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

"What do you suppose that little billet
OF wood is piece OFF,
The question was put by an old ses
captain with whom l was voyagine
down the Atlantic coast a few months
since, and in whose good opinion had,
by some lucky accident, made my way.
The piece of wood which he presented
for my inspection was discolored and
weathered, yet looked to be remarkably
fine grained. took it in my hand, and
then instinctively, after a moment OF
two, smelled of it. There still pertained
to it a faint fragrance.
'Why, Captain, this is sandal-wood, y
said.
Fright you are, my lad !" he exclaimed.
"And | keep it because it is piece of o
rib of the shallop in which my old father,
who followed the seas before me, escaped
from the clutches of the man eaters down
in the South Sea-"
"How was that?'
'Just three-quarters of century ago
the brig Hobart, Amos Meserve, Captain,
Cadwallader Jones, mate, Seth Putnam,
carpenter, and crew of twenty three
men all told, sailed from Massachusetts
Bay, with cargo of hardware, dry
goods and other commodities, on q
trading voyage to the Indian tribes Of
the northwest coast of America.
''The long voyage around Cape Horn
was accomplished with no more than the
ordinary hardships and dangers of the
passage in those early days, and by bar
for with fba Aifoyvor%c auJ nthar North
west tribes, fairly valuable stock of
furs was obtained. These latter, how
ever, were, few weeks later, sold out
right at one of the trading posts,
near the mouth of the Columbia, and
thence the Hobart sailed for the South
Sea to procure a cargo of sandal-wood,
then a commercially valuable product Of
this vast and little known quarter OF the
globe.
Weeks lcngthened to months, and
found the Hobart still pursuing her long
voyage into the trackless Southern Pa
cifc. A large group of islands, proba-
bly, the King Mill, or Fiji, was sited,
but owing to the intractable and treach-
erous character of the natives, only part
Of the cargo Of the precious wood could
be procured. After some weeks delay
and several skirmishcs, the Hobart con
tinued her southerly voyage.
"Scurvy, meantime, that dread foe OF
all the old navigators, had attacked the
crew; five men were lying helpless in
their hunks, and the teeth of two others
had fallen out.
"a worse foe, too, than scurvy or
treacherous natives had attacked the ad-
venturous brig. Near the mouth of the
Columbia the Hobart had run through
what old mariners termed worm sea,
tract of the ocean infested by tine
,oredo, marine borer-worm, which rap
idly pcrforates the sheathings and tim
bers of passing vessel, and having once
effected a lodgment, continues its mis-
rhievous labors until the hull is honey
eombed, and sapped of strength to resist
the strain or stress of weather.
"Shortly after putting to sea the last
time, the brig was found to be leaking
slightly, and close examination proved
what several of the old sailors had repeat
adly maintained for a number Of weeks,
that the worms had eaten out her tim
bers to mere shells. The leak down in
the hold. under the tiers of sandal wood,
increased day by day, till at length a
panic fell on the crew; and from hoping
at first to be able to make their way to
Australia in her, the distressed mariners
now thought only OF getting to land, and
beaching The brig before she should sud
denly 90 down beneath their feet Par
ticularly were they alarmed lest heavy
weather should set in. For two days
land had occasionally been in sight, low
living on the western board. The course
Of the now water-logged brig was
changed in that direction, and during
the night they slowly drew in toward a
long, mountainous coast.
"Thc description corresponds to the
Island of New caledonia, which, smost
readers know, lies in the southwestern
part Of the Pacific, six hundred miles
east OF Australia, and nearly seven hun
dred miles north of New Zealand. In
form the island is long and narrow, Its
length being two hundred and twenty,
and its average width forty miles. At
this time the inhabitants, several negroid
tribes. we're cannibals and savages OF the
most intractable character. But of this
fact the crew Of the Hobart had nc
knowledge, and were Mt first of the
opinion that the country was uninhab
tied. for they saw no signs of human be-
iDgs
'Like most islands of the South Pa
cifc, New Caledonia is encircled by 0
barrier reef, little off shore, on which
the ocean surges beat continuously But
an opening was discovered in it, through
which the Hobart was taken, and in the
lagoon of smooth, shallow water inside
the coral wall, the distressed brig. after
her thousands Of miles of ocean pilgrim
oge, let 60 her anchor. The sick and
weary sailors abandoned the pumps, af
ter week Of ceaseless struggle, and
slowly the vessel settled, till her keel
rested on the coral lodges At tide the
water was within a foot Of her deck; at
ebb the sailors could descend between
decks.