The sun., 1862-01-04
Horrible Observation-Disclosures and Cannl-
baii-m OF an American WhalerS Boats

Grow.
The St. John DAILY News, OF D,camhor 6,
has an account Of the suhsrnss Of John 4. Sal
livan, Of Hsdley Falls, Mas, aui his com
panions, deserters from the whtleshipI Dlniol
Webster aud Ausel Gibbs, Of New Bedford, IN
Cumberland Straits, on the 4th Of August lat.
The narrative was written by Sullivan. The
writer says that he had no reasen for leaving the
ship, only that he was not sufficiently provided
against the cold Northern clima,e, and wa
afraid Of dying bv scurvy. The crew Of tho
AuSol Gibbs complained OF bad treatment. They
wore John G1es, boat steerer, John Martin,
Hiram !. Davis, Willard Hawkins Thomas
Colwell, Jos. Fisher aud SAMUEL Fisher, who, with
Sullivan and his shipmate Warren Dution, con
stituted the deseriing party. They stole boat
from the Ansel Gibbs, into which thoy managed
20 place very small quantity Of ofprovisions, two
guns and little ammunition, anu stood across
the Straits. They loft the voesels in latitude
Go %, about five miles from Ponnys harbor.
On the fourth day out they fell in with tho
bark George Henry Captain Guiding on, Of
New London, who offered II take them all on
board, but they declined. lie gave them SONS
provisions, which were augmented by duck
and tho hind quarters Of white bear they
managed TO shoot before they made Resolution
Isaud, wherc their provisions became noarly
exhausted. On the 20th of August, at Capo
ChiilAigh, they had nothing but mushrooms and
berries 10 live upon; and here Hawkin' and
Davis ran away from the party and carried
away everything that was useful belonging 10
the boat. Afer an attempt to leave tho place,
which was prevented 10y stormy weather, they
landed again, ard Dutton died of starvation.
The narrative OF Sullym says
The evening ho dio1 Samuel Fisher propolod
20 eat him; he took hi' knife and cut pieca Of
thu thigh and held 1t over the iire until it was
cooked. Then, next morning. each ono followed
his example; after that the meat was taken oil
the bone, and each man took share. Wo stop
ped horc throo dals. Wo then malo start;
but tho wind being ahead we were compelled to
put back. Here We stopped t~o m ',o lays.
Daring that time the bones wero broken up
small and hullad In pot or he llc that ", had,
al-o, tho skull, wa- hrUk N open, tho br ,ns IT,
ken out and cooked. We tnen got fair wind,
pu' ls we l,ot around a point we had thu wind
yorN fresh of shore; We could hardly mtnlc
the boat; at last we drove on 10 an sland som
WtN' ou' to sea; VIZ 80. the boat uudir thi le
Of d., ~ tho same hight We had lirg' hole
stove IA % her Is iig unable 10 nal h's up
stayed h,he eight day; 1t Nas on thi, isi1'
.u.v trirj to mutdar me.
ine 'hird day we oppod here wa mt a
usual picking berries or anvthirg cnuli fiH
| to eat. Coming in CHANGED to pick up mush-
room. ! brought in with ms, al.o an armtul Of
wood to keep. Whilc kneeling down TO cook
! tho mushroom, | received heavy blow of a
clpI from Joseph Fisher and before | could get
on mylset got three more blows. | then
managed to get on my feet, when Samuel FISH
cr got hold Of my right arm; then Joseph Fisher
| struCk me three more blows on tho arm. |
somehow got away from them, and, being half
crazy, | did rot know what TO DO. Thcy made
| for mo agni1, kept begging Of them, for Coils
sake, TO spare my life; but they would not listen
| 20 my crys. They said they wanted some meat
and were bOuLd 10 Kill mo. ! hal nothing
could defend myself with hnt q small knife this
! held in my hand until they approached me-
Samuel Fisher was the first to csmo tow ards me-
he hal large dirk knito in his hand; hi4 cousin
was coming from another direction with a club
and a stone. Samuel came on and grasped me by
tue shoulder, and had his knife raised 20 stab me
| then raised my knife and stabbed him in the
throat he Immediately fell and then male a
step for Joe, but he dropped bis club and wont
Up 10 whore tho rest were. | then stopped
down TO 500 If Samuel WAS dead he was still
alive; ! began 10 cry; after little while tho
| rest tol1 me to come up-they would 500 there
! was nothing moro done 10 mo. | had received
| four deep cuts in tho head one OF the fellows
! dressed them for mo and washed the blood of
my face. Next day Samuel Fisher died his
| cousin was the first one 10 cut him up; his bDdv
was used up the same as my unfortunate ship.
mates. We were picked by a boats crew of
EsquimauN, on the 29th Of September, and
brourh TO Okoke on the 81 oi October.
The above thrilling narrative has the air o.
romance rather than reality, and somo of the
circumstances appear very improbable, but
as the Anssl Gibbs. which arrived at New Bed
ford on the llth Of last November, reported tn,
dosertion Of seven of her crew, with whale
boat, in the Arctic regions at tho date above
| given, tho main facts of the story are doubte 81
truo. Tho misguided seamen suffs. od loarrully
in consequence Of their folly.