), Patoora (Peter), Eree- 
 mear (Jeremiah), etc. And thus did he come to be 
 named Jeremiah Po-Po ; or, Jeremiah-in-the-Dark — which 
 he certainly was, I fancy, as to the ridiculousness of his 
 new cognomen. 
 
 We gave our names in return; upon which he bade us be 
 seated ; and, sitting down himself, asked us a great many 
 questions, in mixed English and Tahitian. After giving 
 some directions to an old man to prepare food, our host's 
 wife, a large, benevolent-looking woman, upwards of forty, 
 also sat down by us. In our soiled and travel-stained 
 appearance, the good lady seemed to find abundant matter 
 for commiseration; and all the while kept looking at us 
 piteously, and making mournful exclamations. 
 
 But Jeremiah and his spouse were not the only inmates 
 of the mansion. 
 
 In one corner, upon a large native couch, elevated 
 upon posts, reclined a nymph; who, half- veiled in her own 
 
Our Reception in Partoowye 289 
 
 long hair, had yet to make her toilet for the day. She 
 was the daughter of Po-Po; and a very beautiful little 
 daughter she was; not more than fourteen; with the most 
 delightful shape — -like a bud just blown; and large hazel 
 eyes. They called her Loo; a name rather pretty and 
 genteel, and therefore quite appropriate; for a more gen- 
 teel and lady-like little damsel there was not in all Imeeo. 
 
 She was a cold and haughty young beauty though, 
 this same little Loo, and never deigned to notice us; 
 further than now and then to let her eyes float over our 
 persons, with an expression of indolent indifference. With 
 the tears of the Loohooloo girls hardly dry from their 
 sobbing upon our shoulders, '^his contemptuous treatment 
 stung us not a Uttle. 
 
 When we first entered, Po-Po was raking smooth the 
 carpet of dried ferns which had that morning been newly 
 laid ; and now that our meal was ready, it was spread on 
 a banana leaf, right upon this fragrant floor. Here we 
 lounged at our ease, eating baked pig and bread-fruit off 
 earthen plates, and using, for the first time in many a long 
 month, real knives and forks. 
 
 These, as well as other symptoms of refinement, some- 
 what abated our surprise at the reserve of the little Loo; 
 her parents, doubtless, were magnates in Partoowye, and 
 she herself was an heiress. 
 
 After being informed of our stay in the vale of Martair, 
 they were very curious to know on what errand we came 
 to Taloo. We merely hinted that the ship lying in the 
 harbour was the reason of our coming. 
 
 Arfretee, Po-Po's wife, was a right motherly body. 
 The meal over, she recommended a nap; and upon our 
 waking much refreshed, she led us to the doorway, and 
 pointed down among the trees; through which we saw 
 the gleam of water. Taking the hint, we repaired thither; 
 and finding a deep shaded pool, bathed, and returned to 
 the house. Our hostess now sat down by us; and after 
 looking with great interest at the doctor's cloak, felt of my 
 own soiled and tattered garments for the hundredth time, 
 and exclaimed plaintively — " Ah nuee nuee olee manee ! 
 olee manee ! " (Alas ! they are very, very old ! very old !) 
 
 T 
 
290 Omoo 
 
 When Arfretee, good soul, thus addressed us, she thought 
 she was talking very respectable English. The word 
 "nuee" is so familiar to foreigners throughout Polynesia, 
 and is so often used by them in their intercourse with the 
 natives, that the latter suppose it to be common to all 
 mankind. " Olee manee " is the native pronunciation of 
 "old man," which, by Society Islanders talking Saxon, is 
 applied indiscriminately to all aged things and persons 
 whatsoever. 
 
 Going to a chest filled with various European articles, 
 she took out two suits of new sailor frocks and trousers; 
 and presenting them with a gracious smile, pushed us 
 behind a calico screen, and left us. Without any fastidious 
 scruples, we donned the garments; and what with the 
 meal, the nap, and the bath, we now came forth like a 
 couple of bridegrooms. 
 
 Evening drawing on, lamps were lighted. They were 
 very simple; the half of a green melon, about one third 
 full of cocoa-nut oil, and a wick of twisted tappa floating 
 on the surface. As a night lamp, this contrivance cannot 
 be excelled; a soft dreamy light being shed through the 
 transparent rind. 
 
 As the evening advanced, other members of the house- 
 hold, whom as yet we had not seen, began to drop in. 
 There was a slender young dandy in a gay striped shirt, 
 and whole fathoms of bright figured calico tucked about 
 his waist, and falling to the ground. He wore a new straw 
 hat also with three distinct ribbons tied about the crown; 
 one black, one green, and one pink. Shoes or stockings, 
 however, he had none. 
 
 There were a couple of delicate, olive-cheeked little 
 girls — twins — with mild eyes and beautiful hair, who ran 
 about the house, half-naked, like a couple of gazelles. 
 They had a brother, somewhat younger — a fine dark boy, 
 with an eye like a woman's. All these were the children 
 of Po-Po, begotten in lawful wedlock. 
 
 Then there were two or three queer-looking old ladies, 
 who wore shabby mantles of soiled sheeting, which 
 fitted so badly, and withal had such a second-hand look 
 that I at once put their wearers down as domestic 
 
Our Reception in Partoowye 291 
 
 paupers — poor relations, supported by the bounty of My 
 Lady Arfretee. They were sad, meek old bodies; said 
 little and ate less ; and either kept their eyes on the ground, 
 or lifted them up deferentially. The semi-civilization of 
 the island must have had something to do with making them 
 what they were. 
 
 I had almost forgotten Monee, th^ grinning old man who 
 prepared our meal. His head was a shining, bald globe. 
 He had a round Kttle paunch, and legs like a cat. He 
 was Po-Po's factotum — cook, butler, and climber of the 
 bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees ; and, added to all else, a 
 mighty favourite with his mistress; with whom he would 
 sit smoking and gossiping by the hour. 
 
 Often you saw the indefatigable Monee working away 
 at a great rate ; then dropping his employment all at 
 once — ^never mind what — run off to a little distance, and 
 after rolling himself away in a corner and taking a nap, 
 jump up again, and fall to with fresh vigour. 
 
 From a certain something in the behaviour of Po-Po and 
 his household, I was led to believe that he was a pillar of 
 the church; though, from what I had seen in Tahiti, I 
 could hardly reconcile such a supposition with his frank, 
 cordial, unembarrassed air. But I was not wrong in my 
 conjecture: Po-Po turned out to be a sort of elder, or 
 deacon; he was also accounted a man of wealth, and was 
 nearly related to a high chief. 
 
 Before retiring, the entire household gathered upon the 
 floor; and in their midst, he read aloud a chapter from a 
 Tahitian Bible. Then kneeling with the rest of us, he 
 offered up a prayer. Upon its conclusion, all separated 
 without speaking. These devotions took place regularly, 
 every night and morning. Grace too was invariably said, 
 by this family, both before and after eating. 
 
 After becoming familiarized with the almost utter 
 destitution of anything like practical piety upon these 
 islands, what I observed in our host's house astonished me 
 much. But whatever others might have been, Po-Po 
 was, in truth, a Christian: the only one, Arfretee ex- 
 cepted, whom I personally knew to be such, among all 
 the natives of Polynesia. 
 
CHAPTER LXXIV 
 
 TtETIRING FOE THE NIGHT — THE DOCTOR GROWS DEVOUT 
 
 They put us to bed very pleasantly. 
 
 Lying across the foot of Po-Po's nuptial couch was a 
 smaller one, made of Koar-wood; a thin, strong cord, 
 twisted from the fibres of the husk of the cocoa-nut, and 
 woven into an exceedingly light sort of net-work, forming 
 its elastic body. Spread upon this was a single, fine mat, 
 with a roll of dried ferns for a pillow, and a strip of white 
 tappa for a.sheet. This couch was mine. The doctor was 
 provided for in another corner. 
 
 Loo reposed alone on a little settee with a taper burning 
 by her side; the dandy, her brother, swinging overhead in 
 a sailor's hammock. The two gazelles frisked upon a mat 
 near by; and the indigent relations borrowed a scant 
 corner of the old butler's pallet, who snored away by the 
 open door. After all had retired, Po-Po placed the 
 illuminated melon in the middle of the apartment; and 
 so, we all slumbered till morning. 
 
 1. Upon awaking, the sun was streaming brightly through 
 the open bamboos, but no one was stirring. After sur- 
 veying the fine attitudes into which forgetfulness had 
 thrown at least one of the sleepers, my attention was 
 called off to the general aspect of the dwelling, which was 
 quite significant of the superior circumstances of our host. 
 
 The house itself was built in the simple, but tasteful 
 native style. It was a long, regular oval, some fifty feet 
 in length, with low sides of cane-work, and a roof thatched 
 with palmetto - leaves. The ridge-pole was, perhaps, 
 twenty feet from the ground. There was no foundation 
 whatever; the bare earth being merely covered with 
 ferns; a kind of carpeting which serves very well, if 
 frequently renewed; otherwise, it becomes dusty, and 
 292 
 
The Doctor Grows Devout 293 
 
 the haunt ci vermin^ as in the huts of the poorer 
 natives. 
 
