910.452 H71 In 1840 h n 2 v . Jl 1. Library 51 UNiv^nsir'OF 'LLIIviOIS LIBRARY AT- R3ANA-C.-' 4 '- f RAIGN BOOKSTAGKS A NARRATIVE CAPTIVITY AND SUFFERINGS OF HORACE HOLDEN AND BENJ. H. NUTE; WHO WERE CAST AWAY IN THB AMERICAN SHIP MENTOR, ON THE PELEW ISLiMDS, IN THE YEAR 1832; AND FOR TWO YEARS AFTER WARDS WERE SUBJECTED TO UNHEARD OF SUFFERINGS AMONG THE BARBAROUS INHABITANTS OF LORD NORTH’S ISLAND. ' BY HORACE HOLDEN. COOPERSTOWN, N. Y PUBLISHED BY H. &. E. PHINNEY. ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR 1836, By HORACE HOLDEN. IN THE CLERK’S OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT COURT OF MASSA CHUSETTS. °l]0.¥5Z til //n )?¥0 to JOHN PICKERING, ESQ. 4H Boston, AND TO WILLIAM R. RODMAN, ESQ. they sometimes 84 NARRATIVE. wear a leaf; and round their necks a necklace made of the shell of the cocoa-nut, and a small white shell, called keem shell. The children go entirely naked. The complex- ion of these islanders is a light copper color ; much lighter than the Malays, or the Pelew islanders; which last, however, they resem- ble in the breadth of th$ir faces, high cheek bones, and broad flattened noses. They do not color their teeth, by chewing any thing, as many of those islanders do ; but their teeth are so strong that they can husk a cocoa-nut with them instantly. Their principal food is the cocoa-nut. They occasionally succeed in procuring fish, though the supply obtained during our resi- dence there was exceedingly small. Their fish-hooks are made of turtle-shell, and not well contrived for the purpose ; but we could not induce them to use our hooks, till they had heated them and altered their form so that they would not hold the fish. They did this, because they said that Yarris (God) would be angry with them, if they used our hooks without preparing them according to NARRATIVE. 85 their fashion. Sometimes they are so fortu- nate as to obtain a sea-turtle ; five only were taken during the two years we were there. The turtle, I may add, has something of a sacred character with them. They also raise small quantities of a vegetable some- what resembling the yam ; but while we were with them they were unsuccessful in cultivating it. These constitute the slender means of their support ; and they are thus barely kept from actual death by famine, but on the very verge of starvation. When any one of them begins to fail, for want of food, so that his death is pretty certain, they inhu- manly turn him off from among them, to starve to death. Their religion is such as might be expected among a people in their condition. Their place of worship is a rudely constructed building, or hut, about fifty feet long and thirty wide. In the centre, suspended from the roof, is a sort of altar, into which they suppose their deity comes to hold converse with the priest. Rudely carved images are placed in different parts of the building, and 8 86 NARRATIVE. are s*„pposed to personate their divinity. As nearly as could be ascertained by us, they supposed that the object of their wor- ship was of like passions with themselves, capricious and revengeful. During the time we were with them, they attributed to his displeasure their want of success in taking fish as they had done in former times, and the unfruitfulness of their bread-fruit and cocoa trees. Their religious ceremonies are singular. In the commencement the priest walks round the altar and takes from it a mat, devoted to the purpose, which is laid upon the ground. He then seats himself upon it, and begins to hoot, in the mean time throwing himself into a variety of attitudes, for the purpose of calling down the divinity into the altar. At intervals the congregation sing, but immediately stop when the priest breaks out in his devotions. By the side of the al- tar is always placed a large bowl, and six cocoa-nuts. After the incantation is gone through, and the divinity is supposed to oe present, the bowl is turned up, and four of NARRATIVE. 87 che nuts are broken and put in it, two be- ing reserved for the exclusive use of a priest by them called a r lso 66 y arris .” As soon as the nuts are broken, one of the company be- gins to shout, and, rushing to the centre, seizes the bowl, and drinks of the milk of the nut, generally spilling a considerable part of it upon the ground. After this a few pieces are thrown to the images, and the remainder are eaten by the priests. This closes the ceremony ; after which they indulge in any recreations that chance to please them best. While we were on the island several earth- quakes happened, and some of them pretty severe. On those occasions the natives were much terrified; they would not let their children speak a word ; and they said among themselves — zahbee'too Yarris, To bee yet- tah'men , that is, Yarris (God) is coming and To'bee (the name of the island) will sink. They were also very much alarmed at thun- der and