TRISTAN DA CUNHA

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 102, 4 May 1925, Page 4

TRISTAN DA CUNHA

THE LONELIEST ISLAND

MISSIONARY'S RETURN TO ENGLAND.

<FROH OUE OWN COBIIESPONDEM.)

LONDON, 24th March. The Rev. Martyn Rogers, who three years ago gave up his church in England to go as a British missionary to Tristan da Cunha, is back in England, with his young wife and baby. The latter—a golden-haired child—i"s named "Edward," after the Prince of Wales, at the islanders' special request. "The people have signed a petition asking the British Government to send an annual mail to the island," said Mr. Rogers. "It is the only means of getting food and clothes. There are 140 inhabitants, and for 15 months they lived on fish and senbirds, so that we 'should have what little meat (beef and mutton) there was. When our baby was born, three years- ago, an old woman of ix. | nursed my wife. Tho people arc all rei lated, and there are only iive names on the island. My wife played the organ and taught the choir, and we had four services a day in our church, which, with a little school, all helped to build. The people are half-coloured,' and' are all Church of England, and speak English. We buried three people whilst we were there and solemnised four weddings—the latter at a farewell service before we left—when both brides and bridegrooms wept, and the proceedings more, resembled a funeral' "For the wedding breakfast we had dry bread and tea—which were great luxuries. On the rare occasions when a ship is sighted everybody makes a rush for the beach and for the tiny canvas boats the islanders fashion themselves. We had our letters ready written for months waiting for a chance to get a ship to take them. AYe were-two years without news. All we knew was that j Lloyd George was in Parliament, and that Princess Mary was married. Our baby has never seen a piece of cake or chocolate, or eaten any white bread." Mr. Rogers added that he had had an interview with the Prime Minister ot South Africa with regard to,lllo islanders settling in Cape Colony, but no arrangement had yet been made.

The Peruvian Consul-General in London stated that the coast regions of Peru could, produce four million tons of colton a. year if properly irrigated, instead of tlio ions produced now. Health courses for the benefit of passengers are. the • latest innovations on Atlantic liners. By special exercises and dieting it is hoped to make the time ot | tuo voyage into a time of i-ccupcratio.il.