ATTACKED BY SAVAGES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1083, 29 December 1903, Page 2

ATTACKED BY SAVAGES.

DREADFUL' EXPERIENCES,

A SHIPWRECKED CREW’S TREATMENT*

(Per R.M.S. Ventura, at Auckland.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 7. Rear-Admiral Roblcy D. Evans, .Commander-in-chief of the Asiatic fleet, has despatched the gunboat Ancapollis to Tamsui, Formosa, to make a thorough investigation into the attack upor. the ereiv of the American ship Benjamin Sewell, which was abandoned on October sth about 40 miles south-east of the island of Hotel, Tobago* Upon the result of the mission of the Annapollis will depend tho decision of the State Department as to whether an inquiry by the Tokio Government will be necessary. Official details of the search for the missing boat’s crew from tbe wreck of the Benjamin Sewell, made by Don Juan Ue Austria and Willmington, are contained in reports received at the Navy Department. On the arrival of these gunboats at Douth, Cape Formosa, Don Juan de Austria was ordered to proceed to Botel, Tobago, where it was learned that three .Japanese -shipwrecked sailors from the Benjamin Sewell were to be found. One of these told the

story o£ their experience to Lieuten-ant-Commander Denfuld, commanding the Don Juan de Austria, briefly to this effect : The Benjamin Sewell sailed from' Singapore for Shanghai with a cargo of teak. When three days out, she was struck by a typhoon and tost three masts." The captaip gave the order for all hands to abandon the ship. Aoki, who tells the story, went "in a boat in charge of the chief officer, together with the third mate and Iris wife, two Japanese seamen, two Manila seamen, an American negro, a Chinese cook", Chinese carpenter, and Russian seaman. Shortly before sunset on October'loth, when five miles from the north shore of the island, they were attacked by four cances, each manned by about twelve | savages, arm e d with knives. “At the time,” says Aoki, “we were rowing with three oars, and also had a sail made by the piecing + M.n,. ~f l.lnntnfc nl

cugenicc til mainvcts, e l u. J' ui provisions, we had three cans of pineapples, and two or three of milk, some salt meat, and ship’s biscuits .The savages ran alongside of us, as man y as could clambered aboard and stripped us to our skins, not even sparing the women. We all had some money,- and the chief mate, cook, and one of the seamen had watches. They priced off all the brass work, took out the how plug, ar.d capsized the boat. After this, ■they made off, having been with us about an hour. It was now quite dark, and we could not see where thee went.”

Aoki says {bat the negro and Chinese cook were dpoyyned ten minutes after the boat capsized, and later' the chief mate, who was an old man. All of the remainder made for the shore, except vhe third mate, who was an American, and a Japanese woman, whom, as she could not ■swim to the shore, the third mate refused to leave. When the three Japanese reached the shore, they tod among mountains, fearing another attack from the savages. After remaining in Hiding for five days, they were rescued by a party of natives, and brought to the police station. The Japanese Government has ordered a thorough keareli to ho made for the five missing persons on Botel, Tobago Island.