From Midshipman To Lieutenant.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18544, 18 August 1928, Page 23 (Supplement)

From Midshipman To Lieutenant.

SOME REMINISCENCES OF THE QUEEN’S NAVEE IN SAILING DAYS.

By

VETERAN.)

(XXII) THE “ STAR ” has received the manuscript of some very interesting reminiscences of the Navy in the 'late ’sixties, and it will be published weekly on the Old Colonist page.

It became rather monotonous visiting these old chiefs, as it meant first of *ll the inevitable bowl of kava, or Angona na viti (Fijian grog). To this we became quite accustomed, and liked it, though its making rather paralysed us at first. Kava is a root prepared by drying, and of an aromatic flavour. On entering the chief’s house, the large wooden Klava bowl is set on the floor in the middle of the circle of sitters on the matted floor in the principal room. Then four or five men start chewing the root and put the chewed pulp into the bowL When sufficient for all hands is so done, the required water is added, and all fibre carefully strained out with coconut fibre, then coconut shells of the liquid are handed round according to seniority. Chief ; and Commodore were first, and we'

attractive to the sharks, which fough* for them as soon as they touched the water, and were too occupied to notice anything else* as we saw three or four natives swimming and pushing bales of the cotton to convenient lancing places on the shore, with no moler tation from the sharks. We baited a hook with red herrings tied in a bunch all round it, and caught one big fellow 16ft long. The boatswain preserved its head, and its open mouth could easity go over one’s head. We shot manj others with rifles, and their mates ate. them. It was truly a cannibal coun try. After two days, at high tide we passed cables over the stern of the Macgregor and tried to tow her off, but not a move. We had to discharge some of her coal, leaving enough tor ! her trip to Sydney. Putting a number of men on board carrying weights in the after part of the ship, and ruining them from side to side, we got a roll on her. and our third attempt at towing was successful. The snip was luckily not much damaged, and was able to proceed to Sydney. As most of the jettisoned salmon found its way into our boats alongside, our ship was crowded with it, and we all had salmon until the very sight of tinned salmon became nauseating A valuable and heavy part of her cargo was metal drums filled with mercury, which were left on the bottom and salved later on on behalf of the consignors. On leaving Kandavu for Leveuka, we ran into a terrific cyclone and had a most anxious time in weathering a very dangerous reef, but for tunately just managed it. One of H-M.'s schooners, wnich sailed at tlisame time, caused wme anxiety in Leveuka as her captain was giving twe of the citizens a passage up, and when she did not arrive the gravest fears were entertained for her safety, but sh_* turned up, having been driven 01 a huge wave completely over the reef into the comparatively smooth water on the other side without any damage. In Leveuka itself small shipping had suffered very considerably, several being washed upon the shore, and some went down at their moorings with loss of life. Several houses, both native and European, were blown clean away. It is customary on indications of a cyclone for Europeans to pass chains over their houses and lash them to posts in the ground, and it was houses that were not so treated that went away. The place looked as if there had been a bombardment when we return ed, and we were greatly relieved when a few days after our schooner, H.M.S Renard, commanded by Lieutenant Suckling (a. great-grand-nephew of Nel son’s), arrived safe in port, after a very gruelling experience. In Leveuka we had local amusements, picnics and cricket matches with local whites, and one or two balls, which hospitality we returned with an afternoon dance on board our ship.

