Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-11-17
ST. KILDA.
A Curious Island Off the Scot
tish Coast.
A Place Where Sea Birds Form tn
Support of the Inhabitants.

bird.infcsted isles of Soay and Boreray,
but st. Kilda alone boasts human ten
ants. In 1881 the island contained
nineteen families, or seventy seven per-
sons, thirty three males and forty-four
females. They live in little green val
ley which slopes to the sea. The island
itself forms part Of the ancient estate OF
Dunvegan. Once upon time the vii
lage of St. Kilda looked like Hotten-
tot 'kraal." The houses were huts
bnit of loose stones and turf, and filled
with an atmosphere of parental smoke.
Now things are better ordered. The
houses are built of stone with roofs Of
galvanized iron, m improvement due to
the generosity of Macleod Of Macleod, the
hereditary possessor of the land. No
part of the world is more famous for it.
bird inhabitants than this dcsolatc
oceanic patch. Here the solan geese
nestle in thousands. The fulmar, the
gannet guillemots, pullins, cider ducks,
and other sea fowl exist in countless
swarms. These birds form, in fact,
the stay and support of the st. Kilda
folk. The islanders say that the fulmar,
or stormy petrol, gives them oil for burn
ing, down for their beds, wholesome
meat, and an ointment or salve for their
infrmites. There are no hens on st.
Kilda. The sea birds supply the place
of the domestic fowl completely, and
the housewives of tho lonely isle are re-
lieved by nature from the cares and
worries of brd-tcnding. The women
look like 'lcathered Mercuries, for their
Shoes" adds this writer, 'arc made OF
gannet's skin." Tho feathers are
valued at Is per stone "a
pounds for the black putin
variety and at IS for
grays. The fulmar oil sells at Is q pint,
the cloth made by the inhabitants at 3s
per Scotch ell, while the cattle are
specially rated. For eight or nine
months at time st. Kilda may have no
intercourse with the outer world. Life
on the island wags slowly and peace
fully, if monotonously along. The storms
of the outside world affect not the st.
Kilda folk. The islanders are exempt
from consumptvc troublcs--a fact held
by some enthusiastic doctors TO be due
to the atmosphere of peat smoke amid
which St. Kilda at large lives and
brcathes. But their babies are liable to
be killed off by mysterious ailmcnt
about the eighth day of life, and the
people are said to be subject to a species
of influenza, which only appears when
strangers visit the isle. Nobody knows
how this ailment is conveyed or what it
is. No infection is presumed to be
carried from the visiting steamer to the
shore; but, nevertheless, the st. Kilda
folk begin to snuff, and to snceze
whenever the tourist season sets in.
1t appears that the inhabit ants are oc-
customed TO send messages inserted in
bottles, or in cxtcmporized boats, to the
mainland. They commit their wishes
to the waves, and trust to favoring gales
to watt their desires ashore. A strata
gem of this kind was recently put in
force by the Free church minister who
has taken charge of the spiritual affairs
on tie island. lie sent sea message
which, after some weeks or months Of
wandering, contrivcd to be cast ashore
and to be brought under the notice oi
some benevolent person, who forwarded d
the message to its destination in Edin'
burgh. The reverend gentleman in this
communication to the principal Of thu
Free Church college in the Scottisl
metropolis spoke of the disastrous
period through which his people anc
himself had passed in st. Klda. The!
were out of everything, in fact, if Tho
message was to bc believed, and wcr'
anxiously awaiting help from the charity
and bencvolence OF the mainland. This
help was duly dispatched to them. The
Jackal, government vessel, was
sent to the island, and an official of thu
board of supervision was deputied
along with the surgeon of the ship, t.
report upon the state of things in th'
island. Tha information In question ha
now come to hand. The reporter tell
us that he found from four to six hun
dred fulmars sated and stored as provis
ions in each family. AS single fulma
affords full meal for an adult, it fol
lows that from eight to twelve hundred
meat rations are contained in each hous
in the island. Then follows a record o
salted mutton similarly laid by for futur
use. There are eighteen COWS on tn
island; there are potatoes in plenty; ant
certain Mr.. Mackenzie, who is said t,
import and to retail the luxuries of lif
in the shape of tea, sugar and tobacco
is reported as doing a brisk trade. Ii
each family circle, the reporter tells US
he found capital to the extent o
$50. One recent emigrant from tn
There is one pathetic sentence in tn
naval doctors report on st. Kilda whicl
must not be omitted from recital Of tn
life of the northern islet. After recount
ing the liking exhibited for tobacco anN
spirits, the absence of condiments g.
scarcely required where satcd food is s.
common-and the want of vegetables
the doctor advocates the institution o
simple and lively games for the childre,
of the island, the cultivation of singing
and the practice of instrumental music
The worthy medical man speaks in tn
] innocence Of kindly heart. lie doc