Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-20
Losr N ne SOUTH seA.
Fhs PertIs Encountered by a Ships Crew
Among SAvaEes.

Tne fertls Enoountered BY q Ships Crew
Among sAyaEes.
A tale of shipwreck in the southern
seas of Save Islanders and the romance
of a modern Robinson Crusoe is what
Capt. William Gooding tells. He was
the commander Of the Portland bark
Tewksbury Sweet, lost in the South Pa
cific last spring, and has just arrived in
this city on his way to his home at Var
mouth. He and his crew had been given
up for dead, and the first intelligence
that they were still alive was received
about two weeks ago. Their escape from
death by the wreck and from the sayages
makes an interesting story.
The ssanch American bark sailed from
New Castle, New South Wales, on March
II for Hong Kong. On April she en-
countered gale and was carried ashore
on Susanne reef, near Poseat Island, one
of the Carolinas. A very high wind was
blowing at the time and the surf was
running high. The vessel commenced to
60 to pieces soon after she struck. Moth
ing was saved from the vessel but one
chronometer. The crew escaped in one
of one of the ships boats, and managed
with great difficulty to reach a small
islet to the northward. From this islet,
after the storm had subsided, they made
the island of Poseat, which is inhabited
by fierce savages.
As the boat approached the island q
fleet of canoes put off from the shore.
There were about thirty canoes with
eight or ten men in each, all armed with
knives and spears. Some of the savages
in their eagerness jumped overheard and
swan to the boat, each with a long
wicked knife held between his teeth.
The first savages reached the boat,
clambered in until the boat was nearly
swamped, then they began to strip the
sailors of their coats and outer garments,
throwing the garments aboard their own
canoes. The men were soon despoiled of
everything but their undershirts. Then
the whole feet drew in towards the
land. The savages all this time had
kept up tremendous din of shouting
and singing, and the crowd of women
and children on the shore were dancing
and jumping about with shouts and
cries. The sailors expected no better
treatment than to be killed and eaten,
but as they learned afterward, the ma
tives of this island are not cannibals.
While the shipwrecked crew were
standing surrounded by the noisy crowd,
man, dressed as all the others, with
only a cloth about his hips, came for
ward and spoke to them in English. He
gave his name as Charles Irons, an
Englishman by birth, and offered to
render any assistance possible. 1t seems
that he was left at Poseat by trading
vessel about four years ago, his business
being to represent traders on the Cocoa
nut Islands, but the vessel never called
for Irons since leaving him, and he had
gradually assumed the habits of the
natives. He finally became like them in
appearance and manner He had taken
to himself seven wives, and was regard
ed by the natives as man of Importance,
second only to the chief of the tribe
Irons had even forgotten many of the
common details of civilization, but he
was of good service to the castaways--
no doubt saving the lives of them ALL
A day or two after landing at Poseat
Capt. Gooding, who had become un-
certain about his reckoning of time, and
not knowing exactly whether the day
was Thursday or Friday, asked Irons ii
he knew what day of the week it was
Irons answered that he did not, and
more than that he did not know what
year it was. He interested himself in
behalf of the shipwrecked men and hired
a canoe from the natives.
Capt. Gooding, Second Mate George w.
Harrison and one of the ships crew set
sail ten days after their arrival, leaving
the rest of the men and First Mate Rich
ard Watchman-seven men in all-at
Poseat. The captain and his men made
their way from island to island, touch
ing at eight different points and making
stops at each, varying from two days to
q month. They finally arrived at Ruk,
where there is missionary station.
Here they were cared for by the mission
aries and obtained the use of the boat be-
longing tc the station. The missionaries
did not like to let them have the boat,
because, if deprived of it, they would be
exposed to danger of attack from natives
and deprived of their only means of
leaving the island, but finally gave con-
sent The missionaries also told them
that had they come ashore at Poseat with
any valuables the natives would certainly
have killed them as they had Others. In
the missionary boat, a stanch center
boarder, the captain made sail back to
Poseat. Hethen returned with his crew
to GEe missionary island. Two months
later the missionary vessel Morning Star
arrived and took them all to Honolulu,
where they arrived Nov. 18. From
Honolulu Capt. Gooding and part of the
crew were brought by steamer Australia
to San Francisco. Portland (Me.) Cor.
st. Louis Dispatch.
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An old farmer A. w. Drummer, down
in Kansas has had his eyes opened on
the subject of the tariff he writes 90 his
experience in the NNrthanit to-, (Pa. J
Democrat. Among other things he
says: