Bonin Islands  Notes  Source  Whalesite

      H.M S. Curlew anchored in Port Lloyd on the morning of the 26th November, having left Yokohama at 10 a.m., of the 22nd, the voyage being principally made under canvass.

      The Japanese steamer Meiji Maru with the Japanese Commissioners on board, left Yokohama on Sunday the 21st November at noon, and arrived at Port Lloyd early on Wednesday the 24th.

      As we made slowly in the early morning, for the entrance of the harbour, the approach to which is clearly marked by two conspicuous crags known as "the Paps," the Islands presented a fertile appearance, and the palm trees twisted this way and that by the action of the winds were a conspicuous feature in the vegetation.

      The approach to the harbour is marked by bold rocks, and a sheer wall of dark rock rising up at the South side of the harbour dwarfed almost to miniature the Meiji Maru, which vessel we descried at anchor well up the harbour. A canoe propelled by three men was noticed about a mile astern of the Curlew, but as no signal was made to us Captain Church did not think it advisable to stop, but proceeding on to the anchorage let go close to the Japanese steamer in about 22 fathoms of water. It turned out that the canoe had on board a Frenchman, Leseur by name, the self constituted pilot of Port Lloyd, whom Captain Peters of the Meiji Maru had thoughtfully sent out with a letter to the Curlew, in order that Leseur's services might be availed of if required.

      The harbour of Port Lloyd open to the south-west is about a mile and a half in length, and has a breadth varying from half a mile to a mile.

      At the upper end of the harbour, and on its northern shore, a coral reef extends for some distance, terminating in a pinnacle rock. Westward of this, and but a short distance from the beach, is a depth of ten fathoms, the spot styled by Captain Beechey of the Blossom as "ten fathom hole"; from this the water deepens rapidly towards the mouth of the harbour.

      The general character of the scenery as observable from the harbour is hilly, with here and there bold crags; the cliff line rising straight from the water's edge notably so on the Eastern side of the anchorage, while the western and north western shore is marked by a line of yellow sandy beach to the rear of which the ground is flat for a short distance, backed by hilly slopes and steep ascents. A fringe of trees hides the level ground and forms a natural boundary between the plots of cultivated land and the sea shore.

      The hills are covered with verdure, but the luxuriant and almost tropical nature of the vegetation is not fully realized until after landing.

      The ordinary palm and cabbage-palm trees abound on the rising ground which surrounds the anchorage.

      A solitary hut at the head of the harbour in front of which the American flag was hoisted shortly after our arrival, a few canoes drawn up on the beach, and a canoe or two with small white sail flitting across the anchorage, constituted the only outward signs of life visible from the Curlew.

      It is not within the scope of this paper to give in detail a narrative of what occurred on each day of my stay which occupied exactly a week, my time moreover was for the most part taken up with matters which would have but little general interest; but I will endeavour to give a faithful picture of the condition of the present settlers and to note such matters of interest as will convey to those who are desirous of knowledge on the subject as much information as I myself possess derived from actual observation.

      It must be remembered that in 1830 the little colony which in that year first settled at Port Lloyd consisted of Mazarro, Millichamp, Savory, Chapin and Johnson; that of these Millichamp is now living at Guam in the Marianas or Ladrones group, and the rest are dead, Savory having died as recently as the 10th April, 1874, at the age of 79, leaving a widow and six children now residing on Peel Island. Mrs. Savory was the widow of Mazarro above mentioned, and was married to Savory after Mazarro's death, having also buried another husband in the interval.

      In 1853, the time of Commodore Perry's visit, there were residing at Port Lloyd in addition to Sandwich Islanders and natives of other groups, eight foreigners — Savory, Webb, Motley, Gilley, the two Bravas, Cullen and Horton. What befell the majority of these bas before been stated. These with the other Islanders made up in 1853 a resident population of thirty-one.

