The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-13


ship to the wind, and we managed to come
close to the queer craft that you now see on
the skids. There were seven men in her,
and more emacated set of beings you
never saw. They presented dreadful
sight An old man who was III the stern OF
the boat, and whom we afterward ascer-
tanned was the King, gasped 'rODe, water
We threw them rope, but not one OF them
had strength left to make it fast. The mate
got down into the boat and made the rope
fast, and took pannikin of water down
with him, which he handed to the King.
The poor fellow did not have strength
enough to raise the water to his lips, much
as he craved it. We lowered the gangway,
and the second mate went down and took
the King under his arm and packed him up
on deck. He was so emaeiated he could not
have weighed more than 70 pounds.
SORRY SPECTACLE.
well, We got all the men on board. and
a sorry spectacle they were. Their stom-
achs were shrunk in and their bones pro-
truded through their skin, forming sores.
As luck would have it, had lots of salve
on board, and by careful attention l got
them all well, with the exception of the
King before we got to Kobe. The King
died four days after we picked them up.
I" The canoe. which was fitted on one side
with an outriggeT. like a catamaraD, we
bOisted up TO the end of the Yankee boom.
-
OF scissors, a tattered straw sail and two
paddles. 1t came on to blow that night
ana We had to cut the outrigger away.
When we got the men on board, | took
the King aft and gave him a, spoonful of
brandy and an egg. He then slept for four
hours, and when he woke up he asked for a
smoke, and said he would talk in little
while. l gave him pipe of tobacco and he
enjoyed it. He could talk a little English.
CAUGHT IN GALE.
"He told me that the party, among whom
was his son, had left their island on a fish
ing cruise. A gale sprang up. which lasted
twelve hours, and they had been driven
out Of sight Of land, they knew not where.
Their cOcOanuts were all washed over
board and the boat filled with water. With
the exception of two all their paddles were
lost overheard. All hands jumped over
board time and time again and baled the
boat out. They had been eighteen days in
the boat without food and water when we
picked them up, and that morning the old
King, mad with hunger and fault with
thirst, had decided that his son, boy IL
years old, must be killed, in order that the
others might live. Preparations were made
and all but completed, when our sails were
seen and the boys life was saved.
The men were on the verge Of starva-
ton. They had copper-colOred skins, long
flowing hair and spreading nostrils, and
were tattooed from head to foot. In ply
higher standard than the japanese. | fed
them on broth and other liquid food for
some days, watching over them day and
night. l hardly thought any of them would
live, but the only one that died was the
King. He was an ugly looking fellow, but
the others all looked up to him and were
very attentive to him. If l gave them any
thing to eat they always looked at him be-
fore putting it to their lips.
THE KING DIES.
"On the fourth day after we reached them
the King, who was in the forward house,
said to me: King (they always called me
'King), l 90 on deck l said: 'All right,
come on He said: You help me, King
l assisted him on deck, and in one minute
a[terward he died. His son and the others
did not seem to take on much at his death.
'The rest of the party thrlved well. All
the clothing they had was ibe r loiu-cloth.
i gave them each suit OF clothes out of the
slop chest, which they put on, but they
soon pulled them off, tearing off the buttons.
They gladly put them on, however, when
we got in colder climate, and | had the
picture of the survivors taken in their new
raiment at Kobe. They never would wear
shoes though, except when their picture
was taken.
THE men seemed to be religious, for al
ways before they ate they crossed their
hands and seemed to pray. gave each one
a pipe of tobacco three times a day and
they enjoyed IL hugely lney got 10 ike the
ships grub very much, especially ships
bread and canned meats, but they never
would touch soft bread-they did not like
the smell of it. They would chew ship
biscuit all day.
VERY AFFECTIoEATE.
when we got to Kobe they would watch
me when [ was about to go ashore and say,
How long go, King; one hour, two hours?'
One man was always on watch for my re-
turn, and when | came back each one would
take my hand and rub it against his nose as
a mark of affection. l took them to the
Temperance Home at Kobe and commune
Gated with the Spanish Minister at Toxic,
who got my proteges passage to Hong-Kong
by steamer. From there ! heard that they
were taken to their native island by small
trading sailing craft.
when they left Kobe" said the kind
hearted captain, 81 could not 60 and wish
them good-by, l had got so much attached
to the simple, good-hearted natives When
ever they met me ashore they used to say,
Don't go, King; don't go away"
Captain Curling says that he has no use
for the dug0ut or canoe, and if the Academy
of Science or any other institution wants
this relic of the tropical seas they are well
come to il,