The Nevada journal., 1851-10-23
EXTRACTS FROM OUR EASTERN FILES,
TRAGEDY IN THE CHINESE SEAS.

perpetrated in the Chinese Seas. 1t
seems that on the first of May last,
the Antelope, an American barque,
was lying becalmed off the southern
extremity of Formosa, when she per-
ceived a boat, rowed by three men,
approac hing from the shore. The
captain, awfre of the infamous charac-
ter of the islanders, ordered his car
ronades to be loaded, and fred a shot
over the heads Of the boats crew; but
the latter continued to pull for the
ship, and were soon discovered to be
three Englishmen, of the names Of
Berries, Blake and Hill. The account
these poor fellows gave of themselves
to their preservers was deplorablc
enough. The Larpent, they stated,
sailed from Liverpool for Shanghai on
the 18th May, 1850, with thirty one
souls on board. On the night OF
September 18th, she struck on a rock;
and at two on the following morning
it became necessary to abandon her,
Captain ellison, the mate, and six men,
got into the starboard quarter boat;
while the rest Of the crew--twenty-
three in all, including the narrators--
took to the launch. They found them
selves at day break close to the shore,
near place called Mat-faer, in the
island of Formosa. Here they landed,
in order to obtain water, and to caulk
the launch; but the natives, coming
down in great numbers, plundered
them of every movable, so that they
were compelled again to put to sea.
The two boats then separated Cap.
tain Gilson's party gave out that they
should attempt to reach Hong Kong,
Ca distance of more than four hundred
miles } and they were soon lost sight
Of by the heavier laden launch, which
was once more forced, owing to its
constant leakage, to be hauled ashore.
The crew, of course, took care to land
this time at another point; but no
sooner were they out Of the boat than
they found themselves in the midst of
a murderous fire Of matchlocks. The
butchery was frightful Mr.. Bland,
a passenger, was the first to fall, and
eighteen others shared bis fate. Hill
and Blake saved themselves by SWIM
ming under shelter of coral rock;
Berries and man named Harrison,
found cover under another; and from
these hiding places, the wretched men
saw their comrades massacred and
mangled, one after another; all their
heads being subsequently hacked off
and piled together ON the beach. The
natives at last disappeared. Poor
Harrison then swan for junk which
was seen nearing the spot where they
were concealed; but he had scarcely
reached it before he vas shot and
boheaded Blake and Hill escaped
by night TO the mountains, fearful Of
showing themselves; but, after five
days spent in the agones Of hunger
Blake--who, as he subsequently de-
clared, began to be conscious Of the
insane yearuings Of cannibalism to-
wards his companion-resolycd on dis
covering himself to some villagers who
were working in field Fortunately,
the lives Of himself and his comrade
were spared; but they were taken
into servitudc. Berries subsequently
joined them. They were sold at the end
of five months, to new master, and
they finally made their escape to the
Antelope, after captivity of seven
months and sixteen days. What be-
came of Captain ellison and his party,
is, as we have said, unknown; but
Blake and Hi heard while in For
mosa, that two white slaves besides
themselves were in the island; and
this, coupled with the report that the
missing party landed near South Cape
for water, has led to the conjecture
that two at least Of their party may
yet survive.
The London Examiner gives the
following account Of the conversion OF
the " Austrian butcher" which shows
how mans opinions--professed---
Jump with his interest;
HAYNAU's CoNvERsIoN.---The phe~
nomenon we are about TO record is no
novelty in the history OF the human
mind. So many, indeed, have been
the vagaries which the human mind
has presented, that any thing new in
the way of oddity can scarcely be ex-
pected. And yet the conversion of
that same Haynau, who is so widely
known as the butcher Of the Hun
garians, into the Hungarian patriot,
is, certainly, not one of the least re-
markable.
Our readers may recollect that