THE KERMADECS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3709, 13 January 1891, Page 2

THE KERMADECS.

[Mr Septmus Bacon Interviewed.]

Mr and Mrs Septimus Bacon and son, after an absence of about fiftee" months, returned to Masterton 1» ev-ening, and look none the worse Lr their Robinson Crusoe experience uj>ou Sunday Island. Mr Bacon was interviewed by our importer this morning, but was exceedingly reticent in imparting information about \na ad ven-tures,-giving as an excuse the fact tint there was really nothing of interest in the whole of his experience. However, iu the course of conversation, the 'following interesting replies were i•■ ' j given to queries made : At any rate ?Mr Bacon, you look exceedingly well j what have you been

doing? Well, now you come to the point, anybody should look well who has nothing to do and plenty to eat! How long have you been on the island ?

Altogether I think I was about eleven months there.

And during that time what communication had you with New Zealand ?

During the whole period of my existence on Sunday Island we only had two communications from abroad. Ah ! ah ! that's not bad ; and what did you do when you got there 1 Why, we had, of course, to build our huts! Of what 1 Of bark, in the usual style. And what about furniture? We had noee. Oh! that's better! How many of you were there on the island ?

Forty,.all told ! And what was the area 9 A little ovev 7,000 acres. And off this 7,000 acres I suppose you made your living V Yes; we lived principally on and mutton birds. Then you were not starving 1 0£ course not! Why, if a man were to drop from the clouds on to Sunday Island he could not starve. And the reports of your starvation are therefore exaggerated ? The are, indeed ! By-the-hy, what about clothes. What was the style of your dress? Well, you see, we dressed vory nun ply ; went about, almost naked—covered only by ut garment of linen. Delightful stata of priinitiveuess ! Then you must have had a good climate?

Yes, a very good cilmate, nice and warn) and always tempered with a sea breeze. At any rate we could sit outside our hut and bask in the light of the setting snn, unmolested by mosquitoes! Indeed! but now you are casting aspersions upon your old haunts in the Forty-Mile Bush. What about money 1 I suppose you had a coin of the realm 1

No, nothing of that description. All we did was to live, move and have our being. Then you have not forgotten the Scriptural texts of your early days ? You must have had a church up yonder ? Not at all! Not at all! Every day was Sunday with us, and wo required no churches.

Under these favorable circumstances, how is it the whole of the settlers deserted ?

Well, you see, they were the wrong sort • they wanted bread and butter wheij'tbey could only get kumera and mutton bird. Beside, the land taken up by the Association was very jih'feriftr. Another thing against them was that that there was no intoxicating drinks!

Ah! ah | this accounts for the milk in the cotjoanut. How did you get on?

Oh 1 some molasses out of s\e vegetables that flourished there. was afraid to divulge my secret, for I had been told that on some adjoining islands they made something similar, and the whole of the people got drunk and devoured one anothjer! Good a/gain! Of course you did not care aboujt such a sudden termination 1 Of coujree not! Who liave you left on the island ? WellJJnerHir only your old frieud Carver and wife and the Bell family there now.

Do you think Carver will ever return ?

Ido not. Both he and his wife are very fond of the island. But I suppose you have done with it?

Not exactly, I think I shall return again, Mr Bell has offered me fifty aores of the finest land in the SouUiern Hemisphere to start with, and I may •accept it. His land will grow anything.

Ah well, Mr Bacon, we shall be sorry to see you leave us. But I must be off. Thank you for the in - formation.

You're welcome ! Good-day! Adieu!