Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-09-07

llSland alone. AS the attention OF the
whole tribe of devils was bent on the re-
treating men, we crept stealthily along
behind the trees that fringed the sort of
ampitheater made by the sandy shore,
passing within two hundred feet of the
cannibals, and gained path that as
cended one side of the rocky cliffs that
shut in the bay from the ocean and ran
far out into it. We pressed on and up
until, at the elevation of about hundred
and fifty feet, the eyes of the savages fell
upon us. A wilder shout than any we
had hearl before came up to US from the
hundred throats that thirsted for human
blood. A score of the brutes at once set
out to overhaul US, while others fired
random shots from guns obtained, no
doubt, from former victims. They didn't
hit US, however, and we hurried on, de-
termined to jump into the breakers that
were dashing over the rocks and washing
the cliffs far up above the level of the
sea, rather than be taken and roasted
alive by our pursuers.
Con we sped, and on came the savages;
we had the advantage in the start, and
managed to keep it for some time longer
At last we came to one of the tombs, for
you will see, if we put in there, that
their dead are placed along the natural
or artificial caves that exist along the
cliffs; the cloths before which, futtering
in the breeze, resemble>the tapping Of
the wings of some immense bird upon
its nest. Into this top [ managed to
slip, but as my shipmate was in advance
of me, he kept on. l found a number
of things in my retreat, such as food
implements of war, canoe paddles, and
clothing. 1 took two long spear-han-
dies, and as quickly as I could, lashed
them together with a rope-yarn that I
happened to have in my jacket pocket"
By this time the foremost of our pur-
suers had come up, and as the curtain
at that moment blew out before him, he
stopped and discovered me. As quick
as thought he raised his club to dash out
my brains, when, with vigorous thrust
of the weapon l had prepared, I pushed
him to the edge of the rock. He tottered
and fell! Another came along, and trip
ped over him; they both clung to the
sharp edges Of the stone, in the vain en-
deavor to save themselves, but their
struggles were of no avail-over they
went together, and down they fell to the
base ofthe cliff. I could not resist look
ing after them, SO, leaning carefully on
the spears, [ gazed down over the spot
they had struggled on. I saw the bod
les, but at the distance of hundred feet
or more from where they lay crowd of
savages were gathered. [ saw them lift
something from the surf which here
ran over the rocks upon the sand. I
was almost benumbed Wb horror, for
it was my shipnate that had fallen over
and down into their hands. I stag
gered back into the cave, and threw my
self upon something or somebody that
laid there in death. Darkness was ap-
preaching, and I expected that in each
succeeding moment one Of the savages
would come up and deal me a blow
which [ was now powerless to defend
myself from; but found that no one
approached; that for some reason or
other the rest of my pursuers had turned
back; perhaps in the belief that both of
us had fallen from the cliff As the
evening advanced, lurid light now and
then shot up from below, and as the
curtain lifted darted into the cave where
l was resting. Full of apprehension,
crawled to the verge of the path, and
looked upon scene such as / never ex-
peeted to live to see. The cannibals
were roasting my shipmate. There was
spell upon me and 1 could not move.
saw by the red light of the fire that
they devoured him-dividing his flesh
among men, women and children
1 interrupted Harry for I feared that
he was drawing upon his Imagination
quite freely, but he assured me that ev-
cry word he uttered was true. At the
moment, [ must confess, [ doubted him.
He then told me that at early dawn he
crept from his concealment, managed to
reach the top of the cliff, descended
into another bay, where he fortunately
found an old canoe. This he entered,
and with his hands padded out beyond
the headland, where at sunrise he saw
hisvessel standing off aud on, apparently
waiting to receive the absent ones. He
reached her, and told the sad story OF
his escape.
"And now, SIR" he concluded
will you go among them cussed Typees?
If my situation had been less critical
or had any of the other islands of the
group been less Objectionable, I should
probably have allowed myself to be in.
timidated by Harry's narrative. Wher
a person is suffering from that worst foe
of the sailor, the scurvy, he can lister
to no idea but one, and that is, to ge
ashore at the first place that offers-anc
this was my case.
\ left the vessel at Dominica, with
instructions that she should go to Nusa
hiva, and if possible get freight of oil
to take home, from some Of the whale
ships that would probably stop at tina
place for recruits, and return for me il
about six weeks.
A month passed slowly and drearilJ
away. True, [ had found favor in tht
cupidity Of the King Opaiwai, to whom
[ had given several old muskets that VIZ
had brought out in the ship for pur
poses of trade. He had "tabooed'' me
when [ first set foot on shore, had er
dered the erecteon Of comfortable
bamboo hut for my exclusive use, has
provided me with a cook and other at
tendants, and had sent the medicine
man to prescribe for my malady; bu
, still, as my health improved, 1 coulc
!. not help feeling the popularity anc
loneliness of my situation. 1 hac
learned to speak the language sufficiently
to understand and be understood, bu
this afforded little relief to the monot
ony of my life