"We got a few natives from the Kingsmill Islands, the New Hebrides, and other places, and carried them to Brisbane.
"Our skipper having landed them in good condition without difficulty, got another licence to bring back a further cargo of fifty natives--for the Government officer didn"t think the vessel had room enough to carry more. Our captain and supercargo, however, had a different notion on the subject.
"We managed to pick them up much as we had done others. Of course it was the same to the natives whether they went to Queensland or Fiji.
Instead of fifty, by the clever management of our supercargo and interpreter, we got altogether a hundred. The captain said it would never do to return with so many to Brisbane, and hearing that there was still a great demand for labour at the Fijis, we shaped a course for those islands. The accommodation for our pa.s.sengers was not altogether such as civilised people would have liked. We had run up a number of shelves round the hold on which they stowed themselves at night. They were all stark naked, and they had no mats to lie on, but we could not of course expect these savages to be over particular.
"We had a dead beat to windward for the best part of a month, and by that time our cargo, as may be supposed, hadn"t much improved in appearance.
"As ill luck would have it, when we arrived off the port we were bound for, what should we see but a man-of-war at anchor. As we were short of provisions and water, we were compelled to run in and make the best of it. Before long the captain of the man-of-war came on board, and not only rated our skipper and supercargo for the condition the blacks were in, but declaring that our papers were irregular, which it must be confessed they were, landed the blacks and took possession of the craft.
I and the rest of the crew lost our wages, and had to go on sh.o.r.e again and look out for ourselves.
"I hadn"t been there long before a fine brig came in with only a dozen natives. The owner was on board, and he and the captain had had a quarrel because the latter had refused to receive any pa.s.sengers who did not come of their own free will, and sign the agreement with a full understanding of the meaning. The captain, who was, I thought, a fool for his pains, had to give up the command, and two or three of the men who were of his opinion, were landed with him. I having no such scruples was glad enough to join her as second mate. Most of her crew were either Sandwich Islanders or Tahitians. The owner having got another master who was accustomed to the trade, we sailed to the northward to visit a number of islands lying on either side of the line, intending also to cruise about the New Hebrides and Solomon Islands, where we hoped before long to get a full cargo.
"The owner said his vessel would carry three hundred at least, and that number he was determined to obtain.
"I have told you before how the vessels engaged in this trade are accustomed to pick up their cargo. Our owner was a man for dodges of all sorts, and there was not a device he left untried to obtain men. At one place he pretended that the brig was a sandal-wood trader, and offered to give double the price which had ever been given before, provided it could be brought on board the next day. His hope was that a number of natives would go and cut it, and that each man would come back with the result of his labour. He was not disappointed. The next morning we had a score of canoes alongside. He would only let one man at a time come on deck, and as soon as he appeared he was invited below to receive payment. The first two or three who came received even double what the owner had promised, and were allowed to return to their canoes. This made all the rest eager to come up, and as soon as they had gone below they were gagged and pinioned, and pa.s.sed into the hold.
By this means we got sixty men, even the very last not suspecting the trick that had been played. The first three were also enticed on board, supposing that their companions were receiving even more than they had.
We towed the canoes out to sea, where we sank them, and continued our voyage.
"When we approached a place where Christian natives were to be found, we hoisted a missionary flag, and the interpreter going on sh.o.r.e told the people that one of their dear missionaries was on board, when a number eagerly came off to visit him, and were somewhat surprised when they found themselves handed down into the hold.
"This dodge answered so well that we tried it several times, generally with the same success. The owner having heard that a bishop, or a man of that sort, who wears a long gown and preaches, was in the habit of visiting many of the islands, determined to find out where he had most friends, hoping, by a dodge he had thought of, to make a grand haul. He had had a coat and hat made which he said was just like the bishop"s, and another for the interpreter. Rigged in these they went one day on sh.o.r.e, and began preaching to the natives who collected round in great numbers. What they said I don"t know, it must have been something curious, I fancy; but the savages who had never had a visit from the bishop before, though they had heard of him it seemed, were mightily pleased. Some wanted to come off at once, but the owner replied that he should be happy to see as many as chose to visit him next morning, and that he had a number of things he should like to give them.
