Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-01-13
A HORRIBLE FEAST.
The Experience Of Leroy Strickland, an
Australian Gold Miner, With Can.
nibals in New Guinea.
Two Of His Companions Killed and Their
Flesh Eaten by Sarages-A Ter.
rible Adventure.

In dimly-lighted room on the thirt
floor Of sailors clearinghouse in Jane.
Slip, says the NewaYork Tribune, Leroy
Strickland last night told story of hi:
adventures in New Guinea, where three
years ago he encountered band of can.
nibals and narrowly escaped death a
their hands. He is Just recovering from 6
fit of sickness. He arrived in this coun
try few weeks ago, and was Immediately
prostrated by the exposure to which he
had been subjected and by the unaccus
toned severity of sailors life. He told
his story haltingly and in tones that best
expressed the fearful adventure through
which he had passed.
81 was a planter in New South Wales
Australia" he said, "and had been doing
well for some years. / had accumulated
little property and was tolerably con-
tented with my lot. About forty years
ago the Temora gold fields were opened
in my province and the gold-fever swept
everything. | sold out my stock, aban-
doned my business and, with the money
| had scraped together, went with the
crowd to Temora. There a party of us
staked off our claims and worked together
for ten months, when the field played out,
and we went back to Cookstown, North
Queensland. Some time before we got to
Cookstown the government of Queensland
sent French surveyor out to New Guinea
in small steamer, in order to prospect
the country previous to another attempt at
annexation. He was attacked by natives,
but succeeded in killing several, and re-
turned TO Cookstown without injury He
gave glowing account of the country, and
said that there were gold pockets all along
the coast and mines in the interior. This
news was sufficient to start the spirit
OF adventure among my compan-
ions of Temora, and we agreed to fit
out two heavy& lifeboats, stock them
with provisions, and make our way across
to New Guinea to find gold. II was on
November 10, 1880, that ten OF us, in two
boats, started from Cookstown. Werowed
across to Thursday Island, where we took
in quantity of provisions, and had heavy
wire nettings built over our boats to pro-
tect us from the weapons of the savages
1t took us day to row from the island to
New Guinea, owing to head-winds. We
arrived at the coast near the mouth of the
Fly river, and rowed our boats directly
into the stream. The country appeared
to us TO be deserted, and we made
several landings where we found gold in
small quantities. We continued up the
river until We had got, as near as We
could reckon, about fifteen miles into the
interior. Observing bluff some distance
from the shore we rowed up to the beach
and prepared to land, taking with us oul
rifles slung across our backs, and pans foi
washing the gold. Six men landed, four
Iremaining to care for the boats.
1--WE had not been on shore for more
than half an hour when party OF natives
numbering perhaps twenty-five, appeared
on the bluff and began throwing theil
weapons at us. We unslung our rifles and
drove them back We walked about hall
mile back from the shores of the river
and were congratulating ourselves on the
success OF our venture when we heard
dcaiening yels and saw nearly 200 howl
ing savages rushing toward us at their ut
most speed. 1t was too late to make any
defense. We could do nothing but
escape with our lives at best
Throwing everything OF any weight
we had about us to the ground,
we sprang in the direction OF the boats,
but not before William Guiteau had been
killed by ,Cadi- icadi. On our way to the
shore George johnson was also killed by a
boomerang, and as l was crawling into one
| OF the boats boomerang struck Inc on
the head and l lost consciousness. When
we were once in the boats we were safe
but then we saw what terrible fate had
befallen our dead companions, As We
rowed away we saw the cannibals seize the
bodies and strip them. Then they carried
them to the top of the bluff and built fire
around which as the flames grew fiercel
they circled at maddened pace. They
howled and shrieked in exultation at theil
victory, and after they had exhausted
| themselves they squatted about the fire
and threw our companions in the flames
l noticed that the human flesh burned
with blue flame, and the sight was such
horrible one that | tainted. When / re-
covered / saw them tearing the flesh from
the bones and eating it amid the most dis
cordant sounds | ever heard, and after
they had finished the fearful repast they
jumped to their feet again. AS we passed
around a curve in the river they were still
shrieking like incarnate fends.
"Besides the men who were killed
| Henry Peters and George Thomas were
badly wounded with spears. When We
arrived at Thursday Island they wert
treated at a hospital. When we got bacl
to Cookstown our story ehect1ally pre-
vented any like adventures. The natives
are hardy race, small in stature and hid
eously ugly in appearance. Their weapons
are the nulla-nulla, long spear with ,
heavy bowl on one end, which they use a
a club; the tOada-Wadi, spear five fee
| long, with 4 moose at one end, inside o
which is spike, which they use to catcl
and spear their enemy, and the boomerang
which in their hands is as effectual as pisto
ball. The country is fertile and full o
mineral wealth but the natives are til,
worst OF cannibals. They have murdered
missionaries and ship crews that hav
landed on the coast, and the only manne
in which the country can be civilized i
| by annihilating the natives. They ar
| dom ha octh haoo,,oar
of-war shell the bush every few weeks
but the country will never cease to be un
| safe until it ceases to he bone of conten
ton between France and New Soutl
Wales"