SAINT HELENA, THE LATE RESIDENCE, AND THE GRAVE OF NAPOLEON.

I HAD been at Saint Helena, on the outward voyage to China, in the year 1811; at that time nearly the whole of Europe was under the dominion or the influence of Napoleon. The fleet in which I left England had been convoyed by two frigates; we found other men-of-war lying at the island, and more came in during our stay; all destined to protect English commerce against the mighty Emperor, who would have crushed it altogether, and with whose determined hostility and colossal power my native country was then struggling for political existence.

When I again touched at Saint Helena, what a change had occurred! The long and deadly struggle was over, and it had been decided in favour of England; England, who not only rose victorious herself from the contest, but had aided in restoring other nations to freedom, and establishing the peace of the world. Her triumphant flag was now displayed on every coast, her ships navigated every sea in perfect safety; our own vessel had sailed nearly round the globe alone, without a single gun on board. The great tyrant had fallen, and the remote and once insignificant island I was now approaching had become memorable as the scene of his captivity and death. At my first visit here, the world resounded from west to east with the name of Buonaparte, and Saint Helena was almost unknown; now, his name was heard no more, and Saint Helena contained his unostentatious and unhonoured grave!

These were some of the reflections that occurred to me when the little isle appeared in sight on the voyage homeward, in July 1824; they were combined with recollections of a more personal nature connected with my former voyage, which need not be recorded, and with plans for seeing more of the island than I had seen on that occasion; the short period of our stay prevented many of these plans from being carried into effect, and the present sketch is all that memory could afterwards supply as the result of my observations,

The first appearance presented by Saint Helena, on approaching it from the sea, is desolate and forbidding in the extreme. The island, which is nearly circular in form, and in no part more than ten miles across, seems composed entirely of dark grey and brown rocks. As the ship sails round it, the observer's eye lights only on a succession of barren cliffs, steep precipices, and lofty peaks, thrown together, as it were, in wild disorder: the view reminded me of the words of Scott:

"Crags, knolls, and mounds, confusedly hurled,

The fragments of an earlier world."

Lady of the Lake.

In short, nothing can be more dreary and savage than the aspect of the coast; there is no trace of human habitation, not even the least verdure to enliven the scene; and but for the batteries which are discovered on a nearer approach, one might suppose the island uninhabited, and indeed uninhabitable. These batteries are constructed of stone, cut out of the rocks which surround them, and of which, when first seen, they appear to form a part: some of them are built on heights, which, from the sea, seem inaccessible to man; they are all provided with heavy guns, more of which are slung in chains on the pinnacles above. These fortifications command, in every direction, the approach to the island, which must be a second Gibraltar in natural, if not in artificial, strength.

We

We bent our course towards the Sugar Loaf, a pyramidal hill at the N.E. extremity of the island, washed by the waves; when we had rounded this, several batteries appeared in sight at its base. We observed a board conspicuously placed above one of them, against the rock, with the words, "Send a boat here," painted in large letters. Formerly, all ships were obliged to comply with this requisition, and heave to until the boat returned, before they were allowed to pass the battery: the object of this was, to enable the Governor to be acquainted with all particulars respecting the ship by means of a signal post on the top of the hill, and obtain his permission to proceed on to the anchorage. Our captain, however, did not send a boat, but the ship passed, slowly, close under the battery, from whence we were hailed by the officer commanding, who inquired from whence we came, when we sailed, whither bound, &c. When the captain had answered these questions, signals were made with flags, from the hill above, probably to communicate the particulars to the Governor, and we sailed on unmolested, passing several fortifications, both on the heights and near the sea. As the ship approached the anchoring ground off James' Valley, the town appeared gradually in sight, and had a pretty and indeed romantic appearance. The "Valley" in which it is built is only a ravine of considerable depth, between two ridges of rocky mountains, perhaps nearly a thousand feet high, which rise precipitously on each side, and seem threatening to overwhelm the town: an accident of this nature, indeed, happened (as we heard) shortly before our arrival; a large piece of rock detached itself from the surrounding mass, and fell suddenly down the steep cliff, with a tremendous crash, on the roof of a small cabin built near its foot, which was shattered to pieces, together with a poor man, ɔne of its inhabitants, who was fortunately the only sufferer on this occasion. It is a remarkable and providential circumstance, that Saint Helena is not subject to earthquakes, though evidently of volcanic origin, for every shock would probably bring destruction upon some of its inhabitants from the impending crags above them.

On nearing the roadsted, you first distinguish the church, a plain but neat building, with a square white steeple; the government-house, a dark oldfashioned edifice to the left; and the public stores, with long roofs of blue slate, close to it, are also conspicuous. The houses are, in general, whitewashed, and roofed with slate or tiles, which, combined with the bright green of the trees thinly interspersed among them, (the first trees we had seen for nearly three months,) gives the town a pleasing and lively appearance, gratefully relieving the eye and mind after they have been fatigued by contemplating the rugged masses of dingy rocks which form the rest of the scene.

