[figure description] Page 082.[end figure description]

How to obtain the fruit which we felt convinced must grow near
at hand was our first thought.

Typee or Happar? A frightful death at the hands of the
fiercest of cannibals, or a kindly reception from a gentler race of
savages? Which? But it was too late now to discuss a question
which would so soon be answered.

The part of the valley in which we found ourselves appeared to
be altogether uninhabited. An almost impenetrable thicket extended
from side to side, without presenting a single plant affording
the nourishment we had confidently calculated upon; and with
this object, we followed the course of the stream, casting quick
glances as we proceeded into the thick jungles on either hand.

My companion—to whose solicitations I had yielded in descending
into the valley—now that the step was taken, began to manifest
a degree of caution I had little expected from him. He proposed
that in the event of our finding an adequate supply of fruit,
we should remain in this unfrequented portion of the country—
where we should run little chance of being surprised by its occupants,
whoever they might be—until sufficiently recruited to resume
our journey; when laying in a store of food equal to our
wants, we might easily regain the bay of Nukuheva, after the
lapse of a sufficient interval to ensure the departure of our vessel.

[figure description] Page 083.[end figure description]

I objected strongly to this proposition, plausible as it was, as the
difficulties of the route would be almost insurmountable, unacquainted
as we were with the general bearings of the country,
and I reminded my companion of the hardships which we had
already encountered in our uncertain wanderings; in a word, I
said that since we had deemed it advisable to enter the valley, we
ought manfully to face the consequences, whatever they might
be; the more especially as I was convinced there was no alternative
left us but to fall in with the natives at once, and boldly
risk the reception they might give us: and that as to myself, I
felt the necessity of rest and shelter, and that until I had obtained
them, I should be wholly unable to encounter such sufferings as
we had lately passed through. To the justice of these observations
Toby somewhat reluctantly assented.

We were surprised that, after moving as far as we had along
the valley, we should still meet with the same impervious thickets;
and thinking that although the borders of the stream might be
lined for some distance with them, yet beyond there might be more
open ground, I requested Toby to keep a bright look-out upon one
side, while I did the same on the other, in order to discover some
opening in the bushes, and especially to watch for the slightest
appearance of a path or anything else that might indicate the
vicinity of the islanders.

What furtive and anxious glances we cast into those dim-looking
shades! With what apprehensions we proceeded, ignorant at
what moment we might be greeted by the javelin of some ambushed
savage! At last my companion paused, and directed my
attention to a narrow opening in the foliage. We struck into it,
and it soon brought us by an indistinctly traced path to a comparatively
clear space, at the further end of which we descried a
number of the trees, the native name of which is “annuee,” and
which bear a most delicious fruit.

What a race! I hobbling over the ground like some decrepid

[figure description] Page 084.[end figure description]

wretch, and Toby leaping forward like a greyhound. He quickly
cleared one of the trees on which there were two or three of the
fruit, but to our chagrin they proved to be much decayed; the
rinds partly opened by the birds, and their hearts half devoured.
However, we quickly despatched them, and no ambrosia could
have been more delicious.

We looked about us uncertain whither to direct our steps, since
the path we had so far followed appeared to be lost in the open
space around us. At last we resolved to enter a grove near at
hand, and had advanced a few rods, when, just upon its skirts, I
picked up a slender bread-fruit shoot perfectly green, and with the
tender bark freshly stript from it. It was slippery with moisture,
and appeared as if it had been but that moment thrown aside. I
said nothing, but merely held it up to Toby, who started at this
undeniable evidence of the vicinity of the savages.

The plot was now thickening.—A short distance further lay a
little faggot of the same shoots bound together with a strip of bark.
Could it have been thrown down by some solitary native, who,
alarmed at seeing us, had hurried forward to carry the tidings of
our approach to his countrymen?—Typee or Happar?—But it
was too late to recede, so we moved on slowly, my companion in
advance casting eager glances under the trees on either side, until
all at once I saw him recoil as if stung by an adder. Sinking
on his knee, he waved me off with one hand, while with the other
he held aside some intervening leaves, and gazed intently at
some object.

