Gilpin observer., 1899-07-20
NsCss Observation-Disclosures
CHATTER XXIX.-(Continued.) }

| CHATTER AXlX.-(Contlnued
| The wild boars that lurked in the
woods baffied our efforts for long
time. By the edge of the hatchet we
possessed I fashioned for my own use
kind Of spear, about six feet long,
hewn out of piece of fine teak wood,
which l found upon the beach.
This weapon l made and pointed
with great care, and armed with it
frequently lay in watch for the sea-
lions, but without success.
On the shore, at this season, when
the sunshine was reflected from the
sloping faces of the volcanic rocks and
from the surface of the sea, the heat
was beyond all description-intense,
breathless and suffocating, so that the
lungs would collapse painfully in the
difficulty Of respiration.
| To breathe was like attempting 1t
at the mouth of a newly-opened fur
mace, and SO 1 usually retired inland
and sought the cool solitude of the
deep thickets, or wandered through.
groves of solemn, impressive and ma
| jestic old trees; for some were there
SO old that they must have cast the
shadows Of their foliage on Alphonso
de Albuquerque or Tristan da Cunha
and their bearded followers.
How many ocean storms had swept
their leaves into the waste of waters
since then!
We had now been five days on the
island without a sail being seen,
though more than half our time was
spent in watching the horizon; and so
Tom Lambournes' old shirt still waved
in vain from the boom-end on the
mountain-top.
On the fifth day, however, to our
surprise. the signal was no longer Wis
ible, SO we supposed that a gust of
wind had overthrown it in the night.
Lambourne, Carlton and Probar
started for the mountain-top to re-
store 1t, while Hislop and l rambled
into the woods, where we had a view
of the shining sea to the westward
The waves came in lcng rollers, as
there was fresh breeze blowing from
the west, and the foam rose white and
high on the tremendous bluffs of the
Inaccessible Isles, as We named them.
All the water between them was
sheet Of sparkling and snowy froth,
amid which, had we been nearer, we
| should doubtless have seen the black
| heads Of the sealions. as they sported
In the spray and sunshine
On asking Hislop how far he thought
we were from the continents of Africa
and South America. he replied. without
hesitation:
I'VE are about fifteen hundred miles
from the mouth of the Rio de la Plata
on the westward, and twelve hundred
odd from the Cape Of Good Hope on
the east; but there is land nearer to
us"
Land nearer!" I reiterated.
There are the three isles of Tristan
da Cunha, and about five hundred miles
, southwest Of us desolate rock called
the Isle of Diego Alvarez; and fortu-
nate 1t is indeed for us that We were
not cast away there, as it yields only
messy grass and now and then a few
seals or sea-elephants may be seen up
on the reefs about 1t. Dut, Dick Rod
ney. does 1t not make one long to be
afloat again, with a good ship under
foot. both tacks and the breeze, too,
Alta cloud of canvas, carrying the
three masts into one when seen astern
thO AoWSi BAL TlR-
ged out and dipping in tho flying
spray as she rolls from side to side
does 1t not, l say. bring all this to
mind. when from here we can watch
the waves that rose. perhaps. between
the shores OF Mexico. rolling in foam
between these rocky isles? Do you
remember Homer's description of the
curling wave?" And without waiting
my reply he began to recite from the
lliad with wonderful facility:
"As on the hoarse, resounding shore,
when blows the stormy west,
The billowy tide comes surging wide,
from oceans dark blue breast;
First In mid-sea tits born, then swells
and RACES more and more,
And rolling on with snowy back.
comes laundering near the shore;
Then rears 1t crest, firm and sublime.
and with tumultuous bray
Smites the grim front of the rugged
rock. and spits the briny spray"
How far Hislop, in his classical en-
thusiasm might have pursued his free
translation, till we had all the deeds
OF Agamemnon and others on that tre-
mendous day before the walls of Troy.
cannot say, had not a crashing sound
in the adjacent thicket reused and
alarmed us.
We started up and lad Just time to
conceal ourselves behind the trunk Of
tree when herd of seven wild boars
came plunging out of the thicket to
drink at a runnel which flowed toward
the sea.
They were unlike any OF the swim
ish race we had ever seen before, and
but for our vague sensations of alarm
we could have watched them with
pleasure. as they inserted their long.