St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-03-07
PURSUED BY CANNIBALs.
A Remarkable Story Of Adventure In Ne
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A Remarkable Story OF Adventure In New
Guinea.
The London Standard prints letter
containing plant-hunter's account of
his stewardship in New Guinea. He
was one of a party of six sent out by the
proprietors of Melbourne newspaper
to explore the interior of the great
island. I'm our little schooner" he
says. I'VE went up very large river, one
or two miles wide; the Captain would
not let us land, as he wished to explore
the river first. This main river turned
out to be an estuary, though not known
before. From it we went up new river
which was called the Svme, for many
miles, passing several mouths of other
rivers, all new to white men, and which
were duly named. We were anxiously
looking out for natives or their villages,
but saw none. All the way up for miles
this Syme was affected by the tides, but
when receding we had to use all our
strength to fight against the powerful
current to get upward. The naturalist
and were often anxious to get on shore;
but no. our Captain wanted to get to the
top of the river, or as far as we could,
and then return and begin land explo-
ration. We went up many miles, until
the current was so strong that we could
not get any further. We could see the
banks of the river were clothed with
lofty trees, palms, and in many instances
ferns of large dimensions. There was
one tree q could not tell what it was)
one evening most brilliantly lit up with
fire-flies-a most wonderful sight.
"On our return" the collector con-
tinues, ..down the river toward the
mouth of the sea. where we intended to
begin exploring inland, we saw sight
that made us shudder-a large number
of canoes crammed full of natives, cam
nibals. These wretches live further round
the coast, and make periodical trips
down the coast to the more harmless
natives, and clear them out. killing all
before them. They are called the
Dugarra men. They have decimated
the coast tribes almost to a man. fSicJ.
In some instances they take them back
and kill and eat them. Here was a
dilemma, and the force of the current
was fast taking us into their midst. We,
however, managed to get our little
schooner to the windward and set sail,
at the same time assisting her with all
our power with the dingy we had.
Night was coming on, so that we man.
aged to escape through the darkness.
The next thing was. what to do. Our
Captain was sick; he had been unwell
for some days. At last, rs a ruse. we
set all sails on the schooner for up the
river and abandoned her, getting into
the dingy and rowing to the side of the
river. Having done this, we sank the
dingy in the mangroves that grew fear
fully thick. We hoped they would
follow our schooner and we should es-
cape. We had to leave all behind ex.
cept few odds and ends we could
hurriedly get-a little medicine, oul
guns. and some oatmeal and few bis
cults. We thus started off for the coast,
to find it through swamps and man
groves, every moment expecting the
cannibal wretches at our feet. On we
went, and at last, weary, made a bed
on the ground where best We could. In
the morning we found ourselves on the
edge of a large flat of cold, gray soil.
covered with pitcher plants; but on we
went. Then we came to a large creek
or river: had to get through as best we
could-the blazing tropical sun over.
head. the miasmatic steam from the
swamps enveloping us. Some of us be-
gan to feel a touch of the fever; one got
1ight-headed for while. We continued
for three or four days at this game, and
nothing to eat but dry oatmeal. One
morning we were crossing native
hunting ground, and presently, without
warning. spear came whizzing through
the air and struck one of our men in
the foot. going clean through boot and
foot. We thought our end had come,
and determined to die desperately: but
the natives decamped as quickly as we
made up our minds to fight it out, for
we could not find one. On we went,
and reached the coast at last.