The boy travellers in Australasia: adventures of two youths in a journey to the Sandwich, Marquesas, Society, Samoan, and Feejee Islands, and through the colonies of New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia

567 Pages·1971·99.182 MB·English

by  Knox, Thomas Wallace

THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN
AUSTRALASIA

THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN
AUSTRALASIA
ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY TO
THE SANDWICH, MARQUESAS, SOCIETY, SAMOAN, AND FEEJEE ISLANDS, AND
THROUGH THE COLONIES OF NEW ZEALAND, NEW SOUTH WALES
QUEENSLAND, VICTORIA, TASMANIA, AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA
BY
THOMAS W. KNOX
AUTHOR OF "THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE FAR EAST" "IN SOUTH AMERICA"
"IN RUSSIA" AND"ON THE CONGO" "THE YOUNG NIMRODS"
''THE VOYAGE OF THE 'VIVIAN' '' ETC.
WITH A NEW APPRECIATION BY CHARLES V. S. BORST
CHARLES E. TUTTLE CO.: PUBLISHERS
Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo, Japan
Representatives
Continental Europe: BoxERBOOKS, INc., Zurich
British Isles: PRENTICE-HALL INTERNATIONAL, INc., London
Australasia: PAuL FLESCH & Co., PTY. LTD., Melbourne
Canada: M. G. HuRTIG LTD., Edmonton
Published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc.
of Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo, Japan
with editorial offices at
Suido 1-chome, 2-6, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Copyright in Japan, 1971 by Charles E. Tuttle Go., Inc.
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 71-94041
International Standard Book No. 0-8048-0072-3
First Tuttle edition published 1971
PRINTED IN JAPAN
TABLE OF CONrrEN':rs
THOMAS WALLACE KNOX: An Appreciation .............................. xi
PREFACE ................................................................ XV
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................ xvii
CHAPTER I.
FROM SAN FRANCisco TO HoNOLt:Lu.- SIGHTS ON THE PACIFIC OcEAN.- A PoRTUGUESE MAN·O>'-WA R.
- NEARING THE SANDWICH IsLANDs.-THE MoLOKAI CHANNEL.-SuaF-BEATEN SHORES OF OAHU.
-ARRIVAL AT HoNOLULU.-A PICTURESQUE Poar.-DrscovERY AND HISTORY OF THE SANDWICH
IsLANns.-CAPTAIN CooK: HIS TRAGIC DEATH.-How THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CrviLIZED.-
WoaK OF THE MISSIONARIES.-8CHOOLS AND CHURCHES.-PRESENT CONDITION OF THE POPULA-
TION.- 0LD CusroMs.- StGHTS AND ScENES IN HoNOLULU.- TARO AND Por.- A NATIVE DINNER.
-THE COSTUMES OF THE ISLANDERS.- PECULIARITIES OF THE CLIMATE.-THE HULA-HULA AND
OTHER DANCES .............................................................P age 1
CHAPTER II.
bAND AROUND HONOLtiLU.- PUBLIC BUILDINGS.- THE THEATRE.- ROAD TO THE PALI.- A MAGNI>"-
ICENT VIEW.-VILLAS NEAR THE CITY.-GIRLS ON HORSEBACK.- TARO-FIELDS.- THE WATER
SuPPLY.-MouNTAIN·PASs.-HAWAIIAN Cow-Bovs.-HrLo AND THE VoYActE THITHER.-AP~CRY­
PHAL SroaiEs ABOUT THE RAIN.-SuaF-swrMMINo.- THE GREAT VoLCANO oF KrLAUEA.-OvEa
THE LAvA-FIELns.- DIFFICULT RoAnR- THE VoLCANO HousE.- A DISTURBED NroHr.- BuaN-
ING LAKES.- SIGHT-SEEING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.- TERRIFYING 8CENES.- KILAUEA AND MAUNA
LoA.- THE GREATEST VoLCANO IN THE Woar.n.- HISTORIC ERUPTIONs.- CRATER OF HALEAKALA.
-SUGAR CULTURE IN HAW Ail: ITS EXTENT AND lNCREASE.- 0THER lNDUSTRIES.--RETl:RNING BY
ScHOONER TO HoNOLULu.- LEPER IsLAND OF MoLOKAI.- A Dr: AMONG THE LEPERS •••••••• 24
CHAPTER III.
