Sandwich Islands  Contents  Source  Whalesite

Departure from Otaheite — Arrival at Woahoo, Sandwich Islands — Contrast between the two Countries — Visit the King and Pitt — Departure — Oneehow — Passage to Kamschatka — Petropaulski — Beering's Island — St. Lawrence Island — Esquimaux — King's Island — Diomede Islands — Pass Beering's Strait — Arrive in Kotzebue Sound — Anchor off Chamisso Island — Ice Formation in Escholtz Bay.

      On the 26th of April, we left this delightful island, in which we had passed many very pleasant days, in the enjoyment of the society of the residents, and of the scenery of the country. We put to sea in the morning, and about noon reached the low Island of Tethoroa, the watering place of the Otaheitans. It is a small coral island, distant about seven leagues from Otaheite; from the hills of which it may be distinctly seen, and is abundantly provided with cocoa-nut trees. The salubrity of this little island, which was formerly the resort of the chiefs, arreoys, and others, for the purpose of recruiting their health after their debaucheries, is still proverbial at Otaheite. Spare diet and fresh air were the necessary consequences of a visit to this place, and for a good constitution were the only

restoratives required; and, as these seldom failed in their effects, it obtained a reputation in Otaheite, no less famous than that of the celebrated spring of eternal youth, which Ponce de Leon so long sought in vain. From the proximity of the islands of Tethoroa, Otaheite, and Eimeo, we were enabled to connect them trigonometrically. Upon the latter there is a peak with a hole through it, to which a curious history is attached, connected with the superstition of early times. It is asserted that the great god, Oroo, being one day angry with the Tii, or the little God of Eimeo, he threw his spear across the water at him, but the activity of the Tii evaded the blow, and the spear passed through the mountain, and left the hole which we saw. The height of this peak is 4,041 feet.

      On the 27th, we were within six miles of the situation in which Arrowsmith has placed Roggewein's high Island of Recreation; but nothing was in sight from the mast-head. In all probability this island, which answers so well in its description, excepting as to its size, is the Maitea of Mr. Turnbull, situated nearly in the same latitude. From this time we endeavoured to get to the eastward, and to cross the equator in about 150° W. longitude, so that when we met the N. E. tradewind, we might be well to windward. There is, otherwise, some difficulty in rounding Owyhee, which should be done about forty miles to the eastward to ensure the breeze.

      The passage between the Society and Sandwich groupes differs from a navigation between the same parallels in the Atlantic, in the former being exempt from long calms which sometimes prevail

about the equator, and in the S. E. trade being more easterly. The westerly current is much the same in both; and if not attended to in the Pacific, will carry a ship so far to leeward, that by the time she reaches the parallel of the Sandwich Islands, she will be a long way to the westward, and have much difficulty in beating up to them.

      Soon after leaving Otaheite, the officers and ship's company generally were afflicted with dysentery, which, at one time, assumed an alarming appearance. On the 3d of May, we had the misfortune to lose Mr. Crawley, one of the midshipmen, a young gentleman of very good abilities, and much regretted by all who knew him; and on the 6th, William Must, my steward, sunk under the same complaint: on the 7th, great apprehensions were entertained for Mr. Lay, the naturalist; but fortunately his complaint took a favourable turn, and he ultimately recovered. The disease, however, continued among us some time, threatening occasionally different portions of the ship's company.

      As we approached the Sandwich Islands, our view was anxiously directed to the quarter in which Owyhee_* was situated, in the hope of obtaining a sight of the celebrated Mouna Roa; but the weather was so unfavourable for this purpose, that the land at the foot of the hills was the only part of the coast which presented itself to our view. On the 18th, we passed about thirty miles to windward of the eastern points of the island; and in the afternoon of the following day, as it was too late to fetch the

anchorage off Woahoo, we rounded to under the lee of Morotoi, the next island. The following morning we came to an anchor in nineteen fathoms outside the reefs of Honoruro, the principal port of the Sandwich Islands, and the residence of the king. This anchorage is very much exposed, and during the N. W. monsoon, unsafe; but as there is great difficulty attending a large ship going in and out of the harbour, it is the general stopping place of such vessels as make but a short stay at the island.

      Our passage from Otaheite to this place had been so rapid, that the contrast between the two countries was particularly striking. At Woahoo, the eye searches in vain for the green and shady forests skirting the shore, which enliven the scene at Otaheite. The whole country has a parched and comparatively barren aspect; and it is not until the heights are gained, and the extensive ranges of taro plantations are seen filling every valley, that strangers learn why this island was distinguished by the name of the garden of the Sandwich Islands.

      The difference between the appearance of the natives of Woahoo and Otaheite is not less conspicuous than that of the scenery. Constant exposure to the sun has given them a dark complexion and a coarseness of feature which do not exist in the Society Islands, and their countenances moreover have a wildness of expression which at first misleads the eye; but this very soon wears off, and I am not sure whether this manliness of character does not create a respect which the effeminacy of the Otaheitans never inspires.

