This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 72.130.68.73 (talk) at 03:09, 6 April 2023 (→Exploits with the Bau). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 03:09, 6 April 2023 by 72.130.68.73 (talk) (→Exploits with the Bau)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other people with the same name, see Charles Savage.Charles Savage, (?– September 6, 1813) was a sailor (most likely of Swedish descent) and beachcomber known for his exploits on the islands of Fiji between 1808 and 1813.
Arrival at Fiji
Most accounts place Savage as a sailor aboard a ship registered in Port Jackson (Sydney), Australia, from which he was left in Tonga around 1807. From Tonga he was taken to Fiji by the Eliza which was wrecked near Nairai Island.
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The events of Dillon's Rock
In 1813, the Hunter reached Fiji to ply in the sandalwood trade and subsequently employed a number of local European beachcombers including Savage. As recounted by third mate Peter Dillon, Savage was killed in a skirmish with Wailea Fijians on September 6, 1813. Ashore as a member of a party to destroy Wailean canoes, Savage and the other scattered members of the party found themselves the victims of an ambush. They attempted to flee back to the anchored Hunter, but found “it impossible to get to the boat through the crowds of natives that intercepted the pathway.” At this point Dillon directed the men to climb a flat-topped hill of a rock (which later became Dillon's Rock) and organized a defense. Because of its steep and narrow ascent, the rock could only be climbed by a few persons at a time, allowing the defenders to maximize their volleys.
After some intense and sporadic exchanges, the Wailea fell back to a siege of sorts comprised (by Dillon’s accounting) of several thousand natives. At this point, Savage suggested that they break and run, but this was outrightly dismissed by Dillon, who, to further accentuate his resolve, threatened to shoot the first man who attempted to run. Using the lull in fighting to attempt to parlay, Dillon reminded the Wailea that eight of their own, including a priest’s brother, were held hostage on board the Hunter. Dillon proposed sending a man down to go to the ship to secure their release in exchange for the defenders. The Wailea agreed and so an injured defender was sent down to facilitate the transaction. During this ceasefire, several chiefs climbed the hill to implore the remaining defenders to accept offers of friendship and peace. Savage, confident in his knowledge of the language and customs was convinced that he could go down safely and secure some sort of resolution. Dillon disagreed and refused to leave the rock before the prisoner exchange, and allowed Savage to go only if he left his musket and ammunition behind.
Savage then descended the rock and spoke with the Wailea for some time who continued to try to convince Dillon to join them but to no avail. Finally, exasperated by Dillon’s refusal to come down and triggered by another defender attempting to escape, the Wailea attacked the unarmed Savage and quickly overpowered him, eventually drowning him in a well. Dillon goes on to describe cannibalistic practices and rituals involved with Savage’s and the others’ bodies, but those details have been disputed by others.
Results of Savage's exploits
The life of an archetypal beachcomber with few documented exploits has served as the legend-making clay of numerous writers and historians in the time since. Savage's influence (and by association muskets) on Fiji's history has been debated. Scholarly books and articles have examined Savage's legacy in terms of his aid in the rise of the Bau (and thus their subsequent dominance of Fiji), his introduction of firearms, and his role as an agent of social change with varying degrees of support and reproof.
Notes
- Campbell, 162.
- Dillon, 12.
- Obeyesekere, 193–223.
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References
- Campbell, I. C. (1980). "The historiography of Charles Savage". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 89 (2): 143–166.
- Denoon, Donald, et al. (1997). Cambridge History of Pacific Islanders. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
- Dillon, Peter (1829). Narrative and Successful Result of a Voyage in the South Seas. London.
- Maude, H. E. (1984). "Beachcombers and castaways". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 73 (3): 254–293.
- Gananath Obeyesekere, (2005). Cannibal Talk: the Man-Eating Myth and Human Sacrifice in the South Seas. Berkeley and Los Angeles. University of California Press.