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Early Marquesan |
Marquesan Tapa from the island of Fatu Hiva
CHAPTER 1
My Introduction to the Cannibal King
Peering over his shoulder, I managed to see the protruding edge of a newspaper revealing the words Yankee Cannibal King.
From the far-off Marquesas in the Southern Pacific comes news of the death of John Rumell, long a Yankee King of cannibals.
...the time to dig deep into this man's mysterious and thought-provoking life would have to wait until my shoes were well-worn and ready to walk along my ancestor's path.
CHAPTER 2
The Remote Marquesas Islands
One afternoon, Derek and I walked into a travel agency to begin the first stage of our adventure.
The agent squirmed in her chair and wrinkled her brow when I read the part about Rumell's comrades being eaten by cannibals.
With a departure date and flight arrangements out of the way, I could now get down to some serious research.
Question was, where do I begin?
CHAPTER 3
The Mormon Library
According to the newspaper article, a Mormon missionary had written a letter of salutation to Rumell's sister...
As luck would have it, there was a small branch of the Mormon Library in Charleston..."
She went directly to a part that revealed a microfilm...
Should I even dare to hope that the manuscript would reveal information about the mysterious Cannibal King?
CHAPTER 4
The Family History Center's Surprise
Dialing the History Center, I paced the floor...
"The church does not give out that information over the phone."
"Would it matter that I am a relative of the Cannibal King that may be the subject of the manuscript?"
I felt the short hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "So it's possible that these missionaries also kept diaries?"
CHAPTER 5
The Pacific's Volcanic Wonders
...early inhabitants of the Marquesas were not only cannibals and warriors...
Theirs was a custom of strict taboos, in addition to worshiping stone idols.
My discovery that Herman Melville (Moby Dick) and John Rumell had both resided in the Marquesas in the 1840s, in an era described as one of savagery and cannibalism...
CHAPTER 6
News From the History Center
"Nanine, I've found information regarding the manuscript..."
"The church records indicate that in 1974, the grandson of the missionary, Edgar Lafayette Ellsworth, allowed the center to make copies of several volumes..."
"Wait! I have more information regarding the missionary, Eli Walton..."
"According to our records, Eli Walton had four children..."
"Two spinster daughter living in Ogden, Utah."
"Did Walton keep any diaries?"
CHAPTER 7
A Call to Dr. Ellsworth
There was an awkward silence. "For what reason do you have for inquiring about my grandfather's diaries?"
"I gathered my composure around his suspicion...."
He hesitated for a moment, breathing into the phone in a way that hinted trepidation. "There are no guarantees that I'll even find anything regarding your relative."
CHAPTER 8
An Unexpected Phone Call
"My grandfather writes that Mr. Howard is a tattooed Bostonian who tells him how difficult life was for him... He also shares with him part of his fascinating story."
"He came here when he was just a young man, and in a short time, became infatuated with a princess..."
"I think we've found your Cannibal King. The question is, my dear, are you serious about pursuing your relative's incredible story?"
CHAPTER 9
Petunia Penelope Pletzenbaum
"My father spoke little about his mission, but I knew about the tattooed man..."
" Well I just know of one (diary) but there might be others in his missionary trunk in the basement."
"Oh dear... Jennie would be so angry if she knew I told you about Papa's trunk. She allows no one to look at our father's missionary things."
CHAPTER 10
A Letter Buried Away
Then, as I neared the end of the book, I found two letters sandwiched between the brittle and yellow pages. It was an amazing find...
Rumell sailed on the whaling ship Starita...
"I saw it in the captain's own handwriting on parchment paper. John H. Rumell, deserted February 10, 1847."
If Rumell deserted on the friendly Hawaiian islands, how is it he ended up on the shores of the Marquesas Islands?
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPTER 11
A Seaman's Letters
The caller introduced himself as the senior curator of the Old Dartmouth Whaling Museum...
"...there are seven letters. I must warn you that the letters contain graphic details of cannibalism."
"I checked the Starita's log. The first mate noted he found the bow boat gone with six crew members: Rumell was among them."
CHAPTER 12
Salt Lake City
"Those are the copies of the pages from my grandfather's diaries..."
It was 10:15, which meant we had nearly seven hours to pour over the fourteen volumes.
The moment we wound our first piece of film, we felt like treasure hunters, sifting through the sands of time... both hoping that Mr. Howard - the confirmed John Rumell - would, at some point, lay bare in the sifter.
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPTER 13
Mr. Howard
When my reading took me to the excerpt where Ellsworth called in on the "tattooed Bostonion" the skin on my scalp drew taught and tingled.
Mr. Howard was young and foolish and because of his act banished himself forever...
