A TALE OF THE SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1899, Page 1 (Supplement)

A TALE OF THE SEA.

SHIPWRECKED OX TRISTAN

D'ACUNHA

FIVE MONTHS WITH PETER

GREEN.

THE STORY OF THE STEWARD

EATEN UP BY EATS

Yesterday afternoon, writes a correspondent of the 'Daily News,' I had a long and interesting talk with Max Smith, late cook and steward of the barque Glenhimtly, which sprung a leak in the South Atlantic in the ear ly part of the year, and was abandoned within sight of Tristan D'Acunba. Most people have heard of that lonely volcanic island, which rears its solitary peak some eight thousand feet into the clouds. Before the openinsr of the Suez Canal it prospered on whalers, passenger ships and sundry vesS els which bought fresh meat, fish fruit, and vegetables from its handful of colonists. To-day it is m a bad way according to Smith. But let us begin at the beginning. .'All hands got safe ashore, though one of the two boats was stove in by the surf which ever beats upon Tristan D'Acunha's rock-bound shores. There was just a sloping shelf of beach upon which the twelve men were able to stand. In the rear was the raging sea, in their face were sheer rocks which towered up three thousand feet. In the boat which survived the landing they had biscuit, water, hams, and some small quantity of clothing. By the way one should not forget to mention Max Smith's two pet cats, ■which he brought ashore in a bag, like a good fellow. In vain the castaways tried to scale the precipices; in Vain they endeavoured to discover a track which would lead them over -.-the mountains to the small settlement which they had heard existed. So tfiey made a sort of Indian camp of blankets, which at all events protected them more or less from the rain and wind. On the sixth day they resolved to send some of their number to coast the island, and after many narrow escapes from drowning their "boat was launched, and the poor fellows pulled away to the east. If they had gone west they would have reached the settlement in an hour. As it was it was not until sunset that they espied the few stone cottages which form the smallest town in the world, I suppose, namely, 'Edinburgh,' socalled after the Duke of Edinburgh, who once landed there. The community's whaleboat, manned by some stalwart colonists, went back for the remainder of the shipwrecked men, and after much fatigue and many dangers the whole twelve of them were comfortably installed in the various cottages. JVlax Smith and Captain Shaw were quartered on Peter Green, who is the Governor of Tristan D'Acunha, and Max gave me a most curious account of this communistic colony of sixteen families, or sixtyfour souls. They are of splendid physique, and die only of old age. Most of their property is held in common., Each family had one of the .stone cottag-es with the rush roots, the furniture of which is made mostly of driftwood and wreckage. Having only themselves to rely on each is almost by instinct a caspenter, a stonemason,'a sailor, a fisherman, an agriculturist, and an eg'^-hunter. In case a wreckage comes ashore it is divided into sixteen portions, and distributed. Disputes very seldom arise, and if they do, Peter Green's word is final. If one party goes out fishing the catch is shared, and even potatoes, cattle, sheep, pigs, and fowls, though not held quite in common, it is customary to share on the do lit dcs principle. I have said that in the days of sailing ships Tristan D'Acunha was extremely prosperous. Now it is in a very bad way. Steam and the Suez Canal have diverted trade, so that only once a year are they sure of a visit from one of Her Majesty's gunboats. That is one reason. But they could live in their primitive way very comfortably without even ships, for the three or four square miles of soil upon which the settlement lives (the | restis nearly all dizzy rocks) is very i fertile. And how is it that they cannot. Because the rats are rapidly eating them out of hearth and home. Some ten years ago. a Norwegian vessel went ashore there. It was full of rats, and these unfortunately landed, and found the place so much to their liking that they have increased to enormous numbers. No grain can oe grown; no cereals of any sort; no fruit; and it is only by the exercise of I incredible precautions that the potatoes have survived. Let no enterprising WMttington think that cats we wanted in Tristan D'Acunha. There are many of them, tame and wild. Also dogs. But in vain do they ivi! I*'1*' *n vain do ey set traps s What the rabbit is to Australia so is the greyish-brown rats to Tristan DAcunha. The rat has even driven out several species of birds which used to nest on the island. We cannot be surprised that Max Smith's wo pet cats preferred to remain *here they were. They will certalu,ty never find better quarters. We need not say, then, that ;here is not ?uich variety of fool in Tristan '■DAcunha. The beef is very tough an<i stringy; and the sheep are not Particularly toothsome. Max Smitn ays that one frying-pan serves six families; so even if meat was more Plentiful there might be a difficulty "i cooking it. Nor is tea and.sugar °i«n seen, fish and potatoes forming lt"? .staple diet, with an occasional Relish of mutton-bird. Max Smith says test dish he tasted during his five ?ontns' involuntary visii^was an omeette of mutton-bird's eggs. He gives an amusing description of the wo«en's clothes. They wear no hats. « they did the high winds would prooably blow them away. But a handkerchief serves to protect their headP!eces. When a lady wants a new gown in Tristan D'Acunha she waits I'll' her man can buy two shirts of c same pattern from a passing ship, , then sews them together; and are. That, is one way. The per is to get a whole gown," which very seldom, as skippers sailing in' lonely tempests and seas of the °owh Atlantic seldom take their .^es with them. I must not forg-et *° say that in all the island there j* 6 probably twenty shillings. Money of n 0 v a lue there; it is mere dross. •'V I goods are exchanged. There is no ooetor; and if there were nobody a er ails. He or she may tumble down when egg - hunting or *°o<i-cutting. If ] ie O r she did thence would be hopeless. Even a Jenner

cannot mend a broken neck. The climate is excellent; though there is much rain, 'fog, and terrific winds. After the desertion of the ships and the plague of rats, the dearth of firewood is the other drawback to life on Tristan D'Acunha. Such wood as there is is very small and tough scrub, a few inches in diameter, tousled and crumpled by the tempest. The brave islanders climb thousands of feet to cut it. As for amusements, there are two accordions, and a number of books. There is no cleryman, but Sunday is strictly observed as a day of rest, and the children attend a Sunday School. Only three men smoke, and not one of the lot drinks. Peter Green is ninety-two, and still hale and hearty. The first thing he did when the Captain of the Glen* hxmtly and Max Smith went into his cottage was to lift with extraordinary ease a cloth, and revealed to them a fine portrait of the Queen, which Her Majesty had sent him.

I asked Max what the islanders were most in. need of. He said that a loom to weave the wool which they card and spin into garments for the women was much wanted. It is also his opinion that some quick-growing trees would be a great boon. He tells me that though the 12 men were

quartered on the islanders for five months until they wove taken off by the gunboat, not a penny would they accerrt as compensation. 1 must say that a sailor's life is not a happy one. A man is castaway, suffers many hardships, encounters many dangers, is rescued, finds his way home—and hasn't a cent, left; not a coat to his back, or a lodging — at least he wouldn't have but for the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, in whose room I had my talk, in which Max Smith was prompted by Captain jvey, the Society's officer. T only hope that the shipwrecked steward will get a berth before long. He is a very smart and intelligent fellow.