I I 1 ALLENSVILLE S. S. LIBRARY. | To be used carefully, and returned in two weeks. i l^ - '^ol Report to VC(( Circ. Call No Vols Donor Pocket & d*s Note for Cat* epL. ll hode Island District. m ^ Be it remembered that on the (L. S.) sixth day of September in the ^ year one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, and in theFortyfirst year of the Independence of the United States of Ame\ica,$amuel Patterson of North Providence in said District, deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof lie claims as proprietor in the words follow ing, viz. ^Narrative of the Adventures and Suffer- ingsofSAMUEL PATTERSON, experienced in the Pacific Ocean, and many othip parts of the world, with an account of the Fecgee and Sandwich Islands." In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States entitled,4l An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books to the au- thors and proprietors of such copies during the time therein mentioned.'7 And also to an Act, entitiled, "An act supplementary to an act, entitled, An act for the encourage- 3uent of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the time therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the Arts of design ing,engrav- log and etching historical and other prints. | I- N. R. KNIGHT, ClerkM Rhode Island District* n Ill [!!inaei!i!!ll!!!!!!l]lll!!IU!llll!lll!UI)»9ill!!lll!ll!!!il!!il II fl 'I li li I! l PREFACE. THE following work is principally published from a collection of papers, put into the hands of the compiler by Mr. Patterson. He appears to be a credible man, and has for a number of years supported a good standing" as a professor of the christian religion. His serves are so a fleeted by his sufferings, as that he is incapable of writing himself, and the deficiency of his papers has been filled up by the compiler, under his inspection. Much pains has been taken iftrpreparing this work for public view, to'render it truly useful and beneficial to the world. Other publications have been consulted, and to make this narrative of more utility to the reader some additions to Mr. Patterson's communications have been thus received. The publication is for the benefit of Miv Patterson, who is tfiflya subject for charity; after the defraying the expense of the several parts of the wrork, the remainder of the profit will go to him j and the patrons may consider themselves as conferring a favour en a poor unfortunate honest.Sailor. I know of nothing why I should not rec- Y — ^^mm^— — - — - — • . • • Xttt •hi mend this book, as being very interesting-* and useful to the public, especially to seafar ing men. Here the Reader may see the vanity o§ childhood and youth ; and the transitions- of riper years. We find before us the surprising sufferings of one of our fellow beings, and behold what God is^ able to uphold a worm of the dust to endure. We also see a poor distressed mortal, in the midst of his anguish, made happy in the God of his salvation, and calling upon others to taste and see liow good the Lord is ; and exhorting them to turn from their sins and unrighteousness. te him. The account given of the miserable state of the heathen on apart of this continent,, and the islands, is quite affecting. While we like rational beings areplenteously clothed and fed, millions are in the most abject state of uncivilization, naked, and nearly so, and many considering the flesh of their fellow beings a most delicious morsel. But, one- tSing is very noticable among them, their sacred rules of wjaat they think is true worship, they do not violate, as thousands have their strictest obligations, who profess to be-- lieve in the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Herein the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children o£* light. Some, perhaps, would be much better pleased with this narrative^had it been compiled separate from the subject of religion j if so, it is much to be lamented : this world without religion would be a poor place, and what a poor thing is a book without it ! I wish that ever}' book in existence had, at least something of religion in it $ and to all those who have true religion in their hearts, how pleasing that would be ! You have here not only the virtues of the man, but also his vices; shun the wrong, imitate the good j and may tlje blessing of heaven be with you. I would remain the publick's most humble servant in the work of the gospel ministry, EZEKIEL TERRY, Vicinity of WlLBRAHAM, MAY 1, 1817, 1* ■** TI mmmYmmmmmmmwmmm^ AD VER T IS E ME NT. IT might haveWeen expected, perhaps, that The names of the Subscribers would have been: published, but it-was thought not best, as they •would have excluded other useful matter; or- the- proprietor, who is in low circumstances, must have been at the expense of an extra sheet, which his friends advised him not to do, A part of the subscription, papers are returned^ on which about nine hundred copies are subscri- ed for^which is here mentioned with gratitude; how many more may be on the unreturnedpi^ pers is not known, but without doubt the number is considerable. It is hoped that tfiis liberal patronage will not be disappointed of its expectation. There may be imperfections in the xvork ; but when the difficulties attending the preparing such a publication; are considered, it is hoped'that if some things of small consequence have escaped correction* it will be kindly overlooked^ It may be that some names, especially those of foreign places, many of which are differently wriftefi by authors, are not perfectly correct, but it is quite certain that there exists no error that can, mislead the reader from the design of the nor** rathe. "T*"**** VXk Kodiac is differently spelt in the thirteenth chapter, through its being differently written by otliers ; but Kodiac is most likely the cor- rectest. The typographical errors of the press, also\ are so trifling, as not to require a pointing; out here; any common reader will right them* FURTHER RECOMMENDATION The Rev, Mr- Merritt, a very respectable Minister of the Gospel in Wilbraham, and: Abel Bliss Jun. Esq.. a Literary and Religious Character of the same place, have been pleased tc favour this Publication,, with the following Certificate. TIE have had some acquaintance wittv Mr. Pamerson, the Subject of this Narrative, and have heard him relate his Adventures and Sufferings,and ChrisCanExperience : we think he is a credible experienced man, and that His Narrative may be quite entertaining and useful. to the Public. TIMOTHY MERRITT. ABEL BLISS Jutin* Wilbraham, May 1, 1817. i VUI CONTENTS, CHAP. I. Page. From my Birth unto my first going to Sea. 13. CHAP. II. ^y jfirs * £°*ngto Sectt 16. CHAP. III. My frst Voyage to Algiers in the Fri\ * gate George Washington. CHAP. IV. My second Voyage to Algiers^ CHAP. V. A Period of Visiting, Farming, &c. 3-7* l.f Bf«: X CHAP. XIL A second trip to the North*we$t Coast* 73. ;::- \ ^ chap, xiil • Third time to the North-west Coast j a trip to Kodiac, and the Coast of Cali fornia* 76, CHAP. XIV. A trip to Canton, and Port Jackson. 78< ' ' ff,: //'/ CHAP. ZV. Sail for the Feegee Islands. 80. a CHAP. XVI. Shipwreck near the Feegee Islands, and our first getting on shore at Nirie. 82* CHAP. XVII. A Visit to Beteger another of the Feegee Islands, with an account of the R dig ion and Customs of the people of Feegee. 86abi- lity is that the frigate never would have reached Constantinople. Alriving, however, as she did, a fine ship, witlran excellent crew in the best discipline, she gave the Turks a high idea of the naval chapcterol NARRATIVE. 29 the United States....a character which they have since seen us sustain with so much glory in the war with Tripoli, and also with Algiers. After landing some Turks at Malta,as a favour to the capudan pacha, capt. Bainbridge arrived off Algiers on the 21st of January 1801. Warned by his past misfortune, he did not venture his frigate within reach of the fort, but sent the ambassador's secretary on shore in a boat, although the Dey desired that he would come into port to discharge some guns belonging to Algiers, which he had taken in there as ballast for the voyage to Constantinople. The Dey, however, insisted, and captain Bainbridge, fearful of th consequences to the Unprotected comrnerc of the United States, again ventured within the Dey's power, delivered the old guns, and took other ballast. The tyrant was now so effectually humbled by the orders of the grand seignior, that he instantly released four hundred prisoners, who had been taken with British and Austrian passports, and declared war against France. Finding too, that capt. Bainbridge was on friendly terms with the capudan pacha, his menaces softened into great mildness. After having been thus instrumental in the release of so many prisoners, capt. Bainbridge was now enabled to serve the interests of humanity in another way. On the declaration of war with Fiance, the consul and all the French subjects, then in Algiers, were ordered to leave the country 3* Patterson's in fortyeight hours, and aljtheir longer stay would have exposed them to captivity, they were all taken on board of the George Wash* On the 31st of January we made sail from the harbour|bf Algiers, touched at Alicant, landed our passengers, and sailed for America. On the 14th of April we experienced a violent gale, but received no essential injury. Much praise is due to the skill of capt. Hai- lowell, the then sailing-master. And, in the latter part of Apriiaive arrived at Philadelphia, in the happiest of all countries, the United States of America. At this place I was discharged, with others, from the ship ; and being but a Boy, with no one to control me, I^fyed about witJf the sailor boys until my money was all gone, NARRATIVE. ; CHAP. IV. "O happiness ! at which all men do aim, How few know more of thee than just the Alas,how eager is poor mortal's chase [name* In search of thee, in every land and place : They talk of thee,and yet they know thee not; Ah, few there be that find the happy spot." My second voyage to Algiers. Being moneyless and out of employ, 1 went in search of a ship to enter again for a voyage. And on finding a brig bound for Jamacia, I engjaged for twelve dollars a month. We set sail, but being out three days, sprung a leak, and returned to Philadelphia in distress. The hands not thinking the vessel sea-worthy, all ran away from it, and I also among the others. But being destitute of money and not knowing what to do, I went down to the rendezvous in Spruce-street, in order to enter on board the Philadelphia frigate; when, to my great surprise, a constable came in at eaci door, and clapped their hands on my shoulders, telling me I was their prisoner," and immediately took me off and committed me to jail, for deserting the Jamacia merchantman. hfr»riqMfflWft^fei»i»wBi!ip«iri>Mi -i '*& *)iiii*i ' ; : 33 PATTERSONS After being locked up a few hours in the cell, lieutenant Gordon came Jfhd released ^fie, on condition that -It should enter on board the George Washington frigate ; he paid al^charges, and I went with Shim on board the ship. H| We sailed again for Algiers ;. and, I was stationed in the mizzen top to do my duty, and also to attend on lieutenant Gordon in the waid-rconi. After eighteen days' passage we arrived safe at Gibralter, where we procured provisions and water, and then reviewed our voyage for Algiers. We touched at Malaga, and after a short passage arrived at Algiers^land the Dey appeared to receive us with great pleasure. That this should have been the case, wa* nothing strange, for we carried another tribute. The Dey sent his slaves on board, and we delivered the present. W|Mle lying at this place, one morning, wherff^the top-men were employed bending a nfew suit of top-sails, I was in the galley attending the officers' boiling kettle,pnd a Cat much prised by them, came mischievously along close by where I was, and I, an inconsiderate boy, having some black walnut shells in my pocket,from a principle, perhaps no better than roguery, put some pitch in them, and after warming them by the fire, NARRATIVE. fixed her feet in them; she ran trotting down into the ward-room, and I went up into the mizzen top. Lieutenant Gordon soon enquired, "who put the shells on the cat's fieet H a boy replied, "Sam. Patterson I" Gordon then procured a piece of rattling stuff, came up on the gang-way, hailed the mizzen top, and ordereclme to come down ; ^tpbeyed, but went trembling in my shoes, well knowing what the matter was; h% tfien asked me what I put the shells on the feat's feet for I but my fears prevented an an* stver, and he ordered me to pull off my jacfe| et, but that I realy felt unwilling to do : my jacket^ was naturally striped perpendicularly, but Gordon iriow w||h his rattling stuff laid on about forty stripes the other way, and changed it immediately into a checkered ones saying, "Now go and shoe another cat, you have received your pay for thisSl ^ "A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod (not rattling stuff ) for the fool's* back." i p St. Paul said, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child ; (and perhaps might have added, I acted like a child J but when I became a man I put away childish things." In children and youth we should not expect that the stream of life can rise higher Patterson's 1 than the source of volition; and those jrho have the care of youth, should rern%mb(^ they once were young themseiveSand know how tolfeeJ and allowfibr the days of chilct| liood andjfyouth, \§hich are vanity ; but a^ the same t$jme never countenance evplj This may be done without applying the rod Epgj every trifling and diverting offence. The mind s3jff some men are so contracted, that their juvenile years, and the feelings cm children, they cannot^ r will not remember; and for even niusicai|SpffencesSinflkt quite unprofitable punisliJientS How much better a firm disapprobation of wrong, and a reserved smile at amusement, with a tender word of good instruction, would comport with a gentleman, and an American freeman. But instead of this, even apparently go« wen "in many.respects, will whip and blujer, as though American ejiildren, can take the lash like the offspring of slaves ; but in this they are mistaken, and the truth must appear at their expense. We lay here about three weeks, in which tirrje the frigate President arrived off the harbor : she had lost a lieutenant and a boat's crew, and lieutenant Gordon was ordered on board o|§that ship, and I went with hiiiifpnd was stationed the same as before. At this time the United States were at 1 1 NARRATIVE. 3^ war with Tripoli, but we had no action of consequence. After cruising about the Mediterranean a few weeks, our crew had the scurvy and died very fast ; and we put into Monaco, an English port, for refreshments. After laying there four or five weeks, and getting fresh provisions and water, and all things ready for sea, we gat under wreigh with a stiff breeze, but not having any pilot on board, the ship struck a rock, while going about seven knots an hour through the water; the commodore immediately ran up the gang way, and gave the officer of the deck orders to run her on shore,, thinking she was sinking; but the officer taking the second thought, called the carpenter to sound the pumps, and, finding the ship made no water, we put out to sea. But, the commodore thought it not prudent to go on to the American coast in the winter, without knowing what damage the ship had received^ and ordered her to^Toulon, in order to go into dock to repair. We lay at this place three months, and after the necesary repairs, we embarked for Amerk. , and arrived at the city of Washington in May 1802. Here I was discharged, and received my wages. I then took passage and went down to Alexandria, a distance of about eight miles, whence f sailed for Neff-York, and arrived there after a passage of fourteenldays. At New-York I went on board of a packet for Providence, and arrived at that place^in m & m Patterson's vij& June. I went to see my uncle, and heard front my parents, &c. The same afternoon I sat out for the cpr^ry % see my kindred and friends ; but being foot-sore bjyiot being on the la^iffl but a little for about two years previous, I put up on the way till the next morning ^and, being ver^^^rous to see my Jjmrents, afte§taking §me refreshment, I still pursued on my way until I came to the housejwhere they lived; I first saw ^y mother througl^he window a)sl passed ; she was at work at her^he^^aboring for her support; I knocked ||t the clool^ she came and opened it, and on s§eing her son whom she thought was lost, she stepped back, sat down, and gaveSent to a flood ^f tears ; then, after embracing me, she feld me the many night's sleep she had lost on my account, ajif related her visions of the night about^^Slt waj impb^|iblej:for her to express her jojfon seeing me omje more in the land of the living. My father who was out, soon came home, and was much rejoiced to see his son again. me mm NARRATIVE. n CHAP. V. "See how the little toiling ant Improves the harvest hour : While summer lasts, thro* all her cells The choicest stores she pours. While life remains, our harvest lasts; But youth of life's the prime ; Best, is this season for our work, And this th'accepted time. To-day attend, is wisdom's voice, To-morrow, folly cries: And still to-morrow 'tis, when, Oh ! To-day the sinner dies. When conscience speaks, its voice regard, And seize the tender hour ; Humbly improve the promis'd grace, And God will give the powerif ?