Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-10-05

that and the next island north much
used. but this / had no means of
knowing. When / found myself the
sole inhabitant, I made up my mind
that escape was impossible, and
that was to live out my years
right there. The captain had called
me a leper. I had never heard the
name before. He had sent me
ashore because / endangered the
safety of the crew. While suspected
that this was a subterfuge. was
not quite satisfied about it. IfIWas
something to be Stunned and afraid
of, why should desire to escape?
If taken OF Ihad no home to go to,
no friends to welcome me. was
lonesome and somewhat afraid
here, but was, nevertheless, enjoying
the novelty of the situation.
I built me q rude shelter. wandered
over the island, fshed, set snares and
captured parrots and monkeys, and
after the first week was quite content.
/ han been on the island three weeks
before the second mystery occurred.
The peninsula or neck-which YOU see
on the western end of the island was
composed of sand, and bare of tree
VI DuElla j u was dDOuL OGO lCGu 1AJ4LLs
There had been q heavy blow from
the south, with a big sea rolling in,
and after this had lasted two days
there was an unusually low tide. 1
caught sight of a timber heaved up
on this spit, and went out to inspect
it, and while surveying the banks
which the low tide had uncovered 1
caught sight of some queer little
boxes half buried in the sand. I dug
one out to fud it so heavy that 1
could hardly drag it away. They
were of wood, hoped with iron, and
ten or twelve inches long by eight or
ten inches high. Ihad little curiosity
as to the contents, and the idea that
they contained treasure never crossed
my mind. I got out four before the
eide turned, and there We're several
more in sight. After I had them all
together above high water, ] began
to wonder whether they contained
nails or bullets, and set about break
ing one open. When rows of silver
coins greeted my eyes came near
losing what little sense 1 had. Two
others contained silver, the fourth
one gold. 1t was English money,
every piece of it, and as had never
seen any before l was at Il loss to
estimate the value.
Before the discOveryOf that money
wanted nothing but a pair OfshOes,
and the sight Of a sail would not
have affected me- Now I was wild to
get at the other boxes, and my eyes
we're constantly searching the sea for
sight of relief I 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 continued high,
however, and l got nothing more.
On the ei@ht day after got the treas
ure, and about thirty days after my
/ landing, the third mystery was re-
vealed. At about 9 O'Clock in the
morning, while the tide was setting
in strong, 1 observed Il ships boat
drifting in from the southeast. 1t
was not ten minutes after 1 saw her
before she was cast on the beach, and
as she rolled over two bodies were
flung out. To my amaZement ana
horror 1 recognized them as the
bodies of the captain and mate Ofthe
AlbatrOss, although it was more by
the clothing than by their features
W Clo kJ4CllLA LllElD Lllf 4lELil
died Of exposure and want There
was neither food nor drink in the
boat, and the bodies were little better
than skeletons. 1t was the Captain
gig, and it seemed that these two goa
away alone. They must have drifted
here and there for days, for there was
neither sail nor oar.
L was scOOping out a grave for the
bodies when a turtle slOOp rounded
the island and was IN the cove before
L saw her. She hEd a crew of three
men and boy, and they had come
for stay Of q week or two, it being.
the season when the turtles came
ashore to lay their eggs. They were
not from the mainland, but from q.
larger island to the north, and were
native West Indians. The Captain
spoke English fairly well, and I gave
him a 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 $23.-
600, and it was agreed that, in re-
payment for a passage to Porto Rico
I was to surrender all rights to any
further find and to the ships boat.
In four days those poor turtle catch
ers, 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 re-
quired other outfit to secure them. I
was not only landed in Porto Rico,
as agreed, but told how to take care
of my money, most of which was ex-
changed for paper, and my passage
on a sailing vessel bound for New Or
leans was recured.
I did not 90 r,ea. the c,rvr,o..c l.f liz.