The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-20


natives. came off. but would not come
alongside-they had caught sight of the
1 guns on the main Elk. My two F j.
men began TO talk 10 them. but their
2 dialect was so different from that o.
) the natives on the nor, h coast of the
island that they could not be very We |
understood. However, resently one of
} the Fiji men jumped overheard, I'M
armed, swan to a canoe, and, cling
ing on to the gunwale, held conversa-
ton with the occupants. Then he call
ed out to me to cover up the four guns,
as the strangers knew what they We're,
and were afraid of them.
} j We qnickly covered up the four six
Founders, and closed the ports, and in a
lew minutes the canoes came along
side, and several of the natives, all
carrying spears and long. stone headed
clubs, timorously came on deck. They
We're the Understanding savages we
had ever seen--as naked as when they
We're born. Their skins were the color
| of freshly Clipped logwOod, and their
hair was done UP in innumerab,e tiny
ringlets smothered in grease, and dyed
a dirty red by means of lime. Their
| lips were simply hideous slashes of
| scarlet, covering teeth as black as set
the result of continually chewing
betel-nut. Altogether, they were the
most unpromising looking ''blackbirds'
that ever put foot on a ships deck.
In the course of an hour or so we
became quite friendly, and 1 had every
hope of getting a batch of recruits
during the day. so | told our visitors
to go on shore and tell their friends
that ] was coming to see them. Off
they went. and then we lowered and
manned two boats-my own and the
covering-boat.
| A covering boat, 1 may mention,
| is sent as a protection to the first,
/, in which the recruiter goes. With dan
gerous natives-and in those days all
the Northwestern Islands were dam
gerous-the following practice was OBJ
served: The recruiters boat pulled in
| to the beach, but before touching, it
was slowed round and bscked in stern
! first. Then the recruiter had his box
| of trade goods placed on the beach,
| and stepped out of the boat. Generally
he was unarmed, so as to give the
natives confidence, for sometimes they
would resent the sight of a revolver in
his belt, would sulk, and no business
would be done. Then the boat would
push off little so as just to keep afioat
! in case of treachery-the crew ready to
bend to the oars the moment the re-
cruiter was on board-that is if he was
| lucky enough to get there. Meanwhile, |
| the covering boat stood by, ready to
open fire and cover the escape of the
| first boat go to the assistance of
the recruiter and his crew if they We're
being overpowered by sudden rush
of savages.
On this occasion I had with me in |
my boat the two F'ijians, two Raroton-
gans, and Savage Islander My |
trade-chest was filled with the usual |
gear dear to the New Britain native |
-12-inch butcher knives, red beads, |
hoop-iron for making knives, and clay |
pipes and tobacco, although the latter
article was almost unknown to these |
particular savages, who did not possess |
pipe amongst them.
Just as 1 was going over the side |
into the leading boat, Waters asked
permission to come with me, as he |
wanted to get some sand for holy |
stoning the cabin floor. The captain |
was agreeable, and so was 1, so off we |
went, and in a few minutes we We're |!
abreast of the village beach, which |
was thronged with natives, all armed |
with spears and clubs, as was to be |
expected, but maintaining a friendly |
demeanor. Three or four hundred |
yards away from the men were fifty |
or sixty women and children, squatted |
on the sand-a sure indication, as 1 |
believed, that the boats would not be |
attacked So Slowing round, / back |
ed in, left my steer oar apeak, and |
got out with my trade-box, one of the |
Fiji men coming with me to inter- |
pref.
In half an hour sixteen stark nude, |
CONTINUED on Page -
0<c%c<S<o<S~c%0<o<c<e<9+o+e