A NEW ZEALAND ROBINSON CRUSOE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 216, 29 August 1862, Page 6

A NEW ZEALAND ROBINSON CRUSOE.

(From Ail the Year Round.) .. r . I. ■'.-'.. I am an-English cler-rynvan. and the following is a truthful record of a memorable passage in my life.

I had been living for two years amongst the tribe called Ngapuhis, the most powerful and important tribe in the northern part of Ive-.v Zealand. I planted my own potatoes and kumeras or sweet potatoes, caught my own fish, and lived in a house built-in great pavt by myself, assisted by two natives: one called Tinana, and the other Rewharewha : on a -piece of ground given to me by the latter, and called Oplpito. I was employed in teaching the Maori or New Zealand- children, and trying to establish a little church: working meanwhile with my own hands to obtain my own livelihood, and learning from the rude, uncivilised, yet hospitable natives, many of tlieir ways and customs. The chief of the tribe was an old man named Mimu, tall, well formed, old yet erect, greyhaired and venerable. When dressed ia his long flowing robe of.native manufacture, with his " Houi"' or native syuibol of authority in his hand, he looked •Every inch a King. His son, named-Monganui, took upon himself the more active duties of the ehieftanshin. Although he was'too fold" of :'-firewater," yet he was kind, hospitable, and friendly, and to him I owe niiitiy obligations which I fear.l can never repay. One of them was tho gift of two voting men, liis slaves: a youth named Paihia, a lad about seventeen years old : and j ..i young tiutn named Waipuna, ahout twenty. These two were- of great assistance to me in mv labors on my piece of land, bringing in ii rev. ooil, helping to cultivate the ground, ami rowing and managing my boat in .my fishing excursions. ii. In the month of August in the year ISof), in the second week ofthe month, on a Friday, the nineteenth morning, about the mi'Ulle oi' the wet season (in the northern part "of New Zealand we have in reality b:it"two sea-tons in the year, summer or the dry season, and winter or the wet season),-J wished for a change of diet, and made up my mind to sio out for a days liming. Outside the harbour of the Bay oi' Islands, about; sixteen miles oif, is one ofthe most noted capes" in New Zealand, called Caj.-e Brett. This cape is a well known landnist.'k to vessels entering the port, and, as ihe v. hole breadth of the Pacific washes np -against its rocky sides and rebounds with a deep adieu roar, there is nearly always in-it* m.-igh-'boudiood a dangerous sea rolling; while-, to ndd to. ihe difficulties cf navigation, there are "s-i % eral sunken rocks, some covered at all tin.es and .known only b y the white w.Ver around them ; others bare st low tide, and only covered at high water—these are more clearly s«-en and avoided—-whilst about six .mi'es out to. sea, eastward from Cape Brett, are two groups of rocks, always out of water, though at'high fide but a few i'eei out; over thesfi'the sen breaks wildly, and, except on vere still days tbey are dangerous for small boa;s cr canoes to 'approach. Hard by. there is sj|od fivihin-jj tor a kind of codfish named by the "natives Wahpuka or Hahpuka, frequently weighing fifty or sixty pounds each. On.this Friday morning, then, as soon as our morning meal was over, 1 stated my wish to my two hoys, desiring them to get my boat ready, and go with me to the Black 'Hocks. IMy bo.it was sixteen feet overall. J had before gone out alone, off Cape Brett, and had returned in safety; so that, when the boys asked me ifl could spare them, as they were desirous of taking up our potatoes—which they were afraid were spoiling from the frequent rains we- had had—ijsutrted off alone. Atthe end of two hours'pleasant sailing. 1 arrived safely at the fibhiug-grounds. 1 lighted my pipe, baited my lines, and waited patiently for-a bite, which soon came, and I took a fish of about twenty pounds weight. I had been out about three hours, and had caught five fish. The day was beautifully sunny and warm, the breeze had died away, and a soft ersy swell was all that disturbed the surface of tbe ocean. I was rebaiting my hook after catching my last fish, when I felt a breath of eir fan my cheeks, and, looking up, saw a jitile ripple curling-and- crisping the writers. A land breeze was setting in. Jn great haste, ■ai-idmuch apprehension, 1 .'rolled up my lines, foisted mv sails, and attempted to rejoin the place I I .-J left in the morning. Meanwhile, Trie breeze freshened, the tide was ebbing, and a strong current set me mere and more rapidly from the Black Rocks and tbe land. To add to'my perplexity, the gaff off my mainsail gave way, and the sail came down.' This took

