Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-06-29
A Romantic Story of Shipwreck,
Captivity and Suffering.
CAST AMONG BARBAROUs sAyAGES,
Horace Holden Subjected to Unheard Of
Suferings Among the Barbarous
Pelew Islanders.
CHAPTER VI.


q lapted to the purposes we had In
view. There came on violent
storm Of rain, the wind blowing
hard, and the waves threatening to
swallow us each moment OF the
night. To our dismay, the rudder
of the canoe, owing to the imperfect
manner in which it had been con-
structed, was unshipped, and for a
time the destruction of those on
board seemed inevitable. Fortu-
nately we continued to keep COM
pany. BY great exertion we made
out to replace the rudder in the
morning, and then proceeded. In
the course of the day the rudder
was again unshipped; but, with less
difficulty than before, we succeeded
in fastening it to its place with ropes,
80 that it answered tolerably well as
substitute for a better one. Hap
py would it have been for us, if this
had been the worst of the disaster of
our voyage. Our mast next went
by the board; and during the whole
of the next night, we lay drifting
at the mercy Of the winds and
waves. In the meantime the canoe
sprung n leak, and we found
it impossible to bail out
the water as fast as it came
in. In this extremity we lost no
time IN shifting all our lading into
one end of the canoe; and by tearing
up our old clothes and stufling them
into the crack, we at length stopped
the leak. In this sad plight we con-
tlnued on, meeting with no serious
accident till the fifth day from the
time of leaving the island; when,
Just Mt the setting of the sun, owing
to some mismanagement, a light
puff of wind capsized the canoe.
Fortunately no one was drowned.
All but three swan 10 our boat;
those who remained continued
through the night to cling to the
canoe. With great difficulty we
kept our boat from being stove in
pieces by coming in contact with
the canoe. During all this time ii
rained very hard and never had we
experienced so dismal II night. In
the morning we tried to get the ca
noe right side up; but finding that
impossible, we concluded to aban-
don II entirely. We took from ii Il
few cocoanuts, and rs our last resort,
all took refuge in the boat. We
saved the compass aud did not sc
much regret the loss of the canoe, rs
II had already caused us an incalcu'
liable amount of anxiety, toll and
suffering. But new difficulties now
stared us In the face. Most of oul
provisions had been lost by the up
setting of the canoe and we had but
a very small quantity of water
1t was therefore deemed expedient tc
divide among us the means of sub
slstence remaining. We had four
cocoa-nuts for each person, and few
pieces over, which were distributed
equally. All this time no objects
were seen, except few sea birds.
We continued In this condition fol
nine days and nights, with actua
starvation before us, as the mos
probabls end OF our anXieties and
suiierings. We were about settling
down into state of confirmed des-
pair, when, TO our ineXpressible joy,
We discovered land apparently about
ten miles of. We eXerted all oul
remaining strength To reach it,
When within six miles we saw, ap.
preaching us, n fleet of eighteen
canoes, filled with the natives of the
small island we were approaching
At first the small canoes came neal
us, for the purpose of asccrtaininp
who and what we werc, The ap
pearance % these natives was such
rs 10 excite nj once our astonish'
ment and disgust, Like the in
habltants of the island We had left
they were entirely naked; and, n
our subsequent experience proved
they werc infinitely more harbarou'
aud cruel. Very soon the large canoe,
came up, when the wre,ches com
menced their outngcs,
They attacked us with brutal tc
rocity, Knocking Us overheard with
their clubs, in tine meantime max
Ing the most frightful gr.maces, ant
yelling like 81 many inc1rnare dev
lis. They fell upon cur boal aut
Immediately Destroyed Il, hpaklu,
IL into spllnters, and taking "a,
fragments into the canoes. Will,
tins was going or We were swim
ming nom one canoe Ia the other
entreating them by signs Ia span
our lives aud permit us to get iut,
their canoes This they for lonl
time refused, b,aling Us most nn
mercinlly, Whenever we caught
hold of anything 10 save ourselve