In pronouncing the words as spelt in the vocabulary, all letters must be sounded, with the exceptions after mentioned.
In sounding the vowels, A has always the sound of the initial and final letter in the word Arabia.
E, as in the word eloquence, or the final Y in plenty.
The double E, as in keep.
I, as in the word indolence.
O, as in the word form.
The double O, as in boot, good.
U, as in the word but.
The diphthongs Ai, as the vowel sounds in tye, fly, or the I in diameter.
Ei, as in the word height.
Oi, as in the word oil.
Ow, as in the word cow.
All other combinations of vowels are to be sounded separately; thus, oe, you, and roa, distant, are dissyllables.
In sounding the consonants, H is always aspirated; the letters K and T, L and R, B and P, are frequently substituted for each other.
Thus, kanaka, tanata, people; ooroo, ooloo, bread-fruit; boa, poa, a hog.
Where the words are separated by a comma, they are synonymous, and either may be used; but where there is no comma, both must be used.
Example. Taate, Keike tanne, a boy.
It frequently happens that the same word is repeated twice, in which case it is connected with a hyphen; thus leepe-leepe, an axe.
The bearer hereof, named Archibald Macbrait, has had the misfortune to have both of his feet frostbitten in so dreadful a manner, that nothing remained but to endeavour to save his life, as there were no hopes whatever of preserving his feet, although every attempt was made to that effect.
For the information of the humane and benevolent, I subjoin a short statement of my proceedings in his case, fearless of any compunctions of conscience; being sensible of the hard fate of this poor fellow creature, and how much he stands in need of assistance to support his existence.
This Englishman sailed from Kodiak in the winter time, in the ship’s cutter, for the island of Sannack. On their passage a storm came on, in which the boat was wrecked. The crew saved their lives on shore; but this man had both his feet frozen, and not having stripped off his clothes for twenty-seven days, he was not aware of the extent of his calamity, and did not apprehend the destruction of his feet.
The overseer of the district of Karlutzki brought him to Kodiak, at eight o’clock in the evening, to the hospital called the Chief District College of Counsellor and Chevalier Baranoff.
In the first place, I had his feet cleaned and dried; they were both in a state of mortification (gangrena sicca.) The mortified parts having separated from the sound to the distance of a finger’s breadth, where either amputation might take place or a cure be performed, as the patient himself hoped. I dressed the mortified, or frostbitten parts with oil of turpentine, and the unaffected parts with olive oil, and continued these applications for about five days, after which I used charcoal, gas, and other chimical applications; but as there appeared no chance of saving his feet, I began to consider that there was no resourse left but amputation. That the patient might not be alarmed, I talked over the matter with him as is usual in such cases, and endeavoured to persuade him to submit to the operation, as the only means of effecting a cure. But at first I was not successful, and could not get him to agree to it. I was therefore obliged to continue my former mode of treatment. At the end of three days, however, he gave his consent, and I fixed a time for the operations, which I performed satisfactorily. On the third day after the operation, the wound appeared to be in a good state, and I continued to dress it daily as it required.
The other foot remained to undergo a similar operation. I suffered three weeks to elapse, when it also took place. The wounds are now in a good state, and evidently healing up.
It is not in my power to complete the cure, being obliged to return to Russia; but I have left the directions with the assistant surgeon how to proceed in the treatment.
The illness of Archibald Macbrait, this Englishman, commenced on the 22d of January, 1808. The first operation took place on the 15th of March, and the second on the 15th of April. He is twenty years of age, and well made. He was cured by Dr. Nordgoorst, actually in the service of the Russian American Company.
This statement should support the petition of this Englishman, who may seek an asylum in Greenwich hospital, where the unfortunate of this kind obtain relief and comfort.