several minutes to repair, and all this time I

was being gradually drifted farther out to sea. Reeling tl at I could not manage the boat single-handed against wind, tide, and current, 1 hauled down both .sails, and putting out my i-mall paddles, attempted to row- back. After nearly te.o hours' hard and strenuous exertion, completely foiled and weary, I had to give that up. In this state of ai fairs, I took out my pipe, r.nd, with a strange feeling of despair," began to smoke, letting the boat drift. Asense ol utter helplessness and hopelessness stole over me. I felt as if all that was passing were a hideous-dream. How long I remained in this ptate, I can hardly say. I took no note of

time, but when I roused myself, and looked ..once move around, I found" the sun setting, and a thin grey mist slowly creeping aloin' the land, quietly veiling it from my sad and lingering gaze. Thank God there was a moon! I can hardly say how its light comforted me. Even now J scarcely dare to think'how'that-long and weary night would have passed, had it been dark and cloudy. I knew that far away out at sea were a

group of three small islands. I. had heard tbe natives frequently speak of them as beiii" high, rocky, and covered with forest. I had! moreover, heard of canoes having drifted out there, carried onward by the very wind which was then blowing. By degrees it dawned upon me that I might reach them. I accordi .qiy once more set sail, and ran all night bef .re a steady mild breeze. Oh, how long that night seemed!".'";. Tlie day—so eagerly longed for, and yet bringing with it a dreary consciousness of affording no relief—at length came: first, a light grey streak along the eastern horizon, gradually assuming" a rosy hue, then changing" to a deeper crimson flush. The sun, round, large, and red, rose like a vast ball of blood, softening-to a brilliant gold; the whole sky being flecked with little golden clouds. 1 remember how I marked each change of the dawn; how dreamily I watched the sun rise; and then, waking up as it were with a start, bow 1 placed ir s y hand over my eyes, and looked long and eagerly in the direction where I thought the islands Jay. Afar off on the distant horizon, 1 saw what at first Tthought were clouds low down and resting on the water. I looked again when a short time had elapsed. The outline was unchanged, but rmore distinctly defined, and, as the-'sunlight glinted on it, I' discerned the picks' of some high laodse;\-Ijs^red straight towards them. ' f fcep^dri my coilrW/ i then ate some of my cold potatoes, and drank

