The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-07-05

nor the sands Of Sahara can outyie
its terrors.
No lnhabitant is there, nor even a
savage-no house, no three,no shrub
no fence nor road, no field nor garden
no horse, no dog-not even snake
or wolf.
Lone, blasted and barren, it looks
like the skeleton of land that has
perished.
1t may indeed be that Desolation
is the relic-the surviving fragment
of a continent that went down
here countless ages ago, with hosts
of inhabitants, in some vast conyul-
sion of nature.
1t has certainly undergone dread
ful visitations; been rent by earth
quakes, pulverized by frosts, lashed
and wasted by fierce tempests.
Its mountains are only Of moderate
height, but are capped eternalIy with
snow.
It's vegetation is limited to few
dwarfsh plants, including some
mosses, a species of lichen, a coarse
grass, a plant resembling a small
cabbage, and q sort of cress.
Its winds are raw and piercing, its
winters those of the Poler Circles.
The interior of the island is oc-
cupied by immense boggy swamps,
where the ground sinks at every
step.
The rains in Desolation are almost
incessant, in their season, and the
island is accordingly 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 of al
most constant snow.
The fogs of that ghastly region
are well worthy of the rains, being
of cloud-like density, and lowering
almost continually over the whole
face of the island.
The sun of Desolation is usually
hinden by canopy of lead-colored
clouds, and appears, on the rare oc-
casions when it is visible, scarcely
brighter than the moon in other lat
itudes. AS to the moon itself, and
the stars, the clouds and fogs rarely
permit them to betray their exist
ence.
No fish worthy of note, not even
fishes Of prey, abound in the ada.
cent waters, by reason, perhaps, of
their containing poisonous minerals,
or deadly exhalations from the vol
canic fires beneath them.
Yet the dark grim sea inelosing
Desolation has done something to
repair the sterility of the island.
Penguins, ducks, gulls, cormorants
and other marine birds are plentiful
in some Of its harbors.
Seals also abound
Strange and terrible land
Not single human being, so far
as is known, has ever lived there,
save as is now to be recorded in
these pages.
Near the middle of dull, dismal
afternoon, some eleven weeks later
than the date of the preceding
events, the good ship Flying Child
erS drew near to the island of Desc
lation, shaping her course toward its
northernmost bay, called by Captain
Cook Christmas Harbor.
A fair breeze was blowing from
the north, and the ship was carrying
every stitch of her canvas, including
studding-sails.
Her creW-both watches-were
busy about the deck, and her pas
sengers-4 score in number-had
gathered in groups, mostly forward,
and were gazing with great interest
upon the wild, rugged shores before
them, so far as the fog suspended
upon those shores permitted them
to become visible.
The ship had come here for water,
nearly all her water casks having
been stove or started during a squal
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
happy, with Will HaWley beside him.
81 mean to get our water aboard
before dark, Captain Pedder, and so
avoid losing a night here" said the
young executive, totally unconscious
of the plot to leave him alone on the
desolate island, and of the extraord-
mary adventures before him. The
strange events that happened there,
and indeed the whole of this thrill
ing story, will be found only in the
New York Ledger, which is now
ready and for sale at all the book
stores and news-depots. Ask for
the number dated July I3, and in it
you will get the continuation of the
story from the place where it leaves
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