Year: 1870

arrived at the house we were met Dy the
owner, who received us kindly. and list
ened attentively to our story. We found
him -.- s7..s+ l-


AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN,


who from long residence in the tropics
had grown to look very much like Mexi-
can. The negro servants gave us both
food and clothing. We then naturally
began to inquire where we Were, and In
what part of the world we had been cast
away. We asked our host fow ques-
tions concerning our whereabouts,
but were surprised to find him
uncommunicative. At last he said that
our case would be made known
to the authorities, and that we should
know before noon the next day what they
would do with us. We began to think
we had got into strange country, and we
hardly knew what to make of it. We
were given beds in the house, and on the
next morning we were taken to town
about five miles distant. There were not
many houses in the place, and the major
ity of them seemed to be used for public
business. We saw about one hundred
people, who had undoubtedly been in
formed of our arrival, for they soon began
to assemble near large building which
seemed to be used as a town hall. Here
the gentleman in whose charge we were,
addressed them, telling them our story.
After some private conversation between
several prominent members of the assem-
bly,, we were informed that we had been
wrecked on one of the Galapagos Islands,
and that we could remain and abide by
the rules of


THE COMMUNITY THAT OWNED THE


. ISLAND;
or if we did not choose to do this, when
an opportunity afforded we should be set
upon the South American coast to shift
for ourselves. 1t was also intimated to us
that we need ask no questions; that the
longer we remained on the island the
more we would learn from our associates


The meeting broke up almost immedi-
ately upon our deciding to remain, and
after that was separated from my friends
l never saw them more. suppose, how
ever, that they were treated as well as
myself. Ii such was the case, they are
probably alive to-day. [ returned to the
plantation with the gentleman who had
brought me to town, and owing to my
having considerable knowledge of tools
was put to rep,irlng such things as re-
Quired mending about the house and to-
bacc0 sheds. From a very intelligent
negro servant, who had been in England,
[ learned all that [ knew concerning my
whereabouts. He had wonderful mem
ory, and had gathered many facts from
conversations he had overheard between
his masters. He told me that


WE WE'RE ON AN ISLAND


about sixty miles long by twelve wide.
The island was said 20 be one of the Ga
Iapa4os, but such was not the case, for II
was more than six hundred miles TO the
nearest of that group. He said we were
in the South Pacific, in latitude ten de-
Qrees South and one hundred degrees
West. He mentioned a remarkable fact
which he could not explain, namely,
that nearly always there was a dense fog
hanging abont the shores of the island,
VIII .ch made it almost impossible for the
land to be seen at any distance. Since he
had been there-neariy seven years
three vessels had been wrecked on the
shores. What had been done with the
men saved he did not know, but supposed
they had joined the community Hs We
had done. Concerning himself he said
that he was cook on board one of the
wrecked vessels, a small English craft
bound for the Galapagos, and he thought


ALL PERIsHED BUT HIMSELF,


IS he never saw any of his c5mpanions
after he was picked out All he knew
about the community, as it was called,
was that it consisted of about three hun
dred members, nearly all planters. A
few who had trades were we'll provided
for by the others. There were no women
or children on the island, and he had
never seen any there. The climate was
delightful and the temperature even
during the entire year. The plantations
were tully stocked with all kinds of do
mestic cattle, and nothing seemed want
ing to make the island an earthly para
disc A great deal of tobacco was raised.
but what was done with it he did not
know. He heard there was snug har-
Dor concealed from observation at one end
of the island, where there were two or
three vessels trading for the community.
But whore they sailed to he could not tell
From discussions that hs had heard
among prominent planters he had been
led to infer that there were societies in
England and the United States who
knew of the existence of the Island.
and who made it their business
when any of their members desired to
separate themselves from the rest
of the world to send them here in some
mysterious way. He knew nothing of the
laws that governed the community, but
was certain that they were good, as he
had never heard of any trouble. There
were many servants on the island, and
they had been brought from South Amer
ica, and they knew as little about where
they came from as where they were.


Now comes the most extraordinary
part of Ross's story. He says that he
found what had been told him was true, |
and that in few weeks he was permitted |
te visit the town, where he met several
men whom he did not know, but whose |
names he had seen published in England |
and elsewhere as


PERSONS WHO HAD MYsTERIOUSLY |


DISAPPEARED.


from their homes. He could but remem-
Der but few of them, and was sorry that
he had not kept list. He could call to
mind, however, the names of Lord Ames-
bury of England, John J. Mcintyre of
New Orleans, Charles Medray of San |
Francisco, Melvin Powers of Chicago, and |
the Rev. James l.. Shock and William.
alias Boss Harrington of New York. He
asserts most positively that hea saw these
persons, and says they were looked upon
as residents of the island. Ross concludes
his narrative by saying that from the first
he determined to escape if possible, and
that he took every opportunity to go to
the coast when the fog had risen suffiei-
emily to permit to see any distance from
the shore. When there was no work to
be done on the plantation there seemed /
to be no objection to his going where he
wished, and no one inquired into his mo-
tive in going to the coast One day a
small boat, well stocked with provisions,
landed on the shore in search of water.
The crew were Portuguese sailors, whose
ship had been burned at sea, and they
were making their way to South America
The crew, believing Ross to be wrecked /
sailor, and not being told by him that the