Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-27


He was a young Colombian Indian.
could speak no English and only q
mongrel. halting kind Of Spanish.
The Portuguese cook Of the Isaac Rev
els understood him. This was his
lstory:
He was one Of the poems of a wealthy
Ecuadorian gentleman, who with an
other equally rich friend sailed from
Guayaquil for the Galapagos Islands,
belonged to Ecuador. and the largest
of which, Albemarle Island. they had
leased from the government for sheep
and cattle breeding. They took with
them a few thousand silver dollars,
which the peon saw placed in "an iron
box" (safe).
One Of the merchants had with him
his two young daughters. The vessel
was small brig and the captain and
crew mostly Chilenos.
| One night, when the brig was half
way across to the Galapagos, 500 miles
from Ecuador, the peon. who was on
deck asleep. was suddenly seized,
pitched down into the fo'castle, and the
scuttle closed. Here he was left alone
till dawn and then ordered on Geek,
aft.
The captain pointed pistol at his
head and threatened to shoot him dead
IL he ever spoke OF what had happened
in the night. The man promised to be
secret and was paid $50 and put In the
mates watch.
He saw numerous blood stains on the
after deck and soon afterward was told
by one of the hands that all the four
passengers had been murdered and
thrown overheard. The captain, mate
md crew, 1t appeared, had first made
ready boat, provisioned and lower
ed 1t.
They made some noise which aroused
the male passengers, one Of whom came
N deck to see what was the matter.
| He was at once seized, but being
powerful man made a most determined
fight.
His friend rushed UP from below with
revolver in his hand and shot two
of the assailants dead and wounded
the mate. But they were assailed on
all sides, shot at and struck with va
rious weapons and then thrown over
board to drown.
Then the pirates, after a hurried
consultation, went below, and forcing
open the girls cabin door ruthlessly
shot them, carried them on deck and
cast them over the side. It had been
their intention to send all four away in
the boat, but the resistance made so
enraged them that they murdered them
instead.
For some days the pirates kept on
due west course. toward the Galapa-
gos A barrel of spirits was broached
and night and day captain and crew
were drunk.
When Albemarle Island was sight
ed every one except the peon and q
Chileno boy was more or less intox-
icated. A boat had been lowered and
was towing astern, for what purpose
the peon QlQ not KNOW.
At night 1t fell a dead calm and q
strong current set the brig danger
Aonsly close In .shore,The captain or
dered some of the hands into the
boat to tow the brig out Of danger.
They refused. and shots were ex-
changed. but after a while peace was
restored.
The peon and the Chileno boy were
then told to get into the boat and
bale her, as she was leaky. They did
so, and while so engaged a squall
struck the brig and the boats towline
either parted or was purposeiy cast
of.
When the squall cleared the peon
and the boy In the drifting boat could
see nothing of the drifting brig-she
had probably capsized-and the two
soon after daylight found themselves
so close to the breakers on Narbo-
rough Island that they were unable
to pull her clear, she being very
heavy boat. She soon struck, and
rolled over and over, and the Chileno
boy drowned. The peon also receiv-
ed internal injuries, but managed to
reach the shore.
| The people on board the Revels
did all they could Tor the poor fellow.
but he only survived q few days.
In another article of this series I
have told of my fruitless efforts to
induce some Of the Rook Island canni-
balls to recruit with me. 1t was on
that voyage / first saw a party OF
New Guinea head hunting pirates,
and 1 shall never forget the expert
| ence.
After leaving Rock Island we stood
over to the coast Of German New
Guinea and sailed along 1t for 500
miles to the Dutch boundary Longitude
141 east of Greenwich), for I was
in hopes of getting full cargo Of
blackbirds from some of the many
Islands which stud the coast. No
other labor ship had ever been so far
north. and Morel, the skipper, and 1
were keenly anxious to find a new
ground.
We had a fine vessel, with a high
freeboard, a we'll armed and splendid
crew and had no fear Of being cut
off by the natives may here men
ton that was grievously disappoint-
ed. for owing to the lack Of a compe-
tent interpreter failed to get sim
gle recruit. But. in other respects
the voyage was a success. for I did
some very satisfactory trading busi-
ness
After visiting many Of the islands
we anchored in what is now named
in the German charts Kraul Bay. on
the mainland. There were a few
scattered villages on the shore and
some Of the natives boarded us. They
we're all we'll armed with their usual
weapons, but were very shy, distrust-
sul and nervous. Ill.
| Early one morning five large canoes
appeared in the ofiing, evidence hav-
inn ooroa from the SchOuten Island