The Portland daily press., 1899-02-04
A WILD WOMAN.
By CHARLES b. LEwIs.

on tho eastern side Of Australia. are q
group OF seven islands. The outermost
one, which Ia 20 miles from tho main
land, Is called Lighthouse island, although
there has never been lighthouse erected
there.
1t is an island two miles long and al
most as broad, the foundation OF coral,
and is entirely covered with trees and
bushes
Whaling vessels bound up the Java
coast often call there for wood and water.
and in tho year 1870 British ship was
wrecked there and 2S men lived on the
island for ten months before being taken
off.
In the year 1872 was one of the boat
steerers in the lucky old whaleship Lily
Smith of NeG Bedford, and after u cruise
of IA months without man stopping foot
ashore we were bearing UP for Lighthouse
island to renow our wood and water and
feel the earth under our feet once more.
We reached point within about four
miles of the island just at shutdown one
night when the wind failed us, and after
the ship had drifted in for another mile on
the tide we came TO anchor in seven faith
oins and made oil snug. As the weather
was fine only an anchor watch was Kept,
and all went well until about midnight.
Then some one was discovered padding
around the ship on small raft, and an
alarm was raised that turned out all
hands Some of the men insisted that 1t
was negro, but with their nightRlasses
to aid them the officers were quite as cor
tain that 1t was a woman in q half nude
state. They said she had long hair. mar.
row shoulders and handled her paddle
with certain awkwardness never seen in
n man. In q general way we knew that
tho island was not inhabited, thouEh
probably visited at intervals by natives
from the other islands and by she'll gath
erers and fishermen. The person on the
raft may have been sent out to spy on us
previous to an attack, or may have been
some lone individual impelled solely by
curiosity. Whoever 1t was he disappeared
as soon ms an alarm was raised, and we
heard nothing more during the night
Next morning, as soon as breakfast had
been served, 20 of US went ashore with the
axes and water casks, and, for fear we
might meet with adventure, fous OF the
men were armed with muskets. AS we
landed on tho sandy beach OF a little cove
we saw a small and queerly constructed
away from 10 were the tracks of human
feet. II needed but glance TO show that
they were the footprints of woman, and
as we noticed the construction Of the raft
the dullest sailor could figure that no man
ever put IL together. We felt certain that
there was a woman on the island, and as
she had pulled off TO the ship alone 1t
might be inferred that she was solitary
and alone amid the trees. There was a
well defined path leading from the beach
into tho woods, and as we were in search
of water part of us took this path while
tho others began telling trees. At about
90 rods from the beach we came upon
fine spring from which we could fill our
casks, and for several hours, or until the
captain came ashore, no one penetrated
farther After dinner, being satisfied that
the woman was alone on the island, and
her failure to come near us being proof
that she was not In her right mind or was
some native female who feared us, six
men were detailed to go in search Of her
A few rods from the spring, where the
forest was more open, we came upon a
rude hut with a smoldering fire at the
door. Tho hut was made OF sticks, stones,
shells and mud. The sticks had been
broken off by hand, and the shelter was
fairly good one against any sort OF wealth
er. In the interior we found a bed of dry
grass. shells which were used for cooking
utensils, and what might be called the re-
mains OF ladys hat, dress, cloak and a
pair of shoes All these things were old
and ragged and ready to fall to pieces, but
they proved beyond a doubt that the WON
an was a white woman. We argued that
they further proved that she had reached
tho island from some wreck. III the ioheh-
ness of her situation and the hardships TO
which sho had been exposed had not Affect
ed her mind, she would have appeared pe-
fore US as soon as we had landed. we De-
gan our search for her by calling aloud,
telling who we were and asking her 10
come forward, but there was no response,
We then separated a distance OF lew leee
and swept across the island. We found
many places where she had broken OH
branches and gathered wild fruit, and on
the other beach we found her tracks in the
,and. but nothing could be seen or the
woman herself.
AS our stay at the island would he for
.hree or four days, the captain ordered
that bedding and provisions DO placed in
the abandoned hut for use OF the woman,
and that we should make no further hunt
for her. A letter was written and placed
with the things, giving her the name OF
the ship and saying we were friends and
then we went about our own work. Az
night We all went on board ship, and next
morning it was ascertained that the wom-
an had spent the night in her hut She
had made bed of the blankets and eaten
of the provisions but she had torn the let
ter into five pieces and that probably with
ont reading it, We were satisfied, how
eyer. as she must reason that we meant
her no harm, and we hoped to get sight of
her by the time we were ready to depart.
We heard nothing Of her on the second
dav. nor the next, but she occupied her
hut again and alto heartily of the provi-
sions. We left other letters for her, but she
tore each up. On the fourth day, as we
had quite finished, 1t was determined to
run the woman down and discover who
ahe was. To make o speedy and thorough