The Journal of William Lockerby 1808-1809

Search for Sandalwood 

On the l0th. of Nov. I sailed with the Wellesley’s and Tonquin’s armed crews and launches, accompanied by the old King, to discover a part of the island, where sandalwood might be more plentiful. In passing the island of Angona (The Island of Yanganga, Lying across, but as some distance out from the opening of Wailea Bay) on the 11th. we fell in with about twenty of the enemy’s canoes, who seeing us made off as fast as possible. The 12th. we landed on the island of Taffier (Tavea, lying close up to the land in the smaller bay beyond Lekutu (Ngaloa Bay), where we remained for three days. We then sailed to Lagota Bay (Ngaloa Bay into which the River Lekutu flows) and arrived there on the 16th. About 50 tons of Sandlewood we found already cut for us, by the King’s order. We paid the natives well, and they agreed to cut us as much as we wanted. This agreement they performed. I made several trips with the Wellesley’s launch thither, and soon got Captain Camble a cargo, on which he sailed to Port Jackson. He paid me handsomely for my services. I then engaged with Mr. Scot, who had taken upon himself the command of ‘General Wellesley’; Captain Dalrymple, and his first officer having died. He stipulated to give me three tons of Sandlewood as a privilege, 120 rupees a month, and a passage with him to China.

On the 1st. of Jan. 1809, Mr. Brown took possession of a small island in Lagota Bay (Ngaloa Bay into which the River Lekutu flows), where the wood was deposited as it was procured from the natives.

Having previously examined and sounded the channel between the island of Angona and Highparker (Great Headland – Nai Vaka), on the 28th. February, the Wellesley, and Tonquin were got round to Lagota Bay and anchored in four fathoms water abreast of the chief’s town of Boboo (Baboo is Na Vovo, the Chief’s town in Lagota (Ngaloa Bay)).

March 5th. The Tonquin having got her Cargo, sailed for China.

On the 6th. I sailed eastward with a determination to sail around the island to see whether sandalwood was to be found on any of the adjacent islands, &c. I had with me 14 Europeans and two Lascars. We were provided with two four-pounders, muskets, &c. and ammunition. We had besides one month’s supply of provisions.

On the 8th. I arrived at the Bay of Nandorey (Nadorey Bay is that on which the native town of Nanduri now stands)., about 60 miles from the ship. For the last two days, the weather had considerably changed, and we had some heavy squalls of wind and rain from the westward accompanied by a good deal of thunder and lightning. The natives told me the N.W. monsoon was setting in; which determined me to go no further that season. I remained at Nandorey Bay for three days until the natives cut me a load of sandalwood. This part of the island, it is very abundant. Having got about ten tons of wood into the launch on the 11th., and everything ready, I set out on my return to the ship. In the evening it blew a very strong gale from the westward with very heavy rain. Fearing I should run foul of some of the coral reefs,  I was brought up under the island of Mattawata (Mathuata), a mile from the shore. Throughout the night it rained so hard, that although we had a tarpaulin to cover the launch, the men were obliged to continue throwing out the water by buckets to prevent it from sinking. At midnight the thunder and lightning were more dreadful than anything of the kind I ever before witnessed in any part of the globe. At one a.m. the launch was struck by lightning, but happily, it did no other damage than that of splintering the mast. The shock however was very great: the boat appeared for some time to be covered with a blue flame and smelt so strong of sulfur that I imagined our powder under the platform in the stern of the launch was blown up. One of the Lascar’s knives had been hanging to the mast, where it was found with the blade melted to the thickness of straw; the horn handle was so scorched that it seemed as if it had been in the fire. At 4 a.m. it was blowing a perfect hurricane. Knowing our anchor would not hold out long we set up a jury mast, and with a part of our fore sail got under weigh, and ran before the wind and sea for the ship. A whaleboat I had with me, ran ahead, under a little sail, to discover the reefs. I had at times to heave some of the wood overboard, on account of the sea rolling over the launch. At 8 a.m. the whaleboat made a signal of a reef right ahead. We set some after-sail to try to weather it, but it blew too hard to keep my way to the wind, and the sea was breaking over us so that the men were employed with their hats and buckets to keep her from filling. As I found I could not weather the reef, I kept away thinking to go to leeward of it; but this I found likewise impossible, for I was now too windward of part of the reef.  Finding I could not by any means clear it, I let go of my anchor. This, unfortunately, did not hold: in a few minutes afterward, the launch struck upon the reef, struck very heavy, and soon after bilged, with the stern upon it, and bow under water. There were about three feet of water on the reef; and we were two miles from shore, where we saw some hundreds of natives, with whom we were unacquainted.  The whaleboat came to our assistance, but it was too small to carry us all to the ship: some must be left to the mercy of the waves and the natives. I, therefore, concluded to leave the two Lascars. I sent them into the launch to pass out provisions, &c. When this was done, I with a hatchet cut the boat’s painter and left them on the wreck. All the men except four at the oars lay flat at the bottom of the whaleboat to prevent it from being upset by the heavy sea. We pulled up to the windward of the reef, and then made sail before the wind. We passed over a number of reefs, but it being high water we only struck once, when we were in the trough of a very heavy sea. This strained the boat so much that we with great difficulty kept it afloat till we got alongside the ship; which we did about 4 p.m. having run in the whaleboat a distance of 50 miles in six hours. This gale lasted fourteen days.

