The Portland daily press., 1889-05-25
ATTACKED BY sAvAcEs.
The Memorable Adventure Of Bank
President Jones.
New York Herald


About 1885 Captain Silas Jones. now presi-
dent of the First National bank of Falmouth,
Mass, sailed from Woods Hole as third Of
ficer in the ship Awashonke, Captain Collins,
on four years cruise in the South Pacific
ocean. The vessel had crew OF about thirty
five men. including captain, first, second and
third officers, and made the voyage around
Cape Horn without accident. She cruised
about the South Seas, and when eighteen
months out had 900 barrels Of fine oil in her
hold.
Closing in with group of islands just
north of the equator, Captain Collins de-
cided to make trade with the natives. The
ship was hove to with most of her sails set
in small bay where the calm water re-
Elected the strip Of white sand, green palms
and tropical plants that skirted its margin
as well as the purple hills of the interior.
A number OF native dugouts put out to the
ship aud made fast to her chains and the
sayages clambered over the vessels rail At
a signal 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, jibbooms and
forecastle, in fact anywhere to escape the
bloodthirsty 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. depending entirely on their
Captain Collins and the second mate were
engaged in desperate hand-to-hand conflict
with some of the savages who had availed
themselves Of the ships cutting-in spades,
and the poor men were Immediately hacked
to pieces. Thomas Clifford of Falmouth, a
MOI q hnlf for In fnro or n M
received blow from the spade. He carries
the scar across his forehead to this day, and
it's most unpleasant reminder OF that
bloody massacre.
Mate Jones, then a youth about 20. found
himself surrounded by lumber Oh infur-
lated natives, each struggling for whack at
him with the keen-edged spades. He man.
aged to parry the blows, jumping into the
vessels hold and crawled among the tiers of
oil casks into 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 af0ft or cooped up in the fore
castle. In one corner of the cabin was the
magazine, containing the muskets and am
munitiOn. SEEKING the muskets Mate Jones
gave them TO the wounded men 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 ringbolts from the
decks and rails and tugged at them when
two tons strain would not have pulled them
out. They pried at bolts and strars, picked
at nail heads, wrenched down kettles and
stOyepipes and threw them into the canoes,
The chief. an ill-visaged rascal, was at the
wheel endeav0ring to beach the vessel, but
he was not up in navigation. First he put
the wheel down, and the sails not filling he
put the wheel up. Slowly the Awashonks
headed off and gathered Roadway toward the
beach, An Indian who lived in Mashpee,
the town on Cape Cod, cut the braces and
the sails we're taken aback. A shower of
arrows and heathonish maledictions were
hurled at him as he sought shelter in the
tops. The vessel lost Roadway, but the
chief continued his experiment with the
rudder
The cabin, where Mate Jones had taken
refuge, was lighted by two windows in the
stern and large skylight overhead. When
the enemy peered into these apertures a we'll
directed bullet sent them away in hot haste.
For over an hour this skirmish between a
desperate man and a hundred murderers con-
tlnued. As fast as the wounded men could
load the muskets Mate Jones would;put their
contents where they did the most good, and
the islanders BEGAN to have wholesome fears
OF the windows, and set about devising some
better method of attack.
Looking up through the skylight during
the quiet that followed Mate Jones saw the
chief at the wheel In his frantic endeavors
to beach the vessel. Taking careful aim at
his broad, naked chest, he pulled the trig-
ger. The bullet passed through the deck,
and, having spent its force, rolled along the
planking to the chiefs very feet. The saw
age left the helm, inspected the bullet hole,
and then laid piece of board over the
splintered plank; he then returned to the
wheel as unconcerned as could be. Another
bullet from the musket pierced his heart,
and the lifeless form rolled into the Soup
pers.
At the death of their chieftain the island
ers fled panic stricken to the shore, and the
Awashonks was laDoriously put to sea. She
soon fell in with merchantmen, Captain
Proctor, and was brought into Woods Hole
by portion OF the merchant crew.
Mate Jones was offered masters berth
by the owners of the whaler he had so brave
ly defended, and up to 1864 he followed the
sea in that capacity. Three of the crew now
live in or near Falmouth, and two of them
bear scars received in the fray.