The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-06

HaIf-Had IA Dog for n Companion.
A Genuine Robinson CrusOe.
From the New York Times.
The old saying that truth is stranger
+ban fiction was perhaps never more clear
" nor remarkably borne out than in the
life and adventures of Louis de Rouge
nent. concerning whom ard his expert
aroes the newspapers of England and OF
.bo continent have of late been devoting
a very consider abe portion of their 81 ace.
Tn Paris, the original home of de Rouge
mont. the people have fairly gone wild
over him, and are literally devourng ev-
.~,tbing that is written or printed about
him. The interest displayed in other
cities in the man and his history is very
great. but in view of his astonishing and
amazing experiences this is not to be
wondered at.
In the September number Of the Wide
World Magazine, published In London,
England, there appears the first of Sc
rfes of articles telling, in the words of de
Rougemont himself, his experiences. TIE
fact that after careful hearing and inves-
tiga1ion such eminent scientists and geo
eraphical experts as DR.. j. Scott-Ke tie
and Dr. Hugo R. NJ IL are agreed that NJ.
de Rougemonts narrative is not only FER
fectly accurate, but of the highest sc en-
tldc value, is particularly sign .hcant, and
will Internationally remove doubt that
might otherwise be sugge sted in course
of a perusal Of the narrative
In all the annals of geogra phical science
there is practically but one case that can
be compared for a moment with NJ. &c
Rougemont' s-but in that instance the
man returned to civilization hopeless
IDIOT having lost his reason years before,
amid his appalling surroundings. In the
case Of de Rougemont he comes back after
his astounding life of two and one-half
wears on a desolate, microscopical strip of
sand, and of some thirty years as can
pibal chief in the Wilds of unexplored Aus
tralia, in full possession of his mental facul-
ties.
Without anticipating these remarkable
adventures 1t wall he well, following the
order as laid down by de Rougemont him
belf in his narrative In the Wide World
Magazine, briefly to chronicle the impor-
tant points in his earlier life and the
events and happenings, many of them,
too, nothing short of wonderful which led
up to his adventures" proper.
Born In Paris in 1874 he early moved
with his mother to Switzerland where he
was educated. When he was 10 years OF
age he was asked by his father, still resi-
cOnscript; but to this the mother object
ed and instead suggested the son should
follow his inclination to travel and see the
world To aid him in his purpose she gave
him 1000 francs, and with this not unsub-
stantial sum the young man set out for
Cairo, thence going to Singapore. In
Singapore he met a Dutch pearl fisher,
Peter Jansen by name, who was looking
about for funds with which to fit out his
forty-ton schooner, the Veienand, so that
he might set out for the pearl fishing
grounds off the south coast of New
Guinea. An agreement was entered INTO
by the captain with de Rougemont, with
the result that in a short time after the
schooner set sail with crew of forty-four,
all told-the captain, de Rougemont, forty
men, and two wonderland a dog.
The fishing grounds reached, the entire
crew each day took to the several small
Shell boats with the large whaleboat ac-
companying them, leaving de Rougemont,
whose duty it was to receive the oysters
from the men and credit each with the
number he delivered, alone with the dog
In the Veielland. This was kept up for
almost the entire season, until probably
about $50 900 worth of pearls had been got
ten. Then provisions becoming short, the
boat made for the New Guinea main in
order to replenish stores before starting
for home While there, going over the
oyster shells that were left, de Rouge
mont discovered three black pearls which
are particularly valuable because of their
rarity. Al once the pearl fever seized
the captain and crew anew, and nothing
would satisfy them other than a return
10 the fishing grounds and renewal CT
tie fishing in the hope that more of the
black pearls might be found
1t was then-the year was 1S6Ewell on
In May, and the season should have been
ended, for the change of the monsoon
was actually due, and great storms might
spring up at a moments notice. To this
fact however, neither captain nor crew.
would give heed. And thus, in their greed
for the shining pearl lying in ats shell al
The sea bottom, these men went on, ali
unconscious of their approaching doom
each day going forth in their little boats,
leaving de Rougemont alone with his dog
on the larger boat. One morning in July
they started out as usual-but they never
came back A great tidal wave overturn-
ed their smaller boats, and when they
took TO the whaleboats, was carried out
and out and out into the apparently illim-
liable sea, by the force and fury of the
waves and wind and nevermore returned.
Alone, save with the dog as a compan-
ion, de Rougemont, in the Veielland, saw
the men carried out nor could he give
them any help. Each moment the storm
was growing worse, and it needed his
every effort to prevent this larger boat
from being swamped. Compasses, charts,
rudder-in fact everything above decks
was carried away by the waves, and had
It not been for the apparently providental
breaking of a large cask of oil made of
turtle fat which still the troubled waters
the boat would probably have foundered
Ihen began de ROugemont'S adventures
proper. For fifteen days he drifted about
with long sweeps or steering oars to take
the place of the rudder passing at ono
time between Melville and Bathurst ISL
HQdS but bQinQ unqbl@ 10 land beoquca
OF saVages who threatened his life. At
last on the fifteenth day the Veielland
struck reef and began to go to pieces.
A monster wave struck him and washed
MIN overheard and so great was ats force
tthat it destroyed forever the hearing of
ms right ear, and, for a time of his left
what followed is best told in his own
words:
By diut of tremendous struggling I
managed to get close up to the shore, but
round il utterly impossible to climb up and
iand. Every time I essayed to plant my