ttMlitt dItISDPITIOZMAtit
gt printed weaklron Clearfield, pa.. tyre. W. mouRE
wusyr4. and Proprietor, at the fol.
Law nett rayon:rule
• ' Ei
•
ONE OOPII ONE. YEAH.' IN ADVANCEd •1 00
NOT pm') wiTinci THREE MONTH. 1 15
IF NOT PAID WITHIN SIX MONTHS. 1 10
IF NOT PAID WITHIN NINE MONTHS. 176
IF NOT PAID WITHIN TWELVE MONTHS. 900
Irr i. o h o e n t n i ttg r o u r i ln a t t tl a gg ra L a il Vilebre - gaTer°'
No di.coniimmico will tia allowed mall all arramages hare
tom paid.
•
DUTY AlktD or POSTMASTER&
postmasters negleotlng to notlry the onbllsher, as dlrectoo
es law. of tho feet that papers ere not lifted by those to whom
ggyare divested. ore themrelves: held .rospousible lot the
went of the subsorlotron money.
persona lilting papers addressed to themselves. or to others.
tersomestibscrnbers. nod arellable for the price of subsorio.
dos.
Ourseper Is now curled by mall throughout the county.
firs orpostage.
CAPTAIN JOIIN
The Superior talents of Captain Smith
bad by this time made themselves so man
ifest, that , in proportion to the esteem in
which ho was held by the generality of the
people, he was hated by . the malcontents
whose' evil designs ho had so signally
thwarted.
Even the governor and captain Martin,
finding their official station but lightly re
garded, began to look upon their more
vigorous asseciate with an evil eye. Be
ing determined to. rid themselves of his
presence in.the settlement as much as pos
sible, they ,taunted Smith with not having
discovered tho head of Chicknhominy Riv
er, and charged him with dilatoriness.—
The fiery and impetuous soldier, who could
but ill. broek on' accusation of this kind im
mediatelY set sail on his.vovago of explo
ration, although the season was so far ad
vanced as to make the adventure both dan
gerous.and uncertain.
Entering the river, he sailed toward its
source, until its manifold obstructions pre
vented his barge from proceeding any far
ther. Leaving his little vessel at the dis
tance of a bow-shot from the shore, after
giving strict orders to his crow not to land,
but to await his return, he entered a small
canoe, and with two' Englishmen and a
couple of Indian guides, penetrated twenty
miles higher, until he reached the maish
es,which were formed at the head of the
river.
He was scarcely outof sight of the barge,
before the men, disobeying his commands,
went ashore and were surprised by the
Indians, who had been directed by Opech
ancanough, the brother of Powhattan, to
watch their motions. One man, George
Cessen, was captured, and after being in
terrogated as to the direction taken by
Captain Smith, was put to death. Tlie
rest escaped with difficulty to the barge.
The Indians now started in pursuit of
Smith, killed the two men he had left in
charge of his canoe, and at length discov
ered the captain himself. Although sur
rounded by two hundred savages, Smith
unconscious of the fate which had befallen
his companions, resolved to attempt a re
treat towards his canoe. Binding the In
dian guide to his arm as a shield against
the arrows of his foes, he kept up a run
ning fire upon them, killed three and
wounded many others. During this time,
however, Smith himself had not escaped
wholly unscathed. One arrow had alrea
dy pierced his thigh, and several penetra
ted his clothes; but his courage was so
well appreciated, and the dread of his fire
arms were so great, that it is probable he
might even then have succeeded in making
good his escape, if, while retiring with his
face towards his foes, he had not fallen in
to a marshy creek. Notwithstanding he
was thus most effectually disabled, the In
dians wore afraid to approach him until,
being nearly dead with cold, ho threw away
' his arms.
Drawing him from the creek, they led
him toward his canoe, where the first sight
that met his oyes was the dead bodies of
his two men, shot full of arrows, lying by
the fire they had lighted ; the embers of
which were still glowing.
After suffering the Indians to chafe his
benumbed limbs until the blood once more
circulated freely, Smith demanded to be
shown their chief.
