The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-11-03
The Lost Child.

WdhneTingS Vi young girl, during twenty
one days she was lost in the wilderness:
Miss Sarah Campell of Windsor, who
was lost In the woods on the llth Of August
( last, returned to her home OH the 3lst having
been absent about twen'y-0nc days. A
| friend in Brompton has sent us a circum-
stantial account of her wanderings, of the
efforts made in her behalf, and her return
home, from which we cOndense the follow
| ing statements:
! II appears that on the Nth Of August, IN
company whit friends, she went fishing
on the north branch Of Windsor brook, and
/ that Oh attempting TO return she became sep
Grated from her companions, who returned
to her mothers, the widow Campbell, expec-
ting 10 find her at home. Several Of her
neighbors searched for her, during the night
without success. The search was contib,l-
ed during Sunday, Monday and Tuesday,
by somt fifty or sixty individuals, and al
/ though her tracks and those of dog which
accompanied her were discovered, 10 tdincs
of the girl were obtained. A general sym.
patty for the afflicted widow and her lost
daughter was excited, and notwithstanding
the busy time Of the year, great numbers
from Windsor and the neighboring town.
ships Of Brompton, Shipton, Melbourne,
Durham, Oxford, Serbrooke, Lennoxville,
Stoke and Dndsv ell, turned ont, with pro.
visions and implements for camping in the
woods, in search Of the female, which was
without in'srmis>iOn Tor about fourteen days
when it was generally given up, under the
impression that she must have died either
| from starvation or the inclemency Of the
weather, il having raned almost necessarily
| for nearly week at time. On the 2lst
/ her brother returned from Massachusetts,,
and, with two or three others, renewed the
search. hat returned thc second day, and
found 10 their grea'joy that the lost one had
found her way home the evening previous.
On hearing of her return, our CORES pondent
made y visit to the widow Campbell, 10 hear
from her daughter the story Of her wander.
ings. She was found, as might be suppu,.
ed, IN a very weak and exhausted condition.
but gate rational, as it seems she had been
during the whole period of her ABSENCE
From her story the following particulars
were gathered:
/ When first lost, she went directly from
| home down "Open Brook - TO a meadow a .
bout mile distant from what is called tie
I "O2ias opening," 4 mile distant in the op
posite direction. On Sabbath morning,
knowing that she was lost and having
heard that lost persons might be guided by
the sun, she undertook TO follow the sun du
ring the day. In the morning she directed
her steps towards the east, crossed the North
branch, installing it for .'Open Brock )"
and travelled, frequently running, in some
direction. Cher way home was due north
seven or eight miles, till she came to the
great hay mellow in Windsor. There she
spent sabbath night, and thence down the
south branch in the great meadow. After
this she appears 10 have spent her time, ex.
cept when she was searching for food for
herself aud dog, in walking and running o.
yer the meadow, and up and down the
South branch in search of her home, occa.
sionally wandering upon the highlands and
far down towards the junction Of the two
main streams, never being, more than seven
or eight miles from home.
For several days, by attempting to follow
the sun, she travelled in circle, finding her.
self at night near the place she left in the
morning. Although she often came across
the tracks OF large parties Of men, aud then
recently erected camps, and that multitude,
Of people were in search of her, she saw
no,livinglperson, and heard no sound Of trim
pet, or other noise except the report ola CUR
as she lay by a brook. early Thursday NOR,
ming, the sixth day OF her being lost. Think
ing the gun TO have been fired not more
than half a mile distant, she said sh,
"screamed aud run," to the place. whence
she supposed the noise came, but found
nothing. Early in the day however, sh,
came to the camp where this gun was fired
bn, not until its occupants had left TO renew
their search for her. This camp was abou
four miles from the great meadow wher,
she spent the sabbath previous. There sht
found fire, dried her cloths, and found
par,ridge's gizzard, which she cooked ant
ate, aud then lay down aud slept, remain
ing about twenty-icur hours.
In her travels she came across scvCra
other camps, some of which she visited sew
eral times, particularly one where she foun,
names cut upon trees, and in another il
which was piece of white paper. EXccp
: three or four nights spent in these camps
she slept upon the ground, sometimes ma
! king a bed of moss, and endeavoring {,
shelter herself from the dreanching rain
, with spruce boughs. For the first TIVE
: weeks she suffered much from the cold
: shivcring all night, AMI sleeping bn, little
| The last week she said she got "tonghen
ed" aud did not SILVER. When first lost
, she had n large trout, " hich was the onl,
, food she ate, except choke. cherries, the fir,
! week, aud n part OF this she gave TO hc
dog, which remained with her for week
r day and night. The cherries which she oil
T crcedily, swallowing the stones, she fcuh'
, Injured her health, and forihe lastly week