CAMPBELL ISLAND DUCHESS.

Shannon News, 8 February 1927, Page 3

CAMPBELL ISLAND DUCHESS.

WOMAN WHO LIVED ON SEALS AND POTATOES.

WAS SHE PRINCE CHARLIE'S DAUGHTER?

The mystery woman who lived a lonely life on Campbell Island forms the subject of an interesting article by Dr. R. Gordon Macdonald, of Dunedin, in the John o' Groat Journal, a Scottish paper, published at Wick, Caithness, a copv of which is forwarded by Mr P. Oa«, of Levin. The subject has a fascinating interest for Highlanders because of the possibility that the marooned woman was Caroline, daughter of Prince Charlie, the Jacobites of the day having ' suspected her of being in the pay of the enemy. It appears that they were anxious to dissociate the Prince from the influence of Caroline and her mother, Meg Walkenshaw, and that, with pressure from Prance, they determined to kidnap Caroline and have her marooned . Eor this purpose, it is said, they engaged one Captain Stewart, who was'a whaler, to take her on board his vessel and leave her where no one knew but himself. The story goes that hj intended to leave her in New Zealand, but on arriving here he found that other whalers were about the coast, so he set sail for Campbell Island. There he erected -a hut for her, gave her some food aiiUl clothing and hunting and fishing-weapons. He also had some heather plants, potatoes, and rye. All these, with some . agricultural implements and a few tools, were deposited in the hut. When all was ready she was forcibly landed and left to her own resources. • ,-11 The life of this woman on the island must have reached the extreme of monotony. As "she became reconciled to her situation, she, collected an abundant supply of timber and peat, and began to study means of finding food supplies. Birds and 'peals afforded the basis of sustenance, and the woman formed a garden, in which she planted her potatoes and rye and heather. Frequently she lit a fire on the headland close by the hut, but none probably saw it, or it they did they failed to recognise its' meaning. For clothing she used the seal skins, and in this style she lived for several years. Seals, penguins, shell-fish and potatoes were her staple articles of food, and when a change was desired she used various kinds of seaweeds and decoctions of leaves and roots.

The hut was situated on a slight elevation about 2uo yards from the bay where Caroline landed. Close by it was a running stream, and thither she made daily journeys. In the course of years she constructed a sort of mosaic path from the hut to the sea and stream. This path was set with small pebbles of flint, marble and other coloured stones found on the beach or along the banks of the stream. In 1840 the island was visited by Sir James Ross,- the Arctic explorer. He. found evidence of some human beings having lived there, and on '.nvestigation discovered the paved footpath, the hut and garden, and the remains of some woman. The remains were interred in the garden and covered with 1 the heather growing thei e, and a larg i \ stone was placed at the head. \ The late Dr. McNab, who was fam- i ous for his historical researches in New Zealand, spent much time and money in trying to unravel the mystery of this woman. He visited America, the home of the early whalers from Boston, and is said to have traced her to Tasmania, Stewart Island, New Zealand, and finally Campbell Island. It was evident that she was a Scottish woman,! and Dr. McNab thought she was marooned on Campbell Island about 182to 1830. One theory is that a French ship marooned her, and the other L that Captain SteAvart had a hand Li the matter.

The writer of the article, Dr. R. G. Macdonald, had occasion to visit Captain Cameron, formerly Of the Union Company, at his home in Mornington, Dunedin, and the later supplied some of the information relating to the is land and the supposed history of i;s strange inhabitant. Other particulars were given by Mr M. Fraser, of New Plymouth, who visited the spot in the Government steamer Hinemoa in 1006. Dr. Macdonald mentions that a Mr Mathieson, a station owner, who came from Dingwall, has become interests, in the story and is determined to visit the island at the earliest opportunity and try to further unravel the mystery. “May v r e hope,” asks the author, “that some reader will r»rove the woman to have been 'Caroline, Duchess of Albany’?”