 Besides the couches, the furniture consisted of three or 
 four sailor chests; in which were stored the fine wearing- 
 apparel of the household — the ruffled linen shirts of Po-Po, 
 the calico dresses of his wife and children, and divers odds 
 and ends of European articles — strings of beads, ribbons, 
 Dutch looking-glasses, knives, coarse prints, bunches of 
 keys, bits of crockery, and metal buttons. One of these 
 chests — used as a bandbox by Arfretee — contained several 
 of the native hats (coal-scuttles), all of the same pattern, 
 but trimmed with variously-coloured ribbons. Of nothing 
 was our good hostess more proud than of these hats, and 
 her dresses. On Sundays, she went abroad a dozen times; 
 and every time, like Queen Elizabeth, in a different robe. 
 
 Po-Po, for some reason or other, always gave us our 
 meals before the rest of the family were served; and the 
 doctor, who was very discerning in such matters, declared 
 that we fared much better than they. Certain it was that, 
 had Ereemear's guests travelled with purses, portmanteau, 
 and letters of introduction to the queen, they could not 
 have been better cared for. 
 
 The day after our arrival, Monee, the old butler, brought 
 us in for dinner a small pig, baked in the ground. All 
 savoury, it lay in a wooden trencher, surrounded by 
 roasted hemispheres of the bread-fruit. A large calabash, 
 filled with taro pudding, or poee, followed; and the young 
 dandy, overcoming his customary languor, threw down 
 our cocoa-nuts from an adjoining tree. 
 
 When all was ready, and the household looking on, 
 Long Ghost, devoutly clasping his hands over the fated 
 pig, implored a blessing. Hereupon, everybody present 
 looked exceedingly pleased ; Po-Po coming up and address- 
 ing the doctor with much warmth; and Arfretee, regarding 
 him with almost maternal affection, exclaimed delightedly, 
 "Ah! mickonaree tata matai!" in other words, "What 
 a pious young man ! " 
 
 It was just after this meal that she brought me a roll of 
 grass sinnate (of the kind which sailors sew into the frame 
 of their tarpaulins), and then, handing me needle and 
 
294 Omoo 
 
 thread, bade me begin at once, and make myself the hat 
 which I so much needed. An accomplished hand at the 
 business, I finished it that day — merely stitching the braid 
 together; and Arfretee, by way of rewarding my industry, 
 with her own olive hands ornamented the crown with a 
 band of flame-coloured ribbon; the two long ends of 
 which streaming behind, sailor-fashion, still preserved for 
 me the Eastern title bestowed by Long Ghost. 
 
CHAPTER LXXV 
 
 A RAMBLE THROUGH THE SETTLEMENT 
 
 The following morning, making our toilets carefully, we 
 donned our sombreros, and sallied out on a tour. Without 
 meaning to reveal our designs upon the court, our principal 
 object was, to learn what chances there were for white men 
 to obtain employment under the queen. On this head, it 
 is true, we had questioned Po-Po ; but his answers had been 
 very discouraging; so we determined to obtain further 
 information elsewhere. 
 
 But, first, to give some little description of the village. 
 
 The settlement of Partoowye is nothing more than some 
 eighty houses, scattered here and there, in the midst of an 
 immense grove, where the trees have been thinned out 
 and the underbrush cleared away. Through the grove 
 flows a stream; and the principal avenue crosses it, over 
 an elastic bridge of cocoa-nut trunks, laid together side by 
 side. The avenue is broad, and serpentine; well shaded 
 from one end to the other, and as pretty a place for a 
 morning promenade as any lounger could wish. The 
 houses, constructed without the slightest regard to the 
 road, peep into view from among the trees on either side : 
 some looking you right in the face as you pass, and 
 others, without any manners, turning their backs. Occa- 
 sionally you observe a rural retreat, inclosed by a picket 
 of bamboos, or with a solitary pane of glass massively 
 framed in the broadside of the dweUing, or with a rude, 
 strange-looking door, swinging upon dislocated wooden 
 hinges. Otherwise, the dwellings are built in the 
 original style of the natives; and never mind how mean 
 and filthy some of them may appear within, they all look 
 picturesque enough without. 
 
 As we sauntered along the people we met saluted us 
 295 
 
296 Omoo 
 
 pleasantly, and invited us into their houses; and in this 
 way we made a good many brief morning calls. But the 
 hour could not have been the fashionable one in Partoowye, 
 since the ladies were invariably in dishabille. But they 
 always gave us a cordial receptionj and were particularly 
 polite to the doctor; caressing him, and amorously hang- 
 ing about his neck; wonderfully taken up, in short, with 
 a gay handkerchief he wore there. Arfretee had that 
 morning bestowed it upon the pious youth. 
 
 With some exceptions, the general appearance of the 
 natives of Partoowye was far better than that of the 
 inhabitants of Papeetee: a circumstance only to be im- 
 puted to their restricted intercourse with foreigners. 
 
 Strolling on, we turned a sweep of the road, when the 
 doctor gave a start; and no wonder. Right before us, in 
 the grove, was a block of houses : regular square frames, 
 boarded over, furnished with windows and doorways, and 
 two stories high. We ran up and found them fast going 
 to decay: very dingy, and here and there covered with 
 moss; no sashes, no doors; and on one side, the entire 
 block had settled down nearly a foot. On going into the 
 basement we looked clean up through the unbearded 
 timbers to the roof; where rays of light, glimmering 
 through many a chink, illuminated the cobwebs which 
 swung all round. 
 
 The whole interior was dark and close. Burrowing 
 among some old mats in one corner, like a parcel of gipsies 
 in a ruin, were a few vagabond natives. They had their 
 dwelling here. 
 
 Curious to know who on earth could have been thus 
 trying to improve the value of real estate in Partoowye, we 
 made inquiries; and learned that some years previous 
 the block had been thrown up by a veritable Yankee (one 
 might have known that), a house-carpenter by trade, and 
 a bold, enterprising fellow by nature. 
 
 Put ashore from his ship, sick, he first went to work and 
 got well; then sallied out with chisel and plane, and made 
 himself generally useful. A sober, steady man, it seems, he 
 at last obtained the confidence of several chiefs, and soon 
 filled them with all sorts of ideas concerning the alarming 
 
A Ramble through the Settlement 297 
 
 want of public spirit in the people of Imeeo. More 
 especially did he dwell upon the humiliating fact of their 
 living in paltry huts of bamboo, when magnificent palaces 
 of boards might so easily be mortised together. 
 
 In the end, these representations so far prevailed with, 
 one old chief that the carpenter was engaged to build a 
 batch of these wonderful palaces. Provided with plenty 
 of men, he at once set to work: built a saw-mill among 
 the mountains, felled trees, and sent over to Papeetee for 
 nails. 
 
 Presto ! the castle rose ; but alas, the roof was hardly on,, 
 when the Yankee's patron, having speculated beyond his 
 means, broke all to pieces, and was absolutely unable to 
 pay one " plug " of tobacco in the pound. His failure 
 involved the carpenter, who sailed away from his creditors 
 in the very next ship that touched at the harbour. 
 
 The natives despised the rickety palace of boards; and 
 often lounged by, wagging their heads, and jeering. 
 
 We were told that the queen's residence was at the 
 extreme end of the village; so, without waiting for the 
 doctor to procure a fiddle, we suddenly resolved upon 
 going thither at once, and learning whether any privy 
 counsellorships were vacant. 
 
 Now, although there was a good deal of my waggish 
 comrade's nonsense about what has been said concerning 
 our expectations of court preferment, we, nevertheless, 
 really thought that something to our advantage might 
 turn up in that quarter. 
 
 On approaching the palace grounds, we found them 
 rather peculiar. A broad pier of hewn coral rocks was 
 built right out into the water; and upon this, and extend- 
 ing into a grove adjoining, were some eight or ten very 
 large native houses, constructed in the handsomest style 
 and inclosed together by a low picket of bamboos, which 
 embraced a considerable area. 
 
 Throughout the Society Islands, the residences of the 
 chiefs are mostly found in the immediate vicinity of the sea ; 
 a site which gives them the full benefit of a cooling breeze ; 
 nor are they so liable to the annoyance of insects ; besides 
 enjoying, when they please, the fine shade afforded by the 
 
298 
 
 Omoo 
 
 neighbouring groves, always most luxuriant near the 
 water. 
 
 Lounging about the grounds were some sixty or eighty 
 handsomely-dressed natives, men and women; some re- 
 •clining on the shady side of the houses, others under the 
 trees, and a small group conversing close by the railing 
 facing us. 
 
 We went up to the latter; and giving the usual saluta- 
 tion, were on the point of vaulting over the bamboos, when 
 they turned upon us angrily, and said we could not enter. 
 We stated our earnest desire to see the queen; hinting 
 that we were bearers of important dispatches. But it was 
 to no purpose ; and not a little vexed, we were obliged to 
 xeturn to Po-po's without effecting anything. 
 
CHAPTER LXXVI 
 
 AN ISLAND JILT WE VISIT THE SHIP 
 
 "Upon arriving home we fully laid open to Po-Po our 
 motives in visiting Taloo, and begged his friendly advice. 
 In his broken English he cheerfully gave us all the in- 
 formation we needed. 
 
 It was true, he said, that the queen entertained some 
 idea of making a stand against the French; and it was 
 currently reported also that several chiefs from Bora- 
 bora, Huwyenee, Raiatair, and Tahar, the leeward islands 
 of the group, were at that very time taking counsel with 
 her as to the expediency of organizing a general move- 
 ment throughout the entire cluster, with a view of antici- 
 pating any further encroachments on the part of the in- 
 vaders. Should warlike measures be actually decided 
 upon, it was quite certain that Pomaree would be glad to 
 enlist all the foreigners she could; but as to her making 
 officers of either the doctor or me, that was out of the 
 question; because, already, a number of Europeans, well 
 known to her, had volunteered as such. Concerning our 
 getting immediate access to the queen, Po-Po told us it was 
 rather doubtful; she living at that time very retired, in 
 poor health and spirits, and averse to receiving calls. 
 Previous to her misfortunes, however, no one, however 
 humble, was denied admittance to her presence; sailors, 
 even, attended her levees. 
 
