The Delta independent., 1889-02-19
Treasure Island.
BY FRANK H. CONVERSE.

islam to-day, I s'pose, to pay the
nash'nul debt" suddenly remarked
Cap'n Cyrus, apropos of nothing that
had been said.
Naturally, asked what island, being
curious to know why wealth enough to
lift a nations burden should lay un-
handled in these days of money seek
ing and money getting.
Cap'n Cyrus knocked the ashes from
his pipe and looked inquiringly in the
bottom of his empty tumbler, as for
reply. To aid the ancient mariner in
his search, ordered the glass replen-
ished.
SIT amt got no name-leastwise on
no chart that ever 1 see," slowly re-
5lied Cap'n Cyrus, after emptying two
fingers Of unwatered spirits into him.
self, as in well-seasoned cask. "But
nigh as can figger, it lays some'rs be-
tween SO south and 129 west, in the
southern Pacific, and this is the how
of it, which, mind you, amt no sailors
yarn, nor likewise, one spun by the
mariners, but true and 6ony fde, ac-
cordin' to the best of my knowledge an
b'leef, s'elp me-"
Here the captain drained the remain.
ing spirits. Then he began;
sit was twenty-seven years ago. I
was boat steerer of Boston whalin'
brig, the Rosa Baker, which is now
iayin' dismantled over on the Ess' Bo5-
ton side, clos't to South Ferry. We took
seventy bar'l sperm some'rs to the
BASTARD of the Marquesas group. All
hans was to work to the rail, a-hauliu'
the head tackler taut. dropped a lit
tie astern alone i'm the starbeard boat
for to get fluke warp round the small
rail, so'st to be ready for the rest of the
gear. 1t blackened up sudden, to
win'ard, whilst we was workin' away
for dear life. All at once, quicker'n
you'd say knife squall, which was
more like half grown cyclone, struck.
'.The brig was, of course, under
topsle and spanker, else she'd gone
pver to once. 1 heard the old man
sing out, and then never heard moth
in, 'cepting the roar overhead. The
bow painter gave way in the ring bolt,
and first thing knowed, the boat was
adrif from the brig an Ayin' before
sich wind and sea as lan'smen know
nothin' of, 'ceptin' by pictures an rea-
din Clark Russell, who is the best sea
story writer goin'. All could do was
get out the steerin' oar and keep dead
before it. Once she got broadside to,
the boat would a'gone over like q
knife tray.
'.It was the blackness of darkness
only split with lightnin' in blue streaks
for nigh six hours. Then the wind
ceased trihe, and 1 got the sail sot,
but dassent heave to, owin' to the tre-
menious sea, SO KEEP her flynn.
.sWu'st of it was, the boat compass
was out of order, an no more good
than an empty Shawn box. And SO,
for thirty-six hour. nigh as could
reck'n, we was drivin' with the gale
: dead astern. There was some hard
tack in the lantern keg and water in
the breaker, SO KEEP life in me- arter
a fashion, till the gale broke an it come
sun out. Then see an island a couple
OF miles to lee'ard, and headed for it.
Like the most islan's in the South
Pacific, it was high, thickly wooded, an
had a coral reef runnin' clear round it.
On the leeward side was an openin'
wide enough for a ship O. the line. I
run the boat through, acrost the lagoon
and slap onto the beach.
81 waren't the first craft that had
come through the openin'. High and
dry 'mongst the mangroves along the
shore was the hull of wrecked vessel,
settin' right upright on aa even keel.
cal'lated she might have been hove
up there by tidal or earthquake
wave.
s:But wasn't thinkin' much of
wrecks jest then. got some matches
out of the lantern keg, built a fire, got
some eyesters off'n the mangrove roots,
and while they was roastin', dried my
clo'es, after fashion.
There wasn't the first sign or sound
of life, and after lookin' round spell,
I see the islam was disinhabited. And
from the highest pint climed to, not
sign or sail or any other islam, which
warn't over'n above cheerful, though 1
warn't cast down as some might been,
through havin' the whale boat, which
amt bad craft for South Sea cruisin',
If handled properly.
$50 made kind OF an awnin' from
the boat sail to keep off the dew, and
turned in on the green sward before
sunset, bein' nigh .tuckered out with
what I'd gone through.
'.Now generally speakin', amt give
to dreams. But that night I dreamp',
owin', maybe, to bein' near the wreck,
which looked over carefully before 1
lay down, for she was kind OF a cur 'osity.
Whether she'd been there five year or
fifty couldn't rightly tell. But l see
to glance she was once an East Injy
trader. There was marks of six-pound
shot here and there, above the water
line from which and the fac she'd been
altered over into a lorcld, such as is
common round Dunda straits and the
Mt 7 I 4