Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-02-03
HARSEN7S ISLAND.

Had it not been for the excitement Of the
frst year Of the civil war the queer adven-
ttre 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 "Harsens
Romance" The story, as a 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 dunfound 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 10 fret against
until the voyage was finished.
One morning in the month have named,
the hour being about o'clock, with wind
and sea light, the lookout reported a man in
boat dead ahead and only half mile away
went forward with the glass and made him
out very plain at once. Indeed, no glass was
needed. Il was rough looking boat, pro-
vided with mast and sail, and he had let fly
bis sheet and was rising and falling ON tho
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 astonishment.
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 wasclothed
In a single garment, made OF the same ma
terial as tho 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 wassso
great that we forged past him without ex-
1 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
But where's your craftf' exclaimed our
captain.
"Can't say. was lost overheard six years
ago to the north Of this.n
"You don't say that you are that Capt
| Harsenfi
"But / do My death was no doubt re-
/ ported in the papers, but here am. Let mo
have a bite TO eat and then I'll tell you all
about it.n
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 no got hold of a crate in which two
kangaroos had made the journey 10 Cape
Town. 1t was light enough to Goat 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 no was afoat 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 a
species of water rat on the island, but nc
other animal, and he never saw a reptile Of
any sort.
The island was a 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 the Aldabra group, 200 miles TO the
north Of Cape Amber, Madagascar. Subse
quent developments proved that he was more
than 400 miles out Of his reckoning. Holding
that he was correct in his location Of this
island, Capt. Harsen figured that he had only
to posses himself with patience and all woulC
be we'll The Aldabra Islands were mucl
visited by fishermen, who caught and pre-
pared certain fish food for the Chinese, anS
, be had no other idea than that he would b
taken of within two or three weeks. III
} wisely decided to improve the interval b.
resting up and for two weeks be slept goo'
share OF each day and all right.
He built himself a shelter, satisfied hi
hunger with fruits, oysters, shrimps, am
fish, and took solid comfort for awhile. II
! did not begin TO grow uneasy for month
Then, as be had sighted no sail and no visitor
had arrived, he began to get uneasy, but
was two months before he was willing 10 ad
init that be had made mistake in his calcu
lations- He then concluded that be had bee
driven 10 what is called the Middle Islands,
groupo eighteen islands lying midway be
e tween Madagascar and the Sunda islands
n and only 100 miles south of the equator. III
T held 70 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 HI
island home be began to feel that if he eve
/ left it he must do 50 by his own efforts. No
9 and then there was storm, but for the mo:
part the weather was perfect. Noother Ian
was in sight from his island, and the mo-
pa4ient investigation could not furnish proS
that any one had ever landed there BE wa
? not much Of scholar, but in his rambles
Y found sufficient evidence to show that Il
island had been thrown up out Of the Sc
by volcanic action. That event must hsy
occurred many years before. for some Of Il
7e trees were as large as his body. How tho bur
le zotthere was matter he did not try to soiy