The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-04-06
Robin Adaic.



During the late voyage of the Swatara on the
transit Of Venus expedition the parties she
carried were mostly 1T work in Tasmania and
New Iceland: consequently the ship was some
time at Hobart Town. One day in December
1s74, | was reading II Melbourne newspaper.
and suddenly drew the attention of those hear
Inc 10 Il paragraph, which then read: 1.-The
German consul has fears for the safety of the
German party of observation who started some
three months since to 70 to the Auckland Is
! lands and establish station" by Jove,"
| said, there we are, enjoying peace and com
tort, and those poor fellows may be starving.
| will go for them" The Auckland Islands
are about 400 miles south of New Iceland, in
about 30 - south latitude and 1862 , east longi-
tude, and have never been properly surveyed.
1t WAS there that the ship General Grant was
wrecked. She ran into an immense cave and
WAS ground to pieces, and Il like accident we
thought might have happened to the German
party. So the Swatara was coaed and put in
readiness In the mean time telegrams were
exchanged between myself and the German
consul, and the newspaper article was confirm
ed by the consul. In those far southern lati-
tudes the wind blows hard, and generally from
the west, and soon the SWatara was bounding
off ut Il rapid rate. In four DAYS the island was
/ seem and on the day before Christmas the ship
| cautiously approached it and entered the har-
| bor, its officers watching and looking for signs
| OF lie, but for some time without success. The
bay is some six miles deep, and hope was al
most giving way to fear that misfortue had be-
| fallen those poor fellows in search of scientific
| facts, when. Oh passing small island in the
| bay, Il circular observatory was seen standing
out in bold relief. and over it 1oated the Ger
| man flag. On getting nearer, three cheers were
| waited over the water, and an answer was
| given that came from the heart. Soon a boat
| was sent on shore, and the whole German par
ty, nine in ALL came on board, looking fat and
| hearty, with no signs of having been in q starry
| ing condition on desolate island. There were
| hand-shakmgs and congratulations and mutual
| explanations We learned that the vess that
| brought them WAS detained so that the crew
could help put up the observatories, and did
not return to New Iceland as was arranged be-
fore starting.
1t being Christmas eve, of course they were
all kept on board to dinner, the Swatara was
| only tonr days from Tasmania, and the officers
hal kept good fare for Il Christmas dinner.
| There were the first astronomers and photo
| grapherS of Germany, two German naval otii-
GERS ,and assistant astronomers and photograph
ers sitting at the Christmas dinner on board an
| American man-of-War anchored in the hurbor
of a desolate island, and to a looker-on the
friendly feeling displayed would lead one to
think that separated band of brothers had
been reunited. Toast and song went round,
and as the SWatara had a piano on board, be-
| longing TO one Of the lieutenants, the songs
We're accompanied by music. Groups were here
and there scattered about the ward-room, when
| the chief photographer of the Germans raised
his hand to attract the attention of all. Streaks
of gray were mingled with his black hair, and
| his face impressed one at once, and indicated
that it belonged to noble maI. All eyes were
| turned toward him, and when silence reigned,
| he drew his mouth down so that one corner
formed small round O. and in melodious,
| gentle strains began to whistle "Robin Adair."
| AS bar after bar rolled out, musical soft and
sweet, nvoluntarily all We're drawn toward
| the old gentleman, and no instrument that ever
was heard could give such expression to Il tune