The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1906-10-11
STORIES OF CASTAWAYS.
suggested BY the Finding Of Stranded Eulk
on Chilean Island. 500
From Shipp ng Illustrated.


INIVSzN2!eIE
Like the old time Roman poet.
u0me Of the pioneers in exploration
murdered at the watery mountains
N motion; but they were driven sea-
ward, in many instances against their
wills, by adverse gales. The virile
Vikings, long before Columbus put in
an appearance. had accidentally dis
covered what is now known as North
America: and Left, son Of Eric the
Red,Ms said to have founded colonies
500 years ago where Boston and New
York now stand. Island after island
n the Pacific was doubtless people.i
IN some measure by castaways who
mad started out from some lonely islet
under suspicious omens, intending to
return at nightfall, but who were
caught In an unexpected cyclonic
storm and driven many miles to lee.
ward Of their island home. Some OF
them persisted miserably at sea;
some died from exhaustion, after ar
RIVAL at an unknown land, and some
remained just where they gained
safety, and eventually forgot whence
they came. A recent number of the
Chilean Times reminds us that even
IN the twentieth century successors
70 Robinson Crusoe are not alto
gether unknown, although their wan
derjrgs do not always have so happy
q termination. 1t is reported that
on the shore Of Guafo Island there
have been discovered the remains of
ships hull, many packages of cargo,
3 lumber Of skeletons, and ships
spar bearing the inscription Castle
ton. Newport"
Some years ago the American sail
Ing ship Joseph Spinney, when about
two hundred miles from the Pellew
Islands, rescued an old chief and five
other natives Of that group who had
been blown out to sea in an open
boat. They had been eighteen DAYS
without food were just about to kill
and eat the sixteen-old son of the
chief when the vessel bore down on
the curious object to reconnoitre, and
Swo of the castaways died despite
the most careful nursing and the
good food supplied to them by the
master of the Joseph Spinney.
While on her way from Australia
TO China the American bark Tewkes-
bury l.. Sweat was wrecked on one
OF the Caroline Islands during a hur-
cane. The castaways lived with the
sayages for seven months; then,
grown tired of involuntary exile, they
sailed 1000 miles in boat and canoes
and were eventually picked up by
another vessel and taken to Honolulu.
A few Of the old time American
vhaleships met with curious adven-
tures In the Pacific Ocean and the
men not infrequently preferred life
Of sensuality and ease on ore OF the
Islands rather than risk their lives
In pursuit OF the crafty cetacean for
q return scarcely worth mentioning.
And there were some whaleships
under Old Glory in tho days! Com
modore Wilkes, U. S. N, in his re-
aowned exploration cruise saw sew
eral American whalers during a run
- - ASW A4AAAO0S 0Aa N0pI1lA vi
the Plymouth whaler Mary and Mar
tina. spoken by Commodore Wilkes
to the southeast of New Zealand. in
1870, reported that there were at
least 100 similar ships fishing" in
the neighborhood. One of tho whale
ships in 1904 under Captain Folger
happened on the descendants of the
eastaways known for all time as the
Bounty" mutineers; who after send
ing adrift their commander and those
who refused to join in the mutiny had
settled at Pitcairn Island with some
male and female natives OF Otaheite.
Captain Folger apparently did not
disclose his find, for six years had
elapsed before the island was again
visited by any one from the outside
world. Four years ago Nova Sco-
ua bark. the Angola. was wrecked on
q reef six days after leaving Cavite,
tn the Philippines. Seventeen sur
Uvors remained on the reef until
two RATS had been constructed and
then attempted to reach the nearest
dry land. During the night the
smaller raft with five men disap-
peared and the twelve man of the
large craft were fated to undergo q
most terrible experience. After
drifting twenty-five days, destitute of
food and water, two men went raving
mad and drowned themselves. Next
day French sailor killed the mate
with an axe. quenched his thirst with
the murdered officers blood and was
later on killed by the second mate.
His body was eaten and cannibalism
was resorted to again and again until
only a. Swede and Spaniard were
left to tell the horrible tale when
the raft drifted ashore, after forty
eight days experience, on an island
OF the South Natuna group, where
the natives attended on their every
want until strong enough to proceed
to Singapore in a junk.
In 1892 the metal bark Compadre
caught fire at sea and was run ashore
on Auckland Island to save the lives
OF all on board. There the casta-