The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-05-31

Heroic Defense of Ship Attacked by [
Multitude of Savages.

Multitude OF SavageS.
About 1885 Captain Silas Jones, now
president of the First National Bank
of this town, says a Falmouth Mass. }
letter to the New York Herald, sailed
from Woods Holl as third officer in
the ship Awashonks, Captain Collins,
on a four-years' cruise in the South Pa
cific ocean. This voyage was one OF
most intense excitement and hair
breadth adventure, and, while Captain
Jones is of a quiet and unassuming
character and not fond of putting his
glory before the world, yet your CORE
spondent obtained a story full of inter-
est and one that is not known to have
been published. although in years past
it was a theme of much discussion.
The vessel had crew of about thir-
ty-five men, including captain. first.
second and third officers. and made the
voyage around Cape Horn without in
cident She cruised about the South
seas, and when eighteen months out
had 900 barrels of fine oil in her hold
Closing in with a group of islands
just north of the equator Captain Col
Inns decided to make a trade with the
natives. The ship was hove to, with
most of her sails set, in small bay
where the calm water reflected the
strip of white sand, green palms, and
tropical plants that skirted its margin
as well as the purple hills of the inte-
rior.
A number of native dugouts put out
to the ship and made fast to her chains
and the savages clambered over the
vessels rail. At favorable signal a
fierce yell burst from their dusky
Threats, causing the ears of those who
heard it to tremble and their hearts
to quail. In less time than it takes to
write it the ships decks were full OF
natives and the unarmed crew made for
the rigging, jibboOns and fOrecastle-
in fact. anywhere to escape the blood
thirsty islanders.
The fight that ensued was desperate
and indiscriminate melee. The natives
had been so sure of surprise that they
had formed no plan of attack, depend
ing entirely on their overwhelming
numbers. At the first rush Captain
Collins and the first mate were engaged
in a desperate hand-to-hand conflict
with some of the savages who had
availed themselves of the ships cut
ting-in spades. and the poor men were
Immediately hacked to pieces. Thomas
Clifford, of Falmouth, a seaman, made
a bolt for the forecastle, and received a
blow from d spade. He carries the
scar across his forehead to this day,
and it is a most unpleasant reminder oil
that bloody massacre.
Captain Jones, then youth of about
twenty, found himself surrounded by a
number of Infatuated natives, each
struggling for a whack at him with
keen-edged spades He managed to
parry the blows. jumping into the
vessels hold, and crawled among the
tiers of oil-casks in the cabin. Here he
found the steward and two seamen on
the floor covered with wounds inflicted
by the murderous spades. The rest OF
the ships company were either al # or
cooped up in the forecastle. In one
corner of the cabin was the magazine,
containing the muskets and ammuni-
ton. Selling the muskets Captain
Jones gave them to the wounded mer
to load, while he set about rescuing the
Awashonks.
The natives were scattered over the
decks, stealing what they could get
their hands on. They plucked up the
ring-bolts from the decks rails and
tugged at them when two tons
strain would not have pulled them out.
They pried at bolts and straps, picked
at nail heads. wrenched down kettles
and stovc-pipes and threw them in the
| canoes. The chief, an ill-visaged ras-
cal. was at the wheel endeavOring to
beach the vessel, but he was not up in
navigation. First he put the wheel
down, and the sails not filing he put
the wheel up. Slowly the Awashonks
headed off and gathered Roadway to-
ward the beach. An Indian who lived
in Mashpee, some ten miles from here,
cut the braces and the sales were taken
aback. A shower of arrows and heath
enish maledictions were hurled at him
as he sought shelter in the tops. The
vessel lost Roadway, but the chief con.
tinued his experiment with the rudder.
The cabin, where Captain Jones had
taken refuge, was lighted by two win
| dOws in the stern and large skylight
overhead. When the enemy peered
into these apertures a well-directed
bull ct sent them away in hot haste.
For over an hour this skirmish be.
tween desperate man and hundred
murderers continued. AS fast as the
wounded men could load the muskets
Captain Jones would put their contents
where they did the most good and the
/ islanders began to have a wholesome
fear of the window and set about de.
vising some better method of attack
Looking up through the skylight
during the quiet that followed Captain
Jones saw the chief at the wheel in his
frantic endeavor to beach the vessel
Taking careful aim at his broa |, naked
chest, he pulled the trigger. The bull
let passed through the deck, and, hav-
ing spent its force. rolled along the
planking, to the chiefs very feet. The
savage left the helm, inspected the bull
let hole, and then laid a piece of board
over the splintered plank; he then re-
turned 10 the wheel as unconcerned az
could be. Another bullet from the
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