The Shasta courier., 1869-05-08
SHASTA COU ER.
.CANNIBAL JACK.o

| FROM the New YORK Tribune, March 3Utn.
Never did the most extravagant fancy
conceive wilder or more adventurous ca
reer than that Of sailor who arrived in
irons last week at this port, and has since
been lodging in Cherry street boarding
house as quietly as though he had never
exercised espotic power over thousands Of
bloodthlrsty cannibals.
This singular parsonage is brown
bearded man of medium size, dark CON-
plexion, retiring manner and most per-
picking accent. Any one would pronounce
him foreigner, but no two would agree as
to his nationality. He has never permitted
himself to be tattooed, but bears his Gre
dentials in the shape of round hole in his
forehead, made by the point of "a javelin,
which he struck up with his club in time
to prevent its piercing his breast. Despite
his ominous tin of " Cannbal jack" he
| asserts that he has never tasted human
flesh, although his savage Marquesas SUBJ
jects~ feast upon it every week with the
utmost relish :" Is it possible? And
whom do they eat - "Oh, prisoners of
war mostly, and any strangers they can
catch" And, l say" continues the
questioner, with a slight shiver, How do
they cook them ?" Bake them Take
them just as you would pig, clean them
and stuff them with swectsceated leaves
and hot stones. Then they lay hot stones
on the ground for an oven, cover them with
leaves, Put the bodies on these, then more
leaves aud hot stones, and finally Il layer Of
earth to keep in the heat and steam from
the green leaves" And can't you stop
it?" Not bit! can save white men,
but not natives
Owing to his knowledge of their many
dialects, and his familiarity with their Gus
IONS, he is either obeycd or feared in many
different island groups, but the special seat
of his power is on Oitahu, one of the Mar
quesas Islands. There white man, named
Butcher, was chief when Jack first landed,
and there Butcher skull is still preserved.
There Jack reieas in naked and native
dignity, with his mlpa girdle and his
fca her head dress There he has fourteen
wives in one house, besides many more on
other islands. There he makes laws for
two thousand islanders, and plans raids
upon the Typce savaees Of Dominica,
another of the Marquesas Islands, with
whose natives he is ceaselessly at war;
There are his double war canoes. made of
boards sewed together with cocoanut sen
net, and propelled II miles an hour by 300
rowers, who not only keep stroke to the
sound of war song but vary the exercise
every few moments by finging their pad
eles in the air and catching them as they
fall with military precision.
1t is utterly impossible to give within
column any just idea of the wild life of this
white chicfof Oitalu On one occasion he
and a Typec King of Dominica were rival
suitors for young princess. Jack, find
ing his suit likely to fail, ran off with the
girl who was only about twelve wears old
but was caught, bound, and turned adrft
IN canoe. Resaining the shore, he
climbed hill, saw native coming UP the
other side with muskct and another mans
leg over his shoulder, and hastily scrambled
up tree The savage laid down his ugly
burden under the same tree, and went after
cocoanut. Jack slipped down. and cot
the gun and pointed it at the native, who
fled for dear life from the white man who
was drowned the day before. In irving to
pass the towns of his enemies. in order to
reach part of the island friendly to him.
he stumbled into taboo ground" or
cemetery, place full of skulls which were
walking around and nodding to each other
IN the most extraordinary manner, and ex-
animation showed that each skull was ten
anted by young crab of the kind called
5000 by the natives. This little chapter
in his life ended with setting fire to a vii
lage, by which means he decoyed the war
riors out of fort which guarded the only
pass leading to the friendly territory, ard
then made his escape directly through the
deserted fortress.
Jack is evidently of Christian turn of
mind, does not swear, and takes pleasure
in attending divine service. Nevertheless.
ne does not like missionaries, will not allow
them on his island, and declares that Faith
er Damon, at Honolulu, and MIR. Brown, on
one OF the Navigator Islands, are the only
ones who have done the natives auv real
good. He charges the others with covet,
ousness, lnhumanity and. other nameless
villainies.
Fourteen years ago Boston traveller.
who helped found the first newspaper in
the Sandwich Islands, offered Jack 500
II ne would retnrn with him to Boston and
relate his story in detail, in order that
book might be made of it. Jack declined
but now, as he wishes to make little
money, ne is quite ready to accept such
proposition. He intends to 90 to New
Bedford in few days to visit certain
whaling captains of his acquaintance whom
ne expects to find there, and hopes to get
funds enough to buy some tools, ammuni-
ton, and "old newspapers with stories in
them, to take back with him for next
November will doubtless find him far on
his way to his island kingdom, as he de-
ciares he would not spend winter in