The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-26
A LIFETIME WITH sAVfGEs.
The Rescue of SarciSse Pellntier
From NiRht IsInnd.

a. ''e "-' ''-'
O"0 "ay III Api l. 800 N"e" -e'i'-HH
vessel named the John Blu Was lying al
anchor under the lee Of Nielt Island. wi h.
in tho Great r,a-,tor pr ~ Eo~t1eYp
<"es"S'aHu' Hef crew maze 4ll0"U4S az
qualnfance with tribe o. backs 10
were living on the n7atnI1rd Am ing the
black stark NAKED s,,.oe.s Who other Il
,.-,.-., ~. -, 49,,
vas oii'
ca q lighter color than tAai OF ms m
panions, and then, to The aston shmeat of
the officer l., oo.,r,a,,a ~ Elm. boat s-roa
- -
u 'iie H"uNes VINO &o1-' p0'N a g"
words Of English Informed him that lhe
Light skinned man was a white fell Nv.
The officer bcckoned 10 b. m 10 an
proach. He did 20 with tie utmost limii.t y
and ne vousness, but in a few IN ma es
peared to gain confidoEce. and, although
he could net speak a nd Of English, he
scon satisfied his rescuers mat he was IN
deed a white man; hey n dis, no hing
more could he ascertainod at tn time, he
was able however, 10 .Ld.el g that ne was
not unwilling TO go on board the schoOn-
er; and the officer. TT p omi ing the
blacks compensation for taking the man
away, babe him step int1 tie b at He
obeyed, though without a,lcr.ty, and as
the boat pushed off from the beach he
seemed haf inclined to spring overheard
and rejOin the natives. 5 me strange, in
coherent words in French escaped from
his lips. and his wild, afIyighied eyes, as
he glanced from one to the other of the
boats crew, showed tha. he was und
strong excitement, mingled with fear. AS
soon a he stood upon he schCouers deck,
however, his alarm seemed TO subslde ana
he tried to express his SaG faction at again
being among white men by gestures and
Inc
schooner set sail for Somerset, on Cane
York, which in those days was the head
quarters of the Torres Straits peaTiing
feet. AS the little YES sef made he way
northward along the coast the strange
white man began to speal and eat his food
like a Christian, and lost his terror and
amaZement at his surroundings. A fort
night later he was abe 10 tell his Strange
story.
Narcisse Pierre Pellatier was the son of
a shoemaker of st. Giles. near Bordeaux.
His father had a numerous family to sup
port, and so when at Is years of age
Narcisse shipped as a cabin boy on the
ship St. Paul. of Bordeaux. his parents
were well satisfied. The St Paul was
bound TO Climatic what port or ports of
that country Narcisse could not remem-
Der But though his memory of many
places and events before he became a
castaway was dimmed and blurred, and
he spoke haltInglv. as a child who Is first
learning to Ilsn lis words speaks he vet
remembered the salient poiuts of the voy-
age. The St. Paul arrived at a Chinese
port. and was then chartered by Chinese
merchants to take three hundred and fifty
Chinese ennfgrants to sydney. One moon
less night. as the vessel was slipping
through the water before a strong breeze
she ran into a white line of roaring surf
the barrier reef of RosseI Island-and
struck with a heavy crash 1IDon the lag
ged coral. The boats were in good order.
and. although the shin soon began to
break IN under the force of the crashing
rollers. the greater p9rt of the crew and
many of the Chinese succeeded in reach
ing the land in them. the remainder. as
the tide began to fan and the reef became
exposed walked ashore They found that
the island was popu]ated bv savages. who
showed n disposition 20 attack and slaugh-
ter every one who landed. but were pre-
vented by the display of firearms made by
the captain and officers. After the un-
fortunate people had reached the shore
the Europeans began instantly to devise
means of egcane from fine island for il
was only too evident that the Chinese
wonld he Of no usa in rerelIi,,o an tract
of the savepes and indeed thev Ithe chi
nese) were equally 10 be dreaded for they
were In every respect as treacherous as
the canpibal natives Of Rossel island
L
wear. zone of the three boats was dana eed
on the rocks. and the remaining two being
inadeauate for the conveyance of ali
hands to any other land If became evident
that the crew if thew wished 10 save
themselves. must leave the Chinese Ac.
cordinglv the EuroDeans made for a neigh-
boring island. where. however. thew were
attacked nv natives and forced To retire
leaving behind them three rnen-tba Sec
ond off1cer a sailor and an apnrentice.
During this attack Young PeIJatier re-
ceived a violent blow on the head from a
stone thrown from a sling but MANAGED
to reach the boaf
"Much as the crew dreaded the Chinese
they dreaded the savages more and ac.
cordingIy returned TO the island which
| had at first afforded them refuge Once
more in comparative safety tbeir fears
returned ond tbev decided 70 er,barl- IN
silence al dead Of NIGHT Narcissa follow
| ed them in their new venture That ,igb.
| the captain. seven seanen and The boI,
| Narcisse succeeded in pettine awav ,,nob.
served hv the Cbinamen in the host boat
T-brea or four dove h.foro ~, -i,.ht.4 ~. .