ROBINSON CRUSOES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8108, 31 March 1906, Page 7

ROBINSON CRUSOES.

A GALLANT NEW ZEALANDER'S f ATE. A romantic story of tbo doiugs of a shpwrecked crew who lived a Robinson Crusoe life ou a lonely island on the west ooaat of Vancouver, reached England a few days ago, says a London correspondent writing under date February 16fh. The ill-fatod veaael was the King David, of Cardiff, of which Mr W. A. W. Wollstein, of Spring - Oreek, New Zealand, waa chief officer. On December 12th she became unmanageable in a gale, dragged her anchor, and went on aomerocka. That evening all hand 3 left the vessel, except tho captain and chief offioer. Captain Davidson told the men to make for the shingly beach, a mile and a half away, where through the glasses some ratnehackle huts (afterwards found to be an Indiau fishing camp) had boon Been. The boat made two or three trips. On her first she landed, among others, the old sml-maker, Donald McLeod, sixty-four years of ■age. He lauded on a slippery boulder, and as the boat pushed off to make another trip to the wreok, theu uoobservablo in the darkness, lie slipped AND PELL INTO THE SEA. The shock appeared to unbalance his mind; although he fell in shallow water and was quiculy rescued he afterwards became insane. L'he steward insisted ou n good supply of provisions being landed for the week, the boat making several trips to bring ashore bags of salt aeat and other 1 provisions. The stores were taken into one of tho Indian huts and the ship-wrecked men did not want for food. When rescued they had ample for another month. They commenced to gather drift wood and built a big fire on the shingle, as well as small fires outside the huts. They had their blankets and other effects—their chests and baga having been brought ashore—bo that they were but little inconvenienced by the intense cold. PASSED IN THE NIGHT. Captain Davidson and Chief ■Officer Wollsteiu remained on the wreok for three days, while the wind split the top sails and the sea Tolled the vessel till the rocks on which she lay made great jagged boles into the steel plates ot the hall. Then the niizzen stay went, anfl three days after the King David stranded the captain and chief oifioer left and juined their companions on Bhore. On the following day the castaways might have been* taken off the island. They were only thirty miles off the Nootka Island, where a life-saving station has been ereoted, but were in complete ignoraDoe of this faot. On December 17tb the steamer (jueeu Oily left Nootka and must have passed quite olose to the wreok but as it was dark at the time the light of the shipwreoked men was not. noticed. Robson gives some interesting details of his LIFE ON THE LONELY BEACH with bis shipmates. Ignorant of the existence of the neighboaring settlement they believed they had been thrown upon an uninhabited ooast and that steamers might not come for months. The Indian fishing camp gave them hopes of a kind and they amused themselves in , different ways. One couple went off with a harpoon and after discovering a deer run they found many deer tracks. They lay' in wait thinking them might harpo n some venison but were disappointed. Another party went off on a voyage of discovery and found fifteen Indian skulls in an Indian hut. Two others went many miles along the beaoh to seek assistance, and, returning in three days, informed their companions that they bad met an Indian, who imparted the unwelcome news that no succour would come to the oamp until Maroh. This report threw the shipwrecked mariners into despair. SEVEN MEN LOST. 4. consultation was held and Captain Davidson, as a last resource, decided to seek assistance by sending the ship's boat to Cape Beale, a hundred miles away. "Who will volunteer to go?" asked Captain Davidson. There was a ready response to the captain's call. Chief Officer Wollstein offered to take command of the lifeboat, and was joined by six seamen. On Deoember 21st the lifeboat was launched. The other seamen shook hands with their comrades, and a very affecting scene took place before the lifeboat started on what proved a fatal journey. The lifeboat was never beard of afterwards. Two days after it left, a heavy gale blew from the south-east, and continued for five > days. Little doubt is entertained that the gallant fellows perished in their heroic efforts to reach Cape Beale. The unfortunate Bailmaker, who had beco*ne demented, did not give much trouble until one night be tried to jump into the fire upon the beaoh. After this he had to be carefully watohed, and at times tied down in the hut. On one occasion THE CASTAWAYS SAW A STEAMER'S SMOKE on the horizon. Huge fires were ! lighted, in the hope of attracting j attention, but the vessel waa too far j away to see the signals. As the days ! passed, the men becamo to think i they were doomed to remain imprisoned in the ooast for months to come. Preparations were, in fact, being made to construct a second lifeboat to seek help, when, to the gf'eat joy of the men, a steamer was seen approaahing the island. She proved to be the Queen City, of the C.P.R. Line, whose captain had sighted the battered hull, shattered spars and torn sails of the* wieoked ship, and had come olose inshore to investigate. The men were taken off, and eventually landed at Vio- . tofia, British Columbia. The poor fellow who had gone mad died after leaving the rescuing steamer.