lightning ; and used to say at such times, Yarris tee’tree^ God is talking. I do not know how they would be affected by an NARRATIVE. eclipse, as none happened, that I noticed, while we remained there. I will here mention some other things in respect to their customs and usages, as they now occur to me. Their implements of war are spears and clubs ; they have no bows and arrows. Their spears are made of the wood of the cocoa-nut trees; the points of them are set with rows of sharks’ teeth; and, being at the same time very heavy and from ten to twenty feet long, are formidable weapons. Their canoes are made of logs which drift to their island from other places, there being no trees on it large enough for that purpose ; they are hollowed out with great labor, and are of very clumsy workmanship; to prevent their oversetting, they are fitted up with outriggers, like those of the Pelew islanders. A sketch of one is given in the accompanying engraving. They kindle their fires, as they informed me, by rubbing two pieces of wood toge- ther, as is common in the islands of the Pacific ocean ; and they cook their turtle or NARRATIVE. 89 other meat, (when they are so fortunate as to have any,) as well as their vegetables, by covering them with heated stones. I should state, however, that during the whole time we staid among them, fire was always pre- served in some part of the island, so that there was no necessity for kindling it in the manner here mentioned. Like other savage people, they reckon time by moons ; I could not learn that they ever reckoned by any other period, except, indeed, when speaking of two or three days. They take pride in their hair, and are particularly careful about it, washing and cleansing it almost every day. They do not color it, however, as the natives of some islands are said to do ; but they moisten it with the juice pressed out from the cocoa- nut, which gives it a very glossy appear- ance ; and it is frequently so long as to reach down to their waist. Their mode of salutation is, to clasp each other in their arms, and touch their noses to- gether, as is practised in many other islands. We found no musical instruments of any 90 NARRATIVE. kind among them. They sometimes, on particular occasions, would sing or bawl out something like a rude tune; but we could not understand it. We frequently tried to teach them to whistle, and their awkward attempts to do it amused us ; but they never were able to learn how it was done. In their names, I could not find that they had any thing like a family name, but :>nly a single one, (corresponding to our Christian names,) as is the case, I believe, throughout the islands of the Pacific. I could not learn, that the names were signifi- cant either of animals or other objects, as the Indian names of America are, and I never found any two persons of the same name. The names of the members of the family with which I lived were as follows : — Pahrahboo'ah, the father of the family. Nah'kit, the mother. Buhwur'timar, the eldest child, a son, ten or twelve years old. Kobaw'ut, the second, a daughter. Kobahnoo'uk, the third, a daughter. Wah'rebo, the fourth, a son. NARRATIVE. 91 The children do not address their parents by any word corresponding to father or mo- ther, papa or mamma, but by their names. Their parents treat them on the footing of equality ; they are generally well behaved, and are never punished, except occasionally when impatient for their food. Their language appears to be different from those of the other islands in that quar- er ; we found that the three natives of the Pelew islands, that accompanied us, could not understand any thing they said ; though I observed afterwards, occasionally, a re- semblance in two or three words. The rea- der will, however, be enabled to judge for himself, by means of a short vocabulary of common words which will be found at the end of this narrative. I may add, that the Pelew chiefs had never heard of Lord North’s island; but they are acquainted with the Caroline islands. A detail of all that befell us would serve only to give pain to the benevolent, or at most to show how much human beings can endure. I shall attempt but little more than 92 NARRATIVE. to describe the sufferings of a day ; observ- ing once for all, that for the term of two long years we experienced the same priva- tions, and were subjected to the same brutal treatment ; life, during all that time, being no better than the constant succession of the most acute sufferings. This island, unlike the Pelews, is one of the most horrible and wretched on the face of the globe. The only product of its soil worth mentioning is the cocoa-tree ; and those are of. so dwarfish and miserable a growth as to bear but very few nuts. These few, however, constitute the food of the inhabi- tants, with the exception of a species of fish caught occasionally near the shore. The only animals or creeping things known on the isl- and are lizards and mice, and, during our stay there, scarcely a solitary sea-fowl was known to have alighted on the island, and but few fish were taken by the natives. The character of the inhabitants much resembles that of the island itselt. Cowardly and servile, yet most barbarous and cruel, they combine, in their habits, tempers, and NARRATIVE. 