Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-26
THE ISLE OF TERROR.
SUCH IS USHANT. WHERE THE DRUM.
MOND CASTLE WENT DOWN,
Though the Place Has . bad Name, tho
People Are Honest and Generous
Events Of Which History Treats Have
Happened In It's Vicinity.

Happened In Its Vicinity.
Ushant, the island upon whose out
lying reefs the steamer Drummond Cas-
tie ran, sinking three minutes after
ward and carrying down every soul ON
board, except three, lies off the north
west extremity Of France and forms
the corner around which vessels from
the south turn into the English channel
after crossing the bay of Biscay.
'Ushant' is the Anglicizcd form Of
"Ouessant," the French name. Pliny
calls the island "Uxantis, and the
Britons Know it as "Enez Heussa,"
which means 1.-The Isle of Terror" 1t
| well deserves the Celtic name.
The inhabitants of Ushant are hardy
race, the men ali fishermen and seamen,
the women all tillcrs Of the rocky soil
The latter on high days and holidays
| still often display their ancient costume,
| with its fat Golf, which strikingly re-
| calls the feminine headgear of southern
Italy, and whcnce their dark hair
! streams in freedom below their waists
| Within the lest quarter Of century Il
breed If ponies still roamcd i'll semi
wildncSs over Il large part Of the ISLAND,
| and for centuries TIE inhabitants them
selves were looked upon "a savages De-
| barred, often for long weeks at u time,
| from any intercourse with the main
land, they certainly led very primitive
| lives. But 1T the same time they pre-
| served the primitive virtues, and Eon-
| ,sty and hospitality have ever been ar
| ticles of faith among them.
Losing year by year, with urfailing
| regularity, Il score or two of their own
| kiih and kindred in the treacherous
| waters around their isle, their sympa-
| thics have always been with those
| whom shipwrrcls has iinpcrilcd. Several
| Of the Breton islands have notoriousiy
| hartford communities Of wreckers,
but the people of Ushant have again
aid again distinguished themselves by
| their efforts to save distressed vessels
| or their crews.
Whenever one Of the islanders is lost
at sea. :: touching ceremony, called 1.-THE
procl!;." il performed. The relatives
| and friends of the deceased carry To his
| house IL small wooden cross, over which
the clergy repeat the prayers for the
dead, as ii this symbol We're the corpse
itself. Then the cross bearer, who,
whichever practicable, is the godfather
Of the detunct (this again "a touching
instance Of symbolisml, inclcscs it in Il
| cOfier. and, followed by all the mourn
ers, deposits 1t at the foot Of Il statue of
/ st. Pol Aurelicn, the patron of the isle
A lew years ago "a hundred or so of these
| coffcrs could be seen assembled around
| the statue
Cshant is known TO history. As carly
! rs 1888 an English cxpCtliti,a landed
| on tic island aid ravaged it with Ire
ard sword. Then, III 1i1S. its waters
Witnessed the much criticised naval en-
gaSoEcnt between Keprcl ard dor
| viliicls, which English histories usually
! describe as Il drawn battle, whereas the
French invariably claim it q; I. decisive
! victory. Finally, Is years later, Ushaut
saw the ''Sloriors first of June" when
| Lord Howe Certainly shattered the
French ships CT "ar commanded by
| Eillarc t-.ICyCusc, I,.t at the same time
sigEally failed to prevent the large fleet
| OF French merchantmen, on whose ar
rival France depended for means 10 pres
Ccutc the war, from getting safely into
the port'Cf Brcst.
That tsliant is il Breton estimation,
! prcdeStiLCs! to deeds of blood and death
IS shown by :! strange rhymcd Jroy,,b,
! which Chateau BRAND quotes III his
Memoirs From Beyond the Grave, -
and which may Ic E-n2iished thus:
He who secs Belle Isle doth see his
isle; iie wLo scCh GIoi doth see his
.
your blood. -
OF the Wild scenery around Ushant
there has probably never Lccn any bet
ter description than that given by
C.,atearbriand. Tho island is the lar
scst and from the mainland the most
distant, of those forming the archipelago
TO which it gives its name. Molcnc. the
rcxt il size, trades largely ii its own
soil, which til account of certain chem
ical properties is sought after by Breton
| agricuituris;s. Then, III addition to
| scores of little islcts, some Of them mere
ats and rocks, there Is QJemenez,
which Is about quarter the size Of
! Csiant, while near 10 the mainland is
| BeniquCt, or the Blessed Isle. so called
on account Of It's proximity to the Bre-
ton shore and the refuge it offers amid
the most dangerous Of all the adjacent
| reefs. that of Les PicrreS Noires
Many stout ship aud many a frail
fishing boat have been shattered among
these reefs, where the waters ever sccthc
and roar. even On calm summer DAYS.
But winter is the time TO see Usliant
! and its ne Ghioring isles, all bare and
rugged, rising from amid the gale dashed
waves. Norock bound coast can offer 4
more, impressive spectacle than that
which the ocean then presents as it
leans in lis dread, blind might around
The Isle CT Terror. "-Westminster Ga
| zettc.
| Want. It This Time.
.'Eara over and lie quick atcut it.,