Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-06-12
TRISTAN ISLANDS.
FACT AND ROMANCE or THE MOST UN
KNOWN SPOT OF EARTH.

FACT AND ROMANCE or THE MOST UN.
KNOWN SPOT OF EARTH.
Thirteen hundred miles south of st.
Helena, and fifteen hundred miles west
Of the Cane of Good Hone. and nearly
on a line between the Cape of Good
Hone and Cape Horn, lies Tristan Dc
Cunba. or Trisdian D'Acunba. a clus.
ter of three volcanic Islands, the Iarg.
est of which gives the name to the
eroup. The other two are, the lnac
cessible Island and the Nightingale Is.
land. The group received its name
from a Portu gcse navigator, who dis
covered il in 1906, Inaccessible Is.
lands lies about eighteen miles south
west from Tristan, and Nightingale ls-
land twenty miles south. The largest
island is the only one permanently in
habited, and 10 probably tho most iso-
lated and remote OF all tho abodes of
men. 1t is nearly circular, and con.
tains about forty square miles. On the
north side it rises abruptly to an eleva-
tion of about thousand feet, and from
the summit of the cliffs the land rises
to conicaI peak, 1926 feet high. The
surface consists of abrupt ridges cover
ed with bushes, with deep ravnes and
chasms between. The Summit is q
crater five hundred yards wide, and fill
ed with water. On the northwest side
of the island ia a narrow plain, some
hundred and fifty feet above the level
OF the sea, with excellent soil, and in
high state of cultivation. Here lives
the famous Glass colony.
There had been residents on the
island off and on at various times, be-
ginning IN 1890 when Capt. Patten,
from Philadelphia, settled there for six
months. When Napoleon was comm
ed at St. Helena in 1917, tho British
took possession Of the island, and main
tanned guard there. The next year
the guard was withdrawn, but a cor
poral of artillery, by the name Of Glass,
with his wife and two soldiers who
were induced to join him were allowed
10 remain. Since that time the island
has been constantly inhabited. In 1893
the little settlement numbered seven
teen persons, of whom three were wo-
men. Six years later Capt. Morrell
visited the island in the u s. ship Ant
arctic, and the colony comprised then
twenty-seven families, and they were
able to supply passing ships with bull
locks, cows, sheep and pigs and fresh
vegetables and milk In any quantity.
In 1886 there was population of for
ty-two on the island, and in 1862 Capt.
Denham visited the group Of islands
and Tristan's population then number
ed eighty-five. He described "the
young men and young women as par
taking of tho mulatto caste, wives of
the first settlers being natives OF Cape
OF Good Hope and st. Helena, but the
children OF the second generation he
would term handsome brunetts, Of u
strikingly fine figure" Before Capt.
Denham's visit the great majority Of
the population had been males, but as
time went on, and new generation
spraDg up, the young men in the ad.
venturous spirit of life found their is
land homo quiet, and they had depar-
ted, seeking more stirring occupation
elsewhere. Accordingly, in 1852, the
women were considerably in the ma.
iority.
Glass has long held the title OF gov.
ernor. He was Scotchman, and
seems to have been a man of sound
principle, of great energy and industry,
and to have acquired In remarkable
degree the confidence of the little com.
munity. Their minister, Mr.. Taylor,
wrote an account of the little society,
which was published in 1850. He
spoke in the highest terms of the NOR
al character of his flock, going so far
as to say that he could find no vice to
contend with. They had no formal
government. and as they had no rum,
government was less needed. What
ever disputes they had were settled BY
fisticuffs. with by.sianders present to
secure fair play. Gov. Glass died in
1853, the year after Capt. Denhams
visit and was succeeded by sort Of
tacit consent, by Green who bad mar.
ried one of Glass daughters. In 1867,
the Duke of EdiDburg visited Tristan,
in the Galatea, and in honor of his roy.
al higbness, the chief settlement was
named. Sixteen children had been
born since the departure of Mr.. Taylor,
and the colony, instead of dying out, as
Mr.. TAYLOR feared, had taken new
start, the population having increased
from forty. seven TO eiphty.six, which
seems 10 be about the normal figure.
In 1870, the island had population of
sixty, of which thirty.fve were chill
dren under ten years Of age.
In his "Voyage OF the Challenger,
Sir WyviIle Thompson describes u Wis
il bc made to this interesting colony.
II consisted at that time October,
1871 of eighty -four persons, in fifteen
families, the females being slightly in
the majority. He speaks Of tho young
men AS fine looking and sturdy, some.
what of the English type, but most of
them with a dash of dark blood. Green
was still tho governor, and they look.
ed up TO him with respect and conf
dence. They possess from 500 to 600
head OF cattle, an equal number OF sheep
ana pigs, and poultry in large abund.
anco. From eight to a dozen Ameri.
can ships visit tbcm yearly, and from
them they obtain what they want, by
tho process of barter They live in
cottages Of two or three rooms, built of
dark brown tufaceous stone, which
they blast from tho rocks above and