the crown colonies - Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative

160 THE CROWN COLONIES
miles in area , took its name from th e master of a British
vessel whieh called there in 173 I . It is valuable for its
guano deposits.
The islands were sighted by the Portuguese admiral,
Tristan da Cunha, in 1506, and have imm ortalised the
discoverer in their nam e. The Portuguese made no
attempt to settle them ; nor did th e Dutch, who visited
them later. In the rSth century Fren ch and British
sealers often touched at the group, and odd membe rs of
their crews resided in Tristan for a limited period . The
first permanent resident was a man named Thomas
Currie, who landed in 1810. He was joined by two
Americans, one of whom claimed th e group as his own
pr opert y, naming them the Islands of Refre shment.
Both Americans were drowned, but Currie stayed on to
be joined by two companions. They all set about
growing corn and vegetables and breedin g pigs, until
war broke out between Britain and the United States
in 1812.
During hostilities the American cruisers used Tristan
da Cunha as a base from which to conduct raid s on
British shipping. Lord Charles Somerset, th en Governor
at Ca pe Town, urged the British Government to make
the island s a depend ency of the Cape of Good Hope.
On August 14th, 1816, therefore, the Tristan da Cunha
were annexed and garrisoned. But the garrison was
soon withdrawn .
When the troops left, Corp oral William Glass asked
permi ssion to remain behind with his wife and two
children. He was joined in this choice of the simple
life by a couple of masons, who had been employed on
garrison work. Five coloured women were persuaded
to come from St. Helena in 1827 to marry the five
bachelors then on th e island . Shipwrecked sailors,