CHAPTER XXIX
A professor of the fine arts--His persecutions--Something about tattooing and tabooing--Two anecdotes in illustration of the latter--A few thoughts on the Typee dialect.
In one of my strolls with Kory-Kory, in passing along the border of athick growth of bushes, my attention was arrested by a singular noise. Onentering the thicket, I witnessed for the first time the operation oftattooing as performed by these islanders.
I beheld a man extended flat upon his back, on the ground, and, despitethe forced composure of his countenance, it was evident that he wassuffering agony. His tormentor bent over him, working away for all theworld like a stone-cutter with mallet and chisel. In one hand he held ashort slender stick, pointed with a shark's tooth, on the upright end ofwhich he tapped with a small hammer-like piece of wood, thus puncturingthe skin, and charging it with the colouring matter in which theinstrument was dipped. A cocoa-nut shell containing this fluid was placedupon the ground. It is prepared by mixing with a vegetable juice the ashesof the "armor," or candle-nut, always preserved for the purpose. Besidethe savage, and spread out upon a piece of soiled tappa, were a greatnumber of curious black-looking little implements of bone and wood, usedin the various divisions of his art. A few terminated in a single finepoint, and, like very delicate pencils, were employed in giving thefinishing touches, or in operating upon the more sensitive portions of thebody, as was the case of the present instance. Others presented severalpoints distributed in a line, somewhat resembling the teeth of a saw.These were employed in the coarser parts of the work, and particularly inpricking in straight marks. Some presented their points disposed in smallfigures, and being placed upon the body, were, by a single blow of thehammer, made to leave their indelible impression. I observed a few, thehandles of which were mysteriously curved, as if intended to be introducedinto the orifice of the ear, with a view perhaps of beating the tattooupon the tympanum. Altogether, the sight of these strange instrumentsrecalled to mind that display of cruel-looking mother-of-pearl-handledthings which one sees in their velvet-lined cases at the elbow of adentist.
The artist was not at this time engaged on an original sketch, his subjectbeing a venerable savage, whose tattooing had become somewhat faded withage and needed a few repairs, and accordingly he was merely employed intouching up the works of some of the old masters of the Typee school, asdelineated upon the human canvas before him. The parts operated upon werethe eyelids, where a longitudinal streak, like the one which adornedKory-Kory, crossed the countenance of the victim.
In spite of all the efforts of the poor old man, sundry twitchings andscrewings of the muscles of the face denoted the exquisite sensibility ofthese shutters to the windows of his soul, which he was now havingrepainted. But the artist, with a heart as callous as that of an armysurgeon, continued his performance, enlivening his labours with a wildchant, tapping away the while as merrily as a woodpecker.
So deeply engaged was he in his work, that he had not observed ourapproach, until, after having enjoyed an unmolested view of the operation,I chose to attract his attention. As soon as he perceived me, supposingthat I sought him in his professional capacity, he seized hold of me in aparoxysm of delight, and was all eagerness to begin the work. When,however, I gave him to understand that he had altogether mistaken myviews, nothing could exceed his grief and disappointment. But recoveringfrom this, he seemed determined not to credit my assertion, and graspinghis implements, he flourished them about in fearful vicinity to my face,going through an imaginary performance of his art, and every momentbursting into some admiring exclamation at the beauty of his designs.
Horrified at the bare thought of being rendered hideous for life if thewretch were to execute his purpose upon me, I struggled to get away fromhim, while Kory-Kory, turning traitor, stood by, and besought me to complywith the outrageous request. On my reiterated refusals the excited artistgot half beside himself, and was overwhelmed with sorrow at losing sonoble an opportunity of distinguishing himself in his profession.
The idea of engrafting his tattooing upon my white skin filled him withall a painter's enthusiasm: again and again he gazed into my countenance,and every fresh glimpse seemed to add to the vehemence of his ambition.Not knowing to what extremities he might proceed, and shuddering at theruin he might inflict upon my figurehead, I now endeavoured to draw offhis attention from it, and holding out my arm in a fit of desperation,signed to him to commence operations. But he rejected the compromiseindignantly, and still continued his attack on my face, as though nothingshort of that would satisfy him. When his forefinger swept across myfeatures, in laying out the borders of those parallel bands which were toencircle my countenance, the flesh fairly crawled upon my bones. At last,half wild with terror and indignation, I succeeded in breaking away fromthe three savages, and fled towards old Marheyo's house, pursued by theindomitable artist, who ran after me, implements in hand. Kory-Kory,however, at last interfered, and drew him off from the chase.
