The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-01-20

! The natives are the same IN color and character as
their neighbors, good when they have no opportu-
nifty TO do evil. This is the only island of the group
where l saw the people living IN towns or villages.
| About two thirds of the way from the south To-
I wards the North end of the Island l saw a town
consisting of about 800 houses as near as l could
| Judge from,the masthead, l have no doubt that any
one visiting them would meet with a warm receo-
ton. We did not care about a more intimate ac-
quaintance, We could hear them drumming and
singing quite distinctly from our anchorage. They
are very fond of singing and dancing on all the
| islands. Their songs appear to be extemporaneous
with a chorus; they have the same song or songs
all through the group as near L could understand
them. In addition TO the anchorages and harbors
! spoken of there are several good roadsteads which
are perfectly safe during the season o. the 81
trades which begin to blow regularly from the lst
of April until the lst of October. We did not see
any reefs or shoals except one on the weather side
about ten miles from the NV end, and that was
about one cables length long and about one-half
as wide. There was a wash on 1t and no breakers,
therefore dangerous. There are reefs extending a
short half mile from some of the islets end always
trending to the Sc, and are about three or -four
miles from the main island. Mallicalo is high or
inclined to be mountainous in the the center while
it is quite low at the water with a strong and
uncertain current along the coast making 1t neces-
sary to be very cautious while laying OFF and on
at night as the high land shades the low, making
it very deceptive. 1t is the second largest island
of the group with many fine harbors and good
some of the other islands 1 saw will make good
homes for thousands in time to come
The prospects for obtaining labor being poor, 1
started for Barth9 4ea Island; commonly
sight to be nearly round but a closer inspection
showed 1t to be 3 or 10 miles long IN an east and
west direction by 4 or 8 miles wide. There is a
straight passage between il and some other is
lands, the number not being known, laying to the
south of Espiriteu Santo. The passage runs due
east and west and with no hidden dangers it
would not be safe however at night as there are
two small islets on the south side with a fringe
reef around them as well as around NARROW.
There is anchorage here close to the reef in from
10 to 20 fathoms water, white sandy bottom. AS l
said there is a number of islands of moderate size
between NARROW and ESpiriteu Santo with a clear
passage between, averaging from a half to two
miles wide with 10 TO 30 fatlOmS of water. and
room enough for the steamer Great Eastern to
work in: it has never been SURVEYED and has no
name that l could learn, but is commonly called
the Lakes there being several small islands scat
tered through it. The islands here are all covered
with trees of different kinds, iron wood, mangroves
and the cocoanut being the most numerous, while
the scenery being very picturesque. There are
here than elsewhere among the islands the most
of them have a brilliant plumage, but no song.
which is seldom heard after eight or nine o'clock
a. IN. There is another bird here that deserves
INFLOW, on different islands it has different names,
it has dark plumage, has very small wings and
in shape resembling the turkey has a small red
bunch on its bill but no wattles, its eggs are of a
good flavor. 1t does not set but buries its eggs
generally in the hollow of an old decayed tree to
the depth of two or three feet and there leaves
them to hatch at their own pleasure they never
female look very much salike. There is also,
plover and curlew and some teal and wood ducks;
the kind of game they have in the interior / do
not know. 1 also saw a number of flying foxes
there is a number of poisonous snakes and reptiles
common to all the islands, we often saw snakes
at sea which got washed away in freshets. We
stayed here two days and but few natives would
come near ma. and those that did Thought we were
from Fiji and they did not want to go there.
They thought we were hoaxing them when we
told them that we were from Oahu, Hawaiian
Islands, they did not know where 1t was as they
had never seen anyone from there or heard of the
island before. October 9Th sailed for Pentecost
or Whitsuntide Island, where we arrived next day
and came to anchor for the purpose OF getting
water, an article of which we stood III need as we
now had 105 people on board all told, and as |
gave them tie liberty to use all they wanted, 1t
was not used with a sparing hand. l did not sue
coed IN getting any labor here. The island IS only
moderately populated, the north end IS to all
appearances well cultivated the products are
yams, taro, sugar cane, pumpkins and tropical
lies in a N. n. Z. and S. S. w. direction, is about
80 miles-long by 10 miles wide. There is a good
anchorage on the west side but no harbors. There
are several streams of good fresh water running
similar in color to those on Mallicolo, their record
for honest dealing no better.
