Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-04
CRUSOE UP TO DATE.
How an Englishman Was Deserted
and Forgotten for Four Years.
ODD STORY OF CHARLES IRONS.
BE Adopts the Habits of the Savages, Even
Taking Seven Wives.
ALL ACCOUNT OF TINE LOST BY HIM

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArCH.1
RANDOLPH, MASS, Dec. 3.-A private
letter from Captain William Gooding, of
the bark which was lost on the island of
Pozeat, one Of the Caroline Islands, short
time ago, contains thrilling narrative of
shipwreck. capture by savages, and ulti-
mate rescue by modern Robinson Crusoe.
The ships crew barely escaped, taking to
the boat with only the ships chronometer.
The island is inhabited by fierce savages,
who had killed many shipwrecked mariners
before, and would probably have taken the
lives of Captain Gooding's crew if they had
had any valuables The men were finally
taken from neighboring island by the
missionary vessel Morning Star, to Homo
lulu, whence they sailed for San Francisco.
Captain Gooding's story of his experience
at Pozeat is substantially as follows:
AS the boat approached the island a fleet
of canoes put off from the shore. There
were about 80 canoes, with eight or ten
men in each, and all were armed with
knives and spears Some of the savages in
their eagerness jumped overheard and
swan to the boat, each with long, wicked
looking knife held between his teeth.
Robbed by Lot OF Savages.
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 outer garments, throwing them
aboard their own canoes The men were
soon despoiled of everything but their
undershirts. Then the whole fleet drew in
toward land.
The savages all this time had kept up
ndnue din nf chnutiup opd cippipp and
the crowd of women and children on the
shore was dancing about with shouts and
cries. The sailors expected no better treat
ment than to be killed and eaten, but, as
they learned afterward the natives of the
island, were not cannibals
While the shipwrecked crew was stand
ing surrounded by the noisy crowd, a man.
dressed as were all the others, with only a
cloth about his hips, came forward and
spoke to them in English. He gave his
name as Charles Irons, an Englishman by
birth, and offered to render any assistance
possible.
Left on an Island Like Crusoe.
It seems that he was left at Pozeat by a
trading vessel about four years ago, his
business being to represet traders in
Cocoanut Island, but the vessel had never
called for Irons since leaving him, and he
had gradually assumed the habits of the
natives. He had taken to himself seven
wives and was regarded by the natives as a
man of importance, second only to the chief
of the tribe. Irons had even forgotten
many of the common customs of civiliza-
tion, but he was of good service to the
castaways, no doubt saving the lives of all.
A day or two after landing at Pozeat,
Captain Gooding, who had become un-
certain about his reckoning time, not know
ing whether it was Thursday or Friday,
asked Irons if he knew what day of the
week it was. Irons answered that he did
not, and more than that he didn't know
what year it was. He interested himself IN
behalf of the shipwrecked men, and hired
a canoe from the natives, with which they
reached neighboring island, from whence
they were eventually rescued.