The Press., 1890-06-26
HARSEN'S ISLAND.

AA1OA SAAeSAAO man American Chief, would have gone the rounds and been much discussed. They were told and retold i'll marine circles for many years, and now and then some newspaper or magazine has briefly referred to "Harsen's Romance" The story, whole, is full of interest.
 In the spring of 1861, while I was second mate aboard of the English brig Enchantress, and when three days out of Zanzibar, bound for the Gulf of Bengal we spoke the Ameri- can Chief homeward bound and loaded with Indian products. Three days before, in a violent squall, Capt. Harsen had been washed overheard, and the ship was now in charge of the first mate. The ship was taken home, Capt. Harsen reported dead, and six years later, when he had been forgotten by all ex- cept his relations he suddenly turns up in a way to dumfound everybody.
 In August, 1867, was first mate of the Sea King, small but stanch ship plying between Cape Town and Melbourne. Our ship was a feeder for the big India steamers We took machinery and other stuff from them at the cape, and brought back wood and other products. We had the width of the Indian ocean before us on every voyage, with never a speck of land for the waters to fret against until the voyage was finished.
 One morning in the month I have named, the hour being about 5 o'clock, with wind and sea light, the lookout reported a man in boat dead ahead and only half a mile away I went forward with the glass and made him out very plain at once. Indeed, no glass was needed It was rough looking boat, pro- vided with mast and sail, and he had let fly his sheet and was rising and falling on the waves to wait our coming. We were up to him in few minutes, and when we came to look him over many were the exclamations of aStonishment
 The craft was half raft and half boat, put together in the toughest fashion, and con structed of driftwood. The sail was grass mat. The man at the steering oar was clothed in single garment made of the same ma terial as the sail. He had made large mat and put his head through an opening in the middle and belted it at the waist. His hair fell upon his shoulders and his whskers reached to his waist. He looked veritabie Rip Van Wrinkle, and our surprise was so great that we forged past him without ex- tending hand. When we got him aboard, he walked up to the captain, extended his hand, and said:
 "Captain, I am Capt. Harsen, of the Boston ship American Chief"
 "But where's your crafts' exclaimed our captain.
 ''Can't say. I was lost overheard six years ago to the north of this"
 ''You don't say that you are that Capt. Harseng'
 ''But I do. My death was no doubt re- ported in the papers, but here am. Let me have bite to eat and then I'll tell you all about it." ....-.... -----.
 When Capt. Harsen got ready to tell his story he had more surprises in store for us. will give his adventures as he related them, but ill my own way. The wave which swept his ship and carried him overheard took along a lot of deck rafie, and upon striking out for himself he got hold of crate in which two kangaroos had made the journey to Cape Town. It was light enough to float two men of his size, and, although the seas, used him roughly for several hours, he pulled through the danger, and finally found way to lash himself and even get some sleep. He knew that he was driving to the south with the seas, but as to how far he drifted during the thirty hours he was adoat could only be guessed at. It has been generally figured at five miles an hour. He was asleep when cast ashore by the tide, and he soon discovered that he had landed on verdant island about one mile square. The verdure was about the same as that of Madagascar, with the same variety of birds and insect life. There was species of water rat on the island, but no
 
 any sort.
 The island was little paradise. There were several springs of fresh water, fruits and nuts in abundance, and nothing to make him afraid. As soon as he got rested the captain began to figure on his position, and he finally concluded that he had been cast on one of tho Aldabra group, 200 miles to the north of Cape Amber, Madagascar. Subse- lueiit developments proved that he was more than 400 miles out of his reckoning. Holding that he was correct in his location of the island, Capt. Harsen figured that he had only to possess himself with patience and all would be we'll The Aldabra Islands were much visited by fishermen, who caught and pre- pared certain fish food for the Chinese, and he had no other idea than that he would be taken off within two or three weeks. He wisely decided to improve the interval by resting up, and for two weeks he slept good share of each day and all right
 He built himself shelter, satisfied his hunger with fruits, oysters, shrimps and fish, and took solid comfort for awhile He did not begin to grow uneasy for a month Then, as he had sighted no sail and no visitors had arrived, he began to get uneasy, but it was two months before he was willing to ad- init that be had made @ mistake in his calcu lations. He then concluded that he had been driven to what is called the Middle Islands, ,'' group of eighteen islands lying midway be- tween Madagascar and the Sunda islands, and only 100 miles south of the equator He held to this idea thereafter, although he was as much mistaken as in the first instance
 The weeks and months went by, and whe:, Capt. Harsen had been six months on his island home he began to feel that if he ever left it he must do so by his own efforts. Now and then there was storm, but for the most part the weather was perfect. No other land was in sight from his island, and the most patient investigation could not furnish proof that any one had ever landed there He was not much of a scholar, but in his rambles he found sufficient evidence to show that the island had been thrown up out of the sea by volcanic action. That event must have occurred many years before, for some of the trees were as large as his body. HOW the birds got there was matter he did not try ta ao,ve After six or eight months of lazy life, and after waiting until he felt sure that the isl and would be visited only by accident, the captain set about building some sort of craft. There was heap of drift wood on the east ern side of the island, and in overhauling it he found number of blanks and boards which must have come from craft pounded to pieces by a gale, but he had no tool of any description except large pocket knife. While this dampened his ardor to great ex- tent, he put in an hour or two occasionally at the work of building, and laid the foundation of the raft we found him on. When Capt. Harsen had been on the island ten months he ate some fruit which poisoned him, and made him almost helpless for the next three months. When he finally recov-