Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-07-20

innumerable CULTS being long and narrow, and
Its promontories are correspondlngly sharp
and slender, reaching out into the ocean like
fingers.
The body of the island indeed resembles
that of some huge monster of the antedlluvian
world, even as its capes and headlands re-
semble such monsters msightly limbs and
claws.
A more terrific solitude than this isle of
Desolaton does not exist upon our wrecked
planet.
Neither the SHOWS of Himalava nor the sands
OF Sahara can Outvie its terrors.
No iuhabItant 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 u snake or n wolf.
Lone, blasted and barren, it looks like the
skeleton of n land that had persisted.
II may indeed be that Desolation is the relic
sKthe surviving iragment-of a continent that
went down here countless ages ago. with hosts
of inhabitants in some vast CONFUSION of
nature.
1t has certainly undergone dreadful vista
tons been rent by earthquakes, puverized by
frOsts, dashed and wasted by fierce tempests.
Its mountains are only of moderate height,
but are capped eternally with snow.
Its vegetation is limited to few dwartish
plants, including some mosses, a species of
lichen. coarse grass, plant resembling
small cabbage, and sort of cress.
Its winds raw and piercing, it, summers
cold and frosty, its winters those of the Polar
Circles.
The interior of the island is occupied by i'm
mense boggy swamps, where the ground sinks
AT every step.
The rains in Desolaton 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
almost constant snow.
The fogs of that CHASTITY region are well
worthy of the rains, being of cloud-lke den
sity. and lowering almost continually over the
whole face of the island.
The sun of DesOlation is usually hidden by a
canopy of lead-colored clouds, and appears, on
the occasions when it is visible scarcely
brighter than the moon III other ATTITUDES. AS
to the moon itself and the stars, the clouds
and fogs rarely permit them to betray their
| existence.
prey, abound in the adjacent waters, by rea-
| son, perhaps. of their containing poisonous
| minerals, or deadly exhalations from the vol
| canic fires beneath them.
| Yet the dark grim mclosing Desoatlon
has done something to repair the sterity of
| the island.
| Penguins ducks, gulls, cormorants and
! othe marine birds are plentiful in some of its
harbors.
Seals also abound.
Strange and terrible land,
| Not single human being, so far as s known,
has ever lived there, save as Is now to be re-
corded 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 Clltldefs
drew near to the island of Desolation, shaping
| her course toward its northernmost bay called
| by Capt 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 passengers-a score IN num-
ber-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 ':pon 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 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.
| L mean to get our water aboard before dark,
! Capt Pedder and so avoid losing 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 in the New
| York Ledger, which il now ready and for sale
at all the bookstores and news-depots. Ask
| for the number dated July -, and in it you
will get the continuation of the story from the
place where it leaves off here.