Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-15

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turned to the plantation with the gentle
man who had brought me to town, and
owing to my having considerable knowl
edge of tools was put to repairing such
things as required mending about the
house and tobacco sheds. From very
intelligent negro servant, who had beer
in England, learned all that / knew
concerning my whereabouts He had q
wonderful memory, and had gathered
many facts from conversation he had
overheard between his masters. He told
me that
WE WERE ON AN ISLAND
about sixty miles long by twelve wide
The island was said to be one of the
Galapagos, but such was not the case
for it was more than six hundred miles
to the nearest of that group. He said
we were in the South Pacific, in latitude
ten degrees south and one hundred de
grees west. He mentioned remarkable
fact, which he could not explain, namely
that nearly always there was dense fog
hanging about the shore of the island
which made it almost impossible for the
land to lie seen at any distance. Since
he had been there-nearly seven years
three vessels had been wrecked on the
shores. What had been done with the
men saved he did not know, but supposed
they had Joined the community, as We
had DONE Concerning himself, he said
that he was cook on board one of the
wrecked vessels, small English craft
bound for the Galapagos, and he thought
ALL PERIsHED BUT HIMSELF,
as he never saw any of his companions
after he was picked up. All he knew
about the community, as it was called
was that it consisted of 800 members
nearly all planters. A few who had
trades were well provided for by the
others. There were no women or chill
dren on the island, and he had never
seen any there.
The climate was delightful, and the
temperature even during the entire year
The plantations we're fully stocked with
all kinds of domestic cattle, and nothing
seemed wanting to make the island an
earthly paradise. A great deal of to
bacco was raised, but what was done
with it he did not know. He had heard
that there was a snug harbor, concealed
from observation, at one end of the is
land, where there we're two vessels trad
ing for the community. But where they
sailed to he could not tell. From dis
cussions that he had heard among prom
inent planters he had been led to infer
that there we're societies in England and
the United States, who knew of the ex-
istence of the island, and who made II
their business when any Of their mem
bers desired to separate themselves from
the rest of the world to send them here
in some mysterious way. He knew
nothing of the laws that governed the
community, but was certain that they
were good, as he had never heard of any
trouble. There were many servants on
the island, and they had been brought
from South America, and they knew as
little about where they came from as
where they were.
Now comes the most extraordinary
part of Ross story. He says that he
found what had been told him was true,
and that in few weeks he was permit
ted to visit the togn, where he met sew
eral men whom he did not know, but
whose names be had seen published in
England and elsewhere as
PERSONS WHO HAD NYsTERIoUsLY DIsAP'
PEARED
from their homes. He could remember
but few of them, and was sorry that he
had not kept o list He could call to
mind, however the names OF Lord
Amesbury, of England; John j. Mcln-
tyre, of New Orleans; Charles Medary,
of San Francisco. Melvin Powers, OF
Chicago, and the Rev. James l.. Shock,
and William, alias Boss Harrington, OF
New 4osb He asserts most positively
that he saw these persons, and says they
were looked upon as the old residents OF
the island. Ross concludes his nara
tive By saying that from the first he de-
termined 10 escape, and that he took
every opportunity to goi6 The eqast when
the fog had risen sufficiently to permit
him to see any distance from the shore.
When there was no work to be done on
the plantation, there seemed to be no OBJ
lection 10 his going where he wished, and
no one inquired into his G.otiye in going
to the coast One day a small boat, well
stocked with provisions, landed on the
shore in search Of water. The crew were
Portuguese sailors, wiose ship had been
burned at sea, and they we're making the
best of their way to South America. The
crew, belieying Ross to be a wrecked
sailor, and moi being toil BY him that
the island was inhabited, took him on
board with them. He reached Lima in
safety, and after much difficulty found
a chance to work his passage to San
Prsaciseq, from which city he found his
way to New York.