This incident opened my eyes to a new danger; and I now felt convincedthat in some luckless hour I should be disfigured in such a manner asnever more to have the _face_ to return to my countrymen, even should anopportunity offer.
These apprehensions were greatly increased by the desire which King Meheviand several of the inferior chiefs now manifested that I should betattooed. The pleasure of the king was first signified to me some threedays after my casual encounter with Karky the artist. Heavens! whatimprecations I showered upon that Karky. Doubtless he had plotted aconspiracy against me and my countenance, and would never rest until hisdiabolical purpose was accomplished. Several times I met him in variousparts of the valley, and, invariably, whenever he descried me, he camerunning after me with his mallet and chisel, flourishing them about myface as if he longed to begin. What an object he would have made of me!
When the king first expressed his wish to me, I made known to him my utterabhorrence of the measure, and worked myself into such a state ofexcitement, that he absolutely stared at me in amazement. It evidentlysurpassed his majesty's comprehension how any sober-minded and sensibleindividual could entertain the least possible objection to so beautifyingan operation.
Soon afterwards he repeated his suggestion, and meeting with a likerepulse, showed some symptoms of displeasure at my obduracy. On his athird time renewing his request, I plainly perceived that something mustbe done, or my visage was ruined for ever; I therefore screwed up mycourage to the sticking point, and declared my willingness to have botharms tattooed from just above the wrist to the shoulder. His majesty wasgreatly pleased at the proposition, and I was congratulating myself withhaving thus compromised the matter, when he intimated that as a thing ofcourse my face was first to undergo the operation. I was fairly driven todespair; nothing but the utter ruin of my "face divine," as the poets callit, would, I perceived, satisfy the inexorable Mehevi and his chiefs, orrather that infernal Karky, for he was at the bottom of it all.
The only consolation afforded me was a choice of patterns: I was atperfect liberty to have my face spanned by three horizontal bars, afterthe fashion of my serving-man's; or to have as many oblique stripesslanting across it: or if, like a true courtier, I chose to model my styleon that of royalty, I might wear a sort of freemason badge upon mycountenance in the shape of a mystic triangle. However, I would have noneof these, though the king most earnestly impressed upon my mind that mychoice was wholly unrestricted. At last, seeing my unconquerablerepugnance, he ceased to importune me.
But not so some other of the savages. Hardly a day passed but I wassubjected to their annoying requests, until at last my existence became aburden to me; the pleasures I had previously enjoyed no longer afforded medelight, and all my former desire to escape from the valley now revivedwith additional force.
A fact which I soon afterwards learned augmented my apprehension. Thewhole system of tattooing was, I found, connected with their religion; andit was evident, therefore, that the
y were resolved to make a convert ofme.
In the decoration of the chiefs, it seems to be necessary to exercise themost elaborate pencilling; while some of the inferior natives looked as ifthey had been daubed over indiscriminately with a house-painter's brush. Iremember one fellow who prided himself hugely upon a great oblong patch,placed high upon his back, and who always reminded me of a man with ablister of Spanish flies stuck between his shoulders. Another whom Ifrequently met had the hollow of his eyes tattooed in two regular squares,and his visual organs being remarkably brilliant, they gleamed forth fromout this setting like a couple of diamonds inserted in ebony.
Although convinced that tattooing was a religious observance, still thenature of the connection between it and the superstitious idolatry of thepeople was a point upon which I could never obtain any information. Likethe still more important system of the "Taboo," it always appearedinexplicable to me.
