Lms Pioneer In The Marquesas

The Story of Missionary W. P. Crook

By W. W. Bolton, Ma

W. P. Crook was but 22 years of age when the London Missionary Society’s ship, “Duff,” landed him and left him alone on Tahuata, Men dana’s Santa Christina island, the first white resident in the entire Marquesan group.

He was to have had a companion, just twice his age, but Harris’s courage failed him when the test came. It was on June 6, 1797, that the mission ship drop ped anchor in Cook’s Resolution Bay, and on June 27 she sailed away. Crook gathered up his last belongings aboard, and bore off with him, as his sole com panions, his Bible and two cats!

He was a wide-awake, methodical young fellow and kept a diary, or jour nal, as he called it —a fortunate thing for us of later years, for in it we read of his daily life and doings, a vivid descrip tion of his ups and downs, told in the simplest way.

He must have been of winsome char acter, for he made friends at once with everyone. There was no tragedy for him as with his companions on Tonga, who paid for misunderstandings with their lives; nor lack of courage as with those on Tahiti, the majority of whom fled at the first sight of danger.

Teinae, the Chief in the Bay, agreed to Crook’s and Harris’s coming to reside with him. Their sea-chests and bags were landed the very next day, and Crook went ashore with the Chief. Not so Harris, who did not land until the 14th, and at once found both food and man ners highly disagreeable.

A first test came quickly. Teinea went off to the neighbouring island of Hivaoa and left them to get supplies as best they could during his absence; and food was very short ashore, owing, seemingly, to drought. He added to their larder some welcome fish on his return. Off again he set, taking Crook along with him, to another island, Uapo, leaving Harris to the care of one Tepaihena, whose con duct was very far from satisfying both as to manners and supplies. But there was yet worse to come.

The belongings of both men were at Teinae’s home, nigh a mile from the beach. Harris had a large red feather in his box and, unfortunately, he had shown it to the children of the Chief.

Such a prize was too much for them and others. Upon Crook’s return, the two men went aboard the “Duff,” Harris deter mined to quit. On the 23rd he went ashore for his chest and bags and, secur ing the aid of two natives, started at once for the beach, despite Crook’s warning against being benighted.

He was indeed benighted on the beach, and a crowd of natives gathered round him. They wanted that feather, and they broke open and plundered his box.

He was thoroughly scared.

Crook heard of his plight early next morning and, gathering up his friend’s bags, hastened to his aid. Harris was sitting disconsolate on his plundered box, gazing at the “Duff” at anchor in the Bay. On account of the heavy surf, the ship’s boat could not approach to learn of the trouble.

The younger man, an expert swimmer, without hesitation swam off to the ship.

The boat was brought as near as pos sible. the chest and bags put aboard, and Harris, unable to swim, was carried to it and safety. He had had enough.

Aboard the “Duff” was Peter the Swede,

a beachcomber from Tahiti, who was acting as interpreter for Captain Wilson.

He had with him a Tahitian lad named Harameia, who, getting ashore, secreted himself, fearing trouble over a suspicion of theft. Crook attempted his return, but without success, and the lad, belittling the white folk on his island, was a thorn Id his side. ¥ - 7rrw . the Du^ s departure, Crook ** thrown wholly upon himself. He took up residence m one of Teinea’s homes, up the valley, and made efforts t 0 grow vegetables, the seeds of which he had with him - Not only was the weather against him, but his needed tools we T e P r p™ptly stolen.

Food became increasingly short. As he could seldom procure the use of a canoe to fish in the Bay > he took to the water himself, with line and baited hook in his hand, other bait tied round his neck, and gallantly sought his supper.

With such need around him, was can nibalism resorted to? As a fact, he saw the bodies of tw o persons, killed during a ra * d on Hivaoa > cooked and eaten by the priests of Tahuata; but he notes that “it is P retty certain that persons are not

severity of this famine anyone was Killed for that purpose.”

Despite the necessities of the body, the young fellow did not starve his mind. He spent much time studying hifi Holy £ ook —so much so that the natives formed the idea that the Book was his god, and loft him alone at his worship, r T N January (1798) the harvest of bread fruit wa s a good one, and things became brighter all round. He moved to the waterfront, and started to erect a home on the stone platform which once, as a residence, had sheltered Cook, and was known as Hetehetes pipi.

In February, the “Alexander,” of Bos ton, anchored in the Bay, and stayed a few days. From its captain the lone white man received much kindness. He bore off Crook’s journal to date, together with a vocabulary of Marquesan words which he had acquired, to be forwarded to London, and which were duly received, He evidently had a gift for languages, as in less than a year he could converse with the natives, though his attempts to teach them fell on stony ground.

