The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1829-12-31
Newport, Thursday Morning, December 81, 1929

, few cows upon the green; was in the gar
den, and William was toddl:ng about pull
ing flowers; when, all at once, the women
were alarmed by the sight Of a tremendous
ourang. .outang issuing from our house
which they had just left. They seem to
have been struck dumb and senseless with
amazement for not one of them uttered a
sound, until the monster, springing forward
in one moment, snatched up the child and
made off with him. Instead of coming to
me, the women pursued the animal with
the child, not knowing, believe, what they
were doing. The fearful shrieks which
they uttered alarmed me, and | ran TO the
milking green, thinking the cows had fall,
en- on the women, as the cattle Of that dis
trick arc tcklish for pushing when any way
hurt or irritaled. Before | reached the
green where the cows stood, the ouraag.
outang was fully half mile gone, and on
ly the poor feeble exhausted women run
ming screaming after him. For a good
while could not conceive what was the
matter, but having my spade in my hand, ]
followed spontaneously in tho same dlree-
ton. Before overlook the women, heard
the agonized cry of my dear boy, my dar'
ling William, in the paws OF that horrible
monster. There is no sensation OF which
the human heart is capable that can at oil
be compared with the horror which at that
dreadful moment seized on mine. My sin
ews lost their tension, and my whole frame
became lax and powerless. believe ran
faster than usual, but then fell every min
n,e, and US passed Agnes she fell into
fit. Kela. kal, the black girl, with an as
tonshing presence Of mind, had gone oti at
tangent, without orders, or without being
once missed, TO warn the rest ofthe settlers,
which shc did with all expedition. ] pur.
sued on, brcalhless, and altogether unnerv-
cd with agony; but, alas lrathor lost than
gained ground.
think IL had been fairly started, that
through desperation l could have overtak-
ZEN the monster, but the hopelessness OF fsuc-
cess rendered me feeble. The truth is that
he did not make grent- speed, not nearly
the speed those animals are wont to make
for he was greatly encumbered with the
child. You perhaps do not understand the
nature Of these aninals--neither do l but
they have this peculiarity, and when they
are walking leisurely or running down-hill
they wolk upright like human being; but
when hard pressed on level ground, or up
hill, they use their long arms as fore.legs,
and then run with inconccivable swiftness.
When flying with their own young the
greater part Of them will run nearly twice
as fast as an ordinary man, for the cubs
cling to them with both feet and hands, but
any poor William shrunk from tho mon.
ster's touch, no was obliged to embrace him
c,osa,y with nna paw ord Di,---throe, end
still in that manner ho ouirsn me. Omsy
never earthly parent be engaged in such a
heart.rending pursuit! Keeping still his dis
tance before me, he reached the Keys rlv'
er, and there the last CLEAN of hope
closed on mo for | could not swim,
while the ourang outang, with much acute
ness, threw the child across his shoulders,
held him by the feet with ono paw, and
| with the other three stemNed the river
| though then in flood, with amazing rapid
~. Ii was of this moment that my beloved
babe got his eyes on mo, as ] ran across
the plain towards him, and saw him hold
ING up his little hands in the midst OF tn,
'oaming food, and crying out, "Pa! pa
pal" which he seemed to utter with sor
OF desperate JOY at seeing me approach.
Alas, that sight was the last, for in two
minutes thereafter the monster vanished
with my dear child, in the jungles anC
woods beyond the river, and then my course
was stayed, for to have thrown myself IN
would only have been committing suicide
and leaving desolatc widow in foreign
land. had therefore no other resource
but to throw myself down. md pour out my
soul in lamentatlon and prayer TO God
From this state OF hapless misery, | was
quickly aroused, by tho sight Of twolyc o
my countrymen coming full sPeedncros'
the plain on my track. They were all ar
med and stripped for the pursuit, and lonl
of them, some Of whom you know, Adam
Johns:one, Adam Halliday, Peter Cauu
the5s. and Joseph Nicholson, being excel
lent swimmers, plunged at once into thc
river, and swan across, though not wlthou
both difficulty and danger, nnd without thu
loss Of time, continued the pursuit
Tho remainder Of us, nino in number
were obliged TO go halfa days journey VI
the river, to a place called Shskah, where
tho Tambookies dragged rs over on hur
die; and we there procured kousi, wht
had hound, which no pretended coult
follow the track Of an ourang .outang oveI
the whole world. Urged by sort OF for
lorn and desperate hope, we kept ot run
ming pace the whole afternoon; and at The
fall OF night, came up with Potter Carru
thers. who had lost The other three. a sin
rular adventure had befallen TO himself
lie and his companions had agreed 10 keeT
within call Of each other, but as he advan
, ced. he conceiyed he heard the voice Of {
child crying behind him to the right, or
J which he turned of in that direction, bu
heard no more Of the child. As he wa
advancing, however, he perceived an ou
rang .outang steal from the thicket, which
nevertheless, it seemed 10th to leave
. i,rLa. h nnsrnnh II fed slowly az will