eagerly of the'water,'.' the. first food ;that had ' passed my--lips since I had-, started. I thenlighted a pipe, and patiently awaited the course of events. Here a new and unexpected shock awaited me. Happening to look behind my boat, I saw a huge shark,following silently in my wake. I can hardly describe the cold thrill of horror that tingled through my veins at the sight. Every moment my excited imagination made me think it was going to attack me. Already I pictured,-my sell as being torn to pieces. 1 was fascinate t, and could not turn aiv ay my gaze, as the creature quietly followed every motion of my boat; seeming instinctively to know the predicament I was in, and looking upon me as its lawful prey. About noon I was sufficiently near the shore to mark the • outlines of the coast, wliich seemed fo be rocky and precipitous, gloomy and forbidding ,- the hill summits ."crowned with large trees When I approached within two miles of the land I tacked, and ran along shore until I rounded a rocky point aud saw a small bay with a wall of rocks on each side, about, as near as I could guess, two hundred yards wide.and .one" bundled and lift}'deep. Here I hauled down my sails, put out .my paddies,, and pulled on shore, landing on a steep pebbly beach 1 took out my ■ blankets to have a sLcp, for I felt exceedingly "weary; first, however, fastening my boat a short distance out from the beach, letting out a small grapnel from the bows a large stone .fasteneit iv anoose from the stern, and taking the- further precaution of carrying a long rope I alwayshad with me in the boat, on shore, nnd fastening it to a largo tree that sprang out Irom a cleft in the rocks. I then rolled myself up in niy blankets, and fell'fast asleep. I - When I woke,'the moon "was shining bright 1 and clem* hi^h up iv the sky. I. was roused. from'my sleep by a thumping grating sound on the beach, winch mingled strnugeiv with my dream*. I started up, and found.my boar bumping on the beach. It was hi^U water when I hud landed, and ;he ebb ofthe tide had parti v strnnded her. J lie stone had '.slipped out of the noose, and tl-e boat hid swung round The wind during my sleep had freshened, ami !'a heavy surf rolled in. T unti-d the rope <va j shore, and pulling up' my :,ramie!, got into I tbe boat and tried to paddle out from the bench. ! 1 saw a'small indent In tbe rocks on the iulu i side of the bay, past which the bunker-, roiled, j and, concluding that it was somewhat more J sheltered in there. [ thong! t 1. would pull ;h j boat thither, i managed v.ith no small dif.i----j eulty to get about fifty Yards from the beach, j when I heatd a dull heavy roar behind me, iamb looking round, I saw a 1-irge breaker 1 rolling in, rearing np its white-erc-ted tusiu'e. j and seeming as if it would overlap and rumble Jin. I'gave one short tet rilit-d ghnee, let go jmy oars, threw my arms round the- nodule I thwart of the boat. There was a dull heav\ | crash, and I felt the boat borne swiftly aioo;", j rolling over ami over until it settled" with a | bump on a low rock at one .side- uf the biv.aud f found myself fhm z out v little higher up,' bruised, sore\ half-ciuiked. and li-rtSi'-biimk-d wi;ii the salt wufer. i dragged rnysdl'a little higher up the rock, and there sat'and looked in di.-may at my poor boar, with her side st..\tin, and a sharp pointed rock sti.king through her bottom. .My bo.tt was irretrievable brokl v and. ruined, nnd I bad foolishly k-ft In it, mv

iishing Hues, the hsh, and tire rem'auidi-r vi my potatoes, as well as the two emotv bottles Mechanically" I put my hands' iatu my pocket for my pipe; it was gone too; I h-td left it ou one of the thwarts of the boat, nnd thus I was deprived of even this poor comfort and confutation. It may seem ridiculous, but it is nevertheless true,-that 1 took the 10-s of my pipe more lo heart.than every other loss i bad sustained. Douhtle-s, I ought to have been thankful I had escaped with my life; hut I cannot say I leit so. 1 could do nothing but rock backward and forward on the stone on which I sir, cold, wet, i>nd shivering, and bitterly lamenting my hard (ate. How long I might have remained thus, i cannot say .- time-passed altogether unheeded ; I" marked not the sun's rise, I heeded not the breaking morn. Lonely, deserted, forlorn, and sad, I was once more roused to a con sciouenc-ss of my position by hunger. I looked round, and found the rocks on which I sat covered with oysters. (lathering up a large pebble, I began breaking some open, and"l tore my "finders in trie operat on, and felt a sort of savage pleasure in tlie pain. After satisfying my hunger, 1 next looked round lur water, whicli to m\* exceeding joy and thar.Ufulness 1 fo'-ind trick'dng down one of the rocks. Thither accordin/ly I hastened, and j took a gemd long draught".' " After bathing mv j face and washing my hands, I sat down somei what refreshed.-

