The Unlucky "Glide"

Tale of an Early Shipwreck in Fiji

By R. C. Macpherson

IN the early days of the 19th century, when the Fiji Group was first be coming known to the civilised world as a place where could be obtained many commodities like sandalwood, beche-de mer and tortoiseshell, bringing big prices in the markets of the East, many adven turous seamen set sail for the Islands, and many a fine ship left her bones on the then little-known reefs.

The port of Salem, Massachusetts, was the home of many of the early trading vessels, and of all the stories of the vessels that cleared from Salem for the South Seas, one of the strangest must be that of the Glide, 306 tons, built in Salem in 1811 for Joseph Peabody and Samuel Tucker. After one successful voyage to the “Feejees” and several narrow escapes from shipwreck, it was finally lost in a storm on the coast of Vanua levu. The tale, as pieced together from various sources, is a tribute to the hardi hood and resourcefulness of the seamen of the day, who thought nothing of undertaking major repairs to their ships, unaided by anything in the nature of docks, or even proper tools.

Before venturing to Fiji the Glide had made 13 voyages to the Mediterranean, Archangel, South America, India, and the East Indies. Her South Seas voyages had their genesis on board another Salem ship, the China, when this vessel was homeward bound from China, Calcutta, and Manila through the South Seas.

The then mate of the China, Henry Archer, Jr., heard much of the Islands beche-de-mer trade, and on arrival in Salem he put a proposition for a voyage to the South Seas to the Salem mer chant, Joseph Peabody, the upshot being the commissioning of the Glide for the voyage with Archer in command.

THE Glide left Salem on May 21, 1829, shaping a course for the Cape Verde Islands, thence to double the Cape of Good Hope. A call was made at New Zealand for provisions, and an other at one of the islands of the Tongan Group for a similar purpose; and, on October 10, the Glide passed Vatoa, or Turtle Island, the southernmost of the Fiji Group, and headed north for “Miam boo” (Bua) Bay. • had to lie to during the night, the imperfect charts and surveys making it dangerous to proceed till day light, but by 11 a.m. the next day she was through the reef, but still in danger from sunken rocks and shoals. She cen tred to make sail for the bay until 1.30 p.m., when a rock was sighted directly ahead.

Despite every effort to avoid it, the ship struck on the port bow, then being about 12 miles from the anchorage.

Sails were laid aback, and she slid off, but when the pumps were sounded it was found she was leaking 1,400 strokes an hour.

The ship anchored and a well-armed boat was sent off to examine the bay. It returned in the evening, and a start was made in the morning with raising the anchor. However, this proved to be a danger to the vessel, and the anchor was cut adrift, sail being made for the bay, where the Glide anchored at noon Examination showed the keel to be split badly and the ship injured so much that repairs would be necessary before the voyage could continue. Difficulty was immediately met with, as no suit

able place could be found to heave her down or haul ashore.

It was learned from the natives that there was another ship at Bau, and a boat was sent to secure assistance.

However, before the boat reached Bau the brig Quill, of Salem, stood into the bay. Captain Kinsman, of the Quill, in formed those on the Glide of the great danger to their boat from natives, and another boat was immediately despatched in support, both boats getting safely back a few days later.

When it was found impossible to repair the Glide on shore it was determined to construct a raft from spars and timber on board and heave the ship down to the raft in the bay. Cargo and .stores were transferred to the Quill, and the was prepared, coconut trees being purchased from a native chief to complete the raft.

This done, it was found there was no rope on either vessel of sufficient strength for the job. However, the crew suc ceeded in making a rope and hove the ship’s keel out of water, when it was found the keel had been split and the stem started.

AS it was impossible properly to repair the damage to the stem in the cir cumstances, iron cramps were manufactured by the armourers of both vessels, and these used to stop the leak

as much as possible, with the aid of wedges, sheathing and tar. It was November 19 before the job was com pleted and the ship righted, when it was found the leak had been stopped.