> A period of visit ing, far ming, &c. My brother lived at one of the neighbors; my youngestsister went to school, and my eldest lived abroad. My father and I went to visit my brother, who was overjoyed on seeing me,and it was no small pleasure to me once more to meet with him. On our return we stopped at a farmer's house where one of my sisters wras, and finding her in good health, we had an agreeable interview : I related to her my adventures, and after 4 33 Patterson's spending a social hour, returned with my father. My money by this time running short, and my father being in low circumstances, he thought it would be prudent forme to go to work at farming ; accordingly I did with the neighbors, and passed away the summer, and part of the fall, very agreeably. One of my sisters was living in Rehoboth, whom,I had not seen since my return, and I was very anxious to pay her a vist; and obtaining leave of our parents, my brother and I sat out. Our meeting was affectionate. Afjer considerable of a visit, we took our leave of her, and went to our uncle's, who lived in that vicinity. From thence we wTent to Barrington to visit our grandfather, .and had a very agreeable season with the old gentleman and his family. Thence I went to Bristol to see a half brothel* of mine,whora I had not seen for a number of years ; I found him at wprk on board of a ship ; I related to him my narrative, and told him I to sea again : he in- go was anxious to formed me business was brisk and that wages were high ; and he advised me to return to my father and inform him that 1 could, without doubt, get a voyage out of that port, ^accordingly returned by the way of my grandfather's in Barrington, where joiuing •may younger brother again, we returned to NARRATIVE. 39 our parents. I informed my father of the flattering prospect at Bristol for a voyage, and he consented that I should go. I stayed at home two or three weeks, when my mother fixed me off, as well as she could, for Bristol, to go to sea : when I sat out she went a- long with me some way and sat down upon a rock, and taking me by the hand said, "Samuel, I want to give you advice ; you knew you are going away from your parents into the wide world, I want you should be careful of your health, you will have no mother to take care of you : but, if you can content yourself to stay at home — as I have got to be old and infirm — and you see how it is with your father — he is neglectful — I want you should provide a home for me — and assist me in some measure." But all this would not prevail, and many a bitter tear has this last parting with my dear aged mother, caused to roll down my cheeks in sorrow ; may heaven forgive my hardness of Jieart. Little do children think what painful hours their parents' slighted words and tears will surely bring them to experience. How unfeeling must that breast be that is insensible to the request of a mother ! but such a heart was mine! I and may tears of deep contrition, witness my unfeigned sorrow for this sin never to be forgotten by me, till I go W PATTERSON'S ifpwn to the grave to my departed mother, who now no longer lives to bless me with forgiveness. CHAP. VL "Cease man-stealing sons of murder I Cease from forging A file's chain : Mock your Savior's name nofurtlier, Cease your savage lust of gain. Boasting heroes on the waves, Bid no slave-ship soil the sea ; Ye who never will be slaves, Bid poor Afric's sons be free. Where ye gave to war its birth, Where your traders fix'd their den ; There go publish peace on earth. Go proclaim good will to men. Where ye once have carried slaughter, Vice, and slavery, and sin ; Seiz'd on husband, wife and daughter, Let the gospel enter in." A voyage to the coast of Guinea. Being resolutely bent on following the sea for a livelihood, I took my leave of my tender m@ther, and hastened on to Bristol. On arriving there I went to work on board of a ship, a Guineaman ; and, one day when I was employed aloft, there came a sea captain NARRATIVE. 41 ©n deck, and enquired if there was any one on board that wished to get a voyage ; and on being informed that the youngster at work on the main-stay wanted employment, he called me down, and consulted with me about going on the coast of Guinea with him, in the schooner that lay in thestream, pointing; to her. I told him that my parents gave me strict charge not to go on the coast of Guinea ; J)ut he said it was a healthy voyage, and that he would give me great wages: his arguments persuaded me to go ; he promised to give me sixteen dollars a month, and to pay two months' wages in advance. I signed articles of agreement to go on the coast, from thence to Havannah, and then home. After about three weeks, in November, 1802, having all things ready, we took our departure, and set sail; and after about fifty days' passage,we made the land in the morning on the weather coast of Africa, and stretched ^long the shore with a light breeze ; it being cloudy that day, the captain could get no correct observation, and night coming on, and the weather being calm, he went below to sleep, giving the mate orders to keep a good look out. But about eleven o'clock, to our no small surprise, we found ourselves surrounded with breakers; and on •ailing all hands the captain sprang up, and 4* PATTERSON S gave^Srders to let go the anchor: we found that wre were in about twelve feet water, where we lay all night. In the morning the captain came on deck, and looking around, found the vessel was enclosed with a bar of sand, and ordered Sie long boat to be got out, in order to sound, and to see if there was water on the bar enough to get the vessel out again. We found the water was too shoal by afoot, and discovered there was a large riverfissuing from the continent of Africa, disemboguing its waters where we lay. The captain now was enraged, saying the hands had all been asleep, and Ihe vessel had entered another branch of the rij|er, and drifted down toa|where she then was. He then dispatched his boat with his chief mate and four> hands, myself being one, to find the other branch of the river. We took a cag of water, and some raw beef and bread, and went up the river about five miles, as far as the mate thoughttproper, but could find no other branch to the river, that led out into the sea. The mate and three of us took a rout a- crossa rj^ck of land jlwhile the other, a black man, stayed by the boat. As we went we saw fresh-tracks of wild beasts,supposed to be lions,or tigers,and perhaps both. The flags and brush were of a great height, making it very difficult passing* NARRATIVE. ^ 43 except where the wild beasts had made paths* When we had crossed to the other side of the neck and explored to our satisfaction, we diverted ourselves a while with sharks, which, in considerable numbers, were swimming about in the surf, sporting with them with our cutlasses. We then concluded to return to the boat, and when we had got about one third of the way, we heard the man at the boat cry out for help, informing us that a canoe had come down the river with fifteen negroes#n it, and that they would kill him. We sprang forward with all possible speed, some times down in the flags, and some times in the path ; at length with great difficulty, we arrived at the boat, and foui|fc to our sad vexation, the negroes had taken all our provision away ; but we being armed with muskets and cutlasses, they offerd a abuse to our persons. We manned ar- boat to return down the river, and the was cans also got into their canoe, and folic us near to the vessel, and then returned, this river are a great abundance offish, a<^ the great ones in catching and devouring the lesser, keep the water continually in a foam. On the shore the wild beasts are numerous^ and parrots in great numbers. 44 PATf ERSON S It was about two o'clock P. M. when we arrived at the vessel, and on informing the captain that we could not discover any other branch to the rivery he gave orders to get the vessel under weigh, and let her thump over the bar, or go to pieces ; but we told him the natives had taken all our provisions from us, and that we were very faint > and wantechsome refreshment, before we could do any more ; but our request was denied, and we were ordered to get immediately under weigh. We obeyed his orders ; and I being on the quarter deck, while the vessel threshed about in the swell, there not being much wind|jand the boom coming round, it knocked m#overboard: but an overruling power protected me in this gloomy moment, among the tossing seas, and sharks. I was saved, and got on board again without any injury. oiThe captain then ordered the boats to be the a-head, in order to tow the vessel off; one Wrj|. Clark and myself in the jolly 7c, went a-head of the long boat, with a crwikie^for the purpose, when the captain rame forward in a great rage, with a loaded pistol in his hand, and sang out to us, "you d—d rascals pull away, or I will blow your brains out." I being at the after oar immediately hove it into the boat, and jumping »p, hauled open the bosom of my shirt, and NARRATIVE. 45 told him to fire and be ——. being aft day without eating, or having any refreshment, J thought I had aslieves be shot as to perish for the want of some thing to support nature. He then ordered the boat to cast offand come along side, which order I obeyed, and he immediately took a tin pot and went to the boilers, filled it with hot water and threw it at me ; at whiuh I clapped my hand on the rail and quickly jumped on board, determined to see the last of it, but he made his escape and went into the cabin. I then talked with my shipmates and asked them why they put up with so much ill usage : but the mate tried to pacify me, and I obeyed him. The captain still kept the long boat a-head, and sail on the vessel; and thumping awhile on the bar, she drifted over. Now, being in deep water again, we took some refreshments, and steered along down the coast, and after about three days we arrived at the^)lace to which the vessel was bound. There we found lying two other vessels, also belonging to Bristol; and the captain ordering the jolly boat to be manned, went immediately on board of the one commanded ■E by captain Mores, and sent the boat back, with orders for the chief mate to send it a- gain for him afsun-set. At sun-set, myself 46 Patterson's and John Smith, were ordered to go for the captain; and when we arrived, captain Mores informed us that he had gone a-board of captain Vial's vessel, that lay a few miles lower down the coast, and told us we had better wait there, as he had his boat, and would retwn in the evening: at about nine o'clock the boat returned, but the hands informed us that they had put our captain on board of his own vessel. On my consulting with captain Mores about returning, he said, as the current was strong to the leeward, there was great danger of our being set out to sea, and it being dark, we had better stay till morning. Accordingly we stayed, and before the sun was up I called Smith, and departed. When we came along side ourvvessel the chief mate met us, and hove us a rope, and we went on board ; he then told us that he had orders from the captain to put us both in irons ; I told him to obey his orders by all means, which he did. Smith then went below in the forecastle, and I sat down just abaft the windless. The captain came forward and enquired for Smith ; I informed him where he was ; he then went to the scuttle and called to him and asked him how became to stay on board captain Mores' vessel all night ? John said it was because the captain advised us to ; and then asked him what he meant by having him put in irons ? the captain thought it an impertinent question, and took up a cat block NARRATIVE. 47 with an iron strap and threw down at him. He then was going aft without speaking to me but I called to him to know what I had done that he had me thus in irons I he then flew at me in a rage with a rope and beat me until he was tired, and then catched up a hand spike and struck me over the head and left me speechless ; but the mate came forward and knocked off my irons. My princ|w pal design in mentioning this is, that the reader may have some view how sailors often fare ; and what miscreants there are in human shape, when possessing even but a small degree of power. We lay here about six weeks, and after providing our wood and water, arid the slaves were all on board, and all things ready for sea, we set sail for the Havannah. On the third day we had light winds ; in the morning the dolphin being pjenty around the vessel, I went out on the jib boom in order to catchiorae with a hook and line ; but seeing the captain coming on deck, I iii order to keep out of his sight, went to go underneath, but my hands slipping, I fell over board ; it was immediately sung out on deck that a man was overboard. The captain asked who it was, but on being informed that jdt "Was Samuel Patterson, he appeared to be -entirely unconcerned, doubtless knowing that he washable to be called to an account for his abuse to n^Fshould we both arrive^ %t 48 PATTERSON*** in the United States, and if I was drowned he might think himself safe against answering for his savage treatment of me ; but by the assistance of the hands I gat on board a- gain without receiving any injury. We had on our passage fair weather and favorable winds, and after about fifty days, we made the island of Antigua. The morning we made the land one of our hands died, who had been sick with the scurvy. From this place we took a fresh departure for the Havannah, where, after a short passage we arrived safe. Here the captain disposed of his cargo of slaves ; and knowing his voyage was contrary to the laws of the United States, he dared not to return with his vessel, and sold her and discharged his crew. I was now under necessity to look for a passage home, which I fortunately obtained in'the sloop Morning Star, captain Richmond. On being ready f6r sea we sailed for Bristol. After being a few hours out, the chief mate was taken down with the yellow fever, and after being sick two days, expired ; and another of the hands was also taken with the pame disorder, and then there were only three of us left to work the vessel, and one of these three had fell from aloft of a vessel he formerly belonged to, and broke his thigh and arm, and was a cripple, and the vessel leaked very bad, and, with head winds, we had nearly only captain Richmond and nay- NARRATIVE, 49 self to manage her. After being out seventeen days we put into Savannah in distress ; to which place is but about four clays5' sail from Havannah. We laid the vessel a-shore and repaired her. Here were mechanics who wanted-^ work their passage Jfiome to Rhode Island^ of course captain Richmond took somepof them and they helped ushome with the vessel. We arrived at Bristol in the spring of 1803. This ends the Guinea voyage. I have omitted the name of my captain, forNhe now is in the grave, and it would be of but smalhsatisfaction to me to rake his ashes, as despicable as he was. CHAP. VII. "Ten thousand to their endless home This awful moment flys And we are^to the margin come, And soon expect to die." A voyage to Havannah. I had now nearly forgotten my fond parents, and like almost all other sailors, had spent all my money, and was obliged to look for a ship again. I entered on board the brig Jane, under captain Salisbury, formerly 5 50 PATTERSGN S thechief mate of the Gu|aea vessel. We sailed for Havannah, and after a short pas* sage arrived at the destined port; we dis* charged our cargo, ancj^were ready to tafci:in another, when three of us were taken with the yellow fever, mj&e. were immediately sent onshore, to remain till the determina- tioti of our sickness should be kjabwn ; two days after, my two messmates expired, and I was in a low and lingering state of health, and was brought to see how much the Lorcl had carried me throggh. I thought I saw the njferey o|f God in sparing my life, and madejpfair promises that if he would xaise mj| up again, and restore me to my former health, I would by his grace lead a new nfe. I re-covered, and weii|,on board again to njM.u- ty as beforg^J We sailed again fojkthe Uni*. ted States, and arrived safe at Bristol after a favorable passage. I was discharged, and after receiving my wages, went about with my brother sailors until my money wa^all gone: and, alas! my vows I soon forgot. I again neglected to go and see my parents, who had spent many a sleepless night onjuy account; "Children to parents may estrange ; But parents' love can never change : Men vow and soon their vows forget, Put God's prepar'd a judgment seat." V NARRATIVE. $1 *: ■;*'•.