The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-28

struck down. He was mortality wound
ed, but succeeded in the subsequent
confusion in gaining the steerage. Me
Kay was seriously injured and shrowx
overheard Ia the boats surrounding
the ship were number of women. ans
these despatched the unfortunate pars-
ner with their canoe paddles. The cap
tain whipped out sailors sheath
knife which he wore and made s. s1es
perate fight FOR his life. The sailsrs
also drew their knives or caught ar
belaying-pius or haudspikes, ana iai6
about them with the energy Of despair.
but 10 no avail They were cut IogQN
in sIite of every endeavor The cap
tain killed several of the Indians with
his knife, and was the last to fan, over
borne in the end by numbers. He mas
hacked and stabbed 10 death en- hh
own deck
The five sailors aloft had been terri.
fled a1d helpless witnesses to the mas
sacre beneath them. That they mus
do something for their own lives fheg
now realized. Making their way al
by means OF the rigging. they Swung
themselves to the deck and dashed fou
the steerage hatch. The attention of
the savages had been diverted from
them by the melee on deck. The fiye
men gained the hatch the last mar
down, Weeks the armorer. being stab
bed and mortally wounded, although IN
too gained the steerage. At this june
ture the Indian interpreter, who haa
not been molested. sprang overheard
and was taken into one OF the canoes
and concealed by the women. HIS lift
Was spared. and he was afterwards
made a slave and eventually escaped
The four unhurt men who had gained
the steerage broke through into thR
cabin, armed themselves, and made
their way to the captains cabin.
whence they opened fire upon the saw
ages on deck. The Indians fed Instant,
~, leaving many of their dead aboa ri
the ship. The decks of the Tonquin has
been turned into shambles.
The next morning the natives saw a.
boat with four sailors in il pulling
away from the ship. They cautiously
the Tonquin thereupon. ana
one man, evidently badly
wounded, leaning over the rail- He
as they drew nearer
When they gained the deck he WAS np
longer visible. No immediate search
appears to have been made for him, bua
finding the ship practically deserted, u
great number of Indians came on ia
their canoes and got aboard. They
were making preparations 10 search
and pillage the ship, when there wsz
a terrific explosion, and the ill-fate6
Tonquin blew up with all on board II
her ending she carried sudden desfrue-
ton to oyer two hundred of the Ipna-
ans.
It is surmised that the four unwouna-
ed men left on the ship realized their
ina biiity to carry the Tonquin to SEA
and determined to take to the boat in
the hope of reaching Astoria by coast
ing down the shore. 1t is possible tha1
they may have laid a train to the mag
Tonquin carried four and
a half tons of powder.-but II is gener-
ally believed, as a more probable story
on account of the time that elapsed be-
tween their departure and the blowing
up of the ship, that Lewis, whe was
yet alive IA spite of his mortal wounds
and who was a man of splendid resOlu.
ton and courage as well, realizing thai
he could not escape death, had reniaif-
ed on board and when the vessel WIS
crowded with Indians had reyenged
himself for the loss of his comrades
and friends by firing the magazine ana
blowing up the ship. Again, it is pos
sible that Lewis may have died, ana
that Weeks the armorer, the other
wounded man, made himself the In
strument of his own and the Indians
destruction. To complete the story, the
four men who had escaped IN the boats
were pursued, driven ashore, and fell
into the hands of the impiacable In
dams. They We're tortured TO death
Such was the melancholy fate which
attended some of the participants 10.
the first settlement of what is now onF
of the greatest and most populous ser
tons of the Union.