The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-08-14
A MODERN ROBINSON CRUSOE.

Ireek COlOny.
A MODERN ROBINSON CRUSOE.
On the 18th of April an English fishing
schooner (the John Belly anchored at Night
Island, off the northeast coast of Australia.
A part of the crew went ashore to the
mainland in search of water, and fell in
with party of natives who had a white
man with them. He seemed to be savage
like themselves, wore no clothes, and had
shell ring in his nose. When the sailors
returned to their vessel they reported to
the Captain that they had seen white
man with the barbarans, and he forthwith
determined to make an effort to rescue
him. On the next day he sent a couple of
boats to the shore carrying presents to be
given to the savages in exchange for the
captive.
The white barbarian did not want to
leave his black companions, but he was
finally induced to enter boat, and was
given biscuit to eat. While thus engaged
the boat was pushed from the shore, and
the man was carried off against his will.
The sailors in the other boat pointed their
guns at the savages on the shore to prevent
them from following in their canoes, and
fired a few shots over their heads to terrify
them. The schooner was reached in safety,
and as soon as the wild man was put on
board she sailed for Somerset, Cape York,
where suit of clothes was procured for
the captive from the local magistrate. The
man calculated some words which the sail
ors supposed to be French, and Lieut..
Conner, of the Royal Navy, was sent for,
who Immediately pronounced the man
Frenchman, and began conversation with
him. He remembered few words Of his
native language, including his name and
that of his father, and as Lieut., Conner
kept on talking to him in French he began
to recover the use of his mother tongue,
and before many days was able to tell the
story of his life among tie savages.
Narcisse Pierre PETER was cabin boy
on board the French ship 81. Paul, of Bor-
deaux. In the year 1853 the ship sailed
from one of the Chinese ports for Aus
tralia, having $50 Coolies on board. She
was wrecked on reef off Roussel Island,
in the Louisiade Archipelago. All escaped
to Roussel Island. The Captain and crew
determined to steal away in the ships
boats and abandon the Chinese to whatever
fate might overtake them. After enduring
great sufferings, the shipwrecked voyagers
DeI D., Lot
south, longitude 1880 32' east. They went
on shore in search of water, and when they
took to their boats again they left the boy
Narcisse on the land. He was overcome
by thirst, hunger and fatigue, and no doubt
they supposed that he might as well die on
shore as at sea. He undoubtedly would
have persisted if he had not been found by
a party of natives, who had seen the foot
prints of the sailors in the sand, and fol-
lowing them up, came to where the boy
was lying. They gave him water and food,
and thenceforth he became one of them.
He was then about twelve years OF age,
and is now nearly thirty. During the
seventeen years that be was with the saw
ages he grew to be a strong, athletic man,
possessing far more muscular power than
any of the natives. The Captain and the
crew of the ST. Paul reached New Gale
donia in their boats, and reported the loss
of the vessel, and gave narrative of the
long voyage in the ships boats, but said
nothing about the abandonment of the boy
Narcisse. 1t is supposed that the Coolies
left on Roussel Island were gradually killed
off and eaten by the natives, who are can
nibals.
The little French boy was grief-stricken
at first, and thought great deal about his
mother and his home, but he fell into the
habits and customs of the barbarians quite
naturally, and seems tc have enjoyed him
self as we'll as if he had been among civil
lized people. The tribe with which he
lived were not cannibals, and not particu-
larly warlike, although he was engaged in
one or two hostile forays, and speared a
couple of savage warriors. Some weeks
after his rescue he was taken on board the
English screw steamer Brisbane probably
one of the vessels of the Royal Navy, and
is now on his way home. The letter to the
Times is dated at Keppel Bay, Australia.
After Narcisse came on board the Brisbane
he made rapid progress in recovering the
use of his mother tongue. He wrote his
name at the first attempt, in rather awk-
ward hand, but quite legible, and he soon
learned to read, although he did not COM
prehend the meaning of great many of
the words. Having lost the measure of
time, he thinks that long period has
elapsed since he left France, and that all
his family, and even his younger brothers,
must be dead. He is generally good hui
mored and tractable, but occasionally falls
into fit of sullenness, and he has habit
of crouching here and there, very like
savage. He is considered most interest
ing "pet" on board the Brisbane, and
Lieut.. Otter is making out a vocabulary of
the Macadama language from the words
given him by this adopted member Of the
| tribe.