About this time, Kitoti, a depraved chief, and the pliant tool ofBruat, was induced by him to give a great feast in the Vale of Paree,to which all his countrymen were invited. The governor's object wasto gain over all he could to his interests; he supplied an abundanceof wine and brandy, and a scene of bestial intoxication was thenatural consequence. Before it came to this, however, several speecheswere made by the islanders. One of these, delivered by an agedwarrior, who had formerly been at the head of the celebrated AeoraiSociety, was characteristic. "This is a very good feast," said thereeling old man, "and the wine also is very good; but you evil-mindedWee-Wees (French), and you false-hearted men of Tahiti, are all verybad."
By the latest accounts, most of the islanders still refuse to submitto the French; and what turn events may hereafter take, it is hard topredict. At any rate, these disorders must accelerate the finalextinction of their race.
Along with the few officers left by Du Petit Thouars were severalFrench priests, for whose unobstructed exertions in the disseminationof their faith, the strongest guarantees were provided by an articleof the treaty. But no one was bound to offer them facilities; muchless a luncheon, the first day they went ashore. True, they hadplenty of gold; but to the natives it was anathema--taboo--and, forseveral hours and some odd minutes, they would not touch it.Emissaries of the Pope and the devil, as the strangers wereconsidered--the smell of sulphur hardly yet shaken out of theircanonicals--what islander would venture to jeopardize his soul, andcall down a blight on his breadfruit, by holding any intercourse withthem! That morning the priests actually picknicked in grove ofcocoa-nut trees; but, before night, Christian hospitality--inexchange for a commercial equivalent of hard dollars--was given themin an adjoining house.
Wanting in civility, as the conduct of the English missionaries may bethought, in withholding a decent reception to these persons, thelatter were certainly to blame in needlessly placing themselves inso unpleasant a predicament. Under far better auspices, they mighthave settled upon some one of the thousand unconverted isles of thePacific, rather than have forced themselves thus upon a peoplealready professedly Christians.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
WE RECEIVE CALLS AT THE HOTEL DE CALABOOZA
OUR place of confinement being open all round, and so near the BroomRoad, of course we were in plain sight of everybody passing; and,therefore, we had no lack of visitors among such an idle, inquisitiveset as the Tahitians. For a few days, they were coming and goingcontinually; while, thus ignobly fast by the foot, we were fain togive passive audience.
During this period, we were the lions of the neighbourhood; and, nodoubt, 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 observations. I waspainfully struck by the considerable number of sickly or deformedpersons; undoubtedly made so by a virulent complaint, which, undernative treatment, almost invariably affects, in the end, the musclesand bones of the body. In particular, there is a distortion of theback, most unsightly to behold, originating in a horrible form of themalady.
Although this, and other bodily afflictions, were unknown before thediscovery of the islands by the whites, there are several cases foundof the Pa-Fa, or Elephantiasis--a native disease, which seems to haveprevailed among them from the earliest antiquity. Affecting the legsand feet alone, it swells them, in some instances, to the girth of aman's body, covering the skin with scales. It might be supposed thatone, thus afflicted, would be incapable of walking; but, to allappearance, they seem to be nearly as active as anybody; apparentlysuffering no pain, and bearing the calamity with a degree ofcheerfulness truly marvellous.
The Fa-Fa is very gradual in its approaches, and years elapse beforethe limb is fully swollen. Its origin is ascribed by the natives tovarious causes; but the general impression seems to be that itarises, in most cases, from the eating of unripe bread-fruit andIndian turnip. So far as I could find out, it is not hereditary. In nostage do they attempt a cure; the complaint being held incurable.
Speaking of the Fa-Fa reminds me of a poor fellow, a sailor, whom Iafterward saw at Roorootoo, a lone island, some two days' sail fromTahiti.
The island is very small, and its inhabitants nearly extinct. We senta boat off to see whether any yams were to be had, as, formerly, theyams of Roorootoo were as famous among the islands round about, asSicily oranges in the Mediterranean. Going ashore, to my surprise, Iwas accosted, near a little shanty of a church, by a white man, wholimped forth from a wretched hut. His hair and beard were unshorn,his face deadly pale and haggard, and one limb swelled with the Fa-Fato an incredible bigness. This was the first instance of a foreignersuffering from it that I had ever seen, or heard of; and thespectacle shocked me accordingly.
He had been there for years. From the first symptoms, he could notbelieve his complaint to be what it really was, and trusted it wouldsoon disappear. But when it became plain that his only chance forrecovery was a speedy change of climate, no ship would receive him asa sailor: to think of being taken as a passenger was idle. Thisspeaks little for the humanity of sea captains; but the truth is thatthose in the Pacific have little enough of the virtue; and, nowadays,when so many charitable appeals are made to them, they have becomecallous.
