News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-04-27
CAPT. ROBSON'S DISCOVERY.

CAPT. ROBSON'S DISCOVERY.
He Finds a New Island in the At
lantic, and on the Island Some
Curious Remains.
The New Orleans Picayu9ae says
The British steamship desmond, Capt.
Robson. arrived at this port from Mes
sina, recently, with a cargo of fruit.
Capt. Robson reports remarkable dis
covery. He says that when about 200
miles to the westward of Madeira his
attention was called to the singular ap-
pearance of the sea. The water had a
dark, muddy look, and was covered
with dead fish as far as the eye could
reach. They were of several species,
among them being noticed mullet, cod,
and bass. Soon after entering this
field of dead fish he observed faint
smoke on the horizon nearly ahead, on
the course of the vessel. Early next
morning the captain was awakened by
the second officer, and informed that
land had been sighted in the course of
the vessel. He was greatly surprised at
this information, knowing that there
was no land in this part of the Atlantic.
Upon going on deck, however, he found
that the report was correct. The dim
outlines of an island, broken by noun
tain peaks, were visible even without
the use of the glass. Above it hung a
| Of 10 ho
turbid. than on the previous day, and
the shoal of dead fish thicker. Capt.
Robson deemed it advisable to take
eoundings, not expecting, however, to
get bottom, as the charts showed
depth of from 1000 to 1900 fathoms in
that portion of the Atlantic. For some
time the sounding was without result,
but suddenly the line brought bottom at
fifty fathoms. When about four leagues
distant from the island the desmond
came to anchor in seven fathoms of wa
ter. The island was located 20 deg. 40
min. west, 25 deg. north. Capt Rob-
son determined to make an examination
of the strange land, and the yawl was
lowered and the captain and one of his
officers were rowed to the island. A
landing was effected on the low coast of
the western border, where convenient
harbor was found for the yawl. The cap
tain and several of the crew with some
difficulty, ascended the declivity.
The promontory seemed several miles
in length, and joined an extensive
tableau, which sloped gently back to
chain of mountains at great distance
off, from which rose light columns of |
smoke. The surface of the ground was
covered with pumice stone and volcanic
debris, and entirely destitute cf vegeta-
ton. It was desolate scene, where
not single living thing was to be per-
ceived. The captain and his companions
started on a tour inland, but soon found |
their progress impeded by yawning |
chasms. It was therefore determined |
to return to the beach and inspect the
island from that side. While examining
the base of tho cliff where the rock was
fractured and twisted as if by some tre-
mendous convulsion, and disclosed a bed
of breccia, a surprising discovery was
made by one of the sailors. On thrust |
ing the prong of boathook into the |
loosened mass of gravel, he dislodged a
stone arrow head. Excited by this Incl
dent, the search was continued, and
other articles of stone were discovered.
A large excavation was made, and it was
ascertained that the opening led be-
tween the crumbling remains of what
must have been massive walls. A num-
ber of articles were exhumed, such as
bronze swords, rings, hammers, carv-
ings of heads and figures of birds and
and two vases or jars with
fragments of bone, and one cranium al
most entire. The most singular thing
brought to light was what appeared to
be mummy, contained in stone case.
1t was SO incrusted with volcanic de-
posits as to be scarcely distinguishable
from the rock itself. Much difficulty
was experienced in dislodging the sar-
cophagus, which was finally taken out
whole and, with the fossils, transported
to the steamer.
Capt. Robson would have continued
this investigation, but as the aspect of
the weather became less favorable, and
he could not afford to spend more time
at the island, he sailed for this port. He
considers that the new island was raised
from the sea by volcanic action, and that
the fish were killed by the poisonous
gases from the volcano. The captain
thinks that the new land is section of
the immense ridge known to exist in the
Atlantic, and of which the Azores and
Canaries are part. He took pleasure
in exhibiting the fossils and curious
articles of which he was the fortunate
finder. The carved heads are in the
Egyptian style of sculpturing, being
by the veil or hood which
Egyptian figures. The
urns and vases are spherical with large
and upon them may be dis
cerned inscriptions in hieroglyphics.
The edges of the axes and arrow or spear
heads are blunted and jagged. The
sword is a straight weapon of bronze,
with cross-hilt.
"That is the mummy" remarked the
captain, pointing to what the reporter
had taken to be long block of stone.
closely the, hdless case, the
outlines of human figure could be
traced through the coating of scori@
and pumiee. 1t will require careful
to remove the coating. Capt.
Robson proposes to present the relics to
the British Museum at London upon
his return to Liverpool.
Not the Fashion.