CHAPTER III

VISIT OF CAPTAIN COLLlNSON, R.N., H M S "ENTERPRISE," 1851

In following the fortunes and growth of this little colony thus strangely established on the Bonin Islands, it is evident that we have largely to depend on such records as have been set down by visitors to the islands at various times. And the fullest information we have of the settlement in these earlier years is that collected and given to us in the narrative of Commodore Perry, the Commander of the American Squadron, which, in the early summer of 1853, startled Japan by its sudden appearance in her forbidden waters and departed to reappear again in the following year. On the occasion of his first voyage the Commodore made a point of visiting these islands and devoted, as we shall see, considerable attention to them. But it so happened that, two years before the great American Commodore appeared on the scene, in the spring of 1851, this distant British possession we will call it so as long as we can was favoured by a visit from a British man-of-war, H.M.S. Enterprise, on its way to the Polar seas under the command of Captain Richard Collinson. The following extracts relating to the islands are taken from his Journal:

"A fine breeze sprung up on the morning of the 26th of April, which, continuing for the next forty-eight hours, relieved my anxiety concerning our live stock, which I began to fear we should not be able to carry up to the ice with us; but making Bailey Island at 2 A.M. on the morning of the 28th, we bore away for Port Lloyd. At daylight, and even for some time afterwards, we had a difficulty in making out exactly where we were. The Blossom having made the port from the north, we could not for some time reconcile Captain Beechey's description of the land; but running along outside the islets which lay off the south end of Peel Island, we soon made out the three peaks at the back of the harbour, and the high cliff on the south side as you enter. Still we were at a loss for the remarkable islet on the northern side, which is described as the principal landmark; being, however, under the cliffs from the direction we approached, it did not appear conspicuous. As we drew in, a canoe under sail crossed our bows, the sole occupant of which was soon on board. He had but small clothing, and less English, but managed, however, to let us know that his name was Harry, that he was a pilot, and that he had pigs, turtle, yams and onions for sale. So putting ourselves under his guidance, we ran in, without, however, seeing the coral patch on the south side, to which we must have given a close shave, and succeeded in getting to an anchorage without much difficulty. It is, however, an awkward place for a heavy ship to enter, in consequence of the deepness of the water, the steepness of the coral banks, and the sudden flaws of wind, which are sometimes very violent. Our cattle were soon revelling in all the luxury of a cabbage-palm.

"Captain Beechey's voyage in the Blossom having called public attention to these islands, and their importance as a place of resort for the whale ships employed in the Japanese seas being early seen, Mr. Charlton, our Consul at the Sandwich Islands, equipped an expedition for the purpose of establishing a settlement on them in 1880. Four of these original settlers still remained on our arrival, and from one of these (Chapin) I got the following account, which I copy nearly verbatim, as it gives both a useful and interesting account of the establishment."

The information supplied by Chapin is chiefly with regard to climate, tides and winds, the islands' produce and the turtles. Of the inhabitants he says, " Since the isle has been settled (about twenty-one years), there have been born on the isle twenty-six children, of which twenty-one were boys and five girls; twelve children have died, ten boys and two girls; and also eight male adults and six females. ' Some of the men have been left here sick from the ships; the greater part of the boys, all but four, are gone away on board different ships; and two of the girls are gone to Oahu for their education." Of an extraordinary outrage committed on the settlers, referred to by Commodore Perry and others, Chapin probably gives the most reliable account in the course of this relation to Captain Collinson.' I here quote it:

”August 9th, 1849, arrived the schooner Louisa, Captain Hadley, and the cutter Maid of Australia, Captain Young, from Hong-Kong; and on August 1lth, arrived the China-built vessel (junk) Saint Andrew, Captain Barker, from Hong-Kong, as commander of the whole; they recruited, and all sailed again August 29th. On September 2lst, the junk, Captain Barker, and the cutter, Captain Young, returned (the schooner having gone on), having had bad weather, and the junk having broke her rudder, and both wanting repairs and provisions; the settlers on the island gave them every assistance in their power, and fitted them for sea. "After they were ready, they first commenced plundering the natives of their live stock, salt provisions, oil, etc. They then commenced plundering the whites; they robbed Mr. Savory of about $2000 in cash, and about $2000 in live stock, salt provision, stores, oil, clothing, medicine chests, canvas, etc.; in fact, all they could get hold of; what they did not want they broke and destroyed, Mr. Savory being obliged to secrete himself in the bush, for fear they would take his life. They also robbed Mr. Millinchamp of his live stock, salt meat, stores, money, etc., and a large quantity of clothing; in fact, they robbed all the settlers of whatever they could.

"A French whale ship, the Nile, arrived while they were here, and nine of her men left her; Captain Barker furnished them with arms to defend themselves, and prevent the French captain and officers from taking them; and after the ship had sailed he received them all on board. On some of the settlers remonstrating with Captain Young, of the cutter, concerning the robberies, he said he did not care what his people did, and did not care if they left the settlers with only a shirt and trousers. They took away Mr. Savory's wife and also one other female with them; and on January 9th, 1850, the junk and the cutter sailed for San Francisco."

"Mr Savory," so Captain Collinson writes, "still felt his loss deeply, but most of all his wife, who was a young girl born on the island; she, however, it appears, was a good riddance, for by all accounts she gave information as to where his money and valuables were hid, and departed nothing loth." I may say in passing that the young wife was not the widow of Mazarro, referred to in the last chapter, who became the mother of a large family, and of whom we shall hear more later, but a Kanaka girl of whom we know little. I doubt, however, whether she was born on the island.

