The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-08-13

ing trees. while around them rose stately
palms, casting their shade on the flower
ing plants and shrubs that carpeted the
forest path.
Late at night they suddenly emerged
from the forest and found themselves in
another village, large one, close to a
river. This they found to be the village
of Tenom. five miles from the sea and only
twelve miles from Pangah, where they
were last held captive. SO that they must
have been led by roundabout paths, to
mislead them as to distance. There were
many huts in this village, built on posts,
and thew were led to the largest OF them.
one with a double floor. Here they re
manned eight days On the fourth day
word came that a Dutch hawker was in
the village. selling goods. The hawecr
turned out to be a spy, carrying Letters to
the captain from the Assistant Resident at
Olehleh, and from the commander OF a
Dutch man-of-war The tenor of these
letters was that they were in the hands OF
n ferocious savage. who was dead to all
sense of honor, and that they must not he
obstinate in anything, lest additional OBJ
stacles should be put in the way of their
release.
On the morning of the eighth day they
were again called out. and had to prepare
for another march. and after ten hours
journey they came to n place where five
huts had been built by the riverside,
Three centre ones, fifty yards apart, had
evidently been prepared for their recep-
ton. while the remaining huts were evi-
IDENTIFY to be used for guardhouses. No
sooner had the prisoners been placed IN
the huts than their goalers commenced to
run ND bamboo stockades, making each
hut a jail by itself Here, for the rest of
his term of capture, the captain was con
fined: and here. so far as we know, the
crew remain. The time hung heavy on
their hands No labor was given to them,
but absolute inaction was almost lntolera-
hle. and semi-starvahon added TO their
miseries At night they heard the cries Of
tigers. and knew that Il they did escape
from the huts, ii would be TO meet death
in the Jungle in 4 worse form than that
which was hanging over them every day.
The only chance was the river but they
did not know its name nor where IT led
As matter of fact it was the lemon
River. and if they had constructed a raft
and got on to it. an hour or two would
have taken them past lemon. the village
in which they had last been confined
Escape there would have been almost i'm
possible and if they had escaped that dan
ger the raft would have been broken by
the surf that lashes the bar at the mouth
OF the stream Only practiced boatmen
can pass this bar. and the sharks are never
absent
After another period of captivity extend
ing over thirty-one DAYS. the captain. MIR.
kydd 1.-THE second engineerl and the cook
were allowed to leave the huts to confer
with the English Consul. who was on
board Dutch man-of-war of the coast
Kydd was blind and almost dead at the
time. and when the captain asked permis-
sion to take him to see the ships doctor,
the Rajah kicked him eontemptuously as
he Law. and said he might as well 60 as die
there Emboldened by his success, the
captain asked for the chief officer: but
upon this the Rajah went into passion.
declaring that If another request were
made no one should go at al. SO the
three men went alone. leaving the twenty
five behind them in charge of Mr. erich
ton. the chief officer. What else there Is
Of the narrative Is well known how. that
when once on board of the man of war, the
consul would not let Capt Woodhouse and
his comrades return. how negotiations have
gone on without intermission. how the
Rajah declares that the capture of the
crew was a special dispensation Of Prov
dence in his favor against the rule OF the
Dutch. how he would willingly give up his
country to England, but how sudden
delicacy on the part Of the Foreign Office
makes them consider English interference
impossible; with the result that the crew
are still captives, and, for all the Foreign
Office Is inclined to do. may remain so for
ever. or at any rate until the patience OF
the savage chief is exhausted and the word
Is given dor the willing Acheenese to
butcher them.