The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-06-19
CHAPTER XVII.
Tho Ialaud Of AlDhOnSO.

convinced that the island was totally
destitute of human inhabitants.
Not a vestige of wigwam or hut, OF
road or path, not even of the smallest
track or trail (save such as the wild
goats made) was visible anywhere, and
thus we became impressed with new
emotions of wonder and awe, in tread
ing a soil where man lived not-where
no human foot seemed to have rod
and where only the hum of insect life
stirred the solitude Of that wild island
of the South Atlantic.
For a considerable distance we
traversed fiat ground that was covered
with sedge grass, interspersed by
shrubs Of bright green. Beyond this
level plain rose a series of ridges COW
cred by trees, and those ridges formed
the first slope Of the great mountain,
which was some thousand feet in
height, and also of the great bluff we
had first deserted at sea.
We found Alphonso to be the largest
of a group of three islands. 1t is a
mass of rock nearly twelve miles in
circumference. The other two are
cavernous and inaccessible, and every
approach to them is dangerous and diff
ficult, in consequence of the foaming
of the sea about them, SO that during
the weary days of our sojourn there
we made no attempt to explore them,
lest the longboat, in our circumstances
q priceless roperty-might be swamp
ed or dashed to pieces.
Hislop informed me that he had read
somewhere that in the month of
March, 15O6-the same year in which
the great Columbus died-two adyen-
turers of Spain or Portugal, named
Tristan da Cunha and Alphonso de
Albuquerque, sailed for the Indies on a
voyage of discovery, with fourteen
great caravels.
During this expedition they found
three great islands, which they named
after Tristan da Cunha, and elsewhere
three others, which were named from
Alphonso, who, after their fleet had
been scattered by great tempest, sail
ed through the Mozambique channel.
He discovered many sea isles and
channels hitherto unknown to the Por-
tuguese or Spaniards, and ultimately
reached the Indies, of which he he
came viceroy for Ferdinand the Catho-
lie, and died in 1915, holding that
Office
1t is very strange that since that
remote period no European country
mas turned these islands to any ao-
count as they do not lie more than
fifty leagues from the general track
OF the shipping bound for the coast of
Coromandel or the Chinese seas. and
IN time Of war would form a useful
and important rendezvous for a feet
They lie exactly in that portion of
the wide and mighty ocean whera
1t was tabled and believed a great con-
tinent would yet be found.
The three isles of Tristan da Cunha
which lie some hundred miles distant
have now mixed population of Eng
lish, Portuguese and mulattoes: and .
strong garrison was maintained there
during the captivity of the Emperor
Napoleon at st. Helena.
Being thus cast away upon a shore
so far from the general track of nh,ns
we resolved to make preparations for
probable residence of some time-to
build hut wherein to store our nro-
visions, and to use every means for
adding to our stock, by angling in the
creeks, which seemed to abound with
hsh, and by hunting in the woods
which teemed with goats and boars
running wild; by collecting birds eggs.
as the cliffs seemed to be literally alive
with petrels, albatrosses and sea-hens.
and all these exertions were the more
necessary, as none could foresee the
probable length of our sojourn there.
A ship might heave in sight tomor-
row; but year might pass before one
came near enough to be attracted nv
our signs.
We resolved to have a signal-nost
erected on the mountain top, a beacon
fire prepared, and amid these and
many other deliberations the night
closed in and found us tolerablv CON
tented with our island, and even dis
posed to be merry over misfortunes
that we could not control
sBut considerable speculation was ox-
cited when Billy wilkins. the cabin
boy, who had been in pursuit of q
little kid along the beach, returned 70
us, dragging after him long snar
which he had found among the LAYER
OF shingles, bright shells and duskv
weeds deposited by the sea; and on ex-
animation this spar proved to be one
OF the lower studding-sail booms of the
Eugene, and the same which had part
ed from the brig on the eventful
evening of the punishment!
1t is our own property" said Billy.
and may be useful when we have a
fire to light"
Boy Bill, we have a better use for
1t than burning" said Tattooed Tom;
tbs the mast for our signal-post, al
ready made to hand, and we'll step it
on the hilltop tomorrow"
For that night we bivouacked under
large tree, the name and genus of
which were alike unknown to us. At
times some were conversing. some
Silent 0tharc Inv xvo lyfnex ond