The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-09
After Abandoning their Bark They Reached
TIE Island in a Small Boat
HAS SEvEETY-TWO INHABITANTS.
Lie OF Eaglsls and Penguin Flesh and Eggs.
Live In 0ns-slop Store Houses With ThalChsd
Roofs oVsnun With PaIS.

New York. Jan. "a friend OF Capt
*. u. shaw of the British bark Glen
huntley. which was wrecked iu the
South Atlantic in tempest while on
her way from this port TO Australia
has received a letter from the skipper
telling of his experience on the rugged
rocks OF Tristan d'Acunha. one OF three
islets about 1900 miles west by south OF
the Cape OF Good Hope. capt. Shaw
and nearly all his crew were l5i days
on the island. which they reached In a
lifeboat after abandoning their vessel
They were taken from the island by the
British warship Thrush and landed at
Cape Town. The captain writes:
''rhe rst ship that approached the
island was boarded by us was the
American vessel :. ID. Carlton. on Sep
tember lf from New York to Hong
Kong. ! wanted the captain 10 take us
to the Cape OF Good Hope. but he
could not our second mate. however.
went on the Carlton Three days after
ward we sighted a sail from the high
land at the foot OF "a mountain That
afternoon eight men and myself left in
small boat and got 10 her, sailing and
rowing until about 10 p. m. She proved
10 be the four-masted bark Strathgryfe
Of Greenock. from New York for Mel
bourne. They also could not take us.
but the captain gave us 20 of bread. 30
pounds of flour. IA pounds OF coee 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
eleven had been increased TO 50, the
supplies did not last long.
II never thought that there were
white people so poor as the seventy
two who made Tristan dAcunha their
home. The natives have houses built of
stone and these are matched with
grass called tussock. They are but one
story high and the people cook, eat and
sleep I'm single apartment. Along the
inside walls of some OF these apart
ments are hunks like those on ships.
The natives make trips i'm their little
boats to Inaccessible Island. twenty
miles distant in a southwesterly direc-
ton, for tussock to be used in thatch-
ing. The islands are overrun with rats.
which get scant food excepting when
the natives try e-raise a little grain
Then the rats dig up the seed almost
as soon as planted. The people grow
very little Of anything. but once in
while they succeed in raising a few po-
tatoes. There are few apple and pear
trees, but the rats which climb them
eat the fruit before 1t can ripen.
The governor OF the island gave me
shelter. and the rest of the crew were
quartered at the houses OF the natives.
~ho divided their stock OF eaglets and
penguin flesh and eggs with them. Sea
eaglets are about the size OF a duck.
Their flesh was too strong FOR me to
eat. The natives however seem To rel-
ish II, and i'm time there Is possibility
thatI could also fall I'm line with them.
ThS craving OF hunger is a terrible
thing. and 20 satisfy IL ! ate penguin
eggs for breakfast. dinner and supper.
They were cooked in all styles. but the
variety. such as IL was. could not dis
guise the egg TO my taste"