Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-08-19

The British island VI Tristan la
Cunha. In the middle OF the South At
lantlc, with its I'D odd souls. mostly
descendants Of Napoleon's ST. Helena
tlon more than once In two years. Is
at last to have a missionary and radio
communication.
For more than IS months an Eng
fish Clergyman naLled Rogers and his
wife have been trying to reach the Is
land from Cape Town. and finally In
duced the captaiL OF the Japanese
steamship Tacoma Maru, which left
Cape Town ON March 70 for the River
| Plate. 10 deviate from his regular
course. and land them ut Tristan da
! Cunha.
W. Denis Myers. u passenger on the
( Tacoma Maru and lawyer Of Cape
/ Town. recently arrived at Montevideo.
tells of the vessels. call at the island
with Mr. and Mrs Rogers. and thinks
| the population Is truly in need Of
missionary
Much Of Interest.
1 The student Of evolution. the psy-
! chOl gisi, As we'll AS the missionary.
! would find much to interest him In this
! curious. forgotten community" says
Nr Myers. The settlement Originate
! ed, ii Is said. when detachment Of
soldiers who were guarding Napoleon
4 AT ST Helena. 10 the north. were dis
| patched To Tristan da Cunha TO fore
| stall the remote possibility that Ma
poleon might attempt 10 escape thith-
! er. Two OF the soldiers remained
4 and, importing wives from ST Helena.
laid the foundation OF one Of thu
| strangest settlements In the world.
I Prom time 10 time shipwrecked
mariners have added TO the inhabi-
tants OIL the island, who have married
and intermarried till relationship after
q century has become hopeless tan
| gle. Nearly all the present population
were born on the island and have a
colored strain in their blood They
speak English with q peculiar drawl.
resembling west of England speech.
shipwrecked from sailing vessel. who
appears Ia have forgotten his own
name and ia fact his mother tongue.
Continued intcrmarriag, has in this
generation produced some pitiful chill
dren. Some of them are idiots. some
lack limbs. some are deaf aud dumb.
The population does nothing agricul-
turally except ia cultivate potatoes.
On this food. together with fish and
penguin eggs they chiefly exist. There
arr few Wild cattle and few sheep
and ont of the wool vi the latter the
women knit rough WOODEN stockings.
That is their only manufacture. They
wear old clothes. mostly seamen's,
begged from the ships. usually wan
dering windjammers. that visit the IS
land at rare intervals. There being no
commerce, there is no need for money.
Attitude Toward Visitors
''The islanders attitude toward wish
tors Is curious. As he stands before
one his head DROPS. his arms fall list
lessly TO his side and he answers limp
ly and uninterestedly questions as 10
his life and mode of existence. He
seems to have no other interest than
TO trade penguin. an alba,ross skin.
or seals iiapper for an old shirt. a
little tobacco. or anything frsm civillz-
alton that would be useful. He articu-
lates slowly and with difficulty as II
he had almost forgotten speech.
did not see one smile
Tristan da Cunha Is a mountain D.
COZ feet high. rising out III the ocean
wastes ike an inverted pudding bowl.
and as We saw II. was wreathed In
swirling mists. The little colony lives
in stone huiS Oh q green strip of pas
ture land nj the foot Of the mountain.
Having no commerce and no money.
these people certainly cannot worship
Mammon. hut Il Is doubtful II they
worship God. The two plucky mission
aries who have exiled themselves
among them FOR at least two years will
try 10 teach them. They brough, large
quantities of supplies aud civilized
comforts and radio set. 50 that hence
I forth Tristan sia lIinha will not be caat