As soon as Opechancanough presented
himself, the young soldier drew from his
pocket a round ivory double compass dial,
and gave it, to his captor. The
,savages
immediately gathered round the singular
piece of machaniem, and were greatly as
tonished at the incessant motion of the
needle, which they could see so plainly,
and yet not touch, because of the glass by
which it was covered. But when Smith
demonstrated by means of that little in
strument, the roundness of the earth , and
skies, the spherical character of the' sun,
moon, and stars, and many.other such like
mysteries, they were filled with awe and
admiration.
• Khoweve old young soldier sought
by this men gratiato himself with the
savages '
and win them over to his re
.- low% he was doomed to a bitter.asap
pointment. Within an hour afterwards
'they suddenly pinioned his arms, and tying
him to'n tree,as manyas could stand about
' hint bent their. bows,. and were in the act
,Ofdespatchieghim,whenOp echancanou g h,
holding up the compass in his hand, com.
minded them to.desist.. .
:110 was' then led in triumphant proms,
sionounder a strong guard to the town of,
Orapakes. As he approached it, all the
women and children came out to gaze at
the great warrior, whose renown hadalred
dy preceded him•
• 'Oa entering, the. town the procession
hatted. 'The Indians then formiug afing,
'',dancecl wildly: about their prisoner, accom
'panYindtheie uncouth gestures with:sengs
and ear-piercing yells.
while Smith and Opeclianeao
nough'sidoil in dui midst guarded. ''When
the dances warii, ended, Opecharicanough
conduCted his prisoner to a log house, cov
ered with mats, Nvher€llo was. placed un
:der.the protection, of some, thirty or forty
'warriors, ,every , one with, his, bead and
ahouldarapaintad of fkbright i qcOot ,color,
and all of OW bearing, bola, in their
(,7.1f:i:t . ''1..' 1 ..:.' .. -li . :Outs.ti'6U
A WEEKLY PAPER : DEVOTED TO LITERATURE, AGRICULTURE, MORALITY, AND FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.
Volume 3,
hands, a quiver of arrows, and a club
slung at their backs, and on the arm of
eachilk way of vambrece, a fox or ot
ter's skin.
Food" was soon - afterwards set before
him in quantities sufficient for twenty men,
and at midnight another and equally abun
dant supply was brought in. What he did
not eat was put into baskets and. slung to
the rafters above his head. No ono was
suffered to partake of the meal with him.
The next morning fresh provisions were
brought, and in 'such profusion, that Smith
conjectured the designof the savages was
to fatten and then eat him. Even in this
,
desperate strait, he met with an instance
of gratitude which is well worthy of ree.
ord.
Observing him to shiver with the cold,
an Indian by the name of Macassaterstript
himself of his own robe and gave it to
Smith-, in requital for some beads and oth•
er toys which the latter had presented him
on his first arrival in Virginia.
The second day of his imprisonment, an
Indian, in revenge for the loss of his son,
who then lay mortally wounded attempted
to murder Smith, but his purpose was pre
vented by the timely interposition of the
guards.
It is an evidence of their credulous belief
in the almost supernatural power of their
prisoner that they conducted him to the
couch of the dying man, with the hope of
his being yet able to restore him to health.
With that quickness of perception which
so eminently marked the character of the
man, Smith immediately profited by the
opportunity. He told them, that at James.
town ho had water that would do it, i
they would permit him to go there for it
this, however, they shrewdly declined.
On the contrary, they made great prepa
rations for an assault upon the settlement
and sought the advice of their prisoner.
As an inducement to assist them, hey oft
ercd him fife, liberty and land. The wily
soldier neither accepted nor refused, but,
temporising with them, obtained with great
difficulty permission to send messengers to
the fort, bearing his table-book, ostensibly
for the purpose of obtaining certain things
for his own use, but in reality with a view
to inform the colonists of his situation, and
place them on their guard against surprise.
Notwithstanding the way was long, and
the weather bitter cold, the messengers
performed their journey and returned to
Orapakes within three days, wondering
greaily by what strange conjurations it was
that a small piece of white paper could bo
made to talk.
But if this to them, singular faculty of
convoying his thoughts to a distance by
means of certainarbitiary characters led
them to regard their prisoner with increas
ed awe, it did not prevent them from re
joicing still more heartily at the knowledge
that so dangerous a man was a captive in
their hands.
Triumphantly, and with songs and dan
ces, they led him captive through thechief
towns of the surrounding tribes,and thence
back again to the king's habitation at Pa -1
munkey.
