The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-09-03
SEVENTEEN YEARS A SAVAGE.

SEVENTEEN YEARS A SAVAGE.
The Extraordinary Narratire Of Nareisse Pierre
Feter-A JnHdOUed Barren Coast tohen a
Boy He is Adonfed Jv q Tribe Of BLqcks and
GrOtrs Up Among Them.
The London Times publishes the fol-
lowing extraordinary story from a cor
respondent, who dates his letter, screw
steamer Brisbane, Keppel Bay, May 20:
On the 11th of April, IN the present
year, the John Bell schooner, engaged
In the beche de mer fishery, achored at
Night Island, q small island off the
northeast coast of Queensland, in lat.
IL degs. TO Minis. south, long. 143 degs.
Is east, about three miles distant from
the mainland, to which boats were dis.
patched from the ship in search cf
water. The sailors sent on this duty
encountered in the bush a party of
aboriginal blacks with whom they found
a white man, who was, like the blacks,
perfectly naked, and appeared to be
completely identified with them in
language and habits. On these facts
being reported to the master of the
John Bell, he determined to make an
effort to rescue the man, and with this
view sent on shore the following dav a
large supply of articles of barter, which
1t was endeavored to explain to the na-
tives were intended to be exchanged
for their guest or captive. The white
savage was induced to enter one of the
ships boats, where he was given biscuit
to eat and told to sit still, muskets be-
ing at the same time pointed at the
natives and fred over their heads to
induce them to retire, which they were
very unwilling to do without being ac-
cOmpanied by the white man, whom
they begged to return with them. This,
he has since explained, he wished to do,
but was afraid of the guns held by the
sailors, and thought they would shoot
him If he tried to leave the boat, where
he had been hidden to remain.
The John Bell brought her prize to
Somerset, the settlement at Cape York.
where he was clothed and cared for by
the resident magistrate, Mr.. AIpin.
For come days after his arrival he sat
the greater part of the day perched on
the rail fence of a paddock, "like a
bird, as an eyewitness describes it.
casting quick, eager, suspicious glances
around him on every side, and at everv
object that came within his view, rarely
speaking, and apparently unable to re-
member more than a few words of his
own language, although he said enough
to show that he was q Frenchman. and
wrote down on paper, in a stiff, up.
right French hand, his own name and a
few almost unintelligible sentences.
which were subsequently found to con-
tain a short account of his history. On
the return to Cape York of Lieutenan
COnnor, Royal Navy, who speaks
French fiuently, good deal more was
extracted from the savage, and it an
peared that his name was Pierre PeItier.
or Pelletier, son of Martin Peltier.
shoemaker at st. Giles, Department
of Vendee, France. At the age O
twelve N8rcisse Peltier embarked "a q
cabin boy on board the st. Paul, of
Bordeaux. This ship sailed from China
for Australia in the year 1853, having
on board some three hundred and fifty
Chinese coolies. She never, however,
reached her destination, having been
wrecked one dark night on a reef off
KOussel Island, in the Louisiade Arch
1pelagO. The captain and sailors got
off IN three boats and made for the main
island, while the Chinese, with whom
was Narcisse, walked along the reef to
small island situated upon it. An
attack was subsequently made by the
natives upon the captains party, which
was compelled to retreat to the island
where the Chinese were, leaving in the
hands OF the savages the second officer,
sailor, and an apprentice. Dis.
trusttul of the Chinese, and totally
unprJvIded with means of convey
ance for go large number. the
captain and European sailors deter.
mined to abandon them secretly and
ESCAPE IN THEIR BOATS,
making for the Australian coast, in the
hope OF falling in with some Euglish
settlement or European vessel. This
plan they accordingly carried out in the
night. They had intended also to leave
behind the boy Narcisse, but he had
discovered what was contemplated and
followed the crew down to the boats,
into which they did not refuse him ad-
How long their voyage lasted
is uncertain. They subsisted ona paste
OF flour and water, and such sea birds
as they could catch, which we're de-
youred raw. Two or three DAYS before
they reached the Australian coast their |
supply of fresh water failed, and when |
at length they made the shore, which |
they did at First Red Rock Point, south |
OF Cape Direction; latitude 43 deg. 4 |
min. south, longitude 143 deg. 3 min. !
east, their first thought was the allevia- |
tlon of thirst. Leaving the boat, they |
found small quantity of water, the |
whole OF which was eagerly drank by the |
men, leaving nonefor The poor little cabin |
boy, half dead with hunger, thirst, ex-
posure, and fatigue, and whose feet were |
cut to pieces by the sharp coral of the |
reef. Their thirst having been duenched,
the captain and his men-eieht in ali /
returned to their boat and sailed away |
again, leaving the boy to die by the1
empty water hole. They reached New
Caledonia in safety, and there the
captain reported the loss of his vessel
and the hardships which he and his
had undergone. He did
not. however, report his abandonment
Of Narcisse Peltier.
The Chinese left at Roussel Island
were, it was afterward ascertained,
gradually killed and eaten by the ma
Lives, with the exception of some
twenty, who ultimately escaped.
The career.of the boy Narcisse Peltier
would undoubtedly have come to a close
sven before his captains arrival IN New
caledonia, had it not chanced that some |
Dl&cks CEOssSu the footprints left by the
sailors IN their seach for water, and fol-
owed them up until they found the
lying boy by the side of the dried.up
we'll. They gave him food, which he
as "des noisettes," #" and then
ed him away gently by the hand to
heir tribe, with which he has remained
until the present time,
period of no less than seventeen years.
Narcisse is a short, thick-set, active
nan. His skin is OF a bright red color,
md glazed upon the surface by con-
nued exposure to the sun. He is clean
n his person, and says that the blacks
lmong whom he has lived are so also
. statement apparently confirmed by
he disgust he expressed for the Chinese
IN board the Brisbane, whom he STYLED
lirty pigs Go deS sales cOchens''). Across
lis chest are two horizontal lines of
aised flesh about the thickness of an
rdinary lead pencil The upper one
xtends from nipple to nipple, the
ther, rather shorter, is about an inch