  Equipment and departure of the ship Mentor from the port of New Bedford, Massachusetts.—The ship's company.—Arrival at Fayal.—Passage down the Cape de Verd islands, and round the cape of Good Hope, to the Indian ocean.—Cruising among the islands, and arrival at the port of Coupang, in Timor.—A violent storm.—The ship strikes on a coral reef off the Pelew islands.—Alarm and distressing situation of the ship's company, and sudden loss of eleven of their number.—The survivors preserved upon a dry part of the reef13 The situation of the survivors of the ship's company upon the reef during the night.—A canoe filled with savage natives approaches the reef; intercourse with them; and description of their persons and terrific appearance.—Their pilfering of the articles saved, and plundering of the ship.—Several canoes arrive.—Mr. Nute's resolute conduct towards the natives.—The ship's company pursue their course, in their boat, towards an island, on which they land after severe suffering 29 A canoe, with two natives, approaches the island.—Communication opened with them.—A great number of canoes, An extraordinary and unexpected meeting with a person not a native.—Happy result of the meeting.—Acquisition of the Pelew language.—Dissensions between two portions of the natives.—Three of the ship's company separated and carried to a place remote from the rest.—Attempt to construct a boat, in order to leave the island.—The natives agree to release them all for a compensation.—Solemnities observed by the natives on the occasion.—Tools used in making the boat; transportation of timber, &c.—The plan abandoned, and a canoe substituted for the boat.—Another festival55 The natives become anxious to aid the ship's company in leaving the island.—Terms on which they agreed to release them.—Departure from the Pelew islands.—Necessity of returning the same night.—Detention a month longer; and final departure68 Regret at having undertaken the voyage in boats.—Storm, and damage in consequence of it.—Loss of the canoe and the provisions on board.—Danger of perishing from famine.—On the fifteenth day, when nearly exhausted with fatigue and hunger, they discover a small island.—Approach of eighteen canoes filled with natives, who make prisoners of them all.—Cruelty of the natives; and return with their prisoners The island, to which they were carried, proves to be Lord North's island, called by the natives To´bee.—Account of the island and its inhabitants.—Their manners and customs81 A ship discovered at a small distance from the island.—The natives prepare to go on board of her.—Captain Barnard and Bartlet Rollins, after being severely beaten, are allowed to go with the natives in their canoes, and thus effect their escape; the rest of the Mentor's people are still forcibly detained on the island.—Their hopes of being taken on board of the same ship are suddenly blasted.—Their despondency on that disappointment.—Return of the natives from the ship; their rage, and quarrels about the division of the articles procured on board of her.—They threaten to wreak their vengeance on the Mentor's people that remained with them.—Their cruel treatment of them.—A storm destroys the cocoa-nut trees and causes a scarcity of food95 The natives compel the Mentor's people to be tattooed.—Description of that painful operation.—They also oblige them to pluck their beards, &c.—Another vessel passes by the island; and, afterwards, a third comes in sight and remains for three days; the Mentor's people are closely guarded at these times.—The melancholy fate of William Sedon; and the barbarous murder of Peter Andrews.—Attack on H. Holden, who is protected by one of the natives, and escapes.—B. Nute and others are protected by the female natives from the fury of the men.—Death of one of the Pelew chiefs.—Another The feeble and exhausted condition of the survivors, Nute and Holden.—The natives consent to release them from labor, but refuse them food; and they obtain permission to leave the island in the first vessel, for a compensation to be made to the natives.—They crawl about from place to place, subsisting upon leaves, and occasionally begging a little food of the natives, for two months.—Their sudden joy at hearing of a vessel coming towards the island.—It proves to be the British barque Britannia, captain Short, bound to Canton.—They are taken on board the Britannia, November 27, 1834, and treated with the kindest attention.—Their joy and gratitude at this happy termination of their sufferings.—They gradually recover their health so far as to take passage for America, in the ship Morrison, bound for New York, where they arrive May 5, 1835.—Acknowledgments for their kind reception at New York and Boston111 |
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