The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-08-16

ing six pound shot with line at
tached through the aperture At first
1t would not bear the weight of child,
but at last the projectile somehow be-
came wedged, and Craddock, being the
lighter of the two, essayed the task of
| climbing. Once within the embrasure
of that dark and forbidding place, ne
disappeared and when he returned the
two men set to work with will, SO
that they soon provided sure and safe
means Of ascent and descent, and with
the early morning of another day they
began their tour Of exploration.
The opening through which they pass
ed into the mountain was indeed a
crevice which extended from that point
| upward to the summit, although it
| pierced no farther down, and was SO
narrow above that it could not be dis
| cerned from the sea. But II became
wider rs 1t pierced the mountain and,
leading downward on q gentle incline,
at last broadened and opened upon a.
wide expanse of valley more beautiful
to behold than words of fancy can de-
pict. 1t was tropical Eden surrounded
on every side by towering cliffs of
smooth obsidian, hopelessly unscalahle.
Above them was the yawning crater.
nearly mile IN diameter, through
which the sun glinted diagonally, re-
Elected back upon the verdure which
surrounded them by the glasslike sub
stance Of the mountains shell. Always
in shade, yet ever in sunlight while the
sun shone upon the world-sueh was
the condition, and the consequence was
tropical climate without the intense
heat which accompanies 1t. There was
water in abundance, too and near the
center Of the Edenlike valley, more
strange than oil, were the ruins of
honse OF stone. or rather of obsidian,
where somebody at some time long ago
had dwelt.
Entering it, they discovered upon the
floor Of one of the two rooms which II
contained the skeleton of a man, and
beside it block of smooth obsidian,
upon which there was an inscription,
evidently made with the diamond ring
which they found near the deshless
hand that had made use of it.. The In
scription was in English and easily de-
cipherable. 1t read:
August. l743. | doubt much II this be Read by
Ilum'n eyes. II So be, then Know who Reads
that ], in Simonds, once of London, discovered
this Island NO. and, being weary OF tn World
Returned alone iii. Since then Have remained
/ am now above so Years, Too feeble To return
To The World, which l fain Would see again. To
Him who Reads bequeath This Isle, with All it
contains, Req'sting Only that He bury My bones
With Prayer to God for my Salvation. There
be Gold here in Full abundsnee, and Precious
stones Put here by the Hand OF God when Tn
mounta'n Was alive With fire. II be my Empire.
an Empire Island Have named 1t. Have it So,
then. II Ye Revere my Mem'ry.
JOHN sMoNDs.
By the Grace Of God, Near Heaven, Ameni
More than a century had passed since
that inscription was made, since John
Simonds ceased to breathe. yet every
where the shipwrecked twain discover
ed evidences Of his habitation and his
Industry. There was no need to search
for gold or precious stones. John 81:
monds had performed that task for
them. There were nuggets sufficient
for kings ransom piled in conelike
heaps around the house beneath the
royal palms which shaded 1t from the
reflected rays Of the sun, and within
the adjoining room of the ruin they
found diamonds and emeralds in the
rough which even their uneducated
eyes were capable of recognizing.
The bones of John Simonds were
buried with due reverence. as he had
requested. and Craddoek prayed most
earnestly for the repose Of his soul.
After that they returned TO the wreck
of the Mascot and by rigging tackle
succeeded in hosting through the
strange aperture everything that might
be valuable to them In their unheard Of