“LOUISBURG, Cape Breton, April 8, 1886—James McDonald of Eastpoint, P. E. I.; S. McDonald of Broadcove, C. B.; Colon Chisholm of Harbor Bouch, N. S., and Angus McEchern of Long Point Cape, of the American fishing schooner Elsie M. Low; March 30 left their vessel in two dories to look after trawls on the western banks, but a fog set in, and when they were pulling back for their vessel they got astray. Subsequently calls for help from one brought the two together again. There being no prospect of the fog lifting or reply to their oft repeated shouts, they decided to all get in one dory and make their way toward land. They had neither food nor water, as they had not expected to be gone long. The second day the sun came out bright and clear, but no sail was in sight, save the smoke of one or two steamers on the horizon, the sufferings of the castaways from thirst were now becoming intense. The succeeding night was extremely cold and rough and the dory iced up badly, taking all the exertions of the now weakened men to keep her head to the sea. Some of them held pieces of ice to their mouths and so endeavored to relieve their parched throats to a slight extent. Of the succeeding six days’ history it is almost impossible to obtain a correct account, for all were dazed. The light house keeper at Guyon Island, off Cape Breton, near Louisburg, observed the dory being feebly pulled toward the light and assisted the men ashore. His eyes met a ghastly sight. In the bow of the dory was a lifeless, naked body, that of James McDonald, much lacerated. One of his arms was hacked off at the elbow, his throat much torn and pieces cut out of each thigh, while scattered remains of his arm and flesh and bones, telling the horrible tale of cannibalism, were in other parts of the boat. The body of the other McDonald was under the thwarts in the bottom of the boat. The latter was the chief cannibal. He clamored for his dead comrade’s blood, tore his throat and sucked it, while the others, worn out, slept, and when they awoke offered them some of the flesh, which they refused. He then cried for more blood, saying it tasted like cream, but was unable to extract it from the lifeless carcass. The next day he became insane, and was with difficulty restrained from violence by the two remaining comrades until he himself died on the seventh day. He is a brother of a prominent lawyer of Halifax. The men rowed in their dory about 90 miles with only the sun and stars to guide them. One of the two survivors Chisholm is very sick and may not recover, while McEchern is extremely weak and very reticent. The light house keeper took the bodies to Louisburg, where a tremendous sensation was caused among the people of the old French fishing village. A jury was empaneled and the inquest brought out the above story.”