Chapter 24
Section 24 of Celebrated Travels and Travelers, Volume 3. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Abba Yi in January 2015. Celebrated Travels and Travelers, Volume 3. The Great Explorers and Travelers of the 19th Century by Jules Verne.
Second Part, Chapter 1. Voyages Round the World and Polar Expeditions. 5. New Archangel does not offer too many attractions in the way of amusements. Truth to tell, it is one of the dullest places imaginable, inexpressibly gloomy, where autumn seems to rain all through the year except for three months, when snow falls continuously. All this, however, does not of course affect a passing visitor,
and for the resident there is nothing to keep up his spirits but a good stock of philosophy or a stern determination not to die of hunger. There is a good deal of remunerative trade with California, the natives and foreign vessels. The chief furs obtained by Aleutians who hunt for the company are those of the otter, the beaver, the fox and the sulik. The natives also hunt the walrus, seal and whale, not to speak of the herring, the cord, salmon, turbot, load, perch and zuclis,
a shellfish found in Queen Charlotte's islands, used by the company as a medium of exchange with the Americans. As for these Americans, they seem to be all of one race between the 46th and 60th degrees of northern latitude. Such at least is the conclusion to which we are led by the study of their manners, customs and languages. The Caloches of Sitka claim a man of the name of Elk as the founder of their race, favoured by the protection of the raven, first cause of all things.
Strange to say, this bird also plays an important part amongst the Cadiacs, who are Eskimo. According to Lütke, the Caloches have a tradition of a deluge and some fables which we call those of the Greek mythology. Their religion is nothing more than a kind of shamanism or belief in the power of the shamans or magicians toward of diseases, etc. They do not recognize a supreme god, but they believe in evil spirits and in sorcerers who foretell the future, heal the sick, and transmit their office from father to son. They believe the soul to be immortal, and that the spirits of their chieftains do not mix with those of the common people.
Slaves are slaves still after death. The far-from-consolitary nature of this creed is obvious. The government is patriarchal. The natives are divided into tribes, the members of which have the figures of animals as signs, after which they are also sometimes named. We meet, for instance, with the wolf, the raven, the bear, the eagle, etc.
The slaves of the caloches are prisoners taken in war, and very miserable is their lot. Their masters hold the power of life and death over them. In some ceremonies, that on the death of a chief, for instance, the slaves who are no longer of use are sacrificed, or else their liberty is given to them. Suspicious and crafty, cruel and vindicative,
the Caloches are neither better nor worse than the neighboring tribes. Hardened to fatigue, brave but idle, they leave all the housework to their wives, of whom they have many, polygamy being an institution amongst them. On leaving Sitka, Lütke made for Unalashka. Ilioluk is the chief trading establishment on that island,
but it only contains some 12 Russians and 10 Aliotians of both sexes. This island has a good many productions which tend to make life pass pleasantly. It is rich in good pastures and cattle breeding is largely carried on, but it is almost entirely wanting in timber, the inhabitants being obliged to pick up the debris flung up by the sea,
which sometimes includes whole trunks of cypress, camphor trees, and a kind of wood which smells like roses. At the time of Lütke's visit, the people of the Fox Islands had adopted to a great extent Russian manners and customs. They were all Christians. The Aleutians are a hardy, kind-hearted, agile race, almost living on the sea.
Since 1826, several eruptions of lava have caused terrible devastation in these islands. In May 1827, the Shishaldin volcano opened a new crater and vomited forth flames. Lütke's instructions obliged him to explore St. Matthew's Island, which Cook had called Gore Island. The hydrographical survey was successful beyond the highest expectations, but the Russians could do nothing towards learning anything of the natural history of the island,
for they were not allowed to land at all. In the meantime, the winter with its usual storms and fogs was rapidly drawing on. It was of no use hoping to get to Bering Strait, and Lütke therefore made for Kamchatka after touching at Bering Island. He remained three weeks at Petropaulovsky,
which he employed in landing his cargo and preparing for his winter campaign. Lütke's instructions were now to spend the winter in the exploration of the Caroline Islands. He decided to go first to Oualan Island, which had been discovered by the French navigator du Perret. Here, a safe harbor enabled him to make some experiments with the pendulum. On his way, Lütke sought in vain for Colonna's Island in northern latitude 26 degrees 9 minutes, western longitude 128 degrees.
