The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-12
EATEN BY POLAR BEARS.
ADVENTURES OF a CREW ON ST.
MATHEWS ISLAND.

@AA -A- " ? AoA-ANO-
White Bruin scorns Dark Meat-A
Colored Man the Only One of q Crew
the Story of the Revenous Polar
Beasts.
From the San Francisco Examiner.
This is the story colored sailor told as
/ he gathered a crowd about him in a water
front saloon:
II was one Of the Grew Of twelve who left
this port in 1876 on the whisky trader Nell
| lie for cruise among the islands Of the
north, and 1 was also one Of the seven of
that twelve who reached the shore when
the vessel went to pieces off st. Mathews
island. OF that seven was the only one
who lived to tell the story and IL was my
color which saved me Now, white trash
laugh at a black man if you dare.
at was in June that we went ashore. The
wreck occurred early in the morning. and
by noon there wasn't enough left of the yes
sci TO make a cane for a dude. We saved
nothing but our lives and the clothes on our
| backs. The island was uninhabited though
it has plenty Of timber, and we were able
to build a shelter of brush and driftwood.
when night shut in we crawled into she
| uub, tlT6Q, COIu anu Eehu1 TO 6hb our nA0Qs
| OF. About midnight one OF the men startled
US broad awake by yell which should have
been heard by ali the ships upon the sea.
| He seemed TO be dragged away by a huge
shape, and we heard his cries grow fainter
and fainter, but didn't dare follow. We
| had no light and all we could do was to
wait for the morning.
| "At dawn we found all that was left of
| our shipmate-a pile of bones and blood
| stained garments-not a hundred yards
| from our shelter. From the tracks in the
soft ground we knew he had been dragged
off and eaten by bears. We found that the
island swarmed with polar bears, and con-
cluded that our only safety lay in climbing
tall trees and sleeping there.
DRIVEN DOWN BY STARVATION.
"This we did for several nights, and we
could hear the great brutes shifting, shuffling
and growing along the ground hunting for
| their prey. During the day we would
| gather shellfsh from the beach to stave off
| hunger, and then we'd take to the trees on
| the first sign of danger.
| "This roosting high like turkeys grew
very tiresome In short order, and we set
| about building a stout brush corral. We
| picked up an ak with broken helve in the
| wreckage on the shore, and in two days had
/ a corral and hut that looked as If they would
Withstand herd of elephants.
81 had my doubts, however, and when
| night came took to my tree again. The
| others chose the greater comfort of the COR
| raj.
1.-THE bears went through that brush
| stockade as IL it had been made of paper.
| The men scattered for the trees, but two OF
them we're caught. killed and eaten.
| "You may have been told shat polar
bear is q coward, and that he will retreat
| if a man shows fight. That's one of the lies
/ of those naturalist chaps, who make habits
for animals from the top stories Of brick
buildings. Why, get two or three of those
| bears together hungry and they'd attsck
the United States army. II pools we're sold
on the fight I'd back the bears.
1.-THE death Of those two men settled the
question of sleeping. We didn't try any
| wished they were higher. But we couldn't
stay there always. We had 80 eat, and the
| bears seemed to know it it. They took to
coming around during the day and snift1ng
| at the roots of the trees where we WERE
This forced US TO make our sallies to the
beach together, and we had to be very
quick about gathering the mussels and other
she'll fish.
| HIS COLOR SAVED HIM.
But with all our caution one more cha D
was surprised and killed, and then the three
survivors drew lots as to who should gather
the days food. The man who drew the
short twig the first day refused to go. So
we had row, and each man had TO shift
for himself.
''I starved In my tree for three days be-
fore dared make a dash for food or drink.
l could see or hear bears all the time.
Finally ran for it, swallowed as much
water as | could hold and luckily came upon
double handful of mussels.
THE bears didn't bother me, but the
moment the other men attempted similar
feat they we're pursued. One was overtakeu
tan 10Th in FNIa cd viz hifV
beasts laid siege TO the tree of the other.
He stuck it ouS for three days more, and
then from weakness or delirium fell or
threw himself down.
''After that nearly went mad. / could
see no hope. Vessels rarely touched at the
island. The mussels were nearly all gone
from that beach, and l expected TO be- eaten
if l made move. At last. however. was
forced to do something, SO slid to the
ground and started for the spring.
Hardly had taken the first sip, when
out of the brushes came bear, / jumped
up TO run, but in my weakened condition
stumbled, fell and couldn't rise. The great
brute was upon me, and gave up hope. /
felt his hot breath on my face. He turned
me over with rough touch of paw.
''Then he shifted and went away.
"Boys, polar bears won't east niggers.
It's because we are a superior race. Black
meat is too rich for them.
THOUGHT HE WAS LIGHT UP ALoFT.
s'After that worked around to the other
side of the island where there was more to
eat on the beach, and just at the time l was
down to bone and queer in my mead the
Canadian sealer Ottawa blew in for water.
Seal posohing is the greatest business in
the world. Pm with the poachers every
time, since the day 1 sighted the Ottawa.
''When 1 told the sealers about the bears
they thought was light up al)ft on ac-
count of my troubles. But showed them
the tracks and all hands turned out for a
hunt. They killed sight the first day, and
twenty three before the week was out.
THAT'S my bear story"