Omoo: Adventures in the South Seas

by Herman Melville

  Such, then, were our views, and such our hopes in projecting a trip toTaloo. But in our most lofty aspirations we by no means lost sight ofany minor matters which might help us to promotion. The doctor hadinformed me that he excelled in playing the fiddle. I now suggestedthat, as soon as we arrived at Partoowye, we should endeavour toborrow a violin for him; or if this could not be done, that he shouldmanufacture some kind of a substitute, and, thus equipped, apply foran audience of the queen. Her well-known passion for music would atonce secure his admittance; and so, under the most favourableauspices, bring about our introduction to her notice.

  "And who knows," said my waggish comrade, throwing his head back andperforming an imaginary air by briskly drawing one arm across theother, "who knows that I may not fiddle myself into her majesty'sgood graces so as to became a sort of Rizzio to the Tahitianprincess."

  CHAPTER LXVI.

  HOW WE WERE TO GET TO TALOO

  THE inglorious circumstances of our somewhat premature departure fromTamai filled the sagacious doctor, and myself, with sundry misgivingsfor the future.

  Under Zeke's protection, we were secure from all impertinentinterference in our concerns on the part of the natives. But asfriendless wanderers over the island, we ran the risk of beingapprehended as runaways, and, as such, sent back to Tahiti. Thetruth is that the rewards constantly offered for the apprehension ofdeserters from ships induce some of the natives to eye all strangerssuspiciously.

  A passport was therefore desirable; but such a thing had never beenheard of in Imeeo. At last, Long Ghost suggested that, as the Yankeewas well known and much respected all over the island, we shouldendeavour to obtain from him some sort of paper, not only certifyingto our having been in his employ, but also to our not beinghighwaymen, kidnappers, nor yet runaway seamen. Even written inEnglish, a paper like this would answer every purpose; for theunlettered natives, standing in great awe of the document, would notdare to molest us until acquainted with its purport. Then, if itcame to the worst, we might repair to the nearest missionary, and havethe passport explained.

  Upon informing Zeke of these matters, he seemed highly flattered withthe opinion we entertained of his reputation abroad; and he agreed tooblige us. The doctor at once offered to furnish him with a draughtof the paper; but he refused, saying he would write it himself. Witha rooster's quill, therefore, a bit of soiled paper, and a stoutheart, he set to work. Evidently he was not accustomed to composition;for his literary throes were so violent that the doctor suggestedthat 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 eliminate," he observed, "a feller can't keep therun of the months, nohow; cause there's no seasons; no summer andwinter, to go by. One's etarnally thinkin' it's always July, it's sopesky hot."

  A passport provided, we cast about for some means of getting toTaloo.

  The island of Imeeo is very nearly surrounded by a regular breakwaterof coral extending within a mile or less of the shore. The smoothcanal within furnishes the best means of communication with thedifferent settlements; all of which, with the exception of Tamai, areright upon the water. And so indolent are the Imeeose that they thinknothing of going twenty or thirty miles round the island in a canoe inorder to reach a place not a quarter of that distance by land. But ashinted before, the fear of the bullocks has something to do withthis.

  The idea of journeying in a canoe struck our fancy quite pleasantly;and we at once set about chartering one, if possible. But none couldwe obtain. For not only did we have nothing to pay for hiring one,but we could not expect to have it loaned; inasmuch as thegood-natured owner would, in all probability, have to walk along thebeach as we paddled in order to bring back his property when we had nofurther use for it.

  At last, it was decided to commence our journey on foot; trusting thatwe would soon fall in with a canoe going our way, in which we mighttake passage.

  The planters said we would find no beaten path: all we had to do wasto follow the beach; and however inviting it might look inland, on noaccount must we stray from it. In short, the longest way round wasthe nearest way to Taloo. At intervals, there were little hamletsalong the shore, besides lonely fishermen's huts here and there,where we could get plenty to eat without pay; so there was nonecessity to lay in any store.

  Intending to be off before sunrise the next morning, so as to have thebenefit of the coolest part of the day, we bade our kind hostsfarewell overnight; and then, repairing to the beach, we launched ourfloating 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 flightfrom Tamai (we now reckoned our time thus), that, rising bright andearly, we were up and away out of the valley of Hartair before thefishermen even were stirring.

  It was the earliest dawn. The morning only showed itself along thelower edge of a bank of purple clouds pierced by the misty peaks ofTahiti. The tropical day seemed too languid to rise. Sometimes,starting fitfully, it decked the clouds with faint edgings of pinkand gray, which, fading away, left all dim again. Anon, it threw outthin, pale rays, growing lighter and lighter, until at last, thegolden morning sprang out of the East with a bound--darting itsbright 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 byits transit over the waters; and grateful underfoot was the damp andslightly yielding beach, from which the waves seemed just retired.