Disregarding his injunction, I quickly approached him and
caught a glimpse of two figures partly hidden by the dense foliage;
they were standing close together, and were perfectly motionless.
They must have previously perceived us, and withdrawn into the
depths of the wood to elude our observation.

My mind was at once made up. Dropping my staff, and tearing
open the package of things we had brought from the ship, I

[figure description] Page 085.[end figure description]

unrolled the cotton cloth, and holding it in one hand plucked with
the other a twig from the bushes beside me, and telling Toby to
follow my example, I broke through the covert and advanced,
waving the branch in token of peace towards the shrinking forms
before me.

They were a boy and a girl, slender and graceful, and completely
naked, with the exception of a slight girdle of bark, from
which depended at opposite points two of the russet leaves of the
bread-fruit tree. An arm of the boy, half screened from sight
by her wild tresses, was thrown about the neck of the girl, while
with the other he held one of her hands in his; and thus they
stood together, their heads inclined forward, catching the faint
noise we made in our progress, and with one foot in advance, as
if half inclined to fly from our presence.

As we drew near, their alarm evidently increased. Apprehensive
that they might fly from us altogether, I stopped short and
motioned them to advance and receive the gift I extended towards
them, but they would not; I then uttered a few words of their
language with which I was acquainted, scarcely expecting that
they would understand me, but to show that we had not dropped
from the clouds upon them. This appeared to give them a little
confidence, so I approached nearer, presenting the cloth with one
hand, and holding the bough with the other, while they slowly
retreated. At last they suffered us to approach so near to them
that we were enabled to throw the cotton cloth across their shoulders,
giving them to understand that it was theirs, and by a variety
of gestures endeavoring to make them understand that we entertained
the highest possible regard for them.

The frightened pair now stood still, whilst we endeavored to
make them comprehend the nature of our wants. In doing this
Toby went through with a complete series of pantomimic illustrations—
opening his mouth from ear to ear, and thrusting his
fingers down his throat, gnashing his teeth and rolling his eyes

[figure description] Page 086.[end figure description]

about, till I verily believe the poor creatures took us for a couple
of white cannibals who were about to make a meal of them.
When, however, they understood us, they showed no inclination
to relieve our wants. At this juncture it began to rain violently,
and we motioned them to lead us to some place of shelter. With
this request they appeared willing to comply, but nothing could
evince more strongly the apprehension with which they regarded
us, than the way in which, whilst walking before us, they kept
their eyes constantly turned back to watch every movement we
made, and even our very looks.

“Typee or Happar, Toby?” asked I as we walked after them.

“Of course Happar,” he replied, with a show of confidence
which was intended to disguise his doubts.

“We shall soon know,” I exclaimed; and at the same moment
I stepped forward towards our guides, and pronouncing the two
names interrogatively and pointing to the lowest part of the valley,
endeavored to come to the point at once. They repeated the
words after me again and again, but without giving any peculiar
emphasis to either, so that I was completely at a loss to understand
them; for a couple of wilier young things than we afterwards
found them to have been on this particular occasion never
probably fell in any traveller's way.

More and more curious to ascertain our fate, I now threw
together in the form of a question the words “Happar” and
“Mortarkee,” the latter being equivalent to the word “good.”
The two natives interchanged glances of peculiar meaning with
one another at this, and manifested no little surprise; but on the
repetition of the question, after some consultation together, to the
great joy of Toby, they answered in the affirmative. Toby was
now in ecstasies, especially as the young savages continued to
reiterate their answer with great energy, as though desirous of
impressing us with the idea that being among the Happars, we
ought to consider ourselves perfectly secure.

[figure description] Page 087.[end figure description]

Although I had some lingering doubts, I feigned great delight
with Toby at this announcement, while my companion broke out
into a pantomimic abhorrence of Typee, and immeasurable love
for the particular valley in which we were; our guides all the
while gazing uneasily at one another as if at a loss to account
for our conduct.

