The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-04-24
A CAPTIVE IN BORNEO.
Remarkable Adventure Of q Man
Who Fell in with Pirates.
BY Superior Skill In woodcraft and the
Art Of Writing He Astonishes the
Natives, IL Promoted and Gets
. Dusky Wife.

VINO nave nau adventures. lney are TO
be found in the oldest. most unlikely
places and occupying all sorts Of condi-
tons in life. As rule. the most quiet
and transformations persons, if they have
seen any thing at all, have seen the
most Of the world. The conductor Of q
certain street-car in this city has not led
such prosaic and uninteresting life as
his present employmentmay lead you to
suppose, or else he is gifted romancer
Of the Munchausen stripe, and have
been sadly deluded.
Henry +. Murchison-that is not his
real name; SO don't look for him-who
may take your nickel, or help you to
alight any day, if you are of the proper
sex, speaks convincingly Of his seven
years captivity in Borneo and he tells
his story SO we'll and clearly, being .
man above the average in education and
intelligence, that give it, without re-
vision, in his exact words:
When | came to myself the blood was
still trickliny slowly down my face.
The blow from the heavy crease which
had sought to ward of had got home.
and descending on my unprotected head,
had deprived me OF my senses. 1t was
some time before ! could move, for
was very stiff and sore. and indeed
badly wounded. 1t was almost dark
where l had been thrown under the
matches of the junk which effected our
capture. A solitary ray of light pene-
trated from forward and found its way
aft. Guided by its feeble rays, with
difficulty CROPPED my way to the for
ward hatch, and ascending the COM
panion stairs, in this vessel nothing but
rude ladder, gained the deck and
looked about me. The crew Of the junk
were holding high carnival astern. The
blood of recent conflict was yet un-
washed from the deck. ! glanced over
the starboard quarter. Hull down, and
wrapped IN lurid flames that shot up
into the fast darkening sky, was the
bark in which we bad sailed from Bos-
ton three months before. A lad OF
eighteen, was the sole survivor OF her
crew, ruthlessly butchered by the pi-
rates. For what dreadful fate was I
alone reserved? Overcome by the awful
calamity which had overtaken me, as
IL
passed that day required to my mind.
what little strength had gave out, and
falling to the deck again relapsed into
Inconsistencies.
Two weeks had elapsed before / once
more became cognizant of what was
going on around me.
Early one morning was awakened BY
the Growing Of barn fowls. In a dream
Of delight lay and listened. Surely
was home again in the farm in Wiscon.
sin! A glance around the rude hut in
which lay dispelled the illusion. Ris-
ing from my couch of leaves, I pushed
aside the mat which hung at the en-
trance. Men and women in primitive
costume thronged around me. A tall
man, who seemed to be in authority,
apparently moved TO some degree OF
compassion, explained the situation to
me. was . prisoner among the Dyaks
Of Bcrnco.
At iirst was so overwhelmed by my
miserable situation that did nothing
but long Cor death. Finding, however,
that was treated with tolerahle kind
ness. hope began to revive within my
breast. Nourishing food and rest did
wonders for me. My wounds healed,
my old-time yigor returned, and with 1t
the desire for life-and liberty. This
latter, however, seemed, for the present
at least, . very remote contingency, for
was so closely watched, night and day,
that there seemed to be no chance OF
escape.
The town where was confined was
situated close TO the sea shore, and
might have contained, perhaps, 5000
Inhabitants. When trade was good the
population did thriving business in
teak and other merchantable woods;
when dull, they eked out an existence
by piracy on the high seas and frequent
marauding expeditions against their
weaker neighbors. Being strong, &C.
tive lad, was assigned place in the
wood-cuttiEg gang. Their method Of
telling trees was very primitive. The
wood-cutter sits in . squatting attitude
beside the tree he wishes to fell, and
hacks it with kind of adze at heigh,
OF about two feet from the ground. l,
was the. slowest method ! had eveI
struck, and after day or two at it de
termined to show them how trees were
felled where came from. In theil
stores found good Green River axe
taken no doubt from some American
vessel years before, for its edge was
dull and it was rusty from long disuse
] then told the man in charge of my
gang that i had new way OF cutting
wood. and he reported it to the old
chief. was sent for by that worthy
whilst | was sharpening my new-founj
treasure on a piece Of sandstone that
very evening.
II have heard" said the chief. as HI
regarded me with o threatening look
shat you have way to cut wood which
is better than ours, Is that so p
replied that their way was . slow
and tedious one as compared to mine.
"Come. boaster, then, said the chief