      As we rowed up the harbour, the forts, the can-

non, and the ensign of the Tamahamaha, displayed upon the ramparts of a fort mounting forty guns, and at the gaff of a man-of-war brig, and of some other vessels, rendered the distinction between the two countries still more evident; and on landing, the marked attention to etiquette and the respect shown by the subjects to their chiefs offered a similar contrast. In every way this country seemed far to surpass the other in civilization — but there were strong indications of a close connexion between the natives of both.

      It was not long since Lord Byron in the Blonde had quitted these islands; the appearance of a man-of-war was, therefore, no novelty; but the beach was thronged to excess with people of all distinctions, who behaved in a very orderly manner, helped us out of the boats, and made a passage as we advanced. In our way nothing more strikingly marked the superiority of this country over that we had recently quitted than the number of wooden houses, the regularity of the town laid out in squares, intersected by streets properly fenced in, and the many notices which appeared right and left, on pieces of board on which we read "an Ordinary at one o'clock, Billiards, the Britannia, the Jolly Tar, the Good Woman," & After a short walk we came to a neatly built wooden house with glass windows, the residence of Krimakoo, or, as he was commonly called, Pitt, whom I found extended upon the floor of his apartment, suffering under a dropsical complaint, under which he ultimately sunk. This disease had so increased upon him of late that he had undergone five operations for it since the departure of the Blonde. Though unable to rise from his bed,

his mind was active and unimpaired; and when the conversation turned upon the affairs of the island he was quite energetic, regretting that his confinement prevented his looking more into them, and his greatest annoyance seemed to be his inability to see every thing executed himself. He expressed his attachment strongly to the British government, and his gratitude for the respect that had been shown the descendant of his illustrious patron, and his queen, by sending their bodies to the Sandwich Islands in so handsome a manner, and also for the footing upon which the affairs of the state had been placed by Lord Byron in command of the Blonde. He was anxious to requite these favours, and pressed his desire to be allowed to supply all the demands of the ship himself, in requital for the liberality with which his countrymen were treated in England. I could not accede to this effusion of the chief's gratitude, as the expense attending it would have been considerably felt by him, and more particularly as Lord Byron had previously declined the same offer.

      The young king, who had been taking an airing, arrived at this moment, and repeated the sentiments of his protector; making at the same time many inquiries for his friends in the Blonde. Boki was absent at Owyhee attending his sister, who was dangerously ill. Madam Boki, Kuanoa, Manuia, and the other chiefs who were of the party in England, were all anxious to show us civility; and spoke of England in such high terms, that they will apparently never forget the kind treatment they experienced there: but they had a great dread of the diseases of our country, and many of them considered it very unhealthy. My impression was, that

those who had already been there had had their curiosity satisfied to feel in no way disposed to risk another visit. The want of their favourite dish Poe was, besides, so serious an inconvenience that when allusion was made to England, this privation was always mentioned.

      Our reception was friendly in the extreme; all our wants, as far as possible, were supplied, but unfortunately there was this year a scarcity of almost every kind of production; the protracted rainy season and other circumstances having conspired to destroy or lessen the crops, and the whole population was in consequence suffering from its effects. There was also a scarcity of dried provision, our visit having preceded the usual time of the arrival of the whalers, who discharge all they can spare at this place previous to their return home. Our expectation of replenishing the ship's provisions was consequently disappointed, and it therefore became necessary to reduce the daily allowance of the ship's company, and to pursue the same economical system here, with regard to taro and yams, as was done at Otaheite with the bread-fruit.

      The few days I had to remain here were devoted to astronomical and other observations, and I had but little opportunity of judging of the state of the island; but from a letter which I received from Boki, it was evident that he did not approve of the system of religious restraint that had been forced into operation, which was alike obnoxious to the foreigners residing upon the island and to the natives.

      At the time of our departure the health of Mr. Lay was by no means restored, and as it appeared to me that his time during the absence of the ship could

be more profitably employed among the islands of the Sandwich groupe than on the frozen shores of the north, he was left behind, under the protection of Pitt, whose kindness on the occasion nothing could exceed. Mr. Collie took upon himself the charge of naturalist, and acquitted himself in a highly creditable manner.

      On the 31st of May we took our leave of Woahoo, and proceeded to Oneehow, the westernmost island of the Sandwich groupe, famous for its yams, fruit, and mats. This island is the property of the king, and it is necessary, previous to proceeding thither, to make a bargain with the authorities at Woahoo for what may be required, who in that case send an agent to see the agreement strictly fulfilled. On the 1st of June we hauled into a small sandy bay on the western side of the island, the same in which Vancouver anchored when he was there on a visit of a similar nature to our own; and I am sorry to say that like him we were disappointed in the expected supplies; not from their scarcity, but in consequence of the indolence of the natives.

