Jack Renton – 8 Years living with a tribe on the Solomon islands

Time stranded: 8 years

Distance traveled: Unknown

Terrain types: Beach / Jungle

Deaths: At least 4

Situation ended: Joined a passing friendly ship

Location: Solomon islands

Jack Renton was a sailor from England during the 19th century and as most men did during the Victorian era, went to sea to make a living during his teenage years. During a trip to San Fransisco in 1868 when he was just 20 years old, he was Shanghaied by another crew and taken out to sea. Shanghaiing is the process of a ships crew capturing people in distant ports to work as slaves aboard their vessels.

Shortly after being captured him and 4 other men decided to escape during the night in one of the small row boats while they were in open ocean. The escape was successful but they didn’t know where they were and had few supplies, but fortunately for them the Solomon islands were quite close and they managed to find their way to shore after spending 40 days at sea.

Renton and one of the others were the only ones to make the voyage, with the other 3 dying on the way from exposure and starvation. Shortly after landing the other crew member was killed by one of the local tribes on the island and Renton himself was captured and taken to the chief.

He was initially kept captive for entertainment, but after showing the tribe things he knew about gardening techniques and net making, they began to trust him and eventually let him join the tribe and live as one of them.

During his time on the islands he was involved in small battles with rival tribes and proved himself to be a capable warrior, even becoming one of the chief’s favourites. Living on the island began as a necessity, then after it became more comfortable he started to get bored with his primitive tribal life and started to look for an opportunity to escape the island.

Due to the location of the Solomon islands, ships from various countries often pass through here on the way to Australia and Renton decided to try his luck by asking to board one of these vessels.

A ship heading to Australia from north America’s west coast stopped at the island Renton was on to resupply with fresh water, and after seeing a stranded European the crew gladly agreed to take him with them. After arriving in Australia Renton’s story became an instant hit, and tales of his adventure spread quickly round the world and back to England, were he became an overnight celebrity.

Renton decided to stay in Australia but frequently visited the Solomon islands on various humanitarian and trade missions, and it was on one of these trips that he met some of the members of a rival tribe he had previously fought against. The tribe captured him and later killed him in revenge for him taking part in fights against them.

Renton became known as “The white headhunter” and has had various books written about him, and he is also known to be mentioned in stories told by the Malaitan tribe to this day.