The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-09-30
He Wished to Remain Among His Dusky
Friends.

Friends.
The London Times publishes the fol-
lowing extraordinary story from a cor
respondent, who dates his letter, screw
steamer Brisbane, Keppel Bay. May 30:
On the 18th of April in the present year,
the John Bell schooner engaged in the
beche lie mer fishery, anchored at Night
Island, small island off the northeast
coast of Queensland, III latitude 13 de-
grees 10 minutes east, about three miles
distant from the mainland, to which
boats were dispatched from the ship in
search of water. The sailors sent on
this duty encountered in the bush
party of aboriginal blacks, with whom
they found Il white man, who was like
the blacks, perfectly naked, and appear
ed to be completely identified with them
i'll 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 n large sup
ply of articles of barter, which, it was
endeavored to explain to the natives,
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 being at the
same time pointed at the natives and fir
ed over their heads to induce them to re-
tire, which they were very unwilling to
DO without being accompanied by the
white man, whom they begged to return
with them. This, he has since explain
ed, he wished to do, but was afraid of
the guns held by the sailors, and thought
they would shoot him if he tired to
leave the boat, where he had been bid
den 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.. Alpin. For
some days after his arrival he sat the
greater part Of the day perched on the
rail fence OF a paddock,
''LIKE 4 Bird
rs an eyewitness describes it, casting
quick, eager, suspicious glances around
him on every side, and at every object
which came within his view, rarely
speaking, and apparently unable to re-
member more than few words of his
language, although he said enough to
show that he was a. Frenchman, and
wrote down on a paper, in stiff, up
right, French hand his own name, and
a few almost unintelIigible sentences,
which were subsequently found to con-
tain a short account of his history On
the return to Cape York of Lieut.. Con-
nor, Royal Navy, who speaks French
fnently, great deal more was extract
ed from the savage, and it appeared that
his name was Narcisse Pierre Peltier, or
Pelletier, son OF Mart II Peltiar, shoe
maker at st. Giles, De ,,artment of
Vendee, France. At the age of II Mar
cisse Peltier embarked as cabin boy on
board the St. Paul of Bordeaux. This
ship sailed from China to Australia in
the year 1853, having on board some
800 Chinese Coolies. She never, how
ever, reached her destination, having
been wrecked one dark night on a reef
off Roussel Island, in the I.ouisiae
Archipelago. 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 OF a small island situated upon 1t.
An attack was subsequently made by the
natives upon til. Captains party, which
was compelled to retreat to the island
where the Chinese We're, leaving in the
hands of the sayages he second officer,
sailor and an apprentice Distrustful
OF the Chinese, and totally unprovided
with the means OF conveyance, for so
large number, the Captain and Europe.
an sailors determined to abandon them
secretly and
ESCAPE IN THEIR BOATS,
making for the Australian coast, in the
hope of falling in with some English set
Element or European vessel. This plan
they accordingly carried ont 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 admission. How
long their voyage lasted is uncel lain.
They snbsisted on paste of -four and
water, and such sea birds as they could
catch, which were devoured ra~. Two
or three days before they reached t; e