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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/8213-8.txt b/8213-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3cc28e7 --- /dev/null +++ b/8213-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8243 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Three Years in Tristan da Cunha, by K. M. Barrow + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Three Years in Tristan da Cunha + +Author: K. M. Barrow + +Release Date: June, 2005 [EBook #8213] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 2, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-Latin-1 + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THREE YEARS IN TRISTAN DA CUNHA *** + + + + +Produced by Eric Eldred, Charles Bidwell +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + +[Illustration: THE SETTLEMENT] + + +THREE YEARS IN TRISTAN DA CUNHA + +BY + +K. M. BARROW +Wife of the Rev. J. G. Barrow, Missionary Clergyman in Tristan Da Cunha +and fellow-worker with him on that island. + + +With thirty-seven original illustrations from photographs, and a map. + + +TO THE READER + +The aim of the following pages is to give a simple and true description of +daily life among a very small community cut off from the rest of the +world. + +No attempt is made at literary style, the language being almost entirely +that of letters to a sister or of my journal. + +In the first and third chapters free use has been made of the _Blue Book_ +(Cd. 3098), September 1906; and of the _Africa Pilot_, Part II, Fifth +Edition, 1901. + +I desire gratefully to acknowledge to Mr. Casper Keytel of Monille Point, +Cape Town, his very kind permission to use the excellent photographs taken +by him; and also my indebtedness to my husband for help in the revision of +these pages. + +K. M. B. + +1910 + + +MAP OF THE ISLAND OF TRISTAN DE CUNHA [* OCR image only shows title] + + +CONTENTS + +AUTHOR'S PREFACE +MAP OF ISLAND OF TRISTAN DA CUNHA +CHAPTER I +CHAPTER II +CHAPTER III +CHAPTER IV +CHAPTER V +CHAPTER VI +CHAPTER VII +CHAPTER VIII +CHAPTER IX +CHAPTER X +CHAPTER XI +CHAPTER XII +CHAPTER XIII +CHAPTER XIV +CHAPTER XV +CHAPTER XVI +CHAPTER XVII +CHAPTER XVIII +CHAPTER XIX +CHAPTER XX +CHAPTER XXI +CHAPTER XXII +CHAPTER XXIII +CHAPTER XXIV +CHAPTER XXV +CHAPTER XXVI +CHAPTER XXVII +CHAPTER XXVIII +CHAPTER XXIX +CHAPTER XXX +CHAPTER XXXI +CHAPTER XXXII +CHAPTER XXXIII +CHAPTER XXXIV +CHAPTER XXXV +CHAPTER XXXVI +CHAPTER XXXVII + +APPENDICES +A. THE FAUNA AND FLORA OF TRISTAN +B. THE WEATHER +C. SOME TRISTAN WORDS + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + +I THE SETTLEMENT [_Frontispiece_] +II THE PEAK SHOWING ABOVE CLOUDS +III BETTY COTTON'S HOUSE (FRONT), OUR NEW HOME +IV BETTY COTTON'S HOUSE (BACK) +V THE WATERFALL +VI MOCCASINS +VII THE CEMETERY +VIII HILL TOP. INACCESSIBLE IN THE DISTANCE +IX THE FLAGSTAFF +X GOING WEST +XI IN SCHOOL +XII BIG BEACH +XIII THE HENRY GREEN FAMILY AT WORK ON A POTATO PATCH +XIV A PAIR OF PENGUINS +XV EARLY MORNING FROM THE WEST, SHOWING SNOW IN CREVASSE, NEAR PEAK +XVI BUGSBY HOLE +XVII THE CRATER LAKE +XVIII ON THE SUMMIT OF THE PEAK +XIX COMPLETE GROUP OF THE ISLANDERS +XX A GROUP OF ALL THE MEN +XXI THE PATH OF PLANTATION GULCH +XXII CATTLE, NEAR POTATO PATCHES +XXIII A PENGUIN ROOKERY +XXIV SHEEP BEING DRIVEN HOME +XXV OUR BATHING PLACE (LITTLE BEACH) +XXVI THE OLD CHURCH HOUSE +XXVII LANDING GOODS +XXVIII MRS. REPETTO FISHING +XXIX MR. KEYTEL'S HOUSE +XXX FRESHWATER CAVE +XXXI MOLLYHAWK ON ITS NEST +XXXII NEARLY FINISHED +XXXIII THE KETCH +XXXIV FISH-CLEANING +XXXV HOTTENTOT GULCH +XXXVI ALL THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN +XXXVII ORANGES AND LEMONS + + + + +THREE YEARS IN TRISTAN DA CUNHA + + + +CHAPTER I + + +Tristan da Cunha, a British possession, is an island-mountain of volcanic +origin in the South Atlantic ocean. Latitude 37° 5' 50" S.; longitude 12° +16' 40" W. Circular in form. Circumference about 21 miles. Diameter about +7 miles. Height 7,640 feet. Volcano extinct during historic times. +Discovered by the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha, 1506. Occupied by +the British, 1816. Nearest inhabited land, the island of St. Helena, 1,200 +miles to the N. + +In the autumn of 1904 we saw in the _Standard_ a letter which arrested our +attention. It was an appeal for some one to go to the Island of Tristan da +Cunha, as the people had had no clergyman for seventeen years. + +Now, Tristan da Cunha was not an unknown name to us, for as a child my +husband loved to hear his mother tell of her shipwreck on Inaccessible, an +uninhabited island twenty-five miles south-west of Tristan da Cunha. + +She, then a child of four, and her nurse were passengers on the _Blendon +Hall_, which left London for India in May 1821, and was wrecked during a +dense fog on Inaccessible, July 23. The passengers and crew drifted ashore +on spars and fragments of the vessel. Two of the crew perished, and nearly +all the stores were lost. For four months they lived on this desolate +island. A tent made out of sails was erected on the shore to protect the +women and children from the cold and rain. They lived almost entirely on +the eggs of sea-birds. + +After waiting some time in hope of being seen by a ship, they made a raft +from the remains of the wreck, and eight of the crew set off in it to try +to reach Tristan, but were never heard of again, poor fellows. A few weeks +later a second and successful attempt was made. The men reached Tristan, +but in a very exhausted state. Then the Tristanites, led by Corporal +Glass, manned their boats, and at great personal risk succeeded in +fetching off the rest of the crew and passengers, who remained on Tristan +till January 9, 1822, on which day a passing English brig took them to the +Cape of Good Hope. + +This was eighty-four years ago. And now the son of that little shipwrecked +girl was seriously thinking of going out to minister to the children of +her rescuers. Here I may mention that in the whole of their history, from +1816 to 1906, they had had only two clergymen living amongst them. + +The first to go out was the Rev. W. F. Taylor, under the S.P.G. in 1851, a +young London warehouseman who had not long been ordained. It is related by +one of the passengers of the ship in which Mr. Taylor was sailing that the +master of the vessel had great difficulty in locating the island, and that +for three days they cruised about and saw nothing resembling land. The +third day towards evening the skipper gave up the search and headed for +the Cape. Mr. Taylor, who was gazing towards the setting sun suddenly saw +the Peak of Tristan, which is 7,640 feet high, emerge out of the clouds. +It was about ninety miles away. The captain turned back, and his passenger +was safely landed. Mr. Taylor stayed there some five years. On his +departure he induced about forty-five of the islanders to accompany him to +Cape Colony, where they settled down. + +The second clergyman, also in connection with the S.P.G., was the Rev. E. +H. Dodgson, a brother of "Lewis Carroll." He arrived in December 1880 from +St. Helena, and landed in safety, but the ship was driven ashore and he +lost nearly all his clothing and books. One of the very few things washed +ashore was a small stone font, which, curiously enough, was undamaged. + +In December 1884 Mr. Dodgson, who was much out of health, got a passage to +the Cape in a man-of-war. It was not his intention to return. But the next +year a great calamity befell the Tristanites. Fifteen of their men put off +in a new lifeboat to a ship, and were all drowned. Out of a population of +ninety-two there were now only four male adults, and one of these was out +of his mind and giving a good deal of trouble. Tristan had suddenly become +an island of widows and children. When Mr. Dodgson heard of this calamity +he at once offered to return. It being thought that the islanders were on +the brink of starvation, H.M.S. _Thalia_ was sent to their relief, and Mr. +Dodgson sailed in her, reaching Tristan in August 1886. He remained till +December 1889, when ill health again obliged him to leave. This time ten +of the inhabitants left with him. + +To go back to the period when we ourselves began to think of going out. +After some months of serious consideration we resolved to make the +attempt, and at once began to face the question of how to get there. To +get to Tristan da Cunha is no easy matter; it took us nearly five months. +There is no regular communication with it, and it has no harbour. + +Formerly a man-of-war from the Cape station visited it once a year, but +since the South African War this annual visit has been discontinued. Mr. +Dodgson advised us to go to St. Helena and there await a whaler. He had +found this the best plan. So accordingly we set off from Southampton on +November 18, 1905--my husband, our maid and myself, taking with us a +year's food supply and a very limited amount of furniture. St. Helena was +reached in seventeen days. An interview with the American Consul, who was +courtesy itself, convinced us there was no likelihood of getting a +passage. The whalers that called there were from New Bedford in America, +and none were expected. Our visit, however, was not entirely in vain, +because we had the advantage of meeting the Bishop of St. Helena, who +showed us much kindness, and of talking over our plans with him. The +diocese of St. Helena must be unique. It consists of the three islands, +St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha. There is no clergyman on the +two last, and only the bishop and three clergymen on St. Helena. No bishop +of St. Helena has as yet landed upon Tristan da Cunha. + +We decided to go on to Cape Town by the next steamer, which port we +reached early in January, knowing no one beyond a few fellow-passengers. +Not wishing to go to an hotel we took some rooms of which we heard from +the chaplain of the Seamen's Mission. For the next few weeks my husband +spent his time visiting the different shipping agencies and the docks, but +to no purpose, as no ship would call at Tristan. We even cabled to a +company in England; "No" met our every inquiry. February had now set in, +and we thought that the best thing to do was to take a small unfurnished +house and wait in hope that a man-of-war would be visiting the island at +the end of the year. We had been about a month in this house when news +came from my sister-in-law in England that the very company to which we +had cabled and which had a monthly service between Table Bay and the River +Plate was ready to take us for a named sum, but only on the understanding +that should the weather be too rough to land us on Tristan we should have +to go on to Buenos Ayres. In spite of the uncertainty involved it seemed +right to accept this offer. We embarked on the steamer _Surrey_ on March +31, but did not start till next day, Sunday, as some repairs had to be +done to one of the engines. There went with us Tom Rogers, a Tristanite, +who was glad of the opportunity of returning to his island home. + +During our stay at Cape Town we had made many kind friends. Among them +were Mr. Beverley, the rector of Holy Trinity Church, and Mrs. Beverley. +They had helped us in looking for a house, helped in shopping, helped in +packing, insisted on our taking our last meal with them, and came with us +to the steamer. We found the steamer very crowded, the passengers quite +outnumbering the berths, and it was not until evening that we could +procure a cabin. But one thing I much appreciated: our collie was allowed +to be with us during the day. We had only had him a few days, but he +behaved excellently, lying at our feet most of the time. He came to us as +"Whisky," but was promptly re-named "Rob." + +[Illustration: THE PEAK SHOWING ABOVE CLOUDS] + + + +CHAPTER II + + +On the early morning of the eighth day--it was Palm Sunday--the +mountainous cliffs of Tristan could dimly be discerned. My husband had +gone up on deck two or three times while it was yet dusk to see if land +was visible; while I kept looking out of the porthole, although it was not +a very large outlook. At about four o'clock he dressed and wrote several +letters. At six o'clock, accompanied by Rob, I went on to the lower deck +and could see Tristan enshrouded in mist. At about nine o'clock we arrived +opposite the settlement. A high wind was blowing and the sea was rough. +But this did not prevent the islanders setting off in two of their canvas +boats to board the steamer. It was with great interest I went on deck to +speak to them. I was greeted by an Italian, who in broken English said-- + +"It not very comfortable for a lady." + +They said it was too rough for us to land at the settlement, but that if +we went back eight or nine miles round to another part of the island +landing would be possible. It did not take long to steam back, but it took +many hours to land the luggage. This was done under the direction of the +third officer by a ship's boat manned by several passengers, who were most +keen to help, and by the two island boats. But it was done under +considerable difficulty, "a dangerous swell running on to a steep pebbly +beach." Twice the ship's boat filled with water, and once a man was washed +overboard, but was hauled in again. The harmonium was floating in the sea, +but being in a zinc-lined case took no harm. By the afternoon the sea had +quieted down a little, and it was decided that it would be safe for us to +land at the settlement. Personally I was rather disappointed at this +decision; but it gave, we believe, much satisfaction to the captain, who +did not seem at all to like the idea of landing us on the sea-shore, where +we should certainly have had to spend one night, and might have had to +spend several. We steamed to within three-quarters of a mile of the +settlement, and between three and four o'clock all was in readiness for us +to leave the steamer. Farewells were said, and then we descended to the +lower deck, which was crowded with people. One island boat had already +left. The other had been hauled on to the ship, and it was thought best +that we should get into it and then be lowered. As they began to lift the +boat there was an ominous crack, which caused the chief officer to tell us +to get out, which we quickly did. The boat was then lowered into the sea. +One by one we made the descent of about forty feet down the ship's side on +a swinging rope ladder, holding a rope in each hand, and having one round +our waist, and with an officer going in front of us. We had to wait for +the right moment to jump into the boat which was rising and falling with +the waves. The collie came last; it seemed an interminable time before he +appeared. He was roped, and struggling as for his life; he managed to +clamber back to the deck, but was pushed off again, and at last reached us +in a most terrified condition, and trembling violently. It was really hard +work to hold him in the boat. We were now ready to pull off. Farewells +were waved and cheers given, and I think the last strains we heard were +"For he's a jolly good fellow." It was not easy getting away from the +ship, and it looked rather alarming as we descended and mounted with the +waves. The spray kept dashing over us, and I felt it running down my neck, +but before long we got into quieter water. The steamer stood by until +we were out of danger, and then we saw it steaming away with the +fellow-passengers who had been so kind to us. Now, indeed, we felt we were +leaving the world behind us. But we could see quite a crowd awaiting us on +the shore and others running down the steep cliff to the beach. We were +not allowed to land until the boat was drawn up on the shingle. There we +found nearly all the colony and a swarm of dogs. We struggled up the bank +of shingle over wet seaweed, and went round and shook hands with the +elders. Seeing we had no hats, and the veils which we were wearing in +their place were wet through, two of the younger women came forward and +offered Ellen and myself a coloured handkerchief to tie over our heads, +and, I think, tied them on. We were much touched by this kind attention +and the welcome it conveyed. + +When the boat had been drawn up to its place we sang the doxology, +lingered a little, and then, conducted by the inhabitants, filed up the +steep rocky road to the top of the cliff and on to the grassy common. The +scenery was very fine, towering mountains in the background, the +settlement below with its quaint little stone, thatched houses, and the +sea with its white-crested waves. We were taken to Betty Cotton's house, +the first to be reached. She was there to give us a welcome. We had to +bend our heads as we entered the porch, but to our surprise were led into +quite a spacious room with two windows. + +[Illustration: BETTY COTTON'S HOUSE (FRONT), OUR NEW HOME] + +[Illustration: BETTY COTTON'S HOUSE (BACK)] + +A large number followed us in. I felt a little shy, so many eyes were upon +us, and all the conversation had to emanate from us. After a time there +was a movement: the men in whose boat we had come went off to change their +wet clothes. + +Betty, who was seventy-six and very active, began to prepare the table for +tea, and I must say the prospect of tea was most welcome. There were +spectators of that meal and of many ensuing ones. Later on our friends +came to see us again, and the room was packed all round. I could hear much +whispering among the women in the passages: no doubt anxious discussion +was going on as to our sleeping accommodation. Betty decided to sleep out; +Mr. Dodgson's room was assigned to us, and the adjoining room which had no +window and was more like a cupboard, to Ellen. + +My husband had some talk with the people, telling them what had drawn him +to Tristan and of his mother's shipwreck, and then closed with a few +verses from the Bible and prayer. We were tired after our day of +adventures, and thankful to retire to rest. + + + +CHAPTER III + + +We woke up next morning realizing that we were at last, after more than a +year of anticipation and months of travel, amongst the settlers on Tristan +da Cunha. + +The present settlement dates from 1816, when a garrison was sent by the +Cape Government to occupy the island, as it was thought that Tristan might +be used as a base by Napoleon's friends to effect his escape from St. +Helena. In February 1817 the British Government determined to withdraw the +garrison, and a man-of-war was dispatched to remove it. Three of the men +asked to remain, the chief being William Glass of Kelso, N.B., a corporal +in the Royal Artillery, who had with him his wife--a Cape coloured woman-- +and his two children. Later, others came to settle on the island, three by +shipwreck; and some left it; the inhabitants in 1826 being seven men, two +wives and two children. + +Five of these men, who were bachelors, asked the captain of a whaler to +bring them each a wife from St. Helena. He did his best and brought five +coloured women--one a widow with four children. Of these marriages only +one, I believe, turned out happily. A daughter of this marriage was Betty +Cotton, our landlady. She was the eldest of seven daughters, and had five +brothers. Her father, Alexander Cotton, was born at Hull, and was an old +man-of-war's man, and for three years had guarded Napoleon at Longwood, +St. Helena. Thomas Hill Swain, another of the five, came from Sussex and +served in the _Theseus_ under Nelson. He married the widow, and used to +tell his children, of whom there were four daughters living on the island +when we were there, that he was the sailor who caught Nelson when he fell +at Trafalgar. This old man was vigorous to the last. At the age of one +hundred and eight he was chopping wood, when a splinter flying into his +eye caused his death. The result, of course, of these marriages was a +coloured race. Some of the children are still very dark in appearance, but +the colour is gradually dying out. + +Another well-known islander, Peter William Green, came nearly twenty years +later. He was a Dutch sailor, a native of Katwijk, on the North Sea, whose +ship in trying to steal the islanders' sea elephant oil got in too close +and was wrecked. He settled down and married one of the four daughters of +the widow, and became eventually headman and marriage officer. Queen +Victoria sent him a framed picture of herself, which, unfortunately, has +been taken away to the Cape. He died in 1902 at the age of ninety-four. + +In the next decade came Rogers and Hagan from America; and in the early +nineties the two Italian sailors Repetto and Lavarello of Comogli, who +were shipwrecked. + +I believe the population has never numbered more than one hundred and +nine. At the time of our arrival it was seventy-one, of whom only ten had +ever been away from the island. The language spoken is English, but their +vocabulary is limited. + +The soldiers pitched their camp at the north end of a strip of land +stretching about six miles in a north-westerly direction, where it is +crossed by a constant stream of the purest and softest water. It is said +they built two forts, one commanding Big Beach and Little Beach Bays, and +one further inland to command what was thought the only approachable +ascent to the mountain heights. The position of the first fort is known, +the raised ground for mounting two guns being distinctly visible on the +top of Little Beach Point; but the islanders do not think the second fort +was ever built. + +The settlers naturally chose this camp as the site for their settlement, +and there they built their houses. When we arrived there were sixteen, +three of which were uninhabited. They all face the sea; and run east and +west. On account of the very high winds the walls are built about four +feet thick at the gable ends, and about two feet at the sides. Most of the +stone they are built of is porous, in consequence of which the walls on +the south side are very damp and are often covered on the inside with a +green slime. The houses are thatched with a reed-like grass called +tussock, which is grown in the gardens or on a piece of ground near. The +thatch will last from ten to fifteen years, that on the sunny side lasting +considerably the longer. Turf is used to cover the ridge of the roof, but +this is not altogether satisfactory as the soil works through, and when +there is a gale the rooms below are thick with dust. Perhaps the dust is +also caused by the innumerable wood-lice which work in the wood and make a +fine wood-dust. Every house has a loft running the whole length of it. We +found ours the greatest boon as it was the only place we had in which to +keep the year's stores. The woodwork of nearly all the houses is from +wrecked ships; boards from the decks form the flooring, masts and yards +appear as beams, cabin doors give entrance to the rooms. + +The houses when I first went into them struck me as most dreary; no fire, +hardly any furniture, just a bare table, a wooden sofa which is nearly +always used as a bed, a bench, and perhaps a chair, with a seaman's chest +against the wall, a chimney-piece covered with a pinked newspaper hanging, +on which stood pieces of crockery, on the walls a few pictures and ancient +photographs. There are large open fire-places, but no grates or stoves, +the cooking being done on two iron bars supported by fixed stones. + +The rooms are divided off by wooden partitions. There are generally two +bedrooms; the end one is also nearly always used as a kitchen, and the +groceries are usually kept there. On account of the high winds there are +generally windows only on the north of the house, which is the sunny side, +due to Tristan's being south of the equator. + +Every house has a garden, but not used to grow vegetables or flowers, +which the people do not seem to care about, and certainly there are +difficulties owing to high winds, rats, fowls, and, not least, children. +They sometimes grow a few onions, cabbages and generally pumpkins: a few +pink roses and geraniums may be seen. Potatoes are their staple food, and +are grown in walled-in patches about three miles off. Each house has one +or two huts, in one of which they stow away their potatoes, and also a +lamb-house. + +In the matter of clothing, the men have not much difficulty, as they +barter with the sailors on passing ships, giving in exchange the skins of +albatross and mollyhawks, the polished horns of oxen, small calf-skin bags +and penguin mats made by the women, and occasionally wild-cat skins. They +usually wear blue dungaree on week-days, and broadcloth or white duck on +Sundays. With the women and children it is different, for they depend on +parcels sent by friends, and as of late years there has been no regular +communication with the island they have been at times very short, +especially of underclothing. Now that whalers have begun to call again, +two or three appearing about Christmas time, they can sometimes get +material from them, but, except the dungaree, it is very poor stuff, and +they have to pay a high price in exchange. The women usually have a very +neat appearance, no hole is allowed to remain in a garment, which is at +once patched, and many and varied are the patches. They wear blouses which +they call jackets, and in the place of hats, coloured handkerchiefs +(occasionally procured from ships), which are worn all day, from morning +to night, and only taken off on very hot days, or when they are going to +be photographed, when as a rule no amount of persuasion will induce them +to keep them on. The little girls wear sun-bonnets, "capies" they call +them, and very well they look in them. The little boys wear short jackets +and long knickers. The women and girls card and spin their own wool, which +they knit into socks and stockings. + +As regards food, potatoes take the place of bread. There are about twenty +acres under cultivation, each man having his own patches. They never +change the seed and rarely the ground. A man may enclose as many patches +as he likes provided he cultivates them. They used to manure their ground +with seaweed, but found its constant use made the ground hard; then they +tried guano, and finally sheep manure, which they use in large quantities. +They get it by driving their sheep during the lambing season four or five +times a week into the lamb-houses, penning them up from about five in the +afternoon until eight or nine next morning. The poor sheep must suffer +considerably both from being driven so much and because they get no food +while penned in. In spite of this barbarous practice the mutton when we +first went was very good--equal, we thought, to the best Welsh mutton, but +latterly its quality much fell off, and we found the sheep were largely +infected with scab. The people occasionally have beef in the winter. +Their method of killing the ox is very cruel, for often the poor animal is +chased about over the settlement by men and dogs, and only killed after +many shots. There is generally a good supply of milk. Betty Cotton at one +time milked sixteen cows, and made a large quantity of butter which she +sent by the man-of-war to her relations at the Cape. The making of cheese +has been quite given up. From July to October the men get a great number +of eaglet, penguin, and mollyhawk eggs--all sea-fowl. Fish can be caught +all the year round. Any groceries obtained must come from passing ships. +Sometimes months go by without tea, coffee, sugar, flour, salt and soap +being seen. + +The cooking is done mostly in large pots and frying-pans, as there are no +ovens, though a temporary one is made on special occasions such as a great +feast. The chief meat dish is stuffed mutton, the stuffing consisting of +potatoes and parsley seasoned with pepper and salt. The greatest delicacy +is the stuffed sucking-pig which takes the place of our turkey. + +The animals on the island are cattle, sheep, donkeys, pigs, geese, fowls, +dogs, cats and rats. There were about seven hundred head of cattle in +1905, far more than there was pasture for. Between the months of May and +November of that year nearly four hundred died from starvation. From the +same cause a loss of cattle occurs every few years, but never before had +there been so great a one. The number of sheep was about eight hundred; of +donkeys there were about thirty, and perhaps there were as many, or more, +pigs, which usually have to find their own living, as also do the geese +and fowls. A great number of dogs are kept, some families keeping as many +as four. Most of these too have to find their own living, which +occasionally they do by hunting the sheep and by night raids on the geese. + +The rats came from the _Henry B. Paul_ which was wrecked on Tristan in +1882. Only about half-a-dozen got ashore, which Mr. Dodgson urged the men +to kill, pointing out what trouble they would cause if not destroyed, but +the men thought a few rats wouldn't hurt, and did nothing. + + + +CHAPTER IV + + +The last chapter has related some things that obviously came later to our +knowledge. I now return to the order of my diary and letters. + +_Monday, April_ 9, 1906.--Betty Cotton came in early this morning to look +after our wants. She was going to get us an early cup of tea, but at my +suggestion made it breakfast. Later on Graham and I wandered on to the +common. It was such a beautiful morning, and the sea like a mill-pond. We +found many of the women washing clothes, and had a talk with several of +them. The men had gone off early in three boats to fetch some of the +luggage from where it had been landed about eight miles away. They were +not back much before noon. Most of the women went down to meet them, and +as each boat came in assisted in dragging it up. It was a most picturesque +sight to see some half-dozen carts, each drawn by a pair of bullocks, +wending their way down to the beach to fetch up the luggage which was +lying on the shore. The small carts were slowly filled, and then the oxen +were piloted up a most rough and rocky road by boys who guided them with +their whips. Betty, Ellen and I watched it all from the cliff. A good deal +of the luggage was piled in Betty's sitting-room, and the rest taken to +John Glass's house. + +_Tuesday, April_ l0.--Today has been so wet and rough that it was +impossible for the men to go for any more luggage. Happily, it is covered +over with a tarpaulin from the _Surrey_, so we hope it will not get much +damaged. That which was brought yesterday got rather wet, and we have had +to unpack and dry pillows and other things. At present we are unpacking +only what is absolutely necessary, which is but little. + +It has been arranged for us to live in this house. Betty is kindly giving +it up to us and is going to live in a room attached to the house opposite. +One and another family is providing for our needs. One will come with a +few eggs which are scarce now, another with apples, and a third with +butter. Then at dinner-time is brought a plate of hot meat and potatoes. A +plentiful supply of milk is provided, and we drink it at dinner. Although +there is hardly any flour on the island they are using what little there +is to make us bread. + +The men have already set to to prepare the house which is to be used as +church and school. A widow, Lucy Green, has generously offered it for this +purpose, as she had done before in Mr. Dodgson's time. + +_Wednesday, April_ 11.--We went up this morning to the school-house and +found men busy washing the painted ceiling. When we went again in the +afternoon all their work was done and women were washing the floor. The +Communion Table had been brought down from the loft--it needed only a +little repairing. The Communion Cloth from St. Andrews +[Footnote: Malvern Common, Great Malvern.] +fits it almost exactly and looks so well. There is a small prayer-desk and +a nice oak lectern, and we have brought from Mr. Dodgson the stone font he +used. The church will be quite ready for Good Friday services. + +The next work to be undertaken will be our house. The people love to come +and see us, and we are not left much to ourselves. Repetto, who was +shipwrecked here about fifteen years ago, was a sergeant in the Italian +navy; he is an intelligent-looking man, short, with dark hair, pale face, +and a slight squint. He married a Green, one of Betty's nieces, and has +six children. Some of the men and women are fine-looking people. The +weather has prevented any more luggage being fetched. + +_Thursday, April_ l2.--It has been the same today. The men have started on +the house. To make our bedroom a little larger the partition has been +moved back so as to take in a piece of the kitchen. Our cases are being +used to re-floor the bedroom and passage, which had a large hole in it. A +partition will be taken down in Ellen's room, which will then open out on +to the front door, and a curtain is to be hung across the opening. The +walls of the bedrooms are covered with illustrated papers, which here take +the place of wallpaper. Two girls have been helping to tear these off, and +the walls will be whitewashed. We brought lime and brushes from the Cape. +The doors have the most primitive and varied fastenings, and one a bit of +rope in the place of a handle. Many panes in the windows are cracked, and +one or two have departed altogether. There is a front and a back entrance. +Along the front of the house runs a path, on the other side of which, with +a wall between, is the garden. This is fairly large and is bounded by +stone walls and a hedge of flax. From its appearance it has had no +cultivation for some years. As far as I can see the only sign of any crop +besides weeds is an entangled strawberry patch. There is a good view of +the sea from the house and garden. I spent most of the morning, which was +a fine one, in a sheltered corner by the brook, where Ellen was washing a +few clothes. I had previously done a little washing too. We already feel +at home, and I am sure we shall settle down happily. We find Tristan far +more beautiful than we expected; the mountains seem very near and are most +imposing, and the light on them at times is very beautiful. Little +rivulets are to be seen coursing down close to the houses. They have been +diverted from the main stream--known as the "Big Watering." We have one +just outside the back door, and not many yards away the Big Watering +itself. + +_Good Friday, April_ 13.--We got up at 6.30. Ellen and I are sleeping in +our deck-chairs in the sitting-room. Graham goes out first thing to fetch +water for our baths, as we have not enough utensils to lay in a store the +night before. Life is delightfully primitive here. + +A man named John Glass is to be the church clerk, and he appeared about +eight o'clock to carry the harmonium up to the church; service was at +10.30. No one went into church until we arrived; groups of men and women +were waiting on the common in their Sunday clothes, the women looking so +picturesque in bright garments. The church room was packed. We learnt +afterwards that every man, woman and child was present except old Caroline +Swain, who is an invalid; we were seventy-four in all. We had a very +simple and short service, Graham explaining as he went along what we were +to do. Every one was most reverent and all knelt. There were four hymns, +and how they enjoyed the singing of them! It was surprising how well they +got on. The women all said, "Good-morning, marm," as they entered the +church. At first it was difficult to understand what they said, but now I +am more able to do so. On our way home we met Betty Cotton, who said, +"It's the best 'Sunday' I have had since Mr. Dodgson left." She is a dear +old body, and is making it her mission to look after us. + +[Illustration: THE WATERFALL] + +People have been in and out most of the day. Graham proposed to some men +who came to see him that they should take a walk up the mountain, so they +went up the Goat Ridge, which is quite near, and climbed about nine +hundred feet. Ellen and I went down to the seashore where there is a +strong smell of seaweed. The sand is black, which is owing to the volcanic +origin of Tristan. The cliffs at this spot are lovely with overhanging +green, and with a very pretty waterfall, caused by the Big Watering +finding its way over the cliff into the sea. This waterfall marks the +settlement landing-place. Rebekah Swain, aged twenty-eight, came up and +asked if it would be "insulting" if she came and sat by us. I had my +hymn-book with tunes, and so we chose the hymns for Easter Sunday. She +held the pages down as I turned them over, for the wind was blowing, and +told me what hymns the people knew. She is the daughter of Mrs. Susan +Swain, who has been teaching the children. She took us for a walk along +the shore and by a new way up the cliff. Seeing Ellen was tired, she said, +"If you will take my arm, I will take you along." She also said, "The +missus can go quick," as she saw me clambering up the cliff. She invited +us up to her mother's house, who insisted upon our having a cup of tea, +which was drunk in the presence of many spectators, for the room soon +began to fill. Mrs. Swain showed me letters which she had received from +ladies in England. She herself cannot write. When I got home I found +Graham entertaining Mr. and Mrs. Lavarello. They had come with milk and a +loaf of bread. They bake the loaf in an iron pot with a lid, on which they +light the fire. Lavarello is one of the shipwrecked Italians. Ruth Swain, +a girl of seventeen, next came in, then two little boys, and finally Mrs. +Repetto. The people have so intermarried, and there are so many of the +same name, that it is difficult to distinguish one person from another, +but we are learning to do so gradually. There is an intense eagerness +among the elders that their children shall get some "larning." The +remaining luggage has not yet come. + +_Saturday, April_ l4.--It has been a wet day. The men have been very busy +in the sitting-room, so we spent most of our time in the bedroom, which is +more than half-full of cases and baggage. Repetto has just had supper with +us, and has been telling all about Captain Kerry's visit in the _Pandora_. + + + +CHAPTER V + + +On Easter Sunday we had eight o'clock Communion; twelve were present. As +there are no Communion rails we knelt in front of two forms. Almost every +family has provided a form which just gives the necessary seating +accommodation. The next service was at 10:30. I am so glad we brought +prayer-books and hymn-books, as not many seem to possess them. We were +again struck with the heartiness of the singing. Graham spoke a few simple +words on the Resurrection. All the babies were brought to church, and +there was a little crying. There was one very fat child of thirteen months +that has something wrong with it, for it cannot sit up. I noticed also a +man with no forearms, but with terribly deformed fingers where the elbow +would be. + +This afternoon we had baptisms; there were four children to be baptized, +and a fifth to be received into the congregation. One of the mothers, a +Mrs. Hagan, came in before the service to ask if Ellen "would come along +with her to church." Graham could not make out what she meant; it was, +would Ellen be god-mother to her baby boy. It was a large assembly that +stood round the small font. The children were young enough for Graham to +take in his arms. As the people stayed on while he wrote the particulars +in the register, I played hymns to them. When we got back at about 4:20 we +had visitors till 6:30. They are so pleased to have some one to talk to; +the men come in as much as, if not more than, the women. + +I must not forget to record that we had rather a disturbed night on +Saturday. First, there was heavy rain and it came through the ceiling +close to where Ellen was sleeping; then the cat caught a rat under the +table, and Rob went for her wishing to share the spoil. This is the first +rat I have seen here, though I have heard them in the house. They are in +shoals all over the mountains, and eat the fruit in the orchards. There +have been no peaches for years, and there used to be bushels of them. The +people say it is owing to the rats. Graham has spoken seriously to the +men, and told them they should have one day a week for an onslaught. They +did try it one year, and say it made a perceptible difference in the +number. + +It was decidedly cold when we first got here, making us glad to have warm +things, and in the evening we appreciated our large open hearth and wood +fire. To-day it is much warmer. + +_Wednesday, April_ l8.--On Monday, though not a very good day, the men +went in two boats to fetch more luggage. Unfortunately it came on to rain +hard. In landing on the shore where it is stored they nearly lost their +boats, the surf was so heavy. We spent the morning in pasting strips of +calico along the cracks of the ceiling in our sitting-room; it was rather +a business, but Rebekah came in and helped. At present there is no getting +a rest in the middle of the day, for there is no quiet spot for it. + +On Monday night we again heard the rats scampering about overhead, and +this morning early Graham was much pleased to find five in the wire trap +on the kitchen window-ledge; one eventually escaped. Through the night we +had heard the cat crunching rats close by. + +Yesterday upon opening a case we found three pillows and a mattress had +got wet. If the wetting is from salt water they will have to be soaked in +fresh. The other pillows that got wet have not felt dry since, but still I +have had to lie upon them; the deck-chairs are in the same state. + +We are living in such a muddle, our things being heaped up against the +wall. Presently they will have to be removed to another room while this +one is whitewashed and then back again. To find things is almost an +impossibility. By the end of the week we hope to be much straighter. All +the men have worked with a will. This morning they fetched the remaining +luggage from the shore, and this afternoon have been working hard at the +house. I went down with my camera and took photographs of the boats +unloading and of the ox-wagons which had gone to bring up the luggage. The +women came down with hot coffee and tea for the men. + +Graham picked up the other day an old porthole window with the glass +unbroken, and it has been used for the house. Many of the people's +possessions are from shipwrecks. I noticed what nice white jugs they bring +our milk in; it seems a case of these was found on a wrecked ship. They +have also a good deal of glass and china from the same source. + +_Friday, April_ 20.--It was such a hot day yesterday, just like summer. +The fatigue of such a day is felt all the more because there is hardly a +resting-place for the sole of one's foot. To-day has been wet. The men +have been finishing the house, and have fixed the stove in the kitchen. +Repetto and Swain have managed the piping splendidly, and out of tins have +made plates to place over the woodwork which the pipe passes through. An +old bucket has been placed round the piping near the roof as an extra +safeguard against fire. Our bedrooms have been whitewashed, and to-morrow +we hope to move our things into them. I really find a deck-chair most +comfortable; lined with pillows it does splendidly as a bed. + +We like the people; they are generous and kind. Repetto is most helpful. +This afternoon he has been fixing the washing-stands. Every one is so +interested in seeing anything new; the stove especially is an object of +great interest. + +_Saturday, April_ 2l.--It has been very wet. The men have now finished the +house, and we have devoted ourselves to getting things a little more +shipshape. + +I gave Repetto the material A---- had sent, telling him to divide it +amongst all the families; he was very grateful. They do need clothing so +badly; some of their clothes are much patched. They all wear white +stockings. The women are very good knitters, and are nearly always to be +seen with knitting in their hands, even in their walks to and from the +potato patches. I wish they could throw as much energy into cleaning their +houses, only one or two of which are kept clean. Their shoes (moccasins) +are made of cow's hide and are most quaint. They are made of one piece, +with a seam up the front and at the heel. Little slits are cut round the +edge of the shoe and a string run in to tie on with. As there is no +leather sole their feet must always be in a wet condition in rainy +weather. It rains so much that the thickest boots are needed to keep the +feet dry. The need of these has just been brought home to us by a flood at +our back door caused by the stream overflowing. Graham has now got Bob +Green to divert it, which is a great improvement. The pathway, too, in +front of the house at one end becomes a pool after rain. The other night I +splashed right into it, and it took me days to get my house shoes dry. Tom +Rogers, however, is draining it. + +[Illustration: MOCCASINS] + +The house being very damp on the south side, we have to keep almost +everything in the sitting-room on the other side. Our bedrooms which are +in the middle of the house and cut off by a passage from the south side +are the two driest rooms. Graham and Repetto have been busy hauling up +cases into the loft and opening others which looked damp; happily most of +the stores are in tins. They have also been putting up the beds, which +required some fixing. Ash poles at the sides and ends are fitted into six +wooden legs, over which canvas is laced. We find them quite comfortable. +Our red blankets look very well against the whitewashed walls. We are by +no means straight yet, but well on the way to being so. + + + +CHAPTER VI + + +_Sunday, April_ 22.--Wet all day. It has been difficult to keep dry-shod +going backwards and forwards to church over the wet common and across +little rivulets. We had three services: the Holy Communion at eight +o'clock, to which four came; morning prayer at 10.30, when the church was +about half full; and a children's service at three. Graham is acting on a +suggestion of the Bishop and catechizing the children instead of having +Sunday school. As the elders come too, instruction by this means is given +to both. With a view to keeping better order an elder was asked to sit on +each bench with the children. These sat with folded hands, and their +behaviour was very good; by a little encouragement answers were got out of +two or three of them. We had no harmonium, as it was too wet to bring it +up from the house. + +Living as these people do in such an out-of-the-world spot, I am surprised +at the level they have reached. There is a quiet dignity about them, and +their manners are excellent. No doubt Mr. Dodgson has done much for them, +and they have a very warm remembrance of him. I never had so many "Marms" +in my life; and the other evening one little boy, on leaving the room, +wanting to say something polite, said to me, "Good-night, Mary." + +_Sunday, April_ 29.--Yesterday and to-day it was blowing gales. To get to +eight o'clock Communion was not easy. A heavy shower came on as we +started. Ellen threw a cape over her head, I a Shetland shawl over my hat. +In a short space of time we were fairly wet and reached church breathless +and panting, for it was up-hill and the wind against us. John Glass, the +clerk, came to meet us to offer his help. There were seven or eight +present. Returning it was worse; the wind was at our backs, and at +different times Ellen and I were blown down like ninepins. I have since +been told by the people, "When you hear a puff coming, stand or duck till +it is over and then go on." On these windy days the dust and litter that +come from the thatch are difficult to cope with. + +This afternoon we had a practice after service. There are one or two hymns +in which the islanders go quite astray; for example, "There is a green +hill" and "Christ who once amongst us." They have gone wrong, I fear, so +many years that the task of getting them to go right is almost an +impossible one. We tried a chant, but they seemed to think, as it was not +the one taught by Mr. Dodgson, it could not be right. They say he was very +musical and could sing any part. The men are anxious to sing in parts +themselves. After the service we took Rob for a run, then three of the men +turned up and did not depart till after six o'clock. We usually have three +meals a day: breakfast, dinner and supper, but on Sundays generally allow +ourselves afternoon tea. + +_Monday, April_ 30.--We were so busy all the past week, and many evenings +worked till quite late trying to get straight. It has taken a longer time +because there is so little space. Our sitting-room looks quite cosy. We +have half partitioned off a portion of it with a green stoep blind which +we bought at the Cape, and in the private part thus left have laid down a +white matting, and really at night with a lamp and a fire it looks very +bright and cheerful. + +During the turmoil of the week we have had the usual stream of visitors. +Early one afternoon Mrs. Hagan and another mother appeared with their +babies and stayed two hours or more. I finally went on with my work of +unpacking the storage box. At the same time they are always ready to help; +for instance, the other day, when I was doing some washing, Mrs. Lavarello +coming in, at once began upon it, and then went to help Rebekah with more +at the watering. + +Our first attempt at making bread has not been a success. The loaf was as +heavy as lead, and uneatable. Rob had most of it. Not dismayed we set to +to prepare a sponge-cake for the next day. The result was good. The +following day I tried self-raising flour, and the result was even better. +The fourth trial, yesterday, was as complete a failure as the first, due +to the high wind which prevented the oven getting hot. Flour is so +precious we are eating the loaf ourselves this time, and, wonderful to +say, have not had indigestion. + +It has been arranged for each family in turn to bring us weekly supplies. +Graham felt the people ought to provide a certain amount, and that +anything beyond that we could pay for. So we made out the following list. +As there are seventeen families, with one exception the same family will +only have to serve us three times in the year. They will not hear of our +paying anything. + +WEEKLY SUPPLY + +Meat, 12 lbs. +Fish (three times a week). +Milk, 14 quarts. +Butter, 1 1/2 lbs. (in the summer 2 lbs., fresh). +Eggs, 2 dozen (when in season). +Potatoes, 7 lbs. +Firewood. + +Graham busied himself most of yesterday in making a meat-safe. He found +some old tin which he perforated and fixed on to a wooden crate. + +_Tuesday, May_ 1.--Graham began school today at 9:30. There were +thirty-five scholars--eighteen boys and seventeen girls--their ages +ranging from twenty-one to three years. I went up at eleven o'clock to +teach the infants. It is difficult to get off earlier, as I have a good +deal to do in the house. We rise at 6:30 and breakfast at eight. Rob +scrambled into school, although told not to come in, and sat under the +children's form, which a little discomposed them, and made some of them +anxious about their legs. At twelve o'clock the school dispersed. + +When we were leaving we heard a gun go off and saw groups of people +standing about on high positions. I was told they were shooting a wild +bullock. There did not seem much wildness about the poor black creature. I +was glad to turn my back on it all. + +We have had a little peace lately as regards the rats. At one time I +feared there would not be a night without an episode. One night we were +just going off to sleep when I heard noises above. Graham was up in a +minute, thrust on his clothes, and hastened, lantern in hand, up the +ladder into the loft where he found a poor rat caught in a trap. We will +leave the rest. This sort of thing is just a little disconcerting as you +are getting off to sleep. Another night he was catching the wood-lice +creeping over our bedroom walls, and must have caught fifty. I am rather +thankful when he is too tired for these raids. The houses are also +infested with fleas. + +Ellen and I have both had presents of white stockings which we are +wearing, and find most warm and comfortable. They look so old-fashioned, +but I intend to wear them. + +The bread to-day which I had made was burnt almost to a cinder. We still +have long visitations from the people, who generally come from five to +6.30; supper in consequence has often to wait. It is wonderful how much +there is to do in a small house like this. + +[Illustration: THE CEMETERY] + +This afternoon we visited the little cemetery. It is surrounded by +rough-hewn blocks of stone. These once formed the walls of a church which +Mr. Dodgson induced the men to start building, but they took such a long +time over it, he felt it would never be finished, and so told them they +could use the stones as a wall for the cemetery. Here and there are little +wooden crosses, and such quaintly written inscriptions, the letters being +picked out in tin nailed to the cross or stone. The tombstone of William +Glass is the most imposing. It is of marble, and was sent by his sons in +America. + +We are not nearly straight yet; the difficulty is where to put everything. +There is one small cupboard in the sitting-room, but only bottles can be +kept in it as it is so damp. I keep some of the stores in my old +school-box in the ante-room. + +Graham has been writing for the people to the King, to thank him for the +message which he sent them through Lord Crawford. + +_Monday, May_ 7.--We do all our writing in the evening. Since we have been +here three ships have been sighted. One was four-masted and came in quite +close. It was a misty day with a rough sea. This last week the weather has +been delightful, sunshine day after day with very little wind. + +[Illustration: HILL TOP. INACCESSIBLE IN THE DISTANCE] + +Last evening after church we went for a walk accompanied by the two +bachelors of the island, Tom Rogers and Bill Green. We went westward over +a rocky common to get a view of Inaccessible. We could see it most +clearly. It was my first view of it. It did not look far off, but is in +reality about twenty-five miles away. There was a most beautiful sunset, +the sea being quite lit up. + + + +CHAPTER VII + + +We are settling down to our daily routine. I go up to school each day at +10.30 now and take Class II in writing for half-an-hour before the +infants. I have had to drop "pen pointing to the shoulder." Some of the +children are very attractive. + +Not counting our household of three, there are now seventy-two people on +the island--thirteen men, the eldest being forty-nine; twenty women, the +eldest about eighty; and thirty-nine children. There are four families of +Swains, not including old Caroline Swain, the invalid; three of Greens, +not including the bachelor Bill Green; and two of Rogers. Mrs. Sam Swain, +sister of Tom Rogers, has five daughters whose ages run from twenty-one to +nine years. She lost a girl of twelve about two years ago from asthma. The +Repettos are nice children and very intelligent. A boy of fifteen, William +Rogers, who is very staid, comes every morning to fetch water and chop +wood. He is so anxious to learn. Sometimes he has to go to work, but he +comes to school whenever he can. He has most curious sight: in the daytime +he can see all right, but at night, even in a lighted room, is not able to +see a thing that is handed to him; he says he is "night blind." This +afternoon we invited Betty Cotton, of whom we have not seen much lately, +in to tea. I think it gave her great satisfaction. She has been in need of +spectacles, and I was able to suit her with a pair. + +Rob got into disgrace a few days ago. When out with Ellen he suddenly +rushed off up the mountainside and chased a sheep to the cliff. It was so +frightened it jumped down about thirty or forty feet and fell on its side +panting and bleeding. Happily, it was not seriously hurt. The owner, +Andrew Hagan, has not made much of the occurrence. I am glad to say he at +once rode off on his donkey in search of it. Graham went too, and not +finding the sheep, took Rob to some others and gave him a thorough +whipping. We carry a whip when we take him out now. What he loves is a run +on the sea-shore where he can scamper about after sea-birds. We like a sea +blow too, and there is not such a feeling of loneliness on the shore here +as there is at many seaside places. + +_Wednesday, May_ 9.