Worsley, Jeffrey, Carr, Macklin, Kerr and Green all at separate times fell through the hatch, and that none of them received serious injury is remarkable. I was fully prepared on any day to witness some accident, and that so few occurred can only be due to the special Providence that guards children, drunken men and sailors. “There’s a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft, looks after the soul of poor Jack” (sea song).
Leaving the “Roaring Forties,” the air became milder and the temperature rose, so that we were able once more to go about without heavy clothing and could cast aside mufflers, mitts and woollen caps.
We sighted Inaccessible Island just after midnight on May 19th. It appeared as a high mass with dimly marked outline obscured at the top by dark banks of cloud. As we came abreast of it the moon came out, creating a very weird effect. The island itself stood out in deep, almost Stygian, blackness, and from its summit smoke seemed to be belching in great rolling masses. High above all was the moon, showing fitfully from between scudding clouds, and in front, accentuating the effect, was a rippling silvery pathway. It reminded me of a scene from Dante’s Inferno.
I now set course direct for Tristan da Cunha, where we arrived about daybreak.
The summit of the island was entirely obscured by heavy clouds and rain fell thickly, so that everything had a dreary aspect. As the light increased we were able to pick out the little cascade which gives a good mark for the anchorage and dropped our anchor in 7¼ fathoms. Looking ashore I saw a number of small, thatched houses situated on a piece of flat ground bounded on the side of the sea by short steep cliffs. This was the settlement where the whole population of the island lived. As we saw it now, on this soaking early morning, it might have been a dead village, for there was no sign of life, either beast or human, not a wreath of smoke ascended from the chimneys, and nothing at all stirred. To attract attention I blew a blast on the steam whistle, when there was an immediate change. The people came running from their cottages and the settlement sprang to life. The men launched their boats and came off to us. The sailor’s eye was at once attracted by the boats, which are made of canvas over a wooden framework. The men themselves were an uncouth lot. They were very excited and talked a great deal in thin jabbering voices. They hastened to board us and started at once to ask for things. They proved to be a great nuisance, so I sent them all ashore, retaining only one man, Robert Glass, who seemed to be the most intelligent of them. I learnt from him that the islanders were very destitute. He asked in the name of the community for our help and, realizing that they were indeed in a bad way, I determined in the name of Mr. Rowett, who I felt sure would sympathize with my action, to give them all the relief I could.
I gave instructions to Worsley to see what could be done for them in the way of deck gear, nails, canvas, rope, paint, etc., things of which they were in great need, and told Macklin to find out what could be spared in the way of food and general equipment.
We had brought fifteen bags of letter and parcel mail from England for these islanders; we had on board also a large number of packages and cases which Macklin, who had been compelled to find room for them in the sorely restricted space at his disposal, was pleased at the prospect of being able to hand over. They included a large gramophone, a gift from the Æolian Company, and some Bovril sent by the firm as a present to the islanders.
As I was anxious to learn all I could about these people, their ways and customs and mode of life generally, I detailed Macklin to go ashore for this purpose. I also gave him instructions to take a complete census, which might be of use to the Cape Government. He remained there while the ship visited Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands, and as I have asked him to write his own account, to avoid repetition I will refrain from any further description of Tristan da Cunha itself.
The Tristan da Cunha group of islands includes the three just mentioned and two smaller islets known as Middle and Stoltenhoff respectively. They lie roughly in latitude 37 south and 12 west longitude, and they are approximately 4,000 miles from the Cape of Good Hope. Tristan is probably the most isolated inhabited island in the world.
The group was discovered by the Portuguese admiral whose name they bear, in 1506. The Dutch, at the time of their settlement in the Cape Colony, examined it with a view to making it a naval station. The East India Company also sent a ship to see if it would be worth while forming a settlement there. No one lived there, however, till early in the eighteenth century, when a man named Thomas Currie landed and decided to remain. He was joined by two American whalers, named Lambert and Williams respectively. There is a vague report, too, of a Spanish boy having somehow or other joined the party. Lambert and Williams were drowned whilst making a visit to Inaccessible Island. What happened to the other is not clear. The history of the present settlement is dealt with in the following chapter.