At this place a consultation appears to t
have been held 'among the chief priests '
and •medicine-men of the various tribes.—
The subject of their deliberations was one
of great gravity and moment. It was to
ascertain whether the captive white war
rior, whose marvellous doings challenged'
alike the admiration and fears of the sav
ages, was possessed of evil intentions to
ward them.
It was a knotty problem, the solution of
which could only be obtained by fearfUl
conjurations, and the exorcise of their skill
in art magic.
Accordingly, one morning, a great fire
was made in _ono of the larger wigwams,
and on opposite sides of the fire mats were
spread. Then Smith, with his hands firm
ly bound, was brought in by his guards,
and after being seated upon a mat was left
for a short time entirely alone. Presently
a man painted black, holding a gourd rat
tle in his hand , and covered above his head
and shoulders with snakes and weasel's
skins, bounded into the apartment, chant
ing an invocation with. a . ..10ud, voice and
many passionate ,gestures, he. encircled
the fire, with a broad ring of Indian meal..
1 1 When this was accoMplished, three others
came rushing in,' painted pati-colored, in
black, red, and white. After dancing and
gesticulating for , a while, these last were
joined by. three . more, painted red about
the eyes, and. with their blackened faces
relieved by streaks of white. These also
danced . about their prisoner in a' savage
and grotesque manner, and then they all
sat down opposite to Smith, three on the
one side of the chief medicine-man, and
three on the other. •
They.new commenced a song. When
was ended; the chief medicine-man laid
down ftve grains'ef e,orn: After working
himielf into such a. passionate frenzy. that
his..veins: swelled . ; gut like cords, and.the
perspiration was ; visible in large ,dreps,, he
.began a short oration, at the - conclusion of
which' they all gaVe' 'a groan. Many oth
er' brief orations followed, all .of which
were
. termitiated• by a groan, and . thellrop-.
ping of .three ,additional grains, until the
fire was , twice , encircled .by ,these little
beeps, of corn:, .Srnall bundles of sticks,
Clearfield, Pa., August 27, 11852.
were now laid with similar ceremonies be
tween each division of corn. When the,
approach of night put an end to the conju
rations, which had been performed fasting,
they all ato and drank heartily, and then .
retired. The conclusion to which the
priests arrived, after three days spent iri
this manner, may be reasonably inferred
from what followed.
All this time, Powhattan, the emperor,
standing apparently on his dignity, waited
at Werowocomoco until the captive should
be brought before him. When Smith reach
ed there, the procession was increased at
the entrance, of the town by the addition
of two hundred warriors. It now halted,
till Powhattan, arrayed in his robes of eig
nity, gave permission for the captive to be
admitted into his presence. .
In his royal dwelling, upon a raised
seat, sat King Powhattan, covered with a
great robe made of raccoon-skins. On
each side of him sat a young girl of six
teen or eighteen years ; and, stretching
along both walls of the house were two
lows of men, and behind them, as many
women. Standing near the feet of Pow
hattan, was an Indian maiden, some thir
teen years of age, clad in a succinct robe
of the pliuntest deer-skin, prettily fringed,
' and musical with tinkling ornaments.—
Around her neck she wore several long
necklaces of white beads, through which
her left arm was looped, after the custom
of the Indian girls in those days. It was
Pocahontas, the favorite daughter of King
Powhattan.
When the captain entered, all the peo
ple gave a great shout ; but Pocahontas,
flinging back the jet black hair from her
swarthy brow, gazed eagerly upon the
bearded face of the wonderful white war
rior, and uttered never a word.
Food was now brought and set before
Smith. The queen' of Appomattox atten
ded him with water to wash his hands,
while another stood by to hand him a
bunch of feathers, instead of a towel, to
dry them.
After he had eaten, a long consultation
was held by Powhattan and his swarthy
advisers in relation to tho future disposal
of their prisoner. The conclusion they
came to had at least the merit of being
summary.
Two great stones were brought in and
placed upon the ground before Powhattan.
At a signal from the latter, as many war
riors as could grasp the prisoner sprang
toward him, and dragged him, struggling
fiercely, to where the stones were sot.—
Upon these, some forced their captive to
lay his head, while others stood behind,
with their warclubs upraised, ready to
bent out his brains.
During this scene of excitement and ter
ror, the Princess Pocahontas stood near
by, agitated beyond all measure, at the
impending fate of the brave young soldier.
