American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-07-06

| ships to anchor in any of its bays and har-
bors-
Its shape is very irregular but something
like that of an hour glass, it being nearly cut
in two by couple of large bays; but these
two divisions are unequal in size, the north
crn peninsula being much larger than the
southern.
Its coast line is wildly broken and Jagged,
its innumerable CULTS being long and narrow,
and its promontorics are correspondingly
sharp and slender, reaching out into the
ocean like fingers.
Tie body of the island indeed resembles
that of some huge monster of the antedilu-
Wan world even us its capes and headlands
resemble such a monsters unsightly limbs
and claws.
a more terrific solitude than this isle of
Dcsolation does not exist upon our wrecked
planet.
Neither the SHOWS of Himalaya nor the
sands of Sahara can outvic its tcrrors.
No inhabitant 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 Il wolf.
Lone, blasted and barren, it looks like the
skeleton of land that has persisted.
1t may indeed be that Desolation is the
relic-the surviving fra@ment-of a continent
that went down here countless ages ago,
with hosts of inhabitants, in some vast con-
vusiOn of nature.
tions; been rent by earthquakes, pulverized
by frosts, shed and wasted by fierce tenn
pests.
Its mountains are only of moderate height,
but are capped cterually with snow.
Its vegetation is limited to few dwarfish
plants, including some MOSES, species of
lichcn, coarse grass, plant resembling a
small cabbage, and Il sort of cress-
Its winds are raw and piercing, its sum
merS cold and frosty, its winters those of
the Polar Circles.
The interior of the island is occupied by
immense boggy swamps, where the ground
sinks at every step.
The rains in Desolation are almost inces-
SAINT, in their season, and the island is ac-
cordingly veined with numerous torrents of
fresh water, some of which have worn out
of the solid rock tremendous cavities and
@Illies. The only other season than that of
the rains is one of almost constant snow.
The fogs of that ghaslly 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 Dissolution is usually hidden by
a canopy of lead-colorcd clouds, and appears,
on the occasions 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 existence.
No fish worthy of note, not even fishes of
prey, abound in the adjacent waters, by rea-
son, perhaps, of their containing poisonous
minerals, or deadly eNhalatiOns from the vol
canic fires beneath them.
Yet the dark grim inclosing Des olation
has done something to repair the sterility of
the island.
Penguns, 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, far as is
known, has ever lived there, save as is now
to he recorded in these pages.
Near the middle of "a dull, dismal after
noon, some eleven weeks later than the date
of the preceding events. the good ship Fly
ing LNItiel-s drew near to the island of Des-
olation, shaping her course toward its north
ernmost bay, called, by Captain Cook, Christ
mas 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 passengers-a score in
number-had gathered in groups, mostly for
ward, 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 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 happy, with Will.
Hawley beside him.
Il 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
extraordinary adventures which were 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 ne ws -depots. Ask
for the number dated July IS, and in it you
will get the continuation of the story from
the place where it leaves Off here.