The 1832 Journal
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The 1832 Journal From Rarotogna [Rarotonga] to the Navigator Islands [Samoa] Tognatabu [Tongatapu] etc - Containing an account of the language manners customs etc of the people- also much interesting Missionary information 1832 & 1833 Narrative of a Voyage performed in the Missionary Schooner Olive Branch by] Williams 1832 95 I832 Thurs II October. We took an affectionate leave of my dear wife & children with Mr & Mrs B[uzacott] who accompanied me down to the beach as did most of the inhabitants all uniting in wishing us well & praying that the blessing of God might attend us in our journey. The King Makea appeared in good spirits. His friends & people expressed considerable sorrow at his departure. The teacher Teava 1 & wife wept a good deal at leaving. It is a source of great consolation to know that we are followed by the affectionate sympathies of those who love us & the fervent prayers of all who are interested in our welfare. At Sundown we made all sail with a fine fair wind & set a direct course for Palmerstons Island. Sat 13. We made Palmerstons Island about 5 oclock in the afternoon. The wind being fair & night coming on determined to pursue our course rather than waste the night in lying to to procure a few cocoa nutts. The Teacher & his wife very sick. Sabbath 14. Wind still fair rather light. Service on deck. Spoke from 1st Epistle Peter Chapr I2 v. Let your conversation be good and honest among the Gentiles - Tahitian version. In the evening when conversing with one of our Native sailors I found that he was one of the crew of a Boat that drifted down to Tognatabu some years ago. I was much interested with the account he gave of their residence at Togna &c. He says they were months at sea. Five of their number died. At length they were thrown on the Reef at Togna. They managed to swim to the beach where the natives put them in baskets & carried them to the King. He took care of them by which means they soon recovered their strength. They then left the heathen Chief & went to the Tahitian teachers Hape & his companion whom they assisted in building a Chapel which was well filled on Sabbath days as Tupou the King & most of his own people had embraced Christianity. He gives a pleasing account of the arrival of Messrs Turner, Cross & Wiese,2 also of the critical situation they were all placed in some months after by the anger of the heathen party who were determined to make War upon them & kill them all. That the heathen party came armed & surrounded the fence of the Missionaries houses. That the King, Missionaries, Tahitian teachers & all the Christians were inside the fence praying to God to defend them against the rage of the heathens. I. A Rarotongan convert whom Williams was taking to Samoa as a native teacher. 2. John Von Mangerhoussen Weiss ( 1812-52) arrived in Tonga in 1827 together with Turner and Cross. and stayed one year. 97 Just at this time the sound of a Musket was heard at the sea beach. The heathen party went to see what it was when they found that it was a powerful Chief named Palu,3 who although a heathen came to defend his relation Tupou. Upon seeing this the heathen were afraid & returned to their respective houses. He says that fire wood was actually obtained & ovens prepared to bake the Missionaries in. A short time after the heathens came & fetched Tupou away. He thought well to accompany them when they not only detained him there but used every means in their power to induce him to abandon his profession & allow them to inj ure the Missionaries. It appears however that he was firm & steadfast in his profession & faithful to his friends and Missionaries. He sent word to the Missionaries not to leave their fences or enclosures but teach & hold their worship there, which it seems they did for two months. At length Tupou succeeded in making his escape when they were again allowed to worship abroad without molestation from the heathen. I felt much for poor Mr & Mrs Turner on hearing the account. No doubt they thought they were about to experience a repetition of their sufferings at New Zealand.4 However God has been better to them than they feared. They have been permitted to weather the storm & greatly honoured as the instruments nursing & maturing the work so auspiciously commenced by the Tahitian Teachers who are certainly good pioneers in the great work of converting the Heathen & turning them from worshipping Idols to the service of the living God. Tuesy 16. Wind still favourable. Making rapid progress. Have been employed since we left writing an account of the disastrous war in the Society Islands. 5 The teacher having got in I desired him to engage in family prayer in the evening. I was much pleased with his fervour & his matter. He has certainly an excellent gift in prayer. His ideas flow very fast, his similes very apt, his language figurative. He commenced his prayer by addressing God and his greatness saying if we fly to heaven we find thee there. If we dwell on the land, thou art there. If we sail upon the sea, thou art there. This affords us comfort so that we sail without fear because 0 God 3. Palu of Mu'a, the ruler of Hahake district, and 'the most powerful chief in Tongatapu' in 1822 (Gunson 1977:107). 4. Nathaniel Turner's missionary work had begun at Whangaroa, New Zealand, where he was assaulted several times, and robbed of his belongings (Wood 1975:39). 5. In 1831, Tapoa, chief of Tahaa, together with supporters from Borabora, claimed the supremacy of Raiatea. Williams advised the Raiateans to resist Tapoa, with force if necessary, and sought mediators from Tahiti. Tapoa attacked in Williams's absence, but the Tahitian chiefs secured a nominal reconciliation ·before general warfare erupted (Prout 1843:342·5 ). 98 thou art here. The King of our bodies has his subjects to whom he issues orders to do his work. They go about it, but he himself goes with them. His presence inspires them with zeal. They go about their work with life & it is soon & effectually done. 0 Lord thou art our King. Thou hast issued thy orders to thy subjects to do a great work but let thy presence go with us to quicken us & enable us to persevere in thy work until it is accomplished. Thou hast said that thy presence shall be with thy people who go to do thy work even unto the end of the world. Fulfill 0 Lord this cheering promise. 0 Lord I see there is a compass in this Vessel by which they steer the right way it being their guide. Do thou be our compass & direct us the way to steer in order to avoid the obstructions & difficulties in our work. Be to us 0 Lord a Compass of Salvation. He then proceeded to quote various passages of Scripture such as the heathens are to be given to Christ for his possessions. In Abrahams seed all the nations of the earth are to be blessed. Having quoted these & several other passages he proceeded saying these 0 Lord are thine own words & afford us comfort in our Work. Enable us therefore to be steadfast & unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for we know we shall not labour in vain. After prayer he asked me how it was that David in the Psalms spoke so much of Jehova & Paul in his Epistles so much of Jesus Christ since both were inspired. I explained to him the difference of the Old & New dispensations. Wed. 17th. At day light this morning we sighted land. On coming up with it, it proved to be Manua6 [Manu'a] the easternmost of the group. We desire to be thankful for the favourable winds that we had had a fine run of between seven & eight hundred miles in a little better than five days without touching rope or sail since the day we bid adieu to our friends on the beach at Rarotogna. The land is exceedingly high & is to be seen at a great distance. It was nine oclock before we were up with it. No natives coming off we stood close in with the vessel & sent in the boat. 7 She very soon returned bringing with her a Raivavae 6. Manu'a comprises the three islandsof Ta'u, 'Ofu andOlosega. Ta'u is also a village on the island of the same name. 7. Fitiuta village, on Ta'o is situated on a high outcrop. It has no protective reef, and landir �s to the north and east of the settlement area are not visible from the village area itself. Becau: � of its exposed coastline, there are no outrigger canoes, which explains the quiet recepll JO. In the published account, however, Williams omits reference to this inauspicious start, substituting a description of his arrival at the neighbouring village of Ta'o, and presenting this as an account of his first reception (Williams 1838:411-12); see also note 10, p.IOO. 99 man8 who it appears was drifted down here in a boat from the Island of Tubuai. The account he gives is that they were returning to Raivavae from Tubuai when they lost themselves. They were 3 Months at sea. Twenty of their number died. At length the remaining men were dashed on the reef of a small Island about 70 Miles to the Eastward of all the Navigator Islands.9 They crawled on shore found plenty of cooa nuus & fish.