A LONELY ISLE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 264, 4 August 1919, Page 3

A LONELY ISLE

LIFE IN TRISTAN DA CUNHA

PRIMITIVE FOLK

(By G. P. Plant, in (ho "Manchester Guardian.") 'Running through the Atlantic Ocean from north to south is a submarine volcanic ridge. Hero and there its peaks stand out above the surfaco of the sea, tome of them active volcanoes, such as those of Iceland; others quiescent, like the Azores and Tenerift'e; others extinct, like St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan ['da Cunha. Tristan is probably the least known of all of these. It is in reality a group of three, small islets which lies about midway along a straight lino drawn from Cape Town to Monte Video, thus being nearly the sarao distance south of tho Tropic of Capricorn as Gibraltar is north of the Tropic of Cancer. It derives its name from the Portuguese navigator who was the first man historically to set eyes upon it, which ho did In 1506, when on his way to the Bast Indies. The sight bo saw was imposing but not nlluriug. On a pedestal of blnck basalt, thirty square miles in area, which rises precipitously from the eea to a height of two thousand feet, stands a cone-like mountain, itself five thousand feet high,' its summit of ton enveloped in cloud and in winter cupped with snow, and its sides scarred with innumerable gullies. The Atlantic rollers dßsh against tho base of the cliffs incessantly, and nature all combines to warn the mariner away from the inhospitable shore. During the' American War of 1812 to 1915 the United States cruisers used tho islands as a base from which to harry British sailing vessels Homeward bound from the Cape and the Bast Indies, and a.t length the British Government deter-1

mined to annex and occupy the group. An additional reason for this step was found when Napoleon was confined in 'St. Helena and it was felt that precautions ought to be taken to prevent Tristan from_ boing used as a starting-point of operations' for his rescue. A garrison was accordingly established there in 1810. The troops made themselves very comfortable on the main island, which they wero surprised to find well adapted to a small settlement and capable of development in many ways, but before long it was decided that thoy should be withdrawn, and this decision was carried out in the following year. Certain of the men, however, asked permission to romain. To them were added' from time to time sailors who were shipwrecked there and certain women who were brought over specially from St. Helena, and these were tho beginnings of tho present community, which numbers rather more than a hundred souls..

Tho original settlement was formed al the only possible 6pot, where, at the north-western edge of the island, the lava flowing, down the mountain-side and over the edgo of the precipico spread out into a narrow plateau suitable for buildin*,' arid for cultivation, with a stream of pure water running across it. The houses, which all face the 6ea, are made of the porous stone of the mountainside, with walls from two to four feet thick to keep out wind and weather, r '.'hev are only one story high, and art thatched with tussock grass and ridged Willi turf. Inside- they are very bare, with only the most necessary furniture, and large open fireplaces in 'which wood is burned. Each house has a garden enclosed by a stone wall, where tussock is grown rather than flowers 01 vegetables, which the high winds and ol her causes make it difficult to cultiv.afe. ' The whole appearance of the place suggests a fishing village in the Hel rides, and the. people' themselves in many ways resemble the Scotch fishingfolk. The women aro very neat jn their ilrcss. in spite of the difficulties of keepinir their wardrobes supplied. These difficulties are greater for them than for the men, who can usually get the clothes the-/ need from the crews of passing jhips, and so are dressed for tho most Diivt sailor fashion. The women wear blouse and 6kirt, with a coloured handkerchief for headgear. They are very foni of knitting, and make themselves ?ood white stockings and underclothing troni the wool of their own sheep., The staple food is potatoes, which are ircwn in walled enclosures about three mil-.'s away from tho actual settlement. There are no roads and tho crops aro brought home in quaint ox-wagons, which havo solid wooden wheels nnd no springs. Though all the land is hold in common, :is pasture land, it is opeii to any individual who cares to do 60 to enclose a portion and cultivate it as his private pro T Di-rtv. When he ceases to cultivate the plot becomes common pasture land again. The people own largo herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, vhieh ore allowed for the most part to roam at large. In addition, pigs, y.oese, and fowls «Te kept, as woll as a few donkeys, lu the early days of ,the island's history goats and rabbits wero observed there, having been introduced, no doubt from wrecks. These have disappeared, like the mice which at a later date wero r regular plague nnd were only overcome when a number of vats came ashore from n Norwegian wreck in 3SS2. It it interesting to note the history of these rats. . Their arrival on the island was noticed, and the Eev. M. Dodgson (a brother of Lewis Carroll), who was al that time resident on Tristan vs missionary clergyman, advised the people to take immediate stops to exterminate them. • Tt was thought, however, that "there was no harm in a few rats," and perhaps there was an idea, that the rats might be of U6e in killing off the mice. This they actually did, only tc become themselves n more sorions i-ost, which even dogs aid cats, imported foi thß purpose), 'could not vcep in check. Having exterminated the mice, the rats proceeded to destroy the rabbits, and even, as some say, many of tho cats, and then turned their attention to the corn and to the potatoes, with euch success' that.wheat can now scarcely ]x grown at all and tho potato crops'are often badly damaged by T hese vermin. The Tristanites are a simple nid kindly folk, and there is_no crime or immorality among them. They help tsch othei as need arises, anel havo invariably shown great hospitality to the trews oi vessels in distress or shipwrecked on the islands. In spite of strong winds and heav/ rains at times, the climate is very healthy. Out of the beaten track as they «re, one of their greatest excitements is the sighting of a ship. Unless tho sea ■ is too Tough, tho non immediately launch their boate ; and,' loading them with theep, geese fowls, eggs, and potatoes, make theii way out, by oar or by sail, even a. c much as fifteen miles, until tlioy reach tho vessel. They then go aboard and barter their stores far such goods as they aro most in need of, usually hour, sloth, soap, tea, coffee, and sugar. All tho stores which they thus supply foi the. general uso of a ship are regarded is being the property of the community, iiiel the goods which th.ey bring hack in exchange aro equally divided umong the families n» the house of the chief man. Iny miscellaneous articles which are left jvor after tho division are made, up lnlc a number of parcels equal to the num bor of families; these parcels are arranged in a row. a-ud whilst one mar ;urns his back to them another stand; iver them and points to one of the parcels saying "That." The first man then calls out tho xiame of u, family ind tho parcel in question is allottee accordingly. This process is continued until the name of every family lias beer called and all tho parcels havo beet disposed of. Letters aro dispatched am received by these same chance opportunities. Thero is no postage stamp tor th© island, but envelopes have recent ly reached Britain bearing a simph circular seal with the name Tristan d." 2'inha. ..„,., , n , Communication with Tristan da Cunlm is very irregular. It was at one time .n'tended that a British warship should rail there at lenst once a year, but tin? ntention Jias no been carried eu. It is indcrstood, however, that arrangements nay possibly be made- for a whaling vessel t(; call thore this year, as was lone in 1018, on its way to South Goorria, taking mails tiittt Stores for .die islanders.