2nd. April. I went in the Wellesley’s cutter up Embagaba river, where I found the two Lascars who were left upon the wreck of the launch; the natives had taken them off.  When they were told they belonged to Massa Lombe, the name the Islanders gave me, (those of this part had no doubt heard of the affair of Tatelepo and the share I had in it,) they did not offer the two men any harm but conducted them across the land to the place I found them.

A few days afterward I went to the reef where the launch was lost. I took with me some of the natives, who are very expert divers. They slung and recovered the guns which had sunk in 4 fathoms of water. I got some of the Sandlewood, which from its weight had also sunk; but there was no remnant of the launch to be seen.

On account of the abundance of Sandlewood in Nandorey Bay, I examined the passage through the reef &c., in order that General Wellesley might safely get round; which she did, and got here the principal part of her cargo.

On the 16th. of May I went about two miles up the river Embagaba to a village where I was told there was a large lot of Sandlewood, but the owners wanted a large whale’s tooth for it, and I had not one to give. As the ship had almost completed her cargo, I wished very much to get this parcel. To accomplish my end I made use of a stratagem that answered the purpose. I told the native that the ship’s Callow, making him understand this to be the figure of General Wellesley at the ship’s head (in full uniform), had sent me for the wood and ordered me to pay for it in iron work. The man on this was a little alarmed, but still, he did not seem inclined to part with his wood. I then took some long grass and bound it around several of his breadfruit trees; this done, I made a pile of stones before a pond of fresh water which was before his door, and then told him whoever should eat of the breadfruit would die, and that the same fate would meet the person who should wash in the pond. I finished my anathema by telling him that he and all his family would be sick before the day following at noon.  All this I assured him was by the ship’s Callow’s order, because he would not let me have the wood. I then left him to go farther up the river; however he soon followed and called after me, but I pretended not to hear him. That afternoon I was passing his habitation and found a number of natives assembled at the landing place, who told me the man and his family were all dying. I went with part of the boat’s crew armed to the house, where I indeed saw him, and twenty women and children lying flat on the floor of their house, in seeming great agony; the perspiration running from every pore of their skin. Near was placed the old chief of the district mourning over them. When I entered they all rose and made a most lamentable cry, promising the Callow of the ship all their wood and everything they had. I was now sorry I had worked so much on the minds of these simple creatures^. I told them I would go on board to intercede with the Callow in their behalf; but before I returned, they said, everyone would be dead. After a good deal of persuasion, I was prevailed upon to take off the taboo, and receive a lot of wood as a present to the ship’s Callow. It was soon carried down to the boat with more yams, and plantains, &c., than it could contain. I then drew my hand over the faces of those who had been sick, on which they stood on their feet; but having perspired so much it was with difficulty they did so. Afterward, I made them a present of a quantity of iron and beads of far more value to them than a whale’s tooth, if they could have understood their own interests.  I left them dancing and singing, apparently well pleased on having freed themselves from the displeasure of the figurehead of General Wellesley so easily. When I was about seven miles down the river I heard a noise in the wood and saw the natives running after me. I had forgotten when I took off the taboo to push down the pile of stones that had been put before the pond of water, and they were following me to desire I would go back and remove it. Although the night was coming on, I was partly obliged to return to the place and remove this alarming spell.

