Master Mariner

THE LIFE AND VOYAGES OF

AMASA DELANO

Captain Amasa Delano, 1763-1823



BY
JAMES B. CONNOLLY

1943

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CHAPTER III

The King of the Pelew Islands

ON JUNE 10TH the Panther raised the Pelew (Palau now) island of Onour above her bow horizon. When he could speak from first-hand knowledge, Lieutenant Delano recorded:

Of the Pelew Islands, the most southwest is Onour, whose western extremity lies in latitude 6° 54' north, and longitude 134° 30' east. This island must be made in the southwest monsoon. A seaman may take his choice to sail north or south of it; but if to the north, daylight is necessary, as some reefs are to be passed in running east and northward for the other islands. A ship ought to go well to the south of them all when coming from the westward; for if she should keep in the latitude of the mass of the islands, she would fall directly upon the reef where Captain Henry Wilson was wrecked in 1783 in the Antelope packet. This reef lies in the form of a crescent, encompassing nearly all the north and west parts of the cluster, so that in attempting to make a harbour, it is necessary to sail on the south and east side. It should be remembered however, that the east side is considerably lined with reefs, although it is possible, not- withstanding them, to find a harbour. The south part is most easy of access, and yet it is very difficult in consequence of such innumerable shoals of coral rocks. The whole should be sounded with a boat, before any attempt is made with a ship. Although I have been in five or six safe anchoring places, formed by the islands and the reefs, I must yet urge great caution upon every strange mariner how he enters among them; and after all, the most minute description would be insufficient for his safety.

The Panther and her consort dropped anchor off the Pelews on the eleventh of June. Before they had time to furl their sails the water for forty or fifty yards round was covered with canoes. The canoes were deep loaded with brownish men and women. The men were naked, the women nearly so. They came paddling to the side of the Panther with never a sign of fear that any evil would be done them.

Amasa could understand their trust in white people. Captain Wilson had stayed on the islands for several months after the Antelope was cast away there. Amasa had found a record in the ship's library of the wreck of the Antelope, and how well Captain Wilson and the King of the Pelews, Abba Thulle, had got along together. Thulle set his subjects to helping Wilson build a new vessel to get himself back home.

Two centuries before Wilson two Spanish priests had landed on the islands, but in between there had been no white visitors of record. The two priests must have converted them to Christianity, or Captain Wilson so long later would not have been noting traces of Christian ritual in the Pelew religious practices.

Gifts were given the people in the canoes: small gifts, the real gifts being saved for the time when the commodore and his staff would go ashore to hold audience with King Abba Thulle.

Amasa's own gift to King Abba when he met him was a miniature of Captain Wilson's ship, the Antelope. Amasa was an expert ship modeler, and having seen the Antelope when she was in Boston, and having a photographic memory, he had modeled the miniature while en route from Macao. Abba Thulle was delighted with the model, and he and Amasa became good friends right then and there.

Captain Wilson had recorded Abba Thulle as a great king. After some weeks in the Pelews, seeing for himself what sort the king was, Amasa went even further in his praise than Captain Wilson:

Even when I have been conversing with him through a linguist, where the full effect can never be given to intercourse, I often thought that I could see more in his countenance than in that of any other man I ever knew. All, who were acquainted with him, were fully satisfied that he was possessed of the very first natural abilities.

King Abba Thulle and wife Ludee Drawing ca. 1791 "A Narrative of Voyages and Travels in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres" By Amasa Delano, Boston: 1817

And King Abba thought pretty well of Amasa, as-- Amasa speaking:

"I had some reason to be flattered with the idea that I was a favourite with him; for he used to tell me that I understood ships, guns, muskets and pistols, better than anybody who had visited his people."

At the time of the arrival of the McCluer expedition, Abba Thulle was preparing to check what threatened to be a rebellion in Artingall, one of the Pelew islands. He had already given the rebels three days' notice of his intention. He so informed Commodore McCluer and his officers, and they, to a man, including Amasa, said that was no way to do. The way to start a war was to move in on the enemy and then tell him a war was on.

