The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1888.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5321, 11 September 1888, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1888.

The. trip of the Government steamer Stella to New Zealand's latest acquisition, the Kermcdec Islands, must result in an interesting report that no doubt will be published shortly. Mr J. T Large, of Wairoa, having availed himself of the offer of a passage, took copious notes of what ho saw on his visit to those Islands, which will furnish him with abundant material for a descriptive narrative. The Kermcdec group consists of several islands and islets, the largest of which is Sunday Island, and it lies about 000 miles to the north-east of Auckland, a Httlo to the eastward of the route to Fiji. Sunday Island is about 7000 acres in extent, possesses two craters, and is rugged and precipitous. It is the only ono that is inhabited. Some years ago thoro wero several settlors there, but, while an American whaler was lying off the landing place, a tremendous volcanic eruption occurred, and tho whole of them deserted the island for good, being frightened that they would all be swallowed up. Since then a Mrßellandhis family havo settled thero, and there ho remains to this day with his wife, nine children (some of thorn grown up), and an old gentleman who acts as tutor. Mr Bell's object in settling thero was to grow tropical fruits, and find his market at Auckland, but the scheme has failed through the irregularity of communication, and the extreme difficulty of landing on tho island, through tho heavy sea that breaks nearly constantly on the rugged, rocky coast. As showing the difficulty of landing, it may bo mentioned that, about four years ago. Mr Bell visited Napier for tho purpose of purchasing five hundred merino sheep; these lie bought through Mr C. B. Hoadley from Mr R. D. M'Leun, and a schooner was chartered for their conveyance to Kermcdec Islands. On arriving there It was late in the afternoon, and only fifty were got ashore boforo dark. It then came on to blow, and tho stood out to seu, and was not able to get back for vino days, when the rest of tho sheep wore dead. This lust trip of tho Stella Captain Fairchild took over nine calves, and these, let us hope, will form tho nucleus of a fino herd of cuttle; he also took some geese and turkeys, and an immense stock of books. And here, on a lonely island, dwell this family, apparently happy and contented, working hard to support life on the fruits of the earth. They cultivate yams, the taro, bananas, they milk goats, they fish, and at -roper. Season of the year they can tllu i- -, ''"ii bird iv any quantity, capture the mu_. .!.„„ h * * . f. Their isolation is only bron... „ »»>"*■ from American whalers, when auiuterehaiijjv of articles of necessity takes place, tho ships taking fresh vegetables and fruit, and the islanders dungaree and calico, for clothing, and a lew groceries. There is Oldy OHO known spring ou the island, and that is too far off from the little settlement to be of use, the wuter supply being dependent on rain, whioh is collected in tanks. At tho time of the Stella's visit there was, apparently, neither tea nor sugar in the store-room, nor was the absence of those articles referred to, so it may he supposed that they are not regarded in the light of necessities. When the Islands were annexed by New Zealand tin: Government granted Mr Bell cam hundred acres of land, and gave him the right to lease a further area. His possession of the whole island is not, however, likely to be disturbed, for tho generality of mankind find no attraction iv a lifo that dilfers little from that of shipwrecked east-aways. It is difticult to foretell the future of Mr Bell's settlement: it is impossible to suppose that tho young ladies of the family will remain contented with a condition that offers no prospect of marriage unless in the improbable arrival of eligible bachelors who would be willing to bury themselves alivo for the sake of a sort of Robinson Crusoe existence. And so it must be also with the young men of the family ; the natural ambition of the Anglo-Saxon race is sure to Btir them to move from a narrow sphere, and to desert an island that oilers no scope for their energies beyond that which may be required to provide them with food. As the Stella dipped her flag iv adieus, to the lonely settlers watching her departure, there must have risen iv the minds of the younger of them an intense desire to go once more into tho busy world. That desire will go on increasing ; and, probably, by the time Mr and Mrs Bell have paid their debt to nature, their children, freed from the loyalty to their patents which now binds them all together,. will, like the former inhabitants, desert the island, and leave it in its solitude.