Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-07-05
CHAPTER II.
A GREAT STEP TAKEN.

ocean, little off the route from New
York to Australia, there lies a large
island named Kerguelen's Land, or
as Capt. Cook called it - the
Island Of Desolation.
1t was discovered Just a hundred
years ago, lin 1772, by the French
naval officer whose name it bears.
1t 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 Austria
liza, we'll up toward the South Pole.
It 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 danger
Gus that it's discoverer, during the
two expeditions that he made to it,
did not once bring his ships to
anchor in any of its bays and har-
bors.
Its shapeis very irregular, but
something like 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 lar
ger than the southern.
Its coast line is wildly broken and
jagged, its innumcrable CULTS being
long and narrow, and it's promon-
tories are correspondingly sharp
and slender, reaching out into the
ocean like fingers.
The body Of the island indeed re-
sembles that of some huge monster
of the antcdiluvian world, even as
it's capes and headlands resemble
such monsters unsightly limbs
and claws.
A more terrific solitude then this
isle of Desolation does not exist up
on 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 or wolf.
Lone, blasted and barren, it looks
like the skeleton of land that has
perishcd.
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 inhabitants, in some vast convul-
sion of nature.
1t has certainly undergone dread
full visitations; been rent by earth
quakes, pulverized by frosts, lashed
and wasted by fierce tempests.
Its mountains are only Of moder-
ate height, but are capped eternally
with snow.
Its vegetation is limited to few
dwarfish plants, including some
MOSES, a species of lichen, coarse
grass, a plant resembling small
cabbage, and a sort Of cress.
Its winds are raw and piercing,
its summers cold and frosty, its
winters those of the Polar Circles.
The interior of the island is oc-
cupied by immense boggy swamps,
where the ground sinks at every
step.
The rains in Desolation 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
gullics. The only other season than
that of the rains is one of almost
constant SNOW.
The fogs of that CHASTITY region
arc we'll worthy of the rains, being
of a cloud-like density, and hover
ing almost continually over tho
whole face of the island.
The sun of Dcsolation is usually
hidden by canopy OF lead-colored
clouds, and appears, on the rare oc
| ClSiOHS w Hcu ~ 10 oSriSSA
brighter than the f3oon in other
attitudes. AS to the moon itself
and the stars, the clouds and fogs
rarely permit them to bctray theil
existence.
No fish worthy OF note, not ever
fishes of prey, abound in the ad
jacent waters, by reason, perhaps
of their containing poisonous min
erals, or deadly exhalations from
the volcanic fires beneath them.
Yet the dark grim sea inclosin!
Desolation has done something t.
repair the sterility Of the island.
Penguins, ducks, gulls, cormor
ants and other marine birds ar
plentiful in some of its harbors.
Seals also abound.
Strange and terrible land!
Not single human being, SO ia