The Nevada journal., 1853-02-11
Schooner Susan stuTgCs.

We have been furnished by our Ma
rinc Reporters, says the s. + HeraH,
with the following narrative respecting
the capture and plumber of the schooner
Susan Sturges, by the tribe of Indians
called the Alassetts, residing on the
northward of Queen Charlotte's S Island :
On Thursday, Sept. %, 1862, sailed
from Skidegate's Haroor east side of
Gu en- Charlotte's Island bound to Ed
ensaw's llarbor. al North Island We
had on board the chief, Edcnsaw, and
his wife and child, with two of tie
Skidegate Indians, one Of which had been
to California in the above named vessel
His name is Winett Nothing cxtraor-
dinary happened until We rounded Point
Rose, on Saturday, 25th Sept, when a
canoe came alongside the vessel. They
told Edensaw they were from Fort Simp
son and were bound to Nassett Harbor
lie asked me to allow some of them to
come on board but as that was quite
! against my rules, refused. They then
traded some fish for tobacco, and went
away. On the following morning (Sun-
day) at about half past nine O'Clock,
some canoes came off from Nlassett Har-
Dor, we being about miles off, to the
northwest commenced trading with
them for fish, believing that to be their
object, as nearly all of the canoes had
more or less FISH in them. now count
ed twenty-five canoes around the ship,
but never suspected an attack, having
had similar number around her be-
fore | therefore continued trading on
the starboard side of the quarterback
1 Inc chief, Edensaw, was passing the to-
bacco into the canoes. one Of the seamen
lowering the fish into the hold, and an
other on the main deck, at the port
gangway. While in this scattered po-
sition, Il large canoe came along on the
port side, and one Of the Indians jumped
over the nettings on to the deck ran
from the quarterback to stop him and
make him leave the ship butat this sig
nal the vessel was boarded Simultaneous
ly on all sides by at least one hundred
and fifty men. was in moment com.
pletely surrounded and overpowercd
Robert Ford, the man in The gangway,
was knocked down and stripped of his
cIothes; james Cornden was served in
the same manner John Caulfield ran
aloft; Robert Lang (the mate) made for
the cabin to arm himself, the cook was
caught in the galley, and Henry Smith
at the wheel. All OF these were unarm-
ed. | rushed at the first Indian who
oodrdcd, and was about to fire at him
but was seized by two others from be-
hind, thrown on my back, and dragged
towards The stern of the vessel. Here
| managed TO break away from them.
but was Immediately covered by five or
SIX muskets pointed at my breast and
was only saved by the chiefs wife fore
iEg herself between the Indians and my
self The chief then came up to me
and by dint of force dragged me away
from them towards the cabin. Preyi,
Gus to this he had been defending the
cabin against about Twelve Indians, all
armed with knives and msst with mus
kets. Here found Robt Lang with a
musket, about to fire. but | prevented
him from so doing by telling him that
we were overpowered, and by killing one
OF them would cause the loss of all our
lives. AS it wa>, one man was standing
over me with his knife close to my neck
tor the purpose of dcspatching me, but
grasping his wrist | prevented him from
accomplishing his design. Edensaw hen
came up to this man. and from some con-
versation between them, the intentions
OF the latter were suddenly chau gcd,
and from being an enemy he became
my friend. Notwithstanding this rein
forcement, (our number being only ten)
we could not prevent sudden rush that
was made, by which the cabin WAS i'm
mediately broken open, and fight en-
sued between the chief and one Of the
other men, in which the former had his
nose nearly cut off During this time |
managed to make my escape to the af-
ter cabin, where found four of my men
secreted, all being stripped naked and
one slightly wounded on the side by a
musket ball.
However anxious the chief Edensaw,
and hi, party may have been to preserve
our lives, they appeared equ idly anxious
TO share the plunder with the Massett
tribe; for on our departure from the cab
in, they began to ransack the whole Of
the vessel, cut down all the sails and let
60 the anchors. They removed all the
spare sails from the hold, as well as the
fish and stores. They also took The safe
out of the Lazarette (Which was placed
there for safety containing $500 =
$1,000 in gold, $500 in silver, besides sew
eral small amounts of private cash, a
mounting to about $500 During the
whole of this time they were shouting
most vigorously for my life. was there
fore obliged to keep myself secreted, as
it was their intention to shoot both me
and my men if we made our appearance
In the meantime Edensaw made trea-
ty with them to spare our lives for
quantity Of cotton and tobacco where
upon they began cutting the upper deck
OF the after-cabin and the bulkhead at
the same time. BY this manenyre, and
their numbers thew overpOWered Eden