The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-02-01
TALES OF PLUCK
AND ADVENTURE.
CsnnibaIs worship a Boy.

tralIa. He tells a remarkable story Oi
how he was held captive In the wilds
OF Central Australia for nine years
His story Is almost second edition
OF the travels Of the celebrated ro-
mancer, De Rougemont. This Is his
narrative just as he relates il:
Il landed In Sydney in January,
1891. Many sailors were then going
gold mining. so / started of with the
others for new strike 300 miles up
country. The mining strike did not
turn out. so we struck out 10 the
northwestward.
After going 200 miles we reached
the limit OF the settlements and broke
into unexplored territory. Twice we
were attacked by savages.
"One night we were surrounded
They bound us hand and foot ana car
ricd us OF TO their village. There they
held a feast. and after killing our ser
want roasted him over a fire. was
lying "A short distance away, and the
screams Of the black boy as he was
slowly put 10 death by pricks OF spear
points were terrible.
II was thrown roughly into n hut
that night, and nearly died from the
pain Of the thongs ana the biting Of
mosquitoes. At daylight the chief
came, decked out in the hunting clothes
stripped from me the night before.
He was followed by half dozen men
who seemed TO be his advisers, and
they held consultation.
IL knew the language Of the Maorls.
and from the few similar words /
could catch / learned that the feast 10
the cattle god was to take place in five
days, and | was being kept as a spe-
cial offering for that
THE natives although very savage
in their instincts, seemed more intel
ligent than any Maoris | had seen,
and all seemed TO obey their king very
willingly. The men were tall and mus
cular, and the two women who came
little later with some half raw meat
for my morning meal were almost as
large and heavily built.
Each woman had bone through
her nose straight across, five inches
In length, and heavy sacklike cloth
across her body completed her vest
ments.
AT noon n party of three men came
down the path between the row Of
huts, waving spears which were
topped with metal drums. and bowling
the most weird incantations. score
of women followed and when one of
the men stopped, all the women imme-
dlately fell on their knees. Then they
marched into grove of trees near
the village and disappeared into a long,
low hut, their temple.
For the next few days these process
sions were held every noon, more
drums were beaten and hundred or
more of the hunters turned out to par
ticipatc. Calves were brought in each
day from the valley below the village
and killed.
"On the night before the fifth day
of my capture | was again tied up and
| realized that my chances of escape
were becoming very limited. strict
watch was placed at the hut door that
night, and next morning | knew from
the preparations made and the few
words | caught that it was the great
event Of the ten days feast.
IL was TO he killed and sacrificed TO
the cattle god. At IL O'Clock. as near
ly as | could tell, the villagers assem-
bled, and was carried, bound hand
and foot, to the temple.
81 was then carried to one side, and
the fact that was left alone without
guard gave me my only chance OF
life with the cannibalS. | slipped the
moose off my hands, and it was the
work of but a moment to free my feet.
II ran along the village path and
into one of the caves ! had seen at the
rear of the temple Suddenly | came
into an open space, where one Of the
priests was alone.
II snatChcd the spear from his up
lifted hand rs he was going through
some incantations and ran it through
his breast before he could make an
outcry. | snatched his leaf-wovcn
cloak, threw it around my own naked
body and rushed on.
The fetid air of the cave became
lighter. In 4 moment | was i'm The
main hall Of the temple. where the
people had thrown themselves on their
knees awaiting the return of the priest
| had just killed l was terribly
frightened from the experience and
the vision o. the face OF the dying man
| had left.
Terrified at my apparition the as
Somblcd chiefs and villagers shouted
and implored for mercy. for they
thought 1 had come from the gods.
The ceremony was Just ending. IN.
other black captive. poor wretch
taken in a fight the day before. was
brought forward 60 take my place
among the cGnnihals. and an hour
later they were eating his body around
the fire IN front of the temple entrance.
But my position as the preServer Of
the tribe rs firmly established. The
dead priest was also roasted and
eaten,
During my nine years among them
| have seen dozens of children eaten
by their own parents. Ii a boy at
twelve years OF age could not Kill a
rabbit with a spear at ten PAGES hc
vas certain to bp Knocked on the head
by one of the old men.
II had long meditated escape but
thcrp vas sueh n strctcb of dcScrt ,o