ROBINSON CRUSOE REDIVIVUS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1115, 30 June 1883, Page 3

ROBINSON CRUSOE REDIVIVUS.

Pew more extraordinary stories have been published lately than the narrative of the loss of an American whaling schooner caJed the Pilot’s Bride. This craft, it seeirn, so long ago as October, 1881, was wrecked on Desolation Island, usually chartered under the name of Kerguelen, a desolate spot in the middle of the vast Southern Ocean, some degrees to the southward of St Paul’s, the scene of the loss of the Magrnra. There were 81 men on board of her, and it would seem that all managed to get ashore. Some provisions were washed on to the beach, but not by any means in sufficient abundance to render the look-out tolerable for these 81, who would form a company large enough to tax very severely'the hospitality of a small island. Fortunately rabbits were plentiful; and there was discovered a groat growth of wild cabbages; but, good as a dish of rabbit and wild cabbage may prove, when occasionally served, say once a week, it must grow a very tiresome diet when there is nothing else to be had for eleven mo iths, and for all that time those eighty-one unfortunate men were forced to live upon this singular island fare. Tha sole variation of their tedious and apparently hopeless imprisonment was the departure of a crew of them in their boat to deposit a letter, stating that they had been wrecked and where they were, at Three Islands Harbor, a place of call fer whalers, situated about 150 miles distant from Kerguelen Island. Having, so to speak, posted their letter in thi s

extraordinary ocean-box, the men returned in their boat and remained on their island until September in last year, on the 4th day of which they were taken off by the schooner Francis Allyu, and subsequently landed at Capo Town.—Daily Telegraph.