The herald., 1897-04-25

pear to have been the principal raw
material (on which they certainly did
not have to pay duty.) Wood, they must
have had too, as many things are made
of it. But it must have been long ago
as all the wood above the surface is now
petrified. 1t is curious to come across
little forests of stunted trees, as we fire.
quently did, all turned to brittle stone
1t seems as though the strong winds
had forced the sharp sand through the
bark and into the sap, gradually turning
the tree. with it's branches, into sand
stone. The slightest touch is sufficient
to break them to pieces. Many of them
are several feet high. The people, who
ever they were, appear to have used all
the material at their disposal. and what
civilized race can do more?
ENFORCED IMPRISONMENT
/ On Tuesday, November Gath, began
our troubles. We had so far had fine
weather, but on that date the wind
changed to the southeast, bringing rain
with it, The wind drove the rain half
through the hut and came right in at
the door. which we had to keep open for
ventilation. We rugged up sort of cur
tain of sacks, but we-eooked dinner un-
der difficulties. Captain Smith, who
was on shore, prophesied we should have
a gale from the west when the rain stop
ped, and that he might have to run for
safety before morning.
We thought we would improve our
enforced imprisonment by trying our
hand a making bread. Anyone who has
attempted this feat under Anything like
similar circumstances will, / am sure,
sympathize with us. Suffice 1t 10 say.
it took us thirtysix hours of cons tant
ingenuity TO get that bread to rise,
hope the recording angel took into ac-
count oIlr cllrrOundings and mercifllllY
turned a deaf ear to the imprecations
/ evoked, before we finally got the dough
! into such condition that we could eat 1t.
| True to prediction. about In the even
ing the rain stopped, and the wind
I swerved right round to the west. 1t
came on suddenly and almost before we
could get the hole in the west end COW
| cred up, the sand was flying through
the hut like snowstorm. Unfortunate
| ly it did not fly through; most of it re-
| NAMED inside, distributing itself in care
less profusion over coffee, sugar, bacon.
pots and pans. We thought that the
rain would have hardened the sand and
SO prevented much of a sandstorm, but
we had not allowed, for the fineness and
quantity of the San Nicolas article, nor
| for the terrible force of the wind. We
! now realized how wisely the architects
| of our cot had chosen stone for its foun-
| dation and sides. If it had not been for
! this we should certainly have been blown
| into the sea. 1t was impossible to stand
against it outside. We hid our faces in
our blankets and pretended to sleep.
In the morning our first thought was
for the Leone, which we hardly expect
ed to see, as the anchorage she was in
was fully exposed to the force of the
gale. She was just going east under bare
poles and we realized what terrible
night they must have had on board.
The sea was rolling mountains high. and
although from the comparative secur-
ity of the hut it looked grand, from the
deck of the yawl it must have been ter
rible. Since our return we have heard
she weathered the gale but 1t was about
as much as the captain cared about.
The storm lasted three days and dur
ing that time we ate sand and drank
sand; we breathed sand and slept in
sand until thought we should turn into
sand. But we survived it, and from then
until the end of our stay, with the ex-
ception of a second edition of the same
| experience, the weather was all we could
desire.
| A TRIP WORTH TAKING
It is we'll worth ones while to go to
San Nicolas, even If only to see the Won
| derful effects of the ocean. l never be-
! fore realized the immense force of the
sea. If it were not for its rocky armor
the island would soon be washed away.
Wherever it can force its way through
or over the reef the water cuts out great