 Not at all disheartened .by these things, we concluded 
 to kill time in Partoowye until some event turned up more 
 favourable to our projects. So that very day we sallied 
 out on an excursion to the ship which, lying land-locked 
 far up the bay, yet remained to be visited. 
 
 Passing on our route a long, low shed, a voice hailed 
 us — "White men ahoy!" Turning round, who should 
 299 
 
300 Omoo 
 
 we see but a rosy-cheeked Englishman (you could tell his 
 country at a glance), up to his knees in shavings, and 
 planing away at a bench. He turned out to be a runaway 
 ship's carpenter, recently from Tahiti, and now doing a 
 profitable business in Imeeo, by fitting up the dwellings 
 of opulent chiefs with cupboards and other conveniences, 
 and once in a while trying his hand at a lady's work-box. 
 He had been in the settlement but a few months, and 
 already possessed houses and lands. 
 
 But though blessed with prosperity and high health, 
 there was one thing wanting — a wife. And when he came 
 to speak of the matter, his countenance fell, and he leaned 
 dejectedly upon his plane. 
 
 " It's too bad! " he sighed, " to wait three long years; 
 and all the while, dear little Lullee living in the same house 
 with that infernal chief from Tahar ! " 
 
 Our curiosity was piqued; the poor carpenter, then, 
 had been falling in love with some island coquette, who 
 was going to jilt him. 
 
 But such was not the case. There was a law prohibiting, 
 under a heavy penalty, the marriage of a native with a 
 foreigner, unless the latter, after being three years a resi- 
 dent on the island, was willing to affirm his settled inten- 
 tion of remaining for life. 
 
 William was therefore in a sad way. He told us that 
 he might have married the girl half-a-dozen times, had it 
 not been for this odious law : but, latterly, she had become 
 less loving and more giddy, particularly with the strangers 
 from Tahar. Desperately smitten, and desirous of securing 
 her at all hazards, he had proposed to the damsel's friends 
 a nice little arrangement, introductory to marriage; but 
 they would not hear of it; besides, if the pair were dis- 
 covered living together upon such a footing, they would 
 be liable to a degrading punishment: — sent to work 
 making stone walls and opening roads for the queen. 
 
 Doctor Long Ghost was all sympathy. " Bill, my good 
 fellow," said he, tremulously, " let me go and talk to her." 
 But Bill, declining the offer, would not even inform us 
 where his charmer lived. 
 
 Leaving the disconsolate Willie planing a plank of New 
 
We Visit the Ship 301 
 
 IlZealand pine (an importation from the Bay of Islands), 
 nand thinking the while of LuUee, we went on our way. 
 How his suit prospered in the end we never learned. 
 
 Going from Po-Po's house toward the anchorage of the 
 harbour of Taloo, you catch no glimpse of the water until, 
 coming out from deep groves, you all at once find yourself 
 upon the beach. A bay, considered by many voyagers 
 the most beautiful in the South Seas, then lies before you. 
 You stand upon one side of what seems a deep green river, 
 flowing through mountain passes to the sea. Right oppo- 
 site a majestic promontory divides the inlet from another, 
 called after its discoverer. Captain Cook. The face of this 
 promontory toward Taloo is one verdant wall; and at its 
 base the waters lie still and fathomless. On the left hand, 
 you just catch a peep of the widening mouth of the bay, 
 the break in the reef by which ships enter, and, beyond, 
 the sea. To the right, the inlet, sweeping boldly round 
 the promontory, runs far away into the land; where, save 
 in one direction, the hills close in on every side, knee-deep 
 in verdure and shooting aloft in grotesque peaks. The 
 open space lies at the head of the bay; in the distance it 
 extends into a broad hazy plain lying at the foot of an 
 amphitheatre of hills. Here is the large sugar plantation 
 previously alluded to. Beyond the first range of hills, 
 you descry the sharp pinnacles of the interior; and among 
 these, the same silent Marling-spike which we so often 
 admired from the other side of the island. 
 
 All alone in the harbour lay the good ship Leviathan. 
 We jumped into the canoe, and paddled off to her. Though 
 early in the afternoon, everything was quiet; but upon 
 mounting the side we found four or five sailors lounging 
 about the forecastle, under an awning. They gave us no 
 very cordial reception; and though otherwise quite hearty 
 in appearance, seemed to assume a look of ill-humour on 
 purpose to honour our arrival. There was much eager- 
 ness to learn whether we wanted to " ship "; and by the 
 unpleasant accounts they gave of the vessel, they seemed 
 desirous to prevent such a thing if possible. 
 
 We asked where the rest of the ship's company were; a 
 gruff old fellow made answer, " One boat's crew of 'em is 
 
302 Omoo 
 
 gone to Davy Jones's locker : — went o£f after a whale, last 
 cruise, and never come back agin. All the starboard watch 
 ran away last night, and the skipper's ashore kitching 'em." 
 
 " And it's shipping yer after, my jewels, is it? " cried a 
 curly-pated little Belfast sailor, coming up to us, " thin 
 arrah ! my livelies, jist be after sailing ashore in a jiffy : — 
 the divil of a skipper will carry yees both to sea, whether 
 or no. Be off wid ye thin, darlints, and steer clear of the 
 likes of this ballyhoo of blazes as long as ye live. They 
 murther us here every day, and starve us into the bargain. 
 Here, Dick, lad, harl the poor divils' canow alongside; 
 and paddle away wid yees for dear life." 
 
 But we loitered awhile, listening to more inducements 
 to ship; and at last concluded to stay to supper. My 
 sheath-knife never cut into better sea-beef than that 
 which we found lying in the kid in the forecastle. The 
 bread, too, was hard, dry, and brittle as glass; and there 
 was plenty of both. 
 
 While we were below, the mate of the vessel called out 
 for someone to come on deck. I liked his voice. Hearing 
 it was as good as a look at his face. It betokened a true 
 sailor, and no taskmaster. 
 
 The appearance of the Leviathan herself was quite 
 pleasing. Like all large, comfortable old whalers, she 
 had a sort of motherly look: — broad in the beam, flush 
 decks, and four chubby boats hanging at the breast. Her 
 sails were furled loosely upon the yards, as if they had 
 been worn long, and fitted easy ; her shrouds swung negli- 
 gently slack; and as for the " running rigging," it never 
 worked hard as it does in some of your " dandy ships," 
 jamming in the sheaves of blocks, like Chinese slippers, 
 too small to be useful: on the contrary, the ropes ran 
 glibly through, as if they had many a time travelled the 
 same road, and were used to it. 
 
 When evening came, we dropped into our canoe, and 
 paddled ashore; fully convinced that the good ship never 
 deserved the name which they gave her. 
 
CHAPTER LXXVII 
 
 A PARTY OF ROVERS — LITTLE LOO AND THE DOCTOR 
 
 While in Partoowye, we fell in with a band of six veterani 
 rovers, prowling about the village and harbour, who had 
 just come overland from another part of the island. 
 
 A few weeks previous, they had been paid off, at Pa- 
 peetee, from a whaling vessel, on board of which they had, 
 six months before, shipped for a single cruise; that is to- 
 say, to be discharged at the next port. Their cruise was- 
 a famous one; and each man stepped upon the beach at 
 Tahiti jingling his dollars in a sock. 
 
 Weary at last of the shore, and having some money left,, 
 they clubbed, and purchased a sail-boat; proposing a 
 visit to a certain uninhabited island, concerning which 
 they had heard strange and golden stories. Of course,, 
 they never could think of going to sea without a medicine- 
 chest filled with flasks of spirits, and a small cask of the- 
 same in the hold in case the chest should give out. 
 
 Away they sailed ; hoisted a flag of their own, and gave- 
 three times three, as they staggered out of the Isay of Pa- 
 peetee with a strong breeze, and under all the " muslin "' 
 they could carry. 
 
 Evening coming on, and feeling in high spirits and no 
 
 ways disposed to sleep, they concluded to make a night of 
 
 it; which they did; all hands getting tipsy, and the two 
 
 masts going over the side about midnight, to the tune of 
 
 " Sailing down, sailing down, 
 On the coast of Barbaree." 
 
 Fortunately, one worthy could stand by holding on to 
 
 -the tiller ; and the rest managed to crawl about, and hack 
 
 siway the lanyards of the rigging, so as to break clear from 
 
 "the fallen spars. While thus employed, two sailors got 
 
 "tranquilly over the side, and went plumb to the bottom,. 
 
 3°3 
 
304 Omoo 
 
 ■under the erroneous impression that they were stepping 
 upon an imaginary wharf to get at their work better. 
 
 After thisj it blew quite a gale; and the commodore, at 
 the helm, instinctively kept the boat before the wind; and 
 l)y so doing, ran over for the opposite island of Imeeo. 
 Crossing the channel, by almost a miracle they went 
 ^straight through an opening in the reef, and shot upon a 
 ledge of coral, where the waters were tolerably smooth. 
 Here they lay until morning, when the natives came off 
 to them in their canoes. By the help of the islanders, 
 the schooner was hove over on her beam-ends; when, 
 finding the bottom knocked to pieces, the adventurers 
 ■sold the boat for a trifle to the chief of the district, and 
 went ashore, rolling before them their precious cask of 
 ■spirits. Its contents soon evaporated, and they came to 
 Partoowye. 
 
