Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-10-11

WINCH had the erect OIL making "Si
nearly as dark as themselves. They
Likewise tatooed her all over; and 'ha-
wing pulled her hair out, covered hef
head with a sort Of gum, and STUCK lhe
feathers of parrots and other pros al
over it. -,
One Of the women, having two chill,
dren, obliged her to nurse one OF them,
Notwithstanding the severe labor she
had to perform and If the child was
ont of temper the nurse was kicked,
and scratched, and thumped for its pee
visbness. At the expiration of four
DAYS Mrs. Frazer saw her husband Tor
the first time since their separation.
He was dragging along tree, and was
greatly fatigued. She had begun to
inquire how it happened that he did
not manage 10 let her know where ne
was, to winch he was replying that nc
dared not look for her, when his tribe
suddenly appeared. One oil them'
having seen them together, made
push at the captain with spear ana
pierced him through the body, which
was a corpse in an instant. Mrs. ra-
ger ran to her husband, cried out, =" Je-
sus OF Nazareth, can endure this no
longer aud pulled the spear out oil
the body, but The breath was gone Tor
ever.
She then fell senseless, and remain
ed so for a considerable 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 hav-
ing been informed that the captain had
been murdered by one Of the tribes,
formed, in fit of desperation, plan
of revenge, tettered,' and exhausted
with labor as he was. His intention
was. however, discovered, and horrible
was his punishment. Mrs. Frazer
had Just lighted fire by order oil her
tribe, and the unfortunate mans legs
were thrust into it and consumed, while
he. by the violence Of his contortlons,
actually worked for the rest of his bo-
DIV grave in the sand, i'll which II was
embedded.
Two days after this horrible event
fine looking young man, named James
Major, was disposed Of. Captain Fra.
yer, who knew a good deal OF the char
acter and habits of tho savages on this
coast, had mentioned to Major that the
savagcs 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 OF
execution, TO smile in the face OF his
victim Immediately before he struck
him TO the earth. While Major was at
work the chief cf his tribe approached |
him smiling, and tapped him on the !
shoulder. At that instant the poor TEL
low received blow on the back Of the
neck from a waddir, or crooked stick,
which stunned him. He fell 10 the
ground, and a couple OF sayages set TO
work, and, by means of sharpened
shells, severed the head from the body |
with fright(ul decorations. They then
ate parts of the body, and preserved
the head with certain gums OF eXtroor-
binary efficacy, and affixed It as tg'
ure bust TO one of their canoes. The
rest Of the crew, Of course, expected
nothing less than death. Two OF the
seameI, named Doyle and Big Ben,
to steal canoe, and endea-
yored to cross an inland lake, but were
drowned in the attempt to escape from,
perhaps, more painful death.
There was black man named Jo-
seph, who had been steward on board |
the Stirling Castle, when the savages |
seized the long boat, in which the crew |
had entered White Bay; they stripped
this Joseph as we'll as the rest, but as
he was other own color they Inflicted
no punishment upon him; and he had
the privilege Of going about, which
was denied to any other OF the wretch
ched strangers. This man, who was
continually watching for an oPportunI-
ty to escape, had assured Mrs. Frazer
that if he could get away, the first life
he should think Of saving should be that
of his mistress. He succeeded IN stea-
ling a canoe, in which ne rowed oil, |
and in six weeks he reached Moreton |
Bay, where he informed the comman-
dant Of the penal settlement ofthe hor-
mble circumstances which had taken
place at White Bay, and the servitude |
in which the survivors oftho crew were
detained. BY this time Mrs. Frazer
was separated, and at considerable
distance from the different members of
the crew, aud she had given up all
hopes of being liberated from this
frightful bondage in which she was de-
tanned.
The Morcton Bay commandant, on
hearing of the affair, inquired in the
barracks if any of the military would
volunteer to save lady and several of
the crew of the wrecked vessel from
the savages in the bush, and a number