The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-05-20
Discovery OF a Singular Little Settle
ment in the South Atlantic.

Sooner or later the Poles and Africa
must Weld up their little mysteries to
the organization and persistence of mod
ern exploration, and then there will be
one thing only left to look fora
spot of ground large enough to
be inhabited on which humanity
has not its representatives The
search may not be hopeless, but GER
tainly up to this date the most eccentric
and indefatigable glObe-trotterS have
failed to find 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 cyclOpedias they are
recognizable in the few lines about Iris
tar 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
i'm this city. and sailing from Liverpool
to Hong Kong. was driven ashore by
stress of weather two years ago next
May day; and now Captain East, of her
Majesty ship Comus, has just reported
his delivery of the presents sent by Pres
ident HAYES to the islanders who sue
cored the crew. They are one hun
dred in number, and are chiefly de-
scendents of a certain Corporal Glass,
who was one of a garrison placed on the
island by England when Bonaparte was
imprisoned on st. Helena. fifteen hun
dred miles away. The oldest inhab-
liant is Peter Green, hale, hearty man,
in his I'D year, and the youngest is his
great grand child, aged few months.
There have only been four deaths in
thirteen years, and no death in infancy
was ever known among them. The per-
feet climate is probably the explanation
of these facts. The community cult
vate about twenty acres; potatoes being
the chief crop, and usually get ten or
twelve bushels from one of seed. They
have five hundred cattle, five hundred
sheep, and any quantity of fowls. The
little State is both orderly and con-
tented. and Peter Green is looked upon
as the chief, although he disclaims all
prctcnsiOns to power. Doubtless the !
fact that nearly majority of the popu- |
lation are related to him-he had six !
teen children-accOunts for the estima- !
ton in which he is held Captain East |
recommended his son, William Green. |
for the Albert medal, or the life-sav- |
ing medal of the Royal Humane So |
ciety, and As he greatly dis
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 eats from a |
ship. which, for some reason, stopped |
at Tristan Da Cunha. but the perverse
animals preferred rabbits 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 clergyman. The
chaplain of the Comus christened five
children, who, doubtless. could have
waited a year or two longer for the GER
emony, but the case of eXpectant brides
and bridegrooms is hard indeed. Con-
persons without inordinate
appetites for letters and newspapers,
may not find its picture unattractive
but the genius of the age is all for rest
less competition and most people will
regard such life as vegetation rather
than existence, and will not cease to
wonder that human beings should, O
their own free will choose to endure it
N 7. Times.