The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-03-22
CAPTAIN Ross. "A MoDERN

CAPTAIN Ross. "A MODERN
CRUsoE.-We extract the following
from letter written by an Indian
officer on sick leave:
"After we. got clear of Java Head
we had q fresh breeze from the south
cast, and as we had been unable to
take in water at Angler, the captain
decided upon doing SO at some small
islands I had never heard the name
of before; they are called the Cocoas,
and about seven hundred or eight
hundred miles to the southwark of
Java head. Their history is rather
curious. A Captain Ross, formerly
Of the East India service, lives on
them with his family. Before Bor-
neo was given up to the Dutch, he
was governor Of it, and while there
he advised the English Government
to allow him to build sloop of war,
as there was such magnificent timber.
She was launched only the day
before the island was given up; but
the Dutch allowed him to finish her,
and the English government then
made a present of her to Captain
Ross as reward for his services
He cruised about in her for many
years, and as it we're, discovered
these islands, for they had been
known to exist, though never visited.
He took fancy tosthem, wrote home
to England, and brought out the
whole Of his family. The English
government refusing him protection,
he placed himself under that of the
Dutch, and got three hundred Malay
slaves, whom he liberated upon arri-
wing in the islands, and formed a set.
tlement there.
Ills ship was lost on voyage to
Batavia, and he was many years
without having any intercourse with
the world; but being nearly starved,
for the islands produce little more
than coc9a nut trees, he built a
assss .,.:.:l mr.
cocoa nut fibre, and the sails Of the
thick bark that is round the cocoanut
trees just below the branches. He
was just sailing when a wha!er put
into the island, and from her procur.
ed canvass and went to Batavia, since
which time be has traded regularly
there, selling cocoanut oil, of which
he makes great quantities, having a
steam engine of ten horse power to
bruise and press the nut.
About the sixth day from Java
Head, we sighted the islands, which,
are very low, covered to the waters
edge with trees. There are about "a
of them, the largest about a mile
broad; they are in circle, reefs join
ing them, and forming a magnificent
lagoon, to which there is only one en-.
trance. ] went on shore early the
morning after we anchored, and pulled
about three miles up the lagoon to the
settlement.-Iheir chief amusement
appears to be sailing boats, of which
there are immense numbers and man.
aged beautifully. | counted nearly
thirty as We pulled up, sailing away to
the different islands to pick up nuts.
Captain Ross is strange, guam,
looking man; he aud his sons resemble
Robinson Crusoc. They lived in
wooden houses, raised about ten feet
on piles, from the ground, and are as
rough as you can we'll imagine. They
have books, and the quantity Capt
Ross read is wonderful. He has beer
26 years in the islands. The Malays
are lazy set of fellows; he pays then
so much day, and so well that they
won't work more than two or three
days week. The greatest punish
mcnt he imtlicts is to bsnish them from
the islands. .-Er. paper.
.1S Good as ifH acre in EsoD.-