Negotiations were then started with the chief ashore, and he contracted to build houses for curing the beche-de mer, and on December 9 the purchase of the sea slugs was commenced.

The Quill, having seen repairs com pleted to the Glide, and taken in a cargo of 800 piculs of beche-de-mer and a quan tity of tortoiseshell, sailed for Manila on December 21.

Work went on apace until December 30, when natives set fire to the curfng house, and destroyed 60 piculs of beche de-mer, trade goods and clothes, the men who had been working ashore getting aboard with difficulty at midnight. In the morning it was discovered that the boiling-kettles had been smashed by the natives for the sake of their wrought iron.

Naturally annoyed, Captain Archer sent for the chief of the bay, whose excuse was that the houses had been built by an inferior chief, and were more liable to interference than if they were built by him. He advised the use of the houses built for the Quill by himself, which the natives would not dare to touch. So, later, a start was made cur ing fish in these houses, the blacksmith having repaired the damaged kettles.

The scarcity of beche-de-mer in the locality caused a move to “Aloa” (Ngaloa) Bay, where the curing con tinued uninterrupted for some months.

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BY April 9, the Glide had on board 1,000 piculs of beche-de-mer, 350 lb. of tortoiseshell and some sandalwood. Her cargo completed, the curing houses were burnt so they could not be used by other traders, and the ship prepared for sea, sailing out of the bay on April 15, 1830, Manila bound. She had to anchor for the night near a small island, “Anganga” (Yaqaqa), with reefs and breakers all around, waiting for daylight to find a passage through the

reef - .

During the night the wind increased to a violent gale, and the crew had to get the topmasts down and pay out all they could on both cables. The blow continued for four days, the ship being in a very dangerous position, with a large reef only two cables astern.

On the 20th, the weather moderated, and with her topmasts rigged again the Glide got under way and returned to Bua Bay on the 22nd, lying there until the 25th, waiting for a favourable wind.

On that date she was able to set a course for Manila Bay, where she anchored on June 22, and discharged her cargo.

The cargo being disposed of successfully, another voyage to the Fijis was decided on, and Glide sailed on July 17 calling at the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) en route and sighting Vatoa on November 18. Later, she anchored off Ovalau and the first officer and an interpreter interviewed Ratu Tanoa (father of Cakobau) who later visited the ship. The master contracted with him for the building of two large curing-houses on an island a short distance from Bau, and purchased from him some tortoiseshell C TTOT . T , * , URING was commenced on December 1, but as beche-de-mer was scarce, a move to another place was

planned. Before this could be executed, however, the Glide again found herself in difficulties. A violent gale sprang up from the north, and on December 16, as the ship lay in the open roadstead, her position became dangerous.

The vessel started to drift and both anchors were let go and the topgallants got down.

Then came a succession of disasters.

The force of the gale increased and the chain cable parted. The “stream,” a small anchor, was let go, but that parted also, and the ship drifted to within a cable-length of the breakers, the sea running very high. The sheet anchor cable still held, and she managed to ride it out till morning, when this cable also parted and she drove on the reef, before the crew could get sail on her.

However, a fortunate change of wind enabled her to get clear without dam age, and she made sail for Somo Somo, where the master purchased from the natives the cables and anchors of the brig Fawn, lately wrecked there (August, 1830). Unsuccessful efforts were made to recover the Glide’s own anchors.

HERE there was a clash with the natives. Some of the Fijians attacked a party ashore with the carpenter, to cut stocks for the anchors.

Two of the seamen were clubbed and killed, one of the victims having shot the leader of the attackers before he died.

After an armed party had recovered and buried the bodies the ship sailed for Bua Bay, arriving on December 31. She went on and anchored in Ngaloa Bay on January 1, 1831, when the fish-houses were completed and a start made with curing fish and the repair of rigging, by then in a bad state.

