The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-02-21
HE WAS VERY MUCH DISTURBED.

tude and longitude corresponded with
!, his to minute the old man was scared
out of his long legged sea boots. He
rushed on deck for another look at the
strange island. He seized his glass and
went aloft, and after long look he felt
easier in his mind and yet continued to
be disturbed
1t was not the island of Amsterdam.
Right on the great highway Of ships he
had discovered nameless island and an
unCharted one. Just where that tree
covered spot of earth was hove up his
/. chart of the Indian ocean showed clear
Even when the brig had cautiously run
down to within mile of the beach and
swung her yards the old manrubbed his
1 ewes and looked and wondered. 1t was
!, a sure enough island, however. Davis
island, as it was named and charted,
was described as an island two miles
long by one mile across, fairly level,
II about3 so feet above the sea, with .
dense growth Of forest and plenty Of
+ fresh water. Captain Davis was pulled
+ ashore and spent a day wandering over
4 the island. His conclusions were that
\ the place had existed for about Is years,
I and he carried away proofs that it had
been hove up out Of the depths of the
sea by submarine earthquake. There
4 were several varieties of trees and
bushes and plants. with abundance OF
grass, and the beach on the north side
was safe, and the water was to be had
SO conveniently that when it was placed
on the chart whaling ships were advised
to stop there to refill their casks.
+ Captain Davis found no inhabitants,
no animals, nothing but a species OF
harmless serpent. When he reached
England, he told of his discovery, and
with a sailors desire to make the most
of a yarn he gave it as his opinion that
gold could be had by the barrel for the
digging. He had brought none away
with him, and people didn't stop to ask
on what he based his opinion. The sto-
~ was hardly out in the newspapers be-
fore q treasure seeking expedition was
being fitted out Within a month
small ship called the Pathfinder, which
I had been fitted out at an expense OF $780,
600, was on its way to Davis island.
Any one having access to the records at
Lloyds' could make 400 page book
about that island and not exhaust the
subject. The first ship sent out failed
to find it. The latitude and longitude
were correctly given by Davis, and the
fault was laid to the navigator, who
went hunting the ocean for weeks and
weeks and finally wrecked the ship on
Amsterdam island when he believed it
to be 400 miles away. Five lives and
$40, 600 were lost in this first attempt
to reap treasure from the newly discov-
cred island. -. ar IT,. :;
In the year 1851 the Scotch bark Glen
dale, coming south over the same course
as the Homeward, kept lookout for
the island. She also failed to find it,
though she sailed right over the spot
indicated by the chart. Captain Davis
not only reanirmed all he had said, but
published the dispositions Of his mate
and several Of the sailors and ANNOUNCE
ed his Willingness to navigate craft d.
rect to the island and take stock in a
treasure expedition. In the years 1852
the most popular slang phrase in Eng
land was, $50 find Davis island. /" The
question Of whether the island existed
Of not was discussed everywhere, and
az length, when tho ''Davis expedition
finally set out from the Thames, it was
oheered by some and guyed by others
and formed the subject Of various songs
and jokes.
Captain Davis enlisted the assistance
Of friends and speculators and fitted out
brig called the Occident The cost OF
the expedition was said to be $l6, 600.
He navigated the craft as straight as an
arrow to Davis island, Notwithstanding
the statement Of the Scotch captain that
lit did not exist There was very little
change in the three years, except that
the foliage was more luxuriant and
there was bird and animal life in addi-
tton to reptile There are neither par
rots nor monkeys on Amsterdam island,
the nearesk land, There are none nearer