      The settlers now number sixty-nine, of whom sixty-six reside on Peel Island, and three on the Bailey or Coffin group, of these thirty-seven are males and thirty-two females, and out of the whole number about twenty are children whose ages vary from one to fifteen. Amongst, the present settlers there can only be said to be five whites, namely, Thomas H. Webb, an Englishman born in Wallington, Surrey; Leseur a Frenchman who hails from Brittany; Allen a German who comes from Bremen, Rose, about whose nationality I am uncertain, some calling him a German others a Dutchman; and John Brava whose real name is Gonsalves, a Portuguese, born in the Island of Brava, one of the Azores.

      Of these John Brava, born in 1811, and consequently now 65 years of age was the first to come to Port Lloyd where he arrived in 1831 in the British whaler Partridge.

      He remembers Millichamp, Savory and Mazarro being there when he came, as also another foreigner, probably either Chapin or Johnson, whose name however he has forgotten. He married at Port Lloyd a Sandwich Island woman since dead, by whom he had two sons George and Andrew Brava, the latter of whom is dead as is also his wife; two of his children, however, Francis and Lucy Brava are still living. The other son, George Brava, a

man now close on 40 years of age lives close by his father; he married a daughter of Savory's, who died leaving three children, Jose, Rosa, and Andrew Brava now living with their father.

      Thomas H. Webb, came as I think I have before mentioned to Port Lloyd in the American Barque Japan of Nantucket, some time in 1847, and has thus been nearly thirty years a resident on Peel Island. He married the daughter of an Englishman — Robinson by name — she is living with him now and they have a family of eight children.

      George Robinson about whose ultimate fate there is much uncertainty arrived at Port Lloyd in the whaler Howard some time in 1849 and took up his residence with Webb, whose home was at that time shared by a man named Gilley (afterwards murdered). Robinson did not remain long at Port Lloyd but removed to Hillsboro' Island, the most important of the Bailey Group, where he cleared and planted out a considerable portion of ground. After a residence of a few years he left with his family for Guam and Seypan and in his absence Motley, of whom mention has before been made, went and occupied his clearing on Hillsboro Island.

      Robinson eventually returned and appears to have arranged amicably with Motley for a joint occupation of the clearing. Robinson on his return had brought with him some natives from the Kingsmill Group and discontent soon manifested itself amongst them, fomented, so it is said, by a woman named Kitty in the employ of Motley. This appears to have engendered a quarrel between Robinson and Motley for they separated, the Islanders above mentioned leaving Robinson and taking service with Motley. An Englishman, known as Bob, who had run away from a whaler and found shelter with Motley, left the latter and went over to Robinson. At this time Robinson's family consisted of his sons John, Henry and Charles and his daughters Eliza, Caroline and Susan. There was living with him as nurse to the children a woman, Zipher by name, a native of Raven Island.

      Notwithstanding the separation of Robinson and Motley, matters appear to have gone from bad to worse and scenes of bloodshed ensued over which I will not linger. It is sufficient to say that one morning, (the event occurred some time in 1861) an attack is said to have been made by the Kingsmill Islanders on the elder Robinson who with his children John, Henry and Eliza fled in one direction, his daughter Caroline, then a girl of 19, taking with her the younger sister Susan and her brother Charles flying in another. In the fight that ensued the man Bob was killed, whether by or at the instigation of Motley is not accurately known. Motley has since died and is buried on Hillsboro' Island. His name will be remembered as one of those appended to the organization scheme.

      It is said that George Robinson and the children with him were picked off by a passing whaler, the Montreal, Captain Sole; the rest of his family fled to the opposite side of the Island and making their way to the sea shore subsisted there for a period of eleven months living on shell-fish and berries, until attracted by the smoke of a fire, the captain of a passing whaler the E. L. B. Jenny, hove to off the land and going ashore in a boat found the two girls Caroline and Susan Robinson with their brother Charles and the nurse Zipher in a most pitiable condition as may well be imagined. Taking them on board he proceeded to Port Lloyd close by, where the family were sheltered by Webb who subsequently married the girl Caroline, Susan later on becoming the wife of a man named Pease, said to have been an American and whose disappearance at Port Lloyd in the autumn of 1874, is generally well known. Mrs. Pease, Charles Robinson and the woman Zipher are now living on Peel Island.