N. B. This is an accurate description of the case and treatment; but the true christian name and surname of the patient, is Archibald Campbell.30
Our readers cannot have forgotten the name of Archibald Campbell, the poor Scottish seaman, whose account of his voyage round the world was, three or four years ago, noticed at considerable length in the Quarterly Review. This unhappy adventurer’s narrative was, in every way, well deserving of the interest which it created at the time of its publication. It was modest and unassuming in its manner, and, in its matter, free to a great extent, from the many species of blunders and inaccuracies which are commonly so abundant in the productions of persons in the humble situation of life of Archibald Campbell. At that time, however, its merits could not be quite so fully appreciated as now. Although the apparent candour of the mariner was well qualified to lend credit to all his statements, yet even his benevolent editor abstained from expressing himself in any very decided manner respecting their authority, and the same diffidence was, of course, shared by his reviewer. But in the years which have now intervened, the narratives of succeeding voyages have given perfect confirmation to all the assertions of Campbell; and his story may, therefore, be considered as forming an authentic link in the history of the Sandwich Islands, with regard to which, for several years previous to his arrival there, we had received no certain or direct intelligence.
We refer to Campbell’s book itself, and the review of it already mentioned, for any information which our readers may require in order to restore them to a perfect acquaintance with the early and important incidents in his various life. At the time when his book was published, it will be recollected, the sores upon his legs were still in a very distressing condition, owing to the unskilful manner in which they had been amputated below the ankle, by the Russian Surgeon, into whose hands he fell immediately after they were frostbitten. The period of tranquil existence which he had spent in the Sandwich islands, the voyage homewards, and a residence of many months in his native country, had all been found insufficient to remove the irritation of his wounds; and he was still not only a cripple, but an acute sufferer, when he attracted the attention of Mr. Smith, in the Clyde steam-boat. The kindness of that excellent person soon enabled him to lay the story of his afflictions before the public, and the success of the book was such, as to furnish a sum far beyond the expectations of Archibald Campbell. Had he remained in this country during the time when the public impression was strongly in his favour, there is reason to believe that something might probably have been done to provide the means of comfortable retirement to one whose errors, in themselves venial, had been so severely punished in the person of the offender, and had furnished a lesson so capable of doing good to others. Neither Campbell nor his friends, however, entertained, at the moment, any expectations of such a nature, and the poor man, whose patience was quite exhausted, resolved, as soon as he got a little money into his hands, to seek in it the means of being once more transported to the friendly territories of king Tamaahmaah, and his own comfortable farm on the banks of the Wymumme. In the midst of all his distresses, he found leisure for courtship, so he set sail with his wife, in the autumn of 1816, for New-York, in the hope of finding a passage to Owhyhee, on board of some of the American ships, which have, of late years, been almost the only visitors of these islands. On the 23d of December following, he writes as follows, to a medical gentleman in Glasgow, who had shown him much kindness while in that city: – “I am very sorry to inform you that we shall have no opportunity of going to the Sandwich Islands this season, the vessels having all left Boston for the northwest coast before our arrival, and it is very likely that there will be no more ships going that way until they return again, which will not be these two years; therefore I am at a loss what to do. There is nothing at all doing here in my line, and times are much worse here than at home, and a great many of the passengers that came out with us have gone home again, not being able to find work of any kind.” He then states his intention to procure, if possible, a passage to the Brazils, where he had before been. In the meantime, however, it was announced that some person was about to publish an American edition of his book, which unhandsome procedure Archibald forthwith took the most effectual method of preventing, by publishing an American edition of it himself. Of this edition he sold 700 copies in a month, and cleared about 300 dollars on the speculation.
His legs continued all this time to be as troublesome as ever; and Campbell determined to give himself a chance of being a sound cripple, by having them amputated over again above the ankle. This resolution he carried into effect last winter with the most perfect fortitude. His right leg was amputated on the 20th of November, 1817, and the bursting of an artery a few hours after the operation, threw him into a brain fever, from which he escaped with difficulty. “My whole leg,” says he, “began from the end of the stump to be inflamed with erysipalas, combined with phlegmatic inflammation, which, luckily for me, turned into a suppuration. I am happy to inform you, that ever since, I have been mending so fast, that I was able to go home all last week, and it is only yesterday, (January 13, 1818) that I returned to have the other leg cut; and the surgeon says I shall have a better chance of recovery, as my habit is not so full.” The second operation was accordingly performed in a few days after this, and his recovery was even more easy than he had been led to expect. “As soon as I got out of the hospital,” says he, “I made myself a pair of artificial legs, with which I already begin to walk pretty tolerably, and am going to Albany, Baltimore, &c. to get subscriptions for the second edition of my book.”
