LONELY LIGHTHOUSE

Hokitika Guardian, 29 August 1933, Page 6

LONELY LIGHTHOUSE

NO NEWS FOR SEVEN MONTHS

DOG ARRIVES ON AN ICE-FLOE

An amazing letter, written by v a man who, with Jus family, has been’ entirely out -off from tlie world for • seven .months, was ‘recently TeieivPdin England.-He is Mr Ernest Abbott,' liglithouse-keeper on Peckford island, a tiny place, little bigger-than a rock, off tlie coast of Newfoundland, one of the’ loneliest lighthouse stations in the world.

Except for.a- mail on .December 20, not a word did this family hear of the outside world from October 4 to May 2, and during those seven .months not a human "being landed on their tiny island-in the Atlantic. A strange visitor, however, did arrive'one stormy •night in March. The strange visitor was a large sheep dog, swept -to the rocks on an ice-floe- from .where no one knows. He was very,; thin and weak .and had probably been on the .ice some time. Once they had recovered from their amazement, the .Abbott family were overjoyed .to baye. a new ..face among them, though it was only a dog’s face ;' Hild as for the children, they n 0 longer wondered what fpesh gairic, to play at. It is difficult .tb imagine what ' it must be like to be left alone in tins W av for seven months, hearing no news and being able to convey none; but. it is easy to...understand the light-house-keeper’s desire for a radio set; It would make all the difference m the world to .thjs lonely family, hut they cannot afford it yet. That is why Mr ' Strain,; _ of .he Lighthouse Literature Mission, - has passed on' Mr Abbott’s -letter to Die Children's Newspaper ' Mamy amOgazine and paper'has been -sent to the lighthouse- bv the 'missrbn, But itumnnot- afford -a radio set. An hppeaT for the cost of., a- set lids-been made.