The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-26

From La lscNue 6cleulHQue.
In the Pacific. midway between New
Zealand and New Caledonia. there is an
island whose history is curious enough 1t
Is Norfolk Island, discovered IN 1776 by the
celebrated navigator Cook. Its coasts are
nearly inaccessible; cliffs prevent landing
on all sides, except at two points, on the
north and the south respectively, which
permit of access and which are so utilized
by vessels The soil, which is Of dark
tint, is very fertile, IT produces nearly all
the tropical plants, as well as those of
temperate countries Besides coffee, ban
anas. sugar-cane, leguminous vegetables
Of all kinds, oranges. lemons and citrons,
the grape. apples, etc, flourish there mar
velously. As for the flora peculiar to the
island, it Is necessary only to mention the
famous Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria
exceisa). We have said that the history or
the island IS very curious. In the begin
ming Norfolk received from Sydney, its
sister colony a population OF convicts;
then abandoned and again reoccuped, II
became IN 1895 a place for the transporta-
ton OF condemned habitual criminals Ter
rlble and bloody scenes were enacted there
but AT the suppression OF transportation
TO the Australian colonies the island was
again uIOHOOue0. NOW lHtit WhH ~ itAio
date in the Pacific ocean another island
whose inhabitants asked nothing better
than TO be removed. these islanders were
The descendants Of the mutlnous crew of
the English ship Bounty, whose history,
too long to tell here. and, besides, well
known doubtless 20 the reader forms one
of the most dramatic episodes Of the mari
time annals Of the eighteenth century. The
mutineers OF the Bounty. after taking
wives at Tahiti, settled on Pitcairn Is
land not less inaccessible than Norfolk.
They were leading there a. life unknown
10 the rest Of the world with which they
had broken OF all relations, when, long
years after, an English ship having by
chance touched at this unknown and sup
posedly deserted isle, was surprised 90
find there human beings-compatriots.
The origin OF this population was not
such as TO recommend IT, but long years
had flown and the past was forgotten.
Everybody In England showed the deep
est interest In these new Robinson CRU
soes when their history became known.
with time the islanders had null
tlpled and found their island
of Pltcralrn too small for them.
They asked that England, which
was, after all, the suzerain Of these
subjects Of whose existence she had 80
long been ignorant, should cede 10 them
the abandoned Norfolk Island, with all
7
tural. We see. then, the islanders break
INK up their homes 10 go and settle In a
place nearly 1900 miles away, where they
debarked on June 3, 1896 70 the number
Of 100 persons OF both sexes. These 1893
are to-day 1872. living by the whale fishery
and by agriculture under a government
that ~ simplicity Itself. The island Is. un-
der the jurisdiction. Of the governor of
New South Wales; it Is administered by
three functionarles, OF whom tho princ-
pal Of "chief magistrate" receives SIPS
yearly salary; the chief postmaster has $40
and the register Of land t2J. Perhaps these
salaries may seem small but Il must be
added that there In no public revenue, since
there are no duties. The sole tax consists
OF obligatory labor. 20 which all the male
inhabitants from IS 20 60 years OF age are
subject, and which represents four days
OF work between January and June, chiefly
IA road repairing The laws. which are
few in number and simple as the political
and administrative organization Of the ISL
and. do not on more than Two sheets Of
paper Police would be needless; as no.
body commits any crimes, there arc no
prisons. The climate being very healthful.
sickness ia unknown. nevertheless there o.,
as a pfCcautlon' one physician. who. like
the chaplain, o. an official agent. both OF
them are paid from n fund administered by
the governor Of New South Wales.