The World of Waters - Mrs. David Osborne
GRANDY. "After that, you will readily credit the story I am going to
tell you. A Mr. Meredith went over with his goods to Kangaroo
Island, whence he journeyed across the bay to Yankalilly, where he
built a hut, placed in it a glass window or two, and made it look
snug. As he was a young man of about twenty-one or twenty-two, his
warm, generous spirit had led him into difficulties; and, the
friends of his brief sunshine flying from him in his distress, he
contracted a disgust for the world. He lived some time amongst these
people, acquired their language, and seemed to be beloved by them
all. But volumes might be filled with accounts of their treachery,
and the sequel will sufficiently prove the malignity of these
wretched people. He had adopted one of their sons, and was
endeavoring to instruct him in a few points of education. He had
also taken a native woman to assist him in household matters. One
day he went out in his boat, and his favorite boy went with him.
When in the boat, the boy complained of hunger, and Mr. Meredith
gave him a biscuit. The boy commenced eating it, when Mr. Meredith
(who was a religious man) observed that he had not thanked the Great
God for the food,--a practice which he invariably endeavored to
inculcate. The boy appeared unwilling to do so: Mr. Meredith
insisted, and on his refusal, he boxed his ears. The boy thereupon
leaped out of the boat, and swam ashore, saying, he should repent
it.
"In the evening, Mr. Meredith put his boat ashore, and went to his
hut, had his supper, and was preparing for bed; and taking up a
prayer-book, as was his custom, was reading the prayers before the
fire, with his back to the door, when some natives looked through
the window, saw their advantage, and opened the door silently. The
woman, his attendant, then entered with an axe belonging to him in
her hand, and several men followed her. She approached the
unsuspecting youth, and, while his soul was devoutly engaged in
prayer, she raised the fatal axe, and, with one blow, severed his
skull, and the men with their clubs beat his body into a shapeless
mass."
EMMA. "Poor Mr. Meredith! What a frightful murder!"
MRS. WILTON. "The Australians thought nothing of it, for they glory
in the most atrocious deeds. I fear it will be long before they will
be civilized. But let us look at their country, of which, in some
respects, but little can be said; for it is not remarkable for its
fertility, and in many parts exceedingly barren. But few animals
range there, and in the south-west the natives subsist during the
winter chiefly on opossums, kangaroos, and bandicoots, in the summer
upon roots, with occasionally a few fish."
DORA. "Port Adelaide appears to be a neat town. Its harbor is a deep
creek or inlet of the sea, running out of Gulf St. Vincent: it
contains two spacious wharfs, alongside of which, vessels from Great
Britain, Singapore, Manilla, China, Mauritius, Sydney, Hobart Town,
and New Zealand, are continually discharging their cargoes."
MRS. WILTON. "There are many lakes in Australia, but none of them
very large. Lake Alexandria is the largest, but it is very shallow;
and Lake St. George, the second in size, which, in 1828, was a sheet
of water 17 miles long by 7 broad, was said by an old native female
to have been a forest within her memory, and in 1836 it was dried up
to a grassy plain."
EMMA. "Does not Van Diemen's Land belong to New Holland, mamma?"
MRS. WILTON. "Yes, my dear; and the part nearest to it is New South
Wales, from which it is separated by Bass's Straits, which are 100
miles broad, and contain a great many small islands. Van Diemen's
Land was discovered by Tasman, in 1644, and named by him in honor of
the Dutch Governor-General of the East Indies: but it is now more
appropriately called Tasmania. This island contains several
mountains of considerable elevation. The highest is ascertained to
be 3964 feet in height. Hobart Town is the capital. The population
of Tasmania has of late years much increased, for, owing to its
eligibility, the tide of emigration has been strong. For many years,
three or four vessels have annually sailed from Great Britain, laden
with emigrants possessed of more or less capital, and they have, in
most cases, prospered equal to their expectations."
GEORGE. "Are there not more coral reefs about Australia than in any
other part of the Ocean?"
MR. WILTON. "It is generally supposed so; but, in asking that
question, do you know what coral reefs are?"
GEORGE. "Yes, papa; they are the work of insects, who build them for
their habitations; but it is very wonderful."
