The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-07-18
OHI0's EN0CH ARDEN.
TIE ETeniruI Story or Wm RaIaes, o.
81. CIsIrsTille.

TIE AEenlIui St0FE or Hm- bhluCsS Oi
81. CIsIrsTTle.
SIXEYglRs AMONG THE siEAGEs OF
s3CTH AFRICA.
/ TIE fact that "truth is stranger
! than fictionH ls fully demonstrated
I by the presence Of VIM. Rslnes in
our city, His life fOr the past nine
years has been passed among the un-
civilized negroes Of the sOuth-central
portion Of Africa, who hsd no Ian
PuaRe, cultivation, or any idea Of
I time; who had never before seen
white man, and whose time was spent
i'm wsRing war upon their neighbors.
/ The history of his life is fraught with
| fully as much pAthOs as the hero OF
| TennysOn's beautiful creation, 'EnOch
Arden" Raines worked at his trade,
that Of carpenter, until September,
1859, in st. ClaIrsville, in this State.
Fortune had dealt kindly with him,
and blessed him with q loving wife
and one child.
SHIPWRECKED.
His uncle, who was the owner and
Captain q the bark Mary Ellen, pre-
vailed or him at the time above
named TO make a voyage TO Cape
| Town, africa, with him. The cargo
was to consist OF farming implements
and live stock. He drew two months
wages and gave the money to his
wife, and the Mary Ellen started, with
her crew Of thirty, about the middle
of September. They progressed line.
until they reached the west coast OF
Africa, where they met with contrary
winds and bad weather, and one
morning about daybreak, and In the
midst OF q terrible storm, the snip
struck q reef and went to pieces about
200 yards from the shore.
Six of the crew reached the shore
in safety. The remaining twenty
four persisted. The names OF the six
who escaped are A: VIM. Rsines, the
narrator Burrell and Thompson
given names unknown, but both
Americans Hook, an Englishman )
Fielder, q German, formerly OF this
State, and ]. w. Lang, Captain OF the
bark. The ship having attracted the
attention OF war party OF negroes,
who had come from the Interior to
fight one of the coast tribes, they
watched it all Night through the
storm, aud when she broke up and
the men reached shore, the negroes
took possession OF them and distribute
ed them among the tribes as euriosi-
ties, They had never seen white
men before, and regarded them as
something more than human. The
negroes separated.
AMONG THE sAvAGEs.
Rslnes was carried about 500 miles
into the interior, where the tribe that
the war party belonged To lived. The
King OF the tribe took a great fancy
to him, and made q royal pet Of him.
He was allowed to 90 around of his
own free will, without guard or check
of any kind whatever. The tribe had
no knowledge Of the cultivation OF
the soil; their principal food was the
fruit, which everywhere grew abun-
dant-roots, herbs, and monkey flesh.
The country they occupied was high
and sandy in some places, but the
water was excelleut, cool and clear.
The rivers were muddy and scarce OF
fish. The natives had no knowledge
OF water craft of any kind. The lam
RuRRe was q series Of sounds, accom-
panied by gestures. One sound with
appropriate gestures could have a
dozen different meanings. There
was no sickness or malaria OF any
kind, there being but seven deaths by
natural causes during his captivity
This he attributes to their manner Ol
living. Their principle weapon was
q spear and a javelin, which they
would throw with marvellous dexter.
ity and for a great distance. The on
lly covering which they wore was
breech elout for the males, ana
short skirt reaching to the knees FOL
the women. The dress was made o.
the fiber next the bark OF a tree, tht
name of which he never heard. H'
also speaks Of q medicinal plant
which the natives use as q purgative
and which they call cuteh cav.
ESCAPE.
After being with them some years
and having gained their coincidence
they allowed him to wander away
from the camp and stay away for
day at time. After q while thes'
hunting trips were heightened to tvt
days, then three, and one hne morn
ing found him on q camel hurrylnl
to Cape Town. AT the end OF tn
second day, the camel having beel
driven day and night, dropped dea'
from exhaustion, and he had to I'M
Ish the distance on foot. He arrive,
finally at Cape Town, where, will
difficulty, he could make himself un
derstOOd, and passage 70 San Francis
co was furnished him.
DEAD!
Here, through the lodge OF whicl
he is q member, he found that hi
name had been on the death list 10
six years,
AND HIS WIFE MARRIED.
But the saddest part Of his stor
comes now, after reaching st. Clairs
Vile. Upon his arrival here, b
found that his wife, despairlng OF hi
. return, and believing that he wa
dead, after be had been gone thre
81 wears, had remarked to q worthy cit
zen Of that place. His meeting wit
his wife, after his return, can better
imagined than depleted. With
noble self-denial, which his long car
q tivity may have made easy, he refu!
ed to assert his claim to his wife an
child whom he still loved dearly, bT
has left to his wife the privilege
choosing between her two husbandi
He has been positively identi1e
It by Mr.. T. II. Anderson, Of st. Clairi
= VILE, and Is at present with his mOtt
q er, at Georgetown, KY.
g RESCUE FOR HIS COMPANIONS.
While in Africa he several timC
heard from his uncle who was q car
tive, and at one time tribe from II
3 North, who came to visit the tribe b
y was with, brought word that men liE
!, him had crossed the country furth'
= north. These men he believes to
q q OF StaDley's party. The place Whel
y the ship was wrecked Is about nv
'i hundred miles north OF Cape Towl
|, and Just above the mouth OF q SIMS
s. river. In his escape he thinks
n crossed this river near the headwateT
y where It could be waded with ease.
V Being desirous OF placing the frien'
: = OF any Of the above parties in comml
IL nication with them, he will endeav
$ to get the government to aid him
% his efforts to rescue them. Truly b
- experience has been wonderful, 81
after listening to his recital the clio
u to put 1t on paper with a 1.-THE OF
. interest seems futiIe.-Ciu. Gazette.