The herald., 1895-06-09

ever spun by that most ingenious put
plausible person, Sinbad the Sailor.
4 An ordinary, every day Scotch sailor
( man was Mr.. James Roberts. but when
/ cast away on this out-of- the-world speck
/. of land amid the savages of the South
/ Seas, he was regarded as God, paid
(; gods homage; handmaidens--a dozen OF
4 the islands most beautiful dusky bellies
waited upon him constantly, woye Tor
a him garlands OF tropical wild flowers ana
N green things and probably fell IN love
4 with him, and when, one day, after many
A months, a ship came along and Roberts
81 Swan out and climbed aboard. those
II Stwelve coffee colored maidens promptly
IA [fell a-weeping, and their walls could nave
VI Sbeen heard several city blocks away.
n Roberts was rugged mariner OF a last
N disappearing type honest, blutf, brave
n sand successful. He made and saved
u fortune and lett each mem Der of his fam
N lily rich. He had not quite reached the
Al & llotted three score years and ten, havlnS
81 <been born on ST. Valentines day, 1879, IN
H Falkirk. Scotland.
<, He came from seafarlng- family, and
Nl at IA was a second mate on coaster. AT
II Is he left home on long cruise For SIX
"a wears he was at sea, visiting strange
n! countries and unknown islands.
3 1t was in 1S4s. on British merchant
{i man sailing in the South Paclhc, that
U tRoberts. then second mate OF the vessel.
|i Railways laid the opening scene OF the
FL storm. Unfavorable winds and heavy
|f <storms had delayed the ships progress
|si <and changed her course out OF her regu-
III <1ar beat Ratons grew low, the water
EFl din the tanks got lower and lower and be-
III came impure as the bottom was reached.
The salt pork about gone. and only
sthe supply of biscuit prevented famine
-on board. Even the supply of biscuits
. .M got low in time and hope was about
abandoned wnen one day Roberts noticed
"a piece of floating seaweed. Several
hours later a huge albatross beat his
n wings against the masthead, ducks flew
out from the west. and the captain shift
ed the course in that direction.
l When the sun rose at 3 a M. the well
come cry of Land ho!" went up. Sew
eral miles distant lay an island whose
tsandy shores were dotted with cocoanut
vand palm trees. The ship put in several
l.miles and a boat with three men and
Roberts was ordered on shore. After
Herowing a mile coral reef was reached,
covered with water, but too shallow to al
l, low the passage of the boat. So the iour
mon started to wade across the reef to the
n distant island. As they wore no shoes,
the jagged edges OF the coral cut their
feet. SC. that they could make little pro
! gress. AT last the attempt to reach the
Nisland was given up as Impossible, and
the men returned sadly in the boat to the
Sailing vessel Roberts decided that
sthis island must be one OF group and
lithat another would be probably reached
after few hours sailing.
Another island was sighted next day.
but Roberts feet were So swollen and sore
from walking on the reef that another
officer was sent in the ships toat that
set out to reach the island. For Two long,
agoulzing hours the men on h ship
waited for their return. But they came
not, and along the shore where they had
left their boat there was no sign OF life.
Fearing for their SAFETY another boat put
out from the vessel in search of them.
This time Roberts went along.
1t was afterwards learned that this island
was one of group on the northwest
edge of the Solomon Islands, and
was inhabited by the widest man-eaters
of the South Picifc. 1t was covered with
a heavy tropical growth. which was al
most i.npenet-able. A little stream trick
led down over the sand to the sea, and as
they reached the shore the sailors flung
them selves to their stomachs and drank
to the full OF the cool, refreshing liqud.s
The white men now started out TO look
for their lost comrades. As they fol-
lowed the sea line for some distance, hop
ing to come suddenly upon them, a
stream was found flowing down through
the forest, and, as it was gable, they
rowed up it some distance. And there.
through a jungle OF tangled vines and
trees in little clearing, they witnessed
frightful spectacle. score or more
cannibas were seated on the ground
grsediy devouring the remains of the
missing sailors. In their eage1ness Tor
men limb from limb, and were eating
them raw, like wild beasts. The ground
was wet with their blood. and here and
there were pieces of flesh and Lifts of
bodies awaiting the ravenous appettes of
these inhuman hyenas. The white men,
as they saw these terrible scenes were
transfiled with terror. and it was FORUM
ate that they were able to remain unseen
by the nibals behind screen of trop-
ical vegetation. If discovered their es-
cape would have been impossible. as tn e
Cannib balls cJuld easily have overtaken
ahem in their canoes. which were drawn
up on the shore of the stream ct this
point.
Roberts would give narrowing accounts
Of this awful feast. and added a some
wnat iudicrous turn to it by describing
n inutelythe precipitous haste with which
his white friends got out of that vicinity.
They arrived safely aboard their vesse
again, but without bringing back either
water or fruits.
When the next island was sighted Rob
etrs volunteered to 20 ashore. He landed
on tie wlndward side OF the island.
Grass was high and luxuriant crooked
cocoanuts and palms grew with their
roots in the sea, but The nuts were out oi
reach, and there was no water in sight.
Roberts proposed that two of the sailors
go to the right, and he. with another
would 60 to the left in search of fruit and
gater. But the men believed that there
was safety in numbers, and refused to be
eparateu. 90 itooerts starteu ouU alone.
He found cabbage in plenty bread fruit.
bananas, lemons, guavas. coacuanuts. and
pther fruits whose names he did not
know. and several running streams oi
clear cold water. Time passed quickly tc
him. and he found he had gone much
0nger distance than he Supposed. When
he approached the shore he was horrfed
to see the ship running away under full
rail. Roberts called until he was hoarse
ind signalled madly. But TO no avail
Ihe ship was far distant and his cries
md signals were unheeded.
Remem bering his companions and the
boat, he ran to the place where they
had parted. Several banana skins and the
Dhells of cocoanuts were on the ground.
The iu,prints of their feet showed where
they had showed the boat into the surf
md then they had roweu out to the ship
Roberts was therefore deserted, alone on