CHAPTER 14
The Walton Sisters
Joyce squared her shoulders, allowing a hint of a smile to ease through her frustration. "Well...I know you want to read papa's diaries..."
The animal sound roared from the kitchen..."Oh dear, I must ask Jennie."
Derek breathed heavily with excitement, opening the lid with a trunkful of treasures from a missionary's past.
Peeling back layers of old newspaper, he exposed the trunk's belly, where a little red diary crept out from beneath its wood shavings.
CHAPTER 15
The Final Hour
I fumbled in the dark for my notes and the copies of the twenty-nine pages of Walton's diaries and slipped quietly into the only room that offered privacy.
He wrote: The man called Howard bears the burden of his pain entirely on his own.
CHAPTER 16
The Last Leg of the Journey
I tore open the envelope and looked in awe at the enclosed letters...
I said, "... John Rumell kept his life a secret...The story of his affair with a princess was all anyone on Nuku Hiva knew..."
CHAPTER 17
The Adventurous and Daring Rumell
The adventurous Rumell was all to eager to sign up for the rigors of life on a whaling ship.
Trouble plagued the captain and officers when they discovered that John Rumell made his first escape attempt...
The first mate came on deck and discovered that the bow boat was gone along with six members of the crew.
There was concern over the cannibal tribes living deep within its valleys.
CHAPTER 18
Escape and the Start of a New Life
John's letter....with its revealing contents surrounding his escape...
Their plan was foiled when John was found and captured by French soldiers...
Perhaps it was a strange attraction held by danger and the unknown that drove John Rumell to place himself in the midst of native onlookers with hostile stares that fateful day in 1847...
He witnessed all manner of barbaric acts where others were killed and cannibalized before his very eyes.
What was his secret to survival when others had perished alongside him.
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPTER 19
Life After Hiva Oa
He wore only a loincloth to hide his nakedness.
1881...A letter from his favorite sister did not set well with Rumell...it forced him to visit a life he'd long since forgotten and left him buried in regret.
He told his sister that he could not disgrace her home with his ugly disfigured face...
CHAPTER 20
Rumell's Last Written Words
He expected the (French) authorities to call on him any day and force him to serve out his term...
If the French discovered his real name....what unpleasant circumstances would he face.
CHAPTER 21
What Was John Rumell's Real Story?
He looked like a native. One side of his face was tattooed in native designs and he had the swarthy copper color like the islanders.
One question lingered. Did the memory of John Howard Rumell, Yankee King of Cannibals live on in the Marquesas?
With two tickets to the South Pacific, Derek and I were about to go to that part of the world where it all began.
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPTER 22
Arrival in the South Pacific
As we neared the island of Nuku Hiva, mountains with deep, verdant valleys indented with long and narrow bays came into view.
In the midst of the already unusual and unexpected, a native girl's breast escaped the side of her native wrap and remained in view...Derek looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
Nearing the village where a road circled alongside the bay, I dared to imagine an encounter with the tattooed old Bostonian, Mr. Howard.
CHAPTER 23
Wolfgang
Wolfgang had a sly grin and bushy eyebrows that rose to perfect peaks.
Before long, an engaging Derek held Wolfgang captive with the Cannibal King story...
"So, Wolfgang, you are an outsider, like us. What makes you think you can get information regarding Nanine's relative?"
"...we will start the gossip that you are here. It will spread quickly."
CHAPTER 24
Taiohae, Nuku Hiva Marquesas
"This relative of yours...He was a man of great mystery. The princess, the tattooing, maybe a leader, changed identity."
Wolfgang said with a gleam in his eye, "I see these people like you two. Hold on to your seats, my friends, you are in for quite the ride."
CHAPTER 25
Josephine
Josephine was an armed officer with the French police. I was immediately drawn to her.
"What is the name of your tattooed relative? Maybe here there are some half-blood relatives to you. I can find this for you. There is the city hall with the old papers. I will take you to there."
CHAPTER 26
The Monsignor
"Who calls?"
"The Americans for their one o'clock audience," Wolfgang replied.
The monsignor was polite, attentive, reserved in his replies, and expressionless; that is until Wolfgang went on stage with the Rumell story...causing the Monsignor to squirm uncomfortably in his chair, and change his crossed leg from right to left.
When the Monsignor learned that I was looking for information regarding Rumell's life, he showed a keen interest and offered to look through the old church records for anything relevant.
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPTER 27
A Bumpy Ride
Josephine said, "Nanine, this is my friend, Pierre."
The Frenchman's skin was tanned to a golden brown, showing off every blond hair, including the stray hairs that trailed down his neck and curled around his earlobes. Bright blue-green eyes flashed and twinkled from a face that needed no help.
