The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-04-19
A CAPTIVE IN BORNEO.
Remarkable Adventure of a Man
Who Fell in with Pirates.
by Superior Skill in Woodcraft and the
Art of Writing He Astonishes the
Natives, Is Promoted and Gets
Dusky Wife.

always keep sharp lookout for men
who have had adventures. They are to
be found in the oldest. most unlikely
places and occupying all sorts of condi-
tions 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 a
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 l have
been sadly deluded.
Henry f. 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 l came to myself the blood was
still trickling slowly down my face.
The blow from the heavy crease which
] had sought to ward off had got home.
and descending on my unprotected head,
had deprived me of my senses. 1t was
some time before l could, move, for l
was very stiff and sore, and indeed
badly wounded. 1t was almost dark
where / 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 it's 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, l gained the deck and
looked about me. The crew of the junk
were holding high carnival astern. The
blood of recent conflict was yet I'M
washed from the deck. l 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 had 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 |
alone reserved? Overcome by the awful
calamity which had overtaken me, as
the dreadful scenes through which had
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 l once
more became cognizant OF what was
going on around me.
Early one morning I was awakened by
the growing of barn fowls. In a dream
of delight lay and listened Surely
was home again in the farm in Wiseon-
sin! A glance around the rude hut in
which I 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 lthronged around me. A tall
man, who seemed to be in authority,
apparently moved to some degree of
compassion, explained the situation to
me. 4 was prisoner among the Dyaks
of Borneo.
At first was so overwhelmed by my
miserable situation that / did nothing
but long for death. Finding, however,
that was treated with tolerable kind
ness, hope began to revive within my
breast Nourishing food and rest did
wonders for me. My wounds healed,
my old-timc vigor returned, and with it
the desire for life-and liberty. This
latter, however, seemed, for the present
at least, 4 very remote contingency, for
was so closely watched, night and day,
that there seemed to be no Glance of
escape.
The town where 1 was confined was
situated close to the sea shore, and
might have contained, perhaps, 5000
Inhabitants. When trade was good the
population did Il thriving business in
fcAk and other merchantable woods;