Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-03-17
From a London paper Of Dec 20.

Extract Of a letter from the Marquis d.
Msnichenu, commissioner Of the kins
of France, to his friend VI. Prieur
Knight of St. Louis, Director Of thu
Posts at Angouleme.
st. Helena, July q, 1916.
You eannst form an idea Of this isle
| all that you have read or heard Of i,
makes II a paradise when compared with
,ile reality: its aspect is still more hide
Gus in the interior. you see snly ragged
mountains destitute Of vegstation, Of q
height varying from 80 to i,3oo tsises--
4 ,inxle plain, winch is that where Bona
|nayts resides. One meets here Il there
few stunted trees; aothing but potatoes
are cultivated, and that in small quaint
ties F.; a single town, in which there are
about 20 houses, & not a village, some
cottages, which are dignidsd with the
Ia anne Of country hsuses, about tenth OF
hich are babitable some fns roads.
Uniformly bordered by frightful PrecipI
cas; no practicable paths. Such, my
dear sir, /. the abode Of your friend.
aho, besides. il ignorant Of the language
It the country; and if he should know 1t
). ould not be much better for it Ii you
com miserate me. ,hen regret that you did
not accompany ne. We want ever,
thing; every thing here is at an e1orbi-
.ant price. To give you an idea OF this,
you must know that al, sur wants must
he supplied from England, or the Cape
{ Good Hope. which is 900 leagues of
rsal, for the kitchen come from England
for the island produce, no fire weod,-.'
few DAYS ago some bullock, arrived fr"Ul
the Cape out of Is embarked, IL die"
sn the passage. A small sheep costs from
. 20 E louis; fowl, very tough, from 10
10 Is francs, according to its size bread
which is the cheapest article, 20 SOUS per
% a pair of shoes from IS to go IF.
Having thus detailed to you my mise
ries. I will now talk to YOU Of our g. eat
man, of his situation and guard.
. he garrison consists Of about s.50c
men, with 500 and odd pieces Of artillr
w and about score Of ,oortars. II oc.
cupies the rooms Of he hause Of the Ii.
Governor, situate upon the only plain in
the island. called LoRgwocd. The plain
is surro.nded on all sides By horrible
rrecipices, and there ia but one read BY
which you can reach it. On this plain
has been established a camp, occupied b,
The SD regiment and park of artillery ::
II ia besides lined with posts Of troops
bnnaparte and his followers have the
liberty Of walking or riding within this
circle; he must be accompanied BY an
Officer in Uniform, WIN must not qpit him
a single step, and this same officer lodges
in the house, and mSst know what he is
dung the whole Of NE day: the other
ne sons in his suite arc accompanied By
an orderly officer. and the Wallets BY q
non. commissioned one. The governor
is made acquainted hourly with whatevet
passes BY means Of telegraPhs, erected
throughout the Isle, 80 that in minute
he knows whatever is passing. or in g
minutes whenever he is making biz
rounds or on horseback and in cease Of
any thing happening the whole Island
y ould he uuder arms in 5 or 4 minute.
Such are the precautions BY land those
at sea are Of q different kind ; there are
always at least 9 frigatss at anchor
IS bile 2 briggs are sailing night and day al
rauad the Island aud from six O'Clock
in the evening TO the same hour next
morning armed boats pat'ole along the
base Of the mountains which border the
sea and surround us on all sides: a
night. that is after 6 o'clock. all the boats
belonging both to individuals and the
shipping must have returned. and if Al
boat makes its appearance it is fred up
on. After niue O'Clock, no one can
move out without having tho pass word,
without fear Of being shot. or at least
arrested. Noforeign vessel can come on
the coast they are announced by signal
the moment they a,e perceived, and a
dollar is given to them who srst spies,
them, which may be done nearly D miles
at sea. Ships cansot bear in close to
the Island in one night, especially on a
coast so dangerous add to which, that
the breakers are so strong that one is
sometimes several days without being a.
bic to come close in without danger. You
perceive my dear friend, that escape aP.
pears physically Impossible, that even If
the Governor wis q to favour il, the
Admiral must also he in the plot. He
ven. in spite OF all these precautions, the
Admiral we're to allow two or three
boats TO approach in a favourable night,
which would be exposed to very dan,
serous fire, what would happen then :
All the roads are guarded, the rocks are
nearly inpScticable, and there is not a
point where ten men without arms, and
81. l.