The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-11-04
CHARMING HELIGOLAND.
Eng1and's Little Island on the Coast
of Germany.

Heligoland is the last bite of a large
fiat cake which Neptune has been gradu-
ally absorbing throughout centuries IN
numbered. There are two or three
mouthfuls left-a triangular slab some
200 feet high, mile long, and one-third
Of mile broad at the base; and this it
is calculated the sea-god will finish up in
100 years-a fact we need not worry
ourselves about for the present. The
natives and the German summer visitors
call it Heligoland, name which sounds
somewhat profane to English ears; but
they name it thus in good part and I'M
conscious of evil. The small local guide
book tells us that the island possibly
derives its appellatiOn from the Scandi-
navian king Helgo, of Lethra, in the
dim old legendary times; and if we are
not satisfied with that explanation we
have the choice of Heiliges Land, the
Holy Land, so called, from the fact OF
wholesale conversions to Christianity
having been effected here by Lindgar in
the eighth century.
At the risk of being reminded by the
few that Queen Anne is dead,"I will
venture for the many to state that the
English took possession of the place in
1907, it having previously belonged to
the Danes. 1t was not much good to
the latter, and we wanted it as a refuge
for our ships in the stormy north seas
during the stormier days of the first
Napoleon. The natiYes-abOut 1000 in
number-are easy to govern, for the
British do it with a governor at 500
pounds sterling a year-WhOse house. by
the by. is in sad state of disrepair-
and six coast-guardsmen, with as many
muskets and telescopes, the latter con-
tinually sweeping the horizon for snug
glerS or the French-who do not come.
As a sea watering place Heligoland is.
in my humble estimation, not far off
perfection, nature and man having
cordially co-operated in its construction.
The little streets and little houses, SQUAT
and firm, as though crouching from the
mighty winds which often sweep over
the island, are scrupulously clean, the
former always neatly paved, the latter
much addicted to gay oil paint and
gayer gardens, brilliant with stocks, |
marigolds, pinks, and other old-fash- |
Toned flowers.
There is the Overland for those who |
do not mind climb; and down below at |
the base of the triangle, formed, as it |
were, of the crumbs of the half-eaten |
cake, is the Unterland, the two regions |
being connected by an excellent broad |
in zig-zag. Across the water, |
about a mile away, is long sandbank, |
where the bathing goes on; there are |
hand machines, horses being as rare as
elephants in Heligoland, and the gen.
ders are isolated" as pedantic Scotch
once said to me. The bluff |
winds and waves of the north give a |
wOndrous appetite and energy so that |
one can understand the brave deed of
the vikings, who once hung about these
parts. and doubtless. attacked one
another out of pure excess of animal
spirits. 1t is questionable, however,
whether these heroes Jared so we'll after
their aquatic exploits as does the modern
'Curgast" after "braving the deep"
There possibly was not much material
comfort here in the good old freebooting
times but to-day we have brown beer
and solid Hamburg cooking to still the
of an appetite whetted by sail
or swim. Besides, there is a good deal
going on to amuse the tourist-music,
theatre, balls, fishing, sea-bird shooting,
and the like.
How little is this charming strip of
English soil known to Englishmenl
There are six British visitors here now,
all told. You can live comfortably for
u to Is marks (say shillings) per diem,
md you can get here from London, via
Hamburg and Cuxhaven, under thirty
lours.-London Telegraph.
Il