Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-07-03


with a ripping laugh. d" knew the thing
was feasible And so in two weeks NOR,
our fond bridegroom will be blowing the sea
again"
:. In two weeks more. Ruth? We shall
be off in six OF eight days The cargo is
fairly tumbling aboard the Flying Chiiders,
to say nothing of fair list of passengers.
The honeymoon Of our 10 wing doves will be
abridged to six short days more. you may be
certain.
CHAPTER IL,
GREAT STEP TAKEN.
la the midst Of the Antarctic ocean,
little off the route from New York to Aus
trala, there lies a large island named ker-
guelen's Land, Ur-as Capt. Cook called 1t
the Island of DesOlatIOn.
1t was discovered just a hundred years
ago, Tin l772,) by the French naval officer
whose name it bears. Ii was uninhabited
then, 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 and
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 so wild and dangerous that
its dIscoverer. during the two expeditions
D
ships to anchor IN any OF its bays ana har
bors.
Its shape is very irregular, but something
ike that of an hour glass. it being nearly
cut in two by a couple OF large bays, but
these two divisions are unequal in size, the
northern peninsula being much larger than
the southern.
It's coast line is wildly broken and Jagged,
| its innumer able CULTS being long and mar
row, and its promOntOries are corresponding
/ ly sharp and slender, reaching out into the
ocean like fingers.
The BODY OF the island indeed resembles
that OF some huge monster of the antedilu-
Wan world, even as its capes and beadlands
resemble such a monsters unsightlY limbs
and claws
/ A more terrific solitude than this Isle OF
/ Desolation does not exist upon Ou- wrecked
/ planet.
Neither the SHOWS of Himalaya nor the
sands OF Sahara can Outyie It's terrors.
No inhabltant l. there, not even savage
no house. no tree, no shrub, no fence nor
road, no field nor garden, no horse, no dog
even a snake OF d wolf.
Lone, blasted and barren, 1t looks like
the skeleton OF "a land that has persisted
/ Ii may indeed be that DesolatiOn is the
relic surviving tragment-0l a CONT
ncnt that went down here countless ages
ago, with hosts OF inhabitants, IN some vast
| cJnYulsIon Of nature.
/ 1t has certainly undergone dreadful vista
tions been rent by earthquakes, pulverzed
/ by frost5, dashed and wasted by fierce tenn
pests.
It's mountains are only OF moderate height,
/ but are capped eternaly with snow.
/ It's vegetation Is limited to a few dwarhsh
7 plants, including some MOSES, species Of
\ lIchen, coarse grass, plant resembling
small cabbage, an1 a sort Ot cress.
/ It's winds are raw ana piercing. its summers
cold and frosty, its winters those OF the Polar
Circles.
The interior Of the island is occupied by
/ immense boggy swamps, where the ground
sInas al every step.
/ The rains IN Desolati0n are almost inces :
SAINT, IN their season, aud the island Is accord
/ ugly veined with numerous torrents of fresh
water. some OF which have worn out OF the
solid rock tremendous cavities AMI gullIes.
The only other season than that OF the IA ms
is one OF almost constant snow.
The logs ot that guastly region are well
worthy OF the rains, beng OF Oud-lIke
density and towering almost continually over
the whole face OF the island.
The sun Of DtsoIatiJn is usually hidden by
a canopy OF lie td-colored coui-, and appears,
] On the rare occasions when It IS visible,
.
ATTITUDES. As 70 tue moon l'seH' anu 'ue
stars the clouds and logs rarely permit them
70 heITay ther existence
- n5n worthy % noe, 10. Ven us.-es u
prey apounu IN 'ue HoJ en- ~ 70
7 son. perhaps VI '"o'' O0u1"'uins PolsouoIs
hlheFAis' u 1oaulJ IAIAi'-'''ls io'N 'U' w
came nres beneath 1Nem'
ct the uArA grim sea IHcIosius Jesus lOH
! mas done something 70 repair 'u9 S'e''l''y "a
'hG isianI. 49,,
fehsulns' JUGS gun e,iiii'i cue 1'il
otnTr III ''iue '''u9 '-'0 p'e'i'''u' ''i VI
us haIoo'S'
Seals also abound.
Strange and terrible land
Not single human being, 80 far as Is
known, has ever lived there, save as Is now 10
be recorded IN these pages
Near the mdiiso. a dull, dismal Afternoon II,
some eleven weeks later IMAM the date OF the
preceding events the GOOD ehiP f'y'Ig t|4's"''S
grew near 80 'ue is-'5ul o' Ds7'I.'llli' iap
ms AeI course ''N4Iu us ho''-''' ',i '7- Jay
canvas incIudln, .tuidlps-s4i.s.