He was equally unsuccessful in his search for Dexter and St. Bartholomew Islands, though he identified the brown coral group discovered by Butler in 1794 and arrived safely on Ualan on the 4th December. From the first, the relations between the natives of this island and the Russians were extremely satisfactory. Many of the former came on board and showed so much confidence in their visitors as to remain all night, though the vessel was still in motion.
It was only with great difficulty that the Senia-Vein entered Coquille harbor. Following the example of Duperay, who had set up his observatory on the islet of Matanjal, Lütke landed there and took his observations, whilst his people traded with the natives, who were, throughout his stay, peaceful, friendly and civil. To check their thieving propensities, however, a chief was kept as a hostage for a couple of days,
and one canoe was burnt, these new measures being completely successful. We are glad to be able to declare in the face of the world, says Lütke, that our stay of three weeks at Ualan cost not a drop of human blood, but that we were able to leave these friendly islanders without enlightening them further on the use of our firearms,
which they looked upon as suitable only for the killing of birds. I don't think there is another instance of the kind in the records of any previous voyages in the South Seas. After leaving Ualan, Lütke had a vain search for the Musgrave Islands, marked on Kruzenstern's map,
and soon discovered a large island surrounded by a coral reef, which had escaped the notice of du Perret, and is known as Puinipet or Pornabi. Some very large and fine canoes, each manned by fourteen men, and some smaller ones, worked by two natives only, soon surrounded the vessel. Their inmates, with fierce faces and bloodshot eyes, were noisy and blustering,
and did a good deal of shouting, gesticulating and dancing before they could make up their minds to trust themselves on board the Senia Vine. It would have been impossible to land, except by force, as the native canoes completely surrounded the vessel, and when an attempted disembarkation was made, the savages surrounded the ship's boat, only retiring before the warlike attitude of the sailors and a volley from the guns of the Senia Vine. Lütke had not time to examine thoroughly his discovery, to which he gave the name of the Senia-Vine Archipelago.
The information he collected on the people of the Puini-pet islands is, therefore, not very trustworthy. According to him, they do not belong to the same race as those of Ualan, but resemble rather the Papuans, the nearest of whom are those of New Ireland, 700 miles away. After another vain search, this time for St. Augustine's Island, he sighted the cora of Los Vajerites, also called Seven or Raven Island,
discovered in 1773 by the Spaniard Felipe Thompson. The navigator next saw the Mortlock Archipelago, the old Lunungor group, known to Torres as the Lugullos, the people of which resemble those of Ualan. He landed on the principal of these islands, which he found to be one huge garden of cocoa
palms and breadfruit trees. The natives enjoy a center degree of civilization. They weave and dye the fibers of the banana and coconut palms, as do those of Ualan and Puinipet. Their fishing tackle does credit to their inventive faculties, especially a sort of case constructed of small sticks and split bamboo canes, which the fish cannot get out of when once in. They also use nets of the shape of large wallets, lines and harpoons. Their canoes, in which they spend more
than half their lives, are wonderfully adapted to their requirements. The large ones, which are a very great trouble to build and which are kept in sheds constructed specially for them, are 26 feet long, two and a half wide and four deep. They are furnished with gimbals, the cross pieces being connected by a rafter. On the other side there is a small platform, four feet square and furnished with a roof, under which they are accustomed to keep their provisions. These pirogues have a
triangular sail, which is made of matting woven from bandana sleeves and is attached to two yards. In tacking about, they drop the sail and turn the mast towards the other end of the canoe, to which, at the same time, they have passed the fastening of the sail, so that the pirogue moves forward by its other extremity. Lütke next cited the Namuluk group, the inhabitants of which do not differ at all from the people of Lugunor,
and he proved the identity of Hogolu island, already described by Dupere, with Kiroza. He then visited the Namnuito group, the first stratum of a number of islands, or of one large island, which will someday exist in this part of the world. Lütke, who was in want of biscuits and other articles which he hoped to obtain at Guam, or from vessels at anchor in that port, now set sail for the Marianne Islands,
where he counted upon being able to repeat some new experiments with the pendulum, in which Frécinet had found an important anomaly of gravitation. Great, however, was his surprise when he arrived to find not a sign of life at Guam. No flags waved above the two ports, the silence of death reigned everywhere, and but for the presence of a schooner at anchor in the inner harbour, it might have been a desert island.
There was hardly anybody about on shore, and the few people there were, were half-savage, from whom it was all but impossible to obtain the slightest information. Fortunately, an English deserter came and offered his services to Lütke, who sent him to the governor with a letter, which elicited a satisfactory reply. The governor was the same Medinella, whose hospitality had been lauded by Kotzebue and Fressinet.