      John Robinson is reported to be living at the Sandwich Islands, which would go to confirm the supposition that with his father they had made good their escape from Hillsboro'. The woman Kitty is still living at the Bailey group, with the man Rose and a Kanaka boy, making up the three resident on those Islands.

      The next to arrive at Port Lloyd is the Frenchman Leseur better known on the Islands as Louis. He came in the Hawaiian whaler Wyola in 1862 or 1863, but he had made several visits to the Islands before that in different whalers. In one of the years however abovementioned he took up his residence at Port Lloyd where he has since, with the exception of a visit to Guam continued to dwell. He is a stout hearty-looking Frenchman of about 55 years of age, speaking English remarkably well — his present wife Pidear by name is a nature[sic] of Grigan, one of the Ladrones group, and is the widow of a man known as John Marquese, a native of the Marquesas.

      By a former wife, who is buried at Port Lloyd, Leseur has three children, Albert, Louisa, and Phillis who are still living. I may here mention that it was at Leseur's house we found the copper plate and board put up by Captain Beechey in 1827. Leseur sail he had found it in an outhouse on the clearing he now occupies.

      We next come to the German Allen who arrived with Leseur in 1862 or 1863. He appears to be a man of fifty and upwards and has taken to wife a Sandwich Island woman Poconoi by name. They live on Peel Island about a couple of miles from Port Lloyd and midway between the dwellings of Leseur and Webb.

      As regards the man Rose now living on the Bailey Islands, it is uncertain when he actually came to reside there. All that is known of him at Port Lloyd is that he made his first appearance there in the French whaler Gustav in 1852. He was left there sick, but shipped again and made his appearance at Port Lloyd from time to time in successive whalers. He was eventually found residing on Hillsboro Island, but the precise date of his arrival there, or indeed how he got there at all, is not known.

      The settlers other than those of whom I have made particular mention consist of men and women from the Sandwich Islands; from Grigan or Agrigan as it is sometimes called; from the Caroline Islands; and front the Gilbert or Kingsmill groups, — there is also one man from Bermuda, Robert Myers by name, claiming to be a British subject; a Manilla man named Sino, and two Japanese women the wives respectively of Sino and Myers. Of the 66 settlers now on the Bonins 35 have been born on the Islands. The nomenclature is curious, for I found in the list of residents that I procured when at Port Lloyd the following names, Thomas Tewcrab, and his wife Bosan, Charley Papa, Friday, Bill Boles, Samuel Tinpot, Zipher, Hannah Poconoi, Samuel Tinpot, Pease, Mrs. Tinaree, and Mrs. Fanny and Mrs. Betty.

      Miscegenation has brought about rather curious results. In the male children the white parentage is very distinct: light olive complexion, dark eyes and clear cut features, in the females the Micronesian blood is unmistakeable, and I found in many cases the flat face and coarse features of the Pacific Islanders — on the other hand in some cases the women are in appearance very closely akin to the Hindostanee.

      The men dress for the most part simply in shirt and trousers with broad brimmed Panama hat; a cotton shirt being replaced by a flannel one in the winter months. The women in print gowns with a bright colored kerchief on the head.

      The two Japanese women above referred to were taken from Yokohama in the schooner Tori some time during 1873; four or five others also were passengers, but they elected — to return to Yokohama.

      Having thus conveyed a general idea of how, the resident population is made up I proceed to describe their dwellings, their occupation and mode of life.

      Each family has its holding or clearing of cultivated land close to which the dwelling and outhouses are erected, these are situated for the most part round the harbour, but screened from view by a fringing of hummock trees.

      Webb, Allen and Leseur have their clearings away from Port Lloyd to the south and west of the harbour in each case close to the sea.

      To the holdings are given distinct appellations. Thus, commencing from the left hand, or north western side of the harbour, there is Yellow Beach on which the Bravas father and son; the Tewcrabs a family numbering some 15 members and Charles Robinson have their clearings; continuing along the shore a site known as the Cove opposite ten fathom hole is reached; then a spot known as

Jackson unoccupied. From this it is but a step to the Head of the harbour, as the location of the savings [sic: Savory] is called, and continuing along the eastern and southern shore, we come to Bull Beach, the dwelling of the Manilla man Sino and his Japanese wife, and but a short distance beyond this the site known as Aki the present residence of the widow Pease and former site of the Japanese colony established at the close of 1861 and broken up early in 1863.

