The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1888-06-08
Tae LoneIIest spot In Enrope.

One hundred and forty miles from the
northwest coast 81 Scotland, and forty
miles from the nearest land, the extreme
point Of the Hebrides Islands, lies little
Archipelago or group OF Islands, called
the iiirt OF Hint, aud more commonly
known by the name Of one OF the islands,
*. kilda.
ST. Kilda is almost q lost island, so far
is IL out on the broad Atlantic, so com
pleiely deserted by the rest OF the world,
snd ~ wildly beaten upon by the storms.
But in spite Of is remoteness, and the
fact that the island has but very small
extent OF eultivable soil, St. Kilda is
inhabited by I 8 families, numbering in
1851. seyenty-seren souls. The strange and
lonely life that these people live here IS
q matter Of pity even for the poor and
almost deserted inhabitants of the
IIehrides, who have q large and popu-
lous region compared with ST. hilda.
But not only IS the population of st.
kiida a. large as il was in the middle of
the last century, in spite Of the IN
heaiihiness Of the peoples way OF life
and = very high death rate. but the
leland has sent a few emigrants 10 Aus
tralia
The children all are subject TO attacks
Of it's. brought on, the doctors believe,
by the peculiar food given them. From
the day Of their birth they are made to
swallow 4 decociion Of oil taken from
the petrol, mixed with port wine. Out
Of every mae children born, five die in
infancy.
81. kilda is formed almost wholly Of
steep cliffs. rising to a height Of 1920
feet, and access 10 it is only possible
through a cleft in the rocks. , essels
approach Il only during the three months
81 summer. Only during these three
months are any mails received on the
island. and formerly the ca was still
Eofse. for the loyal subjects OF the queen
al - Eilda did not hear of King viii
liam ~ : death, and Yictoria's accession
10 the throne, until three years after the
event.
some time ago a dreadful tempest
faged 1t 81 Kildn, and the inhabitants
having lost much Of their property and
being In distress, and having several
months 10 wait before the mail boat
would reach them, wrote the story Of
iheir suherings, put it in bottle as the
survivors Of a wreck az sea sometimes do,
and threw il into the water. The bottle
Was picked up, delivered into the hands
81 the directors Of the Free Kirk OF Scot
land Edinbargh. to whom it was ad-
dressed, and q small steamer was sent 10
- ki.da wiih supplies.
The life Of The ST. Kilda people is so
primitive that only lately have tea, sugar
aud tobacco been sold among them.
When the merchant who went there from
Scotland 70 establish this trade arrived
q. the island, be found that tho St.
Kiidaifes were three hours behind the
rcsf Of the kingdom ia time, as the pas
tors watch. the only timepiece on the
isl1nd. had lost that amount Of time dur
ing the nine months that interviewed
sinoe a vessel had been there.
The less than fourscore people who
lire a. 81. Kilda are 50 influenced by the
lonely life they lead. that the arrival OF
e vessel with sailors aud passengers suf-
fees 10 produce sort OF violent cold in
the bead. which the natives call the
.'loai cough. Z" or ''eight days sickness, 81
Hbirh Is dangerous aud sometimes fatal.
90 spite 81 their hard struggle for ex
iste1cs. the people o. this ioneliest place
i1 I'D Europe think that there is no isle
Ike n kilda. and would not exchange
ii for a. earthly paradise - Iouth's Com.
5lIai8a.