The ships anchor close to the town, for the water deepens considerably at a little distance; we were, therefore, on shore in a few minutes, and landed at a flight of steps cut out of the rock: there are two of these landing-places, which are provided with cranes for the use of the shipping. It is at times difficult to land, on account of the violence of the surf, which, some years ago, broke in upon the beach, and caused great damage to the buildings; several persons were also swept away into the sea.

We passed over a drawbridge behind a strong battery, built close to the sca, and which defends James' Town, and through a strong gateway: every thing here has a warlike appearance, and all the precautions usual in a fortified town are observed.

There

This was done with a long speaking trumpet, the sound of which was repeated among the rocky hills by the deepest echo I ever heard, producing an effect almost supernatural.

There is but one principal street in the town, which runs in a straight direction from the sea up the valley or ravine; as we proceeded up this street several objects drew our attention, and reminded us of England-such as the European sentinels in their scarlet uniforms, a few shops with bay-windows, over which the names of their proprietors flourished in bright colours in the London style, and even the boys at play singing popular ballads, or calling to each other in English;-these are all novelties to an East-Indian, as well as the houses, built in the European style, close together, with small doors, closed, and furnished with knockers, and windows provided with blinds. No great regularity has been observed in their construction; they are built chiefly of the rough-hewn rock of the island, and when not white-washed, have a singular rather than a neat appearance. On the whole, James' Town reminded me of some small country towns in England. The valley is not level, but rises rather abruptly from the sea, and being paved with rough stones, is somewhat fatiguing to ascend on foot; carriages are, however, not in general use. We saw the Governor's equipage waiting to convey him to his residence in the country; it was an old-fashioned coach drawn by four mules; these animals are better adapted for draft work on the rocky hill-paths of Saint Helena than horses, which are, however, in general use for the saddle: they are chiefly of Cape, or other African breed; large, and apparently strong, but generally in bad condition (owing, I suppose, to the scarcity of forage), and far from handsome. The mules are brought from the opposite continent of South America, and are nearly as large as the horses.

We were recommended by the captain of our ship to a boarding-house, kept by a person of the Jewish persuasion, who is also a shopkeeper, or general dealer. We here found, besides the owner's family, some captains and passengers of other ships in the roads, mostly bound, like ourselves, for England, and having touched at Saint Helena for refreshments. The boarders and family dined together at a table d'hôte, which was well supplied, as indeed it should be, considering the enormous charge of thirty shillings per head daily, besides fifteen shillings per day for each servant:-there is a tavern, or hotel, in the town, where the charges are also very high.

Judging from the appearance of the inhabitants in general, the air of Saint Helena must be rather healthy than otherwise; the climate is considerably cooler than that of India, particularly in the interior; the local situation of the town, shut in by high rocks all round, except the opening to the sea, renders it warmer here; and we were told that it is at times oppressively so during the summer months: the highest range of the thermometer in ordinary seasons, at the Governor's country-house, is 80°, and the lowest 58°. This house is situated on high ground, but by no means the highest in the island; it may be about 1,300 feet above the sea. Here I was agreeably surprised, on entering the sitting-room in the morning, to find an English fireplace, with a handsome steel grate, in which a good coal-fire was burning brightly, supported by the usual appendages of tongs, poker, &c. I stood a few minutes on the hearth-rug to enjoy this novelty. It must be observed, that this was the winter-season at Saint Helena: in the middle of the day, however, it is too warm for a fire, but even then one may walk in the grounds without any inconvenience from the sun.

The road from James' Town to the south part of the island leads also to the Governor's country residence, which is called Plantation House; this road is cut out of the rock, in a zig-zag direction, on the right side of the valley, or Ladder Hill; the ascent is not particularly steep, but sufficiently so to render

it very fatiguing to a pedestrian; besides that the loose pieces of rock and stones laying about in quantities would make it an unpleasant walk. I accordingly ascended on horseback, leisurely, and was nearly an hour on the road, though the distance is estimated at about three miles only: the road is just wide enough on the side of the hill to admit of a small cart and a horseman passing at once, and in some places the rock has been farther excavated to allow of two carts passing each other if necessary. Having passed a strong battery on the top of the hill, the road becomes wider, and runs over comparatively level ground; here and there a dwelling house appears, surrounded by a small patch of garden-ground or grass; but the general appearance of the country is barren in the extreme on this side of the isle.

