Perseverance Island; Or, The Robinson Crusoe of the Nineteenth Century

  ABANDONING THE "GOOD LUCK."--_Frontispiece._]

  PERSEVERANCE ISLAND

  Or

  The Robinson Crusoe of the Nineteenth Century

  by

  DOUGLAS FRAZAR

  Author of "Practical Boat Sailing" etc.

  Illustrated

  BostonLee and Shepard PublishersNew York Charles T. Dillingham1885

  Copyright,1884,By Lee and Shepard.

  All Rights Reserved.

  PERSEVERANCE ISLAND.

  ELECTROTYPED BYC. J. PETERS AND SON, BOSTON.

  To My Wife.

  PREFACE.

  In all works of the Robinson Crusoe type, the wreck is always near athand, the powder dry and preserved, and the days for rafting the sameashore calm and pleasant. This unfortunate had no such accessories;and his story proves the limitless ingenuity and invention of man,and portrays the works and achievements of a castaway, who, thrownashore almost literally naked upon a desert isle, is able by the useof his brains, the skill of his hands, and a practical knowledge ofthe common arts and sciences, to far surpass the achievements of allhis predecessors, and to surround himself with implements of power andscience utterly beyond the reach of his prototype, who had his wreck asa reservoir from which to draw his munitions.

  CONTENTS.

  CHAPTER I. PAGE

  Boyhood and youth of the author. Sailor's life. The "Good Luck." South Pacific Island scheme. Loss of crew off Cape Horn. 3

  CHAPTER II.

  Push forward for the Society Islands. Driven into Magellan Straits by stress of weather. Anchor in a land-locked bay. Search for fresh water. Attacked by savages. Serious injuries to Capt. Davis and one of the crew. Return to the schooner and make sail for the open ocean. Resolve to return to England. Finally lay our course for Easter Island. 9

  CHAPTER III.

  Captain Davis's condition. Only five men fit for duty. Terrific storm. The schooner thrown on her beam ends and dismasted. Loss of three more of the crew. Taking to the whale-boat. Foundering of the schooner "Good Luck." Death of Captain Davis. Storm again, running to the southward before the tempest. Strike upon a reef. The author cast on shore. 19

  CHAPTER IV.

  Return to consciousness. Seek for my comrades. Commence a calendar, and take inventory of my effects. 38

  CHAPTER V.

  Attempt to make a fire. Distil salt water. First meal. Reflections. Hat-making. Repose. 45

  CHAPTER VI.

  Build fireplace. Make knife and spear from anchor. Build tower of stones for perpetual lamps. Resolve to explore the island. 56

  CHAPTER VII.

  Improve my lamp-tower. Make a bow and arrow, and fish-hooks and lines. Capture a large turtle. Improve my steel and flint, and build a hut. Procure some salt, and make arrangements to explore the island on the morrow. 65

  CHAPTER VIII.

  Rainy day. Reflections concerning climate, season of the year, tides, etc. Plant several varieties of my seeds. Make a pocket compass, and prepare for my exploration of the island. 73

  CHAPTER IX.

  Exploration of the island: First day. Fresh water at Rapid River. Wild goats, quail, tortoise, tobacco, wild ducks, trout, sweet potatoes, mussels. Name the island and principal points, etc. 85

  CHAPTER X.

  Exploration of the island: Second day. Find coal and sulphur, seals, more turtles, gulls, etc. 96

  CHAPTER XI.

  Exploration of the island: Third day. Stalking goats. Mirror lake and river and bay. Sad moonlight thoughts. 105

  CHAPTER XII.

  Exploration of the island: Fourth day. Finish the exploration of the island, and build stone house at Rapid River. 113

  CHAPTER XIII.

  Make a hatchet of my iron hammer. Make matches and utensils for house. Team of goats, chair, table, etc. Birch-bark canoe. Arrangements for winter. 124

  CHAPTER XIV.

  Make chairs, and arrange my house, seal-skins, and goat-skins. Provide provisions for winter. Discover wild grapes, and make wine and vinegar. Find potassium, or saltpetre. Make gunpowder, and by means of my compass discover iron. Thoughts of the future. 136

  CHAPTER XV.

  Make a mould for bricks. Build a brick-kiln and make bricks. Build a smelting-house, blast-furnace, kiln for cleansing ore. Meditations. Build water-wheel and fan-wheel, and set my machinery for an air-blast to reduce the ore. 151

  CHAPTER XVI.

  Smelt my iron and make Bessemer steel and all kinds of tools. Erect an anvil and forge. Build a saw-mill, and plant a farm and kitchen-garden. 166

  CHAPTER XVII.

  Make an astrolabe, and obtain the latitude of the island, and, by an eclipse of the moon, the longitude also. By means of the Epitome make a chart on Mercator's projection, find out the distance from any known land. 176

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  A resume of three years on the island. Daily routine of life. Inventions, discoveries, etc. Fortification of the Hermitage. Manufacture of cannon and guns. Perfection and improvement of the machine shop. Implicit faith of ultimately overcoming all obstacles and escaping from the island. Desire to accumulate some kind of portable wealth to carry with me, and desire to explore the island for its hidden wealth and the surrounding ocean for pearl oysters. 189

  CHAPTER XIX.

  Construct a submarine boat, to be propelled by goat power and to make its own air, to examine the bottom of the ocean near the island for pearl oysters. 206

  CHAPTER XX.

  Launch the submarine boat. Experiment with it in Stillwater Cove. 223

  CHAPTER XXI.

  Explore the bottom of the ocean in the vicinity of the island with my submarine boat. Discover pearl oysters and invent a great improvement to my boat. 237

  CHAPTER XXII.

  Manufacture glass. Build a steam yacht, and circumnavigate the island. Lay up large stores of valuable pearls obtained from the pearl oysters. 252

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  Discovery of a human habitation. The skeleton and manuscript. 265

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  The Pirate's manuscript. 277

  CHAPTER XXV.

  Finding of the sunken wreck. The submarine explosion of the hull. Recovery of over ten millions in bars of gold and silver. 295

  CHAPTER XXVI.

  Chess and backgammon playing. Fortification of the island. Team of white swans. Goats as servants, and opponents in backgammon playing. 310

  CHAPTER XXVII.

  Discovery of gold. Turn the stream out of the lake, and build portable engine to separate the gold. 321

  CHAPTER XXVIII.

  The sea serpent. Attack and capture one of t
he species, thus putting the question of its existence forever at rest. 339

  CHAPTER XXIX.

  Make a balloon and flying machine, in which I make a successful ascension. 349

  CHAPTER XXX.

  The manuscript sent forth. 362