Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-09-28
MODERN CRUSOES.
LDYLLIC LIFE OF CAsTAwAYS
ON PACIFIC ISLANDS.
Happy and Simple Existence of Lit
tie Colonies Dwelling I'm the
Midst of the Sea-The
Pitcairn Islanders

bark Queens Island was passing PalmerS-
ton Island in the Southern Pacific, the
captain was surprised to see boat con-
tanning eight persons put off from the
shore. 1t was generally supposed that
this coral island, one of the least import
ant of the Hervey group, and about three
hundred miles from its nearest neighbor,
was uninhabited Captain Reid, how
ever, had accidently approached near
enough to this little speck in the ocean
to discover another of those romantic
island settlements which are now and
then uneXpect idly found in the broad
expanse of the great Pacific.
The bronzed and rather scantiy clad
white man who clambeIed up the side of
the bark said he was William Marston,
the chief OF the little island, where he
ha lived for twenty five years. When
he was young mau he deserted from
the Brit sh bark Ritleman in Tahiti and
made his way in small salboat nearly
one thousand miles west to the Hervey
group. He took native wife, and
lourneyed on to p. lmerston Island,
where he built him a cabin and started
cocOauut plantation. A few natives
ISAhSN Aiuit hOW lis lllLlO NOilu
contains thirty-three human beings, of
whom fifteen are his own children,
EngtiSh is the only language spoken in
his little community, whose island home
IS not 80 large as some Eakota farms.
Here the subjects of the runaway English
sailor live on the happiest terms, getting
along without the news and gossip of
The world, while enjoying, nevertheless,
many of the good things of civilization
brought to them by small trading vessels,
10 whom they sell the copra prepared
from their cocoanuts.
Within the past few years several
Stands have been discovered in the
Pacific which, it was found, had long
been known by small traders, who in the
interests of monopoly carefully kept
their information to them elves. After
he Sidney newspapers announced the
discovery OF iine new island not far
from New Guinea, sea captain in port
produced very good map of the island
which he had made several years before.
He h I'd probably hoped to hand down
The secret to his heirs as an exclusive
Trad ng privilege. In this way it has
appened that Marston's little colony has
sourished unknown save to one or two
raders, whose interests have kept them
quiet.
Hundreds of the little islands of the
Pacific are un inhabited and are very
rarely seen by vessels. Who knows but
among them may be modern Robinson
Crusoes, waiting patiently for sal and
living in a fair degree of comfort upon
The bounties of which nature is > lavish
in those regionSl The story of Mr. Bell
md his little family, who are monarchs
f all they survey in the Kermadec
group, 600 miles from their nearest
ueighbors, was recently told in the New
York Sun. The passengers and crew of
he bark Henry James, who were rescued
IN May last from a coral reef in Poly
nesia, know what it is to be castaways in
.he Pacific many hundred miles from in
aabited islands. If they had not tortu-
aately saved their small boat they might
have been prisoners for many months on
ihe little island. Five men in the boat
carried the news of their d saster 1909
niles. to Samoa, and in less than two
months deliverance came. They needed
clothing, but were not otherwise in
ierious want, for fish and cocoanuts had
imply supplemented the slender food
mpplies with which they had reached
heir place of refuge.
Among the jubilee presents received
BY Queen Victoria were some hats and
pther m inulactures, most skillfnlly made
,f straw, the humble tribute of the most
unique and famous of Pacific colonists.
In 1890 the Pitcairn Islanders may cele-
orate their centennial of the landing of
heir mutinous fathers on the little rock
where Lady Belcher, their historian,
,ays they have become "such commu-
uity as has been the dream of poets and
The aspiration of philosophers" 1t is
not often the world hears from these
happy and peaceful islanders now num-
Ser,ng 10 souls, who have perpetuated
The remarkable colony founded ninety
eight years ago by English sailors, but
1t is refresh ng now and then to con-
template theis idyllic existence, cut off
IS they are from the busy world, tiIling
the fertile valleys of their little home
Dnly two and quarter miles in extent,
possessing a schoolhouse and church
but no Jail; intelligent neat and clean,
with plenty of books and fruit and flow
srs, simple hearted, devout people, and
The only Christian community in the
world that has no strong drink, tobacco,
Or money.
A traveller on an English bark which
touched at Pitcairn in ebruary last says
be saw among the islanders men who in
stature would be a credit to the Royal
Guards aud women who were fair to see
though their garments were not rich and
acknowledgements who are skilled In
The arts of house wifery, in the making
Of fancy ba kets and shell work, and
some, too, who can play excellently on
the little church organ. Born to this
life of isolation, the Pitcairn Islander
hears with wonder and delight, but with
out envy, of the world beyond his sea-
girt home. When, years ago, Pitcairn
became too crowded, considering its
slender resources, and the people were
removed hy Great Britain to Norfolk,
that island, small as it is, bewildered
them by its vastness. Having only foot.
paths in Pitcairn, they thought the
wagon roads of Norfolk unsightly, and
the echoes aroused by the'r voices IN the
stone quarter where convicts had once
lived impressed them as a most disagree
able novelty. A min )rity decided thai
they could not be happy among these
strange surroundings, and they returned
to Pitcairn to live. -Od.GJo HraId.