Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1860-01-07

way back and the waters themselves were
| liveier STILL for they abounded in cells, old
wives, and rock-cod. The extreme length o.
its extreme breadth about six, and its general
form was oval.
Such were the miserable and most unprom-
Using circumstances under which this unhappy
man was left to take his chance of perishing
utterly, or the more remote one of being dis
covered and rescued by some passing vessel.
As his journal, which he regularly kept from
the first day of his landing, has been preserved,
we are able to proceed with the rest of his
history After recovering in some measure
from the shock of being left alone, and after
watching with an aching heart the ships
snowy topsail sink beneath the waves of the
horizon, he addressed himself to his first labor,
which was the construction of tent. The
spot he selected for its site was sufficiently
gloomy, for it was beneath one of the dismal
orerhanging black rocks of which mention has
been made; but it assisted to cover his tent
from the weather, and it was close to the beach
upon which he and all he possessed, had been
left. But the close of the first long and weary
day, temporary tent was raised, into which
he brought his chest, bedding, and all his other
chattels; and here, heavy and sick of heart, he
spent the first night. Rising early the follow
ing morning, after partaking of his lonely
meal, he set forth to explore the island. 1t
was the Sabbath, and around was more than
the stiffness of that sacred day-it was the
silence of the grave. No ochurch-going bell, "
no faint notes of a village hymn, no quiet tu-
mutt of departing congregation, came to the
outcast's ear-the wind was asleep, the waters
were at peace but in his heart there was no
peace, and he himself was alone unquiet amid
surrounding quietudc. He searched in vain
for some green thing which might promise him
food no then returned to his tent, and, to be-
guile the dull hours, set about some alterations
in its arrangements; he also covered it with
tarpauiin, which he fastened down with stones,
thus securing himself from rain. Towards
evening, the solitude of the beach was broken
by bustling tlocks of boobies; on approaching
them, he found them so tame as to permit him
easily to seize several, which she afterwards
killed, skinned, and sailed, laying them in the
sun to dry His eyes were ceaselessly directed
to the horizon but, viewed from whatever
eminence, it revealed nothing but the same
hopeless, unbroken blue line Hoping 1t might
catch the notice of some distant vessel which
might escape his eyes while searching for food
4
he made white flag with portion OF his
linen; and fastening it to his almost useless
fowling-piece, he planted il in the most con-
spicuous position he could descry. Saunter-
ing afterwards along the beach, he had the
good fortune to oyertake fine turtle, which
he killed by beating it on the head and this
supplied him with provision for little time.
As the terrors of his lonely situation grew
upon him, he began to fear lest the threaten
ing overhanging rock, under which he had
placed his tent, should suddenly fall and over
whelm him he therefore removed his dwelling
to less alarming position. He was by this
time in very miserable and disconsolate
state of mind often, after a long days fruit
less search for water and food, returning home
with torn feet and an aching heart he would
pray, with one of old, that he might die. But
he would by no means be accessory to his own
AS III tnt COudttuCJ VI hoPtf hp etia a'eh
ed to his signal being seen, and himself de-
livered out Of Hthat terrible place." Conceiy-
ing it singular that he had met as yet with no
beasts upon the island, he searched carefully
for footmarks on the beach and inland, but
without success the unbroken surface de-
clared to him. again and again, that he was
alone. The contents of his water-cask also
daily reminded him that, unless he shortly sue
ceeded in finding water, the most terrible fate
awaited him. On one of his excursions he
met with little purslain, which he boiled
with the boobies, and thus made tolerably
palatabe dish for one in his condition. The
few other herbs which that niggard desert af-
forded he was afraid to eat, nor were they
sufficiently inviting to induce him to make the
attempt. Every day saw him now anxious
and care worn leave his tent, bucket in hand,
seeking for water; and every day saw him re-
turn in the evening almost fainting, and with
an empty vessel. His supplies of food also
grew short boobies became scarce-turtle
were not seem He then used to boil a little
rice in little water, of which he made most
of his meals. Many, many times, and with a
gaze made intense by the struggle in his mind
between hope and despair, were his eyes bent
upon the lonely waters, but no ship appeared.
It was fortunate that, as yet, his bodily health
continued good. Thus were his days spent at
THIS Time. IN tne hOthihBi Vho spas =. Sfs
poured its assuaging waters over his soul, and
he set forth fully expecting success Of some
sort in the evening, those waters were cut on,
and he beguiled some of the tedium OF the
night by reading until his eyes were weary,
and then; as diversion, he would set to mend
ing his clothes Finding no promise OF native
esculents, he thought to increase his stock BY
nlantino I. few of those he had with him. He
therefore set some onions and peas in patch
of soil near his tent Finding number OF
nests of sea-fowl, many containing eggs, he
plundered them, and made his principal food
of their contents He was for some time much
at loss for light at night; at length he mt
upon the expedient Of melting down some OF
the turtles fat; and thus, with saucer for MS
Ianp. and bit of rag for the wick, he had
tolerabe light, which he used to keep burning
all night. Thus passed fortnight of his life
in this great prison. :,
Ali his search for water had proved unavail-
ing, and he was under the painful necessity OF
daily diminishing his stock, without the means
or the prospect of being able to repienlsn IT,
He explored the island in a new direction,
looking narrowly into every Granny OF the rock
and searching every spot covered with little
fredericksburg herbage than the rest put no
bubbling waters appeared; Bethinking MN,
then, of his fishing tackle, he repaired TO tne
rocks to try his fortune in a fresh direction ne
spent several hours in this employment in vain,
which was somewhat remarkable, as the waters
were unusually prolific of fish. Meanwhile a
sad accident had occurred. Turning home
wards, what was his surprise to behold dense
volume Of smoke rising up to the skies in the
direction of his tent Deeply alarmed, and
dreading the worst, he flew with tine utmost