Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-26
A FEMALE ROBINSON cRUsoE.
Sketch of hershIpwreck.

Sketch of her ShipWreck.
A CLEVELAND YOUNG LADY LIVING THREE YEARS
UPON A DESOLATE ISLAND IN LAKE SUPERIOR
HER LIFE UPON THE IsLAND-THE RESCUE
A letter from Racine (Wis.) to the Chicago
Herald contains a startling account of a
Cleveland lade who has been living for three
years on desolate island on Lake Superior.
and who was brought to Racine on the bark
OZelle. Capt. Marvin. The lady's name is
Miss Sophia Richardson, and for the last three
years she has been living in solitude and un-
willing seclusion upon desolate and unin-
habited island in Lake Superior, near the
British coast, and in northwesterly direc-
ton from the Isle Royal:
The Racine letter writer says:
Miss Richardson is apparently about
twenty two years old. Her cOuhtenance,
without being positively handsome, is pleas
ing in its expression, and she has the air and
manner a of well bred person. Her converse
tion is that of an educated lady, and although
when | saw her she arrayed in garments
that were anything but fashionable or elegant.
it was impossible not to see that she was an
intelligent and respectable young lady.
Ii will he remembered that in the month of
May, 1856. the bark Mary, Capt. Edwards,
sailed from Cleveland. Ohio, bodnd for Green
Bay. with a cargo of provisions and dry goods.
Inc crew cOnSlSlcu OI elBul lueu. lHciullhS
the captain and mate. The latter. Mr.. Geo.
Richardson, was the cousin of the young lady
whose adventures form the subject of this
letter, and it was under his charge that she
embarked. with the intention of going To
Green Bay. where she expected to meet her
affianccd husband, Mr.. Daniel Ashnell. who
had been living at the Bay for year before
that time, and to whom she was to be married
on her arrival Miss Richardson was of
IL ~ HI,
she sailed well provided with stock of
clothing, &C., amply sufficient for her require
ments for year or more, which step was a
prudent and economical measure, when the
scarcity and dearness of such articles at her
destined future home are considered Among
tue cargo were several bundles of blankets,
heavy clothing. and buffalo robes, and the re-
mainder of lading was made up OF flour, pork,
groceries, and mining tools.
The commencement of the voyage was
! pleasant and prosperous, and nothing occur
rcd to destroy the anticipatOnS of happiness
| INDUCED in by Miss Richardson, until the
| vessel had passed the Manitouline Islands.
| and was about to enter the Straits of Mack
| inaw. They passed the Great Manitoulies
| just at dark, and Immediately afterwards
were attacked by tremendous gale of wind,
surprising in violence, Miss Richardson says,
ANYTHING which she had before witnessed.
|
had tapped barrel of whisky which was in
his cabin and of which be and TIL mate
| had copiously drank. Contrary 10 their
usual custom, they had both retired to sleep
before dark, leaving the vessel in charge of a
| sailor named DAM who was at the wheel.
| Miss Richardson is now of the opinion that
! the whisky had circulated among the crew as
well as the officers. and that they were all
more or less under its Influence. At all
/ fbn har a from her
and the storm increasing in violence, the cap
tain aud mate were with great d.fficulty
awakened and brought on deck
The captain appeared to grow sober very
suddenly, and announced that they had been
driven through the middle channel and were
now opposite Sault Ste Marie He took the
! helm. and said he would endcavor to keep
| the barque beating about Tegnamenon Bay
until morning. Either he was mistaken in
| his calculations, or was unable to manage his
vessel as he expected. for after a night of the
| terrific tempest, the morning broke and they
| discovered that they We're in the neighbOrhood
| of large island, the name of which Miss
! Richardson has forgotten, bat which the cap
| tain said was $50 miles from the Sault. The is
| land was probably Michipiceton. The storm
| appeared to increase instead of diminishing
| in violence, and the vessel began to feel its
| effects.
Miss Richardson was i'm great alarm and
| diSmay. which were not at all lessened when
her cousin informed her that the barque was
leaking badly, aud they were in imminent
| danger of death She does not r, collect all
which TRANSFERRED after this, but about 10
| o'clock she was summoned on deck and saw
that the vessel must loon strike upon the
| shore of what she was told was the island.
The rudder of the barque had become I'M
shipped or broken, her rigging was torn to
| tatters, and the captain said their only hope
| of life was to wait until the ship struck. then
| to leap into the water and trust TO the waves
| to throw them on shore. The vessel was
| then some half mile from the island between
which and her arose a long line of broken and
| Jagged rock. Miss Richardson had lite pre-
server, and the only one on board. The
barque struck with immense force upon the
rocks, and then appeared to stick fast. either
upon the sand. or between the breakers. The
captainand the crew leaped overheard as she
struck, aud Miss Richardson aud her cousin
were about To follow, when a spar from the
broken and shattered mast fell to the dnck,
striking the mate upon the head and Instant
ly killing him. Miss Richardson's courage
forsook her at this awful sight, and she sunk
upon the deck in a swoou.
Miss Richardson remained on the ship for
some hours, expecting some one would cone
TO rescue her but she neither saw nor heard
any living person. She then swan ashore by
the aid of life preserver. and got her trunks
ashore also Ultimately, she succeeded in
securing a large lot OF provisions. blankets
buffalo robes, tools and other things CON-
venient for setting up Robinson Crusoe life.
After narrating to the letter writer how sh
husbanded her provisions. built low hut for
shelter, and fashioned dress out of buffalo
robes. she goes on Ia say:
The forest supplied me with wood, and as
long as the weather continued pleasant, got
along well. Daring the early part of the first
winter, | suffered terribly; but by means of
constant exercise. | managed 10 live through
it. In the same manner, passSaj three entire
years. have kept journal of my life dur
iEg this unhappy period, aud this indeed was
the only literary pursuit in which had the
opportunity OF indulging. Ny books-even
my Bible-were left upon the wreck Dur
ing these three years. saw bat seven vessels.
They all passed by. and either did not see my
signal, or would not regard them. My anguish
on these occasions was indescribable. The
thoughts OF home, and OF the lrirnds who
were now doubt mourning for me a.
among the dead, would rush upon me with
overw helming force. aud my miseries would
seem too heavy for me tn bear. | wondered
now that my reason sustained itself
At lengih-I know not on what dav, but.
according TO my calculation, on The 18th Of
February, my Island was visited by band
OF Minominee Indians, six in number They
had crossed on the ice tr1m The British shore,
and were as much surprised ut seeing me As
was delighted 20 look again upon a hamaniace.
We could not understand each other, bat they
made signs for me 20 80 with them. | was
Ia their power, bat was willing To go, and
conceived by this means | might finally oh
tain release and be rsslored 80 nv friends.
They returned with me 10 the British shore.
which f4ncied MAS NOT NOR. sI.an an faII..s
from nay Island and thea by short and easy
stages, they conducted me % a French trading
post. where Tor The first time found myself
In Ih.. cnrnI.anx ~ nLaal.....l l..aa L -.