The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-12-19

upon her husbands slender income, for
silks and jewels, is at loss to realize
the scene, let her try Ada's experiment
A WHALESHIP'S ESCAPE.
! Indian Pirates Attempt to Seize nW hRlinR
| l., Brig and to Murder tho Captain and
Crew-A Hnnd.to-Hnnd Conflict. -
A correspondent OF the San Francisco
Chronicle, writing from Honolulu in the
Sandwich Islands, has the following &C.
count of an attack by Indian pirates on
whaling brig in the Arctic Sea :
The william e.. Allen sailed from
Honolulu on the 10th of April, and
made ice on the 18th of May. This was
surface ice, and proved to be very
dangerous enemy. The weather was
very foggy, and for days at time Behr-
ing Sea was as dark as|the darkest night.
By the greatest watchfulness and good
management, however, the brig escaped,
only to fall into greater perils from the
natives, who had resolved upon her
destruction. The vessel sailed and drift
ed about, according to winds and tides,
until the 9Th of July, when the captain
found himself about fifteen miles off
Cape Prince ofWales, point command
ing the entrance to the Arctic on the
American side. The officers and crew
were in good spirits, as large herd Of
walrus was in sight There was also, in
an opposite direction, something else in
sight, which, at first, was not distinctly
visible, but upon near approach large
canoe was seen, apparently followed by
others. About eight o'clock in the
evening the canoe in the lead reached
the brig, and, without asking permission
of the captain, the Indians sprang on
board the vessel. The canoe was very
large, containing no less than fifty red.
skins, headed by a chief who was just
intoxicated enough to be ugly and dan
gerous. This chief was very powerful
man, standing over six feet six inches in
height, and was accompanied by two
other chiefs, evidently one grade lower
in rank. The latter were also tall, pow
erful men.
Immediately on boarding the Allen the
principal chief asked the captain for
rum, and the latter answered that he
had no liquor on board. The chief then
attempted to bribe Capt. Gilley by Offer
ing to trade some valuable skins for rum,
and again being refused Intoxicating
drink, the high cIi& wished to trade
his skins for cartridges. The captain
offered the chief what he thought fair
bargain, which the, Indian contemptu-
ously refused. It must be remembered
that at this time. ut eight o'clock at
night, it was as light as day-there being
no fogs-during the months of July and
August. Events had reached the point
already described. when the other two
canoes reached thei brig, and instantly
all the Indians jumped on board without
saying word to the captain. The lead
ing chief, who arrived in the first canoe,
now grew more insolent, and finally he
seized Capt Gilley by the throat, and
shook him as if he were straw, de.
manding rum, and threatening to 60 into
the cabin. The captain by desperate
effort escaped from the clutches of his
antagonist, and, drawing his revolver,
told the chief to leave the vessel. In
the meantime, another chief had made
an assault upon w. H. Murphy, the first
mate, but the latter escaped unhurt.
The chiefs being 80 far worsted, now
apparently determined to take charge of
the vessel, run her ashore, and murder
the officers and crew. Preparatory to
action, the leading chief ordered
all the old men, the young boys,
and the three Indian women, evi.
dently wives of the chief, to get
into one of the canoes and 60 ashore.
As soon as Capt. Gilley saw this he
knew the Indians meant bloody work.
When the Indians left in the canoe there
were about seventy five warriors on
board the Allen, while the crew all told
numbered only twenty-four men, and of
these there were only four white men,
the remainder being Sandwich Islanders.
At this instant firing was heard toward
the forecastle, and the captain and Mr..
Murphy saw that Sandwich Islander
lay murdered ON the deck. "It's life or
death with US, Murphy are you ready
for action ?" said Capt. Gilley. Gail
ready, sir" answered the mate. Quick
as flash Murphy had Henry rifle in
his hand; passed to him by the cook,
who was at the cabin door. AS Murphy
turned about he saw an Indian in the
act of plunging knife into the heart of
Kanaka. A chief standing near the
mate attempted to seize the rifle, but
Murphy took aim, and before the Indian
could murder the Kanaka, shot him
dead. Then followed rough-and-tum-
BILE fight, in which the chief fell over
board. Capt. Gilley all this time had his
hands full. The leading chief again and
again tried to throttle him, but the cap
tain escaped unhurt every time. The
chief, thus foiled, stepped back little,
aud as he approached, the captain struck
him with the butt-end Of his revolver,
and the towering Indian fell to the deck
weltering in gore. Soon afterward the
chief was seen to 60 overheard, but in
what manner nobody knows. Many of
the other Indians followed him in mys-
terious manner. The redskins, now see
ing that they had the worst of the fight,
commenced to jump overheard, and those
that we're too lazy in so doing were
helped to get over in hurry. When
all had disappeared the captain took
survey of the deck, and found one Ka-
naka dead, another dangerously wound
ed, and q third with several stabs on his
body. There were no dead Indians to
be seen. The dead Sandwich Islander
was appropriately buried, and the two
wounded Kanakas were taken care of.