 The day after encountering these fellows, we were stroll- 
 ing among the groves in the neighbourhood, when we 
 came across several parties of natives, armed with clumsy 
 :muskets, rusty cutlasses, and outlandish clubs. They 
 were beating the bushes, shouting aloud, and apparently 
 trying to scare somebody. They were in pursuit of the 
 strangers, who, ha-ving in a single night set at nought all 
 the laws of the place, had thought best to decamp. 
 
 In the daytime, Po-Po's house was as pleasant a lounge 
 -as one could wish. So, after strolling about, and seeing 
 all there was to be seen, we spent the greater part of our 
 mornings there; breakfasting late, and dining about two 
 hours after noon. Sometimes we lounged on the floor of 
 ferns, smoking, and telling stories ; of which the doctor 
 had as many as a half-pay captain in the army. Some- 
 times we chatted, as well as we could, with the natives; 
 and, one day — joy to us ! — Po-Po brought in three volumes 
 of Smollett's novels, which had been found in the chest 
 of a sailor, who some time previous had died on the 
 island. 
 
 Amelia! — Peregrine! — you hero of rogues. Count Fa- 
 thom ! — what a debt do we owe you ! 
 
 I know not whether it was the reading of these romances, 
 ■or the want of some sentimental pastime, which led the; 
 
Little Loo and the Doctor 305 
 
 doctor, about this period, to lay siege to the heart of the 
 httle Loo. 
 
 Now, as I have said before, the daughter of Po-Po was 
 most cruelly reserved, and never deigned to notice us. 
 Frequently I addressed her with a long face and an air 
 of the profoundest and most distant respect — but in vain; 
 she wouldn't even turn up her pretty olive nose. Ah! 
 it's quite plain, thought I; she knows very well what 
 graceless dogs sailors are, and won't have anything to do 
 with us. 
 
 But thus thought not my comrade. Bent he was upon 
 firing the cold glitter of Loo's passionless eyes. 
 
 He opened the campaign with admirable tact: making 
 cautious approaches, and content, for three days, with 
 ogling the nymph for about five minutes after every meal. 
 On the fourth day, he asked her a question; on the fifth, 
 she dropped a nut of ointment, and he picked it up and 
 gave it to her; on the sixth, he went over and sat down 
 within three yards of the couch where she lay; and, on 
 the memorable morn of the seventh, he proceeded to open 
 his batteries in form. 
 
 The damsel was reclining on the ferns; one hand sup- 
 porting her cheek, and the other listlessly turning over 
 the leaves of a Tahitian Bible. The doctor approached. 
 
 Now the chief disadvantage under which he laboured 
 was his almost complete ignorance of the love vocabulary 
 of the island. But French counts, they say, make love 
 delightfully in broken English; and what hindered the 
 doctor from doing the same in dulcet Tahitian. So at it 
 he went. 
 
 " Ah ! " said he, smiling bewitchingly, " oee mickonaree; 
 oee ready Biblee? " 
 
 No answer; not even a look. 
 
 "Ah! matai! very goody ready Biblee mickonaree." 
 
 Loo, without stirring, began reading, in a low tone, to 
 herself. 
 
 " Mickonaree Biblee ready goody maitai," once more 
 observed the doctor, ingeniously transposing his words 
 for the third time. 
 
 But all to no purpose ; Loo gave no sign. 
 
 u 
 
306 Omoo 
 
 He paused, despairingly ; but it would never do to give 
 up; so he threw himself at full length beside her, and 
 audaciously commenced turning over the leaves. 
 
 Loo gave a start, just one little start, barely perceptible, 
 and then, fumbling something in her hand, lay perfectly 
 motionless; the doctor rather frightened at his own 
 temerity, and knowing not what to do next. At last, he 
 placed one arm cautiously about her waist; almost in the 
 same instant he bounded to his feet, with a cry ; the little 
 witch had pierced him with a thorn. But there she lay, 
 just as quietly as ever, turning over the leaves, and reading 
 to herself. 
 
 My long friend raised the siege incontinently, and made 
 a disorderly retreat to the place where I reclined, looking on. 
 
 I am pretty sure that Loo must have related this occur- 
 rence to her father, who came in shortly afterward ; for he 
 looked queerly at the doctor. But he said nothing; and, 
 in ten minutes, was quite as affable as ever. As for Loo, 
 there was not the sUghtest change in her; and the doctor, 
 of course, for ever afterward held his peace. 
 
CHAPTER LXXVIII 
 
 MRS. BELL 
 
 One day, taking a pensive afternoon stroll along one 
 of the many bridle-paths which wind among the shady 
 groves in the neighbourhood of Taloo, I was startled by 
 a sunny apparition. It was that of a beautiful young 
 Englishwoman, charmingly dressed, and mounted upon a 
 spirited little white pony. Switching a green branch, she 
 came cantering toward me. 
 
 I looked round to see whether I could possibly be in 
 Polynesia. There were the palm-trees; but how to ac- 
 count for the lady ? 
 
 Stepping to one side as the apparition drew near, I 
 made a polite obeisance. It gave me a bold, rosy look; 
 and then, with a gay air, patted its palfrey, crying out, 
 " Fly away, Willie ! " and galloped among the trees. 
 
 I would have followed; but Willie's heels were making 
 such a pattering among the dry leaves that pursuit 
 would have been useless. 
 
 So I went straight home to Po-Po's, and related my 
 adventure to the doctor. 
 
 The next day, our inquiries resulted in finding out that 
 the stranger had been on the island about two years ; that 
 she came from Sydney; and was the wife of Mr. Bell 
 (happy dog!), the proprietor of the sugar plantation to 
 which I have previously referred. 
 
 To the sugar plantation we went, the same day. 
 
 The country round about was very beautiful: a level 
 basin of verdure, surrounded by sloping hillsides. The 
 sugar-cane — of which there was about one hundred acres, 
 in various stages of cultivation — looked thrifty. A con- 
 siderable tract of land, however, which seemed to have 
 been formerly tilled, was now abandoned. 
 
 3°7 
 
3o8 
 
 Omoo 
 
 The place where they extracted the saccharine matter 
 was under an immense shed of bamboos. Here we saw 
 several clumsy pieces of machinery for breaking the cane ; 
 also great kettles for boiling the sugar. But, at present, 
 nothing was going on. Two or three natives were loung- 
 ing in one of the kettles, smoking; the other was occupied 
 by three sailors from the Leviathan, playing cards. 
 
 While we were conversing with these worthies, a stranger 
 approached. He was a sun -burnt, romantic - looking 
 European, dressed in a loose suit of nankeen; his fine 
 throat and chest were exposed, and he sported a Guaya- 
 quil hat with a brim like a Chinese umbrella. This was 
 Mr. Bell He was very civil; showed us the grounds, 
 and, taking us into a sort of arbour, to our surprise, 
 offered to treat us to some wine. People often do the 
 like; but Mr. Bell did more: he produced the bottle. 
 It was spicy sherry; and we drank out of the halves of 
 fresh citron melons. Delectable goblets ! 
 
 The wine was a purchase from the French in Tahiti. 
 
 Now all this was extremely polite in Mr. Bell ; still, we 
 came to see Mrs. Bell. But she proved to be a phantom, 
 indeed; having left the same morning for Papeetee, on a 
 visit to one of the missionaries' wives there. 
 
 I went home, much chagrined. 
 
 To be frank, my curiosity had been wonderfully piqued 
 concerning the lady. In the first place, she was the most 
 beautiful white woman I ever saw in Polynesia. But 
 this is saying nothing. She had such eyes, such moss- 
 roses in her cheeks, such a divine air in the saddle, that, 
 to my dying day, I shall never forget Mrs. Bell. 
 
 The sugar-planter himself was young, robust, and hand- 
 some. So, merrily may the little Bells increase, and 
 multiply, and make music in the Land of Imeeo. 
 
CHAPTER LXXIX 
 
 TALOO CHAPEL — HOLDING COURT IN POLYNESIA 
 
 In Partoowye is to be seen one of the best-constructed 
 and handsomest chapels in the South Seas. Like the 
 buildings of the palace, it stands upon an artificial pier^ 
 presenting a semicircular sweep to the bay. The chapel 
 is built of hewn blocks of coral; a substance which, 
 although extremely friable, is said to harden by exposure 
 to the atmosphere. To a stranger, these blocks look 
 extremely curious. Their surface is covered with strange 
 fossil-like impressions, the seal of which must have been 
 set before the flood. Very nearly white when hewn 
 from the reefs, the coral darkens with age ; so that several 
 churches in Polynesia now look almost as sooty and 
 venerable as famed St. Paul's. 
 
 In shape, the chapel is an octagon, with galleries all 
 round. It will seat, perhaps, four hundred people. 
 Everything within is stained a tawny red; and there 
 being but few windows, or rather embrasures, the dusky 
 benches and galleries, and the tall spectre of a pulpit 
 look anything but cheerful. 
 
 On Sundays we always went to worship here. Going 
 in the family suite of Po-Po, we, of course, maintained a 
 most decorous exterior; and hence, by all the elderly 
 people of the village, were doubtless regarded as pattern 
 young men. 
 
