Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
Isolated From Main Land.

Nearly every winter the inhabitants of
the Island Of st. Kilda are brought to
the verge Of starvation by being cut off
from communication with the mainland.
The people Of this rugged island off the
north coast of Scotland have this week
been relieved by the dispatch Of a war
ship. For over four months they had
been cut off from civilization and were
reduced to their last handful of flour.
The curious thing about the st. kildans
Is that though they possess flu ly a
used for food, for their wool and its man.
ufacture into coarse tweed is the main
stay of the island
According to an early writer the mod
ern name derived from one 'Kilder,"
who lived on the rock, and after whom
the well near the village called 'Toubin-
kilda" was also named Macaulay writes
several pages Of theory. but gives no
very satisfactory conclusion. In regard
to the people themselves there Is a
curious and gruesome legend with regard
to the MacieOd's capture OF the island
An agreement was made between Harris
and Uist that two boats manned by the
same number of rowers should start for
the island at the same time, and those
who first touched its shores were to be
its possessors. The race was thrilling
one, and on nearing the island the Uist
men MacdOnald's) were a few strokes
ahead. Then Gala Macleod chopped off
his left hand at the wrist and flung it
ashore over the heads of the Macdonalds
In this way legend attributes the posses
sion Of the island to the Macleods.
Few Historical Events.
The history OF st. Kilda is marked by
few events. The first recorded is the raid
of Coll Macgillespick in 1915, but the
most romantic is. without doubt, the story
Of Lady Grange. who was transported by
her husband In 1874 and kept a virtual
prisoner on the island till 1742. Several
vessels have been lost on the frowning
cliffs around st. Kilda. The st. kilda
boat Dargavel was wrecked in 1863, and
in the following year the Janet Cowan
of Glasgow was sunk. In 1871 the Aus
TRAN ship Petit Dubrovacki was lost and
the Austrian government wrote thanking
the St kiidans for their kindness to the
survivors.
Geo raphically st. Kilda is the largest
of small group of about sixteen islets
OF the Outer Hebrides. Included In the
civil Parish of Harris. 1t measures three
miles from east to west and two miles
from north to south Its total area is
about seven miles long. Except at the
landing place on the southeast. the cliffs
rise sheer out of deep water. On the
northeast side Consgher, the highest
point or the Island, forms preciplce OF
LEO feet In height. The grim grandeur
of scenery is softened by the richness of
its verdure, but 1t presents some awe
inspiring atmospheric effects. of which
one writer was led to declare: Had 1t
been an island of demons it could not
have appeared more dreadful"
Romantic Forms and Colors.
MaccuIloch wrote of st. Kilda: Fertile
as are the other islands of this sea in
all the accidents of color and light that
arise from these changes, they fall far
short of this one, where the variations of
the atmosphere are incessant, where they
are accompanied by effects, equally va
rious and changeable, of light and shad-
ow of rain and mist, of storm and of
clouds in a thousand new and romantic
forms and colors. such as neither poet
nor painter ever imagined. the whole
producing the most splendid and unex-
pected combination with the land, and
with an ever-restless and changing sea-"
The inhabitants are an industrious
Gaelic-speaking community. The whole
population in 1901 was a. They Guilt
waited over forty acres of land each, and
are permitted by the Macleod to keep