iiif '
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jjj AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. '
Vol. VIII. Now Bloomficld, I3n., Tuesday, Soptcinbcr 1, 1S74. IVo. 35.
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AMONG THE CANNIBALS,
on
My Adventures at Sea.
SOME time ago, we published a story
entitled, "The Adventures of Mr.
Seymour," in which the writer gave an ac
count of an old school master he had en
countered on that voyage, who had hcen
abandoned to the mercy of the cannibals by
a perfidious captain by the name of Darns
ford, who turned up in California in com
mand of a fine ship which he had purchas
ed with the proceeds of the voyage he had
stolen from bis friend Mr. Seymour. This
ill-gotten booty he had been obliged to re
turn to his victim, who had made his way
to the Golden 'State. The writer also re
lated how he assumed command of the
beautiful clipper Belle Blonde, and, in
company with Mr. Seymour, returned to
the Fejees, and released a female captive
whom his friend had seen there, and who,
by a strange .coincidence, had been sold
into captivity when a young girl by this
same Darnsford, who, as a disguised sailor,
shipped with us on that voyage.
With these preliminary remarks, we will
now proceed with the story.
"After our return to Boston, and Sey
mour had married the lady we had jointly
rescued from a living death among the
cannibals, and I saw how hugely be was
enjoying the profits he had made trading,
I became greatly exercised in mind, not
with envy at his large fortune, but with
thinking why I could not go and do like
wise. .- , f
The more I thought about it the more
excited I became, until at last I resolved
to go fortune-hunting in the Fejees on my
own personal accouut, if I could arrange a
voyage. , f ... , , .
I fitted a vessel to my mind at last, and
having secured a freight for Melbourne, I
took a run down home and visited my
family and friends for a short time, after
which I returned to the brig, that was
appropriately named " Endeavor ;" , and
having parted from my wife in Boston, as
she had accompanied me there that she
might see me off, intending to remain with
my friend Seymour's family for a short time
after I was gone, I repaired to the wharf,
and began to get underway with the En
deavor. Profiting by Seymour's experience, as
well as my own, I had armed the brig with
six carronades and a swivel, together with
a full ehest of revolvers and sidearms, as
well as plenty of ammunition ; so I felt we
were well-fitted to meet the natives on
their own ground, if from any cause they
should be disposed to show fight.
I had a crew of eighteen men forward,
and so, with the officers, cook aud steward,
we had twenty-four men on board, not to
mention a little Jackanapes of a boy that
had induced me to take him in the charac
ter of cabin or loblolly boy.
There was quite a show of force when I
summoned all hands aft, after the pilot left
us, and the orew scorned to show plenty of
ttprit du eorpt when I dismissed them after
short speech, and a long swig of stiff
grog to wash it down.
The abuse of liquor I deprecate as strong
ly as the most rigid Father Matthew man ;
but, like the Rev. Lecturer Train, I can
not tell a lie, aud so always servo a fair
allowance of grog, with ' plenty to eat, on
board of my ship ; and when I want a lit
tle extra service of the men, I 'get it wil
lingly, or stop grog, for puhishment.
Although it was a risky thing to do, 1
determined to make Kava my first stopping,
place, judging that the natives were so
severely punished during the previous trip
there that they would be quite ' docile this
time, eic'Ially if they wanted fft Hade.
I never can explain the reason, tlint in
duces mn to take certain stepsa ) du, but,
Hlthoiigb a firm disbeliever in olairrnyaWy,
yet I must admit that there U some un
known fuice that impels me to move in
certain directions, or refrain from doing so
and this feeling now urged mo to go to
Rava without delay, although it foretold
trouble of some kind.
Passing through the Goro sea, I laid my
course directly for the island of Rava, in
tho Asaua group.
My feelings wore of impending danger,
and I felt extremoly low-spirited, but di
rected our boarding-netting to be rigged,
and warned the crow that they must keep
tho strictest sort of a watch, for thero
might be trouble at any moment, aud we
must be prepared for it.
Our guns were loaded carefully, the re
volvers wore put in like condition, they
and the sidearms being placod in conven
ient position for immediate distribution, if
needed.
I intended to touch at tho south end of
the island, that being the point where tho
village was located, so tho Endeavor was
hauled on the wind, southwest by south,
and as the wind was fresh, despite my anx
iety, we let her slide.
All hands noticed my nervousness, and,
knowing we were surrounded by cannibals,
they shared my feelings with mo, and gave
strict attention to our movements.
My impressions were correct again, my
suspicions of trouble being vetified, for
when within a few miles of where I wantod
to go, recognizing the locality where we
had trouble before, the report of a heavy
gun was heard, then another, and another,
as though some vessel that had preoeded
us was in difficulty. .
