The Sketcher.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 220, 27 November 1875, Page 5

The Sketcher.

JOHN RENTON. A ROMANCE ON THE SOUTH SEAS, (Prom the Queenslander.) 111.

Arrived at his friendly chief’s village, Kenton was for some time a curiosity, fresh crowds flocking to see him. He was treated with the greatest indulgence, presented with more food iu the way of fish, yams aud cocoanuts than he could cat. He was allowed to dispose of his time as he pleased, and was rapidly picking up his savage entertainers’ language. His thoughts, however, were continually occupied with the idea of escape or rescue, and lie looked forward with dismay to the prospect of spending tlio rest of his existence separated from civilisation. At the end of about a year he could converse with ease in the native; language, and began to learn many things which interested him. The fate of his mates was among the first things ho sought to enquire about, and he became aware that already lie was the sole survivor Three of his late companions had never properly rallied after their sufferings, but had gradually sunk and died. The fourth had borne up better, but had remained so long debilitated aud sickly that his captors had lost patience, and having decoyed him up to his middle in the sea on the pretence of a fishing excursion, had there clubbed him to death, afterwards attaching stones to his body and sinking it in deep water. Kenton also heard that at an island distant about a day’s voyage white men’s trading vessels frequently visited. _ Before this time his clothes had dropped off him almost piecemeal. He had clung to his shirt, or rather had allowed it to cling to him, till the last possible minute. At last it hung iu such tatters as to be a mere embarrassment to him, ;,.id he cast it off, and thenceforth went like his savage hosts—entirely naked. The first stride to nakedness was far from a pleasant one. His ragged shirt had, lie found too late, at any rate, protected his skin from the sun, and when he threw it off his back aud shoulders became burned as if by fire. The skin peeled off and left them actually raw. After healing, however, he became tanned like a native, and suffered no further inconvenience. In fact, after a time had he suddenly become possessed of clothes he would not have worn them, after experiencing the comfort of going without such encumbrance. As the island of Malayta is within lOdeg. of the equator, this can be readily understood.

Among other matters which he came to understand was one which had somewhat puzzled him during the first period of his captivity. He had noticed that some of the older natives used, when regarding him, to be constantly saying, “ doorey,” “doorey,” and he now discovered that the last generation had known a white man, a prisoner like himself, whose name had been Doorey. Whether this was a native name, or the man’s real name, or a corruption of it, he could not make out, hut he learned that poor “ Doorey” had lived for years among them. Prom what he could gather, the events had occurred quite forty years previously, as only the oldest men had seen Doorey. How that castaway fell into their hands he did not gather, but he seemed to have been a handy fellow, particularly dexterous at wood work, such as making canoes, &c., from which Kenton fancied he must have been a ships’ carpenter. Doorey’s handiness made him highly considered, and ho lived in great repute for a long while, but venturing to quit the tribe where he had first lived, and having gone to live with another chief, those he left took umbrage, followed after him, and killed him ! Poor Doorey’s history is brief, but dramatic.

Being now himself pretty handy at the principal native industries, such as net and canoe making, and being active and willing, Kentou began to find himself looked upon by the natives almost as one of themselves, aud shared most of the occupations of their home life. The conditions of existence among the coast tribes, of whom his entertainers formed one, are somewhat singular, and a description of them may tend to supplement the discoveries and surmises of European antiquaries in connection with the remains of lacustrine villages, which have within the last few years been found in the Swiss lakes and elsewhere.

There seems some grounds for supposing that the tribes of the coast are of different origin from those of the interior, or at least that their arrival on the island has been of more recent date than that of the “bushmen,” and that they have never been able to establish themselves on a secure footing. In fact, they have never effected any proper settlement on the island at all. To make their situation properly understood it will be necessary to give a sketch of the physical formation of the island. Inland it is high and densely wooded, with large trees and a thick growth of underwood. So close is the vegetation that access to the interior is impracticable, so far as Kenton’s observation has extended, except by certain narrow cleared tracks. The bushmen’s villages are situated in open spaces, probably cleared in former times. Elsewhere the foliage is so dense that the sun cannot penetrate to the soil. Around the shores, at a distance varying from one to three miles, a line of coral reel extends, breaking the force of the ocean billows, and in the still water between this line of reef and the shore occasional sandbanks and rocks rise within a few feet or inches, as the case may be, below high water. On these isolated banks the coast tribes have created their villages by a course of wonderful industry. They have carried in their canoes heavy stones from the outer reef and laboriously raised, with the additional help of logs rafted from the land, a foundation above high-water, generally of a circular form. This they have topped with shingle from the beach, and have even conveyed countless canoe loads of soil and formed artificial land suitable for the

