save some part of the cargo of a whaler that had been wrecked on the
Bampton shoal. The pilot missed his route, two of the crew were
drowned by accident, another was left on a desert island, and at last
the little vessel, caught by a gale in Torres Strait, struck upon a
reef on Prince of Wales Island. The only two men left on board were
drowned in attempting to swim to shore; but the woman was saved by a
party of natives, one of whom, Boroto by name, forced her to live with
him as his wife, in which position she for a time was exposed to much
cruelty, owing to the jealousy of the women of the tribe. She
eventually was saved from persecution by a singular belief prevalent
among the natives--that white people are the ghosts of departed
aborigines--one of the principal among the blacks having persuaded
himself that he had found in her his long-lost daughter, after whom
Barbara was named Giom. The head-quarters of the tribe were on an
island, and the captive frequently saw vessels pass on their way to
Torres Strait, but without any opportunity of making her case known.
She had heard of the first arrival of the _Rattlesnake_ and tender at
Cape York; and on the last visit, had induced the blacks to escort her
to within a short distance of the anchorage, they believing that she
only wished to shake hands with her countrymen, and would soon return,
laden with knives, axes, and tobacco. Although lame, she hurried on,
fearing that her conductors might change their mind, and made towards
some of the ship's company, who were on shore shooting. Except a
fringe of leaves, she was quite naked, and her appearance was so dirty
and miserable, that they took her for a _gin_, or native woman, and
paid no attention to her, when she called out: 'I am a white woman;
why do you leave me?' She was immediately taken on board the ship, and
but just in time to escape from a small party of the tribe, who had
followed to detain her.