--Today has been rather an eventful one. Rain began to +fall early, was still falling when Graham went off to school, and before +long began to come down in a deluge. At first Ellen and I were kept fully +occupied getting basins and pans, as the rain was coming through the roof +and ceilings in all directions; in several places in the sitting-room, in +the bedrooms, and in the kitchen where it was pouring down the walls. We +hardly had breathing time before a fresh place was discovered. Then I +heard Ellen call me to come and look. She was gazing out of the passage +window at the brook which had now become a torrent. It was sweeping past +the house, and spread out like a flood up to the very walls. Streams were +flowing down the mountain; it was a scene of water. I heard a distant +sound like thunder, which afterwards we learnt was a body of water that +had descended from the mountain and cut a gully of--I do not know now many +feet deep and broad; carrying away the bullock road across Hottentot Gulch +and two poor sheep. About noon the rain abated. Bob Green, a near +neighbour, very kindly came in while it was still pouring to reassure us. +But Ellen and I were not at all alarmed; we just thought it was an +ordinary event. It seems, however, the people cannot remember another such +deluge. In the afternoon the sun came out and Graham and I, escorted by +William and Johnny Green went to look at the deep channel the rush of +water had made. We met several mothers who had been to the spot. The chasm +will have to be filled up and a new road made. Repetto and Andrew Swain +have been in for a chat this evening. The former said when he looked down +upon this cottage it appeared to be standing in a pond. + +I am getting to know the children now. Some of them in appearance might be +little English boys and girls. Charlie Green, a brown boy of about four +years, is quite a character, but almost impossible to teach; he guesses at +everything. If you ask him what letter you are pointing to, he gazes in +your face and guesses, and if you tell him he must look at the letter and +not guess, he does the same again, and will interrupt others to guess +wrong; his cheeks all the time are dimpled with laughter and his eyes +dancing with merriment. To see him do his physical exercises, especially +arms to the shoulder, when he pushes out his round little chest, is too +comical. + +By the second Sunday the bell given by the congregation of St. Andrews was +up. It has been hung in the loft of the church. It rings for church and +school and has a very good tone. + +_Sunday, May_ l3.--The 10.30 and three o'clock services are attended by +nearly every one. Graham reads and speaks very slowly so that the people +may take in what is said. This morning he spoke on the verse beginning "He +that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." We find the people much +more intelligent than we expected. + +We had Sunday visitors as usual, namely, John Glass, his wife, and Bob +Green. They stayed on and on and it was getting towards seven o'clock. Bob +was the first to leave, but soon came back and called Glass, saying +something about a fire. We went out and saw such a blaze close at hand. +Lavarello's lamb-house, which is a long, low, thatched hut, was on fire. A +strong south-west wind was blowing, and sparks were flying in countless +numbers. A few fell round this house, but the house in real danger was +John Glass's, which is next to ours. The sparks were raining on the +thatch, and in the glare we could see figures running about and emptying +buckets of water on the roof. Graham went off to help. The fire burnt +furiously for a time, and I could feel the heat of it as I was standing at +our back door. Before very long it began to go down, though sparks were +still flying about. Happily, Lavarello had been able to get his sheep out +in time. It will be rather a loss for him as wood is not easy to get. The +fire is thought to have originated by Henry Green losing his cap in the +wind, and getting a fire-brand to look for it, a spark from which must +have been blown on to the tussock roof. + +It is curious how, whenever a ship is boarded, colds go the round of the +settlement. We were talking to Repetto about this, and he told us he did +not at first believe it, but has seen it proved again and again. The usual +thing has happened after the visit of the Surrey, and many are now laid up +with colds. The other day John Glass asked for some brandy for his wife, +who was one of the first to succumb. We knew it would not do to begin +giving brandy for such an ailment, yet felt we must prescribe something. +By a bright inspiration Graham suggested a teaspoonful of glycerine in hot +milk, to be taken at bedtime. This proved most efficacious, and is so +appreciated now that the applicants are many. Rebekah Swain told me today +that after taking it she had never coughed again! Half a good-sized bottle +has already gone. One day Repetto came for a remedy for his rheumatism, +brought on by exposure to cold and wet. I went to the medicine chest to +see what it could produce, and found the very medicine for his case. A day +or two later, inquiring after him, I heard he was very poorly, and began +to wonder if the tabloids were answerable for this. However, the next day +he was much better, and told me they had eased the pain at once. + +_Thursday, May_ l7.--Every one is looking out expectantly for a ship, and +many letters are waiting to be dispatched by it. About thirty were +entrusted to us by people on the _Surrey_, who wished to have them sent +off from her as a matter of interest. I have printed "Tristan da Cunha" on +the envelopes. Every one places great hope in a man-of-war coming in +December. + +The people are now living on meat and potatoes, varied with fish. They +have no flour, and I should say are oftener without it than with it. They +get so tired of the same food. Crawfish, which answer to our lobsters, +seem to be plentiful and are quite a treat. Rebekah the other evening +caught about a bushel, and says she has caught as many as five bushels at +a time. + +We are touched by the way in which the people give us of their little. +Mrs. Sam Swain brought us som carbonate of soda--called here "salaradus"-- +for making bread, as we had failed in a yeast we had tried. Another Mrs. +Swain brought us some more, and on my saying we did not like to take it, +her mother, Mrs. Rogers, said, "We are pleased to do all we can for you." +The people are so gratified at having their children taught. A Mrs. Hagan +began bringing us tea and milk each day in the school interval. We thanked +her, but would not let her go on doing it. + +It is amusing to watch the boys bringing their cows home to be milked; +often they hang on to their tails. The cow sometimes has a contrary fit +and will run in the wrong direction; the boy hangs on till the cow thinks +better of it and turns in the right direction. The cows are small and very +thin. In the winter many die for want of food, and this winter, I fear, +there will be a great scarcity of grass as the late flood brought down a +great deal of mud on the west side of the island. The people grow nothing +to feed their cattle with in the winter. Their sheep do very well as they +can climb to higher pastures. Ben Swain, the man with deformed arms, does +chiefly shepherd's work. He is a son of Susan Swain the school-mistress. +Although about thirty-five years old, on wet days he intends coming to +school, and started yesterday. He was taught by Mr. Dodgson to write, +which he does kneeling down and holding the pen in both hands. His sister, +Rebekah, also comes occasionally. I now take Classes I and II in writing; +it is really hard work as I have to be constantly looking at each Pupil. I +should like to visit the people, but have not been able to do much in that +way yet. + +_Monday, May_ 2l.--We have had such a lovely day, just like summer; it is +hard to believe winter is approaching. + +Before school we were busy doing laundry work. The children are getting on +so well with their lessons. On Sunday Graham catechizes them on the +Scripture they have been taught in the week, and their answers are +excellent. I am getting quite fond of the infants. Charlie is very +fascinating; he has such a dark little face, straight black hair, large +brown eyes and such a comical expression. After some weeks of teaching he +has at last learnt A, but is quite ready to call it B. I have made up my +mind to devote my energies to the older infants. The parents are so +anxious their children should get on, and already Graham has been sent two +canes by two mothers, who were anxious they should be used. The people +often relate how Mr. Dodgson used the cane upon boys and girls. + +This afternoon Graham and I went down to the shore and watched with much +interest Bob Green and his wife fishing from the rocks. Sophy Rogers and +Charlie, who was caressing the dog, were with them. Bob was catching +crawfish with a line without any hook, just a piece of meat tied on at the +end with a stone to weight it. He generally caught two at a time, and had +by the end a sack full. Ellen had been fishing with Mary Repetto, and they +caught eight. + + + +CHAPTER VIII + + +There was such a happy scene here a few days ago. Graham was paving the +pathway in front of the house with big flat stones and had a bevy of +little boys helping. I much delighted them by giving each one an acorn to +plant. Next day I asked Charlie what he done with his. He replied, "It's +in a pawt." + +_Wednesday, May_ 23.--This afternoon I have been very busy planting. The +boys came early, and Graham went down with them to the beach to get a load +of stones for paving. To the delight of the boys, the bottom of the "bus" +came out in crossing the stream, and all the stones fell into the water. I +saw the little boys hurrying up to the house, each carrying a wet stone. +"Bus" is the island word for "wheelbarrow." While the paving was going on, +I thought with William's assistance I would plant ferns in the wall. +Hearing roots were wanted the children began bringing all sorts. Before +school some nasturtiums were brought, then Sophy came with a large pink +geranium. There is a little berry (the crowberry) they eat here which I +think rather nasty; roots of this were brought, and also some sweetbriar +and wild geranium which has a very sweet smell. What especially pleased me +was a plant much resembling the blackberry. Gifts so poured in, it was +really difficult to know where to plant them all. Yesterday we put in some +strawberry plants. + +I have been trying plaiting the leaves of the flax plant, which grows +luxuriantly here, and making a mat of them. I sewed the plaits together +with strips from the leaf. I am going to use the mat in church for the +boards are very hard to kneel upon. It is green and looks very artistic. I +contemplate making mats for the house, and with assistance might do enough +for the church. One or two old folk still have the kneelers given them by +Mr. Dodgson, + +_Ascension Day, May_ 24.--A most lovely day and very hot. We had a short +school and then at eleven o'clock the children were all marched to +Repetto's house where there is a flagstaff. The flag had been run up, it +being Empire Day, and, marshalling us beneath it, Graham taught boys and +girls how to "hurrah." He was in his element. Afterwards he gave the boys +a lesson in skipping, and quite surprised me by his agility. One or two +tried and much enjoyed it, but the rest were too shy. Later on William +came to ask for another rope, and looking out of the passage window I saw +a group of boys watching big Ben the crippled man who was skipping with +intense enjoyment, and leaping about two feet into the air. + +[Illustration: THE FLAGSTAFF] + +At three o'clock we had service. Some fifty were present. Most of the men +were at work. Glass, for one, had been for wood and had had to swim round +the Bluff. He brought back some eaglet eggs, and sent us three which we +had for supper. They are about as big as a duck's egg, white in colour, +and of a slightly fishy taste. The fowls are not laying now. The weekly +supply arrangement is working well. I think eventually we may have a cow. + +_Saturday, May_ 26.--We are only about fifty minutes behind Greenwich +time. + +_Monday, May_ 28.--There was such a lovely sunset this evening; the sea +was the colour of indigo, in striking contrast to the sunlit sky. + +_Tuesday, May_ 29.--As we were sitting down to breakfast we heard a ship +was in sight, but to our disappointment were almost immediately told that +it was too far east to catch. Another, a large four-masted one, was +sighted in the afternoon; but we were again disappointed, for it was too +breezy to put out to her. + +_Whit Monday, June_ 4.--A change has set in; it was quite cold this +morning. I started laundry work directly after breakfast, and had all the +things out on the line in good time, but could not get up to school till +eleven o'clock. + +It is curious what a difficulty even some of the bigger children have in +doing the simplest addition. To add one on to three is at times an +impossible task. But if you say three cows are in the yard and one more +comes in, how many are there then? their brain begins to clear. + +I had quite an alarm this afternoon. Old Mrs. Rogers came in to say Graham +was up in a "tight" place on the mountain, and that the men had gone to +rescue him. Accompanied by her and Mrs. Repetto, Ellen and I set forth +towards Big Beach; others followed, and some stayed on the cliff to watch. +Glass. Ben, and Will Rogers had gone to warn Graham. Before long we could +see him returning with them. He had not got into any difficulty, but the +men had thought it was not a safe part to go to alone. We had intended +going that way to-morrow for a Whitsuntide holiday, but the men think it +unwise, so we are going in the opposite direction towards the potato +patches which we have not yet seen. An opinion expressed at Cape Town of +the people by one who had lately visited them does not at all coincide +with our experience. They were described as "a ruffianly-looking lot," and +the speaker was sure "there was one man at least who had had his knife +into some one." + +_Thursday, June_ 7.--After all we did not get the Whitsuntide holiday, for +I was too busy. Ellen was in bed all yesterday with a bad headache and was +lying down most of the day before. So I have had the housework and cooking +to do. Graham helped before breakfast by cleaning the kitchen stove, and +afterwards by washing up after meals and undertaking the saucepans! I only +missed school one day. The elder infants are getting on nicely; the +parents of some are teaching them at home, and they are beginning now to +read small words. Most of the girls bring their knitting, and during the +interval sit on stones under the low wall and knit away till the bell +rings for them to go in again. I used to take mine, but devote the time +now to ruling slates. I am teaching Rebekah to write. Her writing is so +impossible I have had to start her with letters on the slate, and she very +sensibly does not resent this. To-day many visitors have been to inquire +after Ellen; they certainly are kind-hearted. + +William, our factotum, is a thoughtful and kind boy. If anything is given +to him he shares it with his half-brothers. He comes three or four times +a day to ask if he can do anything, and generally when we are having a +mid-day rest! In the morning if he hears Graham has gone off to school he +is after him like a shot. + +The people are extracting salt from the sea-water. They take large barrels +in ox-wagons to the shore to be filled, then they boil the water for +twenty-four hours, in fact till it is all boiled away. They use this salt, +when they have no other, for their butter, which it does not at all +improve; but the butter brought to us is generally unsalted. They never +make salt unless driven to it because the process involves the burning of +so much wood. They also make a black-looking soap, but very rarely, as it +takes days and nights to make, and requires not only much wood, but also a +good deal of fat which they can ill spare. + +We have had many requests for envelopes, and today were asked for +paraffin, and also for flour for a sick baby. So far we have found the +people more ready to give than to ask. Another pair of stockings was +presented today, an offering from Mrs. Glass on her seventieth birthday. + +The only word used for "afraid" is "skeered," and today when I asked the +infants why Adam and Eve hid themselves among the trees in the garden, one +answered, "Because they were skeered." + +Repetto is a pupil of Graham's, and comes every Friday evening to read +English. He finds the pronunciation rather a difficulty. He has quite a +library, from which he has selected as a suitable book to lend to Graham, +William Penn's _Fruits of Solitude in Reflections and Maxims_. He is +making a cover for the harmonium out of two calf skins so that in wet +weather it can be taken to church. + +_Sunday, June_ l0.--It was so windy today that Ellen and I went to church +wearing white silk handkerchiefs instead of hats. I felt a little shy at +being thus equipped, but soon got over it. + +Wednesday, June_ l3.--We have begun a weekly _singing practice for the +school children; and as it is not always possible to take up the harmonium +we do without it, depending on a tuning-fork which was given to Ellen at +St. Helena. With some labour we have taught them a "Gloria" and a +"Venite." On the whole they are quick in learning a tune, but it must +first be sung to them. At to-day's practice two mothers appeared upon the +scene to see what we were doing. Some of the boys did not turn up, and I +heard afterwards that two parents had given their sons a "tanning," as +they expressed it, for not coming; and that this was so effectually +administered that one of the truants hid under a cart to conceal his +feelings. + + + +CHAPTER IX + + +_Wednesday, June_ 13 (_continued_).--On Monday we went for an expedition +to the top of Burntwood. Burntwood is a grass-covered mountain slope at +the other end of the settlement, and is the easiest ascent to the Base. By +"the Base" the islanders mean the top of the cliffs which gird the island, +and which rise one thousand to two thousand feet. William appeared early +in the morning to say he had collected several donkeys and could get +saddles for them. At nine o'clock we started forth, Graham, Ellen, William +and I riding, Charlotte and Rebekah walking. It was decidedly difficult to +keep one's balance on a man's saddle. The reins--or rather what took the +place of them--consisted of a rope tied round the donkey's neck. We had a +ride of five miles over a rocky common and down some very steep pitches. +Graham gave us all much amusement. His donkey stumbled twice in +succession, and he went right over its head. At the bottom of the hill we +tethered the donkeys, and at once began the ascent. The distance up was +said to be two miles, which took us about two hours to climb. The first +part was over grassy mounds, but the latter portion involved a real +scramble. We had to stoop to get under trees, and to push through thick +brushwood, while in places it was so steep we had to get on our knees and +be pulled up. To make matters worse the ground was very soppy. We arrived +at the top somewhat exhausted. Graham spread his mackintosh and I lay down +on it thankful to rest. There was thick brushwood of phylica, of fern and +crowberry all round, and, tired as we were, I felt we could not make our +way through this. Graham and William went in search of water and soon +procured some. We had for luncheon captain's biscuits and chocolate, eaten +under a scorching sun. We had a beautiful view, and could see Nightingale +and Inaccessible quite clearly, the former island looking much the more +rugged. We stayed up about two hours. Graham and William went off in +search of eaglet eggs. They only secured one. The poor hen which they +caught was given its freedom, but unfortunately the dogs got hold of it. + +Coming down was easy enough at first, but there came a time when I felt I +could do no more; the power seemed to have gone out of my legs, and +really, without help I do not know how I should have got down. At the +bottom of the hill we saw a cheerful fire burning. Charlotte had got down +first and was brewing tea. She and Rebekah had on their own initiative +brought a saucepan, tea and milk. We started home about 4.30 when it was +already getting dusk. Before long it was quite dark, but the donkeys knew +their way. It took us about two hours to get to the settlement. Two or +three men came out to meet us, and nearer home at Hottentot Gulch we were +met by quite a party who were carrying a lantern--Mrs. Swain and Mrs. +Rogers brought us some tea, which we drank sitting on our donkeys. I found +riding sideways on a man's saddle rather tiring, and I think we were all +glad to get home. Mrs. Bob Green also most kindly sent us in a brew of +tea. There were many inquiries as to how we had enjoyed the expedition, to +which we could honestly say very much, though for the next day or two we +felt very stiff. + +_Thursday, June_ l4.--We are having a spell of cold weather. There is snow +on the mountains, and a good deal of hail has fallen. It is difficult to +keep warm at night. + +_Friday, June_ l5.--A beautiful day, but a cold wind. We sat up late last +night over the fire warming our feet. + +_Monday, June_ l8.--We shall be very glad when we get our letters off, for +we know how anxious our people must be to hear. A ship was sighted +yesterday far to the east. Graham said he thought he saw one when coming +from early Communion, but I could see nothing. + +Yesterday (Sunday) it was so dark at the end of afternoon service that we +could not have the practice, so it has been settled to have service at two +o'clock, an hour which seems to suit the people better. The singing is +improving. We managed the "Venite" very well, and now mean to try the "Te +Deum." I intend to teach them a chant with three changes in it. In the end +perhaps we shall sing the Psalms. Yesterday the children sang with much +vigour "There's a Friend for little children." One little girl whose voice +could be heard above all the rest had a "strapping" from her father when +she got home for singing too loud, poor little thing! + +To-day the men put up a washing-stone at the east end of the house. Each +house has one near the water. The clothes to be washed are soaped, rubbed +and slashed on it. The women often come and help Ellen to wash, and to-day +Rebekah carried off some things for her mother to iron. I do my own things +myself outside the front door. Graham has been busy to-day whitewashing +the kitchen, and looked so comical in one of Ellen's aprons and with a +handkerchief tied over his head. + +Mrs. Martha Green, Betty's sister, came to see us this afternoon. Poor +woman, she has never recovered from the shock of the boat accident. She +then lost her husband, two sons, two brothers, and, I believe, two +brothers-in-law. She presented me with a pair of stockings, the fourth +pair I have had given me, and Graham with a pair of socks, and said we +were to tell her when we were in want of more. She lives with her married +son Henry Green, and is the mother of Mrs. Repetto. + +We fear a great part of our garden will be useless, as there is so much +white mould in it which rots the roots of the plants. The only way to get +rid of this mould which spreads very quickly is to burn it or cart it +away, so the people say. + +_Tuesday, June_ 19.--Rebekah came in on Sunday for some glycerine for her +mother who suffers from asthma, or, as the people would say, "ashmere." +Her mother has taken it two nights running, and found it gave her much +relief. It will now be believed in more than ever. + +_Friday, June_ 22.--On Wednesday night Glass came in to ask Graham if he +would go round the island with him and Tom Rogers. Graham was a little +doubtful at first on account of the school, but I promised to take it and +so he settled to go. They started off when it was only just light at six +o'clock on Thursday morning on three donkeys. + +[Illustration: GOING WEST] + +Ellen came up to help me with the school, and I managed all right. We had +an early lunch and spent the afternoon in needlework on the sea-shore. We +had planned a cosy evening, but at about six o'clock Mrs. Glass and +Rebekah with Mabel Hagan and Florence appeared. They said something about +spending the evening with us and stayed two hours much enjoying +themselves. Early this afternoon Mary Repetto came in with some wood and +told me the party were returning. I ran out to find Graham unsaddling his +donkey. He had had a fall over its head, but was none the worse. The +donkey, it seems, took a deep step as its rider was gazing at the scenery. +Graham looked tired, but said he had had a most enjoyable time. They rode +to just below Burntwood, where we were the other day; there they tethered +their donkeys and ascended the mountain to get past a bluff, and then +descended to the shore, along which they had a walk of about three miles +over boulders and stones. The two men made nothing of this walk, but +Graham says it was hard work for one unaccustomed to it, because it not +only bruised the feet but every step had to be chosen. They spent the +night in a cave on the beach, where they made a large fire and kept it up +all night. There were five dogs. Rob insisted on sleeping by Graham's +head, and occasionally put his long nose across his face. Graham had a +plank covered with tussock grass for a pillow and did not get much sleep. +In the middle of the night Rob rose up and went for another dog, and a +great fight ensued. The men had to get up, and with difficulty the dogs +were parted. Graham went for an early swim while the men cooked the +breakfast, which consisted of poached eaglet eggs and tea boiled in a +frying-pan. In drying a new pair of socks at the camp fire he almost +destroyed one by burning big holes in it. Rob enjoyed himself amazingly, +and learnt to hunt eaglets which nest in holes, but he had to be +restrained, as he would have killed the birds. + +_Tuesday, June_ 26.--We have been having a spell of rain. Sunday was too +wet to take the harmonium up to church, consequently we had to start the +chants and hymns without an instrument. We got on all right until the last +hymn, at which we had three tries, then in desperation I made a stupendous +effort, and we pulled through. We had to have dinner at half-past twelve +to be ready for service at two o'clock. I was deep in slumber when at five +minutes to the hour Graham ran in to call me. It was a scramble, and I got +to church feeling half awake. The children answer so well, better than +children do at home; but then, of course, Graham knows exactly their +capabilities and catechizes on what he has been teaching in the week. The +people like learning new tunes, and sing them better than the old ones, +which they are apt to drawl. To keep up to the mark involves a fair amount +of practising at home, especially when you have no harmonium; you must +have the tunes and chants at your finger ends. For once we had the +afternoon and evening to ourselves, and sat over the fire in the dusk +talking over happy memories. + +Monday was wet again. Just as we were sitting down to one o'clock dinner +Mrs. Hagan came in with her baby, saying she thought it was two o'clock. +She stayed on till after three, having been joined by her daughter. +Finally we left them to themselves, as I had yeast to make and Graham's +hair to cut. When I came back she had departed. + +It rained in torrents last night and all to-day. School was impossible. +With a free day before us we felt like children, and were settling down +when William appeared with his reading-book. "Would Mr. Barrow 'larn' +him"; so Graham buckled to for over an hour. It is nice to see a young +fellow so anxious to learn. Later on he came in with his hand bound up. He +had cut it with a hatchet, happily not badly, and wanted me to dress it, +his mother having already put a cobweb on. + +When Bob Green (William's step-father) came in with the milk he told us he +had seen a dead cow in the gulch. I fear it has died from wet and +exposure. I cannot bear to think of the poor beasts suffering so. One +winter more than a hundred were lost simply because there was not enough +food for them. They climb up the mountains in search of grass, and often +from weakness fall and are killed. + + + +CHAPTER X + + +_Tuesday, June_ 26 (_continued_).--At the request of the Custom House +authorities at Cape Town we brought on from there some stores which had +been sent by a French firm to the Tristanites in return for kindness shown +by them to one of the firm's ships which had been on fire off Tristan. In +the reply of the people to the kind inquiry what stores would be most +useful to them the item "soap" was read as "soup," with the result that +four cases of tins of soup were received and no soap, much to their +disappointment, for soap is more prized than anything. We have lately made +the acquaintance of some of these soups, which the people do not care for, +as they have plenty of meat. Mrs. Bob Green sent us two tins of ox-tail, +for which we gave her a brush and comb, although she said she didn't want +anything. A few days later William appeared with a further supply, so +to-day we gave him two tins of jams to take to his mother. He persistently +said, "She don't want anything," but as we insisted, he finally went off +with them. + +To-day the room has been rather like an Irish cabin, rain dropping through +the ceiling, puffs of smoke coming down the chimney, and wind blowing +through every crevice. At the fire on this hearth all the day's cooking +has had to be done. All the same we have been very cheerful and have +enjoyed a quiet day with few interruptions. I have been able to get +through some work, and have been busy making a cover for the Communion +cloth out of the material E---- gave us; with bands of white sateen and a +white cross in the centre it looks quite nice. Two little canaries I +brought from the Cape have had to be put by the fireside to be kept warm. + +_Wednesday, June_ 27.--This morning to my dismay I found the rain had come +down the chimney on to the bowl of yeast which Ellen and I had prepared +with some labour, and had spoilt it. + +Repetto came in this evening with the cover for the harmonium. It is a +clever piece of work. He turns his hand to almost anything, and can even +make his own suits. Tonight he was decidedly droll, and in his broken +language gave us a description of a certain wedding. There was only one +person, a woman, who was able to read the marriage service, and she would +not, as she did not approve of the marriage. It ended in the bride's +brother officiating, and, as he is no scholar, he had to spell out the +words as he went along. How we laughed! + +_Thursday, June_ 28.--On Tuesday from half-past eight to midnight the rain +gauge measured four inches of rain. We hear about twenty-four cattle have +died. The cold wind and rain were fatal to them. The poor things could get +no place of shelter. Graham wants the men to build some sort of shelter +for the cattle, and those to whom he has spoken about it say it would be +an excellent plan. + +This morning we heard a cheerful clucking of fowls outside our bedroom +window, and on looking out saw that the wind had blown the meat-safe over +and emptied its contents on the path. The fowls were having a fine feast +off the suet. Graham was just in time to save the half leg of mutton. We +live on mutton week by week. Very occasionally a bullock is killed. Last +week three families sent us beef. + +_Friday, June_ 29.--We shall feel relieved when we get our letters off, +but at this time of year few ships are to be seen. + +Mrs. Repetto came in pouring rain for some of the much-famed glycerine for +her baby who is ill. I gave her also camphorated oil to rub on its chest. + +_Wednesday, July_ 4.--Bill Rogers brought us some vine cuttings which we +planted and with great care nailed against the front of the house. The +next morning one had been pulled up, probably by a pig. We suffer much +from the animals. Fowls are always roaming round, and snap up every bit of +green. Many of the ferns which we planted have been rooted up. A gate is +to be put at each end of the path which will keep those intruders, at +least the four-footed ones, from the front of the house. + +Yesterday I started a women's meeting to which all over twenty years of +age were invited. Twelve came. I read some of the Gordon League Ballads to +them, and could see by their faces how much they enjoyed them. We had +three hymns, and I spoke to them for about ten minutes, ending with +prayer. I have given up the idea of teaching them reading and writing. I +do not think they are keen about it, and life is full without it. + +I was amused the other day by hearing that William calls me "The old +missus." + +Rob is quite an addition to our home. He is such an affectionate dog and +very intelligent. In the morning when Ellen opens the front door to let +him out, he will not go until he has first come in to say good-morning to +us, then he goes out cheerfully. On no account would he miss going to +school with me, and always expects to carry my basket. He has been less +troublesome about running the sheep, although yesterday he ran at a sheep +with a lamb. The sheep bolted, and when I whistled Rob he came bounding +towards us with the lambling running by his side. The lamb was only three +days old, and we had to carry it home, the mother having altogether +disappeared. At first we had some difficulty in supplying Rob with enough +food; but now he has taken the matter into his own hands and goes round to +the different houses and gets a liberal supply of meat and bones. He +always pays the Glasses an early visit, sometimes before they are up. + +To-day Ellen and I gathered wood on the sea-shore and got such a quantity +we did not know how to carry it home; happily Alfred Green was coming our +way and "backed" it for us. + +_Tuesday, July_ 10.--An eventful day--the one we have been looking for. +When I was resting after lunch there came a quick tap at the back door, +and William hurried in to say a ship was in sight. We all rushed out, and +getting on to higher ground saw her sails. We could also see our men +running home from their work. We stood at Bill Rogers' gate where others +had collected. They soon scattered to get ready to put off, though the +wind was high and the sea rough. Children were sent out to catch the +animals for barter. We came back to get our letters ready; among them were +orders for groceries to the Army and Navy stores and to Messrs. +Cartwright's at Cape Town. Mrs. Swain, junior, came in for our letters and +told us only four men were going, her husband, Tom and Bill Rogers and +Henry Green. We went down with her to the shore and met Ben who had come +to fetch our letters as the boat was ready to start. We saw them hoist +their sail and watched on with Mrs. Martha Green, Betty and Repetto until +it began to grow dusk. Mrs. Bob Green had tea with us, and a little later +Repetto came in anxious to have a talk. He and Graham stood at the front +door trying in vain to make out the ship. Soon others came in to ask for +oil and candle for their lanterns, so that they might be ready to meet the +returning boat. At about six o'clock we turned out and made for the fire +which had been lighted on the cliff. We had some difficulty in crossing +the stream as we had no lantern. Looking after the fire was Rebekah, and +later there came Mrs. Green, Alfred, Bob Green and the two other wives. +The wind was blowing cold, and we were glad to sit near the blaze. You can +picture the scene; pitchy darkness all round except where now and again +gleams of light fell on the sounding sea below and made dimly visible the +white line of surf. After staying some time, as there was no sign of the +boat, we and the women went home. + +It is now nine o'clock and still no sign of the men. + +_Wednesday, July_ 11.--As we were getting up news came that the boat was +returning. We went down to the beach and found every one there and the +boat just coming in. It had reached the vessel, which was bound for +Australia. Henry Green went on board, and the captain, who seemed a very +kind man, was able to let them have a barrel of flour, biscuits, and other +things, and would have spared more had there been time. Henry was only +about fifteen minutes on board. Our men made for Sandy Point, as the +landing was easier, and spent the night there. We are so thankful to have +got our letters off at last, and think they will reach home about the end +of September. [Footnote: They reached home early in October.] +The captain sent papers for the clergyman, which Graham was delighted to +have, and from which we learnt of the terrible eruption of Mount Vesuvius +and of the great fire at San Francisco. Among the papers was one from St. +Helena. As regards the stores obtained, only those who went out to the +ship and the widows will share in them. The rule is a man must go himself, +unless ill or absent, to have a share in anything obtained in the name of +the community. Sheep, geese, fowls, eggs and potatoes are the things +bartered. It has been very difficult to settle down to-day, and there was +only a short school. I did not go up to it, as I got my boots wet when the +boat landed. A wave swept in while I was trying to stop a quarrel amongst +the dogs. To get the salt water out of the leather my boots were put, +after island fashion, into the brook for a time and then hung upside down +on the garden gate to drain and dry. + +_Thursday, July_ l2.--We had our choir practice as usual and took up the +harmonium, as we find with chants we cannot well do without it. The +children sang scales. + +I try a little cooking now and again, and have made some fairly successful +potato scones. Ellen made some good bread this week with yeast. I claim a +little of the glory of it, as I did most of the kneading! We find we are +doing at present on one pound of flour a day for all purposes, but it has +to be used very sparingly. We now generally use our stove every other day, +as, though small, it consumes a good deal of wood which the people have to +go so far to get. + +Graham has been busy plastering the holes in the walls of the house, first +filling them in with stone wedges. We have sent to Cape Town for lead for +the roof. It is only when it is raining very hard that the rain comes +through. The south wall in the sitting-room, passage and kitchen is a rich +green colour from the damp. The people say this winter has been the +wettest they have known for a long time. + +_Friday, July_ l3.--We had our first sewing-class this afternoon. Thirteen +girls came. Nearly all produced thimbles, and their sewing was very much +better than I expected. Ellen superintended the little ones, while I read +aloud a book lent by Mrs. Susan Swain. We sat on forms near the door to +get as much air as possible. + +_Saturday, July_ l4.--Graham was busy to-day whitewashing the front of the +house; it was not easy work, as the stone is so rough. John Baptist +Lavarello, a boy of twelve, and about the most intelligent lad here, +helped him. + + + +CHAPTER XI + + +I have drawn up a list of the people, starting from the house furthest +east. The figures after the names denote the age. + +1. +Mrs. Martha Green (widow). +Mr. and Mrs. Henry Green. +Alfred, 17. +Ethel, 15. +Maria, 11. +Johnny, 9. +Christopher, 1. + +2. +Mr. and Mrs. Sam Swain, senior. +Charlotte, 21. +Lily, 19. +Ruth, 17. +Selina, 9. +Maggie, 7. +Bill Green (lodger). + +3. +Mr. and Mrs. Repetto. +Mary, 11. +Martha, 9. +Susan, 7. +Arthur, 6. +Willie, 4. +Joe, 1. + +4. +Mrs. Rogers (widow). +Tom. +Mr. and Mrs. Sam Swain, junior. +Harry, 7. +Edith, 5. +Tommy, 3. +Eliza, 9 months. + +5. +Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Swain. +Fred, 12. +James, 9. +George, 8. +Rose, 5. +Clara, 3. + +6. +Mr. and Mrs. William Rogers. +Arthur, 6. +Lizzie, 4. +Jack, 10 months. + +7. +Mrs. Lucy Green (widow). + +8. +Mr. and Mrs. Bob Green. +William Rogers, 15. +Sophia Rogers, 11. +Edward, 5. +Charlie, 4. + +9. +Miss Cotton. + +10. +Mr. and Mrs. John Glass. +Florence Swain, 3. + +11. +Mrs. Mary Glass (widow). +Miss Caroline Swain. +Mr. and Mrs. Lavarello. +John Baptist, 10. +Robert, 8. +Willie, 6. +Percy, 3. + +12. +Mrs. Eliza Hagan (widow). +Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hagan. +Emma, 12. +Mabel, 9. +David, 5 months. + +13. +Mrs. Susan Swain (widow). +Ben, 35. +Rebekah, 28. + +Mrs. Lucy Green is living with Mrs. Eliza Hagan, and Miss Cotton in an +annexe to the house in which Bob Green lives. + +_Wednesday, July_ l8.--This afternoon Ellen and I decided to try our hand +at craw-fishing, as the contents of our larder were rather low. She got +some meat from Mrs. Glass, and we set forth furnished with a pair of tongs +in place of a landing-net. As we neared the rocks we saw two figures +silhouetted against the rays of the setting sun which proved to be those +of Mrs. Glass and her daughter Mrs. Lavarello. We did not succeed in +catching anything, but Mrs. Lavarello gave us her catch of three crawfish +and two small fish. She caught an octopus, which they call cat-fish, +horrid-looking creatures:--how she could handle them I do not know. + +Birthdays are thought a good deal of here. If a household possesses any +tea or coffee, then open house is kept for the whole day, and any one can +drop in from early morning till late in the evening and expect a cup of +something. On the first occasion of a birthday we were invited, but Graham +felt it would not be wise to accept, as if we went to one we should have +to go to all. We are always apprised of a birthday by a present from the +person whose birthday it is. The present may be a pair of socks or +stockings, or a hot dish of meat, or a pot of tea, or almost anything to +be had. Of course, we give something in return, often a tin of jam in the +case of an elder. The last birthday was Mrs. Hagan's, to whom we offered +the choice of a couple of candles or a tin of jam; she chose the former. +They much treasure a piece of candle. + +We find our medicine chest greatly appreciated, and every remedy is +thought a great deal of. I gave two rhubarb pills to a patient, and was +told she had had no ache or pain since. She was rather poorly, and had +taken to her bed, having caught a chill the night of the bonfire. + +[Illustration: IN SCHOOL] + +_Friday, July_ 20.--This morning after first school I took a photograph of +the children. + +We have been measuring our rooms. The sitting-room is 16 feet by 11 feet 6 +inches. Our bedroom is 9 feet 9 inches by 8 feet 8 inches. Ellen's room 6 +feet 8 inches by 6 feet. The kitchen 11 feet 3 inches by 6 feet 4 inches. +The height is 7 feet 2 inches. + +_Saturday, July 21_.--Today it has been blowing a gale. I was up soon +after seven as it was baking day, but found it was no good attempting to +bake as the oven could never be heated with such a wind, so I raked the +fire out. Tomorrow we must do without bread. Graham started off early for +school, escorting home Mrs. Hagan, who had brought the meat. As they got +on to the rising ground they were both blown over, and coming back from +school he was blown down again. I didn't venture out, but nearly all the +children turned up, the younger ones being carried by their parents. This +afternoon, however, though it was still blowing, I went with Graham to the +foot of the mountain to get some drinking water at the spring. We do not +drink water from the stream outside, as on its way to us it passes other +houses, and we do not know what may go into it. Our bedroom today was +covered with dust from the thatch. Betty Cotton came in to tea. Sitting in +the armchair she chatted away most cheerfully. She has not lived all her +life here, but has been away twice to the Cape where she was in service. +She would have returned again to South Africa, but for her old father and +mother whom she stayed to look after. Her heart is really at the Cape. She +is one of those who tries to carry out Mr. Dodgson's teaching, and is +rarely absent from church. Another woman told Ellen today if she had to +creep on her hands and knees tomorrow to get to church, she would do it +rather than miss going. I believe Mr. Dodgson once actually did reach +church in this way. + +_Monday, July 23_.--A poor cow of Andrew Swain's sank in the bog yesterday +and the men could not get it out. They succeeded, however, in rescuing one +of Lucy Green's; the poor thing looked so wet and miserable standing under +the wall of Lavarello's lamb-house. The cattle question is a very serious +one and ought to be dealt with. Repetto has been here this afternoon, and +Graham has been talking it over with him. The fact is, there are far more +cattle than there is pasture for. People who have left the island still +own cattle and sheep here, which ought not to be allowed, because there is +not enough grazing ground for the cattle of the residents. It is too +painful to see the cattle, they are so emaciated, and their back legs seem +hardly able to support their bodies. Repetto says they will look worse +still. We are hoping something may be done when the man-of-war comes. + +_Tuesday, July 24_.--William told us Betty's cow that had been put in her +field adjoining this garden was ill. Graham went with the boys to look +after it and fed it with grass. This evening it was dead. Like the others +it died from starvation. Mrs. Lucy Green has lost two, the one that was +got out of the bog and another that fell over the cliff. We are determined +to do something if possible to stop the suffering. The pigs which are +allowed to roam at large do much damage by rooting up the grass. + +There were only eight at the women's meeting today. Graham gave the +address. Mrs. Repetto, who had not been before, stopped on the common to +tell us "It was the best afternoon she had spent in her life, better than +any party." It was an encouragement when so few were there. Some are kept +away by having to go out two or three miles for milking, the cows being +too weak to be driven home. Betty and Martha Green could not come because +they were preparing a meal for the men who are carting manure to Betty's +potato patch. It is the custom to feed those who are working for you. + +_Wednesday, July 25_.--I had to get up in the night as Ellen was feeling +ill. She had a bad pain in the back of her neck which was relieved by the +application of a mustard-leaf. She did not get up all day. So I was kept +busy, even with the assistance Graham was able to give before and after +school. As we had not baked for nearly a week, I had to bake bread as well +as to cook the dinner. Graham broiled the chops; the kidneys twice fell +into the fire, and were finally lost. + +It has been raining most of the day. Mrs. Hagan told me a cow of hers had +fallen over the cliff and been killed. I was almost thankful to hear there +was one less to suffer. + +_Friday, July 27_.--Before we were up William brought news that a ship was +in sight, but too far eastward to reach. Directly after breakfast the men +started shooting a bullock which darkness the night before had prevented +them bringing down. The poor creature was chased by men firing shots, and +it was some time before they succeeded in shooting it. Mrs. Hagan ran in +to say the ship was in sight again, and she thought the men were going out +to it. I went up to the school to see what Graham was going to do. We gave +a short lesson, dismissed school, and came home to finish our letters. +Repetto ran in to ask Graham if he were going. I went down to see them +off. I always enjoy seeing a boat launched and the men scrambling in as it +is shoved off. The only thing I do not like to see is the way the poor +animals are treated, tossed into the boat with legs tied, quite regardless +as to whether it hurts them. The two boats started about 11.30, and in +about an hour and a half reached the ship, having sailed most of the way. +I followed them on and off with the glasses. They got back about five, and +we could tell they had done well, for they were singing as they came in. +The vessel was the _Loch Katrine_, a sailing ship from Glasgow. The +captain for the last nine years had been trying to call, but the weather +was against him. He was exceedingly kind, and able to provide the +islanders with a good deal of food in exchange for what they had brought. +He let them have a large barrel of flour, biscuits, tea, coffee and sugar. +The bottom of the sugar barrel fell out and the sugar lay on the deck; but +that was soon remedied: it was all swept into a bag. The bag had contained +meat, but that was a small detail. One of the passengers on board bought +two sheep for the crew, and with his other fellow-passenger made many +exchanges with the islanders. The captain was most kind and generous to +us. He asked Graham if there was anything he wanted, so Graham named a keg +of butter. But that he could not provide, and asked if there was anything +else. Graham thought of bacon, and then the captain said would he like a +ham? Not only did he give that, but a large tin of arrowroot, a bottle of +pickles, and a bottle of preserved greengages; and sent in addition two or +three pounds of tea as a special present to me, saying he wished it were +something better. The steward, too, said he would like to send "the lady" +a present from himself, and sent six pieces of scented soap. It was +exceedingly kind of them. The captain said his life was a trying one, +there being anxiety and worry day and night. Graham got the time, and +found we were forty minutes behind. He was ill going and returning, but +soon felt better after he had got warm and had food, for he had virtually +had nothing since breakfast. How we enjoyed looking at our presents! After +such an exciting day we didn't sleep much. The letters will be posted in +Australia. + +_Saturday, July 28_.--It being a lovely afternoon Ellen and I went +eastward to gather wood on Big Beach, where we collected as much as three +could carry. Graham and William came to help us home with it. Ellen +carried some in her skirt, Graham took off his jacket and made a bundle, +and William "backed" a bagful. + +[Illustration: BIG BEACH] + +_Tuesday, July 31_.--It has been a busy day. I made scones before +breakfast and baked them on tins over an open fire, baking my face at the +same time. I was at school for two hours, and then sat down to machine +till dinner-time. At three o'clock I took the women's meeting, where we +finished the twenty-third Psalm. It was blowing and raining hard when we +came home. We found Repetto repairing for us a pair of bellows that had +belonged to Mr. Dodgson. Charlotte Swain came for some glycerine for her +mother who has asthma again. Later, Rebekah came in with her niece Mabel, +bringing some tablecloths her mother had ironed. Mabel shyly offered us +some fish. Rebekah stayed some time, Repetto till seven. The cattle +question was again discussed with him. Fifty-four have already died. If we +are only able to do some good as regards the cattle it will have been +something worth coming out for. I cannot bear to look at the poor +creatures. One of Betty's has several times got into our garden and had a +good feast. A few days ago it calved. So many have calves; I do not know +how they live. To finish the account of the day's work, after supper bread +had to be made. Alas! in the morning it turned out to be rather heavy. + +Repetto, who is very fond of reading, has lent us a short biography of +Melanchthon, which we are reading aloud. + +In one of the Glasgow papers that came from the _Loch Katrine_ there is a +notice of De P----'s sudden death in Paris. It is curious we should have +learnt the news in this way. We never find time to read till the evening, +and even then it often has to be put aside for writing. + +We are glad to be getting through the winter. The thermometer has never +been lower than 44. The winds are very keen, and lately an east wind has +been blowing, which is unusual. + +I find teaching infants needs much patience, but some days they are much +brighter than others. They are getting on, and the four elder ones can +read short words quite easily. They each have a book and read round in +turn. The others, who know their alphabet, stand round, too, but of course +take in but little. The four can actually add two to a number, and Arthur +Repetto can even add four and five together. He puts his back into +whatever he does. His mother is, I believe, rather stern with her +children; and some think they are whipped too much. However this may be, +they seem to be turning out well. Certainly all the mothers seem to teach +their children good manners; for example, if our boy William sees me +standing in school, he will get up and offer me a seat. He is very +thoughtful, and if we express a wish about anything, it is sure to be +done. His duties are to chop wood, to go to the spring for the drinking +water, and to fill the pails twice a day. If he happens not to be at home +he always sees that some one else does his work. + +_Thursday, August 2_.--This afternoon after choir practice Ellen and I +went down to the rocks, although it was very cold, to try to catch +craw-fish. We had not started fishing when we saw William running towards +us. He came to say a ship was in view to the west and that the men were +going off. So of course we hurried up again to get our letters ready. The +boats put off about five o'clock and probably will not be back before +daylight. + +_Friday, August 3_.--The men returned late last evening after a fruitless +journey. Although it was a moonlight night they failed to sight the ship. +They were very wet. + +Graham is digging the lower part of the garden. It is covered with turf +which, as he removes, he banks up to form a little shelter from the wind +for the vegetables, if ever there are any. Flax shelters the bed on the +other side. The digging is rather laborious, as there are large stones +which have to be extracted with a crowbar. The soil is first-rate, and so +far no mildew has been met with. One of the greatest enemies to the seeds +will be the fowls, and because of them probably we shall have to sow first +in boxes. Graham has made a needle and mesh so that we can make nets. +Repetto has shown us how to start netting. It is not known who brought +flax to the isle, but Betty says her father and his contemporaries brought +it to the settlement from Sandy Point. + + + +CHAPTER XII + + +_Friday, August_ 10.