Three Years in Tristan da Cunha by K. M. Barrow

K >> K. M. Barrow >> Three Years in Tristan da Cunha

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18

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 _recherche_ 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.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18