The morning call., 1890-08-11
HELIGOLAND.
A Sketch of the Island Just
Coded to Germany.
Some of the Picturesque Views From the Rock
in the North Seattle Customs and the
People of the Island.

The following interesting account Of
Heligoland, the island in the North Sea
which was formally turned over 10 the Ger
man authorities last Saturday, is from re-
cent issue of the Edinburgh Scotsman:
The island, or rather the main island, of
Heligoland is imposing and picturesque as
you approach it in the German steamer from
the Elbe. The first view is one, in truth. to
dwell in the Imagination. Lofty crags OF
beautiful pinkish color catch the eye with
dignity, and the SUBMITS are broken up
with what seem to be towers and pinnaeles
of a city. AS you get closer it is perceived
that about half or quarter of mile from
the craggy main island is small, low-lylng,
sandy island, on which are the usual array
of bathing coaches and the inevitable
restaurationen. In the space between
the two Islands the steamer stops,
there not being enough water to permit
access 10 the pier. Landing in small boat,
it begins to be clear that the pier Is on
Driet spit OF sand at the loot OF the SOUTH
eastern cliff, and that on this spit are
erected many houses, through which the
. main street passes. There is no carriage
way, because there are no carriages and no
horses to draw them If there were. Ad-
stairs is reached leading from the under 10
the upper town on the top OF the cliff. The
summit may also of late years be reached
by lift. The upper town is still longer
and more populOuS than the lower. The
streets are narrow, but beautifully clean
and free from dust and mud. Almost
every house is a lOdgiDg-houSe, and
there the visitor may be accommo-
dated easily at prices which are moderate
by British standards, though high
THAR fIba
of living is the usual one at continental
summer places. The visitor sleeps and gets
his morning coffee at his lodgings; he
lunches, dimes and sups at any OF The many
observation-disclosures in the upper, or, by
choice and excellence, in the lower town.
There is a Government theater with two
governmental boxes; there is a converse
tionhaus, with its Government band every
night and its balls every now ana then.
There is music during the day by the Gov
eminent orchestra in the lower town, and
there are balls for the natives aud the more
curious and less faStldious in the upper
town almost every night. There is delight
full boating all round the island with the
most admirable Seaserapes,
VIEWS OF THE TOWERING CLIFFS
And of the various arches and caves into
which the lovely rock is being cut by the
constant action of wind and tide. The Vlsi-
tors before lunch sail out TO the Dune or
Sandy island and battle, and then have the
rest of the day for their other mild amuse-
ments which, it is almost needless to say,
make no distinction between Sunday and
Saturday. 1t is careless, easy and repo Sc
full existence, with the glorious light and
sun and delicious all-preVadng sea breeze.
The 10000 visitors of last year had the
sense TO enjoy all these good things which
cannot be got so well on the mainland Of
Great Britain, or only under Mrs. Grundys
restrictions; but Of these 10000 only two or
three were Englishmen or ScOtehmen, and by
a flukt about half q dozen Americans or
Amerieanesses. The currency is that OF
the German Empire. British gold is taken as
it is all over the world, but not British silver.
The polite speech is that of the visitors
German; the natives have a Tristan dialect
of their own, and English is very little un-
dersto0d except at the Postoffice and among
the English officials. The native children
are being taught English in their schools,
. but among the grown up HeligOlanders the
only ehance Of Briton making himself in
telligible is to try German, which, though
commonly spoken, Is neither more nor less
foreign 10 the Heligolanders than it is to
the BTit0n.
OF the native inhabitants it is proper to
observe that they are we'll contented with
British rule. They may not love their fel-
lOw-Subjects of these imperial Islands very
mucn, difference 0f language and habit be-
ing allowed for; but they know clearly
where their interest lies, and that is not, to
their way Of thinking, in the direction OF
Deutschland. The resident population is
little over 20G0, which is number entirely
beyond the resources of the island without
the visitors to maintain. Inc nen are
. hearty, sturdy-looking fellows, who make
their living by fishing and towing during
the dun months, and mainly by acting as
boatmen to the visitors during the season.
THE HELIGoLANDER WOMEN
Are not quite so weIl-ooking as the men.
There are, indeed, whispered traditions
f.st las Is common among tSher-folk) the
au.en have 10 do the hard work, such as
carrying Goals up the stairs from the lower
10 tfp upper town, and that tiesh-meat IS
r. arred for their lords and masters. They
liud employment during the season as
mattresses IN their observation-disclosures and
5a the numerous other domestic services re-
CURED for continuous flow OF strangers.
The population, probably among our own
Eext-cf-Ein. exhibits certainly joviallty
and eheerfulness which does not always
chara -tslizs their Scottish and English
kins0ik They have not forgotten how to
sing or dance and they have not the British
puritanism or mauvaise homie to prevent
them INDUCING in their amusements largely.
They are WeIl-cOnducted and rather liBeable
people, with little or no crime, and with no
pove.t y among them. On the upper
ore IS a space not covered by houses
tatCes are grown, a few sheep and
kept, and One or at most two
e land is held in patches, belong
iiyiduals Of families, and governed
ut laws of succession with which
es not interfere. The whole ex-
suit waited ground can easily be
round in about half an hour, the
3trian being guarded by fence against
= dIDg over the cliff, thanks to the prudence
Of tils last Governor. From this Overland
magnificent sea views are to be got AT the
northern end, being the apex OF the TRAN
gle in which the island IS shaped, it is par
uculariy jne to stand of an evening. There
are few big guns suitable mainly for sa-
luung purposes; there is lighthouse, and
tlgfe is Government House itself, with its
union jack, at the base or southern side of
tie triangle; there is one old church, there
is one clergyman, and there are
NO RESIDENT DIsSENTERs AND NO LAW
YERS.
The old laws and customs of the people
are scrupulOusly observed, which seem to be
derived through the ancient Duchy of HOl-
stein from the ancient common law of the
Tristan and Saxon kiDsfolk. There is no
parliament, there Is no representative sys-
TEN, and though there is a council, the not
abias who compose that body are best
pleased, so lar as can be aseertalned, When
the British Government by its Representa-
tive takes all the responsibility Of action
upon itself. There are few or no taxes for
tie natives, the main taxes being those
for licences and poll-tax on visitors. For
some reason the facilities which the island
offers for marriage are appreciated enough
to bring a good many nasty or runaway
couples from the mainland with fees in
their hands. The island pays for itself, but
mainly through the contributions Of
strangers; the islanders are exempt from
the worries of politics; they are free from
the conserlption; they can do practically
as they please so long as they do not offend
the light and easy regulations of Govern
ment House; they have plenty to eat and
drink; they have plenty of employment
aud plenty of fun, and they have no
poverty and little sickness. In many re-
spects undoubtedly, Heligoland is happy
island, and we are entitled in Britain
to take some little credit for our
yoke being so easy, and for the lot
of our fellow-subiects there being SO
good. The Heligolanders have had
the name and protection of great
power, and almost none of the bothers or
worries which are the attendants of great
ness. Fancy only the relief of being ut
terly free and careless as to party politics,
civil or ecclesiastical, and of being entirely
content TO leave.the making and admins
tering laws to others, because quite salts
he'd that whatever is done will be done at
least as we'll as well-intentioned men can
7 manage. There NAV he mt few in this