The herald., 1922-09-07
JOINED TO WORLD
People of Tristan da Cunha No
Longer Isolated.
Installation of Wireless Telearaphy
Will End Seclusion Which They
Seem to Have Enjoyed.

Tristan da Cunha is the general
name for a group of three small vol
canic islands belonging to Great Brit
ain situated in the South Atlantic
about 1000 miles west of the Cape of
Good Hope and about 1900 miles
northeast Of Cape Horn. Tristan, the
largest and northernmOst island, has
an area of 16 square miles, is circular
in form, about seven miles in diane
ter, and has volcanic cone (1,640
feeD, usually capped with snow, in
the center. Ii sometimes happens
that Tristan da Cunha remains six
months, ten months, year without
receiving news from any part of the
world, says the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The islands we're discovered in 1906
by the Portuguese Admiral Tristan
Tor more correctly TristaO) de Cunha,
after whom they are named, during
voyage to India, but ii was not until
the Nineteenth century that the
islands were permanently Inhabited.
One day an American named Lambert,
Tate Of Salem, Mass, mariner and cit
lien thereof" landed in Tristan and
declared himself sovereign and sole
possessor of the group (Which he re-
named Islands of Refreshments
81 have made up my mind" he
wrote, ito prepare for myself and my
family a home where l shall be able
to live without the difficulties that
have constantly troubled me, and to
procure for US property that will in
sure us forever the measure of living
and preserve us from common misfOr-
tunes"
Jonathan Lambert had many imita-
tors. He arrived in 1910. In 1915
the island had already counted Y in
habItants. 1t counted so in 1870, and
100 in 1908. According to the latest
news, Tristan population has in
creased to $50 persons, men, women
and children. and :. pastor in
cluded. Incidentally Lambert's SOW
ereignty was short-lived, as he was
drowned in May, 1920. while out fish
ing
Tristan da Cunha has no history.
1t knows neither industry nor COM
merce. nor war II has no neighbors
who envy it. There is no government.
The people manage their affairs
without any laws. the project once en-
tertained Of providing them with
formal constitution being deemed I'M
necessary.
Nothing, or nearly nothing, would
be known about the customs of these
Robinsons if, in 1903, an advertise
ment in a London paper had not sig
nalized the sad condition of those peO-
pie living even outside of religion.
Thereupon an Anglican pastor. Rev.
Mr.. Barrow, decided to 60 there with
his wife and servant. 1t took them
six months from Southampton to reach
the island. They remained there three
years, and Mrs. Barrow has left an
excellent narrative Of their visit.
In this way it was learned that those
recluses, even if they did not consider
themselves very happy, seemed to fear
that they would be even less happy II
they deserted this island. In 1906
the majority for the second time re-
fused to desert the island, though Of
fered allotments of land in Cape Col
ony.
But an incident has just occurred
that will upset their life. A cable
from Rio de Janeiro tells Of the ar
rival on the island Of a new pastor
who brought with him a wireless APP
paratus. Henceforth Tristan da Cunha
may know everything.