The Sun.
London, England, 1815-08-03 00:00:00

ST. lIF.LENA!

c St. Helena (says Professor Lichtenstein, page
365, v01..`?.) combines in itself the excellencies of
several climates. It lies in the Torrid Zone, un-
did the 60th degree'of'south latitude ; but being,
as it were, one enormous rock, with a vast plain
'at the top, which is almost always enveloped in
clouds that entertain an unvaried moisture, and
being surromided by the sea, the heat is never in-
supportable,' Besides, whielyis very remarkable,
the south-east wind constantly- blows here at all
seasons-,of -the year, and the strongest at the time
when at the Cape of Good Hope, which lies ili-
rectly.to-the south-east of it, the north-west wind
prevails; •

" James Town lies in a narrow dell among the
mountains, through which a small stream flows
into the sea. This is the landing place, and it is
defended by a respectable battery upon the shore.
Time !bad is comaianded by very formidable Works,
erected dt different heights upon the mountains
on each side. The Island is coorsidered in its
prevent situation as wholly impregnable. A con-
venient and substantially built mole facilitates the
Landing of the boats, which Otherwise, froih the
heavy swell of the sea, would be sometimes very
difficult. From hence the road goes.to the right
wing bf the Strand battery, beyond which a fine
avenue of tin; large Indian fig trees, ficus
Iczyl to the gates of the town. This; lies
nearly in the centre of a• wall, which runs from
one hill to the other, and divides the to,,n frmu
the Strand. On entering the town, the Gotiern-
ment-honse,
.a very spacious building, 'lies Ail e‘ct-
ly ro the left j'alulfrom hence runs a long street,
which, .wiiii=:nonte houses . scattered upon the'
heights, comprehends tire whole tonn: Directly
at the end of the street lie the .gardens of the Go-
vernor, and some private gardens ; behind the
latter stands a centinel, who prevents any stranger
going further. - -
" Li the Governor's garden are plants ftdm all
-climates. The principal walks are bordered/with,:
the ficus religiose, or the fices
of the 4e-walks are formed of baniboo can,es,
which grow-to a great height, and afford ample
shade. Here are to be seen European plants by
the side of 'natives 'of Africa, of the East Indies,
of New Holland, and of South America; all ap,
pealing equally thriving and healthy. Nothing
el.:cited my interest and attention so munch as a
trec valid, the celebrated Cooke,' at his return
front his second voyage, planted here himself,
giving it the • name of the Barriasomia speciosa.

This v'is'a great. favour, for in onnzequence of two ap-
parently Civil CraveHers', who -Ithd been allowed a similar
indulgence a frw,years before, Jueing detected on the heights
taking drawings of the. fortifications about the town, the pri-
vilege of Visiting the upper part of the hand bad beets re-
fuss t to all othor voyager:i.

tt is most of eobtiderabie size; end at the present
moment, when-every branch was full of the most
splendid flowers, it really presented one of II:e
most glOrioys spectacles, that the world of [lapis
could offers .Some idea of it may be formed by
conceiving a very beautiful lithe tree,
,with a Taiga
flower of the cactus at the end Of every twig. Rico
smell, is rillilCCd ,Bcarcely 'less balsamic than that of
the beautiful tdettis, which We price so hutch Tim
our hot-houses, and which blows unly in -the-
night. Prutea, erythinu, svphora, and other welld-.
kunwn plants of the gape, were presented to my
view ; while in the moister parts of the garden
were cocoa trees, with date and tan palms. These
latter seemed 'to have found here a soil much' more
ongenial.tOthem than that of the Cape, where
thy never will thrive.

ciWhenwe had gone over,this gatden, we pro.
seeded on our
,way. This led .first still deeper
into the dale, and then ascending- for abont half
an hour, by a very steep path, we prrived. at the
plain :,.herF We saw every way a number of farrns
among fine verdant fields. and meadows, whirh
reminderl'ine more. of European; particularly of
EngliishAlottses, than any 1 had,seen in the Co-
lony. Fat cattle were feeding upon Instil-ions
grass; yet my companion* said, that the Island
could not.furnish such a supply of tood.to these
creatures as they required. The character he
gave of the inhabitants was such as may be applied
to European Colonists ill most parts of the world.
Courage, hospitality) propensity to oppose the
Governinent) eternal quarrels with their ne4;b-
hours, neglect of cultivating the mind,,-,,these, as
he said, ate the.ptincipal features of their cha-
racters. •