smaller fry had to follow. We got quite to like it. There is a distinct art in chewing, and certain men are experts. In Samoa the women do the chewing, which is a pleasanter idea. Somehow in Fiji only the men do it, and I wondered if the chewers had washed their teeth since they ate their last man On call at the various planters’ homes the universal drink was green coconut juice in the shell, with . gin —a wonderfully good mixture. I liked it better than kava, and could take more of it. This calling occupied us ' some months, and entailed a lot of correspondence on the secretaries to the Commissioners, which had to be collaborated and sent home to England. After our work of visiting all the chiefs it was possible to locate, and also all planters, the opinion was generally expressed that annexation would soon be “un fait accompli,** and so it was the following year. At his invitation we paid a visit to old Cakabau, at his island home on “Bau"—a small island

surrounded by the most intricate passage through unsurveyed coral reefs. We had to do it under steam. The navigating officer took his post at the fore topmast cross trees, having with him Timothy, one of Cakabau’s sons, as guide, who knew the passages available for a ship by heart, and it was he who really conned the ship in, and he had to take us out. Of course, the native canoes, some very large double ones, could sail over most of the reefs, as they only drew about four feet of water, the largest of them. As an instance of the difficulty of getting in and out of Bau, we had with us one of the schooners built for the suppression of black-birding—as the traffic in native labour from the New Hebrides, Solomon, and Gilbert Islands was called—commanded by a lieutenant

with sub-lieu tenant, boatswain, and thirty-five men, armed with a twelvepounder breech-loading Armstrong gun, with the requisite small areas for the men. She was to get under weigh as sodn as the sun was high enough to see the reefs. I was ordered to take the steam pinnace, and give her a tow until her captain considered he was sufficiently clear to make sail. We had proceeded about four miles, the captain at the masthead all the time, when he

We next proceeded to visit Samoa,' of which place Maafu was chief. This man considered himself an independent ruler in that part of the group, and had a rather contemptuous opinion of Cakabau. Maafa was of Tongan extraction, and by conquest founded his distinct colony with his followers, a fat superior type to the Fijians. We got word that Bully Hayes was in Loma Loma, and as he was “wanted” by the Commodore for various “sins,” we hoped to get hold of him. However, our visit leaked out, and Bully had sailed two days before we arrived, “destination unknown.” Loma Loma, though small and consisting of many smaller islands, is the (or was then) prettiest part of Fiji. Old Maafu entertained us right royally. He was the possessor of five or six horses—abput the only ones in Fiji at that time —and he placed them at the disposal of any officers caring for a ride. Oddly enough, I met there a man whom I had met at the ball given us in Perth, W.A., he having a plantation there, and he invited us (another mid and myself) to lunch. His home was the opposite side of the island, but only distant in direct line about one and a half miles, but unfortunately a steep hill intervened, the land rising straight up from the narrow foreshore to about 1200 feet, then straight down the opposite side to my friend’s plantation. We interviewed the commander respecting leave and time ship would sail, and he told us 2.30, and we were to be on board then. The Commodore and a party had gone on shore early and taken all the horses, so we had to wait their return for mounts to ride over to the plantation. We got over all right and had a splendid lunch, and enjoying a cigar, etc., when I noticed it was two o’clock, leaving us half an hour to get on board. I rushed for my horse and galloped up the steep hill, and arriving on top saw the ship steaming slowly out. I yelled to the others, and we went down that hill in record time, commandeered a nigger and a boat, and as the ship had to make a big detour round a reef, we hoped to cut her off. But after pplling till we could pull no more, we gave it up and landed at an islet, sent the native up the tree for some green coconuts to quench our raging thirst, and returned to Loma Loma, being met by our various acquaintances and cheered, etc., for returning. We didn’t fee; very cheery, as we knew there was serious trouble brewing when the Commodore saw us. However, we intended to enjoy all we could. Mr Hennings, a very fine German planter, gave a big dinner, native dances and singing in the evening, and provided us with a boat and crew of five natives to pull over to Cicia—an island we knew the ship was to call at next day, thirty miles off. We left at ten o’clock with cigars, champagne and all comforts provided by our kind host, and going through a small passage wide enough for the boat between two of the islands, managed to save five miles. At daylight, 4 a.rn., we got close to Cicia, and entered the reef pulling up to a small whare used by the owners of the island, Messrs Ryder Brothers, most excellent fellows. I ordered the boat’s crew not to disturb them, as we were quite comfortable in the boat, but they heard us, and insisted on our turning in, supplied us with pyjamas, etc., and at 8 a.m. called us for a bath, having asked us to breakfast at their homestead, some two .miles further inside the reef. We enjoyed a lovely permanent shower, formed by a pipe from a spring in the hillside leading water into a large tin bath with perforated bottom —the best and biggest showei I have ever seen. While under this and enjoying every moment of it. we looked up and saw the old ship sailing round a point. This was a realiy cold “ douche.” However we had to face the music. She hove to, there being no anchorage, lowered a cutter,

