Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-08-23
cove before the enemy should decide to

man their canoes.
The crew was composed of picked
men, and ia this dire emergency they
did ample justice to my choice.
| Though we We're without oars the men
We're at no loss for substitute. As
soon as they found themselves in the
boat they tore up the seats and foot
boards and began to paddle the boat
out as though she were canoe, while
| was left to single ont with my rifles
the most prominent and boldest % The
enemy.
Twice in succession | succeeded in
| dropping men determined on launch
ing the canoes, and. seeing the Sub
Chief who had commanded the party
that took the drum, | took deliberate
aim with my elephant-ritle ut him.
That bullet, as have since been told,
! killed the Chief, and his wife and in
liant, who happened TO be standing a
few PAGES behind him; and the extra
ordinary result had more effect ON the
| superstitous minds of the natives than
all previous or subsequent shots.
| On getting out Of the cove we saw
two canoes loaded with men coming
out in pursuit from another small cove.
/ permitted them to come within 100
| yards of us. and this time | used the
elephant with explosive balls.
Four shots killed five men and sank
the canoes.
This decisive affair disheartened
the enemy, and we We're left To pursue
n1asf cd
without hearing ringing voice shout
ing out to us, $50 and die in the
Niyanza
When the Sayages counted their
losses, they found fourteen dead and
eight wounded with buckshot, which
| considered to be very dear payment
for the robbery Of eight ash-oars and a
drum. though barely equivalent, in
our estimation, to the intended mas
Sacre of ourselves.
Favored by slight breeze from the
land, we hoisted our sail. and by night
were eight miles southeast of Bum
birch. A little after dusk the breeze
died, and we continued on our course
padding. All night | kept the men
hard at work, making, however, but
little progress through the water. At
sunrise we were about twenty miles
southeast of Bumbireh, and hy noon
we were about twenty-five miles off.
At this tiIle we had strong breeze
from the northwest and we sped be-
fore ii at the rate of five knots an hour.
At sunset we were about twelve miles
northeast of Sosua or GoSua Island.
and If the breeze continued favorable
we hoped to be able to make Il haven
some time before midnight. But the
fierce gale. and, owing to the loss of
our oars, we could not keep the boat
before the wind.
AS we Were swept 10y the island, we
made frantic efforts to get to leeward,
but 1t was to no purpose; we there
fore resigned ourselves to the wind
and waves, the furious rain and the
horror of the tempest. Most of your
readers. no doubt, have experienced Il
gale Of wind at sea; few, however, can
have witnessed it in a small boat.
But our situation was more dangerous
even than the latter. We had rocks
and unknown islands in our neighbOr-
hood, and a few miles farther main
land peopled by savages, who would
have no scruple in putting us all to
death or making slaves of us. If our
boat capsized, the crocodiles of the
lake would make short work of us; if
we were driven on an uninhabited
island, death by starvation awaited US.
Yet, with all these terrors, we were
so worn out with hunger, fatigue, and
anxiety, that, excepting the Waterman,
we all fell asleep, though awakened
now and then by his voice calling the
men to bale the boat ont.
At daybreak the tempest and high
waves subsidized and we perceived we
had drifted eight miles westward of
Sosua and to within six miles of the
large island Of Mysomeh. We had
not morsal Of food in the boat | had
but little ground coffee, and we had
tasted nothing else for fOrty-eight
hours yet the crew, when called to
resume their rough paddles, cheerfully
responded and did their duty maniully.
4 gentle breeze set in from the west
Ndfu, which bolt us uhlthIN tdSt VI
Sosua, and carried us by two p. IN. to
an island which ! have distinguished
by the name Of Refuge Island.
On exploring this island we found 1t
to be about two miles in circumfer-
ence, to have been formerly inhabited
and cultivated; and, to our great joy,
we found an abundance Of green
1. g
sembling cherries in appearance and
size, but having the taste of dates.
To add to this bounty, ! succeeded in
shooting two brace of large, fat ducks;
and when night closed in on us, in our
snug and secure camp close by 4 strip
of sandy bench. few peOple that night