Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-10-04
A Burmese Robinson Cr.ssoe.

! RA~cooN, Jun ga Burman ar
rived here ?. few days ago, having been
picked up by a Chinese junk at sea, in
a small boat by himself, about ni,ety
miles east of Tavoy. The mans history
of himself is strange one. lie was
one of six men who proceeded, about,
seven months ago, in a boat from Ia
voy to one of the Preparis Islands,
named Bundur. Their object was to OBJ
tain a cargo of cocoa nuts. 1t is an un
derstood aud acknowledged rule among
the Burmese tribes that inhabit the wes-
tern coasts Of Tena>srrl1n. that dhr iir>
party arriving at any of these Islands
have the sole righ, and title to the CO
Goa nuts of the season.
A day or two after the Tavoy men
had reached the Island at Bundur, Il
party of the Moulmein men arrived at
the same lace for the same purpose.
and were of course somewhat moved
to find the Tavoy men bad arrived be>
fore them. They asked to be allowed to
halves in the nuts; but II e Tavoy me"
insisted on their right to the whole, and
I'D the Moulmein men Il ey might get
the cocoa nuts from the neiyhbo'ing
small Island Of Wa. The Moulmein
men went and returned the same day,
saying there were no nuts worth having,
aud said they would remain on the
Island Of Buudur, and would take wha,
were left by the Tavoy men. Tbs was
accordingly settled between them.
1t seems that nuts could only be ob-
tanned in tiue weather, or from some rea
SOU or other, they did not try to get
any when it rained, but tishet for sea
siugs instead, fish highly priced by the
Chinese, and bringinga good price where
there are Cinnamon. One rainy day,
as the Tavoy men were fishing, three
be n, on the sea shore aud three in ID
water, the Moulmein men made an at
tack on them with lapskets and DAVIS,
The three Tayoy men on shore were
killed, and the threo in the water, OF
whom the narrator was one, being fired
at. swan out to sea. Two of these, atlel
swimming some hours, sank, and the
t ird and only survivor, being very
good swimmer, tloateo on his back, aud
) while so, stated he wen. to sleep aud
awoke in the middle Of the Ii 5ht, find,
) ing that the tide was drifting him int.
the Island again.
He regaiDed the shore before it wa:
it was light, and finding as be stumbled
along the shore, hollow trunk ola tree
standing upright, with a hole at tue top
he got into ii, and that tree actual,
was bis place Of concealment for 81,
months. He could see through ehinl
; in the tree, when the Moulmeln mel
went abroad, and managed to get coco'
nuts when he kuew they were not about
The kernel was his food, aud water 0
milk bis drink. At last he found hi
/. enemies had gone, and yenturing abroa'
and going round the Island, be perceived
that they had taken both boa:s witt
them.
He declares that one night he dream
/. ed that in q certain part Of the lslan'
= there was lying small boat, and on Pr,
8 ceeding the next morning to the spot b
y found it. This seems like romance, W
e the man gave his evidence in calr
: manner to the magistrate here, Dr.. MAJ
tin, and had told the same story exactI
= to the captain of the Chinese junk, a
!. soon as be came to himself, after BEN
), taken on board, for be was at first to
'' agitated to say anything. To cont'nu !11
It the strange narrative, our Rob'nso
N u Crusoc remembered that one Of his con
'e rades had broken the blade Of his kn'1
. in opening a cocoa nut, and had thro"
Re- it down in particular spot. lie foun
is the knife on the ground among the gras
s. and though the blade was broken, MAJ
ot aged to cut ludder and mast. lhe'
dc he attached to the little boat, and taklu
o. en supply Of cocoa nuts with him, starte
}. for Tavoy. being guided by the sun
: day and the stars by night: lie "
:, n proceeding nc, on his course when he W
m hn picked up by the junk. -
's' The truth of the mans story "
!. partly confirmed in court, for one OF {
,s native officials connected Herewith to
dit the magistrate that his wife, who b
''s lately returned from Moulmein, had me