Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-07-05
A LETTER THAT CAME NOT.

the China station, with orders to visit the
South Pacific islands en- route. We left San
Francisco on the Sd of August, and as | recall
the first part of the voyage out, we had strong
favorable winds that carried us to the line,
distance of over two thousand miles, in six
teen days, very fair average for a small
steam corvette under sail alone. We slipped
through the Doldrum regions at the rate OF
hundred miles day, and took up the south
east trades without being conscious of having
lost the northeast. The morning watch would
trim the sails, steady taut the braces and
''sweat home'' the sheets, an hour would be
devoted to routine drills, and then the balance
of the day would be given up to delicious
idling, the officers with pipes and books, and
the men with clothing and ditty boxes. A cool
ing breeze swept through the hattened wind
sails; the royals and Airport stern sails gave
her comfortable list, and day after day
rolled over and under us until the page of the
nautical almanac showed that one whole
month had been crossed off. Then came q
few days of tiresome calm.
We were in latitude 24 degs south, longi
tude l2S degs west. Ii you will take the
trouble to look on a map of the South Pacific
ocean at about that latitude and longitude,
ksysys will find q tiny speck, not larger than
l5Ebkt made by needle point, indicating an
Island. There arc hundreds of such specks
in the Pacific ocean, many of them without
names, and all of moro or less uncertain loca-
ton. This one, however, bears the name of
Elizabeth or Henderson Island. have never
been able to learn anything about it-when
it was discovered or who gave it its name.
Some of the early English adventures, posi-
bly, one of the ships OF the Wilkes expedition
or some whaler, may have run across it,
taken rough set OF sights, pricked it on
their charts, named it after their sweet
hearts or themselves, and then squared away
for new bits of worlds. Maritime history is
wonderfully silent on many such points. All
know is that early on the morning of Sept
the mast head lookout reported LAND no"
and the next day we drifted sufficiently near
it to warrant the captain sending an officer
i'll boat with sextant, chronometer and
artificial horizon to get careful set of
sights and to give it a hurried exploration
Many an addition to accurate geography
has been made in just such way, and felt
quite flattered when the detail fell to me togo
on shore. Aside from the stretch to ones
limbs which the solid earth promised, there
was the feeling that this strange bit OF land
had perhaps never been trodden by the foot
OF man before. Perhaps 1T was Mountain
Peak Of the lost Atlantis, a silent witness to
some terrific CONFUSION that sunk 1t beneath
the wave. Who could tell! Here 1t lay. how
ever, indefinitely charted and liable to bring
some unsuspectlng mariner to grief unless
properly located. Here was chance to earn
the fame of having made known an unknown
corner OF the world, and was pleased as well
as fattered. We left the ship in whale boat,
six strong oarsmen, coXswain, mldshlp-
man to mark time for the observations, and
myself An easy swell lifted us gently to Its
crest, and then lowered us with mild taste
OF tobogganlng to Its hollow, While thespark-
ling wake behind US showed line OF bubbles
far down through the shimmerlng blue. The
land was fully five miles Off, but the men bent
to a long, steady stroke, and IN an hours time
we were near enough to see an unbroken line
OF white breakers rolling and tumbllng over
the narrow strip OF beach. The SIDES OF the
island seemed nearly perpendicular, while the
lead failed to give potion at tnlroy laohoihs,
close as we WERE l turned the southwark
in hopes OF finding an opening In the breakers
there that would permit me to land, but the
same threatening wall of blue with its crest
of Kissing white roared defiance at me. l
began to despair OF ever effectlng landing,
when on turning to the northward on the west
side found the clasp OF this white necklace,
a patch of blue that told OF break In the
reef and a passage through to the tiny inlet
| beyond it. Such breaks in the coral reefs that
| encicle these lonely islands are very COM
| mon, and their explanation simple.
| The rainfalls find their way to the sea
through some depression. Where the fresh
water strikes the salt coral life Is destroyed
| Directly III line With this break was Il gulcp,
the only one observed during my circuit. All
! the rain water from the top flowed TO the
sea through this gulch; hence the little bay
and the cut in the coral circle Advancing
cautiously, found that at about TWO nun
dred yards from the beach there were Ten
fathoms of water Ihls continued until ABOUT
fifty yards from the beach, when the depth
abruptly Swallowed to three fathoms. twas
only by the exercise OF extreme caution that
our boat was successfully carried through the
narrow passage, clear OF the surf that wrlthed
and dashed on either side, ana we were enabled
to land.
Having secured the boat, warned the men
about straying too far away and eatlnS any
of the berries OF fruit that they might lind,
started up the gulch for the top OF the island,
accompanied by the midshipman and man
to carry the Instruments. got fine set OF
sights, sent the man back to the boat, and
then took stroll about the plateau like top.
1t was only about mile III circumference,
and covered with thin coating OF soil that
supported rank tropical growth. AS soon
as could examined the character OF the
island: as veritable corpse as ever suffering
friends followed to the grave. Once living
an active, energetic life, it was now lifeless,
an inert mass, an object of assault for wind,
rain and wave.
The first blow of my hammer betrayed the
dead coral and subsequent investigation
proved that Elizabeth Or Henderson island,
lying in latitude "a deggs. 81 min. south and
longitude l2S dogs. 10 min. west, was simply
a mass of coral, browning doubtless some
submarine mountain top covered with a thin
soil of disintegrated coral and vegetable
mold, and planted by natures great gar
deners, the birds. Wehad experienced great
difficulty in getting to the top: the vines,
which choked the gulch which we had
clambered, were so thickly interlaced as to
cover up the holes and render passage danger