May 1 8th. A canoe came alongside the ship, belonging to Highley Bay. It brought a present for Captain Scot, which it may be supposed could not be accepted. It was the entire body of a man who had been cooked upon hot stones in the ground. The bearers of it said it was one of their enemies, and added they thought they could not have brought us a more acceptable present; particularly as it was cooked in the manner they are always done when they make presents to their principal chiefs. We told them to throw it overboard; this they would not do; and left us saying we were afraid to eat our enemies.

While the ship lay at Nandorey bay we took possession of a small island in Lagota Bay, on which we left twenty men to procure wood. On the 30th. this party was attacked by ten canoes full of men, from one of the adjacent islands. They landed several times; but our men being well provided with muskets as well as two twelve-pounders, they always met a warm reception; and at length were forced to retreat, numbers of them being either killed or wounded.

About this time a schooner arrived from Port Jackson^. She had touched at one of the Hapei Islands, where she took off one of the four men that were left of the crew of the ship Port au Prince of London. This vessel was formerly a Liverpool Guineaman, commanded by Captain Corron. From the man brought by the schooner, I received an account of the loss of that ship, and the shocking massacre of her Captain and crew. I assisted him on his return to England; and have since been happy to learn, he was the means of recovering some of the property that had been insured for the widow of the unfortunate Captain. The master of the schooner had a number of gold bars, which he had purchased from the natives for pieces of iron. They had belonged to the Port au Prince^. She had been on the N.W. coast of America as a privateer.

After I had lost the Wellesley’s launch the cutter was fitted out to pull twelve oars, with a ridge pole fore and aft in which six musketoons were placed; each man was armed with a musket, cutlass, and pistol. On the 22nd. of May, I went to a village called Sawasau, having been told a meeting of the greatest part of the principal chiefs of the island would be held there. When I landed I found there about four hundred of the natives assembled. Near them was a large collection of yams: perhaps two tons: some of which were given to me, and sent down to the boat. The chiefs then told me they were met to consult upon attacking a small island about twelve leagues to the westward; and they promised me if I would assist them, to load the ship with Sandlewood. This offer I rejected this as our ship had already nearly completed her cargo; I had no desire to be the cause of destroying more of these unfortunate beings. However, before I left them an accident happened which had nearly cost some of us our lives. One of the boat’s crews who was on shore with me was chewing tobacco; an old chief near him seeing this begged a little from the sailor. Although I told him how it would make him sick if he ate any of it, yet he would not be dissuaded; the natural consequence was that it made him vomit excessively, and his countrymen thought he had been poisoned. Under this impression they began to threaten revenge: a number of them seized hold of their clubs. These menaces alarmed some of the sailors, who betook themselves to the boat. The natives were now all crowded around me. I stood with my back against one of the huts, and said, the men had run to the boat to bring something which would soon cure the old chief. This story pacified some, but others increased their threats. The women, fearing some disturbance, ran from the village, and on their way alarmed more of the men who joined the rest of their friends. The seamen got the boat nearer the shore with its broadside opposite to the place where I and the natives were stationed: the distance might be 150 yards. According to my orders, the men fired the musketoons over our heads, which so terrified the natives. that some ran off, while the rest fell down, thinking to escape the shot. Taking advantage of their alarm, I moved, with my face turned towards them, towards the boat, with a pistol pointed at them. By this means, I got safe on board and left them without receiving any damage.

The next day I was told the old man who eat the tobacco was dead. This is another proof of the fatal effects of fear on the natives of the South Pacific Ocean. This man imagined he had been poisoned, and I have no doubt that his idea was the cause of his death. I have been informed by gentlemen residing at Port Jackson that should one of the natives of New Holland dream that another had struck him with a spear, it has so great an effect upon him that he dies. According to their laws, the man whom he dreamed of is put to death.

