The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-02-25

SO much assurance that the captain mount
ed to the crosstrees to look for himself
Sure enough, there was a man sitting on
the rocks. The ship at once headed for
the island, and anchored. While the an
chor was being cast, and the boat lowered
and manned, the castaway approached the
vessel and sat upon 4 rock in plain view, as
if awaiting the arrival of the boats crew
He was clothed, and apparently in good
outward repair, considering the circum-
stances, and was recognized by the captain
aud some of the who knew him as
Mr.. Davis. They hailed him, but he re-
/ turned no answer. No particular attention
was paid to this, however, and the boat
was pulled rapidly to land. What was the
astonishmeut of the crew, when the boat
neared the shore, to see Davis leave his
seat and run rapidly toward the interior of
the island! They landed and isued him,
but failed to oveItaSe him before lie became
lost to sight among the rocks. y tolcrably
thorough search of the rocks resulted in 10
further indications of his presence, and the
chase was reluctantly given up. Among
the more crcdulous of the sailors it was of
course believed TO be Davis wrath but
The practical captain aud crew, who had
known the man well, insisted on his bodily
presence, and so reported it on the arrival
, in London. The story was received some
what nc:edulously, however, and finally
, dropped from mind.
! The following season, nevertheless, the
lookout Of another vessel made the same dis
covery, and another landing cnsued, with
the same results. Davis disappeared sud
denly. bat entirely. He still wore tire cloth
ing he had on when wrecked, though in
sadly tattcred condition Af;er that he
was seen again in nude state.
! In the fouith year after his shipwreck n
party landed from company's vessel and
endcavorcd to catch him. They pursued
him closely and used every means to close
his avenues of escape. But Davis ran with
almost incredible speed, eaping high rocks
with apparent ease and at length escaped
from sight altogether. On this occasion he
covered lightly with coat of hair. In
the seventh year the unfortunate man was
secn | believe, for the last time, having
then 4 heavy suit of hair over his entire body,
aud 4 beard of great length. lie was at
that time some ffty-siS years of age The
attempts made to capture him, and the cir
cumsianccs of his condition, were but ill tie
nosed abroad by the officers Of the COM
pany on account Of his afflicted family
but no one, finally, expressed the least
doub5 Of his identity, or that lie had be
come crazcd under the terrible conditions
of the shipwTecll. The story reached the
writer through daughter Of Mr.. Davis,
and was corroborated by officers of the
company cognizant of the crcum stances
50 he relies implicitly upon its veraci:y.
Here again was an insanity brought
about by the loss of human association,
augmented, perhaps, in this instance, by
tho lack of matter to attract the mind.
Davis certainly was supplied with food
probably from the sheli-fish and seals cast
up by the sea--and shelter of sufficient
warmth 10 protect him from the inclcment
weather, SO that it must have been in6u-
enccs cxtrancous from dread of death,
from lack of mere animal nccessaries,
which produced the insanity. The extreme
fear of man manifested by him was prOba-
bly, caused by that general feeling of terror
which seizcs lost persons aud renders them
fearful of every animate object, or it may
have been the result of a revulsion Of feel
ing upon subject which occupied every
power of thought when sanc--that is, the
intense desire to see human face. Davis
being a man of strong mind, and of active,
energetic habits, would lie liable to more
violent feelings of terror, despair, and de-
sire for compauion>hip, that a person of
less mental acumcn and of more apathetic
temperament. His mind would eat itself
out far more rapidly than would that of
comparatively ignorant person. The highs
er the intellectual standard of the lost in
dividual, up to a certain point, and the
more gregaTiouss his habits of life have
been, the sooner and more severely will the
lost feeling attack his sanity in the major
ity of instances. 1 recall an instance OF
this fact in the case of passing acquain-
tance, Mir. James Mackensie.
This gentleman was q clerk in charge of
n trading post at Georgetown, Minnesota,
5 who started in the winter season, along
with three others, to visit Fort Garry. The
means of conveyance consisted of mules
and wagon instead of the ordinary win
8 ter travelling apparatus of the country
snow shoes and dog sledges. Mr.. Macken-
zie was a first-rate traveller, and accustom-
ed from boyhood to such work. He knew
the country well, and, for a man of his
: strong constitution, the severity of the win
) ter's cold had too few terro~s for him. AT
place called Pine River Crossing, he vol
unteered, as the party with which he travel
ed had run short of provisions, and their
wagon, in consequence of bad weather,
travelled heavily, to push onward alone,
with the intention of sending back assist
ance from the fort. lie followed The track