The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-05-03
A FEMALE ROBINSON cRUsoE.

:
Times relates singular and interesting story of
! yeung lady, who, he states was cast away in
a shipwreck on desolate island in Lake SUPERIOR
three years ago and has but just been rescued and
taken to Racine, Wisconsin, The narrative has
an air of improbability, but may nevertheless be-
true The young lady is'a Miss Richardson, aged
twentv-two Her countenance, without being
positively HANDSOME is pleasing in its expression;
her air and manner are well sbred apa although
when saw her she was arrayed in garments, that
We're anything but fashionable and elegant, and
kher hands were rouehened and Drowned with ex-
posure and toll it was impossible not to perceive
+ that she was an educated and intelligent young
! lady. as u S'f' a'@ .1L w. - la5I -
+ The story is that Miss r. sailed in May, 1856,
/ in the barque Mary, from Cleayeland, Ohio, to
Green Bay in order to be married there to Daniel
+ Ashwell Near the Straits of Mackinaw storm
| came up, and the captain and crew having in
duIgcd a little too much in liquor, the vessel was
not we'll managed, and the next morning struck on
a reef about mile from an island f The only life
/ preserver on board was given to Miss r., and the
yawl having been steve all hands, except the mate
| who was Miss RS cousin, leaped overheard to
! swim ashore, but were never afterwards seem
/ just as the cousin and Miss r.. were to follow,
| spar fell, striking the former dead Miss Il. then
I tainted away and after reyiying found that the
vessel was so wedged between the rocks that 1t
| could not sink She then continues her narrative
as follows sas. gsf1sE yae5s sr ,ssT a.,asg53s-f
I Hours passed by and saw and heard nothing
| of the captain or the crew. [ was alone with
! tie dead The thought became unbearable, and L
1 resolved to leave the wreck and endeavor to
reach the land I brought up my trunks from
the cabin, and tlashed one to each end of the
spar which had killed poor George. Then with
infinite labor got them over the side into the
water which had now became comparatively
calm Sunmoning up all my resolutions, low
cred myself into the waves. The life-preserver,
4 supported me admirably, and managed to reach
! the spar to which my trunks were tied. The
wind carried us slowly towards the breakers
| There were passages between the rocks, and for
tunately we were foated through on these and
! thrown upon the shore. + was terribly laceratea
! and exhausted but managed to crawl ups on the
sand out of the reach of the waves and then laid
down with full and grateful heart After rest
ing perhaps half an hour, Ifuntied my trunks,
/ and rolled them up the bank. -Ihe shore was
covered with casks and boxes, and / succeeded IN
1 securing some of them. This fatigued me .cxces-
sively as was then. unused to labor, and was not
! Miss R. found among the goods bale of buff
falo robes, with which shesmade bed, and the
next morning breaktasted On some sardines. The
wreck had disappeared. The rest of her nara
tive is as follows E"a $3.50 % .-.5.t st+ t
The next day occupied in collecting together
the goods which | had saved. found that | had
eight barrels Of pork two kegs OF lard, twelve bar
rels of -four two OF sugar, several boxes OF candy,
candles raisins and dried herrinSs; my box OF sar-
dimes, another bale of buffalo robes, boz of dry
goods, needles, pins, thread yarn, etc; a box OF
mining hatchets, box Of heavy clothing, and a
bale Of blank cts #. ...a. ,. e. 7.-.. ~
On the third day [ explored my island, ]
found it to be entirely unnhabited, as far, as
could then Judge, and | afterwards ascertalned
this to be true. The shore was sandy and bar
, rem Half a u,ile from the lake there were
short and scrubby trees, which grew larger and
thicker as you advanced Ion this day, also,
the waves threw unon the shore the dead and
bruised bodies of several of the sailors, among
: them that OK my cousin. In his pocket | found
metal box filed with friction matches, which
were afterwards Of the greatest service to me
; dug a shallow grave in the sand burlec
: them as we'll as could. 1t was a sad. and aw
= pressed For several weeks I was certain thai
: a vessel would arrive and rescue me Blu
when six weeks had passed and had seen n.
sail, nor heard the voice of auy human being, ]
= began to give way to the most poignant a9on.
and fear | was enabled finally to overcom'
! this, aud as autumn approached, | had becom
+ in measure, at least, reconciled to my fate H.
i III knew had provisions sufficient Tor three !,
: four years I had already learned to catch fsl
: and to cook my pork and -four without the All
: of dishes and stoves. With the fragments Q
> the wreck, and some of my empty barrels an!
boxes, made low hut, which / covered wit
. sand to the depth of foot. One end OF TIN
: was closed, the other was fitted with doc
: made from the lids Of my two trunks; over m
barrels and boxes of goods stretched sal
r fastened it down by means Of stakes As th
Of winter approached, fabricated from my buffal
1t robes dress, which fanced would be impervion
Il to the cold My shoes gloves and hat were mad
of the same material. The forest supplied me wit
: fuel, and soon learned to chop it with eas'
During the early part Of the first winter 1 suere
terribly but managed to live through it and th
). next season was Injured to hardship + In th
IS s. manner passed theee long and lonely years.
in kept a journal during this unhappy period, an
q, this was my only recreation. ply books, an
ne even my Bible, were left in the vessel Durn
IS these three years / s,w but seven vessels. The
We either did net see or did not regard my signal
or my anguish on these occasions was lndescritabl
lis The thoughts of home and Of the friends who We
x now mourning lre as among the dead, would rus
he upon me with oyerpowering force, and my lnieai
IS seemed too heavy for me to bear.
or At length, know not on what day, but |
I'd nv calculations, on the 25th Of February, n
n island was visited by six Menoninee Indian
tic They had crossed from the British shore, part
so ally in their canoes and partly on the ice ~
ne were as much surprised to find me upon Sae
es land as l delighted to see human face agai
he We could not understand each other, but TIN
-, made signs that | should go with them.1 was