Chapter XLI: Section IX

_A Description of the Country and its Inhabitants; their Manners, Customs, and Arts._

I shall conclude our transactions at this place with some account of the country and its inhabitants. They are a strong, robust, active, well-made people, courteous and friendly, and not in the least addicted to pilfering, which is more than can be said of any other nation in this sea. They are nearly of the same colour as the natives of Tanna, but have better features, more agreeable countenances, and are a much stouter race; a few being seen who measured six feet four inches. I observed some who had thick lips, flat noses, and full cheeks, and, in some degree, the features and look of a negro. Two things contributed to the forming of such an idea; first, their rough mop heads, and, secondly, their besmearing their faces with black pigment. Their hair and beards are, in general, black. The former is very much frizzled, so that, at first sight, it appears like that of a negro. It is, nevertheless, very different, though both coarser and stronger than ours. Some, who wear it long, tie it up on the crown of the head; others suffer only a large lock to grow on each side, which they tie up in clubs; many others, as well as all the women, wear it cropped short. These rough heads, most probably, want frequent scratching; for which purpose they have a most excellent instrument. This is a kind of comb made of sticks of hard wood, from seven to nine or ten inches long, and about the thickness of knitting-needles. A number of these, seldom exceeding twenty, but generally fewer, is fastened together at one end, parallel to, and near one-tenth of an inch from each other. The other ends, which are a little pointed, will spread out or open like the sticks of a fan, by which means they can beat up the quarters of an hundred lice at a time. These combs or scratchers, for I believe they serve both purposes, they always wear in their hair, on one side their head. The people of Tanna have an instrument of this kind for the same use; but theirs is forked, I think, never exceeding three or four prongs; and sometimes only a small pointed stick. Their beards, which are of the same crisp nature as their hair, are, for the most part, worn short. Swelled and ulcerated legs and feet are common among the men; as also a swelling of the scrotum. I know not whether this is occasioned by disease, or by the mode of applying the wrapper before-mentioned, and which they use as at Tanna and Mallicollo. This is their only covering, and is made generally of the bark of a tree, but sometimes of leaves. The small pieces of cloth, paper, &c. which they got from us, were commonly applied to this use. We saw coarse garments amongst them, made of a sort of matting, but they seemed never to wear them, except when out in their canoes and unemployed. Some had a kind of concave, cylindrical, stiff black cap, which appeared to be a great ornament among them, and, we thought, was only worn by men of note or warriors. A large sheet of strong paper, when they got one from us, was generally applied to this use.

The women's dress is a short petticoat, made of the filaments of the plantain-tree, laid over a cord, to which they are fastened, and tied round the waist. The petticoat is made at least six or eight inches thick, but not one inch longer than necessary for the use designed. The outer filaments are dyed black; and, as an additional ornament, the most of them have a few pearl oyster-shells fixed on the right side. The general ornaments of both sexes are ear-rings of tortoise-shell, necklaces or amulets, made both of shells and stones, and bracelets, made of large shells, which they wear above the elbow. They have punctures, or marks on the skin, on several parts of the body; but none, I think, are black, as at the Eastern Islands. I know not if they have any other design than ornament; and the people of Tanna are marked much in the same manner.[1]

Were I to judge of the origin of this nation, I should take them to be a race between the people of Tanna and of the Friendly Isles, or between those of Tanna and the New Zealanders, or all three; their language, in some respects, being a mixture of them all. In their disposition they are like the natives of the Friendly Isles; but in affability and honesty they excel them.

Notwithstanding their pacific inclination they must sometimes have wars, as they are well provided with offensive weapons, such as clubs, spears, darts, and slings for throwing stones. The clubs are about two feet and a half long, and variously formed; some like a scythe, others like a pick- axe; some have a head like an hawk, and others have round heads, but all are neatly made. Many of their darts and spears are no less neat, and ornamented with carvings. The slings are as simple as possible; but they take some pains to form the stones that they use into a proper shape, which is something like an egg, supposing both ends to be like the small one.[2] They use a becket, in the same manner as at Tanna, in throwing the dart, which, I believe, is much used in striking fish, &c. In this they seem very dexterous; nor, indeed, do I know that they have any other method of catching large fish, for I neither saw hooks nor lines among them.

It is needless to mention their working-tools, as they are made of the same materials, and nearly in the same manner, as at the other islands. Their axes, indeed, are a little different; some, at least, which may be owing to fancy as much as custom.