They hurried on, and we followed them; until suddenly they
set up a strange halloo, which was answered from beyond the
grove through which we were passing, and the next moment we
entered upon some open ground, at the extremity of which we
descried a long, low hut, and in front of it were several young
girls. As soon as they perceived us they fled with wild screams
into the adjoining thickets, like so many startled fawns. A few
moments after the whole valley resounded with savage outcries,
and the natives came running towards us from every direction.

Had an army of invaders made an irruption into their territory
they could not have evinced greater excitement. We were soon
completely encircled by a dense throng, and in their eager desire
to behold us they almost arrested our progress; an equal number
surrounding our youthful guides, who with amazing volubility
appeared to be detailing the circumstances which had attended
their meeting with us. Every item of intelligence appeared
to redouble the astonishment of the islanders, and they gazed at
us with inquiring looks.

At last we reached a large and handsome building of bamboos,
and were by signs told to enter it, the natives opening a lane for
us through which to pass; on entering without ceremony, we
threw our exhausted frames upon the mats that covered the floor.
In a moment the slight tenement was completely full of people,
whilst those who were unable to obtain admittance gazed at us
through its open cane-work.

It was now evening, and by the dim light we could just discern
the savage countenances around us, gleaming with wild

[figure description] Page 088.[end figure description]

curiosity and wonder; the naked forms and tattooed limbs of
brawny warriors, with here and there the slighter figures of
young girls, all engaged in a perfect storm of conversation, of
which we were of course the one only theme; whilst our recent
guides were fully occupied in answering the innumerable questions
which every one put to them. Nothing can exceed the
fierce gesticulation of these people when animated in conversation,
and on this occasion they gave loose to all their natural
vivacity, shouting and dancing about in a manner that well-nigh
intimidated us.

Close to where we lay, squatting upon their haunches, were
some eight or ten noble-looking chiefs—for such they subsequently
proved to be—who, more reserved than the rest, regarded
us with a fixed and stern attention, which not a little discomposed
our equanimity. One of them in particular, who appeared to be
the highest in rank, placed himself directly facing me; looking
at me with a rigidity of aspect under which I absolutely quailed.
He never once opened his lips, but maintained his severe expression
of countenance, without turning his face aside for a single
moment. Never before had I been subjected to so strange and
steady a glance; it revealed nothing of the mind of the savage,
but it appeared to be reading my own.

After undergoing this scrutiny till I grew absolutely nervous,
with a view of diverting it if possible, and conciliating the good
opinion of the warrior, I took some tobacco from the bosom of
my frock and offered it to him. He quietly rejected the proffered
gift, and, without speaking, motioned me to return it to its place.

In my previous intercourse with the natives of Nukuheva and
Tior, I had found that the present of a small piece of tobacco
would have rendered any of them devoted to my service. Was
this act of the chief a token of his enmity? Typee or Happar?
I asked within myself. I started, for at the same moment this
identical question was asked by the strange being before me. I

[figure description] Page 089.[end figure description]

turned to Toby; the flickering light of a native taper showed me
his countenance pale with trepidation at this fatal question. I
paused for a second, and I know not by what impulse it was that
I answered “Typee.” The piece of dusky statuary nodded in
approval, and then murmured “Mortarkee!” “Mortarkee,” said
I, without further hesitation—“Typee mortarkee.”

What a transition! The dark figures around us leaped to
their feet, clapped their hands in transport, and shouted again
and again the talismanic syllables, the utterance of which appeared
to have settled everything.

When this commotion had a little subsided, the principal chief
squatted once more before me, and throwing himself into a sudden
rage, poured forth a string of philippics, which I was at no
loss to understand, from the frequent recurrence of the word
Happar, as being directed against the natives of the adjoining
valley. In all these denunciations my companion and I acquiesced,
while we extolled the character of the warlike Typees.
To be sure our panegyrics were somewhat laconic, consisting in
the repetition of that name, united with the potent adjective
“mortarkee.” But this was sufficient, and served to conciliate
the good will of the natives, with whom our congeniality of sentiment
on this point did more towards inspiring a friendly feeling
than anything else that could have happened.

