The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-03 00:00:00

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No. 10,628.

ISLAND OF ASCENSION.

The following is the extract of the letter to which
we alluded a day or two ago, from an intelligent gen-
tleman on the Island of Aseension. This infant Co.-
bony is daily growing into importance, and the account
winch is here given
.of the Island will be read with
considerable interest. The letter from which it is taken
is dated Ascension, July 29, 1826
" I have taken a day and gone to the mountain, and as
far round the Island as I could, and venture to hope a
short description of it, in my poor way, will not be dis-
pleasing to you; for none of the accounts I hoard in Eng-
land gave me the least idea of the reality. It is generally
imagined that.there is no soil in the Island, but that it is a
bare mass of lava : there is abundance of soil in the.
Green Mountain,.and in various other parts, quantities of
dry dusty material, which only requires the lecay of vege-
table matter and rain to be productive enough. The•latter
blessing is, I am sorry to say, of rare occurrence in any
quantity, so that in traversing the Island you pass over
nothing bet plains and hills of cinders, duse, and pieces of
lava, which are called here elimpers; a word, by the bye,
indigenous to Ascension alone, and probably a corruption
of the word crimpers, for such they arc most certainly.
To describe them, so that the difficulty of walking over
them may be appreciated, is impossible. They are mostly
spiral, and so crisp that they easily break when trodden on.
I have walked over them for about a mile. All, however,
is punk and contemptible compared with the coup d'wil
from the Mountain House. Would I could find words to
convey to your mind the feelings with which mine was
impressed when I surveyed it : it appeared a region of de-
solation--7-a wilderness of death—what.one might imagine
would be the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah. From the
mountain can be counted 25 (I believe) craters, large and
small, which have spent their fury, and have had their fires ex-
tinguished for ages. • The hills appeared as though they had
been once in a state of ignition, and the plains to be dried
,up by liquid fire. If I may be allowed the expression, it re-
minded me of what might be sapposed a deserted and
quenched portion of hell. Amid this herbless waste stands
the Green Mountain ; not, one would be .led to suppose,
coeval with the rest of the Island. The house, which is
within 500 feet of the top, and the gardens, are really beau-
tiful, but, from contrast, appear a paradise; the tempera-
ture delightful and salubrious. The mean is about 66 morn- 1
ing, 74 noon, 68 evening. This is in winter; I have not '
been able to try the summer, but understand the morning
and.evening are nearly the same; but that,at noon, 77 may
be considered fair. At the garrison, the mean, in winter,
is about 74 morning, 81 noon, 76 evening.. Vegetation in
the gardens tis quick. I understand produce may be had
from seed six times in a year. We had, a fortnight ago,
Ballad from the seed brought out in the transport which ar-
rived, here on the' 3d inst., from large lettuces. Traversing
from this house to the eastward, you pass over a road cut
by' Lieut, Cuppage along the side of the mountain, part of
it nearly perpendicular, consequently consisting of steps,
which, from the crumbled nature of the soil, are worn
away, and in some places you walk on a road not three feet
wide,-inclined 'outward; a precipice below .of 700 or 800
feet, into which one false step would precipitat ilte tra-
veller. The appearance is terrific. I walked through it
on my way to what is called Cricket Valley, a most beau-
tiful vale, 'quite level, about 60 acres, surrounded by im-
passable hills, and but one inlet. The day I was at the
mountain, the peak was enveloped in mist, which rendered
a trip to its stumnit useless. Frequently at the house the
clouds, in vast Volumes, were rolling at our feet, and
pretty swiftly too. Every thing .is very daMp there, •in
consequence of the rooms being built without fire-places.
This the Colonel will remedy. Mats are in hundreds. " I •
was obliged to allow a dog to sleep by my bed, as I
staid the night. My bed was surrounded by cur-
tains of old canvas,• up and down which they
paraded; one ventured on my pillow and awoke me. Mos- •
quitos are not • numerous ; I heard their shrill bus, but
they did not bite me; I was oliged to sleep between blankets,
the sheets, except they be emstantly occupied, are really
wet ; all garments, during the night, get humid. Guinea
fowl, in immense numbers, surround the Green Mountain
and its base ; they are difficult to get at, unless you creep
on them; three minutes flight will cost ten times the time
to get a shot at them again, in consequence of the breaks
and chasms they fly across; partridges and grouse would
multiply on the mountain; I fear therels not cover far
pheasants, but they might be tried. Gooseberries grow
wilt:, and in profusion ; they are, I understand, very good ;
and are,' in theit growth, surrounded with a sort of gos-
samer substance. There is one species of euphorbium
which grows on the mountains, called here spurge, it is an
active poison, so it flourishes and decays without meeting
a customer. Purslain grows in abundance, and feeds the
goats ; it is, I believe, not indigenous, but was brought
here for the purpose of feeding animals. There is a plant,
bearing a most beautiful little flower, some of which I have
sent you alive; I wish they may reach you so, and con-
tinue to thrive. Mules and asses are the most useful ani-
mals on the Island,. they carry water and all other neces-
saries, are very sure-footed, and ascend paths almost per-
pendicular; the Colonel .has a very handsome one,
who will carry a moderato weight rider to • the moun-
tain in an hour; the only danger is his amorous freaks,
when lie sees any specimen of- asinine beauty among the
hills ; a sonorous bray must be endured, during which
he stands still; caution will prevent the mischief, but what
would be attended with very little danger on level fields,
would l:
limbs on precipitous cliffs, and one's neck or
ningt beht
so on
in a moment. A fine animal a short
back, ver)rm uch., to the annoyance of
he Colonel, in pursuit of a fickle-
among those den_
lime ago broke his
genius rocks,
and was obliged to be shot.
This Island may be ma
de a very tolerable and compare-
"
tively delightful residence, andofthe
sourcegreate ostirstiovrtlaynetoe
to Great 13ritain, as a strong hold and
tirbehoctepwe,aradlocuoVtigiciora_o4
tseaas: ships,ce from i thethe East Indies heart
ts
tudi dm
p
4111 ry,
otect them, but would be glad enough, under
their infanc
to a nest of kingdoms forming in South America, which, in
may
e. be friendly enough to gngland, while
favourable cirCuntstances, to lay hand on some of the mil-
lions of British a cilia which annually traverse the:South
A.rit)ratnWt_iee...h.avie every thingl plenty,
there
eat, and is. Thlt so
ilsonag coming a- in E n son I ever
, t goat's flesh is equal to any vent
milk, eggs, vegetables,
As it re-
garde eggs,
a plan, about fromtnisleasonwhen tle then
.io son, and bring in
fifty or sixty dozen of :h4 which arc
sent into
considered delicious, glininaidy.be
em, equal to lovers', e
ide
Awake, from its cry t' ct as
being " Awide awake," 40 Is
human pronunciation; they
are laid by a blips called the 'W
to hay, and may be picked
quantity of
up alive, the above
eggs may be picked up
rnornin .• a ship was supplied
with forty 'dozen; the,prop g'
mregate at certain seasons
proper mane of the bird is the
Hirondelle de la Mer.

•,•••

A
COMPARISON.--" ,
What do ' ou think of that
a great
horse ?" said Louis XV. to an
connoisseur in horse flesh. " ... 14e !,s a superb animal,
Sire." " They tell me he is of Turkish breed." "Do
not believe them, Sire ; he is as much a Christian as
you or.l."—Devanpart Telegraph.