When I glanced at Pierre, his sparkling blue eyes looked at me in a way that made my face flush.
Josephine said, "Today is the birthday of Tahia. I think you and Derek must go and see how we Marquesans make the party."
Tahia's eyes flashed their approval when Josephine told her that the handsome man she had observed earlier at the Moana Nui was my husband.
CHAPTER 28
Paper Lanterns
The night was a moonless black, lit only by the paper lanterns flickering dimly on the porch of Tahia's house.
Inside a candlelit room, our hostess (Tahia) cast only a quick glance in my direction, showing an unhesitating admiration for her new male guest with eager arms and a prolonged kiss. Locked in her embrace, Derek simply shrugged in submission.
An old leather-skinned man with faded tattoos commenced beating a drum and chanting. There came a breathless moment, all eyes upon a young woman with undulating hips shuffling barefoot into the room. She married her movements to each drum beat, pausing, thrusting, and writhing in a display that mesmerized all that watched her.
When the empty floor was filled with couples crushing their bodies tightly against one another, Pierre sauntered over and held out his hand. Unable to deny a strong attraction that was drawing me to him, all inhibition was given over to the moment.
A strong breeze whistled through the window of our bungalow. Derek breathed softly beside me.
I felt myself being swept away by a culture that dictated pleasure in all forms. "Are you feeling what I am?"
He said through a long and languid sigh, "Mmm... this place...it... has a hold of me. I feel myself floating on an incoming tide of pleasure."
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPTER 29
Maurice
It was rumored that the old man behind the counter was the richest man on the island. If this were true, and the old man behind the newspaper were Maurice, his skid-row appearance was misleading.
Maurice wiped the sweat from his face; his eyes drifted off in a pensive stare. "There are many relatives....but they all living on island of Ua Pou; all except..."
CHAPTER 30
The Dreaded French Infirmary
In spite of my earlier plea, Derek had resisted medical attention, ... that insidious rash had spread to other parts of his body.
A look of alarm came over the doctor's face. "When did this rash begin, Monsieur?"
The color left Derek's face and fear took hold. "If my lungs are infected, then what?"
CHAPTER 31
Mayor Puhatini and the Old Cannibals
It was surreal... there I was, in another century, on a remote island, staring at an old document, further confirming that John Howard Rumell really had been there.
I said, "That period from 1849 when he submitted to the painful tattooing custom and was living with the cannibals was a time he wanted to bury."
Derek said, "As we both know, Nanine, John Rumell was a branded man both physically and emotionally."
The mayor gave me a reassuring smile, "Josephine told me the story of John Howard, and that you are here because of this man. Many descendants live on the island of Ua Pou. Monsignor Cleace knows much about the old culture. He can help you..."
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPTER 32
A Step Back in Time
Where the road leveled out and sliced its way through the jungle, we were rewarded with the long, narrow inlet of Taipivai. There, where a thick jungle cast swaying shadows upon a gray pebbled beach, I imagined it to be the same place where whalers and seafarers alike fell victim to the savage inhabitants known as the Taipis.
In the midst of indescribable beauty, I could not help but feel a wild pulse emanating from the native tattooed descendants of cannibals seated in a circle far down the inlet....
CHAPTER 33
Leontine
Leontine stood frozen in her spot, speechless and wide-eyed, trying to process what she had just been told.
Leaving the counter momentarily, she reappeared carrying an open purse, removing from its contents a tattered hand-written document.
Amazing though it was, I had just made another discovery.
CHAPTER 34
A Quiet Place
How strange it felt standing on the ground that held the closely guarded secrets of a tormented man.
My imagination was about to place me in harm's way.
I asked Leontine, "Can we look inside the prison?"
CHAPTER 35
A Descendant of Cannibals Remembers
Maurice stood over me kicking little divots in the sand with his thong.
"What was it like on Nuku Hiva during Mr. Howard's time in the eighteen-hundreds?"
"The people, they start to go back to the old ways. Be cannibals all over again."
CHAPTER 36
Hakaui and the Ua Falls
I gasped at the sight of the jagged perpendicular rocks that rose thousands of feet. In the distance, a plateau sent a ribbon of rippling white foam plummeting into a dark canyon. The drumming roar of the Hakaui River punctuated the sight in that land that time had forgotten.
We climbed over huge boulders, down through a crack in the rocks, inside the dimly lit chamber filled with the thunderous sound of the waterfall...
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPATER 37
Monsignor Cleace
Streams of sunlight penetrated the panes of glass in a cozy sitting room leaving yellow trails across the floor and furnishings. Monsignor Cleace, the elder Bishop of the Marquesas Islands, was easily identified by the cross embroidered over the left pocket of his crisply starched shirt. A squatty and nearly bald (all but a tiny strip of fuzz that traveled his pate from ear to ear) man sat across from him, gripping a cardboard tube.
