Endicott, William
"Wrecked among cannibals in the Fijis : A narrative of shipwreck & adventure in…" by William Endicott is a historical maritime narrative written in the early 20th century. It recounts a Salem third mate’s beche-de-mer trading voyage across the South Seas, culminating in shipwreck among the Fiji Islands, encounters with warlike communities, and hard-won survival. The volume blends first-hand seafaring adventure with ethnographic observation, and is supplemented by editorial notes, illustrations, and brief vocabularies of local languages. The opening of the narrative sets the scene with an editor’s introduction to New England’s youthful seafaring culture, the ship Glide’s history, the beche-de-mer trade geared to the Chinese market, and the constant need for arms and vigilance in Fiji. Endicott then begins his log: departing Salem, touching at the Bay of Islands in New Zealand and the Friendly (Tonga) Islands for provisions and interpreters, and entering the reef-laced Fijis. After striking a rock, the Glide is assisted by the Salem brig Quill; the crew constructs a raft, heaves the ship down, and effects makeshift repairs. Shore stations are built to cure beche-de-mer, large numbers of islanders are hired, and trade goods (iron tools, muskets, whale’s teeth) change hands, but early setbacks arrive fast—fires, theft, and shifting to new bays as supplies thin and tensions rise. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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