The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-08
ALMOST A SAVAGE,
A White Mans Strange Life in the
South Sea islands
From the NeD York Herald.


From the New York Herald
PORTLAND, Me, Jan. 24-The story of
the wreck of the Portland bark Tewksbury
L. Sweat in the South Pacific, aud the
strange story of the rescue of her crew, as
told by Capt. William Gooding of Var
mouth, Me-. has a strange SEQUEL
The bark sailed from Newcastle, New
South Wales, March Z, 1889, for Hong
Kong, under charter for New York. She
proceeded until the 9th of April following.
when in latitude z g. north and
longitude l49' II east, she encount-
tered gale and was driven ashore on Su-
same reef, near Pozeat island, one of the
group Of Caroline islands. in the South Pa
cifc.
The crew escaped in one of the ships
boats, and managed with great difficulty to
reach small isle5 to the northward. From
this iSet, after the storm subsidized, they
made the island of PoZeat, which is inhah-
tied by race of fierce savages. As the
boat approached the island a fleet of canoes
put off to intercept them. There were
about thirty canoes, with eight or ten men
in each, and ali were armed with knives
and spears. Some Of the savages could not
wait for the boat to come alongside. but
jumped overheard and swan to her, each
man carrying long, wicked looking knife,
held between his teeth.
STRIPPED THE SAILORS.
The first savages TO reach the boat clam
bered in until the boat was nearly swamped
Then they began to strip the sailors of their
coats and cutter garments, throwing the
garments aboard their own canoes. which
by this time were padding alongside The
white men were soon despoiled of every
thing but their undershirts, these being
left to them and the whole fleet drew in
toward the land,
When they got ashore, and while the
shipwrecked crew were standing surrounded
by the noisy crowd of natives. man
dressed as all the others, only with cloth
about his hips, pushed his way through
the crowd and spoke to them in the English
language.
To the establishment of Capt. Goodipg. to
whom the man addressed himself, the seem
ing native introduced himself as Charles
Irons, an Englishman, and offered to rem
der any assistance it was possible for him to
give.
Later the captain learned Irons history
1t appears that he was left at Pozeat island
by trading vessel about four years ago
his business being to represent the traders
in the cocoanut OIL trade, but the vessel had
never called for Irons since leaving him.
and he had gradually assumed the habits of
the natives, and finally became so much
like them in appearance and manner of life
he was not rn any way to be distinguished
from tine people among whom he lived. He
had taken to himself seven wives, and was
regarded by the natives as a man of i'm
portance second only to the chief of the
tribe.
FORGOT THEIR CIVILIZATION,
irons had been SO long among the natives
that he mad forgotten many of the common
things Of civilization. a day or two after
landing at Pozeat, Capt Gooding, who had
become in a degree ulcei tain alb out his
reckoning of time, not knowing exactly
whether the day was Thursday or Friday
in the week, asked Irons if 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