The National tribune., 1898-12-08

from Robinson Crusos' or Swiss Family
r lbinsOn.
Horace Holden is to-day a white haired,
feeble old gentleman. lie has liked quiet
j. ga Salem for 80 years. But very few
people VINO have met this aged, quiet,
. Oldest man daily for years on the streets
here haze had an IDEA what eXtrao-di-
nary experiences have been his.
air. Holden was BON III little village
IN New Hampshire n june, 1910. He IS,
therefore. 50 years Old. lie was born a
saiioT. and from his earliest boylood his
dreams and aspirations were ali of the sea
ad life in strange lands across the broad
OCEAN. One October day Ia 1928, when ne
was IS, he went on his first long voyage.
sailing on the famous Old whdler, the
Mentor, out 81 the great port Ct New Bed
ford. Mass.
The crew were all experienced VIVA lers.
and had been with the Mentor almost
from pole 10 pole in pursuit Of wha!e-oiI
and whalebone. Now they were embark
cd for two years voyage around the Horn
and w the North Pacific coast. Young
Holden eagerly accepted the chance to
see new parts Of the world.
WRECKED OK wAwAu.
The ship rounded the Horn In January
1929 and proceeded up the coast toward
the whaling fields in the North Pacific.
The voyage proceeded without incident
untii one densely dark night May q 1879,
Al
tossed upon a ledge, which later was
found 10 be an immense coral reef.
The ship was wrecked everything on
board was lost and all the crew but two
washed away and drowned. In some I'M
accountable way young Horace Holden
and a fellow sailor were carried 10 a bit q
reef projecting above the water. When
daylight came the famished, drenched
and terrified men saw that they were with
in sight Of land.
AL that day they chung to the coral.
At sunset a dozen long canoe-likc boats
padded by naked yelling savages, came
out TO Holden and his companion. The
natives had seen the wreck. and had
come out To look it over more closely.
The two sailors were taken to one OF
the islands Of the Hawaiian group. Thou
sands OF the nude natives were on shore
when the two white men were landed.
Great excitement prevailed, and the news
hat there were two real, live white men
on the island was carried To the tribes in
land. For days Holden and his coElpan-
ion were regarded with intense tinidity
and curiosity. Great throngs Of natives
would feel the flesh Of the white captiyes
pinch the white skin and twill the fine
hair in their fingers tn see whether il was
all natural. Children in droves viewed
Holden and his companion from safe dis
tances, and ran screaming toward their
mothers If the white men moved toward
them The greater part Of the islanders
Eazed with supeTstitious wonder, and il
order TO make the captives like them
selves, they tore the clothing from the
poung men and left them To run naked
The young Americans never went other
wise during their long stay ON the Ha
waiian Islands.
When the curiosity wore away the SUI
perstltiouS wonder Of The natives hat
turned 10 contempt. because the white
men were not so agile at tree climbini
ana enduring at aquatic featS as them
selves. They began "A series Of horribl'
abuses toward the poor captives.
TORTURED by NATIVES
For weeks and months Holden and hi
One would feign sleep, but keep awake
fearing that horrible fate was near a
hand for both Of them. All manner 0
tricks 10 worry and torment the cast
Always were practiced. Stones and mis-
SileS would be thrown at the two men
and when they would run and dodge ant
scramble out Of range as best they could
the Hawaiians would roll and scream will
laughter.
1t took weeks before Holden could ca
the food Of the natives. but rather thar
starve he became an adept at eating raw
muilet Ills companion. however sick
ened and wasted away under the treat
ment, and one day he was found dead or
the Seashore, where he had crawled IL
take q farewell look across the waters.
Along with about $50 other slaves
biack-Skinned men, vino had been taken