The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-01-19
ON LONE ATLANTIC ISLE
Hard Lot of Castaway Sailors at
Tristan d'Acunha.
GREW LIVED ON pENaUINg Eecs

Captain shaw of the WrecEcd Barh
GIenhuntIey writes of His Esperi-
ence--The English Governor OF the
Island Is Ninety--one of the Colo
nists Fought with Nelson.
A friend Of Captain II. r. Shaw Of
the British bark Glenhuntley, which
was wrecked in the south Atlantic in
tempest while on her way from New
York to Australia has received letter
from the skipper telling of his expert
ence on the rugged rocks of Tristan
d'Acunha. one Of three islets about
1000 miles west by south of the Cape
of Good Hope Captain Shaw and near
ly all his crew were 154 days on Che is
land, which they reached in Iifeboat
after abandoning their vessel They
were taken from the island by the Brit
ish warship Thrush and landed vt Cape
Town. The captain writes; r.
1.-THE first ship that approached the
island and was b.arded by us was the
American vessel s. d. Carlton, on Sept
49, from New York to Hongkong. I
wanted the captain to take us to the
Cnpe Of Good Hope, but ho could not.
Our second mate, however, went on the
Carlton. Three days afterward we sight
ed sail from the high land at the foot
Of mountain. That afternoon eight
men and myself left in small boat and
got to her, sailing and rowing until
about 10 p m She proved to be the
four masted bark Strathgryfe OF Green
ock, from New York for Melbourne.
They also could not take us, but the
captain gave us 20 pounds of bread, 90
pounds of -four, IA pounds Of coffeo and
some tobacco. That was the first sub
stantial food and the first tobacco we
got since we reached the island. AS the
population Of the place with our II had
been increased to SO, the supply did not
last long
~ never thought that there were
white people 80 poor as the 79 who.
made Tristan dAcunha their home.
The natives have houses built of stone.
and these are thatched with grass
called tussock. They are but one story
high, and the people cook, eat and sleep
in single apartment. Along the in
side walls of some of these apartments
are hunks like those on ships. The ma
tives make trips in their little boats 10.
Inaccessible island, 90 miles distant In
southerwesterly direction, for tussock
TO be used in thatching The islands
are overrun with rats, which get scant
food excepting when the natives try to
raise little grain. Then the rats dig
up the seed almost as soon as planted
The people grow very little of anything,
but once in awhile they succeed in rails
ing few potatoes. There are a few
apple and pear trees, but tho rats which
climb them eat the fruit before it can
ripen.
1.-THE governor of the island gave me
shelter, and tho rest of the crew were
quartered at the houses Of the natives,
who divided their stock of eaglets and
penguin flesh and eggs with them. Sea
eaglets are about tho size of duck
Their flesh was too strong for me to eat
The natives, however, seem TO relish it,
and in time there is possibility that 1
would also fall in line with them. The
craving OF hunger is terrible thing,
and to satisfy it | ate penguin eggs for
breakfast dinner and supper. They
were cooked in all styles, but the yarie-
ty, such as it was. could not Disguise
the egg to my taste.
''The sea eagles lay their eggs In
holes on the sides Of the mountains, and
when the eaglets are about as big as a
pigeon the natives take their dogs In a
boat and go around the island The
dogs smell out the holes, and then.the
natives get the young birds and bring
them home and cook them. The eaglets
have strong and fishy taste. and one
has to be hungry to eat their flesh
There are several penguins' rookeries,
where we got eggs, which furnished the
main part of our daily food while we
were on the island We also killed some,
Of the sea fowl, and the oil secured in
the cooking we used in our lamps.
Excepting the little coffee that OBJ
tanned from the Carlton, that v'as all
that had been on the island S.g three
months The inhabitants oVn a fair
sized sailboat between them. and what
ever supplies they secure from passing
vessel are equally divided. They wear
no shoes and when beast is killed it's
akin is pegged to the ground and dried.
Then it is cut up into strips and out OF
the skin sort OF moccasin is made
"The governor of the island is up.
ward OF 80 years old, and his wife is 63.
One of the people. named Thomas Hill
Swaine. was with Lord Nelson on the
Victory at Trafalgar. When the gov
ernment had battery ON the island Of
Tristan d d'Acunha, Swaine came as a
corporal, and after the military force.
was abolished he remained in this God
forsaken place The inhabitants, both
male and femaleI are sadlyin need OF
clothing. The men sometimes secure
cast off garments from the crews OF
passing ships but the women rarelyget
petticoat.
'As eort of home amusement the
members of the poor colony on this far
away island make grotesque bonnets.
and caps from the fleece and skins Of
the albatross and fancy work from the.
feathers of the penguins The governor
told me that he landed first on the is-.
land in 1885, and that during the last,
6s years he had made only two trips TO.
St Helena. which Is over 1000 miles
away He had never been to the Cape
OF Good Hope New York Sun.
Size of tI,e American Family.
Including our newly acquired broth
ers and sisters there are about 81. 00O.-~