Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-07-06

cad OF Africa and Australia, well up to-
ward the South Pole.
II is a hundred miles in length by fifty In
breath, and is consequently three or four
times as large as Rhode Island,
Its coasts are so Wild and dangerous that |
It's discoverer, during the two expeditions |
that he made TO ii, did not once bring his |
ship to anchor In any of bays and harOors.
Its shape is very irregular, but some
thing like that OF an hOur-glass II being |
nearly cut in two by u couple OF large pays
but these two divisions are unequal In size
the northern peninsula being much larger
than the southern.
Its coast lneis wildly broken and Jagged
its inumerable CULTS being long aud narrow
and its promontorlos we currcSpondingly
sharp and slender, reaching out into the
ocean like fingers.
The body Of the island indeed resembles
that of some huge monster OF the antedllu-
Wan world, even as It's eapes ana mead
lands resemble such monster e unsightni
| limbs and claws.
A more terrific solitude than this Isle of
| Desolation dose not exist upon our wrecked
planet.
Neither the SHOWS of Himalaya nor the
| sands OF Sahara can outvie Its terrors.
No inhabltant is there, not even 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 barren, il looks like the
skeleton of land that has perished
| II may ineed he that Dosolatiou il the
relic-the Surviving fragment-of u con
tinent that went down here countless ages
a4o with hosts of inhabitants In some
vast CONFUSION of nature.
Not a 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 a dull, dismal after
| noon. some eleven weeks later than the
preceding events, the good ship Flying
| Chil.iers. drew near to the island of Desola-
tionI shaping. her course toward lis
northern most hay, called by Captain took
Christmas Harbor.
A fair breeze was blowing from the
north, and the ship was carrying every
stitch Of her canvas, including sluddlng-
sails.
Her erew-both watches --were busy n
bout the deck, and her passengers--a score
In number-had gathered in groups, mostly
forward, and were gazing with great inter
eat upon the wild rugged shores before
them, 40 far as the fog suspended upon
those shores permitted them TO become
i
| visible.
The shin had come here for water, nearly
all her water casks having been strive or
| started during a squat ten DAYS previously
and every soul aboard Of her having been
since that date upon short allowance.
II has certainly undergone dradful visi
tatlous; been rent by earthquakes, pn YER
lied by frosts, dashed and wasted by fierce
tempeete.
It's mountains are only Of moderate
height. hut are capped eternnly WIN
snow Its vegetation is limited To lew
dwarfsh plants, including some mosses, a
species Of linchen, a coarse grass, plant
I resembling a small cabbage, and a sort OF
cross.
Its winds arc raw and piercing, lis
summers cold aud frosty, its winds those
OF the Polar Circles.
The interior Of the island isocrupiai hl
immense hoggy swamps, where the ground
sinks at every step
The rains in Desol alton are almost in
/, cessant in their season, ana the Island u
y accordingly veiued wit h numerous lorrenu
! | o. fresh water. some of which have wnrl
= out of the solid rock tremendous cavitle'
, and gullies. The ouly other season than
that of rains Is one of almost cnnsla Il
=, | snow.
The fogs Of that CHASTITY region are wei
worthy Of the rains, being ot "a cloul-tk'
density, and lowering almost continually
over the whole face of the island.
The sun of DesnlatiOn is usually hiddei
by a canopy of lcad-cnlOrcd clouds, an'
p. appears, on the rare occasions when II /
visible, scarcely brighter than tie muOi
in other attitudes. As To the moon lt,"lt
and the stars, tho clouds and fugs rarcl
% permit them to betray their existence
" No fish worthy Of note, not even hshr
> Of prey, abound in the adjacent water, 10
:, reason, perhaps, of their containing POS
y onous minerals, or deadly cNhalatiunt iron
= the volcanic fire, beneath them
Yet the dark grim sea inclosing pssrla
=, ton has done something to repair the sIci
/; ility Of the island.
!, Penguns, ducks, gulls. rormoranls an
- other marine birds are plentiful in some Q
70 its hnrhorf.
Seals also abound.
- Strange and terrible l1ud
= Upon the Quatcr-dock stood Capt Lnk
- Fodder, looking unusually happY VII
= Will Hawley beside him.
tt % mean 10 got our water ahparl lr II
~ dark. Can ain Peddrr, and So avoid lnslu
n a night here, " said the yonng eAo'uuf
\ totally unconscious of the plot To lea'
u him alone On the dcsolair i~laul' ana
3D.. extraordinary adventures Whwh we're u
y, fore him. The strange events which h'
W W pened there, and Indeed the whole nl ~
W thrilling story, Will he found W the ~
l. York Ledger, which is now ready ana j.
10 sale at ali the hook-storc- aud neM
al dopOts.
III ASH for the numhrr dated July !, aud
Sc, il Won viii gtt the continuation Of the sta
We from the place where it leaves oh here.