Columbia gazette., 1853-12-10

! ANOTHER WoNDERruL ISLAND
The account of "Pitcairn's Islandn wa
almost too marvellous for belief, but W
have just met description given b
Capt. Gibson-whose wonderful escap
from dungeon in the island of Jaw
was published lately-of the very curl
Gus island of Tristan d'Acunha, a mer,
rock in the Southern ocean. Capt. G
says:
| This island is situated midway be-
tween the Cape of Good Hope and Cape
Horn. In the year 1911, the British
frigate Pandora struck on ledge o1
rocks near This island, on her return
home from Bengal, laden with troops
One Of their number, SERGEANT Glass
while the troops were being landed
preparatory to gettii the ship off the
rocks, took advantage Of the confusion
attendent thereon, and secreted himself
on the island, and the ship sailed with
out him. Glass remained here three
years, subsisting in the meantime on the
flesh of goats, which here abound, and
also on shell fish and roots BY the ex-
piration Of this time he had succeeded
IN constructing boat from drift timber
and other materials, and proceeded with
a cargo of goat skins to the Cape of
Good, Hope, some one thousand miles
distant.
The time which he selected for his
departure in this frail craft was during
the prevalence of the westerly Winds
He accomplished lis perilous voyage in
safety.
After a short residence at Cape Town,
he married the widow of soldier who
had died at the Cape; and with his wife
and negro man returned to his solitary
island again, taking with him various
implements, seeds, arms aminuation,
together with other necessaries, which
were literally furnished him by the
merchants of Cape Town. Here the
good couple carried out the injunction
of ''incrcase and multiply" The re-
suit of their marriage was seven daugh-
ters, who, in the course of time, were
married to American whalers, who occa-
sionally touched at the island. These
sons-in-law of the old man, in compli-
ance with a law that he had made, that
"no son-in-law of his should leave the
island" settled down and proved as pro-
life as did the original couple, so that
the population now amounts to 81 chill
dren, grandchildren and great-grand-
children.
The old Patriarch, Glass, is now SO
years of age, and as hale and strong as a
youth of 90; indeed, he means to live
for so years longer, and, so far as per-
sonal appearance would warrant the judg-
ment, he will do it.
A remarkable fact should here be
mcntioncd-tlat since the island has
first been settled by Glass, death has
never visited one of the inhabitants.
The amount Of land at present avail
able for cultivation on the island is a
m ere strip of about $50 acres, which is
entirely devoted to the cultivation of po-
tatoes and other esculents. But as the
spade is used, and every attention paid
to enriching the land it is even now cap
able of furnishing support to about 500
persons; and there is no doubt but that in
the course ola few years, large tracts OF
other land on the side of the mountain
will be brought into productive state.
The island is an extinct Volcano, ris-
ing almost ,lO0 feet above the level of
the sea. The edges Of the crater Of
this volcanic mountain are eternally COW
cred with snow. Within the crater is
magnificent lake of pure fresh water,
about one third of a mile in diameter
This lake is fed by the melted SHOWS,
and it overfows in several torrents and
cascades down the side of the mountain,
supplying the inhabitants of the island
and ships, which sometimes touch there,
with excellent water. The lake some
times abounds with very peculiar kind
Of fish, of excellent flavor, and totally
unlike any other species found in the
surrounding ocean, so that their origin
is an interesting subject for the investi-
cation of the ichthyologist.
Capt. Gibson stayed at this island for
three days, and only left it and its inter-
esting inhabitants, sooner than he wish
ed from compulsion, as dangerous
storm was brewing, and the coast afford
ed no safe anchorage. The grand daugh-
ters of old Glass are described as re-
markable for their health and beauty,
and it would not be strange if many ad-
venturous Yankees should be inclined to
settle there, and marry into this patri-
archal fraternity. The women are
equally expert with the men in the use
of the rifle, fishing rod and oar, and ind
no difficulty in obtaining husbands, fol
whom they make excellent wives!
With the men Of the original stock
however. r." case is different, as womer