CONTENTED CRUSOES.

Evening Star, Issue 12964, 8 November 1906, Page 6

CONTENTED CRUSOES.

-Tristan d'Acunha is getumUv Mippoß"* to be a huge rock in the middle of Atlantic inhabited by a dusky British race who live on fish and the pu.brauonsof th Religious Tract Society, says a (.overnmeet report on the island. Vs n. I V*' l ” moderately fertile island I.bOO nu.es fromthe. Cane on a direct line to Me me Video. •• ".he' cimimuuty,” adds the report. “ fits Herbert. Spencer’s definition or a society which forms a single working whole unrubjcctod to any _ other, and ot wb* ike parts co-operate wiU: or withoutcase without) a regulating cormnittoe. There is no crisis or immorality, and, though ww in speech, the people are uealthy, vigorous, and good at. making a bargain- T** inhabitants ail belong to the Church of Boglajnl and the island falls within the diocese of St- Helena.” thousands of miles away. Tho population totals seventy-seven, of eleven families in all, for the islanders are nos troubled with tho “race suicide” problemA census of the unmarried adults shows the following proportions; —Young men, 3; voung women, 7. ‘‘ On inquiry,” »ys Lieutenant Took©, of H.M-S. Odin, who writes the report, “ I found that there were no engaged couples on the island.” Though tho island is only visited once annually by a Brv tish warship, and though this visit is to be discontinued, *’ the women show the usual resource of their sex, and arc mostly dad in blouse and skirt, with a handkerchieff-or headgear. They also knit good stockings and petticoats from sheep's wool.” The colony, which live in sixteen bouses, ot English, Scotch, Irish, American, Datct, Italian, Asiatic, and negro origin- A project was on foot carl 3' this year for toe transportation eu masse of the islanders to the Gape or St. Helena. On January 25 of this year the heads of the eleven farnaTica voted on the project. Three families waned, to go, seven wanted to remain, and one family abstained from voting. Tho Gape Government's offer of transportation was therefore withdrawn, Tho Mdandere only need a schoolmaster, who could also acx as clergyman. The position was filled m April by tho Rev. J. G. Barrow, who ventures to express a hope that a warship will call for the mails some lime in 1907.