Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-10-16
ocEANlcA cRUsoEs.
Strange; Discovery Reported
From the South Pacific.
MISCELLANEOUS GOTHAM GLEANIRGs

New YoEK, October IA correspondent
of the Herald, writing from Sidney, Aus
tralia, tells the following curious story:
Some years ago the New Bedford whalers,
who visited the South Pacific-and doubt
less one or two of them are still living
found an island nearly midway between
what was then known as New Holland and
New leland. In climate, in flora and in
fauna it differed from both, and presented
many of the paradoxes not uncommon at
the antipodes. Hearing that the govern
ment of New South Wales had decided thai
it was the best possible position for obsery-
ing the next transit Of Venus, your corre-
spondent visited the place last month.
Nearly an hour before the government otfi-
cials put in an appearance our vessel was
boarded by whaleboat's crew, steeTed
over the reef by an ancient mariner, whose
dialect was so familiar that ] at once asked
him e. ..a..
what Part Of the 3 ate He Hailed From.
"New Bedford, sir" was the response.
How long have you been here?' was my
next query, and the reply was, "Wall,
nigh on forty years, guess"
During q stay Of ten days, on what Is the
nearest approach to press mans ideas OF
the land OF the lotus eaters, learned more
OF the man who for we'll nigh half century
has not heard from his friends at home.
Nathan Chase Thompson is a native of
Somerset, Mass 4, and virtually does all the
work of this island. Henry Wilson, a ma
tive Of Newburg, n. Y, was put ashore
there from a whaler twelve years ago to die,
but still lives and is hale. p. johnson
(colored) a native Of Pennsylvania, is also
located there, as was also BostoHian
named Leonard, whose relatives may not
vet know that he was killed two years
since in brawl by the father of house
keeper of his who was left on the island by
the whaler Alabama, of New Bedford.
There are not more than half dozen
adults on the island outside the families OF
those l have mentioned, and those look
upon Thompson as
A Sort OF Santa Claus.
The whole place is only six miles in length
by about one and half wide, and OF this
fully two miles is taken up by Mount Cow
er, which rises sheer from the sea on the
southern side to an altitude OF 1850 feet,
and Mount Lingbird to height OF 1900
feet. For about four miles north OF the
latter the soil and foliage are something
approaching the miraculous, the former
consisting of decomposed vegetable matter,
intermingled with guano partially denudcd
of its strength by tropical rains; palms and
ferns such as no portion OF Australia can
boast of and banian trees only equalled in
India, together with eighteen other species
of shrubs and trees which have been classi.
fed by visiting scientists. Thompson has
q garden In which he is now cultivatiHg
coffee plants covering three acres Of ground,
and the whole of this is surrounded by a
single banian tree. The wonders OF this
strange land have recently been so i'm.
pressed upon thegovernment OF New South
Wales that orders have been issued inter
dieting the destruction or removal of plants,
trees or seeds, and the tenure Of the resi-
dents limited to yearly leases at pleasure
of the executive OF this colony.