AN ISLAND CELEBRATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18631, 12 February 1924, Page 5

AN ISLAND CELEBRATION.

ENGLISH BABY'S BIRTHDAY. MERRYMAKING AT TRISTAN. Six months had passed without a word from the outside world. The Tristan people, however, had jesolved on a merry; making. The potato harvest had failed badly, and in consequence the staple food of the people was very short; a run of bad sea •weather had hindered fishing all the season and everyone was feeling the pinch. Even the penguins were late in coming up and "fewer, so eggs were also scarce. But September 21 was the first anniversary of the birth of the one and only English baby ever born on the island, and all had saved stores from those brought by H.M.S. Dublin fcr the day's celebration. . . r , ~ , ~, Early in the morning both the bells were rung, and the baby was saluted by the firing of all the guns of the island, says a correspondent of the Times. Soon after 4 a.m. every house had its flag flyinga tattered collection of. flag* of the International Signal Code with which i the people formerly signalled to passing ships, and qvate 30 years old. The fattest sheep had been picked out. and killed, eight in number, and all the women set to and made and boiled over 40 puddings. The boiling was done in tins for lack of saucepans, and several fires were made outside the houses. . « . The menu was elaborate for Tristan, consisting of stuffed and roast mutton, roast Dark, potatoes roast and boiled 1 , jam tart, and boiled plum and current suet pudding. Tea and cold water were the beverages, and everyone declared it the biggest feast known on Tristan. The killing of eight sheep for one "Birthday celebration was a ' record. In the rare event of a wedding, a feast !is given to all the islanders, but they say they have never exceeded five sheep I before. Dinner had to be held in two houses, as there was not one big enough to seat everybody. After dinner the remains of the feast were shared out "to Ibe taken home." There was a crowded | and hearty thanksgiving in / St. Mary's Church. 'V, Everybody visited the baby and brought a pfesent. There were hide mocassins, penguin feather mats, sheepskin mats, knitted socks, innumerable sea-shells, polished ox-horns, goose, fowl and penguin eggs cow's milk, butter (a rarity here), a live black lamb sheep ready for cooking, little "cappies" which the women had made, a variety of home-made frocks, woollen slippers, And, perhaps most interesting of all, an authenticated Nelson relic, namely, an ear-ring worn by Thomas Swain, one of the original settlers, who was the seaman on H.M.S. Victory who caught the dying Nelson in his arms when the great hero fell shot by the enemy. Among Swain's descendants there survives to-day a very old woman : who is his grand-daughter, and she had heard from him as a child of his love for his admiral. We we very tired at the end of the day and retired early, only to get up again at 10.15 p.m., when we heard the cry, "Sail ho!" and saw a big steamer far out on the horizon. We hurriedly wrote some letters and put the lantern on the wireless pole. It was a moonlight and calm night. The older men said the ship was going to pass, and was too . far out for our .men to get her. However, one boat with 16 on board put out, but failed to reach the ship, and, disappointed they went to the other side of the island for penguin eggs. Over 4700 of these have been taken this year. . . - .. * Strange to say two more steamers were sighted in the morning, but both too far out. Neither of the skippers would approach the island. •