The grounds belonging to Plantation House form a pleasing exception, being well stocked with trees, shrubs, and plants, the natives of Europe as well as Asia-the Chinese loquat and lichi, the mango and guava of India, the shaddock and plantain of the Eastern islands, here flourish by the side of the English apple, walnut, and peach; nor are the fruits of Africa and America entirely wanting; for the dates and figs of the Cape grow along with the oranges and lines of Brazil. Besides these, the island produces grapes, melons, pears, pomegranates, jambūs or rose-apples, strawberries, pumpkins, and other fruits; although most of these were out of season while we were there. Blackberries were introduced some years ago as an experiment, and succeeded so well that they now grow wild, and in many places the bushes that overhang the road are covered with them, offering another memento of England. A trial was lately made to manufacture wine from these berries, and I heard that the produce was very palatable. There are several plantations of young oaks about the grounds, but these do not appear to thrive well, which is attributed to the stony soil obstructing the growth of the root, after the tree has attained a certain age; it has accommodated itself, however, to the change of climate, for the leaves fall during the Saint Helena winter, which corresponds with the period of summer in England. A few bushes of the elegant striped bambū of China appeared here and there, but did not seem to attain their usual size: willows were frequent, as also a kind of fir, and many ornamental trees from Europe as well as India. There was a pinery pretty well stocked, but the plants did not look healthy; indeed the vegetable kingdom throughout seemed to be suffering under a scarcity of rain; the drought having lasted unusually long for the season. Among the flowers I observed many which had long been strangers to me, but the cultivation of which in early youth had been one of my favourite pursuits, and I saw them again with something of the pleasure a meeting with a long absent friend inspires. Roses, pinks, stocks, mignionette, and geraniums were welcome novelties to an East-Indian: there were many Asiatic flowers also, but they appeared to me like weeds by the side of them.

Potatoes, cabbage, and several other kinds of Europe vegetables grow here in perfection, but not in abundance; judging, at least, from the high prices at which they are sold: water-cresses are plentiful, which is a fortunate circumstance for the sickly crews of ships touching here after long voyages. There is fine pasturage in some places, particularly on the south side of the island, but this had also been injured by the drought that had prevailed two months, and about 400 head of cattle had perished in consequence, which is a very serious loss for Saint Helena: many more were in a pining condition from the same cause, but some seasonable showers that fell during our stay gave hopes that the rains were about to set in, and refresh the withering herbage. In the E 2 front

front of Plantation House there is a beautiful sloping lawn, which seemed to have suffered less from the dry weather; and a fine flock of sheep, partly of English breed and partly from the Cape, were grazing upon it.

We had been invited to dine at Plantation House, and remain the night, which is usual there on account of the danger of returning from thence down the hills in the dark. Unfortunately I was obliged to go alone, but I had every reason to be pleased with the excursion, and grateful for the polite and hospitable reception I experienced from the governor, General Walker, and his lady.

After breakfast the following day I requested his excellency's permission to visit the house and tomb of Buonaparte at Longwood, when he kindly desired his aide-de-camp to accompany me thither, and from thence back to James' Town. Thus provided with a guide and companion, I took leave of my kind host and his amiable family, and set out on horseback about ten o'clock. The road from Plantation House to Longwood, which was much improved during Napoleon's residence (having before been little better than a foot-path), runs across the island in a north-easterly direction, intersected with deep ravines, shewing in many parts traces of the violent convulsion of nature to which the island is said to owe its origin (the effects of subterraneous fire), and passes over some very high ridges of hills: the volcanic constitution of the island appeared evident during the ride. We passed a very deep hollow, surrounded on all sides by steep precipices, and terminating in a point, which is called the Devil's Punch-bowl.

The scenery of St. Helena is of an extraordinary nature; its principal feature is barrenness, yet the lofty ridges of rock, frowning over deep chasms and immense abysses, give an air of grandeur even to sterility: now and then a little spot is seen covered with verdure, which appears brighter and fresher from the contrast with the huge heaps of naked stone that surround it. There is hardly any level ground to be seen. The land is nearly all private property, and the dwellings of the proprietors are situated in the spots most favourable for culture; they are neatly built of the island stone, painted or white-washed, and have generally a most romantic appearance, being built either on the brow of a hill, or in the ravines at their base, and each having a little garden or plantation attached to it. What renders the landscapes of Saint Helena less interesting, is the absence of water; no river enlivens the scene with its beautiful windings, and the mountain rivulets that are fed by the subterraneous springs are so inconsiderable, that they are not seen until approached very nearly. A cascade was pointed out to me, descending from a fissure in the rock, but it was too small to deserve the name. It must be remembered, however, that I saw it after a long period of dry weather.

"The tomb," the grand object of curiosity to all who now visit Saint Helena, is situated in a small valley, or rather ravine, called Sane Valley, from the name of the first proprietor. The spot is still private property, being close to the dwelling of one of the inhabitants, and indeed forming part of his plantation. A small piece of rising ground, of nearly circular form, perhaps one hundred feet in diameter, and covered with grass, has been enclosed with a wooden palisade, and nearly in the centre of this the grave of Napoleon lies. It is covered with three flat dark-coloured stones, which were removed for the purpose from the kitchen floor of the house he had inhabited, and surrounded by a high iron railing; there is no inscription, nor indeed any thing like a monument; two weeping willows grow within the enclosure, and hang over the grave, and a row of scarlet geraniums is planted outside. This spot was a favourite