Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23
A SEA ROVER'S HOME.
The Dramatic History of Pitts Island
in the South Pacific.
PEOPLED BY A WHALER'S FAMILY.
MisfOrtunes of the Crew of an English
Barque in Antarctic Seas.
LIFE AMONG THE SAVAGE ISLANDERS
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

In the early part of the present century
some of the best whaling in the world was to
be had in the South seas, especially in that
part of the Pacific Ocean which lies between
the Antarctic Ocean and the Tropic OF
Capricorn, in Polynesia. The confines of
the Antarctic itself abounded in whales, but
the terrors of that appalling region deferred
all but the stoutest hearts, and of those who
ventured the majority never returned. The
warmer waters to the southeast of New Hol-
land, however, though b stormy enough at
some seasons of the year, not only afforded
excellent fishing, but were dotted with num-
berless islands where the whalers might re-
cruit after the hardships of their long
cruise, reft their ships and lay in provisions
for the return voyage to England or Amer
lea. Even the loss of their ships did not de-
bar them from pursuing their trade, for the
whales came so near the land that they
were easily hunted and killed by boats
crews belonging to whaling stations on
shore, where the blubber was tried down
and the oil sold to vessels that called for
that purpose.
The whaling in those seas came to an end
very speedily through the greediness and
the cruel folly of the whalers themselves.
Bulls, cows and calves were mercilessly har-
pooned or driven ashore and cut to pieces;
and, as whales, for all their bulk, are among
the most timid of creatures, they soon fled
to the Antartic Businesses and are now rarely
seen where formerly they were as common
as porpoises. The haunts of the old whalers,
however, are still to be seen, and many of
them are interesting. It is one Of these that
had in my mind when took pen in hand
to describe sea rover's home.
THE ENGLISH SEA ROVER.
though blind and idiotic, and the wars be-
at an end, when Captain William Pitt, of
the barque Orion, went a-whaling in the
South seas. He was stern, strong man
whom no dangers could alright; and was
one of the few bold spirits who sailed as
near to the South Pole as it was possible to
go. His first voyage to the Antarctic was
very successful, and he not only brought
back the first news of huge volcanoes, spout
ing smoke and flame above the perpetual
snow, but also q full ship OF the best oil and
quantities of ivory. On his second trip,
however, the fate which he had SO often de-
fed overlook him with relentless fury. The
Orion got icebound and half his crew died
of scurvy or want. When at last the ship
got free she was so badly squeezed that it
was only by hauling cable round her that
he managed to keep her afoat. When he
got to the rendezvous where fresh provisions
and appliances for repairs should have been
found, the place was totally bare. Some
strangers had been there and consumed or
carried off everything.
Captain William Pitt saw he was in trou-
BILE. But he was not man to perish so long
as a chance for life was left. He gave his
exhausted crew 3 couple OF days rest and a
teed of that sour grass which covers the half
frozen cliffs of the Antarctic islands, and
then, having patched up the Orion as well
as he could, he set his tattered sails to a
southerly breeze and let her drive before it.
BROKE LIKE A BOX OF MATCHES.
The breeze not only held, but increased
tremendously. It grew to a gale and the
gale grew to hurricane. The Orion plunged
and strained and on the fifth night she went
to pieces on an unknown shore like box of
matches split upon the floor.
1t always took good deal 10 astonish
Captain William Pitt, but he freely ac-
knowledged afterward that he was somewhat
taken by surprise when, on the quarterback
carrying him away, he found himself being
dragged up a steep bank by number of
people talking strange tongue. They car
ried him to hut where there was fire, and
then he saw that they were black or copper
colered, but not at all bad looking. He
found that he was on the largest of a group
OF little islands, with no other land in sight
in any direction. The second mate and five
seamen of the Orion had reached shore alive
Captain Pitt called the island Pitts Island,
and took possession of it. It is still in the
Pitts possession.
Captain Pitt built as comfortable and
spacious dwelling as any retired nautical
gentleman could desire. He even set up a
flagstaff with topmast in front of the house,
and, the signal chest having been recovered,
he proudly hoisted the British ensign to in
dicate the sovereignty Of William Pitt.
AS soon as the Captains house was fin
ished, the mate and the sailors were allowed
to build cabins Tor themselves on a plan
provided by their commander and with his
brawny and capable assistance, the natives
furnishing the mere labor for carrying up
timber or bringing down materials from the
forest. Before many weeks were over, there
was quite a cosy little village perched on
the terrace overlooking the bay, whilst all
the stores and everything else of any value
that had come ashore from the wreck were
safely slowed in large cave in the rocky
cliff, over the mouth OF which a shed of
rushes ha6 been built.
PLENTY OF FOOD TO BE HAD.
By this time all the poor natives scanty
stock of provisions, consisting of dried she'll
fish and sweet potatoes, were exhausted, and
the question arose of supplying the en-
larged community with food. The diff
Guilty, however, was not at all serious. The
natives had no boat except himsy canoe in
which they dared not venture into open wa
ter, though it served them for fishing in the
bay; but Captain Pitt, with his two fine
whaleboats-for the damaged one had been
repaired-was master OF the situation. Sail
ing round the island he found multitudes oi
sea birds on the rocky islets to the south
ward, huge albatrosses and mollymawks.
and a dozen different kinds of gulls and
penguins, sitting on innumerable eggs, and
far too unaceustomed to human beings to
take the slightest notice of the intruders,
Here was an endless supply of fresh
poultry and omelettes, whilst a number
OF large brown seals, lying lazily on the
swampy slopes of the islets, furnished
abundance of fat meat, besides skins use
full for all sorts of purposes. The
wild cabbage or turnip, which is the
universal remedy for scurvy in all those
seas, grew all around; and palm trees, with
a heart like celery or lettuce, but sweeter
and more substantial, were numerous in the
forest. The islands, in fact, proved to be
teeming with wholesome food, which, added
to the ships stores, amply provided all the
wants OF both whites and natives. The lat
ter speedily became entirely subservient to
the newcomers, who treated them simply as
slaves. Though they strongly objected to
work, and sometimes threw themselves down
or hid in the woods for davs thew were