# Over Five Seas and Oceans, From New York to Bangkok, Siam, and Return/Chapter 10

Chapter X.
J uly 22d. — Sighted the Island of St. Helena at daylight, and about 8 A. M. came to anchor in roadstead. The island is nothing but a large lonely island in mid ocean. Jamestown is an English garrison, settled by soldiers and their families and others. Some are tradespeople, who came to the island to make money out of the soldiers and natives. The natives, by the way, are a very small race of people, and talk half English, half Indian. They have a very yellow cast of countenance, more of the Malay color. After getting water and some fresh provisions on board, a number of us went on shore and hired two carriages, and we all started up a very rough mountain road for Long Wood, the home of the great Na​polcon. We passed through all the rooms of the house, even into the room where Napoleon died. There is an iron fence built round the spot where the bed stood. Everything is in a good state of preservation, and is kept by Frenchmen, as it is the property of the French by purchase. There is a fish pond near the house. The house and surroundings are on the top of the highest mountain, a bleak sort of a place, with guns of large size set with their muzzles pointing seaward. All this ado to keep one man a prisoner on a lonely island in mid ocean! We saw the house called Brier where they put him at first on landing on the island, and we saw the grave where he was buried, down in a lonely valley between two high hills, with a lonely little weeping willow tree at the head of the grave. The tree was dead, and not more than six inches in diameter and fifteen feet high. Just such a place as a man of his great brain would have selected for a resting place. Here let me say that there have been more sprigs ​of willow brought to this and other countries by sailors than would make a tree three feet in diameter. All his surroundings tell of the isolated life of the great French chieftain. I entered my name in the visitors' register on the very table where he amused himself playing a game called "Solitaire." We left Long Wood for Jamestown, and, after looking over the place, saw, in many places, terrible devastation to buildings caused by the white ant. On inquiring I found that a vessel came in and landed a load of African pine and other wood, in which were white ants. The white ant is very destructive to some kinds of wood. So much for Jamestown and the Island of St. Helena. We again boarded our good ship "N. B. Palmer," and sailed about 8 P. M. Lat., 16–03; long., 7–06.
23d. — Lat., 14–02; long., 10–20. 198 miles.
24th. — Lat., 12–19; long., 12–14. 160 miles.
25th. — Lat., 11–06; long., 14–16. 140 miles.
26th. — Lat., 9–56; long., 16–33. 152 miles.
​27th. — Lat., 8–46; long., 19-33. 196 miles. 100 days out from Hong Kong.
28th. — Lat., 7–28; long., 22-02. 174 miles.
29th. — Lat., 3–54; long., 24-37. 180 miles.
30th. — Lat., 4–01; long., 27-18. 190 miles.
31st. — Lat., 1–36; long., 29-40. 200 miles.
August 1st. — Lat., 1–49 N.; long,, 32–14 W. 235 mules.
2d. — Lat., 3–45: long., 35–05.
3d. — Lat., 4–55; long., 36–40. 105 miles.
4th. — Lat., 6–47; long., 37–10. 100 miles, and I am five years away from home to-day.
5th. — Lat., 9–25: long., 38–20. 170 miles.
6th. — Lat., 11; long., 40–02. 140 miles.
7th. — Lat., 12–42; long., 40–42. 160 miles.
8th. — Lat., 13–10; long., 42–36. 140 miles.
9th. — Lat., 14–22; long., 45–26. 180 miles.
10th. — Lat., 15–02; long., 48–1. 160 miles.
11th. — Lat., 15–36; long., 49–08. 62 miles.
12th. — Lat., 16–07; long; 49–15. 35 miles.
13th. — Lat., 16–49; long., 50–15. 72 miles.
​14th. — Lat., 18–30; long., 52–39. 170 miles. Boarded the British barque "S. Hardy," from Cork, Ireland, bound to Barbadoes. I got a barrel of beef.
15th. — Lat., 19–46; long. 55–40. 185 miles.
16th. — Lat., 21–34: long., 57–40. 160 miles.
17th. — Lat., 23–56; long., 60–52. 228 miles.
18th. — Lat., 26–12; long., 63–30. 200 miles.
19th. — Lat., 27 58; long., 63–59. 170 miles.
2oth. — Lat., 29–58; long., 67–51. 160 miles.
21st. — Lat., 31–20; long., 68–46. 96 miles.
22d. — Lat., 32–38; long., 69–42. 92 miles.
23d. — Lat., 33–55; long., 70–07. 84 miles.
24th. — Lat., 35–12; long., 71–26. 104 miles. 2 P. M. — Entered the Gulf. 11 P. M. — Brought the ship down to topsails. Ship in sight, bound south.
25th. — Lat., 37–55; long., 73–38. go miles.
26th. — Lat., 40; long., 7g. too miles. 130 days from Hong Kong. 3 P. M. — Took pilot from Boat No. 13. Came to anchor off the bar, wait​ing for high tide. Everybody very happy at seeing our native land, after an absence of many years, some longer than others. Next morning took a tow boat from the bar up to the City of New York, and docked the ship. Then I went ashore, and did some business, and started for
Home, sweet home,
Be it ever so humble,
There's no place like home!