  The doctor was in famous spirits; removing his Koora, he wentsplashing into the sea; and, after swimming a few yards, wadedashore, hopping, skipping, and jumping along the beach; but verycareful to cut all his capers in the direction of our journey.

  Say what they will of the glowing independence one feels in thesaddle, give me the first morning flush of your cheery pedestrian!

  Thus exhilarated, we went on, as light-hearted and care-free as wecould wish.

  And here I cannot refrain from lauding the very superior inducementswhich most intertropical countries afford, not only to mere roverslike ourselves, but to penniless people generally. In these genialregions one's wants are naturally diminished; and those which remainare 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 "poordevil," twenty degrees north of the tropic of Cancer, is indeedpitiable.

  At last, the beach contracted to hardly a yard's width, and the densethicket almost dipped into the sea. In place of the smooth sand, too,we had sharp fragments of broken coral, which made travellingexceedingly unpleasant. "Lord! my foot!" roared the doctor, fetchingit up for inspection, with a galvanic fling of the limb. A sharpsplinter had thrust itself into the flesh through a hole in his boot.My sandals were worse yet; their soles taking a sort of fossilimpression 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 aknoll 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 freshand fragrant as meadow hay. It was open upon three sides; so that,upon drawing near, the domestic arrangements within were in plainsight. No one was stirring; and nothing was to be seen but a clumsyold chest of native workmanship, a few calabashes, and bundles oftappa hanging against a post; and a heap of something, we knew notwhat, in a dark corner. Upon close inspection, the doctor discoveredit to be a loving old couple, locked in each other's arms, and rolledtogether in a tappa mantle.

  "Halloa! Darby!" he cried, shaking the one with a beard. But Darbyheeded him not; though Joan, a wrinkled old body, started up inaffright, and yelled aloud. Neither of us attempting
to gag her, shepresently became quiet; and, after staring hard and asking someunintelligible questions, she proceeded to rouse her still slumberingmate.

  What ailed him we could not tell; but there was no waking him. Equallyin vain were all his dear spouse's cuffs, pinches, and otherendearments; he lay like a log, face up, snoring away like a cavalrytrumpeter.

  "Here, my good woman," said Long Ghost, "just let me try"; and, takingthe patient right by his nose, he so lifted him bodily into a sittingposition, and held him there until his eyes opened. When this eventcame to pass, Darby looked round like one stupefied; and then,springing to his feet, backed away into a corner, from which place webecame the objects of his earnest and respectful attention.

  "Permit me, my dear Darby, to introduce to you my esteemed friend andcomrade, Paul," said the doctor, gallanting me up with all thegrimace and flourish imaginable. Upon this, Darby began to recoverhis faculties, and surprised us not a little by talking a few wordsof English. So far as could be understood, they were expressive ofhis having been aware that there were two "karhowrees" in theneighbourhood; that he was glad to see us, and would have somethingfor us to eat in no time.

  How he came by his English was explained to us before we left. Sometime previous, he had been a denizen of Papeetee, where the nativelanguage is broidered over with the most classic sailor phrases. Heseemed to be quite proud of his residence there; and alluded to it inthe same significant way in which a provincial informs you that inhis time he has resided in the capital. The old fellow was disposed tobe garrulous; but being sharp-set, we told him to get breakfast;after which we would hear his anecdotes. While employed among thecalabashes, the strange, antiquated fondness between these oldsemi-savages was really amusing. I made no doubt that they weresaying to each other, "yes, my love"--"no, my life," just in the sameway that some young couples do, at home.

  They gave us a hearty meal; and while we were discussing its merits,they assured us, over and over again, that they expected nothing inreturn for their attentions; more: we were at liberty to stay as longas we pleased; and as long as we did stay, their house and everythingthey had was no longer theirs, but ours; still more: they themselveswere our slaves--the old lady, to a degree that was altogethersuperfluous. This, now, is Tahitian hospitality! Self-immolation uponone's own hearthstone for the benefit of the guest.

  The Polynesians carry their hospitality to an amazing extent. Let anative of Waiurar, the westernmost part of Tahiti, make hisappearance as a traveller at Partoowye, the most easterly village ofImeeo; though a perfect stranger, the inhabitants on all sides accosthim at their doorways, inviting him to enter, and make himself athome. But the traveller passes on, examining every house attentively;until, at last, he pauses before one which suits him, and thenexclaiming, "ah, eda maitai" (this one will do, I think), he stepsin, and makes himself perfectly at ease; flinging himself upon themats, and very probably calling for a nice young cocoa-nut, and apiece of toasted breadfruit, sliced thin, and done brown.

  Curious to relate, however, should a stranger carrying it thus bravelybe afterwards discovered to be without a house of his own, why, hemay thenceforth go a-begging for his lodgings. The "karhowrees," orwhite men, are exceptions to this rule. Thus it is precisely as incivilized countries, where those who have houses and lands areincessantly bored to death with invitations to come and live in otherpeople's houses; while many a poor gentleman who inks the seams ofhis 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, itshould here be observed that this blemish upon their hospitality isonly of recent origin, and was wholly unknown in old times. So toldme, Captain Bob.

