The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-03-07
Amoeg the Caanahais.

COOK IN THE TONGA ISLANDS
COOK PREPARED FOR COOKING
A VERY GOOD YARN.
We recently published from the
Albany Eveniag Times the an
nouncement of the death of the Gel.
ebrated surgeon, DIR. Cooke. w.
B. Dolmage Of this city, who has
been Oh intimate friend Of the Doc
tors for many years, informs usthat
DR.. George Cooke was 92 years
old on the 8th Of March last; that
he first came to this country in
1912, as surgeon ofa British war
ship; that he went back to Eng
land at the close Of the war with
this country, and returned to New
York in 1920. He then went to
South America for q short time,
returned to New York, and, in
1880, located himself in Albany,
and established q dispensary and
attained
FAME AND WEALTH.
For many years past he made fire.
quent and long visits to this city,
where he had purchased q delight
fully located residence on the ns-
wego river. This property he after
ward sold to Mr.. Dolmage, but
continued his periodical visits 10
the Dolmages and enjoyed their
hospitality. Mr.. Dolmage relates
many thrilling Incidents in the early
and ventursome life Of DR.. Cooke,
one Of which we give in the verita-
BILE words of the relator:
'In 1907 DR.. Cooke, then sur
geon Of the British man-oEwar
Belcser, which was cruising off the
Tonga Islands, went ashore with
twelve of the crew to gather herbs
for medical purposes. They were
al captured by the natives, who
proved to be cannibals. They were
Immediately bound with strips Of
bark and thrown into q sort of hole
or cave in the side Of a hill and
kept there until tue next morning.
During the night the unfortunate
victims heard
THE YELHs OF THE sAvAGES,
Who were preparing for the horri-
Bile feast Of the morrow. In the
morning they were brought out
into the light, unbound, stripped
entirely naked, again firmly ban
dsged, trussed, and laid upon their
faces on the ground in two rows
aud about four feet apart. The
male savages who had assembled
from the surrounding islands in
large numbers. formed . circle, the
inner diameter of which was about
sixty feet, and the woman and chill
dren were placed inside the circle.
The latter beat tomtoms and yelled
in fiendish chorus, while the males
performed a devils dance for fully
an hour. This done, twenty-six
brawky and naked ssvsges the
whole gathering Of demons, old and
young, male and female, were per-
fectly nude--tweIty-six powerful
savages advanced; two Of them
seized each Of the victims by the
hair and dragged them about 1000
feet to a sandy beach, upon which
THE coPPER-CoLoRED SUN
Sent down its fierce, quiyering,
broiling and unobstructed rays.
Here was gathered wood in thir-
teen piles--one for each victim
and the savages were seating them
selves in groups around each pile.
Another ring was formed around
DR.. Cooke and bis companions, and
a short dance was performed, when,
at some signal from the chief-a
magnificent brute, nearly eight feet
tall and madein proportion advaDc-
ed there was a dead silence. The
hungry.look savages sank on
theirhaunches upon the sand, licking
their chops like famished wolves.
"The chief then approached the
helpless victims and began . criti-
cal examination Of the physical con-
dition OF each. He lifted their