Wilmington expositor. (Wilmington, Del.) 1831-18??, 1831-09-30


the pigs, which they Themselves feed on! II
"On the It'll of November, in the morning, /
the Brig having arrived with her cargo of hui I,
man flesh, living and dead, at about II A. M !.
the prisoners were landed and ranged, seated !
on the bench; their conquerors having brought
on shore in baskets, the sailed bodies of the j
victims of their ferocity. Each basket is of
sufficient size to hold human body cut up
into pieces; of these there were, according to
Captain Briggs calculation, about 100. The
Iwar-dance then commenced. 1t is, the most
lfrightful method of rejoicing of which the hui
man mind can convey to itself any idea. The
warriors entirely naked-their long black hair,
ialthough matted with human gore, yet fiowiEglt
partially in the wind-in the left hand human
lhead--in the right bayonetted musket, held
by the middle of the barrel. Thus with a
lsong, the terrible expression of which can only
be imagined by being heard, did they dance
round their wretched victims-every now and
then again approaching them with gestures
Threatening death under its most horrid form
Iof lingering torture! But they did not infictI
liz. None of them were killed. All were ap-I
lpropriated, among the conquering warriors asI
Slaves one old man and little boy excepted,
Iwho were sentenced to be sacrificed to the
ldemon of vengeance.
The feast then prepared, at which these two
Victims were to be Killed and eaten. 1t con-
SISTED of about one hundred baskets of pota-
ltoes, and sort of green vegetable OF delicious
flavor, and equal quantities of whale blubber
and human flesh. Every thing being arranged,
the poor old man was brought forth horrably
accoutred for death, having affixed round his
meek the head of his son, whose body formed
part of the internal banquet then exhibited.
= Here, for the first time, to the disgrace OF the
female character, a few women appeared.
. Ca, ,yb bue CHI rio
or whose sons had been in their turn killed and
eaten, approached the poor old man, and pluck
ling the hair of his head, and his beard, prick.
al ing him with the teeth of some fish, or Other
H. animal, inflicted upon him every possible tor
- ture, while the inventions of their demoniaca
y countrymen were doing their utmost to ago
~ nize his mind. Captain Briggs, who witness
7, led all this, determined to save the poor mans
Us life and that of the boy, who was also to b.
* *, sacrificed, if such could be done by either forc
eh or price. The boy was brought forth to die
y A man had an exc extended over his head, AM
n y, was about to cleave it in twain, when Capt
= Briggs, at hazard which may be easily un
81 derstood, seized him, and by threats and en-
IN ~ treaties, the risk of which at such a time h
en- cannot now contemplate without shuddering
obtained the life of the boy altogether and tina
81 of the old man for the time! The next da
he was taken to another place, where his door
y, was sealed with every circumstance of horro
and atrocity. The boy still lives. Capt. Brigg
=" paid the ransom of his life in muskets and gun
~ hu powder. He conveyed him in safety to hi
.te ship. and he is now here, in Hobart Town
IN gratefully acknowledging his obligation to tn
IN worthy man who saved him from death.
le- SIN the meantime the bloody banquet wen
* on, the Hecho, the Robulloh, and the rest
'st devouring the contents of the baskets we hav
~. ne described with the greatest delight TIL
II" manner in which the bodies had been sailed
III at nearly the hottest season of the year, ha
an been too imperfect to prevent the process {
J., ~ ~ decomposition from proceeding to so conside
.'n rable an extent, that the worms crawled upo
ing the putrid flesh as it was devoured. 1t was
iau horrible sight. Captain Briggs had the cur
ue osity to open one of the baskets which wa
IL; near him. 1t contained the head and body {
ms a beautiful young female. One of the officer
. of the ship, who was with him, had resolutio
,S enough to dssect the breast away with h
= lpenknife; he wrapped it up in a handkerehie
~, took it on board the Dragon, put it into spirits
w and presented it to a gentleman in Hoba
-. Town, in whose possession it now is.
hsc "While this dreadful scene was going o
~ the Marinewie was confined in irons in Il
. ar fore cabin of the English Brig, of which v
sei have spoken. On the passage from Bank
i u, Harbour to Cooks Strait, the cheftain al
cho L. e I'll 1,,o,,;ocr ~. JrooJr,I t,,.,,m
,eir ,b;oh a,a;tad the, fton, the;r feroc;o,,s an
pom ,,;as tont an eaectral rnetbod Of nreventir
and e.; IL.a g., ,,,,ia,.o.i, a.
his - ~ H., trn,', sla e. sst;,od a.,
IT, !, strangled her. The Captain then placed DO
IN the Marinewie and his wife in irons, to pr
., vent them from destroying themselves.-Tht
Tue .r were landed on the 18th of November by Il
'le Robulloh, and conveyed some short distan
eh' into the interior. Capt. Briggs was not alb
e ca, to ascertain their fate but we understand tn
r the it was intended, that after they had been de
ne patched with all the torture usual in such case
no, the heart Of Marinewie should be sent to