SonnEN CHANGE OF PLANS.- THB YACHT" PERA."-DEPARTURE FROM HoNoLuLu.- VOYAGE ro THE
MARQUESAS IsLAND&.-NooKAHEEVA BAY.-HrsroRICAL AccouNT oF THE MARQUESAs.-WHAT
OUR FRIENDS SAW THERE.- TATTOOING AND HOW IT IR PERFORMED.-THE DAUGHTER OF A CHIEF.
-NATIVES AND THEIR PECULIARITIES.- COTTON AND OTHER PLANTATIONS.-PHYSICAL FEATURES
OF THE ISLANDS.- VISITING A PLANTATION AND A NATlVE VILLAGE.-MISSIONARIES AND THEIR
WORK.-THE TABU.- CURIOUS CuSTOMS.- PITCAIRN ISLAND AND THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUN-
TY."- WONDERS OF EASTER ISLAND.- GIGANTIC MONUMENTS O>' AN UNKNOWN RACE •••••••• 47
CHAPTER IV.
FRoM THE MARQUESAS TO THE SociETY IsLANDS.-TaE GREAT BARRIER Rr.EF.-THE CoRAL INSECT
AND HIS \VORK.-ATOLLS AND THEIR PECULIARITIES.-0RIGIN OF THE POLY~ESIAN PEOPLE.- AR.
RIVAL AT PAPEITI.- 0N SHORE IN TAHITI.- A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE JSLANDS.-WORK OF THE
:MissiONARIEs.- THE FRENCH OccuPATION.- VICTIMS FOR SACRU.'ICE. - OLD· TIME CusroMs.-
PRODUCTS OF THE SOCIETY ISLANDS.- BECHE-DE-M:ER FISHING.- 'VISIT TO THE REEF.- CURIOUS
THINGS SEEN THERE.- ADVENTURES WITH SHARKS, 8TINGAREES, AND OTHER MOSSTERS.- GIGANTIC
CLAMS.- VISITINH THE MARKET.- EAT,ING LIVE FISHES.- A NATIVE FEAST.-EXCURSION TO
POINT VENUS... . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . . . . • . . • • • • • . • • . • . • . • •••••••••••••••••• 74
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER V.
FROM THE SociETY TO THE SAMOAN IsLANDs.-BEFORE THE TRADE-wnms.-KOTES ABOUT THE MrssiON-
ARIES.-0PPOSITION OF TRADERS TO MISSIONARIES.- HOW POLYNESIA WAS CHRISTIANIZED.-THE
WoRK OF THE MrssroNs.-REv. JoHN WILLIAMS.-RoMANTIC Sronv OF THE HERVEY GnouP.-
THE LONDON MrsstoNARY SociETY.-THE \VEsLEYAN AND OTHER MissiONs.- DEATH oF Mn. WrLL-
IAMs.-SANDAL-woon 'l'RADERS.-POLYNESIAN 8LAVERY.-LADOR-YESSELS AND THE LABOR-TRADE.
-How NATIVES WERE KIDNAPPED.-" THE MrssiONARY TnrcK."-'raE J)fuTINY ON THE" CARL."
-CAPTl.IRE 01' THE 14 DAPH!\E."-How LABOR IS OBTAINED AT PRESE:ST ..••......... Page 99
CHAPTER VI.
THE SAMOAN lSLANDS.-APIA.-lTS POSITION AND PECULIARITIES.-BEACR-COMBERS.-HISTORY AND
ADVENTURES OF SOME OF THEM.-CHARLEY 8AVAGE.-8AMOAN POLITICS.-ATTEMPT TO POISON
MrssrONARIEs.-:FRENCH CoNVENT AND ScaooLs.-CO:MMERCE WITH SAMOA.-VISITING A NATIVE
VILLAGE.-GAMES OF THE YouNG PEOPLE.-YouTHS THROWING SPEARs.-Mb:,.ON CoLLEGE A'r
MALUA.-How THE STUDENTS LIVE.-PANGO-PANGO.-ADMIRAL WIL';.Es's DESCHll'TION.-AT-
TENDING A SAMOAN PICNic.-DIFI'ERENCES oF TASTE--MASSACRE l:h·.j:LA P:Enou~E.-How HIS
FATE WAS DiscovERED.-'fHE SwoRD·H ILT AT TucoPIA.-Loss OF THE" Bousso• ~"AND" As-
TROLADE."-VANIKORO ISLAND ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••. , •.••••••.••• , .•• 122
CHAPTER VII.
