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SEIZURE OF THE NEWTON.
Valparaiso, under Chilian colours, though owned by British
subjects), has hy some persons been supposed to have been
excited by Queen Pomai'e: but the following statement, from
Mr. Middleton, wlio was pilot on board the ship at the time,
gives a very different idea.
The master of that vessel (named Clarke) had employed
some natives of Bow Island to dive for pearl oyster-shells on
his account; he had agreed to pay them a certain quantity of
cloth, and to give them so much provision per month. Repeated
ill-treatment, and a miserable supply of provisions (at one time
only one cocoa-nut each day, without any thing else), induced
the natives to think of deserting him ; yet they were unwilling
to lose the reward of their labours, which had been very severe.
One morning he had agreed to the pilot’s earnest request that
the natives should have more food, and had ordered a biscuit
a-piece for them ! Soon after the pilot, who was charged with
the care of the natives, had delivered the biscuits, the master
came on deck, affected to deny his orders, snatched the biscuits
away from each of them, and threw them overboard! Sullen and
fierce looks were exchanged ; and the pilot warned Mr. Clarke
that the natives would attack him, and take the vessel, if he
did not alter his harsh conduct: to which he replied, by defying
half a hundred of them !
A few words from the pilot, in their own language, appeased
their resentment at the moment, and the brooding
storm passed over; but in the course of that day, while
Middleton was away getting shells, the master beat a chief.
This was an unpardonable afiront; they took possession of the
vessel; hound all the white people; and carried them on shore.
What extraordinary mildness among savages !
When the pilot returned with his cargo of shells, he saw
none of the crew; and at first hesitated to approach. But the
natives seeing this, hailed him, saying, that they did not intend
to hurt any one; that they were his friends ; and had touched
none of his things. This he found true. His own cabin was
shut up—untouched ; though every other place in the ship had
been ransacked, and the furniture of the hull torn to pieces.
They afterw'ards allowed the pilot to take the vessel to Otaheite,
where she was sold by auction for the benefit of those who had
insured her.
Obtaining the pearl oyster-shell is well known to be a difficult
and dangerous employment; though the divers at the Paamuto
Islands seldom go down deeper than four or five fathoms,
they remain at the bottom from one to three minutes, sometimes
bringing ten shells at one time to the surface; and
during four or five hours they continue this extreme labour.
After a long dive, blood gushes from the ears^and nose; and
the poor diver is quite blind during ten or twenty minutes. He
may then be seen squatting on the reef, his head between his
knees, and his hands spread over his face—a pitiable object:
yet for the small monthly pay of ten or twelve yards of
calico, or coarse linen, do those hard-working natives endure
such straining exertions !
At some of the islands, a good hatchet or axe will purchase
as many shells as would fill a small canoe.
In making their voyages from one island to another, the
natives steer by the stars, by the direction of the wind, and
the flight of birds ; but their ideas of distance are extremely
vague. Those who have seen a compass used in a boat esteem
it highly. Middleton, who had made many voyages among
the Low Islands, in whale-boats manned solely by natives,
said that they always expressed astonishment at his predicting
the time at which they would arrive at their destination. Sometimes
they asked if he could see the land in the compass ; more
than once they exclaimed, “ Ah, you white men ! you know
every thing ! What simpletons we are, notwithstanding all
our canoes !” The canoe occupies so much time and labour in
constructing, and is so essential to their every purpose, that a
fine one is to the natives of any of these islands what a three-
decker is to us.
The queen’s letter being finished, and sent to me by her
messenger, I will give the translation made for me on the spot
by Mr. Pritchard.
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