There is a marked similarity, almost an identity, between the religiousinstitutions of most of the Polynesian islands, and in all exists themysterious "Taboo," restricted in its uses to a greater or less extent. Sostrange and complex in its arrangements is this remarkable system, that Ihave in several cases met with individuals who, after residing for yearsamong the islands in the Pacific, and acquiring a considerable knowledgeof the language, have nevertheless been altogether unable to give anysatisfactory account of its operations. Situated as I was in the Typeevalley, I perceived every hour the effects of this all-controlling power,without in the least comprehending it. Those effects were, indeed,wide-spread and universal, pervading the most important as well as theminutest transactions of life. The savage, in short, lives in thecontinual observance of its dictates, which guide and control every actionof his being.
For several days after entering the valley I had been saluted at leastfifty times in the twenty-four hours with the talismanic word "Taboo"shrieked in my ears, at some gross violation of its provisions, of which Ihad unconsciously been guilty. The day after our arrival I happened tohand some tobacco to Toby over the head of a native who sat between us. Hestarted up, as if stung by an adder; while the whole company, manifestingan equal degree of horror, simultaneously screamed out "Taboo!" I neveragain perpetrated a similar piece of ill-manners, which, indeed, wasforbidden by the canons of good breeding, as well as by the mandates ofthe taboo. But it was not always so easy to perceive wherein you hadcontravened the spirit of this institution. I was many times called toorder, if I may use the phrase, when I could not for the life of meconjecture what particular offence I had committed.
One day I was strolling through a secluded portion of the valley, andhearing the musical sound of the cloth-mallet at a little distance, Iturned down a path that conducted me in a few moments to a house wherethere were some half-dozen girls employed in making tappa. This was anoperation I had frequently witnessed, and had handled the bark in all thevarious stages of its preparation. On the present occasion the femaleswere intent upon their occupation, and after looking up and talking gailyto me for a few moments, they resumed their employment. I regarded themfor awhile in silence, and then, carelessly picking up a handful of thematerial that lay around, proceeded unconsciously to pick it apart. Whilethus engaged, I was suddenly startled by a scream, like that of a wholeboarding-school of young ladies just on the point of going into hysterics.Leaping up with the idea of seeing a score of Happar warriors about toperform anew the Sabine atrocity, I found myself confronted by the companyof girls, who, having dropped their work, stood before me with startingeyes, swelling bosoms, and fingers pointed in horror towards me.
Thinking that some venomous reptile must be concealed in the bark which Iheld in my hand, I began cautiously to separate and examine it. Whilst Idid so the horrified girls redoubled their shrieks. Their wild cries andfrightened motions actually alarmed me, and throwing down the tappa, I wasabout to rush from the house, when in the same instant their clamoursceased, and one of them, seizing me by the arm, pointed to the brokenfibres that had just fallen from my grasp, and screamed in my ears thefatal word "Taboo!"
I subsequently found out that the fabric they were engaged in making wasof a peculiar kind, destined to be worn on the heads of the females, andthrough every stage of its manufacture was guarded by a vigorous taboo,which interdicted the whole masculine gender from even so much as touchingit.
Frequently in walking through the groves I observed bread-fruit andcocoa-nut trees, with a wreath of leaves twined in a peculiar fashionabout their trunks. This was the mark of the taboo. The trees themselves,their fruit, and even the shadows they cast upon the ground, wereconsecrated by its presence. In the same way a pipe, which the king hadbestowed upon me, was rendered sacred in the eyes of the natives, none ofwhom could I ever prevail upon to smoke from it. The bowl was encircled bya woven band of grass, somewhat resembling those Turks' heads occasionallyworked in the handles of our whip-stalks.
A similar badge was once braided about my wrist by the royal hand ofMehevi himself, who, as soon as he had concluded the operation, pronouncedme "Taboo." This occurred shortly after Toby's disappearance; and were itnot that from the first moment I had entered the valley the natives hadtreated me with uniform kindness, I should have supposed that theirconduct afterwards was to be ascribed to the fact that I received thissacred investiture.
The capricious operations of the taboo are not its least remarkablefeature: to enumerate them all would be impossible. Black hogs--infants toa certain age--women in an interesting situation--young men while theoperation of tattooing their faces is going on--and certain parts of thevalley during the continuance of a shower--are alike fenced about by theoperation of the taboo.