 Po-Po's seat was in a snug corner; and it being parti- 
 cularly snug, in the immediate vicinity of one of the Palm 
 pillars supporting the gallery, I invariably leaned against 
 it: Po-Po and his lady on one side, the doctor and the 
 dandy on the other, and the children and poor relations 
 seated behind. 
 
 As for Loo, instead of sitting (as she ought to have 
 done) by her good father and mother, she must needs 
 309 
 
3IO Omoo 
 
 run up into the gallery, and sit with a parcel of giddy 
 creatures of her own age; who, all through the sermon, 
 did nothing but look down on the congregation; pointing 
 out, and giggling at the queer-looking old ladies in dowdy 
 bonnets and scant tunics. But Loo, herself, was never 
 guilty of these improprieties. 
 
 Occasionally during the week they have afternoon 
 service in the chapel, when the natives themselves have 
 something to say; although their auditors are but few. 
 An introductory prayer being offered by the missionary, 
 and a hymn sung, communicants rise in their places, and 
 exhort in pure Tahitian, and with wonderful tone and 
 gesture. And among them all. Deacon Po-Po, though 
 he talked most, was the one whom you would have liked 
 best to hear. Much would I have given to have under- 
 stood some of his impassioned bursts ; when he tossed his 
 arms overhead, stamped, scowled, and glared, till he 
 looked like the very Angel of Vengeance. 
 
 " Deluded man! " sighed the doctor, on one of these 
 occasions, " I fear he takes the fanatical view of the sub- 
 ject." One thing was certain: when Po-Po spoke, all 
 listened; a great deal more than could be said for the 
 rest; for under the discipUne of two or three I could 
 mention, some of the audience napped ; others fidgeted ; 
 a few yawned; and one irritable old gentleman, in a 
 nightcap of cocoa-nut leaves, used to clutch his long 
 staff in a state of excessive nervousness, and stride out 
 of the church, making all the noise he could, to empha- 
 size his disgust. 
 
 Right adjoining the chapel is an immense, rickety 
 building, with windows and shutters, and a half-decayed 
 board flooring laid upon trunks of palm-trees. They 
 called it a school-house; but as such we never saw it 
 occupied. It was often used as a court-room, however; 
 and here we attended several trials; among others, that 
 of a decayed naval officer, and a young girl of fourteen; 
 the latter charged with having been very naughty on a 
 particular occasion set forth in the pleadings; and the 
 former with having aided and abetted her in her naughti- 
 ness, and with other misdemeanours. 
 
Holding Court in Polynesia 3 1 1 
 
 The foreigner was a tall, military-looking fellow, with 
 a dark cheek and black whiskers. According to his own 
 account, he had lost a colonial armed brig on the coast of 
 New Zealand; and since then, had been leading the life 
 of a man about town among the islands of the Pacific. 
 
 The doctor wanted to know why he did not go home 
 and report the loss of his brig; but Captain Crash, as 
 they called him, had some incomprehensible reasons for 
 not doing so, about which he could talk by the hour, and 
 no one be any the wiser. Probably he was a discreet 
 man, and thought it best to waive an interview with the 
 lords of the admiralty. 
 
 For some time past, this extremely suspicious character 
 had been carrying on the illicit trade in French wines and 
 brandies, smuggled over from the men-of-war lately touch- 
 ing at Tahiti. In a grove near the anchorage he had a 
 rustic shanty and arbour, where, in quiet times, when no 
 ships were in Taloo, a stray native once in a while got 
 boozy, and staggered home, catching at the cocoa-nut 
 trees as he went. The captain himself lounged under a 
 tree during the warm afternoons, pipe in mouth; think- 
 ing, perhaps, over old times, and occasionally feeling his 
 shoulders for his lost epaulets. 
 
 But, sail ho! a ship is descried coming into the bay. 
 Soon she drops her anchor in its waters; and the next 
 day Captain Crash entertains the sailors in his grove. 
 And rare times they have of it : — drinking and quarrelling 
 together as sociably as you please. 
 
 Upon one of these occasions, the crew of the Leviathan 
 made so prodigious a tumult that the natives, indignant 
 at the insult offered their laws, plucked up a heart, and 
 made a dash at the rioters, one hundred strong. The 
 sailors fought like tigers; but were at last overcome, and 
 carried before a native tribunal; which, after a mighty 
 clamour, dismissed everybody but Captain Crash, who was 
 asserted to be the author of the disorders. 
 I . Upon this charge, then, he had been placed in confine- 
 ment against the coming on of the assizes; the judge 
 being expected to lounge along in the course of the after- 
 noon. While waiting his Honour's arrival, numerous 
 
3 1 2 Omoo 
 
 additional offences were preferred against the culprit 
 (mostly by the old women); among others was the bit of a 
 slip in which he stood implicated along with the young 
 lady. Thus, in Polynesia as elsewhere; — charge a man 
 with one misdemeanour, and all his peccadilloes are raked 
 up and assorted before him. 
 
 Going to the school-house for the purpose of witnessing 
 the trial, the din of it assailed our ears a long way off; 
 and upon entering the building, we were almost stunned. 
 About five hundred natives were present; each apparently 
 having something to say and determined to say it. His 
 Honour — a handsome, benevolent-looking old man — sat 
 cross-legged on a little platform, seemingly resigned, 
 with all Christian submission, to the uproar. He was an 
 hereditary chief in this quarter of the island, and judge for 
 life in the district of Partoowye. 
 
 There were several cases coming on; but the captain 
 and girl were first tried together. They were mixing 
 freely with the crowd; and as it afterward turned out 
 that everyone — no matter who — had a right to address 
 the court, for aught we knew they might have been argu- 
 ing their own case. At what precise moment the trial 
 began it would be hard to say. There was no swearing 
 of witnesses, and no regular jury.^ Now and then some- 
 body leaped up and shouted out something which might 
 have been evidence; the rest, meanwhile, keeping up 
 an incessant jabbering. Presently the old judge himself 
 began to get excited; and springing to his feet, ran in 
 among the crowd, wagging his tongue as hard as any- 
 body. 
 
 The tumult lasted about twenty minutes; and toward 
 the end of it. Captain Crash might have been seen, tran- 
 quilly regarding, from his Honour's platform, the judicial 
 uproar, in which his fate was about being decided. 
 
 The result of all this was that both he and the girl were 
 found guilty. The latter was adjudged to make six mats 
 for the queen; and the former, in consideration of his 
 
 ' This anomaly exists, notwithstanding that, in other respects, 
 the missionaries have endeavoured to organize the native courts 
 upon the English model. 
 
Holding Court in Polynesia 3 i 3 
 
 manifold offences, being deemed incorrigible, was sen- 
 tenced to eternal banishment from the island. Both these 
 decrees seemed to originate in the general hubbub. His 
 Honour, however, appeared to have considerable authority, 
 and it was quite plain that the decision received his 
 approval. 
 
 The above penalties were by no means indiscriminately 
 inflicted. The missionaries have prepared a sort of penal 
 tariff to facilitate judicial proceedings. It costs so many 
 days' labour on the Broom Road to indulge in the pleasures 
 of the calabash; so many fathoms of stone wall to steal 
 a musket; and so on to the end of the catalogue. The 
 judge 'being provided with a book in which all these 
 matters are cunningly arranged, the thing is vastly con- 
 venient. For instance : a crime is proved, — say bigamy ; 
 turn to letter B — and there you have it. Bigamy: — 
 forty days on the Broom Road, and twenty mats for the 
 queen. Read the passage aloud, and sentence is pro- 
 nounced. 
 
 After taking part in the first trial, the other delinquents 
 present were put upon their own ; in which, also, the con- 
 victed culprits seemed to have quite as much to say as the 
 rest. A rather strange proceeding ; but strictly in accord- 
 ance with the glorious English principle, that every maii 
 should be tried by his peers. 
 
 They were all found guilty. 
 
CHAPTER LXXX 
 
 QUEEN POMAREE 
 
 It is well to learn something about people before being 
 introduced to them, and so we will here give some account 
 of Pomaree and her family. 
 
 Every reader of Cook's Voyages must remember 
 " Otto/' who, in that navigator's time, was king of the 
 larger peninsula of Tahiti. Subsequently, assisted by the 
 muskets of the Bounty's men, he extended his rule over 
 the entire island. This Otto, before his death, had his 
 name changed into Pomaree, which has ever since been the 
 royal patronymic. 
 
 He was succeeded by his son, Pomaree II., the most 
 famous prince in the annals of Tahiti. Though a sad 
 debauchee and drunkard, and even charged with un- 
 natural crirnes, he was a great friend of the missionaries, 
 and one of their very first proselytes. During the religious 
 wars into which he was hurried by his zeal for the new 
 faith, he was defeated and expelled from the island. 
 After a short exile he returned from Imeeo, with an 
 army of eight hundred warriors, and in the battle of 
 Narii routed the rebellious pagans with great slaughter, 
 and re-established himself upon the throne. Thus, by 
 force of arms, was Christianity finally triumphant in 
 Tahiti. 
 
 Pomaree II., dying in 1821, was succeeded by his 
 infant son, under the title of Pomaree III. This young 
 prince survived his father but six years ; and the govern- 
 ment then descended to his elder sister, Aimata, the present 
 queen, who is commonly called Pomaree Vahinee I., or 
 the first female Pomaree. Her majesty must be now up- 
 ward of thirty years of age. She has been twice married. 
 Her first husbanH was a son of the old King of Tahar, an 
 314 
 
Queen Pomaree 3 1 5 
 
 island about one hundred miles from Tahiti. This prov- 
 ing an unhappy alliance, the pair were soon afterwards 
 divorced. The present husband of the queen is a chief 
 of Imeeo. 
 
