Year: 1869

tulturm au6 Coutn1sraal gmeresk


MARCEL 4. 1855
feeding upon the flesh of the few feathered visit
ors to his barren home, and drinking their blood
out of the only vessels at his commsnd-the skulls
of bis dead messmates.


In 1856, the St. Abbs, ship whose name has
been made familiar by newspaper correspondents,
was wrecked on reef off San Juan de Nuova. Of
the eight and twenty people on board, six contriv-
ed to reach land. One of these, Cadet (now Cap
tain) Ross, thus relates their experiences ut
was low fiat island, about mile in circumference
all sand, and covered with birds and their eggs :
We sucked some raw eggs and passed miserable
night Next morning at daybreak we went to see
if we could render the other poor fellows any as
sistance but during the night the ship had broke
up, and all the poor fellows must have perished
There was no water in the island, and we could
not make a fire, so that we had to eat raw birds
and suck eggs. The birds were in thousands, and
quite tame. We were four days without fire.
but at length succeeded in making one. We also
picked up some wine and spirits, but We had no
water however, we drank champagne, and so kept
ourselves alive Every morning, some men went
on the reef and picked up what they could, but we
could get nothing eatable except few preserves
which were not of much use. We lived in this
manner for fourteen days, when being full moon,
We determined to try and walk across the reef at
low.water to the other island, which appeared lar
ger and better We set out early in the morning,
and dragged raft across the reef, with all our
stock of wine and spirits. The distance was about
seven miles, over sharp coral rocks, and as we had
no shoes on, it was fearful work. The island turn
ed out to be large one-about fifteen miles long.
We then knew it to be Juan de Nuova. Next
morning we explored for water, and the skipper
and another man came back with the news that
they had found we'll and hut at the very end
of the island. Next day we went there, and found
good WE'LL and small hut built of bamboo and
leaves. There were plenty of birds, and we found
some turtle made fast in hut in the sea. We
had plenty of water now, and could cook broth and
boil birds and eggs We lived in this style for an
other fortnight, when small schooner hove in
sight; we made all the signals We could with
shirts, &C., and she observed US She had come
from the island of Maize for the turtle. She re-
manned six days at San Juan de Nuova, when we
six embarked for Maize, and arrived safe and sound.


Cruising among the nature-favored Marquesas
in 1852, Mr. Lamont found the lovely little speck,
Harvey Island, occupied by white man and his
family of two wives and sundry children. When
this man, George, took up his quarters there, he
had companion of his own sex and complexion;
but deadly quarrel arising between them, George
retired to an adjacent island until his foe quilted
the place, when he returned to Harvey Island to
live contented life Of ease, where bananas cocoa
nuts, and sweet potatoes grew without care living
upon them, sea-fowl eggs and fish, supplemented
occasionally with other food obtained from passing
vessels in the way of barter The proneness of
men thus thrown together, to quarrel, was further
illustrated by the last two of Captain Musgrove's
party, who were taken off just as they had resov-
ed to part company. How the castaways Of the
Grafton, lost five years ago among the Auckland
Isles, lived for eighteen months, has already been
told, in an account closing with the strange truth
that two, if not three, sets Of Englishmen were,
for more than year, in close neighborhood, with
out being conscious of each others existence.


The latest Crusoeing story We know of is dated
October, 1867, when H. M. sloop Chanticleer, be-
ing off the coast of Patagonia party left her on
shooting exclusion. Ofthis party Riddler, second
captain of the foretop and an able seaman named
Henley, returning to the ship in boat, were driv-
en- out to sea by gale, and eventually cast upon
the rocks, with their clothes in tatters, few bis
cults for food an oilskn and pair of blankets for
covering. Under the last, they huddled on the
snow-covered ground; but spite of all they could
do to keep warm, one lost his toes from the frost.
For month"; they kept themselves alive upon
mussels and shel-fsh, when they saw ship pass
ing through the Strait of Magellan, but failed to
stay her in her course by their signals Another
dreary fortnight passed, till, worn out by cold and
want, all hope left them, and, looking for deaths
speedy coming, they swore to each other that, let
who would die first, the survivor would not let
starvation tempt him to play the cannibal. Two
hours after this compact was made, the Shear
water luckily passed near. Some Of the crew think
ing they saw two savages on the rock, boat was
lowered and the naked castaways soon found
themselves once more among friends, and bound
for home.


A MATHEMATICAL PRoDIGY-BL1ND BEN, THE