The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-22
THINK MINISTER WAS HOAXEO
NY TIE STORY OF JAMES Bart
LEY, A MODEM JONAH.

NNINNN"
70 mi, yeracious chronicle meets the
= ~ Able Seaman James BARLEY. who
-. , member Of the crew Of the American
~ star OF the East in 1901. he should
:, orce communicate with the Rev. Arthur
Tukvn Williams, whose address is the
vtcsraae. Guilden Morden. R0yston, Herts,
vrglsnd. BY doing so Mr.. BARLEY might
.dvance the cause Of science and the credit
.hii,v NJ the Book Of Jonah. Undoubtedly
\. would relieve the mind OF the rector
~ Gulden Morden, who believes that Mr..
par,Iav is a modern Jonah that escaped
live after two days spent 10 the belly
OF a whale.
n was not the Rev. Arthur Lukyn Williams
xbo 6rst came across an account OF the
ain u,lar adventure Of James BARLEY, but
prof. Edward KONG Of Bonn University, a
lsarned theologian will a strong taste Tor
disputation. Prof. K6nig, in preparing a
criticism Of the Book OF Jonah soIne ear
AFRO for Hastings's Dictionary OF the Bible,
discovered in the "Neue Lutheraner kiroh-
snzeltung" the thrilling story OF James
Barley's adventure with the South sea
~hs,e and alluded to It in his erudite article.
calling attention TO the difference between
Jonab, who raised a song Of thanksgiving
In the belly OF MS Wudlo, duu ~ "hA
ps r+ley. who was 80 overcome by terror
that he tainted away and lay dormant In the
stomach Of the oetacean which gulped him
down all unprepared.
perlsinr page $50 OF Hastings Dictionary
of the Bible. the Rev. Arthur Lukyn Williams
cauoh, sight Of the allusion to Seaman
BARLEY Of the Star Of the East. Hastings's
D;ctionary is not a frivolous book. and the
NJ E1uuA-l KAntN ~ tho
University of Bonn is not that of a light
minded jester. The rector, therefore. was
excited and thrilled. Wonderful vistas Of
knowledge opened before him-provided
no could discover the whereabouts Of Sea-
man BARLEY, Capt. Killam, who was master
of the Star Of the Fast in 1891, or OF any OF
the seafarinR men who were associated
with Barley in those days.
At first, however, the rector was doubt
fl. He would not swallow the whale story
without exact confirmation. Instead OF writ
ing to the Times. as a layman would have
done undoubtedly, the Rev. Arthur Lukyn
Williams penned an inquiry which was pub
lshed in the June number Of the Erpositdry
Times. the rector's favorite religious publ
cation and one in which he had the most
implicit confidence. He wanted more in
formation from tD6 DOIu bCilOAAA IL pOooAbio
a detailed account Of the adventure, to-
Retber with such notes as Seaman BARLEY
NAV have made concerning the insides OF the
monster, his feelings during the trip down
the gullet to the belly, his speculations as to
his probable fate-in fact all information
available.
The query met the eye Of Prof. KONG, who
answered il in the August number Of the
~ IT. -.-I.v VrfNenA
in that staid and sober minded periodical
under the heading "A Modern Jonah.
The Rev. A. Lukyn Williams Prof
KONG wrote, puts a question in the June
number regarding a statement OF mine IN
Hastings's Dictionary of the Bible, H.,
page $50 (Art. Jonah. The answer, as faI
as | am able to give, is as follows:
According to the English newspapers,
whose account was reproduced in the
Canadian Aurora, tae following incident
occurred in 1891 The whaling ship Star
OF the East found herself at the end oil
February on the coast Of the Falkland
Islands. She sent out two boats with
the usual complement Of men TO kill a hns
whale which had been deserted far OF On
the horizon.
The huge creature was speedily over
taken ana mOTJdlIy WOuuuCu' VINO ~
rolled about in its last throes it struck
with its tail and overturned one OF the
boats. The men fell into the water, but
were all, with the exception OF two, picked
I'D bv the other boat Search was made
for the two that we're missing. The dead
body Of one was soon discovered, but no
trace could be found Of James BARLEY.
When the whale had ceased its struggles
- o~,H;nooA TINT tho mnn
ster was really dead. they towed the carcas
To their ship and commenced the cuttini
w Process. This work continued a who'll
day and a whole night and was resumed
the following day.
But. then, what was their astonishmen
when, on opening the stomach OF the whale
they found their missing comrade. JameI
Barley, entombed alive, but UNCONSCIOUS
in the mammals belly The sailors haC
great difficulty in restoring this new JonaI
To C0nsciousness.
attacks Of mental wandering and u wa
impossible TO extract a word from nm. !
was only after three weeks OF nursing ina
James BARLEY ~recovere1 MS reason an
could speak Of his wonderful experiences.
/ still remember quite well, said hi
the moment when the whale hurled m
into the air. Then | was swallowed an
found myself in a smooth, slippery passag
whose COntraCtlOnR IOTc6l Inc hi"oI
lower down. This feeling had lasted onl
moment when | found myself in a mug
sack. and, "a | CROPPED around me l becam
aware thai I had been swallowed by IN
whale and now lay in its belly.
- could still, however, draw breati
although with difficulty. felt an indescrit
able heat and believed | should be boile
alive. The terrible thought that l wa
doomed to perish in the belly OF the whaI
filed me with CONSERVATION, and this terr'
was aggravated by the peace and ,qult
which reigned around me. But at last
lost consciousness Of my frightful sltu'
ton
james Bailey says the source OF 0,
information, is well known as one OF u
boldest Of whalers, but the mental emotion
he underwent in the belly of the VIVA
were so violent that he not only lost p
reason for a time but continues 70
troubled with fear inspiring hallucination
He imagines himself to be constantly pu
sued by a whale which swallows him afresh
Through the action OF the gastr
Juice Of the whale the skin Of this mode
Jonah has become like parchment, b
his general health has not been serious
impaired by his enforced %sojourn IN q
quarters in question.
BY the way, the captain OF the whs
ing ship informs ms that IL is not such
rare thipO for infIIriated whales to swallo