But during his stay in New-York, Campbell has not been an author, publisher, and patient only. He has also been carrying on various little species of traffic, in globe glass mirrors, plaster of Paris casts, Scots Almanacks, &c. &c. with various, but, on the whole, not very flattering success. As soon as he shall have sufficiently supplied the transatlantic reading public with his voyage round the world, Archy, who is a Jack of many trades, purposes to turn another of his talents to a little advantage, and to make a voyage to the Clyde “to see his friends,” in the capacity of a cook to a merchantman. He still, however, has a hankering after his “steading” in Owhyhee; and it is probable that ere long we shall have it in our power to inform our readers that he has come to “his ain again.”
We might quote some farther passages from his letters to his friend in Glasgow; but although they are all highly interesting to those who have seen any thing of the man, we are apprehensive of trespassing too far on the patience of the general reader. The letters are written in a clear, distinct style, and in a very good penmanship; and his account of the state of things in America, so far as it goes, shows that Archibald has been in his youth no inattentive or unworthy member of some of the “literary and commercial” clubs, so common in the west of Scotland. The letters are all concluded in a very polite manner, as thus: – “Be pleased, Sir, to give our best respects to your father and sisters, and our compliments to your servant maids; meantime, we remain, Sir, your most obedient and very humble servants,
Archb. & Isabella Campbell.”
We trust our readers will pardon us for detaining them so long with the history of this poor countryman of ours. – Those of them who have read his book will, we are quite sure, be happy in this renewal of their acquaintance with him; for our own parts, we hope he will, on his arrival, forthwith publish a full account of his adventures during this last voyage. He must now be pretty well initiated into the ways of the booksellers, and we do not see why Mr. Campbell should not succeed as well in his transactions with that slippery generation, as many other authors of greater pretension.
When captain Cook discovered the Sandwich islands, in 1778, Tereoboo was king of Owhyhee; Titeree, of Moratai; and Pereoranne, of Wahoo, and the islands to leeward. The sovereignty of Mowee was contested by Tereoboo and Titeree; the former claimed it for his son, who had married the daughter of the deceased king; the latter claimed it as heir male to the former sovereign. In consequence of this dispute, these chiefs were engaged in war at the above mentioned period; but captain King understood, before he quitted the islands, that an arrangement had taken place, by which Titeree retained Ranai Taharoora, whilst Mowee was ceded to Tewarro, the son of Tereoboo. Tamaahmaah, the present king, is known in Cook’s Voyage by the name of Maiha-Maiha, and was present at the death of that illustrious navigator. He was the eldest son of Kaihooa, only brother to Tereoboo, and after his son, Tewarro, next heir to the succession.
After the departure of the Resolution and Discovery, no ships touched at the Sandwich islands till the year 1787. During the interval that had elapsed, considerable revolutions had taken place. Tereoboo was dead, and his dominions shared between his sons, Tewarro and Tamaahmaah; and Titeree had conquered the islands of Mowee and Wahoo.
The accounts of these transactions, owing to the few opportunities of inquiry which the navigators who touched at these islands enjoyed, and their ignorance of the language, are extremely contradictory.
By one account, Tereoboo is said to have been put to death by Tamaahmaah; by another, that he fell in battle; and by a third, that he died a natural death. The causes of the division of his territory between his son and nephew are involved in equal obscurity.
The ship Iphigenia, commanded by captain Douglas, arrived at Owhyhee in 1788, being the first which touched at that island after the death of captain Cook. There was on board of her a chief of Atooi, named Tianna, who had the preceding year accompanied captain Meares to Canton, and had been enriched by the kindness of his English friends, with a valuable assortment of European articles, arms, and ammunition.
Tianna was a man of great activity and ambition, and a distinguished warrior. These qualities, and his wealth, particularly in fire-arms, rendered him an acquisition of much consequence to an enterprising chief like Tamaahmaah; and he induced him to settle upon Owhyhee, by conferring upon him high rank and extensive tracts of land.
