Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-03
sAvAGES OF THE FOREST,
Looked Upon SANKEY'S Men Merely
as an Appetizing Meal.
HAD DEADLY POISONED ARROWS
Killed Almost Everyone who Was Even
scratched by One OF
Them.


ful suffering that the men endured In their
march through the Aruwlml forest, and
the character Of the natives who opposed
their advanec,-Ed)
These &. tiers. which we found on the
lower Aruwimi, were large and green In
color; they had an unpleasant, bitter
taste, aud We found them quite UNBEATABLE.
but doubtless tho natives knew soma
method Of making them edible, though
We were never able to ind out what
method they employed. The villages sue
coeded one after the other, wen nigh
without hrcak. their united population
reckoning many thousands. ana for u
while We hRd sufficient food In tho shape
Of mRnioc, bananas and Indian corn.
The natives here appeared TO belong TO a
country varied from eight to sixteen
miles In breadth. and they generally
spoke different languages.
For the titst thirty days our course had
been comparatively successful but the ex-
petition had new TO enter upon n wllder-
moss. without food. through which II took
nine days TO march. suspccting that food
would be scarce ahead, we had ordered
our mon 10 prepare ua large u supply OF
dry bnnnpaa Aa they were ublo to carry.
hu, the HarglhafiN wore like children and
" they carried food FOR oipht days they
generally ate It IN two, trusting to proyi.
donce TO find moro by the way The rc-
suit was difnptrnps The forest round
seemed dcsortci 10y an animals. there
was scarcely amy reod 10 he rot, and In
this nine dgyg march we lost not less
than fifteen men from starvation alone
The poorness of our dict and tho wan.
II salt room row began to toll upon
blacks and whltcs nll,c our blood be-
came 30 wonS uud ucur that the sllghtogt
scratch FROM bush or tres room de-
Nclopcd into the most virulont ulcer Our
mon, from sickness and nnnemla. he-
camo h1mcslcly and dependent. aud like
most OrlontulH, bclrF great fataliats
many Of them rave ~ without making
much effort 10 bear M. Aftrr struggling
on for nine days We reached place
called pangu, which w village on n
largo island, below II Sorl"s % hugo cpt-
nineta extending right across the river
These obtnrncig, about sixty feet hlgh.
were tho largest wo saw on tho Aru-
wimi Here tho natives made some
stand against us but we were able 10
drive them on md captured twelve gouia,
These were divided amongN our mon
as they were so exhausted from their
Hufferlnga through the nine days wilder.
neaf. The natives here were very foro-
coun and refused an our ovctturoH Or
friendship ma wo Lost several men from
the effects Of poisoned arrows. From
this time troubles seemed 10 come thick
nndn ua. one Of orr cAnooa containing
ammunition. beads lrasE wire. cloth and
cowilcs, was unset In the rnpdg mud
though we had men diving 10 recover
them for whole day. we were only
able TO ret q rev boxes Of ammunition.
but everything that represented our
money was ltsL
on october rs we reached Village
called Avryghehl, and finding 1t hhan-
dnned BY tho natives we rncnmped In
Il. We had not been pncampcd long be-
fore we heard the guns going. A largo
band Of natives had attacked one NJ cur
parties out In search Of food and sharp
fght between them was going on.
We graened our guns and hurried out
10 Ind q perfect shower OF polsonei mr.
rows falling amongst our men. large
party Of whom wore crossing the creek
In the whnle-hont, The nght lasted some
IS minutes, Here poor Stairs. who dashed
out to rally our panlc-slrickcn men, ,,nH
shot by u poisoned arrow lust above the
heart, tho point ~ the arrow breaking on
and remnnlng In the wound of The nno
men who were struck by poisoned arrows
In this flEht, all died In about five days
from locilaw. Stairs only was saved
and ttiH was through inc deyo,ion OF
Surgeon Parko. who at the risk OF hia
own life sucked the poison from the
wound. After three weeks Captain Stairs
was sufficiently recovered 10 resume his
duties. but owing TO the arrow point being
NO near his heart, Phrke was unable TO
probe the wound, which remained open
and snppurating for fifteen months after
wards, when he was nt last able 10 eNtfl-
cate H. The tip of that poisoned arrow Is
now In medical museum IN LondOni
The natives In the region about the VII
lagc OF Aveysheba, are, should Hay, the
lowest type Of any bushmen We came
H.. - ~
balls and had their teeth filed TO enable
them 10 eat human flesh with greater
facility. They were small and thick set.
with low. vlllalnous faces; thick. matted.
eli locks covered their heads; their eyes
had q lowering and reowllnR expression;
and they had that peculiar and unpleas-
ant odor about them which most canni-
bais have II Is a sort " smell ike the
lions cage at the geological Gardens.
Fighting In the thick OF the forest In
very difficult, for one is seldom able TO
see the natives, who avail Themselves Of
The cover OF every troe and bush, from
behind which they shoot their poisoned
arrows The pit pit. pt-of these arrows
striking the bushes all around, aud the
cries Of the bowling sayagea. which
echoed through The dark woods, made
ones blood run cold. II was as n pack
of wolves had been let loose. Moreover.
Il " particularly Illuminating sensation
that you are looked upon by them. not aH
a human being merely. but rather az an
nppatizlng meal II makes one feel very
creepy. or all Of the white men I was
the least thin. and my feilow-oiieers used
to chm me about u, saying that they a.
ways saw tho mouths OF these savnges
water when they caught sight OF me. IT
the thought OF the delicious steaks they
would cut or me. Owing to the number
Of sick men. we were obliged 20 divide tho
caravan into two parties-the river party
aud the ihnd party, This former party
VI a certain number OF paddiers.
who were told OF 10 convey the sick and
wounded into The boat and canoes. II
WAS always taken charge OF by Mr.. STAN
ley. who led the way IN the boat. and kept |
q constant lookout for the natives. who |
frequently attacked our Hick In large ca |
noes, which would suddenly dart out from |
dark creeks and from behind Islands 10 at |
tack the wehried rowera.
Here / was put In command OF the land |
party. and Rn old native man and wom-
an, whom we captured in one Of the de-
serted villages. volunteered 70 lead u. !
they told us 40 many Hes that we chris 1
tened them Ananias and Sapphira, Led |
By them, We marched away into the |
gloomy depths Of the forest and It was |
six days before the land party came IN |
touch with the river party. MIR, Stnnley'n |
anxiety OF loring siRht 81 The land party |
fur IN louK WaN lufefHr.