To that advice King Abba replied that he always gave an enemy three days' notice before going to war with him. Amasa, when he heard that, set it down as just talkee-talkee to impress the visiting officers, but when he was longer in the Pelews he learned that the three days' notice was true. Abba Thulle never lied-so his chiefs told Amasa. Also he was the greatest warrior in all Pelew tradition.

Abba was also just and humane, and his subjects were in general strongly attached to him; "yet"--Amasa speaking now--"yet some who lived in distant islands, notwithstanding his great and good qualities, were ungrateful and unwise enough to revolt from him."

The three days of waiting being up, King Abba sent a messenger over to Artingall with his declaration of war. The messenger reported back, and King Abba's fleet of war canoes paddled out.

When Amasa sailed from Macao he had never a notion of warring against any South Sea Island savages, yet now, when Abba Thulle moved against rebellious Artingall, there he was in Abba's battle line. Commodore McCluer added the Panther's launch and a detail of his bluejackets to King Abba's war party, placed Amasa in command, provided him with a six-pound brass cannon, several swivels, a chest of ammunition, and a musket for each bluejacket.

On the run to Artingall Amasa debated further with Abba in the matter of that three days' warning. Said Amasa to Abba:

"Christian nations considered it as within the acknowledged system of lawful and honourable warfare to use stratagems against enemies, and to fall upon them whenever it was possible, and take them by surprise."

To that Abba said-through an interpreter-that he thought highly of the English principles, but in this respect they did not obtain his approbation. He believed his own mode of warfare more politic as well as more just. If he were to destroy his enemies when they were asleep, others would have a good reason to retaliate the same base conduct upon his subjects and thus multiply evils, whereas regular and open warfare might be the means of a speedy peace without barbarity. Should he subdue his rebellious subjects by stratagem and surprise, they would hate both him and his measures, and would never be faithful and happy although they might fear his power.

Amasa's comment on that was: "Sentiments of this elevated character excited my admiration the more for this excellent pagan, and made an impression upon my mind, which time will never efface. Christians might learn of Abba Thulle a fair comment upon the best principles of their own religion."

The war party left for Artingall in the evening and arrived there next morning. At sight of the enemy island, King Abba's men began their war song, their usual procedure before a battle. It was a chant rather than a song, and it ran-the interpreter translating to Amasa: "We are the warriors of Abba Thulle, the great king. Let us be brave men. We have slain our enemies. Let us be invincible. We will conquer or die." At intervals, a warrior with a superb voice would shout a word loudly, whereat all the warriors with paddles would flourish them in perfect time above their heads.

The day was fair and pleasant, and the enemy canoes were assembled on the beach inside the coral reef. They too went into a chant: "We are heralds from the chiefs of Artingall. We are lovers of justice and law. We are friends to the good. We seek our tights and honor with peace." At a word from the chorister they flourished their paddles, and their flourish also was in perfect time.

Abba now formed his canoes in three battle lines-front, center, and rear. Amasa's launch, with English colors flying, was in the center line. The canoes held to the three-line formation while turning the end of the reef to the smooth water inside the reef. The beach was crowded with armed natives for a quarter-mile. When almost within a spear's throw of the beach King Abba gave orders for his warriors to cease paddling. He then requested Amasa to fire a musket shot, the agreed-on signal for someone to come for a last before-the-battle conference. Amasa discharged a musket, and a canoe put out from the beach and paddled directly to Amasa's launch. They came on at astonishing speed-at the rate of eight or nine miles an hour.

King Abba's canoe had been made fast to Amasa's launch. The enemy canoe held on at full speed until within four yards of the launch. At that point the steersman clapped his hands, and they all backed their paddles and brought the canoe to a sudden stop. Amasa, an expert small boatsman himself, was thrilled. Efficiency there!

