The Washington herald., 1908-01-05

London, Jan. Alike page out of De-
foes immortal story, Robinson Crusoe,
reads the narrative unfolded by Donald
Morrison, a resident of Dundee, and one
of the survivors of the Inflated Norwe-
gian bark Alexandra Oubis, on arrival at
Southampton yesterday in the Royal Mail
steamer OrinOcO, from the West Indies.
Morrison joined the bark. which was
L6o0-tonner, at Buenos Ayres in Anguish
1906, and the vessel sailed in ballast TO
New South Wales Fair weather was ex-
perienced. and the trip took hfty-eisht
days Coal was loaded for Panama, and
they set sail for that port on November
e. Good progress was made during the
first month and then there was a con-
tinuatlon of Gains and light winds, and
the ship was helplessly becalmed for six
months The vessel however. ultimately
got within $50 miles of Panama, with Al
bemarle Island in sight about ten miles
distant, but they failed to make it owing
to the strong current and light wind.
Provisions and Water Gone.
Provisions and water had by this time
become exhausted. and. suffering terribly
from thirst and hunger, they left the
ship on May in two boats, with ten
men in each, the captain taking command
Of one and the first mate the other. At
ter eleven days they lost sight of the first
mates craft, the crew Of which was af-
terward rescued from one of the islands
and on May 10 they landed on Indefati-
gable Island in search of water and food
The men camped on the shore for the
night. and on the following morning
started along the rocks looking for va
ter. On the first day they found some
fruit apparently like small apples, but it
proved TO be poisonous and burned their
threats. Their search for water on the
first day was unsuccessful, but on the
second day they cut down cactus trees.
and found that the sticky substance
within quenched their thirst.
On the third day they discovered some
turtles. which were eaten with avidity,
and on the following day they found wa
ter in a cave. 1t was a little bTackish,
but they made their camp there for three
weeks Several of the crew by this time
were in such an exhausted state that
they were hardly able to move. At the
end of this time, on going back 10 their
landing place, they found the boat
smashed on the rocks, and they took the
sails and wood UP to the camp. Then
. four men started for the east part of the
island TO see il any assistance could be
obtained. They found signs of an old
camp twenty miles away, and they re-
NAMED there, and fixed a flagpole on
which they hOisted a signal of distress.
sfefrr
were made 10 their old camp as IL was
only during the spring tides that they
could return over the rocks On one oe-
casion one of the four, q German, left to
go to the old camp himself, but disap-
peared, and his comrades gave him up
for lost. Some time later a skull and hui
man bones were found on the shore,
which We're taken to be all that remained
of the poor fellow.
Rescued at Last.
In the meantime, an Ecuador warship
had been sent TO look for the missing
bark. and discovered her a wreck on one
of the Islands. Finding no signs of the
crew, It was presumed they had been
lost, and the warship returned and made
its report A cousin of the captain OF
the bark. however. who was living i'm
Iquique. determined that he would make
an effort to find the missing men. He
raised funds and obtained a sloOp, and
set out in search of the crew.
on October % the ship was sighted by
the men on the island They saw the
sail in the distance, and nearly went mad
with JOY. Frantic signals were made TO
the vessel, which took them of after
over five months of suffering They were
landed in Guayaqul on November 3.
Some Of the crew proceeded to New York,
but Morrison and two companions came
on 10 England.