I pitied the poor fellow from the bottom of my heart; but nothingcould I do, as our captain was inexorable. "Why," said he, "here weare--started on a six months' cruise--I can't put back; and he isbetter off on the island than at sea. So on Roorootoo he must die."And probably he did.
I afterwards heard of this melancholy object, from two seamen. Hisattempts to leave were still unavailing, and his hard fate was fastclosing in.
Notwithstanding the physical degeneracy of the Tahitians as a people,among the chiefs, individuals of personable figures are stillfrequently met with; and, occasionally, majestic-looking men, anddiminutive women as lovely as the nymphs who, nearly a century ago,swam round the ships of Wallis. In these instances, Tahitian beautyis quite as seducing as it proved to the crew of the Bounty; theyoung girls being just such creatures as a poet would picture in thetropics--soft, plump, and dreamy-eyed.
The natural complexion of both sexes is quite light; but the malesappear much darker, from their exposure to the sun. A darkcomplexion, however, in a man, is highly esteemed, as indicatingstrength of both body and soul. Hence there is a saying, of greatantiquity among them.
"If dark the cheek of the mother, The son will sound the war-conch; Ifstrong her frame, he will give laws."
With this idea of manliness, no wonder the Tahitians regarded all paleand tepid-looking Europeans as weak and feminine; whereas, a sailor,with a cheek like the breast of a roast turkey, is held a lad ofbrawn: to use their own phrase, a "taata tona," or man of bones.
Speaking of bones recalls an ugly custom of theirs, now obsolete--thatof making fish-hooks and gimlets out of those of their enemies. Thisbeats the Scandinavians turning people's skulls into cups andsaucers.
But to return to the Calabooza Beretanee. Immense was the interest weexcited among the throngs that called there; they would stand talkingabout us by the hour, growing most unnecessarily excited too, anddancing up and down with all the vivacity of their race. Theyinvariably sided with us; flying out against the consul, anddenouncing him as "Ita maitai nuee," or very bad exceedingly. Theymust have borne him some grudge or other.
Nor were the women, sweet souls, at all backward in visiting. Indeed,they manifested even more interest than the men; gazing at us witheyes full of a thousand meanings, and conversing with marvellousrapidity. But, alas! inquisitive though they were, and, doubtless,taking some passing compassion on us, there was little real feelingin them after all, and still less sentimental sympathy. Many of themlaughed outright at us, noting only what was ridiculous in ourplight.
I think it was the second day of our confinement that a wild,beautiful girl burst into the Calabooza, and, throwing h
erself intoan arch attitude, stood afar off, and gazed at us. She was aheartless one:--tickled to death with Black Dan's nursing his chafedankle, and indulging in certain moral reflections on the consul andCaptain Guy. After laughing her fill at him, she condescended tonotice the rest; glancing from one to another in the most methodicaland provoking manner imaginable. Whenever anything struck hercomically, you saw it like a flash--her finger levelledinstantaneously, and, flinging herself back, she gave loose tostrange, hollow little notes of laughter, that sounded like the bassof a music-box, playing a lively air with the lid down.
Now, I knew not that there was anything in my own appearancecalculated to disarm ridicule; and indeed, to have looked at allheroic, under the circumstances, would have been rather difficult.Still, I could not but feel exceedingly annoyed at the prospect ofbeing screamed at, in turn, by this mischievous young witch, eventhough she were but an islander. And, to tell a secret, her beautyhad something to do with this sort of feeling; and, pinioned as I wasto a log, and clad most unbecomingly, I began to grow sentimental.
Ere her glance fell upon me, I had, unconsciously, thrown myself intothe most graceful attitude I could assume, leaned my head upon myhand, and summoned up as abstracted an expression as possible. Thoughmy face was averted, I soon felt it flush, and knew that the glancewas on me; deeper and deeper grew the flush, and not a sound oflaughter.
Delicious thought! she was moved at the sight of me. I could stand itno longer, but started up. Lo! there she was; her great hazel eyesrounding and rounding in her head, like two stars, her whole frame ina merry quiver, and an expression about the mouth that was sudden andviolent death to anything like sentiment.
The next moment she spun round, and, bursting from peal to peal oflaughter, 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 someindulgence on the part of Captain Bob.
He allowed the entire party to be at large during the day; onlyenjoining upon us always to keep within hail. This, to be sure, wasin positive disobedience to Wilson's orders; and so, care had to betaken that he should not hear of it. There was little fear of thenatives telling him; but strangers travelling the Broom Road might. Byway of precaution, boys were stationed as scouts along the road. Atsight of a white man, they sounded the alarm! when we all made forour respective holes (the stocks being purposely left open): the beamthen descended, and we were prisoners. As soon as the traveller wasout of sight, of course, we were liberated.
Notwithstanding the regular supply of food which we obtained fromCaptain Bob and his friends, it was so small that we often felt mostintolerably hungry. We could not blame them for not bringing us more,for we soon became aware that they had to pinch themselves in orderto give us what they did; besides, they received nothing for theirkindness but the daily bucket of bread.