--We had a gale last Wednesday. It was with some +difficulty we got to the women's meeting which had been postponed the day +before on account of the weather; we had to go by a circuitous route. Only +three women came, and I was debating whether to have the meeting when I +missed my spectacles. I felt sure they had been blown off by the wind. +Mrs. Repetto and Mrs. Hagan went off to search for them, and Ellen and I +soon followed. It seemed rather a hopeless task as we had come by such a +round-about way. I went home to see if I could possibly have left them +behind; but no, they were not there. The loss of them was rather serious, +as I had broken my pince-nez the day after landing. I felt sure they would +be found if only we searched long enough, and presently I came across one +half of them. By this time about fourteen people, men as well as women, +were looking for them. The gale was terrific, and when the gusts came the +only thing to do was to crouch down. It was a comical sight, and I wish I +could have photographed it. I was caught hold of several times by one of +the elder girls and held when the gusts came. I promised a pot of jam to +the one who should find the other half of the spectacles. We had been out +over an hour and were beginning to think we must leave further search till +the morning when John Glass found it. It had been blown some distance from +the spot where I had found the first half. Glass was going to take them +home to try to mend them when he was called off to a poor cow that had +fallen down. At his suggestion Graham took them to Repetto, who brought +them down in the evening. He is going to mend my pince-nez with a watch +spring. From what he told us I fear the loss of cattle must be close upon +a hundred. + +_Monday, August_ 13.--We have been building a most delightful castle in +the air to-day. If a man-of-war comes we might go back in it to Cape Town +and try to arrange with some enterprising person to come in a schooner and +buy up the cattle here at a low price. What commissions we should have to +execute for the people! + +This has been a full day from morning till evening. I began laundry work +at 7.30, made a yeast, then potato-cakes, superintended the planting of +peach-slips against the house, paid a visit to Mrs. Henry Green, and +entertained about seven visitors--several with requests to be attended to. +Graham was digging all the afternoon. + +_Tuesday, August_ 14.--Little Edith Swain, one of the infants, has had a +cough, and as her mother said she thought she had not warm enough +clothing, I set to and knitted her a vest in two days. This morning Edith +appeared alone, and pushing past Ellen, who opened the door, came and put +into my hand something tied up in a pocket-handkerchief, which something +proved to be a pair of stockings. Her mother, who came in later, told me +that Edith asked if she could not give Mrs. Barrow a present, so she gave +her the pair of stockings to bring. She said to her mother, "Did you offer +Mrs. Barrow a cup of tea when she came?" She is not a very bright child +and cannot learn her ABC, though she learns by heart very nicely. + +The Repetto's youngest child, Joe, who is not yet two, asked his father +for a book the other day and marched off to school with it. He got across +the brook without getting wet, and as he neared the school door was heard +singing, "Onward, Christian Soldiers." His sister Martha soon dispatched +him home, poor little fellow. Repetto came this afternoon with the +pince-nez which he had mended. He stayed supper and gave us further +instruction in netting. + +_Wednesday, August 15_.--Today I sowed flower seeds; a performance which +intensely interested the children who crowded round the front door. I used +biscuit-tins for boxes, which William filled with soil. I have planted +bulbs of a Mentone creeper, love-in-a-mist, heather, sweet peas and canna +seeds. One does sadly miss the spring flowers. Afterwards I went down to +the beach with Sophy and the Repetto girls to pick up wood. Rob carried +the canvas bag which was rolled up, and it was amusing to see him +careering after the sea-hens (skua-gulls) at a tremendous pace with the +bag in his mouth. The girls picked up more wood than we could carry home. +We have had some more peach-slips brought, which we have planted under the +shelter of the flax, and yesterday William brought more than a dozen apple +trees and cuttings, and is going to bring some young fig trees. Thus we +shall have quite an orchard, if they grow, but the "if" is a big one. The +people do not seem to take any trouble with their fruit trees and hardly +ever prune them. Perhaps they are disheartened on account of the rats. +Most of the orchards are a long way off in sheltered ravines round the +island. + +The men lead fairly busy lives. Last month they were occupied in drawing +out manure in the quaint bullock wagons to their potato patches, which are +about three miles off. It was no easy business as the bullocks were not up +to the work owing to their starved condition. Each man possesses about +three pairs of bullocks. This week they will begin planting potatoes, and +some of the children will have to be away from school as their help will +be needed. + +This evening I made the small boys help to gather grass for the cattle, +which we threw to them over the wall. It gave me great satisfaction to see +them eating it, and a particularly lean one had quite a good feast. I try +to feed them every day, and get the Repetto girls to help. + +I feel a little elated as I have made some rather good bread. + +There was a thunderstorm to-day. The weather is quite spring-like, the +days are warm but the nights cold. + +Ellen and I had such an evening yesterday. With much misgiving I +determined to try to develop some films--my first attempt. The kitchen was +the darkroom. We began operations soon after supper and did not get to bed +till nearly midnight. The developing was done under great difficulties. +The candle had to be renewed two or three times, and I was left in total +darkness at most critical moments. Notwithstanding, nine out of twelve +have come out fairly well. I hope I shall manage better next time. + +Repetto has been talking over the cattle question with some of the men, +and telling them how much better off they would be if they limited the +number of cattle and sheep to be owned by each family, say, to ten cattle +and fifty sheep. He pointed out to them what a benefit it would be if a +schooner could come yearly to trade. He thinks the cattle ought to sell at +£3 a head. If possible Graham would go to the Cape with one of the men +chosen by themselves. + +[Illustration: THE HENRY GREEN FAMILY AT WORK ON A POTATO PATCH] + +_Friday, August_ 24.--Yesterday a ship came close in, but the sea was +rough and the men were busy at their potato patches. + +_Monday, August_ 27.--Saturday was very blustery, and the rain came down +in torrents. We kept thinking of the poor cattle. Several were sheltering +under the wall at the bottom of the garden and looking so miserable. Ellen +and I felt sure one or two would be gone by morning; and sure enough they +were. Altogether twelve died that night. It really made me feel ill. The +number of deaths has now reached to one hundred and eighty-four. Betty's +cow that has several times clambered into the garden comes round sometimes +in the middle of the night, clattering up the stone pathway to see if it +can get in. It has just calved. The men are all very down-hearted, never +having had such losses before. Henry Green has lost over forty. Repetto, +who does not own many, has lost four, two bullocks and two cows, within a +few days. The two cows he had lately kept in his garden. Graham told him +that he thought the islanders had brought the loss upon themselves by +keeping too many. + +_Tuesday, August_ 28.--Yesterday the wind was bitterly cold, to-day we are +in the lee and it is quite mild. + +We had an early dinner as Graham had promised Rebekah to help her plant +potatoes. He went off with spade on shoulder and did not get home till +supper-time. Rebekah, accompanied by young Mrs. Swain, brought in some +cooked lamb for his supper. Mrs. Swain said Tom was full of his praises +because of the way he had worked; "he had done it better than any +stranger, and real splendid." + +We heard to-day that the number of lost cattle has reached two hundred. A +very wet night. + +_Wednesday, August_ 29.--To-day we have come across so many dead animals. +This morning close to the school a heifer, then this afternoon when Graham +and I went out for a walk we saw near Miss Cotton's field close to the +stream a poor dying ox. Graham went in search of some one and met +Lavarello coming with a bag of grass, but the poor beast was too far gone +to eat. I told Lavarello I hoped he would kill it, and he said he would +fetch a knife. We went on to the shore; there a young heifer lay dying, it +had fallen off the cliff. Further on we saw a dead donkey, and coming up +the cliff I saw another dead heifer. It makes one feel very sad and very +angry. + +Ellen, who is anxious to do a little teaching, is taking on Monday and +Wednesday afternoons the children who are most backward in reading. + +_Saturday, September_ 1.--Yesterday just across the watering we came upon +a poor cow which was down. I got it some grass, and the Swain girls coming +up helped to heave it up into a better position. Then old Mrs. Glass +brought it some more food, which it ate ravenously. We fed it again in the +afternoon. It belongs to the Lavarellos, who in the morning managed to get +it home. This is the only case I know of a cow which was down getting +better. + +_Monday, September_ 3.--Betty's cow that we are so interested in has lost +its calf. If more to eat had been given the mother I do not think this +would have happened. The cow has been up to the house two or three times +to-day, and I have fed her well each time. Poor thing, it is so hungry. We +have had better weather the last few days, and are hoping for the animals' +sake this will be a fine month. + +_Wednesday, September_ 5.--A most beautiful day. Graham and Repetto have +been sowing carrots, onions, lettuce, and parsley. I have put in some +flower seeds. I went several times to feed a poor bullock of Henry +Green's. It was standing when we first saw it in the morning and was just +able to get down to the stream to drink. I fed it frequently in the +afternoon, but when I went again at five o'clock it would eat nothing and +soon afterwards died. + +The men were out fishing and brought back seven sacks of fish. + +_Monday, September 10_.--Yesterday the fowls had a field day in the +flower-bed, and scratched up and ate a good many of the sweet peas. + +This morning news was brought that "Molly," Betty's sick cow, was down. +Rebekah had found her early with her head caught under her body and too +weak to free herself. She was got up, and we have been feeding her on and +off all day. She stood in the field at the bottom of this garden until the +evening, when to our great surprise she dragged herself to the front of +the house where she has been so often fed. It is a wet rough night. I hope +she will not succumb. + +_Wednesday, September l2_.--Poor "Molly" died yesterday morning. It had +poured hard all night, and she was found lying in Bob Green's yard. They +got her up, but she fell, and was pulled up again. Then she ate a little, +but again fell down panting, and nothing more could be done for her. I +feel very indignant about it, for if she had had shelter and more food, +both of which were possible, she would probably not have died. About two +hundred and eighty cattle have now died, and each day is adding to the +list. + +After supper last night the Repettos came in. He was a little anxious +about his leg, which he cut just above the knee when skinning an animal. +The cut was rather deep, but it did not bleed. Now there is a lump which +seems to be gathering. I bathed it with Condy's fluid then and again next +morning, and told him to rest for two or three days. + +It has been a lovely day; we have had so few with right sunshine and no +wind. + +_Thursday, September 13_.--This morning I photographed the Sam Swain +family at their special request. Swain wants to send a photograph of the +family to his mother at the Cape. There was such an attiring of themselves +beforehand, but all the picturesqueness was gone when they appeared, for +they had discarded their handkerchiefs. Charlotte wanted to know if they +should wear hats instead. I was thankful to be able to say it would not do +as they would cast a shadow on their faces. + +On Thursdays we have choir practice. It is amusing to see the harmonium +being carried up in triumph by two of the elder boys, a bevy of little +boys following at their heels, and one proud boy bearing some music. At +the end of the practice I have been teaching the children prayers for +morning and evening. I told them that as soon as they could say them off +by heart they should have the printed card. Last Thursday and to-day the +children came up in turn to say them. It took rather a long time, but +nearly all have gained the card. + +Every afternoon now Graham is very busy building up the wall of the field +below our garden as he is anxious to grow a crop of hay. The men are very +dubious about it, but he intends to try for the sake of the cows. Tom +Rogers took a cow and calf in a boat to the other side of the island where +there is plenty of pasture. When he went to look at them yesterday the cow +was dead. It had probably been taken too late. + +_Friday, September 14_.--Another full day. I have been three times to +young Mrs. Rogers to poultice an abscess. I have also been to bathe +Repetto's leg. Then old Mrs. Rogers came in for some arrowroot which +I had promised her for her daughter, Mrs. Bob Green, who has a baby girl. +We had the sewing-class as usual, and after it Ellen and I with a group +of children went to gather wood on Big Beach and got back home soon +after five o'clock. Graham, helped by Johnny Green, spent the afternoon +in building the wall of the field. It is rather heavy work getting +large stones up the bank. The other evening while Ellen and I were +developing films he was soling a pair of shoes. It was his first attempt +at boot-mending, and he has done it remarkably well. + +This is the season for penguin eggs, and we have had a number given us. We +find them a great help in the daily menu. Milk at present is not +obtainable and potatoes are getting very scarce. + +_Saturday, September 15_.--This morning I photographed the Repetto and the +Lavarello families, who want to send photographs to their relatives in +Italy. + + + +CHAPTER XIII + + +_Monday, September 17_.--We are taking a week's holiday, but to-day there +has been little rest. I was up by 7.15 to do laundry work, then at 9.30 +was with Mrs. Rogers dressing her wound. This afternoon I went to see Mrs. +Bob Green and her baby, also Miss Cotton. The latter seems to think these +are the worst times she has known. The people have never been without milk +before. The number of cattle that have died has now reached three hundred +and fifteen. The cow Bob Green is trying to save is slung in a shed. It is +so weak it can hardly walk. Little Charlie frightened it the other day and +it fell on its side. On Sunday it fell across the brook, from which +position it was extricated with the greatest difficulty. If it had not +been discovered it would have died. + +_Wednesday, September 19_.--We have had two wet ays and have been very +busy in-doors. The people being short of tea and sugar, we thought that on +the anniversary of our wedding-day we would give out some we brought with +us. Notice having been given, they appeared en masse at the hour named, +but without anything to take provisions away in, so the younger women went +back to get tins. Graham gave out the sugar (2 lbs. each), and I the tea +(1 lb. each); but only half this quantity was given to widows and +unmarried women. The people were very pleased, and one or two came back +with offerings. I should think that in the last ten days we have had one +hundred eggs given us. Tom Rogers went to Sandy point and brought back +over two hundred penguin eggs. The men when they have spare time hunt for +young eaglets, of which they are now bringing in great quantities. These +are sea-birds, and look like grey, fluffy balls. + +We have quite made up our minds to go to Cape Town to see about a +schooner. Though there will be no cattle to sell there will be a great +number of sheep. We shall take the first vessel we can get after October. + +This morning it took me four hours to bake bread in a very hot kitchen. + +_Thursday, September 20_.--This afternoon Ellen and I went to look at Mrs. +Hagan's grey cow, which is slowly pulling round. As we were watching it +the poor creature tripped going in at the gate, and falling on its side +had to be pulled up. + +_Saturday, September 22_.--I spent nearly all yesterday at photography. +The morning was given to printing, the afternoon to developing the prints, +and the evening to developing negatives, which were mostly groups of the +different families and which came out fairly well. + +Ellen and I have spent today at the potato patches. We started early, +wending our way slowly. At Hill Piece Rebekah joined us. It was sad to see +so many dead cattle lying about in every direction; the air is quite +vitiated. The potatoes are coming on well. We had our lunch under the lee +of a hill, at the foot of which were grazing a few miserable-looking +cattle. We came home most leisurely, and just as we were arriving at the +settlement heard that a vessel was to be seen to the west, and that the +men were going out to her. Repetto came for our letters on his way down to +the shore. But after all the men did not go, for when they got down to the +boats they found the ship was not coming this way, but passing between the +islands--that is, between us and Inaccessible and Nightingale, so they had +to bring all their things up from the beach again. + +_Monday, September 24_.--We began school to-day feeling much fresher for +our holiday. Some of the men have gone off for penguin eggs. I wish they +did not take them in quite such a wholesale way. + +_Tuesday, September 25_.--The men returned to-day from Sandy Point with +shoals of penguin eggs. Four different families have sent us some, seventy +in all, and as they are a good size, rather larger than a duck's, it will +take us some time to get through them. + +This morning and afternoon I went to look at the invalid cows. Rebekah is +not wanting in spirit. Her cow was "down" at the potato patches. She had +it lifted into a cart and brought home at night. She has it slung and lets +it take an airing in the day. To-day we found it lying down on its side as +if dead, and if left long in this position it would have died. It was +hauled up by the women and girls and set on its legs. I went to see the +Hagans' and Tom Rogers' cows, which were out on the common. Both had to be +pulled up, which was done with the utmost difficulty. Their poor sides get +so sore from constant falls. The grass is really beginning to show a +little growth, but not enough to get much food off it. + +This has been a most beautiful day and the air quite balmy. The seeds, +such as stock, nasturtium, linum, phlox, and sweet pea, are doing well in +the garden. The greater number of the apple-trees are showing life. We +watch everything growing with the greatest interest. + +_Wednesday, September 26_.--About nine o'clock we heard there was a ship +to the westward; but Graham went off to school. While there he was told +Lavarello's cow was in the bog; and so he went out to it with Johnny and +two of the elder girls, they fetched a rope, then he and Johnny took off +their shoes and socks and waded into the bog. Soon several men came, who +heaved up the back legs of the cow while Graham and the others pulled at +the rope fastened to its horns. It was at last pulled out broadside on. +Its legs had completely sunk in the bog, and it would probably have +eventually sunk altogether, as many others before it, had it not been seen +in time. When I arrived at school I found the children as quiet and good +as if Graham were there. He soon came back, and almost immediately +dismissed school as the men were starting for the ship. He made up his +mind to go too. Only one boat was going, as some of the men had gone off +early in the other boat to hunt birds and get eggs. There was such a +packing of the animals into the boat; I do not like looking at them, they +are so frightened. One poor lamb died on its way to the shore. Some one +declared its death was caused by a child sitting on it, but I do not think +it was. They started off about eleven o'clock and did not get to the ship +till nearly three. At about six we went down to the shore with Mrs. +Repetto to meet them returning. They had no sooner landed than Rob had a +tremendous fight with her fox terrier. For some time we could not get them +separated. Graham got Rob by the back legs and dragged at him. In the +scramble we found ourselves in the surf, where I fell down. Still Rob held +on. At last by slapping him on the head and by pulling at his collar he +was made to let go. The fox terrier was snatched up and carried off. + +The men were not very successful on the ship which was a Scotch one bound +for Adelaide. They got about a barrel of flour and some peas and beans. +Graham got a tin of butter which we think is margarine. We are glad to +have it as we have had no butter for a long time. After a time one gets +accustomed to going without. Our present difficulty is to get food for +Rob. We do not think he gets much from the people now. We have just made +an arrangement with the Repettos to let us have meat twice a week for him +in exchange for paraffin oil. We got one or two books off the ship-- +_Robert Falconer_, and _Youth and Duty_, by Bishop Welldon. We have much +enjoyed _Temple Bar_. + +I have been turning out some summer clothes, and washing and mending them +in preparation for the possible journey to Cape Town. + +_Saturday, September 29_.--There is no doubt the best way to come out here +from England is by a sailing ship bound for Australia, that is, supposing +the ship would accept passengers for the island. The passage takes from +forty-five to sixty days. + +_Wednesday, October 3_.--Last Friday, after the working party, Ellen and I +started off with a great number of children for Hill Top, near which there +is a good deal of wood washed down by the flood in the early winter. The +children enjoyed helping us to gather it; much of it was embedded in the +mud. The men passing by on their way home also lent their help by carrying +home some of the loads in sacks on their donkeys. There was much laughter +over the loading of one of the donkeys which turned restive. We left a +large heap behind to be brought by William another day. The oxen are so +weak they are hardly fit to draw even a light load. The dead cattle now +total three hundred and forty-eight. + +[Illustration: PAIR OF PENGUINS ON A PORCH WITH TWO BOYS] + +On Sunday William brought in a penguin which Sophy had caught. It is a +most droll bird in appearance, and has a yellow and black top-knot which +it raises when excited. It walks very erect--if walk it can be called-- +sometimes jumping like a man in a sack, and sometimes waddling like a +bow-legged child. In the place of wings it has black flippers, and when +it walks these stand out like sails which adds to the droll appearance. +This is the bird from which the people extract the oil which they +generally burn, but it gives a very feeble light. On special occasions we +have requests for paraffin oil, of which, fortunately, we brought a good +supply. + +Mrs. Andrew Swain has a little son. I have been once or twice to see her. +There is always some neighbour sitting with her; to-day there were three. + +Graham has been getting soil from the farmyards to spread over the field +which is being put up for hay, and the wall of which he has just finished +repairing. The oxen are doing the drawing, but it is very slow work, and I +expect this year he will have to content himself with half the field. I +fear the flowers will not do very well because of the wind, but still if +only a few grow it will be something to look at. I should like to try +anemones. + +Mollyhawk eggs are just in. They are large in size, of a long oval shape, +and with reddish-brown markings and spots. The men say this bird never +lays more than one egg each season. + +_Sunday, October_ 7.--I got up about 6.30, made the beds and put the room +straight before early service. After breakfast I generally practise hymns, +and John Glass, who takes the harmonium up to church, comes in early, as +do William and some of the boys, to listen to the music. Confirmation +classes begin this week. Graham intends holding them twice a week, and +hopes men will attend as well as women. The Bishop told us that if a +man-of-war were sent he quite hoped to come by it. + +_Tuesday, October_ 9.--John Glass has made each of us a pair of moccasins. +He brought them in with much satisfaction on Saturday evening, and we at +once tried them on. They are made with rather pointed toes which do not +quite suit our feet. They have to be put on damp so that they may take the +shape of the foot; and when they get very hard, as they do in summer, have +to be soaked in water. They soon wear out, generally not lasting longer +than three weeks, as the ground is so rocky. + +Repetto is writing letters to be corrected by Graham, and really writes +them very well for one entirely self-taught. He and his wife are most +generous people and are always sending us small presents. I shall have +some quaint mats and little bags of skin made by the people to bring home. + +The Hagans have lost the grey cow they watched over with such care. They +started slinging it too late, with the result that it got so bruised by +the constant falls it could not recover from them. Now they have only one +left, and the Repettos also have only one. The people depend much on their +milk. + +An east wind has been blowing the last few days which tries the trees and +plants. The little peach-tree against the house is almost done for. I +protect the small seedlings in the garden by putting tins round and over +them. Plants are almost twisted out of their sockets. + +_Thursday, October_ 11.--Yesterday Graham began the Confirmation Classes. +Most of the elders attended--nine men and fifteen women. + +John Glass came in to-day to have his hand treated. It was much swollen +through, as he thinks, the bite of an insect. He had left it nearly two +days uncared for. + +_Monday, October_ l5.--On Sunday morning just before service Mrs. Bob +Green came in for a remedy for her husband's foot which was badly swollen, +and from her account it also seemed to have been bitten by an insect. I +went across and found she had bathed it in hot water. We bathed it again, +adding soda. To-day it was very much better and our services not required. +Their little girl was christened yesterday Annie Gertrude Ellen. + +Graham rose this morning about four o'clock to make an expedition up the +hill with William, Ben and several women. They got to the point where they +would have to climb, but rain coming on it was thought wiser to go no +further. Instead, they descended to the shore to pick up firewood. + +This afternoon was rather harassing. Ellen was at school, and I had just +begun baking when Mrs. Martha Green appeared. She brought a beautiful pair +of stockings knitted by herself with great care, and also a present of +eggs. She stayed nearly two hours. I called Graham to my aid, for I could +not leave the bread. He took her round the garden, and by the time she +came back I was able to get some tea made. While we were having it Rebekah +came with a request for some sugar for an ailing child. A little later a +gift of eggs was brought, with a further request for sugar for a baby. The +people nearly always bring something when they come to ask for anything. +It is a busy life here; some days there seems no quiet, it is knock, knock +all day. I am beginning to feel the solace of gardening. + +_Saturday, October_ 20.--On Thursday a meeting was held on the question of +a schooner coming to buy up cattle and sheep. Much had to be talked over. +Every one has given the number of cattle and sheep he or she will sell. +The question is whether there are enough to make it worth while for a +schooner to call. They hope to have also for sale about £60 worth of +potatoes and some wool. It is difficult to tell what the cost of a +schooner will be. + +_Monday, October_ 22.--Almost every day one or another comes for medicine +or for medical treatment. To-day John Glass came in with a badly cut hand. +The simple remedies we brought have been a great boon. + +_Wednesday, October_ 24.--It is little Joe Repetto's birthday. He has +brought a pair of socks for Graham, a pair of horns for Ellen with one of +his curls tied on to them, and a pair of horns for myself. The horns are +those of bullocks, and have been beautifully polished and mounted by his +father. I had made a little white pinafore for Joe. He is two years old +and has been coming to school for the last week or so, and behaves +admirably. He sometimes falls asleep, and I have to take him on my lap as +I teach. + +We are daily hoping a ship will be coming this way. Betty Cotton says she +never remembers such a time of scarcity,--no potatoes, no milk, and no +flour. There is a little milk now, and the people are most kind in sending +us some even when it is not their week for serving us. + +Poor Rebekah has lost the cow she took so much trouble over. A fatal +swelling of the throat set in. I saw a poor cow (with its calf) this +afternoon in its eagerness to get at some food which was being brought it, +fall over, it was so weak. + +Last night Repetto, Mrs. Hagan and Rebekah were here. We tried to make +them see the importance of growing corn, which we think could be done if +it were shielded by flax; and also of starting enclosures near their +houses for growing trees; but they are difficult to move and have not the +same enterprise as the former generation. We have not been able to get any +more dressing for the field. That part which has had it looks so different +from the rest. + + + +CHAPTER XIV + + +_Monday, October_ 29.--On Saturday night there was such a gale from the +north-west, and the sea was higher than it was all the winter, washing +right up to the cliffs. We found sad destruction in the garden on Sunday +morning, the flowers and vegetables being shrivelled up as if there had +been a severe frost, even the grass and docks looked black; the peas which +were in a most flourishing condition are ruined. Almost the only flowers +that have not succumbed are those that were sheltered. Next year I shall +try walled divisions on the flower-beds. Happily, the wind was not so +severe at the potato patches, and they have been damaged but little. + +Mrs. Lavarello is suffering from a bruised leg caused by a fall on the +rocks when fishing. We urged upon her the need of resting it, but she +thought she could not because of her work. It is now so painful she is +obliged to keep it up almost entirely. I shall try to see her each day. +This afternoon Graham and I went for a long walk along the shore. Rain +coming on we tried to scale the cliff, but had to come down and return by +the shore, the wind and rain beating in our faces. By the time we got home +we were wet through, but felt all the better for the outing. + +_Tuesday, October_ 30.--A very wet day. No Women's Meeting. + +_Wednesday, October_ 3l.--We had been saying it looked as if the month +were going out without our seeing a ship, when to-day one appeared just +after school. Some of the men were out in a boat fishing, but were +signalled to by a fire being lit. They got back quickly, and the boats +started off by about two o'clock. It was bitterly cold and the sea rough. +Another ship was seen in the afternoon. + +_Thursday, November_ 1.--The men returned last night. The ship was a +French one bound for Adelaide. They were not able to get any flour, but +got ship biscuits, a good quantity of rice, which, however, has weevils in +it, and a little coffee. Mrs. Repetto came in this evening with some of +the biscuits. I said I could not take them, but she would not hear of +"no." + +To-day Glass and Tom Rogers have been putting up some small gates, made by +the latter, at the two entrances of the pathway leading to the front of +the house. They had to build up a part of one entrance with large square +stones; wood is scarce so the gates have to be small. With them we feel +much more private. Henry has given us some green paint of quite a nice +shade for the outside window-frames to match the green gates. The house is +beginning to have quite a respectable appearance. + +I fear Mrs. Lavarello will be laid up some time with her leg. Charlotte +Swain bathes it three times a day. Mrs. Lavarello is a sister of John +Glass. She has been very kind to us in constantly sending fish and eggs. + +We had a second gale the other day which blighted the potatoes, in fact, +quite cut them down. But the men say that with the rain which has fallen +since they will come on again. The flowers are already reviving. + +[Illustration: EARLY MORNING FROM THE WEST, SHOWING SNOW IN CREVASSE, NEAR +PEAK] + +Fourteen cattle died last week due to the wet and cold, making the number +of deaths three hundred and seventy. + +_Thursday, November_ 8.--We were knocked up yesterday morning soon after +five by Repetto, who came to tell us that a steamer was in sight and that +they were going off to it immediately. In about ten minutes he was here +again for the letters. I was in my dressing-gown finishing a letter to +A----. Graham was finishing another to his sister and had to run down to +the boat with it. He was just in time, but had to wade into the water to +hand it in. The steamer had borne down upon the settlement very rapidly. +Graham so regretted he hadn't gone when he saw how close it had come in. +We felt we had perhaps lost an opportunity of a passage to the Cape we +might not get again, but really there was not time to dress and be off. +Graham worked off his disappointment by polishing away at the boots +and shoes. The men were soon back. The captain said he could only wait +half-an-hour, but stayed an hour. He let them have 300 lbs. of flour and +some other goods. Repetto was able to get some of the things we asked him +to try for, namely, bacon, lemons, a ten-pound tin of butter and some +apple-rings. The captain sent his kind regards and sent me a special +offering of tea and sugar. We have given the tea to the people as they had +none. The steamer was bound for Durban, and the captain, who was here the +year before, said he hoped to return in a month, and if he did would bring +more flour for the people. The islanders had to pay in cash. A passenger +on board presented them with a sovereign to buy food. The captain would +not let us pay for anything. Two and a half years later when we arrived +home in England we heard of another kind deed of the captain. He had +kindly taken charge of the letters to post at Durban, and noticing +one bearing our name most kindly sent to the address copies of some +photographs which he had that morning taken of the island. The fine view +facing this page is one of them. We have been scanning the papers and have +obtained a considerable amount of information from them. The steamer +hailed from a Cumberland port, and in a Maryport paper was a speech of +F----'s at Workington in support of the Liberal candidate. In the same +paper we read with regret of the death of Sir Wilfrid Lawson. In another +was an account of the fires on the Malvern Hills, and in a third a long +article on the "Welcome." [Footnote: A Restaurant and Home for girls, +Jewin Street, London.] The sugar was done up in a Birmingham paper from +which, however, we did not extract much beyond the attempt on the Russian +Premier's life. We feel we have come quite in touch with the world again. + +On Monday there is to be another meeting about the trading schooner, but +we doubt if much will come of it. It appears from a book Repetto has that +the Cape duty on imported animals is rather high, and the men do not seem +inclined to come down in their prices. We are seriously contemplating the +future as regards food. We have been taking stock and find our stores are +getting very low. If we knew definitely a gun-boat was coming and would +bring our stores it would be all right, but alas we do not. One cannot get +very much from passing ships, so Graham is rather anxious we should go to +Cape Town to get a supply of food, if for nothing else. I expect it will +end in our going if a chance occurs. + +Ellen is busy making a pale blue nun's-veiling blouse for Emma Hagan. You +would hardly have thought there would have been such vanities here. The +material was sent by some relations at the Cape. Every one tries to have a +new garment for Christmas Day, and some of the material which was brought +by the _Surrey_ is being kept for this purpose. I have been making a +pinafore out of a faded muslin blind for Sophy Rogers who is very short of +clothes; after being ironed it looks very nice and has given great +pleasure. + +_Friday, November_ 9.--The strawberries are just beginning to ripen; they +are very small and more like wild ones. I have put zinnia seeds straight +into the ground, and shielded with tins they are coming up quite strongly. +The stocks have borne the wind better than any other flower. Marvel of +Peru is coming up strongly too. + +_Monday, November_ l2.--We have had such a warm day, which makes us feel +summer is coming. + +Yesterday in the midst of morning service one man after another went out, +and shortly I saw two little boats on the sea. A whaler had appeared and +all the men had gone out to her. We were sorry, for it meant trading on a +Sunday, and the people were not now short of food; but one must not be too +hard upon them. The whaler is from America and will probably be here for +two or three days. The islanders like a whaler better than any other +vessel, with the exception of a man-of-war, as it brings material as well +as food to trade with, and is glad of fresh meat and potatoes in exchange. +I can see the ship so clearly, the sun lighting up its white sails. + +The meeting about the schooner took place this afternoon. One or two at +the last meeting got rather heated, but all were very quiet to-day. They +were not ready, however, to lower their prices and so nothing was done. +But, later, Henry Green and Repetto came in to say they had been round, +and the men had arranged to sell at a lower price so as to make it +possible for a schooner to come. + +The rats are beginning to appear again. Last night we had a constant +tapping overhead; and this morning to her dismay Ellen found our breakfast +had been eaten up by them. The bacon had been placed on the window-sill +outside, a dish over it, and a heavy stone on the top. It was not a great +loss as it was hardly eatable. The milk-jug was also knocked over and the +precious milk spilt. We hope we shall be able to get some extra food from +the whaler; and some cocks and hens! + +_Tuesday, November_ l3.--Yesterday shortly after we left morning school +Mrs. Bob Green rushed in to tell us William had seen a seal on the beach, +and that her husband had killed it, but that she had asked him not to skin +it till we had seen it. We went to look and saw a small party on the +rocks. Two seals had been secured, which was quite a find as a good price +can be had for the skins. Seals rarely come in here now, but a dozen or so +may be caught at Inaccessible. + +We are having a whole holiday to-day owing to the presence of the whaler. +The men did not board her yesterday as there was a fog, and when it +cleared off and she came in it was too late for them to go out. They went +off this morning. Every one is in the greatest excitement. Dressed in +their best all went down to the beach to meet Betty and Martha's nephew, +Joe Beetham, who was coming on shore from the whaler. He was first brought +in here. Graham had met him at Cape Town; since then he has been to +America, where his home is. He has brought a large box of things for Betty +Cotton from her relatives there, which has quite cheered her up. I think +she is the only one on the island who does not care about living here. The +islanders have gone off again to the ship to make purchases. Beetham told +us the whaler is calling at Mauritius, so Graham has written a line to the +Bishop as he might like to hear how we are getting on. + +I have started packing, for we must be ready to be off at any instant; +even at five o'clock in the morning! + +_Sunday, November_ l8.--The men did not get back from the whaler till +nearly midnight. The captain seemed a somewhat difficult man to deal with +and undoubtedly got the best of the bargaining. His wife was on board, and +most kindly sent us a parcel of jams and soap. + +Mrs. Sam Swain, senior, has a little girl, born last Friday. Her eldest +girl Charlotte is twenty-two. This birth makes the population +seventy-eight. + +To-day a ship was to be seen in the far distance, it has been hanging +about; four of the men have gone out to it. + +Graham spoke this morning to the people in church about Sunday trading. He +said he saw no harm in going out to a ship on a Sunday, but that they +ought not to trade on that day unless they were in real need. Mr. Dodgson +was very strong on this point. + +We are ready packed so far as we can be when our boxes are our +chests-of-drawers. I think Ellen will manage all right while we are away. +She likes the people, and if she feels lonely can have one of the children +to stay with her. She will teach a little. + +We have been thinking a good deal the last day or two of this time last +year when we were starting forth. It is a year to-day since we left +Southampton. + +_Tuesday, November_ 20.--On Monday morning four of the men put out to a +ship going east, but she had got too far for them to reach her, a squall +driving her further out. It is curious to think that any day we may be on +our way to the Cape, but perhaps we shall not get there at all. + +A meeting was held last Thursday to consider the quantity of food-stuff a +schooner should bring in exchange. It will be a great boon to the people +if we can get one to come. We think they would do much better if they +would go in more for sheep-breeding and keep fewer cattle. The return +would be much quicker; and the shipping of them much easier; and as the +weather here is uncertain the loading is an important matter. The sheep +are small, but the mutton is good. I do not think this place is suited for +cattle; it is too exposed; and the people lay themselves out so little to +provide either shelter or food for them. It is quite nice to see a few +cattle again grazing on the settlement which has been so destitute of +them. + +Potatoes are now coming in, but the people do not like to begin eating +them too soon. + +_Wednesday, November_ 21.--Graham has had an afternoon of it. First there +was a Confirmation Class, then another meeting about the schooner. The +food-list had to be revised and a list made of the requirements of each +family. Arrangements were also made as to our getting off from here. If a +steamer is sighted we are both to go at once; if a sailing vessel, which +will be much less likely to be going to South Africa, Graham will go off +with the men in the first boat. A second boat will await the signal from +the ship as to whether or no we can be taken. If we can I shall at once +embark in it with the rest of the men. Lots were drawn as to who should go +in the first boat. Of course, they like to be in the first as they then +have a greater chance of bargains. + +In order to prevent delay in going out to a ship there is an excellent +system by which each family in turn has to provide the oxen, sheep and +geese needed for the public trading. The stuff in exchange for these is +divided round equally. The rule is for this public trading to be done +first. After it is over any who like can do private trading. They offer +for barter all sorts of things, sometimes even the moccasins which they +are actually wearing. William got a coat for his pair the other day; on +another occasion, boy-like, he got a big pair of boots which he is most +proud of, but which are of very little use to him. The height of ambition +is to own a pair of boots, though the feet look much tidier in moccasins. +His grandmother has just asked me to buy her a pair at the Cape. + +Graham has been writing a letter to the Bishop telling of our contemplated +visit to the Cape. He will leave a copy of it here on the possible chance +of the Bishop arriving when we are away. If he should arrive there are +various things of which he may wish to have accurate information. + +To do the rats justice let me here record it is now thought that a cat was +the culprit on the occasion of the breakfast having disappeared. + + + +CHAPTER XV + + +_Thursday, November_ 22.--To-day when I was hanging the bird-cage on the +wall of the house, Jack somehow squeezed himself through the wires and +flew to the flax on the edge of the garden. I caught him, but he slipped +through my fingers and flew on to the common and then back into the +garden, again alighting on a flax-leaf. He is so tame he allowed me to go +up to him, and I caught him once more quite easily. + +I have started baking bread in an iron pot after the method of the people. + +_Thursday, November_ 29.--Should we go to the Cape it has been arranged +for the elder girls to carry on the school. They are rather pleased at the +idea. To get their hand in, Graham let them take it yesterday and again +to-day. They are capable of taking it for a limited time. + +The men and boys have been playing cricket lately, the latter being very +keen upon it. + +High winds have again somewhat damaged the plants. + +_Friday, November_ 30, _St. Andrew's Day_.--It being the day of +Intercession for Missions we had service at five o'clock. Sixty-one people +were present, which was good for a week-day. Earlier in the afternoon the +sewing-class met. When possible we have it out of doors. We are reading +_Teddy's Button_, which the children quite enjoy. They enter into reading +aloud so much more than they did. + +_Monday, December 3_.--Yesterday afternoon Sam Swain's baby was christened +and named Rachel Caroline. The baptism was earlier than it would have been +because the parents were anxious she should be baptized before we leave +for the Cape. The church was full. Graham has asked Repetto to read the +service on Sunday while we are away. Ellen will play the hymns. + +This evening a vessel was sighted. As the men think it is a whaler they +are not going out to it till to-morrow. + +_Wednesday, December_ 5.--The vessel was a whaler, and the men went off at +breakfast-time next morning and were away all day. For three sheep and +eight geese they only got a barrel of flour and some molasses. The captain +evidently knew how to drive a bargain; it is rather too bad. + +The flower garden is beginning to look quite bright. The sweet peas will +soon be in flower, the stocks, too, are showing buds. This week we expect +to pick a dish of peas, though the plants look very poor after the blight +they had. + +There has been a rearrangement of the classes in school and some of the +infants have gone up. The elder girls now help a little in the teaching. +This morning I had to speak to one of them. She had been taking the +infants in reading, and sat with cane in hand administering justice right +and left, to which her scholars paid but little heed. + +_Thursday, December_ 6.--Yesterday, it being the Advent season, there was +a short service after the confirmation class. The people sing "Lo, He +comes with clouds descending" to the tune in the _Hymnal Companion_ so +heartily. Coming out from the service we found the men gazing intently +towards the west. They saw what they said was a whaler; we could just see +something. It seems to be coming in, so they will not go out to it till +to-morrow. Whalers are no good as regards taking letters, because it may +be so long before they make a port. + +_Friday, December_ 7.--The whaler came in on Thursday and the men started +out to meet her, but finding that she was sending a boat ashore, returned. +In the boat was the harpooner, a brother of Sam Swain, senior. The +brothers had not met for twenty-four years. He and the boat's crew spent +part of the day here. It has been a great thing for the people to have had +these three whalers as they have been able to get provisions and material. +I must say our friends are a most liberal people. To-day just after dinner +Henry Green brought us a bag of flour from _All Hands_. Graham did not +want to take it, and being pressed, offered to pay for it, but Henry would +not hear of that, and after some argument said with decision he would not +take it back and plumped it down on the sofa. They think now there will be +a very good potato crop both in quality and quantity, so we cannot want. +The potatoes last year were small owing to the blight. + +_Saturday, December_ 8,--The Henry Greens have a child nearly two years +old that can neither walk nor talk, and is very fat. They said they +thought his back was weak, so I suggested they should bathe it with +sea-water twice a day. For some time they did not try this, but last week +began it, and after two or three days to their surprise, and to mine when +I was told of it, he stood up. The mother is most thankful and only wishes +she had begun it before. + +_Friday, December_ l4.--There was great excitement yesterday afternoon. +Word was brought in that there had been a shipwreck and that two boats +were making for the island. We all ran out expecting to see a shipwrecked +crew, but no boats were to be seen. We made then for Hottentot Point, and +there we could see a ship in the distance. One of out boats had already +started, but returned before it had gone far. Later the same enterprising +crew, Tom Rogers, Henry Green, and young Sam Swain, set forth again with +things for barter. We only knew at the last minute they were going. Ellen +and I ran to the top of the cliff with our letter, but the boat had +started. We heard afterwards they would have come back had they known we +had letters. It is more than a month since we dispatched our last batch. +The boat did not return till this morning. It got back to the belt of +seaweed before daylight, and making fast to it waited for the dawn. The +crew said the captain, a Scotchman, was so kind and let them have anything +they wanted. He had his wife and little boy on board; she had been ill. +The ship was becalmed, and we hoped the other islanders would go out to +her, but they didn't seem inclined to do so. Later in the afternoon we +heard to our surprise that they were going. We were so glad because of the +letters. The captain sent us a whole heap of magazines and papers. We sent +some young lettuces, and I only regretted we had not some flowers to send +to his wife. The men did not return till the early hours of the morning. +The captain sent us a bottle of lime-juice and would not take any payment +for the groceries Repetto asked for. We feel much the invariable kindness +of all the captains. The first boat's crew enjoyed themselves immensely on +board. The captain played and sang to them. To add to his kindness he sent +us a letter containing all the latest news; the first item of which was +"King Teddy going strong." + +Repetto has just been in to bring some white paint and oil he got for us +from the ship. We want it for the house, which certainly has not seen +fresh paint for many a year. + +_Saturday, December_ 15.--A ship was sighted to-day in the far distance. + +_Sunday, December_ 16.--Rebekah is most good in bringing us bunches of +pink roses. We have also on the table a bouquet of field-daisies which we +were so pleased to find growing here. There are scarcely any wild flowers, +but there is a yellow one which much resembles a hollyhock. The people +think it very poisonous and never picked it. There is also a small plant +which grows abundantly near this house and which they call a sunflower. It +has a leaf resembling that of the woodsorrel, and a pink flower the shape +of a primrose, but with smaller petals. The boys are very fond of adorning +their caps on Sunday with a bunch of pink roses, which are not exactly +becoming to their brown complexions. + +_Monday, December_ 17.--In heavy rain and a misty sea a ship passed close +by. + +_Thursday, December_ 20.--To-day Rebekah ran in in great distress: "Her +brother Ben had had a fit and had not yet come to, would we go to him?" +We went off at once. When we got there he was still unconscious and was +lying on the couch. The men were doing all they could for him. There was +not much that could be done beyond loosening his collar. After a time he +went to sleep. Every one kept flocking in, even the children. I told them +he ought to be kept quiet, and gradually they went until Ellen, I, and +Bill Green were the only ones left. Presently he awoke and insisted upon +getting up, and seeing he was fairly himself we left. Afterwards he had +two more fits, one of them on the shore where he had insisted upon going; +fortunately Bill Green had followed him there. Two of the men will sit up +with him through the night. The people are very kind to one another in +sickness. + +The keeping of meat is a great difficulty in the summer. We have a supply +for the week and it will not keep beyond a day or two. We asked to have it +twice a week, but that could not be arranged. We mean to try salting a +portion. Our meat larder is the passage as being the most airy place. + +_Sunday, December 23_.--Ben is all right again. It is thought he overdid +himself driving sheep. He had no dog with him and did a good deal of +shouting and running. He is the man who has deformed arms. Happily he is +of a cheerful disposition and is to be heard constantly whistling tunes. +The only work he can do is to drive the oxen and sheep. + +It is difficult to feel we are so near Christmas since we have so few +preparations to make for it. But it is not so with the people. They have +been preparing for it for months. We have had constant requests for "blue" +for getting up white shirts, petticoats and children's clothes. +Preparations are also now going on in prospect of a visit from a +man-of-war; houses are being whitewashed, painted, and scrubbed. +The Repettos finished theirs some time ago, and the large sitting-room is +not allowed to be used, that it may be kept quite clean for the "great +event," should it come off. The minds of the inhabitants are centred on +the arrival of a warship; it is the great event in their lives, and they +cannot yet believe one is not coming. + +_Christmas Eve_.