• CHAP. VIII. 1 •'The floods I ride from shore to shore, And visit many a port ; But soon life's sea I'm wafted o'er, That little voyage is short, J5 gj£ A short voyage to Havannah. Necessity again compelled me to seek for* employ, and finding the sloe-p Three Sisters, captain Bradford, I entered onboard of her, and being ready foggea, we sailed for Havannah ; and after a favorable passage and an agreeable season, we arrived safe in the intended port. We discharged our cargo, and after taking in another, sailed for the United States, and after a passage of twenty days, arrived at Bristol on the 1st of January 1804. I again neglected my parents ; and again spent my money. FATTERSjbN1S fl' CHAP, ip "Merc restless than the. waves J|jp>w*df, I seldom spar'dpone tho't for God I And th<|' his wonders oft did see, In fo^ns tremendous in the sea||| WitMheart unsfilen I've beheld, To grace I|still refus'd to yield." A voyage to Guadaloupe* Being unable to support myself in idleness, I entered on board the brig Nancys captain N. Gladding^ rea^^fbr sea, anj| bound to Guadaloupe. O^ the 12th of January 1804, wj| sailed, and after a passage of fourteen daj|smade the land at our destined port. After discharging our cargo we took in another for Havannaji, where, after a long passage we safely arrived. But, being now unw7ell, I requested captain Gladdir^. that I might be discharged ; to which|he agreed, and I was accordingly dismissed. I found the schoonje^lommanded by captain Richmond, on board of which I embarked, and after a favorable passage arrived once more at Bristol. I again neglected to go to see my parents, and again spent all my money- f.a :Mffl; H i When in the path of yjiee we stray, The farther we pursue the w|y, The less we're ableyo return, And swifter still to ruin run," lip *F&RRATIVEi CHAP. X. HAdieu, my country dear, adieu, While I my unknown fate pursue u A voyage to the North-west coast of America* Being again under the necessity of looking for a ship, I was determined to go a long voyage, that I might have some money to assist my mother; and one day as I was walking the streets, I fell in with captain John D'WoIf, who was going out a three years' voyage on the North-west coast of America. The ship being ready for sea, I entered on board of her ; she was the Juno of Bristol. And,, on the 12th*bf August 1804 we set sail ; but our ship proved leaky ; and our passage being long, the captain saw fit to put us on an allowance of water. November 9th spoke ship Mary fro%n Boston, out 6& days, captain^Triscut, lat. 41, 40, South. About this time a shoal of fish followed us a number of weeks, and we caught them in great abundance, of different kinds, so that our decks were covered with thera*r Jfov^l5th, saw the Falkland islands. November 19th, got foul of the Mary, lat. 55, 40 South, and her chief mate went over board, but was so fortunate as to get on board of our ship, but the weather was so rough, it was some time before he could get m a4- PATTERSON S back agtfj and w||lost a number of things §om oi|tdecks ; and on the 29tlu|f M^em- ber we parted with the Mary in a gale, lat. 42, 25, South. Aflput this time our|filow- ance of water \^as short, and we had no wood o||board that we could come at, and the sailors wpre under the necessity of cutting up tjteir chests to heat^their coffee. January 1st, 1805, saw the land at 3 o'clock 1||IS|1. at the distance of 10 or :15 miles, on the coast of Chili; at noon, lat. 37,9, South./ JanuaryJ|d, spoke a Nantucket whaler. January 9th, anchored in Valparaiso bay. Valparaiso is a Iarg§||j|nd populous town of Chili, ia S. America, living a harbour fprm- the port of St. J ago, lat. 33, 36, South. In this place%e got a supply of wood and water, but the Spaniards would not let us stay to make any repairs. On the 18thof JanWary saiie^^nd on the 23d anchored at port Coquimbo. We lay here a week and abtaineo^waterpvooji, and provisions. January 30th, we sailed, a||d the itaext day passed the isiffpds of li|:,Cho|ff| We pursued our round for the North-westSlbast, and had a long passage. February 21st, we caught a number of turtles! whict|werelie- ry gladly |§ceived by us, lat; 1, 11, South, long. 104, 3, West. April 9th, we apived in Johnson's straits, and fell in with the Pearl of Boston, captain Ebetts, who had been in three days. At this place wefbought some skins, and being ready for sea, on the NARRATIVE. SB 22d of April, we sailed, and on the 26th, arrived at Tadisco, where wg met the Caroline, captain Sterges, and&Vancouver, captain Brown of Boston. May 1st, Vancouver and the Caroline sailed ; the Caroline for Canton^ May 6th, Pearl and Juno sailed, but we parted with the Pearl, and on the next day arrived at Magee's Harbour, lat. 57, 20, North. May 11th, anchored at New Archangel and salutedwith nine guns. After being furnished with wood and water, on the 27th of May we sailed, and on the 29th, anchored in Chatham Straits at Enycanoe. ydane ls%sailed, and the next day anchored in Hood||> bay. On the 7th, sailed, and on the 19th arrived at Tadisco, and on the 14th the ship Vancouver arrived. On the 16th sailed for Skitjkiss, and on the21stjarrived, Lydia, captain Hill of Boston, in company. On the 23d sajled, and on the next day spoke the Authawalpha of Boston, inform- llng us that the natives had killed all the officers, and several of the men of that ship. On the $8th, we arrived at New Eityin^^-. company with the Vancouver, Lydia, and Authawalpha, and met the Pearl and Mary of Boston^ Here we bought some skins of the natives, and-on the 12th of July we sailed, and on the 20th anchored at Skitikiss The 28th, we arrived in Chatham straits, and anchored at Chyeek ; on the 31st sai- As the main object was trade, we went / $6 ?-- PATTERSON S III: from placeito place ; and as many particulars were uninteresting, they are here omitted. Capt. Hill informed us that h%had receive ed a letter from JoS|i I^Jewitt, who then remained among the savages at Nootka, fin- forming him that the sh$|> BAton, had been cut off by the natives, and all the hands mas- sacreedffexcepting himself and||ne Thorfp- Son ; afjjrl he was det||rmined to go and re-? |j|ev.e them if possible, which he fortunately * effected, and 1 have sinle had the pleasure of seeing them both ; and have also seen Maqrjma and his^eope^ and the place where the B6ston was lost. Maquina was of a dignified mien,about six feet high,strarght and wjflr proportioned; hp? features^vere tolerably goclfj, and his face re- markajpfrby a large R$man nose very uncom-^ mon among these people ; his colour was|oJ| a dar^copper, but his limbSfwere ^ve^fi with paint ; his eyebrows we^ painted black in two broac#krcljLhg Jltripes -T his hair was long and black, shining wl|$h oil, and tied in a bunch on the top oMis head, and covered with a white down. His dress was a cloak of black sea otter s||n, reaching down to hi* fcnees, and fastened round him with a cloth belt. His appearance had a degree of savage dignity. He possessed a knowledge of Eng£^ lish words, and could make himself in a good degree undeAtood in our tongue. narrative:. 57 # Asa^ketch of the loss ojthe ship Boston, and all her men excepting||jewitt anf| Thompson, and some account^bf the escape of these two, with their sufferings, maybe acceptable, I will hejp£ endea^ur to gi?e a f e w of t h e p a rt ic u I a rS |f|| This shln^belong^d to Boston, Mass. pid wa|; commanded by captain John Salter | who, in 1802, arrived with her at Hull, in : Jfnglancfp; This was the place of the residence of Jewitt, wh*p there-first became acquainted withjeaptain Salter; and, with h||? father's consent, agreed to go -|fph him on a trading voyage to the North-weft coast of America, then to China, and then tlfthe U- nited States of America. Jewitt at this time was abfcit 19 years of age, but was instructed, and skilled, in the business of an armourer, and as such he enfp ered on board of the Boston. Thompson was of Piladelphia, and a sail- ma'ier. On the 3d of September:!hey sailed from the Downs, Dec. 28th passed Cape Horn, and on the 12th of March, 1803, arrived at Nootka Sound, on life North-west of America, and at 12 o'clock at night, came to anchor so near the shore, as that to prevent the ti m PATTERSONS •9 I ship f rom^vindingjthey secured herj?y a haafe se§to tiM^l^s. y^^|e next morning a canoe came Igorr* the vilfee of Nootka, witli MaqfUna, andjfe; number of the natives. The arrival of the ship ||)pearect^) be agreeable, and tlifling appeared to cordially jfelcome Qaptainjipter and his officers to his country. He was fond of visiting the ships that came to that^jgiace, for he generally received some presents! and was well treated. He remained on board|a while, and '-S^a& taken into the cabin, and treated with rumy molasses, &cj|| On thea|K5th Maquiha anc||several of his chiefscame on board again, and captain Salter inwited them to dine with him. On the 19th he came again and dined with the capt. and conversed freely. He mentioned a plenty of geese and ducks near Fr&idly Coye, and the captain gave him a double barreled fowling piece, and he soon departed highly pleased. On the 20th he came once more, with a dozen and half of ducks as a present, and brought the gun, with one of thepocks broken, and said it was pes hack,meaning bad. This offended captain Salter, who viewed it a contempt of his gift, and he called him a liar, he, and threw the piece into the cabin, and called me to mend it, and spake dis» , : V NARRATIVE. &$ respectfully of the king. This,Maquina uiw derstood, but said not a word ; yet he could not conceal his rage ; and afterward said, his heart rose up in his throat and choaked him. He went on shore determined on revenge. On the 22d the natives as usual came on board in the morning, and about noon the king, a number of his chiefs, and men, came a long side in their -panoes, and Jjvere taken on board. Maquina had a wooden mask on his face, in fashion of the mead of some wild beast,and a whistle in his hand ; he was uncommonly cheerful, blew his whistle, and his people capered about the deck. He enquired of the captain when he designed to depart, and was told, the next day. The king invited him to first catch some salmon at Friendly Cove ; and for the purpose the chief mate and nine men went with a seine. Jewitt was at his bench in the steerage below, ancf after a while heard the hand>s hoisting up the long boat, but soon hearing an uncommon noise on deck, ran tosee, but as soon as his head appeared, was caught and snatched from his feet by his hair, but the hold slipping he fell hack ; as he fell he was struck with an axe on his forehead,and cut into the skull; and his head, most likely would have been cleft, had not his hair eluded the hold as it did. He was stunned by the fall, and when his senses returned, he fainted with the loss of blood, but was roused to rccojjec* N., N._ 60 Patterson's w tien by three yells ofipf savages, whiclre- Tinced their possession of the ship. The king ordered the hatefT o^the steerage to be shut, to^revent any further harm tojfewitt, itbeing wished to save him, on aecountlpf hjl|§>eing an armourer. But of thiphellien had no knowledge; at length the hatch was opened, antfe he was ordered to ejome up. 2The king directed the blood to be wa&hed from.his face,when he could see . with one eye, but the oilier was so swelled as to be closed. His life was spared on condition of his working at the armourer's business, and Agreeing ^serlfe for life ; and tho* the otherfthirsted j|jr his blood, yet he #as saved antt kindly used by Maquina. He gave hiifi some||pirit, and seeing him shiver threw a great coat over his shoulders. He was then led to the Quarter cleck, where ft most horrid spectacle presented itself—Jpe heads of the captain and his crew torae number of 253 were placed in a line. At the time of hoistingfln the boat, the savage!!]- grapplepwith those on board, and overpowered them by their numbers, and cut their throats with their own jack-knives. Those on shore |wereWovercome, and their heads cut off and broughton board, and laid with those of their comrads. Maquina dressed Jewitt's wound, and then ordered him to get thesship under HP 'NARRATIVE. 61 weigh for Friendly Cove, and she was run a- shore on a sandy beach|J Thompson was below at "the time of the taking of the sjaip, and concealed himself; but at night whehfone of the natives went on 'board,-he knocked him down, and the alarm was given. But Jewitt calling him his father, for his sake his life was spared. The ship#as at length burned, by onwof the savages, who went on board at iaight with a fire-brand. Jewitt wrote a number : m m -PATTERSONS ing the crew to Canton. The captain Sok bilp on Petersburg, and was to go across the* continent of Asia with a Russian caravan. . ♦. ; §| CHAP. XI. . - .-. ' i fcOh sieftf state of shorifliv'd time t |ffj Under'mutation's rule : | How oft thy various changes chime, Our sanguine schemes to cool. Heathens I see, their modes explore ; We're all one family ; God's creatures all— a few days more, What changes earth shall seel" A visit to the Sandwich Islands, with an as» count of their Religion, Government,Customs and Manners. G-apt.D1 Wolf put his chief mate! in master of the Snow, and gave him orders to stop at the Sandwich islands for refreshments, and if the vessel did not prove to be seaworthy, to lay her on shore and let her undergo a thorough repair. On the 28th of Oct. we set sail; but had a long passage, with heavy gales of wind : and, the Snow being very bad and leaky, kept the hands constantly employed at the pumps, which also were out of repair, to keep her from filling. We had almost despaired of seeing land,whea NARRATIVE. 65 on the morning of the 8th^f December, the second mate being at mast-head, sung out, "Land, O 1" to our great joy. It provefl to be Owhyhee, very highland ; and we stood on nigh all day, when the canoes came off to us, and brought us vegetables, hogs, fowls, and fish. mi y v> 4m We now all agreed as one, that if the cap* tain would not lay the vessel ashore there, we would take our discharge ; and on consulting him on the subject, he told us we might\go if we would ; for if he repaired the vessel we should have nothing to do to keep the scurvy out of our bones on our way to Canton. We told him if that was the case we would leave him ; but on our going aft to take our discharge, all fell back excepting six. The boatswain, myself and four others were discharged, receiving about fifty dollars, and an order on the owners for the remainder ; and the next morning we went ashore with, the natives, and took up our abode with them. On the 16th the vessel sailed for Waohoo, where it arrived the next day; and on the 22d sailed for Canton. \ When we had been with the natives about three weeks, we went up on the mountains, which are very high, an after travelling nearly a day, seeing a great quantity of sugar cane and numerous kinds of country produce, and being weary, the natives invited us 6* 66 Patterson's into their huts ; w^told themihat we wejft veiyjpungry and wanted some dinner. They cooked us a pig, and set before us a great variety of vegetables : afterjwe had dined we asked tfjyem what we had to pay ? they told us a dollar newa, that is a dollar p. a silver dollar piece, or a great dollar. They endeavour to procure jfvhat money they can to buy European goods from ships as they touch at this place. After we had rested we refurnedpback to our first quarters in this place. Being very muc^fatigued v|i|h our journey, we remained some time longer in this place, in the whole about six weeks ; when a vessel arriving belonging to the emperor, commanded fey the natives, to carrygjribute to him, we thought we would take passage down to the island of Waohoo, and see him, where we arrived after a passage of a few hours. fl'-,' y ,.,■ At this placfkni my opening my chest to getsome clothes* one of thenatives#appen- ed to see my money, which I had put injac small box on the top of my other things, which being open, he thought my chest was full of dollars, and ran away to the emperor, and told him that one of those men had a chest full of money. Accordingly the emperor made a dinner the next day, and invited ms all to dine with him, thinking to secure a va_ N NARRATIVE. 