AN IRISH ROBINSON CRUSOE.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 83, 29 July 1846, Page 4

AN IRISH ROBINSON CRUSOE.

At Charles Island, one of the Gallapagos, there is a fine beach known by tlie name of •'Pat'g Land* ing. ,. This beach got its name frond an Irishmaa, who many years a:;o resided upon this island for a long time the sole inhabitant, except when a runaway sailor or two would'join him. * His history, as far as ie known, was that of a very daring, reckless, and strange being. He belonged ,to several ships on the coast, anil was in many of the revolmionary rows, so common in Chili* Peru; Colombia, &c. At last he formed one of the crew of a whale ship which was cruising round those islands; the captain (if her having a.great deal of trouble with him, he liaring formed several plots to mutiny, and take the

lin'there beinffno feeling of s«eurity. as he was iboSThe *!iUni*A on the B outhem ««remitv f ree, he wasneaHy fcnnsbed, and would have died from war, ot «,b. that he squeezed the vice out of the prickly pear nd cabbage tree-this was a substitute which saved htai iX As to food, he had plenty of doves and terapin, or the land tortoise, .which is excellent ■ ftTsome months, the wpUln of an American whale ship humanely took him off and landed him at his own request, on Charles's Island, with which he was and which he knew poueiaed plenty of fineVater from springs. . He was landed on the beach, in question, from which there is a complete and and naturally beouti. fnl avenue up to the mountains : and n 2 arly at the summit of one of them there ii a spot of excell«nt land, of four or five acre* in extent, nearly eurrounded with high hills; in fact, thereji only one pass into it. On this level he erected his bouse er hut, and had a great deal under cultivation; bo much so, that he had a quality of vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, pumpkins, Indian corn,, melons, with plenty of hoga and poultry; these he cold for years to the shipping. He also dug a w«JI on his farm, andthough in high land, at a moderate depth obtained a good supply of fine water. His chief dress consisted of a seal-skm cap over his red bushy hair, a red flannel shirt, and puir of flannel drawers, with seal-skin mocassins on his feet. He never went without his gun, particularly when he had those runaways with him; neither did hesleep two nights in the same place. He knew every cave and secret spot on the island, and occasionally used them for dormitories. Now, it is a strange circumstance, and yet a fact, that this man, whenever those enforce subjection, and actually compelled them to work his farm fjr him. They were soon glad to separate from him by joining, on any terms, the first ship that came in. He was o(ten greatly Warned (though I believe unjustly) for inducing sailors to_ leave their ships, and in one'tase he suffered for it. An American whale ship put in there, and two of the crew, who had been severely treated on board, took to the bush, and Pat was bUrned for harbouring them. Captain Bunker, of Nantucket, who commanded the ship, incited him on board, and in ignorance of what had occurred, or the men leaving, he accepted the invitation. As soon as he came on board he was tied up and severely flogged, then handcuffed and landed on the beach to die or live as he might, with his hands fast, and no one to loose them. It was a murdering brutal act of this brutal captain. The ihip -sailed the next day and If fc him to his fate. Pat, however, 'was not to die in this manner ; for in his geal-skin cap, which was. fortunately for him, not removed from his head, he had two files, one of which, with both hands, he drove into a tree ; he then patiently and perseveringly commenced and cotinued the operation oT filing through the handcuffs, until he freed himself. He then for ever rowed vengeance against the captain who treated him so, if ever he should be in his power. He had an iron frame, a strong and well cultivated mind. He had received a good education in his youth ; this, to a character like him, made him doubly mischievous. • A few months afterwards as he was round the other side of the island, after seal, in his boat, whichlie called the Black Prince,, he fell in with an English whale ship. From the crew he learned that he would soon have visitors, as two or three American ships were to call at the island. One of them was that on board of which he had been so barbarously treated. He had at this time four men with him.

On hearing this news he pulled directly round to his landing place. In a few days after the expected ships arrived. He determined not to appear but to watch them well, and keep his men out of sight. The three captains, one of whom was Bunker, pulled no shore, and in a bottle, made fnst to a pole on the beach, they found a note written by Pat, stating that from the bad treatment be often received, he had left the island for ever, and that whoever should arrive first would find plenty of ever} thing in his garden. The skippers concluded that all whs right, and that there was no one on the island 2; and after walking about a little, they agreed to come on shore the next day to have a pic-nic dinner, and to send their men up and plunder the garden. Pat was concealed so near that he heard all, and made his arrangements accordingly-. Next d»y they came on shore, and brought their cold meal and wines up the valley to a pleasant green plot, where they had a view of the ship, but not of the landing.place they came to. They had four boats on shore, hauled well up on the beach. They enjoyed themselves for.houfs, when one of them wenj; up to an eminence near to have a look round. He no sooner got a view of the beach than he came back like a madman, and told them their boats were knocked about, end to come down at once. Tho«e tyranical rascals were now complete cowards ; they left all and ran as quick as they could down to the beach, where they found the four boats, oar* and all, in pieces; also a large slip of paper, with "remember the handcuff*" on it? also, " Bunker I'll have you yet." There was an instant signal made to the ships to send a boat; fortunately for them it was instantly "they were scarcely seated and shoved off, when a buUet from a gun on shore whistled among them and through the boat. In another instant three shots were fired after them; but'they were, safe, and oat of the reach of the guns. Pat then showed h mself on the beach, gun in hand, and' waved hie cap over his head>in'triumph.''),. No one came on shore to pick up the fragments. !Those ships got under weigh in the evening, and disappeared. So much for barbarity on one side, and revenge on the other. This wi'd and Strang mat lived, I believe, about eighteen or twenty years on the island, but did not die here. He went in his open boat, the •' Black Prince," more than once, on the coast a distance of six hundred miles; but the water is always smooth hare, so it is not to be Wondered at. The last time he went was ti GuyaquU, and thinking he might as well have a queen for his beautiful island, *of which he was the sole and daring monarch, after, 1 suppose, telling all manner of inducing stories, there was the wife of a Spaniard, who agreed to accompany him. She whs actually in the j)oati and they about to shove, off, when the Spaniard jumped in to bring back his, wife. A struggle ensued; Pat was stabbed to the heart", and fell dead in the bottom of, his. " Black Prince/ Coulter's Adventures in the Pacific.