STOBY OF THE BBOTHEBS STOLTENHOFF. 99 
take advantage of the first southerly wind and fine weather 
to visit Tristan, and deliver the four boxes, letters, and 
messages from the relatives of the islanders living at 
St. Helena. The two boats landed at the north side of 
Inaccessible Island, and the men came round in their boats 
to meet us. Their stay, it being late in the afternoon, 
extended over an hour only, and during this time they 
behaved very well towards us, and offered assistance, teach- 
ing us how to build huts from the tussack grass. The next 
morning we received another visit from a dozen of them 
who had been in search of goats and crossed the island by 
land. These men helped us to build a small hut. They also 
explained that the position we had taken was bad, and ad- 
vised us to shift to the north side of the island. Bad weather 
prevented any further intercourse for a couple of days; 
after which my brother and I crossed the hills to the north 
side and were shown the road down the cliff by one of the 
party, and the position of our future home. We returned to 
our first position the next day. Up to this time the Tristan 
people thought that we were going to return to their island 
with them, and showed friendly feelings towards us. Our 
goods were fetched to the north side by one of their boats 
during their ten days’ stay, and we ourselves lived there 
with them for two days. Being anxious to obtain a cow, a 
heifer, and a young bull, I made arrangements with Green to 
bring them over, if possible, and this he agreed to do about 
Christmas. After a stay of nine or ten days the Tristan 
men left for their island ; they had procured only one seal. 
This brings us to the commencement of December 1871. 
We at once set about building a house, cleared some ground, 
planted our seed and potatoes, and made preparation for 
staying some time on the island. It was summer, with fine 
weather as a rule ; a splendid supply of water fell down the 
side of a mountain, within a hundred yards of our hut, and 
firewood was easily procured in the wood alongside of us. 