More trouble was experienced with the

natives, the principal fish-house being set on fire on January 29 and 100 piculs of beche-de-mer destroyed. Another incen diary attempt was made on February 13, and there was a disposition on the part of the natives to attack the men. So the ship shifted to what an old chronicler calls Mutt Water, probably the present day Macuata. By February 21, the curing-houses were completed, and the local chief agreed to stay aboard the ship as hostage for the behaviour of the people.

THE ship lay in a channel between a small island and the north end of “Takanova” (Cakaudrove), when “an excessive hard gale” came down from the south-east, about 8 p.m. on March 12. At 10 all hands were called, and the sheet anchor was let go, but as the other cable was paid right out it could bring no strain until the ship be gan to drift.

It continued to blow, with every ap pearance of more to come, and yards and topgallants and the main topmast were brought down. When the ship was found to be drifting the chain anchors were immediately let go, one being backed with the ship’s kedge, and “paid out a long scope on all the cables.”

Next the fore-topmast and lower yards were brought down. But by 9.30 p.m. the ship had drifted so far as to be ex posed to the full force of the seas, all cables being paid out to the bitter end.

All through the night the struggle with the elements continued, and by 10 a.m. next day it could be seen by the land, sighted only occasionally, that the vessel had drifted seven or eight miles along the coast and was in a most dangerous position, the current setting against her and the wind having in creased to full hurricane force, with high seas.

Breakers were all around, and there was obviously little chance oT saving the ship, so the lower masts were cut away, these taking with them almost every movable article on the deck.

The breakers were soon astern and at 11 a.m. on the 13th, the Glide struck the shore reef, having drifted 10 miles from her original anchorage. The seas soon drove her well on the reef, where she bilged and fell over on her side, leaning in towards the land, and, as a result, giv ing the crew some protection from the seas beating against her.

OF the events which followed, William Endicott, who was third mate, says; “We were fortunate in having a chief aboard of considerable influence with the natives, who advised us to land if possible and proceed to, his town, as the mountaineers would come on board for plunder and would not scruple to take our lives, which he could not pos sibly prevent. Accordingly, the ship was delivered to the chief, and we prepared to clear away the boats.”

The launch had been lost at the be ginning of the gale, and when the quarter boat was lowered it immediately went to pieces. Only two boats were left, and in these the crew managed to make the shore with only the clothes they wore.

Even these they were not to retain for long, for soon after landing they en countered a party of mountaineers “exceedingly fierce,” who robbed them of their clothes, leaving them naked in the storm and ignorant of the way to the friendly chief’s town.

This they reached next morning, after much trouble, and were given a large house, but no provisions, so had to wait two days for the return of the chief, who had plundered the ship. He pro claimed that the lives of the seamen

should be spared and that they might secure what provisions they could from the wreck.

A visit disclosed that every part had been ransacked, the hull having been hacked about for the iron work in it, but they managed to obtain 14 lb. of salt meat and a few cases of bread.

News of another vessel in the Group reached them, and the captain left in one of the boats for Bau on March 28 to try to obtain relief.

In the meantime it was learned that natives from another village had set fire to what was left of the Glide. On April 20 the second officer learned that another vessel had been wrecked in the same gale and that the officers and men were living at Bau, and it was later learned that this was the brig Niagara, Captain Nathaniel Brown, of Salem.

It was not until May 22 that relief came, when a sail was seen standing in for the anchorage; and, later, the Harriet, Captain Young, from the Sand wich Islands, anchored and picked up the Glide's men. After collecting the Glide’s anchors she sailed for Bau, and later, left with the crew of the Glide, who finally lost sight of Fiji on June 26, 1831, homeward bound.

Fuller details of the story of the Glide can be found in “Wreck of the Glide, with an Account of Life and Manners at the Fiji Islands,” Boston, 1846; and “Wrecked Among Cannibals in the Fijis,” by William Endicott, with notes by Lawrence W. Jenkins, Salem, Mass., 1923.