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Updated: June 13, 2025
In view of our leaving, Graham has given to Repetto the Bishop's commission to hold a service every Sunday, to take baptisms, and to perform marriages. We have now quite made up our minds not to go by any ship bound for Australia, as we have the Greyhound to fall back upon. Wednesday, February l7.
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 coloured candles, so we shall not lack things to dress it with; and Mr. Keytel is kindly providing sweets, for which we are already busy making muslin bags out of patterns. He and Repetto are going up the mountain to choose a straight bushy tree.
The men have now finished the house, and we have devoted ourselves to getting things a little more shipshape. I gave Repetto the material A had sent, telling him to divide it amongst all the families; he was very grateful. They do need clothing so badly; some of their clothes are much patched. They all wear white stockings.
They are getting on, and the four elder ones can read short words quite easily. They each have a book and read round in turn. The others, who know their alphabet, stand round, too, but of course take in but little. The four can actually add two to a number, and Arthur Repetto can even add four and five together. He puts his back into whatever he does.
In the early hours of this morning they were off to Inaccessible, taking with them Repetto to show them where to find the guano. This week I have not been to school but have devoted my time to sorting things and packing, and a great business it has been in these small quarters. Monday, November 9. Graham was hors de combat on Sunday with one of his headaches, so I had to take the services.
The men returned last night. The ship was a French one bound for Adelaide. They were not able to get any flour, but got ship biscuits, a good quantity of rice, which, however, has weevils in it, and a little coffee. Mrs. Repetto came in this evening with some of the biscuits. I said I could not take them, but she would not hear of "no."
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.
This morning to my dismay I found the rain had come down the chimney on to the bowl of yeast which Ellen and I had prepared with some labour, and had spoilt it. Repetto came in this evening with the cover for the harmonium. It is a clever piece of work. He turns his hand to almost anything, and can even make his own suits.
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 rather badly with an axe. I found she had done it this morning; it was a bad gash on the top of the foot, and had bled profusely. Her father had bound it up, and told them to ask me to go up and see to it this afternoon.
Keytel is visited at all hours of the day. He has just been giving sweets round to the children. Repetto is constantly with him, and has been a great help in making the doors, window-frames, and other woodwork for his house. But Mr. Keytel has carefully to supervise everything. He was thought very particular, as he would have everything exact and in the right line.
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