At last the wrath of the chief evaporated, and in a few moments
he was as placid as ever. Laying his hand upon his breast, he
gave me to understand that his name was “Mehevi,” and that,
in return, he wished me to communicate my appellation. I
hesitated for an instant, thinking that it might be difficult for him
to pronounce my real name, and then with the most praiseworthy
intentions intimated that I was known as “Tom.” But I could
not have made a worse selection; the chief could not master it:
“Tommo,” “Tomma,” “Tommee,” everything but plain
“Tom.” As he persisted in garnishing the word with an

[figure description] Page 090.[end figure description]

additional syllable, I compromised the matter with him at the word
“Tommo;” and by that name I went during the entire period of
my stay in the valley. The same proceeding was gone through
with Toby, whose mellifluous appellation was more easily caught.

An exchange of names is equivalent to a ratification of goodwill
and amity among these simple people; and as we were
aware of this fact, we were delighted that it had taken place on
the present occasion.

Reclining upon our mats, we now held a kind of levee, giving
audience to successive troops of the natives, who introduced themselves
to us by pronouncing their respective names, and retired
in high good humor on receiving ours in return. During this
ceremony the greatest merriment prevailed, nearly every announcement
on the part of the islanders being followed by a fresh
sally of gaiety, which induced me to believe that some of them
at least were innocently diverting the company at our expense,
by bestowing upon themselves a string of absurd titles, of the humor
of which we were of course entirely ignorant.

All this occupied about an hour, when the throng having a little
diminished, I turned to Mehevi and gave him to understand that
we were in need of food and sleep. Immediately the attentive
chief addressed a few words to one of the crowd, who disappeared,
and returned in a few moments with a calabash of “poee-poee,”
and two or three young cocoa-nuts stripped of their husks, and
with their shells partly broken. We both of us forthwith placed
one of these natural goblets to our lips, and drained it in a moment
of the refreshing draught it contained. The poee-poee was
then placed before us, and even famished as I was, I paused to consider
in what manner to convey it to my mouth.

This staple article of food among the Marquese islanders is
manufactured from the produce of the bread-fruit tree. It somewhat
resembles in its plastic nature our bookbinders' paste, is of a
yellow color, and somewhat tart to the taste.

[figure description] Page 091.[end figure description]

Such was the dish, the merits of which I was now eager to
discuss. I eyed it wistfully for a moment, and then, unable any
longer to stand on ceremony, plunged my hand into the yielding
mass, and to the boisterous mirth of the natives drew it forth laden
with the poee-poee, which adhered in lengthy strings to every
finger. So stubborn was its consistency, that in conveying my
heavily-freighted hand to my mouth, the connecting links almost
raised the calabash from the mats on which it had been placed.
This display of awkwardness—in which, by the bye, Toby kept
me company—convulsed the bystanders with uncontrollable
laughter.

As soon as their merriment had somewhat subsided, Mehevi,
motioning us to be attentive, dipped the fore-finger of his right
hand in the dish, and giving it a rapid and scientific twirl, drew
it out coated smoothly with the preparation. With a second peculiar
flourish he prevented the poee-poee from dropping to the
ground as he raised it to his mouth, into which the finger was
inserted, and drawn forth perfectly free from any adhesive matter.
This performance was evidently intended for our instruction; so
I again essayed the feat on the principles inculcated, but with
very ill success.

A starving man, however, little heeds conventional proprieties,
especially on a South-Sea Island, and accordingly Toby and I
partook of the dish after our own clumsy fashion, beplastering
our faces all over with the glutinous compound, and daubing our
hands nearly to the wrist. This kind of food is by no means
disagreeable to the palate of a European, though at first the mode
of eating it may be. For my own part, after the lapse of a few
days I became accustomed to its singular flavor, and grew remarkably
fond of it.

So much for the first course; several other dishes followed it,
some of which were positively delicious. We concluded our banquet
by tossing off the contents of two more young cocoa-nuts,

[figure description] Page 092.[end figure description]

after which we regaled ourselves with the soothing fumes of tobacco,
inhaled from a quaintly carved pipe which passed round
the circle.

