Chapter X

The feeble and exhausted condition of the survivors, Nute and
Holden.--The natives consent to release them from labor, but refuse
them food; and they obtain permission to leave the island in the
first vessel, for a compensation to be made to the natives.--They
crawl about from place to place, subsisting upon leaves, and
occasionally begging a little food of the natives, for two
months.--Their sudden joy at hearing of a vessel coming towards the
island.--It proves to be the British barque Britannia, captain
Short, bound to Canton.--They are taken on board the Britannia,
November 27, 1834, and treated with the kindest attention.--Their
joy and gratitude at this happy termination of their
sufferings.--They gradually recover their health so far as to take
passage for America, in the ship Morrison, bound for New York,
where they arrive May 5, 1835.--Acknowledgments for their kind
reception at New York and Boston.

Having thus briefly related the story of our captivity and sufferings, it only remains to give an account of our escape from this barbarous people. We continued to survive the horrible sufferings to which we were constantly subjected, and to serve our tyrannical masters, in despite of our agonies of body and mind, till the beginning of the autumn of 1834; at which time we had become so emaciated, feeble, and sickly, that we found it impossible any longer even to attempt to labor. By this time we had acquired a sufficient knowledge of their tongue to converse fluently with the natives, and we informed our masters, that our feeble condition rendered it impossible for us to attempt to do any thing more. We also reasoned the matter with them, telling them that death was our inevitable doom, unless we were allowed to relax our labor; that if we died we could be of no service to them, but if allowed a respite, and we lived, and could be put on board a vessel, they should be liberally rewarded.

With much difficulty we at length persuaded our masters to allow us to quit labor, and obtained from them a promise to be put on board the first vessel that should come to the island. But, at the same time, they informed us, that if we ceased to work, they should cease to furnish the miserable allowance of cocoa-nut on which we had before subsisted, and that we must either labor or starve. We deemed death as welcome in one shape as in another, and relinquished our labors and our pittance of food together.

We were thus literally turned out to die! We crawled from place to place, subsisting upon leaves, and now and then begging of the natives a morsel of cocoa-nut. In this way we contrived to live for about two months, when the joyful intelligence was brought to us that a vessel was in sight, and was coming near the island! Hope once more revisited our despairing hearts, and seemed to inspire us with renewed strength and animation.

After taxing our exhausted powers to the utmost, we persuaded the natives to prepare for visiting the vessel; and throwing our emaciated bodies into their canoes, we made for the ship with all possible despatch. The vessel proved to be the British barque Britannia, captain Short, bound to Canton. Our reception on board is faithfully described in the following certificate given by captain Short, the original of which is still in my possession:

"LINTIN, 29th December, 1834.

"This is to certify, that on the 27th day of November, 1834, off
the small island commonly called Lord North's by the English,
situated in latitude 3 deg. 3' north, and longitude 131 deg. 20' east, on
board the British barque Britannia, bound to Canton river, we
observed about ten or eleven canoes, containing upwards of one
hundred men, approaching the vessel, in a calm, or nearly so, with
the intention of coming alongside. But having the small complement
of thirteen men, it was considered most prudent to keep them off,
which was effected by firing a few six pound shots in a contrary
direction from the boats, some of which were then within
pistol-shot. At the same time hearing cries in our own language,
begging to be taken on board, the boat was despatched away to know
the cause. The boat returned to the ship, and reported an American
on board one of them. She was then sent back, having strict
orders to act with caution, and the man got from the canoe into the
sea, and was taken up by the ship's boat, and brought on board. He
then stated in what manner he came there, and said he had another
of his countrymen in another canoe. I said if we could get some of
the boats dispersed, that every assistance should be rendered for
the liberty of the other man. Accordingly they did so, all but
three. The ship's boat was then despatched in search, and soon
found the other man. He was brought on board, but in a most
deplorable condition with fever, from the effects of a miserable
subsistence. These two poor fellows were quite naked, under a
burning sun. They appeared to bear all the marks of their long
servitude, and I should suppose two or three days would have been
the end of the last man taken on board, but from this act of
Providence. It appears that these men were wrecked in the ship
Mentor, on the Pelew islands, and were proceeding with their
commander to some Dutch settlement, in one of the Pelew island
canoes, when they got to the afore-mentioned island, and were
detained by the natives; and that captain Edward C. Barnard had got
on board some ship, and reached Canton river shortly after their
detention at the island; which has been confirmed by the different
masters now at the port of Lintin.

"The statement given in to me by the two men runs thus:--That they
were wrecked May 21st, 1832, on the Pelew islands, and detained on
Lord North's island 6th December, 1832. The two men's names are
Benjamin H. Nute and Horace Holden. I should thank any ship master
now in port, acquainted with the circumstance, to confirm it by his
signature, in order to make some provision for those men, should
they require it. But from the disposition and liberality of those
American gentlemen coming forward, that are already acquainted with
the circumstance, perhaps it will be unnecessary. At the same time
I shall be very willing to draw up any form, or in any other way
that I may forward their views, according to the opinion of their
American friends. I should hope that every vessel passing in the
direction of the afore-mentioned island, passing any of their
boats, will give them a trifle. I gave them what articles those two
men thought most beneficial, and should have held a closer
communication with them had I been better manned and armed.

HENRY SHORT, Barque Britannia."

Never shall we find words to express our joy at once more finding ourselves in the company of civilized men! Nor can we be too grateful to captain Short, and his officers and crew, for their kind attentions during our passage to Lintin. Every thing in their power was done to restore our health and strength, and to render us comfortable. On arriving at Lintin we found ourselves sufficiently recovered to be able to pass up the river to Canton. We remained there, at the factories, under medical treatment, until the ship Morrison, of New York, was ready to sail; when we took passage in her for our native country, and arrived in New York on the 5th day of May, 1835.

In New York we found many kind friends, who took a lively interest in our behalf. We would particularly acknowledge a debt of gratitude which we owe to Mr. John Munson, who opened his hospitable dwelling for our reception, and with whom we tarried for several weeks. Assisted by the humane and philanthropic citizens of New York, we have been enabled to reach Boston. Here Providence has raised us up warm friends, through whose assistance we have been rendered as comfortable as could under any circumstances have been expected.

In compliance with the solicitations of many respectable gentlemen, the foregoing narrative is submitted to the public, with the hope that it may not be entirely uninteresting, and not without use. Every statement may be relied upon as strictly true; and it is believed, that, simple and unadorned as is our story, it may serve to afford some information of a little spot hitherto supposed to be uninhabited, and to present to view of the curious and intelligent some knowledge of a portion of our race among whom no white man has ever before lived.

To captain Barnard the author of the statements in this narrative is under great obligations for his uniformly kind treatment previous to the loss of the Mentor, and during the whole time we were together. We have no reason to doubt, that he did all in his power to obtain our release from captivity at the time when he was himself so fortunate as to escape; and not the least blame is to be imputed to him on account of the disasters that befell us.

Of the twenty-two persons who composed the ship's company of the Mentor when she sailed from New Bedford, only _four_ have returned. It has been reported, that one of the three who was left at the Pelew islands escaped a few months since. If such be the case only two remain there; and it is hoped that some measures will soon be adopted, either by the government or by humane individuals, to rescue them from their painful and distressing situation.

I cannot close this narrative without expressing the most heart-felt gratitude to that kind Providence which has sustained us under trials and sufferings the most severe, and returned us to our homes and friends. And may those who have been to us friends indeed, find an ample reward for their generosity, in the consciousness of having been influenced by those sentiments and feelings which best adorn and dignify the human character!

BOSTON, NOVEMBER, 1835.