 The reputation of Pomaree is not what it ought to be. 
 She, and also her mother, were, for a long time, excom- 
 municated members of the Church; and the former, I 
 believe, still is. Among other things, her conjugal fidelity 
 is far from being unquestioned. Indeed, it was upon this 
 ground chiefly that she was excluded from the communion 
 of the Church. 
 
 Previous to her misfortunes she spent the greater por- 
 tion of her time sailing about from one island to another, 
 attended by a licentious court; and wherever she went 
 all manner of games and festivities celebrated her arrival. 
 
 She was always given to display. For several years 
 the maintenance of a regiment of household troops drew 
 largely upon the royal exchequer. They were trouserless 
 fellows, in a uniform of calico shirts and pasteboard hats; 
 armed with muskets of all shapes and calibres, and com- 
 manded by a great noisy chief, strutting it in a coat of 
 fiery red. These heroes escorted their mistress whenever 
 she went abroad. 
 
 Some time ago, the queen received from her English 
 sister, Victoria, a very showy, though uneasy, head-dress 
 — a crown; probably made to order at some tinman's in 
 London. Having no idea of reserving so pretty a bauble 
 for coronation days, which come so seldom, her majesty 
 sported it whenever she appeared in public; and, to show 
 her familiarity with European customs, politely touched 
 it to all foreigners of distinction — whaling captains, and 
 the like — whom she happened to meet in her evening 
 walk on the Broom Road. 
 
 The arrival and departure of royalty were always 
 announced at the palace by the court artilleryman — a fat 
 old gentleman who, in a prodigious hurry and perspira- 
 tion, discharged minute fowling-pieces as fast as he could 
 load and fire the same. 
 
 The Tahitian princess leads her husband a hard life. 
 Poor fellow! he not only caught a queen, but a Tartar, 
 when he married her. The style by which he is addressed 
 
3 1 6 Omoo 
 
 is rather significant — " Pomaree-Tanee " (Pomaree's man). 
 All things considered, as appropriate a title for a king- 
 consort as could be hit upon. 
 
 If ever there were a henpecked husband, that man is the 
 prince. One day, his cara-sposa giving audience to a< 
 deputation from the captains of the vessels lying in 
 Papeetee, he ventured to make a suggestion which was 
 very displeasing to her. She turned round and, boxing 
 his ears, told him to go over to his beggarly island of 
 Imeeo if he wanted to give himself airs. 
 
 Cuffed and contemned, poor Tanee flies to the bottle, 
 or rather to the calabash, for solace. Like his wife and 
 mistress, he drinks more than he ought. 
 
 Six or seven years ago, when an American man-of-war 
 was lying at Papeetee, the town was thrown into the 
 greatest commotion by a conjugal assault and battery 
 made upon the sacred person of Pomaree by her intoxicated 
 Tanee. 
 
 Captain Bob once told me the story. And by way of 
 throwing more spirit into the description, as well as to 
 make up for his oral deficiencies, the old man went through 
 the accompanying action: myself being proxy for the 
 Queen of Tahiti. 
 
 It seems that, on a Sunday morning, being dismissed 
 contemptuously from the royal presence, Tanee was 
 accosted by certain good fellows, friends and boon com- 
 panions, who condoled with him on his misfortunes — 
 railed against the queen, and finally dragged him away 
 to an illicit vendor of spirits, in whose house the party 
 got gloriously mellow. In this state, Pomaree Vahinee I. 
 was the topic upon which all dilated — "A vixen of a 
 queen," probably suggested one. "It's infamous," said 
 another; "and I'd have satisfaction," cried a third. 
 " And so I will ! " — ^Tanee must have hiccoughed; for off 
 he went; and ascertaining that his royal half was out 
 riding, he mounted his horse and galloped after her. 
 
 Near the outskirts of the town, a cavalcade of women 
 came cantering toward him, in the centre of which was the 
 object of his fury. Smiting his beast right and left, he 
 dashed in among them, completely overturning one of 
 the party, leaving her on the field, aid dispersing every- 
 
Queen Pomaree 317 
 
 body else except Pomaree. Backing her horse dexterously, 
 the incensed queen heaped upon him every scandalous 
 epithet she could think of; until at last the enraged 
 Tanee leaped out of his saddle, caught Pomaree by her 
 dress, and dragging her to the earth struck her repeatedly 
 in the face, holding on meanwhile by the hair of her head. 
 He was proceeding to strangle her on the spot, when the 
 cries of the frightened attendants brought a crowd of 
 natives to the rescue, who bore the nearly insensible 
 queen away. 
 
 But his frantic range was not yet sated. He ran to the 
 palace; and before it could be prevented, demolished a 
 valuable supply of crockery, a recent present from abroad. 
 In the act of perpetrating some other atrocity, he was 
 seized from behind, and carried off with rolling eyes and 
 foaming at the mouth. 
 
 This is a fair example of a Tabitian in a passion. Though 
 the mildest of mortals in general, and hard to be roused, 
 when once fairly up, he is possessed with a thousand 
 devils. 
 
 The day following, Tanee was privately paddled over to 
 Imeeo in a canoe; where, after remaining in banishment 
 for a couple of weeks, he was allowed to return, and once 
 more give in his domestic adhesion. 
 
 Though Pomaree Vahinee I. be something of a Jezebel 
 in private life, in her public rule she is said to have been 
 quite lenient and forbearing. This was her true policy; 
 for an hereditary hostility to her family had always lurked 
 in the hearts of many powerful chiefs, the descendants 
 of the old Kings of Taiarboo, dethroned by her grand- 
 father Otoo. Chief among these, and in fact the leader 
 of his party, was Poofai; a bold, able man, who made no 
 secret of his enmity to the missionaries, and the govern- 
 ment which they controlled. But while events were 
 occurring calculated to favour the hopes of the disaffected 
 and turbulent, the arrival of the French gave a most un- 
 expected turn to affairs. 
 
 During my sojourn in Tahiti, a report was rife — which I 
 knew to originate with what is generally called the 
 " missionary party " — that Poofai and some other chiefs 
 of note had actually agreed, for a stipulated bribe, to 
 
3^8 
 
 Omoo 
 
 acquiesce in the appropriation of their country. But 
 subsequent events have rebutted the calumny. Several 
 of these very men have recently died in battle against the 
 French. 
 
 Under the sovereignty of the Pomarees, the great chiefs 
 of Tahiti were something like the barons of King John. 
 Holding feudal sway over their patrimonial valleys, and 
 on account of their descent, warmly beloved by the 
 people, they frequently cut off the royal revenues by 
 refusing to pay the customary tribute due from them as 
 vassals. 
 
 The truth is, that with the ascendancy of the missionaries, 
 the regal office in Tahiti lost much of its dignity and 
 influence. In the days of Paganism, it was supported by 
 all the power of a numerous priesthood, and was solemnly 
 connected with the entire superstitious idolatry of the 
 land. The monarch claimed to be a sort of bye-blow of 
 Tararroa, the Saturn of the Polynesian mythology, and 
 cousin-german to inferior deities. His person was thrice 
 holy; if he entered an ordinary dwelling, never mind 
 for how short a time, it was demolished when he left; 
 no common mortal being thought worthy to inhabit it 
 afterward. 
 
 " I'm a greater man than King George," said the incor- 
 rigible young Otoo to the first missionaries; " he rides on 
 a horse, and I on a man." Such was the case. He 
 travelled post through his dominions on the shoulders 
 of his subjects; and relays of mortal beings were provided 
 in all the valleys. 
 
 But alas! how times have changed; how transient 
 human greatness. Some years since, Pomaree Vahinee L, 
 the granddaughter of the proud Otoo, went into the 
 laundry business; publicly soliciting, by her agents, the 
 washing of the linen belonging to the officers of ships 
 touching in her harbours. 
 
 It is a significant fact, and one worthy of record, that 
 while the influence of the English missionaries at Tahiti 
 has tended to so great a diminution of the regal dignity 
 there, that of the American missionaries at the Sandwich 
 Islands has been purposely exerted to bring about a 
 contrary result. 
 
CHAPTER LXXXI 
 
 WE VISIT THE COURT 
 
 It was about the middle of the second month of the 
 Hegira, and therefore some five weeks after our arrival in 
 Partoowye, that we at last obtained admittance to the 
 residence of the queen. 
 
 It happened thus. There was a Marquesan in the 
 train of Pomaree who officiated as nurse to her children. 
 Accprding to the Tahitian custom, the royal youngsters 
 are carried about until it requires no small degree of 
 strength to stand up under them. But Marbonna was 
 just the man for this — large and muscular, well made as 
 a statue, and with an arm like a degenerate Tahitian's 
 thigh. 
 
 Embarking at his native island as a sailor on board of 
 a French whaler, he afterward ran away from the ship at 
 Tahiti; where, being seen and admired by Pomaree, he 
 had been prevailed upon to enlist in her service. 
 
 Often, when visiting the grounds, we saw him walking 
 about in the shade, carrying two handsome boys, who 
 encircled his neck with their arms. Marbonna's face, 
 tattooed as it was in the ornate style of his tribe, was as 
 good as a picture-book to these young Pomarees. They 
 delighted to trace with their fingers the outKnes of the 
 strange shapes there delineated. 
 
