Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-07-04

the sands of Sahara can outvie its ter
rors.
No imhabitant 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 or
wolf.
Lone, blasted and barren, it look s
like the skeleton of land that has
persisted.
Ii may indeed be that Desolation is
the reic-the surviving fragment--of
a continent that went down here count
less ages ago, with hosts of Inhabitants
in some vast convulsion of nature.
II has certainly undergone dreadful
yisitations been rent bv earthquakes,
pulvcrized by frosts. dashed and wasted
by fierce tempests.
Its mountains are only OF moderate
height, hut are capped cternally with
snow.
Its vegetation Is limited to a few
dwariish plants. including some mossc-.
a species of lichen, u coarse grass. a
plant resembling small cabbage, AMI
sort of cress.
Its winds are raw and piercing. its
summers cold and frosty, its winters
those of the Polar Circles.
The interior of the island is occupied
10y immense hoIgy swamps, where the
ground sinks at every step.
The rains in Desolation are almost
incesssnt. IN their season, and the isl
and Is accordingly veined with numer-
Gus torrents OF fresh water. some OF
which have worn out OF the solid rock
tremendous cavities aud gulies. The
only other season than that OF the rains
is one of almost constant snow.
The fogs Of that CHASTITY region are
well worthy of the rains. being Of n
cloudlikc density. and lowering almost
continually owe, the whole racfor the
island.
The sun of Dcsolalion is usually
hidden by canopy Of lcathcr-colorei
clouds. aud appears, on the rare occa-
sious when it Is visible, scarcely
brighter than the moon in other la,i-
tuic~. A. TO the moon itself. and the
s'ars, the clouds and fogs rarely per-
nit them to bctray their existence
No fish worthy of note, not even
ti,hc, of prey, abound in the aljecen;
waters. by reason, perhaps, of their
containing poisonous minerals. 81
deadly cNhaIations from the volcanic
f,cs beneath them.
Yet the dark grim sea inclosing Drs-
olation has done something 10 repair
the stcrilitv of the island
Pcnguins, ducks, gulls, cormorant-.
and other marine birds are plentiful ~
some of i,s harbors.
seals also abound.
strange and terrible land
Not a single human being, 80 far a.
Is known. has ever lived there. save a.
is now to bc recorded in these pages.
Near the middle OF dull dismal
afternoon. some eleven weeks later
than the date OF the preceding events.
the COOL ship Flying ChHders drew
near 10 the island OF Desolation, ,hap-
Ing her course toward the nothcrnmost
bay. called hy Capt. Cook, Christmas
iiafhor.
\ fair breeze was blowing from The
north, and the ship was carrying e.cry
Stitch of her canvass, including stud
diug-Sails.
Her cTcw-both watches were busy
about the deck. and her passengers "A
score III number - had gathered in
groups, mostly forward, and were gaz-
iLg with great interest upon the Wild
ragged shores before them f"s "a :
the fog suspended upon the shores per
United them to become visible.
The ship had come here for water.
nearly all her casks having been stove
or started during q squall ten DAYS
previously. and every soul aboard of
her having been since that date upon
short allowance.
Upon the quarterback stood Capt.
Luke Pedder, looking unusually hap
py. with Will Hawley beside him.
= mean TO get our water aboard be-
fore dark. Captain Pedder, and so
avoid losing a night here" said the OK.
ecutive, totally unconscious of the plot
to leave him alone upon the desoate
island, and of the extraordinary adj
ventures which we're before him. The
strange events that happened there,
and indeed the whole of this thrilling
story, will be found only in the New
York Ledger, which is now ready and
for sale at all the bookstores and
ncws-dopots. Ask for the number
dated July 10. and in it YOU will get
the continuation of the story from the
place where it leaves off here.