  In Polynesia it is esteemed "a great hit" if a man succeed in marryinginto a family to which the best part of the community is related(Heaven knows it is otherwise with us). The reason is that, when hegoes a-travelling, the greater number of houses are the morecompletely at his service.

  Receiving a paternal benediction from old Darby and Joan, we continuedour journey; resolved to stop at the very next place of attractionwhich 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 allmeadow, sloping away to the water, which stirred a sedgy growth ofreeds bordering its margin. Close by was a little cove, walled inwith coral, where a fleet of canoes was dancing up and down. A fewpaces distant, on a natural terrace overlooking the sea, were severalnative dwellings, newly thatched, and peeping into view out of thefoliage like summer-houses.

  As we drew near, forth came a burst of voices, and, presently, threegay girls, overflowing with life, health, and youth, and full ofspirits 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 ofa vine. From her self-possessed and forward air, I fancied she mightbe some young lady from Papeetee on a visit to her country relations.Her companions wore mere slips of cotton cloth; their hair wasdishevelled; and though very pretty, they betrayed the reserve andembarrassment 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 ofquestions that there was no understanding, much less answering them.But our hearty welcome to Loohooloo, as she called the hamlet, wasmade plain enough. Meanwhile, Doctor Long Ghost gallantly presentedan arm to each of the other young ladies; which, at first, they knewnot 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 bythemselves: and being so exceedingly romantic, I cannot forbearparticularizing them. Upon my comrade's arms, then, were hangingNight and Morning, in the persons of Farnowar, or the Day-Born, andEarnoopoo, or the Night-Born. She with the tresses was veryappropriately styled Marhar-Rarrar, the Wakeful, or Bright-Eyed.

  By this time, the houses were emptied of the rest of their inmates--afew old men and women, and several strapping young fellows rubbingtheir eyes and yawning. All crowded round, putting questions as towhence we came. Upon being informed of our acquaintance with Zeke,they were delighted; and one of them recognized the boots worn by thedoctor. "Keekee (Zeke) maitai," they cried, "nuee nuee hanna hannaportarto"--(makes plenty of potatoes).

  There was now a little friendly altercation as to who should have thehonour of entertaining the strangers. At last, a tall old gentleman,by name Marharvai, with a bald head and white beard, took us each bythe hand, and led us into his dwelling. Once inside, Marharvai,pointing about with his staff, was so obsequious in assuring us thathis house was ours that Long Ghost suggested he might as well handover the deed.

  It was drawing near noon; so after a light lunch of roastedbreadfruit, a few whiffs of a pipe, and some lively chatting, ourhost admonished the company to lie down, and take the everlastingsiesta. We complied; and had a social nap all round.

  CHAPTER LXVIII.

  A DINNER-PARTY IN IMEEO

  IT WAS just in the middle of the merry, mellow afternoon that theyushered us to dinner, underneath a green shelter of palm boughs; openall 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 thesweetest odour. On one side was a row of yellow mats, inwrought withfibres of bark stained a bright red. Here, seated after the fashionof 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 viewof 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 thesewere placed, side by side, newly-plucked banana leaves, at least twoyards in length, and very wide; the stalks were withdrawn so as tomake them lie flat. This green cloth was set out and garnished in themanner following:--

  First,
a number of "pooroo" leaves, by way of plates, were rangedalong on one side; and by each was a rustic nut-bowl, half-filledwith sea-water, and a Tahitian roll, or small bread-fruit, roastedbrown. An immense flat calabash, placed in the centre, was heaped upwith numberless small packages of moist, steaming leaves: in each wasa small fish, baked in the earth, and done to a turn. This pyramid ofa dish was flanked on either side by an ornamental calabash. One wasbrimming with the golden-hued "poee," or pudding, made from the redplantain of the mountains: the other was stacked up with cakes of theIndian turnip, previously macerated in a mortar, kneaded with themilk of the cocoa-nut, and then baked. In the spaces between thethree dishes were piled young cocoa-nuts, stripped of their husks.Their eyes had been opened and enlarged; so that each was aready-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: guavaswith the shadows of their crimson pulp flushing through a transparentskin, and almost coming and going there like blushes; oranges,tinged, here and there, berry-brown; and great, jolly melons, whichrolled about in very portliness. Such a heap! All ruddy, ripe, andround--bursting with the good cheer of the tropical soil from whichthey sprang!

  "A land of orchards!" cried the doctor, in a rapture; and he snatcheda morsel from a sort of fruit of which gentlemen of the sanguinetemperament are remarkably fond; namely, the ripe cherry lips of MisaDay-Born, who stood looking on.