The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-07-04
CHAPTER II.
al GREAT sTEP TAKEN.

/
CHAPTER II.
A GREAT STEP TAKEN.
In the midst Of the Antarctic ocean,
a little Off the route from New York
/ 10 Australia. there lies q large island
named KeI guelen's Land, or-as capt
Cook called 1.-THE Island OF Desoia-
1t was discovered just 4 hundred
years ago, (in 1772,) by the French
| naval officer whose name Il bears IL
was uninha5ited then, and is to-day
as deserted as ever.
The smallest school-boy among our
readers can find it upon his map Of the
world, about midway between the
south end Of Africa and Australia,
well I'D toward the South Pole.
It Is a hundred miles in length by
fftv in breadth, and is consequently y
three or four times as large as Rhode
| Island.
Itg coasts are so wild and dangerous
that its discoverer, during the two
expeditions that he made to it, did
not once bring his ships to anchor IN
any Of its bays and harbOrs.
It's shape is very irregular, but some
thing like that of an hour-glass, it
being nearly cut in two by q couple
large bays: but these two divisions
are equal in size, the northern penin'
suIa being much larger than the
southern.
Its coast line is wildly broken and
jagged, its innumerable CULTS being
long and narrow, and its promOntOries
are coTespondingly sharp and slen-
der, reaching out into the ocean ike
| fingers.
The body of the island indeed re-
sembles that Of some huge monster Of
the antediluvian world, even as its
capes and headiAnds resemble such a
monsters unsightly limbs and elaws-
A more terrific solitude than this
isle Of DesOlatiOn does not exist upon
our wrecked planet.
Neither the SHOWS Of Himslaya nor
the sands OF Sahara can outyie its ter
rous.
/ No inhabitant is there, not even a
savage-no house, no tree, no shrub,
no fence nor road, no field nor garden;
no horse, no dOg-not even snake OF
a wolf.
! Lone, blasted and barren, it looks
like the skeleton of land that has
| perished.
It may indeed be that Desolation is
the relic-the surviving fragment-oi
q continent that went down here
countless ages ago, with hosts OF in-
habitants, in some vast convulsion oi
nature.
1t has certainly undergone dreadful
visitations; been rent by earthquakes
pulverized by frosts, lashed and vast
ed by fierce tempests.
Its mountains are only Of moderate
height, but are capped eternally witt
snow.
Its vegetation is limited to q few
dWarfsh plants, including some mos
ses, a species of lichen, q coarse grass
q plant resembling a small cabbage
and a sort Of cress.
It's winds are raw and piercing, iti
summers cold and frosty, its winters
those Of the Polar Circles.
The interior Of the island is occupied
by immense bOggy swamps, wher'
the ground sinks at every step.
The rains in DesolatiOn are almOs
ineessant, in their season, and the is
land is accordingly veined with mum
erous torrents of fresh water, some o
, which have worn out of the solid rocl
tremendous cavities and gullies. Tht
only other season than that of th'
rains is one of almost constant snow
The fUgs of that CHASTITY region ar
well worthy Of the rains, being Of
lcloud-lilke density, and lowering al
most continually over the whole fac
Of the island.
The sun Of DesOlation Is usually hid
den by a canopy Of lead-cOloret
clouds, and appears, on the rare Occa
. siOns when it is visible, scarcely
} brighter than the moon in other lati
. tudes. As to the moon itself, and thu
stars, the clouds and fogs rarely per
, NIT them to betray their existence.
Il No fish worthy Of note, not ever
fishes of prey, abound in the adjacen
waters, by reason, perhaps, Of thei
: containing poisonous minerals, o
deadly exhalations from the vOleanii
, fires beneath them.
j Yet the dark grim sea inclosing Des
. olation has done something to repair
the sterility of the island.
Penguins, ducks, gulls, eOrmOrant
and other marine birds are plentiful
in some of its harbOrs.
Seals also abound.
Strange and terrible land
Not q single human being, so far a
r is known, has ever lived there, save a
is now to be recorded in these pages
Near the middle Of q dull, disma
afternoon, some eleven weeks late
than the date of the preceding events
: the good ship FzyiIly Cl1i5ders drew
near 10 the island of DesOlatiOn, shap
ing her course toward its northern
! most bay, called by Captain Cool
Christmas HARDER.
A fair breeze was blowing from tn
north, and the ship was carryint
every stitch of her canvas, including
J studding- sails.
II Her creW-both watches-were busI
about the deck, and her passenger
q score In uumber-had gathered il
groups, mostly forward, and were gaz
ing with great interest upon the wild
rugged shores before them, SO far a
the fog suspended upon those shorel
permitted them to become visible.
The ship had come here for water
nearly all her water casks having beel
stove or started during a squall te1
days previously ana every soul ADOarS
of her having been since that date up
on short allowance.
Upon the quarterback stood Capt
Luke Pedder, looking unusually hap
py, with Will. Hswley beside him,
"I mean to get our water aboard be
fore dark, Captain Pedder, and 81
avoid losing a night here" said tn
young executive, totally uncOnsciOuI
of the plot to leave him alone on tn
Il tdesOlate island, and Of the extraordi
nary adventures which were befor
him. The strange events that hap
pened there, and indeed the whole o
this thrilling story, will be found on
" in the New York Ledger, which i
now ready and for sale at all the book
stores and news-depOts. Ask for tn
number dated July II, and in it yOl
viii get the continuation of the stor.
from the place where it leaves OF