The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1920-06-18

10 secure my existence on this strange
island. The needful things I did as
best ! could In turn. but not always
with good fortune attending my efforts.
In my first planting OF barley and corn
seed. the half OF all my precious stock
was wasted by reason Of being planted
in the very wrong time. ] spent weary
months In making earth-ware pots for
holding fresh wafer: and forty-two
days II took me to hew my first long
plank from q tree trunk. I strove
for weeks TO fashion stone mortar
to stamp grain In, only to come at
last TO block OF hollowed-out wood.
Five months I inbored I'm Telling
great cedar tree. hewing and shaping
IL to the hull of splendid boat with
which I was to escape from the Islam.
only to he forced to abandon II for
want of means whereby to launch II
into the sea. However. every failure
taught me something had not known
before.
For the elements, there were great
winds and rains and earthquakes. But
l became used in time to all things.
planted and harvested my crops OF
barley and corn; 1 plucsad my wild
grapes and dried them into nourishing
rasins: raised and killed and smoked
and sailed my tame goats. being thus
for variety Of good not so badly served.
And so through the twelve years dur
ing which l saw no sign OF human
existence on the island other than my
own, until that eventful day on which
met with the print of a mans naked
foot on the sand.
I was then like one thunderstruck
listened, I looked, but I could hea,
nothing. see nothing. went up the
shore, down the shore: but there was
only that single footprint! Terrified
to the last degree, I ran to my habi-
tation like one pursued; and for three
days and nights thereafter I did not
stir out.
After observation I learned that It
was the habit of cannlbals from the
mainland to come to a part of the
island which seldom visited to feast
upon the bodies Of their captured
enemies. One morning from my look
out perceived thirty savages dancing
around a fire. They had cooked one
victim I'd had two more ready for the
fire. when descended upon them with
two loaded muskets and my great
sword, and was in time to save one
which they had not yet eaten. The
saved man ] called Friday, in honor
of the day Of his rescue, and his was
the first voice I heard In all my %
years on the island. He was young
intelligent. Of superior race of saw
ages and became my trusted compan-
ion for all the time I remained on the
island.
WhaN Friday told me OF the main
land. after had taught him some
English, decided me to leave my island.
We built boat, this time not too far
from the sea for launching. and were
almost ready to set sail when Fl saw
ages In three canoes landed on the
island with three prisoners for feast.
One Of the prisoners was white man.
which enraged me. double-charged
two fowling pieces, four muskets, two
pistols, and giving Friday Ratchet
and also a great dram of rum and
myself my great sword, we descended
and killed all hut four Of the savages.
One Of the prisoners was Fridays
father. The white man was Spaniard,
n survivor from a ship Of which had
seen the wrecked hull on my island
some years before this. and from which
I had taken some 1900 pieces Of gold,
hut of which made small account
because Of It's being Of less value to
me than so much sand Of the beach.
The Spaniard and Fridays father
sent with firearms and food in my
new boat to bring hack the wrecked
crew Of the Spanish ship. While whit.
Ing for their return an English ship
with q nlutinous crew put into my
island. l helped the captain recover
his ship and took passage with him
for England. leaving on the island the
most mutinous members with two
honest ones who wished also to re-
main. Later. my Spaniards returned
and all settled together on the island,
having their dlssensions at first. but
settling Gown finally into a flOurishlng
colony, which some years later 1t was
my happiness to visit.
After twenty-elght years. two months
and nineteen days left my island.
anticipated much JOY Of my arrival In
England. but I was like stranger
there. My mother and father were
both dead, which was unfortunate, as
could have been Of great service to
them; for besides the 1900 pieces OF
gold from the Spanish ship. there was
10000 pounds sterling awaiting me
from an honest friend. Portuguese
captain to whom I had entrusted my
estate in the Brazils before SETTING
forth on the Inflated errand whicf
threw me for twenty-eight years or
my island. So pleased was ] with his
honesty that settled 100 moidures .
year on him and fifty moidures a veal
on his son. both for life 4
l married and begot three. children
and except for the one voyage to TIL
oId VcIupd ~ which I hive Rylf)k0n