6f great quantity of the money to himself. The first thing that was brought forward for eating was a roasted dog, and then a roasted pig, with a great variety of vegetables. We dined heartily, but could not partake of any of the dog. After eating they brought on a root-called Ava, which they chew and with water rince out the substance, and then partake of the liquor as in a sacrament; but we utterly reused to take any of this, because they had chewed the Ava in their mouths. After the emperor found that we would not partake of the Ava, he brougMt on rum,made of what is called tea-root, in the following manner, viz, after they have procured a sufficient quantity of this root, they dig a hole in the ground, and build a fire in it, and heat it hot; they then take out the ashes, and lay in the root, and cover it with straw, and then bring on the hot ashes and earth upon it. When it is sufficiently baked or steemed they put it into a canoe and let it ferment, and thenglistill it; this makes excellent rum. Of this we could drink freely ; and we tarried with the emperor all night. The next morning he called me to him with the rest of my companions, and told us that he had given to each of us a place on the other side of the island ; and then sent some of his men with us to shew us the spot. On looking the land over we found it produced numerous kinds of vegetables; great quantities of canes ; hogs, and fowls ; and tapper trees, <^-j PATTERSS&TS the bark of which is worked by thenat^es ui£j toelothf we were highly||)leased ^ith our land. We then returned to the emperogl and told him we were mue|| delighted with his present. He then gave us a canoe and servants to'wait on us, and to till our ground^ and told us to take wives- of any women we saw on the island, excepting the chiefs' wives. The emperor has two wives*|£>f very enormous size, and beautiful. The women of this country a& uncommon swimmers, and have been known to swim 15 or 20 miles. They are generally handsome,especally those belonging to the chiefs. Their method of marrying* as far as I became acquainted, is, any pair wishing toUye together may form the connection by thel| own agreement; and they continue it during! their pleasure, without any appearance of jealousy ; but when they chuse, wholly by their own agreement, they part, and form xcw connections. The men and women are* not allowed to cook their food together, nor to eat together; they have different huts for cooking and also for eating, with the cooking and eating furniture peculiar to each sex. The women are not allowed to eat pork, plantains, bananas, nor cocoanuts ; but they eat dogsjnstead of pork, raised and farted for them. These islanders have great quan- ifARRATIVXi 69 tities of muskmelons and watermelons, common for both male and female; but they are not allowed to eat them together; nor the man even to cut for the woman. The women at particular periods are not allowed the company of their husbands and families,but retire into the woods and mountains with calabashes of water and food, and after about thredpdays return. Their 'civil department, or government, with a small exception, is in the nands of one person, resembling an absolute monarch or emperor, called Tamaamah. He has a number of places of residence: on the island of Owhyhee he has a seat at Toahoi bay and another at Karakakooa bay where capt. Cook was killed, and on the island of Waohoo he has a large brick house. He has power only by waving the hand, to cause the immediate execution of his offenders : his word in all cases is imperious law. His subjects when they approach him on any message, fall to the earth a considerable distance from his person,and creep like reptiles fo his presence, and then arise and speak. No person, neither of the chiefs, or commonality, at any age, or on any occasion, is allowed to put his hand on-the emperor's head or shoulder, nor any common person on a chief's head on pain of death ; for that they conskleras a token of assumed superiority. Under tlm em- 70 Patterson's peror are chiefs %every§|tiibe, ^their several degrf8s,born so, and all are amenable to him ; and all the tribes of nearly all these islands pay tributepnto him. Tamaamah is about sixty years old, an art- Qjljfl and sagacious man, and extremely avaricious. He wants every thing he sees. He is continually soliciting presents from Europeans, who visit him, but isjbot liberal in his returns. TamoreeSking of the island of Atooi, is thA,rightful sovereign of all the Sandwich isles,and Tamaamah is an usurper; and though it has been reported that Tamaamah has conquered all these islands, ye4 it is not the case. Atooi, which is at one extreme of the group, and is more than 300 miles from Owhyhee, still preserves its independence. It is true, that Tajboree a few years since, went down and made a suiv render of his island to Tamaamah ; but he has since tho'tIfcetter of it, and concluded not to yield without a struggle|yLhe is a generous noble minded man, about fortyfive years of age, andjias a son now in Amer|^ ca, who is converted |§> Christianity, and fitting to return and preach the gospeffohis |||untrymen;|j| As to their religion ; as nigh as I could learn, each island, or tribe, have a house of worship, called Moreah; and. around, on the outside of it, they have a considerable \ !*W NARRATIVE. 71 number of graven images, something in the form of men,called Eeachooahs, that is,gods. Before these are constantly kept roasted dogs, pigs, plantains, and great quantities of other things, under pretence of a feast for their gods*; and in this order this provision remains until spoiled^ when it is removed, and new carefully placed in its stead. To this Moreah £3fey resort once every moon for worship, and retire the same day after their devotion is ended. But once every thirteen moons, or a year, they have a Muckahiteea taboo, which lasts twelve days. During which time they are assembledfat their Mo- reahs, where they continue night and day in their worship till the time is expired. In these days no canoe is allowed to be afloat, and no person may go into the water, nor any business be done but what is strictly necessary. Besides these Moreahs, common among ^ all the tribes, they have a very extraordinary one on the* island of O whyhee,at Toahoibay, which is very large, and the roof covered with human skulls, the white appearance of which, is discoverable at a great distance but otherwise it is like unto the others. Their manner of tilling the earth, is much like other uncivilized nations, worthy of no particular observations ; their soil is very fertile; potatoes, cabbage, melons, yajns. tATTERSON'f and other produce, grow luxuriantly, and at all seasons of the year. The Sandwich islands are eleven in number, extending from lat. 18 54, to 22 15, N. andfromftng/150 54, to 140 26, W. Tley are, Owhyhee, which % the largest and a- bout 300 miles in circumference, and on it is mount Mouna Roa, in three peaksjt6020 feet high and always covered witflsnow ; on this llfiand are about 150000inhabitants— Mow- Pg next in size to Owhyhee and lie^N. W. of it; it is 162 miles in circumference and perhaps contains 70000 peopl||j|n a very low savage statefe- Ranai, N. W. of Mowee,and contains about 24000 i n habit ant s4t-M or otin- jQee— Tahowrowa— Morotoi— Waohoo — Atooi^J^eeheehow-gOreehoua— and Tah- cora. Nearly all these islands are inhabited, and the number must be great, and very noticeable. Besides these mention is madeof another, lying to the W, S. W. of Tahoora, low and sandy,and visited only for the purpose of catching turtle and fowls. No others are named, and it is likely that none exist in that neighbourhood. NARRATIVE. CHAPTXII. 4il long was pleas'd with airy schemes, i And spent my life in idle dreams ; While I for bliss did phantoms chace, In running ever, lost the race." . A second trip to the North-west coast. But, after a few days from our first visiting the emperor, we saw a ship lying off the harbour, and I called my men, took my canoe and went off to her, and found her to be the Hamilton of Boston, captain Porter; and he being short of hands, took me and my shipmates into his service, and agreed to give me 12 dollars a month and to raise my wages if he could obtain no hands from the Vancouver on the North-west coast, which belonged to the same owners. We stopped at Waohoo a few days for provisions and water, and then pursued our voyage, and aftera short passage arrived at Tadisco. We tarried here a few days, and traded, and after obtaining wood and water, sailed for Mill- bank Sound ; thence to queen Charlotte's islands, and from thence to Nootfca Sound. From this place we went to Classett. Here myself and some of the crew were sent on •shore for wood i and, the Indian girls came with some berries to trade with us, and one* «f our shipmates went round the point to 7 ft i 74 PATTERSON'S trade witlf them out of our, sight. At this time the ship fired a gun ; and there being many canoes along fide, we thought there was trouble on board, and sprung into our boat and put off; but on looking back, we saw the man that traded round the point, swimming for the ship, with the Indians following after in a canoe, an^stooting arrowjH at him. We^mmediately put about our boat an|pwent to his assistance,but crossing a leef we came nigh upsetting, and weM in confur sion : some were for firing at th^ Indians, but I thought it not best, for ;fear of killing our man in the waterJfebut when we came within a few rods of him the canoe left M||j$ and we picked him up, but found him badly wounded ^§1 the arrows. We (Jarried him along side of the ship, and th|r|pilors seeing what was done, as scion ak:we had got him out of the boat, Hew in a great rage to the arm chestjand Sjith m|jskets opened a brisk fireon thenumer&usinnocentcreatures about ^ifreship, and kjfed a great many, The nex^mojning a canoe came along side with an old \$§man who had brought her daughter, that Jfas wounded the day before from the ship, to have her wounds^ res- sed. We found her wounds to be mortal, and the eaptain's|§lerk gave her freely of Jaudajtum only, to lull her pains|| she died a1:out Ire clays after. m**m NARRATIVE. M In consequence of this unpleasant affair, the Indians were afraid,and refused to trade, but sent offa flag of truce to inform us that they would again open a trade with us, provided wTe would send an officer to lie off in oneof their canoes,which the captain agreed to do ; but they had a plot in their heads to take our ship if possible, all the while : the captain's clerifcj§ient into one of the canoes and lay off. They came on board of our sfaip and were trading, when the old chief gave a shout for all to leave the ship, and for the canoe to run away with the captain's clerk ; but luckily we took the old chief's sister, and the young chief, and two or three ethers. The savages offered the clerk no injury, and on the next morning sent a flag of truce to change prisoners ; provided we would meet them half way. To this we agreed, and myself and five others of the crew were sent armed to meet them ; they also sent a large war canoe with the clerk, and two other can* oes to convoy her. After making toward them, they hauled off so far from our ship that we could but just discover her port holes : but at length the exchange was effected, and I was glad ; for we were too much in their power, if they had been disposed to have risen upon us. The next day we got under we%h, and PATTERSON*** traded up and do^m thefpoast for sevfia! weeks, and then f^^nto Tadisco, and met the Vancouverf|nd Pearl, ptnow asked the captainlSo raise my wages according to agreement, but he declined ? I then asked to be discharged, and it was granted. I theifc went on boardfpf the Pealjas a passenger, and embarked foifthe Sandwich islands, and after a favorable passage arrived ther^l :^ • ^ ClpAP. XIII. :.\ • ■ ' It- uThou Lord the Pilot's part perform, And guide! and guard me thro9, the storm | Defend me from each threatping ill, Control theitvaves, say, "Peace, be still.'9 Third time to the North^weit coast; a trip t& jKoriac, and the coast of California. But, after a few weeks the slip Ocain arrived, and I shipped on board of her for the North-west coast again, and afrBr a very rough passage we arrived safe at New Archangel. Here our captain agreed witjf the Russian governour to go to Koriactg and there take a number ofpndians and theiPj leather canoes, and go to the coast of CMifor~ nia to catch otter, of which we .were to re- eeive%aie half. NARRATIVE. 77 We had a long passage to Koriac, and very heavy winds. We spent the winter at this place, having heavy gales and very cold weather. In the spring we took?t20 Indians and 75 canoes on board,and hieing ready for sea,sailed for the coast of California. After a pleasant passagejyve arrivec^l We dispatched our Indians in their canoes in a^ party on their business. While on this coast, being short of provisions, we sent a boat on shore on an island fo procure seals ; which we obtained, and also a great quantity of fowls' eggs. In this place we discovered a curiosity worthy of noticing here : it appeared that there had been formerly onthis island a volcano, and where the eruption broke out and ran into the sea, it formed an arch about twenty feet high, and in some places five or six rods wide, and a- bout half a mile long. It was open towards the water, and had an aperture at the other end in the top of the mountain, something like the top of a chimney. We walked under this arch on a dry bottom ; and, curious to see, over head the melted lava had run down and cooled, and hung in the form of icicles. We sailed from the bay where we first put in, to another, and thence to an island. At the latter place we saw hundreds of sea ele- 7* .'Li 7\ Patterson's phantsof a very uncommon siziS^ They lay upon the beach exposedjjto the |j|es, by which mean^numberless reptiies^vere produced in their ffe|h||specially on their backs. While here captain Hudson arrivefl in & vesse||wbieh V|§is biiit oiijjjpe of the Sandwich islarifts -r awl being sick, took my discharge from the OeJ|in, with an ojper on|fhe owners at^fc)ston for my wages ; and took passage for the Sandwich islands ;, and after a long passage arrived at Waohoo. I went on shoiH and after a few weeks recovered nr$ health again. .a; . CHAP. XIV* -':,-;-:' "Sailing from land to And, Let stupi<|:mortals know^ The waves are under God's command^ And all the winds that blow." A trip to Canton, and Port yacfaotiM Capt. Perry arriving in the Iflip Maryland, (which was formerly a sloop of war) from the coast of Peru, and being bound to Canton; I ent#ed on board as a passenger, and embarked!! We arrived at one of|the Basheeislands,n|habited by Spaiviards,where we stayed a few weeks. After obtaining sup- NARRATIVES." 79 plies, we sailed, an^, touched at another island in the Chinese sea. Here wejhroeured buffaloe, and other refreshments^ We sailed 'agaip, and after a favorable passage arrived at JMfacao, a Portuguese settlement. Here we took'a pilottand proceeded on » but, I left the Maryland and went to work on board of the Dorothea ; but at length fell in with an English Letter of Marque,belonging to Port : Jackson, captain Camey|and entere|t JacksolF While at this place, onellay when at work v|a the hoId,thereeame a young man ondeck^ and enquired if there were any Americans, on board, and was informed of me. He gave me a call, and after a little conversation I found he had lived in the neighborhood of my father,and informed me that my parents, and brothers and sisters were recently well^ which was very satisfying to me. After a while I fell in with an American; brig belonging to Prov|dence, commanded by E. H. Corey. In this vessel was an Englishman, that wanted to get into the British service, and with him I effected a change^ and went on board the American brig. M PATTERSONS ©HAP. XV. UI ne'er on death or <|png(ir th<|lght, But still kepSfjashing on||| And thus rr|| own cfesfruction sought s From clime to elhpe Ilfee run^;« Sail for the Feegee Islands. On tne first ^fMa^|^^8, we sailed from PortJacksor^ and aftfer a passage pjtwelve daysarrRedat Tongataboo. While lying belli there c||r;e two men to us," John Husk, and Charles l^S^llano^sta^d fbat the Port-ati-prince,an Ehglis}vj|etter of Marque, had been taken by tl^e savages, and a|l the hands massa||ree||, excepting 2ijland they were two ofafche survivors; but the others were on different islands. These men wanted a passage,and we received them on board. They also informed us that a chief by the name of To rid intended to||rse on us. Great numbers of the natives came afong s^fcjtod we had a|fprofit|J)Je trade with them for a number of days. On t||e l^h of May, it being calm, we could not get under weigh, and there came 140 canoes of sayjges a|lpag side and went to trading: at length the chief, who had laid his plans to take us, made his appearance, and we permitted him to come on bojird. «w* NARRATIVE. $t We kept every man to his arms; but soon one of the Englishmen who knew their signs and language, told our captain that a signal was given to attack us ; he asfiSTby whom, and was told by Torki the cfiief, who was setting on the taffil rail. The captain then pointed a pistol at him, at which he fell off backward, and went on board of his canoe. At this time I was unwell, but was called from below by the captain, and directed to- set on the hen coop with a brace of pistols and a cutlass, and not let my weakness be observed, for I was hardly abl# to|walk« The savages were soon dispersed, and we got immediately under weigh. At this place we purchased quite a number of canoes to carry to the Feegee islands io purchase Santle wood. This wood is of great value in India, and is burnt there before the gods, in lfn offerin^of sweet incense; and the most pleasant fans are made of it ; the oil of this wood is a perfume, very delightsome, and is a rich fragrance for furniture. Our voyage to the Feegee islands was principally to procure this article. We ^touched at a number of islands, and on the 20thof June were nighfthe place towhicfe we were bound. 