Directing ft gun to be fired, toBhow that
assistance was near, I ordered the reef in
my foresail to be shaken out, the staysail
to be set, as well as the flying-jib, and put
ting the vessel off a half a point, steered in
the direction of the sound.
The Endeavor, under this press of .can
vas, heeled down to her bearings, and
fairly flew through the water.
Bang ! went the guns quicker than ever,
and crack 1 went smaller arms as we neared
the scene of affray.
As we rounded a small point, we saw a
brig, with a swarm of canoes around her,
the firing ceasing as we hove in sight.
' My gunner immediately swung our swiv
el aronnd, fired a charge into tho canoes
that disabled a pile of them, and as I hauled
u Pi gave them a broadside from three of
tho guns, and, jumping across the deck,
poured another volley in as the ' Endeavor
swung off, in obedience to the helm, that
completely demoralized the natives, for
what was left of them fled toward the land
with demoniac howls of rage, leaving their
dead and wounded floating on the water,
at the mercy of the sharks, while shattered
canoes were drifting around in admirable
confusion.
We were fully a mile off, but we slgnallod
in vain, for no answer was returned to us
the vessel remaining silent as the grave. .
We were astonished at this, bnt wore
more so when we saw, as we did, fire aris
ing in several portions of her docks. '
' Calling for volunteers, I launched a
couple of boats, and, tolling the mate to
work the Endeavor up as quickly as possi
ble, I told the second mate to take charge
of one boat, and come along, sprang into
the launch, and, in company with my sec
ond officer's boat, wo were off for the scone
or the fight. ' ,
All was silent and still as the grave as
we approached the burning ship, and get
ting on board to windward, wo saw a sight
that made the blood curdle in our , veins ;
for all around us lay the crew of the ill
fated vessel dead I
They had cither boon surprised or over
powered, for every one had his head crush
ed by the clubs of the infernal savages.
The vessel was well on flro in the fore
castle' and cabin'; the cannibals had been
determined we should lose her if they did,
and so bad applied the torch befoie they
fled. i. ' ' ,-
Determined to save something, Jf possi
ble, and the icltxv possessing me . that we
were in shoal water, 1 deoided to link her
atouce, then raise her afterward, if we
could.' '' '
: A lot of fixed ammunition lay scattered
around on deck, so, calling to my men, we
hastily loaded a heavy gun, tore off a hatch
way, depressed the muzzle as low as we
could, ' and fired through her bolovr the
water-lioe. The sea immediately began to
pour in, so putting the bodies that luy on
deck into our boats as speedily ns possible,
we sprang into them ourselves, and pulled
away from the.vessul that was now settling
fast henoath the waves. I ''
As the water reached (he lire, the vestal
seemed to groan in an agony as the con
flicting elements came iu contact, and with
a heavy list to pork, sank beneath the sur
face of the sea somo six feet down before
she grounded on bottom, the hot air and
steam making for a few moments a seeth
ing caldron of tho waters around us.
As she sank down, the natives on the
shore howled like fiends incarnate, and
began to leave the shore in their canoes,
and make for us as we rowed for our
vessel.
The Endeavor, fortunately, was only a
short distance off, so we were soon on
board, our boats hoisted up and swung iu
board by the davits, and our boarding
netting, that bad been dropped for us to
leave the vessel, was triced up in a hurry.
The canoes were approaching us rapidly,
but a well-directed shot from our swivol
causod them to sheer off in a hurry, they
returning to the shore, from which they
watched our movements.
We had eleven bodies on boaid, so our
first duty was to examine them and see if
we could identify them ; but we could not,
unfortunately, for the savages had emptied
their pockets of even the most trifling arti
cles, having nothing whatever about them.
They seemed like Dutchmen and Swedes,
although our gunner was of the opinion
that some of them were Frenchmen.
It was all conjecture, however, and all
we could do was to sew the unfortunate be
ings up in canvas, and give them a sailor's
burial, which we did, running a few miles
off shore into doep water for that purpose ;
and, after reading the burial service for
mariners from the Episcopal prayer-book,
launched them beyond the reach of further
mortal strife.
We lay near the submerged vessel while
making our arrangements for this ending
of a sod scene, and had made a reverential
disposition of the mangled remains, and
were back again, long before the savages
on shore understood our intentions.
As It was drawing near to night when we
returned, I gave directions for preparations
to lie at anchor near the wreck, ordering
port fires to be burned nntil daylight came
again, and for a gun to be fired every half
hour, in order to warn the natives that we
were ready for an attack at any moment.
Firing a gun so often produced the de
sired result, for the natives howled dis
mally in concert, just outside of the space
in therater lighted by our fires, not daring
to come within the charmed circle, as a
doso from the gun was burled in that di
rection whenever they,, attempted that
game ; and as they had some of their party
wounded in the first of it, they did not
care to repeat the experiment of getting
within range too ofteu.
