The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-06-29
CHAPTER II.
A GREAT STEP TAKEN.

IN tue nlust OF tne ANTARCTIC ocean, d uttle OH
the route from New York to Australia, there lies
large island named Kerguelen's Land, or-as
Capt Cook called 1.-THE Island of Desolstion.
| 1t was discovered just a hundred years ago,
lin 1871 by the French naval officer whose name
| it bears. 1t was uninhabited them 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 aud
Australia, well up toward the South Pole.
| 1t is hundred miles in length by fifty in
breadth, and is consequently three or four times
as large as Rhode Island
Its coasts are 80 wild and dan gerous that it,
discoverer, during the two expeditions that he
made to it, did not once bring his ships to an
! Choir in any of its bays aud harbors.
| Its shape is very Irregular but something like
that of al hour.glass. it being nearly cut in two
by a couple of large bays; but these two divs.
ions are unequal in sze, the northern peninsula
being much larger than the southern.
Its coast line is wildly broken and Jagged, its
inuumerable xulfs being long and narrow. and
its promontores are correspondinyiy sharp aud
slender, reaching out into the ocean like finve rs
The body of the island indeed resembles that
Of some large monster Of the antediluvisn world
even a. its capes and headlauds resemble such n
monsters unsghtly limbs and claws
A more terrific solitude than this isle Of desc.
lstion does not exist upon our W. .cked planet.
Neither the SHOWS of Himalaya nor the sands
Of Sahara can outvie its terrors.
| No inhabitant Is there, not even n savage; NO
house, no tree, no shrub, no fence nor road, nc
field or garden, no hosre, no dog, not even q
snake or wolf.
Lone, blasted and barren, it looks like the ske.
Teton of land that has persisted.
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 in
habitants, in some vast convulsion of natore.
1t has certainly undergone dreadful vista
tons been rent by earthquakes pulverized b,
frests. dashed and wasted BY fierce tempests.
Its mountains are only Of moderate height, bu
are capped eternAlly with snow.
Its vegetation is limited to few dwsrfisl
plants, including some moses, n species OF Itch
en-, u coarse grass, u plant reese milling q small
cabbage, and sort of cress.
Its wind. are raw and piercing, it's summer
cold and frosty, its winters those Of the POls
Circles.
The interior Of the island ia occupied by i'm
mense DOGGY -wamps, where the ground sink
at every step
The rain. in Desolation are almost inoessant
in their season, aud the island is accordingly
veined with numerous torrents OF fresh water
some of which have worn out of the solid roc
tremendous cavities ana pullleS L nc only Otne
season than that of the rnns is one Of almost con
stant snow.
The fogs Of that CHASTITY region are we'll wor
thy of the rams, being Of y cloud.like density
and lowering almost continually over the who'll
/ face of the island.
The sun of Desolation is usually hidden by
Q canopy of lead.colored clouds, and appears, o.
. the rare occasions when it is visible, scarcel
. brighter than the moon in other latitudes. A
. to the moon itself. and the stars, the clouds an
Y fogs rarely permit them to betray their exis
. ence.
a No fish worthy of note, not even fishes of prey
{ abound in the dacent waters, by reason, pei
! haps, Of their con aiming poisonous minerals,
deadly exhalations from the volcanic fires b.
1 meath them.
r Yet the dark grim sea inclosing Desolation hu
done something to repair the sterility Of th
}. island.
Penguins. ducks, gulls cormorants and othe
Q marine birds are plentiful in some OF its ha
Q bors.
!. Seals also abound.
u Strange and terrible land
70 Not single human being, ~ far ~ 10 know,
has ever lived there, save AZ IL now to be recort
q ed In these psges.
d Near the middle Of dull, dismal afternoon
some eleven weeks later than the date Of q
preceding events, tho good ship Flying Chide
y drew near to the island OF Desolation, shapin
. her oonrse towards ito northernmost bay, Gale
r by Captain Cook Christmas Harbor.
q A fair breeze y blowing from the north, %