82 PATTERSON S CHAP. XVl.|a .a 6tTho*tless of danger, all at ease, We calmly rode upon the seas ; But in one sudden, fatal hour, The scenes were changed,;-- all was o'er. w Shipwreck near the Feegee Islands, and au.r fr^t getting on shorgMt Nirie. ^On the 20thgpf June 1808, being in S. lat. 17, 40 ; E. long. 179, at about eleven o'clock P. M. the man -who had the look out on the forecastle,ffleeing brakers but just ahead, cried out with the greatest vehemence, and gave uswthe alarm : I then was sick in my bunk belowr, but with the others I jumped out;but before we could get on deck the vessel struck on the rocks. We catched the axe and cut away the rigging, and the masts went over the side; and as they fell broke our whale boat in pieces; but we got the long boat out and put the money in it, to the amount of 34000 dollars; the navigating implements, muskets, a cask of powder and balls, cutlasses, and some of our clothes : we also lashed^ two canoes together, and John Husk, and Wm. Brown, went on board of them to keep them asternlM the long boat and heading the seas, while the rest of us went into the long boat, Our fears were great, that if the vessel went to pieces, we T^ NARRATIVE. Bi should be killed by|the timbers. The violence of the swell and the sea running high, set the canoes a surging, which parted the line they were made fast with, and they went adrift, and Husk being an excellent swimmer, said to Brown I must bid you good bye and swim to the wreck, and he was seen no more; but Brown stayed on the canoes and drifted with them, and fortunately three days after was drove on the shore of the island of Booyer, and six months after met us at Nirie. We lay by the wreck all night in the long bolt, and when day light appeared in the morning, we saw the island of Nirie, one of the Feegees, about nine miles distant from us, and we jtook our two remaining boats and steered for it. The natives seeing us coming, came down in great numbers with their implemeiHJf ofyar, such as bows and arrows, spears and liar clubs, and gave us to understand that they would not injure us if we would give them what we-llad in our boats; and on the condition of our lives being spared, we let them take the whole. vWhiie the natives were carrying their spoil up to the village, I being sick was lagging along behind, when one of them came up to me, and took off my#hat, hi which was my pocket book which contained my protection and other papers; but I gave them to understand that if they would let me retain my papers, they might freely have Eiy hat and pocket book; but they topk|g|j|^ S4 Patterson's papers and rolled them up and putphem thro^ the holes in the rims of their ears and wore them off. They then took from me niy jacket, trowsers an#; shirt, but I could not see what they wanted them for, for they were all naked, and never wore any clothes of consequence. I now was left naked, but was not much ashamed, for all aropte me were in the same condition. As I drew.nigh the village where the officers and the rest of the crew were gone, and were eating of the produce of the island, I saw a great awkward ravage have the captain's silk coat, trying to put it on for a pair of breeches or trowsers 5 I went up to hrm and took and put it on myself, and then took it off and handed it,to him, and he put it on and wore it off; and, notwithstanding my situation I could not but smile for a moment at his ignorance. I found all my shipmates'in the same naked Situation with myself. The captain endeavored to encourage us, and told us that he would try to prevail on the chief to let us have the long boat; and after about one week he procured it and staitePoff with his two mates, and two others, having first col- Pcted as much of the money from the savages as they could, in all about 6000 dollars. When they sat off, the captain called us down to the boat, gave us our charge, and shook hands with us. He told us that he was going to the island of Booyer in hopes NARRATIVE. 3£ of find ing a ship lying there; and if he did he would be back in the course of a week and take us off; he ordered us to- collect what money we could from the savages, and take care of it, which we endeavored todo,though it was attended with considerable difficulty, for it was scattered extensively among the ignorant natives. On parting with the captain, no tongue can tell my |selings ; J then reflected on my past conduct, especially in disregarding my mother, and leaving her as I had done. I retired to a cocoanut tree, and sat down under it and gave vent to a flood of-tears. Those who went with the captain, were, Billy Ellekin chief mate, Seth Barton second mate, Charles Bowen a son of judge Bo wen an the Mohawk river and nephew of doctor Bowen of Providence, and John Holden. The captain found an American ship at Booyer, but did not return so soon as was expected, and not until after Lwas gone from Nirie. He, however, at length came back, but succeeded only to bring off* Jis boy. The savages opposed him, and two of those with him were killed, and several wounded. He sailed for Canton, but before he arrived he put into port in distress, took charge of a Spanish ship, was cast away and died. 8 1 BUI 86 Patterson's Charles Savage, who was with us when we first landed in this melancholly place, could speak the language of this people, and was of great use to us as an interpreter. CHAP, XVII. "With melting heart and weeping eyes, My trembling soul in anguish lies." A Visit toMBeteger, another of the Feegee Is* lands, with an Account of the Religion, and Cust<§ns of the People of Feegee. After we had been a while on the island of Nirie, a chief from another of the Feegee islands called Beteger, came to us,and being much pleased with us, persuaded myself and one of my shipmates, Noah Steere by name, to go home with him. We took all the money we had collected and went. Beteger lies not far from Nirie, and we arrived there in a few hours. The people of this pla||£ were very fond of us, and the chief used to take us over his plantations and shew us his cane, aft. the produce he had growings While on these islands, some of our company having some pumpkin and watermelon seeds, and some com, we planted them ; but before they were ripe, or half grdwn, tjie ig> j NARRATIVE. 87' norant savagesvpicked them, and came tons to know what they should do with them. We told them that if they had let them a- lome until they had come to Imaturity, they would have been a good substitute for bread; but they said sicinSL that is, ho. The food of this country is, yams, potatoes, plantainsj| eocoanuts, bananas, taros, tfreadfruit, human flesh, an inferior kind of swine which- they raise, &c. The breadfruit grows on trees fifteen or twenty feet high, and is as large^as our middling sized pumpkins, and when ripe is yellow. -JThey pluck it and boil it in pofs made of clay, and then take out the core, and place it in a kind of vat fixed in the earth for the purpose; the women then, intirely naked, tread it down with their feet; and after putting on some plantain leaves, cover it with earth. After it is fermented,they take it outjjbid. make it into a kind of dumplings, called by ib^mjnun* rie$H When cultivating their lands, and in their other labours, about noon they generally have a hole dug in the grounds-heated by a fire made in it ; and after they clean out ti]*f coals and ashes, they lay in theiplead bodies, human, if they have any for eating, if gaot, hogs, and also potatoes and yams. On these they place a covering of straw, and then bring on the hot ashes and earth* Af- w $8 • PATTERSON'S ter a few hours they take out the flesh, Sec, and each one receives his share. Their method of tilling the grounefpis by hand to dig up the earth with sticks sharpen- "cd, or levers ; and thenjjwith their,l|ands plant yams and potatoes. Plantains,ind bananas are .raised by separating .^and transplanting the sions each season ; but a- bout all the other fruits of these islands are naturally produced by the soil. These savages are cannibals, andjeat the bodies of their ownmalefactors,and alllhose of their prisoners : WSd as they were continually at war with some of the tribes around theim, and the breach of their own lawrs, in nearly every case wra;s punish^J]|| with deaths they generally had a supply of human flesh. These wretches also eat vermin of almost ev4|&^escrlption ; and if by pulling up a bush or weed, or^y any other means^they meet with worms, they are ajtsure and quick to devour them as dung-hill fowls would be. One day the wife of a chief,having collected a number of lice in her hand from the head of her little son, she beckoned to the chief, who was at a little distance, to come, and in his haste to possess himself of his game, he hurried them too carelessly i|tto his mouth ; of this, it seems, one of the scampering rogues some how took the advantage, and NARRATIVE. made his escape from the grinders down the lane of the chief's throat, and there taking his post to good advantage, he unmercifully choked the poor fellow. Notwithstanding the agony of the chief, Steere and myself could not avoid laughing at his flouncing ; but this offended him much ; ancLafter lie had obtained the better of the cruellittle fellow in his throat, he called fo^his war club and was about to vent his rage on us for not being more solemn on soMistressing an occasion. We thought then that the end of our days had come sure enough, and began to look for the fatal blow, which undoubtedly wouilha\e been given, Had not a young dhief, who was ever a friend to us, interceded in our behalf; by this means our lives were spared, and we escapedt^l^ Their religion appears to be as follows ; each tribe has a man, something like a priest, called RombeUy^ and in the midst of their villages, they have a large building called Booree-curlow, that is, house of the Spirit, for the purpose of their religious devotion; where they worship the sun, moon, and stars. To this sanetuary||he people retire every morning, led by *thei£ Rombetty, whom they follow promiscuously : at the house they appear very solemn and regular ; and apparently seriously retire after thek service isendedta ii m 90 AttersonV In their devotion they have a kind ofsa> crament, using the root called on the Sandwich islands ava, shut angooner in this country. Inghefist place they wash the root clean, and then chew jftpancjja put tt^utoa large plantain leaf,which is as big as a small tea taj>le, which they lay mm hole in the ground, and then pour a small quantity of water to it, and rinse the substance out. This liquor the Romhetty serves out in small plan- pin leaves to his people,and as each one receives it, they all clap their hands and say mannor angooner, which is rjgurning thanks to Godin theiraway. After partaking of this they think they are|fiappy, itfeffect being similai^to that of iaudanhm. Iliieumcision is a sacred rite among the natives of Feegee, and they circumcise their male children when young. A!f their marriages are made by the parents, when their IJiildxen are in infancy ; at whiith time the partiejf gefi together and have a great feast of the best the country affords,^*! partake of the angooner root : and after the young couple arrive to the age of maturity they live together. The chief is a Ho wed e igh t or j en wi ves if he onuses. A- d(dte% is punishqd with the death of both the offenders. If the husband expires before his wife, she is choked to death by putting a bark around her neck, and twisting it with a NARRATIVE. n |pck until she is dead, and they are buried together in the same grave; but if the woman dies first,*the man is suffered to live unmolested. Aud, if the chief dies, having ten wFves, they must all be choked to death and b u ried w itli IBteS It is an abomination among them^to sneeze or break wind, and if one of the lower class happens to do either, the cry is, armat- tee, armattee^that is, that he might die ; but if one of the chiefs, or their wives* shcjuld thus happen to vfe, they say ambuller, ambul- Ur, that is, that he might be vvell. But, one morning a wife of a chief being about to sneeze, she violently seized her nose to prevent it; but as humorous nature was not |g be baffled in this way||ffiere was in a different direction not a little disturbance ; at this comical affair, Steere and myself coukl not well keep from laughing a little ; but the chief was greatly offended, and was about to kill us immediately for our impudence, but a young chief interceded for us and we escaped his fury. M The men of these islands have no other dress but a strip of cloth about six inches wide, and six feet long, bro't up between the legs, and then .passing aroundnfhe waist, with one end hanging down before and the other behind, called marrar. Their hair they burn or searf short, and erect in every direction, dressed with the white ashes of 92 *ATTMS«N*8 the bread fruit tree leaves" made into a kind of paste, and fixed among it. The dresfjfof the wo|fien|Js a bandibout six inches wille, and long enough to j|fll?a- round the wais|| cj^iouslypworked of gftss and bark of different opours, called leeky. This they fix a round'ftheir-middle, with a lock of grass atfeut six inclie^long hanging down before. Their head pg|§||p the hair about six inches long fixedJgrect, scorched or burned w^ith^>rands of fire flS make if furl and keep its place rfihey then place the ash-p||te over the v||pe head|||piich wh^^dry^p- pears like white/tfffr pejwder. jSrSft their heads thusfixed may not' befppled, fp the ailressing injured when sleepr^^f stick cur- iouily worked, of the sizlfbf a walking staff is placed about five inche^fiom tftg ground on small crotches, and on this they lay their heads across not¥far from thepback sjde of one of the|r eail, while the rest of theJ)ody lies on the ground, straw, or a mat, entirely naked. These people are well shaped,/and of comely features in||many instances, their hair blackandnaturaliJSstralght, and tlieirskin of a copper colour, exceptiir^ in a single instance we saw one who was white among them, as Steere and myself were walking out j he was in company with a large collection, and I tfiinking he was an Euroj,ean,and. NARRATIVE $3 being overjoyed, criedjgut,- How fere you, shipmate? but the savages broke out in a great laughter, saying, taw haw, haw haw, peppa longa Feegee, peppa longa Feegee^that is, wl|fte man of Feegee. Whether any others were white among them I never knew.* CHAP-XVJII. /"Should vengeance still my soul pursue^ Death and destruction I must rue, Yet mercy can my guilt forgive, And bid a wretched being live." My dreadful sufferings at Feegee. I was in a poor, lingering and debilitated state of health ; some James I could eat of the produce ofjjie country, and sometimes I could notg-jcelish it, and almost starved for food. ^x would go into the huts and look up to the baskets which hung on the ridge-pole of the houses with provisions in them to keep from the v ermine,--look at the chief's wife and put my hand on my breast and say, sar» beur conur cooue, whkh is, I am hungry, and she would gi\e a piece of yam or potatoe. But, one day when we were very hungry, we took a walk out to ^et some plaritajns, but came to a tree on>whieh they were not ripe ; and in order that we might ijjave some to ea£ 94' BATTERS0NyS gpiother day, we pulled off a few JJnd bus$ed then|in the hot sand to ripen ; but looking up we saw sending on f.hill, a savage, and he made at us full speed with his war elub 5 .Steeie run, but I being lame had to stay and take the worst of it: the savage came up and kicked me over, and kicked me arlfir I was down, and left me for dead ; he then dug up the plantains and carried and shewed them lp|the chief. But I, recovering, gat up and went and entered my complaint likewise to him, Jut he also was angry with me and I could get no redress. I continued growing weaker until my fee- blejlimbs could noSonger support me, and one day in walking out I fell and could not get up ; atjwhieh the savages called Steere to my assistance, and he carried me into the chief's hut. Here I stayed a few days and fared as they did ; but one day they smelling a noisome scent, laid it to a man, in the hut, but he denying it,they charged it fp me. The cjaef then ordered me to be carried out, and placed in a hut they had built for the purpose of putting in yams, but it had stood so long as to be much decayed. For about five weeks I was unable a considerable part of the time, to go out of this hut, or even turn myself, and endured more than possibly can be expressed. All my bedding was only a hard biab map spread on NARRATIVE. 