Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-05-31
PTITSBURG'S CRUSOE.
4 CAS- aNaT VIC SH7ENT FOUR
YEARS WITH A RACE OF GIANTS.

Dan Mcintyre Is the only survivor OF q
Vessel Wrecked on Coral Reef-He
Spends Four and a Half Years on an
Island and Is Royalty Treated.
Mr.. Dan F. A. Mcintyre has had some re-
markable experiences on the seas. He has
spent good part of his days whaling in the
Arctic ocean and hunting the sperm whale in
the South Pacific seas. Mr.. McIntyres ship
was once wrecked on 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 natives bending over him. Here
he remsihed for four and half years, the
only white man on the island, when he was
picked up by a French man-of-war. Relating
his experience, he said:
1.-THE Marquesas group on which I found
myself 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 Pacific was stormy; but the
natives were well acquainted with the
weather, and knew when to venture. The
islands are located in latitude 0 degs. south
of the equator.
''The people belong to the Malay class, hav-
ing dark, straight hair and swarthy COM
plexions Like the FIJI Islanders, they are
very tall and muscular, plenty of them
measuring seven feet in height. I never, be-
fore or since, saw such powerful fellows.
They are rather bright men, and live, like
the Sa1noans, on the fruits of the islands,
that grow in abundance without much cult
walton. 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.
THE KINGS PET.
'sMy life for four and one-haf years
among these people was pleasant, taking it
altogether. The first six months l could
scarcely endure it. If I had been impris-
oned in cell could not have led 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 uncouth way.
l appreciated their kindness, and, after a
WHILE learned enough of their language to
be able to converse with them.
sLife then became less unbearable, and
prepared myself to wait for vessel to come
along The king of the island made me a
namesake of his, and I lived with him for the
first year. When | 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 to plant about my home.
1.-THE king tattooed his name on my leg,
which made me privileged character, and
equal to one of his relatives. If l broke any
of their laws l was not punished, and the
king would not allow any OF his people to in
suit me or treat me rudely. In this respect
must say that I was greatly admired by al
the natives. They have a vast deal Of respect
for white man, and many of them envied
my white skin.
1.-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 | was captured by
a neighboring tribe. They knew by the tat
too on my leg that belonged to their enemy
and they decided to tattoo me all over They
started on my lower limbs; but the pain wa!
so great that I could scarcely stand it. Il
seems some French missionaries had VISITED
the island forty years before, and falling tx
Christianize the natives they left. One of The
old men had learned from them to talk a Lit
tie French, and in that language l 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 l was released. L
they had disfigured my face l don't believe
should ever have come back to America.
"Vfhen the French ship came along
boarded it, and went with them to the Islant
Obatite, where number Of Europeans live
There remained for two years before l re
turned to San Francico. The French man
of-war was making soundings and survey
for the purpose of locating a naval station
Since then l have learned that they estab
Gshed coaling station on the island where
spent four and half years of my life"
THE BAMBOO PIPE LINE.
Mr.. McIntyre's story Of how he astonishet
the natives with an engineering feat on tn
Marquesas Island, where he was SO long
castaway, is very good. They had, from
time immemorial, been in the habit of carry
ing all their drinking water from spring
away on an eminence in the back ground o
the principal settlement. In that tropica
cline this was quite task, yet they coul
conceive of no way to improve upon it.
First convincing the king that he had
much better plan, Mcintyre was granted til
necessary assistance, and succeeded in con
structing a sort OF bamboo pipe line from tn
springs to the settlement, so that the native
thereafter got their drinking water withou
any labor whatever 1t was great scien
tifc triumph to their notion.
When Mr.. Mcintyre came back to Pitts
burg he found it so greatly changed that tn
old familiar city was new to him. Finally
however, by diligent inquiry, he located hi
brother, liquor dealer, in the eastern par
of the city One day he went out, ordered
glass Of beer at his brothers bar, and, witt
out making himself known, engaged in cor
versation with the gentleman.
''You had brother Dana" said he.
EYES," was the reply 81 but he wa
drowned in the Pacific Ocean-went dow
with his ship-a good many years ago."
"But," was the rejoinder of the returne
Dan, 81 met fellow, not so very long ago
either, who claimed he had recently see
| your brother Dan, and that Dan had grea
| story of how he had lived, castaway fc
years, with savages on an island"
''Impossible! He's dead-poor DAMP
''But do you think you'd know Dan if 20
saw hiln?"
eyes, indeedl Add twenty years more t
each of our lives and Pm sure I'd still b
able to recognize my brother Dan, if coul
only see him alive again, in any part of th
world or under any circumstances
''But years have already passed, and Da
has changed good deal since you saw him.
''He might have changed-if he'd lived
but I'd know him anyhow; sure as your
born"
''Well, then, John, 1 am Dan Mcintyre
your brother, and Pm not drowned Here
am; look at me closely and you'll seeI"
Recognition really followed very soon; an
the liquor dealer became a counter jumpe
and embraced the brother, seemingly return
ed from an oceanic grave to life.-Pittsbur
Dispatch.
No Sister in His.
Young lady of our city (whose name