--This has been a busy day, almost as busy at it is at +home, there has been so much coming and going. Many have brought offerings +of fish and fruit-pies, and Rebekah as a birthday offering a nicely baked +cake. I had a blouse ready for her. She stayed to supper. We have been +able to give a little tea and sugar all round. I patched up an old coat +for William, and as a last thing watered the garden. The nasturtiums, +which I hope will run up the wall of the house, are just beginning to +bloom. The sitting-room looks quite gay with daisies, grasses and pink +roses. + + + +CHAPTER XVI + + +_Christmas Day_.--We have had three services, and all have been well +attended. To our surprise we found the church decorated. It was done +delightfully simple; little bunches of geraniums, roses and green being +hung from the beams and the walls. Nearly all were present in the morning, +the women having got up early to prepare their dinners. Rebekah said she +was up at 4.30. Our dinner was provided for us, the Greens sending stuffed +sucking-pig and others crowberry open tarts. Alas! we had no plum-pudding. +The rain came down in torrents in the afternoon, and we began service with +hardly any one present; but the rain abating the church gradually filled. +The singing was not good; I drew my conclusions. + +This evening there has been dancing at the Hagans'. Graham has been +in and is surprised how well the people dance. The men danced in their +shirt-sleeves. Husbands and wives first led off, then danced with other +partners. The refreshment was cold water. + +_Thursday, December_ 27.--Yesterday directly after breakfast Repetto came +to paint the sitting-room. The painting took all day, but the room is +quite transformed. The south wall which was green from damp has been +whitewashed, and now it is of an olive-green shade and looks quite +artistic in contrast with the white paint, but I am afraid that hue will +not long remain. + +We are having a ten days' holiday. It rains almost every day, and +everything is reeking with damp. The people devote themselves to +festivities at this season, playing cricket in the morning and dancing in +the afternoon and evening. On Boxing Day the first hour of the afternoon +was given up to the children, who love dancing. About an hour later the +elders began. I dressed in my best array and went to look on. They dance +exceedingly well, round and backwards and forwards. I was struck by the +polite manners of the men, who go up to the partner they wish to dance +with, bow to her and offer their arm. The partner takes it most solemnly, +waits about half a minute before she accepts, apparently quite unconscious +of his presence, during which time his arm is dropped as he stands mute +before her; then she quietly rises and the dance begins. The behaviour of +the girls is quiet and natural with a becoming self-reserve. We were home +again before six. I believe the dancers left soon after to get some food +at home, and then returned and went on till eleven o'clock. We looked in +again, and, seeing that the room was very poorly lighted, went back for +our lamp. Some of the babies were put to bed in the adjoining room, +and some were sleeping peacefully in the arms of the elders in the +dancing-room. + +_Friday, December 28_.--We are having a very wet week. I have been +painting the bedroom and kitchen window-frames. One of our little birds +died suddenly yesterday evening: we think perhaps the paint was too much +for it. Happily the other one seems quite cheerful without it. As there is +still a smell of paint we take his cage up to the church and hang it in +the vestry as the only place of safety we can think of. + +_New Year's Eve_.--In looking back over this past year we feel very +thankful for the way in which we have been helped and guided. + +_New Year's Day, 1907.--It is the custom here on New Year's Eve for the +men to assemble soon after nightfall and visit each house. Several are +fantastically dressed and equipped with every available instrument-- +violin, drum, concertina and accordion. And on this occasion even three +old Martinis were brought into requisition and fired at frequent intervals +throughout the night. Refreshment is given at each house, so we had a good +brew of tea and biscuits ready for distribution at the first sound of the +drum. Usually the men enter the house, but as it would have been +impossible to get them all into ours, they grouped themselves round the +back door. There they first sang and danced to the accompaniment of the +violin and accordion, made passes with mock swords and let off guns; then +sat on the stones and enjoyed their tea. I was awakened two or three times +in the night by the guns. It was daylight before they finished. + +No less than four dinners were sent us today, three plates of stuffed +mutton and one of sucking-pig. Our thyme and parsley had been much sought +after for the stuffing. + +We had service this morning at nine o'clock, at which about forty were +present. One of the three hymns was the old favourite-- + +"O God, our help in ages past, + Our hope for years to come." + +All the afternoon Graham was on the roof of the house mending a hole which +was big enough to thrust his hand through. I watched him staggering up the +ladder with a heavy roll of turf roped on to his back. When next I saw him +he was sprawling on the ridge, his legs only visible. He nailed a piece of +tin over the hole, cemented it, and put the turf over it. The cement is +made of the ashes of the wood fire mixed with water; it is very durable, +and stands heat and wet. Repetto has been painting the church. His wife +came in to pay us a visit, a rather rare thing. She goes her own way. The +other women live a good deal in each other's houses, but she does not +believe in this, thinking there is plenty to be done at home. Her strong +character comes out in dealing with her children. She is a very strict +disciplinarian. If they do not do what she tells them, they get a good +"hammering." She was very pleased with what Graham said in church on +Sunday to the children about promptness in obeying. + +_Wednesday, January 2_.--To-day we thought of going to the potato patches, +but the men were playing cricket, and sent to ask Graham to join them, +which he did. Afterwards he had his first bathe with them. Their +bathing-place is close to the waterfall. It is not possible to go out far +owing to sharks. + +_Thursday, January 3_.--Graham and I started off this afternoon for the +potato patches, as the people were anxious that we should see the plants +in flower. It was not quite such an exertion as we expected. This time of +year the plants are often covered with caterpillars, which have to be +picked off. If the people would burn the old plants and the weeds each +season this pest would be greatly diminished. Unfortunately there are no +birds to prey upon the insects. + +_Monday, January 7_.--The next day we went up what is called "Bugsby +Hole," a steep mountain slope. It took us a long time to climb, for we did +it bit by bit, constantly sitting down. At last we came to what one might +perhaps call a pass (it was but a gap) over a narrow-backed ridge. This +was the Goat Ridge which Graham had climbed from the other side on Good +Friday. We had rather a difficult rock to climb up, but with assistance I +managed it. Rob got frightened, and had many leaps before he got up. From +this ridge such a lovely scene opened out in the evening light, lofty +peaks all around, and below, grassy, fern-covered ravines. It made one +almost giddy to look down. The descent appeared appalling, but the ferns +were long, and we could get a good foothold in them. As we neared the +bottom we picked up a quantity of wood. Some of it rolled into a gulch, +and in going after it Graham got "blocked" and had to let himself slide, +with the result that he rather hurt his leg. We got home just before dusk, +had a supper of bread and milk and coffee, and retired to bed as soon as I +had prepared the sponge for baking. + +[Illustration: BUGSBY HOLE] + +We have started school again after a fortnight's holiday. It is a hot, +close day, about the hottest we have had; one comfort is the houses are +cool. It is such a pleasure to see the cattle looking so different, really +beginning to be in good condition. Their number having been so greatly +reduced, there is plenty of grass for them. We have abundance of milk now, +but butter is a rare commodity. Some was brought us to-day, and is quite a +treat. + +_Wednesday, January_ 9.--This day last year we landed at Cape Town. + +Yesterday evening we watched the yoking of some oxen which were driven +into the yard opposite. Several were being broken in for the first time, +and others had not been yoked for many months. One was quite wild, jumping +over the wall into the tussock-garden. The two oxen, or steers, to be +yoked together are driven into a corner, and the owner of them warily +approaches and first puts on the neck of one the wooden collar. Having +done this, he waits a minute or two, and then a man behind hands him the +heavy cross-beam, one end of which has to be made fast to the collar. This +being done, he goes through the same process with the other ox. The affair +is no easy one, for any minute the ox may bolt, perhaps with the yoke +dangling down over its forelegs. When they are at last ready, their heads +are turned towards the entrance, for which they generally make a dash to +get out on to the common. Now comes a race. The owner has hold of one of +the horns and hangs on, running at topmost speed, till the oxen are out of +breath and go more soberly. Some of the animals take the yoking very +quietly. They are left yoked for several days; it seems rather hard upon +them, but, of course, they have to be broken in. + +_Friday, January_ 11.--We are going to keep fowls. I intended to buy some, +and spoke to one or two people, but they quite scorned the idea of +selling--they would give them. About half-a-dozen have already been +promised. Tom Rogers started on the fowl-house to-day. It is to be a +wooden one made out of our packing-cases and thatched with tussock. + +_Wednesday, January_ 16.--Repetto has been here since Saturday putting up +a three-cornered cupboard in the sitting-room. We need it to keep daily +stores in. We tried keeping them in the loft, but to run up a ladder every +time you want tea, sugar or biscuits is rather tiresome, and the kitchen +is too damp for stores. + +We have been rearranging the sitting-room. The Indian rugs have come in +most usefully; one does as a tablecloth, and the other as a cover for +boxes, making a table in the part of the sitting-room we have screened +off. They give such a cheerful look to the room. Two or three of the young +girls come in every evening of their own accord to help Ellen to wash up. +The boys often help in the garden. Ned and little Charlie were helping +this evening to shake the earth out of sods of grass. They were so comical +over it, tumbling down and bursting into such merry peals of laughter. It +reminded me of scenes in _Uncle Tom's Cabin_. + +_Monday, January_ 2l.--We are having such peaceful days, hardly any wind, +and hours of sunshine. + +The fowl-house is finished, and this morning I had several gifts of hens +to put into it. While we were at breakfast one small child of five, Lizzie +Rogers, brought as her birthday gift a hen in a bag. One hen laid an egg +an hour after its arrival! The eggs here are very small. I visit the house +many times a day to show it to various visitors. + +The garden is looking so bright; the zinnias have done splendidly, and +some are over two feet high. Our vegetable garden now produces cabbages, +turnips, and a few peas. Carrots are coming on, and the tomato plants are +in blossom and look most flourishing. The ground is quite warm six or +seven inches down, and is more like a hot-bed. + +_Wednesday, January_ 23.--The man-of-war is daily expected; the horizon is +scanned from early dawn to twilight; but after this week the people say +they will have doubts about its coming. For the most part they are without +tea and coffee, and are glad of our tea-leaves. + +_Friday, January_ 25.--We opened our last flour tin today; we hope to eke +out the flour for a month by using only half-a-pound a day and mixing with +it a liberal proportion of potatoes. + +Yesterday I had my first bathe. We went to a place amongst the rocks where +the sea runs in and deep enough for swimming. Graham has begun bathing +with the boys after school. The beautiful calm weather has gone and the +wind come back again. + +_Wednesday, January_ 30.--Charlotte Swain came in to tell us there was a +shark on the shore and to ask if we would like to go and see it; so we +went down. It was a small one, only six feet long. The skin is very rough, +like emery paper, and is used by the people for polishing horns. The flesh +is remarkably white and looks as though it would be good to eat. The liver +when boiled down makes very clear oil for burning in their lamps. + +This evening Rebekah brought us a well-baked loaf. We were touched by +this, for flour is scarce now. She said they could do on potatoes better +than we could, though we have not come to that yet. The men have been +fishing and we have more fish than we can possibly eat. + +There are other occupants than fowls of the fowl-house. Four big pigs find +it a most comfortable place to retire into. It doesn't matter how often +they are driven out. Whenever a storm comes on in they go again, and then +they have the best of us. + +_Saturday, February_ 2.--This morning, though it was wet, such was our +energy we went off for a bathe before breakfast, and found it most +refreshing. + +The Glasses have a little son, and now the population, including +ourselves, is seventy-nine. + +Late this afternoon there was a cry of "Sail, ho!" and on going out to +look we saw a ship opposite the settlement. It was just a chance whether +the men would be able to reach her. They had no time to catch any sheep, +but took what they could lay hands on. As we sat on the cliff just as they +were starting, Mr. Bob Green suddenly jumped up crying, "Sail, ho!" and on +looking, sure enough we saw a second sail coming up. We hoped the men +would try for the two, but they decided to go for the second only. The +first ship stood in for a time and lowered part of her sail, and then went +on. It is dark, but the boats are not yet back. I do hope the men have +been able to get some tea and coffee. + +_Monday, February 4_.--Late on Saturday evening we heard a distant whistle +which we knew meant the boats were coming. We thought we would go down to +see them land, but as it was very dark and we had lent our lantern we had +to wait till we saw a light passing our way. Most of the people were +carrying brands which they waved to keep them alight, causing quite a fine +effect. On the cliff a fire was burning, and another on the shore. +Lanterns were held up so that the incoming boat might have all the light +possible. Well as the landing-place is known, it is difficult in the +darkness to steer clear of rocks and to keep the boat from filling with +water in the surf. The moment it touched the shore the women, boys, and +girls ran down and pulled frantically at the rope. It had to be hauled up +a steep bank of shingle. The fire was stirred up and in its light the +second boat made a run for the shore. It was a weird scene. The expedition +had been almost in vain. The men had to pull nearly all the way to the +ship, which proved to be a Russian one, and could hardly get anything. +Still, a little tea, coffee and sugar, and seventeen pounds of flour +with a little rice were better than nothing. The ship was bound for Natal, +but the captain would not take any passengers. We are pleased the letters +have gone and by so direct a route. As the boats were leaving the ship the +captain called out, "The letters are not stamped." Repetto called back, +"All you have to do is to put them in the post-box as they are." We can +never stamp letters as there are no stamps here. And if there were stamps +they would be of no use because we never know where the letters will be +posted. We sent off about sixteen letters. Repetto said he would keep his +for the man-of-war. I rather think ours will reach England first. + +We are getting through more reading than we have for a long time. Some of +the people, so we are told, have used their books for lighting fires, and +others have pulled them to pieces for the sake of the thread with which +they were bound. We have found several of Miss Emily Holt's books here, +and have much enjoyed reading them. + +We have many requests now from the people for vegetables and almost +daily ones for thyme and parsley. Cabbages they much like. We hope in +the future they will try to cultivate vegetables. At present they care +for none beyond cabbages, leeks, onions and pumpkins. The caterpillars do +much damage among the vegetables, and many of the young tomatoes are +riddled with holes. The few ears of wheat which have come up have tiny +green caterpillars on them which eat up all the green corn. Having no +insect-eating birds here is a great loss. + +We have been having a good deal of rain and close steamy weather. At +night we have the windows and door of our room, the passage window, and +sometimes the back door all open. A chair has to be put across the door to +keep the pigs out. + + + +CHAPTER XVII + + +_Wednesday, February 6_.--Yesterday when we came back from bathing we +heard that the men were going off in about an hour's time to Sandy Point +to gather apples from their orchards, so we decided to take a holiday and +go too. It was rather a scramble to get ready, and before we had even sat +down to breakfast some of the men were going to the boats. We were in the +midst of baking, and I had to run up to Miss Cotton to ask her if she +would kindly finish it. It had been decreed Rob was not to come, but +seeing us depart was too much for him and he swam after the boat and was +hauled in. The men had to row the whole way, a distance of about ten +miles. The scenery was fine, the high mountain sides descending +precipitously to the shore. On the way Tom Rogers and Sam Swain were put +ashore, as they wanted to drive a cow from where the former had left it +some months ago. It was rather an undertaking, for the animal was as wild +as the road was rough. Sometimes she had to be driven over big boulders, +and sometimes through the sea. When she got on to a sandy stretch of beach +she went so fast the men could hardly keep up with her. They had to throw +a lasso over her horns the last part of the way to prevent her swimming +out to sea. But in spite of their difficulties they arrived almost as soon +as we did. It was not very easy landing, and we had to be carried from the +boats to the shore. The orchards were on the mountain side in a sheltered +place. It was quite a climb to get to them and once or twice we had to +have help, which Tom Rogers, who when he saw us mounting had run after us, +was only too pleased to give. We passed a very fine vine; the grapes were +not yet ripe, probably the rats will have most of them. The grass was long +and rather wet. Soon the sun came out and it became very hot. For a time +we helped Tom to gather his apples, but it was tiring work, so Ellen and I +found a sheltered nook and rested. Afterwards Graham and I went and sat +near the edge of the cliff. Here a pair of mollyhawks came and perched +within a few feet of us, and our presence did not seem at all to disturb +them. They are exceedingly handsome birds, are for the most part white, +and have a black bill with a bright yellow stripe down the centre of it. +They have most graceful movements; and this pair bowed and clicked their +beaks together and made love to each other in the most charming way. +Before long it was time to descend. Tom again showed us the way, and then +went back for his bags of apples, which he let down the cliff by a rope. +The other men too were getting theirs down, some carrying them on their +backs. There was such a collection of sacks by the time they were all +down. The apples are not a large kind, and are gathered before they are +ripe. But it is a great boon to the people to have them, and the children +munch them all day long, eating little else. Tea was brewed on the beach, +but as only a small saucepan had been brought there was not a very +plentiful supply. Coming back there was only a little wind, and we +travelled but slowly. We were very glad to land, for we were feeling +rather sinking for want of food. To-day being the birthday of Mrs. +Hagan's one-year-old son she sent us for supper a cooked fowl which was +most acceptable. Our three little helpers, Mary and Susan Repetto and +Sophy Rogers, came up with us from the shore and offered to carry our +wraps, and when we got in set to and washed up the breakfast things. They +love to help, and come in two and three times a day now. + +_Saturday, February_ 9.--It is difficult to keep count of dates here, the +weeks pass so quickly. It is a wet afternoon. I have been chopping up +suet, Graham repairing boots. + +The day before yesterday the men with one or two women and some children +went by boat to the rookery to fetch home three heifers. With some +difficulty they managed to catch them, tied their legs together, and +brought them home in the boats. They also brought back more apples and a +good deal of driftwood. + +Yesterday some of the men went out in a boat to shoot albatrosses, and +shot seven. These birds are so large that it is as much as a woman can do +to bring up one from the shore slung on her back. Once they nested on the +island, but now nests are not to be found nearer than Inaccessible. + +I have been making fresh efforts to teach Edith Swain her letters. She has +been months at the first four and does not know them yet, but has picked +up one or two others. I have tried a new way of teaching with better +result. I have taught her, for example, "s" quite easily by telling her it +is like the noise the goose makes; it is called the goose letter by the +children. In this way we joke over the letters, and it seems to implant +them in her mind. She has now learnt them nearly all. + +_Monday, February_ 11.--During Lent we are to have daily service at nine +o'clock, and on Fridays one also at five o'clock with instruction on the +Holy Communion. + +_Friday, February 15_.--The daily services so far are being very well +attended, a few men being generally present. We always have well-known +hymns, and the service lasts just under the half-hour. + +I find the fowls a great interest. But they often lay away in the tussock +where it is almost a hopeless task to find the eggs. If I see a hen +looking about for a nest whenever I can I catch it and shut it up, and +usually with a successful result. + +The other day Ben the cripple had been missing for several hours. It was +feared he had gone off up the mountain by himself and been taken with a +fit. Although it was pouring with rain the men went off in search of him +to Red Hole which lies westward, but not finding him there retraced their +steps and went in the opposite direction as far as Pig's Bite, but seeing +no traces of his footsteps on the sand they turned back, when they were +encountered by Ben himself, who had run after them to let them know he was +all right. It seems he had gone to the potato hut and had fallen asleep +there, and that his sister not knowing he was there had fastened him in. +The first intimation of his whereabouts was conveyed by cries of "Becky, +Becky, let me out." + +Our things still remain packed, but we hardly think now we shall get off +to the Cape. We have enough tea to last us this year, and enough coffee, +sugar, biscuits, rice and jam for some time yet, as well as oil and soap. +We got a good deal of rice from one of the ships, but bread we had +virtually to do without. + +The Repettos' youngest child is such a little pet, and so well trained. I +brought him in yesterday when we were having afternoon tea. He solemnly +clambered on to the sofa and sat there till I offered him a spoonful of +tea and a biscuit, which he descended to receive, and then went back to +his place. He came out into the garden afterwards and sat by my side +without moving while I made a weak attempt at sketching the house. He is +fair, has auburn curls, and is the darling of his mother's heart. + +_Monday, February_ l8.--This morning we had such a delightful bathe. The +sea was rough and broke into our little cove, which was quite deep at one +end. There was such a lovely sunrise, the sky and sea lit up by it. We +often go down to bathe while it is still dusk. Rob was so amusing; he +would not come near the water, but sat on the rock as if on guard; he is +generally here, there, and everywhere. + +_Sunday, February_ 24.--John Glass's son and heir was baptized today and +was named William Gordon. The first name was after Corporal Glass, his +greatgrandfather. We sang the beautiful baptismal hymn--- + +"O Father, Thou who hast created all + In wisest love, we pray, +Look on this babe, who at Thy gracious call + Is entering on life's way; +Bend o'er him in Thy tenderness, +Thine image on his soul impress; + O Father, hear!" + +I did not know either the hymn or the tune by Sullivan until I came here. + +_Monday, February_ 25.--I have been picking tomatoes. We have to pick them +green, as they are beginning to rot, due, I think, to this wet climate. I +have hung some in strings on the front of the house, the rest lie on the +sitting-room window-sills. + +A week or two ago a small portion of the hayfield was cut. There being no +such thing as a scythe here, it was cut with a short hook made out of ship +iron, and called a "tussock-hook." The hay, which is deliciously sweet, +was gathered in successfully. But I do not think Henry intends to cut any +more of the field. They have got into such set ways here that it goes +against the grain to try anything new. This hay was put into a hut and +never used for feeding the cattle but for bedding for the pigs. While I +have been writing I have heard such happy peals of laughter from the +children who have been helping Ellen. + +_Tuesday, February 26_.--As we were out for a walk this afternoon we saw +cart after cart coming home from the potato patches. They were loaded with +sacks of potatoes, and generally had a woman and one or two children +seated on the top of the sacks. The men do the digging and the women and +children the picking up. The potatoes are turning out well on the whole. +It is no joy to ride in the wagons along the rough track, which can hardly +be described as a road. The carts have solid wooden wheels and no springs. + +_Saturday, March 2_.--A cry of "Sail, ho!" What a joy! Every one is +running hither and thither. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + + +_Monday, March_ 4.--It is difficult to sit down and collect one's thoughts +to write. Saturday was a most eventful day. Early in the morning soon +after we had returned from bathing a ship was seen on the horizon. It was +coming from the east. This is the first time a ship has come from that +direction since we have been here. The excitement was great. She was seen +to be tacking for the island. The excitement increased. We felt something +was in store for us, possibly a mail. In due time Graham and the islanders +started forth; there was a breeze and the sea was decidedly rough. As we +were returning from seeing them off the women said they could see a flag +on the mast-head, which meant that somebody special was on board. We at +once decided it must be the Bishop, and hurried home and buckled to, for +there was plenty to be done. We saw the boats reach the ship, and to our +surprise in about fifteen minutes they were off again. We then felt sure +the ship was going to stay and was landing some one. When the boats were +getting fairly near the shore we went down. A tremendously heavy shower +came on which drove us to seek shelter in a diminutive cave. The sea had +become rougher. We watched the boats working their way in from the east; +they were being tossed and pitched about like corks and the spray was +dashing all over them. Our interest grew as they neared the shore. How we +scanned them to see who was on board. As they drew near us we could +see there was no bishop, but the people soon recognized two Tristanites, +Willie Swain, son of Susan Swain, and Charlie Green, son of Lucy Green, +who had been away for two or three years. They both will be welcome, as +they are needed at home to work for their widowed mothers. Then a stranger +was descried. + +The women ran down to help the moment the boat grounded, even Ellen and I +helped for a few minutes. Every one was wet through; Graham from head to +foot, but happily he was not _hors de combat_. He introduced the stranger +as Mr. Keytel, one of the owners of the vessel, who said he had come +partly on a holiday trip and partly to gauge the feasibility of starting a +trade. The schooner will probably be here about a week. Mr. Keytel had +lunch with us. It has been arranged for him to have his meals with us and +to sleep at the Repettos' who have a larger house. He is an interesting +man with many hobbies, being interested in photography, birds, flowers, +fishing, horns, and curios. Directly after lunch the letter mail was +brought in by Repetto who was followed by others carrying bags containing +a great number of parcels chiefly for the islanders. + +What a delight it was to have our letters. I had such a number it was +difficult to know which one to open first. We must spend the next few days +almost entirely in writing. Graham has a great many letters to answer, and +has received communications from the Imperial and Cape Governments which +may require lengthy answers. The former Government desires him to discuss +with the inhabitants the question of their leaving the island. He has also +had a very kind letter from an official of the Agricultural Department at +Cape Town, who has had the management of this expedition, which is +described as "The Relief Expedition." The Imperial Government has sent the +islanders goods to the value of £100. These include one hundred bags of +flour, groceries, and a large quantity of crockery. The stores which we +ordered from the Army and Navy Stores, London, and from Messrs. Cartwright +of Cape Town have arrived safely; and thus we are provided for for two +years. We had kept a little flour for an emergency, so directly our guest +came we were able to bake a loaf. + +_7:35_.--We have been writing almost the whole day, and I feel as if I had +very little mind left. + +On Sunday the schooner came fairly close in, but the boats did not go out +to her, for which we were glad. She has been becalmed today some distance +away, but the men decided to go off to her for the bags of flour. They +have now been out nearly twelve hours; it is dark, and there is no sign of +them. Ellen and I have been round to all the houses leaving tea and sugar +so that the women may have a brew to take down to them when they arrive. + +Mr. Keytel has been making inquiries about guano; but it seems from what +the men say it will be almost impossible to get the pure article, so much +rain passes through it washing out all the goodness; also, it is in the +tussock and gets mixed with sand. He does not want to trade in cattle or +sheep. + +_Tuesday, March 5_.--We went down last night to meet the boats. Each +brought twenty sacks of flour. So much flour has not been seen on the +island for many a day, if ever. It was not a really dark night, so that +lanterns were all that were necessary. Every one was helping either to +haul up the boats or carry the bags to a high and dry spot, which was not +easy work over slippery seaweed. The captain has sent ashore for us a +funny little brown puppy. + +About half-past ten one of the men put his head in at the front door +saying something about the mail at Glass's. Graham went to see what it +was, and after some time brought back to our great joy another enormous +budget of letters of later date than those first received. We sat up till +nearly one o'clock reading them, but were up by six next morning. + +This morning after service a meeting was held, at which every adult except +two was present, to go into the question of leaving Tristan. Graham told +the people, according to instructions received, that if they stayed the +Government could not promise to do anything further for them, and that +therefore they must not look for help in the future. He put the advantage +of going and the disadvantage of remaining as strongly as he could. But +notwithstanding they were unanimous in their decision to stay. One or two +said they would rather starve here than at the Cape; and old Mary Glass +said she would go if the Government would give her a pound a week. Mr. +Keytel was there and takes much interest in every question. He is +considering whether anything can be done as to trading in sheep, and I +hope will try to get his firm to take it up. It would be better for the +islanders to sell at a very low price than to have no regular +communication. A trade would make them independent of outside help except +perhaps a little at first to make the schooner pay. But probably the +Government will think it has done enough for some time to come. + +This is not the first time that an offer of removal has been made. In 1903 +Mr. Chamberlain, who was then Colonial Secretary, in a dispatch to the +Governor of the Cape suggested the removal of the inhabitants to the Cape, +and that the island be annexed to the Cape Colony. In accordance with this +suggestion in January, 1904, H.M.S. _Odin_ arrived at Tristan having on +board Mr. Hammond Tooke who was commissioned by the Cape Government to +make the following offer to the islanders:--"Should all the inhabitants +wish to leave the Island, the Cape and Home Governments would provide them +with a free passage, purchase their live stock from them and settle them +within 100 miles of Cape Town, allowing them about two acres of land on +rent, and would advance them money on loan to start their homes. They were +also told that they would be near the sea coast, where they would be able +to start fisheries to supply the people of Cape Town ... and that in +future they could not rely on a yearly visit from a man-of-war" (Blue +Book). Only three families accepting this offer it was withdrawn. + +_Wednesday, March_ 6.--Yesterday and to-day rain and a rough sea stopped +the unloading. Mr. Keytel has brought a gramophone and has given a concert +at the Repettos' house. I have never enjoyed a gramophone so much as I +have this one, more particularly the orchestral part. + +We have been writing on and off all day. There were more meetings this +afternoon. Several matters needed discussion. One concerned the mail which +is sometimes opened in rather a promiscuous fashion--even in the boats. It +has been agreed that in future it shall be brought straight to this house. +Repetto is to continue to act as postmaster, and the opening to be in the +presence of all who wish to attend. It has also been agreed that any +letters or packages addressed to the Governor, or other supposed +authority, Graham shall open on behalf of the islanders. These have come +to be thought nobody's property, and to be appropriated by any one into +whose hands they might fall. + +Mr. Keytel also had a meeting. He has become very interested in the island +and is going to do what he can to start a sheep trade, so he wanted to +talk it all out with the people. He is keen upon improvements. Amongst +other points he suggests that only a few cattle should be kept and that +food should be grown to supply them in winter; and that a piece of land be +railed off for the pigs which do so much havoc to the turf. He has won the +men's confidence and I believe they will do what he wishes. He hopes if +all goes well to send a schooner next January to take off the sheep, which +will probably have to be sold at a low price. Had we gone to Cape Town we +could not have obtained a better result than this unexpected visit of Mr. +Keytel promises to yield. + +_Thursday, March 7_.--Graham sat up writing till two in the morning. He +has now nearly finished his report to the Colonial office, but has still +to write to the Cape Government. I too have been writing most of the day. +The ship has only been sighted in the far distance, so no business has +been done. This is the third successive day of no communication with her. +The wind of yesterday blew her far out to sea. We are so longing to open +our packages, but it seems better to get the letters that have come to +hand answered first. + +_Saturday, March 9_.--Yesterday the men went off to the _Greyhound_--I do +not think I have mentioned the name of the schooner before--and got back +some time before midnight. They have gone off again to-day, after which +they have only to go once more. + +_Later_, 10 p.m.--We have just opened a package which we thought contained +papers, and to our delight have found letters and cards innumerable. + +_Monday, March ll_.--The men are bringing in the last load from the +schooner. Latterly the weather has been very favourable. + +Mr. Keytel has had a splendid opportunity of getting to know the people, +their needs, and the possibilities of the island. He thinks there may be +an opening not only for sheep-breeding and for the drying of fish, of +which there are great quantities, but also for sealing; and talks of +coming next December and spending a whole year here with the object of +starting the industries. It looks, therefore, as if a future were opening +at last for Tristan. + +Mr. and Mrs. Beverley of Cape Town have been so kind. They packed a large +case full of things, such as children's clothes, remnants of material, +puzzles and toys, including a grand doll's house. A case has also been +received from the congregation of Holy Trinity Church, many members of +which have very kindly written. + +_Tuesday, March_ 12.--Still busy writing. In addition to my own I have +many letters to write for the islanders to friends in England and +elsewhere who have sent them parcels. + +Last evening I went to the cemetery to try to make a sketch of Mr. Macan's +grave for his grandmother. This is the young man who came in the _Pandora_ +in 1904 and was drowned, as it is thought, in trying to swim round a bluff +to the west of Burntwood. His body was found the next morning on the +beach, but whether he had fallen off the cliff or had been drowned in +swimming round is uncertain. + +[Illustration: THE CRATER LAKE] + +[Illustration: ON THE SUMMIT OF THE PEAK] + +Graham has at last had his heart's desire, namely, to ascend the Peak. He +and Mr. Keytel with five of the islanders started off early this morning. +At seven we could see them on the sky-line of the mountain above the +settlement. They got back about six this evening. I am thankful I did not +go, for they say it was a tremendous climb, and the last part, over a +lava-covered surface, the hardest bit of all. I give a description of the +expedition in his own words-- + +"Mr. Keytel and I had as guides or companions old Sam Swain, Andrew Swain, +Tom Rogers, Repetto and young Sam Swain. We started at 5.30 a.m. and in an +hour and a half were 2,000 feet up, on the top of what the islanders call +the base of the mountain. With the exception of a mile and a half at the +end the climbing was now done, and the rest of the way little more than +walking up-hill. The first mile from the edge of the base was fairly flat, +but over spongy ground thickly studded with stout ferns which came up +above our knees. Then we got on to a grassy slope, and from that descended +into a gulch, up which we went for about a mile. Getting out of this we +next trudged over grassy slopes on which were growing fine specimens of +the crowberry. This kind of ground lasted to within a mile and a half of +the summit, but the grass became scarcer, and was in patches only. Then +all vegetation ceased, I did not notice even moss, and the ascent became +much steeper, about as steep as from St. Ann's Well to the top of the +Worcestershire Beacon. But the going was much harder because the ground +offered no sure foothold, consisting as it did of loose burnt stones and +earth which let you down one step for every two taken. Our Cape visitor in +the gulch had felt that he could not lift his foot for another step; he +kept on, however, right to the top, and I began to feel the same. Although +in no sense done up, I found this last bit harder work than all the rest +of the way put together. The men felt it too. The end, though, came at +last, and we proudly stood on the rim of the crater. It was soon evident +to us, however, that we were not on the highest point. That was on the +part of the rim opposite to us, and in between was the bottom of the +crater. Lying in this bottom was a small lake, perhaps eighty yards by +sixty. We made our way down to it and half-way round it, and then sat down +to lunch. We found the crater water quite drinkable. After lunch I had a +swim in the lake, whereupon Mr. Keytel promptly brought his camera into +action. He took many other photographs. Then we set our eyes upon that +highest bit of rim and doggedly making for it were soon shouting and +waving our caps on the top. It was now twenty minutes past one. At a +quarter to three we began to return, and were home by twenty-five +minutes past six. The day for the climb and the view was a perfect one." + +To-morrow the schooner leaves and with it goes our touch with the outside +world. With what it has left behind we shall have enough to occupy us for +many a day. We have become quite fond of the little brown puppy, which we +have named Jock. It is very teachable, and is immensely interested in the +cattle that pass, barking with great energy at them. + +_Wednesday, March_ 13.--Mr. Keytel intended leaving to-day but the +_Greyhound_ has not made its appearance; it is thought it is becalmed. All +the better for our letters. This morning Mr. Keytel photographed a group +of all the islanders, then the women only, and afterwards the men. The +photographs were taken on the common just outside our house. + +_Thursday, March_ 14.--Such a large ship is passing and the men, I think, +would go out to it were they not waiting to go out to the schooner, which +is now in front of the settlement. + +[Illustration: COMPLETE GROUP OF THE ISLANDERS] + +_Tuesday, March_ 19.--The _Greyhound_ after all did not leave last week; +the sea was too rough for the boats to go out. It did not get off till +yesterday, due partly to the caution of the captain who would keep away +from land and partly to the weather. We two sent off about one hundred and +twenty letters. The captain wanted to see Graham to show him how to read a +barometer sent by the Cape Meteorological Commission. I thought I would go +too and take Ellen. We had no sooner put out to sea than we realized it +was going to be much rougher than we anticipated, and, the _Greyhound_ +standing out after the cautious manner of her captain, we had some +distance to go. Mr. Keytel was out fishing and was to follow. We all kept +well till we got to the ship. Clambering up the rope ladder we were soon +on board and being greeted by such a kind old captain. He was seventy-four +years old with snow-white hair and had only one eye. Graham soon sank into +a chair and was quite past reading barometers or anything else. He could +just assent to remarks made to him by the captain and that was all. Ellen +was in no better plight and sat on a bench near me, and I cannot say I +felt cheerful, for the schooner, which was empty and had not much ballast, +was rolling considerably. I carried on various conversations and strained +my eyes to see if Mr. Keytel's boat was coming. It was a long wait, and +when at last he did get on board he had gifts to bestow upon the men +before we could get off. How thankful we were when that moment came; even +then there were many adieux to be said. I was thankful to see that Graham +and Ellen were capable of descending the ladder. The wind was rising and +the sea sweeping in from the west. But I felt complete confidence in the +men, they are such good seamen and so thoroughly understand their boats +and what they are capable of. The two boats began to race, and we simply +flew through the water. It was splendid. We soon gained the shore, and it +was with no little satisfaction we saw ourselves at home. Then we retired +to our beds, Graham not to appear again until next day, for he had a +racking headache. After lunch Ellen and I tried to tidy the sitting-room, +which was strewn with packages. + +To-day has been entirely taken up with the distribution of goods amongst +the people. The boxes had first to be sorted out; one had no name on, and +one of the crockery cases could not at first be found, having been +addressed differently to the other Government cases. These crockery cases +took some time to unpack. The contents made a grand show laid out in Bob +Green's house. They were-- + + 1 dozen brown earthenware teapots. + 5 dozen plates. + 5 dozen soup-plates. + Vegetable dishes. + 6 dozen cups and saucers. + 1 dozen flowered bowls and covers. + 2 dozen tumblers. + 5 dozen egg-cups. + 8 saucepans. + Pails and other useful things; it is a most useful gift. + +I must now describe the people's way of dividing these goods, which is +their usual method of distribution. When an equal number of each set had +been given round to every family, and there were some over but not enough +to go round again, they put these with those things of which there were +not enough to go round, such as the teapots, saucepans and pails. Then +they arranged these in seventeen lots on the floor, taking care to make +each lot, as far as was possible, of the same value. The number seventeen +was chosen because there are seventeen families. One man now turned his +back, generally looking out at the door; another standing over the things +pointed with his finger to one of the lots and said "That." The man whose +back was turned called out in answer the name of the woman of a family, +till each family had had a turn. The people stood or sat round. They have +apparently worked this method out for themselves and find it creates less +feeling than any other. This took all the morning. + +The afternoon was devoted to the division of material and clothing at the +Repettos' house. There was a goodly supply. A lady at Eastbourne who for +many years has taken a deep interest in the islanders, had sent enough +grey woollen material for all the women to have a jacket. Others sent two +large bales of brown calico, a good quantity of red and grey flannel, and +enough strong blue serge and brown tweed for every man to have a pair of +trousers. There was also sent a great quantity of clothes. This "sharing +out" went on till dusk. Finally a large box of sweets, the gift of Mr. +Keytel, was distributed among the children. When we got home we began to +unpack our own parcels. There are some large packages of papers which take +a long time to sort and divide. + +After our unwonted doings we are all feeling rather tired and not capable +of doing much, but still we have begun school, as the children had a +holiday all the time the schooner was here. + +This afternoon I went up with some medicine for Mrs. Henry Green, who has +caught a bad chill. As she seems very short of warm clothing I have given +her a jacket and skirt of those sent me. + + + +CHAPTER XIX + + +_Wednesday, March_ 27.--The Cape Meteorological Commission has sent Graham +the following instruments with a request that he would take regular +observations-- + + An aneroid barometer. + A Fortin mercurial barometer. + Dry and wet bulb hygrometers. + A maximum thermometer. + A minimum thermometer. + A five-inch rain gauge. + +The hygrometers and thermometers are to be kept in a Stevenson's screen. +Whether he will be able to take the readings as often as is suggested is +doubtful, but it will be interesting work. + +Some rather amusing letters have been received. One from a high Turkish +official runs thus-- + +"_Constantinople_, + +"21 _Septembre_, 1906. + +"MONSIEUR LE GOUVERNEUR, + +"Je me permets de vous prier d'avoir l'extrême obligeance de m'indiquer le +nombre total des habitants de Tristan da Cunha avec Dépendances et la +quantité de ceux qui appartiennent à la religion mahométane, avec +l'indication du nombre des Sunites ou Chütes et de leur nationalité +respective. + +"Dans l'attente de votre réponse je vous prie, Monsieur le Gouverneur, de +vouloir bien agréer mes salutations distinguées et mes remerciments +anticipées." + +There is a very interesting letter from the Dixie professor of +Ecclesiastical History, Cambridge, who asks Graham to collect for him +whelks, limpets, periwinkles, snails, cowries, etc. Here is an extract +from it-- + +"It is not, however, the shells I care for, but the teeth of the animals +within. I have just one species from Tristan--a small land shell of an +interesting genus (Balea). One species is European, one Japanese, the +third Tristan. Its nearest ally is an enormous Eurasian genus (Clausilia) +of seven hundred species which hardly gets into Africa and does not cross +Behring Strait, though there are thirty more in Peru and one in Porto +Rico. So you see how strangely isolated your Tristan species is. Its +nearest cousins are in Tunis and Abyssinia. I fancy the land shells of +Tristan will _not_ have a Magellanic character like the one Kerguelen +species. Anyhow they are sure to be intensely interesting." + +_Good Friday_.--We have had a beautiful day, just like a spring day at +home. We had service at 10.30 which lasted a little over an hour. About +fifty-eight were present. The men are not attending so well now. The two +new arrivals do not come to church, and I think it induces the others to +stay away. We had service again at three o'clock, after which Graham and +I went to inquire after Mrs. H. Green, who has been ailing with +rheumatism. It is an old complaint, and due, it is thought, to exposure on +the mountain years ago. She went up with a party on to the Base; a fog +came on, and she became separated from her companions and wandered +hopelessly about with her dog. The fog was followed by a heavy +thunderstorm with vivid lightning, and she was drenched through. Barefoot +and wet to the bone she lay all night in the ferns with the dog at her +side. Next morning her hands were so swollen with the cold she had no use +in them until the sun came out and warmed them. Her only food was birds' +eggs which she occasionally sucked. She was not found till the next +afternoon, though a search party had been out twice to look for her. She +was in bed for a week, and ever since has been subject every few years to +prolonged rheumatic attacks accompanied by great depression which often +lasts for months. She is a nice-minded woman, very quiet, and grateful for +anything done for her. In this she is unlike many who accept everything as +a matter of course. + +The three Repetto girls and Sophy have been weeding the garden, which has +been rather neglected lately. We have planted some trees in it grown from +Eucalyptus seed collected on Table Mountain. I planted it here in pots +which I kept in the dark, and it came up well. About a hundred and sixty +sturdy little trees are the result. In years to come they may be useful +for firewood. In a book on forestry left here by Mr. Tooke, they are said +to be very useful trees to grow for this purpose, as they bear lopping +well. + +_Easter Sunday_.--At the Holy Communion to-day there were twenty present; +some coming for the first time, and one or two men coming who had not +communicated since Mr. Dodgson's time. All who had been prepared for +Confirmation were invited except the boys and girls. + +I am thinking of starting a Bible class for girls on Sundays. I feel I do +so little for them. We see most of those girls whose ages range from nine +to thirteen. + +A thunderstorm has just passed over us; the effects on sea and land were +most beautiful, everything assuming such a vivid colouring as one only +occasionally sees. + +_Wednesday, April 3_.--We got up early this morning, as Graham was going +to the Ponds, but Henry Green sent down to say it would be better to put +off going until to-morrow, as it looked like rain. One or two of the girls +are going, so I have decided to go too. I believe it is a stiffish climb. +We spent the afternoon among the cases trying to find one containing +material. Then we unpacked a kettle, which we badly need; we have had +lately to boil our water in a saucepan. + +_Friday, April 5_.--Yesterday we again got up early and were ready to +start for the Ponds, when Henry again sent down to say it was going to +rain. + +We have two invalids to visit now. The one is Mrs. Henry Green who makes +no progress at all, and seems very miserable. I really think she ought to +be in bed, but she says their bedroom window does not open, and she feels +the heat of the room. The other is Charlotte Swain, who apparently has a +housemaid's knee. It is very painful and much swollen. I have painted it +with iodine, which has reduced the swelling. + +A little time ago we happened to say to Tom Rogers how tiring we found +cooking in the sitting-room owing to the fire being on the hearth, which +entailed constant stooping. Two or three days afterwards he came to +measure the fire-place, and that afternoon he and Bob Green fixed two +large stones, raising the fire a good foot. But the men are not always so +ready to help. We wanted them to build on an extra room to our house, as +there is no larder and the kitchen is very small. Our bedroom and the +kitchen share the same window, and when the wind is contrary the smoke +pours into the bedroom. We thought the west-end wall might be taken down +and the room built without very great difficulty. All hands met to-day to +consider this, when most of the men refused to do anything, though some +were quite willing to help. The life here very much conduces to every man +looking out for himself. Graham tried to point out to them how important +it was they should build a church and house if they want a clergyman or +teacher to come here in the future; and that they could not expect Lucy +Green and Betty Cotton to always give up their houses; but they did not +seem inclined to do anything. If a clergyman or teacher came they would +like him to board with one of themselves--an impossible arrangement. They +do not understand the need of a larder, the greater part of them keeping +groceries in the bedroom, sometimes under the bed. We have to keep a large +barrel of flour, our bread and milk in the sitting-room. + +_Saturday, April 6_.--The men appeared _en masse_ early this morning to +say they were ready to start upon the house. We thanked them, but under +the circumstances thought it best not to have the work done. They ought +really to build on to their own houses, for some are very short of +bedrooms, and the sitting-room has nearly always to be used as a bedroom +too. They can build if they like, for a few years ago on his marriage Bill +Rogers built a house which looks very well; getting timbers for the roof +is the great difficulty. We hear that Lavarello was very sorry he had +refused his help to build the room and that night paced up and down vexed +with himself for so doing. + +_Sunday, April 7_.