What next ? I scarcely knew. Anything rather than sit still ; that nearly drove me wild. 1 tried to murmur a piayer, but my thoughts wonlrl wander away,and I found that 1 could only traiujuillise my" mind by moving about. I wandered back to the boat, and, hope" less as the ta>k was, tried to mend her. f had with me my pocket-knife, and I tried variotn roar device-, with it. Although perfectly convinced of the" ur-elessness of my ta^lc, I could not abstain from working at it, and it was Hot until I had thrown away two whole days that I desisted. The first night I gathered a heap of long dry fern, aud -.(slept on it, rolled up in my blankets. It was on a Saturday that i landed on the island, and, although the fol-lowiug-day was Sunday, I worked all day at the boat. It was not until Monday night that I finally gave up the attempt.

I The small bay was surrounded by a rocky j rampart,, varying in height from ninety to two j hundred feet, surmounted by a dense forest. jAt the lec-t of these rocks was another rock of {from ten to twelve feet broad, sloping and ! covered at high tide, but bare at low water. and encrusted with oysters. The beach wn« composed of shingle, descending 'steeply info the water. Inland was a small piece of level ground, about half an acre in extent, the middle of which was a basin, into wliich the little spring of water tumbled, whose water* fell and rose with the ebb and flow of the tide; the water of the sea percolating through the pebbly beach. In this small pond grew a sort of flag called by the natives of New Zealand rauno, and of which their huts are mostly built. Round the pond, the ground was composed of .small pebble*, or gravel and sand ; growing over it, was a coarse kind of bent or -grass." Nearer the rocks which enclosed this flat piece of ground in an irregular semicircle, grew tail ferns, finding root in the soil and debris washed down from the upper grounds, and shaded aud kept moist by tiie overhanging rocks. .-Down a steep gully, narrow and blocked up with huge boulders, fell the small stream of water, trickling finally iv little rills over the green slimy surface of a rock about thirty feet high. In the clefts of the reck were growing shrubs, with here and there the larger growth of a pohutukawa, a large crooked limbed evergreen tree found" in New Zealand, and bearing, about Christmas, a most beautiful crimson bloom : the boat-builders in New Zealand use the crooked limbs of this tree for the knees and elbows of their boats. On the top of tKe rocks surrounding this small flat of ground, was the deiise forest, and, towering- up again ifrtlie far background, were several volcanic :P^-3^',9°4k aV:s,^P.^ l ". a,i1U rising to a height of from nine hundred tb' dne tUdusand' feet, all tree-clad to their summits. ■■■/.

