Again, in the case of an article which has been blown up on the island too heavy or bulky to be dealt with by the finder alone, such as a large tree or a stranded whale, those who help to bring it to the settlement participate equally in what profit may result from it. This system was evolved by the patriarchs of the community, men such as Corporal Glass, the founder, and Pieter William Green, each of whom was for long the virtual head of the island. On the whole it is a very fair one, and even though it seems unjust that the large families should share equally with the small ones, it must be remembered that the small family, when it comes to its turn to find the goods for barter, has to bear an equal brunt with the larger. Children also are not regarded as a handicap, but as an asset, for from the time they are able to run about and drive sheep or geese they work for their living. In England one’s income does not vary with the number of children, and a bachelor employee receives the same wages as a married man if he does identical work. On this particular occasion the work of dividing was going on merrily, and the young people and children were kept busy running to and from the houses with the shares. The missionary and his wife were acting as umpires at the “sheering” (they pronounced long “ā” as “ee”). When it was over I returned with Mr. and Mrs. Rogers to their house, and sat talking for a while. They brought their house with them from England, cut in sections all ready for putting up. It is small but snug. Their chief fear in connexion with it is that it may be lifted and carried away by some of the fiercer gusts of wind, and they were proposing to have it walled over with stone. They were very wise in bringing their own dwelling, for the housing problem is as difficult in Tristan da Cunha as it is in England in these post-war days. Whilst I was sitting and talking darkness set in. The wind outside was blowing hard, with sharp rain squalls. Mrs. Glass, accompanied by one of her family, thinking I might be lost, set out on a pilgrimage round the settlement in search of me, and was relieved when I was discovered to be all safe and sound. She said that getting about was awkward for a stranger, and thought I might have walked past the house (which is the lowest of the settlement) and fallen over the cliff. She said: “You stop now and finish your talk with the Missus, and I’ll tell Tom Rogers (who lived near by) to bring you down when you are ready.” The latter had supper with us. He is a pleasant, talkative fellow. Mrs. Glass says he will talk all day to anyone he can get to listen to him. “Usually,” she says, “grown-ups is too busy, so he has to talk to one of the children.”