--This afternoon I started the Girls' Class half-an-hour +before service. As soon as I left the house all seven girls flew round the +corner to join me. For the last hour they had been waiting at Betty +Cotton's just opposite. They are very pleased at having a class. It makes +such a difference teaching children to whom almost everything in the Bible +is new. They listened so attentively. We have begun with Genesis and I do +hope to make the teaching practical. After service we went to the Henry +Greens', who live up the hill in a direct line from here. She is much the +same. Chris is at last beginning to walk, but cannot speak a word. I +believe they fear he is dumb. He understands very well what is said to +him. I never saw a child tumble about more in his attempts to walk, but he +does not seem to mind a bit and can walk backwards as easily as forwards. + +_Tuesday, April 9_.--Repetto has been levelling the floor of our bedrooms +preparatory to putting down some green linoleum, which we got to save +labour, as it is so difficult to sweep and keep clean rough boards. +Sailor-like, he slung the beds to a beam of the ceiling, which avoided +taking them to pieces. + +_Thursday, April 11_.--I have just finished a serge skirt; it has many +gores in it, and has turned out better than I expected, indeed, it looks +quite tailor-made. + +We are having an incursion of rats, and traps are going off at all hours +of the day and night. Most of the rats caught are small and more like +mice. The other day my favourite chicken walked into the sitting-room and +got its head caught in a trap. It extricated itself, but was so stunned it +fell over and could not walk; it has since recovered. + +_Monday, April 15_.--As there are holes in the roof it had been arranged +that the back side of the house should be re-thatched, and the men, +fourteen in all, came to-day to do it. We got up soon after five to be +ready for them, and had time to go down for a bathe. They began by cutting +the tussock in the garden. While they were doing that we partly emptied +the loft. By the time we came back from school they were in full swing. +After taking off the old thatch they swept the loft, and a nice time we +had of it below. As soon as possible Ellen buckled to to sweep. When their +work was done they had tea with biscuits and rock cakes. Nine hundred +bundles of tussock were used to thatch the one side of the house. The men +fasten the thatch to the rafters with tarred string using a large iron +needle. Three men work together, one in the loft, one on the roof, and a +third tossing up bundles. We had sent to the Cape for lead to put along +the ridge in the place of turf, and this they have put on. We hope now the +roof will be rain and dust-proof, and the walls less damp. + +Poor Mrs. H. Green is still feeling very miserable; she manages to get +about and that is all. Her eldest daughter, Ethel, who is just sixteen, is +getting on so well at school. She is by far the best reader, reading quite +fluently, and writes very well. She is very staid, and we think she might +possibly act as school-mistress in the future. Her brother Alfred, two +years older, has perseveringly stuck to his reading. He can hardly master +even short words. Still, he is getting on, especially in writing and +arithmetic. He is a very clean, neat and orderly lad, and has greatly +brightened in appearance since he began coming to school. The elder girls +will not do as well as the younger, who will soon outpace them. The former +have lately been learning to write letters. Up till now two or three women +and Repetto have written for the whole colony. + +[Illustration: A GROUP OF ALL THE MEN] + +_Saturday, April 20_.--We have been thinking with much satisfaction that +our letters taken by the _Grey-hound_ will probably be received in England +to-day. Since she left a ship has not so much as been seen. + +This has been an afternoon of knocks at the door. First, Repetto's, who +came to replace the tin round the pipe on the roof, but it beginning to +rain he helped instead to put together a churn. We have started making +butter. Our next visitor was little Willie Repetto, who came for thyme and +parsley. Next came Rebekah to borrow the boot-brushes and blacking for her +brother, a weekly request; then Ned Green for matches for his grandmother. +He was followed by Sophy who wanted medicine for her mother, and she by +Arthur Rogers for leeks for his mother's soup. Lastly, came Rebekah again +with Mabel for nails for nailing birds' skins on their house wall to dry +them. This morning there was a request for baking-powder, and Harry Swain +brought a pair of horns for a birthday offering. Many days are like this, +and our house often resembles a shop. + +It was Mary Repetto's birthday this week. I made her a pretty light-blue +pinafore. She was very pleased with it, and her mother so much so, that +Mary was sent with a live fowl as a return offering, but we did not accept +it, as we want them to learn we do not wish to be repaid for presents. + +_Sunday, April 21_.--We have been having good attendances in church +lately. The men are again attending well, and two new-comers have started. +On Sunday evenings, there being no service, we read aloud. Graham begins, +and just now is reading _Religions of the World_. Then I read; my present +book is called _Holiness of Life_. I have just been preparing a lesson for +the women. I find Ryle's _Expositions of the Gospels_ a great help, they +are so simple and practical. + + + +CHAPTER XX + + +_Wednesday, April 24_.--We have at last made the expedition to the Ponds. +On Monday evening Henry Green sent down word that he was starting early +next morning. So on Tuesday we rose at five, and two hours later Graham +and I set off ahead. We were glad to get a start so as to ensure a rest +before the others came up. We went over the common and down to and along +Big Beach. After walking over a sandy stretch there, we climbed up the +side of the mountain on to a narrow path and there awaited them. Will +Swain came hurrying up looking very hot, he thought we had got down too +low. Soon there joined us Henry Green, who was the guide, Rebekah, Ethel, +and Lily and Ruth Swain. We then followed the narrow and ascending path +across Plantation Gulch, where on the left was a yawning precipice. + +[Illustration: THE PATH OF PLANTATION GULCH] + +Several halts were called, during which we picked and ate berries. It was +a long and stiff climb. Towards the top the grass got longer and we had +often to clamber under the branches of trees, of which there were scarcely +any lower down. When we reached the top the path led up a stony gulch, +from which there was a beautiful view up a valley. Then we had to climb +and pass along the steep side of a hill. After this we were on flatter +ground. It was very misty and the scenery reminded me much of the moors of +Scotland. We saw many young mollyhawks sitting near their nests and +showing white in the undergrowth. We now walked over more level ground, +along what Henry called a road but I should hardly call a trail. Then +again over very uneven ground and through high ferns. By eleven we were at +First Lagoon Gulch, which resembled the dry bed of a wide and deep river. +There we had a light lunch. In about twenty minutes we started again. Our +course lay up a steep hill and over much the same sort of ground as +before. At noon we were above the ponds. It now came on to rain hard. We +tried to shelter under the edge of the cliff overhanging them, but by the +time the rain ceased the girls were wet through. There was a thick mist +and we could not even see the ponds, of which there are three, and which +lay far below. After some deliberation we decided not to descend to them, +and turned our steps homeward. We returned at a good rate, the girls +flying in front of us. Will Swain took his own way back. With a thick mist +hanging all round it would have been impossible to find the way without a +guide. At intervals we stopped to wring the wet out of our skirts. I was +thankful when we got to the gulch where we had to descend; though the wind +was there blowing gales. We got down the first part of the mountain very +quickly, but only by frequently sitting down on the long wet grass to slip +down steep pitches. When we got to Plantation Gulch we found a fire and +tea awaiting us--the work of Will Swain and the girls. Now we knew why +they had hurried on. It was excellent and most refreshing. We were home by +three. The next day Rebekah came to wash our muddy clothes. She had made +dreadful rents in her skirt, and as she has no idea of mending beyond +patching I have darned them for her. + +We found Henry Green a most kind and considerate guide. He constantly made +short detours in search of the easiest path and often broke off branches +to clear the way. I hear he told the men afterwards that he had not +thought the "Missus" would have been able to walk so well. I asked him as +we went up the hill which was the worst day he had ever been out in on the +sea. He said, "The day the _Surrey_ was here, and we were landing the +luggage. The wind tore the sail of our boat and so we had not the same +control of her." + +_Saturday, April 27_.--Last night was so cold it kept us all wakeful. Soon +after four we were disturbed by a rat, and I thought it a good opportunity +to get up and make up the dough. Ellen lit the paraffin stove and warmed +the milk and I made the bread and then retired to bed again. + +_Wednesday, May 8_.--While I write Graham and Henry Green are engrossed in +a game of Tiddley Winks. Henry's wife came yesterday to stay with us, as +we thought a change might do her good. Her rheumatism is better, but she +is still feeling ill and depressed. She slept in Ellen's room and Ellen on +the sofa. This evening she made up her mind to go home, but says she will +come again tomorrow. Henry brought a bundle of wood and is sending milk +twice a day because she is here. + +_Friday, May 10_.--We do not go out much for walks; they are rather +pointless without an object. But when it is dusk we often go to the top of +the cliffs for a breath of fresh air. + +_Sunday, May 12_.--Sophy Rogers said to me as we were going up to the +class, "We shall miss it when you are gone." I felt encouraged. + +_Tuesday, May 14_.--Mrs. H. Green did not come back to sleep, but spends +the day here now. She told them at home if she stayed the night here she +felt as if she should go out of her mind. She has her meals with us and +Graham cracks jokes to make her laugh. + +Just as we had finished dinner to-day there was a hasty knock at the door +and Bob Green rushed in. We thought he was going to cry "Sail, ho," but it +was to say there was a sea-elephant on the Flat Rocks. These are about +four miles away to the east of the Hardies. We at once started off, Mrs. +Green coming with us as far as her sister's. A number of women and +children were on the way; the men had already gone armed with their guns. +At the potato patches we had to descend the cliff and go for some way +along the shore. The men awaited us at a point where the sea was breaking +on to the cliff and helped us over. We had to watch our opportunity and +make a run for it. We were now in sight of the sea-elephant, which looked +like a black log lying on the beach. It was a young one and measured about +twelve feet in length. When discovered it was asleep. The coast is very +picturesque just there, high rocks standing out in the sea. We all trooped +home together and got back in the early evening. + +_Wednesday, May 15_.--The men were all out today cutting up the +sea-elephant, which when boiled down makes excellent oil for burning. + +A ship was seen off the settlement, but it was too late to let the men +know in time for them to get back and go out to it. It came well in and we +regretted it was not taking our letters. + +_Thursday, May 16_.--A four-masted ship was descried towards dusk. + +_Friday, May 17_.--This morning Repetto came to the school window and +asked me to go and see his wife who had been taken ill in the night with a +bad heart attack, and for about two hours had been unable to speak. I +found her in much the same condition. After taking a little brandy she +felt better, and improved as the day wore on. + +_Thursday, May 23_.--The cattle are looking so different this year; the +men say they have not seen so much grass at this time of the year for +years. When Mr. Keytel was here he showed the men how to shoot an ox, +dispatching one with his first shot. I am glad to say that since that they +have tried to do the same. The men are longing for a ship as they have run +out of tobacco. Scarcely any one possesses matches now, so we have +constant requests for them. + +We have begun asking two at a time of the older people to have tea with us +on Wednesdays. The younger married people we shall ask to supper, as they +do not mind coming out at night. This afternoon we had old Caroline Swain +who is seventy-nine and her sister Mary Glass who is ten years younger. +Caroline has been more or less of an invalid for many years. We glean much +of the past history of the island from the old people. They have been +telling us of the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh in the _Galatea_ in 1867, +in honour of whom the Settlement is called Edinburgh. They remember well +his having dinner in this room, and how while he was having it, all +unknown to him they vied with one another in trying on his hat. + +In view of having an entertainment, we are teaching the girls some of the +"Golden Boat songs" as well as recitations which the boys also are +learning. It is rather an effort, but we think it will give pleasure. +Some of the infants are learning "Three little kittens" and say it +charmingly. + +[Illustration: CATTLE, NEAR POTATO PATCHES] + +_Wednesday, May 29_.--To-day has been a fête day. It is Will Swain's +birthday. He is one of the two young men lately returned from the Cape +which, I suppose, accounts for the festivities being on such a grand +scale. Two sheep were killed, and the Swains gave a dinner to every one on +the island. The elders had dinner at the Hagans' who have the largest +room, and the children at Susan Swain's. They sent us a cooked chicken for +our dinner. + +_Saturday, June 8_.--So far we have had a much better winter than last +year, there has been more sunshine and less wind. + +Graham is gradually getting the meteorological apparatus up. He and +Repetto have put in the garden what resembles a meat-safe. It is the +screen for the thermometers. I objected to its being placed in the middle +of the garden, and so it has been removed lower down where it cannot be +seen from the house, rather, I fear, to Repetto's regret who regards it as +a very desirable ornament. + +_Friday, June 14_.--Today William has been getting kelp to put on our +garden. As the gate into the garden is not large enough for the cart to +pass through a portion of the wall had to be pulled down. + +_Thursday, June 20_.--Last Sunday evening Mr. And Mrs. Repetto came in. +After a talk we had reading aloud and sang some hymns. One wishes one +could be of more real help to the people. Yesterday we had old Eliza Hagan +and Lucy Green to tea. Ellen sang to them some of Moody and Sankey's hymns +to the accompaniment of her autoharp. Graham told them we thought of +camping out a night or two on the mountain; at which they were much +concerned and tried hard to dissuade us. At last Eliza said a comfortable +air of conviction, "Mumma won't go with Puppa." He conveyed them home one +on either arm, both being rather decrepit. + +_Saturday, June 22_.--We are having a spell of cold weather, and snow is +to be seen on the top of the mountain. It is more like our winter at home. +Fortunately there is not much wind. + +_Thursday, June 27_.--Today the men have all been working on a patch of +ground near here, just across the Big Watering, which Henry has let us +have for wheat. It has to be sown this month. They seem pleased to do it. +They have been fairly busy lately cutting a large quantity of wood for the +winter, which is piled near their houses. Old Sam Swain and Tom Rogers go +out every month fishing in order to find out for Mr. Keytel when the fish +are at their best. + +Last night we had Tom and his mother to supper. She appeared soon after 5 +o'clock and they stayed till about 9. We had fish cakes and a semolina +mould with jam. Tom much enjoyed playing Tiddley Winks, and I think would +have gone on happily till midnight. We ended the evening with a hymn and +prayers. + +_Saturday, June 29_.--We have spent the afternoon in the garden moving +some of the Eucalyptus plants. Several are over a foot high and have very +long tap-roots. We cannot plant them in any other garden, as the people +say they would infect the soil with the white mould which is all over this +garden. This mould has already rotted the roots of one or two. Ned and +Charlie helped me to weed and to put small stones round the bed for a +border. Little Charlie pulled up some Love-in-a-mist thinking it was a +weed. When he found out what he had done, he turned away and buried his +face in his arm and wept. We tried to console him, but it was some time +before he could get over it. "He's skeered," said Ned. + +_Wednesday, July 3_.--We have a little handmaid, Mary Repetto. She is +delighted to come and is most capable. She comes for an hour twice a day, +and receives a shilling a week. Early this morning Ben had a return of his +fits, which seem rather worse this time; he has had five today. His sister +Mrs. H. Green is much better. On Monday I took her to the wheatfield to +help me to sow. We sowed the seed broadcast while Graham and her husband +raked it in. + +_Friday, July 5_.--We had our entertainment yesterday at five. I think +every one was present with the exception of old Caroline Swain. I found +out just at the last that the children were not changing their clothes, so +I bustled them off home to do so. The whole affair lasted about one hour +and a half and was the first of the kind the people had had on the island. +Graham began with a reading, "Harry" from the Gordon League Ballads, and +caused much laughter when he curtsied as Jim's wife did before the Queen. +Some of the recitations were rather feeble, but perhaps we only were +conscious of it. William in one piece was much pleased with shouldering +Graham's gun, and when the auspicious moment came for him to pretend to +shoot (a small boy at his side letting off a cap pistol), he looked quite +white in the face. In "We are little sailors," the girls very effectually +used pocket-handkerchiefs for sails. In another song they had to march, +clap, and jump. The big girls enjoyed it quite as much as the younger. +Charlotte Swain, who is rather fat, could not jump for laughing, and +said, "I shall laugh a lot more yet." We finished with the National +Anthem, which was quite new to them. + +_Thursday, July 18_.--It is a long time since I have written in my diary, +but I have twenty letters waiting to be dispatched. We have been even +longer this year than last without being able to communicate with a ship. +It is just four months since the schooner left. Every one is longing for a +ship. The people are short of soap, but we have been able to give them a +little. + +We have been having decidedly cold weather which has told upon the young +lambs, several having died at night. + +A day or two ago I said to Robert Lavarello, a boy of ten who is supposed +to be somewhat of a cook, "Could you make a loaf of bread?" "Yes," he +answered, "I think I could." "Well," I said, "try, and bring the loaf for +me to see." The next morning he appeared before breakfast triumphantly +bearing a plate with a loaf on it covered with a white cloth to which was +pinned the Italian tricolour. His cheeks glowed with pleasure as he +displayed the loaf kneaded and baked by himself. It was far more +successful than one I had baked that morning which had burst when taken +out of the tin and which I was careful to keep in the background! As a +reward he was presented with a tin of jam and a large leek which we heard +was much enjoyed by his father, who ate it raw. + +The Repettos came to supper last night. She looked so elegant in a muslin +blouse, and with a very pretty print handkerchief, decorated with Swiss +chalets and edelweiss, on her head. For supper we had fish soup thickened +with vegetables, stewed apricots and tea. Our guests always eat so +sparingly. + + + +CHAPTER XXI + + +_Thursday, July 25_.--Sitting at breakfast we heard the joyful sound +"Sail, ho!" We jumped up to look and then settled down to writing. The men +were out at their potato patches, and when they got back decided not to +try for the ship as she was too far east to be caught. Our hope of a ship +is always raised after a north-west wind which appears to blow ships this +way. But on many days this month had one come it would have been +impossible for the boats to have gone out, as it was either too rough at +sea or there was too much surf. + +_Friday, July 26_.--Mrs. Repetto, who came in to ask me to show her how to +knit my kind of heel, told me the men could have caught the ship yesterday +if they had liked, but they "dallied about." If Repetto had been here I +think perhaps a boat would have gone as I know he is anxious to get his +letters off. In answer to a request from him Mr. B---- of Drogheda, +Ireland, has sent a beautiful pig-skin satchel to be used as post-bag when +going off to ships. It is a real boon, as the letters so often got wet. + +A great number of illustrated papers was brought by the _Greyhound_, which +we enjoy looking through when too lazy for harder work. There were also +some _Fortnightly_ and _National Reviews_, and the _Nineteenth Century_, +which Graham enjoys and sometimes reads aloud to me. He gets through more +general reading than at home. Wet days are spent by him in opening cases +and arranging the contents in the loft in most precise order. Woe betide +us if we disarrange anything. + +The entertainment we had was so much enjoyed the people would like to have +it again, so perhaps at the next full moon we may repeat it. + +_Friday, August 2_.--We had the entertainment last night. At a rehearsal +in the morning we made several improvements in the pieces. The "Hen and +her Chickens" was charming. The tiniest children sat on the floor grouped +round the clucking hen as her chicks, and when she got up to go they +followed, giving delightful little jumps until they disappeared with her +into the next room. Then another piece, "Thomas and his Donkey," was +improved--at least so the audience thought--by the donkey suddenly +kicking up his heels and throwing his rider, who lay sprawling on the +floor. I think the people, especially the men, find the winter evenings +long. Most of them go to bed betimes. Whenever we look out of our passage +window long before we are thinking of going to bed ourselves, no lights +are to be seen in the houses, unless it is Repetto's, who reads in bed +when he can get oil. + +Poor little Jock is having such bad fits. We sometimes think we shall have +to put an end to him. + +The thermometer registered 44-1/2 degrees last night. There was a cry of +"Sail, ho!" raised this morning, but the supposed ship turned out to be a +cloud. We have learnt to take these cries calmly for they often end in +nothing. + +_Saturday, August 10_.--On Wednesday we gave the school a holiday. It came +about in this way. Will Swain arranged with Bill Green that they two +should give Graham a treat. He was to try his hand at driving a team of +oxen. The treat was quite a success. They fetched two loads of wood which +had been cut and left on the hillside about four miles off. The load has +to be built up very carefully. For the foundation a strong spreading +branch is chosen with the trunk end turning up like the runners of a +sleigh. This branch is called the "rider," and on it are piled the other +branches to the height of about four feet. The load is bound together by +cords, and the oxen attached to it by a strong chain. Graham managed to +drive his load without upsetting it and with only the loss of one piece. +The load was a present to us, and was, we believe, a delicate return for +money lent the two men to buy spades with when the _Greyhound_ was here. +Graham had said they could work it out by digging the wheat-field, but as +"all hands" did that, probably the two thought they would like to give the +wood. + +Today William brought in a bird which he called a "Starchy," but which is +just like our old friend the garden thrush. He says there are lots of them +on the hill. They have no song. + +A great many of the Eucalyptus trees have died. We think we ought to have +transplanted them earlier, but were told that July was the right month and +so waited until then. + +_Wednesday, August 14_.--We are awaiting our usual Wednesday guests. On +these occasions I always wear a white skirt and blouse. Of our friends, +Mrs. Repetto is the only one who has attempted any elegance, most have +come in jackets. Yesterday, I am sorry to say, she had another heart +attack. The children came down for some brandy. We went up to see her and +she seemed only half-conscious. I thought a hot bottle might do her good, +so went home to get one. This morning when I went in she was up and lying +in a deck-chair in front of the fire. It is difficult to know what these +attacks of pain at the heart arise from. I believe they begin with +shivering. + +On Monday, as I was going up to school, I saw Eliza Hagan waiting about. +Soon I heard "Mumma," and then followed an invitation to four-o'clock tea +that day, and as I was going, "Puppa must come too" was called out. +Accordingly we appeared punctually at the hour named. A table was spread +with a white cloth. Susan Hagan, Rebekah, and Willie Swain were present, +but only four partook of the tea, our hostess, Mrs. Lucy Green, who lives +in the house, and ourselves. We sat on a bench drawn up to the table which +was graced by a most excellent cake, and we learnt that a quantity of +butter and six eggs had been used in the making of it. The large room was +lit by a very dim light. Ellen was invited next day. + +_Friday, August 16_.--We have been up to the top of Bugsby Hole again. We +had taken Ellen, and on our return found William had been thoughtful +enough to feed the fowls, boil some water at his home and make us tea. He +had also fetched a load of wood as a present. Of his own accord at morning +prayers he always places our Bibles on the table ready for us. + +We have now been five months without a ship. + +_Thursday, August 22_.--Early this morning we were greeted by the news +that a steamer was passing in the far distance and could just be +discerned. The sea was far too rough for the men to think of going out. +But it is something even to see a ship. Perhaps another will follow. + +We are having quite a cold spell of weather with a bitter wind. After +school I went down to the seashore to take some photographs, as there was +a fine sea with rather grand effects. + +Graham went for a walk on the shore this afternoon, taking little Jock, +who unfortunately picked up a stinging fish; Graham got it from him, but +was too late to prevent its stinging him. He gave little squeals, and +finally fell down as if dead. Graham picked him up and made for home. On +the top of the cliff he stopped to rest, where, upon being put down Jock +opened his eyes, when Graham rubbed him, and before long he came round and +seemed quite himself again. + +_Saturday, August 24_.--This has been an exciting day. I was baking bread +when there came a quick tap at the passage window. Mrs. Bob Green had run +down to tell us there was a steamer to the west. I at once got out the +letters, added hasty post-scripts and dated them. Graham soon came +hurrying in and also began to write. He made up his mind to go as the sea +was very smooth. Two boats put off. From the higher ground we could see +the steamer, which was coming along very slowly. The boats had a good long +wait for it. When it came up our men were allowed on board and stayed for +about an hour. It was making its first voyage and was bound for Bombay, +but was calling at Durban. We, therefore, hope our letters will reach +England the first week in October. Graham said the Peak, seen from the +water, was covered with snow. The thermometer lately has now and again +been as low as 44 degrees. + +We find we are sixty-five minutes behind time. The people had told us our +clocks were slow. The Hagans have on their doorstep a sun-mark cut by a +shipwrecked captain, from which they can tell the time. Only a few +families own clocks. + +_Monday, August 26_.--Poor little Jock is no more. He did not turn up for +his breakfast, but I thought perhaps he was having a game with John +Glass's puppy. When we came back from morning service I went in search of +him but could not find him. Just before lunch Susan Repetto ran in to tell +us as she was driving the geese across the Big Watering she had found him +lying dead in the water. We went to look, and there a little way up the +stream, was poor little Jock. He had no doubt had a fit and rolled down +the bank. + +We are revolving in our minds the question of having to stay with us from +Tuesday till Saturday one of the younger girls of each family by turn. The +child could quite well sleep on the sofa. Ellen is anxious we should have +them and would bathe them and do their hair. We think this plan might +teach them ways of cleanliness and in other respects influence them for +good. When at school I often have to dispatch a scholar to the stream. It +is surprising what a presentable appearance the people have, but we want +them to have something more. + +We were so amused on Sunday by three boys, just before morning service, +bringing this message from William, "Would Mr. Barrow lend him his boots +to go to church in?" Ellen's reply was short: "This is not a boot shop," +and tickled the little boys immensely. Many and various have been the +requests, but I think that one surpasses them all. One day a small child +was sent to borrow our broom. An old one was lent which has not been seen +again. Several of our goods are already bespoken in view of our departure +eighteen months hence. + +The dogs have been worrying and killing sheep, and yesterday drove three +into the sea, where they were drowned. As a result several of the dogs +have been shot. Complaints were made to Repetto about his dogs, and half +in temper he picked up his white fox-terrier and hammered it to death, as +he thought, and threw it into the tussock. In a few days it crawled back +to the house and had to be shot. Animal life is little thought of here. It +is no wonder the dogs prey as they do, for many are half famished. + +_Thursday, August 29_.--Rose Swain came to stay with us yesterday. She was +a little tearful at first, but as she is only seven this was but natural. +In appearance she might be an English child, having a fair skin and light +wavy hair. She is not very strong, but is quick in learning. + +_Saturday, August 31_.--This week the men have been building one or two +huts at the potato patches as they have there no shelter from the rain. +They are actually putting in fire-places. The people often get wet, and as +a consequence suffer a good deal from lumbago, which they call "the +stitch." + +Ellen has begun a class for little boys and girls on Sunday afternoon. She +is also taking in hand Caroline Swain, the oldest inhabitant, whom she +calls for each Sunday to take to church, and again on Tuesdays to take her +to the women's meeting; for which attention her old friend is very +grateful. + +At the end of afternoon service there is a practice for the next Sunday. +Two or three weeks ago we tried part-singing much to the pleasure of the +men, who now all come up to the front. What they need is a man's voice to +lead them. Ellen and I do what we can, but it is rather a case of the +blind leading the blind. + +_Thursday, September 5_.--On Tuesday we saw a number of people running +eastward, and meeting some one he told us Graham had seen a sea-elephant +on Big Beach and had gone to shoot it. It appears he had started for a +short walk on the cliffs, and seeing something dark lying on the beach, +went down there, and saw what looked like a sea-elephant. He ran home for +his gun and sent word to the men. Returning to the beach he shot it. When +the elder men saw it, one or two said it was a sea-leopard, and such it +proved to be. It was the _stenorhyncus leptonyx_, the most powerful seal +of the Antarctic, and a rare visitor to Tristan, only two others having +been seen by the islanders. It had short, light-grey hair, in parts +turning to green, and measured in length ten and a half feet. + +We have been having very cold weather, and yesterday morning the +thermometer registered 40 degrees. Several slight snowstorms passed over +the settlement and left their traces on the hills. It is many years since +snow has fallen so low down. + +We have little Edith Swain staying with us. Her mother was rather doubtful +about her coming, but hearing, I think, that Rose was happy, she decided +to let her come, and sent her looking very tidy. The child seems quite +contented and happy and is no trouble. Each little guest goes back with a +new undergarment. + +_Saturday, September 7_.--I think people at home would be amused with the +contents of our sitting-room, which at present has to be kitchen and +larder. On a side-table are a ham in pickle, a goose, butter and eggs; on +the fire an array of pots, and around it clothes airing for the Sabbath. +The fact is the kitchen stove-pipe has collapsed. Repetto is trying to +make a new piping out of oil drums. We turn out most excellent bread now, +so that our many failures of the past have somewhat sunk into oblivion. + +Early this morning I was called by Mrs. Lavarello to her boy Robert who +had injured his leg in cutting flax. The cut was a bad one and ought to +have been stitched; I did not attempt that, but washed and bandaged it and +left injunctions that he should give it complete rest. + + + +CHAPTER XXII + + +_Tuesday, September 10_.--We had the pleasure of seeing a ship today. The +weather was anything but good for going out, and after they reached the +shore two or three of the men decided not to go. It was really hardly fit +and got more squally as the day went on. The ship, it was evident, wanted +to call. When the boats got fairly near a squall came on and they nearly +missed her. Indeed, they turned to come home, but the captain saw them and +brought his ship round. She was the _Loch Katrine_, which called here last +year and took our second batch of letters. The men returned home in one +boat, having left the other at the Penguin Rookery some way east. They had +a hard pull up from there and they and their goods were wet through. When +we were at supper Henry Green came in with presents from the captain: a +tin of Danish butter, two packets of compressed hops, and an especial +packet for myself containing some Brown Windsor soap and a sprig of +heather--a charming thought. I had another parcel from the steward, who +sent soap and a bottle of scent. Our kettle has begun to leak, so we asked +Repetto to try for one from the ship; and the captain kindly gave him a +good old copper one, which, though it has a hole, we think will do us good +service, for our men are very clever at mending their pots and kettles. + +Rob did a dreadful deed yesterday. Graham and I had taken him with us for +a walk up the hill, sitting down several times to have a talk. As we got +up to return we suddenly missed him, and whistled. Just then Johnny Green +and Arthur Rogers came in sight and called out "Rob has killed a sheep." +We could not believe it for he had been gone only a minute or two, but he +answered the whistle and then we saw the blood on his mouth and knew it +was only too true. If only the boys had called out sooner we should have +been in time to save the poor sheep's life. It is rather a blow to us, for +if he does this sort of thing he will have to be shot, and that would be +dreadful for he is such a faithful old fellow. Unfortunately, it is not +the first time he has attacked a sheep; last week, when he was out with +William, he ran after one; William, hearing a barking, ran to look and +found his dog and Rob attacking. He gave Rob a whipping and sent him home +and, although it was a long way, home he came. Since then we have been +keeping an eye upon him. Mrs. Martha Green, the owner, was very nice about +it and refused any compensation, but Graham left a sovereign on the table. +It so happened the sheep was a lame one, or "a little sick," as the +expression is here. + +To-day we left school early and soon after noon were on our way to the +potato patches where Graham wanted to help Repetto. We found quite a party +there, the whole Repetto family with Alfred Green and William. They had +just brewed tea. Mrs. Repetto was sitting under the lee of the wall, where +a stone with a sack on it was placed for me. She was knitting, so I +brought out mine. I am always impressed by her rugged and strong +character. Certainly her children do not "best" her, as she is fond of +saying. Arthur refused to do his work, that of putting manure in the +trench. She just got up and gave him a good "hammering," mostly on his +head and arms. He soon set to work. She is fond and proud of her children, +but they know what is in store for them if they do not obey. The +chastisement, no doubt, is deserved, but I wish she would learn to give it +calmly and moderately. This is her week for serving us and almost daily +she sends something extra. She will not accept anything in return. + +This evening Graham, as he sat in the chimney corner engrossed in reading, +was unconsciously using the ham as a cushion, with the result that an +impression of it in salt and grease has been left on the back of his coat. + +_Saturday, September 14_.--A steamer in sight. On the shore we found four +of the young men preparing to embark. Repetto said the steamer had got too +far for them to catch it, and so it proved. + +_Monday, September 16_.--I have been much struck by the fact that when I +have finished dressing Robert's leg a basin of warm water, soap and towel +are always brought for my use. Today we set off for a walk along Big +Beach, and overtook Mrs. Repetto and her five children. Her husband was +out hunting birds and she was going to meet him with something hot to +drink. We sat down and had a talk while the children scampered about. +After remarking they needed clothes of iron, she went on to say that the +present generation of girls do not know what hard work is compared with +what those of her generation used to do after the boat was lost. We left +her to return home. As we ran down a steep sandy bank, I leading, I heard +her parting salutation, "Well done, old girl." + +_Thursday, September 19_.--I asked the women to come early this afternoon +to have their voices tried with a view to their taking parts in the hymns. +A good many came and seemed to enjoy the novelty. Several will sing alto, +which they very quickly picked up. I asked them because I thought they +might feel a little out in the cold if the men learnt part-singing and +they did not. + +[Illustration: A PENGUIN ROOKERY] + +About five o'clock the children ran in to say that Graham and the men, who +had gone early in the morning to the Penguin Rookery, were returning. They +always light a fire on the mountain side to show they are coming back. I +started off immediately for Big Beach, Mrs, Repetto and Mrs. Swain coming +behind with tea for their husbands. In front were the children leading a +donkey to carry the eggs. Before long the men appeared, each with a big +box of eggs on his back. The box is enclosed in a sack to which are +attached arm-straps. Each box contains about one hundred and fifty eggs +and is no light load. The two men gathered the three hundred eggs in about +twenty minutes. Repetto thinks that at present about one thousand have +been taken from the Rookery this season. When the birds are up for laying +the pairs keep together, the hen on the nest and the male standing by. +They make a tremendous noise day and night. For our amusement Graham tried +to imitate it; standing erect, putting his head up and violently shaking +it from side to side, with mouth wide open he tried to utter their +"_loha_." Mrs. Repetto was just then drinking a cup of tea and was very +nearly choked. + +_Tuesday, September 24_.--Little Lizzie Rogers is staying with us. She has +an intelligent face of rather a gipsy type, with dark brown eyes, and +straight hair. We are quite enjoying her company. She is most contented +and happy, and has settled down far better than the others did. We have +produced a doll for her, and it is delightful to see her mothering it and +wrapping it up in her pinafore. She went to sleep with it clasped in her +arms. + +Martha Green came down this evening to return the sovereign, but of course +we would not take it. + +_Thursday, September 26_.--This morning the men pulled out about fifteen +miles to a ship, but the captain would not stop for them to go on board. +He offered to take the letters, but they were nettled at his not stopping +and would not give them to him. It was an Italian ship. As a rule foreign +vessels carry very little surplus stock. The men do best on English and +American ships. This is the second time our letters have been taken off in +vain. + +_Saturday, September 28_.--Our little visitor has just returned home. She +wept when her mother told her she must leave us, so we had her back to +dinner and now she has finally departed. + +_Monday, September 30_.--At midday a ship was sighted, causing the hasty +closing of school and a hurried finishing of letters. It has been a most +anxious day. When the men started for the ship there was a comparatively +quiet sea, but towards two o'clock there was a squall, a breeze sprang up, +and all the afternoon a gale has been blowing, with occasional hailstorms. +The sea is covered with white caps and the wind sweeping over it. Every +now and then we can see a ring of spray being blown along which is called +a "whilly" by the people and is thought to denote danger. The men must be +having a very bad time of it. We are anxiously awaiting their return; it +is now five o'clock and there is no sign of them. + +_Wednesday, October 2_.--The men never reached the ship. Every one felt +very anxious as Monday afternoon wore on. All the men were out but two. +Soon after six o'clock when it was beginning to get dark we went on to the +cliff. The wind was blowing so hard we could scarcely stand. We met Fred +Swain, who said that the two boats were coming round the point from the +east. By straining our eyes we could just dimly discern one boat. Hagan +now joined us and we stood for some time watching it. It was making for +Big Beach, so he and Graham ran off to Little Beach to get pieces of wood +for its landing. By the time we got down to the beach it was in and the +crew were pulling it up. They were shivering with cold and soon went off +home. About the other boat they could tell us nothing except that they +believed it was a long way behind. After waiting some time for it Graham +and Bob Green went off in search along the shore. At Thomas island they +got an answer to their whistle, and came back to tell us the boat was +coming. The women meanwhile sat under the lee of a big rock, where +presently they lighted a fire and warmed the tea they had brought down. We +all felt thankful when, an hour later, the last boat landed. As soon as +they had drunk the hot tea we trooped up the cliffs home. The wind blew +the lantern out and we had to grope along as best we could by the faint +light of a brand. The men did not say much as to how they had got on. But +Henry said it was the worst day he had been out in, much worse than the +_Surrey_ day, and he is one of those who will go when others will not. +Another said he thought every minute they were going to be swamped. We +heard later from Repetto that if one wave had broken a few feet nearer it +would have done for them. Those in the last boat broke an oar and could +make no headway. They tried in vain to put in at another point, and feared +they would never get in, but happily the sea went down a little. It was +the sweeping sea and the wind coming in gusts that made it so dangerous. +It was very cold, too, so that when not rowing the islanders were rendered +almost incapable. The next day the sea was quite calm. + +Yesterday Maria Green, who is thirteen, came to stay with us. She is the +younger daughter of Mrs. H. Green, and is rather a nice-looking girl, with +dark wavy hair and a fairish skin. She is always spick-and-span, never so +much as a hair out of its place. Naturally she is very shy, and I think, +though she wanted to visit us, the coming was a great effort to her. But +now that the plunge has been made I hope she finds it less alarming than +she expected. She helps Ellen a good deal, and this keeps her occupied and +makes her less shy. + +Nearly every man has been out on the mountain today in search of molly +eggs. Only one egg is found in a nest, and yet Glass on Saturday got one +hundred and sixty-two. In time, I fear, these beautiful birds will be +driven from the island. + +_Saturday, October 5_.--I spent the morning gardening and in the afternon +went to meet Graham, who with John Glass and his wife, Johnny Lavarello, +Maria Green and Mary Repetto had been to the ponds. They had thoroughly +enjoyed the day, the children especially, as they had not been there +before. All, except Graham, were laden with molly eggs stowed away in +their shirt or blouse which is sewn into a pouch for the occasion, a mode +of carrying which gave them a very comical appearance. The birds are quite +tame, only giving a peck when pushed off the nest. + +_Tuesday, October 8_.--We are having a week's holiday. Yesterday morning I +said to little Ned Green, "Boys in England wash their neck, arms and chest +every day. You come one morning and Mr. Barrow will show you how to do the +same." He turned away his head and said, "I'm skeered." This morning +before we were up he was waiting in the porch, and then came in and sat on +the sofa until Graham was ready for him. As it was rather a wet morning +the instructions were given indoors. I heard most lively conversation +going on during the process. He was rewarded with a biscuit which he took +home to his little sister. + +Idioms are little used here. I said yesterday to Ned, who was minding some +goslings, "You have got your hands full," when I saw him look down and +open his hand. The goslings are as much trouble to raise here as turkeys +are at home. They have, at first, to be watched all day long for fear of +their getting wet, and then there is always the danger of their being +carried away by the stream. If it rains they are often driven into the +sitting-room. Geese and eggs are the women's chief contributions to trade. + +Mrs. H. Green has not been so well again. I went up today to try to get +her to come to dinner. She did not want to, but I said I was not going +without her. This amused her and at last she got up and went to put her +things on, though she said she was so weak she could hardly walk. When I +was sitting alone with her she told me that a few months ago something had +been said to her which she could not get off her mind. She has a strong +superstition about it. The people here believe that a person has the power +to will evil to others. A man who has been to the Cape told us one evening +that he was quite sure that the Malays had the power to make a person lame +by putting something on the doorstep, and that no one could effect a cure +except a Malay doctor. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + + +_Wednesday, October 9_.--We were aroused from our slumbers this morning by +Charlie Green hammering at the door, and on inquiry heard there was a ship +in sight. It was a most beautiful day and the sea like a mill-pond. The +men said before they started they were sure the ship was a whaler; and +they were right. The people, expecting visitors, set to work to scrub +their floors. In the course of the morning the first mate, a coloured man, +landed with a mail from St. Helena. There were only three letters in it. +One was from the Bishop. There seems now no prospect of his coming while +we are here. Our men only did fairly well on the whaler, which, however, +was well supplied with potatoes, having taken in a supply at St. Helena +only seventeen days ago. The captain and his wife kindly sent us a bunch +of bananas and a large tin of grape-nuts. + +_Thursday, October 10_.--This afternoon we took the Repetto girls, Maria +and Sophy, who are staying with us, for a picnic. We made for a grassy +slope near Bugsby Hole, the children gathering sticks for the fire as we +went. They came upon a poor little lamb that had just been killed by a +sea-hen. Near it was another which a sea-hen was just pouncing upon. They +had been deserted by the mother, a thing which often happens here. The +children picked up the lamb, which could hardly have been a day old, and +we wrapped it in my jacket and gave it some warm milk. It was decided that +Mary should be the happy possessor of it. As we were at tea three rats +were unearthed. One, a big fellow, sprang down close to us. There were +shrieks from the children and the tea was upset, but Rob soon caught him. + +_Friday, October 11_.--The lamb died this morning. Repetto says it was +famished before we found it. + +_Monday, October 14_.--Quite a bitter day. Hail has been falling. Susan +Repetto, who lives with her Aunt Betty Cotton, is with us this week. She +has a wonderful crop of curly hair which, except on Sundays when her +mother wets and curls it, is done up in a tight little knob. She is quick +and full of fun, laughing more than any child on the island. + +_Wednesday, October 23_.--The Lavarellos are serving us this week, and +insist upon bringing each morning a small bucket of milk and a jugful at +night. We have been able to make some excellent butter, so yellow that the +cows might have been feeding on buttercups, of which, however, we have +seen only one small patch. Milk puddings are our daily _régime_. There has +been no shortness this year. + +_Friday, October 25_.--A mollyhawk was brought in today, it weighed four +pounds and measured from tip of beak to tip of tail thirty inches, from +tip of wing to tip of wing seventy-eight, and in girth twenty. The bird +cannot rise up from level ground, but must get to the edge of a cliff or +hill, unless helped by the wind. + +Cricket is being much played by the boys. Ben intensely enjoys a game, and +it is wonderful how he manages to hold a bat and hit. He has to lie on the +ground to pick up a ball. + +_Sunday, October 27_.--We went to see Betty Cotton, who is laid up with a +bad rheumatic attack. Reposing in a canvas chair she was holding quite a +_levée_, and I think enjoyed being the centre of so much attention. + +We find the north wind rather trying; it is enervating and brings with it +much dampness; while it prevails food does not keep well. + +_Monday, October 28_.--This has been a thoroughly wet day. The children +think nothing of wet and will sit the whole day in damp clothes. Umbrellas +are almost useless and so I have taken to the people's way of wearing a +shawl over the head. + +We went across to see Miss Cotton. Her room, which serves as sitting-room +and bedroom, looked most comfortless. To add to the discomfort there +were sixteen goslings hemmed in by boxes in a corner near the door. If +they were allowed out on a day like this it would kill the greater part of +them. + +_Thursday, October 31_.--Another wet day, but people in and out +notwithstanding. It cleared up in the evening and we went for a turn on +the cliffs. The houses looked so picturesque silhouetted against a stormy +sky. + +_Saturday, November 2_.--One of Henry's bullocks was operated on this +afternoon with the help of five or six men. It was very wild and they had +difficulty in getting it in. They threw it by means of a rope and then +tied its legs. It had something growing inside its lower lip like a wart +which prevented its eating, and this they have removed. They have +successfully performed the same operation on other bullocks. + +_Monday, November 4_.--This afternoon there was a cricket match between +the boys and girls, the former playing left-handed. Needless to say, the +girls were beaten. The men looked on with interest and later had a game +themselves, and very lively cricket it was. They may go off any day now to +Inaccessible, and are only waiting for the right wind. They generally +visit it once or twice a year. Graham means to go with them as he is +anxious to see the island. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + + +_Tuesday, November 5_.--About five o'clock this morning a gun was fired to +signify that the men were going off to Inaccessible. Soon after Tom Rogers +looked in to say they were starting in about an hour's time. We packed +into a large tin flour, captain's biscuits, tea, coffee and sugar for +Graham; Tom was taking meat, and Ellen ran down at the last moment with +bread hot from the oven. They went off in three boats, cheering lustily. I +believe they hope to do some sealing. It depends entirely on the wind as +to when they return; they might be kept a fortnight. + +_Thursday, November 7_.--I am taking school in Graham's absence, the elder +girls helping with the infants. If the scholars are tiresome or heedless I +just make them hold out their hand, and with a slap from mine they are +soon reduced to order. When they are reading they are not allowed to lift +up their eyes from their books, and now it is rarely they lose their +place. + +_Saturday, November 9_.--The men have not yet returned. They have had very +wet weather since they left, and must have had a trying time. I hope they +have enough to eat. On the occasion of a former visit there they were +delayed so long that they ran short of food and were nearly starved. When +at last they got back one young fellow fainted. Since then they have been +careful to take more food with them and have put one or two sheep on the +island and have sown potatoes. + +_Sunday, November_ 10.--Mrs. Green has come to stay with us again; she has +been lying outside in the canvas chair for seven hours and feels the +better for it. The children are very attached to their mother, and one and +another visit her during the day. Her mother's eye at once detects a +button off or whatever is amiss. + +The services were well attended to-day, only five persons being absent +morning and afternoon. + +It is a quiet evening, but occasionally the sea sounds like a passing +train; at other times we hear it thundering on the shore. We do not get +such high waves, but what I call long sweeping seas. I have been taking +the meteorological observations; I hope correctly. + +_Monday, November_ ll.