Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-02-09
The Island of Rats

ElllNc, utI ldNt was sN8ANSis hphN than sunburned, and she was what ray one would call handsome. She was only about thirty years old and in the best of health. Her story was queer one. She was a resident of Saigon, capital of French Cochin China. Four years previous she had married a Frenchman named Du Cliff and al most at once had set out with him in a sailing vessel for Singapore. Two days after sailing they had encounter ed a typhoon Sha was not very clear as to what followed, being very i'll at the time She thought the ship strug- gled with the storm for two days, She then sprung Il leak and foundered. The woman had been brought on deck and lashed to the bulwarks along with her husband while the crew were try ing to construct some sort of craft
 A great wave suddenly overwhelmed them, and the next that Mrs. Du Chn remembered was waking up on the shore of an island. She was still lashed to the wreckage, but she was alone. When she was able to move about she found fresh water and plen- ty Of wild fruits. and in the forest she constructed hut out of limbs and bushes. Every day for long months she expected rescue. She could see ships sailing up and down, but none came within miles of her or to the east she could faintly make out other islands or the main shore, but no help came from that direction. If she had had the means to build fire and raise a smoke signal, some one would have come, but she was helpless in that direction. It was three months before she thoroughly explored her is land. Then she found it to be about two miles In circumference. It was we'll wooded, and in the center was a high hill of almost solid rock. There were birds in plenty, but not wild animal or reptile of any sort.
 One day. after six months had gone by and while inspecting the hill to see if she could not set up signal there, the woman made a great discovery. She found a cave which had certainly once been depository for the plunder of the Sulee pirates. What she told us believe to be the trrTh. because she yer lied 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 had plenty of time to overhaul the plunder. She found In that cave gold, silver and paper money to the amount of S30,000. There was gold dust which she estimated at SlO,- 900 more. There was iewelry worth thousands of dollars. She said there were diamonds, rubies and other pre- cious stones. There were innumerable bales and boxes that she had not med dled with and did not know their con tents. So far as she could judge, no one had visited the cave for years. When we pinned her down to particu- lars she remembered that ships chro- nometer she had found among the stun bore the name Of "Antasia," and she gave us the markings of several bales.
 It was a story to stir the lmagina- ton and would have found ready be- iievers anywhere In the world. We were convinced within an hour that the woman had seen what she declared she had and that the island was the one known now as Outer island" It stands today the westernmost of all the group and Is still without inhablt- ants After full year on the island Mrs. Du Cliff became desperate. She gave up all hope of being taken off and determined to rescue herself. She built a raft and one day trusted herself to the treacherous sea. A west wind was blowing and she hoped to be carried across to other land before it changed. For five days she drove up and down the China sea and was then cast ashore on the island where we found her. That the natives had been kind and respect ful to her was owing to the fact that they thought she was out of her mind.
 Half day after the story had been told We were on our way to the is- land We reached 1t without incident but to meet with surprise and bit ter disappointment. We had no sooner approached the shore In the yawl than we discovered that the whole place swarmed with rats. The creatures were there by the hundreds of thou sands. They were water rats of the largest size, and their demeanor was so ferocious that we dared not land. We pulled all around the Island doz- en times over but met the rodents everywhere. They were gnawing down the trees and eating the grass out by the roots. Where they came from cannot say. There was not one on the island when the woman left. We tried powder and shot and fire to frighten them, but 1t was not to be done. After Here the woman's story was fully cor roborated as to her residence mar riage and the loss of the ship. but the story of the cave and the treasure had alsC, to be told The French governor at once sent ship to the Island and brought everything away after having spent a fortnight throwing poisoned food tO the rats. We of the trading schooller were promised fair share, but no man o' us ever fingered dol lar. We were put off on one excuse or anothe ar and finally threatened with i'm prlsonnent If we moved further in the matter. The woman was given a share. believe, but the greater part of the singular find went to enrich two of 4Ll.