The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 7331, 4 October 1898, Page 4

The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont.

The great sensation in England at the present time is the adventures of Louis de Rougemont, but the interest will be somewhat discounted when, the information we are now receiving from Australia is circulated. De Rougemont is, it seems, identical with a man named Grien, a former resident in Sydney,' and who spent some time in the South Seas and Torres Straits fisheries. He used to • recount thrilling tales of his adventures to his children, and probably he is now in the condition that he believes them all himself. The VVorld Wide Magazine, which discovered de Rougemont, has the following prefatory notice : We now commence what may truly be described as the most amazing story a man ever lived to tell. In a'l the annals of geographical science there is practically but one case that can be compared for a moment with M. de Rougemont's—-but in that instance the man returned to civilisation a hopeless idiot, having lost his reason years before, amidst his appalling surroundings. Qaite apart from the worldwide interest of M. de Rougemont's narrative of adventure, it will be obvious that after his thirty years', experience as a cannibal chief in the wilds of unexplored Australia, his contributions to science will be simply above all price. He has already appeared before such eminent geographical experts as Dr J. Scott-Keltie and Dr Hugh R. Mill, who have heard his story and checked it by means of their unrivalled collection of latest reports, charts and works of travel. These well-known experts are quite satisfied that not only is M. de Rougemont's narrative perfectly accurate, but that it is of the very highest scientific value. We also have much pleasure in announcing that arrangements are being made for M. de Rougemont to read an important paper before that great scientific budy, the British Association for the Advancement of Science, at their next congress, which will be held in September at Bristol. Other learned bodies have welcomed M. de Rougemont with open arms, but we will announce further particulars later. The narrative is taken duwn verbatim from M. de Rougemont's lips, and apart from all outside authorities and experts, we have absolutely satisfied ourselves as to M. de Rougemont'e accuracy in every minute particular.

De Rougemont tells how he got to Singapore and engaged in a pearl fhhing expedition. We quote a dreadful incident which the World Wide Magazine illusirates, showing an enormous octopus enveloping a man and a boat: The greatest enemy the divers had to fear in these waters was the dreaded octopus, who presence occasioned far greater pauic than the appearance of a mere shark. These loathsome monsters would sometimes come and throw their horrible tentacles over the side of the frail craft from which the divers were working, and actually fasten on to the men themselves, dragging them out into the water. At other times octopuses have been known to attack the divers down below, and hold them relentlessly under water until life was extinct. One of our own men had a terribly narrow escape from one of these fearful creatures. I must explain, however, that each evening, when the divers returned from pearl fishing, they roped ail their little tk.ffs together, and let them lie astern of the schooner. Well, one niiht the wind rose and rain fell heavily, with the result that next morning all the little boats were found more or less waterlogged. Some of the Malays were told off to go and bale them out. Whilst they were at work one of the men saw a mysterious-looking black object iu the sea, which so attracted his cutiosi'y that he dived overboard to find out whit it was. He had barely reached the water, however, when an immense octopus rose into view, and at once made for the terrified man, who instantly saw his danger, and with great presence of mind promptly turned and scrambled back into the boat. The terrible creature was after him, however, and, to the horror of the onlookers, it extended its great flexible tentacles, enveloped the entire hoat, man, and all, and then dragged the whole down under the crystal sea. The diver's horrified comrades rushed to his assistance, and an attempt was made to kill the octopus with a harpoon, but without success. Several of his more resourceful companions then dived into the water with a t»ig net made of rope, which they took riabt underneath the octopus, entangling the creature and its still living prey. The next step was to drag up both man and octopus into the whalebo <t, and, this done, the unfortunate Malay was at length seized by ht3 legs and dragged by sheer force out of the frightful embrace, more than alive. However, we soon revived him by putting him ia a very hot bath, the water being at such a temperature as actually to blister the skin.