I witnessed a striking instance of its effects in the bay of Tior, myvisit to which place occurred a few days before leaving the ship. On thatoccasion our worthy captain formed one of the party. He was a mostinsatiable sportsman. Outward bound, and off the pitch of Cape Horn, heused to sit on the taffrail, and keep the steward loading three or fourold fowling-pieces, with which he would bring down albatrosses, Capepigeons, jays, petrels, and divers other marine fowl, who followedchattering in our wake. The sailors were struck aghast at his impiety, andone and all attributed our forty days' beating about that horrid headlandto his sacrilegious slaughter of these inoffensive birds.
At Tior, he evinced the same disregard for the religious prejudices of theislanders as he had previously shown for the superstitions of the sailors.Having heard that there were a considerable number of fowls in thevalley--the progeny of some cocks and hens accidentally left there by anEnglish vessel, and which, being strictly tabooed, flew about almost in awild state--he determined to break through all restraints, and be the deathof them. Accordingly, he provided himself with a most formidable-lookinggun, and announced his landing on the beach by shooting down a noble cock,that was crowing what proved to be his own funeral dirge on the limb of anadjoining tree. "Taboo," shrieked the affrighted savages. "Oh, hang yourtaboo," says the nautical sportsman; "talk taboo to the marines"; and bangwent the piece again, and down came another victim. At this the nativesran scampering through the groves, horror-struck at the enormity of theact.
All that afternoon the rocky sides of the valley rang with successivereports, and the superb plumage of many a beautiful fowl was ruffled bythe fatal bullet. Had it not been that the French admiral, with a largeparty, was then in the glen, I have no doubt that the natives, althoughtheir tribe was small and dispirited, would have inflicted summaryvengeance upon the man who thus outraged their most sacred institutions;as it was, they contrived to annoy him not a little.
Thirsting with his exertions, the skipper directed his steps to a stream;but the savages, who had followed at a little distance, perceiving hisobject, rushed towards him and forced him away from its bank--his lipswould have polluted it. Wearied at last, he sought to enter a house thathe might rest for awhile on the mats; its inmates gathered tumultuouslyabout the door and denied him admittance. He coaxed and blustered byturns, but in va
in; the natives were neither to be intimidated norappeased, and as a final resort he was obliged to call together his boat'screw, and pull away from what he termed the most infernal place he everstepped upon.
Lucky was it for him and for us that we were not honoured on our departureby a salute of stones from the hands of the exasperated Tiors. In thisway, on the neighbouring island of Ropo, were killed, but a few weekspreviously, and for a nearly similar offence, the master and three of thecrew of the K----.
I cannot determine, with anything approaching to certainty, what power itis that imposes the taboo. When I consider the slight disparity ofcondition among the islanders--the very limited and inconsiderableprerogatives of the king and chiefs--and the loose and indefinite functionsof the priesthood, most of whom were hardly to be distinguished from therest of their countrymen, I am wholly at a loss where to look for theauthority which regulates this potent institution. It is imposed uponsomething to-day, and withdrawn to-morrow; while its operations in othercases are perpetual. Sometimes its restrictions only affect a singleindividual--sometimes a particular family--sometimes a whole tribe; and, ina few instances, they extend not merely over the various clans on a singleisland, but over all the inhabitants of an entire group. In illustrationof this latter peculiarity, I may cite the law which forbids a female toenter a canoe--a prohibition which prevails upon all the northern MarquesasIslands.
The word itself (taboo) is used in more than one signification. It issometimes used by a parent to his child, when, in the exercise of parentalauthority, he forbids it to perform a particular action. Anything opposedto the ordinary customs of the islanders, although not expresslyprohibited, is said to be "taboo."
The Typee language is one very difficult to be acquired; it bears a closeresemblance to the other Polynesian dialects, all of which show a commonorigin. The duplication of words, as "lumee lumee," "poee poee," "mueemuee," is one of their peculiar features. But another, and a more annoyingone, is the different sense in which one and the same word is employed;its various meanings all have a certain connection, which only makes thematter more puzzling. So one brisk, lively little word is obliged, like aservant in a poor family, to perform all sorts of duties. For instance--oneparticular combination of syllables expresses the ideas of sleep, rest,reclining, sitting, leaning, and all other things anyways analogousthereto, the particular meaning being shown chiefly by a variety ofgestures, and the eloquent expression of the countenance.