The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-08-29
6hibooaux sentiuel.
THE ISLE OF TERROR.
SUCH rs usHANT, WHERE THE DRUM
MoND CASTLE WENT DOWN.

1hosEh the Pfaee H8 y Bad Name, tie
People Are Honest and Generoas-Noked
Events of which History Treats HAse
HappeneA In It's Vicinity.
Ushant, the island mon whose cut
lying reefs the steamer Drunmcnd Cas-
tie ran. sinking three minutes after
ward and carrying down e sui On
board, except three, lies of the north
west e1re2ity Ct France and ferns
the conner around which vessels from
the soah turn insethe English channel
after crossing the bay OF Biscar.
"Tshanf' Is the Anglicizd form Of
"Ouessant." the French name. Plinv
calls the island -U1antis." and the
Britons know it as "Enez Heassa,"
which means The Isle Of TEror.. Il
well deserves the Celtic name
The Eshabisantsef Ushant are q hardy
race tie men ali fishermen and seamen.
the women ali fiilers ct the rocky soil
The latter On high days and holidays
still often display Their ancient costume,
with its fat ecI- which strikingIy re-
calls tie feminine headgear CT southern
Italy. and wLence their dark hair
STREAMS IA freedom below their waists
Within the las quarter of . century q
breed e ponies still roaEnR in semi
wiles@s o.er . larse part Of the island,
and fer centuries the inhabitants them
selves we-e Locked upon as wages. De-
barred. e1sca sor ae-g wceG at a time,
from aay intercourse with the main
land they eeT-Gzny led vey rrimiri-e
lives BIT Gt Tire sane tine they pr
serysd the Primitive virtues. and ho--
estE md hospitality have erer been ar
Gcies CT faith among them.
Losing year by year, with urfailing
regularity, q scorc or two CT their own
kith ard kindred in the ~Heacherous
waters around their isle. their syrnpa-
thies have always been with tho<e
when ~shipwreck has irnreriIed. Several
Of tie Breton Islands have n-0torsously
harbeeed communities e wreekers.
but the people Of Ushans have aga,
ard again distinguished Themselves bY
tho eTcrss 10 save distressed vessels
or their crews
Naeaever q Of the islanders is lost
at ga. I. touching cerczncnv, called the
proelia' is performed. The relatives
and friends C tie deceased carr to his
hoGse Z small wooden cross, oror which
tie clergy repeat the prayers for the
dead. asn symbol were the corpse
itself Then the cross bearer. who,
wiz sever practicable. Is the godfather
Of lie esterct lta5s again a touching
instance OF syEaboIismt, incIoses it in q
Golfer, ard. followed By all the mourn
ers. deposits il a. the foot CT q statue CT
ST Pol Aurelien. the patron Of the isle
A few years ago a hundred CT 50 Of these
co.'s ec-lsd be seen assembled around
the statue.
C~sant is known to history. As early
as 1883 II English expedition landed
the island and rayaged ii with fire
ard sword. Then, in ITS, It's waters
the much criticised naval en-
g%ager.ent between Keppcl and dor
yi9I5ers, which English histories usually
describe as a drawn battle. whereas the
French Invariably claim il os a decisive
vie.o-E. Finally, 16 years later. Ughans
sa- the glorious first CT June, when
Lo-S Howe certainly shattered the
Fre-eh shirs CT war commanded Ey
ViI.s-ct-Joyeuse, bnt at the same time
sigaaIly failed to prevent the large feet
of French merchantmen, on whose ar
rival France depended for means to pres
ecnse the war, iron getting safely into
the pert OF Rres. ]
That Ussant is, in Breton estimation.
predestined TO deeds Of blood and death
shown By a strange rhymed proverh.
which Chateaubriand quotes in his
Memoirs From Beyond the Grave
and which may be Englished thus:
he who see Belle Isle doth see his
isle; He who seeth Groi doth see his
joy, but gaze On Ushant's food, you see
your blood"
Of the wild scenery around Ushant
there has probably never been any bet
ter description than that given by
Chateaubriand The island is the lar
gest and from the mainland the most
distant. Of these forming the archipelago
which it gives its ID Molene, the
next in size, trades largely il its own
soil. which On account Of certain chem |
lcal properties is sought after BY Breton
agriculturists. Then, in addition to
scores Of little islets, some Of them mere
ats and rocks, there is Quenaenez. |
il about a quarter the size Of
Ushant, while nea TO the mainland is
Benlquet, or tie Blessed Isle. so called |
On account of its proximity TO the Bre-
shore and the refuge it offers amid |
most dangerous Ct ali the adjacent
reefs, that Of Les PierTes Noires.
Many a stout ship and many a frail !
boat have been shattered among