The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-15
A BASE BETRAYAL.
BY CHARLES u. LEWIS.

BY CHARLES d. LEWIS.
In the year 1869 an English mer-
rbantman, called the Red Cross, was
wrecked Oh reef in the gulf CT
Siam, and the sole survivor of
crew of 1G men was a sailor named
George Matthews.
He foated an entire night and
part of day on piece Of wreck
age, and was finally cast ashore on
one of the Panjang islands. All
charts up to 1864 chow group OF
4 three islands. Those printed since
j show but two.
q AS matter Of fact. one Of the is-
Z lands disappeared in 1858, and sound
4 hgs over the spot show q depth Of
j IbO fathoms. It was on this island.
q however, that Matthews was cast
4 ashore, after drifting for 80 or 40
4 miles, and he remained there for
4 four months before being taken off.
4 His island vas almost circular in
4 fo1m and about half mile across,
d and between tho wild fruits on the
j trees and the shell6sh along the
i ahore the sailor did not suffer for
4 bod. b
Gle found evidences that fishermen
and shell gathereEs visited the is-
Hand at intervals, but il was $50.
days after lar1ing before he cav
human face.
4 Matthew'S had bean on the island
aabout 60 days when q strange thing
5Sappened. There was q coral resf
j ashcircling the island md aG.lo tide
AbuGh Of it was ydainle.
4 One morning he awoke: to hna
55i5S,nt the Watdr had xeceded in all
objections Until he could walk frarn
aesiSo a2essHo beaeh io the reef. In other
JYords, where there had been from
Rz 20 ten feet Of water ho now
found the ocean bed. .
4 AS the saifor looked ABOUT him
;5aias ;asua puzzled OVER the phenomenon
he caught eight OF the hulk. Of. a
small vessel lying in the basin and
close to tho reef. It was resting on
te side, and he aoon made ont that
had tumb1ed OF ifs bed on the
ea as she waters recel1ad .It .gsasa gsas
|Ielmost dry ground betweanhim and
she hulk, and he as once started out
o examine hex. It was q curious
I SSdovory no znade---an old wooden
AAull. innased IN an ar1n0r OF shells :
oct thick. He judged the craft to
ave bean Of about 200 toms bnrslan.
md she had been brig rugged. Her
1@aasts had been broken OF ahort
tsar the deck, her rudder was gone; !;
IND there was q great hole in her
2ottom where she had crashed on
Pc reef. Although,in fear that the
7aters WOULD return at any mo-
nent, the sailor gave the hulk a
5fslty thorough ovsr!saul:ng.
@ he found that she had been armed
10 hght, and close against The reef
ssae found two SIN al L ca i1 irlpn. the hilt
S Greece and he r,,as . azi-e,e,e e
}osee or four pistols. SO thorough.
incaeed was the hulk in her she'll
}fmor TINT there was no way of get.
ing into her without proper tools
pen Dnlwarks had been swept away
p s the Last inch, but the crust over
ICES. 7i S.
at the end Of an hour Matthew'S
easd great roaring outside the
ser. and realizing that the wathrs
efe returning he ran for the beach.
Il methingS like d tidal wave swept
1R after him, and had he not caught
1zpe limb Of q tree and pulled him
|ERfG up he would have been killed or
avn out TO sea- Il Il s;'9
It was half an hour baforp the sea
ew quiet, and he then found that
ee hulk had been swept in aud left
sp an upright keel sc near "a 5sasa0 Is beach
&c the wat ters barely covered her
8 nigh tide. At low tide her whole
''isss and two feet OF her sides were ]
posed, and q casual observer would
fss taken her for ii rock.
lAt the first low tide Matthews
tied the hull and isounded OF
3 ahells abosat the ca bin hatch| ana
ally made his way to the cabin
p. 3 It waa full of water, 81 ofeouFss ii
y ne gained net hing. fEe Taaiixad q
:9at Rf, II, ;, ro -, - a