New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-27

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We could not tell. At all events 1t was
strange funeral procession. to which the
twilight, fading into night upon the sea.
the black rocks fringed with surf, the white
sand beach with its dark background Of
maugroyes added a wild ricturesqueness.
Returning TO che vessel after dark, We
found an unexpected guest on board. lie
was, by his own account, q native OF Ecua
dor, had been in The opposition. and. after
seeing number of his friends and family
executed. and being imprisoned himself, he
had at last made his escape. A friend, who
mad rented one or more OF these islands, Of
tered him refuge mere. on condition that
ne should plant part 81 the island, look
after the catsle, ate. At first ne had sixty
~ seventy poems under him; but, after
. time, his friend mad withdrawn the
greater part of the men 20 work on another
ISLAND. promising to return after two
months Many months had now passed
away. and be had no tldings Of them; and
knowing that mutlnOus disposition cA-
stcd on the vessel he feared evil had be-
fallen his friend. lie ana his haiI dozen
companions had exhausted all their pro-
visions. except such az the island at
fsrded-ish, Wild cattle. and wild pigs.
They had neither coffee nor bread nor
sugar nor salt nor tobacco lett their shoes
were worn out. and their clothes were not
in much better condition. Seeing the smoke
Of our vessel. some of them had come down
with their leader from their huts, some four
miles away, had succeeded in attracting at
sntioR bv their signals from the beach.
aud boat had been sent tor them. They
Dassed the night on board, and the next
dav feSurue6 TO their settlement with such
supplies in food and clothing as we could
give them. Whether the story was true or
not, whether the man and his companions
were sXiles for social or political o1tenseS
the situation was dreary and desolate
enough to excite compassion and charity.
We remained but two days as Charles
island. and started Tor our next station,
Al6smarle island, OF the twelfth Of June.
accompanied on our departure by a crowd
of blackfsh They followed our vessel
long distance, playing SO close about Us
that we could look into their great blunt
shouts as they threw themselves out OF the
water. and watch every movement as they
swan alongside. All the afternoon we
&Oasted along the western 4lde of Able
marie ISLAND, trying to make landing. 1t
was % strange scene-a barren mountain
rising FROM the sea, the base and slope of
which were covered with extinct craters.
In small tract upon the shore, GER
tAinly not more than . square mile in
extent, J counted tOrty-eight little era
ters some perfectly symmetrical, others lr-
regular and blasted out On one side. IN
voluntarily there rose to ones mind the
pictur of q vast underground foundry;
these craters seemed the Chtmneys of some
huge smelling furnace IL the bowels of the
earth, worked by a subterranean Vulcan
and his men. AT sunset a long narrow
shred of cloud stretched ribbonIihe across
the whole mountain side. 1t was deeply
tinged by the setting sun, and shed red
glow beneath it, contrasting strangely with
the black streams and sheets OF lava which
threw themselves down the mountain side
rs if they had cooled but yesterday.
Orr chart directed us TO Iguana Seve,
bus the go called coye proved TO be rocky.
upeA shore against which d heavy surf was
breaking. As We could see no chance for
landing, ~ sloNeI down. and crept along
tn toward daylight, when We made for
Tagus sound asd anchored ia . deep. quiet
bay. which can not always have seen peace
fui as it now IL. since 10 va. blasted out by
volcanic eIuptioHs The steep sides, which
plunge down int, the water and hardly give
toathcld anyvher are the walls Of an OLD
crater, aud the shOlc ground. consisting Of
abrupt hills ana ravInesr seem. bUlit OF
sontOrteS ia.a sheets. The first day, owing
20 the heavy surf and difficult landing.
90 not CO. slOre. rus oontented myself
with seeing the great variety 0f new and
beautiful tish caught On board, With watch
in. the large. l!zard-!ike iguanss swim
ming past. and Win feeding the pretty
,uIl. Hith soft brown and C-ay
pIu,r.pe aud -ed bills " n!cil came round
;h. vessel. The next day. the sea having
gone down. sOiUeG the shore party. We
landed AZ the foot % d raviDe ~hi,b you
wont. say must once have been the bed OF
. stream in shls burned and parched up re
y;Du W, followed this rayIne Ger a little
S;.tonce and thcn. climbing II. ief. bank.
~, .nunt ourselves. after a shcr- walk. on
the led pp of y large crater holding a beau
,,fuI lax. IA iC. drp.b TIE curve. Ot the
lar, VAS orrtact!; REGULAR. but thew broke
dow, :, = low rjip. reward the eaa and
Inn. formed . syya,net,ic.! amphithestre.
instead r,. circle the ridge being only
No., prough 10 hold hark HE waters OF a
sL,II.u. Ia. Kim, Green ana .rystsI clear
!, ;h,. Notion, ~ .hi. broken Guy, From
tn. point the .leG vas beautiful! owe. che
iak. 20 the pretty narG0. 1T TagUs sound.
where eur ship AS ~ anchor, and Tar out
20 The bin" sea beyond. TN. lake crater ~
but .Mailcr oEc i.lng ~ithlR smother
iaDch larger, vhich race IA a higher AMI
.ou.l'y eXiLG.'ri"A. smph!fhsatre aboV"
ia. ligs'
Fo,ro~:.. tho hv;r' 1T III. .akt. I" il.
upI,r-.ut, We stack across the head .: tte
raIin, Nv which we .ati come. Gere We
entered ,ip,a . truly s,ondertul .avaqegion.
W. found oursc've. upon a kind of ridge
from which ~ looked down upon an i'm
,.,us. circular scld 81 sea OF lava, spread
inv ont OYER an area Of many miles until it
reaches 'he 4ashore We-wenr down upon
Mi. halH Of lave and found it full Of the
,.oa: .;Do,.}ar and Interesting details of
i,,v. structure. Sc some instances ii lava
(.lb,la sas blown up. the side blasted QUE,
and ,cu could see dows 70 the floor Of a
,Ipau vertical tube OF hole running thirty ~
forty fee, ,nso the ground. 4 rcmemhcp
one in particular, wi II stray sunbeam
had found Is way TO the very bottom, and
ead lighted up the black walls and floor
with a strange brili.ncy as if ILLUMINATED
from within. Memory has = singular per