GRANDY. "It is wonderful, my dear; and there are many other
marvellous productions of the Most High God, so infinitely beyond
the power of man to produce, that, in meditating on them, the mind
is lost in wonder and surprise. 'The most powerful, acutest, and
holiest mind,' says a learned divine, 'will eternally be unable
fully to find out God, or perfectly to comprehend Him.' May these
wonders then increase our reverence, and humble us before the mighty
Creator of all things."
MR. WILTON. "Captain Hall examined some coral reefs during the
different stages of one tide, and gives the following description as
the result:--'When the tide has left it for some time, it becomes
dry, and appears to be a compact rock, exceedingly hard and rugged;
but as the tide rises, and the waves begin to wash over it, the
coral worms protrude themselves from holes that were before
invisible. These animals are of a great variety of shapes and sizes,
and, in such prodigious numbers, that, in a short time, the whole
surface of the rock appears to be alive and in motion. The most
common worm is in the form of a star, with arms from four to six
inches long, which are moved about with a rapid motion, in all
directions, probably to catch food. Others are so sluggish, that
they may be mistaken for pieces of rock; and are generally of a dark
color, from four to five inches long, and two or three round. When
the coral is broken about high-water mark, it is a solid hard stone;
but if any part of it be detached at a spot where the tide reaches
every day, it is found to be full of worms of different lengths and
colors, some being as fine as a thread and several feet long, of a
bright yellow, and sometimes of a blue color; others resemble
snails, and some are not unlike lobsters in shape, but soft, and
not above two inches long.'"
DORA. "We must be content to see these in imagination. But sometimes
I feel disposed to regret that we are not _really_ afloat in the
'Research;' and at other times I congratulate myself that the voyage
is only imaginary; for in Polynesia particularly, we have met with
so many ignorant, savage people, it is well for us that we can, if
we choose, steer clear of them. I suppose it would not be possible
in all Europe to find a country where such unreasonable things were
done from religious superstition?"
GRANDY. "My dear Dora, you are very much mistaken. Europe has been,
and still is in many parts, a slave to superstition; and, although
not savages, there are many vices and iniquitous deeds committed in
civilized Europe, which no temptation would induce the savages of
Polynesia to commit. But, to assure your mind that horrible crimes
were perpetrated from zeal in the doctrines of their religion, I
will give you an instance connected with Sweden in olden time. The
story is told by a slave girl named Kumba, thus:--'My mother was
amongst the slaves of Queen Gunnild: she was the most faithful of
her servants. Poor and heavy was her lot, yet did she wish to live.
My father was a free-born person, who thought little of forsaking
the woman who loved him, and the child she had nursed for him. I
remember a night--that night has stretched itself over my whole
life. Flames arose from a pile: they ascended high into heaven. It
was the corpse of the Queen which was burned. My mother was amongst
those who tended the pile: she with many others was cast alive into
the flames. The Queen, it was said, needed her attendance in another
world. I stood amongst the people, still a child, and heard my
mother's cry, and saw her burn! Fatherless and motherless, I went
thence into the world alone, and wandered in the woods without
knowing whither. There came people who seized me, and carried me
back to the Court of King Atle. They said that I wished to run away,
and I was conducted to the presence of the king. I answered
haughtily to his questions, and he caused me to be whipped till the
blood came: in punishment, as he said, of my disobedience.' Is not
that barbarous enough for a savage land, Dora?"
DORA. "Oh yes, madam, that is very shocking. Poor, unhappy Kumba!
What a life of wretchedness was hers."
MR. WILTON. "Grandy's story must conclude our conversation to-night.
At the next meeting we will endeavor to explore the coast of Africa,
and visit the islands of the Indian Ocean. Carry away the books,
boys: I am sure you must all be hungry, and tired too, for we have
been over an immense space of water.
"Right gaily our bark's glided over the ocean,
Bright nature we've viewed in majestic array;
But our own native shores we greet with emotion,
For the heart of a Briton exults in her sway."
CHAPTER VII.
They journeyed at night
In the pale moonlight,
'Mid sunshine and storm on they sail'd;
Baffling winds and still calms
Caused our friends no alarms,
For Faith ever fearless prevail'd.
"It is of no use, Emma: I cannot do it. Girls are certainly a most
persevering race of beings, and you deserve to be at the top of the
class; for, if you determine to accomplish anything, I believe not
even Mr. Stanley's knock at the door, or, what would be more to you,
Dora Leslie's loving kiss, would make you swerve from your purpose.
