Animals: Tabbies to Tristan

The 157 residents of Tristan da Cunha, "world's loneliest island," in the South Atlantic midway between South Africa and South America, possess no cinema, no radio, no automobiles, no police, no liquor, live in rigidly moral communism on potatoes and fish, have practically perfect teeth and general health. Of mixed English-Scotch-Irish-American-Dutch-Italian-African descent, most of their ancestors got to the bleak volcanic island by way of shipwreck. Also from a wrecked ship, in 1882, arrived rats which multiplied faster than mariners.

En route from Mother Britain to this outpost of Empire last week was...

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