The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-09-04

c01uged glowing elOQuouCe
m unbidden gue-t his sable wing did poise
Beside Dor nohlest brave, and bore him hence
To that bright country whore
No tears eier fall, no darksoms tempests RISE
Beyond the track Of weird Nights dusky car.
On Tennessee, thy proudest, brightest star
Ii crowned with bays beneath unfolding skies!
SEVENTEEN YEARS A SAVAGE.
ne Extraordinary Narrotire of Narci.se Pi.rr
Peitier-A6andoned a Barren Coat wksn ,
Boy he V Adopted By a Tribe of Blacks, ans
CIRQUE Up Among Them.
The London Times publishes the fol
lowing extraordinary story from Q 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 al
Night Island, q small island OF the
northeast coast of Queensland, in lat.
ID dogs. 10 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 Ct
water. The sailors sent on this duty
encountered in the bush q party OF
aboriginal blacks with whom they found
. 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 day q
large supply Of articles of barter, which
it was endeavored to explain to the ma
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 ut the same time pointed at the
natives and fired 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 1t Cape York.
where he was clothed and cared for by
the resident magistrate, Mr.. Alpin.
For some days after his arrival he sat
the greater part of the day perched on
the rail fence of q paddock, "like o
bird" as an eyewitness describes il,
casting quick, eager, suspicious Chances
around him on every side, and at every
object that came within his view, rarely
speaking, and apparently unable to re-
member more than q few words of his
own language, although he said enough
to show that he was q Frenchman, and
wrote down on q paper, in . stiff, nd
right French hand, his own name and a
few almost unintelligible sentences.
which we're subsequently, found to con.
tain short account Of his history. On
the return TO Cape York of Lieutepan
Conner, Royal Navy, who speaks
French fuently, a good deal more was
extracted from the savage, and il an
peared that his name was Pierre PeItier.
or Pelletier, con of Martin Peltier.
shoemaker at st. Giles, Department
of Vendee. France. At the age
twelve Narcisse Peltier embarked as
cabin boy on board the st. Paul, of
bordeaux. This ship sailed from China
for Australia in the year 1858, having
on board some three hundred and fifty
chinese coolies. She never, however,
reached her destination, having been
wrecked one dark night on q reef of
houssei island, In the Louisiade Arch
1peiago. 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 il. 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
trustful OF the Chinese, and totally
uDprovlded with means of convey
ance Tor 80 large q 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 English
settlement or European vessel. This
plan they accordingly carried out in the
night. They had intended also to leave
behind the boy Nafcisse, but he had
discovered what was contemplated and
followed the crs~ down to the boats,
into which they did not refuse him ad-
mission How long their voyage lasted
Is uncertain. They subsisted on paste
OF -four and water, and such sea birds
as they could catch, which we're de-
voured 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 dec. 4
min. south, longitude 143 deg. 3 min.
east, their first thought was the alIeyia-
ton OF thirst. Leaving the boat. thew
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 quenched.
the captain and his men-eieht in ali
returned to their boat and sailed away
again, leaving the boy to die by the
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
companions 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
tIves. with the exception of some
twenty, who ultimately escaped.
The career'of the boy Narcisse PeItier
would undoubtedly have come to A close
even before his captains arrival in New
Caledonia, had il not CHANGED that sonoa
blacks crossed the footprints left Inv the
sailors in their seach for vater and soI.
lowed them up until they found the
we'll. They gave him food, which he
a e