Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-10-11
Is D adv Sin To
Battle In The Sea
That Is, for the Women of Tristan Da
Cunha Island in South Atlantic

IT is regarded as a dea1y sin for
woman to go barcfoued or without
handkerchief tied around the head, bu
the worst thing OF all on the lonelies
island in the world, Tristan da Gun
ha, is for a woman to battle in til,
sea. These are just few things tina
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 121
English speaking British subjects or
| this most remote south Atlantic is
land, writes Alfred p, Peck in, the
Philadelphia Public Ledger.
The most interesting person on the
island according 20 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
1910
you never knew such an island as
this for things woman must not do
Mrs. Rodgers explained to the men
from the relief ship. at is considered
a terrible thing for woman to go
out in the boats, for instance. And
TO go out barefooted 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
81 am very fond of sea bathing and
| am afraid that | have shattered the
traditions of the island. Whenever I
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
Women do most all of the work
about the island, while Mrs. Rodgers
is the only one who joins in counsel
with the men. lntermarriage has not
affected the mentality of the islanders
Medical men from the gunboat found
the children's brains quite normal and
m erely awaiting development Often
the younger people on this island are
Forbidden to marry until they reach
Is years OF age. However, youths are
not treated as men until they are
married. Unmarried men as old as sc
years are still regarded as children
When the Dublin dropped anchor
OF the rock bound coast of Tristan il
was found that the islanders were cx-
listing solely on meat, as the ravagcs
of the rats had destroyed most OF the
potato crop, which is the chief vtge
table diet, The gunboat was the first
boat sighted for year and ha.l i moi
made its appearance many of the is
landers undoubtedly would have dice
of starvation during the coming win
ter season.
As there is no timber left ON tht
island. the relief ship brought a large
cargo of lumber, to be used in tn,
construction of new homes. Roots o
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 year
ago, told the officers of the Dublii
that &c had to save up suitable pieces
for over a period of fifteen years be
fore he had sufficient to construc. ;
small canvas covered boat
Ignorant of Outside World
Glass, who acts as sort of heat
man on the island assured the Officers
that II would be difficult to induce tn,
people TO leave. as many of then
think the rest of the world is Xix,
Tristan. They do not realize what civ
ih2ation means.
Tristan da Cuhna is OF no use to the
British Empire. 1t was only usec
by them as station for detachment
of soldiers during Napolean's exile or
St Helena, as it was thought thai
Tristanmight used as a vantage
point for the Little CorporaPS" es.
cape. There are no mineral deposits
The guano on the island is OF poor
quality because of heavy rainfall Iris
tan could not be used as wireless
station, as it is too close TO south AT
RIGA. 1t is not far enough south to be
used as weather forecasting station
for south Africa, yet is too far away
from the mainland to be used as q
fishing or whaling center.
Tristan da Cunha is nothing more
than a worthless speck on vas
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-
err live their cheerlsse existences on
this lonely island than to take their
places where the advantages of mod.
ern civilization are known.