"Pretty nearly a hundred came alongside the next morning in their canoes; the difficulty, however, was to secure them. At last the interpreter thought of a plan. He told them that the bishop was sick in his cabin and that he could only see three or four at a time; but that there were praying men in another part of the vessel who would be happy afterwards to talk to them. By this means, a few at a time being got below, the greater number were secured. At last the remainder began to grow suspicious, and one of those below shouting out, they made a rush to the side, and leaped overboard. A few were secured, but several made their escape, when the owner ordered us to fire on them. Several were hit and sank, but the rest reached the sh.o.r.e, thinking, I have no doubt, that it was an odd way for a bishop to treat them, and vowing that the next time they caught sight of him they would make him sorry for what he had done.
"We played a trick like this at several other places, but, as the bishop was known, the interpreter, rigged as a parson, going on sh.o.r.e, told the people that the bishop was ill on board, but would still be very glad to see them if they would come off and pay him a visit.
"By this and all sorts of other means we at last got a full cargo of between two and three hundred people.
"It seemed to me that we had a pretty large cargo already, but falling in with another vessel belonging to our owner, he took out of her sixty or seventy natives, and sent her to collect more, while we continued our voyage.
"Among the natives we had received on board were three young fellows from the island of Anietium, the most northern of the New Hebrides, which I once before had visited to get a cargo of sandal-wood. I remembered making friends with one of the natives, a lad, and having given him several articles, of no great value to myself I must own, though they pleased him mightily. Of the three we had now caught, two were perfect young savages, with their hair frizzled out, and sticking up at the top of their heads in a curious fashion, and big ear-rings in their ears, though with no clothing on, except round their waists. The other was clad in shirt and trousers. I saw him looking at me, and presently he put out his hand, and, taking mine, spoke to me in English, and I found that he was the very lad I had before known. He had been to New Zealand in the meantime, and had become a sort of missionary to his countrymen. I told him I would do my best to help him while on board.
He said he didn"t mind labouring, but thought it was his duty to remain at his island to try to make the people Christians. The owner only laughed at him, but remarked to me that if he had known he spoke English, he would have let him alone, as he might be telling tales to the authorities.
"We were somewhat overcrowded, as may be supposed. It was bad enough for the savages, but worse for a man who had seen something of civilised life. I took my friend food, and let him remain on deck during my watch, as he promised me that he would not leap overboard.
"We were delayed by calms, and one day we drifted in close to the island of Poru. How the blacks knew where we were I don"t know, but somehow or other they found out that we were near the sh.o.r.e, and, without a moment"s warning, they managed to lift off the hatches, and up they came swarming on deck, with all sorts of things they had got hold of in their hands. The owner and captain rushed out of the cabin, crying out to the crew to a.s.sist them, and drive the savages down below again. I was at the time at the bowsprit end at some work or other, and my missionary friend was in the bows. Just as I looked round on hearing the noise, I saw the owner and captain knocked down, and in a moment their heads were almost cut off, and they were hove overboard. The first mate had come up with his revolver, fighting for his life, and shooting the natives as fast as he could right and left. By chance he had shot one of the crew who had gone to his a.s.sistance, and the next instant he himself was knocked down, and treated as the captain and owner had been. I had been making my way into the bows to a.s.sist them, when my friend Maka seized me by the arm, and dragged me down the fore hatchway.
"`Their blood is up now," he whispered. `Stay quiet till they cool down, and I will save your life."
"I followed his advice, and he stowed me away under a heap of clothes in the foremost bunk.
"The native part of the crew didn"t join the blacks, but I can"t say that they seemed to me to be doing much to help the owner and white men.
"A strong breeze had sprung up off the land, which I guessed the vessel was fast leaving. I had been hid away some time, when I felt as if I was suffocating; and unable to bear it longer, I threw off the things above me, and found that the fore peak was filled with smoke. I at once knew that the vessel was on fire. I was nearly dropping back, when I felt a hand seize me, though I could see nothing for the smoke, and I heard Maka"s voice, saying, `Come on deck, I will save your life." He dragged me up, and I sat down for a moment on the heel of the bowsprit.
Smoke was coming up through the hatchways, and flames were already bursting out in the after part of the vessel. The blacks, seized with terror, without stopping to get hold of anything to support themselves, were leaping overboard, and striking out for the far-distant land. I never before saw such a sight, three hundred of them in the water together. It seemed to me that they would have very little chance of ever reaching the sh.o.r.e, but their only thought was to get away from the burning ship.
"Maka had an axe in his hand, he put another into mine, and we set to work to cut away whatever would serve to form a raft. We got hold of several spars and ropes; we had little time to spare, for we expected every moment to have the flames burst out beneath our feet. We at last got our raft overboard. Maka had secured some meal and a small keg of water. We had just time to lash ourselves to the raft, when the flames burst out forward, and the ship was on fire fore and aft.
