The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-05-12 00:00:00

NARROW ESCAPE FROM CANNIBALS.

'The Sydney papers, received on Saturday, contain Mrs.
Guard's narrative of her sufferings, and those of her children,
while in the power of the New Zealanders. It may be re-
membered that the ship, of which Mrs. Guard's, husband was
Commander, wat.wrecked on the South Sea islands, and that
Mrs. Guard, her two children, and nine seamen, were made
prisoners. The islanders were cannibals; hence her escape
may be better imagined than described.
"Mrs. Guard states, that when the New Zealanders first took
her prisoner she-wat nearly exhausted with the loss of blood
which was flowing from the, wounds she received in her head
with their toma-hawks They voraciously licked her blond, and
when it ceased to flow, attempted to make an incision in her
throat for that purpose, with part of au iron hoop. They then
stripped her and her children naked, dragged her to their huts,
and would have killed her, had not .a chief's wife kindly inter-
fered in her behalf, and when the bludgeon was raised with that
intention, threw a rug over her person, and, saved her life. The
ravages took the two children from under her arms, and, threw
them on the ground; and, while they were' dividing the pro-
perty they had stolen from the crew of
_the Harriet, kept run-
ning backwards and forwards over the children as they lay on
the ground—one of which, the youngest, still retains the marks
of this brutal operation. They afterwards delivered the youngest
child to the mother, and took the other away into the Finish, and
Mrs. Guard did not see it for two months after. A short time
had elapsed, when the natives took Mrs, Guard to Wymattee,
about forty miles from where the Harriet was wrecked, being
in a perfect state of nudity, both her and her children, whore
they gave her an old shirt; this was the only covering she and
the infant sucking at her breast had for the whole of the winter.
They gave her potatoes to eat; and as she had made them great
promises of what they would receive when Mr Guard returned,
if they spared her life, they did not afterwards ill-use her. In
this Rate she remained for about five months; and during that
time saw the natives cut up and eat those they killed belonging.
to the Harriet (one of wham was Mrs. Guard's brother,) occa-
sionally bringing scene pieces of human flesh to her, and asking
her to partake of it with them. When the vessels arrived off
the Nooma, they brought her down and expected the long pro-
mised payinent; Captain Guard seized the man who had her
and secured liiin.—The natives, on seeing this, fired several
shots at Mrs. Guard' and the military, not having come up to
Captain Guard's assistance in sufficient time to secure her, the
New Zealanders ran away with Mrs. Guard into the bush, end
took her back to Wymattee. Here they again *anted to kill
her, but as numbers of them were against it, expecting she
would fetch a large sum, she was allowed to live. The Alliga-
tor followed to Wymattee, and exchanged the native prisoner
for Mrs:Guard and her child; the other child was afterwards
given up as we have stated elsewhere."

LONDON GAZETTE'.-FRIDAY, MAY 8.

WHITEHALL MAY 8.

The King has been pleased to direct letters patent to he passed unde
the Great Seal, grantiog the dignity of a Baron of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland unto the Right Hon. Edward John Little-
ton, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name,
style, arid title of Baron Hathertun, of Hatherton, in the county of
Sta fiord.
The King has also been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed
tinder the Great Seal granting the dignity of a Baron of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland unto the Right Hon. Lieut.-
General Sir John Byng, G.C.8., and the heirs male of his body law-
fully begotten, by. the name, style, and title of. Baron StrafeOrd, of
Harmogdsworth, the county of Middlesex.