May 26th. I received information of a large quantity of Sandlewood being up a small creek at the head of Embagaba river. This part of the island the natives of Tatfelepo had fled to, during the time I was engaged in destroying their fort. It required me therefore to be on my guard. I had the cutter well-manned and armed before I proceeded up the creek; which was so narrow in many places that there was no room to turn the boat. The land on each side was about fifty feet high. The natives had consequently great advantages over us. When I arrived at the head of the creek I found about three hundred of them, but none of them were armed. At first, they appeared very friendly. Still, I could not help entertaining some suspicions of distrust, which made me only bring one man with me ashore, and leave the remainder in the boat. I bought the wood and they agreed to carry it to the boat. Afterward, they wanted as much for carrying it there as I had paid for the wood itself. Soon after they began to pass their clubs and lances to each other, and made other maneuvers that boded no peaceable termination to our business. I whispered to the chief, if he would go with me to the boat, and make his men carry down the wood, I would give him a whale’s tooth. Accordingly, he went towards the boat, the natives following us. But when we got within a few yards of it, the chief would go no further.  I then got into the boat to make preparations to defend ourselves. The natives seeing what we were doing retired to a little distance, and saluted us with a volley of stones. The creek was so narrow we could only use the oars as poles.  We fired a musketoon among them, which checked their progress a little, and then worked down the creek as fast as we could. Our situation was now becoming perilous in the extreme. The natives were following us and increasing in numbers, and with the tide falling, there was hardly enough water for the boat. Under these circumstances, I and eight men landed, and succeeded in keeping the natives at a respectable distance, until the boat got out of the creek into the river.  We then went on board and soon were out of the reach of the natives. On our return, we met with a small fishing canoe by which I sent our enemies word that I would pay them a visit in a few days. This message no doubt alarmed them; for two or three days afterward, a number of canoes came alongside the ship with the wood I had bought, besides a number of yams and plantains as a present. In one of the canoes was the chief who had gone down with me to the boat, before we were attacked by his men with stones; he said he was the white man’s friend, and as proof of this, he showed me a human skull and some bones, which appeared to have been taken out of the ground. They belonged, he told me, to one of the white men, whose body had been sent to him nine moons ago by the natives of the island of Taffier, and that he would not eat them, but had buried them in the ground. I had no doubt but that those bones belonged to the unfortunate men who were taken by the people of that island on their passage to Highley Bay on the 17th. of July last; as the two men I afterward recovered, reported that the bodies of two of them had been sent as a present to different islands. I gave this man a whale’s tooth and some other trifles, and we were again friends. He afterward cut us more wood.  When the ship sailed a boat that was not wanted was given to him by Captain Scott.

We now got the ship transported back to Lagota Bay.  A young native, son to the chief of Nandory, whom I had learned to speak a few words of English, and who had been very useful to me, was determined to go with me, as he said, to the white man’s country. But a few days previous to the sailing of the ship, his friends came on board and were very uneasy about him. They at first consented to let him go, which induced me to allow him to go on shore with them much against his will; however, there he remained.

Before I sailed I went to the Bay of Myemboo to see my good old friend Beumbawallow, & I carried him some presents. He was greatly disappointed when I told him that in a short time, I was going to leave him. On leaving the village the last time, a number of old men and women followed me down to the boat, bringing some yams, cocoa nuts, and plantains, indeed more than I could carry. When I left them they could not have shown greater signs of regret at parting with one of their own people.  The old woman whose life I had saved at Tatelepo followed me with tears running down her aged cheeks. She gave me a calabash of oil, and again returned me thanks for preserving her life.

Witnessing this parting scene would have made anyone forget at the moment that these people were cannibals. For myself, I do assure those who may read this, that notwithstanding the strong motives I had to make me wish to be away, I could not help feeling considerable pain on parting with them. From the good old King, I had received kindnesses which I should remember while I live with gratitude.  Left as I was on his island without the least means of subsistence, to the mercy of the lower class of natives, who might have plundered me of the few articles I had left, and even deprived me of life, he not only supplied me with food when there was a great scarcity all over the island, and granted me his protection from the insults of his people, but he taught me by his advice how to acquire their goodwill.  Of this, I shall mention one instance. My razors had been stolen from me, and having discovered the thief, I gave chase to him with a pistol in my hand; not with the intent of hurting him, but merely to frighten, and make him return them. The old King called me and asked me to let him look at the pistol, which I did. However, he would not give it to me again until I promised not to injure the offender. He told me that if I should kill any of them, he himself would not be able to protect me from the fury of his people — at the same time, he said that if any should offend me to let him know and he would punish them. But he never had occasion to chastise one on my account, for I was generally respected even by the lower class. I seldom passed the door of an old woman’s hut without inviting me in to partake of what she had in her basket.