Ah well! You are quite welcome to the work; and if you are not
tired, I know _I_ am, and these very _important_ articles may remain
unpacked for the trouble I shall take. I wonder you are so
particular about them: what signifies how they are put in, if you
can but shut the box? It can be of no consequence; and yet you have
been on your knees for the last two hours, arranging and placing,
until I am positively weary with watching you."
"George! George! Where is your boasted patience? Your fellow
traveller in your anticipated voyage? Only see what a trifling
exertion makes you weary and complaining. Now, suppose I act
according to your sage proposition, and merely fill the trunk; we
can then both jump on the lid, and _make_ it shut--what think you
would be the effect?"
GEORGE. "Well, my most patient sister, I think it very probable that
my microscope would be smashed to atoms, and all your little knick
knacks reduced to a similar condition. But surely there is no
necessity for such violent means to secure the lid: let me see, I
have no doubt it will shut quite easily."
"There, you see it will not shut," said Emma, as George in vain
endeavored, by moderate pressure, to bring the lid to its proper
place. "Now the things _must_ be arranged differently; and, if you
will only help me this once, we shall have done before Dora or Mr.
Stanley or any one else knocks at the door: come, be my own good
brother, and lay all these parcels carefully on the floor while I
find places for them."
Emma looked so irresistibly kind and coaxing, that George once more
good humoredly set to work; and presently the carpet was strewed
with packages, apparently sufficient to fill three such trunks, but
which Emma was determined should be snugly packed into one.
The articles might almost be arranged alphabetically, there was such
a miscellaneous collection; but the variety in their size and shape
rendered it actually a puzzle to dispose them so as to allow space
for all, without the hazard of any portion being crushed.
"Perseverance overcomes difficulties," said Emma, as she carefully
deposited the last paper, and turned the key in the lock.
"Hurrah!" shouted George. "Now we have done it. Well, really, I did
not think it possible: only imagine the number of parcels in that
one trunk, Emma! What a treat it will be when we get to Jamaica to
unpack it all again. Oh dear! how I wish we were there!"
"Miss Emma, you are wanted," said Hannah, entering the room;
"Mistress cannot find the books that came to-day, and she wants to
pack them up."
"Ah! it is nothing but _pack up_ now all day, and every room is in
confusion," said George, wearily. "Well, I am glad our share is at
an end for _this_ day, for I am heartily tired of the business, and
shall be thoroughly glad when there is nothing more left to _pack
up_."
"Oh! master George, how impatient you are," exclaimed Hannah. "But
come, you have no time to be grumbling now. Only look at your dirty
fingers, and dinner will be ready in five minutes: why, you will
scarcely be washed before the bell rings;" and the anxious maid
bustled out of the room with her weary charge.
The mention of Mr. Stanley's name requires an explanation. On the
previous evening, when Mr. Wilton returned from his office, he
brought with him a letter, which he put into George's hand after
tea, desiring him to read it aloud. It was from Mr. Stanley, and
George almost shouted for joy, when he read that his dear, dear
friend was then at Liverpool, and hoped to be with them the next
day to dinner.
"What a grand muster we shall have to-night, George," said Mr.
Wilton, while they were waiting the arrival of their expected guest.
"Why, we shall not find sufficient subject for so many speakers,
shall we?"
"Oh yes! papa. Emma and I have been too busy, _packing up_, to
prepare much. Besides, Mr. Stanley is sure to have a great deal to
tell: he has been away so long, and seeing strange countries all the
while. But there he is! I saw him pass the window;" and away ran
George to embrace his beloved friend.
"What bright eyes and rosy cheeks!" exclaimed Mr. Stanley, kissing
his pet. "My boy has indeed grown since I was here: why you will
soon reach my shoulder. I suppose, when next I come, I must inquire
for Mr. Wilton, junior. But where is sister Emma, and mamma and
papa, and dear, kind Grandy?"
"Oh! they are all in the dining-room," replied George: "we were only
waiting for you, sir."
Into the dining-room they went accordingly; and the welcome guest
was soon engaged, equally with the rest of the party, in discussing
a hearty meal, and the various events that had taken place during
his absence.
The hours flew like moments; and the arrival of the other members
quite astonished George, who had no idea it was so near seven
o'clock. He was in high glee, as he assisted Charles in placing the
chairs and books. But when Mr. Stanley, taking his hand, requested
_permission_ to sit by his side, the proud and happy boy looked
doubtingly into his face, not thoroughly comprehending the drift of
the request.