Captain Collinson's account concludes as follows:

"The cliffs in many places round the harbour came so close to the beach as to leave no cultivatable ground between them and the sea; but where valleys occur they have all been turned to account, with the exception of one on the west side of the inner harbour, which has probably been left vacant as a careening and repairing place for vessels. Beginning at the head of the harbour, on the eastern side is the establishment of Mr. Savory, which yet showed signs of the wantonness of Commodore Barker and his crew. One could not help sorrowing to see the old man thus robbed of the fruits of his industry, and the comforts he had laid by for his old age. On the same side of the harbour, abreast our anchorage, James Moitley, an old man-of-war's man, was located, and here we watered ; the stream, however, being so far from the beach as to require all the length of our watering hose. Below Moitley and opposite the entrance of the harbour was a long beach, occupied by the natives of Oahu, and here the deserters from the whale ships had taken refuge. At the southern end of the harbour, and just inside the high cliff is the flagstaff, and the settlement of the principal person charged by Mr. Charlton with the colony; he was and had been absent some time, and the house and grounds were in charge of John Newheaven. This is a very convenient situation, as it has the advantage of a narrow isthmus of sand over which canoes can be hauled, thus affording a convenient communication both with the harbour and the sea; and there is more level ground in this vicinity. Outside the harbour, in a bay to the southward of the isthmus, was the establishment of our pilot, Harry Bolla. On the west side of the harbour, immediately after you enter, is a long beach, within which Bravo, Webb, and Cullins had their plantations. We were soon boarded by the different parties, and having made our arrangements to take something from all, so that the whole community might benefit by our visit, we set to work completing our water, cutting grass and taking in firewood. With our seine we were at first unsuccessful; but by taking the proper time of tide and watching the shoals, we soon caught more mullet than we could consume. On the 2nd of May I went to one of the islands outside, goat-shooting, but having been far from well since leaving Hong-Kong, I was soon overcome by the heat. Some of the officers afterwards succeeded in getting two or three, which proved capital eating; they are quite wild, and cause an amazing deal of fatigue not only to follow but to get at.

"Chapin informed me that there are five men and two women on Bailey Islands to the southward; there is no anchorage among them, but ships sometimes stand off and on, while their boats obtain water and refreshment. Webb also mentioned that since he had been on the island (five years) he has twice seen the harbour covered with pumice stone; no doubt caused by an eruption from Sulphur Island. The turtle, no doubt, are fast diminishing; they still, however, form the staple article of food, being salted down for the winter's consumption.

"Having laid in a good stock of fodder for our remaining five head of cattle, completed our stock of pigs to thirty-five, and embarked twenty turtle, besides as many potatoes, yams, and onions as we could stow, some of which we hoped to carry up to the Plover, we were ready for sea on the morning of the 5th of May, but owing to light airs did not start until next day. Then, being well content with the nature and extent of our supplies. we bade the settlers farewell. I furnished them with a Union Jack and some ball cartridge, strongly advising them to show some confidence, and stick by one another, in the event of Commodore Barker, or any other marauder, visiting them in future; but if they did not work together, and allowed one bay after another to be robbed, they would all suffer in detail. I also had the gratification of increasing Mr. Chapin's library, which I have little doubt affords the old patriarch some gratification, and may possibly be useful to the rising generation."

In the above a6count we are introduced to some new names, and it may be as well to end this chapter by saying something briefly about their owners.

James Moitley we shall hear of again. He was a native of London. How he came to the Bonins I do not know, but he settled on the south island about 1846, where he acquired a considerable property which he bequeathed to Kitty, his Kanaka wife. He died in 1866, and was buried on the island.

Bravo or Joachim Gonzales was a Portuguese, and hailed from the Island of Brava, the most southerly of the Cape Verde islands on the west coast of Africa. Somehow or other he got taken on board the British whaler Partridge, and with Cullins was left by heir on the Bonins in 1831, eighteen months after the first settlers had arrived. He married a Hawaiian woman, and his second son, George, was the father of Rev. Joseph Gonzales--Priest-in-charge to-day of the Bonin Island Church. Joachim was familiarly known as old Bravo, and the great rock, which forms such a bold feature on the left as you enter the harbour, had, amongst other names that have been given to it, the name of Bravo Rock. He died on the island, January 1885, aged 75.

Thomas Webb, a native of Wallington, Surrey, came to the island in the American barque Japan, of Nantucket, some time in 1847. He married Caroline, the daughter of a George Robinson who came to the island two years later.[1] He had a large family--the most English family on the island. He died March 24, 1881. His widow is still living (1914).

Joe Cullins. His real name is said to have been Joseph Freeman. He was an Englishman, and married a Kanaka woman called Betty. As we have seen, he came to the island with "Bravo" in 1831. We shall hear little more about him. From all accounts he was a cranky character, and a heavy drinker. He died in 1881, aged about 70.

Of Aldin Chapin, himself, we may here take leave also, for he seems to have died the year after Captain Collinson's visit. He never married, and from accounts given of him was a steady man, never heard to use angry words or to swear. George Gonzales said that he was baptized by him, and presumably he baptized others.

I can find no record of John Newheaven, who Captain Collinson tells us was in charge of the settlement of the absent chief of the island. This apparently must have been Millinchamp. Millinchamp's first wife, who had accompanied him on the original expedition from Hawaii, had died. For his second wife, Joacquina de la Cruz, he had gone to Guam,[2] to which he went back with her some time afterwards, and probably it is this absence in Guam to which Captain Collinson refers.

It is interesting to notice that Captain Collinson furnished the settlers with a Union Jack. This is the third Union Jack of which we have record. The first settlers took one with them to the islands, and the second was furnished by Mr. Alex. Simpson to Mazarro as the officially recognized governor.