The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-07-17

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
calm weather a landing is easily eff
fected, but during the winter months
1t is often impossible to get even with
in hailing distance of the wharf, owing
to the terrific ground seas which fire.
quently occur. None of us ever leave
the place during the winter season.
The only signs of vegetation are
varieties of cacti, wild tobacco and a
coarse kind of grass, on which few
wild sheep and goats manage to live.
All our provision, such as fresh meat
fruit and vegetables, have to be
brought by boat from the neighboring
islands of Montserrat and St. kits.
which are respectively thirty and
fifteen miles distant.
A Feast or Famine.
of course, we have to keep sup
ply of canned good sin stock, which, as
well as groceries, we get direct from
America In sufficient quantities to last
SIX months. l wonder what tine New
York housewife would say If she had
10 order butter and cheese by the
hundredweight, and tea by the chest!
IN spite OF such large consignments,
however, our storeroom is usually at
a pretty low ebb for some weeks be-
fore the arrival of 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 hut
tripe and champagne.
Sometimes. indeed, we dine most
sumptu0usly on turtle soup and roast
kid' followed by pineapples, mangoes,
sapodillos and other luscious fruits of
tne tropics; but on the other hand it
is no unusual thing for us to get up
IN the morning 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 a wild sheep to re-
plenish our larder. The plan of cam
paign Is to stand afar of, and, having
spotted the most likely looking animal,
they surround the poor brute, leaping
from rock to rock like antelopes, till,
finally penning it in corner, the cook
swoops down upon it, gripping it by
the scruf of the neck. Shooting the
animals is not 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 depend
entirely on the rainfall; and this
amounts only to something like nine
teen inches year. In seasons of
drouth our baths consist of a dry rub
with sand.
Some people might fancy it would
be monotonous living in such a place,
but we occasionally get hurricane,
or an earthquake to relieve the tedi-
UNI of the hour: besides which the
fauna of the island are of kind to
distract ones thoughts and prevent
ennui.
THE cockroaches. for example,
which attain to very high state of
physical development, destroy the
bindings of our favorite books, eat the
backing off our shoes in patches, till
they look as II they were afflicted with
leprOsy, and consider the piano the
most suitable place to rear their young.
Centipedes and corpions you may ex-
pect 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.
But. in spite Of the many draw
backs. life in RedOnda is endurable, on
the whole, especially when we know
that In due time we shall return to
Portland to live permanently"