"I am anxious to have the services of an experienced pilot through
the stormy seas," said Mr. Stanley; "and if you are by my side,
George, to direct me, I think I can manage to steer clear of
difficulties."
"Now, you are joking," returned George: "why, you have positively
been to these very countries, and yet apply to _me_ for directions!
But I understand the reason. You intend to make observations on
subjects _not_ geographical, and I expect you will be keeping a
sharp look-out on _my_ observations, to discover what progress I
have made lately."
MR. STANLEY. "I perceive already that there is a decided
improvement, my boy; and I candidly aver that I expect to be edified
by these juvenile discoveries. Now to business--weigh anchor and
start. Who is pilot?"
CHARLES. "I have charge of the 'Research' for the present; but I am
not an experienced navigator, and if I happen to run you on a shoal,
I hope all hands will help to get the vessel clear off?"
MR. BARRAUD. "We will make due allowance for your youth and
inexperience, Charles. Now give your orders."
CHARLES. "The first voyage, we are to navigate the Indian Ocean,
calling on as many Robinson Crusoes as we can find in the various
little islands: our second voyage is to explore the whole coast of
Africa.
"Our ship was last at anchor off the coast of New Holland, and our
next stoppage will be at the Moluccas. The name signifies 'Royal
Islands,' and was given by the Arabs in the days of their maritime
prosperity. The principal are Celebes, Gililo, and Ceram. Dora,
Emma, and George have patronized those isles, and will set forth
their various qualifications."
DORA. "Celebes is the largest of the Moluccas, and is a ragged,
irregular-looking island, in shape similar to a star-fish. The
inhabitants are rendered active, industrious, and robust by an
austere education. At all hours of the day, the mothers rub their
children with oil or water, and thus assist nature in forming their
constitutions. At the age of five or six, the male children of
persons of rank are put in charge of a friend, that their courage
may not be weakened by the caresses of relatives, and habits of
reciprocal tenderness. They do not return to their families until
they attain the age at which the law declares them fit to marry.
Celebes was first discovered by the Portuguese in 1512; but the
Dutch expelled them in 1660, and it now belongs to them. Unlike most
of the other islands, it abounds in extensive grassy plains, free
from forests, which are looked upon as the common property of the
tribes who dwell thereon, and are carefully guarded from the
intrusion of aliens. The people are Mohammedans."
GEORGE. "Gililo is Celebes in miniature, being of the same singular
shape, and producing similar fruits. I have little more of its
advantages to set forth. But near here is a portion of the Ocean
called Molucca Sea, which possesses a strange peculiarity. It is the
periodical appearance of a current of opaque white water, like milk,
which, from June to August or September, covers the surface of the
basin in which the Banda Islands are situated. During the night it
is somewhat luminous, which makes the spectator confound it with the
horizon. It is dangerous for vessels, for the sea seems to undergo
an inward boiling agitation wherever it passes. During its
prevalence the fish disappear. This white water is supposed to come
from the shores of New Guinea and the Gulf of Carpentaria."
MR. STANLEY. "You are slightly wrong, George, in stating this
curious sea to be near Gililo. Gililo is _on_, the equator, and the
Molucca Sea is at least 5 deg. _below_ the equator, and directly south
of Ceram."
EMMA. "Ceram produces quantities of sago, and contains large forests
of those trees: they are extremely profitable, for one tree will
sometimes yield as much as five or six hundred pounds of sago! The
original inhabitants were called Alfoors, and, as some of the race
still exist, I will introduce them. The only dress of the men is a
girdle encircling the loins. They fix bunches of palm leaves to
their heads, shoulders, and knees, and wear square bucklers, which
they ornament with considerable taste. The eyesight of these people
is uncommonly acute; and their swiftness is such as to enable them
to chase the wild hog with success. Rats and serpents form part of
their food. This island is equally fertile with the other Moluccas,
and produces spices of all kinds, but particularly cloves and
nutmegs. There are, happily, more Christians now to be found in
Ceram than there were a few years since: nevertheless the majority
are still Mohammedans, and barbarous in their habits."
MR. BARRAUD. "Yes. Very little improvement has taken place in the
manners of the Alfoors. The young men, even to this day, adhere to
the savage practice of propitiating their intended wives, by
presenting them with the heads of five or six of their enemies. In
order to seize their victims by surprise, they lie in ambush in the
woods, cover themselves with moss, and hold branches of trees in
their hands, which they shake in a manner so natural, that they have
the appearance of real trees: they then allow the enemy to pass,
assassinate him by coming up behind him, and, cutting off his head,
carry it away as a trophy. These murderers are received by the
people of the village with all the honors of a barbarous triumph."