93 dispositions, the most disgusting and loath- some features that disgrace humanity. And, what may be regarded as remarkable, the female portion of the inhabitants out- strip the men in cruelty and savage depra- vity ; so much so, that we were frequently indebted to the tender mercies of the men for escapes from death at the hands of the women. The indolence of the natives, which not even the fear of starvation itself can rouse to exertion, prevents their under- taking the least toil, although a little labor, well applied, might be made to render them infinitely more comfortable.^ Strange as it may appear, it is neverthe- less true, that, notwithstanding they are in this miserable condition, with no prospect of its ever being improved, they are of the opinion that they are highly favored. This can be accounted for in no other way than by the fact, that they are entirely ignorant of all that lies beyond the narrow limits of their * Some of these remarks are taken from the New York Sun of May 30, 1835 ; for which paper the sub- stance of them was furnished by Mr. Nute and myself. 94 NARRATIVE. observation. They know nothing of any other portion of the globe, than the mere speck of barren land upon which by some accident they were thrown, and where they remain, to drag out a wretched existence. Their traditions do not extend further back than to about a hundred years ; and, to their simple minds, it seems like a splendid effort of mind to be able to relate, with tolerable accuracy, the time-hallowed stories told them by their parents. Whether they could in any way be improved by instruction, is a question which it would be difficult to answer. They seem to be doomed to re- main, as one of the last links in the chain that connects our race with the mere ani- mal part of the creation. CHAPTER VIII. A ship discovered at a small distance from the island. — The natives prepare to go on board of her. — Captain Barnard and Bartlet Rollins, after being severely beaten, are allowed to go with the natives in their canoes, and thus effect their escape ; the rest of the Mentor’s people are still forcibly de- tained on the island. — Their hopes of being taken on board of the same ship are suddenly blasted. — Their despondency on that disappointment. — Return of the natives from the ship ; their rage, and quarrels about the division of the arti- cles procured on board of her. — They threaten to wreak their vengeance on the Mentor’s people that remained with them. — Their cruel treatment of them. — A storm destroys the cocoa-nut trees and causes a scarcity of food. We were captured and taken to the isl- and December 6, 1832 ; and on the third day of February, 1833, two months wanting three days, captain Barnard and Bartlet Rollins effected their escape. Compared with the remainder of our captivity, our pri- vations and sufferings up to that time were less severe. But at no time did we have sufficient food to satisfy the cravings of hun- ger ! The very crumbs that fall from an 96 Narrative. ordinary table would have been to us a lux- ury ; the swine of America are better fed than we were, on the most fortunate day of our residence upon that island. It was on the day above mentioned that a ship was discovered a short distance from the island, and the natives immediately col- lected, and prepared to go to it, in order to obtain iron, or some other articles of value. Hope once more visited us. To escape was, of course, our strong desire and intention. Accordingly, when the canoes put off we at- tempted to go. Our savage masters inter- posed their authority, and by menaces and blows prevented us. Many of us were se- verely beaten, and all but two were detain- ed by the brutal force of the savages. At length captain Barnard and Rollins, after being severely beaten, were allowed to ac- company the natives to the ship, and suc- ceeded in effecting their escape. Trusting to the humanity of the captain and crew, we for some time confidently expected, that they would contrive some way of enabling us to join them. They were in sight about NARRATIVE. 