Seeing the worriers nerving themselves to
strike, she broke away from those who
would have restrained her, and seizing the
head of Smith in her arms; laid her own
head upon his, saving by this heroic act,
the life of England's worthiest adventurer,
and making her namo immortal in the an
nals of the new world. Two days after
this unexpected deliverance, Powhattan
released Smith from his imprisonment, and
sent him under theconduct of twelve guides
to Jamestown: —History of Virginia. By
T. S. Arthur and Wm. H. Carpenter.
RICH LIVING.
During the Florida war—many years
ago, when General Scott was in his glory;
the troops used to have green turtle for
dinner every day. Ono day the wine was
out, when a young sprig of the Sunny
South made an inflammatory speech on
the subject:
"Officers, soldiers and Indian hunters,
of the American army," said he, "you
have been engaged for months in treading
down the flowers of Florida, and eating
turtle soup to the glory of: your country
and of your own unconquerable spirits,
which you have elevated to an imperisha
ble immortality. You have caught Indians
and' they have got away from you ; and
who can stand before.the might and power
of your arms? You have trailed the say
agnto his hammock, and ho has trailed
you back to your camp. You have tied
sentinels to savages, and they have run
away with your sentinels; in short, what
have you not done to elevate your country
and your country's honor in the eyes of
other nation's? Havo you not borne fa
tigue?. Havp you not also marched up the
hill and then marched down again? And
after , all your conquests and inimitable
achievements, is. It
.not. a most villanous
shame, that you are compelled to sit hero
on, the grass and cat turtle soup without a
drop ,of wino in it?"
FAsT.lllowzrio.-•--X little bit the tallest
work with scythes.we ever recollect to have
heard of,' was performed last week by
Henry Johnson end F.Arom Johnson on the
farm of William Zimmerman, of ,Worces
ter. township. They cut ten acres in ono
day undo quarter, from which wasintuled
10 good ;two horse to4ds of hay, Their
work in .said . to . have been performed in
the best manner, and, for which they re
ceived .810 .--Noiristown, Tratqaman.
From Diciton'e Household Wurds
A TALE OF MID-AIR.
In a cottage in the valley of Sallanches,
near the foot of Mont Blanc, lived old Ber
nard and his three sons. One morning
ho lay in bed , sick, and, burning with fe
ver, watched anxiously for the return of
his son, Jehan, who was gone to fetch a
physician. At length a horse's tread was
heard, and soon afterwards the doctor en
tered. -Ho examined the patient closely,
felt his pulse, looked at his.tongue,'and
then said, patting the old man's cheek, "It
will be nothing, my friend—nothing l" but
he made a sign to the three lads, who,
open mouthed and anxious, stood groped
around the bed. All four withdrew to a
distant corner, the doctor shook his head,
and thrust out his lower lip, and said'
"Sir a serious attack—very serious—of
fever. Ho is now in the height of the fit,
,and as soon as it abates, he must have sul
phate- of% quinine."
".What is that doctor'"
"Quinine, my friend, is a very expen
sive medicine, but what you may procure
at Sallanches. Between the two fits your
father must take at least two francs' worth.
I will write the perscr iption."
"You can read, Gullaumc 1"
"Yes, doctor."
"And you will see that he takes it?"
"Certainly."
When the physician was gone, Guilla
ume,Pierre,and Jehan looked at - each other
in silent perplexity. Their %thole stock of
money, consisted of a franc and a half,
and yet the medicine must be procured im
mediately."
"Listen," said Pierre. I know a meth
od of getting from the mountain, before
night, three or four five-franc pieces."
"From the mountain ?" •
"I have discovered an eagle's nest in a
cleft of a frightful precipice. There is a
gentleman at Sallanches, who would glad
ly purchase the eaglets ; and nothing made
me hesitate but the terrible risk of taking
them ; but that's nothing when our father's
life is concerned. We may have them
now in two Lours."
"I will rob the nest," says Guillaume.
"No, no, let me," said Jehan. "I am
the Youngest and lightest."
"I have the best right to venture," said
Pierre, "as it was I who discovered it."
"Come," said Pierre, "let us decide by
drawing lots. Write three numbers, Guil
laume, put them into my hat, and whoever
draws number one will try the venture."
