Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-15
THE WEEKLY sTAn
A Burmese Robinson Crusos

RANeooN. June 20 "A Burman arrived bs,s
few days ago, having been picked up by =
Chinese junk at sea, in q small boat by him
self, about 80 miles east Of Tsvoy. The mans
history Of himself is q strange one He WAS
one Of six men who proceeded, about seven
months ago, in a boat from Tsvoy to one Of
the Preparis islands, named Bundar. Their
object was to obtain a cargo Of Cocoa nuts Ii
| Is an understood and acknowledged rule
among the Burmese tribes that inhsbit the
western coasts of Tennasserim, that the frst
party arriving at any Of these islands has the
sole right and title to the cocoa nuts Of the
season.
day or two after the Tayoy men had
reached the island Of Bundur. a party of the
Mouimein men arrived at the same place for
the same purpose, and were of course some
what annoyed TO find the Tavoy men had ar
rived before them. They asked to be allowed
to halves in the nuts, but the Tayoy men in
sisted on their right to the whole, and told
the Moulmein men that they might Get the
cocoa nuts from the neigh boring small Islands
OF Wa. The Moulmein men went and returned
the same day saying there were no nuts worth
having, and said they would remain on the
island of Bundur and would take what were
left by the Tavsy men. This was accordingly
settled between them.
1t seems that nuts could only be obtained in
me weather, or from some reason or another
they did not try to get any when il rained,
but hshed for sea slugs instead, q fsh highly
priced by the Chinese, and fetching a good
price where there are Cinnamon. One rainy
day, as the Tavoy men were fishing, threo
being on the sea shore, and three in the water
the Moulmein men made an attack on them
with muskets and DAVIS. The three Tayoy
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 a very good
swimmer, foated on bis back, and while so
stated he went to sleep and awoke in the mid
die of the night, finding that the tide was
drifting him into the island again.
He reSained the shore before it was light,
and finding, as he stumbled along the shore,
hollow trunk of tree standing upright
with hole at the top, he got into il, and that
tree actually was his place Of concealment for
six months. He could see through a chink in
the tree when the Moulmen went al road, and
managed to get cocoanuts when he knew they
were not about The kernel was his food,
and water or milk his drink. At last he found
his enemies had gone and in venturinp
abroad and going round the island be per-
ceived that they had taken both boats with
them.
He declares that one night he dreamt that
In certain part of the island there was ly-
ing small boat, and on proceeding TO the
spot next morning he found il. This seems
like romance, but the man gave his evidence
in a calm manner to the magistrate here Dr.
Martin, and had told the same story exactly
to the captain Of he Chinese junk, as soon az
he came to himself after being taken ON
board, for he was at first too agitated to saw
anything. To continue the strange narrative,
our Robinson Crusoe remembered that one of
his comrades had broken the blade of his
knife in opening cocoa nut, and had thrown
II down In particular spot He found the
knife on the ground among the grass, and
though the blade was broken, managed to cut
q rudder and a mast These he attached TO
the little boat, and taking q 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
confirmed in court, for one Of the native off,
cials connected Herewith told the magistrate
that his wife, who had lately returned from
MOulmein, had mentioned to him that the
wife Of the person whom our Robinson Crusos
had named as the head Of the Moulmsin crew,
had lately come out in very costly garments,
and that her daughters were also very richly
dressed, and that it was generally known that
the man had made lately a very successful
expedition to one Of the Preparis Islands,
and had brought back rich load Of cocoa
nuts Robinson Crusoe has been sent to Moul-
mein to identify the murderers, whom he
knows by name as well as by appearance.
Conceive their horror and amszement whom
they are confronted with the man they must
| have long ago considered drowned and de-
! voured by sharks Time will show whether
the msu's story turns outtrue His narrative
was clearly and dispassionstely given
dian Paper.