A Narrative of the Mutiny, on Board the Ship Globe, of Nantucket, in the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 1824: And the journal of a residence of two years on the Mulgrave; Islands; with observations on the manners and customs of; the inhabitantsLay, William
History
A Narrative of the Mutiny, on Board the Ship Globe, of Nantucket, in the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 1824: And the journal of a residence of two years on the Mulgrave; Islands; with observations on the manners and customs of; the inhabitants
Lay, William
Globe Mutiny, 1824; Mili Atoll (Marshall Islands)
About the last of April, myself and Lay were separated, destined to
different Islands, not knowing whether we should ever see each other
again. At night we arrived at an Island, and hauled up our canoe. We
found but few natives, but among the number was the mother of the
chief with whom I lived. She was very inquisitive respecting me, and
talked so incessantly through the night that I could not sleep. The
next morning we were employed in gathering breadfruit, for the purpose
of curing it for the winter. This employment continued about three
months, during which time I was very uneasy about my situation. At
intervals of leisure, when the old chief had no particular engagements
to engross his attention, he would launch his canoe and go and search
for fish; but my shoes having been taken from me, whenever I was
employed round the rough shores of the Island, my feet were so wounded
that I could hardly walk. The natives now commenced the destruction
of my clothing, and not being able to converse with them, I found it
very difficult to preserve my apparel. They often requested me to
divest myself of my clothing, and dress as they did, or rather not
dress at all. I made signs that the sun would burn me, if I should
expose myself to its scorching rays. When they found that persuasion
would not induce me to divest myself of clothing, they began to
destroy my clothes, by tearing them in pieces. It was some time before
I could understand their language, so as to inform them that the sun
would burn my back; and being robbed of my clothes, the powerful
influence of the sun soon scorched me to such a degree that I could
scarcely lie down or take any rest.
About the latter part of July, William Lay and others came to the
Island in a canoe, to see me, being the first interview we had enjoyed
since our separation, which was about three months previous. Lay
informed me that the natives had taken his bible from him and torn it
up, and threatened his life. He informed me that it seemed to him as
though he was robbed of that comfort which none in a christian land
are deprived of. We were soon parted; he in a canoe was taken to an
Island by the natives called _Dilabu_, and I went to my employment,
repairing a canoe which was on the stocks. After I had finished the
canoe, the natives prepared a quantity of bread fruit and fish for the
chiefs, and on the following morning we set sail for an Island called
_Milly_, one of the largest in the group, at which resides the
principal chief. We arrived just at night and were cordially received
by the natives, who had assembled on the beach in great numbers, for
the purpose of getting some fish which the old chief had brought with
him. He then hauled his canoe on shore; and I had again the pleasure
of seeing my fellow sufferer, William Lay, after a month's separation.
Since our first meeting we were not allowed to converse much together.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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