CASTAWAYS ON ST. KILDA.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 902, 16 May 1877, Page 3

CASTAWAYS ON ST. KILDA.

Public interest throughout Scotland lias been excited in respect of the lonely island of St. Hilda, the furthest outpost of the Hebrides, in consequence of a romantic series of events Avhich arc thus narrated by the Edinburgh correspondent of the Otago Daily Times : “ On February Bth, a life buoy, propelled by a tiny mast and sail, came ashore on the island of Birsay, in the Orkney group. Attached to it was a bottle containing a message which stated that an Austrian ship had been wrecked near St. Hilda, and the captain and eight of her crew bad landed there. It was added that there was a scarcity of food on the island, OAving to the failure of last year’s crop, the inability of the usual provision boat from Skye to roach St. Hilda, and the increased number of mouths to feed, in consequence of the wreck. The message was signed by Mr Sands, a tourist, avlio had been a voluntary prisoner on the island since last June. H.M.S. Jackal, a gunboat Aiscd to protect the fisheries, Avas despatched to relieve the Avants of the population, and she landed Mr Sands and “the Austrian seamen at Greenock on February 26tb. From the very interesting particulars furnished by the former to the Scotsman I select a few : —The ueAA r s of the Austrian ship’s misfortune was announced during the weekly prayer-meeting on Wednesday, the 17th of January, and the Avliole population at once rushed to the shore, and at the risk of their lives saved the foreign sailors, whose boat was dashed to pieces on the rocks. In order to lessen the burden of their support as much as possible, each man was billeted on two different families, with Avhom he took his meals on alternate days. At first the inhabitants shrank Avith horror from “the Papists,” but the excellent behaviour of the Austrians soon dispelled this prejudice, and when the latter left they Avere much regretted. Perhaps this Avas partly OAving to the fact that out of the seventy-four islanders there are thirteen marriageable young women and only two marriageable young men, both of whom are engaged, so that it is not surprising that one at least of the forme]* fell deeply in love with one of the Austrians, though neither knew a word the other said. The parting between the lovers is described as having been “ quite of an affecting character.” Mr Sands reports that until be visited the island none of its inhabitants bad ever seen an apple ; they have no idea about a steam engine ; even a churn is unknown, the butter they make being manufactured in a pail put in motion by the hands. There are no horses on the island now, but there is a superabundance of cows. The islanders had never heard of Lord Beacons field or the Bulgarian atrocities, but they took much pleasure in listening to anything about the Queen, Avliom they believed would scud them help if she know their need. The women Aveave their own cloth, assisted by the men, the latter cutting and making the AA r omen’s dresses. Gaelic is tiie only language known, and education in

St. Hilda never extends beyond ability to read the Scriptures in that tongue, Avbieli nearly all can do, Avhile a good many can also write. On Sundays, there are three services, cacli of two hours’ duration, and the church is described as “ a someAvbat wretched hovel,” Avith which, nevertheless, the people arc quite content. It is strange to read of such an out-of-tlie-world community in the British Islands, only 43 miles from Harris and List, which can be seen from St. Hilda on a clear dav.