      Leaving the harbour and coasting round the sea shore, but bearing to the south, Leseur's place of residence known as Blossom or Clarkson's village is reached; further on is Poconoi the dwelling of William Allen, and beyond this Little River where Webb and his family reside; to each of these a land track leads starting from Aki, but the road is a rough one, and they are more easily reached by canoe provided the weather suits.

      The dwelling houses resemble one another closely and to describe one is to describe all. They consist of two rooms, constructed with wooden uprights, and each has a solid wood flooring; the sides and roof are thatched with the leaf of the cabbage palm neatly secured to the rafters with thin wooden slips. Kitchens and outhouses are all separate from the dwelling. Of furniture there is of course not a very large display; a rough deal table, a few chairs and a seaman's chest go to make up the furniture of one room, while the bedroom opening out from it is supplied with a plain wooden bedstead.

      Each cabin, for so it may be called, is supplied with a clock — a few cheap and highly colored prints adorn the wall, and from the ceiling hang rifle and fowling piece. A few shelves with plates and crockery-ware neatly arranged complete all that is seen in the interior of these dwellings. Everything is scrupulously clean, from floor and woodwork to linen and crockery.

      Of books, with the exception of a few I saw in Webb's house, there are none, and, Webb excepted, no one on the Islands can either read or write.

      In the cultivated ground which surrounds each dwelling are seen patches of garden vegetables, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and wherever there is a little running water, taro, from which the article of diet so well known in the Sandwich Islands under the name of poi is made.

      The dwellings are all with but one exception, that of the widow Pease at Aki, situated on low ground and to the back of the cabins the sloping ground is in some cases laid out with Sugar cane, Maize, and a few Cocoa-nut plantations. Plaintains thrive and are grown close to the homesteads, and lemons of excellent quality abound throughout the Island.

      Pigs, geese, ducks, and fowls are kept by the settlers, and appear to thrive well. What with wild goat, wild and tame pig, poultry, fruit and vegetable produce afforded by the shore and excellent fish and turtle from the harbour, the settlers are not so badly off for food. It happens, however, at times that violent hurricanes play sad havoc with the vegetation and now and then there is actual distress for food, one family that I came across being reduced to Indian corn meal alone for diet.

      The occupation of the settlers can very easily be imagined. Rising at dawn work is done either in the garden or about the house until breakfast which is taken about eight a.m. the meal varies according to season and consists of whatever the family may have at hand either fresh or salted turtle, fish, corn meal, taro, or vegetables. After breakfast work is resumed; one will go after turtle which when in season in April, May and June are turned over in great numbers — one man securing perhaps 50 a day. Another will go fishing or perhaps taking his gun look after a wild goat or pig; firewood has to be cut or a neighbour wants a helping hand to repair his house or erect a new one.

      The evening meal is taken shortly before dusk, it is probably the same in materials as the breakfast, perhaps with the addition of goat's flesh or pork. And after supper to bed — and so on from day to day, an existence varied only by the occasional visit of a whaler, now apparently very rare. In addition to the products of the Island already noted I should mention that arrowroot of very good quality is grown, and that the soil seems emmently adapted both for this and for tapioca.

      Of running water there seems no lack.

      The settlers have of course an eye to trade, though they seem more inclined to barter than to accept money; and naturally so, for money is of little or no use amongst themselves and they can only hope to pass it off with the next incoming whaler, unless perhaps it is hoarded.

      Their wants are notably piece goods of any description, provided they are of light texture and suitable for clothing, stores, salt (much used in salting down turtle for winter consumption) soap, tobacco, hardware, nails, knives, tools of different kinds and ammunition. Against these they are ready to barter turtle, turtle-shell, turtle oil, bananas, lemons, poultry and garden produce. If however the purchaser prefers to pay in cash the following are the island rates: Turtle, each $2; turtle oil $10, $15 and $20 a barrel; turtle shell, 50 cents per pound; lemons, $2 a hundred.