97 three hours ; at one time they were so near that we could distinctly see the hands on board ; but judge of our feelings when we saw the vessel pursuing her course ! Our expectations were, all blasted in a moment, and our minds, which had been gladdened by the hope of once more enjoying the so- ciety of civilized beings, of once more reach- ing the shores of our beloved country, sunk back into a state of despair ; we wept like children. The natives, when they returned from the vessel, brought with them a small quantity of iron hoops, and a few articles of some little value, but they were highly dissatis- fied with the amount received, and greatly enraged. The division of the property caused much difficulty, and they quarrelled about it for several days. Those of us who remained, though innocent, were the great- est sufferers. They held us accountable for the conduct of those who had left, and vent- ed the malignity of their unfeeling hearts upon us. We were given to understand, that now our doom was fixed; that we 98 NARRATIVE. should remain with them, and die the vic- tims of our tormentors ! Alas ! it was but too true, that such was to be the fate of all but two of our number ! We were destined to see one after another of our fellow-suffe- rers sink under the constantly increasing se- verity of the burdens imposed upon them, and perish either from actual starvation, or by the blows of the savages. After the departure of the captain and Rollins, we were treated with much greater severity than we had been before. Gene- rally we were aroused from our broken slumbers about sunrise, and compelled to go to work ; we were usually employed in cul- tivating a species ofVegetable somewhat re- sembling the yam, and called by them “/ro- "ei” This root is raised in beds of mud, which are prepared by digging out the sand, and filling the place with mould. The whole of this labor was performed with the hands. We were compelled day after day to stand in the mud from morning till night, and to turn up the mud with our hands. Frequently we were required to do this with- NARRATIVE. 99 out receiving a morsel of food till about noon, and sometimes we were left without any thing to eat till night. At best we could get no more than a small piece of cocoa-nut, hardly a common sized mouthful, at a time, and if, either from exhaustion or any other cause, we neglected to perform the required amount of labor, our pittance of food was withheld altogether. From this plain and unexaggerated ac- count it will be seen, that our condition at best was bad enough; but a misfortune be- fell us which rendered it still worse. About four months from the time of our landing on that dreary spot, there was a violent storm, which came very near sweeping away the whole of the means of support which re- mained for the miserable inhabitants. The wind blew down many of the best cocoa trees, and materially injured the fruit on such as were left standing. Besides this, the low places in which they raised the root, by them called “ korei were mostly filled with sand, and famine stared us all in the tace. 100 NARRATIVE. They attributed this misfortune to the an- ger of their god, and did not fail to use such means as they thought best calculated to appease him ; and the calamity greatly ad- ded to our sufferings. Besides subjecting us to still more severe deprivations, we were compelled (though hardly able to drag our limbs from place to place) to labor in re- pairing the damage done by the storm. We were employed for months in carrying in our arms and on our shoulders pieces of the coral rock, in order to form a sort of sea- wall to prevent the waves from washing away the trees; and this drudgery, consi- dering that we were naked, under a burning sun, and reduced to nothing but skin and bones, was too severe to admit of any thing like an adequate description. Our flesh, or, to speak more properly, our skin — for flesh we had none — was frequently so torn by the sharp corners of the rock, and scorched by the sun, as to resemble more that of the rhi- noceros than of human beings. CHAPTER IX. The natives compel the Mentor’s people to be tattooed.— De- scription of that painful operation. — They also oblige them to pluck their beards, &c. — Another vessel passes by the island ; and, afterwards, a third comes in sight and remains for three days ; the Mentor’s people are closely guarded at these times. — The melancholy fate of William Sedon; and the barbarous murder of Peter Andrews. — Attack on H. Holden, who is protected by one of the natives, and escapes. — B. Nute and others are protected by the female natives from the fury of the men. — Death of one of the Pelew chiefs. —'•Another of the Pelew people is detected in stealing, and is punished in their manner. — Death of Milton Hewlet and Charles C. Bouket; leaving now only B. Nute, H. Holden, and the other Pelew chief, named Kobak , who all remained in a feeble and helpless condition. — Filthy prac- tices of the natives. — Friendship of the surviving Pelew chief. i A new trial now awaited us. Th& bar- barous beings among whom GUr lot had been cast, deemed it important that we should be tattooed , and we were compelled to submit to the distressing operation. We expostu- lated against it — we entreated — we begged to be spared this