 The first time my eyes "lighted upon the Marquesan, I 
 knew his country in a moment; and hailing him in his 
 own language, he turned round, surprised that a person so 
 speaking should be a stranger. He proved to be a native 
 of Tior, a glen of Nukuheva. I had visited the place 
 more than once ; and so, on the island of Imeeo, we met 
 like old friends. 
 
 In my frequent conversations with him over the 
 319 
 
320 Omoo 
 
 bamboo picket, I found this islander a philosopher of 
 nature — a wild heathen, moralizing upon the vices and 
 follies of the Christian court of Tahiti — a savage, scorning 
 the degeneracy of the people among whom fortune 
 had thrown him. 
 
 I was amazed at the national feelings of the man. No 
 European, when abroad, could speak of his country with 
 more pride than Marbonna. He assured me, again and 
 again, that so soon as he had obtained sufficient money 
 to purchase twenty muskets, and as many bags of powder, 
 he was going to return to a place with which Imeeo was 
 not worthy to be compared. 
 
 It was Marbonna who, after one or two unsuccessful 
 attempts, at last brought about our admission into the 
 queen's grounds. Through a considerable crowd he con- 
 ducted us along the pier to where an old man was sitting, 
 to whom he introduced us as a couple of " karhowrees " 
 of his acquaintance, anxious to see the sights of the palace. 
 The venerable chamberlain stared at us, and shook his 
 head: the doctor, thinking he wanted a fee, placed a 
 plug of tobacco in his hand. This was ingratiating, and 
 we were permitted to pass on. Upon the point of enter- 
 ing one of the houses, Marbonna's name was shouted in 
 half-a-dozen different directions, and he was obliged to 
 withdraw. 
 
 Thus left at the very threshold to shift for ourselves, 
 my companion's assurance stood us in good stead. He 
 stalked right in, and I followed. The place was full of 
 women, who, instead of exhibiting the surprise we ex- 
 pected, accosted us as cordially as if we had called to 
 take our Souchong with them by express invitation. In 
 the first place, nothing would do but we must each devour 
 a calabash of " poee," and several roasted bananas. 
 Pipes were then lighted, and a brisk conversation en- 
 sued. 
 
 These ladies of the court, if not very polished, were sur- 
 prisingly free and easy in their manners; quite as much 
 so as King Charles's beauties. There was one of them — 
 an arch little miss, who could converse with us pretty 
 fluently — to whom we strove to make ourselves particu- 
 
We Visit the Court 321 
 
 larly agreeable, with the view of engaging her services as 
 cicerone. 
 
 As such, she turned out to be everything we could 
 desire. No one disputing her will, every place was 
 entered without ceremony, curtains brushed aside, mats 
 lifted, and each nook and corner explored. Whether the 
 little damsel carried her mistress' signet, that everything 
 opened to her thus, I know not; but Marbonna himself, 
 the bearer of infants, could not have been half so service- 
 able. 
 
 Among other houses which we visited, was one of large 
 size and fine exterior; the special residence of a European 
 — formerly the mate of a merchant vessel, — who had done 
 himself the honour of marrying into the Pomaree family. 
 The lady he wedded being a near kinswoman of the queen, 
 he became a permanent member of her majesty's house- 
 hold. This adventurer rose late, dressed theatrically in 
 calico and trinkets, assumed a dictatorial tone in con- 
 versation, and was evidently upon excellent terms with 
 himself. 
 
 We found him reclining on a mat, smoking a reed-pipe 
 of tobacco, in the midst of an admiring circle of chiefs 
 and ladies. He must have noticed our approach; but 
 instead of rising and offering civilities, he went on talking 
 and smoking, without even condescending to look at us. 
 
 " His Highness feels his ' poee,' " carelessly observed 
 the doctor. The rest of the company gave us the ordinary 
 salutation, our guide announcing us beforehand. 
 
 In answer to our earnest requests to see the queen, we 
 were now conducted to an edifice, by far the most spacious, 
 in the inclosure. It was at least one hundred and fifty 
 feet in length, very wide, with low eaves, and an exceed - 
 ingly steep roof of pandannas leaves. There were neither 
 doors noE windows — nothing along the sides but the slight 
 posts supporting the rafters. Between these posts, cur- 
 tains of fine matting and tappa were rustling, all round; 
 some of them were festooned, or partly withdrawn, so as 
 to admit light and air, and afford a glimpse now and then 
 of what was going on within. 
 
 Pushing aside one of the screens, we entered. The 
 
 X 
 
322 Omoo 
 
 apartment was one immense hall; the long and lofty 
 ridge-pole fluttering with fringed matting and tassels, full 
 forty feet from the ground. Lounges of mats, piled one 
 upon another, extended on either side: while here and 
 there were slight screens, forming as many recesses, where 
 groups of natives — all females — were reclining at their 
 evening meal. 
 
 As we advanced, these various parties ceased their 
 buzzing, and in explanation of our appearance among 
 them, listened to a few cabalistic words from our guide. 
 
 The whole scene was a strange one; but what most 
 excited our surprise was the incongruous assemblage of 
 the most costly objects from all quarters of the globe. 
 Cheek by jowl, they lay beside the rudest native articles, 
 without the slightest attempt at order. Superb writing- 
 desks of rosewood, inlaid with silver and mofher-of- 
 pearl; decanters and goblets of cut glass; embossed 
 volumes of plates; gilded candelabras; sets of globes 
 and mathematical instruments; the finest porcelain; 
 richly-mounted sabres and fowling-pieces ; laced hats and 
 sumptuous garments of all sorts, with numerous other 
 matters of European manufacture, were strewn about 
 among greasy calabashes half -filled with " poee," rolls of 
 old tappa and matting, paddles and fish-spears, and the 
 ordinary furniture of a Tahitian dwelling. 
 
 All the articles first mentioned were, doubtless, presents 
 from foreign powers. They were more or less injured: 
 the fowling-pieces and swords were rusted; the finest 
 woods were scratched; and a folio volume of Hogarth 
 lay open, with a cocoa-nut shell of some musty preparation 
 capsized among the miscellaneous furniture of the Rake's 
 apartment, where that inconsiderate young gentleman is 
 being measured for a coat. 
 
 While we were amusing ourselves in this museum of 
 curiosities, our conductor plucked us by the sleeve, and 
 whispered, " Pomaree ! Pomaree! armai kow kow." 
 
 " She is coming to sup, then," said the doctor, staring 
 in the direction indicated. " What say you, Paul, sup- 
 pose we step up.?" Just then a curtain near by lifted, 
 and from a private building a few yards distant the 
 queen entered, unattended. 
 
We Visit the Court 323 
 
 She wore a loose gown of blue silk, with two rich shawls, 
 one red and the other yellow, tied about her neck. Her 
 royal majesty was barefooted. 
 
 She was about the ordinary size, rather matronly; her 
 features not very handsome; her mouth, voluptuous; 
 but there was a care-worn expression in her face, prob- 
 ably attributable to her late misfortunes. From her 
 appearance, one would judge her about forty; but she 
 is not so old. 
 
 As the queen approached one of the recesses, her atten- 
 dants hurried up, escorted her in, and smoothed the 
 mats on which she at last reclined. Two girls soon 
 appeared, carrying their mistress' repast; and then, sur- 
 rounded by cut-glass and porcelain, and jars of sweet- 
 meats and confections, Pomaree Vahinee I., the titular 
 Queen of Tahiti, ate fish and " poee " out of her native 
 calabashes, disdaining either knife or spoon. 
 
 " Come on," whispered Long Ghost, " let's have an 
 audience at once; " and he was on the point of intro- 
 ducing himself, when our guide, quite alarmed, held him 
 back and implored silence. The other natives also 
 interfered, and, as he was pressing forward, raised such 
 an outcry that Pomaree lifted her eyes and saw. us for 
 the first. 
 
 She seemed surprised and offended, and, issuing an 
 order in a commanding tone to several of her women, 
 waved us out of the house. Summary as the dismissal 
 was, court etiquette, no doubt, required our compliance. 
 We withdrew; making a profound inclination as we dis- 
 appeared behind the tappa arras. 
 
 We departed the ground without seeing Marbonna; 
 and previous to vaulting over the picket, feed our pretty 
 guide after a fashion of our own. Looking round a few 
 moments after, we saw the damsel escorted back by two 
 men, who seemed to have been sent after her. I trust 
 she received nothing more than a reprimand. 
 
 The next day Po-Po informed us that strict orders had 
 been issued to admit no strangers within the palace 
 precincts. 
 
CHAPTER LXXXII 
 
 WHICH ENDS THE BOOK 
 
 Disappointed in going to courtj we determined upon 
 going to sea. It would never do^ longer to trepass on 
 Po-Po's hospitality; and then, weary somewhat of life 
 in Imeeo, like all sailors ashore, I at last pined for the 
 billows. 
 
 Now, if her crew were to be credited, the Leviathan 
 was not the craft to our mind. But I had seen the cap- 
 tain, and liked him. He was an uncommonly tall, robust, 
 fine-looking man, in the prime of life. There was a deep 
 crimson spot in the middle of each sunburnt cheek, 
 doubtless the effect of his sea-potations. He was a 
 Vineyarder, or native of the island of Martha's Vineyard 
 (adjoining Nantucket), and — I would have sworn it — a 
 sailor, and no tyrant. 
 
