New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-10-21
NUMBER le7.
.DAILYGRESCENT
THE SOUTH SEA cHIEF..A Fa4e,arsr

THE SOUTH SEA cHIEF...A FsAo,sEsr9
By MISS JANE PORTER. sl ss
While in the north of Europe, met with o
rather extraordinary person, whose account OF
himself might afford subject for very pretty
romance; a sort of new Paul and Virginia
but with what different catastrophe it is not
fair to presage He described himself as a
Frenchman, native Of Bordeaux; where, at
an early age, he was put on board merchant
ship to learn the profession of seaman. About
that time war broke out between Great Britain
and the lately proclaimed Republic Of France
and the vessel he was in being attacked, and
taken by an English man-of-war, he was car
ried a prisoner into England. When there. his
naturally enterprising character would not sub
NIT itself to a state Of captivity and soon
making his wishes understood, he entered on
board a British sloop, bound to New Holland
While gazing with rapt astonishment on the
seeming new heavens which canopied that, to
him, also, new portion of the globe; while the
stars of the Cross were exciting his youthful
wonder; and he could no where find the constel-
lations of the Great or the Little Bear IN the
midnight armament, the sky was suddenly
overcast with d cloud, like the pail OF nature,
and a fearful tempest burst from it, The scene
was dreadful on that wide waste Of waters; and
the vessel being driven at last into the rocky
labyrinths of the Society Isles, was finally
wrecked on one not many leagues from the cell
ebrated Otaheite. AM; t7S s.ts .-.,sy,.s It.
| Laonce, the young Frenchman, and one sea-
man Of the sloop, an honest North Briton, were
the only persons who escaped; for when morn
ing troke, they found themselves restored from
insensibility, lying on the shore. and not trace
| of the ship or Of those who had navigated her
was to be discerned. The inhabitants Of the
island, apparently wild savag ges, by their naked
state, instead sof seizing them as prey, took
them to their huts, fed and cherished them.
Hope for while fiattered them that some other
vessel bound for New Holland might also be
driven on those islands, though not with the
same hard fate,and by her means they Knight
be released and conveyed back to Europe But
| days and weeks and months wearing away WI tn
ont any such arrival, they began to regard the
depreciation less, and turn their minds TO take
a more intimate interest in objects around them
Time, indeed, accustomed them to what might
ba called barbarous, in the manners OF the
lneople by degrees, even themselves laid aside
their European habits they exchanged then
lclothing for the half exposed fashion OF the ma
five chiefs and adopting their pursuits ane
l Measures. became hunters and bold fishers il
The light canoe Finally, they learned to speaf
4 the language, as if they had been born. In TN
Il island: and, at length sealed their insular des
) | tiny by marrying native women.
e Iaonce was hardly eighteen when he was mrs
Z cast ashore among them but having hand
f some person, and those engaging manners irop
% a naturally amiable disposieion, added TO
e gentleman's breeding, which never fail agreea
RI Expressing even the rudest minds, the ey
of ~ fa,,,s,. a nderness soon fonnd him out; an
!, M oI female TO- 4he daughter Of the kim
snd sna maiden, being es' = only to hint hf
ana beautiful withal, haaa 49, king namin
4 wishes to her royal sire .fand ~, med
th. an to their distinguished oh;aae a,
ately became his happy bride s's0'' sue iiA--
Laon re, becoming thua rnvoJIr 1,.,
the line >of the throne, instanty rece,.J ahu. I
icly the in, estiture Of the highest ordan puo
heitan noblit,v, namely, species If tat.a ~ ola
appropriated to chiefs alone The limhs ~ IN
body thus disting .ished are trayersed All osa
with damasked sor of pattern, while tha Oser
tlcular royal insignia IS marked ON the left sida
of the forehead. and belo the eye, ike tb;at
mass of dark tattooing II @ - 80 stoA
But the young Frenehman, and his north
Britain companions had reserved to themselves
means means OF increasing their consequence. still
more q than by their mere personal merits, with
their new fellow countrymen 9is3gz IsI' a.S'si
lew days after the wreck, the subsid;no
elements had cast up certain articles of the
snip, which they managed to turn to pood ~
ooanss .a.s ene most valuable of them were fire. L
arms " ana some gunpowder, and few otber IN.
plements, both of defense and use i'm bousaha ana
or shlpss repairs The firearms seemed = d
ehaoW the new young chief just engraft ~ ;n so
tne relgnlng stock, with q kind of eu lhto to
authority and. BY the aid Of old
and new bosom-coad;iutor. be eper.sd desSna!e ssi
u over their awed minds. n nravsns II,
,nsr recsrTence to the frightful practice fs aa
,ssn On ms m trst landing, of devorring tbs
nass4 ,.soheis !ney TOOK Ia war, His marriage had
ION ~ :. nihn Sitn the power Of natiyeiy born
h,a.4s. y. .ae hlng and, having made himself
master OF their language, his psrsuasions1 wsra
70 conclusive with the leading warriors. that
n the cssrse Of d very little time, ii was rare !.
70 near that so dreadful species Of yengea..o
was ever tasted, even in stealth n 'ee
However, SO addicted Were, come Seu of tbo
iefcer sort to this arSaient triumph Of their an.
,eslols, tnat nc found it necessary to add com
"nos 70 persuasions, and then threats to COM
nands; and having expressed in the strongest
terms his abhorrence of SO cowardly and brutal
. practice, he told them, that the first man he /,
saw attempt to touch the flesh of o prisoner to Il
leath -. - - -
Shortly after this warning, q fray took place
between The natives Of his tather-in laws domiI
lions and their enemies from hostile island. /,
7. number OF captlves were taken; and all under
us command held his former orders in such j
'egerenoe, that none--and they had before shown
'efraetory dispositions presumed to disobey his
'dict of mercy. But these men, in derision Of
as lienlty, particularly TO the female sex, se-
ected twoman-prisoner to be their victim; IA
md Staying her, as they would have done q I,
oeast, they commenced their horrible repast j
lpon her body, ,r5+,.5, & = .3lIa., III
Laonce deserted Inc scene at o distance, just
y they hssl prepared their hideous banquet, ,
md, going resolnte1y towards them, leyeled
us musket at the cannibals, One Of the
Wretohes was killed with the horrid morsel in
MS mouth. and second shot brought down his
goracious accomplice in the aot.-The bold ex-
ample so awed all within ken of the fact, that
rom that hour, until the day he quilted the 3
sland, q period of fourteen years, no captive Il
ever met with the nterdicted fate Though the Fl
bid Sovereign continued in lifs, he consigned the
power 70 his new son, and Laence became yir- i
tually King Of the place., Indeed, so ,recopciled
was he and his friend the North Briton, (who
also Tnarried) to the spot which had first shell
tered them, and then adopted them even as its |
legitimate offspring, that although many ships
of different nations touched there, no induce
nents could prevail on them to quit their sea-
grt home of simple nature, for all the blandish-
menfs which civilized life could produce. Yet /,
Laonoe took hospitable delight IN showing +
every act of friendship in his power to the caps
tains of the vessels; refitting them with food
and fresh water; and rendering them much es-a /;
sential service, in pointing out how to lme-age
with safety the difficult navigation tho
= M n = " VI ss bsieh ha res;fad bese i