INACCESSIBLE ISLAND.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 8 September 1923, Page 10

INACCESSIBLE ISLAND.

AN UNCERTAIN QUEST

} Ih© Rev. H. M. Rogers, writing to the London Times from Tristan da 1 Cunha., states: ! A voyage to Inaccesible Island, some thirty miles from here, is something of an adventure in an open boat made only of canvas and light wood, especially as the sea .between is rough and full of cross-currents. The Tristan boatmen make an annual visit, and it requires nerve and skill. This year four small craft made the crossing, and after a stay of a few days returned safely. Inaccessible Island can generally be seen looming up as a great blue jagged cliif from the high land of Tristan. It is by no means an inviting-looking place, though more thickly wooded than Tristan and of a much lower elevation. It has never been inhabited save by shipwrecked" sailors, and oiice by two brothers who stayed on it for two years and endured considerable privation. There is good fresh water, obtainable, fish abound in the waters, and seabirds innumerable, but there is no good haiv boiny and landing is uncertain in all seasons. ■ . Like Tristan, Inaccessible is surrounded by "a vast quantity of kelp, but its waters are haunted by man.eating sharks, and great octopuses crawl hideously over the rocks. As there are no rats on the island, the tussock and island trees grow high and thick, and the Tristanites have taken over some sheep and cattle to-fatten. But this year, on arrival at Salt Beach, they were perturbed to find some of the fat cattle and sheep vanished, leaving no trace. The main object of the voyage to Inaccessible is always to search for driftwood, which the ocean currents throw up on the beaches and under the cliffs, and to obtain seabirds or their eggs for food. The driftwood is used by the men to floor or roof their houses, and is very eagerly sought for. It is supposed to be washed over from timber-laden ships, or even to come from distant wrecks on the American or African coast. It might interest the student of ocean currents to know that wood of trees and .seeds of plants, called here "sea beans," known to grow in West Africa or South America, have been found and identified here on the beaches. This time, however, there was no luck in finding wood. It was hoped to finish some new cottages and help to complete the new church, for which some kind friends at home recently sent wood. But among the many seabirds found were several specimens of a scarce bird known as the "island cock." This bird, which has hitherto not figured, I believe, in any museums, was searched for by the Quest Expedition, but not obtained. Salt Beach, where the boats from Tristan are often forced to land is faced by a perpendicular cliff practically impossible to climb and steeper than Beachey head, as well as higher. It was the sight of this beach that earned the island its _name. The weather is often so bad that when the boats reach Inaccessible they are unable for perhaps a fortnight to recross the wild channel of roaring waters which separates the two islands, and in this case the crews are liable to be hard put to it for food. While the men were aAvay there was • a cry of "Sail ho!" and two'small whaling steamers were sighted making towards Falmouth Bay. Those who were left at' home were scarcely enough for a boat's crew, but the missionary, the big lads, and the Boy Scouts e;pt a large row boat down the bank and launched her. There is always a rush when "Sail ho!'> is cried, for the passing ship may have to be intercepted and will not wait. This time the two whalers came in and were piloted to a safe anchorage. The missionary was soon on board, and found in the crew and skipper of the steam whaler Barrowby friends who visited Tristan last year. She was homeward bound from South Georgia and reported rough weather, but a good whaling season. . The people have been much interestby the idea of having a part in the forthcoming British Empire Exhibition, ithrough the space which the .South African O^vernjnent is kindly affording in its pavilion. aTl'l have prepared quite a considerable exhibit of island products in the way of exact models of implements, materials, and machinery peculiar to the island and used here.