Year: 1875




Captain ]. q. Holmes, who recently
arrived in this city from Valparaiso, Is
responsible for the following striking
narrative, which he VOWS is as true as
STEEL:


The Captain had been cruising among
the Society Islands, when.putting into a
small cove one day for water, number
of natives, as usual, came on board to
trade. Among them was stout, comely
maiden OF eighteen, TO whom the mate
took great fancy She was the daugh-
ter Of chief, and reciprocating the
mates affection the twain were married
grand feast honoring the occasion. Wi
Wi was the name of the bride, signify
ing, in the language of her country,
Big Fish, or, 10 interpret more partic-
ularly, Great Swimmer, she having an
extended Dotoriety as an expert swim.
mer, Having married the man, she
took up her quarters on the ship, much
to the dislike of the Captain, who, sailor
like, felt the unseemliness of having a
woman on board! However, the vessel
left the island and stood for Tahits,
where she loaded with oranges and bore
them for Valparaiso. On the voyage
the incident occurred: Wi Wi was one
evening performing her ablutions near
the bows. There was a moderate sea
running, not however, enough to incom.
mode the turtles, which could be seen
floating all around the ship. Some of
these were of large size, and were known
as the great turtle. 1t happened while
the fair islander was so engaged, that the
ship tippled her bow under and picked
up sea, which passing over carried Wi
Wi with it far to the leeward. The crew
we're at supper, but the man at the wheel
saw Wi Wi as she went over, and shouted
man overheard. AT this cry, so terri
BILE on shipboard, the crew rushed on
deck; the ship was brought to and
whale boat lowered. By this time Wi
Wi had drifted some distance to leeward,
and nightfall made the task OF rescuing
her one of extreme difficulty. But the
mate was in the boat, and though half
crazed at the mishap which had befalen
his dusky wife, resolved to make every
effort to save her. So he urged the men
with telling earnestness. They too
shared his spirit, aud pulled away on
their dangerous venture.


But night fell, and no signs Of the un-
fortunate Wi-Wi was seen. The men
gave her up as lost, but the mate was
still hopeful.


"Wi-Wi is a fish, said be, 'and one
night at sea will not hnrt her We will
lay by till morning"


SO they lay by in the boat that night,
shouting but hearing no response. In
the morning the mate saw dark object
on the top of the surge a long way off.
There is something over there; give
way for it Its only a turtle" ans
wered the men. Never mind, give
way, answered the mate. They gave
way, and after hard pull, the sea hav-
ing risen, reached the object. It was an
immense turtle, and on the back thereof
sat Wi-Wi She hailed the boats crew
with a cry Of JOY, and plunging into the
sea swan to the boat. The was
then secured and towed to the ship,
where Wi-Wi was received with three
cheers and a tiger. A glass Of brandy
stimulated her and made her loquacious.
She told the story Of her going over
board how, being bruised by striking
against the rail, she could not reach the
ship by swimming but, floating at the
mercy Of the sea, was at last thrown
upon the back Of the turtle which was
complacently oscillating on the surface
of the water. "But for this singular
assistance" said the Captain, "Wi-Wi
must have perished; and it is to be re-
gretted," he added in a choking voice,
that the creature which had so provi-
denhally saved the life Of human be-
ing should have subsequently been
utilized in the form Of turtle soup"