The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-27

crab is the most familiar and lirgos latro
the scientific. Strange 10 say neither
the specimens secured nor any of their
KIND have ever been known 10 enter the
water. They belong to the purely land
or tree-cllm bling family, no worthy repre-
sentative OF which has found its way into
the British Museum, and which are so
rare that that institution has entered a
neavy bid for one or both of those cap
tured. The museum authorities will send
man all the way from London to take
sell 80
The crabs were brought here by the
schooner Norma, cocoanut laden from
framing and Washington islands, viii, b
is now dlscharglng hercdrgo. They were
secured on Palmyra Islands, in the South
Pacific, and as yet have developed no dan
gerous propensities, though quite willing
TO give exhibitions of their strength,
breaking broom-handles and such toys as
II they were plpeStems. 1t would be the
simplest thing in the world for them 10
crush mans leg or arm in a similar
way, but, fortunately, they are slow to
anger or TO acton, ana take life so laZ1ly
that any one can get out of harm S way
on seeing danger ahead. One cocoanut a
day serves as a meal, the nut being
cracked as if it were an egg, and the kerr
mel slowly devoured. In appearance the
Z
overgrown and exaggerated spiders with
abnormally developed bodies and d Won
derful wealth of legs. Capt. +. d. Walker
and his sons are very proud of their cap
tlves, which they assert are as rare as
birds of paradise.
Five years ago he Capt Walker, with
his wife and family and seven or eight
others, were shipwrecked on small sand
island belonging to the Midway group,
where they subsisted for fourteen months
on sea birds, eggs, and fish. They had
started out from Honolulu on the bark
Wandering Minstrel on a shark hunting
expedition, and after passing through
the various islands TO the south of
the Hawaiian group, sought protec-
way Island. Their ship dragged her
anchor and ran on the reef. The
crew, numbering twenty-nine all told,
escaped in the boats to the land, five
miles distant The bark was broken
up so badly that nothing was saved
from her, and as the island was uninhab-
tied and away out of the path ofshipping,
their position was the reverse of envIa Die.
Six of the party, after being
in a small boat to seek help, and have
never since been heard of. Half of those
remaining succumbed before chance
brought the Norma along to rescue the
survivors On the passage to Yokohama
with the shipwrecked party the skipper
of the Norma died, and when port was
reached Capt. Walker purchased the
vessel.
The record of the adventures of the
Walker family on their desert island
would read as a second edition OF Robin
son Crusoe. THE total area of their domain
was not more than thousand acres; it
contained no tree, no eatable fruit or
table-nothing but spring of water,
few stunted bushes, and sand There
was at the highest point a rude hut
which United States surveyors had
at one time erected, and which. re
paired with ropes and wreckage,
formed the homestead. The staple and,
in fact only reliable article of diet was
sea bird-the "goonie. " or sea fowl of the
Pacific. This was served in every style
known to Delmonico and few more
Once or twice turtles sought the shore,
and it may safely be said they were well
come visitors. Twice did the shipwrecked
ones attempt to build themselves frail
vessels of driftwood, with which they
hoped to return to civilization, but Just
as they were completed sudden storms
made wrecks of the weary labor of
months.