      It can be understood, however, that the wants of the settlers, which are in themselves comparatively few, are easily supplied to so limited a population. The Meiji Maru took down presents in the shape of blankets, piece-goods, tea, spirits, cigars and a few miscellaneous articles, and Captain Church of the Curlew, not unmindful of the settlers' wants, made up for each of those who required them a packet containing shirts, flannel, shoes, knives, soap and other useful ships' stores.

      As I personally visited the dwelling of each settler, and as in so doing I had to cross the southern portion of the Island in order to visit Leseur, Allen and Webb at their respective holdings, I was enabled to get a very good idea of the character of the scenery, the vegetation and the general resources of the Island. It is not until landing that the more tropical nature of the vegetation is apparent. Palms, what appeared to be a species of wild pine apple, and luxuriant ferns grow in rich profusion, the hill sides are clothed with verdure and the valleys are filled with a description of wild bean, with here and there patches of taro.

      The following are the principal trees and plants. I give their names as known among the settlers, — in some cases probably Hawaiian appellations have been adopted.

      Tremana; a beautiful wood and largely used by the settlers. Whalers are in the habit of taking away quantities of this wood which is sold to them at twenty-five cents a foot, and on one occasion a schooner took away from the island a full cargo of it.

      Mulberry; used on the Bonins for the uprights of houses and generally for building purposes.

      Cedar, so called, furnishes a beautiful wood of which the floorings of the dwellings are nearly all made.

      Tea tree and poison wood tree; used for making the hulls of canoes.

      Spruce; used only for fuel.

      Rose wood tree; in use for binding down the thatch of the dwellings.

      Shaddock; the wood of which is used for roofing purposes.

      Yellow wood; no particular use.

      Hake wood and white oak; both employed in dwellings.

      Lohala tree. Mats are made of the leaves and fibre of this tree — the fruit makes a good food for pigs.

      Milk wood, red iron wood and white iron wood; in use for building purposes.

      Black iron wood; used only for fuel.

      Soft Hao wood; of which the hulls and canoes are made.

      Swamp hao wood and mountain hao wood; used for making the arms of canoes with which the outrigger is attached to the hull.

      Narrow leaf hao tree; the wood of this is used for the handles of hatchets and for garden implements.

      Kehop tree or shrub; a beautiful plant resembling an aloe and bearing a sweetly scented flower; the leaves of this are much in request by the settlers as they are supposed to contain certain healing qualities; they are made soft by heating before a fire and are then applied to bruises and sores.

      In addition to the above mentioned and those already noted there are on the Islands, wild plum and cherry, orange, laurel, juniper and box wood tree, sandal wood, marmottao, wild cactus, curry plant, wild sage and celery. Mosses, lichens and various kinds of parasitic plants abound.

      Of minerals upon the Islands none are known to the

settlers, unless I except iron pyrites specimens of which are found on Peel Island.

      The shores are covered with coral, and these, together with the reefs, are strewn with shells some of which are very beautiful.

      Earthquake shocks and tidal waves are frequent, the peculiarity of the latter being that no bore rushes up the harbour, but the water suddenly rises just in the manner as described to me by a settler as water is raised in a bowl by inserting an inverted tumbler, when the water has attained a certain height, it as suddenly recedes. The climate is more tropical than temperate. At the time of our visit during the latter end of November the thermometer at noon stood at 70° and 75° and after Yokohama seemed oppressively warm. Sickness is almost unknown amongst the settlers, the only thing they complain of is that on the changes of season from heat to cold, and from cold to heat, they are liable to chills resulting in violent colds.

      I noticed no signs of intemperance, nor did I see in any of the houses either beer, wine or spirits.

      To those who visited us on board the Curlew beer seemed to recommend itself most, but only to the older men, the younger refusing to take anything but water with their meals, when entertained on board the ship. The use of tobacco is general.

      I have before remarked that on our arrival at Port Lloyd the American flag was run up close to a cabin at the top of the harbour. This turned out to be on the holding owned by the widow Savory and her family, though the dwelling itself is obscured from the anchorage by trees.

