ON LONELY ISLAND

Evening Star, Issue 20309, 18 October 1929, Page 2

ON LONELY ISLAND

MODERN ROBINSON CRUISE NERVE-RACKING EXPERIENCE One sunn 3’ morning in August of 1928 the Norwegian naval "Hardship, 'Michael Sars, anchored at the southern ond of the most desolate and least hnown islands of the Svalbard group, the Hope Island, about 130 English miles to the cast of the South Cape of Spitsbergen. Ice, strong current, heavy sea., and numerous dangerous shoals .not shown on any charts made lauding very, difficult, especially on the west coast, where tho mountains in many places rise nearly vertically to a height of 350 metres. So little known is tho island that since it was discovered some 300 years ago it has been placed in no less than eight different positions on the charts, and even now its position has not been finally fixed—poor island (writes “0.J.W.,” in the ‘Christian Science Monitor ’). The Michael Sars was In search of the airplane Latham, with the famous Norwegian Arctic explorer Ho aid Amundsen, the famous French aviator Guilbaud, and four others, who disappeared mysteriously on Juno 18 last year on their flight from Norway to Spitzbergen to save General Nobile and the crew of tho ill-ffited airship Italia. Tho admiral’s order was to search tho island for tho Latham and its crew. Accordingly the captain and some of the crew went ashore to begin tho search at the southern end. There was a miserable little hut on tho beach liere, built some years ago by trappers spending tho winter on the island. , As the captain entered the gloomy room of the hut, the floor of which was covered with snow and ice, he perceived, written in big letters in chalk on some wretched remains of a bed, in Norwegian and English; “ 5.0.5.! ! ! I am alone on the island without food, W'ithout gun or other supplies. S.O.S. Aug., 1928, A. W. Van H., jun.” And an arrow, drawn in chalk on tho wall, pointed to a corner of tho room, where a letter was fastened to tho wall. The letter, written in bad Norwegian ami quite good English, ran thus: I am here alone on the island without provision, gun, or other supplies. 5.0.5., August, 1925. There are three houses on the east coast. If you don’t find mo in the most northerly house, then IT] be in the mountain lookin" after tho birds. I am a Dutchman that should travel alone from Southcape Spitzbergen to Advent Bay. By a mistake they put me on the wrong coast. Please look after me (signals)_' Tho' man who - finds mo will get big recompense. If no help comes I’ll try to build a small boat and travel to Northeastland, etc. Advent Bay via Hinlopenstreet. It is dangerous. In the most northerly house you will find a Tetter to my wife. I implore you to forward

it! ! ! A. W. Van lE., Jim. August, 1928. Immediately the other two huts were searched, but although there were numerous fresh footprints in the sand and other signs of recent human habitation, yet no human .being appeared. Food, matches, and letters were deposited on the following morning. So the Michael Sars, after haring made inquiries by radio at Van H.’s address in Holland, continued its search for the Latham in other places. Two days later a telegram from Holland informed the captain that Van H. had been saved hy a fishing smack a few days previously. About two weeks later, in an hotel in the town of Troms, in Northern Norway, the captain happened upon a sunburnt, strong young man in somewhat worn clothes, sitting at a desk and writing to Holland. Here, then,- at last was our modern Robinson Crusoe, Count Van _ H.! On seeing his own letter of distress, which the captain showed him, Van H, was all gratitude lor the trouble taken for his sake, and most willingly related his extraordinary adventures. As stated in his letter, Van H. had hy mistake been put ashore from a fishing smack on the west coast of Hope Island, instead of on the South Capo of Spitzbergen. He very soon discovered it to be a difficult task, indeed, to climb the precipitous coastline. It took him two days to climb a couple, of hundred metres, and when within a few metres of the top he lost his bag with nearly all his provisions, his tent, and his weapons. He had only a little food, some watches, a kodak, a knife, and a stick left. The bag with all of its precious contents fell headlong into the sea. He reached the top. And now he saw what he had suspected. This'was not .the. South Cape,-hut only a small island. r The litttle food he had was soon consumed, so he made a bow and arrows, and managed to get some of

the sea birds for food. Once he saw a polar bear, and with great courage set out to hunt itl “But, fortunately for me, the bear disappeared in tho fog,” he said with a smile, “ because I am sure tho bear would very soon have turned and hunted me, which was not just what 1 wanted.” The time passed very slowly. He lost all sense of reckoning the days. Many times each day he climbed the hills to scan the horizon for vessels. Twice ho saw fishing smacks approaching the island, and believed himself saved, but both times ho was disappointed. And yet he kept his courage up, because ho knew that some higher Power must bo guarding him. Suddenly one day to his very great joy he saw a smack at anchor in a bay. A little boat with some men, who had been ashore, was jmlling off for the ship. Ho rushed along tho beach shouting at tho top of his voice, but the men were too far off to hear him. Tho smack weighed anchor, and soon was out of sight. On the beach stood a lonely, bitterly disappointed man. Then it happened—perhaps the strangest experience of all his strange adventures. Several long, weary days had passed, when ono morning about four weeks after his landing, as ho was sitting on a log of wood looking down at his worn boots, he fancied he heard something. On looking up suddenly he saw a man in front of him a few yards off! Tho vision was so unexpected, so sudden, that ho. was terrified. But ho soon recovered, and it was indeed an actual Norwegian trapper, who was as astonished as Van H. to stand suddenly face to faco with a human being on this solitary Arctic island. _ * “ And now I think you have had enough of adventures and Arctic life, and will return to your dear Holland as soon as possible,” said the captain to Van H.

“ Oh. no, sir. Youth, you sec, has, or ought to have, an abundance of energy, and therefore must use it in the way he thinks best. I am writing a book on some Arctic topic, and in order to write it as well as possible I shall go back to Spitzbergen to live in tho surroundings I am writing of.” Indeed a twentieth-century Robinson Crusoe who refused to givo in.