--When school was half over old Mrs. Rogers rushed +in to say the boats were returning from Inaccessible. When I got down to +the beach they were ready to land. There was so much surf that they had to +wait for a favourable moment and then had to pull hard to get in before +the next wave broke. The landing of the three took quite a time, and they +had a good tossing while awaiting their turn. The men are very cheerful +and seem to have enjoyed themselves in spite of the wet. After the first +day they were not able to leave Salt Beach on which they landed. That +afternoon they went round by boat to where the _Blendon Hall_ was wrecked, +as they knew how anxious Graham was to see the spot. He, unfortunately, +was feeling horribly sea-sick and unable to do much, but he went with +them. They picked up some copper and a piece of wood from the wreck. The +cliffs of the island are most precipitous, and from Salt Beach they can +only be scaled by holding on to the tussock grass, but the weather was too +wet for them to attempt this. I am glad they could not try, for Henry +Green told me it was rather an "ugly business" at best of times. There was +no sand and they lay at night under the overturned boat on a pebbly beach +softened by layers of tussock grass. Graham said after five nights of it +he felt quite sore. They seem to have spent more than half their time +under the boats. One day it rained all day, and the only variety they had +was to stand under the cliffs where the rain dripped down upon them. +Another day they had some cricket, using for a ball a bit of kelp. Under +the boats they played draughts; an upturned box serving for table and +board, kelp for the black pieces, and sliced potatoes for the white. +They were able to get a few petrel's eggs, but digging these out of the +nest-holes was wet and muddy work. + +Each man took so much flour, potatoes and meat which he handed over to the +cook. Andrew Swain and Bob Green undertook the work, the former being head +cook, and Graham says the cooking was excellent; not that he was able to +eat much himself for he was still feeling the effects of the sea. The +cooks were kept going most of the day. At one meal there was a great laugh +against them. As each man sipped his tea he found it nauseously salt. The +water had been taken from the wrong bucket, the one that contained salt +water for washing up. + +On Sunday they had two services, all sitting round on the stones. They +sang every hymn and chant they could think of. + +Sam Swain left his dog on Inaccessible. It had taken to killing geese, and +as he did not like to shoot it he decided to leave it there where it will +be able to get plenty of food. Poor dog, it swam after the boats when they +left. The party tried to return on Friday, but after being out two hours +had to go back as they could make no headway owing to a north wind. + +_Thursday, November_ l4.--Yesterday, after early school, Graham and +Repetto went off to the Hardies in search of some wood-pigeons' eggs. This +is a sea-bird in spite of its land-sounding name. They had to swim to a +high rock standing a little distance from the shore with a deep channel +between, and to climb to the top of it. Swimming back Graham found the +current so strong he thought it wiser to return. They tried another way +and got across without difficulty. It was rather too early for eggs and +they only found one; but they satisfied themselves as to the +identification of the egg. + +_Saturday, November_ 16.--As we have broken the last chimney-glass of our +best lamp, we have been going to bed early this week, and getting up at +five--a change which has the advantage of enabling us to get through more +work before school, and giving much more time on baking mornings. We hope +to get a glass from a passing ship, but only three have been boarded since +March, one of them being a whaler. + +[Illustration: SHEEP BEING DRIVEN HOME] + +It is such a pretty sight to see the sheep being driven down the hill and +separating to the different sheep-houses. But the poor things are often +very harassed by the dogs, many of which are quite untrained and run them +far too fast, and will, if they can get the opportunity, catch hold of +them. The sheep often turn obstinate and try to slip off up the hill. Some +get into the wrong houses and have to be dragged out and home by the +owners. These houses are generally deep in mud and filth. + +_Thursday, November_ 21.--The rats have been eating the sunflower and +sweet pea seeds. I could detect the mark of their feet, and the shells of +the seeds are lying on the top of the bed. + +I have started sketching, thinking it will interest those at home to see +what this place is like. + +The children have come in to play a round game. Two were in last night, so +I said we could not have them again to-night. Tears came into the eyes of +Martha Repetto, whereupon I relented, and four of them are now in full +swing. There is just room for us all at the table. + +The men have gone to Seal Bay, walking over the mountain. When they were +there the other day they found the so-called wild cattle in such poor +condition that they mean to try to drive them across a ravine to a place +where there is better pasture. + +_Wednesday, November_ 27.--Repetto has just been in. He enjoys having a +talk, but he generally comes with something he has either made or mended +for us. This time he has brought a capital pastry-board made out of one of +the cases. + +There are some very young pupils at school just now. They spend part of +their time sleeping, and are nursed by us or by one of the elder girls. +One of them is rather spoilt at home, and the discipline of having to sit +still and not talk has already done him good. The children are getting on +so well. Susan Repetto, who is eight, could not write a letter of the +alphabet eighteen months ago, but can now do fairly difficult dictation. +Yesterday she had no mistake in it. What about the arithmetic? Ah! there +is not much improvement there. One small boy has for months been learning +to add two and two together and invariably gets it wrong, though sometimes +he gets other figures right. Some of the elder girls make very good +figures, and the greater part are writing a good hand. They write letters +daily on their slates together with the address of the person to whom the +letter is written. + +_Saturday, November_ 30.--Yesterday Repetto and Henry Green started making +a larder for us. It is being built of large blocks of soft stone and is to +be on a line with the porch. There have been many consultations over it. +The difficulty is to get the wood for the roof. We shall be so thankful to +have a place to keep our food in. Up to the present we have had to keep +the milk, which is set in a large pan to cream, on a small table in the +corner of the sitting-room with the butter and eggs. + +_Tuesday, December_ 3.--A whaler in sight! We have been trying to send off +our letters ever since September. The people say it is many a year since +they have had such a bad time for ships, and Repetto says it is the worst +year since he has been on the island. + +Walter Swain, who was here last year, has landed from the whaler. The +captain has ordered 500 lbs. of beef and a quantity of potatoes, but these +latter are scarce; he offers in exchange flour, soap, molasses, and +calico. + +_Wednesday, December_ 4.--We were asked to tea today to the Sam Swain's to +meet the visitor and were to choose our own hour, so we settled upon four, +there being a service at five. Walter Swain has sailed all over the world; +his home is at New Bedford. He is, I believe, a first-rate harpooner and +makes a good deal by his skill. He says he has already made 800 dollars +during the year, and, of course, will make still more before he gets home. +We are sending our letters by this whaler as Walter says he will very +likely be able to transfer them to a passing steamer, failing that, he +will post them at St. Helena two or three months hence. I have about +sixteen to send off. + +We are already talking of the possible arrival of Mr. Keytel. + +A holiday in honour of the presence of the whaler has given an opportunity +for weeding the garden. In the midst of a clump of Love-in-a-mist a hen +has been daily laying her eggs and now wants to sit there, but that cannot +be allowed. + +This has been a splendid day for going out to the ship. The captain, a +coloured man, was very kind and most fair, in fact, he seems to have given +good measure running over. Six barrels of flour and over one hundred +pounds of soap have come ashore. The men came back in a most jubilant +mood, we could hear in the house their singing as they neared the shore. +Mrs. Lavarello brought us some ship biscuits, of which she got a bushel +and a half in exchange for a goose. + +_Tuesday, December_ 10.--Our little visitor this week is Florence Swain. +She had set her heart upon coming and has been asking her mother for weeks +when her turn would be. + +_Wednesday, December_ 11.--Today for the wives of Henry Green and Repetto, +who have been working hard at the larder, we made up packets of grocery +containing tea, sugar, sultanas, pepper, cheese, candles, and soap. + +_Friday, December_ 13.--Towards the end of school there was a cry of +"Sail, ho!" The ship is thought to be another whaler. + +Last night I planted out nearly fifty sunflowers in one bed, so there +ought to be a blaze of colour. Our wheat is coming on well. Miss Cotton +has a supper to-night for the men who have been working for her. It was +announced by Bob Green getting on to the roof of the house and shouting +out. + +The men returned this evening from the whaler, from which they have got +more flour and material. Repetto got some material for us; but it is poor +stuff and rather expensive. + + + +CHAPTER XXV + + +_Monday, December_ l6.--Every one is busy preparing for Christmas. There's +much blueing and starching of clothes. We were up early as we have started +house-cleaning. + +_Tuesday, December_ l7.--The kitchen was whitewashed before breakfast, and +the passage this afternoon. + +This time of year it is necessary to water the garden every night, the +ground dries so quickly. The children come and do it for us and weed and +sweep. + +The larder is not altogether a success. Though it has a fair amount of +ventilation it is rather stuffy. + +Here is a list of some books which were given to William on the whaler the +other day: Plutarch's _Lives of Alcibiades and Coriolanus_; _Trips to the +Moon_, by Lucian; _Voyagers' Tales_, by Richard Hakluyt; _Areopagitica_, +by Milton; _Lives of English Poets_, _Banquet of Plato_, and the _Light of +Asia_, by Sir E. Arnold. One would hardly expect to find such books on a +whaler. + +_Friday, December_ 20.--We are sitting in our "parlour," which is +bespattered with whitewash and its furniture covered with sheets and +paper, and must resign ourselves to a day or two of this mode of living, +as parts of the room will most likely have to be whitewashed again. We +hope the wind will veer round to the west, so that the room may dry. At +present a north wind is blowing, which makes the walls oozy with damp and +the atmosphere very steamy. We get a good deal of this unpleasant wind at +this time of the year, together with heavy mists at sea. + +_Christmas Eve_.--I went up to the church and found Sam Swain and his +girls decorating it, as last year, with willow branches and pink roses. A +wreath had been made for the centre of the ceiling. + +_Christmas Day_.--This morning there were twenty-four present at the Holy +Communion. There were also services at 10:30 and 3 o'clock. + +The Repettos and little Joe spent the evening with us. + +_Thursday, December_ 26.--We have had a restful day. Little Clara Swain +had begged to come and stay with us, so today she came. At supper she +began to shed a few tears, and wanted to go home to her mother. Later I +took her home. When she got there she was rather ashamed and hid her face +in the sofa all the time half laughing. + +_New Year's Eve_.--A mild type of influenza is going the round, caught no +doubt on a whaler. In the fo'c'sle of one a man was seen wrapped up in a +blanket who was perhaps suffering from it. + +I can imagine as I sit here the bells at home ringing out the old year. I +earnestly hope this coming year we may be able to do more in helping the +people "upward." + +_New Year's Day_, 1908.--We were astir early and had service at 8:30. + +New Year's Day is made as much of as Christmas Day in that the people wear +their best clothes, keep holiday and have a special dinner. We have had a +nice quiet day, digging, reading and sketching. Sketching, as may readily +be imagined, is often done under difficulties. + +_Saturday, January_ 11.--The expected schooner is ever a subject of +conversation with the elders. We are beginning to feel doubtful as to its +coming. The people are very hopeful, always having the feeling that if one +thing does not turn up another will. + +_Sunday, January_ 12.--I was taking a stroll this afternoon and in +crossing a rivulet stepped on a stone which toppled over, and I fell in. +My white serge skirt, which had just been washed, was caked with +mud. + +_Wednesday, January_ 15.--We have had high winds the last day or two and +last night had quite a gale, the wind coming in strong gusts all night +long. The garden has suffered considerably. The children lament over the +destruction and go round propping up plants of their own accord. + +_Sunday, January_ 19.--We have lost our last Cape canary through moulting; +he was a beautiful singer. Yesterday afternoon we went some way up the +mountain just above the settlement. We walked for some distance up the +Goat Ridge, crossed a ravine to our left, and then got on to what is +called the Pinnacle, where we had a view which was awe-inspiring. There +lay before us two or three yawning chasms stretching away down the +mountain side. I hardly liked to look at them. One was Hottentot Gulch, +whose sides, here bare, there dotted with trees or ferns, went down sheer +a thousand or more feet. When on higher ground and looking at the expanse +of ocean one realizes more than ever how we are cut off from the rest of +the world. + +_Tuesday, January_ 21.--It is Lizzie Rogers' sixth birthday. She was very +anxious to bring a present, and went round to try to get half-a-dozen +eggs. Not being able to procure these, she brought us some cooked meat for +supper. After having a game I sent her home, but she appeared again when +her mother brought the milk. I did not know till afterwards that she +wanted to stay the night and that her mother had literally to drag her +away, poor little thing. She has long black eyelashes, from under which +she looks out at one with a shy trusting look which is quite charming. + +[Illustration: OUR BATHING PLACE (LITTLE BEACH)] + +We had Betty Cotton and three of her contemporaries in to tea to-day and +had quite a _recherché_ meal for them, chocolate mould and some dainty +little scones. Most of the people are out of tea, so a cup of it is a +treat to them. They stayed three hours, talking chiefly of old times and +shipwrecks. One of their favourite stories is of a captain who lashed his +wife and child to the rigging and then swam ashore through the breakers. +But instead of remaining on the beach near the foundering ship so as to be +at hand to help and rescue them he went off to the settlement five miles +away and comfortably slept through the night, leaving the islanders to do +the watching and rescuing. Our visitors always come in their best attire, +and they like being invited into the inner parlour. Mrs. Martha Green went +home and returned with a dozen and a half eggs. + +_Thursday, January_ 23.--The poor penguins that land on this shore to +moult have but a short life, for the dogs hunt them out at once. The other +day we rescued one from Rob, who was dragging it from a small cave. It ran +back and Graham piled up large stones at the mouth so that no dog could +get at it. Each morning on our way to bathe we had a look at it and could +see its white breast close to the aperture. But alas! one morning we found +the bird gone. A boy had broken down the wall and his dog had killed the +penguin. While penguins are moulting they require no other food than that +with which Nature has provided them in a store of oil from which they can +draw. + +_Sunday, January_ 26.--The Repettos have been here this evening. They had +some difficulty in getting in, for Rob saw them and took his stand on the +doorstep, his hair bristling; they went round to the front and he ran +round the other way to meet them. They are so kind to him he ought to have +behaved better, but he does not approve of any one coming in the evening. +We read aloud Mr. Peck's Diary, _Two Years in Baffin Land_ in the +_Intelligencer_, and they were much interested. They like coming and we +are only too pleased to see them. + +_Tuesday, January_ 28.--I think every one is now giving up all hope of +seeing the schooner. + +To-day John Glass and his wife gave a dinner to the whole island in honour +of their one-year-old son. Ellen and I went. Everything was excellently +arranged. We began with stuffed meat which was really very well cooked, +then followed open berry-tarts with twisted bars across, open apple-tarts, +and berry-pudding served with cream. + +Yesterday Bob Green took Graham for a long-promised outing to the Caves, a +spot in the mountain just above Big Beach and about a third of the way +up to the Base. At one point, considered very dangerous because if a step +is missed there must be a deadly fall, he insisted on roping him. We +watched them with much interest both going and returning, as they +wound their way in and out. + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + + +_Thursday, January_ 30.--A small vessel has just been sighted. It looks so +small that every one is wondering what it possibly can be. It is being +well scanned through the telescope and is seen to be flying an English +flag; in answer Repetto has run up ours. We have a faint hope that it may +be bringing the mail. Later we sat for a long time on the cliff watching. +One of our boats went out but could not board her, for fear of being +swamped. The vessel tacked, and when it got near our boat again dropped a +bottle into the sea for our men. In it was a letter from the Captain +saying that he wanted some fresh meat and other things and that he would +come in again early to-morrow. The men think it must be a sealer. + +_Friday, January_ 31.--No vessel appeared and we think it may have gone +for good. + +_Saturday, February_ 1.--Early this morning the small vessel was again +seen in the far distance and some hours later a boat from it landed the +Captain's brother and two of the crew. The two latter were brought to us +at the school. As they spoke only French the islanders did not know what +else to do with them. I tried to carry on a conversation with them and +learnt they were going to Kerguelen Island for sealing. They wanted to +know if it was not rather "ennuyeux" here. The Captain's brother went to +Repetto to arrange business and was afterwards brought to us. Meanwhile +another vessel had been sighted and the men drew lots who should go out to +it. Monsieur Rallier du Baty stayed and had lunch with us. He was such a +pleasant gentlemanly man and most easy to talk to. I never talked so much +French to any one before. Sometimes I got grounded. I understood him to +say that his ship was being sent out by the French Government to Kerguelen +for scientific research, that they intend staying there a year, and that +they also hope to do some sealing. They had named their boat the _J. B. +Charcot_, after Dr. Charcot, with whom one of them had been on an +Antarctic expedition. Graham asked him about two meteorological +instruments which he has not been quite sure how to set, and he has very +kindly showed him how to set them. M. Rallier told us after they left +Cherbourg they met with very bad weather and had to put in to Brixham for +repairs, by which they were delayed three weeks. From there they went on +to Madeira, then to Rio Janeiro, and next touched here. He was much +interested to know what had brought us to Tristan. He knew about the wreck +of the _Blendon Hall_ and had passed close to Inaccessible to view the +scene of the wreck. + +Our men boarded the other ship sighted, which proved to be a Norwegian one +bound for Adelaide. + +_Monday, February_ 3.--On Saturday evening Repetto came in with some +things which the French captain had very kindly sent us--potted meat, a +tin of butter, jam which he specially sent word was from England, and also +carrot, leek and onion seeds, which are particularly acceptable. + +A ship was seen to-day, but the men did not go out. It came close in and I +think the men were sorry afterwards they had not gone to it. + +_Friday, February_ 7.--Yesterday Graham and Alfred began to cut the corn, +and to-day, taking a holiday, finished it. I bound the sheaves and stood +them up in shocks. + +Part of the morning I spent in butter-making. I found the best method was +to work with the churn standing in the stream, and after the butter came +and was washed to leave it standing there. The result was very firm, good +butter. As a rule Ellen does the churning. + +This afternoon was given to threshing wheat and a very slow process it +was. A sail was spread in the field and I and the older boys tried to +beat and rub the wheat out. In olden days the people threshed in their +sitting-rooms. We also did a little winnowing, throwing the wheat up for +the wind to blow the chaff away. I should think all our efforts did not +produce more than a quarter of a bushel. + +Just now the men are busy digging potatoes. They are finding a good deal +of disease in them, but probably will have enough to last through the +season, as they always sow more than they require. + +_Sunday, February_ 9.--The other day at school a short piece from Mr. +Peck's journal was read to the children, who were told to write out what +they could remember of it. One little girl of nine began, "Mr. Peck live +in a bag." The fur bag that he slept in interested them far more than +anything else. The Sunday class of girls is very well attended, no girl +staying away unless ill. It is difficult to get replies from some of them, +but there are one or two who give very intelligent answers. + +_Tuesday, February_ 11.--It is a thick misty day, but a ship is coming in. +The men have had such a rush to get off, some having run all the way from +the Potato patches and arriving on the beach in a great state of heat. In +a few minutes others appeared just as the second boat was going off, one +so breathless he could not speak. But after all their efforts they failed +to reach the ship, which kept too far out. + +_Wednesday, February_ 12.--Last Saturday all the school-children were +turned into the wheat-field to help to thresh the wheat. Flails had been +made by tying pieces of wood to cricket stumps. The boys beat the sheaves +with great energy, especially the younger ones. Graham and I have spent +our whole afternoon in threshing and he is now winnowing by moonlight. + +_Monday, February_ 17.--On Friday afternoon with the girls' help we +finished threshing the wheat and the next day winnowed it. + +_Tuesday, February_ 18.--Mrs. Andrew Swain brought us this evening a few +apples and four peaches. These are the first peaches we have seen; they +are green, but will soon ripen. Her husband brought about half a bushel +home, but the trees rarely bear; probably they are too old. + +We had seriously thought this week of camping out near the ponds. For a +tent we should have taken an old sail. The weather, however, has become so +unsettled we have given up the idea. + +_Thursday, February_ 20.--Graham ground a little wheat yesterday between +two stones and I made a loaf of it, which he says is the best brown bread +he has ever tasted. + +We have just been taking a turn in the dusk, and on the way called at the +Repettos' to find out the name of the owners of the _Greta Holme_, the +steamer which has been here more than once. We think we may perhaps get it +to call for us to take us home. + +_Monday, February_ 24.--It is such a quiet evening, the lamps are lit and +the windows are wide open and we can plainly hear the gurgling of the +stream outside. + +On Saturday Charlie Green came in to say that he and his mother wish to go +back to their house. It is the one in which we hold church and school. +After hearing what he had to say we told him to ask his mother to come and +see us to-day, which she has done. She feels she must go back to her house +and would like to move into it this week, and we feel we cannot say +anything against it, for this is the fourth time she has given it up for +the same purpose. + +_Wednesday, February_ 26.--A meeting took place this morning at 7.30 to +consider where church and school are now to be held. Lavarello first +offered for his mother-in-law, Mary Glass, her room for school. Then +followed a discussion as to where service should be held. Finally Repetto +said they would be willing to give up their house entirely for church and +school, they themselves living in the adjoining cottage, if they could put +two of the girls out to sleep. It was agreed that if this could be +arranged the school should be there. + +We offered to Mrs. Repetto to take her two elder girls, but she had +arranged for them to go to her mother. It is a sacrifice to the Repettos +to give up their house, for they take real pride in it and they go out at +great personal inconvenience, for they will have to live in two small +rooms, one of which is his workshop. She spoke very nicely about it, +saying they were doing it for God. She also spoke warmly of the Sunday +services and said she could not think how any one could sit in church and +not be touched by them. Nothing but illness keeps her away. + +At the meeting the men agreed to build a church, and spoke of beginning +it when the potato digging is over. They will put up the stonework and +leave the roof till the next clergyman comes, and say they will put no +fire-place in it and then no one can use it as a house. As there is no +house for school we are having a holiday. We went yesterday to pack up the +school things and found the men already at work putting up the partitions. +Mrs. Green will benefit by the new window-panes and we are glad she +should. We have enough left for the rooms into which the Repettos are +going. + +[Illustration: THE OLD CHURCH HOUSE] + +_Friday, February_ 28.--Men are working at Repetto's house to turn it into +the school-chapel. This house is really the church of the island, as its +history shows. It was built by a man named William Daley for himself. When +Mr. Taylor the clergyman came it was bought for his church. It was valued +at twenty-seven pounds, and nine men each gave three pounds. The nine were +Corporal Glass, Alexander Cotton, Thomas Hill Swain, Peter Green, Richard +Riley, Andrew Hagan, Charles Taylor, Peter Mellor(?), and William Daley, +the owner. When Mr. Taylor left he told the people who remained they +could do what they liked with the church. Thereupon the nine buyers or +their representatives each claimed a three-pound share in it. The claim to +these shares has been handed down. Miss Cotton claims one from her father, +Martha Green one from her husband, the mother of Sam Swain, senior, one. +But Matilda Hagan, the daughter of Peter Green, is said to claim the most. + +Repetto's workshop has been cleaned out, floored, and whitewashed, and +looks quite nice. The ceiling is very low, so I have exhorted them to have +their bedroom window open at night as she feels the need of air since her +heart-attacks. He has just brought in a large bureau made by himself and +which he has asked us to house. Our room is already packed, but we have +been able to find a place for it by turning out a table which will be +useful at school. + +_Saturday, February_ 29.--To-day all the men, with the exception of three, +went off to Inaccessible for sealing. We are now having beautiful weather. + +_Tuesday, March_ 3.--To-day a ship was in sight and we were regretting +there was no boat to go out to her, all four having been taken to +Inaccessible. But presently we heard that two boats from Inaccessible +were to be seen in the distance. These got alongside the ship, which was +an Italian one, but the captain would not stop. All the men have now +returned. They secured eleven seals and think they could have got more, +but were afraid to stay longer for fear of missing ships. They brought +some plants back. + +_Ash-Wednesday, March_ 4.--All the men and a good many women went off +to-day in three boats to Sandy Point to gather apples and are spending the +night there. + +Caroline Swain came to tea. + +_Thursday, March_ 5.--We have begun daily service and hope to continue it +as long as we are here. + +It was too breezy for the boats to come back to-day, so most of the people +have walked home. It is quite a ten miles' walk, a part of it over great +boulders along the shore and a part over Big Point, where there is an ugly +bit of climbing to be done. It took them about seven hours. Mrs. Repetto +says it is the last time _she_ shall do it. + +With daily service at 9 o'clock it is rather a rush, and this morning I +had baking on hand; the dough had risen so that it had poured over the tin +like so much froth and I had to gather it up and re-knead it. I had to +start baking it before church and when I got back the fire was nearly out. + +_Tuesday, March_ 10.--About midday a big ship appeared on the horizon +opposite the settlement. The men started out and seemed confident of +reaching her, though at times she could not be seen. They have not yet +returned, though it is nearly 8 o'clock. It is always so interesting to +hear how they have fared, and, of course, it is the one excitement and +variety in the life here. + +8.45.--We have just heard the whistle of the returning boats, and, as +usual, the dogs have started barking. + +_Wednesday, March_ 11.--The ship was a Scotch one bound for Australia and +had come out from London in forty-one days. The captain seemed a kind man +and allowed the men several hours on board. He sent Graham two books, +Milton's poems was one, and asked him to write to him, which, of course, +he will do. + +_Thursday, March_ 12.--We are having a spell of wet weather. It is +difficult to keep dryshod going backwards and forwards to school. The new +school-house is a little nearer than the old, but there is no track and +the long bents in the grass are very wetting. Happily we are not short of +boots and shoes. + +We went this afternoon for a short walk and passed a rock the shape of an +arm-chair, and called Glass's arm-chair. When he was old the Corporal used +to find his way to this seat, which overlooks Big Beach and commands a +good view of the sea. + +A few weeks ago we put on our clocks an hour, thinking to get an extra +hour of daylight, but we find the plan does not answer and have had to put +them back again. The people got up no earlier and the result was that some +of the boys and girls came to school without any breakfast. + +_Wednesday, March_ l8.--This afternoon Graham went for a nine miles' walk +with Arthur Repetto and came across two donkeys that had been tethered at +the Bluff since yesterday morning and had nothing to eat. One could only +move a foot or two, the rope having got wound round its leg. They moved +them to fresh ground, but could find no water to give them. The riders had +walked over to Seal Bay. A boat went there two days ago for feathers and +oil, but has not been able to return for want of the right wind. + +_Thursday, March_ 19.--The Greens sent us some beautiful large apples from +their orchard at the Bay. All the apples are a better size this year owing +to having been picked a month later. + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + + +_Thursday, March_ 26.--The event of events has happened, the _Greyhound_ +has come. It was first seen when we were in church on Sunday morning. Two +boats went out to her and in the afternoon returned with Mr. Keytel, +seventeen persons from the Cape, and the mail. Hearing Mr. Keytel had +landed Graham and I sallied forth to greet him. He was looking very +cheerful and well, and was accompanied by two large dogs. The mail-bags +were soon brought to the house. But Mr. Keytel said before anything was +done he must show us the photographs which he took when here last year. We +looked at them with the greatest interest and thought them excellent. We +then went to service, and after it, came back and opened the mail in a +crowded room. It was a large mail and took some time to dispose of. Mr. +Keytel had much to tell us. He had had great difficulties to contend with, +as everything seemed against his coming. + +Now a few words about the people he has brought with him. Three of them, +Joe Glass, Bob Glass and Jim Hagan, were born on the island and left it as +young men about fifteen years ago. In South Africa they married three +white women, sisters. With their wives and children they number sixteen. +The seventeenth, a young unmarried man named Joe Hagan, was also born +here. I do not think the greater part of the islanders are particularly +pleased at this invasion. + +[Illustration: LANDING GOODS] + +On Monday the boats made several journeys to the schooner and got on +well with the unloading. Nothing more is to be done until Mr. Keytel +has visited Gough Island. He expects to be away about a fortnight. On +Tuesday morning the schooner came in well, and all were on the shore +ready to embark for Gough Island, which is about two hundred miles to the +south-east. Mr. Keytel was keen upon Graham going, and as nearly all our +men are going and he may not have such an opportunity again he decided to +accept his kind offer and go. By the time the boats were launched the +schooner began to move further out, the sea waking up a little. Before +long she was lost to sight and after a vain chase the three boats came +back. It was most trying for Mr. Keytel, for every day lost is a +consideration to him. + +The Repettos are very much upset because some of the new-comers are trying +to take their house. Yesterday just before embarking two of them +threateningly said they meant to have it, and one took off his coat to +fight Repetto. This is the house whose ownership is disputed, several +people claiming shares in it, the mother of the young man who wanted to +fight claiming the most. She used to live in it and when she left the +island begged the Repettos to leave the one in which they were living and +to go into hers and take care of it for her. The young man has not +produced any letter or paper from his mother to the effect that she wishes +the Repettos to give up occupation. We have told the Repettos they need +not be afraid and that if they do not retaliate Graham and Mr. Keytel will +stand by them and see that right is done. + +_Friday, March_ 27.--The winds are still against the schooner putting in. + +One of the Bob Glass children has been seriously ill and delirious, the +result it is thought of a fall or a sunstroke. I went to see it and +advised a dose of castor-oil. Going again in the afternoon I found the +child up and standing outside the front door, apparently well. The mother +had been up all night and quite thought she was going to lose him. + +_Saturday, March_ 28.--To-day matters came to a climax about the Repettos' +house. The two men started taking possession by mending a hole in the +roof. Ellen pointed them out to me as we were coming home from church. I +thought I had better go back and let Graham know what they were doing. He +went out at once and asked them if they had Repetto's leave to do the +work. They said, "No." "Then," said Graham, "I cannot let you do it." +Meanwhile as I passed the door Repetto said he had something he wanted to +show me, would I come in. I could see they were both very upset. Soon John +Glass, who had been helping the men on the roof, came in looking, I +thought, a little ashamed. I told him he had made a mistake in having +anything to do with the business, and said, "How would you like it if some +one were to come and work on your roof without asking you first?" He said +he would not like it. I told him the best thing he could do was to go home +and have nothing more to do with it, and he went. Then his brother, Joe +Glass, who was really the instigator of it all, came and looked over the +door. I gave him, too, a piece of my mind, and after a time he went away. +Presently the young man appeared looking very menacing. He walked up to +his cousin, Mrs. Repetto, showing his fists. I was dreadfully afraid she +might lose her temper and strike him, and then I do not know what might +have happened. I rushed off for Graham, who was taking school, and he came +at once. He told the young man if he could satisfy him that he had his +mother's authority to take the house he should have it, after the Repettos +had been given a reasonable time to find another. If he could not so +satisfy him then the Repettos would remain in possession. He went on to +say he was here as a clergyman with the knowledge and consent of the +Government; that it was his duty to do his best to prevent any breach of +the peace and that he intended to do so. He would see that justice was +done just as a magistrate would. He warned him and all that if there were +any further disturbance those causing it would run the risk of being sent +from the island, for he should report the whole matter to the Government. +Things now began to calm down and Graham went back to school. Poor Mrs. +Repetto had quite broken down, and at sight of her it was as much as her +husband could do to keep his temper. But they spoke very nicely to the +young man and said if he had a paper from his mother saying he was to have +the house, of course they would give it up; and if he liked they would +give up their bedroom to him in any case. Then Repetto went outside with +him and said he wanted to be his friend, not his enemy. Finally the young +man came back and said he was very sorry for the way he had behaved and +that they should hear no more about the house, and went up and kissed Mrs. +Repetto and her mother. Then he shook hands with me and said how sorry he +was and that there should be no more trouble. The Repettos said to me +afterwards we have never seen anything like this before on the island, +asking for forgiveness as he did. If there had been any angry words in the +first instance from them there would no doubt have been a fight. + +_Tuesday, March_ 3l.--The men have all been busy to-day roofing a small +empty one-roomed house for Joe Glass which Andrew Hagan is said to have +sold him for £10. + +This afternoon Graham and Mr. Keytel have been looking at a small disused +house near here which Henry Green uses as a lamb-house, and which Mr. +Keytel thinks will do for him if Henry will let him have it. Till a house +is ready for him he will, I hope, remain with us. + +The schooner, which has been out a week, has not yet been seen. + +_Wednesday, April_ 1.--She has been sighted this afternoon. A day or two +ago there was a gale, which probably blew her a long way out. The poor +captain must be having rather a bad time. + +_Thursday, April_ 2.--She came in to-day and Mr. Keytel has started for +Gough Island. Several of the men did not want to go, pleading colds as an +excuse. Mr. Keytel had to go round and work them up, and they finally all +went except John Glass. It has taken us a long time to really know the +people. They are very pleasant and kind, but everything is not as it +appears on the surface. + +_Friday, April_ 3.--This has been a most beautiful day. It seemed a pity +not to make the most of it, so we decided to go westward, taking a donkey. +The Repettos said we might have theirs, but as it took Arthur four hours +to catch it we did not get off till noon. We were glad to lunch under the +shadow of a rock, for it was really hot. Then we went for another mile or +two, tethered the donkey, and rested. After brewing some tea we started +for home just as the sun was setting in a cloudless sky. We mean to go on +such expeditions every now and then, as they freshen us up for the daily +round. + +_Saturday, April_ 4.--Last night Glass came to say that old Caroline, his +aunt, was much worse and to ask if Graham would go and read to her. Graham +found her very ill, but conscious and able to understand what was said. He +told Glass to come again in the night if necessary. About 11 o'clock he +came again to tell us Caroline was dying. Graham hurried up and went +across, but she had passed away. That evening she had asked Mrs. Lavarello +to read to her her favourite hymn, "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in +a believer's ear." + +It was thought necessary to have the funeral to-day, to-morrow being +Sunday. Graham helped Glass as much as he could in making the coffin. The +great difficulty was to find wood for it; the lid was made of fourteen +pieces. Graham lined the coffin and I painted the name, age and date on +it. The two elder boys, Alfred and William, worked at the grave, and very +well they did it. Alfred was not really up to the work, having been ill, +but he would not give in. Graham and Glass finished the digging. Mrs. Bob +Glass has been quite a stand-by for the women. The funeral was at four +o'clock. Glass and the three boys were the bearers, and managed very well. +As usual, a British flag was used as a pall, which especially became a +daughter of one of Nelson's sailors. Almost every one was present and was +dressed in black. At the close of the service her favourite hymn was sung. +There were four wreaths placed on the grave. The tiny cemetery, bordered +by big blocks of stone and the people grouped inside between the +gravestones, presented a striking picture against the distant sea and +setting sun. I felt so thankful that Graham and Glass had not gone to +Gough Island. The latter stayed because his aunt was ill, but no one +thought of her being so near the end. An influenza cold was no doubt the +immediate cause of her death. She was seventy-nine, but looked more like +ninety. + +_Sunday, April_ 5.--We had not many at the morning service, and those who +were there had such bad colds it was as much as we could do to get through +the hymns. I had only two girls at the class instead of seven. + +I went to see Eliza Hagan, a sister of Caroline Swain, and for once found +her alone. She has now two step-sons and their families living in her +house. + +_Monday, April_ 6.--This evening Fred Swain came in to say his little baby +brother had scalded his foot and to ask for something to put on it. I +thought I had better go and see it. It was not an easy matter to dress the +child's foot, for he kicked vigorously all the time, more, I think, from +fright than pain, for he stopped directly it was bound up. + +_Wednesday, April_ 8.--We entered on our third year to-day. Graham has +started afternoon school from two to half-past three. A late school does +not answer, as the boys have to fetch their cows home and often have a +long distance to go for them. + +_Thursday, April_ 9.--All our spare time is taken up in answering letters. +We are having a spell of wet weather and I fear the new-comers are feeling +a little depressed, but I dare say they will cheer up when the schooner +returns. + +_Friday, April_ 10.--We have been opening two good-sized parcels from Mrs. +J--- of Bulford Camp. It contains such useful things, pinafores, +crossovers, haberdashery, writing-paper, pencils and pens. + +_Saturday morning, April_ 11.--A ship has been sighted to the westward; we +think it may be the schooner, which has been away ten days. + +_Evening_.--We were right, it was the schooner; the three boats landed +this afternoon. We went to meet them and thought the men looked very +dejected. It seems they never reached their destination. They met with +very bad weather and never sighted Gough Island. From what we have heard +since we feel sure the captain never intended they should. We are sorry +for Mr. Keytel, for so far things have not been very propitious, but hope +that with a bad beginning may come a good ending. He has not come ashore, +but will stay on the ship till all the business is done. + +We are very sorry to hear that there has been a great deal of thieving on +board, and we fear the newcomers are involved in it. One man says that +every case of ours has been opened. It remains to be seen how far this is +true. Another says he saw quite enough on the trip to Gough Island. +Parcels for the people are missing, and one addressed to us by Miss +M---- containing things for some of the people has been opened and a large +piece of bed-ticking taken out. + +_Monday, April_ l3.--To-day the schooner came in, but the men said it was +too rough to go out. Some, I think, did not want to, so no business was +done. + +Our cases were brought up from the beach; the greater part of them have +been opened and fastened up again, but as far as we can see but little has +been abstracted. The men who brought them up enjoyed unpacking some of +them for us, and were most interested in discussing how a large iron +saucepan cracked in three places could be mended. + +Graham is laid up with a bad pain in his chest and back, and can hardly +sleep for it at night. + +_Tuesday, April_ l4.--A wet and misty day, and the schooner not seen. + +I went up to see Alfred Green, who is very poorly with a bad cough and a +pain in his side. I put on a mustard-leaf. He is such a steady young +fellow and sets a good example both in and out of school. + +_Wednesday, April_ 15.--I persuaded Graham to remain indoors to-day. I had +a busy morning. First, I went out and took the readings of the +thermometers, then soon after nine went up to church to read the daily +service. From there I went to the Andrew Swains' to dress the baby's +scalded foot. He cried more lustily than ever, but this will be the last +dressing that will be necessary, the wound having healed beautifully. I +then retraced my steps to the Henry Greens' to inquire after Alfred, who +is a little better. His mother thought another mustard-leaf would do him +good, so I came home for it and before long took it up and put it on. + +_Thursday, April_ 16.--No unloading has been done since Saturday. + +I had to administer a caning to little Charlie this morning. William told +me he was constantly cruel to his dog by beating it for no reason. We had +often heard the dog crying out. I believe the mother was not overpleased +at the chastisement, but Graham always comes down upon the boys if he +hears of any cruelty. + +_Good Friday_.--I took both services to-day. + +_Saturday, April_ 18.--The schooner came in to-day and has been unloading. +Mr. Keytel is shipping for the Cape two hundred sheep, which he expects to +put on board to-morrow. We are sorry it has to be done on Sunday. As the +schooner will probably leave the same day we are finishing our letters +to-night. + +We have been much interested to hear about the snails sent to Cambridge. +In acknowledging their receipt the Professor writes: "The conical ones are +no doubt _Siphonaria Lessoni_, a species found all round the south end of +South America; and the 'scaly' one is _Magellanic Chiton_." And again: +"You will note the connection with _Magellanica_. The _Magellanica_ is +evidently the typical circumpolar fauna; and even Kerguelen Island is much +more akin to Magellanica than to Africa or New Zealand. I should expect +Tristan to be the same, though it has a distinctly European element in +Balea." + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII + + +_Easter Sunday_.--Very few elders were at either morning or afternoon +service, only two or three of the regular ones. Graham was not able to get +out, but is improving. + +The men were occupied in getting the sheep down to the shore, but in the +end were not able to put off, for heavy rain came on and the sea grew +rough; one boat started, but had to come back. + +_Monday, April_ 20.--No business could be done with the ship to-day; it +had been blown eastward. The weather has been bad and there have been +heavy rain-storms. + +One of Mr. Keytel's dogs, a well-bred pointer, has taken up his abode with +us while his master is on the ship. We dare not leave him for an instant +in the room by himself if there is any food on the table. The other +morning he ate our breakfast of bacon, which had been prepared as an +especial delicacy. + +_Tuesday, April_ 21.--Another stormy day, and nothing seen of the +schooner. + +This afternoon school began again; Ellen is helping me with the infants. +Nearly all the children attended. + +_Wednesday, April_ 22.--There was a very small school, for many boys were +away helping to collect the sheep for the schooner, which was coming in, +and some were playing truant. The sheep were carted down to the shore and +the men were ready for embarking, when the ship moved out, and so all +their labour was again in vain. The sea was "making up," and to-night is +stormy. It is rather late in the year for a sailing-ship to do business. + +_Thursday, April_ 23.--A roughish sea. No sign of the schooner. + +I had some trouble in school to-day with one of the new scholars, a boy of +eleven. He thinks he can come to school late, not learn his lessons, and +do just as he pleases. I had to cane him. He fought all the time, but at +last subsided and meekly went back to his place. I felt breathless, and I +am sure the children were breathless with surprise at such behaviour. I +had a talk with him afterwards when he stayed behind to learn his lessons. +I think that, after his Cape school, he rather looks down upon a little +school like this. It is remarkable how well he and his younger brother +have been taught to read. + +_Friday, April_ 24.--A fairly rough sea and no sign of the schooner. + +I have spent the afternoon writing, at Graham's dictation, his yearly +report to the Colonial Office; to-morrow I hope we may finish it. + +_Saturday, April_ 25.--No appearance of the schooner. The wind is rising +to-night. + +_Sunday, April_ 26.--There were better congregations to-day, with a +sprinkling of men. + +No schooner. + +_Monday, April_ 27.--Our eyes have scanned the horizon in vain, but I feel +sure we shall see the schooner to-morrow. Graham has quite made up his +mind that we cannot go home by it next year. It has no accommodation for +passengers beyond the hold. + +_Tuesday, April_ 28.--The people had become somewhat anxious about the +schooner's non-appearance, but to-day it appeared on the horizon. It was +too rough, however, for any business to be done, though one boat went out +with the mail. It is a rough night again. + +_Wednesday, April_ 29.--Too wet and stormy for either church or school. + +In one of our letters we were asked what is our daily menu, so I give it +here. Breakfast: milk-coffee, bread and butter, and a boiled egg when in +season, varied with grape-nuts, porridge, or occasionally fish. Dinner: +mutton, either hot, cold, or curried. About five days a week milk +puddings, sometimes served with stewed dried fruit. Supper: tea, bread and +butter, cold meat or fish. Fish is rather an uncertainty, but when it does +come it is fresh. The people always bring it scaled and cleaned. + +_Thursday, April_ 30.--Nothing has been seen of the schooner to-day. + +_Friday, May_ 1.--I am taking school for a short time each morning just to +keep the children up in reading and writing. I also give them Bible +instruction and hear their lessons. + +We have again an invasion of mice or small rats. A day or two ago one was +found drowned in the milk-pan, this morning a second in the water-pail, +and a third in the milk-jug. A great many have been caught in the loft, +and occasionally we see them in the sitting-room popping in and out of +holes when all is quiet. + +_Saturday, May_ 2.--The schooner was sighted this morning, but there was +not enough breeze to bring her in. + +_Sunday, May_ 3.--This morning we were awakened by a loud shouting. It was +one of the men arousing the settlement. The sheep had to be driven in and +taken down for embarkation. + +_Tuesday, May_ 5.--The schooner will probably leave for good to-day. The +only thing that now remains to be done is to take a few more sheep on +board and barrels of water for them. The crew are to look after the sheep +and every day will have to give each one a bottleful of water. Mr. Keytel +says that the poor sheep have been very roughly handled, and even, in +some cases, have had their horns broken. He came in early this morning +with Bob Glass, who, I thought, looked rather uncomfortable when we talked +about the things that have been stolen. One of these, we very much fear, +is the bale of calico from Carlisle, which would have been such a boon to +the people. We have been told it has been seen on board since the ship has +been here, and I believe it is on the island. We feel sure our Tristanites +have nothing to do with its disappearance. We fear we have also lost one +or two small parcels from the Cape. The Henry Greens have lost a box +containing clothing, groceries, and a good clock which they had sent to +the Cape to be mended. + +9.15 p.m.--The schooner is off at last; and, really, we are glad, for +every one will be able to settle down to ordinary life again. + +_Thursday, May_ 7.--Ellen and I spent the morning in cutting up material, +and making up parcels to send round to each family. We wish the people +would show a little more gratitude. I think they are pleased, but they do +not show it in the least. There was only one who showed gratitude, and she +sent a thousand thanks and said how useful the materials would be, for she +had just made up her mind to cut up some of her own and her husband's +clothes to make shirts for the boys. The people had nearly all run out of +sewing-cotton, so the supply just sent by friends has come in most +usefully. I have been able to give two reels to each family and to keep +some in reserve. This time we divided the material ourselves, because we +wished it to go to those who needed it most. + +The men are working at Henry Green's lamb-house to turn it into a +residence for Mr. Keytel. They are rebuilding the west wall, laying down a +floor, and putting on a zinc roof. + +_Saturday, May_ 9.--Graham and Mr. Keytel are having a game of chess. The +former is much better than he was, but has still to lead an invalid life. +Some nights he gets but little sleep on account of rain, and has to pace +up and down a good deal. + +Our fine weather has broken, and to-day we have had heavy rain and a +thunderstorm. + +_Monday, May_ ll.--Yesterday I had again to take the two services. I felt +rather alarmed in the morning, for Mr. Keytel was present. The church was +full each time. I began school again to-day after a week's holiday. It is +rather a business, taking the whole school in hand; and teaching is not +much in my line. This morning David Hagan began to roar because I took him +from his sister's lap and put him with his class. He would not stop, so I +was obliged to put him in the vestry, where he continued roaring and +occasionally uttered threats. During it all I had to go on hearing +lessons. At last he stopped, so I brought him out and put him again with +the infants, and had no more trouble with him. I give the class easy +mental arithmetic, which is much less trouble than putting down figures. + +_Saturday, May_ 16.--To-day it was warm, without wind, and Graham went out +for the first time. He has made a great advance in the last two or three +days. We made our way up to Mr. Keytel's house. The work goes on slowly, +as the men are uncertain and turn up when they like. Henry Green and +Repetto are the two reliable ones. Mr. Keytel is rather disappointed in +the men; he thought they would have done what they could for him, as he is +trying to work up a trade. He says he has already lost two or three +hundred pounds. He does not, however, seem disheartened. I think the house +will look very well when finished. It consists of two rooms. Round each, +six inches from the wall, he has put on a framework of wood canvas, which +will be painted white. This will both keep out the damp and make the room +lighter. + +_Tuesday, May_ 19.