The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-01-31
Cnnnibalism of an American Boatss
Crew.


Crew.
The following horrible story We
clip from the columns Of the Cincin-
natl Gazette and give II to our read.
ere for what it is worth. 1t may be
true and II may be false. II true Il
is revolving to human nature; IL false
the man who put it before the pub.
lie deserves the halter:
In August last. John F. Sullivan,
Of Hadley Falls, NJ Massachusetts,, with
six companions, deserted from the
whalers Daniel Webster and Ansel
Gibbs, then lying in Cumberland
Straits. They left in a boat. which
they had stolen, with a very email
quantity OF provisions, two guns,
and little ammunition; and after .
stormy voyage ofsixteen days, reach.
ed Cape Chsdleigh, a barren region,
where they conld find nothing but
berries and mushrooms to cat. Ono
Of the party named Dutton died
there. Soon after he breathed bis
last, one Of the survivors proposed
to cat him, and taking a knife, cut
off q slice from the thigh Of the
corpse, which he held over the fire
until it cooked. The others follow.
ed his example, and the flesh OF the
deceased man was soon consumed.
Afterward the bones were broken up
small and boiled, even the skull be-.
ing broken and the brains taken out
and cooked. When this source Of
supply was exhausted, they com.
menced to hunt for musbrooms
again. Sullivan thus describes the
event that followed:
While kneeling down to cook o
mushroom, | received heavy blow
of club from Joseph Fisher. and
before ! could get on my feet, Sam
uel Fisher got bold OF my right arm;
then Joseph Fisher struck mo three
more blows on the arm. | somehow
got away from them, and, being
half crazy, did not know what to
do. They made for me again +; l
kept begging Of them, for Code
sake, to spare ny lie, but they
would not listen to my cries. They
said they wanted some meat, and
W. re bound to kill me l had no.
thing conld defend myself with ex.
cept a small knife this | held IN
my hand until they approached me.
Samuel Fisher was the first to como
toward me; he had q large dirk
knife in his hand bis cousin was
coming from another direction with
club and stone. Samuel cs,ne
on, and grasped me by the shoulder.
and had his kniic raised to stab me.
! then raised my knife and stabbed
him in the throat; he Immediately
fell. l then made a step tor Joe,
but he dropped his club and went mp
where the others were. / then bent
down to see II Samuel was dead lie
was still alive; began to cry; after
a little while the rest told me to come
up-they would see there vas no.
thing more done to me. | had re.
ceived four deep cuts in the hoad ;
one Of the fellows dressed them Tor
me, and washed the blood off my
face. Next day Samuel Fisher died;
his cousin was the first one to cut
him up; his body was used up the
same as my other unfortunate ship
, mates.
After several weeks stay at the
Cape, the party again took up their
v boat. and we're finally rescued by a
boats crew Of Esquimsux, who took
e them TO the missionary settlement o.
e Okoke, where they arrived on the 81
Q OF October.
}, The above thrilling narrative has
y the air OF romance rather than real
s ity, aud some OF the circumstance
/, appear very improbable; but as the
Ansel Gibbs, which arrived at New
Bedford on the llth Of last Novem
ber, reported the desertion of seven
Of her crew, with q whale boat, in
, the Arctic regions at the date above
Q given, the main facts OF the story are
doubtless true. The misguided sea
/. men suffered feariully in conso
: quence OF their folly.
q.