Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-06-03
Secrets of the Sea.

Sooner or later the poles and Africa must
yield up their little mysteries to the organi,
Zation and persistence of modern explora-
tian, 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 certainly up TO
this date the most eccentric and indefatiga-
BILE 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 cyclic
pedias 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 be-
tween Africa and America, and nearly on a
line drawn from Buenos Ayers TO Cape
Town. Ii was on the largest of the group,
containing about forty square miles, that
the ship Mabel Clark, owned in this city,
and sailing from Liverpoolto Hong Kong,
was driven ashore by stress of weather two
years next May day; and now, Capt. East,
Of her majesty's ship Comus, has just re-
ported his delivery of the presents sent by
President Hayes to the islanders who sue
cored the crew. They are one hundred in
number, and are chiefly descendants of a
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 inhabitant is Peter Green, a hale,
hearty man, in his 72d year, and the young
est 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 cultivate
shout 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 guam
tity of fowls. The little state is both Or
derly and contented, and Peter Green is
looked upon as the chief, although he dis
claims all pretentions to power. Doubt
less the fact that nearly majority of the
population are related TO him-he had six
teen children-accounts for the estimation
in which he is held. Capt. East recon-
mended his son, William Green, for the
Albert medal, or the hfe-saving medal of
the Royal Humane society, and as he
greatly distinguished himself on the occa-
sion of the Mabel Clark's wreck the matter
is one for somebody's attention in this
country, also. Some years ago the island
ers begged some cats 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 a clergyman.
The chaplain of the Comus christened five
childred, who, doubtless, could have waited
a year or two longer for the ceremony, but
the case of expectant brides and BRIDE
grooms is hard indeed. Contemplative
persons without inordinate appetites for
letters and newspapers, may not find its
picture unattractive, but the genius of the
age is all for restless competition, and most
people will regard such 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.