Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-08-12
NARROWED
ON AN ISLAND
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1914. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD

lying a little south of the regular sail
ing route between Honolulu and Yoke
hama. Now and then ii is sighted by
steamer or sailing vessel making the
passage, bat the great majority pass II
by 200 miles to the north.
In the year 1861 the bark Restless
sailed out of San Francisco on a voy-
age to Japan, and a fate befell her
which reads like any fiction Of the
sea. James Westall was a landsman,
knowing 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 probably the captains idea from
the outset to get possession of the ship.
but Westall's suspicious were not
aroused until after they had called at
Honolulu and resumed the voyage.
Then he overheard observations among
the crew which alarmed him, and he
went to the captain with his state
ments. He was told without any beat
ing around the bush that the bark
was to change hands. He was to be
marooned on Wake island, and she
was to pursue her voyage as captain
and crew decided. 1t was one man
against fifteen, and of course he was
helpless. Not a 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 a fight for 1t, but was soon
knocked senseless by a blow of
capstan bar and while in that condi-
ton was rowed ashore and dumped on
the beach.
He tried for days and days to pro-
duce fire by rubbing dry sticks togeth-
er. but he never succeeded. He con-
structed a hut in the woods. but his
food consisted of shellish. 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. They were gigantic in size, and
his only way of escaping them was to
climb a tree. He built platform
among the limbs ten feet from the
earth. and every night during his long
stay he resorted to 1t.
You will wonder how man could
have lived for a month as Westall
lived for three years. During his sec
ond year had he thought to erect some
sort OF signal as a sailor would have
made he probably would have been
rescued, as two or three traders came
In for water. but he did not even heap
up stones or set up bush to attract
attention. He had existed on the is
land three years and two weeks when
the American whaling ship Jonathan
touched there for water. I was in the
boat first sent ashore. and while wait
ing for the water casks to arrive |
followed path up into the woods and
discovered westall asleep on his plat
form. I believed him at first to be al
most black; his hair was long and mat
ted. and he was without clothing. As
he came tumbling down I ran away
and gave the alarm. That frightened
him, and seven men of us spent half
a day In his capture. He fought us
with the greatest ferocity. and for a
long time we could not make out his
nationality. He chartered queer jar
gon or sulked. and we had put in at
japanese port before we could keep
clothing on him.
I was one of the apprentice boys on
the ship, and as the wild man had tax
en- a great liking to me and seemed
to be the only one who could control
him the American consul advised that
l be left behind with the man while
the ship made a three months circuit.
put up a blackboard and turned
schoolmaster. | chalked down the let
tiers of the alphabet made figures. drew
pictures and tried to start his memory
to work For a month | had no luck.
The mans mind was as blank as night.
He tried hard enough, and he used to
weep almost daily. but he could not
get hold of the end of the string.
had almost given up all hope when
one day as I was going through the
to him like a fash. He suddenly ut
tered a shout and sprang to his feet
and as turned on him it was to find
new look on his face and to hear
him shout:
1T has come. 1t has come, My name
is James Westall. and / can remember
everything
So it turned out. but the shock of re-
covery brought about an illness that
confined him to his bed for weeks
When he could relate his story the
consul went TO work to find out what
had become of the Restless. Inqui-
ries were made at all ports of China
and Japan. but no news was obtained
The search was still being prosecuted
when a sandalwood trader from one
of the Philippines brought the consul
some wreckage picked up three years
before which proved that the bark had
gone to the bottom in a gale encoun-
tered soon after sailing from Wake
IL