      I had a long chat with this old lady who received Capt. Church and myself surrounded by her family, one or two of the other settlers also being present.

      She explained that the hoisting of the flag was out of compliment to us, and that one of her husband's dying wishes had been that the flag should be so displayed whenever a vessel arrived or on any exceptional occasion.

      I asked Mrs Savory if she had any ideas on the subject of protection by any particular Power, but the family all gravely shook their heads at this, and said they wanted to be regarded as Bonin Islanders, by which I understood them to mean that they wished to be left alone in undisturbed possession of their holdings, and the less that was said about nationality or protection of any kind the better. Close to the house is Savory's grave, and indeed in most of the enclosures the resting places of the dead are conspicuous features surrounded with neat palisades and in some cases a headstone recording in English the name and date of death of the deceased. While on this subject I should not omit to record that one of the settlers told me he had, when digging near the shore a few years back, come across the skeleton of a child apparently about ten years of age; the bones fell to pieces at the touch and on exposure to the air, from which it is conceived that they had been there many years.

      I have not before noted that English is spoken by all the settlers, unless I except some half dozen from the Kingsmill group, who speak their own language.

      There is however no attempt at education on the Islands, nor is there indeed any one there who could improve this state of things, Webb being the only one who reads or writes and this indifferently well. Religion has with perhaps the exception of Webb, no name amongst them; the marriage and burial services are however always read by Webb when occasion requires.

      When speaking to Mrs. Savory about her husband's death, I asked if his end had been peaceful. She replied "quite so; that he had given certain directions with great clearness," but when following up my question by asking if he had expressed himself in any way about a future state, the question did not seem to be understood and was received with blank looks. Mrs. Savory rather amused me when in reply to a question I put as to what possible charm there could be in such an existence as she and her family were leading she replied, "Well, I guess we pay no taxes here."

      From Mrs. Savory, her son Horace, a young fellow of two or three and twenty, from Webb, Leseur, Charles Robinson and the Bravas, Captain Church and I received much kindness and attention.

      It now only remains for me to make some concluding remarks. Popular rumour had ascribed to the Bonins a colony of semi-savages, murdering one another and altogether leading a barbarous existence. I found a small colony of settlers, living to all outward appearances in decency and order, cleanly in their attire, civil in their address and comfortable in their homes. Such is the bright side.

      The dark picture is the utter apathy of the settlers; their indifference to anything outside of what goes to satisfy their immediate wants; their suspicion in some cases of one another. No religion, no education, old men and women hastening to their graves without the one, children growing up without the other — and there is a darker picture than this. This paper records the fact of two men Gilley and Bob (so called) having fallen by the hand of their neighbours. On the 9th October, 1874, Benjamin Pease, a resident at Port Lloyd disappeared and it is believed met with a violent death, while on the 11th June 1875 a negro, Spenser by name, strongly suspected of having been Pease's assassin also disappeared, receiving his death blow it is said at the hands of one of the residents. I was informed by a settler that during his stay on the Bonins, now extending over 25 years, no less than 11 men had met with violent deaths. I would not have it assumed, however, that these tragedies are to be ascribed altogether to the bona fide resident population, if indeed, the word population can be ascribed to such a little band.

      It must be remembered that the component parts of the population are a few old residents, a few comparatively new, some born on the Islands and now getting on in years, runaways from whalers and men perhaps purposely left behind, and these latter we may be sure not the most orderly of the crew.

      I trust that if communication comes to be established with these islands with anything like regularity that the claims of the settlers on the sympathies of the foreign communities of Yokohama and Yedo will not be overlooked, and that an attempt at ameliorating their condition will be made from one or both these settlements if not indeed generally from the open ports in Japan. I can vouch for it that kindly sympathy expressed either in word or deed will not be inappreciated there, and that in spite of many drawbacks, there are as warm hearts on the Bonins as any that beat amongst ourselves.

Russell Robertson, Esq.
      "The Bonin Islands" (Concluded).
The Japan Weekly Mail.
Vol. VII, No. 13 (March 25, 1876).
pp. 272-275.

Bonin Islands  Notes  Source  Whalesite