--It is difficult to find time for writing in the +evening now, as we talk so much. We generally end up with a game of +Tiddley Winks. Ellen and I usually get beaten; the two men want us to +change partners, but I will not. + +To-day Graham came in at the end of school. Every one seems unfeignedly +pleased to see him out again. + +We wish Tristan could be what it was before the new-comers came. Mr. +Keytel has been opening some of his cases, and from the first two finds +hatchets and rugs missing. Graham intends to give those whom it concerns a +piece of his mind when he is well. + +[Illustration: MRS. REPETTO FISHING] + +_Wednesday, May_ 20.--Graham was able to take service, but did not stay +for school. He came for me after school, and we walked down to the shore +and watched Mrs. Repetto catching craw-fish. She got her skirt and feet +very wet in the process. I was amused the other night by Mr. Keytel saying +to Graham, "You had better wait one more Sunday before taking the service, +Mrs. Barrow gives us good teaching." + +_Thursday, May_ 2l.--I spent the afternoon doctoring the poultry. To my +surprise every hen and chicken I caught had "pip," a horny substance under +the tongue and rather hard to get off. I operated on nearly thirty. The +fowls are rather a trouble, from their habit of getting into all sorts of +impossible places. The other day I found a hen on the pillow and her +chickens on the dressing-table and window-sill. + +_Tuesday, May_ 26.--Mr. Keytel took a sample of the white mould to the +Cape to be examined by an expert, who said it was due to the ground not +being worked, and recommended its being brought to the surface, where the +sun and air will get rid of it. + +_Friday, May_ 29.--Mr. Keytel slept in his house last night for the first +time, and to-morrow intends moving in. He had no glass for the windows, +but happily we had some to spare. Much to his amusement, he had entirely +forgotten to bring plates, spoons and forks and a teapot, and again we +were able to come to the rescue with a heterogeneous collection. + +The two-year-old infant I punished the other day says "he shan't come to +school any more because he's mad with 'old mumma.'" This same infant +prodigy generally carries about with him an old pipe. One day when on a +visit to his uncle he asked for some tobacco. The uncle said he had none. +On returning home he told his mother what his uncle had said, and +added, "I knew it was a lie." + + + +CHAPTER XXIX + + +_Monday, June_ 1.--We are to have a Christmas tree. It will be the first +that has been seen on the island. Various friends have sent us toys, +pinafores, pens, pencils and coloured candles, so we shall not lack things +to dress it with; and Mr. Keytel is kindly providing sweets, for which we +are already busy making muslin bags out of patterns. He and Repetto are +going up the mountain to choose a straight bushy tree. + +_Saturday, June_ 6.--Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were devoted to +preparations for the Christmas tree. Monday to making fifty sweet-bags and +filling them; Tuesday to wiring about a hundred candles and apportioning +the toys; and Wednesday to going over all the toys again to check any +mistake. Every child will have three or four, and sweets in addition. All +the morning of Thursday Mr. Keytel, Repetto, Ellen and I were decorating +the tree. In the afternoon the rain came down in torrents, and towards +five o'clock, the time fixed for the Christmas tree, it came on again. +Mr. Keytel came in to see what was going to be done. We were in two minds +whether to have it, but as a little later it cleared somewhat we decided +to go on, and were glad we did, for we found every one was dressed and +ready. The children sat at the west end and the elders on forms round the +room. We lighted the candles after every one was seated, and the tree +looked quite brilliant. The distribution took a long time, but I think +this increased the people's enjoyment. There was a bran-pie for the elders +to dip into, which was carried round several times; the little packets of +tobacco in it were much sought after by the men. + +Most of the people being present, Graham thought it was a favourable +opportunity for saying a few words about what was in every one's mind, +namely, the thefts that had taken place on board the schooner. He said he +was quite sure those present had had nothing to do with them. He could not +say they were always honest in their dealings with one another, but he was +quite sure they would not take anything of ours; and he remembered that +when Willie Swain and Charlie Green came in the schooner the year before, +nothing of the kind had happened. The people seemed pleased that Graham +had spoken. + +_Wednesday, June_ 10.--Yesterday began again the Women's Meeting, which +had been discontinued some months. I read to them from a Malvern paper an +account of the Tristan exhibits at Poolbrook and what the judges said +about their knitting, which much gratified them. + +_Monday, June_ 15.--Graham and I have begun playing chess in the evening. + +The people are delighted to have some one at hand with whom they can +trade. Mr. Keytel is visited at all hours of the day. He has just been +giving sweets round to the children. Repetto is constantly with him, and +has been a great help in making the doors, window-frames, and other +woodwork for his house. But Mr. Keytel has carefully to supervise +everything. He was thought very particular, as he would have everything +exact and in the right line. The tendency here is for house-carpentering +to be somewhat slapdash. At the same time Repetto, whose nickname is +"Chips," and Tom Rogers can do some very neat work. A table, a sofa, a +chest and a stool made by one or other of them will bear comparison with +anything of the kind we have seen elsewhere. + +Mr. Keytel's dog "Scotty" visits us constantly, putting his nose over the +front door and getting in when he can. He and Rob are good friends and +have great games together. + +_Wednesday, June_ l7.--Spent nearly three hours in the loft stock-taking. +We had often to creep about with bent backs because of the beams, and to +tread with care, as the boards in places are not very strong. The result +of our work is very satisfactory; we have stores enough to last us till +next spring. Tea is the only thing we may run short of. + +_Thursday, June_ l8.--After tea we went down to the sea-shore, where we +found Mr. Keytel fishing. He gave Graham a lesson, who actually succeeded +in catching some fish. When we went down there was a most glorious sunset, +but by the time we returned it was almost dark. Mr. Keytel hopes to start +a good trade in dried fish. It will keep the women busy, for they will +have to clean and salt them. One obstacle, however, is the green-fly, +which answers to our blue-bottle, and which will have to be dealt with. + +_Saturday, June_ 20.--I ordered some cod-liver oil from the Cape, and am +now finding it useful. Rose Swain, who has had a long-standing cough, +comes every day after dinner for a dose. It has cured her, and now I have +another patient, a dear little curly-headed boy of two, Lizzie Rogers' +brother and one of our scholars. He, too, has been ailing some time with a +cough. To-day, as it was damp underfoot, his brother Arthur brought him on +his back, a fairly heavy load for him, as he is only seven. + +_Tuesday, June_ 23.--Last week the men went by boat to Seal Bay to shoot +cattle. They had to walk home on Saturday and back again on Monday. +Yesterday evening they tried to come up by boat, but had to return. The +women went out to-day to meet them at the Bluff, but saw nothing of them. + +_Wednesday, June_ 24.--They went out again to-day to the Bluff, which is +quite five miles from here, to meet the men with something warm to drink. +The wind was high and heavy storms were passing over the island, but this +time their journey was not in vain, for some of the men returned, carrying +as much of the meat as they could. They had killed four oxen. + +_Saturday, June_ 27.--To-day as we were going for a walk on Big Beach Mr. +Keytel asked us to call on our way back. This we did and found tea +awaiting us. He has made his house look so well. Facing the door there is +a book-shelf on the wall with a good supply of books. There are also +shelves and tables for his photographic apparatus. And, last of all, he +has made little red blinds for his windows, which give the house a very +cheerful appearance. So far we have not gone in for curtains, with the +exception of one in our bedroom to screen off the draught from the +kitchen, a draught which is sometimes so great as to be almost unbearable. + +_Thursday, July_ 2.--The thermometer outside the window registered just +over thirty-nine degrees. + +About a fortnight ago Mr. Keytel had a meeting of "All Hands," at which he +said that there was one person who had greatly disappointed him, meaning +Bob Glass. I think it was the day after that Bob Glass went to pay Mr. +Keytel a visit and told him that shortly there would be a big fight on the +island, and also that he had a revolver at his house which could be used +on a certain person and then on himself. + +[Illustration: MR. KEYTEL'S HOUSE] + +Mr. Keytel finds the sheep have scab, and is much vexed he was not told +this before shipping them for Cape Town. He hopes to stamp it out, but +nothing can be done until next year. + +_Tuesday, July_ 7.--Last Saturday we weighed the loaf I had just baked. It +weighed eight and a half pounds, and was forty-one inches round. We bake +one of this size twice a week. + +_Friday, July_ l0.--On Wednesday night we had a magic-lantern +entertainment, given by Mr. Keytel, and nearly every one came to it. It +was quite a new thing to them and was a great success. There were many +miscellaneous pictures followed by the story of Robinson Crusoe, which was +much enjoyed. Mr. Keytel worked the lantern, Graham gave the explanation. + +_Saturday, July_ ll.--A ship seen passing between the islands. + +_Tuesday, July_ l4.--We have had a holiday to-day, as the men were +thatching the school roof. A cry of "Sail, ho!" brought them down +post-haste from the work. A steamer was thought to be in sight, but it +proved to be a barque, and did not come this way. + +On Sunday evening Mrs. Repetto came in alone. Her husband was at Mr. +Keytel's; but she said _she_ was not going to forsake old friends. She +generally talks very amusingly. This time she informed us "Mr. Keytel was +a cunning rat," which she intended as a compliment to his discernment. She +loves to talk about her children, and told an amusing story of one of her +little boys. On going to the pig-sty she found a dead little pig. She felt +sure that the children had had something to do with it. So, marshalling +them in front of her, she picked out the guiltiest-looking face and +charged its owner with the deed. With difficulty she drew out the +confession that he had gone to look at the little pigs, and as he was +shutting the door one of them got caught in and was killed. He did not +know what to do, so he picked it up and laid it down by the old mother as +if it were asleep. + +_Thursday, July_ l6.--We have just returned from another lantern +entertainment, at which were shown some interesting slides from +photographs Mr. Keytel had taken when in Europe. He is giving these +entertainments weekly. + +_Friday, July_ l7.--Mr. Keytel has lent me a most excellent recipe-book, +one of the best I have seen. I think the following recipe is delightful-- + +"A Black Man's Recipe to dress Rice. + +"Wash him well, much wash in cold water, the rice flour make him stick. +Water boil all ready very fast. Throw him in, rice can't burn, water shake +him too much. Boil 1 1/4 hours or little more, rub one rice in thumb and +finger; if all rub away him quite done. Put rice in colander, hot water +run away. Pour cup of cold water on him, put back rice in saucepan, keep +him covered near the fire, then rice all ready. Eat him up!" + +The dogs have again begun to kill the geese. They killed two a night or +two ago, and seven last night, five of them belonging to Martha Green. We +wonder the people do not shut up their dogs at night, and especially now +during the lambing season. We are glad to notice they are driving the +sheep more quietly this year, and keeping the dogs more at heel. + +Yesterday Mrs. Henry Green came to tea; she still rarely leaves the house. +We carried her off to see the lantern views; on the whole she seems in +better spirits. + +_Saturday, July_ l8.--Last night we had Charlotte, Lily, and Ruth Swain +into supper. Charlotte resembles a Swede in appearance. Lily, the second, +is a good-looking girl with rather a long, pensive face. Ruth is very dark +but has a fine face. She is backward in learning and very diffident. All +three are very capable girls; they cut out and make their own clothes, and +can turn their hand to most things in the house or on the land. + +_Thursday, July_ 23.--We had quite a gale this morning. As it was raging +two of the men, Sam Swain and Bob Green, were passing our house and +noticed some tussock had been blown off the roof. They at once stopped and +mended the place. Such damage, if not immediately made good, may easily +end in half the roof being blown off. They came in afterwards to a +breakfast of coffee and fish fried in batter. When we met them later in +the day they greeted us with smiling faces, evidently mindful of the kind +deed they had done. This afternoon Mrs. Sam Swain brought us some +craw-fish, and told Ellen her husband said she must cook the fish the way +he had it at breakfast. The high gale has continued all day, but the +people say the winds are nothing to what they used to be. + +_Monday, July_ 27.--We have had a holiday to-day, as Mr. Keytel asked +Graham to go with him and Repetto up the mountain in search of eaglets, +which he wants for specimens. Following the practice of the island women, +I thought I would take them out some tea in our new Thermos bottle. So +Ellen and I started off in spite of a drizzling rain. The wind was blowing +in our faces all the way. As we approached Bugsby Hole we could hear +shouting and the barking of dogs, but could see no one. We took shelter +under a high rock, and after waiting some time, as there seemed no hope of +its clearing, went home again. + +It is a great boon having plenty of books as we now have; not that we have +ever been very short of them, but now we have greater choice. + +_Wednesday, July_ 29.--We have been for a walk along the shore this +afternoon looking for "sea-beans." These are the seed of a South American +tree, the _Cæsalpinia Bonduc_, and are often washed up on the shore. Mr. +Keytel picked up one of a different species, the _Pusætha scaredens_, the +other day, in size about two inches across, the largest that has been +found here. The same seeds have been picked up on the east coast of +Africa. This is interesting as showing the direction of the current. + +_Friday, July_ 3l.--On Wednesday we had lantern views of the Victoria +Falls, which particularly interested us, as we had just been reading +Livingstone's account of them. + +_Wednesday, August_ 5.--Yesterday and to-day some of the men were +rat-hunting at the potato patches. This hunting means considerable labour, +as the nests are often in the walls, parts of which have to be pulled down +and built up again. The mode of working is this. A dog is sent along the +wall. If it scents a rat the hunters gather round and remove the stones +from around the spot, then block up with turf all holes in the broken +wall. This done, they uncover the nest, when the rats rush out and are +caught by the dogs, one rarely escapes. Sometimes in winter seven or +eight full-grown rats are found in the same nest. + +The new-comers, I am glad to say, have sown wheat, mealies and Kaffir +corn. I fear they are feeling the restricted food, as they must now be +living chiefly on fish and potatoes. Henry Green has also sown some wheat, +and we are hoping others will do the same next year. Repetto has been +taking out manure to his potato patches. He used three carts and three +yoke of oxen. His two boys, of eight and six, each drove a cart, running +by the oxen whip in hand. The elder one, Arthur, can guide them well; +Willie was only learning, but enjoyed himself immensely. + +_Monday, August_ 10.--Graham went straight from school to the potato +patches where the men were rat-hunting, and did not get home till dark. I +believe one hundred and fifty rats were caught. He and Mr. Keytel were +invited into Henry Green's hut, where his daughter and Mrs. Sam Swain did +the honours. + +Just after supper Mrs. Lavarello brought in Mrs. Joe Glass, one of the +new-comers. The Joe Glasses are giving a party this evening in honour of +the first birthday of their boy, and the mother, who is very young, still +in her "teens," came to ask if we would go to it. She looked most elegant +in a blue blouse and with a blue bow in her hair which was done in the +latest style. She was once a pupil-teacher and is now teaching her +sisters' children, who, we hear, are getting on well. + +_Tuesday, August_ 11.--We went to the party last night. The host and +hostess did their part well. After about an hour we moved to go, but were +specially asked to stay for supper. A table was then placed in the middle +of the room with a nice white cover on it, and tea and plates of cake were +brought in. Three chairs were drawn up and I and Ellen were asked to take +them. Every one else was ranged round the room. It was a little +formidable. + +_Wednesday, August_ 19.--We went down this afternoon to try our hand at +fishing. It was too rough to catch anything, but I practised throwing out +the line. The way to do it is to make fast one end, then holding the +other, on which is the bait and stone, about a yard up, to rapidly whirl +in round and round and then let go with a jerk. A good throw will carry +the rest of the line, which is lying in a coil, forty or fifty yards. + +_Friday, August_ 21.--We have spent the best part of four hours taking the +harmonium to pieces and putting it together again. A note had gone wrong, +causing the greatest discord; we therefore had to do something. The parts +to be unscrewed seemed numberless, but happily we were able to find out +what was causing the mischief and to put it right. A small peg had got out +of its place. It was worth while taking the instrument to pieces if only +to clear away the accumulation of dust. Yet there was one incident which +threatened to wreck everything. A board with a line of little upright pegs +was removed, which Graham, without a thought that the pegs were not +fixtures, turned upside down, when out fell the greater part of them. To +our consternation we found each peg had its own hole and that there was +nothing to show which it was. It took us hours to get them fitted. + +_Saturday, August_ 29.--It is now over five months since we have had +communication with the outer world. Happily, the every-day duties and +interests make the weeks pass quickly. Some families have run short of +potatoes, partly on account of disease and partly on account of the +increased population. The Repettos are among the number. It being their +week to serve us, I told Mrs. Repetto this morning she must not bring us +any, but she brought them all the same. They killed an ox yesterday, and +brought such a huge piece of beef that we had to return some of it. He +said, with tears in his eyes, perhaps it would be their last time of +serving us. + +We fear the new-comers will have a bad influence on old and young as +regards morals. One of the men and two of the wives are terrible swearers. +Some of the children are already singing bad songs learnt from them. + +_Tuesday, September_ 1.--This evening we heard that two whales were to be +seen within the kelp. We went on to the cliffs to look and could clearly +see, about a quarter of a mile away, an old one playing with its calf. + +Andrew Swain and his wife spent the evening with us. I taught her a new +pattern in knitting, a new heel, and how to cast on double. + +_Friday, September_ 4.--Yesterday after the choir practice Mrs. Repetto +and Mary went down to fish. Before long I saw them returning, and when +they got near noticed Mary had her head bound up. It seems she had fallen +on the wet rocks and cut her head near the right temple. Her mother +wrapped her pinafore round the place, but could do no more, as such sights +make her ill. They came in here. It was difficult at first to see what +damage had been done, as the cut had bled freely and the hair was clotted +with blood. We bathed the place and then made her lie down on Ellen's bed, +where she fell asleep. Happily, it turned out not to be such a bad cut as +it at first appeared to be. Mrs. Repetto stayed and talked about her +children. She told us Willie will never go to bed unless she says, +"Good-night, dear." "Good-night, Willie," will not do. He comes back and +throws his arms round her neck and says, "Say 'dear.'" Sometimes to teaze +him she says the other words. The night of the dance when they came back +with the children it was 12 o'clock, but little Joe, though very sleepy, +would not go to bed until he had said his prayers. So many of the children +get no help from their parents in doing right. Truthfulness is a great +difficulty with them. Quite small children will tell you a lie without so +much as a blink of the eye. I think some are certainly more truthful than +they were; but children go through such phases that it is not easy to tell +whether the habit of truthfulness has been formed. + +_Saturday, September_ 5.--A ship was sighted early this morning, which +proved to be a French sealer bound for Kerguelen Island. It put out a +boat, but not knowing where the settlement was, made for the Hardies. A +boat went off from here and then the ship came round. It has been rather a +miserable day, for rain has been falling nearly all the time. Two boats +went out in the afternoon with meat and potatoes, which had been asked +for. The Captain was not willing to give anything but spirits in exchange. +The boat which went off in the morning and which contained some of the +new-comers got three bags of biscuits and soap, which ought really to have +been divided amongst "All Hands." It was very disappointing for the +others, who had gone out to the ship in a steady downpour. + +The young Sam Swains had a little son born yesterday. This makes our +number ninety-nine. I went to-day to inquire and found the mother +knitting. Mrs. Repetto was nursing the baby, which looked beautifully +clean in a pretty gown and a little print capie on his head. + +_Thursday, September_ l0.--A mild form of mumps is prevalent among the +younger children. The Andrew Hagans have had to leave the house of his +step-mother, old Eliza Hagan. Susan Hagan could stand the life there no +longer. It seems that Mrs. James Hagan is out nearly all day, neglects her +children, and is altogether impossible to live with. It is hard that they +should have to turn out for newcomers, the more so as Andrew is the elder +brother and has been living in the house many years. What led to the +final breach was James saying to Susan that her husband had stolen his +step-mother's sheep and that there would be blood and slaughter. This +alarmed the Andrew Hagans so much that they made up their minds to leave +next day, and did so. The old step-mother is staying on, as it is her +house, but I fear she will have an ill time of it, for the children +are unmanageable and she will often be left alone with them. + +_Friday, September_ 11.--This morning as we were getting up there was a +loud knock at the door. Bill Rogers had come to ask us to go at once to +his boy Arthur, who was very ill. He had been waiting until he saw the +smoke coming from our chimney, and looked, poor fellow, very much upset. +We hurried on our things and were off in about three minutes. He was +standing at his door looking for us. The room was full of men. Arthur was +on the sofa in the sitting-room and propped up with pillows. He was +breathing with the greatest difficulty, could not swallow, and the saliva +was running out of his mouth. Graham soon cleared the room by taking the +men outside. The mother and I set to and fomented the boy's throat. In a +short time I saw this was giving relief, as he was beginning to swallow +and to breathe more easily. The poor father was in tears. Later on we +fomented again, after which he was able to speak. This evening he seems +going on nicely. He had been suffering from mumps, and we think he must +have caught cold. + +I went to see Mrs. Sam Swain, who has the baby-boy, and heard an amusing +story of her sharp little child of three. She did not want to come to +school this morning, but her god-mother, Charlotte Swain, dressed her and +made her come. When school was over and Charlotte was going out with her, +she said, "Mummish, you got the best of me this morning." + +_Thursday, September_ 17.--Early this morning Graham went off by boat +with Mr. Keytel and Repetto to visit Freshwater Cave to get specimens of +night-birds and their eggs. Mr. Keytel remained in charge of the boat +while Graham and Repetto went into the cave, which was about one hundred +yards in length. At the far end was a pebbly beach, where the birds were +supposed to be. Between it and the mouth was water, which had to be +passed. Repetto climbed from ledge to ledge along one side of the cave. +Graham preferred to wade and swim through the water. They saw about twelve +night-birds and found seven eggs. Mr. Keytel took a photograph of them +standing at the cave's mouth. + +[Illustration: FRESHWATER CAVE] + +I spent the day visiting the different invalids. I daily visit Arthur +Rogers, who is still on the couch and whose face remains much swollen, but +now he is feeling better he is all smiles. I think the mumps are going the +round of the settlement, though with some the complaint only shows itself +in a bad headache and a general feeling of illness. + +This evening Andrew Hagan and his wife have been in, Graham having asked +them to come, as he wanted to hear from them why they had left their +house. What they said agreed with what I have already related. He has also +asked James Hagan, and, as he has not come, has been to see him more than +once, but has not been able to find him at home. + +_Thursday, September_ 24.--The men have finished planting their potatoes; +of which the early ones will be ready for digging in November. Until then +the people will be very short of suitable food. They have no flour and are +living a good deal on young eaglets, which are too rich to eat without +potatoes. + +Many persons have been suffering from ophthalmia. One of the babies from +the Cape came with it. We strongly recommend those who have had it in +their houses to whitewash their rooms, and we have offered what lime we +can spare. + +I must not forget to mention a diverting trade letter received from an +enterprising Liverpool firm. It is addressed to the Collector of Customs, +Tristan d'Acunha, and the following is one of its paragraphs-- + +"If not asking too much, we should be glad if you will send us the names +of any Traders and General Storekeepers in Tristan d'Acunha who would be +interested in our catalogues, which we could forward them by mail direct. +We believe our goods are largely imported to Tristan d'Acunha, and would +be greatly obliged if you could comply with our request, as we find the +names furnished by directories are not altogether satisfactory." + + + +CHAPTER XXXI + + +_Saturday, September_ 26.--The weeks are flying fast. In November we shall +begin packing, so as to be ready in case a ship should call for us. We +shall leave the furniture to be put by for any future clergyman. + +Yesterday we had again to take the harmonium to pieces, as another note +had gone wrong. We could find nothing amiss except that the note squeaked +when pressed; it, however, came all right after the board had been placed +near the fire. + +To-day old Eliza Hagan had tea with us. She is now without tea and lives +mostly on eggs. She looked so aged and talked but little, just answering +us. I think she was afraid of being asked about the Jim Hagans, who live +with her, but we carefully avoided that subject. A few days ago Graham had +a straight talk with Mrs. James Hagan and Will Swain, at the house of +whose mother, Susan Swain, she spends most of her time. We shall bring +home, all being well, a number of photographs. Mr. Keytel very kindly +always gives us copies of those he has taken. + +_Monday, September_ 28.--Our population is now one hundred, Mrs. Bob Glass +having had a son yesterday. I saw her for a few minutes this morning. +There are many other invalids, for several are suffering from the breaking +out of sores. Alfred has had them very badly on his face and has been +really ill. They break out on the head, face, arms and legs, and, in fact, +all over the body, causing those who are suffering from them to feel very +poorly. They are certainly contagious, and attack men, women and children, +apparently they were brought by one of the children from the Cape. + +On Saturday thirteen of the men went by boat to Sandy Point. They took +their dogs, and coming back, having no room for them in the boats owing to +the number of eggs, sent them home overland. The old ones reached home +about as soon as their masters. The next day I happened to see Bill +Rogers, who told me his young collie (the best-looking dog on the island) +had not returned. He seemed very upset about it, and said he should go off +in search of it. Happily, in the afternoon when he got home from service +he found it had returned. It was so footsore that its feet had to be bound +up. When we first arrived there was a very poor set of dogs. But later Sam +Swain was sent a half collie, and now there is a very much better stamp of +dog. These new dogs have quite won their way with the people, who think +much more of them and allow them in the house. They have gentle, +attractive ways, very much like those of our Rob. + +_Saturday, October_ 3.--I am daily dressing Alfred's face with boracic +ointment, which I think is doing good. Poor Ben was taken ill again last +night with fits. It is nearly a year since he had any. He has got under +bad influence and has vowed he will never go to church again. Some of the +other men have also almost given up coming, whereas at one time they came +fairly regularly. + +_Wednesday, October_ 7.--A ship was sighted soon after five this morning. +Mr. Keytel and some of the men went off to it; but many of the others were +on the mountains hunting for eggs. It was an American sealer and came +close in. We got a barrel of flour for five lambs. The captain had come in +for potatoes, but, of course, could not get any. He said another of their +sealers, which had started four days earlier than he had, was going to +call, and that both were bound for Gough Island. + +_Thursday, October_ 8.--An expedition was planned yesterday by Graham, Mr. +Keytel and Repetto were to go on the mountain today in search of Molly's +eggs. They arranged to start between two and three. Graham got up at two, +and when Repetto came to call him was dressed and just going to have +breakfast. I spent part of the morning photographing, and took the Henry +Green family sitting in front of their house. I found Mrs. Green so hard +up for cotton that she was unravelling a piece of boat canvas. The +mountaineers returned in the early evening. Graham much enjoyed the day, +and thinks they must have walked thirty miles. Going up they watched the +sealer cautiously sailing round Inaccessible. They also got a view of the +Peak, which had a little snow on it. Mr. Keytel photographed the Mollyhawk +on its nest. + +[Illustration: MOLLYHAWK ON ITS NEST] + +_Saturday, October_ 10.--There was a south-east wind blowing last night. +This is a wind likely to do damage, so Graham went out to have a look +round and saw something sticking out from the roof. There being no lights +in the houses he concluded every one was in bed, and so got the ladder and +mounted on to the roof, where he found a piece of wood that holds the lead +down had got loose. This afternoon, meeting several men at Mr. Keytel's, +he told them how he had fastened the loose board, when they said, "You +should have called 'Sail, ho!'; you would have had every one out of their +beds pretty quick." + +_Tuesday, October_ 13.--We were awakened by a cry of "Sail, ho!" I got up, +added postscripts to my letters, and retired to bed again. The men started +off but seeing the ship was not heading this way they came back. + +Mrs. H. Green is getting quite brisk. I have called once or twice on +Sunday morning and taken her to church. The women are not coming very well +to their meeting; on an average there are only eight or nine, of whom +Charlotte Swain is always one. She loves a joke. I sometimes have a race +to get to the meeting first, and one day heard great laughter from her +house and saw heads at the window; her people were much enjoying the fun. + +_Tuesday, October_ 20.--We have dispatched our letters at last. The ship +was a Norwegian bound for Adelaide. The captain was making his first +voyage as such. He gave Mr. Keytel some books, two of which, _Keswick +Week_ and _Side-lights of the Bible_, have been passed on to us. I fear a +captain must find our men rather a worry. They go to him with so many +requests. Only think, after you imagine the trading has been done, of +having sixteen men, one after the other, each wanting something in +exchange for a bottle of milk or a dozen eggs. We met the returning boats, +and Mr. Keytel came and sat down on the shingle and told us how the day +had gone and what a kind captain they had met with. + +_Wednesday, October_ 21.--We heard the first thing this morning a small +vessel was in sight coming from the east. As it was wet and the sea was +"making up," the men did not go out to her. + +_Thursday, October_ 22.--A barque sighted far out, as usual, going east. + +_Friday, October_ 23.--A small vessel sighted this evening. + + + +CHAPTER XXXII + + +_Saturday, October_ 24.--We have had an unusually exciting day. The small +vessel that was sighted yesterday evening and which the people felt sure +was an American whaler was seen again this morning. As it was making for +the island the men did not hurry to go out. At last three boats went off. +It was rather breezy. When the first boat reached the ship, to our +surprise it at once began to return, and the other two did not go on. Soon +after two o'clock Charlotte Swain came running up from the beach, quite +breathless, to say the captain was coming ashore and wanted especially to +see Graham, so we went down, thinking he was perhaps bringing letters. We +met him on the top of the cliff, and he and Mr. Keytel came with us to the +house. This is what we learnt: the stranger's name was Pearson. The vessel +was not an ordinary ship, but a ketch, nor had it a regular crew, but was +manned by himself, his two brothers, a friend and a Creole. He was not the +captain, but his next brother was, and held a master-mariner's +certificate. They had come out from Dover with the object of seeing for +themselves what these islands and Gough Island could produce in the way of +guano. A friend had given them the ketch, and with only three pounds in +their pockets they set sail. They had had a most adventurous voyage; for +they took nearly five months coming out and were only provisioned for +three. Our visitor told us of the straits they had been in for food. They +had only flour, tea and a few biscuits left. Their oil had run short and +they had just begun to eat uncooked flour. Of water they had only two +gallons left. I understood that most of the time they had been without +meat and had lived chiefly on dried beans and peas. Mr. Keytel told us +that when he went on board they were trembling from weakness. +Notwithstanding all they have gone through Mr. Pearson seemed quite +cheerful and said he felt better for the voyage. None of them except the +sailor-brother knew anything about the working of a boat; one of them was +an architect, one a city clerk, and one a secretary. They had not long +been out from Dover before these three were down with sea-sickness, and +the captain had to do all the work, day and night, through the Channel. As +soon as they found their sea-legs they had to take their turn at the +tiller, with the result that the course was often very considerably +changed from what the captain had set. At a Portuguese island they took in +the Creole, who wanted to work his passage to the Cape. I think it was at +this place that the Port Officials found the rolling and pitching of the +boat too much for them, and had to beat a hasty retreat. The sails of the +ketch are much damaged, due not to rough weather, but to having been +allowed to flap when she was becalmed. + +Our visitor, who is the architect, said he would like to go round the +settlement, and was very much pleased with the architecture of the houses, +which he thought to be in such excellent keeping with the natural tone of +the place. Mr. Keytel has undertaken to get them supplies. To-night we +sent them a large loaf of bread, sugar and treacle. Mr. Pearson said they +did not want to beg, and offered clothes and books in exchange, but I said +receiving was not begging and that it was a pleasure to give. We hear this +evening that the American sealer has appeared on the scene, so no doubt +they will be able to get something from her. The ketch has come close in +and anchored, and looks so small. Their plan after visiting Gough Island +is to go on to the Cape and there sell the ketch. + +_Sunday, October_ 25.--The American sealer came in and three boats went +off to her, taking two of the Mr. Pearsons. They returned about two +o'clock, when Graham went down and brought back to dinner Mr. Keytel, the +youngest brother, who looks more like a son of the Mr. Pearson we first +saw, and the friend, Mr. Crumpton. These two had started off for church +this morning, but could not pull through the kelp and had to return. +Directly dinner was over we had to hurry to service, the two young men +going with us. They did not know what to do with their fox-terrier, but +solved the difficulty by bringing it in. It certainly looks as if it had +been through a famine, and as regards colour might have been living up the +chimney. Later in the day the captain and his brother came ashore and Mr. +Keytel brought them in, but they did not stay long as it was getting dusk. + +_Monday, October_ 26.--We are having a run of ships; another appeared this +morning, and the men decided to go out to her though the sea was rough. We +went down with Mr. Keytel who had kindly come in for our letters. I sat on +the top of the bank with the Repettos and watched the proceedings. At +first only one boat was going, but more men arriving a second was +prepared. The sea was "making up" and it looked rather a risky business. +They seemed to be hesitating about going, but were only waiting for the +right moment to get off. When they did push off the last men who scrambled +in got wet up to their waists and for one moment the boat pitched so it +looked as if it would turn over, but in a minute or two it was in safer, +though still rough, waters. The second boat got off better. Mr. Keytel and +Repetto signalled to the men on the ketch to put out to sea on account of +the weather. They were in need of water, but it was too rough to take any +off to them. Later it got much rougher and a mist came over the sea. The +boats had been seen returning from the ship, but afterwards had been lost +sight of. As they did not appear in the afternoon it was thought they had +landed to the east of Big Point, and would come home by land, and this was +so. At about 4.30 smoke was seen on the mountain side; and soon the women +hurried out with tea. We followed, and somehow felt sure that it was a +ship that had called before, and that we might possibly get letters by it. +The first men we met told us that the ship had come to fetch us, which was +a great surprise. The captain had hove to all night, and said he could +give us four hours to come out, but the men told him it would not be +possible because of the weather; as it was, one boat had two of its boards +broken and very nearly had to return. Next we heard the joyful news that +our surmise was right and that there were letters for us. The post-bag was +soaked and some of its contents, but not our letters. We returned with the +people, and passing Mr. Keytel's house and seeing him at the door told him +the news. He insisted on our going in and having a cup of tea. When we got +back we were able to sit down and read our precious letters. I had four; +getting news of home seems to bring one so much nearer to it. The men got +a good deal of food-stuff from the ship, and, indeed, they are in need of +it for they are living on meat only at present. + +_Tuesday, October_ 27.--They got 300 lbs. of flour, also rice, tea, sugar +and soap. + +There was a missionary on board who we understood from the men knew +Graham, but sometimes they get a little mixed. Henry Green brought us as a +present from the captain some Brown Windsor soap and a bottle of +unfermented wine. Had it been fine the captain intended coming ashore. + +_Thursday, October_ 29.--The ketch arrived late yesterday evening, having +taken all Tuesday and Wednesday to get in. The Pearsons have been on shore +to-day and have filled their water-barrels. The captain and the architect +dined with us, and the latter spent the afternoon with us. He is an +interesting man and has been giving his advice about the stone which +should be used for the church and house. He is strong upon the point that +houses ought always to be built, when possible, of the material of the +place, as that naturally, and, therefore, best, suits the landscape. His +view is that nature will do much even where there is no beauty in the +local stone itself. He thinks that mountains influence character, and that +the people here have melancholy-looking faces which he attributes to the +mountains. To an outsider, perhaps, the faces of many of the people do +look thoughtful and sad, but their faces are hardly an index of their +character. + +_Friday, October_ 30.--Four of the islanders, Henry Green, Repetto, Andrew +Hagan and Bill Green have been building a new boat which was launched this +afternoon. Two new boats are also being built by others. The boats are +built entirely of driftwood with the exception of the ribs; for these the +wood of the apple-tree is used, unless oak can be had from a whaler. Over +the ribs are laid horizontal pieces of wood called slabbies, over which is +nailed canvas which is oiled and painted. Henry's boat, the largest yet +made, is twenty-two feet long. + +_Sunday, November_ 1.--We have had quite a summer-like day. The ketch +party including the Creole came ashore early, and the Pearsons came to +service and had dinner with us afterwards. We could just manage to sit +round the table. Sitting in the garden in the afternoon I was joined by +the architect who sat on the grass and discoursed. Soon we were called to +tea, the two younger men having arrived, who were followed by the captain. +They seemed to enjoy the home life and did not leave till after dusk. They +have given much pleasure by presenting John Glass with a clock and Repetto +with a watch. + +_Tuesday, November_ 3.--We asked the Pearsons to dinner as it was the +twenty-first birthday of the youngest, and also to tea, for which had been +made a special dough-cake which was much appreciated. To-morrow they +intend going to Inaccessible to get samples of guano. + +_Wednesday, November_ 4.--I began looking over things preparatory to +packing, but did not get through much for two visitors appeared, Martha +Green with eggs and Ruth to have her finger poulticed. The four from the +ketch had tea with us. + +_Friday, November_ 6.--Yesterday we had quite a home-like scene--afternoon +tea in the garden at the architect's suggestion. He told me that once in +London his weekly food-bill was only two shillings and sevenpence, the +result of studying the nourishing values of different food-stuffs, of +having no meat and of being his own cook. Presently the two younger men +joined us and sat on the grass round the tea-tray. In the early hours of +this morning they were off to Inaccessible, taking with them Repetto to +show them where to find the guano. + +This week I have not been to school but have devoted my time to sorting +things and packing, and a great business it has been in these small +quarters. + +[Illustration: NEARLY FINISHED] + +_Monday, November_ 9.--Graham was _hors de combat_ on Sunday with one of +his headaches, so I had to take the services. I spoke out plainly about +the attendance at church, though only by the way, and said it showed how +little they cared about the things of God, and that we could not help +asking ourselves if we had been any real help to even one person on +Tristan. + +This afternoon I gave up to gardening. Just as Ellen and I had planted out +some tomatoes Mr. Keytel brought some mignonette plants and put them in. +He brought also a sample of a loaf he had cooked which he thought was +quite a triumph. + +_Thursday, November_ 12.--On Tuesday the ketch returned from the islands +and has again anchored. I think the Pearsons are loath to take to sea +again. The architect has most kindly drawn a plan for a church here, and I +only wish we could carry it out. + +We are gradually getting on with the work of packing, and have made lists +of what is to be put by when we are gone. + +I have taken rather a good view of the front of the house and want to +print it on postcards to send home, but this takes time and I have little +to spare in the morning. + +_Friday, November_ l3.--Our letters are to be taken on board to-day, for +with the first north wind the ketch will move out. We wonder when it will +reach Cape Town, for we fear it will be a long time on the way. While it +has been here there has been a remarkable spell of fine weather. + +_Sunday, November_ 15.--The Pearsons have not gone yet. They landed to-day +though it was somewhat rough, came to service, and had dinner with us. + +_Wednesday, November_ 18.--Our visitors have gone. They came in yesterday +to say good-bye. I had to go to the women's meeting, but was back in time +to pour out tea for them, after which we saw them off from Big Beach. The +ketch, which was called _Forget-me-not_, had anchored off the settlement +eighteen days and within half-a-mile of the shore. This was a record for +Tristan waters. + +Here is a note about vessels and Tristan given by Repetto and which he is +very anxious should find its way into the newspapers: If a vessel in +moderate weather comes in sight of the island just before nightfall and is +recognized from the shore and is seen to be coming in the direction of the +settlement, the boats from the island are sure to go off to meet it. The +Master of the vessel will see a light on shore which many ships take to be +a lighthouse; but it is not a lighthouse but a fire lit by the islanders +to tell the ship that the boats have gone off to it. The Master of any +ship that at night sees this fire is asked to show a white light as a +guide to the boats to steer by. In the daytime when a ship sees smoke on +the island it may know that the boats are coming out to her. + +[Illustration: THE KETCH (Length, TS/t. Beam, lift. Draught, 9/1.)] + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII + + +_Friday, November_ 20.--Last night Mr. Keytel had a meeting of all the +men, at which he asked Graham to be present as he wanted him to hear +everything. He had drawn up an agreement to work for him for three years, +which he invited all the men to sign except Bob Glass, with whom he will +have no dealings. He spoke very plainly to the men and told them they had +not been straightforward with him. To name one thing, they had never told +him the sheep had scab. As a consequence the sheep sent to the Cape will +no doubt have to undergo treatment and be a large expense. At his request +Graham read the agreement aloud and explained it. All signed it. Mr. +Keytel warned them that if any one broke the agreement he could be put +into prison; whereupon some one asked if the prison would be here. "No," +said Mr. Keytel; "Cape Town!" + +This afternoon I took the girls of the knitting class for a picnic. When +notice of it was given out in school I could see a smile of pleasure +coming over their faces. Still, they take their pleasures solemnly. Nearly +all appeared with knitting in their hands. Arrived at our destination, +where we had a lovely view of red rocks jutting out into the sea, they all +sat solemnly down in a row save Charlotte, who set to to make the fire and +boil the water. After tea we hid chocolate in the grass, the finding of +which they much enjoyed. + +_Tuesday, November_ 24.--Last week we sent round to each family all the +clothing we could spare; and to-day we had Miss Cotton to tea to show her +the various things in the house she is to have. + +Yesterday Graham, Mr. Keytel, Repetto and H. Green were to have started +upon an expedition round the island, but the weather changed. If they do +not get off this week Graham will not go, because a vessel might call for +us, though we do not expect one so early. + +_Wednesday, November_ 25.--This afternoon Graham and I, accompanied by +five little girls, went towards the potato patches. Graham is measuring +their distances from the settlement. He measured the first mile the other +day, and when we came to the spot I painted on a large rock 1 MILE. We +went on and measured a second mile, which was also marked, and then it was +time to return. The children were delighted to help by holding the line +and were as frolicsome as kittens. + +_Thursday, November_ 26.--This morning Graham, hearing from Repetto that +it was not thought a good day for the expedition, as it would be rough for +landing on the other side, determined to start off by himself on foot. He +packed his food in a biscuit-tin, round which he rolled his overcoat, and +put the bundle into an island knapsack. This knapsack is rather +ingeniously made out of a sack by fastening to each of the bottom corners +one end of a stout round band usually made of canvas stuffed with wool. +Around the middle of this band is tied string, which ties the mouth of the +sack and at the same time fastens the band to the mouth. In this way are +formed two loops through which the arms go and which make excellent +shoulder-straps. With this slung on his back he set forth, going west. In +the afternoon, just as Ellen and I were starting forth to spend it in the +open, Maria Green came to say her father did not like the thought of +Graham having gone alone and that he was going to follow him. It was +rather a relief to my mind as the mountain is dangerous in places. We went +west and I sat down to sketch. Before very long we saw Henry and Tom +coming quickly along on their donkeys and with knapsacks. I was glad of +the opportunity of telling them how I appreciated their kindness. + +When we got back we had one caller after another; some brought fish, +another eggs, and another wool; we had seven visitors in all. I think +perhaps it was a return for some soap which we had sent round yesterday. +At last we were able to have supper, but bread had to be made before we +could settle down for the evening. + +I am making a blue serge dress for Little Lizzie and trimming the sleeves +with narrow white tape. + +_Saturday, November_ 28.--Graham returned to-day having thoroughly enjoyed +the expedition; but he did not get round the island as he had hoped to do, +for his left knee gave way the first day. Probably the weight of his +knapsack (21 lbs.) had something to do with this. He was overtaken early +that evening by the two men, who went the short way round the Bluff +through the sea. They got to Seal Bay that night and slept outside the +usual cave by their fire, Graham's bed being two planks. Next day they +went to Stony Beach about four miles further on and which I believe, is +the most beautiful part of the island. There is a great deal of grass-land +and quite a forest of trees. The two men did the cooking and insisted upon +carrying Graham's knapsack. Early that morning Henry saw quite a new bird +which he said looked like a woman standing straight up. Graham says it +resembled a stork. The second night they slept inside the cave, which they +cleaned out, and having dried the tussock in the sun had softer beds. +Coming home, for the first time Graham rounded the Bluff, wading +waist-deep. + +I went to-day to see Ruth, who has been ill for a month with mumps, and +the last two days has taken to her bed; her neck is very much swollen. + +_Monday, November_ 30.--Yesterday at noon a ship appeared and proved to be +a whaler. All the men went out to her. Graham was in hopes he would get a +letter from home, which he did, and I got one from an old friend of the +islanders. Two of the islanders also got letters from relations in +America. We hear that there is no likelihood of a ship calling for us. +Mr. Keytel has, however, very kindly offered us passages in the +_Greyhound_, which he expects about March 20. It is a comfort that our +plans are thus made a little more definite. Now we know that no ship will +call for us in December we are thinking of spending a week at Stony Beach. +The captain of the whaler ordered a good deal: a bullock, sheep, forty +fowls, geese, and one hundred bushels of potatoes. + +_Wednesday, December_ 2.--The people are pleased with their bartering. I +believe they have eight barrels of flour, a large quantity of biscuits, +and a barrel of molasses. After they had supplied him the captain told +them that two more whalers would be calling. + +This afternoon Mrs. Susan Swain came to tea. She was a St. Helenian and +was brought here as a young married woman. She told us how home-sick she +was at first. + +_Friday, December_ 4.--Just after service Lily Swain ran down to ask me to +go and see Ruth as the swelling on her neck had burst. The swelling turned +out to be an abscess, which was discharging freely. She has made very +little of what she has suffered, only complaining of pain and of her neck +being too tender to be touched. + +This afternoon Graham has been whitewashing as we were anxious to leave +the house in good order. + +_Thursday, December_ 10.--Yesterday the men went over to Seal Bay and shot +five oxen, so they are well set up in meat for some time to come. They +salt it down. To-day they have been working for Mr. Keytel putting a roof +on an old boat-house to be used as a store for fish. All being well, they +start fishing next Monday. The green fly is not as bad this month as it +will be next. + +Poor Rob has had a bad bite in his side--a three-cornered tear. Pie +brought it upon himself, as he seized a bone from another dog. I thought +it ought to be sewn up, and showed it to Mr. Keytel, who was of the same +opinion, and to my great relief offered to do it. He sewed the edges +together most successfully, and although it was hard work forcing the +needle through the skin, Rob behaved admirably. + +_Friday, December_ 11.--Rob licked himself to such an extent last night +that he opened the wound. We put a bandage round him, but he soon pushed +it aside to lick, so we have had to leave the wound to him and nature. + +_Monday, December_ 14.