Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-07-19
LIFE ON REDoNDA
How a Mamie Girl Passes ner '''"e
on an Isolated Island.

Miss Elizabeth X Har1ine, ieoiucH.
of the island of Redonda, ~. VIZ nm
the Caribbean Sea, Is III "" ativ. ciI.
her way to visit friends IN heI I'LL h ~ ~
Of Portland, Me. Miss ftardils iia9 Li.ru
with her father and mother OH tii, ,. isia i
for the last eleven years, hcr lathcr pe
6ng the manager OF the phosphate mines
there In an interview win I.lpuiie IT,
porter ut the Hotel Eal c cc, ~ ' 80
Harding gave the following account Oh
the drawbacks incideltal u ny VII h
tiny volcanic island, cut OIL from inc
world: ,ro boo,
of cinders, Il mile in length, wiicn rlses
sheer out OF the Caribbean sea 10 tne
height of Loo feet. The only thilS that
grows there in abundance y nealthy
Kind of prickIy pear, while the wild ami
mails consist mainly Oh iata' !iiict'
iguanas. centipcdes, scorpions, ileas,
cOckroaches and other OF me S,niiie ,'1nu.
/ have, however, managed 10 iVr on the
island fer eleven years, and nave occu-
pied during that time the unique Positioi
of being one of the two women residents
two hundred men. The white portion of
the population consists Of lRy parents,
one other American, a native oi Cali
fornia, and myself, all the rest, who are
EMPLOYED mostly in the mines. varying IN
color from pale orange to jet black.
From the sea the island looks so pre-
ciyituus that you wonder how any
| thing but a goat could gain a loothold ON
| find that in places it is, metaphorlcaily
| speaking, level. But, nevertheless, the
| nature Of the ground is such that, while
one end of our house tests on the living
rock the other is supported on green
| heart piles about twelve feet nigh.
There is no harbor. properly speak ing.
| but on the leeward side of the island
| there is fairly good anchorage, which
| is protected from the prevailing trade
| winds by the towering cliffs. In CAIN
weather landing is easily effected, but
| during the winter months 1T is often i'm
possible to get even within hailing dis
! lance of the wharf owing to the terrific
| ground seas which frequently occur
| None of us ever leave the place DUNG the
| " inter season.
The only signs of vegetation are varie-
| ties Of cacti wild tobacco and Il coarse
| kind OF grass, on which a few wild sheep
and goats manage to live. All our pro,
| visions, such as fresh meat fruit and
| vegetables, have to be brought by boat
! from the neighbOring islands of MOntser-
rat and st. Kits. which are respectively
| thirty and fifteen miles distant.
'Of course, We have to keep q supply
| of canned goods in stock, which well
as groceries. We get direct from Ameri-
ca in sufficient quantities to last six
| months. l wonder what the New York
housewife would say if she had to order
Pbutter and cheese by the hundredweight,
and tea by the chest. In spite of such
large cOnsignments, hcwever, our store
room is usually at a pretty low ebb for
some weeks before the arrival of n fresh
! supply of goods. 1t sometimes happens
| that, even with the greatest foresight the
only articles in stock may be corned beef
and backing, while at another we may
have nothing to depend on but tripe and
| champagne.
Sometimes. indeed we dine most
sum?tuGusly on turtle soup and roast kid
followed by pineapples. manages, sapodII-
los and other luscious fruits of the trop-
| les; but on the other hand it is no UNI
usual thing for us to get up in the morn
ing not knowing what We are going to
have for breakfast.
AT such times it is customary to send
out a hunting party. headed by our cook
to capture wild sheep to replenish our
larder. The plan of campaign is to stand
afar off. and having spotted the most
likely looking animal. they surround the
poor brute, leapfng from rock to rock like
antelopes. till. finally rennng it in 4
corner. the cook swoops down upon it,
Shooting the animals is not q satisfactory
| method. because if they are not killed by
the first shot they make their escape to
| some inaccessible cave in the cliffs
!, For our water supply we depcrd on
!; tirely on the rainfall; and this amounts
only to something like nineteen inches a
year. In seasons of drOuth our baths
} consist of dry rub with sand
Some people might fancy it would he
, monOtOnous living in such n place but We
occasionally, get hurricane or an earth
quake to relieve the tedium of the hour:
besides which the fauna of the island are
of kind to distract ones thoughts and
prevent ennui.
, The cockroaehes., for example. which
attain to Il very high state of physical
development, destroy the bindings of our
favorte books. eat the backing off our
shoes in patches. till thcy lock as
1t they We're afflicted with leprosy, and
consider the piano the most suitable place
to rear their young. Centipedes and scor-
pions You may expect to tread on as you
cross the veranda. while crabs have to
be picked out of the bathtub before YOU
can take your bath in comfort
"Hut. in spite OF the many drawbacks.
life in Redonda is endurable. on the
whole, especially when we know that in
d.ic time W. Si"ll return to Portland 10
live permarently.'-N York Tribune.