Their houses, or at least most of them, are circular, something like a bee- hive, and full as close and warm. The entrance is by a small door, or long square hole, just big enough to admit a man bent double. The side-walls are about four feet and a half high, but the roof is lofty, and peaked to a point at the top; above which is a post, or stick of wood, which is generally ornamented either with carving or shells, or both. The framing is of small spars, reeds, &c. and both sides and roof are thick and close covered with thatch, made of coarse long grass. In the inside of the house are set up posts, to which cross spars are fastened, and platforms made, for the conveniency of laying any thing on. Some houses have two floors, one above the other. The floor is laid with dry grass, and here and there mats are spread, for the principal people to sleep or sit on. In most of them we found two fire-places, and commonly a fire burning; and, as there was no vent for the smoke but by the door, the whole house was both smoky and hot, insomuch that we, who were not used to such an atmosphere, could hardly endure it a moment. This may be the reason why we found these people so chilly when in the open air, and without exercise. We frequently saw them make little fires any where, and hustle round them, with no other view than to warm themselves. Smoke within doors may be a necessary evil, as it prevents the musquitoes from coming in, which are pretty numerous here. In some respects their habitations are neat; for, besides the ornaments at top, I saw some with carved door-posts. Upon the whole, their houses are better calculated for a cold than a hot climate; and as there are no partitions in them, they can have little privacy.

They have no great variety of household utensils; the earthen jars before mentioned being the only article worth notice. Each family has at least one of them, in which they bake their roots, and perhaps their fish, &c. The fire, by which they cook their victuals, is on the outside of each house, in the open air. There are three or five pointed stones fixed in the ground, their pointed ends being about six inches above the surface. Those of three stones are only for one jar, those of five stones for two. The jars do not stand on their bottoms, but lie inclined on their sides. The use of these stones is obviously to keep the jars from resting on the fire, in order that it may burn the better.

They subsist chiefly on roots and fish, and the bark of a tree, which I am told grows also in the West Indies. This they roast, and are almost continually chewing. It has a sweetish, insipid taste, and was liked by some of our people. Water is their only liquor, at least I never saw any other made use of.

Plantains and sugar-canes are by no means in plenty. Bread-fruit is very scarce, and the cocoa-nut trees are small and but thinly planted; and neither one nor the other seems to yield much fruit.

To judge merely by the numbers of the natives we saw every day, one might think the island very populous; but I believe that, at this time, the inhabitants were collected from all parts on our account. Mr Pickersgill observed, that down the coast, to the west, there were but few people; and we knew they came daily from the other side of the land, over the mountains, to visit us. But although the inhabitants, upon the whole, may not be numerous, the island is not thinly peopled on the sea-coast, and in the plains and valleys that are capable of cultivation. It seems to be a country unable to support many inhabitants. Nature has been less bountiful to it than to any other tropical island we know in this sea. The greatest part of its surface, or at least what we saw of it, consists of barren rocky mountains; and the grass, &c. growing on them, is useless to people who have no cattle.

The sterility of the country will apologise for the natives not contributing to the wants of the navigator. The sea may, perhaps, in some measure, compensate for the deficiency of the land; for a coast surrounded by reefs and shoals, as this is, cannot fail of being stored with fish.

I have before observed, that the country bears great resemblance to New South Wales, or New Holland, and that some of its natural productions are the same. In particular, we found here, the tree which is covered with a soft white ragged bark, easily peeled off, and is, as I have been told, the same that, in the East Indies, is used for caulking of ships. The wood is very hard, the leaves are long and narrow, of a pale dead green, and a fine aromatic; so that it may properly be said to belong to that continent. Nevertheless, here are several plants, &c. common to the eastern and northern islands, and even a species of the passionflower, which, I am told, has never before been known to grow wild any where but in America. Our botanists did not complain for want of employment at this place; every day bringing something new in botany or other branches of natural history. Land-birds, indeed, are not numerous, but several are new. One of these is a kind of crow, at least so we called it, though it is not half so big, and its feathers are tinged with blue. They also have some very beautiful turtle-doves, and other small birds, such as I never saw before.[3]

All our endeavours to get the name of the whole island proved ineffectual. Probably it is too large for them to know by one name. Whenever we made this enquiry, they always gave us the name of some district or place, which we pointed to; and, as before observed, I got the names of several, with the name of the king or chief of each. Hence I conclude, that the country is divided into several districts, each governed by a chief; but we know nothing of the extent of his power. Balade was the name of the district we were at, and Tea Booma the chief. He lived on the other side of the ridge of hills, so that we had but little of his company, and therefore could not see much of his power. _Tea_ seems a title prefixed to the names of all, or most, of their chiefs or great men. My friend honoured me by calling me _Tea_ Cook.

