The Cannibal Islands: Captain Cook's Adventure in the South SeasBallantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)
History
The Cannibal Islands: Captain Cook's Adventure in the South Seas
Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)
Cook, James, 1728-1779; Oceania -- Discovery and exploration
Among the people was an English sailor named Jackson. He was of a
roving disposition; had been kidnapped at one of the islands, from which
he escaped, and afterwards wandered for two years among the South-Sea
Islands--learned the language of the natives, and wrote an account of
his adventures, which Captain Erskine added to his volume in the form of
an appendix.
Not being able to carry provisions for so large a body of men for any
length of time, the Feejeeans made a short stay at a place called Rambe,
for the purpose of refreshing the people. Here they procured immense
quantities of yams and crabs, with which, after eating and drinking to
their hearts' content, they loaded the canoes and continued the voyage.
From Rambe, as well as from other places along the route, they were
joined by additional canoes and warriors, so that their numbers rapidly
increased. Frequently they were obliged to sleep in the canoes instead
of on shore, on which occasions they were jammed up in such a manner
from want of space as to be actually lying in layers on the top of each
other!
At one place where they called they could not obtain a sufficient supply
of provisions for the whole party on account of its being small and
containing but few inhabitants, so they made up the deficiency with
dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, and the large white grubs with black heads
that are found in decayed wood. The dogs and cats they knocked on the
head, more for the purpose of stunning than killing, and threw them on a
fire, and, after letting them lie five minutes or so on one side, turned
them over on the other, then drew them from the fire and devoured them.
The grubs they ate raw.
Jackson was much surprised at what he terms, "this beastly way of
feeding," because in his previous experience he had found the Feejeeans
to be extremely particular in all preparations of food. On inquiring
the cause of the change, however, he was informed, "that they felt proud
that they were able to endure such hard fare, and that it was essential
to their warlike customs, as they could not expect to sleep as well in
war-time as in peace, and that they must endure every inconvenience, and
pay no attention whatever to comfort!"
At length they arrived at the island of Mouta, where they landed to
announce their arrival to the king, and to present him with a gift of
whales' teeth, which are much prized, and used on nearly all such
occasions. In order to reach the town they had to proceed up a long,
serpentine, narrow river, each bank of which was so thickly covered with
mangrove trees that they overshadowed it completely--rendering it
exceedingly dark and dismal. In the middle of the town stood the king's
house, and directly opposite was the "bure," or temple. The whole town
contained about one hundred and fifty houses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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