Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-01
cAasIBAL1sM IN NEW GUINEA.
Experience of a Gold Eunter-Two Com.
panions Eaten by Savages.

CASeIBALIsM IN NEW GUINEA.
Experience of Gold Eunter-Iwo Com.
panions Eaten by savages.
In dimly- Lighted room on the third
floor of sailors boarding. house in James
Sip, Leroy Strickland last night told
story of his adventures in New Guinea,
where, three years ago, he encountered
band of cannibals, and narrowly escaped
death at their hands. He is Just recover.
ing from fit OF sickness. He arrived in
this country few weeks ago, and was i'm
mediately Frustrated by the exposure to
which he had been subjected and by the
unaccustomed severity of sailors life.
He told his story haltingly, and in tones
that best expressed the fearful adventure
through which he had passed.
IS was painter in New South Wales,
Australia, he said, land had been doing
well for some years. had accumulated
little property, and was tolerably contented
with my lot. About four years ago the
Temora gold fields were opened in my
province, and the gold fever swept every
thing. | sold out my stock, abandoned
my business, and, with what money | had
scraped together, l 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 Queens
land. Some time before we got to Cooks.
town, the Government of Queensland sent
French surveyor out to New Guinea in a
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 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 companions of Temo-
"a, and we agreed to fit out two heavy life
boats, stock them with provisions, and
make our way across to New Guinea to
fad gold.
at was on November 10, $780, that ten
of US, in two boats, started from Cooks
town. We rowed across to Thursday
Island, where We took in quantity of pro-
visions, and had heavy wire MEETINGS built
over our boats to protect US from the
weapons of the savages. 1t took us day
to row from the island to New Guinea, ow.
ing to head winds. We arrived at the
Il,
rowed our boats into the stream. The
country appeared to rs 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
could reckon, about fifteen miles into the
interior. Observing bluff some distance
from the shore we rowed up 20 the beach
and prepared to land, taking WEI, us our
n, !,
washing the gold. Six men landed-four
remaining to care for the boats. We mad
not been on shore for more than hall an
hour when party of natives-numbering
perhaps twenty -five-appeared on the bluff
and began throwing their weapons at us.
We unslung our nfss and drove them
back. We walked about half mile back
from the shore of the river, and were con.
graduating ourselves on the success of our
venture, when we heard deafening yells
and saw nearly two hundred bowling saw
ages rushing toward us at their utmost
speed. 1t was too late to make any de.
tense. We could do nothing but ea-
cape with our lives at best. Throw.
ing everything of any weight we
had about US to the ground, we
sprang In the direction of the boats, but not
before William Gaiteau had been killed by
wada-wadi. On our way to the shore
George Johnson was killed by boomer.
ang and as | was crawling into one of the
boats boomerang struck me on the head
and 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 fiercer, they cir
cled at maddened pace. They howled
| and shIisked in exultatioE at their victory,
and after they had exhausted themselves
they squatted about the fire and threw our
companions into the flames, 1 noticed that
the human flesh burned with blue fame,
and the sight was such a horrible one that
! tainted. When l recovered / saw them
tearing the flesh from the bones and eating
it amid the most discordsn5 souuds | ever
heard, and after they had finished the fear
| full repast they jumped 70 their feet again.
As we passed around curve In the river
they were still shrieking like incarnate
| fends.
"Begides the men who were killed,
Henry Peters and George Thomas were
| badly wounded with spears. When we ar
rived at Thursday Island they were treated
at hospital. When we got back TO Cooks
town our story effectually prevented any
like adventures. The natives are hardy
race, small in stature and hideously ugly
in appearance. Their weapons are the null
la-nulls, long spear with a heavy bowl on
the end, which they use as club wada.
wadi, spear five feet long, with moose
at one end, inside of which is spike,
which they use to catch and spear their en-
envy, and the boomerang, which in their
hands is as effectual as a pistol ball. The
country is fertile and full of mineral
wealth but the natives are the worst of
cannibals. They have murdered mission
aries and ships crews that have been
landed on the coast, and the only manner
in which the country can be civilized is by
annihilating the natives. They are not
dangerous near the coast, because men.of.
war shell the brush every few weeks, but
the country will never cease to be unsafe
until it ceases to be bone of contention
between France and New South Wales
| IN. Y. Tribune.