The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-14
THE ISLAND OF RATS.
(Ry NJ. Quad.)


Palawan, which is one. of the Philip
pine group now owned by the United
States, there is group of over one
hundred small islands dOtting the wa
terS before the north cOaS- of Borneo
is reached. Very few of these islands
are named on the charts and up to
this day the channels between them
have not been surveyed nor is the
group known to any but the natives
and such trading vessels as may have
visited them.
In the year 1SS0-xe ran down from
Manila in the trading schooner Alba
tross to explore these Islands and work
up trade with the natives, having a
permit from the Spanish authorities to
do so. We found only about one in
five of the islands iTfha bited, and the
people on them suspicious and treach-
erous. We had worked in and out
among them for a month, being all
the time on the watch against treach-
cry, when one day as we anchored off
an island about five miles in circum-
ference one of the native who came
out to trade ipfornaeaIz as that white
woman had slfved among them for the
last three years. He could not tell US
what her nationality was, except that
she did not speak English She had
come ashore on a raft almost dead of
hunger and thirst and mad been I'M
able to tell them anything The wo-
man had been well treated the native
said, but as she was burden on them,
and spent much Of her time in weep
ing. they would be glad to get rid of
her The captain was asked to go
ashore and have a talk with her.
The story eXcited>our curiosity, but
IL might be a scheme to undo us After
thinking things over. the captain de-
cltned to 30 ashore or to permit any
one else to. If the natives wanted to
trade they must bring their goods off
in canoes. When the native insisted
THAT he was telling the truth. and that
no harm was meant Us. he was given
pencil and paper, and told to have the
woman write a line. In an hour he
was back with a note written in
French. We had a Frenchman among
our crew. and though he hadn't much
of an education. he made out that
French woman was among the ma
tives, and anxious to be taken off. The
captain still refused to go ashore but
offered the natives $25 worth of trade
If they would bring the woman out to
the schooner in a canoe. This offer
was accepted, and an hour later she
was alongside. The goods were hand
ed down before she came aboard, and
before we had heard her story or got
a fair sight of her.
When the woman was finally received
on board we were astonished over her
looks. While dressed as a native, her
face was scarcely more than sunburn
ed. and she was what any one would
call handsome. She was only about 80
years old, and in the best of health.
Her story was a queer one. She was a
resident of Saigon the capital of French
China. Four years previous she had
married a Frenchman named Du Cliff
and almost at once had set out with
him in a sailing vessel for Singapore.
TWO days after sailing they had en-
counteTed a typhoOn. She was not very
clear as to what followed, being very
/ i'll at the time. She thought the ship
struggled with the storm for two days.
/ She then sprung a leak. and fOundered.
The woman had been brought on deck
and dashed to the bulwarks along with
| her husband, while the crew were try
ing to construct some sort of a raft
| A great wave suddenly overwhelmed
| them and the next that Mrs DuCliff
remembered was waking up on tho
shore Of an island She was still lash
| ed to the Wreckage, but she was alone.
| When she was able to move about she
| found fresh water and plenty of wild
| fruits. and in the forest she construct
ed a hut out of limbs and bushes. Ev-
cry day for long months she expected
rescue. She could see ships sailing up
and down, but none came within miles
Of her. Off to the east she could faint
/ ly make out other Islands or the main
/ shore, but no help came from that d.
rection. If she had had the means to
build a fire and raise a smoke signal
some one would have come, but she
! was helpless in that direction. 1t was
three months before she thoroughly ex-
plored her island. Then she found it
to be about two miles in circumference.
| 1t was well wooded, and in the center
was a high hill Of almost solid rock.
There We're birds in plenty. but not a
wild animal or reptile of any sort.
] One day, after six months had gone
Ivy, and while inspecting the hill to
see if she could not set ND a signal
there the woman made a great dis
covery- She found cave which had
certainly once beeR 3fde2ository for
the plunder Of re Salee pirates.
What She told S1Is ebelieve to- be the
truth because she verified it in many
WAYS. She visited the cave twenty
different times-in fact, lived in it for
the last month of her stay, and so she
1 had plenty of time to overhaul the
plumber. She found in that cave gold.
silver and paper -monex to the amount
J of 100000. There was gold dust which