THE FEEJEE IsLANDs: THEIR ExTENT AND PoPULATION.- TERRIDLE F Ai'ALITY OF THE MEASLEs.-Ro-
TUMAH AND ITS PEOPLE.- KANDAVU AND SUVA.-VITI LEVU.-8IGHTS OF THE CAPITAL.-PRO·
DUCTIONS AND CoMMERCE OF FEEJEE.-Gnowl'H oF 'l'HE SuGAR TRADE.~THE LADOR QuESTION.-
0BSERVATIONS AMONG THE N'"ATIVES.-FEEJEEAN HAIR·DRESSING.-NATIVE PECULIARITIES.-CAN·
NIBALISM: ITS EXTENT AND SUPPRESSION.- HOW THE CHIEFS WERE SUPPLIED.-A WHOLE TRIBE
OF PEOPLE EATEN.-LEVUKA.-lNTERVIEws WITH MERCHANTS AND PLANTERs.-THE BoLOLO
FESTIVAL.-ANCIENT CusToMs .•..••..•••.•••••.....•.•....•.•..•••••.••••••.•.•. 147
CHAPTER VIII.
ATTENDING A NATIVE CHURCH.- A FEEJEEAN PREACHER.- DINNER WITH A FEEJEEAN FAMILY.- THE
SEASONS IN FEEJEE.- A TROPICAL SHOWER.-A HURRICANE.-A PLANTER'S ADVENTURES.-
ScENES OF DEVASTATION.-THE CLIMATE OF THE FEEJEE IsLANDs.-WRECKED ON A REEI'.-Es-
CAPING FROM THE JAWS OF C.ANNIBALS.-A WALKING ART GALL·ERY.-A TATTOOED WHITE MAN.
-RETURNING TO SuvA.-THE FRIE~DLY, on TONGA, lsLANDs.-'foNGATAnoo.-THE KINO OF THE
ToNGAS: aow HE Livss.-A REMARKABLE CAVERN AND A LovE STORY ABOUT IT.-FROM FEE·
JEE TO NEW ZEALAND.-HAURAKI GULF.-AUCKLAND.-A FINE SEAPORT AND ITS COMMERCE.-
How NEw ZEALAND wAs CoLONIZED.-THE MAORIS.- -CuRIOUS FACTS ABOUT A CuRIOUS PEOPLE.
- MissiONARIES IN NEw ZEALAND.- How THE MAORIS MAKE WAR ••••.•••.•...•.•••.• 173
CHAPTER IX.
THE SuBURBS oF AuCKLAND.- EXTINCT VoLCANOEs.-MAORI FoRTIFICATIONs.-A KAURI FoREsT.-
KAURI LuMBER AND GUJ.!.-How THK GuM IS FoRMED AND Fol"ND.- TREES OF NEw ZEALAND
AND THEIR V ALUE.- J."'ERNS AND THEIR V ARIETY.- A PAKF.'B.A MAORI: HIS REMINISCENCES.-
CUR!OUS NATIVE CusToYs.-BuYING HEADS.--SALE OF A LIVING MAN's HEAD.-THE LAw OF
Muau.-NEw ZEALAND BIRDS.-THE GIH·ANTIC MoA, on DINORNis.-NATIYE WEDDINGs.-KA·
WAU JSLAND.-8HARK-FISHING.-0YSTERS.-VISITING THE THAMES GOLD-FIELDS.-SIGHTS AND
SCENES.-GOLD-MINING IN NEW ZEALAND.- POPULATION OF THE COLONY.- ENCOURAGEMENT TO
lMMIGRATION.-JouRNEY To THE HoT LAKEs.-CLIM.ATE OF NEw ZEALAND ••••••••••••••• 198
CHAPTER X.
THE HoT LAKE DISTRICT: ITS ExTENT AND PECULIARITIEs.-MEDICINAL SPRINGS.-ANALYSIS OF THE
W ATERS.-FRED's NARRow EscAPE.- SCALDED TO DEATH IN A HoT PooL.-LAKE RoTOMAHANA.