North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-05-18
Island Calamities.


The inhabitants of small and remote
islands are remarkable for their attach
m ent to their native soil and it is, per-
haps, fortunate that they should have this
feeling, for otherwise their isolation ex-
poses them to great disadvantages. We
arc not now alluding to such matters as the
alleged deterioration of race produced
by perpetual intermarriage, but rather to
the shock Of actual calamities, which fall
more heavily on small insular communi-
ties than on larger countries. Undoubt-
edly the vine disease caused more misery
in MADEIRA than it would have done in
French commune and when the Island
of Rhodes, few years ago, was visited
by an earthquake, the effects of the calam-
ity were much more severely felt than
they would have been in a continental
region. The following is very curious
instance of the suiTerings to which a small
self supporting island is liable: Some
years ago Il shoal of grampuses visited
Pabbay, one of the Hebrides. The natives
slaughtered the grampuses and obtained
quantities of oil; but presently upwards
of three thousand ravens, headed bv
| ,chite field marshal, assembled to devour
the carcasses, and when they had picked
the grampuses homes clean they proceeded
to feast on the corn. Guns were brought
into requisition but without effect, and
winter of famine appeared imminent. A
famous birdcatcher, named Finlay, then
endeavorcd to kill them sngly, by climb
ing the rocks and catching them while
! roasted but these efforts caused no dimi-
mutton in their numbers. Suddenly
bright idea struck him. Instead Of killing
the birds, he took six of them alive, pluck
off all their plumage, except the tail and
the wing feathers, and let them 90. The
rest Immediately left the island.
"DID you SAY ANYTnING?"-'Yo GU see,-
said the old darkey, ''dis parrot belonged
to baker in Richmond. Now, each bak-
er is lowed to make certain number of
leaves Of bread ebery day. and no more
cause if dey does dey will be servin' out
stale bread to de customers. Well, dis
baker had baked more dan his usual share
pei day, and hid de surplusum under de
counter. De parrot was hangin' in his
cage, and seed it all. Bimeby in comes
de inspector and finds dc bread all right,
and is going out agin satisfied, when de
parrot cocks his eye at him and sings out
-'Dere's more bread under de counter
So de inspector grabs it, 'cording to law,
ard carries it off. Well, den de baker
goes to dc parrot, berry mad, and takes
him by de head and fotches: :him.a twitchlor
two, and filings him in de gutter for dead,
longside a pig just dead ob de measles.
Bimeby de parrot begins to crawl about,
his fedders stickin' out an his head Topped
on one side and den stops and looks at
de pig berry pitiiul, an says-'Did you
say anything about de bread p"
A Tiger.
An amusing scene occurred in England
the other day at the citadel of Dover.
The One Hundred and Second regiment
have very fine tiger just come to that
country with the regiment from India.
He is very tame, and is daily taken for
walk, and he also goes round the mess
table getting tit-bits. The other day his
keeper got the worse for drink, and made
his way to the den, fearing detection. An
officer seeing that the man lay asleep, and
the tiger sitting by him, sent for the pick-
ct, who, at any other time, can do what
they please with the beast. The moment
they attempted to 60 near the keeper the
tiger growled, ard very soon let them see
they must keep of. For two hours the
tiger kept guard over his keeper, who, on
awakening, was surprised to see no one
] dare come near his charge.