Connecticut western news., 1873-04-11
PrOvidential Escape.

In 1S4e, while the British ship Rattle snake was lying at Port Albany, on the eastern shore of Australia, a remarkable instance occurred of what seemed @ providential escape. Some of the ships company were on shore, shooting, when they saw, coming toward them, an individual whom they took to be gi,s, or native woman, presenting the usual uninviting appearance of the aboriginal females. They paid but little attention to her, and were passing on, when, to their surprise, she called out in Eng fish "I am white woman, why do you leave me ?" She was taken off to the ship in the first boat, deplorable object. Her appearance is thus de- scribed "With the exception of a narrow fringe of leaves in front, she wore no clothing, and her skin was tanned and blistered with the sun, and showed the marks of several large burns which had been received from sleeping too near the fire on cold ights :; besides, she was suffering from opthal mia, which had previously deprived her of tho sight of one eye." As soon as the poor creature could tell her story, she related that, having left Sydney some four years before. with her hus- band, in Q small cutter, of which he was owner, the vessel had been wrecked on 8 reef near the coast, and the three persons on board, beside herself, drowned. She was afterward rescued by party of natives on turtling ex- cursion, who, when the gale subsided, swam on board, and supported her on shore between two of their number. One of these blacks, Boroto by name, took possession of the woman as his share of the he,plunder she was compell- ed to live with him, but was we'll treated by all the men, although many of the women, jealous of the attention shown her, for long time evinced anything but kindness. A curious circumstance secured for her the protection of one of the principal men of the tribe, Q party from which had been the fortunate means of rescuing her, and which she afterward found to be the Kowrarega, chiefly inhabiting Muralug, or the west ern Prince of Wales Island. This person, named Piaquai, acting upon the belief Universal throughout Australia and the islands of Torres Strait, so far as hitherto known) that white people are the ghosts of the abor1gines, fancied that, in the stranger, he recognized @ long-lost daughter of the name of Giom, and at once admitted her to the relation ship which he thought had formerly subsisted bet ween them. She was inn mediately ack nowledged by the whole tribe as one of themselves, thus insur- ing an extensive connection in relatives of all denominations.
 The natives, however, watched her very closely, to prevent her escape, but she was often tantalized by the sight of vessels passing along the straits, and heard of the former visit of the Rattle snake. This second time she had suc- ceeded in persuading the blacks to let her go ''to see the white people, and shake hands with them," and had promised to bring them back axes, knives and tobacco. On these terms they gave her leave of absence but repenting soon after, 8 party started in pursuit of her, and had almost come up with her when she was rescued by the boat. Here we quote again from the narrative "Upon being asked by Captain Stanley whether she really pre- ferred remaining with us to accompany ing the natives back to their island, as she would be allowed her free choice in the matter, she was so much agitated as to find difficulty in expressing her thankfulness, making use of scraps of English alternately with the Kowrarega language, and then, suddenly awaken to the recollection that she was not understood, the poor creature blushed all over, and, with downcast eyes, beat her forehead with her hand, as if tc assist in collecting her scattered thoughts. At length, after pause, she found words to say, Sir, I am Chris tian, and would rather go back to my own friends"
 Barbara Thompson-such was the woman's name-was eventually handed over to her parents, in Sydney, in ex cellent condition.