Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-09-25

was little fear of the vessel breaking up
at once, and tho attention of the crew
was first turned to obtaining supply Of
fresh food from the shore. The hulk lay
at a distance of three or four cables
length from the beach. A range of green
hills rose to height of thousand feet
or more not far inland, and the sailors
felt sure that they could distinguish
bresdfruit and cocoanut trees.
1t their earnest entreaties, Captain
Meserve allowed boats crew to 90 on
shore during the afternoon, taking sacks
and axes for collecting cocoanuts, bread
fruit, and cabbage head palm buds, these
latter particularly for the men sick with
scurvy. The boat party consisted of tho
mate, Cadwallader Jones, the carpenter,
Seth Putnam, and Charles Frost. Job
Freeman. Solomon Swift, and five others,
ten in all.
"They pulled ashore, beached the boat,
and soon disappeared from sight in the
forest, and they had been absent an hour
perhaps, when Captain Mcserve, who felt
Il certain degree of uneasiness. saw a
smoke rising from the top Of one OF the
hills two or three miles back from the
waser. But whether it had been raised
by natives, or by the men themselves, he
fat by no means certain. 1t added to
hi. areasiness, however, and close
watch was kept, yet nothing further was
seen TIL near sundown, when loud shouts
and yells were suddenly heard not far
inland.
"a few moments later, three of the
sailors were seen to emerge from the for
est, running for their lives, closely pur-
sued by crowd of wild looking black
natives. The sailors, as they ran, shouted
for help, and made frantic gestures TO
their mates on the brig; then coming
where their boat had been left, they en-
dcavored to launch it and push off, but
were Immediately struck down by volleys
Of stones and pears, and murdered there
under the very eyes of their shipmates,
who were powerlcss to render them he
slightest aid. for there was no time to
launch boat, even had the briggs other
boat been in serviceable condition.
1.-THE Captain at once got out all the
spare cordage, however, and set to work
to raise protective netting of it all about
the bulwarks to the height of six or eight
feet, and all the ships cutlasses and mus
kets were got ready for as good defence
as possible.
''But the natives appeared to have no
canoes prepared, and after dancing and
shouting for time, went away, carrying
off the bodies Of their victims.
A night of gloom and most dismal
forebodings for the future settled over
the stranded vessel. Fearing asurprise,
a watch of three sailors was set. The
hours of darkness wore on till past mid.
night, when splashing of the water
close alongside SO alarmed one of the SEN
tinels that he fred his piece, but imme.
diately heard voice saying:
''Don't shoot US. Throw us a line
"It was the voice of Wal Jones, the
mate; the sailor Swift was with him,
and on being helped on board, they gave
the following account of the fate of their
companions:
disappointed in finding palm-nuts or
fruit, they had gone inland for distance
of several miles. Finally, they found a
group of cocoanut trees, and set to work
telling them. Several had been cut
down, when suddenly large party Of
blacks came upon them, and without a
moments warning, rushed forward to at
tack them, uttering the most frightful
cries. The mate, who was not wanting
in courage, called out to the sailors TO
stand fast and defend themselves with
their muskets and axes; but frightened
by the suddenness Of the onslaught, six
0r couan of tho op ron auou
ga part of the natives gave chase, and
seeing the futility of making anything
like successful fight, Jones, Swift and
the carpenter. Putnam, in turn took to
their heels in different direction. They
ran for some distance through the forest,
and came presently into an open tract
in which werea number of grass huts and
several women and children.
'Putnam here tackled in another di-
rection, and became separated from his
comrades, who ran straight on, past the
huts, into the forest beyond them But
here in the edge of the forest, amongst
underbrush, they cspied an old hut, the
thatched roof of which had fallen in !;
and hearing at the same instance the
shouts of their pursuers, who were out
stripping thom on either hand, and being
much out Of breath, they crept under the
fallen mass of thatch, and lay still.
"The ground being dry their feet had
left no tracks; ana the natives in pursuit
probably made sure that they had fed to
great distance. Several times they
heard savages run past the hut, but no
one CHANGED to examine the old thatch
heap.
They lay tt ere till night-fall Mean
time from the shouting, cries and songs
which came to their ears from the direc-
ton of the group of grass huts which
they had passed, it became evident to
them that some kind of orgy was in
progress. At length, night having
fallen, the mate ventured to look out
from under the dry grass, and saw that
large fires were burning in the open
space, around which the natives, to the
number of a hundred or two, were
dancing and shouting
Probably no description, however
graphic, could convey to the mind Of the
reader even faint conception of the
horrible impression made on those two
poor fellows by the scene which they be-