The Delawarean., 1900-08-04
MAROONED ON
AN ISLAND.
Copyright, 1900, by c. B. Lewis.
BY M. QUAD.

If you had a chart before you, you
would see that Wakes island is a bit
of a dot in the Pacific ocean, lying a
little south Of the regular sailing route
between Honolulu and Yokohama.
Now and then it is sighted by steamer
or sailing vessel,making the passage,
but the great majority pass it by 200
miles to the north. The traders call
there occasionally for water or fuel,
but as there are no inhabitants there
can be no trade. 1t is an island three
miles long by one and a half broad,
and 1t was thrown to the surface by an
earthquake. There is but one spot
where landing can be made even in
the calmest weather, as it's shores are
rocky and rise to height of from 80
to 100 feet. Much of the island is
wooded, and powders lie about every
where, and it is probably one of the
1oneliest spots in the universe. For
some reason which no one can explain
no birds are ever found there, nor is
there any animal life. The only living
things are land crabs, and they are of
such size and ferceness that traders
have had to flee before them.
In the year 1861 the bark Restless
sailed out of San Francisco on a voy-
age to Japan and China. She had just
been purchased by man named Rob-
ert Westall, who was little known, but
had suddenly made lot of money, and
the cargo was also mostly his. He
went with his ship. and a fate befell
him which reads stranger than fiction
of the sea. He was a landsman, know
ing nothing of ships and sailors, and it
transpired that the captain he selected
was thoroughly bad man, while the
mate was little better. 1t was proba-
bly, the captains idea from the outset
ito get possession of the ship, but West
alls suspicious were not aroused until
after they had called at Honolulu and
resumed the voyage. Then he over
heard observations among the crew
which alarmed him, and he went to
the captain with his statements. He
was told without any beating around
the bush that the bark was to change
hands. He was to be marooned on
Wakes island, and she was to pursue
her voyage as captain and crew decid-
ed. 1t was one man against 10, and
of course he was helpless. Neither
threats nor promises had the slightest
effect, and when he stormed he was
cautioned to hold his temper, or he
would be set afloat in a small boat to
perish of thirst and starvation. When
the island was finally reached, West
all was ordered into boat to be rowed
ashore. Not pound of provisions or
an extra article of clothing was to go
with him. He was not even to have
the means of kindling a fire. Rendered
desperate by the situation, he made
fight for it, but was soon knocked
Senseless by the blow of capstan bar,
and while in that condition was rowed
ashore and dumped on the beach. When
he recovered consciousness, the Rest
less was sailing away and was already
miles distant.
Jules Verne has told how a sailor
cast away on q desert island almost
naked managed to live almost luxu-
riously and provide for his every want.
The difference between imagination
and reality was exemplified in West
alps case. He tried for days and days
ITO produce fire by rubbing dry sticks
together, but he never succeeded. He
constructed a hut in the woods, but his
food consisted of shellfish, roots and
wild fruits, and there was no way to
replace his clothing. He soon found
fresh water, and he also made the dis
covery that the spot seemed accursed
of all living things except the land
crabs. As rule these loathsome crea-
lures did not bother him during day
light, but as soon as the sun went
down they swarmed over the whole
island. They were gigantic in slze
and his only way of escaping them
was to climb tgee. He built a plat
form among the limbs ten feet from
the earth, and every night during his
long stay he resorted to it. About once
month"; generally at midday, the
crabs would swarm by the million and
hold possession of the island for two
or three hours. AT such times the
noise made by their claws as they
passed over rock and soil was almost
deafening and gave him a great scare.
While the man speedily recovered from
the blow on the head given him on
shipboard, his lonely situation soon
began to tell on his mind. One day,
at the end of three months, he found
chat he had forgotten his own name.
1t was two hours before it came to
him, and then, fearful that it might
go out Of his mind for good, he carved
his initials on the bark of a tree with
a sharp stone. After making the cir
cult of the island three or four times
he settled down near the landing place,
and every day for weeks and months
and years he hoped that some trader
would put in or some ship send in her
boat Traders did call on three or four
occasions, but he missed them. Once
he was asleep in the tree top; again
he was i'll. On a third occasion the
crabs were out in such numbers that