Narrative of a four months' residence among the natives of a valley of the Marquesas Islands; or, a peep at Polynesian life / By Herman Melville.

  • Melville, Herman, 1819-1891.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Narrative of a four months' residence among the natives of a valley of the Marquesas Islands; or, a peep at Polynesian life / By Herman Melville. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Appalled at their violence, the poor fellow, standing nearly to the waist in the surf, endeavoured to pacify them ; but at length, fearful that they would do him some fatal violence, he beckoned to his comrades to pull in at once, and take him into the boat. It was at this agonizing moment, when I thought all hope was ended, that 'a new contest arose between the two parties who had accompanied me to the shore; blows were struck, wounds were given, and blood flowed. In the interest ex- cited by the fray, every one had left me except Marheyo, Kory- Kory, and poor dear Fayaway, who clung to me, sobbing indignantly. I saw that now or never was the moment. Clasp- ing my hands together, I looked imploringly at Marheyo, and moved towards the now almost deserted beach. The tears were in the old man’s eyes, but neither he nor Kory-Kory attempted to hold me, and I soon reached the Kannaka, who had been anxiously watching my movements; the rowers pulled in as near as they dared to the edge of the surf; I gave one parting embrace to Faya way, who seemed speechless with sorrow, and the next instant I found myself safe in the boat, and Karakoee by my side, who told the rowers at once to give way. Marheyo and Kory-Kory, and a great many of the women, followed me into the water, and I was determined, as the only mark of gratitude I could show, to give them the articles which had been brought as my ransom. I handed the musket to Kory-Kory, with a rapid gesture which was equivalent to a “ Deed of Gift; ” threw the roll of cotton to old Marheyo, pointing as I did so to poor Fayaway, who had retired from the edge of the water and was sitting down disconsolate on the shingles ; and tumbled the powder-bags out to the nearest young ladies, all of whom were vastly willing to take them. This distribution did not occupy ten seconds, and before it was, over the boat was under full way ; the Kannaka all the while ex- claiming loudly against what he considered a useless throwing away of valuable property. Although it was clear that my movements had been noticed by several of the natives, still they had not suspended the conflict in which they were engaged, and it was not until the boat was above fifty yards from the shore that Mow-Mow and some six or seven other warriors rushed into the sea and hurled their javelins at us. Some of the weapons passed quite as close to us as was desirable, T 2