Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1856-11-06
A Burmese Robinson Crusoe.

small boat by himself, about ninety miles
east of Tavoy. The mans history of
himself is a strange one. He was one of
six men who proceeded, about seven
months ago, in boat from Tavoy to one
of the Preparis islands, named Bundur.
Their object was to obtain a cargo of
cocoa nuts. II is an understood and ac-
knowledged rule among the Burmese
tribes that inhabit the western coasts of
Tenasserim, that the first party arriving
at any of these islands have the sole right
and title to the cocoa nuts of the season.
A day or two after the Tavoy men had
reached the island of Bundur, party of
the Moulmien men arrived at the same
place for the same purpose, and were of
course somewhat annoyed to find the Ia
voy men had arrived before them. They
asked to be allowed to halves in the nuts,
but the Tavoy men insisted on their right
to the whole, and told the Moulmen men
they might get the cocoa nuts from the
neighboring small island of Wa. The
Moulmein men went and returned the
same day, saying there were no nuts
worth having. and said they would re-
main on the island of Bundur, and would
take what were left by the .Tavoy men.
This was accordingly settled between
them. 1t seems that nuts could only be
obtained in fine weather, or from some
reason or another, they did not try to get
any when it rained, but fished for sea
slugs instead, fish highly priced by
the Chinese, and fetching good price
where there are Cinnamon. One rainy
day, as the Tavoy men were fishing,
three being on the sea shore, and three
in the water, the Moulmein men made an
attack on them with muskets and DAVIS.
The three Tavoy men on shore were
killed. and the three in the water, of
whom the narrator was one, being fred
at, swan out to sea. Two of these, after
swimming some hours, sank, and the
third and only survivor, being very good
swimmer, foated on his back, and while
so, stated he went to sleep and awoke in
the middle of the night, finding that the
tide was drifting him into the island
again. He regained the shore before it
was light, and finding, as he stumbled
along the shore, a hollow trunk of a tree
standing upright, with a hole at the top,
he got into it, and that tree actually was
his place of concealment for six months.
He could see through chink in the tree
when the Moulmein men went abroad,
and managed to get cocoanuts when he
knew they were not about The kernel
was his food, and the water or milk his
drink. At last he found his enemies had
gone, and in venturing abroad and going
round the island he perceived that they
had taken both boats with them. He de-
clares that one night he dreamed that in
certain part of the island that there was
lying a small boat, and on proceeding the
next morning to the spot he found it.
This seems like romance, but the man
gave his evidence in a calm manner to
the magistrate here, DIR. Martin, and had
told the same story exactly to the captain
of the Chinese junk, as soon as he came
to himself after being taken on board, for
he was at first too agitated to say any
thing. To continue the strange narra-
tive, our Robinson Crusoe remembered
that one of his comrades had broken the
blade of his knife in opening a cocoa nut,
and had thrown it down in a particular
spot. He found the knife on the ground
among the grass, and though the blade
was broken, managed to cut rudder and
a mast. These he attached to the little
boat, and taking supply of cocoa nuts
with him, started for Tavoy, being guided
by the sun by day, and the stars by night.
He was proceeding on his course when
he was picked up by the junk. The
truth of the mans story was partly con-
frned in court, for one of the native Of
fetal connected herewith, told the mag
istrate that his wife, who had lately re-
mrncA from MnMlmein. had meminnel ID