New-York tribune., 1898-10-16
WILD WHITE HEN.
DERELICTS IN AUSTRALIA WHO PREcEDED
LOUIS DE ROCGEMONT

From The Pa Mall Gazette
The meteoric appearance IN On midsi II a
gentleman named Louis de Rougemont. win A
marvellous story Of hitherto unheard-pf ai-
ventures during an alleged residence of some
thirty years with the blacks Of Northern Aus
ualia. reN!!cs recOllectiOnS Of the wild white
men that from time 10 time have fallen into
the han Is Of the uncivilized Australian abo-
rhymes and been restored 10 white humanity
after long years Of separation and DEGRADATION
In the present unsatisfactory condition Of tn
libel laws it would not be prudent TO say NOR.
of the alleged RougemOntian adventures ana
experiences than that they have aroused
considerable scepticsm in the minds u many
well-lnformed Australians. The general i'm
preston in colonial circles is that they arr
largely a Supcrstructure Of romance based upon
a small foundation Of reality. 1t is litte loss
than incredible that man in the opened-up
Australia of our tine should have lived cor
three decades among the blacks. and rescued
two white women from their clutches. without I
word of his existence or his sensational service
to beauty in distress coming 10 the knowledge
of the very WidcaWake Australian press Louis
DE- Roug, mont has dropped down upon H. Aa
if from a balloon.
The frs; recorded Wild white man was WI.
lam Buckley. native Of Macclcsieid. and AZ
the close Of the last century soldier in he
4th or Kings own. Regiment. ON December II.
1902. in company with six other soldiers. p"
involved in an attempt m the life IF the
Duke Of Kent He was sentenced 10 ttanspor''
tiCn for life and taken out in COnVCt-sni -
the AntiuOdcs During brief stay a. the heal
triYcd to escape in company with two other
conyicts. The latter persisted how was never
asCcrtained-and when Buckley was subsequent. .
ly questioned as 10 their fate hc Wa@ exceed o.
ingy reticent and Disconnected. That il
Of cannibalisu was the general belief (
the early settlers around Melbourne Anyhow
in the last stages of hunger and privatiGr
Buckley lay down upon what proved TO De r.
grave Of recently buried chief. Luckily :o'
him the widow came along. and superstitiouSlv
concluded that her dear departed had returned
fn lp o
promptly annexed him as her own. led him 20
the camp Of the blacks. explained the crcum
stances under which she had found him, and -"
cured his admission chief Of the tribe.
position for which he was physically we'll quail
fed. he a man Of great stature 6 feet
inches. strength and endurance.
Fsr tpa next thrty-tWo years Buckley led The
life of a savage. hunting. fishing ana fsht.nl
with the tribe that adopted him. He does no,
appear 20 have taught the blacks anything or
raised them in any degree in the scale Of civi-
zation. He simply became one of themselves
and adapted himself to his new environment
in every respect perhaps his best and "isest
course under the circumstances. Il was on
July l.. $50. that h. saw a white face for he
first time after the lapse Of NOR than thirty
years ON that lay the pioneers Of the city y
Melbourne landed from their little schooner.
and Buckley advanced % meet them. He laI
by this time become but little superior To- the
savages around him. but the newcomers noticed
H." comparatively light color Of his skin ="
tried to summon up some English words fr0m
in articulatng the word bread He made
himself very useful as an interpreter betW"en
the new white settlers and the blacks. ana when
his story reached London. The lnpt ria iuthorl-
iies magnanimOuSv drew he SpD uee oyer MS
offence and sent him free pardon. H enjoyed
a small pension in his later years. and lived
until February - 1886 when he was thrown )ut
OF a cart and killed IN his seventy sixth y"ar
The site Of the present town II GeelOne. about
forty miles from Melbourne was the headludr-
ters Of the t.'ib. to which Buckley Was attached
tf
miles from Ge"lorg there Is still shown I ave
in river gorge where hc is said 10 haN' 49,
sided and the adjacent rapids continue - Der.
petunte his name a. I}uclliay's FAlls
James Morrill, a native 81 Maidon. Essex. 'as
thc sol. survivor Of thu shipWrecli oi th' oark
Peruvian. that struck ~ a reef OF the north
eastern coast of Queensland on March :. 1916.
IT, lived with the Que.nsand backs until 'ir
rescue in February. 1N'i3 Another shipNr"'H 4
sailor John RcrtD1 bE U1iur WAS with NJ
QUO. n-laud blacks 'or an even longer period.
twenty yrlrs The -tor' OF little cabin-poy
named Nar i-se Pierre Peiatirr ought - nav"
attracted th- attention Of tN~ boys UONeii~,S
long b"fDrc non lie engaged as cal in boy N
the 81 Paul bpund from china 10 AuStraNl
with 81 Chinese tmIgrants She also struck
ou = reef IF the northeastern coast Of queens
land officers ami rren got away ~ the boats.
not troubling themselves ibout the Chinese pas
scngerS and in their hurry forgetting me htt'"
ca bin boy. who WdS subsequently tound ~ m"
hlac h. IN A DYING condition IN a Granny luipuS
The rocks They nursed him back 20 liie, iri
him. treated him we'll and. IN iact made MN
the pet uf the tribe Nearly an the chimes" pas
sens gers were captured by thu blacks and eaten
up tNJ ar a time Th' flesh f the ChindWAn
is esteemed great delicacy by the oannlhal
blacks of Queensland. From the point 81 view
Of ctnnibal. vegetarian - vastly superior
10 a mcat-cater. Little Pelldu"r lived win ne
blacks for seventeen years. and was rescued hy
A British ship. the John Bell. on April II lN.'
IL Immediately returned 10 France WHei' "e
may be- stlll living He would now De q man Of
be y cen ifty and sixty