The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-09-01
AMONG THE CANNIBALs.
A Sad Story of the Sea-W EecIkcf I'm the
9Ounn AtIantIc.--TWe Years =
RrtsOner--Rescu cue.--Death.

The following. outline of the sad story
of citizen of New Jersey appears much
like the romantic tales found in our sem
satlonal weeklies but the narrative is
nevertheless, true as the distressed family
of the adventurer, who still reside in
Jersey City, can testify:
Twenty years ago gentleman in mod
crate circumstances, living in Jersey City
determined to try his luck in China Ac-
cordingly he invested most of his capital
in goods suited for that market and en-
barked on ship bound for Hong Kong
via Liverpool. His family, consisting of
his wife and several children, were left
with sufficient means for their maintenance
until his return, which was expected to
be within four years. The ship on board
which our Jerseyman was passenger had
a fine run to Liverpool, where she COM
pleted her lading and then proceeded on
a long voyage to China Once only did
the family of the Jerseyman hear of him
after leaving Liverpool, and that was by
letter received by ship which spoke
the Jerseyman's craft after rounding the
Cape of Good Hope. Months passed by
and no further news of the ship She
never arrived at Hong Kong, and nearly
year after her departure from Liverpool
her captain returned to that port with the
sad tale of her
FoUNDERING IN MID OCEAN,
and his OWN escape, with most of his crew
and passengers, from fearful death. A
dreadful sIoim, which continued many
days, drove tie ship far OUT Of her course
to the southwark, aud finally, after losing
all her spars, sue went down, giving the
crew barely time TO lower the boats be-
fore the noble vessel made her final plunge
The boats containing the captain and most
of the crew, after tossing upon the sea for
several days, finally reached a group Oi
islands, where they remained six or seven
months, kindly treated by the natives,
until taken off by a transient trader and
carried to Calcutta, where they secured
passage to This city. But The boat in
which was the Jerseyman and five seauen
was never heard Of since the frs. night
after leaving the wreck.
TWENTY YEARS OF SORROW,
tueging and privation for the Jersey fam
and mother fought against the Ills of pov>
erty, keeping her children under her own
roof tree, educating them well 10 fight the
battle of life and had the happiness Of
seeing them become brave men and good
citizens, honorable amongst the most hon
ored. During all these long years Of sor-
row and toll she clung 10 the hope that
the husband of her youth would IetuIn TO
her his memory was kept fresh in her
heart, and almost her only solace was the
recollection of the happy hours passed
with him III their cottage home, and the
belief that she once more would be folded
to his heart. Twenty years rolled slowly
around, children became men and women,
and strange young faces were seen around
the hearth stone. The suffering wifes
haIr was turning white, and her trusting
waiting, when, six months ago, came
LETTER FROM TIE WANDERER,
reciting his sad history. The second NOR
ming after the wreck nothing was to be
seen of the other boats. With but "A
small stock of provisions the Jerseyman
and his five companions, hoping against
hope, determined TO shape their course
south of east, trusting 10 make one of the
many groups of small islands known to
lie in that direction. After ten days toll,
during which two of the seamen died of
privations, the party reached small ls>
land. when they were Immediately seized
by the natives and condemned to a life of
slavery. Their captors were cannibals,
and long sought to induce the white men
to join them in their horrible orgies but,
finding both threats and entreaiies unavail-
ing, they finally desisted, and allowed
their white slaves to use such food as they
themselves choose One after another
his white companions died, until the Jer-
seyman was left alone to his life of
sERvTrUDE AMONG THE sAvAGES
and 50 closely was he watched that al
though many ships touched at the island
he was unable to communicate with them
At last a schooner from Australia drop
ped anchor during night in March last
in cove near the hut occupied by the
Jerseyman, and being the first TO discover
her, he seized a canoe and padded to her
before any of the natives were astir. ST.
long had he been among the savages that
he had lost nearly every recollection of his
origin, and had forgotten his native lam
guage. After gaining the deck of the
schooner he was for some time unable tC
articulate a word, and only after copi.
Gus flood of tears had relieved him wa;
the strong man able to ntter the single
word "home." Finally, afler many eff
forts, he made the captain understand hi,
story, which SO affected the noble hearted
sailor that he at once weighed anchor anC
sailed for Melbourne, where he arrived
after short passage.
THE LAST SCENE or ALL
Here the Jerseyman WAS kindly careC
for 10y the authorities, bot being too unwel
to take passage by the first steamer &