The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-31 00:00:00

I Lad lost all the power of-counting time soon after I got
to Murray's Island, but we were there a very long time
when the ship Mangles appeared in sight, and anchored off
Murray's Island. The natives broke a large bough, and I
waved it from a height at the ship, but no boat came off to
us. I then went down along with some of the natives to the
beach. This was in the afternoon, but no boat came ashore to
us. Next morning the natives and I went over to the ship
in several canoes, and we got alongside. I was in the third
or fourth canoe from the vessel, and we dropped directly
under her stern. A rope was thrown down from the
ship to our canoe, and I took hold of it, and I would
have got on board by it was unable, having sprained my
wrist a day or two before. One of the crew handed down
a quid of tobacco to me, and I said, " Will you lower down
the boat, and I will get in." The captain and officers were
at this time bartering with the natives. They lowered down
the starboard cutter, and put their naked cutlasses and
pistols into it ; and the natives, when they saw that, wero
afraid that the crew were going to kill me and themselves
too, and !et go the rope, and began to paddle towards
shore. When I stood up in the canoe one of them
took hold of me and put me down in the middle of it.
It has been said that I shunned those who tried to get me
away, and that I prefer living with the savages. Never
was anything more false or ridiculous. The natives were
afraid that violence was intended, and they therefore pad-
dled to shore. The boy was at this time along with the
women in the bush, but I knew perfectly well that they
would have as readily given us up to the captain of the
Mangles as they did to the captain of the Isabella, by
whom as e were liberated. If pains had been taken we might
have been purchased for two or three axes, for the na-
tives had no objection at all. The ship's boat made three
or four strokes after us, and then returned to the vessel.
A few hours afterwards the boat came close to the beach,
with, I believe, the captain on board, to shoot birds, and
one of the natives tools the little boy on his shoulders and
went towards the beach, and beckoned to the crew to come
and take him, and the captain beckoned to the natives to
approach the boat, but neither would approach the other
closer. I was in the boat all this time, and I observed what
was going on ; the boat soon afterwards returned to the
vessel. Next morning the vessel sailed, and both of us re-
mained on the island till the Isabella, which was sent from
Sydney for us, arrived. When we saw the vessel from the
island we launched the canoes, but the natives were unwill-
ing to let us go with them to the vessel, as they were afraid
I should be killed. I, however, persuaded them to let me go,
and I promised to get them some tomahawks, and return to
them. I was obliged to leave the boy on shore, of course. When
I got to the vessel the captain asked me what ship I belonged
to, and 1 Old him the Charles Eaton, and that all the crew
and passengers except myself and a little boy, who was on
the island, were murdered by the bordering natives. I then
went on board, and I told the natives to fetch the boy, and
next morning they brought him along with them to the
ship. - The captain gave them, in exchange for us, some
axes, beads, gowns, and fishing-hooks, and he supplied us
with clothes. We then, after trading with the natives for
six or seven days, set sail for Sydney, where I remained
three or four mouths. William D'Oyley is still kept in
dney by Mrs. Slade, a friend of the family ; and I was
very sorry to be parted from the poor child, who was so
much to be pitied. To describe what we have undergone
is quite out of my power.
It is proper to say that the captain of the Mangles, in
the mayoralty of Alderman Copeland, brought forward the
mate, who stated most distinctly that the white man who
was amongst the savages showed the most determined reso-
tion not to leave the society of the blacks, and that, finding
the young man's taste was so much against joining his own
countrymen, the ship's boat gave up the pursuit.