EXPLORER'S ROMANCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 20, 23 July 1910, Page 13

EXPLORER'S ROMANCE.

ON DESERT ISLE. | lA hardy young explorer, M. Rallier dv Baty, who accompanied Dr. Charcot on his previous Antarctic expedition, has just returned from, an adventurous voyage to which he and his brother Henri devoted the whole of their small fortunes. Two and a half years ago, Btates a Reuter message, they purchased a Bou- \ logne fishing boat 55ft in length, renamed her the "J. B. Charcot," and having fitted her out with the aid of some private friends, set sail with a crew of four other young companions for the desert island of Kerguelen, in the south of the Indian Ocean. In the forty-ton fishing boat they have successfully completed a voyage of 15,000 miles. After a fine outward trip as far as Rio de Janeiro, they encountered a terrible cyclone between that port and the island of Tristan d'Acunha, which was reached in twenty days from Rio. There they found a population of eighty-three souls which they describe as half-civi-lised, and as of English origin. From Tristan d'Acunha to Kerguelen took another month's sailing. The little, boat was buffeted .by heavy storms off the Cape, but the desert isle was safely readied in March, 1908. Fifteen months were spent in exploring the island, making scientific observations and hunting seals. In November the monotonous life was varied by the arrival of a Norwegian steamer, which, besides bringing news of the outside world, left welcome supplies of tobacco, coffee, and other comforts. The only other vessel that * visited the island during their prolonged stay was a French sealer. In June last year the party started for Australia. They had a terrible passage of forty -five days, during which- one storm after another was encountered, and several times all hope was abandoned. It was only by throwing out oil that the boat was kept afloat. Melbourne -was reached after two years' absence from civilisation. The sale of the seal oil collected sufficed to pay the small crew's wages, but for a long time all efforts to sell the now sadly deteriorated fishing boat proved unavailing. me young explorer was six months in Melbourne before he managed to dispose of the craft to a Noumean captain for "a handful of gold." This, he says, was his ransom, and with a heart rather heavy at parting with the veßsel that had safely carried him over 15,000 miles of ocean, he took the passenger steamer frdm which he has just landed at Marseilles. He will report on his voyage and observations to the Academy and the Geographical Society. Rather less than justice seems to be done in the foregoing telegram to the of Tristan d'Acunha, who are far from being half-civilised people of English origin as described, observes an exchange. The island in question was taken possession of in 1817 by a company of British artillery for the purpose of keeping watch on Napoleon, at that time a prisoner at St. Helena. On Napoleon's death the soldiers were withdrawn, with the exception of three, who with some whaling men were the founders of the present colony. A recent description of the island states that property is held in common. There is no strong drink and no crime, and the people are healthy and long lived. Nearly all the ablebodied men were drowned in 1885 while attempting to board a vessel, and a grant of stores and provisions jwas made by the Government in the following year. A warship pays the island a visit every year.