The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-10-04

WIN tie prize fhht presented ltself." The
savages surrounded the boat, md raising it
up, carried il from the beach to the bush
with It's crew, just as were. The moment
they laid The boat on the ground they be-
gan to strip the men Of their clothes, eom-
mcncing with The captain and chief off,
GERS. john Baxter, the second mate, en-
deayoured to hide shirt ornament, in
which his ann,'s hair was contained, hay-
ing willingly yielded up every thing else,
but the savages became infuriated at the
attempt at concealment, and beat him
dreadfully. 1t is unnecessary te say that
they tore the trinket away from him. They
broke in pieces the watches and chronome-
iers, land each took portion of the ma
chinery to stick in their noses and ears, and
after they had divided among themselves
the various portions of apparel, Of which
they had stripped their captiyes, they threw
and CUTS of the fish upon which they had
been lately making their meal.
The sayages, ofter having detained them
two days, took them farther up in The bush
es, and drove them onward, that they mi ght,
as they soon ascerta:ned, fall into the hands
: Of other tribes, by whom All ingenious var
1 iety was 10 he given to their sufferiDgs.
\ The captain had endeavored to prevail up
on them to accept the services Of the poor
crew for longer time, being apprehensiye
that any change among the natives would
I be for the worse; but they beat all the now
naked whites on before them, until fresh
tribes came up and took each a prisoner,
and set him to work in carrying pieces of
trees, and toiIing in other exhausting ways.
Mrs. Frazer, being the only woman, was
not selected of the tribes, but was left by
herself, while they all went onward but
her husband got nm opportunity to mention
to her not to stir from the place in which
she was ut the moment, and that he would
contrive to see her in few hours. During
that night she lay in the clefts of rock,
and in the morning, after looking about
without seeing "A creature, she determined
to follow some footmarks, and, after having
proceeded some distance, she saw crowd
of black woman approach. These women
belonged to the tribe of savages by whom
her husband had been taken up the bush
or the preceding day, and they set her to
work in trailing wood and tightening fires.
Being quite naked, and presenting con-
trast in her skin, which the women did not
like, she was compelled by them to rub her.
self all over with gum and herbs, which
had the effect Of making her nearly as dark |
as themselves. They likewise tatooed her
all over; and, having pulled her hair out,
covered her head with a sort of gum, and
struck the feathers of parrots and other
birds all over it.
One of the women, having two C hildren
oblg ged her to nurse one of Them, notwith-
standing the severe labor she had to per-
form; and if the child was out of temper
the nurse was kicked, and scratched, and
thumped for its peevishness, At the ex-
piralion of four days Mrs. Frazer saw her
husband for the first time since their separ-
alton. He was dragging along tree, and
was greatly fatigued She had begun to
inquire how it happened that he did not
manage to let her know where he was, to
which he was replying that he dared not
look for her, when his tribe suddenly ap-
peared. One of them, having seen them
together, made push at the captain with
a spear, and pierced him through the body,
which was corpse in an instant. Mrs.
Frazer ran 10 her husband, cried out, Je.
sus of Nazareth, | can indure this no lon
ger" aud pulled the spear out of the body,
but the breath was gone forever.-She then
fell senserss, and remained so for a con-
siderable time, and when she recovered her
senses, she found herself with the tribe,
which she was obliged to serve /; but what
became of the body of Captain Frazer she
never could learn. Shortly after this catas-
trophe, the first officer of the ship having
been informed that the captain had been
murdered by one of the tribes, formed, in
fit of desperation, plan of revenge, fetter-
ed, aud exhausted with labor us he was
His intention was, however, discovered, and
horrible was his punishment, Mrs. Frazer
had Just lighted fire by order of her tribe,
and the unfortunate mans legs were thrust
into it and consumed, while he, by the vo-
lenco of his contortIons, actually worked |
for the rest of his body grave in the sand,
in which it was embedded.
Two days after this horrible event n iine-
looking young man, named James Major,
was disposed of. Captain Frazer who
knew good deal of the character and hab
its of the savages on this coast, had men
toned to Major that the savages would take
off his head for figure bust for one of
their canoes. 1t seemed, too, that it was
usual for the savage who contemplated that
sort ofexecuion, to smile in the face of his
victim immediately before he struck him
to the earth. While Major was at work
the chief of his tribe approached him smil-
ing, and tapped him on the shoulder. At
that instant the poor fellow received blow
on the back of the neck from weddir, or
crooked stick, which stunned him. He I
fell to the ground, and couple of savages
set to work, and, by means of sharpcned
shells, severed the head FROM the body with
frishlful lacerations. They then ate parts
of the body, and preserved the head with