We are getting the knowledge about the next islands on our route: Saint Paul and Amsterdam. They rise from the sea some 1500 kms from Kerguelen and 2880 kms from Reunion. The distance between two islands is only 85 kms. Saint Paul with its 8 square kms of surface looks like volcanic crater with abroken rim, full of water. Small boats can enter the crater from the ocean (this reminds me Deception Island in Antarctica). Amsterdam Island is bigger (58 sq. kms) and has the high cliff on the west coast and a big plateau descending to the east.
Do you remember my Lapu-Lapu story? When the tribe chief Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan on the Philippines his last boat “Victoria” under captain Sebastien Del Cano passed through Saint Paul already in 1522 on its way to Lisbon. Other Portuguese sailor named the island in 1559.
Amsterdam Island (named after the name of van Diemen’s ship “Nieuw Amsterdam”) was discovered by Dutch on their way to the West Indies in 1633. (There are also other versions of thediscovery of Saint Paul).In the past nobody wanted these two islands, now they are French. I hope to see them tomorrow.