Captain Douglas had with him a small tender, built upon the northwest coast of America. When Tamaahmaah learned this, the idea of having a similar one built, immediately occurred to him; and he pressed that gentleman with so much urgency to allow him the assistance of his carpenter, that he was obliged to give a conditional promise. Although the promise was never fulfilled, Tamaahmaah did not abandon the project; and soon afterwards he prevailed upon an Englishman of the name of Boyd, who had been bred a ship-carpenter, to undertake the construction of a vessel.
About the same time, two other Englishmen, named Young and Davis, of whom some account is given in the work, became resident upon Owhyhee, and with their assistance he determined to build a vessel. Fortunately for the attainment of this object, captain Vancouver arrived, and with the aid of his carpenters, he was enabled to accomplish his favourite object, by the completion of his first decked vessel, the Britannia.
It ought to be mentioned, to his honour, that whilst thus anxious to lay the foundation of a navy, he had in his possession a small schooner, which had been seized by a chief called Tamahmotoo, and which he had carefully preserved, in the hopes of restoring it to her owners.
In 1791 he attacked Titeree, and captured the islands of Mowee, Morotai, and Ranai. Whilst engaged in this expedition, he received information that his own dominions were attacked by Tewarro,31 and he was, in consequence, obliged to abandon his conquest and return.
By the energy of his operations he soon vanquished his opponent, who was slain by Tianna, and the whole island of Owhyhee was reduced under his dominion. In the mean time, Titeree, availing himself of his absence, recovered the islands he had lost.
Affairs were in this situation when Vancouver arrived, in March, 1792. He found the islands in a most wretched state, from the long wars that had taken place; and he endeavoured, but without effect, to establish a peace between Titeree and Tamaahmaah.
Tamaahmaah was so sensible of the advantages which would result from a closer connexion with a civilized power, that he made a formal surrender of the sovereignty of the island to the king of Great Britain, with the reservation, that there should be no interference in their religion, internal government, or domestic economy.
Soon after the departure of captain Vancouver, Titeree died, leaving the island of Wahoo to his son Tritoboorie, and Mowee to his son Korkoranee.
A dispute arose between Tritoboorie and his uncle Tahaio, king of Atooi, who laid claim to Wahoo; but Tritoboorie, supported by Mr. Brown, and the crew of the ship Butterworth, not only repelled Tahaio, but even invaded Atooi.
Tamaahmaah, availing himself of these dissensions, invaded and conquered Mowee, Morotai, and Ranai. Next year, 1795, he invaded Wahoo with one detatchment of his force, leaving Tianna to follow him with the other. Whilst waiting the arrival of that chief, he received the unexpected intelligence that he had gone over to the enemy; while, at the same time, an insurrection had broke out in Owhyhee, headed by Nomataha, brother to Tianna. Instead of being overwhelmed by this unexpected intelligence, he took the resolution of instantly attacking his enemies. The war was decided by a sanguinary battle, fought near the village of Whyteete, in which Tamaahmaah was completely victorious.
Young and Davis accompanied him upon this expedition, and were of essential service to him from their knowledge of fire-arms.
Tianna lost his life in the battle, while the sons of Titeree found refuge in Atooi. Tamaahmaah immediately returned to Owhyhee, and soon quelled the insurrection in that island.
He remained there about a twelvemonth; but either with a view of consolidating the conquests he had already made, or of extending them farther, he proceeded to Laheina, in Mowee, where he resided a few years, and afterwards removed to Wahoo, where he was during the whole time of our author’s stay, in 1809 and 1810.
Of the history of Atooi and Onehow, the only islands in the groupe independent of Tamaahmaah, little is known with certainty. Captain King says, that in 1779, they were governed by the grandsons of Perioranne, king of Wahoo. It is probable, that upon the conquest of that island by Titeree, they were also conquered; for it appears that Tahaio, or Taio, brother of that chief, was king of these islands when captain Vancouver visited them in 1798. He was succeeded by his son Tamoree, or Comaree, who was king of these islands in 1810.