Thts is an imperfect description of the place ion which, CrtHoe-li-ce, I had been so strangely thrown, with no earthly pos-essions beyond a small pocket-knife, :i pair of j blankets, a few pieces of broken glass (the J remains of my two bo'tles which I found on the rocks, and which I carefully treasured ). and nty tattered sails and a broken boat. . My long rope I lost feom carelessly leaving it too near the water when mending my boat. How far the island Was from any in habited land. I knew not. ' I only knew it 'was uninhabited by human beings, and that. I-could have no fellowship with any of my kind, not oven savages, during my s >journ on it. How long that sojourn was likely to be, God only knew. Unlike Robinson Cruso', I had.not cv n a dog or a cat for 'my'companion, I had no wrecked ship wherefrom to draw an}' resources I was totally unarmed. [ had no tools wherewith to build, or plant,-or dig ; I had no seeds to plant even had £ h:id tools. I bad no liooks to while away the long tedious h;"»urs,no mentis whereon to write even au ac-onnt of my HUtFei'itiv;> and fate, though peri muiee tbey might one day be read iv my b u:s whitening on the beach. ! was without iiouse or shelter, and without lire. v. Tiics-biy morning . cnine, with rain, and I woke wot through; fortunately, it was not very cold. After I bad been down to the rocks and ttkti my morning meal of oyster?, J t-.it down nnd had a long consultation with myself about a hou<e. I examined a'! the rocks to see if I could find a cave. I did find a snvdl one: i.ut ! could not live in it, for the wafer dripped imTssnutly . f-om the roof, and the floor w.is wet. My next thought was to build a smn 1 hut niterthe fa-biou of the ■ Maoric-<. mid I spent the whole of that and the two following days iv etitdng with my liiiile the hulrushe-s or rauoi in t'.ic swamp, am! l-.vo days ui'.re io tying It up iv bundles, using the flax 1 CmmJ growiog near ib,- pond for" thru l»urpose.- All thi-: oc.mpied- tl.",t week. j Th-' employment diverted my though:* j irom br m ling tori mu.-b. 1 took rire to tie ! myself so thonnuldv tiiat 1 generally fid' j a-di-ej; a-; so.mi as i b-id said my pra-, crs aiv! i j laid my>-I:"-down. Sunday lolhnviu^,"" \ io- . j solved to keep free from woik. I duu'K-d up ! tbe ninow meky pathway into tin- foies.r.-jun! \ j found 'Towii.u', ;•;* I expected, among the tret s, | • ; abund-us•%• of ihe v.dd paJmormkau Th.- | ; feait oj" two or three o! rfe-e I cut out with ' imy kr,i:i- The heart of thi> palm is ab tit ; , the tSiiekfes.s <if a Uifiii's.wii-*-, i-, about a foot i j 10-ig. ami tastes not unlike the Jlo?l'sh hr.zcl- • j nut, when nuiMed ou the .i-hes ola lire. It is , j very nutrition-;. This, with the oysters, com • j po-ed my -upper on the m eond Sunday of mv ,j stay (>n the inland. Ibe tlty win warm iin-'." ; "I ciiiiijy. and, coming after the" four or be- we* I d-iys, wa-s \ery cheering. Aftr htij-per I , | p! tnmd out my home, having ch-»-«n a'plie.- , j fiir it ilnriog my walk tit the aik-rm.oo. i j liefeve 1 lay d<»«:-. !--,;■ the nigbt, js a on :: , j'grc::t -tone, looking r.vt,* the a-.i, ami kept .n> 1j P" ;* r; •'•■ i '"*.-■. ;»>;-..\t; io u-iicii occurs tlie ver-e : .. j " tt uy art toon east d..v it, O mv s-.ei! *- : ;,. t { ! j why art tljou di-^uieted within m ? Hope , j thou hi (Uo\; for''l •h;.ll >-••: praise Him ibr , j tbe hup fd'bs- cotutiin <m.\" j j So ended my seem.d Sundiy on tiie :dami. '- i ■ vi. " I l woke early, the next morning; ami. after 1 | n»y.u*"rd vi-it ?,i rf;- rock*. «ct to mv hoi.. ', riiitl, takirg one of the im:tr,' bo.'rd*, -pen?