"By this time we could just distinguish a dark line in the water, which marked where the blacks were making their way towards the land.
"`Poor fellows," said Maka. `Very few swim so far."
"Our case was bad enough, for even with a couple of paddles, which we managed to make while on the raft, out of some spars we had brought for the purpose, we could scarcely hope, with the breeze against us, to reach the sh.o.r.e. Our water and provisions would not hold out long, and no vessel was likely to come near us.
"It was near evening when the fire broke out. The sun went down, but the flames of the burning vessel lighted up the ocean around us, and then the full moon rose, and seemed to cheer us up a little.
"Maka talked to me about my soul, for he didn"t seem to think that we should have much chance of escaping with our lives; but I begged that he would not put gloomy thoughts into my mind. He sat and talked on; the truth is, however, I couldn"t understand what he was talking about, it was all so new to me.
"Towards morning the vessel burned to the water"s edge, and then the sea rushing in, down she went, and we lay floating, with only the light of the moon to cheer us.
"When the sun rose I found that we had drifted still further from the land, which was no longer in sight.
"It is not pleasant to think of the time I spent on that raft. Several days went by, and we consumed all our meal and water. I thought I should die, and at last was more dead than alive. I lay on my back with my eyes shut, and a piece of wood under my head which Maka had put there to prevent the water washing over me, while he sat up by my side singing hymns, and keeping up his spirits in a way I could not have supposed possible.
"While I thus lay I heard him give a shout, and he helped me to sit up.
I saw the land which I didn"t suppose we were near, and a canoe with four natives close to us. I suppose they were Christians, for instead of knocking us on the head, they took Maka and me on board, and welcomed him as a friend, giving us food and treating us very kindly in their village, to which they carried us. We there heard that of all the savages which had been on board the brig, only thirty had reached the sh.o.r.e. It"s a wonder that even they managed to do it, considering the distance. The rest had been drowned, or picked off by the sharks.
"I had had enough of carrying labourers to work for the planters of Queensland or Fiji--kidnapping, I fancy you call it; and so I determined to remain where I was. However, as the customs of the Christian natives didn"t quite suit me, I came away here, where I took a wife and settled, and intend to remain for the rest of my days. I am too old to knock about at sea as I used to do. Maka went back in a missionary vessel to his native island to labour on, as he told me, and try and make the people Christians. I hope he will succeed if he wishes it, for he is an honest fellow, I"ll say that for him."
The old fellow thus brought his yarn to a close. I am able to corroborate most of his statements, observed my young friend, for we visited many of the places he speaks of, and from the information we received I am convinced that he in no way overdraws the atrocious practices of many of the sandal-wood traders, or fellows engaged in kidnapping the natives of the Pacific Islands. The villainous doings of the African slave trade is an old story and known to all, but as far as I can judge they do not surpa.s.s those of the kidnappers of the Pacific at the present day. In the one case the white men merely received slaves captured by their own countrymen, and conveyed them across to the American coast; but in the Pacific we find white men, in some instances, depopulating whole islands, and capturing indiscriminately by fraud or violence, the natives of others, although nominally to labour as free men, yet in reality to be reduced to a condition little superior to real bondage.
After I had heard old Ringdon"s narrative, I felt more anxious than ever to get hold of some of these kidnapping gentlemen. When, three days afterwards, the ship standing in took me and the boat"s crew off, and I told the captain what I had heard, he sent to try to induce Ringdon to come on board, and give further information which might help us in capturing some of his former acquaintances, but the old fellow was not to be moved. Indeed, I suspect that should he have the opportunity, he would be very willing, for a sufficient consideration, to act as agent to any kidnapping skipper who might think fit to employ him.
I might mention several naval officers as well as consuls, missionaries, and respectable merchants at Sydney, Brisbane, and elsewhere, who would acknowledge that the main features of the account I have given are perfectly true, however much they might be inclined to doubt the word in ordinary matters of the old seaman who gave them to me.
It should be clearly understood that old Ringdon"s narrative refers to times gone by. The Governments of Queensland and the Fiji Islands, now annexed to England have pa.s.sed enactments for the prevention of the atrocious proceedings he describes. At the same time, as there are numerous lawless white men living on the heathen islands of the Pacific similar in character to Ringdon who would be ready to ill-treat the helpless natives if they should have the opportunity, it is important for the cause of humanity that men-of-war should continually cruise among them to preserve order and to punish delinquents.
The End.