Three years in Tristan da Cunha

_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 colour...

_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 bathi...

_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 m...

_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...

_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 h...

_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 t...

_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...

_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 s...

_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;...

_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 d...

_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 telesc...

_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,...

_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 agreem...

_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 see...

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 intere...

_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...

_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 w...

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 poin...

_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 p...

_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 T...

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 t...

_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,...

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'...

_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 t...

_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 orchar...

_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. L...

_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...

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 delighte...

_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 serv...

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...

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....

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 whi...

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.

_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...

_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...

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 i...

_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 bea...

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...