MR. STANLEY. "These identical Alfoors have a singular method of
evincing their respect for friends or visitors: as an instance: One
of the kings (for the nation has _three_ to share the government)
invited a Dutch missionary to an entertainment. When Mr. Montarnes
arrived, he was received with great demonstrations of joy, and
treated by the king with the most splendid repast that the
resources of the country could afford. When the meal was over, the
king ordered a number of men armed with swords to step forward. They
performed a war-dance, and, after a few feats of this sort,
commenced a serious fight: their swords clashed, blood flowed, and
some of their bodies were laid dead on the ground. The peaceful
minister of religion, shocked at the horrid spectacle, entreated the
king to put a stop to it. 'It is nothing,' was the reply: 'they are
my slaves! it is only the death of a few dogs! Happy shall I be if
this mark of my high respect convinces you of my eager desire to
please you!'"
GRANDY. "Astonishing! that people with any belief in a superior
power, should hold life in such low estimation; and, simply for
amusement, deprive a fellow-creature of that which their utmost
stretch of power cannot restore. Oh! may God, in his mercy, soon
enlighten these wretched Alfoors, and write in plain characters on
the tables of their hearts--'Thou shalt do no murder.'"
CHARLES. "We now come to Java, one of the finest and most
flourishing colonies in the world. It is about 600 miles in length,
and 90 miles average breadth; almost entirely volcanic; therefore,
metals and precious stones are not to be expected. Iron is not to be
found in Java; indeed, it is extremely rare in the whole
Archipelago; consequently it bears a high price, and the art of the
blacksmith is held in a sort of reverence. The term for a son of the
anvil signifies 'learned.' The inhabitants of this island trace
their origin to a monkey, which they call 'woo-woo.' They are, for
the most part, Mohammedans, but not strict, as they will not
hesitate to drink wine at the religious festivals."
MRS. WILTON. "The Javanese are remarkable for their veracity and
love of music: their ear is so delicate, that they readily learn to
play the most difficult and complex airs on any instrument. They are
remarkable also for their superstition, and people their forests,
caves, and mountains with numerous invisible beings of their own
creation. I will quote two instances of whimsical superstition,
which took place in Java about thirty years ago. The skull of a
buffalo was conducted from one end of the island to the other; this
skull was to be kept in constant motion, for a dreadful fate was to
await the individual who detained it in his possession, or allowed
it to rest. After travelling many hundred miles, it reached
Samarang, where the Dutch governor caused it to be thrown into the
sea. No person could tell how this originated; but no person refused
to obey while the skull was on _terra firma_. Again, in 1814, a
smooth road, fifty or sixty miles long, and twenty feet broad,
leading to the top of an inland mountain, called Sumbong, was
suddenly formed, crossing no rivers, but passing in an undeviating
line through private property of all descriptions. The population of
whole districts was employed in the labor, and all because an old
woman dreamed that a divine personage was to descend on the
mountain!"
"Oh! how very ridiculous!" exclaimed Charles. "Such silly people
deserve to be imposed upon, for not using the faculties they
possess, to greater advantage."
GRANDY. "When once superstition usurps the throne of reason,
Charles, it is a difficult task to displace her. There are so many
pleasing fallacies connected with her sway over the naturally
indolent mind of man, that reason is altogether banished, and
superstition's authority knows no bounds."
MR. STANLEY. "Java produces, in great abundance, the _Hirundo
esculenta_, a species of swallow, whose nests are used as an article
of luxurious food among the Chinese. This nest has the shape of a
common swallow's nest, and the appearance of ill-connected
isinglass. The bird always builds in the caves of the rocks, at a
distance from any human dwelling. Along the sea-shore, these nests
are particularly abundant, the caverns there being more frequent.
The finest are those obtained before the nest has been contaminated
by young birds. Some of the caverns are very difficult of access,
and dangerous to climb; so that none can collect the nests but
persons accustomed to the trade from their youth."
GEORGE. "Oh, yes! I remember all the particulars of that business;
we were told at one of our meetings; but I do not care to taste
them: it is both nasty and cruel to eat bird's-nests."