Among a people like the Tahitians, what we call "hard times" can onlybe experienced in the scarcity of edibles; yet, so destitute are manyof the common people that this most distressing consequence ofcivilization 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 toappetites which there was so little else to gratify? During the heightof the bread-fruit season, they fare better; but, at other times, thedemands of the shipping exhaust the uncultivated resources of theisland; and the lands being mostly owned by the chiefs, the inferiororders have to suffer for their cupidity. Deprived of their nets, manyof them would starve.
As Captain Bob insensibly remitted his watchfulness, and we began tostroll farther and farther from the Calabooza, we managed, by asystematic foraging upon the country round about, to make up some ofour deficiencies. And fortunate it was that the houses of thewealthier natives were just as open to us as those of the mostdestitute; we were treated as kindly in one as the other.
Once in a while, we came in at the death of a chiefs pig; the noise ofwhose slaughtering was generally to be heard at a great distance. Anoccasion like this gathers the neighbours together, and they have abit of a feast, where a stranger is always welcome. A good loudsqueal, therefore, was music in our ears. It showed something goingon in that direction.
Breaking in upon the party tumultuously, as we did, we always createda sensation. Sometimes, we found the animal still alive andstruggling; in which case, it was generally dropped at our approach.
To provide for these emergencies, Flash Jack generally repaired to thescene of operations with a sheath-knife between his teeth, and a clubin his hand. Others were exceedingly officious in singeing off thebristles, and disembowelling. Doctor Long Ghost and myself, however,never meddled with these preliminaries, but came to the feast itselfwith unimpaired energies.
Like all lank men, my long friend had an appetite of his own. Othersoccasionally went about seeking what they might devour, but he wasalways on the alert.
He had an ingenious way of obviating an inconvenience which we allexperienced at times. The islanders seldom use salt with their food;so he begged Rope Yarn to bring him some from the ship; also a littlepepper, if he could; which, accordingly, was done. This he placed ina small leather wallet--a "monkey bag" (so called by sailors)--usuallyworn as a purse about the neck.
"In my opinion," said Long Ghost, as he tucked the wallet out ofsight, "it behooves a stranger, in Tahiti, to have his knife inreadiness, and his castor slung."
CHAPTER XXXV.
VISIT FROM AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE
WE had not been many days ashore, when Doctor Johnson was espiedcoming along the Broom Road.
We had heard that he meditated a visit, and suspected what he wasafter. Being upon the consul's hands, all our expenses were of coursepayable by him in his official capacity; and, therefore, as a friendof Wilson, and sure of good pay, the shore doctor had some idea ofallowing us to run up a bill with him. True, it was rather awkward toask us to take medicines which, on board the ship, he told us werenot needed. However, he resolved to put a bold face on the matter, andgive us a call.
His approach was announced by one of the scouts, upon which someonesuggested that we should let him enter, and then put him in thestocks. But Long Ghost proposed better sport. What it was, we shallpresently see.
Very bland and amiable, Doctor Johnson advanced, and, resting his caneon 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 arethey?" and he scrutinized the company. At last, he singled out onewho was assuming a most unearthly appearance, and remarked that helooked 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!" (asea phrase, for departing this life) and he closed his eyes, andmoaned.
"What does he say?" said Johnson, turning round eagerly.
"Why," exclaimed Flash Jack, who volunteered as interpreter, "hemeans 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 hestepped 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 willsend 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 toward the placewhere I lay, as if he were directing attention to a sail at sea.
After examining the rest--some of whom were really invalids, butconvalescent, and others only pretending to be labouring under diversmaladies, Johnson turned round, and addressed the party.
"M
en," said he, "if any more of you are ailing, speak up, and let meknow. By order of the consul, I'm to call every day; so if any of youare at all sick, it's my duty to prescribe for you. This suddenchange from ship fare to shore living plays the deuce with yousailors, so be cautious about eating fruit. Good-day! I'll send youthe 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 asmall basket of cocoa-nut stalks, filled with powders, pill-boxes,and-vials, each with names and directions written in a large, roundhand. The sailors, one and all, made a snatch at the collection,under the strange impression that some of the vials were seasonedwith spirits. But, asserting his privilege as physician to the firstreading of the labels, Doctor Long Ghost was at last permitted totake possession of the basket.
The first thing lighted upon was a large vial, labelled--"ForWilliam--rub well in."
This vial certainly had a spirituous smell; and upon handing it to thepatient, he made a summary internal application of its contents. Thedoctor looked aghast.
There was now a mighty commotion. Powders and pills were voted meredrugs in the market, and the holders of vials were pronounced luckydogs. Johnson must have known enough of sailors to make some of hismedicines palatable--this, at least, Long Ghost suspected. Certain itwas, everyone took to the vials; if at all spicy, directions wereunheeded, their contents all going one road.
Omoo: Adventures in the South Seas Page 13