Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-15
OHIO'S ENOCH ARDEN.
The EVentfuI Story OF Vim. Raincs,
OF st. CIairsVIlIe-Nine Years
Among the Savages Of
South Africa.

Cincinnati Gazette.l
The fact that "truth is stranger
than fiction" is fully demonstrated |
by the presence 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 language, cultivation, or any
idea Of time; who had never before
seen a white man, and whose time
was spent in waging 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 carpen-
ter, until September, 1869, in st.
Clairsville, in this State. Fortune
had dealt kindly with him, and
blessed him with a loving wife and
one child.
SHIPWRECKED.
His uncle, who was owner and
captain of the bark Mary Ellen,
prevailed on him at the time above
named to make voyage to Cape
Town, Africa, with him. The cargo
WAS to consist of farming imple.
nents 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 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 a terrible storm, the ship
struck a reef and went to pieces
about two hundred yards from the
shore.
Six of the crew reached the shore
in safety. The remaining twenty
four perished. The names of the
six who escaped are: VIM. Rainos,
the narrator; Burrell and Thomp-
son, given names unknown, but
both Americans; Hook, an English,
man; Fielder, a German, formerly oil
this State, and j. W. Lang, captain
of the bark. The ship having at
tracted the attention of a 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, and when she
broke up and the men reached
shore, the negroes took possession
of them and distributed them
through the tribes as curiosities.
They had never seen white men be.
fore, and regarded them as some
thing more than human. The ne.
groes separated.
AMONG THE SAVAGES.
Raines was carried about SOC
miles into the interior, where tn,
tribe that the war party belonged
to live. The king Of the tribe tool
; a great fancy to him, and made
royal pet of him. lie was allowed
to 90 around of his own free will
without guard or check of any kline
whatever. The tribe had no knowl
edge Of the cultivation of the soil
their principal food was the fruit
which everywhere grew abundan
, roots, herbs and monkey flesh
5 The country they occupied wa
3 high and sandy in some places, bu
the water was excellent, cool an,
/. clear. The rivers were muddy anC
) scarce of fish. The natives had nj
knowledge of water craft of an
: kind. The language was a series Q
t sounds, accompanied by gesture;
f One sound with appropriate ges
: lures could have q dozen ditferen
+ meanings. There was no sioknes
s or malaria of any kind, there beini
h but seven deaths by natural cause
o during his captivity This he at
y tributes to their manner of living
J. Their principal weapon was a spea
: or javelin, which they could thro'
# with marvellous doxterity and for
J, great distance. The only coverin
!, which they wore was a breech-clou
3. for the males, and q short ski
II reaching to the knees for tb
n women, The dress was made frOl
}. the fibre next the bark in tret
Ie the namo of which ho never heart
l. lie also speaks of o medicinal plan
d which tho natives use as q purgl
e tive, and which they call cute
!. cav
d ESCAPE.
y After being with them son
10 years, and having gained their col
is fdence, they allowed him to wal
o. der away from the camp and stc
,r for a day at a time. After a.whi
y these hunting trips were lengthent
,y to two days, then three, and Of
10 fine morning found him on a cam
a hurrying to Cape Town. AT Il
l. end Of the second day, the cam
ID having been driypn day and nigh
p. dropped dead from exhaustion, al
10 he had to finish the distance {
le foot lie arrived finally at Ca