95 the ground, on*which, naked and without a- »y covering I lay. When it rained the water would pour upon me in streams, and the ground under me become mud, and the w$£- ter around me be half deep enough to cov# me.*? In this situation I was often obliged to lie, being unable to move or help myself. Night after night without any human being near me I have spent thus lying in the water and mud ; while peals on peals of thunder, seemingly shook the verjr foundations of the earth, and unremitting streams of lightnings would seem as though volcanoes were bursting in every direction around me. When the storms ceased, and the water dried away from my bed, by day my naked emaciated body was bitten and stung with numerous insects, which constantly, on all days, never ceased to devour me. I was nearly blind with soreness of eyes, the use of one leg entirely gone, and distressingly ajffitieted with the gravel I which were my principal com- jjpaints, together with a general weakness through the whole system, jiff While lying in tliis situation these cannibals would often come and feel of my legs and tell me, peppa longa sar per color en deeni, that is, white marryou are good to eat. We had bullock's hides on board with their horns on, which the savages had taken, and I used to tell them if they would leave off eating their own flesh or human beings, God wo!|ld 96 PATTERSONS send them siidj^^pe as those hides were taken from fe but they said they did not want them,for they .should be afraid ofijbem. The women would also come and. ask me when I was going to die, and I used tojfttj them, when the Lord should see fhvtd %ke me out of the worldp and they would say if they were half so sick they should die right off. ^They ^asked me where l^ame from.; and I told them from America, a land away outof sight:||they then asked me if we lad any women am^ngus^Msaid yes|| but they replied sicingi, that is, no.; I then asked them where they thought we came from; and they pointed .up^fto the sunVandsaid9 peppri tmga tooronga martinasinge% .that is, white men are chiefs from the>"sun ; flftold them no, we had w^en^tpour country and came into the world as||hey did, and that thftr God was ou||God, and thatjfone -God was God over all; but^iey said ourjjGod was a greateffGod than their's. After we found they believed thafouraGod was greater ffifen their's, we ei||eavored to make them afraidjjand told tlfem if they killed us our God would be an||y with them, and they would not conquefttheir enemies,.nbr 'se any thing on their lands. raio^ While confined in my hut the women would come and examine me, to see if I was circumcised, and when the^found that I was NARRATIVE. 97 gplis^hejftwould point their ringers at me jgirid say I was unclean. They used to bring "ipalabashes of water, roll me over, and wash the mud from my body, and by my request stream breast-milk into my eyes to cure them. That we might not lose our time,or dates, we kept the day of the week and month thus; we knew the da|iwe were shipwrecked was th|j20th of June ; we, for then took a spear of grass, and for every clay tied a knot, aijgL for every sunday tiedtwo,one over the other. By this means we found oul when Christmas came. On this day I told Steere we must havesomething better than common to eat ; he then asked me what it could be ? I told him to go out among the sugar canes, and knock over one of the chief's fowls, and take it, and pull up a handful of herbs, and tell the chief he wanted to make me some tea, and so borrow a pot of him, and make him think we wanted itfojthat purpose, while we should beeookingjthe fowl with it. Thus we had our feast, and felt as well, perhaps, as many would ontthe best dainties in America. At length my eyes were some better, and my strength in some small degree restored. And, one dayjoteere travelling along the beach, discovered ja canoe handy to be launched, and h^informed me of it: I told him that I hacj^aniat that we could make a lug-sail of, and on a favorable hour we would 9 ;" 98 PATTEl try to launch thj^cancp and bi off> Being read^ one night Steere came to^meand said, "Sain, the savages are all asleep, aiid we will make an attempt to get away." He took me on his back and carried me down tojihe canoe : we^ook a calabash of Jjaier, sof§eyarr||^ breadfruit, and potatoes We attempted tigfl launch the canoe, jStrtit gp/off a log and partly broke in-two. We got it off to a reef, but it leaked so bad as to be partly filled with water, and we found we must return. We had got back near the beach just as the savages were turning out inline morning. They ran and informed the chief, and he came ih a great rage with his war club to kill us. We fell down on our knees and pleadeda|his clemency, and the young chief our friend, also begged that we might be spared, and finally we were forgiven, and I was returned fo my hut. *i In this situation I lay about three weeks longer j and, during this lime was awfulhgj tempted with the devil: he told me that if I could die, it would be an end to jail, and sometimes he made me believe it; but at o- ther times J was of a different opinion, and attempted to pray, as fijlows1| O Lord spare my unprofitable fife, and enable me to get off this savage island f|andprotect me once'* more over the boisterous ocean to my native country <; and I will try Jry thy assistance to NARRATIVE. 99 seek religion, and become what thou wouldst have me to be. After this I was moved with the insinuations of satan again,and made to believe that all would be well with me, if I should then be dispatched to the world of spirits ; and I put a piece of bark about my neck, and made an effort to hang,, myself, but was so weak that I could not get the bark over the ridge pole of the house, and was unable to accomplish my awful design. CHAP. XIX. "In every object here I see, Something, my heart, that points to thee; Hard as the rocks that bound the strand, Unfruitful as the barren sand, Deep and deceitful as the ocean, And, like the tides, in constant motion." Visit Booyer, and return to Nirie. At length the chief being about to set out on a journey, with his canoes, to the island of Booyer, another of the Feegees, Steere and*myself prevailed on him to let us go with him ; and we arrived there pn the evening of the same day, and were kindly received by the savagely W& PATTERSON'S Durih^^^tthere,on^|orriMg a canoe came tojthis islS^^vith one^iaiflii it, from one of t§ie nftgh^Bing isfl|i|ls, i^ith whorl§ the natives of thi% place %ere af war. He was mistrflslted to be a s|i§r, and the. saj^age^ drew tip a^phdhim, and after discoprsing a %hii#with him, thlplound him to be a ho|S| tile chief, and with^^ub jave hiffca |||io^ blow oio%he side of his heajl, and broke 1^^ such a degree that hilbra^R^ran out at his ears. As we knetif the cannibal custom of these wretches, we told them it was utterly wrong, ancf Jjthat God wo|j|d be angry^with them for eating then1 felll|rbeings^ and to gratify us they agreed toTOury the spy, and took him away p$Sfessedly for that purpose. But, about^urSSiours aftelfl wafftafilhe chief's hu^^id^piece of this human flesh rolled up fix a plantain leaf, was sent in por the chief's wife, and she eat iti I told her what she had been eating||; she denied itat first, but at length owned that the Sfsh ^as of the man that! saw killed. The greednfess Irjf these pejbple, and all cannffolsflfor humanf|fies||is astonisJ|ngiy great f||hd perhaps there is nollevil habt|lso haid to be eradicated as tlfc inhuman olle; it lias been known, that even after the practice has been renounced, and the persons christianized, still a lurking tinkering appetite has remained a long time. |S NARRATIVE. ioi After being here some weeks, and seeing no prospect of getting off, the chief of Nirie Jnrrived, and he persuaded us to go back with him to his island again. il was now on the spot where I first landed from the wreck, and fell in company with two of my other shipmates, Brown, who drifted fromthe wreck on the canoes, as is mentioned before, and a black fellow. CHAP. XX. "Hope now revives that I once more, Shall see my long'd for native shore. And all the powers of science fail, The raptures of my soul to tell." My departure from Nirie, to an American Ship 0gt Booyer. |§g Seeing no other prospect of relief,we prevailed on the chief to let us have an old canoe that they had condemned, and we patched it up, and consulted with Brown and the black man, about going to the island of Booyer in search of a ship. John, the black man, agreed to go, but Brown said the expedition was too dangerous, and should decline going, and he wont and joiped the chief to whom he had belonged, to assist 9* m 102 PATTERSONS j&jjn figl^his^^Lles^k|bej^^he^at war* Some of our infm w^|so jfhwise, as to go with tbjl natives i^^|^irbattles|vith uiu^ kets, ai^killpiangof|he Opposite part^ who had gfgyer^^^g^ffithem, and plea|ed th^r em^yers muc^aS^hey were extremely afraid of a gun, and sjdom wot^d fire one themselves,; .andy^lien^^^BieyM^, the^ would puf£ anff at rfie samei^itant drop the pi^jbe ohjj^e groiu^E and s|piag fi^m i^hat it miB|^pMick thfim over, <|r tu^ itsthurjj| ^ej|^flrft' them. Ti^^^mditio^^a whicSiwe obtained the olcplfhoe, was, a^the cMef expeejed Jfhat I mjf|t d|I soonSkeere and Jo||n were to take majoalhe islaqdSyf Booj^^^^^figut me ote bc||rd of afship wl||ch h£kne^ had gone the^e, and get ktggps, beadsl. scissors, and whales' teeth, ahp br|§g t|era to him as a present. We having on boar^pate^yams, and potatoes, and bein^readyj|o depart, the chief and the savages came down, and bought some angooner, and .^^i^took withjphe|i| in tliej.r sacramgyQ^nd theg||dshed us good su^ess. One of the natives gat into our canoe with us and piloted us p^^the^eef, which lay a- bout one mile anSa half from the shore. He r#i narrative. 103 fl then with his war club, which they always carry with them, jumped overboard and swam to the shore. This was aljput nine o'clock in the morning, and we stood on with ib$ trade winds, running about five miles an hour, and at sunset%e were out of sight of land. We run on all that night with fresh breeiff es and squalls. The next morning we saw a canoe running down for us, and were much affrighted. The guy that held our mast failed, and our sail went overboard ; it was with difficulty we spliced our guy and got our mast up again. By this time the canoe with the natives came up with n% and they seeing we were whiteyiien cried out, taw haw, haw haw, peppa longa na wanka matta, that is, the white men of the ship that \#s broke.aThey held up some provision that was cooked, and asked us if we were hungry ? and if we wanted some meat ? We told them no ; for we were afraid of them, and did not chuseto have them come on board of us. We steered on aoout two hours Ionger,and Steere cried out, "Sam. I see a sail, I sea a sail !" I told him that I guessed it was one of the savages'double canoes : but he said, no, for he could see her courses, and her topsails.' My eyes being sore at that time I could not see far; but after a little while having run on further, I could clearly discover a *.*i' 104 Patterson's saffimyseff. We strove to make a|iead a$fask as we could,in order to fall in; wit§^ the vessel if possible, but she sailed muchpister than we, and soon lefttrfftt a greater distance in the rear Be^ng ouffof hopes of coming up wjjh the sail^Khad seen, we looked away to the leeward and saw the land, which proved to be the island of Booyer. We steered on after the unknown sail, thinking it would be a good guide for us. The vessel ran round the point of Booyer on tli|> account of shoal water, ^ad we steei^J ed acrosppBnt hadlike to have been upset in the breakers ; we got over the reef, but soon lost sight of the vessel, in consequence of the sun going down ; but we looked away ahead and saw some mangrove bushes, and took fhemto be the land ; but when we gatjiip to them and finding them to be bushes, we run in among them, in order to make the canoe fast, and lie there all night. My two shipmates lay down and went to sleep, and left me bailing out the water from the canoe with a calabashshell: obout ten o'clock I gat the water all out, and being "weary and sleepy, not having slept any the night before, I put my hands on my knees and laid my head in them and fell asleep,. Ho\V long I slept I know not j but when t narrative* 105 \ m awoke the canoe had sunk. My shipmates awakingycried out,^Sam. what did you let thereanoe sink for ?" The roots of the mangrove bushes prevented the canoe from g«- ing to the bottom. Steere and John climbed up on the bushes, in order to keep out of the water; but I being lame, and not able to climb, reached up and took hold of the haul- yard and pulled myself up; but at the top of high water, every sea that came, wen$ ovdiy my head ; between'the seas I was just able to catch my breath ; and in this situation, naked and distressed, I hung until morning, when the tide fell away and left the canoe bear. We bailed out the water, and hoisted our sail again. Hearing the savages talk on the land, we were greatly alarmed, for fear they would come on board and rob us, and kill us ; for, we had on board all the money that we had collected at Nirie. But, about seven o'clock in the morning, the tide rose so that thecan- oe floated again, and we steered on round the island, in order to find the ship we saw the day before. When we had sailed on about one and half hour, Steere cried out, "Sam. I seethe vessels J" I looked up, and beheld them about two miles distant, and cast my eyes up to heaven, and returned hearty thanks, though at that time I wa? a poor abandoned sinner. a • 106 IjMTerson's We ran on to the^iighest vessel, and it proved to be the brig favorite of Port Jackson in New Holland, commanded by captain Camel,who commanded the Letter of Marque that I went on board of in India, and had the same chief mate, Arnold Fisk an American, son of Isaac Fisk of Cranston in Rhode Island. My companions jumped up out of the canoe on board of the vessel; and being so overjoyed to find themselves once more out of tjie hands of savages, they neglected to tell the ship's crew that I was lame, and wanted assistance. After being along side in the canoe a few sainutes, one of the saitors looked over the side of theyyessel, and said, "Shipmate, why don't you come on board, haven't you been there long enough without a shirt ?" ^replied that I had lost the use of a limb, and if 1 got on board I must have assistance. They immediately rove the man-ropes, and jumpecMown, and helped me up on board of the vessel. I was an object of pity ; the use of onedeg entirely gone, so weak that I was not able to stand, and my body burned with the scorching sun in such a manner, that I, was blistered from the crown of my head, to the sole of NARRATIVE. toy my feet; even the rims of my ears were blistered. My shipmates brought me a shirt, and pair of trowsers : and they brought us a bottle and gave us a drink of grog, ajfel a chew of tobacco. I looked rojund, and thought if there was any heaveiffl had got to one, in being out of the hands of savages, and on board of an European vessel. Breakfast being ready, we went down and eat. We enquired what other two vessels those were in sight, and were told that one was the General Wellesley of London ; and the other, brig Elizabeth of Port Jackson. We asked them what day of the month it was, and they told us; we overhauled our sffiing of nots, and found we were correct with the exception of one day, which we had lost. On board I fell in with Wm. Shaddock, who was cast away with us, and had got on board of the Favorite before us. I stayed on board of this brig three days, when she sailed, and we went on board of the General Wellesley. A few days after this, Steere and * John agreed to take a canoe, with some of the natives of Booyer, and return to Nirie, to buy, i 108 PATTERSON'S or collect the remainder of the money of thk. brig Eliza, the vessel in whichg^e were cast away, which was^cl^fel among the savages there^For this purpose they took cloths, kiilyes^scissors, beads, axes, chissels, and pieces of ivory made into the form of whales' teeth ; but, before they left the vessel,Steere and ||hn disagreedfand took each of them a separate canoe, with a number of the savages," and proceeded on their Voyage, arme% with muskets, spears, and clubs. On their passfg^ they fell in with some hostile &t|ves^f^ranother island, in canoes, and armed wit&war clubs and spears, with whom they had a severe skirmish : their design was to possess themselves of the goods on board* In the defence, John was. killed with a spear thrown through his body ; but Steere opening a brisk fire upon them, they were soon repulsed, and he went on his way without being further molested. Steere succeeded in collecting a considerable sum of the money,and returned on board of the Gegeral Wellesley, and joined Shaddock and myself. We lay here about seven weeks, when we sailed round to the other side of the island, where we fell in with the ship T—— of New York, captain Brlmiey & and we were I a NARRATIVE. 