00 E° ° n tlis own, and made sail. As my crew and I had had no breakfast, he invited me down to have some with him, the men being provided for amongst the other bluejackets of the ship. We had just settled down to curried sheeps’ tongues, I well remember, when a terrific bump, and the ship was thrown completely on her beam ends, everything on the table and ourselves being in a heap on the side of the cabin. However, going on deck, we found the centreboard, which she carried, had struck a coral patch. The windlasses soon hoisted it up, and we were free, but I stood by her some time as it would not lower again, and I should have had to tow her bade to our ship so that the carpenters might repair any damage, but with some little persuasion with handspikes it went down, and she was off and clear with a good breeze. We spent three days at Bau with a good deal of interest, the missionary there showing us all the most interesting objects, including the big stone ovens in which a few years before men were cooked for the feasts, and a large atone, something like a blacksmitn s anvil, against which the victims’ brains were dashed out, this being the method of dispatch. Also the immense double canoe hauled up in its shed, capable of carrying up to two hundred men. There was a special feast at its launching, and it went down the ways over the bodies of four hundred captured enemies, who were then cooked and eaten. Despite this, at the time I write about, Cakabau was a thoroughly good Christian, and we attended Divine service on the Sunday there, in a very fine native built church and Cakabau read the lessons in Fijian. A relative of mine, who commanded one of her Majesty’s ships in the fifties, also visited Bau in his ship, and old Cakabau went on board- The captain said he would show him the firing of his guns, and asked the old king what mark he should fire at. He pointed to a large group of people sitting on the shores, and was very irate when he declined, but chose a conspicuous rock. Later on, when visiting Cakabau at his house, an unfortunate man offended him in some way, and he made the man open his mouth, and he cut out his tongue and ate it before his face. After annexation Cakabau visited Sydney. We took him down in our ship, and I saw him seated in the middle of 200 small children at a Sunday school picnic. Let those who ax’ prone to despise the missionary's work make a note of that, and the marvellous change in the most bloodthirsty cannibal Fiji or the world had evex known. Many missionaries at Bau had terrible experiences, their converts being frequently eaten by Cakabau, if he was in any way displeased, and their own lives threatened. The his tory of the conversion of Cakabau is a very remarkable one. While lying at Bau we got news by a trading cutter that the mail steamex Macgregor was on shore on a reef ar Kandavu, so we got under way at once to do what we could. With Tim * help we threaded our way out agair, and arriving at Kandavu, found the ship piled up, bows first, on a large coral patch near the entrance to th*> harbour. She was on her return trip from ’Frisco, and was the vessel that brought ua our mails only a little ovei a month previously. The only thing to do was to lighten her as much a* possible. A large party of men were put on board to jettison the cargo As a good deal of this was her master’s private speculative cargo, he was a heavy loser, but a fine old chap Hundreds of cases of tinned salmon, cases of boots, millet brooms, books cases of clothes, bales of cotton, heaps of boxes of salted herrings, were put ©varboard. The latter seemed very

and we saw the Commodore and party coming into the reef Feeling like two victims about to be hung, we saluted the Commodore and expressed our regret at missing the ship (not really our fault as he sailed at 2 instead of 2.30). His snapped reply was, "Young gentlemen, go back to the ship at once.” This was decidedly disconcerting, as the bathe, etc., had made us very hungry, and we were to miss Ryder’s excellent lunch breakfast. (To be continued.)