Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-21
ROBINSON CRUsOE M'INTYRE.
A Castaway who Spent Four Years with
Race Of Giant Men Fridays.

From the Pittsburg DispStch.
Mr.. Dan F. A. Mcintyre has had some re-
markable experiences on the seas. He has
spent a good part of his days whaling in the
Arctic ocean and hunting the sperm whale in
the south Pacific seas. Mr.. McIntyre's ship
was once wrecked on a coral reef, and he was
the only man of the crew who was saved. His
companions were washed up on the rocky
beach of the Marquesas Islands and killed. Mr..
Mcintyre still bears an ugly scar over his right
eye that he received during the storm, and,
when he came to his senses, he found himself
lying on the rocky shore with group Of ma
tives bending over him. Here he remained for
four and a half years, the only white man on
the island, when he was picked up by French
man-ot-war. Relating his experience yesterday
he said:
The Marquesas group on which found my
self consists of sixteen islands, twelve of which
are inhabited. The greatest distance between
any OF them Is about forty miles. The natives.
away back in those times, passed from one
island to the other in big canoes and small sail
boats. During certain seasons of the year the
racine was stormy; but the natives were well
acquainted with the weather. and knew when
TO venture. The islands are located in latitude
90 south of the equator
The people belong to the Malay class. hav-
ing dark, straight hair and swarthy complex
tall and muscular, plenty of them measuring
feet In height. l never, before or since, saw
such powerful fellows. They are rather bright
men, and live, live the Samoans. on the fruits
OF the islands, that grow in abundance without
much cultivation. Wild hogs and sea fowls
were the only game to be hunted; in fact there
were no other animals on the islands. The
natives spent most of their time in taking life
easy, occasionally hunting and fishing.
4, MY lie for four and one-half years among
these people was pleasant. taking il altogether.
Inc nrst SIX months could scarcely endure il.
Ii had been imprisoned in a cell could not
have led a more miserable existence. Day
after day climbed the highest mountains. and
sat for hours scanning the horizon, looking for
sail; but none appeared. The people were
friendly, and tried TO console me in their I'M
couth way. appreciated their kindness. and,
after while, learned enough of their language
TO be able to converse with them.
Life then became less unbearable, and pre-
pared myself to wait for vessel to come along.
The king OF the island made me namesake of
his, and lived with him for the first year.
When l found would have to STAY for some
time built house, and, TO amuse myself
was In the habit of going into the forest and
pulling up young orange and lemon trees 10
plant about my home.
The king tattooed his name on my leg.
which made me privileged character. and
equal to one of his relatives. If | broke anv
OF their laws / was not punished. and the
king would not allow any OF his people to
insult me treat me rudelv. In this respect
L must say that was greatly admired by all
the natives. They have a vast deal of respect
Tor white man, and many of them envied my
white skin.
The natives on the different islands were
hostile to each other, and most of the time were
at war. The king would never allow me TO mix
up in any of their fights. He held me in too
sacred light. Once 1 was captured by a neigh
boring trlDe. They knew by the tattoo on my
leg that L belonged TO their enemy. and they
decided TO tattoo me all over. They started on
my lower limbs, but the pain was SO great that
could scarcely stand it. Il seems some French
missionaries had visited the island forty wears
before, and. falling to ChristianiZe the nat. es
they left. One OF the old men had learned
from them to talk little French and in that
language begged HIM to go to my king and
inform him of my plight. This he did, when
my master made peace with his enemies and
was released. If they had disfigured my face
1 don't believe l should ever have come back
to America.
when the French ship came along boarded
1t, and went with them TO the island Obatite
where number of Europeans live. There
renamed for two years before L returned to
San Francisco. The French man-of-war was
making soundings and surveys for the purpose
OF locating a naval station. Since then have
learned that they established coaling station
on the island where 1 spent four and half
years of my life"
Mr.. McIntyres story of how he astonished
the natives with an engineering feat on the
Marquesas island where he was SO long a
castaway is very good They had, from time
immemorial, been in the habit of carving all
their drinking water from springs away on an
eminence in the background of the principal
settlement. In that tropical cline this was
quite task, yet they could conceive of no way
to improve upon il. First convincing the king
that he had much better plan. Mcintyre was
ceeded in constructing sort of bamboo pipe
line from the springs to the settlement. so that
the natives thereafter got their drinking water
without any labor whatever. 1t was a great
scientific triumph, TO their notion
When Mr.. Mcintyre came back to Pittsburg
he found 1t SO greatly changed that the old
familiar city was new to HIM. Finally. how
ever, by diligent inquiry, he located his
brother, liquor dealer, in the eastern part of
the city. One day we went out ordered a
glass of beer at his brothers bar, and, without
making himself known. engaged in converse
ton with the gentleman.
You had brother DAMP" said he.
Yes" was the reply; but he was drowned
in the Pacific ocean-went down with his shin
"a good many years ago."
But, was the rejoinder of the returned
Dan. Il met fellow, not so very long ago
either, who claimed he had recently seen your
brother Dan, and that Dan had great story of
how he had lived, castaway for years, with
savages on an island"
"lmpossiblei He's dead-poor DanI'
But do you think you'd know Dan if you saw
him?'
''Yes, indeed! Add twenty years more to each
of our lives and I'm sure I'd still be able to rec
ognize my brother Dan, if could only see him
alive again, in any part of the world or under
any circumstances"
But years have already passed, and Dan has
changed good deal since you saw him."
He might have changed-if he'd ived-but
I'd know him anyhow; sure as you're born"
We'll, then, John, am Dan Mcintyre your
brother, and I'm not drowned. Here l am;
look at Inc closely and you'll seer"
Recognition really followed very soon; and
the liquor dealer became counter jumper and
embraced the brother. seemingly returned
from an oceanic grave to life.
Fall River Manufacturers Naughty.