The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-30
How de Rougemont Finally Made
His Way to Civilization.

Ills way 10 CIVILIZATION.
In making his first attempt to regain
civilization, it was necessary for De
Rougemont to proceed entirely at ran
dom, as ne was totally unfamiliar with
the geography of the country. 1t was
his impression, however, that by trav-
cling overland to the northwest he
would be most likely to fall in with
white men or with natives who could
tell him where they were to be found.
Therefore he set out in this direction,
accompanied by his native wife.
After journeying for hundreds of
miles over the barren lands of that re-
glon, suffering agonies of thirst in the
desert and running many risks, he at
length reached a large river, which he
afterWard learned must have been the
ROPER. Here he built rude raft and
upon 1t he started to float down the
stream. The rainy season had just be-
gun, and as he went on the water rose
and the current became more swift. I'M
III hnally he was swept along at ire
mendous rate by the rushing current
winch carried him out to sea-
some distance from the mouth of the
river De Rougemont and his wife land
ed on large island inhabited by a.
number of natives, who gave him a
dug-out canoe to take the place of his
ra1t. Thence he proceeded along the
coast in the direction in which he be-
lieved Cape York to lie.
AT length they fell in with a small
NesSel carrying a Malay beche de n,er
expedition. The fishermen received
them hospitality and offered to carry
them back to Kopang, in the Dutch
Islands. AT this point, however, De
housemonts black wife refused to ac
company the party through fear of the
70 fl1Or.
houSemont gave up this opportunity of
rescue This was about the year 1868.
captain Davis, the commander of the
Malay vessel, informed De Rougemont
that ne would be likely to find white
men men at Port Darwin, between 800 and
4UO miles away. De Rougemont accord
ingly set out in his canoe to reach Port
l odtWln- after travelling forward for
Two weeks, and when he believed he
must be chose to Port Darwin. a terrific
storm arose, which swept the canoe ont
OF slght of land and nearly cost the
liVes or its occupants. In the course of
the storm they were evidently swent
past Fort Darwin. for after sailing on
lOr many days more they came in sight
oI familiar land and found themselves
1llGe more on the shores of Cambridge
gulf, the identical point from wbiet,
they had started
NELSOMED BACK.
Inc natives welcomed them back with |
very sign OF delight, and De ROupemont |
Was careful not to explain to them fbaf
MS return was involuntary. For a lone
.nIlDa ate after this bitter disappointment he
friends, always keeping a sharn ioolso,it
~ visiting ships and making several
'hort exploring expeditions along the
c~oss ~, gut NOT attempting another trip
=. On one occasion, while the whole tribe
70, IN camp some distance from their
b SE uld u nome, ship was sighted some
nIee or Tour miles off shore De Rouge
mont ana mis- followers made frantic sis
i ,l 70 her, and when these received no /
.l f.H they set out in their canoes and
aus 10 reach her. When within ba iIins-
Instance volley fired from the sbin.SS
loe wounded De Rougemont and over
uIH I ms canoe. the crew of the vessel
y idehtly believing that they were baino
by hostile natives Refora us
o get away Oil san
some months afterward when he had 70
oNSIeo from MS wound, De Rougemont
i'5i mined TO make another strike for.
- III1:dtIoIl. ana set of due south NOT
~. iiig mat this direction would take
I'm directly INTO the uneXplored heart of
ne continent. On this trip MANY Wond-
- were encountered, including a rain
o o,,,it when brought down live fish a.
!, horde OF rats which devastated |
II the country it passed over and a 60 !
IIl OF immense snakes. There were aIso |
idhy narrow escapes from death ar tbe |
ands of hpstile natives INC
On one occasion, believing that n native ,
ny lneultateq treachery, De Rougemont ,
no MS wife left the camp which tbe1c
a Z =, constructed and slept in the bush. .
me morning they found a number of |
pears sticking through the bark sides t
-o,'II lamp IN the place where they /
ouid nave spent ordinarily :
month after S>Snth the Journey u,aS :
ontinued in southeriy direction WI T.
80, % lIInPosSlpie to travel due south bur q
iey IolIowed zig-zag course from S
sr or the natives ~
w men ne was some seven months out
~ While travelling in company with n
i naa sI Party OF blacks. De Rougemont !
ls time ne was naked like the savages a
Ia so tanned and Drowned by exnosHr;, h
nh Iie n Meatnsr that IN appearance he was
uch IKE tnem- Forgetting this in his =
-clteIneht, however. he rushed toward q
. MhIte men, VINO promptly fired upon j..
2 parry D ana then retreated. For this b
Ialr De Rougemont assumes tine entire s
anne, SAYING that he would douhtiasS r
we zone the same thing under like cir a
2 Rougemont and his wife came acroS. o
other white man who had LOST his n
a $50 ana was wandering aimlessly p
en- en- f fn te desert This man lived with c.
M nnaliy, Just before his death. Suffi1
,lltly 70 INFORM De Rougemont that his
- III =" a. riiosoL ana that he had been a | IT
smber Of the Giles expedition. - q RI
after the death of Gibson. findine, tbat ;,
re was apparently no hope of reachino- | ~
lhzation by following an overia,5 y
Ite' De Rougemont determined to settle II
Wn among the friendly blacks ana - | III
,essarY end his days there To This
slSion, he says, he was moved Jar@aII,
the pieadlngs of his native wife for
ON he had come to entertain q ,,oSt n,
cere anection. He therefore seftIed N,
Sn IN the mountainous region near The =,
ler- OF the continent, and ultirna+aJy *
;aIne KING or ruler over a number oe pe
Se tribes. In this manner he lived ~ di
, next ~ years OF his life and wo1,id of
Daddy nave ended his days there had al
an epidemic of influenza sxvent 60 he
continent and carried away his Vic w =,
l children. VIZ W
ONE MORE ATTEMPT. Sc
eing thus left alone, De Rougemont th
lIee 70 make one more attempt 10 r.
en- CIVILIZATION and, leaving his monn- | ii,
n nome, set out toward the Southwest o,.
Inns, as IN previous JOURNEYS he xvac | -.
lple TO follow a direct line hut had 10 | SS
miner anc thither with the tribes pi
[ he met in his Journey After q 49, pi
came across a tree marked s.E'orrest y DO
ieEtIy the name OF an explorer who had til
5ed that way. Turning south f-or, nj,
point, ne at length. several DAYS On
! fheN north OF Mount Marga, learned or
r by. Taught by his previons az ia,
ence. he decided to get some of the VI
ives 90 procure clothes for him before ha
presented himself to the white men de
men ne joined the prospecting party
informed them that he had hee1
-neying from the interior for nine or
months, they looked upon him as
son OF weak intellect, and when he Is
ed the question, What year is this?S e..
were convinced that he was cra1y ot'
tod }, | "A