Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-25

lily, the administrators" and polite
inquiry II any assistance could be fur
nished, The vessel had been seen APP
preaching from the town. which is To-
Gated high up In the mountain and Ave
miles from tho landing. Tho presence
of a ship is most rare, and Hospital
bic invitation to visit the hacienda
had to be declined, as time pressed
The inhabitants OF this island number
about $50 all dependents Of single
estate and mostly engaged I'm the culti-
walton of sugar, cotton and tobacco Tho
estate lies In the hills and valleys on
the southern slope of the island in the
only place where water is obtainable
Water is the need of all this group
or islands. and the lack of II Is the
keynote of their barren wastes and
cactus covered slopes. The shores of
all consist of black volcanic rock and
cliffs. with here and there in a shelter
ed spot a sandy beach. The Islands,
rising in most cases TO 5000 or 1000
feet, have their slopes covered with
giant growth of cactus mingling with
. thorn, which made progress back
from the shore impossible without cut
ting a way,
number of guides were taken a.
board and start made for Indefatigh-
bic Island where n whaling boat with
four sailors and the guides was landed.
The Yankton stood off and fired two
shots from her three-pounders to at
tract Jeff's attention. In the night rock
cts were sent up every half-hour and
the searchlights played on the eleva-
lions OF the island. The searchers on
the opposite side OF the atoll could
see the searchlieht and Il Is reasona-
bly, certain that had Jeffs been alive on
the island he would have seen 1t and
responded.
Yet there remains n modicum of doubt
about the entire affair, Only the beach
stretches arc penetrable without the ut
most eXertion. Along the beach water is
exceptionally scarce. In one place a
good pool was found and near It the
cabin where the seven men had lived
for five months until picked up In
another place Jeff's camp was found,
and in still others his footprints were
found in the volcanic crust, and in his
camp was discovered his razor with
"Jeffs" scratched into the handle. There
were other traces OF the man of an age
not TO be computed. but of him there
was not sign.
Back from this shore which was scar
ched rise the craters of extinct vol
canoes some 1880 TO 1000 feet above the
sea level Undoubtedly In the wide
valleys of these mountains are valleys
where water is found and where the
soil is tillable and possibly productive
of natural foods. Indeed there were In
ulCdAlOlS OF inns III LIlt WIN NdNlAt anu
goats which inhabit the mountains and
the valleys of the inner slopes in herds
and the great iocks of plover, teal and
curlew seen everywhere. on some of the
salt marshes these birds swarmed at
dusk and the shotgun in the party did
excellent work for the larder
The Galapagos islands were discover
ed in 1885 and were at the time unin-
habited, but later on became n favorite
place for buccaneers and whalers.
The former found In 1t sheltered coves
where repairs could be made unobserv-
ed and where water and sea food were
obtainable, the latter made II rendez-
vous and also point TO obtain fresh
water and to give their crews a run
on shore, knowing they would not des-
ert. The old-fashioned five-year whal-
ing voyage was one full of hardships,
and a crew landed in favorable place
would have thought of what lay before
them.
Captain Porter visited the islands in
1913, remaining In or cruising about
them from April to october, and cap
turing during this time twelve of the
British whalers then cruising in the
Pacific. dealing the British whaling
business a crushing blow
But perhaps the most noteworthy
visit To the Galapagos was that made
by Darwin in his voage around the
world IN the Beagle. Iney proven ol
the greatest interest to him, and from
his observation there he went far to-
ward the formation of the Darwinian
theory of the origin OF species and of
the theory of evolution.
With one exception the land birds
found by Darwin We're peculiar to the
group, as were the lizards. snakes, tur-
ties and the great tortoise.
His observations were that at some
remote time, by volcanic action, these
islands made their appearance separa-
tely, and on account of the great depth
OF water between the four and the
mainland they must have always been
isolated. On the different species OF nm
ches. etc, his conclusions being that
such Isolated forms We're modified by
natural selection and adaptation to
their environments.-Mex Herald.
During the summer Kidney irregular