I was too anxiouB to sleep much that
night, only catching cat-naps on deck,
waking with a start every time the cannon
belched forth its spiteful roar.
Everything has an end, aud that night,
of oourse, was no exception, for old Sol
came around at the appointed hour, the
dusk of morning rapidly clearing away,
revealing the wreck in the same position
we had left it in, the masts and sails pro
jecting from the water, a mournful tomb
stone to her former glory.'
What are you going to do with the
wreck?" inquired my mute, as wo hauled
up as near as possible to it.
" We can do nothing but strip her," I
answered. "It is too bad to leave so
much rigging and canvas in the hands of
the savages ; and I urn determined to got
all we can from her'
Both of my officers coincided with mo,
so we detailed a gang of men to got into
tho rigging on the sunken craft, and get
what they could from her. ' 1
The men I sent were soon busily em
ployed unbending sails, sending down the
topmasts into the water, and uuroeving
the rigging from the mastheads. ' '
As fast as a boat was loaded with the
wrecked material, we took it on 'board,
even taking the topmasts and spars ou
deck ; and as I sent a new watch as fast as
one set got tired, we kept the things com
ing right along, until at night nothing was
left standing but the bare masts on the
sunken vessel. They were heeled over,
and seemingly already ' tp snap off, so we
applied the axe, and sunt , them by the
board in jiffy,., ...
Tlio wreck righted on her. keel as soou
as this leverage pn the hull was removed,
arid showed, , us at ouoe that the dock was
scarcely three feet under the water.
'J What is the reason we can't , unload
her ?", asked tho inaie, as we saw . what
ell oct cutting the masts away had on her,
and how near tho surface the hatchway
was. ,
" We can get something out of her, if
wo can't unload her if we can keep the
I bloody cannibals off," I said musingly, for
I had a project come into my hoad at
once.
We passed the night in the same manner
as the previous one, the natives, just out of
sight, warning us by thoir unceasing howls
that we must be on the alert all tho timo,
or suffer the consequences of a surprise ; so
our gun banged away at regular intervals,
the same as before, although we saved
some ammunition, for wo only used blank
cartridges in the swivel, and light ones at
that ; we succeeded, by ramming the
charges pretty well, and wotting the mouth
of the cannon with a moist sponge, in get
ting as loud reports as though we had dis
charged full rounds.
The wreck lay in easy position, so we
hauled up alongside, as near a wo could,
lowered a boat, aud sent a half dozen men
to see if anything could be fished out of its
hold, the mate taking charge of the crew
of wreckers.
"What chancels thore of doing any
thing?" I shouted, as they clambered on
tho deck of the wreck, and wadod round
up to their waists in water.
" I think we can do somothing, sir ; there
appears to be some bits of wood that were
used for chocks floating in the hold," the
mate roared in reply.
" Save all of those chocks and bring
them on board for me to look at," I cried
out.
The mate soon brought me a few dozen
pieces that the men had secured at the ex
pense of a thorough soaking.
" Sandal wood, or I'm a sinner," I said,
after giving the bits a critical examination.
"Are you sure, sir?" the mate asked,
eagerly.
" Sure t of course I am ; that is the pure
article, and if I can get load out of that
wreck, I am a mado man," I said, decis
ively. " How about salvage ?" the mate whis
pered, cautiously.
' I had expected that question to be asked
at any moment, and so was prepared to
answer it. '
. " All bands are entitled to salvage, of
course," I said, " and I am prepared to do
whatever is right in that matter, which we
will settle, if possible, in a manner that
will be satisfactory." .
"The crew are talking some, already,"
the mate said, " and want to have a fair
understanding." .
" Muster all hands," I ordered at once.
" Boys," I began when they assembled,
"you shipped this voyage to go trading
with me. There is now a possibility of our
getting something for the owners of this
property, whoever it belongs to, but it will
cost me somothing to victual you, and pay
for the loss of time while we are employed
here. All hands, however,' are entitled to
a share of what is saved, in due proportion,
and if you care to work with the under
standing that you shall have extra money
for this labor of wrecking, hook on ; but it
must be unanimous among you, or I shall
abandon the unfortunate craft, and prose
cute my regular voyage without delay."
They decided at once to hook on, so with
an expression of relief and satisfaction on
their countenances they went forward.
We managed by nightfall to have quite
a respectable pile of the valuable wood on
board, and I knew, that whatever my
share of the heap was, I had made quite a
little sum toward reimbursing me in my
venture, and bo turned in with a light
heart.
, That night a new project came into my
mind, and I -determined to see in the morn
ing what chance thore was of currying it
out.
At daylight, I called all hands and told
them that I was now going to require a
great doal of them. " I am going, boys,"
I said, " to raise that wreck, if possible.
