The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-11-30
oTTUMwA wAPEILo THURSDAY NOVEMBER So 1871
RolGAI1cz AND AnAxlTY.

DAY, NOvE0BEk 10,
RosGA1oz AND ADAxlTY.
From the Philadelphia Lsdssr. ~ II 6
Tho fictitious adventures OF Rob-
inson Crusoe and the real sufferings
Of Alexander Selkirk are being re-
peated on a grand scale 10 the small
island of st. Pauls, which lies in the
southern portion Of the Indian
Ocean, about half way between the
Cape Of Good Hope and Australia.-
This rarely visited island 10 little
better than Q rock, or series Of rocks,
forming the cone Of an extinct vol.
canic crater, running up to the
height of eight or nine hundred feet.
One side Of this crater has broken
down, and the sea has forced ita way
into the centre Of the circle And
formed . sort-of lake there. This
islet Is about two miles 10 oircumfer-
ence, and has 3 few Inhabitants,
among them : Frenchman, who
have done their best to cultivate
what little soil there is, heaping it
up into terraces, whereon they have
planted gardens, and on. which they.
raise plentiful crops Of grapes. On
this eircumscribed spot Of the esrth's
surface, three hundred and eighty
English sailors and soldiers are, or
lately were, encampsd, being the
officers, crew and passengers Of 81 B,
Ms troop-ship Megara. They have
been there since the middle of June,
and expect TO remain until : vessel
can be sent out to rescue them.-
"All's we'll that ends WELL" and the
tolerable certainty Of . cate return
takes away much Of the romance Of
the adventure, but the affair itself Il
interesting, . illustrative Of onicial
indifference and nsghgence, and Of
heroism and fertility Of resource on
tho part Of tho captain and crew Of
the doomed vessel.
1t is q mercy that the island Of st..
Paul happened to be whore Il waa.-
Had II no. been for that fortunate
circumstance, the chances arc that
nothing more would have bsen heard
Of the Negara. "A portsntous and
irrepressible leak would have sent
her to tie bottom had she been
obliged to keep the ses . day or two
longer; but she was able 70 make the
island, and was promptly run ashore.
A Dutch ship, bound for Amsterdam
to Batavia, hove In sight at the time,
and seeing signals Of distress, short
ened sail, and came close in, affording
an opportunity for the acting lieu.
tenant of the Megara to 60 on board
with dispatches and make his way
to Batavia, and thence to Singapore,
whence he could telegraph to Eog.
land and Australia as to the fate Of
the ship and her crew. These dis
patches have reached England, and
are published at full length in the
English papers, whence We learn the
following Particular
The Megara was sent to sea by the
British Admiralty In April last, she
being an old store-ship, twenty seven
years Of age, and partaking consid.
erably of the nature OF tub. Some
idea Of what sort of . vessel she WAS
must have been formed almost a.
soon as she started on her way to
Australia, for before she reached Ply.
mouth the officers cabins were
afoat. Fortunately she enjoyed fair
weather for considerable portion OF
the voyage, and she had accomplish.
ed the distance between Englsnd
and longitude 44o east-that is to
say, half way between the Cape OF
Good Hope and st. Paul's-when
she was found to be leaking serious.
/ iy. For some days the hand pumps,
donkey engines and biIge pumps,
worked by steam, we're kept gong,
but the water still gained on them,
and then the captain made up bis
mind to run for tho nearest land (St.
Paul's). After eight days Of heavy
squalls he reached the islaud and
there, though the anchorage wxs tar
from secure, be had the ships bull
examined By means Of . diyiog ap-
paratus which he had fortunately
taken With him. Large rust holes
were found in the plates the metal
round the actual hole which caused
the leak was not more than l-16th Of
an inch thick /; many Of the braoes
were eaten through At the bottom,
and others nearly 90, while the bilga
pumps were continually being choked
by fragments Of eorroded metal. The
engineers havihg reported Tho undt.
ness Of the ship to proceed Oh her
voyage, Captain Thrupp ordered his
hands up on the morning Of Sunday,
| the 18th OF June, read prayers, and
then directed the men to land, and
the ship to DO beached. She WAS 40.
cordirgly steamed in on the shore
and kept In position until the water
rose and extinguished the fires, when
| she settled down and remained sta'
tionery. Next day the Grew landed
all such stores a. remained above
water, and found themselves with
$4,000 pounds of bread, about siz
weeka' -four, and Of rum and oshel
provisions enough for four months.--
Fish was abundant on the island and
there was good supply OF water IL
the wells. All hands encamped on
shore. Exploring parties we're sen'
out, who reported that there were
about q hundred goats on the island
some mushrooms, and q few cabbagel
and potatoes; also, some hot frest
water springs. Tents were made on
Of the spars and sails OF the ship, ans
fuel was obtained by cutting turf, f,snt
getting some Of tho ships Goa
ashore. The weather became COLI
and wet, and the mems clothes eegal
to wear out, but they behaved will
| patience and discipline, ahd the OH
] GERS seem to have made the best ar
: rangements for Drawing privation
: until ship with provisionscan b
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