There was, therefore, no difficulty in obtaining permission to set up an observatory and to take to it the necessary provisions. The stay at Guam was, however, saddened by an accident to Lütke, who wounded himself severely in the thump with his own gun when hunting. The repairing and refitting of the Senja wine, with the taking in of wood and water,
delayed the explorer at Guam until the 19th of March. During this time, Lütke was able to verify the information collected ten years ago by Frésiné in his stay of two months in the governor's own house. Things had not changed at all since the French traveller's visit. As it was not yet time to go north, Lütke made for the Caroline Islands via the Swede Islands.
The inhabitants seemed to him to be better made than their neighbours on the west, from whom, however, they differ in no other particulars. The Pharaulep, Ullier, Ifuluk and Euripek islands were successively examined, and on the 27th of April the explorer started for the Bonin islands, where he learned that his exploration of that group had been anticipated by Bici.
He, therefore, took no hydrographical surveys. Two of the crew of a whaling vessel, which had been shipwrecked on the coast, were still living at Bonin-Sima. Since the rise of the great fisheries, this archipelago had been frequented by numerous whalemen, who here find a safe port at all seasons, plenty of wood and water, turtles for six months of the year, fish and immense quantities of anti-scorbutic plants,
including the delicious savory cabbage. The majestic height and the vigor of the trees, says Lütke. The productions of the tropical and temperate zones alternating with each other bear witness at once to the fertility of the soil and the salubrity of the climate. Most of our vegetables and pot herbs, perhaps indeed all of them, would certainly flourish well, as would also wheat, rice and mais, nor could a better climate be desired for the cultivation of
the vine. Domestic animals of every kind and bees would multiply rapidly. In a word, a small and industrious colony would shortly convert this little group into a fertile and flourishing settlement. On the 9th of June, after a week's delay for want of wind, the Senia vine entered Petropaulovsky, where it was retained taking in provisions until the 26th. A whole series of surveys were taken during this interval, of the coasts of Kamchatka and of the Kodiak and
Chukchi districts, interrupted, however, by visits to Ka-King Island, the Bay of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Santa Cruz. During one of these visits, the captain met with a strange adventure. He had been for several days on a friendly footing with the Chuchkis, whose knowledge of the people and customs of Russia he endeavored to increase. These natives, he says, were friendly and polite,
and endeavoured to pay back our jokes and tricks in our own coin. I softly patted the cheek of a sturdy chuchki as a sign of kindly feeling, and suddenly received in return a box on the ear which knocked me down. Recovered from my astonishment, there I saw my chuchki with a laughing face, looking like a man who had just given proof of his politeness and tact.
He too had meant to give me merely a gentle tap, but it was with a hand only accustomed to deal with reindeer. The travellers were also witnesses of some proofs of the skill of a chuchki conjurer or shaman who went behind a curtain from which his audience soon heard a voice like the howl of a wild beast accompanied by blows on a tambourine with a whalebone. The curtain then rose, revealing the sorcerer balancing himself
and accompanying his own voice with blows on his drums, which he held close to his ear. Presently he flung off his jacket, leaving himself naked to the waist, took a polished stone, which he gave to Lütke to hold, took it away again, and as he passed one hand over the other, the stone disappeared. Then, showing a tumour on his shoulder, he pretended that the stone was in it, turned over the tumour, extracted the stone from it, and prophesied a favourable issue of the journey of the Russians.
The conjurer was congratulated on his skill, and a knife was given to him as a token of gratitude. Taking this knife in his hand, he put out his tongue and began to cut it. His mouth became full of blood and he finally cut a piece of his tongue off and held the piece out in his hand. Here the curtain fell, probably because the skill of the professor of Leger de Maine could go no further. The people inhabiting the northeast corner of Asia are known under the general name of Chukchis.
This includes two races, one nomad, like the Samoyids, called the Reindeer Chukchis, the other living in fixed habitations, called the sedentary chukchis. The mode of life, the physiognomy and the very language of these two races differ. The idiom spoken by the sedentary chukchis has great affinity with that of the Eskimo, whom they also resemble in their mode of building their huts and leather boots,
and in the instruments they use. Lütke did not see many reindeer Chukchis, so that he could add nothing to the information obtained by his predecessors. He was of opinion, however, that they had been painted in unfairly gloomy colors, and that their turbulence and wildness had been grossly exaggerated. The sedentary Chukchis, generally called namolos, spent the winter in sheds, and the summer in huts covered with skins.