additional affliction ; but our entreaties were of no use. Those sa- F 102 NARRATIVE. vages were not to be moved, and we were compelled to submit; and that the reader may form some idea of the painful process, I will here give a brief account of it. We were in the first place securely bound down to the ground, and there held fast by our tormentors. They then proceeded to draw with a sharp stick the figures design- ed to be imprinted on the skin. This done, the skin was thickly punctured with a little instrument made of sharpened fish bones, and somewhat resembling a carpenter’s adz in miniature, but having teeth, in- stead of a smooth, sharp edge. This instru- ment was held within an inch or two of the flesh, and struck into it rapidly with a piece of wood, applied to it in such a man- £er as to cause it to rebound at every stroke. In this lva y our breasts and arms were pre- pared; and subsequently the ink, which was made of a vegetable found on the isl- and called by them the “ savvcm," was appli- ed. The operation caused such an inflam- mation of our bodies, that only a portion could be done at one time ; and as soon as NARRATIVE. 103 the inflammation abated another portion was done, as fast as we could bear it, till our bodies were covered. It was effectually done ; for to this day the figures remain as distinct as they were when first imprinted, and the marks will be carried by us to the grave. They were exceedingly anxious to perform the operation upon our faces ; but this we would not submit to, telling them that sooner than have it done we would die in resisting them. Among themselves, the oldest people had the greatest quantity of tattooing, and the younger class less. Besides the operation of tattooing , they compelled us to pluck the hair from dif- ferent parts of the body, and to pluck our beards about every ten days, which was ex- tremely painful ; and at every successive ope- ration the beard grew out harder and stiffer. About seventeen days after the captain and Rollins left, we saw a vessel to the windward ; but the natives did not attempt to visit it. Five months afterwards another came in sight, and remained for three days near the island. At one time we could dis- 104 NARRATIVE. tinctly see the men on board ; but we were kept on shore and closely guarded. Several canoes visited the ship, and brought back a few pieces of iron, fish-hooks, glass bottles, foe. We tried, but in vain, to escape. It seemed to us, that we were doomed to remain on that dreary spot, to wear out our remain- ing strength in hopeless bondage, and to submit to the control of brutal masters, whose tender mercies were cruelties. Death, in any form, would have been a relief, and often did we see moments when it would have been welcomed as the best of friends ! To some of our companions it did come, though dreadful in the manner, yet as a not unwelcome alternative. About a year after we first arrived at the island, William Sedon became so reduced as to deprive us of all hopes of his recovery. He looked iike a skeleton ; and, at last, was so entirely exhausted by hunger, as to be unable to walk, or even to rise from the ground. He continued, however, to crawl from place to place, until all his remaining strength was nearly gone, when the inhu- NARRATIVE. 106 man monsters placed him in an old canoe, and sent him adrift on the ocean ! Gladly would his unhappy shipmates have extend- ed to him the last sad offices of friendship ; that poor consolation was denied both him and us ! My heart bleeds at the recollec- tion of our separation and his melancholy fate — when we saw him anxiously turn his languid eyes towards those who were doom- ed still to linger on the borders of the grave ! Our sighs were breathed almost in silence, and our tears were shed in vain ! It may be observed here, that it is not their custom to deposit the bodies of any of their dead in the earth, except very young children. The bodies of grown people, af- ter death, are laid in a canoe an$ committed to the ocean. It was soon our lot to part with another of our companions, Peter Andrews. He was accused by the natives of some trifling offence, and put to death. The savages knocked him down with their clubs, and then despatched him in the most cruel and most shocking manner. I was at this time 106 NARRATIVE. at a distance from the place where he was killed. My master was absent; and upon my hearing a noise in the direction of the place where the foul business was transact- ed, and suspecting that all was not right, I started to see what was going on. I was near the beach when I saw a number of the savages coming towards the spot where I stood, dragging along the lifeless and man- gled body of our comrade ! One of them approached me behind, and knocked me down with his club. The body of Andrews was thrown into the sea, and it seemed to be their determination to destroy the whole of us. I warded off the blows aimed at me as well as I could, and recovering myself, ran towards the hut of my master. He had not yet returned ; but, fortunately, an old man, who had previously shown some re- gard for me, and who was the particular friend of my master, happened at that mo- ment to be passing; and seizing the man who had pursued me, held him fast. I es- caped and ran into the hut, and crawled up through an aperture in the floor into the NARRATIVE. 