Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-12-30
NOTED WILD WHITE MEN
DERELlcTS WHO FELL INTO THE
HANDS or NATIVE AUSTRALIANS.

Chiefs widow - Epicurean Cannibals.
The meteoric appearance of gen
tleman named Louis de Rougemont
with marvellous story OF hitherto
unheard-of adventures during an, al
legged residence of some thirty years
with the blacks of northern Australia,
revives recollections Of the wild
white men" that from time to time
have fallen into the hands of the un-
civilized Australian aborigines aud
been restored to white humanity after
long years OF separation and degrade
ton,
The first recorded wild white man
was William Buckley, n native Of
Macclesfeld aud at the close Of the
last century soldier in the Fourth,
or Kings Own, regiment. On Dec.
"a, 1902, in company with six other
soldiers, he was involved in an at
tempt on the life OF the Duke OF Kent.
He was sentenced to transportation
for life and taken out in convict ship
to the Antipodes. During brief stay
ut the head Of what is now the harbor
of Melbourne he contrived to escape
in company with two other convicts.
The latter perished--how was never
ascorained--and when Buckley was
subsequently questioned as to their
fate he was exceedingly Ietcent and
disconnected. That il was a case OF
cannibaism was the general belief Of
the early settlers around Melbourne.
Anyhow, in the last stages of hunger
aud privation, Buckley lay down up
on what proved to be the grave of
newly-buried chief. Luckily for him
the widow came along, and supersti-
tiously concluded that her dear de-
parted had returned to life in the
shape of n Waite man. She promptly
annexed him rs her own, led him to
the camp of the blacks, explained the
circumstances under which she had
found him, and secured his admission
as chief of the tribe, n position for
which he was physically well quail
fed, rs he was man of great stature
Is feet z inchesl, strength and en-
durance.
For the next thirty-two years Buck
ley led the life Of savage, hunting,
fishing and fighting with the tribe
that adopted him. He does not APP
pear to have taught the blacks any
thing or raised them in any degree in
the scale of civilization. He simply
became one Of themselves and adapt
ed himself to his new environment
in every respect-perhaps his best
aud wisest course under the circum.
stances. 1t was on July u, 1885,
that he saw white face for the first
time after lapse OF more than thirty d.
years. On that day the pioneers OF
the city Of Melbourne landed from
their little schooner, aud Buckley adj.
vanced to meet them. He had by this
time become but little superior to the
sayages around him, but the new.
Corners noticed the comparatively
light color OF his skin. He tried to
summon up some English words from
the depths of his memory, and at
last succeeded in articulating the
word Dread" He made himself
very useful as an interpreter between
the new white settlers and the blacks,
and when his story reached London
the imperial authorities magnauimous-
ly drew the sponge over his offence
and sent him a free pardon. He en-
ioyed small pension in his later
years, and lived until Feb. 2, 1856,
when he was thrown out OF cart and
killed in his 10th year. The site OF
Geelong, about forty miles from Mel
bourne, was the headquarters of the
tribe TO which Buckley was attached
during his three decades OF savage
life. Three miles from Geeong there
is still shown cave in q river gorge
where he is said to have resided, and
the adjacent rapids continue to per-
petuate his name as Buckley's Falls.
James Morrill,, native of Maldon,
Essex, was the sole survivor of the
OF the bark Peruvian, that
struck on a reef of the northeastern
SOuct VI JucCusiNuu Ou MuTCu Q,
1916. He lived with the Queensland
blacks for an even longer period
twenty years.
The story of a little cabin boy
named Narcisse Pierre Pellatier
ought to have attracted the at.
tention Of the boys novelists long be-
lore now. He engaged as cabin boy
on the ST. Paul, bound from China to
with $50 Chinese emigrants.
She also struck Oh reef off the north
eastern coast of Queensland. Officers
and crew 60. away in the boats, not
themselves about the Chin
ese passengers; and in their hurry
the little cabin boy, who |
was subsequently, found by the blacks
ia a dying condition in a Granny
among the rocks. They nursed him !