DISCOVERY OF THE REAL SIR ROGER TICHBORNE.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1116, 17 October 1873, Page 2

DISCOVERY OF THE REAL SIR ROGER TICHBORNE.

The following letter was published in the Valparaiso and West Coast Mail of June 7, 1873 : Sir, —I hope you will pardon me for thus intruding upon your space, but having been requested by a countryman to represent his situation upon my arrival here must be my excuse for' troubling you with the following rather singular statement: Some months since, while engaged oii a trading voyage to the South Pacific Islands, and when not calculating on seeing land, I discovered an extremely low island, which can hardly be discerned at a few miles distance (it is called Byron's Island), and on approaching nearer I was surprised to find the ship gradually surrounded by hundreds of canoes full of natives from the island, who clamorously desired to be permitted on board, which, however, I refused to permit. They accompanied us all that day, we trading during this time for the cocoa nut oil which they had with thenij At daylight next morning, when again standing towards the Island, we were met far out at sea by a large canoe of superior construction and ornamentation to any I had seen on the previous clay. When alongside, the chief, as he turned out to be, held aloft a spear with a letter attached, which I took on board It was directed in English to the captain, and on opening it in the presence of my officers, ] found its contents to be as follows : " Captain,—On receipt of this lose no time in coming to the rescue of a fellow-being, as I have been in a kind captivity here many, many years. I have something of importance to communicato. As this may be the only

opportunity of my over again being heard of, fear not to come. Trust yourself to this my worthy friend and chief, and no harm will befall you. —From an unfortunate captive." After a long consultation with my officers, I consented to trust myself in the hands of the savages ; and so giving all necessary instructions \a case I Should not return, I stepped into the canoe, and was paddled quickly to the .shore. The canoe kept off at some distance and I was carried inshore. On landing there stepped out from among a group of chiefs a middle sized man, and extending to me his hand, he bade me welcome to his island. He was so tattooed from forehead to heel as hardly to be distinguished as a white man. He said, " Fear not. These arc my subjects; they are jealous, but will not harm you. Your stay here is limited, come with me." We then retired to a hut at a short distance, which appeared to me to have been erected specially for the occasion, as I saw no others in the vicinity. We were immediately surrounded with vast numbers of natives with spears and other weapons, and on my remarking ontheuselessness of such a display, he said, " Be at ease, they will not harm you as long as I remain; they only fear losing me. We will proceed." The following is the substance of our conversation from notes taken immediately on arrival onboard:—"Some time since some of my people brought me from a ship, which they fell in with many leagues out at sea, a linen shirt, for which they traded, and which I greatly needed, wrapped in a newspaper called -the Liverpool Mercury," and which paper he showed me as a most precious relic, and pointing to a part which contained a report of the trial of the Claimant to the Tichborne title and property, he said emphatically, "lam the rightful heir to that title and property, and all that is here stated in this paper ; is false. How can I appear in England to claim my just rights ? There is no escape from here." Here he became greatly affected, but recovering himself he continued, " But so that I may be traced by those who may he willing to succour me, and to rescue me from my long captivity, and place me in the position to which I rightfully belong in the world, I would refer them to the articles of the ship Roman, of New Bedford, Captain Tripp , chief officer, Mr Galpin ; second officer, Mr Thomas; or to the private log of Charles Perkins, one of the crew, and also to the boarding house of Robinson, of same place." Here the impatience of the natives was seemingly increasing at my continued delay, and, as the ship commenced signalling, I thought it better to be off. So after giving my new-made acquaintance what little trifles I had with me, we took an affectionate farewell of each other, and I was soon on board of my own ship again, to the joy all; for it appeared they never expected to see me again. I must not omit to state that Sir Roger incidentally remarked that he had made •great progress in civilising the natives ; and from my short intercourse with them I must say that their morality and honesty arc superior to those of the natives of other islands with Avhom I have traded. B.T.