Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-07-02
CHAPTER H.
4 GREAT STEP TAKEN.


In the midst OF the Antarctic Ocean. a
little of the route from New York To
Australia. there lies large island named
Kergulen's Land. or-as Capt. Cook cali
ed 1.-THE Island OF Dosolation.
1t was discovered just y hundred yenrs
ago, Gin l772,) 10y the French naval otli-
Ger whose name it bears. II was unin'
habted then, and is to-day rs deserted as
ever.
The smallest school boy among our
readers can find ii upon his map oi The
world. about midway between tho south
end of Africa and Australia. well up to-
ward the South Pole
1t is hundred miles III length 10y htly
in breadth, and is consequently three or
four times rs large as Rhode Island.
Is coasts are 50 wild and dangerous
that its discoyerer, during the two eHpe
ditions that he made to il, did DOT once
bring his ships to anchor in any OF ia
bays and harbors.
It's shape is very irregular. but some
thing like that of Nm hour glass, it beng
nearly cut in two 10y Il couple OF large
bays; but these TWO division are unequal
in size, the northern peninsula being much
longer than the southern.
lis coast line is wildly broken and jag
ged, its innumerable CULTS being long and
narrow, and its promontories are CORES
pondingly sharp and slender. reaching
out into the ocean ike fingers.
The body OF the island indeed rescm.
bios that of some huge monster OF the
antediluviau world, even aS its capeS and
hesd!ands resemble such a monsters un-
slightly limbs and claws.
A more terrific solitude that this isle oil
Desolation. does not exist upon our
wrecked planet.
Neither the SHOWS OF the Himalaya nor
the sands of Sahara can outvie its ter
rors.
No inhabitant is there, not even saV-
age-mO house. no tree, no shrub, no
fence nor road. no field nor garden, no
horse, no dog-not even snake or u
wolf
Lone, blasted and barren. il looks like
the skeleton of q land that has persisted.
1t may indeed be that Dissolution is the
relic-thc surviving fragment-of a con-
tinent that went down here countless ages
ago, with hosts of inhabitants, in some
vast CONFUSION OF nature.
II has certainly undergone dreadi al
visitations; been rent by earthquakes,
pulverized by frosts. dashed and wasted
by fierce tempests.
It's mountains arc only of moderate
height, but are capped with eternal snow.
Ils vegetation is limited to few dwarf
ish plants. including some moses, a spe-
cies of lichen, coarse grass. n plant re-
sembling small cabbage, and sort of
cresS.
Its winds are raw and piercing; its
summers cold and frosty lis winters those
of the Polar Circles
The interior of the island is occupied
by immense DOGGY swamps. where lhe
ground sinks in at every step.
The rains in Desolation are almost in
cessant, Tn their season, and the island is
accordingly veined with numerous tor.
rents OF fresh water, some OF which have
worn out of the solid rock tremendous
cavities and gullies. The only other sea-
son than that of the rains, is one of al
most con slant snow.
The fogs of that CHASTITY region are well
worthy OF the rains, being of a cloud
like density. and lowering almost contin.
ually over The whole face OF the island
The sun OF Desolation is usually hid
den by canopy of leadcolored clouds,