107 chamber under the roof. I seized an old box and covered up the hole through which I had ascended ; but this was not sufficient to detain, for any great length of time, the wretches who were thirsting for my blood. They soon succeeded in displacing the box, and one of them seized me ; but just as he was pulling me from my place of refuge, my master returned with several of his friends, and rescued me from the clutches of my enemies. In the mean time Nute and the rest of our companions were at the u Tahboo a place of public resort, where, for the only time, the females rendered our people any assis- tance. They concealed the men under some mats, and kept them there till the fury of the natives had in a measure subsided. We were next called upon to part with one of the Pelew chiefs who had come with us. He died of absolute starvation, and, according to custom, was committed to the waves in an old canoe. In a short time af- ter this, the Pelew private (who had also come with us) was detected in the crime of 108 NARRATIVI. taking a few cocoa-nuts without leave ; for which offence he had his hands tied behind him, and was put into a canoe and sent adrift; which was their usual method of punishment for offences of different kinds. About a year and seven months from the commencement of our captivity Milton Hew- let died, and, like the others, was, according to the custom of the natives, committed to the ocean. A short time afterwards Charles C. Bouket, having become so reduced by his sufferings as to be unable to help himself, was (horrible to relate !) placed in a canoe, while still alive, and committed to the mercy of the ocean. Thus did one after another of our companions sink under the weight of their sufferings, and perish without any alle- viation of their wretchedness. Nute and myself, with our friend Kobac , the other Pe- lew chief, were all that remained ; and we were constantly expecting that the next hour would end our existence. The idea of death, however, had now be- come familiar ; and often did we desire the release from suffering which that alone could NARRATIVE. 109 afford. Nothing, as it now appears to us, but the kind interposition of Providence, could have continued our lives, and have given us the power of endurance to hold out so long as we did. We were frequently so reduced as to be unable to walk, and were forced to drag ourselves on our hands and knees to some place where we could lie down under the shade of a bush, and take rest. But the small comfort to be obtained in this way was greatly lessened by the an- noyance of musquetoes, which could attack us with impunity in our helpless and feeble condition. Besides this, our flesh had so fallen away, that on lying down, our bones would actually pierce through the skin, giv- ing us the most severe pain. After we were tattooed, the parts operated upon were, for a long time, running sores ; and when ex- posed to the sun, the pain was excruciating. It has been already said, that the natives were indolent, filthy and degraded, but the half has not been told; and some things which we witnessed cannot be related. The intercourse of the sexes was unrestrained by 110 NARRATIVE. any law ; and the decencies of life were al- most entirely neglected. Instead of taking pains to keep clean, they, seemed to be not unwilling to have their heads overrun with vermin ; and however incredible it may seem, it is a disgusting truth, that they are accustomed to eat them ; and particular care seems to be taken to keep those loathsome animals in the heads of the children. But I forbear any further particulars. I have already said, that only two of the crew of the Mentor, namely, Nute and my- self, remained alive, with the exception of captain Barnard and Rollins, who had for- tunately escaped. The Pelew chief had become strongly attached to us, and we take pleasure in stating the fact, that his faithful- ness and affection had greatly endeared him to us. He seemed more like a brother than a barbarian ; and most gladly would we have saved him from those sufferings which, no doubt, before this time, have terminated his life. Alas ! it was not in our power to ad- minister to his relief ; and when we last saw him he was but just alive* CHAPTER X. The feeble and exhausted condition of the survivors, Note »na Holden. — The natives consent to release them from labor, but refuse them food ; and they obtain permission to leave the