The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-06-29
CHAPTER IL.
A GREAT STEP TAKEN.

ocean q little OF the route from
New York to Australia, there lies
a large island named Kerguelen's,
or-as Capt Cook called. 1.-THE
Island of Desolation.
1t was discovered just q hundred
years ago, (in l772, by The French
naval officer whose D.me it bears
1t was uninhab ited then, and is
to- day as deserted as ever.
The smallest school-boy among
our readers can find it upon the
map of the world. about midway
between the south end OF Africa
and Australia, well up towards the
South Pole.
1t is hundred miles in length
by fifty in breadth and is conse~
quently three or four times as
large as Rhode Island.
Its coasts are so wild and dan
gerous that its discoverer, during
the two expeditions that he made
to it, did not once bring his ships
to anchor in any Of it's bays and
harbors.
Its shape is very irregular, but
something like that of an hour
glass. it being nearly cut in two by
a couple of large bays; but those
two divisions are unequal in size,
the northern peninsula being much
larger than the southern.
It's coast line wildly broken and
Jagged, its innumerable CULTS being
long and narrow, and it's promon-
tories are correspondingly sharpe
and slender, reaching out into the
ocean like fingers.
The body of the island, indeed
resembles that of some huge mon
ster of the antediluvian world. even
as its capes and headlands resem-
BILE such a monsters unsightly
limbs and claws.
A more terrific solitude than this
isle Of Desolation does not exist
upon our wrecked planet.
Neither the SHOWS of Himalaya
nor the sands of Sahara can outvie
its terrors.
| No inbabitant Is there, not even
savage-no house, no tree, no
shrub, no fence nor road, n field
nor garden, no dog-not even a
snake or q wolf.
| Lone, blasted and barren it looks
like the skeleton OF q land that has
persisted.
II may indeed be that Desolation
is the relic-the surviving fragmen,
of continent that went down
here countless ages ago, with hosts
of inhabitants, in some vast con
vulsion of nature.
Ithas certainly undergone dread
full visitations; been rent by earth
quakes, pulverized by frosts. dashed
and wasted by fierce tempests.
Its mountains are only Of mod
crate height, but are capped etern
ally with snow.
Its vegetation is limited to few
dwarfish plants. including some
MOSES, species Of lichen, coarse
grass, q plant resembling q small
cabbage, and sort Of cress.
Its winds are raw and piercing
its summers cold and frosty, it
winters those Of the Polar Circles
The interior OF the island is oc-
cupied by immense DOGGY swamps
where the ground sinks ct every
step.
The rains 10 Des ISOLATION are al
most incessant, in their season. ant
the island is accordingly veinee
with numerous torrents of fresl
water, some of which have wori
out Of the solid rock tremendous
cavities and gullies. The onll
other season than that of the rain!
is one Of almost constant snow.
The fogs OF that CHASTITY region
are we'll worthy of the rains, bein,
Of cloud-like density, and hover.
ing almost continually over tn
whole face of the island.
The sun of Desolation is usual,
hidden by canopy of lead color
ed clouds. and appears, on the rar
occasions when it is visible, scarce
ly brighter than the moon in othe
lattitudes. As to the moon itself
and the stars, the clouds and fog
rarely permit them to betray thei
existence.
No fish worthy of note, not eve
fshos Of prey, abound in the ada
cent waters, by reast n, perhaps, q
. their containing poisonous mener
ais, or deadly exhalations from til
! volcanic fires beneath them.
Yet the dark grim sea inclosin
noaOlAfio hao 6ono oovn .<b;n~ :