TRISTAN D'ACUNHA AND THE ISLE OF AMSTERDAM.
[Sidenote: LOOKING ALOFT.]
The Duncan now had before her a broad stretch of ocean but little
traversed by navigators. Between the shores of South America and the
little speck in the ocean known by the name of Tristan d'Acunha, there
was no probability of her meeting with any strange sail; and under some
circumstances, or in some company, the days might have been monotonous
and the hours might have hung wearily. But so ardent was the desire
for success, and so accomplished, yet varied, were the characters of
those who composed the little assembly, that the voyage on the South
Atlantic, though devoid of striking incident, was by no means wanting
in interest. Much of the time was spent on deck, where the ladies'
cabins were now located, Mary Grant especially training her hand, head,
and heart in feeling, thought, and action. The geographer set to work
on a composition entitled "Travels of a Geographer on the Argentine
Pampas;" but many a blank page did he leave. Tho Scottish peer (when
tired of examining for the thousandth time all that belonged to his
yacht) could look at the books and documents which he had brought with
him, intending to peruse them carefully. And as to the major he was
never in company and never out of company; his cigar insured, nothing
else was wanted.
Ever and anon many miles of the ocean would be covered by masses of
sea-weed; these different species of algæ would afford subject for
research; specimens must be preserved, authorities must be consulted,
and as one result at least all would become wiser. Then a discussion
would ensue on some geographical problem, and maps that were not
attainable were of course appealed to by each disputant, though the
subject in question was often of very trivial moment. It was in the
midst of a debate of this kind, during the evening, that a sailor cried
out,--
"Land ahead!"
"In what direction?" asked Paganel.
"To windward," replied the sailor.
The landsmen's eyes were strained, but to no purpose. The geographer's
telescope was brought into requisition, but with no avail. "I do not
see the land," said its owner.
"Look into the clouds," said the captain.
"Ah!" replied Paganel, struck with the idea, and shortly with the
reality also; for there was the barren mountain-top of Tristan d'Acunha.
"Then," said he, "if I remember aright, we are eighty miles from it. Is
not that the distance from which this mountain is visible?"
"Exactly so," replied the captain.
A few hours brought them much nearer to the group of high and steep
rocks, and at sunrise they saw the conical peak of Tristan, seemingly
separated from all the rest of the rocky group, and reflecting the
glory of the blue heavens and of the rising orb on the placid sea at
its base.
There are three islets in this group,--Tristan d'Acunha, Inaccessible,
and Rossignol; but it was only at the first
[Illustration: Our friends found a few voluntary exiles on the former
island, who, by means of seal-fishing, eke out a scanty existence in
this out-of-the-way spot.]
[Illustration: Inasmuch as this was sufficient to cook fish,
Paganel decided that it was not necessary for him to bathe here
"geographically."] of these that the Duncan called. Inquiry was made
of the authorities (for these islets are governed by a British official
from the Cape of Good Hope) if there were any tidings of the Britannia.
But nothing was known of such a ship; they were told of the shipwrecks
which had occurred, but there was nothing that afforded a clue to that
which they sought. They spent some hours in examination of the fauna
and flora, which were not very extensive. They saw and were seen by the
sparse population that subsist here, and in the afternoon of the same
day the yacht left the islands and islanders so rarely visited.
Whilst the passengers had been thus engaged, Lord Glenarvan had allowed
his crew to employ their time advantageously to themselves in capturing
some of the seals which are so plentiful in these latitudes. A few
hours of their united toil resulted in the death of a large number
of seals who were "caught napping," and in the stowing away, for the
profit of the crew when they should reach the Australian market,
several barrels of the oil obtained from their carcases.
Still onward on the same parallel lay the course of the Duncan,
towards the Isles of Amsterdam and St. Paul; and the same subjects
of conversation, study, and speculation engaged them all, until, one
morning, they espied the first mentioned island, far ahead; and as they
drew nearer, a peak rose clearly before their vision which strongly
reminded them of the Peak of Teneriffe they had beheld a few months
before.
[Sidenote: WARM SPRINGS AND WARM TALK.]
The Isle of Amsterdam or St. Peter, and the Isle of St. Paul, have been
visited by very few, and but little is known of them. The latter is
uninhabited; but our friends found a few voluntary exiles on the former
island, who, by means of seal-fishing, eke out a scanty existence in
this out-of-the-way spot. Here again inquiry was made, but in vain,
for any information of the Britannia, her voyage, or her shipwreck.
Neither on the Isle of Amsterdam nor on that of St. Paul, which the
whalers and seal-fishers sometimes visit, had there been any trace of
the catastrophe.
Desolate as these lonely islands appeared to our travelers, they still
were not devoid of objects of interest. They were meagre enough in
vegetation and in animal life; but there were warm springs which well
repaid a visit. Captain Mangles found the temperature of their waters
to be 166° Fahrenheit; and, inasmuch as this was sufficient to cook
fish, Paganel decided that it was not necessary for him to bathe here
"geographically."
When they resumed their course, though many miles were before them,
there was a growing sense of anticipation; they were not to pause again
until the "Australian continent" was reached; and more and more did
the conversation and discussions tend towards this continent as their
subject. On one occasion so certain was Paganel as to the ease with
which they would be able to pursue their search, when they arrived,
that he asserted that more than fifty geographers had already made the
course clear for them.
"What! fifty, do you say?" asked the major, with an air of doubt.
"Yes, MacNabb, decidedly," said the geographer, piqued at the hesitancy
to believe him.
"Impossible!" replied the major.
"Not at all; and if you doubt my veracity, I will cite their names."
"Ah!" said the major, quietly, "you clever people stick at nothing."
"Major," said Paganel, "will you wager your rifle against my telescope
that I cannot name at least fifty Australian explorers?"
"Of course, Paganel, if you like," replied MacNabb, seeing that he
could not now recede from his position without incurring the ridicule
of the company.
[Illustration: "Major," said Paganel, "will you wager your rifle
against my telescope that I cannot name at least fifty Australian
explorers?"]
[Illustration: "Master Robert shall count for us." And forthwith the
learned geographer opened his budget, and poured forth the history of
the discovery of Australia.]
"Well, then," said Paganel to Lady Helena and Miss Grant, "come and
be umpires, and Master Robert shall count for us." And forthwith the
learned geographer opened his budget, and poured forth the history of
the discovery of Australia, with the names of its discoverers and the
dates of their explorations, as fluently as though his sole calling in
life was to be professor of Australian history. Rapidly he mentioned
the first twenty who found or traversed the Austral shores; as rapidly
did the names of the second score flow from his lips; and after the
prescribed fifty had been enumerated, he kept on as though his list
were inexhaustible.
"Enough, enough, Monsieur Paganel!" said Lady Helena. "You have shown
that there is nothing, great or small, about Australia, of which you
are ignorant."
"Nay, madam," said the geographer, with a bow.
Then, with a peculiar expression, he smiled as he said to the major,
"We will talk about the rifle at another time."