Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-06-29
CHAPTER II.
A GREAT STEP TAKEN.

n GREAT STEP TAKEN.
In the midst of the Antarctic ocean,
little off the route from New York to Aus
traia, there lies a large island named Ker-
guelen's Land or-as Capt. Cook called it
the Island of Desolation.
1t was discovered just hundred years
ago, lin 1772.) by the French naval officer
whose name it bears. 1t was uniuhabited
then, and is to-day as deserted as ever.
The smallest school-boy among our read
ers can find it upon his map of the world,
about midway between the south end Of
Africa and Australia, well up toward the
South Pole.
Ii is hundred miles in length by fifty in
breadth, and is consequently three or four
times as large as Rhode Island.
Its coasts are so wild and dangerous
that its discoverer, during the two eXpedi-
tions he made to it, did not once bring his
ships to anchor in any OF its bays and har-
bors.
Its shape is rery irregular, but something
like that of an hour-Slass, it being nearly
cut i'll two by couple of large bays; but
these two divisions are unequal in size, the
northern peninsula being much larger than
the southern.
Its coast line is wildly broken and jag
ged, its innumerablc gulls beng long and
narrow, and its promonotories are CORES
poudingly sharp and slender, reaching out
into the ocean like fingers.
! The body of the island indeed resembles
that of some huge monster of the antcdi-
/ luvian world, even as its capes and head
lands resemble such monsters unsightly
/ limbs and claws.
\ more terrific solitude than this isle OF
Desolation does not exist upon our wrecked
planet.
Neither the SHOWS cf Himalaya nor the
sands of Sahara can Outve its tcrrors.
No inhabtant is there, not even savage
no house, no tree, 10 shrub, no fence nor
road, no field nor garden, no horse, no dog
not even Il snake or q wolf
Lene, blasted and barren, il looks like
the Skeleton of a land that has perished.
1t may indeed be that DesOlatou is the
rellc-the surviving fragmcnt-of conti-
nent that went down here countless ages
ago, with hosts of Inhabitants, in some
vast couvulsion of nature.
1t has certainly undergone dreadful Wis
itations been rent by earthquakes, pulver-
lied by frOsls, lashed and wasted by fierce
tempests.
Its mountains are only Of moderate
height, but are capped eternally with snow.
Its vegetation is limited to a few dwarf
ish plants, including some MOSES, a spe-
cics of lichcn, coarse grass, plant re-
sembling salall cabbage, and sort of
cress.
Its winds are raw and piercing, its sum.
mers cold and frosty, its winters those of
the Polar Circles.
The interior of the island is occupied by
immense bOggy swamps, where the ground
sinks at every step.
The rains in Desoation are almost iuces-
SAINT, in their season, and the island is ac-
cordingly veined with numerous torrents OF
fresh water, some of which have worn out
of the solid rock tremendous cavities and
gullies. The only other season than that
of the rains, is one ofalmost constant snow.
The fogs Of that CHASTITY region are well
worthy Of the rains, being of n cloud-likc
: density, and lowering almost continually
over the whole face of the island.
The sun of Desolation is usually hidden
: by canopy of lead-colored clouds, and ap.
/ pears, on the rare occasions when it is Wis.
: ible, scarcely brighter than the moon in
/ other attitudes. AS to the moon itself, and
the stars, the clouds and fogs rarely permit
them to betray their existence.
l No fish worthy of note, not even fishes o
, prey, abound in the adjacent waters, by
reason, perhaps, of their containing poison,
{ Gus minerals, or deadly eXhalations from
the volcanic fires beneath them.
Yet the dark grim sea inclosing Desola,
tion has done something to repair the ster.
! ility of the island.
! Penguins, ducks, gulls, cormorants and
other marine birds are plentiful in some o.
its harbors.
2 Seals also abound.
: Strange and terrible land
Not single human being, so far MS il
: known, has ever lived there, save as is now
+ to be recorded in these pages.
n Near the middle of dull dismal after
v noon, some eleven weeks later than Tho
G date of the preceding events, the good shiI
: Flying ChilderS drew near TO the island O
h Desolation, shaping her course toward it,
. northernmost bay, called by Captain Cool
Christmas Harbor.