It is but a tribute of justice to the young women to declare that, during the time I was amongst them, I never heard in a single instance that any of my companions had a connexion with any of them, although the men are not inclined to jealousy. A circumstance happened which shows how artful women are in love affairs. A gentleman belonging to General Wellesley took a particular fancy to a young woman living in a village that belonged to the Rung of Myemboo. The application was made to the King for permission to take her on board; which he granted. The gentleman then applied to the girl who did not seem very unwilling; he then gave her some beads, a whale’s tooth, and other articles, and when he thought the business mutually concluded and nothing else to do, except to take her down to the boat, she pointed to a few logs of Sandlewood which belonged to her father and asked her lover if he would not buy them before she went. This request he could not well refuse, though she asked a whale’s tooth for it, which would have purchased ten times the quantity at any other time. She then conducted him to another house and showed him several logs belonging to her brother that she also demanded a whale’s tooth for this he first refused, but at last consented, thinking she would ask no more; however he was much mistaken, for she took him to her sister’s, her uncle’s and her aunt’s houses; and when he objected to buying the wood they had, she reproached him, and if reproaches did not succeed in making him alter his mind, she pretended to be sick and cried; and told him if he would not, she would not that night accompany him. In this manner, he was coaxed out of articles that would have bought fifty tons of wood, without getting five. When she had obtained everything from him that she could get, she went along with him, and when he thought she was going to step into the boat, the jilt ran from him with the swiftness of a hare and disappeared into the woods. The astonished lover thus left and went on board to mourn over his loss and disappointment. I was witness to several other tricks like this, but this one is sufficient to show how much the women in these islands differ in their manners from those of other islands in the South Seas.

One more remark I will make respecting the young men.  They are not allowed to marry until they are about twenty years of age; which perhaps may account for their being such well-made people. At the age of sixteen, young men are circumcised. How, or for what, circumcision was first introduced into these islands I never could learn; but was told it had been practiced as long as the oldest of the natives could remember^.

On leaving Myemboo the last time, the King loaded some canoes with breadfruit, yams, and plantains; a large hog he also presented to Captain Scott. He went in the boat with me to the ship, where he remained for several days. We made him some presents, and the good old man parted from us with much seeming regret; although I told him I should return, and bring with me some of the fine things of Europe, the grandeur of which I had often explained to him; but an ass to ride upon seemed to please him most. For several days we were employed in wooding and watering the ship, and in procuring a quantity of bread-fruit and sandalwood plants, which we planted in boxes filled with earth, and placed in the after-cabin.

On the 2nd of June 1809, we left Feegee island and sailed for China.  Before I left the Feegee islands I had taken a draught survey of the one on which I was left; from this, I produced a chart and sold two (? ten) copies of them in Boston for loo dollars each. Two vessels afterward were sent out to the islands^, one of which was never more heard of; but the other made a very profitable voyage. (A ship was offered to me to go to these islands again, but I could not think of returning there without first) visiting my family, from which I had been so long absent. Accordingly, I took my passage on board the ship Jane, Captn. Thomas, and after a passage of 37 days arrived at Liverpool. Here, happily, I found my wife and child in good health. I had been absent from them for three years and seven months; in which time I had suffered more in mind and body than it is possible for me to express. Eight months of which time I lived in common with the natives of the Feegee islands — exposed to the heat of a tropical sun by day and damp by night.

Such are the outlines of this long and untoward voyage: eight months whereof I lived quite naked in Lat. 16° S. & Long. 178° East of Greenwich. as an inset on Arrowsmith’s chart of the Fiji Islands first published in 1814 (or 1811 ?). This purports to have been taken from a survey made on board the “Elizabeth,*’ between which vessel and the “Jenny” there was, as we know, some intercourse but much hostility.