Guillaume blackened the end of a wood
en splinter in the fire; tore an old curd in
to three pieces; wrote on them, one, two,
three, and threw them into the hat.
How the three hearts beat ! Old Ber
nard, lay shivering in the colefit, and
each of his sons longed to risk his own life,
to save that of his father.
The lot fell on Pierre, who had discov
ered the nest; he embraced the sick man.
"We shall not be long absent," he said,
"and it is needful fbr us to go together."
"What are you going to do?"
"We will tell you as soon as we come
back."
Guillaume took down from the wall an
old sabre, which had belonged to Bernard
when he served as a soldier; Jehan sought
a thick curd, which the mountaineers use
when cutting down trees ; and Pierre to
wards an old wooden cross, reared near
the cottage, and knelt before it for some
time in fervent prayer.
They set out together, and soon reached
the brink of the precipice. The danger
consisted not only in the possibility of fall
ing two or three hundred feet, but still
more in the probable aggression of
. tho
birds of prey, inhabiting the wild abyss.
Pierre, who was to brave the perils,
was a fine athletic young man of twenty
two. Having measured with his eye the
distance ho would have to his
brothers fastened the cord around his
waist, and began to let him down. Hold
ing the sabre in his hand, he safely reach
ed the nook that contained the nest. In it
were four eaglets of a light yellowish
brown color, and his heart beat with joy at
the sight of them. Ho grasped the nest
firmly in his left hand, and shouted joyful
ly to his brothers "I have them! Draw
me up I"
Already the first upward pull was given
to the chord, when Pierre felt himself at
tacked by two enormous eagles, whose
cries proved them to be the parents of the
nestlings: •
"Courage, brother ! defend thyself! don't
fear!" .
_
Pierre passed the nest to his bosom,
and with his right hand made the sabre
play around his head.
Then began a terrible conflict. The
eagleS shrieked, the little ones cried shril
ly, the 'motintaineer shouted and brandish
ed his sword. He slashed the birdS with
its blade which flashed like lightning, and
only rendered them more enraged.' He
struck the rock, and sent forth a shower
or sparks.
Suddenly he felt a jerk given to the cord
that sustained him. Looking up he per
ceived that, in his evoltitions, he had cut it
with . his sabre, and that half the strands
wore severed ! • • .
Pierre's eyes dilated wildly, remaining
for.tv moment immovable, and then closed
4
1. ~ l
with terror. A cold shudder prised through
his veins, and he thought of letting go both
the nest and the sabre.
At that moment one of the eagles poun
ced on his head, and tried to tear his face.
The Savoyard made his last effort, and
defended himself bravely. He thought of
hie old fatltbr and took courage.
Upwards, still upwards, mounted the
cord; friendly voices eagerly uttered words
of encouragement and triumph ; but Pierre
could not reply to them. When he reach
ed the brink of the precipice, still clasping
fast the nest, his hair, which, an hour be
fore, was as black as
. a raven's wing, was
become so completely white, that Guilla
ume and Johan, could scarcely recognize
him.
What did that signify! the eaglets were
of the rarest and most valuable species.—
That same afternoon they were carried to
the village and sold.
.Old Bernard, had
the medicine, and every needful comfort
beside, and the doctor in a few days, pro
nounced him convalescent.
A TALE 01? BLOOD.
The following is among the many an
ecdotes related of Curran, the celebrated
rish lower and wit
As a judge, and indeed, Barrington ha.
hinted at it, Lord Avonmore had one great
fault ; ho was apt to take up the first im
pression of a cause, and it was very dif
ficult after Wards to obliterate it.- The ad
vocate, therefore, had not only to struggle
against the real obstacle presented to him
by the case itself, but also with the imag
inary ono created by the hasty anticipation
of the Judge. Curran was ono day most
seriously annoyed by this habit of Lord
Avonmore, and he took the following
whimsical method of correcting it. [The
reader must remember that the object of
the narrator was, by a tedious and mali
cious,procrastination, to irritate his hear
ing into the vice he was so anxious to ob
literate.] They were to dine together at
the house of a common friend, and a large
party were assembled, many of whom
witnessed the occurrence of the morning.
Curran, contrary to all his usual custom
was late for dinner, and at length arrived
in the most admirably affected agitation.
