Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-07-26
NUMBER AZ.
AMONG TEN cAnrnA1s.
A Whales who Lived Forty YsaFa
In the 1larquesas 1slanda.


\ whales who Lived Forty YsaFs
In tho 1laEqussas Islanda.
A Gazette reporter had novel axs
,erience this morning, having the privil.
sge Of interviewing man who peseed the
greater part Of his life among the 6esoi
cannibals Of the Marquesas Islands, who
are the worst in all Oceanica. The maa'a
name is Leonard Cotton, a native Of New
buryport, Mass, from which port he
sailed in the bark Ann Parry in lS40.
He was then boy II years Of ago. The
vessel touched at Tahiti, and then pro.
cecded on cruise for sperm whales. AZ.
ter cruising some time they put ipts
Nukahivy, one Of the Marquesas group,
and sent q boat ashore to obtain watef
and provisions, bartering various articlaa
with the natives in exchange for ths
needed commodities. When the boats
crew, in charge Of the mate, had complet-
cd their trading aud were about to put
Of for the ship, they were poanced upoe
by the savages and all captured or killed.
Cotton was small boy, and . woman
who had lost a son in the fight between
the boats crew and the natives claimed
him as her personal property to replace
the son she had lost. The other sAptiyo
were imprisoned in sort Of corral and
fed upon the best the Island afforded, but
closely guarded night and day.
Meanwhile invitations were sent 70 II
adjoining islands to participate in grand
fete-a big barbecue, for which the cap
tive sailors were to furnish the moat.
When the time appointed for the banquet
had arrived oil the big chiefs had asasm-
bled to get bite of the fat Massachusetts,
whalers. The victims were taken, ose
by one, aud Knocked on the head, Thea
all the hair was shaved from their bodia1
and they were disembowled like sheep
Previous to this large pit had been pro.
vided, lined with hot stones, to serve y
an oven, into which the bodies, stuffed
with plantatins taro root and other edibles,
were laid and covered with leaves, when
more hot rocks were put on top and thl
whole covered with sand, upon which I
fire was built.
The devilish incantations that followed
the preparation Of the feast nearly para
lyzed Cotton's young heart. He VA
compelled to be a spectator, and his heaFt
grew cold when he thought that he, b.
ing young and tender, might be picked
up for dessert.
When the cooking was thought 70 b.
completed, the Goals were raked away
and the bodies resurrccted and laid out in
an open space, and the iends made dive
for choice cuts He tainted at. the sight.
and was taken away by the woman who
had adopted him.
The Ann Parry had left as sooa ~ il
was seen that the natives were hostile.
and thus young Cotton was left alone with
the savages, with no hope Of ever retsFa-
ing to civilization again, Shortly after
1
the cannibal feast he was compelled tp
submit to the tattooing process. He W.
stripped naked and laid prone upon the
ground, while three or four women mark.
ed him all over with mixture of char.
coal and cocoanut oil, and picked him
until he was raw and swollen. The pro.
cess was continued at intervals until hia
body was completely covered, even to hi
face.
| After some years, he became used b
the sensuous, dreamy life, and was half
way contented until the English shiI
Hollingwood touched there few monthl
ago, when, being offered a passage to 6al
Francisco, he concluded to take look Z
the hcme he left more than forty year
ago, and is accordingly now on his Wy
to Massachusetts,.
| Mr.. Cotton is covered with inkmarkl
from head to foot. His face is tattooo1
in red and black checkers, even hia scalI
being marked over.-Ren0 Gazette.