The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1884-01-11
A NEW ROBINSON CRUsOE.
Adventures of Felix Wahl, Alone
on an Island.
San Francisco Alta.

San Francisco Alta.
The ship st. Clair, of ThOmaston,
Me-, sailed from New York on Dec.
s, 1882. She was commanded by
Capt. Rives, and had u company
Of twenty souls. She carried an
assorted cargo, and was bound for
Nagasaki, Japan. She had arrived
almost ut the objective port, when,
on the 2lst of May, she struck on
the shoaling shore of one OF the
Sundl Islands and became u total
wreck. The captain and nineteen
men took to the boats 10 make
larger island. The twentieth mau,
Felix A, Wahl, IL German, was
landed near where the ship had
struck. rhis was ut his own re.
quest, for he saw that the boats
were unseaworthy aud he did not
believe his shipmates would reach
the other island.
Finding himself alone he was
compelled to exert his wits to cen.
tIive ways of sustaining life. To
the civilized man, accustomed only
to the habits OF life of the present
day, his situation was awkard in
thr extreme. He had saved
nothing except the clothing upon
his person, aud had not even
brought Try matches ashore with
him, owing to the splashing and
duckiug he received in getting
from the boat to dry land.
With flint and Old dry rags
which he found, he succeeded in
striking some sparks and getting
fro kindled, which, when it had
once got to burning, he was care.
tul never to let go entirely out so
long as he remained upon the
island. There was wood to he
picked up along the shore, and
some small trees and bushes grew
upon the island, 80 that he had no
great trouble in getting u supply
of fuel.
As to shelter, he found this al.
ready provided for him, as there
we're soae sheds left bv the fisher.
men who make periodical visits
to the place for the purpose OF
catching and curing fish. These
fish were species of mackerel,
which they crre by splitting them,
as is customary with Yankee fisher.
men, and then laying them upon
dry ground 10 cure.
In addition to tho mackcral is q
kind OF shark, which is very fat,
and is taken an melted down tor
the oil, the bones being shaved and
made an article of traffic aud used
in manufacture. The large iron ket.
ties in this business were sitting in
their positions just M left at the
end of the previous fshinx season,
and by putting some sea water in
one OF them aud drying out again
by means OF u fire, Mr.. Wabl Sc.
cured a supply of salt. He fonud
plenty of good oysters at low tide,
and in basius among the rocks
many fish were lett in a condition
to be easily taken.
There was thus no danger Ol
absolute starvation. Being thus
thrown into utter solitude, a
species of lethargry or torpor seem
ed to seize upon the steward, whicl
almost bereft him of the use of hi,
faculties tor some eight or ten days
but it gradually woro away aud b,
found himself again possessed o
his normal mental activity ant
physical sigor. He soon fount
that tor him the supreme virtu,
was patience, since TO escape b,
any effort of his own making wa
quite ont of the question.
lie saw that If he lived his res
cue was mere matter of time, n
tue people who were in the habi
of visiting the island would certain
~ return. At least he had th
best reason for expecting them t
do SO, since they had left propert,
there, and the place afforded then
profit. He soon became tired o
his fish diet, and looked about TO
some means of varying 1t. TIL
island is some twenty miles in ex
tent in one direction, and is desti
tute of any game, and had 1t no
been so it would have been diflicul
to take them, as man unframed t
savage lite finds himself, when com
PEELED unexpectedly to provide TO
himself in such u situation, to b
quite helpless, in comparison wit
the child of the forest. Their
were, however, some small Ian
birds sometimes to be seen, bu
without gun he could not secnr
them.
After enduring this sort OF lii
for some fifteen weeks the Japnnes
boats arrived and the stewar
rushed To- meet them. Althoug
unable to speak an intelligibl
word to these people, he graspe
, one by the hand antl found it moi
welcome even than that of
''brother in u foreign hud."
short, did all they could to NAL
!, him comfortable, aud in u few da,
! the FIRST boat started for Te0be aI
y he went with it, and thence to Y
kohama. Reaching that city
WIS protected by the Anericl
II Consul and sent by that official