The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-07-01
SECRETS OF THE SEA.
Discovery Of a Singular Settlement
in the South Atlantic.

Chicago Times: Sooner or later
the poles and Africa must yield up
their little mysteries to the organi
cation and persistence of modern
exploration, and then there will be
only one thing left TO look fora
spot of ground large enough to be
inhabited ON which humanity has
MT its representatives The search
may not be hopeless, but certainly
up TO this date the most eccentric
and indefatigable globe-trotters
have failed to discover any such
place. The man, woman or child
In this country OF free schools, who
knows Of even the existence Of the
Tristan Da Cunha islands can
scarcely be found; yet most maps
show them, and in some cyclop@-
dia 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 AT
rica and America, and nearly on
line 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 New York, and
sailing from Liverpool to Hong
Kong, was driven ashore by stress
of weather two years ago next May
day; and now, Cap. East, of her
Majesty's ship Comus, has just re-
ported his delivery of the presents
sent by President Hayes to the
islanders who succored the crew.
They are one hundred in number,
and are chiefly descendants of
certain Corporal Glass, who was one
of garrison placed on the island
by England when Bonaparte was
imprisoned on St. Helena, fifteen
hundred miles away. The oldest
lnhabitant is Peter Green, a 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 death in
infancy was ever known among
them. The perfect climate is prob
ably the explanation Of these facts.
The community cultivate about POI
acres, potatoes being the chief crop,
and usually get ten or twelve bush
els from one of seed. They have
five hundred cattle, five hundred
sheep and any quantity of fowls. |
The little state is both orderly and !
and Peter Green is look |
ed upon as the chief, although he |
disclaims all preten lions to power. |
the fact that nearly a |
majority of the population are re-
lated to him-he had sixteen chill |
1ren- accounts for the estimation |
in which he is held. Capt East
his son, William
Green, for the Albert medal or the |
medal of the Royal HUI
name Society, and as be greatly |
distinguished himself on the occa-
sion of the Mabel Clark wreck the
matter is one for somebody's atten
lion in this country also. Some
' ears ago the islanders begged some /
cats from a ship which, for some |
stopped at Tristan Da
Cunha, but the perverse animals
preferred rabbits and chickens to |
exclusive mice, and now they run
wild ali over the island, while the |
mice are greater pests than ever.
All the islanders. want now is a cler
gyman. The chaplain of the Co
mus christened five children, who, |
could have waited year
or two longer for the ceremony,
but the case of eXpectant brides |
and bridegrooms is hard indeed. |
Contemplative persons without in
ordinate appetites for letters and !
may not find its picture
but the genius of the age |
is all for restless competition, and
most people will regard such a life !
as vegetation rather than existence,
and will not cease to wonder that
human beings should, of their own
free will, choose to endure it.