109 sent on board of he% wjfh all our money. The captain having a plenty of provisions, was willing to receive us, and agreed to carry us where thelegwas a consul, to be further provided for. !§ I knowing the boatswain, 'and several of the hands being men that I had sailed with before, I advised the boatswain, or some of the men to take charge of the money in my care ; but they refused, for fear their chests would be broken open and robbed. But the cjaptain took it into hiseare, agreeing to give it up when we should arrive in Canton. CHAP. XXL "Adieu, ye cannibals, adieu,. To happier shores I haste from you ; O that the pow'r ofjight divine, Into your savage souls may shine." Sail for China. We continued on |f board of the T- about three months before we sailed ; when. being ready for sea, we weighed anchor, and proceeded for Canton. After a pleasant voyage of six weeks, we arrived at Macoa, and after getting refresh* Patterson's ments, and a pilot on boardJLwe sailed and came to anchor eighteen miles below Canton. The ship lay here some months, but capt, Brumley went immediately up^l^Cantoh in his boat,and here hejlawthe American consul, anS informed him that he had^Kree men on board, who were shipwrecked on the Feegees^anoptold htm of the moneyllwe had say^|Prorpfthe wreck, which was in his possession. The consffl advised that we and the money should be cgmmittect|o his care, and we accordingly w&eiilac eel on his handsj and the money was^eIiverfi;to him. Tlfis was in juiy, 1809..^^" :; jg*jj£: r At first|Ke consul appeared to be unwilling to believe but what I was an Englisfp man ; but he^was convinced to the contrary, and used me with great kindness : and, my heart can never lose a tender affection for his great goodness to me in my bitter afflict* ion. NARRATIVE. Ill m m, m CHAP. XXII. "For home I see my friends depart; Whilejrremain with heavy heart, And drill through dull & cheerless trains, Scarce preferable to savage scenes." My Shipmates sail for America, and I take a Cruise with the Chinese against their Enemies. Steere having the use of his IhnhsJ and being able to do duty, went on board of the ship G—, captain Grenville, bound to Boston, and thus he succeeded to get home ; but I, being lame, remained on the consul's hands a number of iponths longer. My other shipmate sailed for New York. In the course of my stay here, Ihe Chinese were at wafj, and they employed an Eng- glish ship, called the Mercury, captain Williams : she was manned out by Europeans, and the consul put me on board of her as a gunner's assistant. Being ready for sea, we sailed; and cruising about the Chinese sea twentyfour days, fell in with nothing of importance. We returned again, and I was sent immediately on the consuls hands as be- for™ After about three weeks, the Ann and iW lis PATTERSON S Hope of Prof id ence, Rhode Island, agrived here, captain Daniel Olney commander. This ship belonged to the same men, that the brig belonged unto,Ja which I was shipwrecked. My heart rejcfeed at this circumstance, and I was very sure in my mind uo\^ of a passage home. #'., , . $jjM t |p •": The ship lay *here about six weeks before shelwas ready for sea &nd, onfrniorning asj£T was sitting in a doo^ smomig, I saw captain Olney coming along, anqE being told that it was the last time hewoup be on snore before he sailed, I called to him, and asked Sim if he cG^uld give me a passage home ?j|!RjEt he answered that Me could not, as he had more handlr^anahe had provision for already. This reply wentjo my heart like a naked sword. & NARRATIVE. 113 )> ygCHAP. XXIfl.S ^Distant regions now farewell, To my native climes 1 sail: Blow, ye winds, ye tempests cease, Heav'n protect me o'er the seas.' My return to America. Not long from this, the Baltic of Providence arrived, commanded by captain Jonathan EbornJI he came up to Canton, and the consul informed him of me, and asked jjtim if he knew such a person. Captain Eborn came ancentered into conversation with me, to find where I belonged, and on his first speaking to me I called him by name, shook hands with him, and told him who I was,— that I was an apprentice to him when I was a boy, and that he was the first man that I' sailed with. He asked me what my name was ; I told him, and that I was his apprentice boy when he sailed out of Providence in Butler's employ. After recollecting me, he seemed to be much affected with my misfortunes, and told me to get ready, and go with him down to his ship, and he would take me home. My joy I cannot describe; I went with the captain on board of the ship, happy in 10* 114 Patterson's the prospect of once more seeing my native country, fl I found on board a number of hands I was acquainted with whe^ I was a boy,and I fared uncommonly well, on any thing the ship afforded. A AjSength all things being ready, in Janu- ary,fplO, w| sailed for the Unitedj|iates of America. After being out a few days, it was discovered that our provisions were short, and all hands were put on an allowance, but I fared as well as the others*^ Our passage was favourable ; and, we touched at a|risland, where we lay a few if ays, and got a number of turtles, and a few goats, which were a great help to lengthen out our provisions. "Littleflo the happy know, How to feel forsons of wo ; They have pleasure, flatt'ring peace ; Strangers unto keen distress. But, with all their glowing glee, Never yet these once did see, Half the pleasure an&thej)liss, Which does now my heart possess. I have felt the^adMgrief; Far from every kind relief j NARRATIVE. 115 Naked, sick, alone, and lame, Far from every tender name : Now to see a prospect rise, To behold my native place ; Gives a pleasure, I believe, Thousands never can conceive. None hut those who Jong have known, Rending sorrow pressing down, Ever can have power to tell, Raptures which J now do feel. Now I sail from regions wild, Where my nether springs were ehill'd-; Now the winds shall waft me o'er, To my happy native shore. I have seen the worlcVabroad, Plow'd the briny ocean road ; Now my soul transported chimes, Happy, happy native climes. Could Americans but guess, Half the blessings they possess, They would view their native cliffs, Crown'd with heaven's highest gifts SK- Now I hope to see again, Long estrang'd Fredonia's plain Mortal tongues can never show, Pleasures like to those I know." 116 ON S Afteftfftpassage of about ffve rrlftft^ and a half, from China, roundfitpe Good H IPlTTERSON^S /gfess, it wjjjfc, undoubtedly, blessed for the greatest good to my precious soul ; and was closely connected with the greatest mercy of Iieavep to me. The greatest afflictions which we meet wMppare often productive of the greatest blessings whicj| we experience. SickneJI is one of the means|rhich God of|Sh makes use of, to bring sjjjuls to the knowledge o||his soil Jesus Christ. Indeed,.Ii^ppea4^ha% nothing but some deep^pstres|§ and;f|hai?re- peatedly, will bring some people to consideration ; and that their souls may not l>j^|p% he suffers the sorrows of death to get hold of them. Andjluch sorrows, even the deepest troubles, when sanctified, aielfar betlbr for ns, then all the pleasant things of this ^orld, if,|f|nth an unthankful heart w^are^uflered ® possess the tender mercies of heat|$n. Whatever, as means, effects our burning to God, we l^iild bless his name unfeighedly for, and always, in whatever conditiorf|bf existence we may|be in, use our utmost endeavour to learn to resignJS§ NARRATIVE. CHAP. XXV. "Lord, obediently Fllgo, Gladly leaving all below ; Only thou my leader be, Jesus, I would follow thee. Long I've urg'd a wretched course, Straying farther, growing worse ; From my childhood to this day, I have press'd the downward way. Thus I still had rush'd along, Harden'd 'with the giddy throng, Had notiGod,' in sore distress, how'd the misery of my case. Ii My Christian Experience. In giving the account of the work of grace on my poor immortal sout, it will be necessaW iy to go back ; and some things may here be mentioned, which have been touched upon in the precedingchapters* It possibly may be the case, that the relation of my conversion from the kingdom of darkness, may not, in some particulars, correspond with the experience of every one, who are real christians: it is my opinion that scarcely any two give exactly the same account on every point; but in this, I think, all agree, all can say, who love our Lord Jesus Christ, "One thing I know, that, whereas 11 "i. wmmm m 22 PATTERSON'S 1 was blind, now I see." We may be led different means, but every child of God is led through Christ to him ; and^SJ; who know that their Redeemer lives, kneSraibat they ©nee were dead in tresspasses and in sins,|||| that they were saved by the free grace of God in ChMst. I shall endeavofl to give an ungarnished statement of the mercy which God for Chrifjfs sake alone, has had on me a,perching sinner. My greatest deife is, that God may be glorified ;.and, for this end, I would speak of his goodness, to the children o§ men. And, kind readerfwho ever thou art,while you are here beholding wk^t the Lord has done for me, remember the words of Christ ^0 Nicodemus, when he said unto him "Efea cept a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is a subject of the first and the most momentous importance for every one to attend unto. But, to proceed. At the time when I was sick at Havannah with the yellow fever, being about seventeen years of age, my sins were brought like mountains before me, and I verily believecl^hat if I died in the state that I then«|tiewed myself to be in, I must be forever miserable. I made the Lord ma- %ry, promises, that if he would raise me up a« il NARRATIVE. 123 gain, and restore my health,by Jhe assistance of his grace, I would lead a new life ; and the Lord looked in mercy upon me, heard my cry, and granted my request. But, alas I soon were all my promises broken. My repentance was like to the morning cloud,- and early dew, which soon do disappear, too common for sick beds. Was it not for the longsuffering goodness, and the forbearance of heaven, what would become of the poor soul that can trifle with his promises to Almighty God ? I went on ; when in gales of wind, or any peculiar danger, I still made fair promises., till I had so many times broken them, that I was actually afraid to make any further engagements. At length when shipwrecked among cannibals, stripped of all my clothes, naked, and exposed to rays of the burning sun by day, and chilling dews by night; sick, hungry, faint, and helpless, 1 again renewed my vows to God, and once more promised, that if he would spare my unprofitable life, and protect me over the boisterous ocean to my native land, I would seek and serve the Lord in faithfulness, i was so ignorant of GoO, and rayselnas not to think that he was every where present, and that I could serve him there as well as at home. fj 124 Patterson's The Loid was pleased, in tender mercy, to spare my lUe, arid bring me to see my beloved native country again. At Providence* when my shipmates carried mecftshore, and helped me on to the wharf, I there on my knees for a short space lifted up my heart in thanks to God. My heart being unrenewed, I had not a porper sense of God's mercies, and the obligations I was iaid under for all his benefits to ine-; T still went astraj|| The promises I made when among||he savages, I soon forgot, and pursued the slippery paths of sin. While I continued at Providence, there was'a great reformation at: Bristol, where I frequently visited,||nd attended meetings I heard the converts express their joys, and relate their experiences, and my mind was again arrested by the Mighty Spirit of God ; but, to my sorrow, I grieved-the Heavenly Dove by still continuing in ungodly company, and pursuing wrong practices. At length, in my distressing sickness, occasioned §|i the cold which I took at the Archright. factoryp my sins again were brought like mountains before me and 1 was brought to a realizing sense that I ..stood on slippery r%cks, while fiery billows roli'd be-* nelth. My pain of body and soul was in=» NARRATIVE. expressible, and seemed impossible to be endured. Here suffer me to remind my kind reader, how extremely improper? and dangerous it appeared to me to put off and delay a preparation for death, till we are laid upon a bed of languishing sickness ; and have we not reason to fear-, that this is the case with a great many ? While in health and prosperity, they put faraway the evil day, and when sickness and distress come upon them, and death, the king of terrors stares them in the face, the great concerns of the soul, like mountains of lead roll upon them : this is often too powerful for the.strength of the wellj and how poorly circumstanced is the sick, and dying sinner, to endure the pangs of pungent conviction! then the arrows of the Almighty are within them,the poison whereof drinketh up their spirits: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against them. |§| i|| Again my former promises were brought clearly to my view ; and though I knew it was in the power of God, to snatch such a rebel as I, from eternal burnings; yet I could not think the blessed God would condescend to have mercy on me, who had so many times made vows and promises, and as often broke them. 11* wi 126 PATTERSON S While in the midst of my distress, both of soul and body, one morning a pious and godly woman, Mrs. Potter by name, (since dead,) came to visit me, and as she opened the door and came in she called me by name, and asked how I did %§|. answered that I was very poorly. She replied, u J perceive it,and I do not think you are long for this world." I told Mrs. Potter that I thought I could not continue long in the condition I was then in. She then asked me if I wished her to pray with me ? My heart being too full to answer in words, I expressed my willingness by a sign with my head. This holy and|humbfe daughter of Abraham kneeled down by the side of my bed, and with uplifted hai^|s and heart, she prayed in good earnest for me : it really appeared as though she had power, with God anil that in her wrestling, like Jacob, she prevailedlin mybehalfy After this she gave me some exhortation, and promised to visit me again ; which she often did during my sickness, to my great comfort and satisfaction. To visit the sick is a religious duty, clearly set forth' in the word of God, and when properly performed, is often blessed,both to the sick and the well. When low, pained and NARRATIVE. confined, the presence of a fiend may be strictly considered according to the words of the wise man, when he sarfth, "Iron sharp- eneth iron : so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Those who have been confined, know the satisfaction of a visit from a cheerful and.pious friend ; it seems to bind up their wounds, and heal their sorrows. The visits of God's people to the sick, especially to the suffering sheep of the flock of Christ, he receives as being done to himself. A little advice and prayer on such occasions, if regulated by prudence, should always be attended to, excepting in some peculiar eases, which very seldom occur. On the same day that Mrs. Potter visited me, rev. Benjamin Sabin called to see me,and after having some conversation with me respecting the state of my mind, he read, and explained on, the twentieth chapter of the gospel written by St. Matthew, and this gave me to understand that there was a fullness in God to save me, though I came in at the eleventh hour. It now being necessary for him to depart,he prayed with and for me, and gave me the parting hand. The next day Mr. Davis called to see me, and after conversing, and praying with me3 he sung the following W$ mm ''T&'TTERSON'S Why should we start and fear to die ! What tim'rous wlprifs we mortals are ! Death is the gate to endless joy, j And yet we dreadfp enter there. The pains, the groans, the d^ng strife, Fright our approaching souls away, And we shrink back again to life, Fond of our prisonpid ggil|elay. O if my Lord would come and^neet, "m My s|jul would stretch her wings in halite, Fly fearlessffchrough death's iron gate. Nor feel the terrors%s she pasfE Jesulean make a dy^ig bed, Feel soft ^s downy pillars are, Whi^ on his breast, J lean my head, And breathe my life out speetly there. He gave me to understand, that I must pray for myself; but it really appeared to me that I was such a sinner that if I attempted to pray, my prayers would not reach higher than my head. After he left me, remained without any essential alteration three or four days: till at length, on the twenty ninth of March, 1813, while lying and meditating on death? NARRATIVE. 