The Place of Home
We have decided to propose that our village, or town, whatever it may be, be named Koti [Home. Translator’s note.], because it’s short, simple, unforced and has a lot of content, always reminding us of belonging to one family. Assuming that this name will be accepted I will already use it.

There are only two more significant bays on the entire great Malcolm Island, both of them on the south shore. The north shore is completely without shelter and away from the boat routes. From the bays on the south shore one is close to the eastern end of the island and is called Mitchell Bay on the charts. It would be too far from the farmland and it is also left aside as far as boat routes are concerned. It is, however, deep enough, but at the same time it is surrounded by dangerous rocks and it is less sheltered than the bay more westward, at the middle of the island. This bay is called Rough Bay in the charts, but we have started to call it Kotilahti [Home Bay. Translator’s note.]. The cape at its eastern shore, our Kotiniemi [Cape Home. Translator’s note.], shelters it from the south winds, but from its point a long shoal stretches out almost all the way to Haddington Island. This shoal needs to be marked, of course, unless it is necessary to move the traffic altogether to the western side of Haddington. The mouth of the bay is not well protected from the westerly wind, shelter isn’t offered until further inward. Therefore we have thought that the dock should be built closer to the end of the bay than the Welsh seem to have planned. The difference between the high and low tide on these shores is approximately 10-12 feet.

The tip of cape Kotiniemi, as well as the tips of other capes on Malcolm Island, is shallow, but at the place we are planning to build the dock, a handsome ridge rises, suitable for building. It is almost a mile long, but narrow, hardly a 1⁄2 mile wide. The other shore of the bay would be more on the dayside, but the shore ridge there is lower and even narrower and the shore itself a lot shallower. Besides, we don’t have to toil on cape Kotiniemi for long once we will have the sun shining for us. The shore bank is so narrow, that it wouldn’t be possible to give away lots larger than one acre. From the tip of the cape, however, it would be possible to give out two or three acre lots. This part of the cape is not too low, so that a farmer could very well build his house there, as long as he wouldn’t build it too close to the water. For those who wish to practice larger private farming, the south shore at the west end of the island would be suitable, and if needed, the entire west end. It offers a narrow shore ridge to build on and low farming land behind it.

The quality of the land seems to be the same all over. Therefore it is somewhat insignificant where everyone happens to get his share. There is also enough shoreline for everyone, provided that no one gets too much of it. Those who would get lots on the west side of the bay could freely choose to either build their houses there or live close to others on cape Kotiniemi, either on the bank or on the tip of the cape. By doing so, everyone would have enough freedom of choice in the way they want to organize their living. There would be no hurry to compete in taking over the outer lots, which might be left unfarmed on many occasions. Once one has gotten his housing in order there will be time to take over outer lots. Once the conditions have become familiar it will also be easier to see, what one’s needs are.

What stands in favour of this suggested place of Home is that this way it would be located centrally as far as farmland is concerned. It would even be located close to something that is essential for farming and even more important now that there aren’t any roads yet. You see, a stream runs into the bay down from Home Ridge, probably the largest of all on Malcolm Island. Its mouth already grows thick hay, its sides are open and nowhere else on the island have we found farmland that would be easier to clear. Clearing this area all the way to the little bay at the eastern side of cape Kotiniemi is important also in respect that our dwellings would then be protected from possible forest fires in other parts of the island. This farmland could then be widened inward into the lowlands of the island.

On the north shore, across Kotilahti bay, there is also a little cove, so that the shores are closer to each other here than anywhere else around the middle of the island. It is essential for fishing and logging that these shores be connected with a road. The distance between them is about a mile or so. Even this whole area is very suitable for farming, excluding the northernmost bluff. Along the stream there would be a good place for doing the laundry for the time being and the end of the bay has a nice sand bottom for the children to swim in. At the side of the bank, close to the Welsh shack we have found the purest clay on the entire island. We haven’t inspected the vastness or quality of the clay area more closely, but in case of need we could hopefully make bricks out of it to build our own stoves. Buying stoves would require too much money in the long run, and there will be nothing else but wood to burn here.

Building a joint water supply system is not possible with the current know how. Judging by the quality of the land, however, everyone will be able to get a good well with very little trouble. We haven’t found any rock on the island.

About the Construction System

No detailed suggestions can be made for now. The area should be cleared at least to the extent that measuring and dividing would be possible. Some general remarks, however, are probably necessary already at this point. The already mentioned road, which goes across the island, should be directed southward along the eastern shore of Kotilahti bay, which will obviously be the first inhabited area. A line of trees should be left to protect the shore, in some spots even more, because the road needn’t follow every curve of the shoreline. The road would therefore go behind the trees on the shore and the lots would begin from the road inward. The road should be left wide enough and the houses should be built within such a distance from the road that a falling seaside tree wouldn’t be able to reach them. One of the many things the storm mentioned earlier taught us was that tall, fragile trees that have grown in loose ground aren’t at all pleasant neighbours during a storm night. The men had to find shelter by the Welshman’s steam drum on the beach in the middle of the night when the sound of falling trees around the shack became too frightening. For this reason only the smaller trees or self planted ones can be left standing on the lots or by the road since they won’t pose a threat during a storm. Not even the most devoted nature friend can make other demands. The road should be continued to the west side of the bay as the settlement proceeds in that direction. Roads in a parallel direction with the beach road should then be planned, one crossing the middle of cape Kotiniemi, the other one along the east side. The narrower cross streets should run between the lots. On an even sand ridge like this, building the roads and keeping them in shape wouldn’t require more than clearing the trees and shrubs out of the way. The best shape of the lots on the bank would probably be oblong from east to west, the width half of the length towards the shore.

Right from the beginning our houses should be built sturdier than seems to be normal around here. We have to keep in mind that many a storm wind will test them. It would be rather unpleasant to run all over the beaches during stormy nights like the Alert Bay Indians did when they were afraid their shacks would collapse on them (they needn’t be afraid of trees falling on them since the trees have actually been cut down too carefully from that coast).

It is clear that conquering Malcolm Island for cultivation will require a great deal of work; serious, hard labour and necessary renunciation from the colonists in the beginning. It will still, however, be entirely different from clearing rugged, stony hills or icy backwoods in Finland, where frost – here and unknown phenomenon – can so often destroy all hopes of a farmer. In Finland thousands and thousands would be striving to get a place like Malcolm Island. After we get started we have nothing to worry about: the best fishing waters around us,

plenty of game on coasts close by, and our own island easily cultivated from shore to shore. There is hardly any wasteland. Once we will have regular boat traffic, a post office, a school and a meeting hall, a store and a place to eat; once everyone will have their own nice homes with a patch of land and an orchard; once the island will be full of massive cattle, the docks full of boats and once children and calves race the beaches together – won’t life be grand!

All we need is vigour, enthusiasm and perseverance. But what we first and foremost need in our joint endeavour towards the light and towards freedom is unanimity. Let us keep in mind throughout all our struggles – no complaining. Not even in the beginning!

A. B. M. [A. B. Mäkelä. Translator’s note.]