-.n j | bourn,- «o m tr\iu^' to jVbion it into'somc- ' j thing id:-- v spade. Then, d dv» a.siimtl trench | round the spot wbeie i Intended placing mv ( . j hoii«e, end then ma«U- p. riiatiy level, a space "| of about fourteen feet Set, 14 hy ten feet wide, _ j fulling up the gra*s ;.nd plants, f went into M tlie for. *t-and cut down four lon-:, straight t ! sticks, about an inch and a half in di urn fer, 1 | 2nd five to six feet long, forked at one end j 'Ihese were for the comer-".-■ I cut two about " | the same thickness and n'out nine feet 1.-:»tr. ; lurked In the same mam; r at one tnd. Thc-c ; were to e-rry the rid^e pole. I then'«■»{ d.?wn ; | three or lour bundle-, of lot.^ ftiaight > tick - j of various lengths and tbicltne^«». 'j'his tool; | me altogether t«o da\> — namely, ccttin^ nnd | carrying them down to the plate I chore fm ■' \ my home; tbe framework of wliich-took me • three more days to complete. The labour m 1 j breaking u|H.ti ihe outers, in sufficient qvnti- - tities to jat.sfy my nj.petite. very considerably '' 1 abriti-id the lenyth of my <lay". It waSafa-i; 1 [ of tm suudl diftieul'., hi" which mv fm^ir> 1 : nearly .ilways suffe- •<: ; and let me eat" n« " ! many oysters as I mild, I rarely lelt th.#1 | rocks p:r/ect!y sa'i'fh j; there wa^vicr v.ithin ;' jme a di--<greeable .ncn-'itiou of hunger. I h-.t. ■' j lorlureu with dreami of solid Mibsr.intta! "j ■ break Ir. -ts, dinners and suppers. I hud n>t if I even tb«- comfort of a drop of w.ver nt hmd. | when i awoke with a raging tliirst upon no-. L j bavin no vessel to keep it in. (I nfferwar'i--J tried to mike a vessel capnfilc of boldio- ; j water fVimi Mime soft, ehy ; hut though 1 " ; bake.l if in the fire lo imrdeii it. it w:i'h s<i ■j , poion., that the wafer evaporated during'thj .night, and I generally found the ves>cl empty | in the morning.) ■-■-.* ~ . I had ihi)uently Kt-t-u the Maories obtain * ! lire by nibbing togetb'-r two slielv^, nnd 1 li.id ' < once or twn-c a!tempted it myself, but without r j.succes«. Xtiw.jiowevcr, the obtaining of .iin- -' j was a matter of such censeipiciice to iik- that I i resoived once more to make tbe attempt. Fir.*;. . I soiiglil for some bard >fone, think-ing there- ' . with to strike fire with the aid of mv knife; ; but I could not lind any st'»ne fit for mv pur-l-pose, mid ifl had, there was im tinder whereon j to strike the spark. I therefore resolved to I make an efK.rt fo olifain fire by rubhimr the , r j two sticks—with but small hope of uccess. I • } I gritbered some very (hy ferns and small mtI nukn twigs, which are very Hsinoti.s and inj.j H'lntmrihle. I rubbed it between two piece; of j! wood-dowly at find. Presently the wood l began tr» smell of burning, and a liftle wreath *■ of while smoke curled upward.. 1 tnesi ijuiek- * j enedmy motion,until the perspiration streamed j ! uown my face, while my elbows and wrists a j began to aciie painfully. In this way I rubbed ; j fir we!l-ni^ii twenty minutes, aud "all the re- ; | suit I (d»f ained was the smell of fire and smoke. " : 1 nearly despaired, and was about to give it ' ! up. when one ofthe minute shavings flew up a ; j living spark; what athriilofjoy it sent through j | me! 1 forgot my weariness; and, redoubling my f i ed'orts f;r a few seconds, had the satisfaction (! of seeing several more sparks I dropped the ! sick, aud blew gently on the heap until it was ( on fire. I then gently shook it upon the fern, ■ wrapped the fern up in lire-twigs, and waved' '' h quickly round my head until the whole , muss was in flumes. This tire I never allowed to go out.

