The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-18

feelings when sate ON land they have
when in some tight place on the sea there
would be no more sailors But as soon as
Icy are out of scrape they are anxious
to get into another. However, l met with
one singular experience in ISIS which was
about as peculiar as anything that ever
came my way. / was then officer of the
bark Gen Scott of FairhaVen. We were
cruising in about latitude north and carr
ried a stock for barter with the natives
wherever we stopped.
Not far from New Guinea are two
islands which were then inhabited by cam
nibals of the worst kind. Not a ship
which touched there dared send its men
ashore. One of the islands was called
New ireland, and the other st. Johns
Trading ships would anchor good bit
out from shore and the natives would
swim out with their bundles for trade on
their heads. AS only a few were allowed
on board at a time this method of IN
tercourse was entirely safe: One day,
and the natives were gathered in groups
along the beach, l suddenly noticed that
there was a big commotion among Them
They began leaping about as if they had
1T required only moment for the ma
ture OF the excitement TO become appar-
ent. for by means of my glass could see
one man fighting his way through the
crowd. Once or twice 1t looked as If he
would be unable to escape, for ii appeared
as if every mans hand was against him.
| But he broke loose from those who had
caught him and darted down the slope of
| the beach. As he reached its very edge
he gave a tremendous spring and landed
| far out into the surf.
| Ills disappearance under water was not
a moment too soon, for he was followed by
| d shower of spears from the group at the
waters edge l fairly held my breath
waiting for him TO show his head again,
| When he did so he had made Roadway of
| several rods underneath the water. only
| for moment was his back pate in sight,
i but that was long enough to draw from
/ his followers another fusilade of javeiins.
| Whether any of them had reached their
mark or not l could not tell.
| Another long wait followed and l had
| almost despaired of seeing him again
| when his head once more bobbed out of
| the smooth surface. fish jumping out
| OF the water could not have made more
sudden appearance than did that native.
| The sympathies of all his observers on
| board the ship were thoroughly aroused.
1t was the most wonderful swimming feat
| l ever saw. He made straight for the ship
and when he came alongside he found
| line out waiting for him. As soon as he
| oVerhanded UP the line and was safe on
board we hoisted anchor and put out for
| the arctic seas, having finished our trad
| ing. Almost the moment he set foot on
! deck he was named Friday, after the ma
| tive whom Robinson Crusoe rescued, ac-
| cording to De Foes story. He was given
| over TO the cook and became the latter's
| servant. Although he was so black that
| charcoal would have made white mark
upon him, he was a remarkably handsome
| fellow, and his eyes and voice were as
| soft and gentle as those of woman. On
the voyage he was very quick in picking
| up our ways and language.
! The following year, as we were once
| more approaching the Island of st. Johns s,
| we asked Friday if he wished to return to
| his people. His answer was emphatically
in the negative, and he said that he wish
| ed to go to America with us. Consequent
] ly l was very much surprised, just as we
| came in sight of the island, 70 have him
come to me and say he had changed his
mind. and desired to go ashore.
| I'VE filled a sea chest with tshhooks,
| knives, hatchets, thread, needles and
other articles of trade, which might Sc
4 a1lr inn w o.
| ness for the trouble which had so nearly
| cost him his life when he came to us.
| had been we had never been able TO learn.
He would only say that it was fight
After we had anchored / lowered the
| small boat and with Friday his chest and
tives quickly gathered along the beach,
but they kept to the high-water mark,
| which was an indication of their peaceful
intentions. But we did not allow TINS
| to trap us into landing. Stopping the
boat few rods from shore, Friday took
to the water and was soon among his
| people. Such a love feast ! never saw be-
fore! They were so thick about him that
he could not be seen more than half the
| time. Finally l called to him, ordering
| him to return to us.
This he did. but the change in the poor
| fellow was simply incredible. THOSE rev
minutes on his native shore seemed to
have turned him back into a savage
again. His command of English words
| had almost wholly forsaken him, and 1t
was with dificulty he could make us I'M
derstand that his father and mother were
among the group on the beach. He was
almost as much savage as when he had
first come aboard the ship.
Il bade him good-by, tumbled ms chest
of gifts into the water and ordered the
men to pull back to the vessel. FRIDAY
| pushed the chest in front of him TO the
| shore. The moment it grounded the
| whole pack of natives was upon 1t. In a
minute they had it's lid off and every black
| hand in the group was inside the chest.
| It's a moral certainty that Friday did not
| have so much as a fish hook left for his
| own use out of the entire chestful of ar
| ticies. That was the last | ever saw OF
/ Friday, but, / have often wondered II he
| ever again went back to the habit or
| scoffing,' as the eating of human hesh IS
| called by the sailors.
| "Of all the truck and trinkets which /
| gathered from the four corners of the
| earth / have but one thing left. That Is a
| crude little figure Of a Venus which L
carved from the tooth of a whale. 1t was
| all done with the broken blade of small
penknife, and | worked upon II In my idle
| moments for fully four months. The sea
| yarns / listened to while | was whiting
| out that little image would fill volume
| bigger than Robinson CrEsoe.
| For many years Capt. Remington sail
| ed vessels for the Dabneys Of the Azores.
| John Dabney of Chicago, is a member of
| this family, which has been for fully a
| hundred years practically supreme in
| those islands, where their magnificent eS-
| tates are still intact.