Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-01-28
THE WRECK OF THE ORIENT"
By NJ. Quad.


! We had been out on the African sta
ton in the English man-of-war Ven
geance for nearly a year when a
strange tale came to the captains
ears. The story was to the effect that
Liverpool ship called the Orient,
bound for the Cape of Australia, had
been wrecked on the Hottentot coast,
and that at least fifty OF her people,
including fifteen women, were held in
captivity. The disaster had taken
place eight months before, and as we
only got the story through the captain
of small trader, it was at first look
ed upon as false report No move
would have been made but for the ar
rival at Sierre Leone of French mer-
chairman having on board a sailor
named William Bird, who had formed
one of the crew of the Orient. This
man had left the Hottentot coast one
night on frail craft. with little to
eat or drink, and had been picked up
six days later at sea by the French
man. According to Bird the unfor-
tunate ship had a crew of 80 men and
| carried about 40 first class and 80 sec
ond class passengers. She had been
| blown in on the coast by a terrific
gale, and out of the 1872 people all but
fifty had persisted. OF the sailors only
four were saved, as they had put off
in boats and had been swamped.
There were children, but all had per-
ished, and as soon as getting ashore
the survivors were attacked by the ma
tives and number were killed. The
man believed that only about 35 were
living at the time he escaped, and of
these about fifteen were women. The
prisoners had been divided up between
three tribes and were widely scattered,
and hence it was impossible to fix the
exact number. With the tribe from
which he had escaped there were IA
people from the wreck-eight women
and six men. Bird could give the
names of all. and it was found that
some of them were wealthy and prom
inent. The Hottentots had at first
been inclined to murder everybody,
but had finally decided to hold the
people for ransom. Bird had taken
the chances of escape because of a
quarrel with one of the natives and
the threat that he should be punished
with death.
The Vengeance at once made pre-
parations for a run down the coast,
and after an uneventful voyage, she
cast anchor in Hottentot Bay. Not a
vestige was left of the wreck of the
Orient but Bird recognized many
landmarks and was sure of the place
Two hours after bringing up a boat
was sent ashore to secure information
and deal with the people. who could
be seen on the beach in great num-
bers. In addition to Bird. who had
caught up many words of the langu-
age, the Vengeance had brought along
a trader who could make himself
perfectly understood. On reaching
the beach the boat was received with
every demonstration of joy and well
come. The chief embraced Bird and
laughed at him for running away, and
in answer to inquiries he replied that
all the white people were well and he
would be glad to get them of his
hands. There would be no trouble in
| gathering them together by noon next
| day. and he did not seem inclined to
! set a high figure as a ransom. He
+, Toasted the boats crew, sent of fruits
and fowls to the ship. and then in
vited the captain ashore to settle on
| the ransom. Fortunately for Captain
| Bascome, he was not feeling well that
| day, and the first lieutenant was sent
/ in his stead. Supplies of cloth, beads,
knives and muskets were taken along,
and by and by twelve of the crew of
4 the Vengeance had landed. Two arm
1 ed sailors were left to guard the boat
/ on the beach. and the remainder re-
tired with the natives to a grove
| quarter of a mile further away and
hidden by forest A feast had been
I prepared as a complete surprise to
the white men. Only shot or two
was fired, and those on board the Ven
geanee had no idea what had happen
/ ed until a canoe brought a note from
| the lieutenant Instead of releasing
any prisoners the Hottentots had in
creased the number by twelve. Cap
tain Bascombe found himself in very
painful position His natural impulse
was to land men enough to extermfn-
/ ate the tribe. but he realized that any
hostile move On his part would -