The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-03-01


saw that was ashore on an island l
sat down to wait for daylight, and when
itcame the situation was plain. was
on thickly wooded island, and two
hundred feet from the beach due east OF
where / stood was the wreck of my
hencoop entangled in coral reef which
now and then showed its head above
water. Between me and the reef the
water was ten feet deep and quite
enough to float canoe.
OFF the southern coast OF Japan are
| lot of islands called the Lieon-Khieon
group All of them are inhabited now.
but at that time only the two or three
larger ones were peopled. l was only
a common sailor, but it did not take me
a great while to figure out that l had
been cast ashore on one OF this group.
Had started out to become second
Robinson Crusoe. I could not have chosen
a better location to begin business
The climate was perfect, the island was
loaded with various wild fruits. and
fish were leaping up all around me.
My first move was to take of my wet
clothes and hang them mp to dry, and
while they were drying / made break
fast from wild fruits. After getting into
my clothes again took an inventory
and found myself possessed of q sheath
knife, plug Of tobacco. three or four
buttons, and few silver coins. Had
there been a wreck to draw on. as in
Crusoe's case, should have been more
cheerful. / then set out to survey my
domain, and by noon l found that was
on an island about two miles long and
one mile across. 1t was a regular
grove, with high and dry ground, and
an abundance of fruits and berries. In
that walk found the 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 l was greatly troubled in my mind
as to how was to get along. Ayoung
sailor with a hearty appetite Graves
something more solid than wild fruits.
l wanted fire, and had no means of
procuring one. WANTED company, but
even the birds avoided me- wondered
how could make a signal, and what
sort of craft came that way. and how
far to the west the other islands were,
and before night was so homesick and
broken up that l was ready to shed
tears. / 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 my
bed that night under a tree on some
boughs cut off. l slept fairly well,
and my second breakfast was again
made of fruits When had got my fill
l determined to make fire. The nov
elist of to-day will have a cast-away
youth rub two dry sticks together for
few minute and start a blaze, but got the
driest sticks l could find and rubbed
until was completely tired out, and l
could not even blacihen them. l got
some dry moss, and struck stones to-
gether. but the sparks would not ignite
it. Three quarters of the day was spent
in efforts to get fire. and then had
to give it up. A smoke would have
been the best signal to passing craft,
but as l cold not get a 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 as any other locality. There
fore, on the third day built me 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 the east,
but miles away. l 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 see them
and understand that some one had been
cast away.
A week passed, and no craft came
near. At the end of five or six days l was
thoroughly tired of my feed. bnt there
was no change, unless l wanted raw
fish or flesh. could have made 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 a sailor. Many a
time have promised myself slumber
of week at the end of voyage. l
ought to have slept like stone on my
island as there was nothing to make
me afraid. but ! was more wakeful than
on shipboard.
About the middle of the second week
1 had an adventure which quite broke
me up for the next day or two. Having
seen no sharks inside the reef. l had
taken a swim in the clear, still waters
every morning. On this morning, soon
after getting out of bed, stripped off
and jumped in with great splash and
began laundering about. l was about
to strike out for the reef when l saw
the dorsal fin of shark between me
and it, and l turned and landed without
loss of time. As looked back some
thing struck at me and fell short by
only foot, and 1 leaped away just in
time to avoid another feeler OF mon
strous devil fish. could plainly make