Sailing from the last named island, 1 paid a visit
to Oaba, or Lepers island which lies in a north
west direction from Penticost. The land of Oaba
runs N. E. and S. W., is about eighteen miles long
and about ten miles wide, is conical in shape, ris-
ing to the height of 5000 to 1000 feet above the
sea, and making a grand appearance. The sum-
NIT is very often obscured, being covered with
clouds. On the weather side of the island the wa,
ter is bold close to the reef, with trees vines and
brush growing down to the waters edge. THERE'S
but one anchorage on the 5. side, and that is IN a
blight formed by a prominent point OF land wnlcn
projects we'll to the east. On the n. W.. side there
are plenty of temporary anchorages, in fact, a ship
may come to wherever convenient on this side.
There is a bay at the north end, but cannot say
what shelter it would give as we did not have oc-
casion to go there. There is some fine looking
table land on the n. w. side, and believe very
fertile and we'll cultivated, yams, taro, sugar cane
and pumpkins may be bought in the season. The
natives are of the black Papuan race, of whom so
much has been said, with a large mixture of Poly
nesian blood, and Lave quite a different cast of
countenance, with light compilations, plainly show
ing the amalgamation of races readily distinguish
able from other islanders of the Group. But that
II n Ill tho anal nQn ms IF has hnnQ for
them, they being still mean, cowardlY and treach-
erous. Only a short time ago some of these isl
antine. May Queen of Brisbane, and butchered
every man in cold blood, the chief officer and Gov
eminent agent being of the number killed, the
captain escaping. We succeeded in getting seven
people here, which l considered was doing well as
there were hve vessels mere pesldes the 1"fa. Asi
this time, on October 10th l sailed for Aurora,
where we arrived the next day and was glad to
come to anchor, blowing hard from the S. E., be-
fore dark increasing to a heavy gale.
Aurora island is of moderate height, running in
n north and south direction, and is about six to ten
and not very thickiy populated. The natives are
black Papuans and of the same character as the
rest of their brotherhood. They are very shy and
will hardly show themselves, We succeeded in OBJ
tanning one man who had been to Queensland and
who spoke good English, he appeared we'll pleased
to get away: A ship may anchor almost anywhere
on the lee side of the island during the season of
the ,; 4. trade WINDS, Dut there are no haroors
that L know of. AS L saw no prospect of more
business here, and as the weather had become good
with a settled appearance, L sailed for ESplritu
Santo, or as 1t is commonly called Santo. This is
the largest of the Group, and it and Mallicolo par
take more of form of an archipelago than of islands
from the numerous islets clustered around them.
We arrived at Santo the 18th October, and came
to in a lagoon. We now, for the first time during
the season, experienced light airs and Gains.
Sent the boats in to prospect; they came back at
dark and reported seeing but few natives, and
none that wanted to go away. Wind being light
and variable, l could not move until next day;
then made sail and worked down the coast and
came to again on the 21st. We found the
schooner sea Byee~e of FIJI at anchor about three
miles to the the south of us. From the captain of
this vessel we learned that the natives had attack
ed and nearly killed two boats crews about a week
or ten days before our arrival; one boat belonged
to the schooner IdrdHHd of FIJI, and the report
was that every man in it was killed. The other
2 boat belonged to the barkentine CearUa of Queens
land, and had three men butchered, proving that
: the natives are no better nor trustworthy than
when the Island was discovered by Quiros, in the
year 1906. Too much caution cannot be used while
dealing with them. They are, I think larger in