They deposit their dead in the ground. I saw none of their burying-places, but several of the gentlemen did. In one, they were informed, lay the remains of a chief who was slain in battle; and his grave, which bore some resemblance to a large mole-hill, was decorated with spears, darts, paddles, &c. all stuck upright in the ground round about it. The canoes, which these people use, are somewhat like those of the Friendly Isles; but the most heavy clumsy vessels I ever saw. They are what I call double canoes, made out of two large trees, hollowed out, having a raised gunnel, about two inches high, and closed at each end with a kind of bulk-head of the same height; so that the whole is like a long square trough, about three feet shorter than the body of the canoe; that is, a foot and a half at each end. Two canoes, thus fitted, are secured to each other, about three feet asunder, by means of cross spars, which project about a foot over each side. Over these spars is laid a deck, or very heavy platform, made of plank, and small round spars, on which they have a fire-hearth, and generally a fire burning; and they carry a pot or jar to dress their victuals in. The space between the two canoes is laid with plank, and the rest with spars. On one side of the deck, and close to the edge, is fixed a row of knees, pretty near to each other, the use of which is to keep the masts, yards, &c. from, rolling over-board. They are navigated by one or two lateen-sails, extended to a small lateen-yard, the end of which fixes in a notch or hole in the deck. The foot of the sail is extended to a small boom. The sail is composed of pieces of matting, the ropes are made of the coarse filaments of the plantain-tree, twisted into cords of the thickness of a finger; and three or four more such cords, marled together, serve them for shrouds, &c. I thought they sailed very well; but they are not at all calculated for rowing or paddling. Their method of proceeding, when they cannot sail, is by sculling, and for this purpose there are holes in the boarded deck or platform. Through these they put the sculls, which are of such a length, that, when the blade is in the water, the loom or handle is four or five feet above the deck. The man who works it stands behind, and with both his hands sculls the vessel forward. This method of proceeding is very slow; and for this reason, the canoes are but ill calculated for fishing, especially for striking of turtle, which, I think, can hardly ever be done in them. Their fishing implements, such as I have seen, are turtle- nets, made, I believe, of the filaments of the plantain-tree twisted; and small hand-nets, with very minute meshes made of fine twine and fish-gigs. Their general method of fishing, I guess, is to lie on the reefs in shoal water, and to strike the fish that may come in their way. They may, however, have other methods, which we had no opportunity to see, as no boat went out while we were here; all their time and attention being taken up with us. Their canoes are about thirty feet long, and the deck or platform about twenty-four in length, and ten in breadth. We had not, at this time, seen any timber in the country so large as that of which their canoes were made. It was observed that the holes, made in the several parts, in order to sew them together, were burnt through, but with what instrument we never learnt. Most probably it was of stone, which may be the reason why they were so fond of large spikes, seeing at once they would answer this purpose. I was convinced they were not wholly designed for edge-tools, because every one shewed a desire for the iron belaying-pins which were fixed in the quarter-deck rail, and seemed to value them far more than a spike-nail, although it might be twice as big. These pins, which are round, perhaps have the very shape of the tool they wanted to make of the nails. I did not find that a hatchet was quite so valuable as a large spike. Small nails were of little or no value; and beads, looking-glasses, &c. they did not admire.

The women of this country, and likewise those of Tanna, are, so far as I could judge, far more chaste than those of the more eastern islands. I never heard that one of our people obtained the least favour from any one of them. I have been told that the ladies here would frequently divert themselves by going a little aside with our gentlemen, as if they meant to be kind to them, and then would run away laughing at them. Whether this was chastity or coquetry, I shall not pretend to determine; nor is it material, since the consequences were the same.[4]

