The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-02-20
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
A Day Among Cannibals
OR Adventures Of Whaleman at the
Marquesas.


The American whaleship Congress, Capt.
stranburg, sailed from New Bedford in June,
1863. on a cruise for the North Pacific.
After touching ut Sydney, she called at Hivaoa,
or Dominique, one of the Marquesas Islands, to
obtain water and fresh provisions. Arriving be-
fore the harbor Of Puamau, January IL, two
boats were fitted out with articles of trade, such
s knives, Aints, hatchets and muskets, to ex-
shange for what they might wish to obtain.
When the boats had anchored in the harbor,
,uother boat, manned with a CHIEF and crew of
i,,atiye islanders came off, who appeared very
iriendly and anxious to trade with the strangers,
::tating that they had hogs and potatoes in abun-
lance. Mr. Whalon, first officer of the whale
min. who had charge of the ships boats, then
...nsferred his trade into the natives boat, got
IN and went ashore with them, leaving his own
..nchored off in the harbor.
Upon landing aud proceeding up the valley,
the natives commenced chasing pigs. caught one
and tied it. While they were chasing the ami
mails through the valley, the chief and Mr. Wha-
Ion stood together, and the natives were shout
ing, evidently for the purpose OF calling
the people. for they came rushing from all
parts Of the valley, armed with hatchets ana
knives. which at least looked suspicious. MIR.
W. fearing that they meant no good. proposed
L, the chief to return to the boat upon which
aIe latter stepped up to him, suddenly seized his
nat and placed it upon his own head. This he
thinks was ell-known signal among them, for
ne was instantly seized by a score of natives,
thrown down and stripped caked, his hands and
feet bound with ropes, which the chief had in
his hands, but which he supposed were intended
to tie the pigs.
The natives then proceeded to tear up his
clothes into small pieces, and cut the buttons off,
making distribution among the crowd. After
this they paid their attentions to their prisoner
BY pinching him severely, bending his fingers
and thumbs over the back of his hands, wrench
lag his nose and torturing him in every imasina-
be way They would strike at his head and
limbs with their hatchets, always missing him
ty hairs breadth. For about three hours they
continued TO amuse themselves and torment him
in this manner. lie supposes this was the custom
preparatory to being killed, as it doubtless is.
some of the natives tried to entice the ships two
boats to come to the shore, and Mr.. WIS. boat
steerer was on the point of landing to find him,
when they were warned off by young Marque-
sln girl, belonging to the family of the Hawaii
an missionary Kekela. This girl shouted I" pull
away" it being all she could say in English.
reckoning at the same time to leave the shore.
The boats returned to the ship without their ofi-
Ger. Had they gone shore, it Is not unlikely
that there would have been a combat, and all
ieen massacred, as they were not prepared for
any attack. This same girl had tried to warn
Efr 20 ipla hp
did not understand her, and when he was seized
che used her utmost endeavors for him among the
natives, weeping all the while that they were
tOrmenting him.
Ha waiian missionary, whose name he did
not learn, having heard of the trouble, now ap-
preached him. but was unable to converse with
him. Soon after q German carpenter arrived,
and being unable to release him, told him ne
would remain by and do what he could to
save him. At night the natives placed their
prisoner In the house of chiefess who had tried
INCREASINGLY to secure his release from the chief
and no doubt her efforts alone saved him from
death during the day. The German remained
by him through the night, which to the prisoner
was q long and dreary one, anticipating as he
did every moment that the natives would break
into the house, ami carry out their design o
numbering him. He afterwards learned, thai
according to the native customs. the house OF q
chief is sacred, and no native can enter 1t with
out permission, under peril of death. Morning
dawned, and the natives began to reassemble anc
became noisy for their victim. All his hopes
OF relief had now fed, and he began to look fol
death certain, as the chiefess would soon b
called on to release him. About this time, which
was early in the morning, the German heard TIN
natives speaking Of the arrival of the Hawaii
an missionaries, Mr.. Kekela and wife, In tn
neighborhood. Upon hearing this, the German
dispatched the other Hawaiian for him, and tn
natives finding that Kekela had been sen
for, hastily united the hands and feet of thei
prisoner
Kekela and his wife are Hawaiian mission
aries, sent out from the Sandwich Islands, an
supported by the Hawaiians. They live in
neighbOring valley, but at the time of tn
capture Of Mr.. w halon, visit
another island. Kekela soon arrived with th
chief under whose protection he lives, and il
stantly commenced demonstrating with tt
natives for their inhuman treatment, and b
sought them to release him. They demande
ransom the only terms for his releas
After council among themselves they decide
70 release him for a lchaLe6odt and sir oar
upon which Kekela told them to take b
IJit At This oHer KPIala'S chi