growth of trees. Cocoa palms, and another sort of tree with umbrageous foliage and peculiarly binding roots, have been planted anti flourish there in little groves, affording jointly shade, food, and drink, the two last being contained in the cocoa-nuts. These banks generally slope steeply into deep water, and round the edges in many cases low walls ran, forming a sort of parapet to cover the defenders in tlio not unlikely event of a siege. The habitations erected on these remarkable islands are constructed of logs about the thickness of a, man’s thigh, fastened longitudinally with withes or vines to upright posts sunk in the “ground.” The roofs are framed with ridge poles and rafters, and thatched with the leaves of a tree of the palm tribe, not huddled on anyhow, hut neatly worked into successive layers and laid on somewhat in the fashion of rows of shingles, each row overlapping the next. These rows are kept in position by poles laid upon them, and fastened through to the rafters. The roof projects somewhat both in front and back, so as to keep the gables dry, and iu front a sort of trellis or lattice surrounds the door, and, meeting the projecting roof, provides a shady apartment for working in. In the centre of the floor of the hut is the fire, and no outlet is provided for the smoke. As many as thirty men will occupy one hut. A high fence of logs divides the whole village into two unequal portions, the smaller of which is strictly reserved for the men. The women and married people have their huts on the other side, and the men can resort thither at pleasure, but no woman may trespass into the men’s quarter. Kenton had never heard of a case of this rule being transgressed. He looked upon the question when put as a sort of indecency, said it was not to be thought of, and if any woman should be so entirely devoid of sense and shame as to pass the barrier she would unquestionably be put to death. But the regulation is a social one, and like the same class of sentiments among civilised peoples, to disregard it would involve consequences of degradation and loss of consideration too serious to permit of its being contemplated for a moment. The rules of social morality in these respects are strictly observed by these people. Female faux pas before marriage, such as are common enough in Christian communities, are unknown among them. The fact that frailty would be punished by death probably operates as a mild check.. Marriage is arranged very much as it often is among civilised communities. If a man wants a wife he simply buys her for so many porpoise teeth. As, however, the advantages of being purchased by a wealthy suitor are not among these primitive races so marked as with us, there being few, if any, social, distinctions, it happens that the young beauties, having no personal ends to attain, occasionally show reluctance to ill-favored or otherwise objectionable purchasers, and cry on the occasion of their wedding in a very fashionable manner. Polygamy is practised with success, the number of a man’s wives being solely determined by his ability to procure sustenance for his family. Consequently, most gentlemen limit their establishments to one or two, although some uxurious individuals have as many as eight or nine. Kenton was advised, after he had become fairly domesticated, to get a hut for himself, his friendly chief generously offering to buy a suitable partner for him. Kenton was, however, ofa prudent turn. Of these inartificial fair ones of the village he speaks with some animation. Whether time had accustomed his eye and taste to the prevailing cast of feature—as the negro looks with, delight on the rich lip development of his woolly-haired virgins, the Chinaman doats on the “ golden lilies ” as the crushed feet of the women of the Flowery Land are called, and the Oriental views with pleasure the henna-blackened teeth of the inmates of his harem—or whether the girls were really comely,.wo cannot say; but, at anyrate, he stated with decision that many of them were very pretty. One of these little beauties especially seems to have made some impression on his heart. She ivas the young and pretty sister of his protector. Tile language of the heart is everywhere the same, and though “ she never told her love,” she did not “ let concealment, like the Avorm i the bud, feed on her damask—yelloAV damask—cheek.” On the contrary, many a kind glance told the young Englishman that he AA'ould not be an unAvelcome Avooer; and for his oavti part he does not disguise that the name of the merry Borie sounds SAveet in his ears even yet. Hoav her mighty chieftain brother would have regarded the suit of an alien and dependent aspirant Avas most dubious, but Kenton is inclined to think his consent might have been Avon.

But it Avas never asked. The young captive never ceased to long for a return to civilised life, and the desire for release so ruled his existence that he refrained from adding, to the too numerous difficulties Avhicli stood in the way, the additional stringent tie Avliieh a marriage .connection Avould involve, being aware that iu the eyes of his captors such a circumstance Avould operate powerfully to jirevent his release in the event of a vessel at any time visiting the secluded spot. Ho consequently restrained his natural inclinations, and sarv in time his sAveetheart share the hut of a mate of her oAvn race. Poor Borio and her first baby, Avithin a year of her Avifehood, shared the eternal sleep of her ancestors. GOLDFIELDS REMINISCENCES : “UPS AND DOWNS.” (Prom the Queenslander), In the correspondence column of a number of colonial —and even English— neAVspapers the question has been frequently asked during the last fifteen or tAventy years—and is still occasionally occurring—“ Who Avas the personage Avho3e horse (long ago) was shod with shoes of solid gold ; and on Avhat goldfield did this take place ?” This, I have never yet seen correctly answered, the reply being generally to the effect that the name of the individual so distinguished Avas Johnson, and that it occurred , iu the Ovens district, Victoria, on the occftsioa

of his being returned as first representative for that constituency in the old Legislative Council, Except in the matter of locality this is altogether erroneous. The Johnson referred to “ Woolshed Johnson” —never lwd his horse shod with gold, although lie was a conspicuous character on the occasion in question, and, in the matter of gold, could have shod fifty horses with the produce of a single week’s work in his claim ; nor was lie ever returned as a member of Parliament. It was the horse of McDonald Cameron, formerly a “ full private” in the Glasgow Police, but at that time a popular storekeeper on the celebrated Woolshed Creek, a member of the local Mining Court, and just then thrust into the position of M.L.C. by the irrepressible rox of an admiring populi —that was so shod, when Mr. Cameron careered through the main street of Beechworth, accompanied by a brilliant staff on that auspicious morning. This occurred in 1855, when the Ovens goldfields were at the height of their splendor, and when each fortnightly escort conveyed to Melbourne from 18,000 to 22,000 ounces of gold. “ Woolshed Johnson” was one of Cameron’s principal supporters, and was at the time sole owner of the richest alluvial claim that ever fell to the lot of any one man, either in Australia or any other part of the world.