island in the first vessel, for a compensation to be made to the natives. — They crawl about from place to place, sub- sisting upon leaves, and occasionally begging a little food of the natives, for two months. — Their sudden joy at hear- ing of a vessel coming towards the island. — It proves to be the British barque Britannia, captain Short, bound to Can- ton. — They are taken on board the Britannia, November 27, 1834, and treated with the kindest attention. — Their joy and gratitude at this happy termination of their sufferings. — They gradually recover their health so far as to take passage for America, in the ship Morrison, bound for New York, where they arrive May 5, 1835. — Acknowledgments for their kind reception at New York and Boston. Haying thus briefly related the story of our captivity and sufferings, it only remains to give an account of our escape from this barbarous people. We continued to survive the horrible sufferings to which we were constantly subjected, and to serve our ty- rannical masters, in despite of our agonies 112 NARRATIVE. of body and mind, till the beginning of the autumn of 1834 ; at which time we had become so emaciated, feeble, and sickly, that we found it impossible any longer even to attempt to labor. By this time we had acquired a sufficient knowledge of their tongue to converse fluently with the natives, and we informed our masters, that our feeble condition rendered it impossible for us to at- tempt to do any thing more. We also rea- soned the matter with them, telling them that death was our inevitable doom, unless we were allowed to relax our labor; that if we died we could be of no service to them, but if allowed a respite, and we lived, and could be put on board a vessel, they should be liberally rewarded. With much difficulty we at length per- suaded our masters to allow us to quit labor, and obtained from them a promise to be put on board the first vessel that should come to the island. But, at the same time, they in- formed us, that if we ceased to work, they should cease to furnish the miserable allow- ance of cocoa-nut on which we had before NARRATIVE. 113 subsisted, and that we must either labor or starve. We deemed death as welcome in one shape as in another, and relinquished our labors and our pittance of food together. We were thus literally turned out to die ! We crawled from place to place, subsisting upon leaves, and now and then begging of the natives a morsel of cocoa-nut. In this way we contrived to live for about two months, when the joyful intelligence was brought to us that a vessel was in sight, and was coming near the island ! Hope once more revisited our despairing hearts, and seemed to inspire us with renewed strength and animation. After taxing our exhausted powers to the utmost, we persuaded the natives to prepare for visiting the vessel; and throwing our emaciated bodies into their canoes, we made for the ship with all possible despatch. The vessel proved to be the British barque Bri- tannia, captain Short, bound to Canton. Our reception on board is faithfully describ- ed in the following certificate given by cap- ? 114 narrative. tain Short, the original of which is still in my possession : “ Lintin, 29th December, 1834. “ This is to certify, that on the 27th day of November, 1834, off the small island com- monly called Lord North’s by the English, situated in latitude 3° 3' north, and lon- gitude 131° 20' east, on board the British barque Britannia, bound to Canton river, we observed about ten or eleven canoes, containing upwards of one hundred men, approaching the vessel, in a calm, or nearly so, with the intention of coming alongside. But having the small comple- ment of thirteen men, it was considered most prudent to keep them off, which was effect- ed by firing a few six pound shots in a con- trary direction from the boats, some of which were then within pistol-shot. At the same time hearing cries in our own language, beg- ging to be taken on board, the boat was des- patched away to know the cause. The boat returned to the ship, and reported an American on board one of them. She was NARRATIVE. 115 then sent back, having strict orders to act with caution, and the man got from the ca- noe into the sea, and was taken up by the ship’s boat, and brought on board. He then stated in what manner he came there, and said he had another of his countrymen in another canoe. I said if we could get some of the boats dispersed, that every assistance should be rendered for the liberty of the nther man. Accordingly they did so, all out three. The ship’s boat was then des- patched in search, and soon found the other man. He was brought on board, but in a most deplorable condition with fever, from the effects of a miserable subsistence. These two poor fellows were quite naked, under a burning sun. They appeared to bear all the marks of their long servitude, and I should