[1] Mr G.F. says their dress was very disfiguring, and gave them a
thick squat shape. He describes it much like Captain Cook. According
to him, these women's features, though coarse, expressed great good-
nature; they had high foreheads, broad flat noses, rather small eyes,
and very prominent cheek-bones. His reflections on the degraded state
in which these women live, as subservient entirely to the arbitrary
will and necessary purposes of their husbands, have not so much
originality as force, but possess, however, enough of both to deserve
a place here. "They commonly kept at a distance from the men, and
seemed fearful of offending them by a look or gesture; they were the
only persons in the family who had any employment, and several of them
brought bundles of sticks and fuel on their backs. Their insensible
husbands seldom deigned to look upon them, and continued in a kind of
phlegmatic indolence, whilst the women sometimes indulged that social
cheerfulness, which is the distinguishing ornament of the sex. Thus,
in every country, mankind are fond of being tyrants, and the poorest
Indian, who knows no wants but those which his existence requires, has
already learnt to enslave his weaker help-mate, in order to save
himself the trouble of supplying their wants, and cruelly exacts an
obedience from her, which has been continued among savages as a curse
upon the sex. Considering these humiliations and cruel oppressions of
the sex, we have sometimes the greatest reason to admire, that the
human race has perpetuated itself, and that the Creator has wisely
planted a motive in the female breast, which stands the test of every
outrage, which makes them patient to suffer, and prevents their
withdrawing from the power of their tyrants." This indeed is one of
the most striking and important instances that can be adduced, of what
has been called final causes, the determinate choice of an end, and
the skilful adaptation of means to the accomplishment of it. A nation
of women, we may confidently say, is as much a chimera, as a nation of
two-headed men; and that individual has little acquaintance with
herself that knows not, there is an insuperable objection to so
anomalous an occurrence. With whatever abuses of authority, therefore,
the other sex may be chargeable, it is not to be denied, that they
assert their superiority on the ground of natural constitution, and
that they cannot be considered as usurpers. Admitting this, it is
important to enquire, what is the principle common to both, on which
their mutual welfare depends, and which is as certainly violated by
unfeeling rigour on one side, as by peevish rebellion on the other.
Several principles might be mentioned, claiming in part this
distinction, but none will answer all the conditions, except a right
sense of their entire and common dependence on the source of their
being and judge of their conduct, which is indeed the essence of
religion and morality. It is vain, in fact, to determine almost any
thing respecting such a creature as man, but by reasons of an eternal
nature, and referring to the laws of an invisible world. Every system
of an inferior kind, will be found inadequate in its application, and
unsatisfactory in its sanctions--calculated, it may be, to amuse the
philosopher in his closet, and attract the admiration of young and
inexperienced minds, but too weak to sustain the shock of human
passions, and too circumscribed to reach the heights of human hopes
and fears. The condition of women improves, undoubtedly, as a people
advances towards civilization; but there is a period in the process,
at which voluptuousness, more cruel than indifference, and often
maddened by jealousy, subjects her to greater degradation than her
original insignificance, and destroys all hope of her amelioration in
the tyranny of her own licentiousness. It is only where the principle
alluded to, is publicly recognised in the civil institutions of a
country, and conscientiously reverenced by the piety of its citizens,
that she attains the true dignity of her destiny in an equal
subordination, and vindicates the benevolence of the Deity in her
creation, by the increase of happiness she confers on her consort.
This cannot be looked for in a state of nature.--E.

[2] "These slings consisted of a slender round cord, no thicker than a
packthread, which had a tassel at one end, and a loop at the other end
and in the middle. The stones which they used were oblong, and pointed
at each end, being made of a soft and unctuous soap-rock
(_smectitis_), which could easily be rubbed into that shape. These
exactly fitted the loop in the middle of the sling, and were kept in a
wallet or pocket of coarse cloth, strongly woven, of a kind of grass,
which was tied on about the middle. Their shape gives them a striking
resemblance to the _glandes plumbeae_ of the Romans."--G.F.

[3] Unfortunately the severe effects of the noxious fish, so sparingly
partaken of, disabled the two Forsters from their favourite pursuits,
during the greater part of their residence at New Caledonia. The
result of their labours was, in consequence, very scanty, and,
according to the younger F.'s assertions, received little or no
encouragement from the friendly services of many of their fellow
voyagers. He has inveighed with no small asperity against the ignorant
selfishness and unprincipled hostility with which they had to contend.
These seem to have been of a flagrant appearance, and almost
systematic consistency. "If there had not been a few individuals,"
says he, "of a more liberal way of thinking, whose disinterested love
for the sciences comforted us from time to time, we should in all
probability have fallen victims to that malevolence, which even the
positive commands of Captain Cook were sometimes insufficient to keep
within bounds." However the reader may conjecture the existence of
certain personal causes which are here complained of, he cannot but
regret, that the interests of the expedition should in any manner have
suffered loss by the contention. But such things, he will say, are
incident to human nature, and have frequently taken place on even more
important occasions. This is very true, but gives no comfort.--E.