I kept a good stock of firewood, and du«■ a hole in the middle of my bourse, which I kept always filled with hot embers, besides keeping a pile of dry puriu sticks for li-ht at night". With a gun, I could have materially improved my food, as I saw plenty of wild ducks on the pond, besides parrots and pigeons in the forest, i attempted to hit the ducks with stones, but never succeeded iv killing any, although I twice hit. I next thought of a bow and arrows, but my attempts proved futile. However, I added another dish to my meagre fare, and that was fern-root, of which I had abundance.

I had now been about three weeks on the island: although in no way reconciled to the idea of living there, the hope ot ever getting away again daily became fainter and 'fainter,' until at times, ifl sat down for a short while

and tried to think over my Mtuation, I was well-nigh driven to despair. One morning, on going out of my house, I perceived an intolerable stench, coming up frmi the beach. I went down to see what it was, and to my great disgust, found the dead body of a large shark, in the last stage of decomposition, washed up by the tide After a time, however, it occurred to me • that, as I had seen the Maories make their fish-hooks out of shark bones, why should not I ? i had already tried to make hooks out ofthe copper nails of my boat, but the metal was too soft, nnd bent too readily. Now, however, 1 could try the shark's bones, and moreover it would be same occupation for my long tedious evenings ; ibr the evening was always the most wearisome part of my time Many a dull j evening I spent, my thoughts far, iar away, j ; roaming free and uncontrolled over spots j ; where, in all likelihood, my feet would never j tread again; or I wearied myself with brood- i ing over my condition, and pondering what my ' friends would think of my long-continued ab- | seucc. I In six evenings, with the aid of my knife, j and some stones, and my broken glass," I made j two bone hooks, sufficiently sharp and strong j "t> <aeh any fish 1 nfght'fuid off the rocks, j Another week was spent in twisting raw flax | into fishing lines, .Next morning I was up j with tbe early dawn, sin I. after many failure*, i captured a large rock c >d, which "l speedily j i'ihis;cd ut my lire. II ;w much of it I ate, I ' should be ashamed to confess. vin. j I may here give a diary of my daily proceed- I mgri ou tbe island. I generally woke early, ! and. after spying my prayers, bjt .ok myself to ; the .-.pring of water and hud a goo! m-sli bath. My next t.i>k »a« to #> the rock;*, and either obtain a supply of oyrters or fidi for breakfast. ; I next went up into the forest for a supply of firewood, lo iking well about me lor s-.ny dis- : civeii ,-i that might prove u-tftil. 1 found | growing aui'.ng the shrub* a I-irge ormsg - coloured t>:;d, producing a very fragrant pepper. With this. 1 flavoured my lidi. [ also jound silt i:i the crevices of the rooks, deposited tliere by evapm-ation. After collecting firewood. I next g-.tb r-.ri! fre-h Jerri i'or my bed. Then came the pre, nr.ttion fo •mv mid-da'-tu-.-:;!, tor v. lie ii I generally now bad fish, .-.ml either th- v.-Ji-i palm or wiid c.ibb-ige, width I fern 1 growing at tht* loot of the lock*. 1 ! made a clmnge o. ead.maily in my diet hy th • I mode of choking it: one day broiling it, and \ another tiuy cuokmg it iv a native kaputa or j hotigi. with J;ot stoue-H in a hole. The iafteiuoon I g.-nerd'y spent iv a walk j m th;- forest, into which, howe\er, I dared | not penetrate Very far. for f.ar of loMng jmy load. In the eveui'ig I went dvwn i to tii..- poa 1 an 1 C'tught a lc'.v tv-ls, r»t'-dv for j bait the !id!ov\iug morning. As sumi ns ji wn 1 dr.tk 1 retired into my but.and. thiov.jnga lew j stick* ou th' f..'c to <v »kc :; Ji^ht. employed j jcv-eii in m.-uing hooks, or brieN. or;.:r.-ot':< * . thmg 1 C'i::!d thw. c -d.:. iftiog and was aide to : m-ik-.-. 1 bei dug n h le m tin- centre of mv | floor. i:i \\\,;:'i 1 depo»i:ed ever;, night shiticumt j fuel toia-t until nruidug. .-Iy l:.-t emplovnivst 1 w .. my juavcrs, :>'tcr ftbie'i, rollio-: mv»elt un i ir: my hhuikct. ! tried to •-1.-t.-o. i'lni-t, in tiul'l .-:;e;fouy. ;bi. ?.:!!•• p:-s«e.l slo-.vly away. Huii ; diy'* thiwii fomid me with \\<>w.- dmiimslud, jam! iv i!» place a cold f. ehng of de-p.ii;- ---; gradu-iUy sjttbng over me. Ofitime!* I seemed i to be niovi'ig nb.Mit mechanicaily. 1 ha 1 feci* h-vcii v. 11 Ls ami two dav-ou ; the Uo;::sJ, a.-.ord<ng to my reckoning--which 1 reckoning con-i-ted in merely rep-, at ing to | :uyv.'.i oee.4*so!.;.liy. during eien day. if-, name I and the date of tbe month—when, as I was j coming from the forest with a load of firewood | I looked towards the sew, and was *tarthd by j the sight of a wsseir \ ss.ing a? about eight j miles' distance. At f:r-t I knew what to i t!o. I threw down tiie wood and riwbed over I the rocks to my hut, for my. blanket*, to hang jupin a tree for signal. 1 tarried thcbl.ud-.vH j up the* voiks, ?>.nd climb d bull way up a tree. i when the thought occurred to m-.- I should !».• [ too late-, an! tha* the smoke ol a fire would jbe see;i me.re phi.dy. I accordingly slid dona I the rocks agiin for *ome fire, lighted tbe pile j of wood l had thrown down, .and then btg.ui i to climb once ino'c into tht tree, to hangout jmy blanket-. Ala-. I hail nifide the fire oi j dry wood, am! j« burnt too brightly to emit \ much sm-d.e It w<:s now too late to pla-.- ---; some giein hr.inchr s on it. The \e*!-ci fi.'.id ! -lowly t,ut of never having not Led m, j attempt* r.t siguailing her.

