Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-01-28
HORRIBLE NARRATIVE.

HORRIBLE NARRATIVE.
The Suferings and Canni5alisn, of an
american Whater's Cres.
From the Boston Journal
The St. John Daily News of December
9th has an account Of the sufferings of John
+. Sullivan, of Hadley Falls, Mass. and his
companions, deserters from the whaleships
Daniel Webster and Ansel Gibbs, of New
Bedford, in Cumberland Straits, on the 4tb
OF August last. The narrative was written
by Sullivan. The writer says that he had
no reason for leaving the ship, only that he
was not sufficiently provided against the
cold northern climate, and was afraid Of
dying by scurvy. The crew of the Ansel
Gibbs complained of bad treatment. Thew
were John Giles, boatsteerer, John Martin
Hiram j Davis, Willard Hawkins. Thomas
CGlwell, Joseph Fisher and Samuel Fisher
who, with Sullivan and his shipmate Wars
rem Duttun, constituted the deserving party.
They stole boat from the Ansel Gibbs. in.
to which they managed 10 alace a xsrr.
small quantity OF provisions, two guns aud
little ammunition, and stood across the
Straits. They left the vessels in latitude
G5 so, about five miles from Penny Uar-
Dor barque George Henry, Capt. Guiding
ton, OF New London, who offered to take
them all on board, but they declined. He
gave them some provisions, which were
augmented by duck and the hind QUAR-.
tiers of a white bear they had managed to
shoot before they made Resolution Island.
where their provisions became nearly ex,
hausted. On the 10th of August, at Cape
Chidleigh, they had nothing bat mushrooms
and berries to live upon and here Hawk
ms and Davis ran away from the party.
and carried away everything that was use
full belonging to the boat. After an at
tempt to leave the place, which was pre-
vented by stormy weather, they landed
again, and Dutton died of starvation. The
narrative of Sullivan says:
The evening he died, Samuel Fisher pro
posed to eat him he took his kni fe and cut
a piece "fi the thigh, and held it over the
fire until twas cooked. Then, next morn
ing, each ono followed his example after
that the meat was taken off the bones, and
each man took share. We stopped here
three days. We then made start but the
wind being ahead, we were compelled to
put back. Here we stopped two more daye.
During that time the bones were broken IN
small and boiled in pot or kettle that we
had also, the skull was broken open, the
brains taken out and cooked, We then got
fair wind, but as we got around a point
we had the wind very fresh off shore we
could hardly manage the boat; at last we
drove on to an island some WAYS out to sea.
we got the boat under the lee of it: but the
same night we had a large hole stove into
her. Being unable to haul her up. we
ata yya1 inhf do -
land they tried to murder me.
The third day we stopped here. 1 was out
as usual picking berries or anything could
find to eat. Coming in l CHANGED to nick
up mushroom | brought il in with me
also an armful of wood to keep. While
kneeling down to cook the mushroom. re.
ceived q heavy blow Of club from Joseph
Fisher, and before could get on nv feet
| got three more blows. / then managed to
! get on my feet. when Samuel Fisher got
hold of my right arm then Joseph Fisher
struck me three more blows on the arm.
| somehow got away from them, and, being
half craze, did not know what to do
! They made for me again kept begging
| of them, for Code sake. to spare my life |;
| but they would not listen to my cries They
said they wanted some meat, and wasbound
to kill me. had nothing l could defend
myself with but small knife; that held
IN my hand until they approached me-
Samuel Fisher was the first to come tow
ards me; he had large dirk knife in his
hand his cousin was coming from anoth er
| direction with club and stone, Samuel
came on and grhsped me by the shoulder.
and had his knife raised to stab me.
then raised my knife and stabbed him in
the throat; he Immediately fell, and then |
made step for Joe, but he dropped his
club and went up to where the rest were.
| then stopped down to see if Samuel was
dead he was still alive began TO cry :
after little while the rest told me to come
up-they would see there was nothing more
done to me. | had received four deep cuts
in the head one of the fellows dressed
them for me, and washed the blood eff nv
face. Next day Samuel Fisher died: his
cousin was the first one to cut him ny his
body was used up the Same as my unf5rtu-
tate ship mates.
Alter a while, we managed to repair the
boat and left the island. We ran in where
we thought was mainland, but it proved t.
be an island !; here we left the boat and pro
ceeded on foot, walking about one mile q
day. AT least we reached the other side Of
the island in about four days; then put
back again to the boat Ii took us four
days to get back. When we got there, we
Sound the boat stove very bad since we left
her. We tried to get around the island in
her, but she sunk when we got into her; we
the left her, and went back again to the
other side of the island, to remain there un
til we should die or be picked up. We ate
our belts, knots and sheatbs, and a number
OF dear and seal skin articles we had with
us. To add to our misery, it commenced tc
rain. and kept up for three days; it then
began to snow. In this miserable condi-
ton we were picked up by a boats crew Of
Exquimaux on the goth OF September. and
brought to Choke on the Goth of October
The missionaries did all that lay in their
power to help us along. and provided u.
with food and clothing, then s0nt us on tc
Main, where we met 1.-THE doctor" Davis
who was picked up three days before We
were. lie reported that his companion
died, and told many false stories after hs
was picked up.
The above thrilling narrative has the air
OF romance rather than reality, and some o.
the circumstances appear very improbable
but as the Ansel Gibbs, which arrived a.
New Bedford on the ] lth of last Novem Der
reported the desertion of seven of her crew
with whaleboat, in the Attic regions, tn,
main fac's of the story are doubtless true =
The misguided sealnen suffered fearfully il
Consequence Of their folly.
MUTUAL FoRBEARANcE The house viii
be kept in turmoil where there is no tolera
ton of each others errors If you lay
single stick of wood on the CRATE and appir