Richard Archer - The Island Home.pdf - Richard Archer - allforjesus2001

The Island Home

Richard Archer

Illustrated by Dalziel

The Island Home

Chapter One.

Introduction.

“A wet sheet and a flowing sea,

A breeze that follows fast,

That fills the white and rustling sail,

And bends the gallant mast.

And bends the gallant mast, my boys,

Our good ship sound and free,

The hollow oak our palace is,

Our heritage the sea.”

It is now some twenty years ago, that the goodly ship Washington,

commanded by Mr Erskine, left the port of New York, on a trading

voyage to the East Indian archipelago. With a select few good

seamen, the owners had also placed on board some youths of their

own families and immediate connections.

Having passed through the Straits of Magellan in safety, they were

then on their way to Canton, where the young men were to be

settled; and meanwhile the ship was to visit any of the isles in the

Pacific Ocean that lay in their path. After some little delay on the

part of the captain among the numerous groups of isles, the purpose

of the voyage was frustrated by the events narrated in the volume.

The extreme beauty of the wild loveliness of nature that these islets

exhibited, tempted the young men, accompanied by Mr Frazer, one

of the officers, to land on one that presented great charms of scenery,

as well as having a convenient and easily accessible landing-place,

and from that point the narrative commences.

It is not necessary for the elucidation of the narrative, to name more

of the crew than those whose adventures are hereafter related by one

of the party. The names of these castaways were John Browne, the

son of a Glasgow merchant; William Morton, and Maximilian

Adeler, of New York; Richard Archer, from Connecticut, the

journalist; John Livingstone, from Massachusetts; Arthur Hamilton,

The Island Home

whose parents had settled at Tahiti; and to them was joined Eiulo,

prince of Tewa, in the South-Seas.

The narrative commences from the time of the party landing, and

although in some parts prolix and unequal, being evidently from an

unpractised hand, it bears all the characteristics of a boyish mind,

and thus to a certain extent confirms its genuineness. The sayings

and doings of the young adventurers are recorded with the

minuteness that to older heads seems tedious. This disposition to

dwell upon, and to attach importance to things comparatively trivial,

is peculiar to the youthful mind, and marks that period of freshness,

joyousness, and inexperience, when every thing is new, and

possesses the power to surprise and to interest.

What became of the ship and crew we are not informed; but we may

conclude, that insubordination would lead to neglect and

carelessness, and that the vessel was wrecked and plundered by the

native; and the wretched crew murdered or detained.

The South Pacific Ocean abounds with thousands of islands, of a vast

many of which we have no account; but those mentioned in these

pages appear to be the Samoas , the Kingsmill , and the Feejee Groups of

islands, which lie nearly under the equator, and they are described

by Captain Charles Wilkes, in his narrative of the United States

Exploring Expedition between the years 1838 and 1842. These islands

were all visited by the different vessels engaged in the expedition;

many of them appear to be of volcanic formation, others are of coral

origin; they are all characterised as possessing an exceedingly fertile

soil; they abound with a picturesque beauty of scenery, and

luxuriant vegetation, which excites the most painful feelings when

we learn, that where nature has bestowed so much bounty, the

inhabitants are, it is greatly to be feared, cannibals. In some two or

three islands, a solitary white man was found, one of whom, Paddy

Connell, (an Irishman, of course), a short, wrinkled old man, with a

beard reaching to his middle, in a rich Milesian brogue, related his

adventures during a forty years’ residence at Ovolan, one of the

Feejees. Paddy, with one hundred wives, and forty-eight children,

and a vast quantity of other live stock, expressed his content and

The Island Home

happiness, and a determination to die on the island. In other cases,

the white men expressed an earnest desire to quit the island, and

were received on board the expedition, to the great grief of their

wives and connections.

The Samoan Islands are of volcanic structure, with coral reefs, and the

harbours are generally within these reefs; and one of them was

discovered by Commodore Byron in 1765, who reported it as

destitute of inhabitants. Their character is variable, and during the

winter months they have long and heavy rains, and destructive

hurricanes sometimes occur. The air is generally moist, and light

winds and calms during the summer, render vegetation luxuriant.

The woods in the interior of these islands are very thick, and are

composed of large and fine trees; there are pandanus, palms, tree

ferns, and a remarkable species of banyan, whose pendant branches

take root to the number of thousands, forming steps of all

dimensions, uniting to the main trunk, more than eight feet above

the ground, and supporting a vast system of horizontal branches,

spreading like an umbrella over the tops of other trees. The bread-

fruit is the most abundant of all the trees, and grows to a very large

size; the cocoa-nut, the wild orange, and the lime, are all to be found.

Bamboos, wild sugar-cane, wild nutmeg, besides many others, only

require cultivation. Caoutchouc, gum arabic, castor beans, ginger,

orris root, and coffee, will in time be added to these productions.

Lemons and sweet oranges have already been planted, and promise

a large product.

Swine are abundant and cattle rapidly increasing. Poultry of all

kinds is very plentiful, and fish are taken in abundance.

The beneficent effects of missionary labours are very evident

amongst the Samoans; they are not now subject to wars, and for

crimes they have punishment.

Their habits are regular; they rise with the sun, and after a meal,

bathe and oil themselves, and then go to their occupations for the

day; they eat at one o’clock, and again at eight, retiring to rest about

Richard Archer - The Island Home.pdf

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