      Oneehow is comparatively low, and, with the exception of the fruit trees, which are carefully cultivated, it is destitute of wood. The soil is too dry to produce taro, but on that account it is well adapted to the growth of yams, & which are very excellent and of an enormous size. There is but one place in this bay where the boat of a man of war can effect a landing with safety when the sea sets into the bay, which is a very common occurrence; this is on its northern shore, behind a small reef of rocks that lies a little way off the beach, and even here it is necessary to guard against sunken rocks; off the western

point these breakers extend a mile and a half. The soundings in the bay are regular, upon a sandy bottom, and there is good anchorage, if required, with the wind from the eastward; but it would not be advisable to bring up under any other circumstances. The natives are a darker race of people than those of Woahoo, and reminded us strongly of the inhabitants of Bow Island. With the exception of the house of the Earee, all the huts were small, low, and hot; the one which we occupied was so close that we were obliged to make a hole in its side to admit the sea breeze.

      We took on board as many yams as the natives could collect before sun-set, and then shaped our course for Kamschatka. In doing this I deviated from the tracks of both Cook and Clerke, which I think was the occasion of our passage being shorter than either of theirs. Instead of running to the westward in a low latitude, we passed to the eastward of Bird Island, and gained the latitude of 27° N. In this parallel we found the trade much fresher, though more variable, and more subject to interruption, than within the tropic; we had also the advantage of a more temperate climate, of which we stood in need, as the sickness among the ship's company was so far from being removed, that on the 13th we had the misfortune to lose one of the marines. On this day we spoke the Tuscan, an English whaleship, and found that on quitting the Sandwich Islands her crew had suffered in the same way as our own, but had since quite recovered. In all probability the sudden change of diet from the usual seafare to so much vegetable food, added to the heat and humidity of the atmosphere at the season in

which our visits were made to those islands, was the cause of the sickness of both vessels. The master of the Tuscan informed me that the preceding year his ship's company had been so severely afflicted with disease that he found it necessary to put into Loo Choo, where he was well received, and his people were treated with the greatest kindness. He was supplied with fresh meat and vegetables daily, without being allowed to make any other payment than that of a chart of the world, which was the only thing the natives would accept. It was, however, not without the usual observance of narrow-minded Chinese policy, that himself and his invalid crew were allowed to set their feet on shore, and even then they were always attended by a party of the natives, and had a piece of ground bordering on the beach fenced off for them. The salute which the Alceste and Lyra had fired on the 25th of October was well remembered by these people, and they had an idea that it was an annual ceremony performed in commemoration of something connected with the king of England. On the return of this day, during the Tuscan's visit, they concluded that the ship would observe the same ceremony, and looked forward with such anxiety and delight to the event, that the master of the whaler was obliged to rub up his four patereros, and go through the salute without any intermission, as the Loochooans counted the guns as they were fired.

      A few hours after we parted with the Tuscan, we fell in with two other whale ships, neither of which could spare us any provisions. These ships were no doubt fishing down a parallel of latitude, which is a common custom, unless they find a continued scar-

city of whales. The 30th degree, I believe, is rather a favourite one with them.

      Ten days after our departure from Oneehow we lost the trade wind in latitude 30° N. and longitude 195° W.; it had been variable before this, but had not fairly deserted us: its failure was of little consequence, as in three days afterwards we were far enough to the westward to ensure the remainder of the passage; and indeed from the winds which ensued, a course might as well have been shaped for Kamschatka on the day we lost the wind.

      On the 3d of June, the day after leaving Oneehow, in latitude 25° N. and longitude 163° 15 W., we saw large flocks of tern and noddies, and a few gannets and tropic birds, also boneta, and shoals of flying-fish; and on the 5th, in latitude 28° 10' N. and longitude 172° 20 W. s we had similar indications of the proximity of land. Though such appearances are by no means infallible, yet as so many coral islands have recently been discovered to the W. N. W. of the Sandwich Islands, ships in passing these places should not be regardless of them. On this day we observed an albatross (diomedia exulans), the first we had seen since quitting the coast of Chili. It is remarkable that Captain King in his passage to Kamschatka first met these birds within thirty miles of the same spot. We noticed about this time a change in the colour of the wings of the flying-fish, and on one of the species being caught it was found to differ from the common exocaetus volitans. We continued to see these fish occasionally as far as 30° N., about which time the tern also quitted us. In 33° N. we first met the birds of the northern regions, the procellaria puffinus, but it was not until

we were within a hundred miles of the coast of Kamschatka that we saw the lumme, dovekie, rotge, and other alca, and the shag. The tropic birds accompanied us as far as 36° N.

Frederick W. Beechey
      Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait, to Co-Operate with the Polar Expeditions: Performed in His Majesty's Ship Blossom, Under the Command of Captain F. W. Beechey, R. N. in the Years 1825, 26, 27, 28. Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. In two volumes.
  London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, 1831.
Vol. 1, pp.313-324.

      This volume is available at the Internet Archive.

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