New-York tribune., 1874-12-07
THE TRANSIT EXPEDITION,
VOYAGE OF THE SWATARA.


TO LAND PARTY on THE CRozET ISLANDS
THE STEAM LAUNCH SWEPT AWAY IN A STORM
LIEUT. RYAN's PARTY LEFT AT KERGU Ellen
IsLAND-Two PARTIES IN TASMANIA.
rEoM rIE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNr.l
HOBART Town, Tasmania, Oct. live were
sorry TO leave Cape Town. sixty days from New
York made us enjoy with keen relish the
spen-hearted hospitality of the Capetomans. They
are justly proud OF their pretty town, with its
slean streets and quiet Sundays. They are loyal
20 fault 10 the Home Government They would
feel misfortune he deprived OF the joys OF
between Hga Church aud Low or not to have
their elections in the good manner prescribed 10y Radical
EnGshmen. electinc the candidate who can send the
greatest number OF hacks 10 bring up delin
oaent voters. Something in the air which
comes fresh from the top Of Table Rock
makes the bluff " good morning. Of the transplanted
Englsh tradesman sound like their excellent roast
beet tastes took II all unmeaut their apology that
they were sorry they could not give beef as they
had at home" And the way they speak of homel 1t
makes an American, who cannot help wishing them the
blessed privilege OF having individual chances for the
Presidency Of the E glish Republic, turn away iscour-
AGED They are not reluhhean-not they. The splen-
ddly uniformed redcOat soldiers the we'll Kept bat
terIcs the presence. usually, OF British man-owar IN
smon- Bay all evidences that they not vet old
enough a colony support their own troops or Eng-
hand would leave them DO It, she has already the
colonies OF Australia Cape Colony may grow-but Its
growth will not he ii wOnld have been had
not the suez Canal cut of its traffic with vessels bound
toward or from the ports of Asia The diamond fields
and gold will do much, but the isolation or
the country from the ceners Of modern olvhizatlon
courled with the comparative barrenness OF
Central Africa will drive emigration from England 10
ohr colonies with cooler climes and better prospects,
D. far Observed there Is scarcely any element or
nm grafton from ans country hut England. The ola-
nond hunters seldom stay long and their fuencc over
no enlou = IS no
,aolcs did themselves credit and If they would only
dsabuse their minds Of the errors that all American
stump 81 leakers, and that the vivaciy and
kforwah;y Of the American men they meet arc tho
svcfow Of spirits caused by the removal of woman'5
tyranny over Them they would he still perfec
tiou. They retain the English wOman's love of solid
scrauce in dress and, though their full dress seemed
riae too sober, thought they looked almost as well
D. the sweet faces ana slender forms left behind
A long sea voyage in a man-ofwar however, Is apt TO
a critical eye, and Dayhap our American women
are far Their saperors
voYAGING IN TIE SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN.
On the afternoon Of Aug. II, we steamed ont OF the
excellent dock, and at III The evening the light from
the Cape OF Good Hope stood two miles on our port side
The night was beautiful! One Of the most exquisite Of
suusei.-jne I had not seen cqualed in our voyage
tLroash the tropics. lent indescrlhabe feeling that
xc were lust entering unknown ocean; that as we
ras..d the silent Cape light would step into some
thing unlike the regions Of the Atlantic. Nor was our
yaaue imlrcssion wrong. Already the most bcauNuI
nbo.phor,sceut waves gracefully cured away from the
Sims sides IN long swell from the southwest broke
spd sLowcrcd upon millions Of the hte points
Of light very far exceeding in briancy and number
those we bad in the tropics. We almos: thought
hat AZ tmes phantom form OF ths disnasted Fly
iEE DIchman crossed the bow OF our good ship 10 warn
us that yond in the region of the south Seas our
pleasant sailing was end. On the next morning
tie wud blew gale, the sun coming out at intervals
We had watched him getting higher and higher ana hls
passing the meridian now much to the north OF the
zenith cal ed to our minds tina; TeIc.genG further
south every day
On tie second uisht ont from Cape Town we had our
hrst introduction Cape gale. With the h",cEc5 bat
tened down our ship took board several "scas, and
the water working through the matches covered the
BERN deck below with water four inches deep 1t was
rur rst experience in very heavy sea, ana we ound
ourselves exceedingly uncomfortable. The dDiaGtabe
broke loose from It's mOoruGs AMI the next morning.
Whit with floating shoes and broken dishes coupled
with the water and foul air underneath the closed
ba-cLes, felt indeed that we were martyrs for
,cpnce. Il singular TO notice that whenever We
kit a poIt. the amount Of growing at the existing
tia.e Of things was ia direct ratio 10 the number OF
people who not very well, aud who were called
troln the table before they had finished their meals.
IL z seldom even stopped 10 ADJUST knife and fork.
So il was after leaving Cape Town. | have no douh:
tar some energetic journalist VIII find hil Of rdct-
uent acatu,t the management on board ship When |
J
never were seasick-oh no !hut they could not bear
such har snip Is they found on the SwataTs.
o. sunday, tie sd, We were In the latitude known
sIoug the eaOr as TIE roaring forty" We AL
b1t bccaac.-3lt the ctcIna ong, rolling swell from
toe west oli Us that wind bows there sometimes and
we're not Ovr-alIous to know how hard 1t can blow
under revocation L was not until Wednesday, the
IL tlat VIC fuiv felt ourselves under tn influence
oftac strong westerly winds which blow the wear round
from tie same direction. The wind bew gale. and in
Ne morning brought Us a genuine snow-siolm. We
latitude 20 south. AMI longitude 43o east.
BY Saturday were IN tue ueigIoogAO0d OF Crozot,
and under that date made the following entry IL NY
journal:
Aug. 29-A' midnight last night We stopped steaming
and ltv 90 ~ heavy and su b a gilc OF wind
mt wondered ho~ tAe pianEs Dolts could stay
to-ejLer I4e WIND blow from tn uotth AMI nOrta-
wet Bringing witlHa Gel+e fog. We d,d 10, know
position, FOR tie had aecn hidden for several
Gay; po,,I ot CroZ-t Island differed by five de-
siuted u vol nee aud a s4f Of wilma was accompanied
win rising barometer. for tie barometer accompanies
Iaiuer IMAM ior e.s these gales. About 2 =. We
telmed aAeai s.owy, and al = tho fox dl, ppearcd
W H. Crl ~ si-"i. i some OF the iO.ts OF inc
II,.l states "ho thourh. 1t -ucl solous p.Stme 70
be attached 10 the exped.sOA here, they would
iesAZ- tAeT mistake.
sTEAMING AMONG TTR CROZRTs.
Tie next day, sunday. at 3 a. IN. sighted Hog
Island, the Of the Crozet group, base
iusl visible under heavy bank Of fog. We neared 10
within a nile and haf, and from that distance. wi IA
the fog il ting and few rays OF sunlight which seemed
20 be furnished expense the outlook was not 80
very bad. The WING blew gale it, top, and the
Dol seemed unable 10 decide whether Il would grow
grass Not tree visible. The jagged edges OF
e black rocks they rise from the glOpIug beach did
add to their questionable dcsraDihty a residence
fur months. We left the towering peal: to nud tho
Of way Of the OF TO: which is forever
around It's top. and steamed ahead 10 make other
hand possible for wished to be certain OF
position before night set in. Ten could
Gee nothing Of Hog Island. Possession Island which