The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-04-18
THE STORY OF THE NlsERo.

The Nisero was an iron screw steam
er of one thousand eight hundred and
eighteen tons, which set out from Liver
pool in June, 1882, on q voyage to Pc
nang. She was nearly wrecked by
grounding on a sand-bank near the
Twelve Apostles, seven days from Suez,
but was got off, and reached Penang
on July %. From Penang the steamer
went to Singapore, Batavia and some
other ports, and was then chartered
by a Chinese merchant for three months
to trade in rice On November z the
crew were short of coal, and put about
for Acheen head. On the next evening
the vessel ran aground again, and be-
came wreck. The crew of eight and
twenty men escaped with difficulty, and
found themselves at Pongah, on the
Samaritan coast, hundred miles or so
south of Acheen head, to which they
had been directing their course.
The wrecked crew at once realized
their position. The islanders were at
war with the Dutch, and they would be
taken for Dutchmen. The first natives
they saw were evidently bent on plum
der; but the cook, who was a Chinaman,
was able to make himself understood,
and explained that they were English
men. Presently an armed party appeared
with chief, who sent them a present
of bananas as token of goodwill.
In the morning the chief sent for them
to the village, and gave them poor
hut, consisting of one smallroom, with
a roof that let in the rain. He sent
them couple of rifles and some am
munition, but they felt that they were
captives. Next day the Rajah of Te-
nom came, and showed some suspicion
that the fair-haired among them were
Dutchmen. In day or two he in
formed them that had they not been
able to explain their nationality, not
one of them would have been spared.
He told them that some natives of the
interior had on their kness besought
him to massacre them. Under pre-
tense of saving them he took them off
to Tenom, leading them by round
about course, through frightful swamps,
with an armed escort ahead, till they
again reached the coast within sight of
their starting place. The way then
lay along the shore to the mouth of
the Tenom River. Here they were
put in another wooden house,
better than that of the Pongah chief,
but still incommodious and unhealthy.
Tenom itself is poor village of sixteen
or eighteen huts, several of which are
shops. Here they began to see the
plumber of their own steamer gradu-
ally arriving and being appropriated
by the natives. One day two steamers,
evidently searching for something,
came into sight at sea, and few DAYS
later two peddlers appeared, one of
whom slipped couple of notes into
the hands of one of the sailors, one
from Dutch captain, the other from
Dutch resident on the coast The
letters told them to be patient and dis
Greet, as they were in the hands of a
barbarian and ruffian. On the same
day letters were brought from Dutch
captain by native of Acheen, giving
the same counsel Some stores were
also sent which gave them two days of
proper food. There was letter to the
Rajah offering a ransom, but he was
away at Pongah plundering the wreck.
Next day he came with a strong body
guard fully armed, and told the cap
tives he would take them inland. They
could do nothing but go as he bid them,
though every step was further away
from the chance of rescue.
The new quarters were days jour
ney up the stream, or one of its afflu-
ents. They were close to the Raiah's
own house, and were in three huts.
Here they spent Christmas, the Christ
mas dinner being rice and little salt
fish, with water to drink. The Captain
had meanwhile gone to assist in the
negotiations, offering all the men as
hostages for his return, but never re-
turning. He sent them word that new
demands had been made, and that he
was going to Rigas in a Dutch gunboat
to see what could be done The New
Year came with hopes of rescue, which
soon vanished. The Raiah told them
he had passed his word to the Govern
ment for their safety, but the Dutch
had threatened to lombard Tenom, and
he must take them further up the coun-
try. They heard the bombardment, as
they were being hurried inland One
place of captivity was given them after
another, and they spent their time in
such sport as was permitted. On the 22d
of February letter arrived from Com
mander Rockford, of the Pegasus, tell
ing them of the efforts which were
being made for their release, and
especially of the presence on board of
Mr.. Maxwell, who understood the
Malay language, and was favorite
with the people. Still the weeks
passed on and no rescue came. Stores
arrived now and then, some times let
tiers and newspapers, but no deliver
ance. On the Esd of March an
Italian sailor died, and there was
much fever and dysentery among
them. In the early summer unmis-
taxable symptoms of cholera appeared,
and three more men were dead before
the end of May. Altogether seven out
the twenty-eight who landed died and
were buried together in little GENE
terry, around which their surviving
comrades made an ornamental fence,
with a large cross in the middle of the
ground, and similar crosses at the
head of every grave. Meanwhile they
never seem to have been quite out Of
reach Of friends, From time to time