The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-10-02
is DEADLY SIN TO
BATTLE IN THE SEA
THAT IS, FOR THE WOMEN OF
TRISTAN DA CUNHA ISLAND,
IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC.

1t is regarded as a deadly sin tor
woman to 60 barefooted or without a
handkerchief tied around the head, but
the worst thing of all on the loneiiest
island in the world, Tristan da Gun
ha. is for a woman to battle in the
sea. These are just Jew things that
a woman must not do on Tristan, &C
cording to officers of the British gun
boat, Dublin, who have just returned
from carrying relief stores to the 127
English-speaking British subjects on
this most remote south Atlantic is
land, writes Alfred P. Peck in the
Philadelphia Public Ledger.
The most interesting person on the
island, according to the men on the
Dublin, is a young English girl, Mrs.
Martin Rodgers, wife of the mission
airy. She has been on this Robinson
Crusoe island with her husband since
1919.
"You never knew such an island as
this for things a woman must not do, +"
Mrs. Rodgers explained to the men
from the relief ship. 1T is considered
a terrible thing for 2 woman to go
out in the boats, for instance. And
to go out barefootcd or without a
handkerchief around your head is a
deadly sin. But the worst thing of all
is for a woman to battle in the sea.
Il am very fond of sea bathing and
l am afraid that | have shattered the
traditions of the island. Whenever l
go down to the beach in my bathing
costume all the people shut them
selves up in their homes and stay
there until | come out of the water
That is their way of showing disap
prevail
Do Most of Work.
Women do most all of the work
about the island, while Mrs. Rodgers
is the only one who joins in counsel
with the men. Intermarriage has not
affected the mentality of the islanders.
Medical men from the gunboat found
the children's brains quite normal and
merely awaiting development. Often
the younger people on this island are
forbidden to marry until they reach
rs years of age. However, youths are
not treated as men until they are
married Unmarried men as old as 80
years are still regarded as children.
When the Dublin dropped anchor
off the rockbound coast of Tristan it
was found that the islanders were ex-
lStlng solely on meat, as the ravages
of the rats had destroyed most of the
potato crop, which is the chief vege-
table diet. The gunboat was the first
boat sighted for year, and had it not
made its appearance many of the is
landers undoubtedly would have died
OF starvation during the coming Win
ter season.
AS there is no timber left on the
island the relief ship brought large
cargo of lumber, to be used in the
construction of new homes. Roots of
shrubs and bushes are used for fuel
Wood is so scarce that Bob Glass,
grandson OF the man who founded
the settlement more than 100 wears
ago. told the officers of the Dublin
that he had to save up suitable pieces
for over a period OF fifteen years be-
fore he had sufficient to construct a
small canvas-covered boat
Ignorant of Outside World.
Glass, who acts as a sort of head
man on the island, assured the officers
that it would be difficult to induce the
people to leave, as many of them
think the rest of the world is like
Tristan. They do not realize what civ
lization means.
Tristan da Cuhna IS of no use to
the British empire. 1t was only used
by them as a station for a detachment
OF soldiers during Napoleon's exile on
St. Helena, as it was thought that
Tristan might be used as a vantage
point Tor the Little Corpora1's" es-
cape. There are nj mineral deposits.
The guano on the island is of poor
quality because of heavy rainfall Iris
tan could not be used as a wireless
station, as it is too close to south Al
RIGA. 1t is not far enough south to be
used as a weather forecasting station
for south Africa, yet it is too far
away from the mainland to be used as
fishing or whaling center.
Tristan da Cunha is nothing more
than worthless speck on a vast
ocean that stretches without Interrupt
ton to the south pole 1t is of no value
to the world, yet it houses 1877 Eng
lish speaking people, who would rath-
er live their cherries existences or
this lonely island than to take theil
places where the advantages of mod
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