The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-13


Vancouver. British Columbia,
On the steamship Miowera from Aus
traIia. He tells a remarkable story Of
how be was held captive IN the wilds
Of Central Australia for nine years.
His story is almost a second edition
OF the travels OF the celebrated ro-
mancer. De Rougemont This is his
narrative just as be relates il:
Il landed IN Sydney IN January.
1891. Many sailors were then going
gold mining. so / started on with the
others for a new strike 300 miles up
country. The mining strike did not
turn out. 50 we struck out to the
northwestward.
After going 200 miles we reached
the limit Of the settlements and broke
into unexplored territory. Twice we
We're attacked by savages
zone night we were surrounded.
They bound us hand and foot and car
ried us on 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 to death by prieks Of spear
points were terrible.
Il was thrown roughly into a hut
that night. and nearly died from the
pain Of the thongs and 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 a dozen men
who seemed to be his advisers. and
they held a consultation.
II knew the language Of the Maoris,
and from the few similar words !
could catch I learned that the feast to
the cattle god was to take place IN five
days, and was being kept as a spe-
clal Offering for that
The natives although very savage
IN their instincts, seemed more intel
ligent than any Maoris I had seen.
and all seemed to obey their king very
willingly. The men were tail and mus
cular. and the two women who came
a little later with some half raw meat
for my morning meal were almost az
large and heavily built
Each woman had a bone through
her nose straight across. five inches
In length, and a heavy sacklIke cloth
across her body completed her vest
ments
AT noon 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 A score
OF women followed. and when one OF
the men stopped all the women imme-
diately fell on their knees Then they
marched into a grove Of trees ncilr
the village and disappeared into a long
low hut. their temple.
"For the next few days these process
slons were held every noon, more
drums were beaten ami hundred or
more Of the hunters turned out to par
tlcipate. Calves were brought in each
day from the valley below the village
and killed.
'On the night before the fifth day
Of my capture I was again tied up and
/ realized that my chances Of escape
were becoming very limited. A strict
watch was placed at the hut door that
night. and next morning / knew from
the preparations made and the few
words ! caught that Il was the great
eycnt Of the ten days feast.
p Il was to be killed and sacrificed to
the cattle god. At II o'clock. as near
" as could tell. the villagers assem-
bled, and / was carried. bound hand
and foot, to the temple.
I was then carried 10 one side. and
the fact that I was left alone without
a guard gave me my only chance Of
life with the cannlbals. 1 slipped the
moose OF my hands. and it was the
work Of but a moment to free my feet.
Il ran along the village path and
into one OF the caves / had seen at the
rear OF the temple Suddenly I came
into an open space. where one OF the
priests was alone.
4 snatched the spear from his up-
lifted hand as be was going through
some incantations and ran It through
his breast before he could make an
outcry. snatched his leaf-woven
cloak. threw It around my own naked
body and rushed on.
'.The fetid air OF the cave became
lighter In a moment / was in the
main hall Of the temple. where the
people had thrown themselves on their
knees awaiting the return Of the priest
bad just killed was terribly
frightened from the experience ara
the vision Of the face OF the dying man
had left
Terrified At my apparition the as.
senlbled chiefs and villagers shouted
and implored for mercy. for they
thought / had come from the gods
The ceremony was just ending. An
other black captive. a poor wretch
taken in a fight the day before was
brought forward to take my place