After telling about a nondescript monster of a fish, de Rougemont gives this extraordinary shark story : Three or four of our divers would go out in a boat, and allow, themselves to drift into a big school of sharks. Then one man, possessed of more nerve than the rest, would bend over the side and smartly prick the first shark he came across with a spear taken out for the purpose. The moment he had succeeded in this, the other occupants of the boat would commence yelling and howling at the top of their voice.=, at the same time beating the water with their paddles, in order to frighten away the sharks. This invariably succeeded, but, amazing to relate, the shark that had beeD pricked always came back alone a few minutes later to see what it was that had pricked him. When ha is seen coming in the direction of the boat, the Malay who has accosted him in this way quietly dives overboard, armed only with his small knife and a Bhort stick of hard woodj exactly like a butcher's skewer, about five inches in length, and pointed at each end.

The man floats stationary on the surface of the sea, and, naturally, the shark makes for him. As the creature rolls over to bite, the wily Malay glides out of his way with a few deft strokes of the left hand, whilst with the right he deliberately plants the pointed skewer in an upright position between the open j*ws of the expectant shark. The result is simple, but surprising. The shark is, of course, unable to close its mouth, and the water just rushes down his throat and drowns him. Needless to remark, it requires the greatest coolness and nerve to kill a shirk In this way, but the Malays look upon it as a favorite recreation and an exciting sport. When the monsceris dead its slayer dexterously climbs on its 'back saddlewise, and then, digging his knife into the shark's head to serve as a support and means of balance, the Malay uses his own legs as paddles, and so rides the carcase, ao to speak, back to the boat. . De Rougemont then tells of Captain Jensen, of the pearl fishing expedition, leaving; with all the crew to take pearls. De Rjugemonfe was all alone on board when a great storm came on. His adventures on board, when he was attacked by savages are wonderful, and of these we have striking pictures. He sailed the vessel himself for a number of days, getting out a sea anchor at night when he turned,in to sleep. At length the vessel went on shore. He states that he was startled by the appearance of " a great horde of native blacks—giants every one of them—on the rocks above me." The natives first sent a shower of arrows, and then a shower of boomerangs. Sailing on he saw " a monstrous ungainly-look-ing creature, nearly the siza of a small whale." At length, however, the vessei struck oil an island, and de Rougemom swam, holding on with his teeth to the tail of bia dog Bruno. The island was barely lOOyde in length, 10yds wide, and

only Bft above sea level at high water* Birds were, plentiful enough, particularly ' Like Robinson Crusoe, he brought things on shore from the vessel by mieans oha raft. Robinson Crusoe was horrified to find a human footprint on" the sand, but de Rougemont found something much more ghastly, - As the tide was now favorable, I loosed my raft and swam it ashore. When I gained the island, I made another survey of it to find the must suitable spot for pitching my camp, and in the course of my wanderings I made a discovery that filled me with horror and the anguish of blackest despair My curiosity was first attracted by a human skull that lay near a large circular hole in the sand about two feet deep. Upon closer examination I came to the conclusion that the hole must have been dug by civilised beings with spades, and I commenced scratching up the sand with my fingers at one side. I had only gone a few inches down, when 1 came upon a quantity of human remains. The sight struck terror to my heart, and filled me with the most dismal forebodings. "My own bones," I thought, will soon be added to the pile." So great was my agony of mind that I had to leave the spot, and interest myself at other things ; but some time afterwards, when I had got over my nervousness, I resumed my digging,operations, and in an hour or so had unearthed no fewer than sixteen complete skeletons fourteen adults, and two younger people, possibly women ! He grew corns in turtle-shells filled with blood and sand and a little clay. Indeed, he built a house of pearl-shell. He tells how he robbed the mother pelicans of fish intended for their little ones. He took to reading the Sew Testament, but, on finding he was becoming crazed, he gave it up.. He then tells how he made a boat, which lay in the lagoon. A narrative he gives of riding a turtle reminds ua of Captain Jackson Barry's story of riding on a whale. Here is the de Rougemont style of doing it:— I used to wade out to where the turtles were, and, on catching a big 6ix-hundred-poundec, I would calmly sit astride on his back. Away would Bwim the startled creature, mostly a foot or so below the surface. When he dived deeper I simply sat far back on the shell, and then he was forced to come op. I steered my queer steeds in a curious way. When I wanted my turtle to turn to the left, I simply thrust my foot into his right eye, and viceveraa for the contrary direction. My two big toes placed simultaneously over both his optics caused a halt so abrupt as almost to unseat me.

