The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-05
SECRETS OF THE SEA.
Discovery OF n singular Little Set.
Element i'm the south Atlantic.

tlement IN the SOuth Atianttc.
...t New York nmesl
Sooner or later the poles and Africa
must yield their little mysteries to the
organization and persistence of modern
exploration, and then there will be one
thing only TO look fora spot of ground
large enough to be inhabited on which
humanity has not its representatives.
The search may be hopeless, but GER
tainly up to this date the most eccentric
and indefatigable globe-trotters have
failed to fnd any such place.
= The man, woman or child in this coun-
try of free schools, who knows even the
existence of the Tristan Du Cunha
Islands, can scarcely be found, yet most
maps show them, and in some cyclope-
dias they are recognizable in the few
lines about Tristan Da Cunha. There
are three islands in the group, which
lies in the South Atlantic Ocean, about
midway between Africa and America,
and nearly on line drawn from Buenos
Ayres to Cape Town. 1t was on the
largest of the group, containing about
forty square miles, that the ship Mabel
Clark, owned in this city and sail
ing from Liverpool to Hong
Kong, was driven ashore by
$ ress of weather two years ago next May
day; and now Captain East, of Her Ma
jesty's ship Comus, has just reported his
delivery of the presents sent by Prcs-
dent Hayes to the islanders W no succored
the crew. They are 100 in number, and
are chiefly descendants Of certain Cor
poral Glass, who was one of garrison
placed on the island by England when
Bonaparte was imprisoned on st. Helena,
1900 miles away. The Oldest inhabitant
is Peter Green, hale, hearty man in his
seventy-second year, and the youngest is
his great grandchild, aged few months.
There have only been four deaths in
thirteen years. and no deaths in infancy
was ever known among them. The per-
feet climate is probably the explanation
of these facts. The community culti-
vate about twenty acres, potatoes being
the chief crop, and usually get ten or
twelve bushels from one of seed. They
have 500 cattle, 500 sheep, and any guam
tity of fowls. The little State is both
orderly and contented, and Peter Green
is looked upon as the chief, although he
disclaims all pretensions to power.
Doubtless the fact that nearly major
ity of the population are related to him,
he had sixteen children, accounts for the
estimation in which he is held.
Captain East recommended his son,
William Green, for the Albert medal, or
the ife-saving medal of the Royal HUI
name Society, as he greatly distinguished
himself on the occasion of the Mabel
Clark's wreck. The matter is one for
somebody's attention in this country,
also. Some years ago the islanders
begged some cats from a ship, which, for
some reason, stopped at Tristan de Cunha,
but the perverse animals preferred rab-
bits and chickens to exclusive mice, and
now they run wild all over the island,
while the mice are greater pests than
ever.
All the islanders want now is clergy
man. The chaplain Of the Comus chris
tened five children, who, doubtless,
could have waited year or two longer
for the ceremony, but the case of expect
ant brides and brdegrooms is hard in.
deed. Contemplative persons without
inordinate appetitas for letters and
newspapers may not find its picture un
attractive, but the genius of the age il
all for restless competition, and mos
people will regard such life as vegeta
lion rather than existence, and will moi
cease to wonder that human being
should, of their own free will, choose t.
endure it. %.f.