suppose two or three days would have been the end of the last man taken on board, but from this act of Providence. It appears that these men were wrecked in the ship Mentor, on the Pelew islands, and were pro- ceeding with their commander to some Dutch settlement, in one of the Pelew island 116 NARRATIVE. canoes, when they got to the afore-mention- ed island, and were detained by the natives ; and that captain Edward C. Barnard had got on board some ship, and reached Can- ton river shortly after their detention at the island; which has been confirmed by the different masters now at the port of Lintin. “ The statement given in to me by the two men runs thus : — That they were wrecked May 21st, 1832, on the Pelew islands, and detained on Lord North’s island 6th Decem- ber, 1832. The two men’s names are Ben- jamin H. Nute and Horace Holden. I should thank any ship master now in port, acquaint- ed with the circumstance, to confirm it by his signature, in order to make some provi- sion for those men, should they require it. But from the disposition and liberality of those American gentlemen coming forward, that are already acquainted with the circum- stance, perhaps it will be unnecessary. At the same time I shall be very willing to draw up any form, or in any other way that I may forward their views, according to the opinion of their American friends. I should NARRATIVE. 117 hope that every vessel passing in the direc- tion of the afore-mentioned island, passing any of their boats, will give them a trifle. I gave them what articles those two men thought most beneficial, and should have held a closer communication with them had I been better manned and armed. Henry Short, Barque Britannia.” Never shall we find words to express our joy at once more finding ourselves in the company of civilized men ! Nor can we be too grateful to captain Short, and his offi- cers and crew, for their kind attentions dur- ing our passage to Lintin. Every thing in their power was done to restore our health * r and strength, and to render us comfortable. On arriving at Lintin we found ourselves sufficiently recovered to be able to pass up the river to Canton. We remained there, at the factories, under medical treatment^ until the ship Morrison, of New York, was ready to sail ; when we took passage in her for our native country, and arrived in New York on the 5th day of May, 1835. f IIS NARRATIVE. In New York we found many kind friends, who took a lively interest in our behalf. We would particularly acknowledge a debt of gratitude which we owe to Mr. John Mun- son, who opened his hospitable dwelling for our reception, and with whom we tarried for several weeks. Assisted by the humane and philanthropic citizens of New York, we have been enabled to reach Boston. Here Provi- dence has raised us up warm friends, through whose assistance we have been rendered as comfortable as could under any circum- stances have been expedted. In compliance with the solicitations of many respectable gentlemen, the foregoing narrative is submitted to the public, with the hope that it may not be entirely unin- teresting, and not without use. Every state- ment may be relied upon as strictly true ; and it is believed, that, simple and unadorn- ed as is our story, it may serve to afford some information of a little spot hitherto sup- posed to be uninhabited, and to present to view of the curious and intelligent some knowledge of a portion of our race among whom no white man has ever before lived. NARRATIVE. 119 To captain Barnard the author of the statements in this narrative is under great obligations for his uniformly kind treatment previous to the loss of the Mentor, and dur- ing the whole time we were together. We have no reason to doubt, that he did all in his power to obtain our release from cap- tivity at the time when he was himself so fortunate as to escape ; and not the least blame is to be imputed to him on account of the disasters that befell us. Of the twenty-two persons who composed the ship’s company of the Mentor when she sailed from New Bedford, only four have returned. It has been reported, that one of the three who was left at the Pelew islands escaped a fe w months since. If such be the case only two remain there ; and it is hoped that some measures will soon be adopted, either by the government or by humane in- dividuals, to rescue them from their painful and distressing situation. I cannot close this narrative without ex- pressing the most heart-felt gratitude to that kind Providence which has sustained us un- 120 NARRATIVE. der trials and sufferings the most severe, and returned us to our homes and friends. And may those who have been to us friends in- deed, find an ample reward f:>r their gene- rosity, in the consciousness of having been influenced by those sentiments and feelings which best adorn and dignify the human character ! Boston, November 1835