Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-10

population. But lis history is one OF death
10 mariners, ruin 10 capital. and starvation
and death 10 eInigrants, who. 10 further
some dastardly stock scheme of plunder,
have from time TO time been left 10 die
alone upon it, Its entire interior IL one vast
utterly irreclaimable wilderness OF rock,
swamp. and bog. The stunted spruce Is IN
many places so matted. dense. ana storIn-
broken that Wild animals cannot penetrate
1t, and shipwreckod men have walked on
top of the murderous mass for miles.
There are no safe harbors. In every direc-
ton extend into the Gulf limestone reefs
20 entrap and wreck.
The only humans existing upon 1t are
the keepers of the lighthouses and wreck
ing stations. varily supplied with supplies
in fair weather; a half dozen traPpers ana
hunters who are set down on its shores
from venturesome slOops: an occaslona,
"egger" who here pursues his contraoand
vocation unmolested through fear OF APP
preaching his haunts: or downright out
laws who consign themselves to an
inconceivably more wretched prison.
ment than any known government
can provide. Pufiins and sea-gulls
skriek around Il: few wild animals de-
your each other upon II /; its deadly shores
are strewn with ever-bleaehlng Wrecks
every hoarse song ofthe sea beating against
it, crags is a dirge for the dead, whose
skeletons rot beneath; but curiously
enoucb "a if in keeping with that seeming
law Of compensation which holds danger
and sacrifice rs the price Of all attainment
OF value. its cruel coycs and impenetrable
bays swarm with mackerel. cod, seals ana
whales in prOfusiOn not elsewhere known
Of men.
BEAUTIFUL MINGAS.
But II is a more pleasant thing to turn
ones sipht from such accursed shores 20
the beauteOus Mingan Islands TO the north.
Emerald. amethyst, and onyx, set III feath-
cry surf. they are, and all day the sunllght
and the vagrant mists play over their WIN
some sea-face wOndrOusly indeed. All the
wav eastward toward the Atlantic the great
Iaurentian range Of mountains gradually
lessons IN altitude. breaking into rounded
and s0ftened elevations with here and there
a loweriugclih 10 hint Of the Sahara OF stone
behind. But there splendid old peak leaps
upright ike fierce outpost toward me sea
| Over and above the Mingan isles 1t litts its
! cloudy head midway between the Maggie
and st. John rivers. THIS is grim old MI
81. John. and ,he river of that name IN
which countless salmon play, Is one OF the
noblest Of the northern coast. But there
IS no escaping tale and sight of the wreck.
/ The westcrnmost islcts of the Mlngans are
called the Perroquets. Thew are the highest
and scenically the most admirable OF the
group. Here Captain Deschamps pointed
/ ont the spots where the great steamers the
/ CLYDE and the North Briton were totally
wrecked in September, 1853, and Noyem-
/ Der. 1861: while on the shore Of every one
/ Of these great outliers Of the Silurian basin,
marking the boundaries Of the old-tlme
! Slurian seas. il half embedded wreck OF
shore-strewn 1otsam of vessels nevermore
/ % sail.
In and out of Mingan harbor. around
whose shores cling q remnant of the ban
! ished Acadlans of Nova Scotia. intermin-
glcd with French half-breeds and NASHUA
pee Indians. all of whom receive ministTa.
| lions from the Oblate Fathers ~ a quaint
old mission: before the modern fishing WI
lacc of Long Point behind the Perroquets
and between and about most of these
splendid islands we sailed at will for three
! idvllic dnye-idvllic at least % the English
tourist and myself and our captain bold
chattcd away merriy Of the many things
he knew. which all men SO love to tell.
But our Yankee timber-explorer could see
mo- place for mills. no trees for cutting, nc
money 10 make, and legend and tale were
barren of interest TO him.