The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-06-15
LOST ON AN ISLAND.
THE CREW or THE SHIP RAINIER.
A Bridal Trip TO Cjae IsIand-Saved By Saw.
ages-A Hero Who Died TO Rescue 9th
ers-A True Story.
From the san Francisco CALL

Among Tue passengers VINO tanQtu yes
terday from the Pacific mail steamer Rio
de Janeiro were the captain, captains
daughter, mate, and part OF the crew OF
the American ship Rainier, which was
wrecked In January last on one OF the
Islands OF the Marshall group. Several
scraps of news concerning the thrilling eX-
periences OF these people having already
reached San Francisco, a CdH reporter was
instructed to hunt up some Of these parties
and get from them true account of their
shipwreck and subsequent adventures.
After long seeking he at last came across
Captain Samuel III. Morrison and obtained
from him the following story. Captain
Morrison is native and resident OF Bath,
Maine. is typical New EngIander, is well
and favorably known in this city, and has
been master in the American merchant
marine for the past twenty-elght years.
Seating himself opposite the reporter the
skipper spun his yarn as follows
The ship Rainier was as tidy craft as 4
seaman could wish to handle. and it is
enough to make any man sad to think OF
her being lost on her first voyage. and
without even being insured for quite one
third Of her cost. | was part owner in
her, superintended her building, and took
her around from Bath to Philadelphia,
from which port she had a charter for q
cargo OF coal oil to HiOgO, Japan. Ny
first mate, Mr.. Humphreys, was engaged
10 my daughter, and they were married in
Bath on the day before the Rainier was to
sail. and reached Philadelphia just in time
the next morning; for had promised my
daughter she should make her bridal trip
on the new ship.
ABOUT THE BRIDAL TRIP.
Everything went well. and our voyage
promised to be Il shtrt and pleasant one.
for we had got around the Cape OF Good
Hope all right and were bawling before the
trades at a fine rate. On the 2d OF Janu-
airy last we were off the Ralick group OF
the Marshall Islands in about longitude
1G4o east and latitude 9onorth. Our course
Law ten miles clear OF the nearest island,
over water that was given on the charter as
free OF reefs, and we had not the slightest
idea OF danger, when at $3.50 +. NJ. we sud-
denly struck and stuck fast on hidden
reef. There was only 4 slight breeze at
the time, and the sea was smooth, so
there were no breakers 10 tell us OF the I'M
known rocks ahead. As it was very dark,
and as there was TO immediate danger Of
the ships breaking up, determined to
wait until daylight and see il | could not
get nv craft afloat once more. In the
mean time we prOvisioncd the boats and
got everything in shape for ha,ty leave
taking il it should prove necessary. To-
ward m"rning it came on to blow and the
sea rose rapidly, showing the ship further
I'D on the reef and at times breaking clear
over Us. As soon as it was broad dayliS ht
| made out that we had struck on a
reef that enclosed a large lagoon; that ii
was still water within 4 couple OF hun
dred wards from where we lay, and that
there was low island some ten miles to
the east Of us. Not knowing anything
about the natives in those waters, we made
up our minds TO stick TO the ship as long
rs possible, and then to trust to our boats
and a passing ship rather than venture on
land, Just before noon Il high sea broke
over her stern, lifted the Rainier up, and
dropped her on the rocks 50 hard that she
stove in her bottom and listed off shore.
MEETING TIE NATIVES.
We had already noticed some canoe,
coming toward Us across the still waters OF
the lagoon, and by the time the ship stove
i'm they were close aboard and making
friendly signals to us. As there were only
n few OF the natives, and we numbered
twenty.eIght, all told, we determined tC
ret into our boats and pull into the lagoon
through an inlet they pointed out. Thi:
was accomplished without any worse ms
hap than wetting, although our boat
were loaded as deep aS we dared have
them. Once inside the reef we held con
sultation, and as the natives seemed t(
be so kindly disposed, decided to make fol
the island. Quite number OF canoes haC
gathered about lis by this time, and the ma
tiyes voluntarily took us in tow and pulled
us to their island home. On landing We
were Hospitality received by the king anC
given two large hutS TO live in-One Tor m!
daughter and the officers and the other FOL
the men. From that time It'd the end o
orr STAY we were always treated kindly
and have nothing but good words to say
OF those savagcs and their tiny island. L
proved to be the Island of Uiae, anC
Won can scarcely imagine a queerel
little patch in the ocean than that. UIle
which lies at the southeast end o
4 lagoon some thirty miles long, and which
Is more THAI thirty miles distant from thu
nearest island. is mile and half long 4
most, and certainly not more than quar-
ter OF mile wide. The inhabitants-Cop
per.colored Kanakas about seven
fy.tiyc. OF whom some fifteen are young
sterS, and the remainder pretty equally
divided between males and females. lie
fore describing the people, however, may
say that the island has no elevation Il
sneak OF. and rises very little, ii anything
more than three feet above high tide.
WHAT THE ISLAND WAS.
II not protected by the reof on which W.
struck everything on the island would b'
washed away in heavy gale, but n 1t Is 1
Is AS safe as though it was locked I'm an in
land barbor. The soil Is pretty thin, bu
for all that the island j. covered with yego
tation OF one kind and another, such "a
cocoa. and breadfruit-trees and Wild arrow
root. although the salt air and poor sol
nreyent the growth Of the tender plant
that we depend uYOn for food. The ma
tiyes have no gardens nor plant anything
Of any kind and couldn't be made to un
stand what we were doing when we made
an attempt at beans and potatoes. Tit
vegetables took root, but for all the care
we gave them they withered before th'
tops were Il foot high.
As YOU wish TO know about the natives
I will say that they seem to he good-na
tured and cOntented lot, although they are
certainly the most ignorant people | eve
saw. The children wear no clothes at all
and the men and women are completed!
naked EXCEPT for a narrow mat which !
worn around the hips, and which they ar
not always particular to adjust after tn
most modest fashion. On the other hand
they are proper enough in their conduct
and during our stay with them w
saw no evidences OF immortality, al
though | and my mate kept shar
eye upon both the natives ana our men
The young girls marry early in life, ant
are apparently well treated bSthelr hus
hands. None OF the men are allowed 3
have more than one wife, except the Kin
and his two sons, each Of whom has tw
wives. The King years before had com
I tnr nj