The latter usually each serve for several families. The sons and their wives, the daughters and their husbands, says the narrative, live together with their parents and vice versa. Each family occupies one division of the back part of the hut, curtained off from the others.
The curtains are made of reindeer skins, sewn into the shape of a bell. They are fastened to the beams of the ceiling and reach to the ground. With the aid of the grease they burn in cold weather, two, three and sometimes more persons so warm the air with their breath in these hermetically sealed positions that all clothing is superfluous, even with the severest frost, but only Chukchi lungs are fitted to respire in such an atmosphere. In the outer part of the hut cooking utensils, pottery, baskets, seal skin trunks etc. are kept. Here, too, is the hearth, if we can so call the spot where burn a few sticks of brushwood,
painfully collected in the marsh, or when they are not to be obtained, whale bones floating in grease. Round about the hut on wooden dryers, black and disgusting-looking pieces of seal's flesh are exposed to view. These people lead a miserable life. They feed upon the half-raw flesh of seals and walruses hunted by themselves, or on that of whales flung up by the waves on the beach.
The dog is the only domestic animal they possess, and they treat it badly enough, although the poor creatures are very affectionate and render them great services, now towing along their canoes, now dragging their sledges over the snow. After a second stay of five weeks at Petropaulovsky, the Senia Vain left Kamchatka on the 10th of November on its way back to Europe.
Before reaching Manila, Lütke made a cruise in the northern part of the Caroline Archipelago, which he had not had time to visit during the preceding winter. He saw in succession the islands of Marileu, Falulu, Faillu, Namuniyuto, Magur, Faraulep, Eab, Mogmog, and found at Manila the sloop, the Mölla, which was waiting his arrival. The Caroline Archipelago embraces an immense space,
and the Marianne Islands, as well as the Radak group, might fitly be included in it, as containing a population perfectly identical in race. For a long time the old geographers had had for their guidance only the charts of missionaries,
who, lacking alike the education and the appliances necessary to estimate accurately the size, position, and relative distance of all these archipelagos, had attached notable importance to them, and often fixed at a considerable number of degrees the extent of a group which covered only a few miles. Thus navigators accepted their guidance with wise caution.
Frécinet was the first to infuse a little order into this chaos, and, thanks to his meeting with Cadou and Don Louis Torres, he was able to identify later with earlier discoveries. Lütke did his part, and that not a small part, in the settling of an accurate and scientific chart of an archipelago which had long been the terror of navigators. The learned Russian explorer is not of the same opinion as Lesson, one of his predecessors,
who connected all the inhabitants of the Caroline group with the Mongolian race under the name of the Mongolo-Pelagian branch. He rather sees in them, as did Chamisso and Balbi, a branch of the Malay family which has populated eastern Polynesia. Whilst Lesson compares the people of the Carolines with the Chinese and Japanese,
Lütke, on the other hand, finds in their great projecting eyes thick lips and retro-see nose, a family likeness to the people of the Sandwich and Tonga Islands. The language does not suggest the slightest comparison with Japanese, whilst it shows a great resemblance to that of the Tonga Islands. Lütke spent the time of his sojourn at Manila in laying in stores and repairing the sloop,
and on the 30th of January he left that Spanish position for Russia, which he reached on the 6th of September 1829, casting anchor in the roads of Kronstadt. It remains now to tell how it had fared with the sloop, the Möller, after the separation at Valparaiso. Arriving at Kamchatka from Otaheite, she had left part of her cargo at Petro-Paulowski, and thereafter, in August 1827, had set sail for Unalashka, where she had remained for a month.
After an examination of the west coast of America, which was cut short by unfavorable weather, and a stay at Honolulu, which extended to February 1828, she had discovered the island Möller, noted the Necker, Gardner and Lisiansky Islands, and marked, at a distance of six miles southwards, a very dangerous reef. The sloop had then coasted the island of Couray, the French frigate-scol the reef Marot,
Pearl Island and the Isle of Hermes, and, after having made search for several islands marked upon Aerosmith's charts, had at length reached Kamchatka. At the end of April, she had set sail for Unalashka and taken observations of the north coast of the Alaska Peninsula. In September, the Möller rejoined the Senia Vine, and from that period until their return to Russia, they were no more separated, save for brief intervals.
As one may judge from the sufficiently detailed account which has just been given, this expedition did not fail to bring about results of importance to geographical science. We must add that the different branches of natural history, physics and astronomy owe to it equally numerous and important additions. End of section 24