The country soon ,became more uneven and
hilly, till 'we
,reached a highly romantic spot,
where neat farms, in deep recesses of the moun—
tains, planted round with oaks and poplarsb pre-
sented themselves on every side. I absolutely re-
velled in the enjoyment so long denied ine,--.-uf the
moist mountain air) and luxurious pastures'. Our
route carried us to the north-westerly and highest
pointm,tlthelsland. Here the soil was less fertile,
and.. the houses smaller,. About the hills stood
'Many single trees,natieS of the country, in generA
from ten to twelve feet high, with naked stems
and large, broad leaves, the systematic names of
Which my Companion could not give me. Three
sorts of them are called cabbage trees, and two
other .sorts gum, trees. The • higher we went the
.more moist we found the sr,il, and the more did
the grasses) which were almost all of the pure Eu-
ropean sorts, give way to ferns. We rode con-
stantly hi a mist, or small rain s and I learnt that
the sun is here seldom seen. Clouds are always
resting on this part of the Island. After seeing
mans' very rare and beautiful plants of the polypo•-
dium, asplenium, tlecimum, jungermannia, and
imarehautid species,. with a vaiiety of others, we
came at last to the spot which is the true native
plitee'of'thelargest, among all the ferns, dicksonia
arkorescens. This plant may very fait ly•be likened
to the palm,,. wiich, however, it far excels in the
beauty of its leaves. . The stems of many of the
plants. were from twelve to fourteen feet in
height they stood singly) growing out of refts
in the rocks. They; are only found in this one
spot in the Island, and grow in no other country,
so that it would not be a difficult- matter to extir-
pate the race from the earth.

" lly companion now led me along the crest of
this hill to one of the finest pohits in the. Island,
from which the eye wanders over a very remark-
able country. - To the left, the green heights
stretch in a direct line; declining always to ,the
western border. of the Island ; behind which the
horizon of the sea, seen from this height to an
immense distance,- seems to rise in an immeasur-
able arch.-4 ,On the-Otlier side, lower, in fearful
contrast, monstrous naked masses of rock, of
equal height with the opposite jagged summits.
It seethS. Wholly iuexplicable why there should be
here nolymptonts of vegetation, when in" most
parts of the Island it is so luxuriotis. Nothing,
however, is, to be seen about these rocks, except-
ing the nests of the sea fowl, which are built in
the • cavities,- and seem to be suffered to remain
there undisturbed. That the wild and romantic
character nf the valley may be preserved even in
its name, the:. first discoverer consecrated it to the
memory of one of the heroes of Ossian ; and at
this clay it bears the name of Ryno's Vale ! •
" From hence ve were obliged partially to
measure back our steps; since there is only one
path by which these heights can bejeached. We
then turned towards the northern shore of, the
island, and in the afternoon arrived at the
lio-
vernor's -cOuntry house," &c. &c. &c.
,Mr. Porteous, Governor Patton's upper gardener.

The Forty Thousand Pound Prize that the Public
have so long been anxiously wishing for, was
drawn about 8 o'clock on-Tuesday Evening, the
Number was 2,647, and it was (as .was expected)
sold in Shares by Brsx, in 2 Quartirs, I Eighth,
and 6 Sixteenths, at his truly fortunate Off►ces, 4,
Cornhill, and 9,
,Charing,Cross, where in the
skinTe Lottery, • he aISO sold and shared, .

3,254 • 7 ,C1,005 I 14,735

500 Guineas

14,70 a -,uuO 12,058
14,907 ' 1,000 11,428
2,64/5 " 2OO Guineas 9,747
.8,30
J}isu likewise sold in the Lottery that finished
in April laSt, AlI the Three Prizes of 30,000/ ! ! !
The fortunate Share-holders may receive ,
Money on demand, or Exchange fOr Tickets and
Shares in the New Lottery, of only 5,000 Tickets,,
to be all dfaWn the 24th of this Month (August)..
Uar Renders -will he pleased to see that the
great:iciwitalsJin the late Lottery, have been dis-
tramted-to,the Public-in Shares : the 40,0001. in
2 Quarter, I Eighth, and 6 Sixteenths--the
Quarter anil 12 Sixteenths--and the
20,090/. in 1 Quarter, 2 Eighths, and 8 Sixteenths.
Phis shews Fortune to -be more kind than she is
wont;''and acctinnts for the • early and eager de-
tumid r TicketS'and Shares in the New Lottery,
the.Selietne of whieh is already announced.
We find the Scheme of the New Lottery is at-
feadrftnnounced :--from the e•ei'y limited number
of Tickets (only Five ThousuntO, aod the disap-
pointment experienced by several persons who
were nut sufficiently early in their applications to
secure, as they wished, particular numbers in the
hateno w Lb
nutvit7i similar
speaking them. ''he. whole Lottery iFawa
we rienecoliii::anteiionif tot. ttb,eosce:voyls oi
az!
in one day,