Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1849-12-07
2N0.n} OTTUMWA IOWA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER I, lS4a


upon him, but with single blow Thorn
laid the savage dead at his feet, and was
Immediately beset by several Of his
stoliest warriors. Towering up amidst
bis host Of enemies. he dealt Gripping
blows to the right AMI left around him,
strewing the quarters deck with dead and
wounded; and enleagored to mike his
way towards the cabin, where he had
Ere arms, bnt which he was destined new
er TO reach For a single instant, over
come with laia,ness and loss of blood,
he leaned on the tiller wheel, when tall
savage struck him from behind with
war club, telling him to the deck, where
he was instantly dispatc he'd with knives,
and tossed overheard. #ra
While this was transacting on the quar-
Ter deck, a medley fight was going on
throughout the ship. The crew fought
desperately with handspikes, and such
other weapons as they could lay hold
on, but were soon oVerpowered and mer-
cilessly butchered.
A short time before the fight common
ced, seven of the crew had gone aloft,
and there remained, viewing with un-
ieigued horror the carnage going on be-
low. Being destitute of weapons, they re-
solved to let themselves down by the run
ming ropes, and by that means get be-
tween decks. One of them fell in the
attempt, and was killed; another received
death blow in the back, and third was
mortaIly wounded as he was getting
down the hatchway. The remaining
four succeeded in reaching the cabin
where they found Lewis still alive; tho
severely wounded. They barricaded
the cabin, broke through the companion
way, apened brisk fire upon the Indi-
ans. with muskets there procured; which
soon cleared the decks of the now alarm
ed savages who huddled into their ca.
noes, aud put off for.he shore.
After the Indians had icffs. the Tonquin,
the four men lowered the long boat AID
pushed off in her, after having vainly
endeavored to persuade Lewis to accom-
pany them, he having sworn to remain
on board and have terrible revenge up
on the Indians for their treacherous treat
ment. No savages vennred near the
ship on the remainder Of the day, but she
lay at anchor in the bay, with her sails
loosely happng in the air. and apparent
ly no person ON board. At day dawn
the next morning some of the Indians
veniured to approach the vessel in their
canoes and discovered Lewis on the deck,
who made friendly signs for them to
come on board. 1t was not long before
they complied, and, as they clambered
up the ships side, Lewis descended in
to the hold The decks were complete
ly covered with them, while hundreds of
canoes were gathering close around her,
and men, women and children were re-
ioicing at the success. t2~e.1'- H
Now was the time for Lewis's deadly
revenge. He had formed plan Tor
blowing up the vessel, and he had dalib-
erately resolved to sacrifice his own life
to be avenged on the Indians. When
several hundred had covered the Ton
quin, he applied a match to the maga-
zine, and the nextlnstant with terrible
explosion, the crowded ship blew up,
sending its lofty spars and masts far to-
wards the sky, together with hundreds
of mangled and bleeding savages. Arms,
legs and mutiated bodies, were sent fly
ing through the air, and dreadful havoc
was made in the surrounding canoes
The bay presented an awful spectacle a
few moments after the explosion. The
Tonquin had disappeared, but the sea
was covered with fragments of the wreck,
shattered, canoes, and Indians swimminy
for their lives, or struggling in agonies Of
death; while those who had escaped the
danger, stood aghast and stupelied, or
filled the air with panic-stricken screams
and cries of terror. Upwards of a hun
dred savages were destroyed by the ex-1
plosion, many more were terribly man
gled and mutilated, and for days after
wards the limbs and bodies of the slain
were were thrown by the surging wa
tiers upon the beach.
Such was the fate anu such the melan-
choly end of the ship Tonqnin.
'rur MpN ron TIE rruES-Wp like