San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-01-19

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SAN Francisco, Sept. Authorization Is 10
ceived that ON one Of the outlying islands OF the
Sandwich group massacre Of three boatmen be
longing to the schooner Mary Anderson wa'
lately made by natives under exceptionally bru
| tai circumstances. The boatmen were first 80
verely wounded to render them helpless, TIED
hand and foot, and then taken In canoes over &c
another island and traded for pigs. The pur
c,asers then finished them and had Gambia
feast on their bodies.
quieted the fears Of the sailor with me
by affirming that the natives yet hoped t.
see the brig come ashore, and by holding
us they knew they would weaken the crew
and render the event more probable
Shortly after noon they gave us o very
liberal meal, and from what outside words
I could catch up gathered that messen'
gers had been sent Off to bring the vii
layers home to attack the brig. They
came before sunset, and they had scarcely
arrived when a couple Of guards came
and conducted mo to the head man OF
chief. He was short, stout ugly look
ing fellow and saw at q glance that all
the people seemed to fear him. He had
been told, suppose, that could speak
the dialect, and no sooner had come
into his presence than he shouted at ME:
$50 you dare land on my island with.
out first seeking permission. We shall
see about that"
"But we are sailors in Distress" re-
piled.
"Bah! What is your distress to mel
Am responsible because you don't know
how to sail your ship safelys Where does
your craft come from, and where is she
bound toi'
told him truly.
"What is your cargor'
"She is in ballast only"
'How many men are left aboardF
"Seven, counting the cook"
'Is he a negror
"IIe Is"
"Well, you needn't count him. We
will throw him to the sharks. I atc some
negro once and 1t made mo sick for three
days. We will capture the ship and bring
your friends here"
"But why not carry word for us to
some of the ports and thus earn q large
sum of meneyY'
"And be seized and shut up In prison,
or hung2 Take the lean, long devil away
and fatten him up. If he won't eat You
must cram tho food down his throat"
He hit the nail on the head when he
called me long and lean. ! stood about
six feet, was long armed and long legged,
and weighed only 140 pounds. They
might have hunted for week without
finding an ounce of fat. When / returned
to the hut no longer had any hope.
felt certain that we had not only fallen
among cannibsls, but that some Of us
would surely be eaten within .
day or two. was greatly wor-
ried, too, about the brig. The yawl was
the only boat left her by the storm,
and our continued absence would puzzle
the captain. He would have no idea of
the mess we had got into, and would not
therefore be on his guard against an at
tack by the natives. / am certain they
meant to make one, but Providence inter-
fered. With the going down of the sun
strong breeze set in from the land and
before midnight, as i learned several
months later, the cables which had 80
long stood the strain parted and let the
brig drift to sea. She was picked up by u
steamer next day and towed into Homo
lulu, and the captain reported that we Of
the yawl had likely been capsized and
drowned while trying to come off to the
brig after dark. That report settled our
fate, and nothing more would ever be
learned of lie except by accident.
Our first night in the village was
wretched one. The natives were awake
all night long, singing, shouting AID
rejoicing over our capture, and, 1t
being midsummer, we were nearly
deyoured alive by insects. caught a few
words now and then from the guards dur
ing the night, and thus learned that the
sea was too heavy to permit the attack on
the brig, and that none of us would be
eaten until the people Of Little Cannibal,
which was three or four miles distant
could cross the channel. This, they
figured, could be done in another twenty
four hours, but they were wrong The
wind held Mt half gale for the next two
days, and 1t was on the fourth day Of our
capture that the visitors appeared. A
.hief and about twenty men came, and
we're warmly welcomed. / had not seen
my of the sailors except The one who
odged with me up to this time, but
knew the huts in which they were con-
1ned, and by looking through the crevices
Of my prison walls l got an idea who
would be the first victim. The fattest
man in our crew had come ashore with me.
He was q second class seaman named
Ph!lbrick, Gnd was built like porpoisc.
He had smooth face. red cheeks, and
was in the bloom OF health. II the natives
we're aftcr something fat and tender In the
way Of human flesh they wonld certainly
nike Philbrick, and I soon saw they meant
to. The choicest food they could provide
was being carried TO him, and II was evil
dent they were stufIing him for the feast.
He, poor fellow, evidently had no sus-
picions. or, with 1 sailors proverbial reck
lessness, was bound 10 live high while the
opportunity held out.
The visitors arrived about O'Clock in
the morning. and half an hour later saw
Philbrick led ont. I do not think the
men I'm any Of the Othsr huts could have
seen him. ! think they had given him
plenty Of strong drink, for he acted tipsy,
and as he came out Of the hut he was
singing happy song. The people at once
gathcred around him and led him OF 20
the woods in the rear Of the village. Our
gusrtls went with the crowd, their places
being taken by Eve or six boys Of from 10
20 Is years Of e. These iOys were well
armed. attesided strictly % the business
o. hand, and any attempt 10 force our way
out would have resulted In our death
10 was O'Clock In the afternoon when
the men returned. and WAS soon aware
u The fact that PbiIbrick had been killed
and devoured Indeed the people con-
graduated each other on hts excellent con-
dition, and the s;ranrgts dcparted for
.Yosne with the oronIise 70 cone back OF
the bird dag. II now SEEMED thzt IL
programme WIS 20 kiIl and e-t one 81 CO
about every thi-d day. and The sailor and
made mp our minds b eat no more food
than w0uh barely susiaia life uas. -
! havc foid you- in verT pog sesh- and
f1-tu1afrly Cor the sainr. he Ens not
much heffer o. uhiif be had running
sore On his lez BE had 10 soo1,sr IN
termed ne - fhis tAan ] on VIA ny
fuife ard czskesi ne cslf - my rlekf leE-
ard thea, ~ ruhb.Tg ie.,,seoo luio tse