Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-06-04
A Modern Robinson Crusoe.

: dence" TO be given to moreythau one coral.
reef and desolote island in the India Seas
i. Rarely perhaps, has il been more appropriate
ly bestowed than 1t was on a small rocky is
let which lies to the rthward of the Mo-
{ zambique channel, few days sail from the
{ Isle Of Bourbon. This was shown In nota-
BILE instance which occurred about thirty
years ago. This story is scarcely known
even 10 mariners of the nation to which the
hero of it belonged; and therefore to make it
, familiar to our readers may not DO thought
undesirable:
In the year of 1920, NJ. Cremasy, the Cap
tain of Bourbon trading vessel. resolved to
visit the little Island of Providence, in order
TO obtain cargo ofcocoa nut germs for plan
ting in the colony to which he Belonged
The appliances for navigating the eastern
coast OF Africa were at that time very rude
Chain cables, were not known but were made
from the flbres Of the palm, similar TO those
which are called govmoutoa in the Balebo,
coir on the Spanish main. These cables are
very liable to be cut by me sharp reefs and
coral bottom which abouRd so plentifully in
the Indian Ocean; and in order 10 spare tho
anchors, a wooden frame filled with stones,
called pegase was the frequent substitute
Immediately OH his anchoring in this man.
ner off Providence, NJ. Cremasy went on
shore, and sent back his boat with her crew
10 the ship. while he explored the island. He
had thus been occupied for some time, when
the cable of the pegase broke, and the vessel
was carried out to sea sy one of the violent
currents which set OF these shores. The
mate made sail as speedily as he could TO
regain the anchorage; but he was unable to
head the current, aud night fell in while he
Sas endeavoring tn do SO. The captain loft
on shore by this accident, had on at the tine
nothing but jacket and per of wh:.e trou.
sers, ana Tor his sole Weapon a nsoncAeste, a
Kind oi shori. Sabre used in boarding. When
he found himself condemned to pass the night
in this desert island, his first care was to con-
struct place of shelter and with the broad
leaves of the cocoa tree ne built Up al cjoup,
or hut, and made his supper Of cocoa nuts
eating the fruit ana drinking the milk. He
did not sleep over soundly, for he was tormen-
ted by vague apprehension concerning his
vessel; the sense of loneliness oppressed him
and he was somewhat in fear of rats and 9TH
or noxious animals. At day break he was on
shore anxlously looking out TO discover sail
on the horizon; but nothing was visible thro
the misty morning air. The sun rose and
dispelled the mist, but his rays fell upon a
wide expanse Of azuro sea, unbsoken By any
vessel.
He sat down on rock, aud began 10 med
itate upon his future destiny. There was
out one course open to bim--to bestir him
self for the supply of his daily wants. With
his manchctte in his hand, he sct out onco
more to explore the territory of which he was
the unwilling sovereign. Ro got nothing but
cocoa nut for his breakfast, and dined also
upon the same fruit "a luxury to n schoolboy,
but had not an eq1al estimation by hungry
sailor, though be thought himself lucky that
the island produced any thing eatable BY
! dint oil prosecuting his researches, nj. Gre
macy succeeded in making an addition to his
! vegetable diet in the shape of some wild Gu
eumbers; but he was unwilling to eat them
raw and had no means of cooking them by
fire. A native, ifthe island had been poo
pied, would have liz one for him by the fric
ton of two pieces Of wood Ito remember
cd the method of the savages; and procuring
a sort of light wood, made hole in it with
another piece OF harder kind and by twir-
ling il rapidly, endeavored to kindle fame;
but whether from accident or want of skill,
he was not successful in his FIRST attempt
and when the sun went down ne was ono0
more left in darkness. On the following day
he again looked out for the ship but again
without success. He therefore redoubled
his efforts 10 procure fire and by dnt Of per-
severance at length he produced light smoke
upon the wood. He then hastily collected
some fibres of the cocoa nut, and placed them
in contact with ne ignited substances and at
last was rewarded by brilliant spark which
presently broke into blaze. lie now got
together a sufficient quantity 10 keep the fire |
in all night, heaped it with branch and dried |
leaves, and watched i. with interest until the |
third morning broke. Tired out with his ex- |
ertions, he at length fell asleep, but had not |
kaa sla LON. h.f. ba k,,l
a singular noise, as if some one was slowly |
creeping towards him. He opened his eyes, |
and looked wishfully into the obscurity of |
the dawn, and presently saw a large object |
stealing across the sand. lie grasped his |
manohette and waited nervousy for its near
or approach. At length he discovered an O.
normous turtle, come according TO the hab-
its of that animal to lay its egg above high |
water mark. The turtle always selects a |
situation that catches all the rays of the sun;
they make hole in the sand, cover up the |
eggs, and fifty days afterwards, without fail;
the instinct brings them back 10 disinter them.
At the moment when the layer ofsand which
covers them is removed, the young turtles
break their shells and follow their dam TO the
waters edge; and when they reach the waves
they make themselves fast TO her belly, and
are towed on TO sea, to qualify them in time
for the foasts of tho alderman.
As soon as NJ. Cremasy ascertsined who
his carly visitor really was, he walked steal
thily towards her, and turning her over, kept
guard over her till daylight came, and dis
patched her. II was task OF some difficult
to cut her up; but when he bad succeeded he
found himself repaid for his trouble The
turtle was capital. tie boiled the meat which
he thought excellent, and preserved tho fat
which he disposed OF in the shells OF the small
turtle on the shore; and out of tho fbres of
tho cocoa nut he made wioks, in this manner
constructing very notable sort of lamp, an
tique in fashion. and moreover, highly useful.
To season his turtle, he then procured salt
from the evaporation Of sea water, and con-
verted the shell of his visitor into caldron.
With these civilized means OF cooking, he
ceased TO enjoy HE oooos nut milk, and laid