Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-04-17

|
a common sailor, but IL did not take me
great while to figure out that l had
been cast ashore on one OF this group.
Had / started out TO become second
Robinson Crusoe. / could not have chosen
better location TO begin business.
The climate was perfect, the island was
loaded with various wild fruits, and
fish were lesping up all around me.
My first move was to take of my wet
clothes and hang them up to dry, and
while they were drying | made a break
fast from wild fruits. After getting into
my clothes again ! took an inventory
and found myself possessed OF Il sheath
knife, plug OF tobacco. three or four
buttons, and few silver coins. Had
there been wreck 10 draw on, as in
Crusoc' case, | should have been moro
cheerful. / then set out TO survey my
domain, and by noon found that was
on an island about two miles long and
one milo across. IL was regular
grove. with high and dry ground, and
an abundance OF fruits and berries. In
that walk found tho wild tea plant,
potatoes, maize, onions, cabbages, rice,
turnips, mulberries and bananas
There were plenty of birds, but l did
not find reptile or wild animal Of any
sort
The island was paradise in almost
every sense, but long enough before
night was greatly troubled in my mind
rs to how was TO get along. A young
sailor with a hearty appetite Graves
something more solid than wild fruits.
/ wanted fire, and had no means of
procuring one. wanted company, but
even the birds avoided me. ] wondered
how / could make signal, and what
sort OF craft came that way, and how
far TO the west the other islands were,
broken up that ! was ready to shed
tears. l crossed the island twice dur
ing the afternoon, looking more partic-
ularly TO make sure that there were no
snakes, OF which felt an awful dread,
and as failed to find any | made ny
bed that night under a tree on somo
boughs | cut off. ] slept fairly well,
and my second breakfast was again
made OF fruits. When ! had got my fill
determined to make fire. The nov
elist OF to-day will have II cast-away
youth rub two dry sticks together for a
few minute and start Il blaze, but i got the
driest sticks ! could find and rubbed
until was completely tired out, and /
could not even blacken them. | got
some dry moss, aud struck stones to-
gether, but the sparks would not ignite
it, Three quarters of the day was spent
in efforts to get II fire, and then had
to give it up. A smoke would have
been the best signal to passing craft,
but as cold not get fire, and as had
no clothes TO spare, being in my shirt
sleeves when | went overheard, | had
to abandon the idea and hope that some
native craft would touch the shore.
had landed midway of the island,
on the eastern shore. and the spot was
as pleasant rs any other locality. There
fore, on the third day built me Il oom-
Portable shelter under the trees, and
settled it with myself that was in for
it for some time TO come. Twice that
day saw sailing vessels to tho east,
but miles away. ! also went to the
south, west and north sides of the is
land, and piled up shells on the beach
above the tide mark and placed sticks
on top OF them pointing my way. Who
ever landed would be apt TO SEQ them
and understand that some one had been
cast away.
A week passed. and no craft came
near. At tho end of five or six days l was
thoroughly tired OF my feed, bnt there
was no change, unless | wanted raw
fish or flesh. could have made a net
out OF vines and caught some fish, or
could easily have killed some Of the
birds with club but the absence OF
fire was the drawback. Few men get
less sound sleep than sailor. Many
time have promised myself slumber
of week Mt the end of voyage |
ought to have slept like stone on my
| island us there was nothing to make
me afraid, but ] was more wakefui than
on shipboard.
About the middle OF the second week
| had an adventure which quite broke
me up for the next day or two. Having
seen no sharks inside the reef, had
taken swim in the clear, still waters
every morning. On this morning, soon
after getting out OF bed. stripped off
and jumped in with a great splash and
began laundering about. | was about
to strike out for the reef when saw
the dorsal fin of shark between me
and it, and turned and landed without
loss OF time. As looked back some
thing struck at me and fell short by
only foot and loaped away just in
time to avoid another feeler OF a mon
strous devil fish. / could plainly mako
him out on tho bottom, and he had
come within an ace Of getting hold OF
me. The shark, which was fully six
teen feet long, advanced toward tho
beach, and, Us he reached the spot
where the devil fish lay row began.
The shark was seized by ut least two
Of the feelers, and in the first moment
he was rolled over and over. Then he
pulled himself together, and for the
next five minutes the water was churn-
ed to fury. think the shark got the
best OF the fight, as he made Off after a
while seemingly unhurt, while pieces
OF one OF the feelers came ashore to
prove that it had been severed from the
body by the sharks teeth.
The second week passed, and n third
and u fourth. During this time sight
ed many sails, but they were always
afar of. l had become so sick OF my
fare that ! scarcely ate any thing,
and the lazy life became positive dis
gust. At the end OF the fourth week /
would have agreed {, work one year at
ditch digging without pay for a passage