Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-01-11
a DAY AT ST. HELENA.
Translated from the German.

tary and alone, in the midst of the
South Atlantic Ocean, between the
shores Of two continent, separated by
hundreds of miles from its sister island
Ascension ; thrown up by the mighty
power of volcanic fires, it seems to
float upon the ocean 'like a huge SOL
emn ark" The eye roves in vain
over the infexible precipices, the
rugged. broken crags; in vain it scru-
tinizes the dark rayines Neither grass
nor moss embellish the rocky slope
with their green covering neither
tree nor bush cling upon the desolate
stones The great walls of basalt rise
from the roaring waters, bare, hard
and comfortless as the fate which fas-
tened the exile Prometheus-like to
that desoate island. AS our ship sail
ed along, near the unyielding shores,
we could see distinctly how the ele
ments had striven here with each 9TH
er. Where the foaming surges break
upon the steep precipice, it seems to
the eye as if galleries had sprung
forth out of the rock tunnels had
been bored through by man, aud
bridges had beenithrown from cliff to
cliff. The hard basalt has withstood
the continual and unwearying assault
of the waters, but the softer tufa has
been washed out, so that the shore
presents strange picture of grotesque
architecture. 1t is as if skeleton
remains, while the more delicate parts
have been destroyed. The waves car
ny on their odd play among the debris.
The ocean rolls slowly back, with a
gurgling sound, disappearing in the
tunnels and grottoes which it has
followed out, that it may in the next
instant, hurl its waters up through the
narrow assures, in mighty fountains
To whom does this sight not recall
Schiller's "Diver."
The inhospitable crags seem to
threateningly repel every attempt to
and. We seek in vain for an open
ing in the rocky walls, until at length
Jamestown, the only inhabited spot
on the island, lies before us, hedged
in by steep precipices. Here is a
large mail steamer just come from the
cape, and already preparing to start
on its journey again to Southampton ;
there couple of wholesalers engag-
in their dirty work; in the distance
white sails and black clouds of smoke.
Ships come and 60 here daily. The
island is rich in fruit and vegetables.
and has superior water. We cast an
Choir close by large ship, around
which a whole fotilla of boats sailed
and rowed. Fruits, ivory, birds, and
chains and little pouches made from
berries, everything which the island
produces, and can charm the purchas
er, is offered for sale by the black,
Jolly crowd of vendors. We took a
boat and fortunately escaping the
desperate attacks of the various
tradesmen and tradeswomen, landed
with some difficulty upon spot which
hewed out of the firm rock by the &C
ton of the waves, is more prominent
than pleasant.
jamestown lies in narrow defile
only a hundred feet in width a
brook flows with great swiftness
through the city to the sea. AS the
inhabitants are divided into Europe
ans and Africans, so that the city is
divided into two parts, the one occu
pied by whites, the other by blacks
The island owns its settlement to an
East India company. Portuguese
and Hollanders have possessed it, the
one after the other, but gave it up
again. 1t owes its name to the fact
that it was discovered by Portu
guese, Juan Nova de Castella, upon
the anniversary of the birth of Con
stantine the Greats mother. 1t was,
for long time, a station for ships
sailing to the East Indies, but it be-
came still more important when
England declared war upon the slave
trade. From this island British ships
watched the African coast, and
brought many good prizes into port.
their lives in this service, are written
The names Of those who have beenlost
upon little marble column, standing
in little public garden it is long,
long list.
| was pleased too, to find here a
German who has won for himself an
honorable place in foreign land.
Mr.. Janish, the present governor of
the island, is the successor of the we'll
known Hudson Lowe, and native OF
Hamburg. 1t was interesting to
hear how the son Of the man who
had kept his uncle in the strictest
hold, had brought the news OF bis
nephew's downfall and the union OF
Germany to our joyful surprised
countrymen. While those upon the
lonely land 10 the ocean, believed
Europe to be 10 perfect peace, one
Emperor's throne was overturned
and another established. The clast