The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-18

were bundled off like sheep except several of the
men who were i'll They were carried In canoes.
We marched all that day, having to cut our way
we heard the booming of cannon, and knew that
the bombardmcnt had begun. 1t continued
until sunset The next morning the Dutch
landed troops, burned Tenom and
destroyed the plantations. They ad
vanced into the interior and attacked
the earthworks which the natives had thrown up
on the banks of the river We could hear the
sharpshooters and the rattle of the Gatlng
guns. A great many of the natives were killed
and the Dutch lost several men and a few of
hcers We retreated to the interior. and during
nearly three months were dragged all over the
island. We had very hard time of it, and one
day when | objected very strongly the kaJah
would have killed me but for the intercession OF
a friendly native BY that time we had picked
up enough of the Acheenese dialect to make our
selves understood.
''On March p we We're finally established at
an island called Pulu- Tenom twelve miles from
the mouth of the Tenom river. We called 1t
Sandy Island. just before arrived there
John Kelly, fireman, and Olens Hoigerson, o
sailor, made their escape, and tried TO reach the
coast They were recaptured in three days, ana
brought back in terrible condition. bruised and
lacerated by their journey through the jungle
Sandy Island where passed many weary
months, was about one-quarter or mile long
and 100 yards wide Soon after we got there an
italian sailor, Antoni died of consumption. He
was a fne-loozing fellow and pleasant COM
panion We had several huts, and we built
raised hunks the inside, In order that we
might sleep above the floor. We received a
very scanty allowance of rice, and the Chinese
cook boiled it in iron pot and divided 1t
among us. We passed great part OF the time
In fighting sand fleas. The Rajah often visited
us. He was a tall, portly man, with smooth
face, and partly bald head. We often went in
bathing and the Raiah ordered that no one
should swim to the opposite bank One day the
third engineer, W. Bradley, swan nearly to the
bank, and, when he returned, the Rajah rushed
at him with stick and struck him. Bradley
told him that he would fight him if he would
give HIM 'sckin' or sword The Rajah raised
his sword and brought it down with great NO
lence ON Bradleys neck. l expected to see ms
head roll off, but the Rajah had turned the blade
that it struck on its fat side 1t made big
bruse and took of the skin.
AS hot weather came on, cholera broke out
among the natives, and great numbers OF them
died. Then we caught it, and six of our number
died, none of them surviving the attack over
twenty-four hours. We were moved from nut TO
hut to avoid the disease. When we left hut the
natives would fire bullets into it and then burn
it The Rajah had cholera mixture which he
said was very good. He put some powder in an
earthen vessel and dropped in a bullet He
added onions and chopped herbs and stirred 1T all
up with water He said that any one who could
retain this dose on his stomach would recover
You were todrink everything except the bullet l
tried it several times, and it seemed to do me
good. We were greatly distressed by the heat,
and suffered greatly from fever. 1t affected
fF1e i'll a peculiar way, and L tainted three
times day at regular intervals. In June
we received a quantity of clothing and sup
plies which had been sent down to us by
the English. After that we had great hopes of
being Released We were feeling this way when
the twos men who died last Steward r. d.
Morey and Fireman Bibby, were seized with
cholera. We applied hot fannels, and did all we
could, bues they died in terrible agony. We
buried them in a row beside the five others,
and set up crosses at their heads. We also
fenced in the graves with latticed fence. FL
nally the British and Dutch governments sent
united ultimatum to the Rajah, and gave him
fifteen days to consider it. They offered him
$4,000 ransom, and to make Tenom and Buben
free ports, otherwise Colonel Lockhart and s, 600
troops from Bombay would land at Sumatra and
n:,rch over the mountains from the west, while
ia Dutch would attack from the east The
Rajah decided to give Us up.
At that time of year, Sept. z, the sea was too
rough at Tenom, so we were marched through
the jungle to Katapang Passir. l wrote about
this Journey in my diary in this way:
'The Rajah was employed all that day in gath
ering in his men to escort us to the coast. We
started in the evening, scarcely able to walk,
hungry and naked, and surrounded by about
500 savages After travelling all night we reached
the Katapang Passir river, where we were to
await further orders from the Rajah. After TIVE
hours march from the banks of the Katapang
these placed over us, came to halt in an open
plain, surrounded by 300 natives every one of
whom was armed with spear, sword, or rife;
we unarmed and helpless, and outnumbered by
twenty to one. We were not allowed to speak
to each other, and the slightest commotion
among us would have led to deplorable results
Our men behaved admirably and though dying
from hunger, thirst, and lack of rest, not muir
mur escaped our lips. We looked at one another
although it was crime to do SO, and wondered
which = us would die first
1--WE travelled on and on until the following
Sunday, when we came to spot on the shore of
Katapang Passir bay, where we found Mr.. Max
well and Colonel Lockhart waiting to receive US
No one who has not gone through privations
suffer1ngs, and confinements nigh hopeless, such
as ours were, can ever realize the happiness of
our meeting with these British officers. We
were detained the shore until the boats
landed with the ransom money SAC, 900, when
we were allowed to proceed on board FL. M. S. S.
Pegasus, which was lying about mile off the
coast.
mir. Maxwell was the English resident who
conducted the negotiations for our release. We
were taken to Penang where we remained in
hospital until we had regained our strength.
We arrived there on Sept. 49, We were taken
to England by the steamship Ajax and landed at
London. The various members of the crew VINO
belonged to other nations were sent home by
their consus. was very sick and weak, and 1
appealed to General e. A. Merritt, the American
consul He said he could do nothing for me, and
advised me to work my passage home. / was
too weak to dc that. I afterward got money
and paid my passage"
Fire at Mt. Vernon, Ind.
ExpAN1 r T,,1 To-