The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-14
LIFE ON A LONELY ISLAND
STRANGEsr OF THE COLONIES IN
THE SOUTH ATLANTIC.

From the San Francisco Chronicle.
A great deal OF interest has been taken in
| the inhabitants Of Pitcairn island the de-
scendants of the mutineers OF the Bounty,
who SO cruelty took the ship from
their officers, setting them adrift in
small boat in the middle Of the
Pacific ocean to find their way TO civili-
cation or to perish. who for many years
were lost to the world, and whose singular
piety has aroused the sympathy Of all who
have learned of their existence and Of their
earlier history.
The descendants Of these mutineers are
now a colony of industrious, moral, God
| fearing people, satisfied with their lonely
island home in the middle of the great
| Pacific and cannot be induced to leave It.
| Yet, strange as this may seem, there Is
| still another colony, isolated as this, seldom
referred to and not generally known to ex-
| isf, whose history is strange-''strange
! even than felton,
On the direct track Of vessels bound to
India. China and Australia in the stormiest
region of the South Atlantic ocean. con-
| fined between the lat. of $50 and $50 s. and
long. l2e and lac W., lie numerous de-
taohed islands, barren, rocky and desolate,
with no vegetation except on the largest
one. which ia only some two or three miles
In extent from east TO west and something
less from north to south.
On this island there is a small landing
place, in fine weather only, with a rough,
circuitous trail to the top of the island,
which is about 1000 feet high. The other
islands OF the group are rocky, preclpitous
| and inaccessible, IN hight ranging from
$500 feet to others only
JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE
of the ocean, the great breeding place for
the numerous birds that abound in these
vast southern seas.
Three of these islands have been given
| names-Nightingale, Coughs and Tristan
da Cunha
Seldom is the name OF this group of islands
| heard; little is known Of them, and still less
of the descendants of the singular family
who now inhabit the largest of this desolate
group.
This storm-swept locality is the breeding
place Of the oft-recurring tremendous gales
that sweep with fury the great southern
ocean, extending far to the eastward Of the
Cape of Good Hope, some 1900 miles
distant.
Such place would seem TO be the last
that reasonable beings would choose for a
habitation, yet for more than 100 years one
island of this PARKWAY group has been the
| abode of one family and their descendants,
| independent sovereigns Of their own domain,
owing no allegiances to king or kaiser,
| colony by themselver, settled by compulSlon
and remaining from choice.
In the latter part of the last century q
small schooner owned by an enterprisng
| Dutchman fitted out for a sailing voyage
from the Cape OF Good Hope.
He had heard OF these islands from a
| French exploring expedition 20 the Antartio
ocean which touched there on its way home.
| Con jecturing that it might be good place
Fora Iinua and alpnhaOtu bn
| cluded TO go In search OF them and make a
| fortune.
He accordingly manned his vessel with q
| crew of six men, and
TAKING HIS WHOLE FAMILY,
| consisting Of his wife and two children, a
boy aud girl, 6 and years Of age, sailed on
their perilous voyage to discover those
| islands in, to him, an unknown sea.
He had ascertained that they lay nearly
west about 500 miles A hardy undertake
| ing for a weil-equipped ship, it was far
more so for such frail craft as his: but,
having the proverbial pluck and daring of
bis countrymen for energy and enterprise
| in all maritime adventures, he set sail from
| Cape Town without Informing any one OF
| get into the variable winds between the
Trades" aud the prevailing westerly winds
| farther south
He worked his way till he judged himself
| far enough to edge of to where he supposed
the islands could be found, the latitude of
which he knew. but the longitude he had no
means Of ascertaining He therefore got In
| or near the latitude from the west, and,
taking advantage of the prevailing westerly
| winds, ran 60 the eastward.
1t being late in the spriug the wealth err
was comparatively fine, and in short time
| be was overjcyed to see in the distance
ahead the rising peaks Of the wished for
| rocks.
Coming up with them he sailed around
several, but, much TO his disappointment,
| found no landing place. yet saw seals, lions
and elephants swarming in thousands
around and lying on the naked rocks.
Finally, after long, tedious journey, he
found small landing place on the largest
island where he could anchor his vessel
close TO the shore.
BETWEEN THE JUTTING ROCKS
on either side and where his small schooner
could lie in security, sheltered from all
winds but those from the eastward
The fine weather season in this locality is
short. He therefore Immediately set to
work securing his cargo and built hut in
the ravine, both for shelter and for prepar-
ing the skins and trying out the oil.
They had nearly obtained cargo without
any mishap. no easterly gales having &C.
Cured, and were cougratulating them
selves on soon starting home With valua-
BILE freight, when in the night a breeze
sprapg up from theeasS.
The captain, his family and two seamen
were on shore. The sea preceding the gale
was heaving 10, and land locked as the YES
sci was 1t was impossible to get her to an
offlng.
1t was soon blowing gale aud the men on
board attempted 10 land.
The night being dark the boat was over
turned and dashed on the rocks, and the
four men persisted in the heavy breakers.
The little vessel was, of course doomed
Her anchors held for awhile. but, the gale
increasing, one cable parted and then the
other, and on she drove directly to the beach
at the foot of the ravine.
Easterly gales here are Of short duration,
and when this one eoated the schooner was
a wreck, so shattered that IL was evident she
could never be made to float again. They at
once proceeded to get every thing out of her
and then stripped her of Sails rigging,
spars and everything that would be use
full
To make room for her cargo most of her
stores had previously been landed, also all
her live stock, with which she was album
dainty supplied. The pigs, goats. fowl aud
sheep we're now let loose to
SEEK THEIR OWN LIVING