The Artingall chief sat by himself upon a raised thwart in his canoe. He signaled his paddle men to lay alongside Abba Thulle's canoe. Amasa had praise for them too:

With bold and fearless countenances, and with simple but determined manners, they looked on all our instruments of death, and preserved a uniform air of indifference. No signs of fear or doubt were betrayed by them, notwithstanding our expedition and various European arms must have appeared formidable, if not irresistible to them, unaccustomed as they were to meet a foe thus equipped. In addition to the articles already named, we had pistols, boarding lances, cutlasses, and rockets resembling torpedoes.

The rockets were after the Chinese fashion, being formidable only in the matter of much noise and eye-blinding fire and smoke when they exploded. Even so, by white men's judgment, they should put the terror of death into the hearts of savages who, for the first time, would see them coming with leaps upon the water.

Abba Thulle said to the Artingall chief, "Are you ready to fight?"

"We are."

"Are you willing?"

"We are not. But we will sooner fight than have any laws imposed upon us which we think unjust and disgraceful."

So the linguists interpreted question and answer.

Abba Thulle next said that he came prepared to give them battle if they would not yield their rebellion or accept of pardon upon proper terms and submit to the laws of their sovereign. He was willing to talk things over before resorting to force. The Artingall chief gave thought to that. Abba Thulle next proposed that the chief should return to the shore, confer with his people, and if they were resolved on war a signal should be made for hostilities to commence; but if they were inclined to peace and reconciliation he, Abba Thulle, was to be invited to land on the pier.

The Artingall chief agreed to that and motioned his canoe crew to paddle back to the shore. They resumed their paddling and their chanting and the flourishing of their paddles over their heads with dexterity and perfect time. It was so beautiful and impressive to see and hear, and the Artingall chief was so kingly a figure on his high seat in his war canoe, that Amasa found himself hoping that no war would come to him and his people.

In good time a messenger from the Artingall chief arrived with the word that his people were ready to talk peace terms. Abba Thulle's war fleet and Amasa's launch thereupon got under way and drew up to a stone pier. Here they were received with every mark of respect. Refreshments were served and the warriors of both sides smiled on each other. Abba Thulle then proposed: That the people of Artingall should carry him to their place of state and set him on their throne; that the two high chiefs who had been named kings of two of the islands in rebellion should bring to him several valuable jewels which they held at that time, and which had descended from Abba's ancestors; that they should acknowledge him to be their lawful sovereign and promise nevermore to revolt on pain of death; that the underchiefs should prostrate themselves before him with their faces to the ground.

By this time the ebb tide had laid bare a large area of the coral reef. Abba Thulle gave his people liberty to go out upon the reef and collect shellfish while the Artingall chiefs were debating his terms. Groups of the Artingall warriors joined Abba's men on the reef.

By reason of his command of the launch and the white man's devices for warfare-guns, lances, muskets, and rockets -Amasa had promoted himself to be Abba's chief of staff; and as such he now informed Abba that he should not be allowing his warriors to mingle unarmed with the enemy on the reef. To that, Abba calmly said that his people were safe, that the two people would become familiar with and gain respect for each other, that his object was not merely to subdue the rebels. He hoped also to make them good subjects. He felt certain of his power to subdue the rebels by force if he so chose, and the rebels by now were understanding that.

Amasa admitted that Abba might have something there, and it was certainly fine to listen to; but he still had his doubts, "Abba's men being left so unguarded, that the men of Artingall might have taken us by surprise and made us all captives had they decided to violate the laws which rendered the suspension of hostilities sacred. The Panther's launch was aground, and the natives might have come down opposite the pier with their spears and got possession of her."

The Artingall chiefs stayed in conference for three days and three nights, and during that time there wasn't a single sign of treachery; and throughout the three days King Abba's men were hospitably treated. Hot meat, yams, fruit, and coconut milk were served in abundance; which wasn't preventing Amasa from sweating peppermints during his waking hours. On the third day of anxious waiting he asked the king if he didn't think his terms were too hard on the Artingalls.

The answer was no. He had demanded no more than was necessary to prove his own sense of the injury done to him and to satisfy the dignity which should always be paid to the throne. He could require no less, and to require more would be inconsistent with the future contentment and obedience of the people.

