The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-04-13
A TRAGIC STORY.
ESCAPING MASSACRE TO DIE OF THIRST ON
AN ISLAND.

The fate of Mrs. Watson and her child
has at last been definitely ascertained.
The description was given few weeks
ago of the attack of the North Queens-
land blacks upon the Lizard Island fish
ing station, the brave defence made by
Mrs. Watson and her Cinnamon against
overwhelming odds, and the suspicion of
the=ap police that the survivors had been
drowned while making, in leaky little
punt, for the 1ainland. The finale of
the tragedy is tola by the last mail de-
livery. Mrs. Watson and her child had
escaped murder and outrage from the
savages, but were fated to lingering
death on distant desert island.
The master of a trading schooner found
three skeletons on No. 5 Island of the
Horwich group. and these are proved to
be the remains of Mrs. Watson, her baby,
and the faithful Chinaman, All Sam. A
revolver, full cooked and loaded, was
lying by the mother and child. The
dead Chinaman was found under tree a
few yards off, with loaded rifle at his
side. There was no water on the island,
and the unfortunate castaways had no
doubt died from the most terrible afiio-
tion of thirst. Ah Sam had been speared
in seven places, and the bandages showed
that Mrs. Watson, in the midst of her
woes, had not neglected to dress the
wounds. The presence of mind and
heroism displayed by the courageous
woman are now seen to be even greater
than was at first supposed. The fight
from Lizard Island was made, not in O
boat, but in half of an iron tank, used
for boiling down beche-de-mer. The
woman, child and Chinaman set forth on
their perilous voyage on October Sd,
landedlnext day on reef, and remained
there till the 9th. Then they went from
islet to islet il search of water, of which
they could not have had drop for at
least five days.
During this horrible period of suffer
ing and suspense Mrs. Watson kept her
diary, and never lost sight of her hus-
bands papers and account books. The
extracts from the heroine's diary tell as
much of the touching end of the harrow
ing story as will ever be known, but
Imagination will but too vividly indicate
the closing scenes of this brave woman s
life. The supply of water on hand had
evidently lasted the fugitives during their
earlier wanderiDgs, but prior to the date
of the first entry it had entirely failed.
The penciliugs in the diary speak viii
pathetic force for themselves: October
9.-Brought the tank ashore as far as
possible with this mornings tide; made
camp all day under the trees. Blowing
very hard. No water. Gave baby dip
in the sea-he is showing symptoms of
thirst-and took dip myself. All Sam
and self very parched with thirst. Baby
showing symptoms. Sunday 10.-Baby
very bad with inflammation; very much
alarmed; no fresh water, and no milk but
condensed; self very weak. Really tho't
I should have died last night. Monday,
11.-Still all live. Baby very much bet
ter this morning; self feeling very weak.
think it will rain to day; clouds very
heavy; wind not quite 50 high; no rain, !,
every appearance of fine weather. All
Sam gone away to die; have not seen
him since the 9th. Baby more cheerful;
self not feeling at all well; have not seen
any boats of any description. No water.
Dead with thirst" Tho relics were dis
covered by Capt. Bremen of the schooner
Kate Kearney, and over the remains be
raied mound, and read the Church of
England burial service, heard for the
first time upon that lonely island, under
the Southern Cross. Subsequently the
people of Cooktown sent across for the
remains, and accorded them a public
burial.