'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎228] (337/496)

possibly have no idea of any other person having shewn him so much
affection as these poor benighted, but warm-hearted, savages, whom he
had for ever deserted.
Perhaps it may not be irrelevant, or out of place, were I to give a con
cise account of the wreck of the Charles Eaton, and ultimate fate of the
crew and- passengers, as related to us by John Ireland shortly after
we met with the Schooner Isabella. It was altogether a confused state
ment, but it was of thrilling interest, and though he had forgotten dates
and localities, yet the massacre was borne in his memory with frightful
reality: every circumstance of that dreadful event was indelibly impressed
on his mind, and for a long period after he said it haunted him by night as
well as day, and even in his dreams he could hear the cry of distress and
groans of his unfortunate comrades. During the days he remained with
these terrible cannibals, and until he was luckily rescued by the Murray
Islanders, his life was a complete burden to him : he was treated with
much severity, as a slave, and if he did not perform the labors alloted to
him, the savages used to throw at him spears, several of which pierced
the fleshy parts of his body, the scars.being at that time visible. He
could not in any way account for the fact of his life (the only one, besides
little D’Oyly, out of forty) having been spared. All that he remembered
was, that when the dreadful act was perpetrated, he ran into the sea for
the purpose of drowning himself, but his heart failed him, and he
remained up to his neck in water, until the morning, when he was disco
vered ; and he supposes that the savages, having been surfeited with their
deeds of blood the previous night, thought perhaps it would be wiser to
make him their slave : young D’Oyly, he believed, wus taken away from
his mother by one of their women. The Charles Eaton, he told us, was
lost on one of the reefs forming the Great Barriers, but he knew not the
exact position, nor the particulars of that calamity: all that he remem
bered was, the boats were stove in by the sea, and that recourse was had
to a raft, which was constructed of all the spars they could find. On
this they all embarked, taking with them some provisions and water, also
some arms. A square sail was hoisted in the centre, and they drifted
before the wind for some days, not knowing where they were, untiDat
last they made the ill-fated isle of Boy dan, about the middle of the day-
As they approached the shore, a canoe, with a few natives on board, was
fallen in with, who seemed most friendly disposed, and made signs for
them to land, which they did, and soon after the natives brought them
water to drink. Few being about, and so much confidence having been