Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-29
WILLIAM RAINES.

streets.
WILLIAM RAINES.
4 story uAict Compieteiy "Iays Ore,"
ijsot of EnocJ .iyden.
cincinnati Gazette
The fact that 'strnth is stronger than |
fiction is fully demonstrated by the pres
ence of William Raines in our city. His life
for the past nine years has been passed
among the uncivilized negroes of the south |
central portion of Africa. who had no Ian |
guage, cultivation, CT any idea Of time: who
had never before seen a white man, and
whose time was spent in waging war upon
their neghbors. The history of his life is
fraught with fully as much pathos as the
hero OF Tennysons beautiful creation,
'Enoch Arden taines worked at his trade,
that of carpenter, until September, 1863, in
st. Clalrsvile III this State. Fortune had
dealt kindly with him. and blessed him with
a loving wife and one child.
His uncle, who was the owner and captain
of the bark Mary Ellen, prevailed on him at
the tine above named to make 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 10 his wife, and the Mary
| Ellen started with her crew of thirty about
the middle of September They progressed
! finely 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 terrible
storm, the ship struck rock, 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: Wm.
Raines, the narrator: Burrell and Thompson.
given names unknown, but both Americans;
Hook, an Englishman: Fielder. German,
formerly of this State and j. w. Lang. cap
tain of the bark. The ship having attracted
the attention of a war party of negroes. who
had come from The interior TO fight one OF
the coast tribes, they watched 1t ali night
/! through the storm. and when she broke up
and the men reached shore, the negroes took
possession of them and distributed them
| among the tribes as curiosities. They had
never seen white men before, and regarded
them as some hing more than human. The
negroes separated,
Raires vas carried shout 500 miles into
the interior, where the tribe sist the war
party belonged to lived. The king of the
tribe took great fancy to him. and made
royal pet OF him. He was allowed to 90
aroulid of lsie 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 abundant roots, herbs, and
monkey flesh The country they occupied
was high and sandy Ill SOME Places, hut the
water was excellent. cool. and clear. The
rivers We're muddy and scarce Of fish. The
natives had no knowledge of water craft of
any kind. The language was a series of
sounds, accompanied by gestures. One
sound with appropriate gestures could have
dozen different meanings. There was no
sickness OF malaria of any kind, there being
but seven deaths by natural CAUSES during
his whole captivity. This he attributes to
their manner of living. Their principal
weapon was a spear or jayeIin, which they
could throw with marvellous dexterity for a
great distance. The only covering which
they wore W s Il breech-clout for the males,
and short skirt reaching to the knees for
the women. The dress was made Of the
fibre next the bark in a tree, the name of
which he never heard. He also speaks of a
medicinal plant; which the natives use as a
purgative, and which they cali cutch cav.
After being with them some years and
having gained their confidence, they allowed
him to wander away from the camp and stay
away.a day at time After a while these
hunting trips were heightened to two days,
{ then three, and one fine morning found him
on camel hurrying to Cape Town. At the
end of the second day the camel, having been
driven day and night. dropped dead from ex-
haustion, and he had to tnish the distance
, on foot. He arrived finally at Cape Town
where, with ditficulty3 be could make himself
: understood and passage. to San Francisco
was furnished him.
5 LIRE, through the lodge of which he is a
member, he found that his name had been
on the death-list for six years.
, But the saddest part of this story comes
now, after reaching st. Clair vile. Upor
his arrival here, he found that his wife. de
sparing of his return, and believing that he
! was dead, after he had been gone three years
had remarked to a worthy citizen of thai
place His N, citing with his wife, after his
return, can better be imagined than depicted
, With a noble self-denial which his lone
{ captivity may have made easy, he refused tC
assert his claim to his wife and child whom
| he still loves dearly, but has left TO his wife
the privilege of choosing between he, two
: husbands.
He has been positively identified by Mr.
L. HI. Anderson, of st. Clairsyille, and is a
. present with bis mother, at Georgetown. Ky
| While in Africa he several times hearl
from his uncle. who was captive, and a
one time tribe from the north, who came
to visit the tribe he was with, brought wore
that men like him had crossed the country
, further north. These men he believed to bt
! of Stanley's party. The place where the shiE
| was wrecked is about 500 miles north O
Cape Town, and just above the mouth of {
small river. In his excape he thinks ht
crossed this river near the head-waters
; where it could be waded with ease.
Being desirious of plac ng the friends O.
any of the above parties in communication
with them, he will endeavor to get the gov
: eminent to aid him in his efforts to rescu.
them.
Time to SRO7c Up.
. Wright County Eagle.
! n lie vet time For DIR Stewart 70 chow ula