The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-02
TO MAKE A KINGDOM.
THIS II WHAT THE BARON HARDEN
MICKEY PROPOSES 10 DO.
He Plans to Coionize an Uninhabited Island
Which Lies Seven Hundred Miles
OF the South Atlantic cost.

dreams; one that. IL successful, viii put
him in the most enviable OF all positions =
an independent sovereign tmonarch Of
ell he surveys. without the Crusoe curse
Of lack of human society.
He PROF oses to take an uninfaoited is
land in the south Atlantic, to people 1t,
to found a sriall but ideal kingdom and
TO make II not the least among the ma
| ticns of the earth. The Baron Harden
| Hickey has done a good many unusual
ard interesting things in the course OF
| his life. lie has embarked upon many
| novel enterprises. But this Is by far the
most unusual. the most attractive the
most difficult and the most profitable TO
his reputation. if it does rot share the
fate Of others of his chiyalric or Utopian
projects.
The baron has found the place for his
kingdom and seems TO be free to pursue
his plans without fear OF interference.
Many men have tried to get Kingdoms for
themselves, and while some have succeed
ed most have failed. The Baron Harden
Hickey IS going TO avoid one Of the chief
sources Of failure-that is, trying to seize
a kingdom TO which some one else already
has claim He IS going TO begin with an
unclaimed part of the earth's surface and
build from the ground up lie VIII I'M
port his subjects after the kingdom Is
founded and everything is in good working
order.
One would think that in these days Of
great nations mad with land greed IL
would be impossible to find any bit OF
soil outside OF regions arctic and antarctic
where some nation had not already put In
a claim But the Baron Harden-Hickey
"a
but graciOusly favorable 10 human habi-
tation-an island I'm the tropics. with eX-
cellent natural resources, with the means
Of sustaining a considerable population
and Of making some Of them rich. This
place IS an uninhabited but often visited
island called Trinidad. situated in the
south Atlantic ocean. 700 mies-three days
sailing. with a favorable wind-from the
nearest mainland.
There Is an island called Trinidad near
the mouth Of the Orinoco rivera good,
big place, with the British flag over IL.
with a prosperous population and a claim
10 some Importance In history, aside from
The fact that Robinson CrUsOe used 10
wonder how far away Il was from his
little prison. But the Trinidad Of Queen
Victoria and ,he Trinidad OF the Baron
Harden-Hickey are not the same. II you
look on a map Of the south Atlantic
straight out from the coast OF Brazil, you
will light upon a mere speck with "Trini-
dad T. written against IT, on a chart
YOU viii find that Il is In south latitude
twenty degrees thirty minutes, west longi-
tude twenty-nine degrees twenty-five
minutes.
You would look through n good many
libraries before you found any sort Of de-
scriptiOn Of II. Thet few who have taken
the trouble 20 describe il tell that IL is
about twenty-three miles long and three
miles wide. and that IL is probably Of vol
canic origin. II has been often seen, but |
seldom visited. Nearly every ship that |
goes around the Horn sights Trinidad 10
correct its chronometer But only a dis !
tressed ship ever stops there. and not a |
few Of these have stopped there only TO |
break i'm pieces on its reefs. 1t is covered |
with a luxuriant tropical vegetation. but |
has very few trees. This has led TO the |
suppostion that there has been within |
century or so a violent CONFUSION Of ma |
ture. volcanic or cylonic.
a glance from the deck Of a passing yes |
sci would convince an experienced eye |
that Trinidad is one Of those islands |
which have been heaved up suddenly from |
the bottom of TIE sea within a few cen |
turtles. It's coasts are steep and rocky |
ard forbidding. and everywhere are lava |
and other traces Of volcanic action The |
winds and the waves brought life from the /
mainland and low il Is covered with |
green and filed with the sounds Of trOpi- |
cal birds. Like most Of these Islands, 1t |
Is n great breeding place for birds. and |
therefore rich in guano. There Is no har-
Dor Safe landing is possible only In |
quiet weather. with the wind blowing |
from the northW est
II was on one of the days II was thus
.lers L fair
discovered IT, Tie had taken passage from
France I'm the sailing vessel Astoria, bound
westward around the Horn. She met nasty
weather and was driven near Trinidad.
As she bad been long delayed and needed
fresh water, they waited for a calm day
and put into the difficult harbor. Baron
Harden-Hickey made some explorations
enough 20 set the present project 20 work
i'm his mind He found on the highland.
which forms the centre OF the island,
traces of two attempts that had been made
to colonize there. Both were over a cen
fury ago. the first being English and the
second a Portuguese penal settlement.
Since the failure Of the second settlement |
no one has tried 10 live on the Island
and no nation has includede Il In the list
OF its possessions. The baron found II al
most I'm It's natural state. with hocks OF
Wild fowl and myriads OF turtles, both
having come there for breeding purposes
The Astoria went on her way. and the
baron took up other affairs. II has been
five years since he visited the island but
he has never lost sight OF the idea that
came 20 him and was confirmed when
he found no nation had any claim 10 the
place Now matters are In such shape
that with the coming OF spring the baron
hopes TO set about the founding Of his
kingdom, and this time year he expects
TO see II I'm full blast.
II is interesting 10 listen 10 his eXplana-
ton of his project. as did reporter for
The World The baron IS living with his
at Is west Fifty-second
street. lie Is tall and slender, with the
manners and speech OF man OF the
world. lie Is a Frenchman and wears a
small blond mustache and goatee. Tie looks
even younger than he Is. and he was born
In 1884. He he's a clear. rudy complexion
an afreeable smile. and handsome face
He speaks English with 50 slight an ac-
cent that one would not discover II were
he not looking for e.
81 am citizen OF France" said he but
that has nothing 70 DO with my estah-
fishing myself IN complete Independence
There Is no danger that France will claim
the island because may settle it.
There are few difficulties 50 far as get
ting the land is concerned. No nation
wants Trinidad and none has any claim
to Il. According to the principles OF inter-
national law. ! can go there and by act
uaily settling establish my right 20 IL
The next thing is TO get other nations TO
your independence. | have al
ready got the approval Of several nations
have not said anything TO the United