The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1882-09-22 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

MASSACRE OF THREE BOATS' CREWS.  EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE.  On Friday morning J. Sampson, late mate of the Glasgow barque Roseatath, arrived in Liverooel. Sampson is the only survivor of a boat's crew of the Roseneath, his comrades being brutally murdered before his eyes. It seems that the Reseneath was abandoned whilst on a voyage from Mexillones to' the Channel for orders about the middle of April last. The disaster happened off Cape Horn, Sampson, the carpenter, and three others having to leave their vessel before the captain and the remainder of the crew could get away, as their boat was being stove against the side of the vessel. After being a day and a night in their small craft, Sampson and his comrades were met by a pa,ty of naVves of Terra del Fuego, who were in three canoes. The shipwrecked men were not far from land when fallen in with by the nativoe, the latter of whom appeared to In very friendly. After obtaining several articles which were in the boar, the natives suddenly attacked the sailors with the exception of the mate. The shipwrecked men were unarmed, but the natives had surreptitouely become possessed of huge clubs, which had been secreted at the bottom of their canoes. After killing the mate's companions, they divested the bodies of the clothing, and then pitched them into theses. Contrary to expectation, they did not attempt to e t the corpses. The natives afterwards made for the shore, taking with them the boat and the mate, who was in an extreme state of uncertainty as to the fate reserved for him. Strange to say, Sampson was not molested, but was allowed to go about the beach and the rocks at leisure. The natives gave him no food, but, like the islanders, he had to subsist on the shellfish which were to be captured on the rocks. The men never did any work, the food gathering being performed by the women, who sometimes accompanied the men in their canoe expeditions. The natives were continually upon the water, and were always on the lookeout for any small boat with occupants. It appears that while Sampson was with the islanders he saw two whaling boats come in view. These were intercepted by the natives, and in each case the whole of the crews were murdered by the treacherous Fuegians. Sampson remained in his captivity for 5.1 days, and was rescued by the merest chance bv snis Patagonians from an adjacent island. The latter had visited Terra del Fuego, and had managed to steal the boat which the Feegiana had taken from the mate, and after getting a short dist uses off beckoned the mate to follow. This he did, and got away with the Pats. goniane, the Fuegians giving vent to yells of mortification at seeing their prisoner escape. During his stay on the island Sampson on several occasions saw steamers and sailing vessels pass by, but his captors would never allow him afloat when any ships were in sight. They themselves would go off to tie vessels if they could get up ko them. The day after S anipson'e escape from the Fuegians the Pacifh Steam Navi.ration Company's steamer Aconcagua was spoken, and the mate was received on board of her, the Patsgonians received tobacco, dm, for their kindness. The Aconcagua took Simpson t o Valparaiso, where he was received on b aard the same company's steamer Galicia, which brought him to the Mersey early on Friday morning. Sampson, who does not seem very touch, .f any, worse for his exposure (as he was not allowed to sleep in the native tents, but under any sheltered spot he could find) left for London soonafter his arrival. He belongs to Portsmouth.