The monsignor rose from his armchair and introduced the Chinese man as John Rumell's adoptive grandson and namesake, Kihi.
I replied through a rising excitement, "No doubt Josephine has told you the reason why I have requested an audience with you today?"
The Monsignor knew why we had come and answered warmly, "You wish for me to ask Kihi about his grandfather, John Kihi Rumell."
The Monsignor turned his attention to Kihi, addressing him in Marquesan.
CHAPTER 38
A Serendipitous Moment
I said, "Your Excellency, some time ago, I contacted the Mormon Church in search of information on two missionaries who knew Rumell during their mission on Nuku Hiva in 1899. Subsequent to my inquiry, the church discovered a handwritten manuscript on the Marquesan language authored by the two missionaries.
The news had the Monsignor on the edge of his chair at the same moment he pled, "Oh, Madame, you have no idea how this undiscovered manuscript could enhance my studies."
CHAPTER 39
An Emotional Farewell
That morning of our departure a heavy heart ached with sadness.
Derek flew in the door to the bungalow, his face flushed with anger. "Bad news. The muscles in his jaw bunched. "The mail boat we're due to take in an hour, has broken down and is sitting in the bay near the airport. There goes our transportation."
Josephine poked her head out the truck window and yelled, "The rain washed out the roads, and no Land Rover goes. I talked to Kahti's father and he will take you to the bay. When you get there, my friend with the Jeep will drive you to the airport."
I shrugged and clenched my teeth in dread. "You won't believe this."
TO BE CONTINUED!
CHAPTER 40
The Main Road Fades From Sight
Pushing the throttle into gear, Henry sped off, leaving Josephine waving at us from the shore as Mr. Howard's main road faded from sight.
When we finally arrived at our destination, the only vehicle in sight was the crippled mail boat...
A black Jeep sped into the bay, coughing up a huge brown dust cloud as it screeched to a stop.
With only twenty-five minutes left before the plane was due to take off, we were in another race against the clock, with the driver pushing the accelerator to the floorboard.
The driver approached the curve at high speed; it was sharp and blind.
CHAPTER 41
Crash!
I heard the grinding roar of the dirt bike's tailpipe seconds before the bike came into view.
Terror struck every fiber of my being. God this isn't happening. Have we killed him?
Nothing could block out that terrifying vision, even the final glimpse of Nuku Hiva as the plane curved around the last stretch of coastline.
The pilots made a soft landing on a grass runway, taxiing a short distance to the small airport. When the engines ground to a halt, we disembarked into the sunlight and the warm, tropical ambiance of Hiva Oa.
"I am Amelie, your hostess, and I welcome you to Hiva Oa."
"This is our last stop on the Marquesas. I can only hope that this place where Rumell's island story began will reveal something."
CHAPTER 42
Land of the Savage
Derek spoke with his head down, signing the traveler's checks. "We are looking for an employee of the bank named Madeleine."
"Unfortunately, many of the people on the island died from disease, famine, and wars, so going back and finding anyone with information could be very difficult. However, there is an old woman living here that is a descendant of one of our cannibal chiefs. Perhaps she could know something that could be useful regarding your relative."
My mind wandered. Gauguin lived here during Rumell's time. Was it possible that Gauguin had heard about Rumell?
Comparing Rumell with Gauguin, I discovered that Gauguin was also fascinated by the savage, which spoke to the darker side of both men's nature.
CHAPTER 43
Hinahia Titiienui
I shook my head vehemently. "The princess was his love. I believe the other women were substitutes and easy to love and leave according to the custom. And the child did not obligate him to remain with Hinahia."
Derek was aghast with mouth opened wide. "But how is it that you didn't tell me about such an important account of Rumell?"
CHAPTER 44
Traitor's Bay
Awaiting word from Madeleine, Derek and I decided to visit the island's archaeological
sites remaining from the cannibal era.
The more we traipsed along that rutted road, the deeper into the confines of the jungle we went. All the while Rumell's savages crept into my consciousness, and a suffocating jungle heat wrapped me in a blanket of humidity.
I peered at the small openings in the trees to see dark clouds billowing across the sky, and a prickle of fear caused the skin on my forearms to tighten. "I don't want to get lost and get caught in a storm in the middle of a jungle."
CHAPTER 45
Marita
All was not quite finished. One last player, who would add to the cast of dozens, promised to help write the ending to my story.
That player's name was Marita...
The question could wait no longer. "John Howard or Kihi, does she recognize either of those names, Amelie?" I took Marita's hand in mine, feeling the fingers twitch.
THE END
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