'Why, Mr. Curran, you have kept us a
full hour waiting dinner for you,' grum
bled out Lord Avonmore.
_
'Oh, my dear Lord, I regret it much;
you must know' that it is not my custom ;
but I've just been witness to a most melan
choly occurrence.'
'My God ! you seem terribly moved by
it ; take a glass of wine. What was it !
what was it 'l'
will tell you my lord, the moment I
can collect myself. I had been detained
nt Court ; at the Court of Chancery ; your
lordship knows the chancellor sits late.'
do, I do; but go on,'
'Well my lord I was hurrying here as
fast as I could ; I did not oven wait to
change my dress; I hope I shall be ex
cused for coming in my boots.'
'Pooh, pooh, never mind your boots ;
the point; come at once to the point of the
story.'
"Oh, I will my good lord, in a moment.
I walked here ; I did not even wait to get
the carriage ready; it would have taken
time, you know Now, there is a market
exactly in the road by which I had to pass;
your lordship may perhaps recollect the
name of the market ; dooyou 1"
"To be sure I do, go on Curran—go on
with the story."
"I am very glad your lordship remem
bers the market, for I totally forgot the
namo of it—the name—the name—"
"What the devil signifies the name of
if It's the Castle Market."
"Your lordship is perfectly right, it is
called the Castle Market. Well, as I was
passing through the very identical Castle
Market, I observed a butcher preparing
to kill calf. He had a hugo knife in his
hand ; it was as sharp as a razor: The
calf was standin hehind him ; he drew a
knife to plungo it inio the animal. Just
as he was in the act of doing so, a little
boy about four years old, his only son, the
loveliest boy I ever saw, ran suddenly
across his path, and he killed, oh, my God!
he killed "
"The child ! the child! the child !" vo
ciferated. Lord Avonmore.
"No, my Lord, TILE CALF!" continued
Curran, very coolly, "he killed the calf,
but your lordship is in the habit of antici
pating ."
Tho universal laugh was thus raised
against his lordship; and Curran declared
that, often afterwards, a first impression
was. removed more easily from the Court
of Exchequer by the recollection of the
coffin Castle, Mar het, than by the'dloquence
of the entire profession.
o:rThe poor man and the rich man aro
about equal, aS the former, prizes one dol
lar as highly as the rich khan prizes one
hundred dollars. Therefore, a poor man,
with fifty dollars in his pocket is worth five
thousand dollars.
We have noticed but two volunteers in
the Mexican war who have mado insinua
tions against Gon. Pierce's courage. .Pne
of these was returned upon the rolls as a
coward," and the other as a deserter.
/ Mare, 11. insertion. 110 BO 3 squares 8 months. 45 00
Ido S do 100 3 do 6 months, 7ft
Each sabseguene do. 25 3 do 19 months, ICU
soriates 8 months, 050 1 11611 '3°1=0.3 months. 000
do if months. 4000 do do 6 months. 9
do 19 months, 7001 do d do 12 00
8 do 8 months. 4 colamn 8 months. Id 00
do 6 months, 5001 do 6 do 12 06
I do 12 months. 800 1 do 19 do 110 00
A liberal reduction will be made to Merchants and others
who fulvertise by the year.
Oar paper circulauts in every neighborhood, and is read by
coati? every !entity in the county—and therefore affords
convoolent and cheep means for the business men of our
octunty—tho merchant. macho=, and all others—to extend
the knowledge of their location end business We should
like to lusert "A Cant.' for every Mechanic, Merchant, and
Professional man so the county. We have pienty.cf room
withoutenooaching upon on r reading columns, and no man
In a legitimate bounces will lose by advertising oxtonsively—.
for, it. a general tole the more e. teusively a man advetlises.
the greater will be his profits.
!timber 37.
dvortising.
Prices of
Books, Jobs and Blanks,
OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. PRINTED.IN THE VERY
BEST STYLE, AND ON THE SHORTEST
NOTICE. AT THE OFFICEJOF THE
"CLEARFIELI) REPUBLICAN.,t
Frxn tho School• Mate.
BARBAROUS TREATMENT OF AMERIUAN SEA-
MEN BY THE JAPANESE.
