The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-02-21

Than 1, 900 miles, and YET hocks Of par
cots and troops Of monkeys were found
when the Davis party landed. How the
birds and animals got there y0u must
figure out tor yourself. but In tho Royal
Museum Of Natural History in London
today you can hud preserved specimens
Of both duly labeled. Some half dozen
animals and birds were brought back
with the craft. No gold was found. The
idea that any might be- found was ab.
surd. Tho treasure hunters were 20 In
dignant at Captain Davis that they fell
upon him and beat him almost to death
and then decided to sail away and
maroon him on his own island. They
left him tent and tools and provisions
and headed for the cape Of Good Hope,
but after making about 500 miles OF the
distance they became fearful Of the law
and returned to take him aboard. The
brig retraoed the watery miles to find
that Davis island no longer existed. 1t
had disappeared off the face Of the ocean,
and a search Of four days did not solve
the mystery. When the Occident reach
ed the cape Of Good Hope on her return
voyage, all on board were arrested on
charge Of having murdered Captain
Davis. They did rot deny having ma
rooned him, and after long delay
were set at liberty and returned home.
Two weeks after Captain Davis was
left behind a French merchantmen
sighted the island and took him off, and
though carried far out of his way he re-
turned to England only about four
weeks after his companions. From all
reports Davis island was Jaok.in-a-
box. One ship could find it, and another
couldn't. It was again the subject of
talk in all circles, and to settle the
question of whether it should have a
place on the charts or not the admiralty
ordered man. of war down from Cal.
cutta to investigate. The island was
found in the latitude and longitude
given and soundings and survey en-
tered upon. AS the report was official,
it took its place ON the charts again,
and the gossip and discussion soon died
out. From 1858 to 1866 there wasn't a
line in the newspapers about Davis is
land. Then a man named Israel Kent
published card stating that he meant
to take possession of it in his own name
and set up kingdom. His idea was to
establish colony where all should be
equal, all wealth divided pro rata. and
where there should be no law to menace
and no debts to harass. The newspapers
poked fun at him, and the "Kentites"
were held up to soorn and ridicule ev-
erywhere, but in the course Of the next
six months party Of 100 men and wo-
men were collected together, a ship
called the Happy Land was chartered,
and one day they sailed away for Davis
island. It is matter Of record that the
captain and mate Of the craft were as
good navigators as could be found, and
it is also q matter Of record that they
could not succeed in finding the island.
After long and vain search the craft
was headed to the east, and the colonists
landed on one of the Keeling islands, off
the coast Of Australia. & II, :.Z@ M. e
When the Happy Land returned to
England and reported that Davis island
had sunk out Of sight, even if it ever
existed, the whole matter was of course
at once revived. The island had been
found, and it had not been found. It
was either there or had never been
there. If Davis and a man-of-war and
a Frenchman had found it, what was
the matter with the others? So much
was said pro and con that between the
years 1854 and 1868 the masters Of all
vessels sailing to the east of Madagascar
were instructed to investigate and re-:
port. In that period IL Scotch, English.
German and French craft reported the
island and gave the same latitude and
longitude. Every one Of them brought
away some relic to prove their presence.
You will think it strange that during
the Same interval three American
whalers, two English merchantmen, a
German man of-war and French trader
reported that the island did not exist.
They had sailed right over the spot and
found the water too deep for the lines
on board.
In the spring Of 1859 a man. of-war
named the Albatross was dispatched to
India and was instructed to hunt up the
bit of land in midocean which had
created more talk in five or six years
than the whole continent Of Africa had
in hundred. When within about 300
miles Of the island, the Albatross spoke
the American whaling ship Three Bells,
whose old hulk was a relic at New Bed
ford only four or five years ago. Her
captain reported ''no island" he had
the latitude and longitude exact, but
had found only blue water under his
keel as he cruised around. On his re-
turn to the United States he 80 reported
in writing to the navy department..
Three days later the Albatross found
the island dead ahead. Her captain
y -.