[4] Mr G.F. calls this deceptive amusement, "an innocent recreation,
which shewed them good-humoured, and not destitute of ingenuity!" He
agrees with Cook respecting the universal decency of these people,
which forms so striking a dissimilarity to the immodest conduct of the
other islanders met with in this voyage. The following remarks specify
other differences, and are worthy of being transcribed:--"It is easy
to be conceived, that the contrast between New Caledonia and the New
Hebrides, was very striking to us, who had so lately visited those
rich and fertile islands, where the vegetable kingdom glories in its
greatest perfection. The difference in the character of the people was
no less surprising. All the natives of the South-Sea islands,
excepting those only which Tasman found on Tonga-Tabboo and Annamocka,
(and those perhaps had been informed of what had passed between Le
Maire, and the natives of Horne, Cocos, and Traitor's island, some
years before,) made some attempt to drive away the strangers who came
to visit them. But the people of New Caledonia, at the first sight of
us, received us as friends; they ventured to come on board our ship,
without the least marks of fear or distrust, and suffered us to ramble
freely throughout their country as far as we pleased. As nature has
been so sparing here of her gifts, it is the more surprising that
instead of seeing the inhabitants savage, distrustful, and warlike, as
at Tanna, we should find them peaceable, well-disposed, and
unsuspicious. It is not less remarkable, that, in spite of the drought
which prevails in their country, and the scanty supply of vegetable
food, they should have attained to a greater size, and a more muscular
body. Perhaps, instead of placing the causes which effect disparity of
stature among various nations in the difference of food, this instance
ought to teach us to have retrospect likewise to the original races
from which those tribes are descended, that fell under our
examination. Let us, for instance, suppose, that the people of New
Caledonia are the offspring of a nation, who, by living in affluence
and in a genial climate, have not been stinted in their growth; the
colony which removed into the barren soil of New Caledonia, will
probably preserve the habit of body of their ancestors for many
generations. The people of Tanna may have undergone a contrary
revolution, and being descended of a slender and short race, like the
Mallicollese, the richness of their present country may not yet have
entirely taken effect. The inoffensive character of the people of New
Caledonia appears to great advantage in their conduct towards us. They
are the only people in the South Seas who have not had reason to
complain of our arrival among them. When we consider how easy it is to
provoke the mariner to sport with the lives of Indians, from the
numerous examples throughout this narrative, we must acknowledge that
it required an uncommon degree of good temper, not to draw upon
themselves a single act of brutality. Those philosophers who are of
opinion that the temper, the manners, and genius of a people, depend
entirely upon the climate, will be at a loss to account for the
peaceful character of the inhabitants of New Caledonia. If we admit
that they are only strangers to distrust, because they have little to
lose, we shall not solve the difficulty; since the people of New
Holland, under the influence of a similar climate and soil, and in a
more wretched situation than the inhabitants of New Caledonia, are
savage and unsociable. The different characters of nations seem
therefore to depend upon a multitude of different causes, which have
acted together during a series of many ages. The inhabitants of New
Caledonia do not owe their kind disposition to a total ignorance of
wars and disputes; the variety of their offensive weapons being alone
sufficient to put this matter out of doubt. By conversing with them we
learnt that they have enemies, and that the people of an island called
Mingha had a very different character from their own. Civilization is
much farther advanced in some respects among them, than with their
more opulent neighbours. That higher degree of culture, however, where
the understanding is sufficiently enlightened to remove the unjust
contempt shown to the fair sex, is unknown to them; their temper is
too grave to be captivated by female blandishments, or to set a proper
value upon the refined enjoyments of life. They are obliged to work
hard, at times, for the means of subsistence; but their leisure hours
are spent in indolence, without those little recreations which
contribute so much to the happiness of mankind, and diffuse a spirit
of chearfulness and vivacity throughout the Society and Friendly
Islands. Besides a sort of whistle, made of wood, about two inches
long, and shaped like a bell, having two holes at its base and one at
the upper end, we never saw a musical instrument among the people of
New Caledonia. Their dances and songs are equally unknown to us; and
what we observed during our short stay, gave us reason to suppose,
that even laughter is an uncommon guest among them."--G.F.