At the time of the occurrence of this and a number of other incidents possessing a certain interest in connection with the early history of the goldfields, it was my province to record such matters from day to day for general edification, and they are still as fresh in my recollection as though they occurred but yesterday. A brief relation of a few of the circumstances attending this “ golden shoe” episode, and concerning that golden era, would be new to many, and might possibly recall myriads of exciting recollections to those who knew the the Ovens district in those “ good old times.” In the year 1855, when the district was called upon to send a representative to the old Legislative Council, it was necessary that such representative should possess a property qualification of not less than ,-£2OOO. The first candidate to declare himself was Mr. J. 0. Lyons, a remarkably clever chemist, who offered himself more especially in the interests of the dry-sinkers, between whom and the owners of the large sluicing claims of the Woolshed and Reid’s Creek there was then a sort of antagonism on the water question. Lyons had no sooner issued his manifesto than the Woolshed “ bosses ” and their adherents began to look up their man, and their choice fell unanimously on Mr. Cameron. He was thereupon sent for by the committee, and on making his appearance before that august body—who, by-the-by, had been discussing no end of champagne and brandy with their politics—he was informed of the decision that had been come to. Cameron was undoubtedly taken by surprise, and said so. “ Moreover,” said he, “ I’m not qualified !” And here occurred a singular misinterpretation of the expression. He had not meant that he was minus of the £2OOO qualification, but that, intellectually and in the matter of parliamentary experience and general fitness he was not up to the recognised standard. But his enthusiastic admirers regarded it in a monetary light; and there was a general exclamation of, “Oh! if that’s all we’ll soon qualify you !” and so they proceeded to do in such a munificent and practical manner that in the course of a very few hours, between £2OOO and £3OOO had been subscribed for the purpose. Cameron’s first impulse was to correct the impression, but when he saw the manner in which ten and twenty pound notes were flowing in, he (no doubt) wisely decided on letting matters take their course. He was returned by an overwhelming majority, and the enthusiasm on the declaration of the poll was immense ; the town of Beechworth was overflowing with champagne (at £1 per bottle), and every other form of exhilirating beverage that money could purchase ; while to cap the climax, the horse which Cameron rode was shod with shoes of solid Woolshed gold, fully half an inch thick! Johnson, the rich claimholder, was not a spendthrift, nor a man who indulged in “the rosy,” except in oderation ; but he was a good employer, and the reverse of niggardly. On this occasion the Woolshed had aclieived a triumph in putting in their man ; and Johnson thought light of calling for twelve dozen of champagne (£144) as a first shout. Of course, dissipation of the most expensive kind was the “ order ” of the next several days, although not disreputably participated in by the leading men of the district. Johnson had not long previously come to the district from the stables where he had been employed as groom, a poor man, aud so totally uneducated as to be unable to read or write. Now he was the employer of about 120 men, at wages ranging from £6 to £l3 per week—experienced “ forkers ” at the time being paid excessively high rates. The prosperity of the Ovens district at this time exceeded anything that has been witnessed on the goldfields, either before or since. Money and gold were squandered in the most reckless and even ludicrous manner. Champagne was as much drank as the baser liquors, simply because it was the most expensive, and the writer has seen dozens of bottles of it smashed to atoms in a bowling alley in mere wantonness.

In due caurse Cameron took his seat in the House, aud justified by an unbroken silence his own opinion as to his “ qualifications ” for the position. Johnson kept on accumulating riches until he finally cleared out of his claim with £60,000 net. He then handed over the claim—far from being worked out—to his wages men ; and they, in their turn, worked it with a considerable degree of success for many months after.

The sequel of this story of golden shoes and champagne is anything but brilliant. Mr. Cameron has known what it is, since then, to “ carry his swag,” or, in Queensland parlance, to “hump his drum” ; and not long since a paragraph in one of the Beechworth papers .recorded the strange fact that Mr. Johnson was imprisoned in Beechworth—the scene of d'js former glory—for a paltry debt of £l3 !

In neither of these cases had dissipation or recklessness a hand in bringing about such a bitter end. Johnson speculated largely as a “furnisher” of machinery and material for carrying on mining ventures on one or more of the deep leads at Ballarat, and this was the principal cause of his downfall; while Mr. Cameron entered into partnership with a Melbourne merchant, who failed shortly afterwards, and involved him in pecuniary ruin for the time. Sic transit gloria mundi.