The times., 1897-04-18
A BASE BETRAYAL.

In the year 1862 an English merchant
man, called the Red Cross, was wrecked on,
reef in the Gulf OF Siam, and the sole
| survivor of crew OF sixteen men was
sailor named George Matthews. He floated
an entire night and part OF a day on a
piece OF wreckagc, and was finally cast
ashore on one OF the Panjang Islands. All
charts up to 1864 show group OF three
islands. Those printed since show but two.
As n matter OF fact, one OF the islands dis
appeared in 1868, and soundings over the
spot show depth of hundred fathoms
1t was on this island, however, that Mat
thews was cast ashore, after drifting for
thirty or forty miles, and he remained there
for four months before being taken Off.
His island was almost circular III form and
about half mile across, and between the
wild fruits on the trees and the shcllfSh
along the shore the sailor did not suffer
for food he found evidences that fisher
men and shell gatherers visited the island
at intervals, but it was 130 days after
landing before he saw human face.
Matthews had been on tie island about
sixty DAYS when a Stlange thing hap
pened. There was a coral reef enCircling
the island, and at low tide much OF it
was visible One morning he awoke to
find that the water had reCeded in all
directions until he could walk from the
beach TO the reef In other words, where
there had been from six TO ten feet Of
water he now found the ocean bed. As
the sailor looked about him and puzzled
over the phenomenon he caught sight of
the hulk of small vessel lying in the
basin and close to the reef. 1t was rest
ing on It's side, and he soon made out that
it had tunbled off is bed on the reef
as the waters reCeded. 1t was almost
dry ground between him and the hulk, and
he at once started out to examine her. 1t
was curious discovery he made-an old
wooden hull. encased in an aImor of shells
foot thick. He judged the craft to lave
been of about goo tons burden, and she had
been brig riEGed. Her masts had been
broken off short near the deck, her rud-
der was gone, and there was 81 eat hole
in her bottom where she had crashed
ON the reef. Although in fear that the
waters would return at any moment, the
sailor gave the hulk a pretty thorough
overhauling.
He found that she had been armed to
fight and close against the reef he found
two small cannon, the hilt of a Crcese, and
the rusty barrels of three or four pistols.
So thoroughly encased was the hulk in her
shell armor that there was no way of
getting into her without proper tools.
Her bulwarks had been swept away to
the last inch, but the crust over her
decks was thicker than on her sides. AT
the end of an hour Matthews heard a
great roaring outside the reef, and real
iZing that the waters were returning, he
ran for the beach. Something like a
tidal wave swept in after him, and had
he not caught the limb of a tree, and
pulled himself up, he would have been
killed or drawn out TO sea. 1t was half
an hour before the sea grew quiet, and
he then found that the hulk had been
swept in and left on an upright keel
so near the beach that the waters barely
covered her at high tide. At low tide her
whole decks and two feet of her sides were
exposed, and casual observer would have
taken her for rock.
At the first low tide Matthews boarded
the hull and pounded off the shells about
the cabin hatch, and finally made his way
TO the cabin itself. II was full of water, of
course, and he gained nothing He realized
that so long as the hulk remained where
she was he could not penetrate the inte-
rior. He did not even board her again
during his stay on the island Some fifty
days after his first discovery he was ta ken
off by native boat, and twenty days later
was set ashore DIT Singapore. His rescuers
did not notice the sheli-encrusted hulk, nor
did the sailor say a word concerning her.
1t was curious enough that l was the first
person he spoke to on landing at Sin gapore.
] was a reporter ON the Times and had been |
aboard Of a craft in the harbor. Matthews
accompanied me to the office and gave me
the particulars of his story. and in return
/ supplied him with money for his immedi-
ate wants.
He said nothing to me of the wreck
in telling his adventures. 1t was thr rec
days later before he sought ME out and |
gave ME that bit of information. He had |
concluded from the first that the hulk |
was that of Malay pirate, and he was
strong in his belief that she would have |
treasure aboard. He could not get at her |
alone, and, being penniless and only Com
mon sailor, he feared that il he gave |
his information away he would not he
fairly dealt with. I think he trusted me
simply because he felt obliged to trust
some one, though having been sailor |
myself my heart had warmed toward him
bit. His plan was to equip craft and