Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-11-19
ST. KlLDA.


A correspondent of The Pail Mall
co7ette writes: Standing in melan-
holy isolation in the midst of the
storrnv Atlantic. 140 miles from the
7oainland, the island of st. Kilda is
nothing but a lonely and desolate pris
On. and its inhabitants remain IN a
state of enforced and dreary exile.
Int off from all communication with
Tho outer world, except for their two
n,sts a year and visit from an oc~
rssional stray vessel, revolutions may
sgitate the world, wars may rage,
General elections may be decided, and
the St Klldians be unaware that any,
thing important is going on. News
NAV travel to the most distant part of
tbe nueen's dominions before it reaches
This corner oil the British Isles.
Things aTe improving, however, even
in ST Kilda. Now that only eight or
n,ne months elapse at the longest be-
tween the visits of the Postman, the
Inhabitants consider themselves toll
erably well posted up in news as com
nared with the condition Of things
about fifty years ago, when the Minis
ister kept praying that his majesty,
King William, might be granted
health long to reign over US, and
be surrounded with wise and trusty
counsell0rs, three years after that
gracious monarch was dead.
So little is known of st. Kilda that
early this year it was thought that
the rocky island, which is only three
miles long and two broad, had been
submerged, or carried away like
huge iceberg by the waters of the AT
lantic. ST. Kilda has been in trouble,
but its misfortune did not amount to
complete humiliation. Disastrous
storms distress the Inhabitants. AL
though GRIT round with rocks some-
times rising precipitously from tie
waves to the height of 200 feet, the
wild tempestuous ocean throws its
angry sprays over the high cliffs, ever
sweep the island, and destroys the crops
which the people try to raise. This
autumn the whole of the crop was de-
stroyed by one of those heavy storms.
With starvation almost staring them
in the face, the distressed inhabitants
sent message after message adrift in
the hope that some would be found
and assistance sent them. One of
Il these messages was picked up toward
u the end of September, and through
II Sir William Collins, of Glasgow, and
y Principal Rainy relief expedition
was fitted out, and food was landed,
though as the vessel arrived on Sun
day these simple fanatics declined to
give hand in discharging the cargo
until Sunday had passed. The cap,
tain of the vessel swore and pointed
out that change in the weather
would compel him to put out to sea.
go, then, " replied these stern people.
The minister said he could not guar
antee the continuance of fair wealth
er, but he trusted to the same Provi-
dence which had put it into mems
hearts to send them corn and potatoes
would keep the wind steady in the
northeast" And Providence was kind,
for the wind remained steady in the
northeast.
The ST. Kildians live ia a state of
primeval simplicity and superstition.
They seem 10 entertain the idea that
the Scot still goes about hourising a
Bclaymore, for on the night before the
4arrival of the Hebidean with supplies,
&somG of the islanders thought they
Hheard the report of a gun at sea, and
.@all the inhabitants came to the unami
ssmous conclusion that a feet OF Lowl
%and Scotch had arrived off their coast
with the intention of putting them to
the sword. They accordingly made
preparations to receive the foe. The
preparations consisted in all taking
ITO the hills and rocks, and remaining
#out in the cold during the night. So
#rlgldly orthodox are these puritanical
IS Klldlans that, as we have said,
Mwhen the relief vessel arrived they
8would not stir to take the provisions
#ashore until the Sabbath was out. But
~they have other peculiarities. Some
#of their astronomical ideas are uni>
8que, As they can not afford to kill
#sheep and indulge in the luxury of
8good fresh mutton, they devour any,
zone that may die of braxy. Some one
&recently announced that the Chinese
mad discovered how to make very
#dellclous dish, the principal constitu-
Eent of which was rotton eggs. The
vs.. Kildians were ahead of the orient>
Nals IN this matter. Eggs Of sea fowl
#1orm one of their chief articles OF food
#and they use to very carefully store
&Snot preserve) a collection of eggs for
#use IN winter, and these eggs were
#eaten by them with perfect compos-
8ure When in the most advanced state
H. rottenness. One of the little fc-
lions that form part of these primitive
peoples creed is that the visit OF a
stranger to the island always produces
NJ influenza of some kind among
@hem.
n The ST. Kildians are seventy seven
Il number. They have decreased in
number lately because of singular
#nortallty among the children, the
#naJority of whom die bsfore they are
nany days old. This may be due to
ne system of intermarrying that goes
~, Or because there is no doctor to
combat with the mysterious baby foe.
AS there are only one, or sometimes
wo, births in year, doctors prac-
ID ce IN this line would not be extern