"But they're taking so much time to come to a decision!" said Amasa. "You should hurry them!"

To which King Abba answered that he was willing to protract the negotiation as long as there was a reasonable prospect of success. The Artingalls by now must be more certain than ever that he had a great superiority over them. His own dread was of shedding blood of any of his subjects, even though they might be in the wrong. Once more Amasa went on record with hallelujahs for King Abba: "However savage may be the exterior of such a man, his heart must be allowed to be richly furnished with affections and principles worthy of a Christian disciple. If he is not of our religion, he still has the substance and dignity of virtue."

The Artingalls accepted Abba Thulle's terms. And then? They brought forth the royal litter and carried King Abba from the pier to the throne. The litter looked a good deal like a bier, which wasn't at all to Amasa's taste. His friend King Abba should have been transported in a less suggestive vehicle; but it was the chair of state, and eight stout men of Artingall lifted it to their shoulders with King Abba in it and bore him the length of the pier, a quarter mile, and thence to the high chief's house.

Abba Thulle was placed on a high mat-covered throne; and Amasa and Lieutenant Drummond were placed next the throne. Drummond had been next in command to Amasa in the launch.

The two first chiefs now approached, half bent, and presented the wrongfully held royal jewels to His Majesty, King Abba Thulle. He received them with dignity and bade them stand erect. The underchiefs, twenty-five in number, were then called. They approached, kneeled, brought their palms and foreheads to the ground, and kissed the king's feet. He bade them rise.

One of Abba Thulle's demands was for sixty women hostages.

The interpreter explained to Amasa that women hostages were the usual procedure after a war. And a good thing, too. The delivery of the women was always followed by a period of peace and quiet. The sixty women were brought and stood in rows, and Abba called the English officers in the order of their rank, and to each one in turn he said that if any woman pleased him he might take her. What they were like, handsome or otherwise, Amasa does not say, nor does he report whether or not the favored English chose any. The king next offered the choice of women to his chiefs. Such women as were left after were offered to his common warriors.

While the other demands of the treaty were being fulfilled, the people of both sides played around together. When everything was arranged to the satisfaction of Thulle, his war fleet put back to their own island.

Amasa took trouble to observe how the sixty women hostages were taking the transfer to their new men. After a lengthy observation he recorded that none were looking ill pleased.

Amasa now learned that Englishmen had joined Abba Thulle in a previous war against the people of Artingall. It was since Captain Wilson's time, and some of the crew of the Panther's present consort, the Endeavour, had taken part in that war. The Artingall men had fought bravely; but King Abba had beaten them and then put a batch of them to death by way of teaching them not to rebel again. He had punished the rebels in other ways, as by allowing his warriors to cut off prisoners' legs while they were alive, and beating them to death with their own legs. Amasa inquired how it was that they would treat enemies still in the field with generosity, yet punish them so cruelly after taking them prisoners. The answer was that an enemy in captivity was more dangerous than an enemy in the field. What an open enemy might try to do could be guessed at, but who could say what a captive among them would be plotting to do if left alive? Pelews had it from their ancestors that more is to be feared from one prisoner than from five open enemies.

Except for their treatment of war prisoners, Amasa thought the Pelew islanders were a great people.

When at home Amasa had gone in heavily for swimming. As an eleven-year-old boy he was swimmer enough to save his younger brother Samuel from drowning. While in the Pelews he swam daily with the natives, and it pleased him immensely when King Abba proclaimed him the equal of the most expert of his subjects in the water.

Before leaving Pelew, Commodore McCluer loaded King Abba Thulle with gifts. Among the gifts were muskets and a liberal quantity of balls and powder. McCluer also left a man, name of Blanchard, as his representative until he should return, which he meant to do after calling in on the other islands on his list. Blanchard was a leftover, at his own request, from Captain Wilson's wrecked crew. The arms and the man Blanchard brought unhappy days to the Pelews; but of that, later.