Da Rougemont had his pets : One day I captured a young pelican, and trained it toaccompany me in my walks and help me in my fishing operations. He also acted as a decoy. Frequently I would hide myself in some grass, whilst my pet bird walked a few yards away to attract hia fellows. Presently he would be joined by a whole flock, many of which I shot with my bows and arrows, or lassoed.

But for my dog—my almost human Bruno—l think I must have died. I used to talk to him just as though he were a human being. We were absolutely inseparable. I preached long sermons to him from Gospel texts. I told him in a loud voise all about my early life and schooldays at Montreux ; I recounted to him my adventures from the fatal meeting with poor Peter Jensen in Singapore ; I sang little chansons to him, and among these he had hia favorites as well as those he disliked cordially. If he did rot care for a song, he would set up a pitiful howl. I feel convinced that this constant communing aloud with my dog saved my reason. Brnno seemed to be in such good spirits that I never dreamed of anything happening to him, and his quiet, sympathetic championship was one of the greatest blessings I knew throughout many weird and terrible years. As I talked to him he would sit at my fee!\ looking so intelligently at me that I fancied he understood every word of what I was saying. He had spent seven months on the island when he esoied the first sail, but the vessel passed without noticing his signals. He saw while' he was on the island five ships pass the island. When the ship's stock of water ran out, he condensed some sea water in a kettle. Here is one of his expedients to convey news abroad :

The powerful winged birds that abounded on the island one day gave me an idea. Wby not hang a message around their necks, and send them forth into the unknown ? Possibly they might bring help —who knows ? And with me to conceive was to act. I got a number of empty condensed milk tins, and, by means ot fire, separated from the cylinder the tin disc that formed the bottom. On this disc I then scratched a message with a sharp nail. In a few words I conveyed information about the wreck and my deplorable condition. I also gave the approximate bearings. These discs—l prepared several in English, French, bad Dutch, German, and Italian—l then fastened round the necks of the pelicans, by means of fish-gut and shark-hide strips, and away across the octan sped the affrighted birds, so scared by the mysterious incumbrance that they never returned to the island.

I may say here that over twenty years later, when I returned to civilisation, I chanced to mention the story about my messenger-birds to some old inhabitants at Fremantle, Western Australia, when, to my amazement, they replied that a pelican carrying a tin disc around its neck bearing a message in French from a castaway, had been found many years previously by an old boatman on the beach near the mouth of the Swan River.

The following is the conclusion of article No 1 in the Magazine: Two interminable years had passed away, when one day the weather suddenly changed, and a terrible gale commenced to blow, which threatened almost to wreck my little hut. One morning, a few days later, when , the storm had abated somewhat, I heard Bruno barking wildly on the beach. A few seconds afterwards he came rushing into the hut, and would not.rest till I prepared to follow him oatside. : Before doing so, however, I picked up an oar—l knew not why. I then followed myjiogxlo.wn to the beach, wondering what could possibly have caused him to make such a fuss. The sea was somewhat agitated, and as it was not yet very light, I could not clearly distinguish things in the distance. On peering seawards for the third or fourth time, however, I fancied I could make out a long, black object, which I concluded must be some kind of a boat, tossing up and down on the billows. Then, I must confess, I began to share Bruno's excitement, particularly .when a few minutes later I discerned a well-made catamaran, with several human figures lying prostrate upon it I At the end of the first article appears this editorial note:—

Important Notice.—The Adventares of Louis de Rougemont is not a single short story complete in this number, bub a serial of unique importance and interest, which will run for several months. You would therefore do well to order subsequent copies ia advance. The conclusion of the storytells howde Rougemont got off in the catamaran, and was landed in Australia, where he lived for 20 years among the blacks. After a number of abortive attempts to get amongst white men he managed to come out'at Coolgardie.