An Hawaiian, Tama, speaking broken English, was left by the “Alexander,” with the captain’s consent, and he be came devoted to Crook, whom he cham pioned when the natives spoke lightly of the Man with the Book, With May, came an unexpected change

for him. Seeing a vessel attempting to beat up to the harbour on the evening of the 21st, Crook went off to her in a canoe, with some natives. She proved to be the “Betsy,” an American whaler. He found that the captain, in despair of get ting in, was about to bear away.

Crook advised him to make for Nuka hiva, an_ island of which the captain had no knowledge; and the younger man, keen not to lose this opportunity of writ ing to his directors, resolved —though des titute of everything but the clothes he wore—to accompany him, knowing that it was possible later on to return to Tahuata. The natives returned without him and the belief was held that he had sailed for Beretania.

THE “Betsy” approached Port Anna Maria on the morning of May 24.

A boat, in which Crook went, was

sent in to sound the harbour. As it neared the shore of Taiohae, the natives gathered on the beach. Crook saw some priests among them, and called upon them in their own language to come to him.

On learning that he was “Kruka,” of whom they had heard, they entered the canoe and went aboard. When the anchor was dropped, the priests and Crook sprang overboard and swam to the shore.

One of the priests was of highest rank and forthwith presented Crook with the name of his little grandson, Pakouteie, which was also his own, and thereby the white man became his equal in rank.

The next morning Crook was duly installed “in his new affinity and dig nity.”

The “Betsy” duly provisioned and wat ered, departed in a few days, and Crook

found himself in a new station, minus everything. He had, however, procured a Bible and some coarse writing paper from the "Betsy"—but his cats could not be replaced! He learned later that they went wild after his departure, and their place was happily taken by the white man’s truest friend —a dog which Cap tain Fanning, of the “Betsy,” had given him.

He was in clover; everything was at his command. He sent early word to Teinea of his purpose to remain, and to let ships know of his whereabouts. . He built himself a home, and planted a gar den, natives willingly helping and build ing a fence around, against the roam ing pig. Meanwhile, he did not neglect his mission; but, despite steady effort, faffed to impress.

Seven months passed thus, the young man fitting easily into his strange sur roundings, when in December (1798) two ships anchored in Comptrollers’ Bay.

Crook went overland to the bay and boarded the vessels. They were the “Butterworth” and the “New Euphrates,” both whalers, and had come from Tahuata. Aboard the former was a chief’s son from Crook’s former island, Temoteitei. They lay in the district of Tipee, which was ever at war with the districts of Taiohae; and, though the Tipeeans freely pilfered articles, the cap tains preferred to remain where they were.

THE captain of the “Euphrates” urged Crook to accompany him to Eng land. He deliberated long upon this proposal. He felt that, alone, he could do little to uplift the Marquesans and that direct contact with the Directors might be of use to the equipment of a proper mission.

He finally informed the natives of his purpose of going, to return with better means of doing them service. They accepted the decision. The two whalers moved to Port Anna Maria on January 7, 1799, but did not anchor, standing off and on as exchanges took place through Crook —tools and earthenware goods for hogs, coconuts and native work. On January 8, Crook went aboard the “Euphrates,” where was a lad, Heko naeke, who had been shipped in Comp trollers’ Bay; and the two whalers sailed to Tahuata, where the once lone white man renewed old friendships.

They made a long stay. On January 28, Crook transferred to the “Butter worth,” it being resolved that that vessel should at once proceed Home, whilst the former continued its whaling for a while.

Aboard with him was the chief’s son, Temoteitei.

Scarcely had fhey sailed than another whaler, the “London,” appeared at Tahu ata, on which the Tahitian lad Hara meia was shipped as cabin-boy. It also was making Home. Thus Crook had the genuine article aplenty to show to his Directors.

The “Butterworth,” with Crook and the Marquesan Temoteitei, reached Lon don in May, 1799; the “New Euphrates,” with the Marquesan Hekonaeke, in Octo ber; the “London,” with the Tahitian Harameia, in November. There is a note that “the change of climate much affected the health of these three islanders.” Their fate is unknown.

CROOK’S promise that he would return with better means of service was unfulfilled. The Directors of the LMS, for their own reasons, let the opportunity pass and had other service for the young man, who had but to obey.

But Crook did not forget. Years later (1825), whilst he was stationed on Tahiti,

he sailed again for Tahuata, and left three native teachers there. With a record of fine service, he left Tahiti In 1839, retiring to Melbourne, where he died on June 14, 1846, aged 71.

With this story of a gallant young pioneer before them, let those who seem to take pleasure in casting slurs upon missionaries in general, and those of the “Duff” in particular, ask themselves one question: Would they in like circum stance have had his courage?