The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-19

fully understood what was going on l was
III The boat with Mccoy and being pulled
toward The island by two sailors. Even
when knew that was TO be left, did not
raise an objection. | supposed tue island
TO be inhabited. perhaps there was a city
there and was not sorry for the change.
We ran in so close that could wade ashore,
and the mate handed me several bundles
when the men supposed contained food,
clothing, and conveniences. AS soon as
had everything out of the boat the three
gave me a curt good-bv. and / sat down on
the sand and watched them return. The
boat was hosted up, the Albatross made
sail, and | was marooned upon an unin-
habited island. This fact was not fully
realized until toward night, and was so
simple that it was several hours before l
had figured it out why / had been set
ashore. | was in possession of the plot to
scuttle the ship, and | must, be got rid of.
The captain had called me leper to justify
his action With the crew, and it was planned
that L should not live long ashore. When
| came to undo the bundles found them to
be composed of empty bottles, oakum, and
bits OF canvas. There was not particle
of food-not an article of clothing but rub
blsh. 1t was then | realized the kindness
OF the second mate. He must have
overheard them plotting to maroon me,
and he went as far as it was safe for him to
go.
When, at about noon, rose up and I'M
derstood my position, | felt that the first
thing to do was to explore my island. l am
writing of the year 1852. At that time
many of the islands in the Caribbean sea
had not been charted or named. | was, as
| afterward ascertained, on u key or isle to
the north OF Trinidad and up to twelve
years ago it was down on the charts as
Little Coco
1t was about three miles long by one and
half wide, and fairly wooded. There
were various birds, troops of monkeys, and
numerous snakes but no wild animals to put
one in fear. had been landed in the little bay
on the western side of the island. found a
spring of water quarter of mile inland,
with plenty of wild fruit all around me,
and on the first night Of my stay / slept OH
the open beach. 1t was three days before l
fully realized my position and saw that |
must depend entirely upon myself. Then l
walked clear around the island and across
it, and l decided that my best location was
near where had come ashore. Had / gone
to the east end of the island and raised a
signal should have been taken Off within
week, as there was channel between that
and the next island north, much used,
but this had no means of knowing. When
| found myself the sole inhabitant, l made
up nay mind that escape was impossible,
and that | was to live out my years right
there. The captain had called me leper.
had never heard the name before. He had
sent me ashore because | had endangered
the safety of the crew. While | suspected
that this was subterfuge, was not quite
satisfied about it. If was something to be
Stunned and afraid of, why should desire
to eScapeg If taken Off had no home to go
to, no friends to welcome me. | was lone
some and somewhat.afraid here, but was.
nevertheless, enjoying the novelty of the
situation.
/ built me rude shelter, wandered over
the island, fished, set snares and captured
parrots and monkeys, and after the first
week was quite content. l had been on the
island three weeks before the second mys-
terry occurred The peninsula or neck
which you see on the western end of the
island was composed of sand, and bare of
tree or bush. 1t was about 300 feet long.
There had been heavy blow from the
south, with big sea rolling in, and after
this had lasted two days there was an I'M
usually low tide. caught sight of a tim
Der heaved up on this spit, and went out to
inspect it, and while surveying the banks
which the low tide had uncovered, |
caught sight of some queer little boxes half
buried in the sand. | dug one out to find it
so heavy that could hardly drag it away.
They were of wood, hoped with iron, and
inches high. had little curiosity as to the
contents, and the idea that they contained
treasure never crossed my mind. / got out
four before the tide turned, and there were
several more in sight. After | had them
ali together above high water, began to
wonder whether they contained nails or
bullets, and set about breaking one open.
When rows upon rows of silver coins
greeted my eyes | came near losing what
little sense had. Two others contained
silver. the fourth one gold. 1t was English
money, every piece of it, and as had never
seen any before | was at loss to estimate
the value.
Befpre the discovery of that money |
wanted nothing but pair of shoes, and the
sight of a sail would not have affected me.
Now l was wild to get at the other boxes,
and my eyes were constantly searching the
sea for sight of relief. dragged the boxes
to my house, and most of each day for the
next week was spent on the neck in hopes
of getting at more treasure The water con-
tinued high, however, and | got nothing
more. On the eighth day after l got the
treasure, and about thirty days after my
landing, the third mystery was revealed.
At about O'Clock in the morning. while the
tide was setting i'll strong, l observed a
ships boat drifting in from the southeast.
1t was not ten minutes after / saw her be-
fore she was cast on the beach, and as she
rolled over two bodies were flung out. To
my amazement and horror | recognized
them as the bodies of the captain and mate
of the Albatross, although it was more by
the clothing than by their features. 1t was
plain at glance that they had died of ex-
posure and want. There was neither food
nor drink IN the boat, and the bodies were
little better than skeletons. Il was the cap
tain's gig, and it seemed that these two got
away alone They must have drifted here
and there for days. for there was neither
sail nor oar.
was scoopng out grave for the bodies
when a turtle sloop rounded the island and
was in the cove before | saw her. She had
a crew of thres men and a boy, and they bad
come for a stay of week or two, it being
the season when turtles came ashore to lay
their eggs They were not from the main
land, but from larger island to the north,
and were native West Indians. The cap
tain spoke English fairly well, and | gave
him full explanation, even to the finding
of the Treasure. They could have knocked
me on the head and safely taken all, but
they did not do it. The captain looked
over my money, and said had about $685.
900. and it was agreed that, in repayment
for a passage to Porto Rico | was to sur
render all rights to any further find and to
the ships boat In four days those poor
turtle catchers, none of whom had ever had
$50 at once, took $4,000 out Of the
sands. There were more boxes left. or it
was SO believed, but they required other
outfit to secure them. | was not only
landed in Porto Rico, as agreed. but told