During the repast, the natives eyed us with intense curiosity,
observing our minutest motions, and appearing to discover abundant
matter for comment in the most trifling occurrence. Their
surprise mounted the highest, when we began to remove our uncomfortable
garments, which were saturated with rain. They
scanned the whiteness of our limbs, and seemed utterly unable to
account for the contrast they presented to the swarthy hue of our
faces, embrowned from a six months' exposure to the scorching
sun of the Line. They felt our skin, much in the same way that
a silk mercer would handle a remarkably fine piece of satin; and
some of them went so far in their investigation as to apply the
olfactory organ.

Their singular behavior almost led me to imagine that they
never before had beheld a white man; but a few moments' reflection
convinced me that this could not have been the case;
and a more satisfactory reason for their conduct has since suggested
itself to my mind.

Deterred by the frightful stories related of its inhabitants,
ships never enter this bay, while their hostile relations with the
tribes in the adjoining valleys prevent the Typees from visiting
that section of the island where vessels occasionally lie. At long
intervals, however, some intrepid captain will touch on the skirts
of the bay, with two or three armed boats' crews, and accompanied
by an interpreter. The natives who live near the sea descry
the strangers long before they reach their waters, and aware
of the purpose for which they come, proclaim loudly the news of
their approach. By a species of vocal telegraph the intelligence
reaches the inmost recesses of the vale in an inconceivably short
space of time, drawing nearly its whole population down to the
beach laden with every variety of fruit. The interpreter, who

[figure description] Page 093.[end figure description]

is invariably a “tabooed Kannaka,”[1] leaps ashore with the
goods intended for barter, while the boats, with their oars shipped,
and every man on his thwart, lie just outside the surf, heading
off from the shore, in readiness at the first untoward event to escape
to the open sea. As soon as the traffic is concluded, one of
the boats pulls in under cover of the muskets of the others, the
fruit is quickly thrown into her, and the transient visitors precipitately
retire from what they justly consider so dangerous a
vicinity.

The intercourse occurring with Europeans being so restricted,
no wonder that the inhabitants of the valley manifested so much
curiosity with regard to us, appearing as we did among them under
such singular circumstances. I have no doubt that we were
the first white men who ever penetrated thus far back into their
territories, or at least the first who had ever descended from the
head of the vale. What had brought us thither must have appeared
a complete mystery to them, and from our ignorance of
the language it was impossible for us to enlighten them. In answer
to inquiries which the eloquence of their gestures enabled us
to comprehend, all that we could reply was, that we had come
from Nukuheva, a place, be it remembered, with which they
were at open war. This intelligence appeared to affect them with
the most lively emotions. “Nukuheva mortarkee?” they asked.
Of course we replied most energetically in the negative.

They then plied us with a thousand questions, of which we
could understand nothing more than that they had reference to

[figure description] Page 094.[end figure description]

the recent movements of the French, against whom they seemed
to cherish the most fierce hatred. So eager were they to obtain
information on this point, that they still continued to propound
their queries long after we had shown that we were utterly unable
to answer them. Occasionally we caught some indistinct idea of
their meaning, when we would endeavor by every method in our
power to communicate the desired intelligence. At such times
their gratification was boundless, and they would redouble their
efforts to make us comprehend them more perfectly. But all in
vain; and in the end they looked at us despairingly, as if we
were the receptacles of invaluable information, but how to come
at it they knew not.

After a while the group around us gradually dispersed, and we
were left about midnight (as we conjectured) with those who appeared
to be permanent residents of the house. These individuals
now provided us with fresh mats to lie upon, covered us with
several folds of tappa, and then extinguishing the tapers that had
been burning, threw themselves down beside us, and after a little
desultory conversation were soon sound asleep.

eaf273v1.n1

[1] The word “Kannaka” is at the present day universally used in the
South Seas by Europeans to designate the Islanders. In the various dialects
of the principal groups it is simply a sexual designation applied to
the males; but it is now used by the natives in their intercourse with foreigners
in the same sense in which the latter employ it.

A “Tabooed Kannaka” is an islander whose person has been made to a
certain extent sacred by the operation of a singular custom hereafter to be
explained.

p273-120

Previous section

Next section