Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-03-25


by which means she drove ashore throush
heavy surf, and was soon biged and filled with
water. When the cannihal natives saw that il
was iTrpracticable TO get the vessel aiioat they
concurred universally in the design OF putting
the whole of her crew 10 death; which appears
to have been constant practice among, the
different natives toward one another, when their
canoes happen 10 fall upon .. strange shore
through stress OF weather or from any other ac
cidspt.
Capt. Fowler had formed an intimacy with
their Chief, OF King, Nooahetu, who presided
At the tribunal that had devoted the uufortu-
nate mariners To instant slaughter. lie with
held his assent to the murder; but had no hest
tatiun i'll permitting the plumber of the vessel
ihe crew were informed by such expressions
as they conld understand, well by eesticu-
Auons that accompanied their vehement de-
bate on the occasion, that their lives were de-
pendent on the issue; the good Chief was op.
posed 10y many other Chiefs who, though
somewhat inferior in rank, were very far supc
nor III number, supported toy the common usa-
yes OF the island, from which tie exhibition of
cienency appeared an nsufierable deviation.
lie was seated with his son by his side OH
mat IN his own dwelling he had been called
10 the supremacy of the island by the general
wish of the people, As 1t was not an hereditary
right, but an effective dignity. His people
pressed their solicitations earnestly, and ut
length pcremptorily demanded has assent TO
the sacrifice which he for leugth of time OPP
posed by the force of words, which not seem
ing likely to prevail he adopted met hod which
sienced tue whole IN an instant, and saved the
lives OF Captain Fowler and his crew. Finding.
that his eXpostuldtiOns were defeated upon the
principle of un,lev .aiing custom he deliberate
iy took up two ropes that were near him and
hxlng one round the neck of his son. and the
other round his own, called 10 the chief next in
command, VINO Immediately approached him
His conference was short and decisive: he first
pointed to the cord that enciIcled the neck of
his son, and then 10 tue other, which lie had en-
twined round his own. These strangers are
DO NT-,.E -. IL. i 4.
my people, and IL is not ut that l. who am their
king, should live TO see so foul a deed perue-
trated. Let my child and myself be strangied
before 1t is performed; aud then il never will
De SAID that we sanctioned, even with our eve
sight, the destruction OF these unoffending peo-
pie"
The magnanimity of such conduct could not
do less than produce, even in the mind of the
uneniightened savage, paroXysm of surprize,
mingled with sentiment of admiration in
which the untauglt man may possibly excel his
fellow creature, whose conce ptions are mould
ed by teuets calculated tG guard him from the
extremes OF passion. For moment the people
looked wildly upon their King, whose person
they adored, because his principles were rood.
anu his government just and mild. They saw
the obedlent Chief, to whom the order ofstran-
sulauon had been impaired, staring with hor-
ror and aInazement AT the change which A few
moments had produced the mandate which
had proceeded from the Kings own lips must
be obeyed; and commanded 10 perform the
dreadful office, he proceeded to obey when a
sudden shout from the multitude awed him TO
torbearance. "Ihe Kingl the KinC!" from
every lip burst forth "What! kill the King!
No, let all the strangers lIve-no man shall Kill
the hingD Thus were their lives preserved,
and the vessel pluuaered ofevery thing on board
her.
The floor ofthe Greenwich, which was burnt
AT Nooaheva, still remains, and is dry at low
water. All her iron and copper have been IA
Ken out by the natives, who have a thorough
knowledge of the use OF these materials. That
they are cannibais is we'll ascertained. They
form distinct factions, and make war upon the
ruling Chief; the rebels are denomirated the
Types; and the opposite parties are horribly
sanguinary towards each other-Six of the al.
verse party were killed aud deyoured by the
rebels while Captain Fowler was among them.
and the following detestabie circumstance oc.
Cured on the occasion A native man belong
ing to Port Anna Maria, who was not tat
tooed, and in consequence prohibited from the
eating OF human nesA, on pain of death impa-
tient OF the restraint, fell upon one of the muir
dered bodies, aud darling his teeth into il in All
the madness OF voraciOus fury, exhaled the
crimson moisture, which had not yet coagula
ted.
The Chief of Port Anna Maria. very friendly
TO europeans, is named keatta-noone, the first
part OF the name implying the outrigger of a
canoe, and the latter sgnifyIng great The
dress OF the men consists merely of a wrapper
about the waist; the women are covered from
the shoulders downwards TO the ANGLES, and are
generally fairer than the Taheitan women. -,
The chiefs have no distinguishing mark or or
nament, but in the mode of wearing their hair
which the common orders wear tied up in
large knot on each side of the head, stripe OF
which extending from the forehead 10 the hol-
low OF the neck, is kept shorn, which practice
the Chiefs do not adopt. Captain Fowler sup
poses the worms TO be more prevalent and de-
structive to ships bottoms there than he has A.
ny where witnessed; and to this cause attri
butes the caution of the natives in drawing up
their largest canoes, some of which contain
from eighty TO one hundred warriors. Ibev
are anxious after every kind of property car
rIed among them for barter, and this is srppos-
ed their chief inducement for attacking YES
sells, when they can do with probability of
accomplishing their object. They have none
among them except a few at Port Anna Ma
ria.
a gentleman, at this time in Sidney, Who re-
sided among them about Is years ago, in mis-
sionary capacity, describes them as people
constantly employing their thoughts on plum
der, * devising schemes for taking ADVANTAGE OF
strangers Their populations very nume rous
which he remarked 10 some OF them TO whom
he gave DIES 'riptiOn of Otaheite; obseryino.
at the same time, that its inhabitants were less
numerous; Cannot we go and take them .
What is to hinder usS" was immediately de-
manded. This anecdote we notice as A sue-
cmen of their natural inclination 10 hostility
IN which all accounts respecting them CORES
pond.
BON APARTE