Sailor Became King of Cannibal Island

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7200, 24 April 1930, Page 10

Sailor Became King of Cannibal Island

MARRIED CHIEF’S DAUGHTER The romance of a shipwrecked Englishman who married a native woman and bccamo king of a Pacific island inhabited by hostile natives was revealed recently by Captain John Dowdy, the ohlcst member of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society. “Many years ago,’’ said Captain Dowdy, “when I was in command of the sailing ship Ada, tho vessel became becalmed among the Solomon Islands. AVben wc saw canoes putting off from an island wc were alarmed, but imagine our astonishment when, standing in the leading canoe, we saw an Englishman. He came aboard the Ada. and tokl us his story. *A handsome man of about 40 years of age, he was dressed as a native, wearing only a loin cloth. “Years previously, he told us, he had been shipwrecked and washed up on the island. He had lost all count of time and had no idea when it had happened. At first tho natives did not take too kindly to him, and ho experienced many anxious moments. “In spite of the uncertainty, however, lie found himself falling in love with tho daughter of an island chief. She returned his lovo and the lonely white sailor became her husband. “Gradually ho won tho natives over and lie was made king of the island. I asked him if he wished to return to England on the Ada, ho replied that all his relatives thought him dead and, as he was married and had children, he thought it best to remain with them. “The wind was springing up and the soils were filling, and I asked Mm point blank if he was coming home wh.li us. Ho looked at his fellow countrymen on tho boat and appeared to hesitate. Then he • turned his eyes back to the island and, jumping into his canoe, he cast off. “Yes,’’ said Captain Dowdy, reflectively, “he was a strange man. He may be alivo .to-day for all I know. At any rate you can reckon on some of nis children still being alive. After all he seemed happy, so why should he have wanted to leave the island?’’