tales-of-Fogo-Island

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The man believed he could make it through the day without eating, but he wasworried about his family. Before leaving for Fogo, he went down to his stage.He hoped to find a scrap of salt fish that would feed his wife and children whilehe was gone. While making his way down over the bank, he noticed that therewas a solid jam of ice in the harbour. He also noticed that there was no openwater for miles. However, then something else caught his eye. A big seal wasright there beside his wharf! In a flash, the man jumped onto the ice and killedit. Soon a delicious seal breakfast was cooked and the family ate until theywere full.One elderly man said, "Twas an act of God. There was no way for dat seal toget dere lest the good Lard put 'en dere. Them was good people. They wasGod-fearing people and the good Lard would not let them starve."Faith also seemed to play a role in saving the life of a seven- year-old girl onIndian Islands. One day, the girl started complaining of a headache and chills.Before long, she was too sick to be moved. Her father left in a rowboat to getDoctor MacKenzie at Fogo.By the time the two men made it back to Indian Islands, the girl had taken a'bad turn'. She could hardly speak and was burning up with a fever. Thedoctor believed that the little girl was suffering from meningitis. He also knewthat her chances for survival were slim. Earlier that week, two children fromChange Islands had died of a similar illness.Doctor MacKenzie gathered the family together and explained that he had nocure to offer. He told the family that if the child did survive, she would probablynever speak or walk again. He also told them she may get some relief if theykept her cool and placed ice around her head. The doctor's words did not givethe family much comfort. It was the middle of July and there was no ice to befound.All that day the family stood and watched the child get even weaker. They putwet cloths on her forehead and hoped that she would get better. Meanwhile,they could hear the child's grandmother praying in the next room. That nightas the parents stayed up with their child, the grandmother continued to pray.When morning came, the little girl was still alive. Her father put on his bootsand walked outside to tell some of his friends about his daughter's condition.He gazed out the bay with an empty look on his face. Then, his expression
changed. There in the run, was a small iceberg! The man and his friends'scravelled' to their row punts and rushed toward the berg. Before long, theywere back at the wharf with a punt load of ice. The girl's father ripped thesleeve out of his brand new oil skin coat and filled it with crushed ice. Then hetied a knot at each end of the sleeve and hurried to the house. He placed theice pack around his daughter's head and held her hand.The next day, the young girl was feeling better. She even opened her eyesand asked for a drink of water. The family was overjoyed! Not only was shealive, she could still talk! The girl continued to improve until she took anotherbad turn. This time, thick strings of blood began to run from her nose andmouth. She also bled from her ears for a short time. Her mother ran to thepantry and grabbed a saucer. She held it under the child's face until thebleeding stopped. Then she put the saucer away so that she could show thedoctor.When the doctor arrived a few days later, he was amazed at what he saw inthe saucer. He was even more shocked to find the little girl sitting up andchatting with her grandmother! He asked what the family had done for thechild. But before anyone had a chance to answer, the little girl spoke up. Shesaid, "Nanna prayed that I would live, and God sent me an iceberg."The 'little girl' in this story still believes that her grandmother saved her life.She asks, "How else would you get an iceberg up there in July month?"Questions to think and write about:1. What is meant by the word 'scravel'?2. What do these stories have in common?
Page 1: Tales ofFogo IslandCompiled and edi
Page 5 and 6: ContributorsThe following people an
Page 8 and 9: A Brush with DeathYears ago, medica
Page 10 and 11: A Remarkable NurseOne well-known re
Page 12 and 13: Dealing with emergencies in those d
Page 14 and 15: Looking back on her life, Nurse Col
Page 16 and 17: The Disappearance of Bill HurleyOn
Page 18 and 19: In later years, two youthful boysA
Page 20 and 21: Stories of World War TwoMr. Gregory
Page 22 and 23: the right moment, it would hit the
Page 24 and 25: These are just a few of the many st
Page 26 and 27: After many years, Walter Ludlow's s
Page 30 and 31: Schooner LifeBefore roads connected
Page 32 and 33: days. Coming back was the same way.
Page 34 and 35: the name of Saunders up in Herring
Page 36 and 37: The McKenna family business has sto
Page 38 and 39: southern end of Change Islands. Dur
Page 40 and 41: The Newfoundland PonyWhen people ta
Page 42 and 43: "Prince" poses for a photo while ta
Page 44 and 45: The original St. Patrick's Church,
Page 46 and 47: group would go over the hills behin
Page 48 and 49: There were also special remedies fo
Page 50 and 51: Green ribbon around neck: Believed
Page 52 and 53: Removing the soundbone,or "splittin
Page 54 and 55: Yaffling and piling dry cod.Lifting
Page 56 and 57: 'Number Two' fish was not as good.
Page 58 and 59: There were thirteen stores on the p
Page 60 and 61: ShipwrecksWhen a schooner or other
Page 62 and 63: The Wreck Commissioner was StoneyFo
Page 64 and 65: The Dominion and AlarmMany sealing
Page 66 and 67: Tragedy at the IceThe seal hunt is
Page 68 and 69: time they made it, they found nothi
Page 70 and 71: Jumping Ship on Fogo IslandOn Octob
Page 72 and 73: Year's Eve, some of the men became
Page 74 and 75: The Lumber WoodsMany local men fish
Page 76 and 77: They would be hungry after a long,
Page 78 and 79:
Loading the Tractor Sleds Up With F
Page 80 and 81:
Lumber Woods TravelWhen on their wa
Page 82 and 83:
They did not have one thing dry to
Page 84 and 85:
true as I'm here! That was the firs
Page 86 and 87:
Since 'white ends' in the forest we
Page 88 and 89:
Man's Best FriendToday, most dogs a
Page 90 and 91:
Retriever or the 'Landseer'. The La
Page 92 and 93:
Strange EventsThe Ghost ShipA young
Page 94 and 95:
The Light in the BightOne evening i
Page 96 and 97:
BoatsBefore the days of long liners
Page 98 and 99:
The first 50 foot long liner of Fog
Page 100 and 101:
the loss of his wife and his daught
Page 102 and 103:
could hear strange noises. These so
Page 104 and 105:
medical facilities and other servic
Page 106 and 107:
Mr. William Donahue and his family
Page 108 and 109:
Anglican Church Indian Islands, 196
Page 110 and 111:
The Beheading of Michael TurpinDuri
Page 112 and 113:
Bringing WaterYears ago, people did
Page 114 and 115:
The Good SheppardsOn the morning of
Page 116 and 117:
This is a copy of Nathaniel Sheppar
Page 118 and 119:
The Fogo ProcessMany people have he
Page 120 and 121:
When people watched themselves and
Page 122 and 123:
When the Markland finally came into
Page 124 and 125:
Bits and PiecesDrifting AwayOne day
Page 126 and 127:
Swan Skin MittsWhen birding and sea
Page 128 and 129:
TravelThis photo was taken in 1956
Page 130 and 131:
My First Pair of ShoesOne lady reca
Page 132 and 133:
A Poor Night, Not Too Long AgoApril
Page 134 and 135:
As darkness approached, fog and dri
Page 136 and 137:
All of the people involved in this
Page 138 and 139:
BibliographyArticles:Author Unknown
Page 140 and 141:
Photos and IllustrationsWinston Osm
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