"How do you intend to raise her ?" the
mate asked, , ,
",With casks," I replied..
" Casks, whore are they ?" lie inquired,
iu surprise. .
j ",Ve have got a lot of New England
rum stowed below, so you must break bulk,
get the cask on deck, then we will to
night, when one watch is turned iu, put au
auger into them and let it run into the
scuppors." '
" What " a risk' of money, that is, sir.
You don't kuow whether that vessel has
got enough to pay or not. ' 1 wouldn't do
it.'- '
" Thanks for the advice, but I shall take
the chances," I said.' ' ' '
Late that afteinooo we hud forty -live
barrels qf rum ou dock, the hold stowed
again, and the crew wondering what on
earth I was going to do, and castiug many
an anxious and longing look at the liquor
within (heir reach.
Gnrplo. irnrcrlfl. friirclo. went, tlio llniior.
O ! D O . B O ' 1 F
the fumes comingjout with the noise, reach
ing even to the men aloft ; but we made
them stav fliern nn fhft rrfirnnn nf writn.h-
ing the shore, until tho whole of my stock
of liquors was holping to make grog of the
uoro aea, tuo sailora growling away.at.tbe
waste.
When thev came down it wan cnnA-fnnf.
- B ' .
even a chipper loft in any of the casks.'and
iuey couia only grunt their displeasure at
this little dodge played upon them.
I did not expect that very great results
would occur !whon
imposition, and so was not disappointed
wlion.wo saw how little effect they had on
tho wreck, but ordered another line to be
drawn undor as quickly as possible, and the
same operation to be ropcatod.
While tho second Ibatchfwas Ibeing
pumped out, a line for tho third was being
swayed undor, aud by tho time fifteen pairs
of casks were floating alongside we began
to see groat results from our labors for the
vessel was now un over a foot from Mm
bottom, every new pair adding to her buoy
ancy. AVe got a surplus pair of casks under for
ward now, drew them as closo to the vessel
as we could, pumped them out, relieved
the first pair, Hooted them aft to the next
pair, filled them with water, drew them
tight, and so shifted the whole along, rais
ing the vessel nearly two inches hicher bv
this operation. . , .
It was now nicht, and as the men had
worked all day like dogs, when the welcome
call to knock off was given they were quite
ready to do so without any urging. ;
You must not think that this work went
along smoothly and harmoniously : far
from it. It was bothering and fudcinir all
, w o a
the time, to get the ropos placed, and then
it roquired unceasing care (STattendtotfie
barrels to keep them from slipping, while
the utmost attention had to be raid to tho
natives on shore to keep them in due awe
oi our guns, ana prevent tnoir making a
dash and ending in a moment the work we
had accomplised.
From their quietness, I dreaded all the
time we were at work, that they allowed
us to do so without any demonstration on
their part, only because we should have our
labor for our pains, and several times
should have ordered the work to be aban
doned had not the thought of the sandal
wood we had already saved returned to me,
and renewed my belief that thore was more
in the same place. '
Fortunately, I had plenty of powder on
board, so that night I directed that a liber
al use of the swivel should be made, to
show that we did not relax vigilance for a
moment.
We were favored by fortune, and not dis
turbed that night any more than we had
been on the previous ones, and the next
morning wont to work with renewed en
ergy. When we had exhausted all our casks,
we found that we had only raised the wreck
so that the deck was just above the level of
the water, and that it would require cer
tainly a hundred more to get her above tho
hole in her side whore the ball we had fired
through her had gone out, so we decided
to fish out of the hatches all we could, and
see how much we could lighten her.
The crew worked bravely, and although
they had to be in the water nearly all the
time, as it was warm weather they did not
mind that, but just wont at it like the
bravo fellows thoy wore.
We found, to our delight, that there was
a great doal of sandal wood floating in the
main hatchway, so the boys began to send
it along as fast as possible, and I knew at
night, that even if I had to cut and run for
it in second's time there now was enough
to make me whole for my rum.
We rigged a staging down the main
hatch, leaving it some three feet iu the
water in the bold, sent out some planks to
the side of the vessel from the staging, and
prepared to'plug the hole.
In the first place we sawed it as nearly
round as we could, from the outside of the
vessel ; having done which we took a piece
of spar that was larger than the hole, and
pointing the end drove it in with tojp mauls
at hard as we' could. This being accom
plished tho'soa no longer ebbed and flowed
In the wreck, and now all we had to do was
to pump her out if she didn't leak else
whore. Concluded next week. '
t& If there is tine time more than anoth
er when aoman should be entirely alone
it is wheu a line full of clothes come down
in the mud. '.,.,,.!,,. m
(Va Yaukoe editor has recently got up
a remedy for hard times. It consist of ten
hours labor, well worked in.