CAPTURED BY CANNIBALS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 227, 23 March 1912, Page 8

CAPTURED BY CANNIBALS

DOCTOR'S STIRRING EXPERIENCES. l'cw people, in the course of the moat adventurous life, have the experience that befel Dr. George G.'Lush, who was at one time on the brigantine Catalonia, and, owing to her 'being east away, fell into the hands of cannibals,, and yet escaped, He now practises his profession in New York. After leaving Buenos Ayres, the Catalonia sprang a leak,'and, a storm rising, she was mist; away on the Patagrtniaii shore. She struck a rc?f heavily, and rapidly went to pieces. As Lush was going over the side lie seized a big piece of timber, on which he was literally swept ashore. When he hit the beach he was nearly winded, but managed to scramble outside the reach of the breakers. Telling the rest of the story in the New York World, Dr. Lush says: "A party of naked savages, mostly under-sized men, who had seen our ship and who had three big fires on the beach, at once attacked us. I say *us,' for Captain Crosswel land four of the Catalonia's crew came ashore at the same time as I did, on part of the ship's raft. "I was knocked down by a native* and as I fell I kicked one savage in the face.' I know I kicked out some of his teeth. I still distinctly remember his howl of pain. I remember, too, seeing Captain Croswell, wearing belted trousers and a

blue flannel shirt, surrounded by half a dozen natives. "I was forced to the ground by several natives, and two minutes later I was lying face down, with states driven close to my body on either side of me, holding me as in a vice. My feet and wrists were then tied with tough grass. "Just before nightfall I saw two of my former companions, dead or alive I could not tell, thrown on two huge fires. The sight sickened one, and at the same' time it gave me the courage of desperation. It made me realise that I was in the hands of cannibals, and I did not desire to be eaten, if I avoid it. "Before my comrades were tossed into the flames I had ibeen carried to a stump near the edge of the woods, which skirted the beach, and was there fastened. I freed one hand from its grass fastening, and reached a nail which was in my trousers pocket. "With this nail I severed my bonds of grass, and crawled into the deepening shadows of the wood. Doubtless my terror gave me temporary strength. To die would be bad enough; but to die and then be eaten would be worse, though

the eating would probably have hurt the savages more than it would have (lis-1 turbed me. ] "From noises I heard- an hour later I ] felt sure my escape had been discovered, j but I was not disturbed. I crawled as ! far as I could through the strange woods until I fell asleep from exhaustion. The next day was far advanced when I awoke. For three days and night I travelled as rapidly northward as I could, subsisting on such fruit and berries as I knew to be edible, or which looked as if they might be safely eaten. Finally I reached an Indian hut, where an old Indian sepmed to be living alone. He looked at me in wonderment. I pointed to his fire, to some burned corn in a clay vessel near it, and to my stomach. He understood, and gave me some of the corn, and also some water, into which he poured a juice which I .have not yet identified. It braced me, but it also made me drowsy. "I awoke in the night, and without stopping' to bid adieu to my host, I filled my pockets from his corn supply, and went again into the woods. Two days later I emerged near a little settlement, where some cattle were corralled, and where there were a dozen huts occupied by Indians. I ventured among tliem. ? "They discussed me in a language which was a mixture of Indian dialect, Portuguese anl Spanish. Half an hour later I tasted there the first meat I had eaten since the wreck. I stayed there three days, and was wonderfully recuperated by food and rest. "An Indian girl, who wasn't half bad looking, served my meals. The only object I had left from my former possessions was a washed-gold watch chain. The watch went down with the ship. I gave this chain to the dusky, maiden, and I think it pleased the whole camp as much as it did her. "On the fourth day they sent two bovs with me to guide me to Piza. From there I was guided by others to Oeata. Froin-Oeata I went in five days to the coast. I next went to Santee. From there I was taken on a little steamer up the river to a small settlement, where I met someone who could speak my own tongue. "He was a man from Chicago, and was

interested in rubber, cattle and other products. He said he had not been home for a dozen years. He was representing some American and British buyers in Rosario and Buenos Ayres. He cared for me for ten days, and then arranged to send me by way of Crusae, Salma and Cardoza, by land and by boat, to Kosnjio. At Eosario the British Consul, Mr. Young, of Birmingham, showed me much courtesy, and later aided me to reacn Buenos Ayres, where the United States Minister fixed things, for me, and in due course I reached New York."