The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-01-28
CRUsOE's IMITAsTONs.
An Entertsipina Bundie OF stories about
shtpwreck ed Men.

The delights Of solitude have beer
fervidly extolled by writers who tool
good care to keep themselves within
hail of the busy hum of men but itt
fancied charms have soon palled upor
nnfortunates condemned to silent fife
either by their own whim, the tyranny
OF others, or circumstances over which
nobody had any control.
Three weeks experience Of Crusoeinp
sufficed to bring an unwilling solitarian
to deaths door, but he was O mere lad,
wanting three years to be out Of his
teens, when getting separated from his
messmates, while seeking wood and
water on one OF the Galapagos islands,
he lost himself in the forest. After
passing an uncomfortable night there,
daylight saw Lord rowing in quest OF
what lie might devour, and finding moth
ing save big snake, unavailable for
staying hi. appetite; and when night
came round again he was still wandering
in mass Of trees, weary with walking,
and faint for lack Of food; fearing to
sleep on the ground lest he should in
trude upon the privacy of some deadly
serpent. This difficulty he surmounted
by climbing tall tree, and roosting in
its branches, unaware that he had fel-
| low w-lodger in big owl, until, on leav.
ing his airy chamber in the morning,
he knocked the bird down, and turned
the accident to account by breakfasting
upon the owl, without any further prep
aration than stripping it OF its feathers.
That night Lord was out of the wood,
but was not much better off, for, Sleep
ing at the foot of mountain, he was
drenched with rain, and when MOI ming
broke was anything but condition for
climbing. Climb the mountain, how
ever, he did; from the summit behold
ing the bay in which his whaler had
been, but was not. He sawa brig there,
but she was making her way out. Madly
he dashed down the mountain side to
gain the beach all too late, and become
oblivious of his Disappointment by going
off in dead faint. When he recovered
his senses, hunger got the better OF de-
spair, its pangs being none the less bitter
from the knowledge that there was
abundance of food in the waters wash.
ing his prison, and that he had neither
hook nor bait, nor bait to hook, and
must, perforce, live as best he might
upon berries and salt flesh.
So the dismal days dragged on, the
only event breaking their monotonous
misery being Lords nearly coming to
grief altogether in graphing with great
seal, rolling into the sea with it, and
scrambling out alone as quickly as his
weakness allowed. After this bout he
contrived to crawl up the mountain
again, and to his Joy described largo
ship making for the island. The sight
gave him new strength, and he managed
to get down to the beach Just as she en-
tered the harbor. Soon boat was low.
cred, and he knew no more, until his
eyes opened upon little crowd OF
friendly faces. He cried out for water.
and drank till lie swooned again, when
kindly arms carried him to the boat.
and he was soon safe in the care of the
famous explorer of the seas, Captain |
Cook.
Lord did not find the Galapagos
islands so much to his mind az did an |
Irishman, who let his ship depart with. |
out him, and set up his rest on one OF
those volcanic islets dwelling there
for seven years in hovel Of his own
building, living upon tortoises, seals
and fish, washed down with rum obtained
from ships in exchange for the potatoes
and pumpkins he busted himself in
raising.
In 1918 an American sailor was taken |
of desolate rock in the South seas by |
q boats crew belonging to H. NJ. s. !
Queen Charlotte, whose attention had |
been drawn to the spot by the smoke OF |
a seaweed fire. He had, three years
before, been left there with three COIN.
panions, all of whom had quickly sue
cumbed, while he had lived on, sustain.
ing life by feeding upon ths flesh Of
birds and drinking their blood.
Less happy was the ending Of won
derful adventure that befell Hans Jor-
genson, u Swedish sailor belonging to
the White Wave, California schooner
employed in seal and other fishing in
the North Pacific. On September IS,
1879, the schooner being within sight
of the Aleutian islands, boat was sent
on shore for water, the crew consisting
of Hans Jorgenson and two other sea-
men. Hans, having his rife with him,
had no sooner landed than he went in
search of game and. as he took no heed
of the signal of recall, his mates returned
TO the ship without him. A furious
gale sprang up, and FOR four days it was
impossible for the White Wave to come
anywhere near the island. At the end
OF that time landing was effected, and
Jorgenson was found to be alive certain
ly, but most strangely altered in appear
ance. The spare Swede of five feet
seven, with bald pate and thin straw
colored mustache, was transformed
snkA To- faak htot
stout that his clothes would scarcely
contain him, with his head and face
covered with crop of fluffy hair, and
seemingly ten years older than the Jor-
genson who had been left behind but
four days before.
His explanation of the mystery did
not make the matter more Ineligible.
Having started some wild animals, he
followed the chase, all unsuccessfully.
for miles before thinking of returning
to the boat When he did think Of it,
he began to look about him, and was
nightly surprised with his surround
ings. The country was bleak and bar
rem, nothing but volcanic rocks, with
out single tree or shrub. Here and
there were rents in the earth. at the
dark bottom OF which small but rapid
streamlets sped tortuously along through
mosses of lichen, while heavy volumes
of steam, impregnating the sir with sui
phurous odor, rose from other ravines.
giving the Swede the impression that
he was looking upon piece Of the
earth as It must have been before ever
living creature put foot thereon.
Finding that his shipmates had de-
parted without him, Jorgenson camped
out for tho night. In the morning he
sought fer something to breakfast upon.
fruitlcss quest taking him to the top
of q hill, when, falling backward. he
rollod down a gulch on the land side,
tho stock OF his rife striking against
and breaking one OF number Of peb-
lle-like objects, which examination
showed to be thin shell Of lime or
sulphur or something. he could not tel
exactly what, covering quantity Of
jelly. Of light rose color, composed
OF an inanity OF minute cells, through
which stretched number Of fossy lig-
aments. Taking a small quantity on
his finger, he applied his tongue to