Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-11-23
THE ISLAND CAVE.


Ceylon, TO the cape Of Good Hope, We
were washing down the decks on the
3Oth day of October, 1865, when man
who had been sent aloft to examine q
sail which had been damaged in squall
during the previous night shouted down
10 the mate that he could see man on
n raft about mile away and almost
directly in our course. We were then
midway between Ceylon and the Cha
gos islands, with sea room for 500 miles
in every direction.
The announcement of the man on the
raft did not produce much excitement.
Natives are frequently blown off the is
lands on RATS and catamarans from
which they have been fishing, and we
believed this Is to be such case. We
were up with him in few minutes and
great was our surprise to find him
white man and sailor. The raft was
rude but stout affair. which he had
made from driftwood, and it carried a
cargo as well as the man. Securely
lashed TO the planks and timbers were
four large elephant tusks and an earthen
jar, together with two other jars con
tanning food and water. The raft had no
sail. but was managed TO certain ex-
tent by . rude steering car. The casta-
way took things coolly and was neither
overgrateful nor greatly surprised at
being picked up. He saw 10 il that his
cargo was safely aboard before he
climbed over the rail and he answered
no questions until he was alone with
the captain in the cabin. Then he told
q story which reached US two or three
hours later.
The name of the rescued sailor was
William Scott. He was second mate Of
a Ceylon schooner called the Happy
Day. Three months before we found
him the schooner set out from some
port on the India coast for Batavia, but
encountered typhoon and was blown
long distance to the west and finally
wrecked on o coral reef surrounding an
island. OF the crew Of eight men Scott
alone escaped. He was carried u mile or
more by the waves and cast upon the
beach aud he was SO bruised and bat
tered that he could not stand upright
for three or four days He believed this
island TO be one Of the easternmost Of
the Chagos, and yet when he came TO
overhaul the chart and read the descrip.
tions Of the group he could not place it
. tsla al nEt "a
mile in circumference, rocky and bar
rem, but having plenty Of fresh water ON
it. As for animal life, there was not
even lizard TO be seen, and but for the
ravines and caves the man would have
been roasted alive by the hot sun. There
were sheilfish in plenty, and he caught
many fish left In ponds as the tide re-
ceded, but he had no fire. Scott lived
on the barren rock for II long weeks
without once sighting sail, and but for
his own individual efforts the time
might have been indefinitely prolonged
One day lot Of wreckage from some
unfortunate native craft drove ashore,
and he secured planks and timbers and
set about building raft. He had made
up his mind to put TO sea and take the
chance Of being picked up
The castlway had explored his island
several times. but as the ground was
much cut up and difficult to get over he
had not examined il closely. Entering
the island from the south side was a
narrow bay, being not over 90 feet
wide, though very deep. This bay came
near cutting the island in two, as IL
ran within 100 feet Of the north end.
II was in the still waters Of the bay
that Scott constructed his raft, and on.
" when il was finished that he made a
strange discovery. He poled it along
one day to the head Of the bay, and As
he reached the end he saw the mouth Of
o cave Is feet above him on the right.
It seemed to him that men had used
tools to widen the mouth and to smooth
the way up to IL from the water, and
his curiosity was aroused. He found the
mouth Of the cave large enough to ad-
NIT hogshead. and there was every
reason to believe that it had once been
blocked up with stones squared for the
purpose and cemented in. These stones
had been shaken loose by some great
jar and had rolled down into the bay.
The cave was 80 feet long by 20 wide
and 10 feet high, dry and airy, and a
far better house than Robinson Crusoe
had. Now comes the astonishing part Of
the story. According to Scott. he found
2IO elephant tusks stacked up in the
cave. together with FIVE jars Of gold
dust. On leaving the island ON his raft
the sailor secured four Of the tusks 10
his raft and also one Of the jars OF gold
dust. Two other jars were emptied OF
their contents that he might use the
jars for food and water.
Had the raft been without cargo the
mans story would have been laughed at
aud ridiculed. He said he had found
gold and ivory-a great fortune. He
had the ivory and the gold to prove his
assertions Il made no difference that
he could not identify the island-that
the chart did not place it. II was
queer story. but with the proofs at hand
b back Il what could we do but believe!
Our captain was Scotchman, and he
took whole day to think the matter
over and assure himself that the stun
before him was actually gold and ivory.
Then he made Scott proposition. The
sailor knew the worth Of what be had
secured-knew that he was fixed for
life and having knocked about OH the
raft for nine days before We sighted
him he was not at all anxious about
what he had left behind In the cave
Our captain was, however, and 20 was
eveey man of the CROW. The matter was
fnl1ad oRae ard A. wna 6naIlx aQBaed