The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-09-26
Remember D. A. Smith & Co. have
received fine lot Of clothing which
they are selling at hard times prices.
A New Cos.ti,,esst.
The. Remarkable Narrative Related by
Maloca Olaesz Of an Unknown Land.

[B. f. Sitter. in Chicago Inter ocean,
While at Ell Paso last week l &C.
cidentally made the acquaintance Of
man who gave me his name as
Maloca Claesz. He could not speak
the English language. He said some
thing to me in the Holland tongue.
but with such a peculiar accent that
it was with difficulty that ] under
stood him. He used the Spanish
language better. although quite i'm
perfectly, but / could readily con-
verse with him in that language. ]
became somewhat interested in him,
and on inquiring his nativity was in
formed by him that be was born in
the land OF Nolucombo, but that he
was Of Dutch descent. / bad him
spell the word for me.
Never having heard of any such
land, made my inquiries more ex-
plicit. and drew from him = remarka-
bly, strange story, which l will pro-
coed to narrate after brief descrip-
ton of the person in question. He
is. / should judge, about thirty-two
years of age, six feet in height, has
brown hair, inclined to curl-large
blush gray eyes-skin fair, not so
dark as the Spaniard nor SO white as
the Netherlander, well-proportioned
physically, compact and muscular,
and head on his shoulders go nicely
balanced and seemingly SO well de-
veloped that Prof. Fowler would GER
taiuly write him and Z on his chart
should his Uranium ever pass under
his chronological fingers.
He began by presuming that ] was
acquainted with the history Of Hol-
land and that, undoubtedly, bad
read of one of that nations great
navigators by the name Of Oliver
Van Mort 'sThis Van Mort" said
he, "was the chief officer. or admiral,
in command of squadron OF vessels
that sailed from Holland about two
years after the Bible was printed"
and here he dove into some inner
pocket aud produced an old Bible.
printed by the authority Of the Pope
ut Amsterdam, Holland, A. D., 1896.
The Bible contained the names Of
twelve generations of Claesz, COM
mencing with Jacob Claesz and end
ing with Maloca Claesz, following
each other in lineal descent from fa-
Their to son, with date of birth and
death in SO many different haudwrit-
ings; there were no dates of marriage
or of collateral branches Of families.
l give you the second birth as it sp-
pears in this antique Bible translated
into English: "John Claesz was born
A.. D. 1912, at Below. son of Jacob
Claesz." The day of the year is not
mentioned in any OF these entries.
"rhe reason Of my possessing this
book" be continued, "is that | am
the Oldest son Of my father, as he
was of his, and so on for number
OF generations. as there are only four
of these old Bibles belonging to our
whole race, from Jacob Claesz down,
aud they are now inherited by the
oldest sons of that branch OF the
Iamily that possess them. Jacob
4 Claesz was. my great grandparent,
and was in command Of one Of the
ships OF Van Noort's squadron. as
vice admiral, which left Holland some
two or three years after this Bible
was published. So rups this story
as it has always been told me. They
started for the Indies by the way Of
some strait, or passage, that have
forgotten the name of. while an
chorsd there some difficulty arose
between my forefather aud Van Noort
Just what l have never learned--in
consequence of which my great grand.
parent was set ashore III wild and
desolats couutry, with nothing but
his gun aud small quantity OF am
tmunition to protect himself with
against savages and ferocious ami
mails. Another was placed in charge
of his ship. which. as l remember,
, was called the Hendrick Frederick.
after wandering along the coast
# this inclement country for some.
thing like two weeks, and while
seated on o cliff near a small bay
well projected from the sea be dis
covered distant sail. 1t was nearly
shutdown. and a furiops-looklng gale
WAS fast rising to the westward, which
must of necessity drive the vessel or
to The beach not far distant from
him, unless she should find anchor
age in this bay. With all the energ,
be possessed he FASTENED to build ,
huge bonfire at the point of entrance
to il, aud kept it we'll supplied with
| fuel until the vessel. seeing it, made
safe entry into lie harbor. He hailst
. her. and 10 his great establishment