The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-26
ROMANCE OF
SOUTH SEAS
How Horace Hold.
en- jared Among
Savages.
(Conclusion.)

(Conclusion)
The idea of death, however, had
now become familiar; and often did
! We desire the renef from suffering
"alch that alone could afford. Moth
Ais, as IL now appears TO US, but the
| KIND lnterposition of Providence, could
nave continued our lives, and have
| given US the power of endurance to
mold out as long as We did. We were
frequently SO reduced as to be unable
/ 20 walk, and were forced to drag our
selves on our hands and knees to some
| place where We could lie down in the
/ shade of a bush and take rest. But
| the small comfort to be obtained In
/ This way was greatly lessened by the
annoyance of mosquitoes, which would
attack US with impunity in our help
| less ana feeble condition. Besides this,
| our flesh had SO fallen away that on
! lying down, our bones would actually
pierce through the skin, giving US the
most severe pain. After we were tat
| tooed, the parts operated upon were,
for long time. running sores; ana
when exposed to the sun, the pain was
| excruciating
It has been already said, that the
natives Were indolent, filthy and de-
| graded, but the half has not been told;
and some things which we witnessed
cannot be related. The intercourse OF
the sexes was unrestrained by any
law: and the decencies of life were al
most entirely neglected. Instead OF
taking pains to keep clean, they SEEM
ed to be not unwilling to have their
heads 0Verrun with vernnin; and how
ever incredible it may seem, it is a
disgusting truth, that they are accus-
toned to eat them; and particular care
seems to be taken to keep those loath-
some animals in the heads of the child
rem. But I forbear any further partic-
| ularS.
1 have already said, that only two OF
the crew of the Mentor, namely, Mute,
and myself, remained alive, with the
exception of Captain Barnard and Roll
Inns, who had fortunately scaped. The
Pelew chief had become strongly at
tached to US, and we take pleasure in
stating the fact that his faithfulness
and affection had greatly endeared him
to US. He seemed more like a brother
than barbarian; and Hosr gladly
would We have saved him from those
sufferings which, no doubt, before this
time, have terminated his life. Alas!
it was not in our power TO administer
to his relief; and when we last saw him
he was but just alive.
CHAPTER X.
Having thus briefly related the story
of our captivity and sufferings, 1t only
remains to give an account of our es-
cape from this barbarous peopIe. We
continued to survive the horrible suf-
ferings to which we We're constantly
subjected, and to serve our tyranical
masters, despite of our agonieS of body
and mind, till the beginning OF the
autumn of 1884; at which time we had
become so emaciated feeble and sick
ly, that we found it Impossible any
longer even to attempt to labor. By
this time we had acquired d sufficient
! knowledge of their tongue to converse
| fiuently with the natives and We IN
formed our masters that our feeble
condition rendered it impossible Tor US
to attempt to do anything more. We
also reasoned the matter with them,
telling them that death was out newt
able doom, unless we were allowed to
relax our labor; that if we died We
could be of no service to them, but
if allowed a respite, and We lived, and
could be put on board a vessel, they
should be literally rewarded.
With much difficulty we at length
persuaded our masters to allow us to
quit labor, and obtained from them a
promise to be put on board the first
vessel that should come to the island.
But, at the same time, they informed
US, that if we ceased work, they
should cease to furnish US the nisera-
BILE allowance of cocoanut on which we
had before subsisted, and that we must
either labor or starve. We deemed
death as welcome in one shape as IN
another, and relinquished our labors
and our pittance of food together.
We were thus literally turned out 10
diei We crawled from place to place,
subsisting on leaves, and now and then
begging of the natives a morsel of
cocoanut. In this way we contrived
to live for about two months, when the
!. joyful intelligence was brought to us
that a vessel was in sight, and was
coming near the island. Hope once
more revisited our despairing hearts,
and seemed to inspire us with renewed
strength and animation.
After taxing our exhausted powers
to the utmost, we persuaded the ma
tives to prepare for visiting the vessel;
and throwing our emaciated bodies in
to their canoes we made for the ship
with all possible dispatch. The vessel
proved to be the British bark Britain
} MIA, Captain Short bound to Canton.
Our reception on board is faithfully
described in the following certificate
given by Captain Short, the original OF
which is still in my possession:
Lintin, December %, 1884.
This is to certify that on the 9th
day of November, 1884, on the small
island commonly called Lord North s
by the English, situated in latitude
on board the British bark Britannia,
bound to Canton river, we observed
} about ten or eleven canoes, containing
upwards of one hundred men, APP
preaching our vessel in caim' OF
nearly So with the intention OF COM
ing alongside But having the small
complement of thirteen men, It was
considered most prudent TO keep them
} off, which was effected by firing few
, six-pound shots in contrary direction
from the boats, some of Which were
within pistol shot. At the same time
! hearing cries in our own language
} begging to be taken aboard, the boat
, was dispatched away to know the
cause. The boat returned to the shiI
and reported an American on board
one of them. She was then sent back
, having strict orders to act with eau
ton. and the man got from the canoe
D into the sea and was taken up by the
ships boat and brought on board. He
, then stated in what manner ne came
, there and said he had another of his
, countrynen in another canoe. / said
. If we could get some of the poats dis,
, persed, that every assistance should
, be rendered for the liberty of the 9TH
J err man. Accordingly they did so, al
; but three The ships boat was Their
! dispatched in search, and soon found
) the other man. He was brought or
) board. but In a most deplorable condi-