1%% Judgment and eternity, and so weak in body that 1 could scarcely be heard from my bed room to the kitchen, the Lord broke in upon me with the light of his reconciled countenance, and swept my load^of guilt away. My strength was so renewed, as that i could shout the high praises^of God ; the neighbors heard my triumphs of joy, and flocked in to behold a wonder of mercy. Some appeared to have but alight opinion of my raptures, and bade me bestiif|; but I exhorted them to seek the Lord while he might be found, and to call upon him while he is near. Like Bartimeus j I cried but the louder, or with the more zeal, for the objections against me. The elements seemed to be changed, and this passage of scripture came fresh in my mind, viz, "Ask, audit shall be given you, seek and ye shall find ; knock and it shall be opened unto you : for every one that asketh, receiveth : and he that seeketh, findeth : and to him that knocketh,it shall be opened." It appeared to me that there was a fullness in Christ enough to save a lest and perishing world of mankind ; and if any were cast of? at the great day of accounts, when all must appear before the tribunal bar oi-God to give an account of the deeds done in the body, the Warne must eventually be on their :-ul HI 130 Patterson's own shoulders. It appeared that God had so laid the plan of salvation, that it was free, and all that would come, might come and partake of the water of life freely. I felt at this time such a resignation to the will of God, that I dared not pray to be restored to my former heafth, nor to be taken away ; but my prayer was, O Lord, not my will, but thine be done. I remained much in this state until the 22d of May following, in which time I re- coverd my health so far, as that by the grace of God, I went forward in the ordinance of baptism, administered by rev. J. Winch, and made a publick profession of religion. To make a publick profession of the christian religion, is a solemn thing, and never will be an honour and ornament to me, unless I adorn that. I am not insensible of my need of daily assistance to live to||the glory of God. And may the Lord, enable me to overcome every besetting sin, and to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. I have lost the days of my youth and vigour, in the service of the enemy of souls, and now I have but a poor palsied body to render as a living sacrifice to God. How just it would have been, had 1 been left to perish in my sins, but how unsearchable are the NARRATIVE. 131 riches of Christ! and as a brand plucked from the fire, may I but live a life always governed by his holy and blessed precepts. But should it ever be suffered to be the ease, that I should come short too often, yet never may any be so unwise, as from such an unhappy,circumstance, to think true religion not of divine origin, nor of the greatest importance. g& "God of my life on thee I call, And humbly at thy feet I fall. When the great waterfloods prevail, Leave not my trembling heart to fail. The billows swell, the winds are high, Clouds overcast my wintery sky ; Out of the depths to thee I call, i* My fears are great, my strength is small. Does not thy sacred word proclaim Salvation free in Jesus'name ? To him I look and humbly cry, O Lord protect when danger's nigh. Amidst the roaring of the sea My soul still hangs her hopes on thee* Thy constant love, thy tender care, Is all that saves mo from despair. Dangers of every shape and name Attend the followers of the Lamb, . 132 Patterson's *» jSSpjSb leave the world's deceitful shore And leav|ii&o return no more|| Though tempest-toss'd and half aft reck, My Sayiolir through the floods I seek, Let neither winds ncfr stormy pain Force liack my shattered bark again. Frien||?of the uSeiedy, unto thee I everlwill direct my plea ; Does not thy word still fix'd remain, That^none^shali seek thy face in vain." That were a grief I could not bear, Didst thou not hear and answer prayer j But a pra} erlieaipbg, answering God Supports me under every load." Narrative. 33 •li CHAP. XXVI. ^Checker'd are the scenes of life, Now we've joy, anon have grief; Vanity of vanities, Mingles with all earthly joys. rGroaning here beneath our load. Rest alone we find in God, Sick or. weary, poor or faint, Christ can happify the saint. Those who once the Lord have known. Cannot rest when he is gone, Nor can any have his peace, But resigning all for grace." A few Occurrences, and Conclusion. Being again able to be abroad, tinder seii* ous disadvantages,! found it necessary to endeavour to exercise what little prudence and economy I possessed, to live without being a burden to my friends. My health was such as that I could not do any work of conse- queirce for my support; and the probability is, that I shall continue almost a helpless cripple through life. The use of one of my legs is so gone, as that there, is no prospect of my ever having it restored to me again. Through the expense of my sickness, and other means, my money began to run short, and I spent the summer of 1813, and a part ** li IU PATTERSON'S * u of the autumn following, among my friends and relations ;^ind late in the fall I went to a sister's in Thompson, where I spent the wintert| In the spring of 1814, I went to Bristol, and went to school about six months. My palsied, leg being like a dead weight a- bout me, and all hopes being given up of its recovery, about this time a skillful surgeon of Providence, advised me to have it amputated, believing it would be mucJ^por my comfort and benefit. Accordingly a number 6f my friends contributed about twenty dollars for the purpose ; but, not being able to procure enough more for the expense, I gave up the idea. l||l called on those who had given for amputation, and told them that f was obliged to relinquish the proposed operation for the want of more money, and offered to return them what I had received,but no one would accept of it again, and I retained it for other uses. Late in autumn of this year, I visited in the country, and in the winter following HpJ turned to Bristol, and in the spring of 1815s went to work with a sailmaker, where I $ould busy myself a little. NARRATIVE. 135 About this time, at Bristol, I took passage on board the brig Friendship, for Martinico* I made this voyage for the benefit of my health, which was in some small degree relieved, but my lameness continued as before. On this voyage I carried a little property, sometimes called a venture, to make some advance upon ; but the market being uncommonly supplied, it was rather of a disadvantage to me. The following winter I spent at Gloucester, living with a brother ancfgoing to school. The spring and summer of 181€>, I spent a- mong my friends and acquaintance until July, when I visited my twin-sister,married and living in Cheshire, whom I had not seen for about fifteen years. jg| Arrangements being now made for the publishing my narrative, it occasioned me a number of journeys to different parts of New England. The subscriptions, and assistance which I have liberally received from many, and of the first characters, I feel a gratitude for,and would respectfully acknowledge. All classes of people have been exceeding kind to me in my affliction, scarcely a heart, ©r hand has been shut against me, but have mm Ml fS& Patterson's administered to my necessities, as opportune ties have presented. The last winter, of 1816-17, I have boarded at Cheshire, iii the family of my sister, bht now, like a pilgrim, I have neither hous nofeome ;- buirwould, in the best way that providence shall present, like a dependant creature on God, seek a subsistence among my fellow beings, Thus the reader has seen the run of the events of my life,and has had a brief account of the variated scenes experienced by an unfortunate man. it: I have not a wish to justify any thini wrong in any part of my life ; but have abun» dant reason to be humble before God and Mian, for much which surely has been improper at many times. When I was young, I was suffered too much to ramble at my own pleasure, as can never but be injurious to youth -r and it is my sincere advice to child* ien, not to tl|ink they are men, when young, and knowing but a little of the world. Much will it be for the happiness of the rising generation, to be regulated by their superiors, taking advice from those who are eider than they. Children may think it a hardship to be rest rained, but for the want of it,in them is of* NARRATIVE. ten laid a foundation for the worst of evils in riper years. I warn children to honour and comfort their parents, that it may be well with them: the tears of parents, wrung out by the disobedience of ungodly children, are bottled in heaven ; and in repentance, or deep affliction, will cause floods, with great bitterness, to flow from the^yes of those who are so a- bandoned as to thus abuse the means of their existence. Because parents may be poor, and not respectable in every particular, is no excuse for children to slight them. If they are poor, they may be virtuous, and their poverty but makes it the more necessary for them to be comforted by their beloved offspring; if they are not so honourable as could be wished, the vices of their children will sink them the deeper indisrespectabiiity. There is no excuse for children not to possess a filial heart. Abuse, and neglect of parents is a crime ranking with those of the first magnitude. What would I not give that I could but once more see my mother in this world* that I might unfold the feelings of my heart to her. I hope all will forgive the foibles of my youth ,and also all my errors of older life. 12* 138 Patterson's Brother SAILORS^Jfrom my youth I hafe been acquainted with your avocation °9 I have realized your pleasures, and your fears and sorrows ; I have seen something of your successes, but much of the .misfortune incident to a seaman's life. The dangers of the seas are many, bat those who remain upon our happy shores are not their own keepers ; wdiether on land, or on theboister- cMsocean, God alone can keep us safely. He that rides upon the stormy skies, and thunders J|hen he pleases, can calm the raging- roaring waters. His wonders are to be seen injhe deep, and men of your profession are highly privileged with the voice of God in hisaprotjpdence. Seeing then your depend-* ancejpn G^d,aj|d the greatnessof his power, be persuaded by the love which I have for yo% and your clearest peace, to fear his name. May you never be so imprudent as to lightly use his great and terrible name \ for he will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Is it not too often the case, that Mrhat is called swearljlg, becomes like a second nature with some of you 1 On one hour, while pleasantly riding on the ocean, th© most inconsistent oaths are heard ; on the next,when death and destruction rise in dreadful forms, that same tongue, which was just before blaspheming the God of heaven, now in the bitterest cries, is beseeching the same God for help ; my affectionate brothers, these things ought not so to be* NARRATIVE. 139 Profane swearing is an evil of all others, one that can afford a reflecting person the least fancied satisfaction. It is also inconsistent with the gentleman and so important a part of the community as you are, and never fails in any one of whatever rank, to let his reputation down to the dust, in the minds of all good and considerate men. It has such an unreasonable appearance, for a- ny mortal, who must drop his body for worms to eat up or to be otherwise consumed, and whose immortal spirit must fall disembodied into the hands of Almighty God, not to reverence him with the most respectful language, that whosoever can trifle with his name, ought injustice to sink into the lowest contempt among rational beings, that any creature in this world can be hurled into by the united disdain of all mankind. But, dear sirs, I am not a stranger to the power of habit, I do not say the power of temptation ; for I cannot see any thing a- mong beings of sense, that can be originated by them, that can tempt a dying creature to swear; but the habit is so powerful, and sa- tan who ever is your enemy, is so ready at your elbow, that without exertion, you will most likely continue in the use of this bane of civilized society, till your tongue is silenced by death. Then make the attempt, try to break the charm, it can be overcome. 1 Patterson's ||| Swearing is but the scum of depravity, ov* erflowing front the rising of fche heart against our Maker, and must always leavela sting behind when ever reflection takes place. If you would overcome this foolish and insipid sin, avoid those things which will have a natural tendency to excite it. fHatan well knows that this is a God provoking and Heaven daring crime, and that the MOST HIGH will make a signal display of his wrath against it. Hence you may expect that the enemy of mankind will be ever laying the most fatal snares to entangle you in this wickedness. ||| I know of nothing that so readily introduces this sin as intemperance. J|If you would :afebicl this damning vortex, be temperate in the use of ardent spirits. When the natural spirits of life are not enflamed by strong drink, it is impossible for the enemy to obtain that advantage over you, as he may with ease when you have not been careful to keep out of his snare. Guard against every thing that may disturb the peace of a happy sailor. Love and reverence God, who-rs always good to you ; have an affection for your fellow men ; and that you may be excited to this, become well acquainted With the HOLY l^IBLE ; this book shews us the greatmercy of God unto us, and un- yeils our obligations to each other, and if we NARRATIVE* ut take it for our guide, we shall love and adore our heavenly parent, and regard all his people as children of the same family. You are a numerous and respectable part of our fellow citizens; your calling i^ of great consequence to the world; without your services America could not maintain her tide of national glory ; and as is your importance** so may your happiness be. May you truly become the subjects of the kingdom of heaven, and exercise all the graces of true religion ; may your rights be ever protected, until you have crossed the narrow sea of life, and are safe, and forever blessed on the blissful shores of immortality. I will now close in. a song composed for my BROTHER SAILOR. YE sons of the main that Sail over the flood, Whose sins are high mountains That reach up to God, Remember the shgflEf voy'ge Of life soon* wi lien d; O come brother sailor Make Jesus your friend. 142 PATTERSON'S Look a-stern on your life see Your way mark'd with sin ; Look a-head see what torments You'll soon founder in ; The hard rock of death will Soon beat out your keel; Your vessel and cargo Will all sink to hell. Lay by your old compass, 'Twill do you no good, It ne'er will direct you The right way to God ; Mindfeyourhelm brother sailor And don't fall asleep, Pray and watch night and day lest You sink in the deep. Spring aloft brother sailor The breeze now is fair; Trim your sails to the wind and Those torments you'll clear | Your leading stir Jesus J Keep full in your view, And you'll weather the dangers, He'll guide you safe through. Remember th' old captain The devil straightway, The crew that you saifd wii Will lead you astray; Bepart their black colours, Come under the red, Where Jesus is captain, To conquest be led. His standard unfurPd' see, It waves through the air, Volunteers are a coming From far off and near ^ Now is the time brother sailor No longer delay, Embark now with Jesus, G«od wages he'll pay. The bounty he'll give when The voyage doth begin, Is justification And freedom from sin : Good wages he'll give while You sail on the way, And at length you will anchor In heaven's broad bay. In the regions ofedory Forever you'll ride, Free from quick-sands and dangers And sins* heavy tide : || The waves of temptations Will cease there to roar, 144 Patterson's, &c, And the hoarse breath of boreas • Dismast thee no more. Tour tarpawl and watchcoat No longer you'll wear, But robes of bright glory All shining and fair ; A crown on thy head that Will dazzle the sun, And from glory to glory Eternally run. ** FINIS. *r m v.v EF" i mf |p§§ HI ;■ 1