Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-02-21
HARSEN'S ISLAND.

Had it not been for the excitement of the
first year of the civil war the queer adven-
ture of Capt. Harsen, of the Boston merchant
man American Chief, would have gone the
rounds and been much discussed. They were
told and retold in marine circles for many
years, and now and then some newspaper or
magazine has briefly referred to 'Harsen's
Romance" The story, as whole, is full of
interest.
In the spring of 1861, while 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
feeder for the big India steamers. We took
machinery and other stuff from them at the
cape, and brought back wood and other
DfO0uCUS. we udu Uu0 WlUOIl VI tu0 Iluleail
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 o'clock, with wind
and sea light, the lookout reported man in
a 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. 1t 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 EXPLANATIONS
of establishment.
The craft was half raft and half boat, put
together in the toughest fashion, and con-
structed of driftwood. The sail was a grass
mat. The man at the steering oar was clothed
in a 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 whiskers
reached to his waist. He looked a veritable
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, am Capt. Harsen, of the Boston
ship American Chief"
'sBut where's your Craft" exclaimed our
captain.
"Can't say. I was lost overheard six years
ago to the north of this"
s'You don't say that you are that Capt.
Harsen?'
sBut I do My death was no doubt re-
ported in the papers, but here l 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 in my own way. The wave which swept
his ship and carried him overheard took along
lot Of deck rattle, and upon striking out for
himself he got hold of a crate in which two
kangaroos had made the journey to Cape
Town. 1t 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 a 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 ahoat could only be
guessed at. 1t 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 a 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 q
species of water rat on the island, but nc
other animal, and he never saw reptile Of
any sort.
The island was little paradise. There
were several springs of fresh water, fruit:
and nuts in abundance, and nothing to make
him afraid. As soon as he got rested thu
captain began to figure on his position, a1e
he finally concluded that he had been cast OF
one of the Aldabra group, 200 miles to thu
north of Cape Amber, Madagascar Subse
uuent developments proved that he was NOR
than 400 miles out of his reckoning. Holding
that be was correct in his location of tn
island, Capt. Harsen figured that he had onl,,
to possess himself with patience and all woult
be well. The Aldabra Islands were mucl
visited by fishermen, who caught and pre-
pared a certain fish food for the Chinese, ant
he had no other idea than that he would b
taken off within two or three weeks. Il
wisely decided to improve the interval b.
resting up, and for two weeks he slept goo
share of each day and all right.
He built himself O shelter, satisfied hi
hunger with fruits, oysters, shrimps, an
fish, and took solid comfort for awhile.
did not begin to grow uneasy for a month
Then, as he had sighted no sail and no visitor
had arrived, he began to get uneasy, butt
was two months before he was willing to ad
zs,it that be had made a mistake in his calcr
lations. Flo then concluded that he had bee
driven to what is called the Middle Islands,
a group of eighteen islands lying midway be
tween Madagascar and the Sunda islands
and only 100 miles south Of the equator. II
held to this idea thereafter, although he wa
as much mistaken as in the first instance
The weeks and months went by, and Whe
Capt Harsen had been six months on h
island home he began to feel that it be eve
| left it he must do so by his own efforts No
| and then there was storm, but for the mo!
part the weather was perfect No other Ian
| was in sight from his island, and the mo-
| patient investigation could not furnish proc
| that any one had ever landed there. He we
not much of a scholar, but in his rambles
found sufficient evidence to show that tt
| island had been thrown up out OF the Sc
1 by volcanic action That event must hav
| occurred many years before, for some OF tt
trees were as large as his body. How the blrt
| rot There was matter he did not try to s,lv
After six or eight months of lazy life, an
after waiting until he felt sure that the is
/ and would be visited only by accident, th
captain set about building some sort OF Graf
| There was heap of drift wood on the cas-
| ern side of the island, and in overhaulIng
he found number of planks and boare
which must have come from craft pounde
to pieces by gale. but he had no tool of an
description except large pocket knit
While this dampened his ardor to great e.
tent, be put in an hour or two occasionally
the work of building, and laid tt
foundation of the raft we found him OF
When Capt. Harsen had been on the isian
ten months he ate some fruit which poisone
him, and made him almost helpless for tt
next three months. When he finally reco
cred he found it almost impossible to rou
I'D any ambition. He fell into a state OF ap
thy, lost all track of time and did nothir
but eat and sleep. He must have lived So
! of wild beast life for two or three years, al
perhaps have been out of his right mir
much Of the time. What finally aroused nj