The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-19
THE FlELD on ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DAN
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA
"A WhiIo Expedition IN Afris" Rr"''
cd by Savages 90 An Orang'oH-
tang Attacks His Keeper etc,

Ia Whilo Expedition IN AiflS" Nf"''
cd by Savages 80 An Orang-on-
/, taug Attacks His Keeper, etc
! IA MONG the passengers o. the
~ steamer Bonny, which has
| ~ arrived at Liverpool from the
west coast OF Africa, was
Captain Boisragon, who was one CT the
only two white men who escaped from
the Benin massacre, Mr., Locke being
the other. Captain Boisragon was 10
very good health, and said that his
arm was almost well again.
Captain Boisragon gave in the Lon
don Times the following account OF
his adventures after the first attack
was made on the expedition;
"When the firing began | was walk
ing lust behind Major Crawford, who
was next to Mr.. Phillips At first we
| could not believe that the firing was
meant for anything but salute, as
everything had seemed so peaceful.
When we did realize what it meant |
rushed back to try and get my re-
volver, which was locked up in box,
but as all the carriers had bolted at
once could not get it, and was re-
turning to the head OF the column
when | met Crawford and the others
coming back. Crawford told me
Phillips had been killed already, so We
settled to try aud get back to Gwato.
AS we went along the road with n lot
of our carriers and servants who
had joined us, we were continu-
g0lIy fred on by the Benin men, At
first all the white men kept on turning
to the Benin men, saying 'Adoo' (the
Benin salutation) and 'Dou'tfre. It's
a peaceful palnyer.' Finding that
this was no good. we took to charging
them with our sticks, and they inva-
riably ran away. After a bit Major
/. Crawford was badly wounded in the
groin. So Mr.. Locke, Mailing, myself
and Crawford's orderly carried him,
although he told us he was done for
and implored us to leave HIM aud
save ourselves. Meanwhile ell our
carriers had gone on with Mr.. Fowls,
who, when last saw him, seemed to
be driving the Benin men before him
like sheep. He had been up TO Benin
several times before, could speak the |
language little, and at first the Benin |
men did not seem to want to touch |
him at all. While we were carrying |
Major Crawford, DR.. Elliot, who was
bleeding from wound in the head, !
kept on charging into the bush, try
ing to prevent the Benin men from
shooting at us, for we could only go
very slowly. He most undoubtedly
kept them from coming close up to us,
and saved us from being hit several
times. After bit saw man aim
ing at us from behind tree further
up the road in the direction we were
going, so 1 told the others to put
Crawford down for short time while
l charged at the man. In doing so |
was knocked over by shot in my
arm, but as it did not hurt at tine time
1 got up again and charged the Benin
man away.
"When I got back to the Others I
found lot of Benin men had crept
up close behind and killed them all
except Locke, who was wounded in
three places. We were all hit with
pellets several times. As Locke and
myself We're the only two living, we
bolted into the bush. We lad taken
the compass belonging to poor Nal.
ing, and tried to steer northwest,
which would bring us ont on the
Gwato Creek some way above Gwato.
We ran and walked through thick bush
as far as we could that evening, and
stopped to rest about $50 p, m, hay
ing left the scene of the massacre
about 3. 45 p. m. Immediately after
we sat down we heard two men Benin
men, OF course-talking to each other
not twenty yards away from us, and
few minutes afterwards we heard a
party cutting their way through the
bush. At first it seemed as ii they
were making straight for us, but they
passed about twenty yards from us,
dropping sentries as they went. Dur
ing the night l had to change my po-
sition, as | was getting cramp, and
the sentry in front of us must
have heard me, for he called
out to the one next him, and
we could hear them both searching
through the bush. Soon after that
woke up TO find a hand on my boot,
then feeling up my gaiter, and
thought it was one of the Benin men
who had found us in the dark. |
grabbed the hand, meaning to stranole
the man before he could cry out, At
the same time ] called out, Locke,
have caught this villainl' when l
found it was Locke himself, who had
changed his position and was trying
10 find out where L was. After this I
the Benins must have known where we
were, as we could hear three of them !
round and round us until /
ong after daylight. Then they seemed
% leave us, but why or wherefore they
lid | cannot tell. We thought that
hey imagined we were already done
or. However, instead of being shot
when we moved off, as we half ex.
1ected to be, we saw no one and got !
way. Although we heard plenty of I
people we met no one until the last =
lay, as we kept to the bush as much
Is possible.
"On the fifth day we came across a |
mall creek which we knew must lead r
% the Gwato Creek. We walked down t
INTO small waterside village. There ]
he few men, instead Of giving us the t
Tater we asked for, hurried us off into /
small canoe until we were round S
orner. Then they let US drink all we C
Tanted. These men were Jakries, who S
rade with the Benin men, and they I
ook us across to bigger Jallrie vii L