I I know ii, t what efll-ct such an event w.*u;d j have had on others jlncd in mv siruat'im. ; whether if would have awak ned and | enconiage 1 other men to hope, or would have j driven them to despair. It hid the latter | tuidi-ncy on me: and. for the first time sine } I landt d ott the island. I gave way to te irs. I I sa» down. H-tlc*-* and dejected, andciied ! ni" | and i.itt.-.!;.-. All that day I cried bitteriv. '"* t At night I v--i< *tar?led. I bad caught, as j u~ua), sev.-r.-.I -mail eel-*, and phru! th"v on j the roof of my hut, to br- ready for mv mo ti i ing's fidiing. In the middie 'of the'night I | whs amused by hearing a st'rrige scratdiii.g ■ scrambling md c upon the roof. It was o,[-h jno .small tiepid-tion that I ventured out to j-e what b wa*. The night was very dai\. ! and the iir-t thing I saw were two fieri in 1, j of lir;ht glaring at me fiom the top of the im': | next mfineiU.a Ida. k object Hew at me. I stooped j suddenly, und the animal went over me w.'h ! a loud hi--!, and disappeared in the dar!:m--«. jit wa-i a large M ■:< k cat How it c nue theie, | I know not. I hid never seen it before, and j never saw it afterward*, alt hough I heard it ones- or twice wailing dis:ual!c iv the fort-t. Ofthe next two or three days I have a very couf'u--e<l recollection I remember wandering about ail thy, seeking rest and finding hoik" careless, heedless, hopeless. It was during tins time, I doubt not. t.iat 1 lost my reckoning; for somehow or other 1 found that I hid 1 'st three days. How long this state might have continued I cannot tell, but it was mint nurdfullv diverted in the following way. 1 had penetrated d eper into ihe forest one ds.y than I had ever ventured before, where I came tonratherabnipt gully ; here I stumbled over a tree root, aud rolled down a descent. U'h.-n I recovered myself I got on my feet and looked round. 1 had rolled into the midst of some tall plants, v:\lh a bro-di-di ie^f, long, entire, nn-.i smooth! tat lelt sticky or glutinous when touched, and with a dusky-colored flour. It was tobacco. A coarse, "bitter kind ; but still it was tobacco. Kagerly 1 gathered all 1 could find and then retraced my steps. As soon as I ; arrived at borne, 1 hung up my tobacco leaves 00 a long .string of flax inside "my hat. 1 then set my wits to work, to invent a pipe, in which lat last rudely succeeded. How great a comfort it was, no words of mine could adaquately tell. (To //.? continued.)