 Previous to this, we had rather avoided the Leviathan's 
 men, when they came ashore; but now, we purposely 
 threw 'ourselves in their way, in order to learn more of 
 the vessel. 
 
 We became acquainted with the third mate, a Prussian, 
 and an old merchant-seaman — a right jolly fellow, with a 
 face like a ruby. We took him to Po-Po's, and gave him 
 a dinner of baked pig and bread-fruit; with pipes and 
 tobacco for dessert. The account he gave us of the ship 
 agreed with my own surmises. A cosier old craft never 
 floated ; and the captain was the finest man in the world. 
 There was plenty to eat, too ; and, at sea, nothing to do but 
 sit on the windlass and sail. The only bad trait about the 
 vessel was this: she had been launched under some bale- 
 ful star; and so was a luckless ship in the fishery. She 
 dropped her boats into the brine often enough, and they 
 frequently got fast to the whales; but lance and harpoon 
 almost invariably " drew " when darted by the men of the 
 Leviathan. But what of that? We would have all the 
 sport of chasing the monsters, with none of the detestable 
 324 
 
Which Ends the Book 325 
 
 work which follows their capture. So, hurrah for the 
 coast of Japan! Thither the ship was bound. 
 
 A word now about the hard stories we heard the first 
 time we visited the ship. They were nothing but idle 
 fictions, got up by the sailors for the purpose of frightening 
 us away, so as to oblige the captain, who was in want of 
 more hands, to lie the longer in a pleasant harbour. 
 
 The next time the Vineyarder came ashore, we flung 
 ourselves in his path. When informed of our desire to 
 sail with him, he wanted to know our history ; and, above 
 all, what countrymen we were. We said that we had 
 left a whaler in Tahiti, some time previous; and, since 
 then, had been^ — ^in the most praiseworthy manner — em- 
 ployed upon a plantation. As for our country, sailors 
 belong to no nation in particular ; we were, on this occasion, 
 both Yankees. Upon this he looked decidedly incredu- 
 lous; and freely told us that he verily believed we were 
 both from Sydney. 
 
 Be it known here that American sea captains, in the 
 Pacific, are mortally afraid of these Sydney gentry ; who, 
 to tell the truth, wherever known, are in excessively bad 
 odour. Is there a mutiny on board a ship in the South 
 Seas, ten to one a Sydney man is the ringleader. Ashore, 
 these fellows are equally riotous. 
 
 It was on this account that we were anxious to conceal 
 the fact of our having belonged to the Julia, though it 
 annoyed me much, thus to deny the dashing little craft. 
 For the same reason, also, the doctor fibbed about his 
 birthplace. 
 
 Unfortunately, one part of our raiment — Arfretee's 
 blue frocks — ^we deemed a sort of collateral evidence 
 against us. For, curiously enough, an American sailor is 
 generally distinguished by his red frock; and an English 
 tar by his blue one : thus reversing the national colours. 
 The circumstance was pointed out by the captain; and 
 we quickly explained the anomaly. But, in vain: he 
 seemed inveterately prejudiced against us; and, in 
 particular, eyed the doctor most distrustfully. 
 
 By way of propping the latter's pretensions, I was 
 throwing out a hint concerning Kentucky, as a land of tall 
 men, when our Vineyarder turned away abruptly, and 
 
326 Omoo 
 
 desired to hear nothing more. It was evident that he took 
 Long Ghost for an exceedingly problematical character. 
 
 Perceiving this, I resolved to see what a private inter- 
 view would do. So, one afternoon, I found the captain 
 smoking a pipe in the dwelling of a fiortly old native — 
 one Mai-Mai — who, for a reasonable compensation, did 
 the honours of Partoowye to illustrious strangers. 
 
 His guest had just risen from a sumptuous meal of baked 
 pig and taro pudding ; and the remnants of the repast were 
 still visible. Two reeking bottles, also, with their necks 
 wrenched off, lay upon the mat. All this was encouraging ; 
 for, after a good dinner, one feels affluent and amiable, and 
 peculiarly open to conviction. So, at all events, I found 
 the noble Vineyarder. 
 
 I began by saying that I called for the purpose of 
 setting him right touching certain opinions of his con- 
 cerning the place of my nativity: — I was an American- 
 thank Heaven ! — and wanted to convince him of the fact. 
 
 After looking me in the eye for some time, and, by so 
 doing, revealing an obvious unsteadiness in his own visual 
 organs, he begged me to reach forth my arm. I did so; 
 wondering what upon earth that useful member had to do 
 with the matter in hand. 
 
 He placed his fingers upon my wrist ; and holding them 
 there for a moment, sprang to his feet, and, with much 
 enthusiasm, pronounced me a Yankee, every beat of my 
 pulse ! 
 
 " Here, Mai-Mai ! " he cried, " another bottle ! " And, 
 when it came, with one stroke of a knife, he summarily be- 
 headed it, and commanded me to drain it to the bottom. 
 He then told me that if I would come on board his vessel 
 the following morning, I would find the ship's articles on 
 the cabin transom. 
 
 This was getting along famously. But what was to 
 become of the doctor. 
 
 I forthwith made an adroit allusion to my long friend. 
 But it was worse than useless. The Vineyarder swore he 
 would have nothing to do with him — he (my long friend) 
 was a " bird " from Sydney, and nothing would make him 
 (the man of little faith) believe otherwise. 
 
 I could not help loving the free-hearted captain j but 
 
Which Ends the Book 327 
 
 indignant at this most unaccountable prejudice against 
 my comrade, I abruptly took leave. 
 
 Upon informing the doctor of the result of the inter- 
 view, he was greatly amused; and laughingly declared 
 that the Vineyarder must be a penetrating fellow. He then 
 insisted upon my going to sea in the ship, since he well 
 knew how anxious I was to leave. As for myself, on 
 second thoughts, he was no sailor; and although " lands- 
 men " very often compose part of a whaler's crew, he did 
 not quite relish the idea of occupying a position so humble. 
 In short, he had made up his mind to tarry awhile in Imeeo. 
 
 I turned the matter over: and at last decided upon 
 quitting the island. The impulse urging me to sea once 
 more, and the prospect of eventually reaching home, 
 were too much to be resisted ; especially as the Leviathan, 
 so comfortable a craft, was now bound on her last whaling 
 cruise, and, in little more than a year's time, would be 
 going round Cape Horn. 
 
 I did not, however, covenant to remain in the vessel for 
 the residue of the voyage; which would have been need- 
 lessly binding myself. I merely stipulated for the coming 
 cruise, leaving my subsequent movements unrestrained; 
 for there was no knowing that I might not change my 
 mind, and prefer journeying home by short and easy stages. 
 
 The next day I paddled off to the ship, signed and sealed, 
 and stepped ashore with my " advance " — fifteen Spanish 
 dollars — tasseling the ends of my neck-handkerchief. 
 
 I forced half of the silver on Long Ghost; and having 
 little use for the remainder, would have given it to Po-Po 
 as some small return for his kindness; but, although he 
 well knew the value of the coin, not a dollar would he 
 accept. 
 
 In three days' time the Prussian came to Po-Po's, and 
 told us that the captain, having made good the number of 
 his crew by shipping several islanders, had determined 
 upon sailing with the land breeze at dawn the following 
 morning. These tidings were received in the afternoon. 
 The doctor immediately disappeared, returning soon after 
 with a couple of flasks of wine concealed in the folds of his 
 frock. Through the agency of the Marquesan, he had 
 purchased. them from an understrapper of the court. 
 
328 
 
 Omoo 
 
 I prevailed upon Po-Po to drink a parting shell; and 
 even little Loo, actually looking conscious that one of her 
 hopeless admirers was about leaving Partoowye for ever, 
 sipped a few drops from a folded leaf. As for the warm- 
 hearted Arfretee, her grief was unbounded. She even 
 besought me to spend my last night under her own palm- 
 thatch ; and then, in the morning, she would herself paddle 
 me off to the ship. 
 
 But this I would not consent to ; and so, as something 
 to remember her by, she presented me with a roll of fine 
 matting, and another of tappa. These gifts placed in my 
 hammock, I afterward found very agreeable in the warm 
 latitudes to which we were bound; nor did they fail to 
 awaken most grateful remembrances. 
 
 About nightfall, we broke away from this generous- 
 hearted household, and hurried down to the water. 
 
 It was a mad, merry night among the sailors ; they had 
 on tap a small cask of wine, procured in the same way as 
 the doctor's flasks. 
 
 An hour or two after midnight, everything was noise- 
 less; but when the first streak of the dawn showed itself 
 over the mountains, a sharp voice hailed the forecastle, 
 and ordered the ship unmoored. The anchors came up 
 cheerily; the sails were soon set; and with the early 
 breath of the tropical morning, fresh and fragrant from the 
 hillsides, we slowly glided down the bay, and were swept 
 through the opening in the reef. Presently we "hove 
 to," and the canoes came alongside to take off the islanders 
 who had accompanied us thus far. As he stepped over the 
 side, I shook the doctor long and heartily by the hand. I 
 have never seen or heard of him since. 
 
 Crowding all sail, we braced the yards square; and, the 
 breeze freshening, bowled straight away from the land. 
 Once more the sailor's cradle rocked under me, and I 
 found myself rolling in my gait. 
 
 By noon, the island had gone down in the horizon; and 
 all before us was the wide Pacific. 
 
 THE TEMPLE PRESS, PRINTERS, LETCHWORTH