He Was Of Fair Complexion And
His Hair, Which Had Been Allowed To Grow Long, Was "Triced Up In Native
Custom with a comb made of bamboo," and being of a light yellow colour
"it resembled the finest silk." His
Only garments were a sort of
waistcoat without sleeves and a blue and white dungaree girdle round his
loins. He looked delicate, and his face wore a woebegone expression,
which apparently was habitual, while his body was covered with numberless
scars and sores. The sinews of his knee-joints were very contracted,
because, he told Captain Watson, he had to sit fishing so long in one
position in the hot sun so that he was almost unable to walk. His ears
had been perforated after the custom of the natives, and in the lobe of
each he wore a piece of bamboo at least an inch in diameter.
As was to be expected, from having been fourteen years on the island, he
had almost forgotten his native language and with difficulty could make
himself intelligible. He was, however, able to give the following account
of his life there. The Stedcombe, on leaving Melville Island, had gone to
Timor Laut for live stock and had moored off Louron. Mr. Bastell, the
mate in charge, then proceeded on shore with the crew, leaving on board
the steward, a boy named John Edwards, and himself. As Mr. Bastell and
the crew did not return he (Forbes) looked through the glass and then
beheld their bodies stretched out on the beach - the heads severed from
each.
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