The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-06
James Brothers

Of the very wideawake Australian press.
Louis De Rougemont' has dropped
down upon us as If from baHooH.
The first recorded wild white man was
william Ruckley. native of Maccles-
field. and at the close Of the last CEN
turv a soldier in the Fourth, or King
own REGIMENT. on December "a, 1907, In
cornpanv with six other soldiers, he was
Involved in an attempt on the life OF the
Duke of Kent. He was sentenced 10
TRANSFORMATION for life and taken out IN
a convict.ship to the antipodes. During
a brief stay at the head of what Is now
the harbor of Melbourne no contrived
10 escape I'm company with two other
convicts. The latter perished-how was
never ascertafned--and when Buckley
was subsequently questioned as 20 ther
fate he was exceedingly reticent ana us
concerted. That II was case OF can
nibalism was the general behei OF the
early settlers around Melbourne. any
how. in the last stages OF munger ana
privation. Buckley lay down upon what
nroved 20 be the grave of a recently bu-
ricd chief. Luckily for him. the widow
came along and superstiuously conclud-
cd that her dear departed had returned
IN life I'm the shape Of a white man.
She promptlv annexed him "a her own,
led him to the camp Of the blacks, ex-
ni4fued the circumstances Under Whlch
sho had found him and secured his al
mission as a chief of the tribe, posi-
ton for which he was physically well
qualified as he was man OF great sla-
ture &c feet Z inches), strength and en-
durancc
For the next thirty-two years Buckley
led the life Of n savage hunting, fshfng
and fighting with the tribe that adopted
him. lie does not appear 10 have taught
the blacks anything or raised them IN
any degree in the scale Of CIVILIZATION.
He simply became one Of themselves ana
adapted himself to his new environment
I'm every respect-pefhaps hlS DeSl anu
,visest course under the circumstances.
II was on July T. 1885, that he saw
white face for the first time after The
lapse Of more than thirty years. pn
that day the pioneers Of the city OF Mel
bourne landed from their little schooner
and Buckley advanced 10 meet them.
He had by this time become but little
superior to the savages around him. nut
The newcomers noticed the comparatively
Ucht color Of his skin. He tried TO sum
mon up some English words from the
depths Of his memory, and at last sue
ceedcd in articulating the word "brcau.
lie made himself very useful az an inter
nreter between the new white settlers
and the blacks and when his story
reached London the imperial authorities
maenanimously drew the sponge over his
offense and sent him free pardon. He
drew a small pension in his later years
and lived until February ?, 1896, when
ne was thrown out Of q cart ana klIed'
I'm his seyenty-sixth year. The site Of
the present town Of GeeOng. about ftrty
miles from Melbourne. was the mead
quarters Of the tribe 10 which Buckley
was attached during his three decades
Of savage life. Three miles from Gee
long there IS still shown a cave In
river gorge where he IS said to have
resided. and the adjacent rapids con-
tinue TO perpetuate his name as buck
ley's falls
James Morrill,, n native Of Maldon' rs
sex, was the sole survivor Ct the SNIP
wreck Of the bark Peruvian. that struck
on q reef off the northeastern ccast Of
Queensland on March S 1876 He lived
with the Queensland blacks until his
rescue in FEBRUARY. 1853 Another ship
wrecked sailor. John Ronton by name,
was with the Queensland blacks for an
even longer period. twenty years. The
story Of a little cabin boy named Mar
cisse Pierre Peliatier ought 10 Rave al
tracted the attention Of the boys novel
lists long before now. He engaged as
cabin boy on the St. Paul. bound from
China to Australia with so Chinese emf
grants She also struck on n reef on
the northeastern coast of Queensland.
Officers and crew got away in The boats.
not troubling themselves about the Chi
nese passengers. and in their hurry for
getting the little cabin boy. who was
subsequently, found by the blacks In
dying condition i'm n Granny among the
rocks. They nursed him back 70 life led
him. treated him well and in fact made
him the pet Of the tribe Nearly an The
chinese passengers were captured by The
blacks and eaten up two AT a time The
flesh Of the Chnaman is esteemed as a
great dellcacy by the cannihal blacks of
Queensland. From the point Of view Of
a cannibal. a vegetarian Is vastly supe-
rior 10 a meat eater. Little Pellatier
lived with the blacks for seventeen years
and was rescued by British ship, tho
John Bell. on April II, 1915. He imme-
diately returned TO France. where he may
be still living He would be now man
of between 80 and Go.-Chicago Chronicle.
Under the laws Of Arkansas fine Of
s25 is assessed on the company permit
ting coiored people to ride in the sleep
ers