--We are busy making children's garments for +Christmas. + +A ship passed to-day and put up a red flag, which we took to mean that it +wanted to communicate with the island, but unfortunately it was too rough +for the men to put out. The sea was covered with "white horses"--"caps," +as they are called here. + +_Wednesday, December_ l6.--To-day the men started on the fishing business. +They went off in their five boats about five o'clock, were out about five +hours and did exceedingly well. Each boat-load was laid separately on the +shingle. Then Mr. Keytel went from heap to heap and showed the women how +to treat the fish. Each fish has to be slit open, cleaned, then slit twice +again. The men helped by cutting off the heads. About fifteen hundred fish +were thus dealt with. After they had been cleaned and slit they had to be +washed. They were then carted up to the storehouse on the top of the cliff +to be salted. Salt had to be thoroughly rubbed into each one, which took a +long time. Lastly, they will be placed in barrels where they will be left +till to-morrow, when, if fine, they will be hung up to dry. The drying +process takes about three days. The people were working till almost dusk. +Poor Mr. Keytel had a most unpleasant episode with one of the new-comers, +who swore at him, and took off his coat to fight him, coming up to him two +or three times. This happened before all the men and women. It appears the +man was annoyed because Mr. Keytel was not on the shore when the boats +came in. Mr. Keytel remained perfectly calm but told him he should fish no +longer for him. He will have nothing more to do with him unless he +apologizes. + +[Illustration: FISH-CLEANING] + +_Friday, December_ l8.--We had a diversion to-day. Betty Cotton hurried in +to say a steamer was making for the settlement. Graham soon followed and +said we must pack at once, for the steamer might be coming for us, and if +not, might take us. Mr. Keytel was going off, and we asked him to hoist a +flag if the captain was ready to take us. We packed as fast as we could +and were surprised how quickly we did it. There was no delay, for we had +made a list of what had to be put in at the last moment. Repetto came down +and helped. When we had nearly finished he looked through his glass again +and saw the boats returning and the steamer moving on. For the moment it +was a blow, for we had to unpack and return to our normal life again. +After comparing notes, we think the steamer saw the boats and stopped, but +the men not realizing this turned for home. It would not have been a good +day to go, for the sea was choppy and probably all our things would have +got wet. There was too much surf for the boats to land on this beach. We +don't regret not having gone, since we should like to be here for +Christmas; indeed, we do not want to leave before the end of March. + +I am still visiting Ruth, as her neck is not yet right; the only thing to +do seems to be to go on poulticing it. + +We wish it were possible for the Henry Greens to send their youngest child +to the Cape to see a doctor. He is nearly four and cannot talk yet; the +parents say he has once or twice said words and that he understands +everything said to him. + +_Saturday, December_ 19.--Another eventful day. A whaler appeared and two +boats were to be seen coming from it. It was the _Canton_, the whaler that +was here last year with Walter Swain on board. This time it brought a mail +from St. Helena. It was not a very exciting one, as it contained mostly +papers. But the Postmaster of St. Helena most kindly sent two parcels of +toys and some copy-books, which were particularly acceptable. He has been +so kind in remembering the island each time a whaler has come from St. +Helena. We had an agreeable surprise, Walter Swain bringing us letters +sent through his owners, Messrs. Wing Bros, of New Bedford. + +_Tuesday, December_ 22.--A cry of "Sail, ho!" was raised during school. It +was a wet and foggy morning. As the fog lifted for a moment, a four-masted +vessel was seen coming straight for Hottentot Point. It was close in and +in a few minutes would have been on the rocks. The captain must have had a +great shock when he found how near land he was. The ship was seen to head +out as fast as it could and was soon again lost to view in the fog. + +Last Sunday was a very disorganized day. The captain of the whaler, a +coloured man, came ashore and said he must leave that day as the weather +was changing. I believe he would have waited had the men made a stand. +With the exception of Henry Green and Repetto they were at work all day, +digging up potatoes, carting them to the beach, and taking them off to the +ship, from which they did not return till dark. They did very well, +getting at least ten barrels of flour. + +_Saturday, December_ 26.--There was not much time for writing on Christmas +Day. Mr. Keytel came in to supper, after which we played games, and then +had a long chat, not getting off to bed till nearly eleven o'clock--very +late for us primitive folk. The services were not largely attended, many +heads of families being absent; but the elder boys and girls attended +well. We had no need to cook a dinner for we had roast pig sent us by +three different families, also a berry pie. + +We are taking a short holiday, and intend next week, if fine, to go to +Seal Bay for a day or two. William is to go with us to carry the +baggage. + +_Sunday, December_ 27.--The weather seems more settled and we hope to +start early to-morrow morning. William is most keen upon our going and has +donkeys ready. + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV + + +_Seal Bay, Monday, December_ 28.--Well, I must tell of all our doings from +the beginning. We went to bed last night before eight, and were up this +morning by four o'clock. Our packing did not take long. My possessions +were a rug, air cushion, bathing dress, pair of stockings, comb, towel, +tooth-brush, soap, knitting, a gospel, sketching things, a book and +camera. We started at six, Ellen, Mary Repetto and Sophy Rogers +accompanying us as far as the Bluff, which is five miles out. Ellen and I +rode on donkeys and a third carried the baggage. Graham very much hoped we +should be able to keep to the shore by wading round the Bluff, which is +not always possible as the sea sometimes dashes against the cliff with +much force. It would only have taken a few minutes and would have saved a +long climb over the Bluff. However, William, who is timid, was dead +against it, so we chose the hill. It meant hard climbing over several +ridges and took us about an hour and a half. Ellen and the girls kept with +us till the descent began, when we bid them farewell. We filed along the +side of the mountain for some time and found it rather rough walking, the +track leading through long grass in which were hidden holes and stones. At +last we got down to the shore, and after a sandy bit had three miles of +clambering and stepping over boulders and big stones. This was really hard +work, if only because one was obliged to hold the head down in order to +pick every step. At last we got near the end of it, and coming to a stream +trickling down the cliff--how we welcomed the water, for we were hot and +thirsty!--we sat down and had our lunch. + +_Tuesday, December_ 29.--To continue the account. We had now come to a +very picturesque part, and were nearly at Seal Bay. On the shore was a +clump of rocks forming an archway. Rocks like these are rather a feature +on this side of the island. We had now a short but stiff climb; holding on +to tufts of stubbly reed-like grass we pulled ourselves up to the top of +the cliff. Here we were on fairly level ground, an uneven plain nearly +three miles long, the first part of which had its grass thickly strewn +with tiny ferns. The sweet-scented geranium abounded and so did the +crowberry, which is a finer and sweeter kind than that which grows +nearer the settlement. We frequently stopped to refresh ourselves with it. +Near a gulch we sat down for a good rest, and then trudged on to Seal Bay. +The scenery was fine, high mountains with long, grassy slopes. We soon +got to the cave on the shore which the men generally occupy, a poor sort +of shelter. The first thing we now did was to cook our supper. Boiling +water was soon ready for the tea and steaming potatoes for the cold meat. +Supper over I went to a pool to wash up, and found the water quite warm. +The next thing was to find a sleeping-place. We went along the shore in +search of a cave and in about ten minutes came to two side by side. One +was immense--long, broad and lofty--and we immediately marked it off as +our drawing-room. The other was just as small; it had a good open +frontage, but was only about seven feet broad; it would do, though, to +sleep in. Both were floored with clean sand and fairly dry. Close by we +saw troops of penguins, which looked so delightfully quaint hopping and +running in long files to the sea. They have such an ancient look as they +move with bent body and head poking forward. We finally decided to sleep +in the open on a sand bank, which was still warm from the sun. We found +the best plan was to scoop out a place to lie in and heap up sand for a +pillow. We had left William busy blocking up his cave with planks, and +stopping up every crevice with tussock, so that not a breath of cold air +should enter. Sleep would not come to us, and the roar of the waves +dashing on the beach a few yards below us did not help to bring it. The +wind, rising, began to blow the sand in our faces. This was a little too +much, so about two o'clock Graham got up and lit the fire which he had +already laid just inside the cave, and soon we were sitting and warming +ourselves at its blaze. Then we tried the cave and got a little sleep, but +were awakened by William at four. We sent him off to fish, and after +resting a little longer, got up and had a bathe. There were rather big +breakers, and I was knocked down but was none the worse. William, who as a +rule is no fisherman, had caught six fish, and I superintended the boiling +of them for breakfast, while Graham went for fresh water, which is only to +be had some distance off. + +_Wednesday, December 30_.--We started betimes yesterday for Stony Beach +and found it a longer walk than I expected. We went along the shore, part +of the way over boulders, then on to the side of the hill, where I +photographed two mollyhawks on their nest. I also took photographs at +different points along the shore. We at last got on to a grassy slope. We +were feeling tired, but trudged on. As we neared Stony Hill we heard the +galloping of wild cattle, and soon a troop of them appeared. Happily, we +were well out of their course, for they are sometimes dangerous. This part +of the way was very tiring and we were thankful--at least I was--when we +got to the wooded valley which was our destination. Amongst the trees were +flocks of noisy penguins. We were now in a most lovely part; it was really +beautiful, and the view up the valley wild and fine. We settled down under +the shade of the trees, made a fire and had a meal, after which Graham and +William wandered away. I thankfully found a shady spot under a tree and +had a rest. Then roused myself and tried to sketch. It was very hot and +one did not feel energy for anything, not even to read. After a time +Graham and William returned; they had wandered on to the opposite hill, +from where I had heard their voices. Graham was anxious I should see the +valley, so at last I mustered energy enough to stroll up. I was glad I +went, for the view was very grand. We toiled up the side of the valley on +to a ridge and looked down on Stony Beach, which lay at a great depth +below. Scattered along it in a half-circle were hundreds of penguins. +We slowly made our way down again, resting when we could under the shade +of trees. We got back to the place where we lunched, made some tea, and +had a hard-boiled egg each and some bread-and-butter, but not much, as we +had to husband our food. It was about six, and we thought it time to start +back to Seal Bay. We could not stay at Stony Beach, as we knew of no +shelter. Walking across the moor, we kept a look-out for the cattle and +spied them some distance away on higher ground; they appeared to be +watching our movements narrowly. We came back quickly and got to our +quarters in an hour and thirty-five minutes, just as it was getting dusk. +We sat down at the mouth of our cave; then Graham and William lit the fire +and put the potatoes on to boil. I sat near and at intervals progged the +potatoes. It came on to rain slightly, but the cave just sheltered us. +William slept in a corner against the wall, near where the fire had been. +Graham got up in the middle of the night and put a rug over him, as he had +not been able to sleep much the night before on account of feeling cold. +I never had a better night, and felt refreshed, though tired. It has been +very showery, but we managed to go off for a bathe and found a better +place than yesterday's: a place between two rocks, into which the sea +rushed at frequent intervals. We enjoyed a lazy morning. While Graham and +William played cricket in the large cave, I rested in the other. When I +looked in upon them a little later I found them stretched at full length, +with pocket-handkerchiefs over their faces, which told its own tale. + +There is lying on the rocks here the trunk of a large tree, which was +first washed up on Tristan in 1894. It then measured, Repetto says, 120 +feet to 140 feet in length, and 20 feet in girth. + +[Illustration: HOTTENTOT GULCH] + +_Thursday, December_ 3l.--Here we are, at home again, feeling decidedly +tired, but having much enjoyed our holiday in the open air. We spent a +very quiet day yesterday. In the afternoon I sketched an archway of rock. +Then I went along the shore in search of Graham and William. The latter +was trying, without either hook or bait, to catch fish, and caught three +crawfish, one of which we had for supper. This morning we were up soon +after four and had our bathe; the sun was just rising. We returned to +prepare breakfast. William was to have had the fire lit, but we found he +had used all his matches in vain. The fire was made to burn at last and +breakfast cooked and over, we packed our knapsacks and started for home. +We got across the plain fairly well and down the cliff, which was not an +easy descent, on to the shore. It took us one hour and twenty-five minutes +scrambling over the stones and boulders of the shore, and we went very +quickly, just taking a respite now and again. In some parts, where there +had been landslips, it was not safe to halt. We were glad when we got over +this part, but the worst was to come. The mountain had a heavy mist over +it. Before we began to ascend it we sat in Anherstock Gulch and had lunch. +We were very thirsty and the only water we could get was some rain-water +in the hollow of a rock. The ascent was steep, and before we had gone far +rain came on. Then we had to walk along the side of the mountain in a +narrow path bordered and overhung by dripping ferns. The last part was +very steep and I kept stumbling over my wet skirt, and really if William +had not assisted me, I do not know how I should have got up. Graham had as +much as he could do to drag up the load on his back. From the heights +which we now reached we could see the Bluff and make out figures which we +guessed were awaiting us. Before long we got down to them and found they +were Ellen and the children. She had brought donkeys and also a dry skirt +and waterproof for me, which I was thankful to put on. The donkeys soon +were saddled and we set off home. The saddles were men's and lacked +stirrups. We came home at a tremendous pace, and it was as much as I could +do to stick on. Graham, relieved of his load, ran behind and kept the +donkey going. Knowing we were wet through, he would not listen to my +entreaties to let the animals walk, so we raced the five miles home. As we +neared the houses people came out to greet us, and were glad to see we +were safely back. Only a few of the women have been to Stony Beach, and I +doubt if any have been up the valley. In the evening the men came round, +as is their custom on New Year's Eve, and in the intervals of playing and +drinking tea were most interested in hearing about our expedition. They +think we went about thirty-two miles. + + + +CHAPTER XXXV + + +_Tuesday, January 5, 1909_.--We have had another excursion. Thinking we +would make the most of the holiday, yesterday we went with some of the +young people up to the Ponds. It was our intention to start early, but the +weather looked uncertain, so we waited awhile. At last we started off. Our +party of eleven included Alfred, Maria and Johnny Green, William and Sophy +Rogers, Emma Hagan, and Mary, Martha and Susan Repetto. We had a short +walk over the sands going east, and then one of the stiff climbs, now +becoming quite familiar, up the mountains, but we climbed leisurely, +picking and eating berries as we went. It was a really hard climb at the +end. Having reached the top we walked along a gulch, where I took two +photographs, and from there got on to a moor which was covered with +high-growing ferns, making walking difficult. We had about three miles of +this and then reached the Ponds. They are close together, and the top one +flows into the middle one and that again into the third. We descended to +the first and there sat down for lunch, and how thankful we were to rest +no words can say. Mary undertook the boiling of the water drawn from the +pond; there was not much wood and a strong wind, and it seemed as if it +would never boil. After lunch, as it was blowing rather cold, we moved on, +making a detour along the opposite hill round the second pond to the +third. The ponds lie in very deep, round basins, the sides of which in +many places are thick with trees. We did not attempt to go down to the two +last. Returning, we thought we would try a short cut across the moor to +the edge of the mountain. Andrew Hagan, who had joined us, advised us not +to try this, but the spirit of adventure was upon us, and so we and the +children set forth. We certainly got into many pitfalls. We had numerous +small ravines to cross and their almost impossible banks to scramble up, +and at times had to push our way through bushes and ferns. We came across +a good many mollyhawks sitting on their nests, which they seem to frequent +after their young ones have flown. We saw one or two of the young; they +are so pretty and are covered with a blue fluffy down. It was not easy to +keep Rob and Scotty from molesting them. We clambered down the mountain +fairly quickly. William most thoughtfully had told Ned to meet us with the +donkey, and I was most thankful for it. It was getting on for eight by the +time we got home. Graham thinks we must have been about fifteen miles. I +think it was the most tiring expedition we have had, but do not regret +having gone. The children enjoyed themselves immensely, and it was +delightful to hear their peals of laughter; they were here, there, and +everywhere. + +_Tuesday, January_ l2.--Mr. Keytel is encountering many difficulties. The +fact is, the men are not pulling together, which is due to the new-comers, +who have done an untold amount of mischief in every way. There are +divisions and quarrels among them, and their morals are bad. + +Six men who last week went to Inaccessible returned on Sunday. They had +hoped to do some sealing, but could not get into the cave. I am sorry to +say one of them purposely set fire to the tussock grass, which has been +burning for three days. The fire can be seen from here, twenty-five miles +away. The men say that thousands of birds must have been destroyed, as it +is their nesting time. It is horrible to think of. + +We started school again last Monday, after more than a fortnight's +holiday. For some time the elder Swain girls have left off coming to +school, and now William means to leave; he is eighteen, and is wanted +for work. While I write I hear the cheerful strains of a concertina which +he is playing. + +_Friday, January 15_.--Soon after four this morning the settlement was +awakened by terrific cries of "Sail, ho!" Some smoke was seen, and it was +first thought to be that of a steamer, but there was so much it seemed to +be a ship on fire. The men went off and did not get back till the evening, +as they had a long distance to go. The ship was a whaler melting the +blubber of a whale caught the night before. They had on deck the half of +the head, inside of which men were digging with spades--which gives an +idea of its size. The whale in Tristan waters is the Southern Right Whale. + +_Saturday, January 16_.--A vessel emerged from the mist to-day. In a +marvellously short time the men were off to her. She was a Norwegian one +bound for Australia, and had made a quick run of fourteen days from Rio +Janeiro. After the men returned in the evening they had to go off again +with sheep and potatoes to the whaler, which was standing out to the east. +We sat on the cliff once more, looking at the busy scene on the beach +and watching with interest the boys guiding down the steep road the +bullock-carts, which at times looked as if they would heave over, and +indeed one did. The men will probably not be back till the small hours of +the morning, which will make a working-day of nearly twenty-four hours for +them, as they were up very early digging potatoes for the whaler. + +_Monday, January_ l8.--The men failed to catch the whaler on Saturday +night. I suppose the captain had given them up and moved further out. They +got back about 2 o'clock, and after a few hours' rest went off again to +her, returning in the evening. This morning, just before starting for +church, a third ship was sighted in the far distance. + +We have had rather uncertain weather lately, with a good deal of wind. The +last few days have been hot and misty. The flower garden has not done very +well this year, partly due to the wind. + +The ship that was sighted to-day was another whaler. It was too breezy +for the men to go out to it, so they went to dig potatoes to be ready for +to-morrow. + +_Wednesday, January_ 20.--In the late afternoon I was sketching the +mountains with the houses below, so as to give an idea of the great height +of the overshadowing cliffs. It was rather too ambitious a sketch. I sat +out on the plain right away from the houses. + +_Saturday, January_ 23.--Yesterday being Sophy Rogers' birthday, we went +in the afternoon for a picnic. The invited were all those who attend the +knitting-class. We went a little way west and had tea in a ravine. Mary +Repetto, who is generally the leading spirit, superintended the boiling of +the water. Afterwards the girls had rounders on the plain, playing with +great zest. It was amusing to watch their different characters. Mary, +intensely in earnest and galloping round at terrific speed; at the same +time trying to keep every one else up to the mark; her face showing +displeasure or amusement with lightning rapidity. Her sister Martha, very +serious and looking rather harassed. Sophy, a tall, rather pretty girl, +taking all in good part and entering into the game with great enjoyment. +Maria, who is decidedly staid, playing well, but not letting herself go. +Emma, the tallest of all, good-natured, and enjoying herself immensely, +but taking things easily. Susan, as active as a young goat and full of +laughter. We joined for a game, but I was soon glad to take my place again +as a spectator. + +_Thursday, January_ 28.--Most of the men are walling in new potato +patches. The young Swains are going to build a house. This will be the +first that has been put up for at least ten years. The difficulty will be +to get wood enough. The men do not care much for building. + +Graham talks of going up to the Peak again, and I may possibly go too; we +should not do it in a day, but camp out for at least one night. The +hardest part is the ascent from the settlement on to the Base. + +_Monday, February_ 1.--Last Saturday Henry had rather a bad fall from his +donkey. He was going at a good pace when the crupper broke, and he was +thrown over the donkey's head on to the stony track. He hurt his neck, cut +his face, and the inside of his mouth. Calling this morning, I found his +mouth was festering inside, and as he thought there was grit there, at his +wife's suggestion I syringed it. The grit had lodged in a hole, and it +took nearly an hour to dislodge it. Even then I was not sure it was all +out, and so promised to go up again this afternoon, and, syringing again, +more came out. I hope the wound may now heal quickly. + +Graham and Mr. Keytel have been exploring this afternoon. They wanted to +find the way to the Base from a certain point. I did not realize till the +other day that when we climb to the Base we are considerably higher than +the Malvern Hills. + +Mr. Keytel has had to throw away a great number of his dried fish. Some +had become fly-blown, and some mildewed. The north wind does so much +damage in moistening things, and so causing food to spoil. + +_Monday, February_ 8.--This evening I was sitting on the common, having +just finished sketching, when, looking up, I saw the poor sheep being +driven hither and thither by one of Henry Green's dogs, which the girls +were powerless to stop. It ran the sheep to the edge of the cliff, and +two, in their fright, ran down to the shore and one was nearly drowned. +But the girls followed; and Martha got hold of the sheep by its tail and +with the assistance of the others drew it out of the sea. + +_Wednesday, February_ 10.--Most of the men have gone off to Inaccessible. +The island has now been on fire for a month. + +_Friday, February_ 12.--This morning a ship was seen. Hearing it was a +whaler, I went up to school as usual, and did not trouble about letters. +In a few minutes Mr. Repetto looked in to ask for Mary, and said it was a +merchant ship, and that the men were just going off. I flew home, got my +letters and dispatched them by Johnny Green. Graham was just too late with +his. Soon after the three boats came back from Inaccessible. They had had +bad weather, and had only caught four seals. The cave in which they are +caught is very dark and has to be entered with lanterns, hence a good many +got away. The other men returned from the ship in the early evening. We +hear the captain would have been ready to take us. He was going to +Melbourne. I am glad, though, not to go so far; it is a long round. As the +time gets nearer, so the desire becomes greater to see all our home +people; but we must just await our time. + +[Illustration: ALL THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN] + +_Saturday, February_ 13.--Tom has just been in and told us how well they +did on the ship yesterday. The captain was very kind. This morning there +was another cry of "Sail, ho!" Twenty-two went off and caught the ship. It +was an English one, and again bound for Melbourne. Repetto asked the +captain if he would give us a passage, but he said he had no room, as he +had already a passenger. I felt anxious as to whether we should have to go +off, and even began to collect some books, but, rather to my relief, on +looking out I saw the ship's sails going up again. Now that the prospect +of getting home is so much in our thoughts it seems such a journey round +by Australia. I suppose it would take us six weeks to get there. + +Graham and Mr. Keytel have at last found the way up from the Goat Ridge to +the Base. Mr. Keytel ascended by rather a dangerous way, but managed to +hold on and pull himself up. They were so late in coming home that I went +to Mrs. Repetto, and we both walked as far as the gulch to look for them; +before long she saw them coming, greatly to my relief. + +_Monday, February_ l5.--William came in on Saturday night to show us a +watch he had bought for five shillings from an apprentice on the last +ship. He wanted to show his treasure at once. I only hope it +will go, but he does not seem to have any apprehensions +on that score; it is a watch, and he possesses it! + +In view of our leaving, Graham has given to Repetto the Bishop's +commission to hold a service every Sunday, to take baptisms, and to +perform marriages. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVI + + +We have now quite made up our minds not to go by any ship bound for +Australia, as we have the _Greyhound_ to fall back upon. + +_Wednesday, February_ l7.--This afternoon, as I was contemplating a walk +with Graham, Susie Repetto came to ask me to go up and see Martha, who in +chopping wood had cut her foot rather badly with an axe. I found she had +done it this morning; it was a bad gash on the top of the foot, and had +bled profusely. Her father had bound it up, and told them to ask me to go +up and see to it this afternoon. It ought to have been sewn up, and +Repetto intended to do that, but Lavarello dissuaded him. Repetto is quite +a doctor--and surgeon too. When, a few years ago, old Susan Swain fell and +broke her left leg at the shin into splinters, he very cleverly set it, +and she now walks about as well as ever, and shows no sign of lameness-- +even in spite of her not having altogether obeyed his instructions. His +account of the setting is most amusing. He says he was never so hot in his +life. His great difficulty was to get at the fracture, for as soon as he +pulled up the skirt to look at it, it was promptly pulled down again by +one or another of the many bystanders. He was equally successful in two +cases amongst his children, one of whom had her wrist, and the other his +shoulder dislocated. + +[_June_, 1910.--As I write this for the printer, news comes of a very sad +accident to poor little Florrie Swain, aged seven, by a stone falling upon +her at Pig's-Bite. This is how Repetto writing on April 24 describes the +case:-- + +"I am little busy now about that I have to attend to little Florence which +she as bough (both) legs brock below the neess but one of it she got three +wonds one just below the nee about tow inches long and mor than a inche +wide another on the brocken bon which the bon is entirely out about 3 +inches long and another large ones on top the foot which reach from ones +side the enckel bone to the other and some more smoll ones also the same +leg I had operetion on her foot which I had to cut off the big toe and the +nex to the big one and mor the alf of the underfoot All them see give her +up but now she get on nisely ... beside Athur Rogers he had his herm +dislocate so I am now cleagy and doctor."] + +_Thursday, February_ 18.--Ellen was _hors de combat_ to-day, consequently +I have had a most domestic day. I swept the rooms, skimmed the milk, +boiled the coffee and the eggs. After breakfast Mary came to help. Though +only thirteen, she has the capability of a girl of eighteen. She looked +after the boiling of the milk, of which there was a bucketful, washed up, +and cleaned the saucepans. These are done outside at the Watering and +cleaned with sods. I did the bedroom, made a milk pudding and trimmed the +lamp. It was then time for church. In the middle of the morning I had to +run off to dress Martha's foot, which is doing well. She has to keep in +bed, but does not seem to mind, as she is fond of reading. + +_Monday, February_ 22.--We have not had very much summer this year. To-day +is quite cold, and we are told there is snow on the Peak. + +_Thursday, February_ 25.--Mr. Keytel has met with many discouragements, +but if the Government will grant him certain concessions he fully intends +to return. He said one day, "I think most men would have thrown the whole +business up"; and truly I think they would. + +_Thursday, March_ 4.--The vine on the house is growing at such a rate; +rather more than a third of the front of the house is now covered with it, +and it has actually grapes. Not much has been done in the garden this year +on account of the fowls, but we have had a few vegetables. The cucumbers +have done well. I cut one a day or two ago, which was a monster. There +being no bees here, the blossoms have to be set. Tomatoes never seem to +ripen on the plant. + +_Wednesday, March_ 10.--Now that our time is probably so near to a close +it gives rather an unsettled feeling. The _Greyhound_ is expected in ten +days' time. + +Yesterday every one, except Susan Swain, who has been ill, turned up at +the women's meeting--in all, twenty-one. At first few were able to follow +what was read, but now they enjoy it and laugh at the jokes. I always give +a short address at the end, and only hope it may be a little help to them. + +To-day I found old Eliza Hagan here when I came back from school, and +induced her to stay to dinner. The Hagans were thrashing wheat in her +house, so she was glad to get away. She is such a kind old soul, and never +says an unkind thing of any one. She is so big that I always tremble lest +the chair should give way. + +We often talk of the _Greyhound_ and how we shall manage on it. It is +really a question of where they can put us. I expect Ellen and I shall +have to sleep in the hold, and as for a place to have meals in, I do not +believe there is any. I shall rather enjoy the experience of roughing it +for a time. It will be something to look back upon. + +[Illustration: ORANGES AND LEMONS] + +_Thursday, March_ 11.--This morning Mrs. H. Green came with a present of +butter and eggs, it being Alfred's birthday. She asked us to tea this +afternoon. We were just going to sit down to dinner, and made her join us. +She went away directly afterwards, saying, "We must forgive her manners, +for she must get home." They were giving a birthday dinner. + +_Monday, March_ l5.--A ship was sighted this morning; it was lost sight of +for a time, but later appeared again, when the men went out to it. + +This afternoon Mr. Keytel invited the school-children to his lawn, a +square grass-plot behind his house, where he took photographs of them +playing various games. It was intensely hot. Later we played games in +earnest. On leaving each child received some prunes. + +The men got to the ship at dusk and did not return till the early morning. +It was from London and going to Australia. The captain told the men that +he had seen in the paper that the _Pandora_ was coming here with the mail. +The people are quite excited about this piece of news, which will give +them a subject for conversation for some time to come. + +_Friday, March_ 19.--On Wednesday a good many of the people went by boat +to the orchards at Sandy Point, and brought back sacks of apples. + +We are quite proud of our cucumbers. To-day I measured one I brought in; +it was close on a foot in circumference. I have never seen such fine ones +at home, and I think these are more juicy. + +We wonder each day whether it will be our last here. + +_Saturday, March_ 20.--All eyes are scanning the ocean for the schooner, +and I may add, for the _Pandora_. I think Mr. Keytel is beginning to feel +he will be glad to get away. + +One comes across curious types of human nature. The other day Bob Glass +sent to ask if he could preach on Sundays at the church when we are gone. +Graham replied, "No." Then he came to see him and said he had got the +learning, but Graham pointed out to him that it was the life that was +needed, and showed him that he had not this, because, to mention only one +thing, he was a notorious swearer, which he admitted. He came again the +next day or the day after to ask if his child could be baptized, and also +to ask if he might preach on Saturday afternoon at the church-house, as +there were several of the boys who wanted to hear how he could do it. The +child was baptized on Sunday. + +_Tuesday, March_ 23.--Ellen was amused the other day by one of the women +telling her that she had ready some nice fresh eggs for us when her turn +came to serve us, which would be a week hence. + +We have been to look at the new house, which was begun yesterday. One side +is nearly up. The stone from an old cottage of Susan Swain's is being +used, which, being ready squared, saves a good deal of labour. The +fireplace, the most difficult part, was being built to-day. + +_Friday, March_ 26.--We go up each evening to look at the house. The +stonework will be nearly finished by to-morrow. The measurement is forty +feet by twelve. + +_Monday, March_ 29.--Each day we expect to hear a cry of "Sail, ho!" and +that our time of departure has come, but, of course, here things must be +uncertain, so we must just patiently wait. + +On Saturday, in passing over Hill Piece, Graham and I saw smoke, and, +getting on to Burnt Hill, saw large burnt patches and smoke and flames +arising from various directions. Upon inquiry, we learnt that one of the +men had fired a piece to see if he could procure stone there. He had never +put the fire out, and it has been burning for three months. Probably it +will cover a good deal of ground before it dies out, which will mean so +much loss of pasture for the cattle. Graham went to-day to see what he +could do by trenching and so cutting off a small plot. The soil was at +burning heat quite a foot deep. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVII + + +On the _Svend Foyne_. + +_Monday, April_ 5.--Well, we are on our homeward road at last! I must go +back and relate events from the beginning. On Wednesday afternoon, feeling +a little tired, I had taken my chair outside in front of the cottage and +nearly fell asleep. I fancied I heard a sound of "Sail, ho!" but thinking +it was the children at play, I thought no more of it, although Rob at once +looked up. Presently two of the young girls rushed down to the house, +calling out, "Three steamers from the westward." I jumped up at once, and +we set to to collect everything that had to be packed. Mr. Keytel and +Repetto appeared and told us the men would soon be starting for the +steamers, which were coming close in. It was arranged that Repetto should +stay and Henry Green carry on the negotiations with the captain, who was +to be asked to run up a red flag if he were willing to take us. The men +soon got off, but were not able to intercept the steamer, which got in +front of them, and it looked at one time as if there were no hope of +overtaking it. They hoisted a sail in hope of attracting the captain's +attention. Between our packing we kept anxiously looking out at them, and +before very long went up to the Repettos' house, where we could see +better. After some time of anxious watching the steamer seemed to be +slowing down, and at last we saw the boats get alongside. There was a +concourse of women and children at the Repettos' house, and I shall not +forget Mary's anxious little face as she keenly watched the movements of +the steamer. When she saw it was slowing down she fled into the house. +There I found her behind the door, weeping bitterly, as well as Martha, +and did my best to comfort them. Before very long the boats came back and +we went down to the shore to hear the news. It seems that when the captain +heard they had things for barter he said he did not want anything. Then +Henry Green called out could he have a few words with him, as he had a +message to give him from the minister. This was allowed; so Henry went on +board and put things so well that, after some consideration, the captain +said he would take us, and would wait till eight that evening, and even +until ten. "No," said Henry, "that won't do; it isn't fit weather for them +to come off tonight; it'll be better to-morrow." Finally the captain said, +"I can't wait for them longer than eight o'clock to-morrow morning. If +they are not here by then I must go." He was anxious to coal his two small +steamers, and had come close to the island expecting to find smoother +water in which to do so. He told us afterwards he only took us because he +knew how difficult it must be to get off the island. It was a reprieve to +know we had not to leave that night; it gave us time to go round and say +good-bye to all the old people. Some of them, especially Eliza Hagan, +Betty Cotton and Martha Green, felt it very much. Mr. Keytel made up his +mind to throw in his lot with us and not wait for his schooner. We were up +till midnight, and were up again soon after four, when it was quite dark. +We had breakfast at half-past five, as Graham had arranged for a service +at six. To this service men, women and children came to the number of +sixty. We had two hymns, "Jesu, meek and gentle," and "Fight the good +fight," two or three prayers, and a few words of farewell. Old Eliza, +Susan Hagan and Betty followed us back into the house and stayed till it +was time to leave for the shore. We had prayer together and then we went +down to the beach. Nearly every one was there to bid us good-bye. I think +the little boys were very happy, feeling they would have no more school, +but the women and girls were almost in tears. The boats were at last +ready, and we followed them as they were pushed to the brink of the water, +then got in, and the men--waiting for an opportune moment, for there were +breakers--pushed off, sprang in and bent to their oars. It took about +half-an-hour to get to the ship, which was a large iron one. Our boat +waited close by till those in the first one had gone on board. One or two +waves had splashed into the boat, and I found myself sitting in a pool of +water. When our turn came a grimy rope was put round our waists, and we +had to clamber up a steep iron ladder as best we could, coal-besmeared +faces looking down upon us from above. As soon as the baggage was on board +the order was given to go ahead. Many of the men when they came to say +good-bye were in tears; Henry in particular seemed to feel the parting. We +watched them getting into their boats and waved adieux as they sped on +their way homeward. + +Now I must tell a little about the ship, which is a Norwegian whaler of +4,000 tons, and has accompanying it two little steamers, on each of which +is mounted a gun, from which the harpoon is shot. The captain is returning +from the South Shetlands (south of Cape Horn), and has caught 392 whales +of two or three varieties. Below are 8,000 barrels of oil, which he is +taking to Cape Town to be sent on from there to an English or Scotch +market. + +_Wednesday, April_ 7.--I forgot to mention that Joe Hagan, one of last +year's arrivals and a very decent fellow, managed through Mr. Keytel to +get a passage. + +The day we left there were clouds over Tristan, and to my disappointment +we could not see the Peak, which I have not yet seen. The island was +visible most of the day. We kept on deck all day, but towards evening our +sea troubles began. Some of the oil being stored in tanks caused the ship +to roll more than it ordinarily would. From that Thursday evening till +Monday morning neither Graham nor Ellen came up-stairs, and were really +very ill. I could just manage to get out of my bunk and crawl up-stairs on +to the sofa in the tiny saloon, which was heaped up with our small +luggage, and was the home of the two dogs, Rob and Scotty. The utmost I +was capable of these two days was twice a day to look in upon the +invalids. Happily, we had the kindest of stewards, with the softest of +voices, who looked well after them, and Mr. Keytel did all he could. On +Sunday there was a moderate gale, but Monday was calmer, and we all +revived and got out on deck. + +Ellen had been given some apples before starting, the islanders telling +her they were good for seasickness. Feeling a little revived, we thought +we would like to try them, so she brought us some. Presently I heard an +exclamation from her, and found she was looking at the paper in which the +apples had been wrapped. In putting them away she had recognized in the +paper a portrait of my eldest brother. On looking at the paper, I saw his +portrait and that of his intended bride, with a notice of his approaching +marriage. This was the first intimation I had of my brother's engagement. +It seemed so curious that of all the papers that came from that ship, this +should have been the one little bit of them to reach us, and that, too, +after we had left the island. We always saw any papers brought from ships, +but these from the London ship, which was boarded about a fortnight ago, +did not come into our hands. + +Poor Graham is very much run down and looks as if he had put on twenty +years. It is the greatest mercy that we have come by this steamer and not +by the schooner. + +It is quite an interest to watch the small steamers ploughing behind. +Sometimes the waves wash right over their decks. As the sea is not smooth +enough for them to be coaled from the large steamer, they have had to be +taken in tow. This will delay our passage, but the captain expects to be +in Table Bay on Thursday evening. We are having beautiful weather and are +able to be on deck all day long. + +_Thursday, April_ 8,--We cannot feel thankful enough that we were given +passages on this steamer. Mr. Keytel is glad too, and has been able to +learn a great deal about whaling from the captain, with whom he talks by +the hour. We cannot say too much of Captain Mitchelsen's kindness and +generosity. When Mr. Keytel asked him what we were indebted to him, he +would hear of no payment, though Mr. Keytel urged it again and again. At +last he said, "If you like you may pay the steward for the food, but +nothing more." + +_Royal Hotel, Cape Town, Saturday, April_ 10, 1909. Here we are, and so +thankful to be on shore. Thursday, our last night on board, was rather a +bad one; the ship rolled horribly, on account of slackening speed, and +scarcely any one slept. We were astir betimes, and much enjoyed the beauty +of the outline of coast. It was delightful to feast our eyes on the bright +sunshiny shore dotted with red-roofed houses. It was a beautiful day, and +Table Mountain and the town looked very fine as we rounded in. We anchored +in the Bay, and soon plying round us were numerous little motor-launches. +The Port Doctor did not appear till long after the other officials +because, I suppose, it was Good Friday, and then had to go back for +papers. In consequence of this delay we did not leave the ship until the +afternoon. The poor dogs were not even so fortunate, having to be left +behind till the morrow to be passed by the veterinary surgeon. We embarked +on one of the launches, and I must say it was delightful to step ashore +and to enter what seemed to us almost a new world. + +That evening we found our way to the cathedral, and I think we could from +our hearts give thanks for all God's goodness to us. When we started forth +four years ago I rather dreaded facing the world, but all along our path +we have met with the greatest kindness and have made many new friends. In +all we see God's guiding Hand; and very especially did the arrival of the +steamer at the very time we would have chosen make us feel conscious of +God's loving kindness and tender care. + + + +APPENDICES + + +_A_. THE FAUNA AND FLORA OF TRISTAN + +There is nothing peculiar to Tristan in either its Fauna or Flora. Of the +birds those we saw or heard most of were:-- + + 1. The Gony, the Wandering Albatross (_Diomedia exulans_). A few lay on +Inaccessible but none on Tristan. + 2. The "Pe-o," the Sooty Albatross (_Phoebetria fuliginosa_). Comes to +nest in August, leaves in April. + 3. The Molly, Yellow-nosed Mollyhawk (_Thalassogeron chlororhyncus_). +Comes to nest in August, leaves in April. + 4. The Sea-hen, the Southern Skua (_Stercorarius antarcticus_). Is in +all the year, begins to lay in August. + 5. The Black Eaglet, the Long-winged Fulmar (_Aestrelata Macroptera_). +Comes in to moult in May; lays first week in July. + 6. The White-breasted Black Eaglet. Lays in November. + 7. The King-bird, the Kerguelen Tern (_Sterna Vittata_). Comes in +September, and lays in November. + 8. The Wood-pigeon, the "Noddy" (_Anous Stolidus_). Comes in September +and lays in November. + 9. The Night-bird, the Broad-billed Blue Petrel (_Prion Vittatus_). +Comes in July and lays in September. + 10. The "Pediunker," lays in May and June; it is like a Petrel. We think +it must be the Shearwater (_Profinus Cinereus_); of which we were told at +the South African Museum, Cape Town, that it frequents Scotland, and that +its nesting-place was unknown until Mr. Keytel brought a specimen of it +and of its eggs from Tristan in 1909. + 11. The Starchy, the Tristan Thrush (_Nesocictela_). A land bird. No +song. + 12. The Finch, the Tristan Finch (_Nesospiza Acunhae_). A land bird. + 13. The Penguin, the Rock-hopper Penguin (_Catarrhactes Chrysocome_). +Comes to moult in March; comes again in August and lays in September. Last +year's young ones come to moult in December. + +The first name is the island name. "Pe-o" and "Pediunker" are attempts at +spelling. + +The fish we saw at Tristan were:--- + +1. Whale, Southern Right Whale (_Balaena Australis_). +2. Sea-elephant. +3. Seal (_Arctocephalus pusillus_). +4. Shark. +5. Blue-fish (_Perca antarctica_). +6. Snoek (_Thyrsites atun_). +7. Mackerel (_Scomber Pneumatophorus_). +8. Five-finger (_Chilodactylus Fasciatus lac_). +9. Soldier-fish. +10. Craw-fish. +11. Clip-fish. + +Of the trees and plants those we most frequently met with were:--- + + 1. The Island Tree (_Phylica nitida_). Found also on the islands Gough, +Amsterdam, Bourbon, and Mauritius. + 2. Tussock (_Spartina Arundinacea_); distinct from the real Tussock +(_Poa Flabellater_). "The geographical distribution of this grass is +remarkable, being confined to the Tristan group and Gough Island, and the +Islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam in the Indian Ocean, 3,000 miles +distant" (Blue-book). + 3. Flax. + 4. Willow, a few trees on the settlement only. + 5. Ferns and Mosses. + 6. Prickle-bush, Gorse. A few bushes only near the houses. + 7. Crowberry (_Empetrum nigrum_). + 8. Nertera, bearing scarlet berries. + 9. Blackberry. Scanty. + 10. Cape-gooseberry. Once plentiful, now scarce. + 11. Tea-plant (_Chenopodium Tomentosum_). + 12. Wild Celery. + 13. Large Field-Daisy. + 14. Geranium (_Pelargonium Australe_). + 15. Convolvolus. + 16. Sunflower (_Oxalis_). + 17. Buttercup. One patch only near Betty's house. + + +_B_. THE WEATHER + +From Feb. 15, 1908, to March 31, 1909, the lowest temperature as recorded +in a Stevenson's screen was 37'9 degrees (Aug. 16, 1908), and the highest +77'8 (March 14, 1909). + +The Rainfall and Sunshine records are as follows:-- + + Rainfall Sun, all Sun, part Sun + day of the day unrecorded + + 1907 inches days days days + +June 4-30 4'990 5 19 0 +July 9'635 4 18 3 +August 8'020 4 21 0 +September 7'465 7 11 1 +October 7'660 9 13 0 +November 6'015 11 14 1 +December 2'975 4 1 24 + ______ + 46'760 + +1908 +January 4.565 11 12 0 +February 6.105 10 12 0 +March 4.360 7 17 2 +April 7.605 14 8 1 +May 4.305 9 21 0 +June 5.775 0 25 0 +July 4.800 5 21 0 +August 6.325 8 18 0 +September 6.630 3 21 0 +October 6.675 11 9 0 +November 2.440 11 8 0 +December 5.255 10 10 0 + ______ + 64.840 + + 1909 +January 3.060 7 19 0 +February 4.720 11 7 3 +March 5.295 9 14 1 + ______ + 13.075 + +The following observations on the wind are derived from Andréa Repetto:-- + +The wind at Tristan generally changes from northward to westward or +southward. The change begins with rain. A very light wind from the +northward (NE. or N.) will spring up, and may last for a day or two; then +it becomes unsettled and with rain changes to the westward. But this +initial wind may come from the NW., W., SW., or S. This movement of the +wind from the northward to westward or southward generally happens when +the weather is settled and the wind is light, or in the warm season +(spring, summer and autumn); but sometimes it happens in unsettled +weather, in which case the rain pours down at once and the wind from the +north lasts only a short time. When this northward wind begins in +unsettled weather it changes to the south, as a rule, without staying at +any of the intervening points, and does so with a heavy squall or shower. +When the wind from the north is a light one it generally changes to a +light one from the south; and when it is a heavy one from the north it +generally changes to a heavy one from the south; this latter happens +usually in the winter when the weather is for the most part unsettled. + +In the warm season when the wind is very light it very often goes round +the four cardinal points every twenty-four hours for a week together. + +The wind hardly ever changes from the northward to the eastward. On the +very rare occasions when it may do so, the wind being very variable, it +never stands there but quickly returns to the northward. + +The wind may instantly change (_e.g_. after one shower) from northward to +south; and sometimes from here (the south) it goes to SE., where it may +stay a week; if it gets as far as the east it will not stay for more than +a day or two, but will go on to the NE.; but it does not get so far as the +E. more than once in a year, and perhaps not for two years, and always +without rain. + +When the wind gradually changes from northward to the south it stays a +short time in the west, then as the day advances in the SW., and gets to +the S. in the evening, each of those three movements being preceded by +squalls or showers. On reaching the S. it settles there for a day or two. +If during this day or two there are showers a movement will begin. In the +morning this movement will be without a shower from the S. to the W.; but +in the evening it will be with a shower back from the W. (to which it had +gone in the morning) to SW. or S. This movement may last for a week or +two. + +In fine weather when the wind springs from the northward the first day is +generally fine and clear, then it becomes cloudy or dull for a day or even +a fortnight; then it will change to the westward with a squall, or shower, +or sometimes heavy rain. + +The wind never changes from the S. to northward without first dying down +either at once or gradually and without rain. But it may change from the +SW. or W. to northward without dying down and without rain. + +The wind from the E. which visits the Isle so seldom generally begins with +rain, though in the lee it is clear and the sun is shining at the time. It +lasts from two to six days at least. + +When the SE. wind blows in unsettled weather, in the lee there will be +sunshine and clear weather. + +The winds from the W., SW., S. and SE. are dry winds. The other winds, +especially N. and NE., are wet ones. + + +C. SOME TRISTAN WORDS + +1. _Allow_, to say. + +2. _Bawling_, lowing of a cow. + +3. _Bog_, a root or clump of tussock. + +4. _Bread_, ship's biscuits. + +5. _Cake_, bread. + +6. _Duff-headed cow_, a cow without horns. + +7. _Fancy_, pretty. + +8. _Gallied_, flustered. + +9. _Gutter_, a narrow grass-covered ravine. + +10. _Hardy_, a high rock in the sea at a little distance from the shore. + +11. _"I never,"_ I never did it. + +12. _Mary_, a chrysalis. + +13. _Ned_, a lob (in cricket). + +14. _Paddle_, to rake. + +15. _Quanking_, the cackling of geese. + +16. _Red Harry_, a red centipede. + +17. _Scouse_, milk and the yolk of two or three eggs boiled in it. + +18. _The Stitch_, lumbago. + +19. _Tissick_, a cough. + + * * * * * + +_Richard Clay & Sons Limited, London and Bungay._ + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Three Years in Tristan da Cunha, by K. M. 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