By the bark Eureka, lately arrived from
Canton, we have the following statement
of cruel treatment by the Japanese towards
shipwrecked American seamen, and mur
der of ono of the unfortunate men, taken
at St Helena,some months since :
Murphy ells, an American citizen,
born in the State of New. York, late car.
penter on board the American whaling
ship Lawrence, of Poughkeepsie, Captain
Baker, states that said vessel (Lawrence)
was wrecked on the 28th May, 1840, by
running on a reef of rocks in the dead of
the night, above three hundred miles off
the coast of Japan, during very thick wen
tiler. All hands remained by the vessel
until daylight, when three boats were
manned by the whole of the ship's com
pany, who took with them all of their clo
thing, &e., that could possibly be got at,
as the vessel was "going to pieces fast, the
making a breach over her. - They then
made the best of their way to the Island
of Japan. During the night the boats
separated, two of which have never been
seen since. Our boat (Well's) arrived in
safety, after seven day's passage. On the
moment of our arrival, the natives took
possession of all of us, our boat and effects
when we were threatened with a prison
cage, made similar to those in which wild
beasts are kept for exhibition, where wo
were confined, and half starved for eleven
months and a half; after which we were
transferred to a Dutch settlement down
the coast, where we were again put in pris
on by the Japanese, for two months more.
At the expiration of this confinement, wo
were brought before the chiefs, and tried
for daring to approach their land. We
told them we wore shipwrecked, which
they would not listen to; and upon no
terms would they grant us our liberation.
They threatened to cut off our heads, be
cause they thought we were English, whom
they hate. But when we told them we
were Americans, they said nothing more
except to ask us of what religion we were.
Upon our telling them we worshipped God
and believed in Jesus Christ, they brought
a cross bearing the image of our Saviour,
and had we not trampled upon it at their
I request, they would have massacred us on
the spot. We were then detained on shore,
in prison, for a couple of days more, when
they sent us on board a Dutch ship bound
to Batavia, where we arrived in Decem
ber, 1847, each of us doing the, best we
could for ourselves, to got a passage home.
While wo were in Japan, in prison, ono
of our comrades, Thomas Williams, en
deavored to make his escape ; but was
caught and taken back to prison in a dy
ing state, owing to wounds inflicted on
him with some deadly weapon, as there
was a gash over his forehead which bled
profusely. The poor fellow lived about
six hours, end when ho was dead, the na
tives brought a coffin, into which they
compelled us to place the corpse, when
they took it away; but what was done
with it we never ascertained.
The names of those 'saved from the
wreck are—George How, second mate ;
Thomas William, seaman, since murder.
ed in his attempt to escape ; Peter Wil
liams, do.; Henry Spencer, do; Murphy
Wells, carpenter.
We heard of several English seamen
being there in confinement similar to our
selves. _ .
It is anxiously hoped the American go
vernment will not stiffer this ill treatment,
but more particularly so sanguinatlkian
act towards helpless shipwrecked Ameri
can seamen, to pass by without ample ret
ribution.
Ax EXPENSIVE CLEANING ur.—A gen
tleman a few days since drew out from
ono of our banks thirteen hundred dollars
in large bills, and on returning home laid
a portion away for safe keeping.' A one
hundred dollar bill, and two fifties, how
ever, he put in an envolope, and laid in a
drawer in his desk and went home, Ho
then was called away, and during his' ab.
senco his servant girl, seeing a quantity of
loose papers in his desk and about his
drawers took it in her head to clean 'up.
At it she went, gathering all the loose and
apparently useless papers that came i . nitor
way, and amon o rr'others the envelope With
the money within. When she had 'com
pleted her cleaning sho threw the whole
into tho fire, destroying money and all.
Bastm Traveller.
ADVERTIBING.—The advantage of ad.
vertising is well illustrated in the following
fact: A. man in Connecticut recently had.a
farm for sale, and was advised to advertise
it. He said that ho "couldn't afford it."—
The farm was sold for $l5OO. The pur.
chaser bought it "on speculation,'.' paid e 2
for advertising, and shortly afterwards
sold the farm for $2OOO. •
A CAUTIOUS FELLOW,--A fc4 daysage,
in Berwick, Me.; a good honest country
fellow was looking at the telegraph' with
astonishment. A passer by asked him
what ho thought - of it.. "Well I don't know
exactly," replied-
the fellow, but lam
sure they , won't ,get, me • to ride
. on the
.darned thing—them wires and posts would
tear:o4 breeches:'