River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-07-03
Saint Helena In 1877.
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by AN ENGLISH TRANELER !.

On Tue port DIV y nat . ~. IcicHd, slls
that is" OF course I didn't see the land,
but experience had taught me that might
have confidence in the marvellous pow er
of sailor to make out the dark streak ON
tie horizon, and ! went down to break
fast in confident hope or seeing the ISL
and on my return to the deck Nor was
disappointed, for on coming up soon
after nine o'clock, the island was plain
ly visible as line of cloud upon the
water Four hours of steady sailing
with the reliablessoutheas trades brought
the good ship along side of the precipit-
Gus rock, rising SO strangely in mid-ocean,
which has so absorbing an interest in tie
history of the world.
The only landing place at st: Helena is
jamestown, the capital and only town OF
the island, nestled down in ravine, With
sheer cliffs running on either side. OFF
jamestown, therefore, we dropped anchor,
and at once the health officer was along
side and satisfied himself as to the pro-
priety of our landing. On his leaving,
we were surrounded bv boats innumer-
able, some of them anxious to take pas
sengers ashore, others bringing women
with necklaces and ornaments of native
| work to sell. A great number of washer
women came too, with letters of recon-
mendation from former customers.
have known instances where these letters
would not have been so readily presented
had the laundress been able to read Eng-
| lish. One such letter ran-"Never had
my things so badly washed IN my life."
Another-"The woman only expects you
| to nav half what she asks"
Taking one of the many boats that
/ were fighting for precedence at the foot
of the gangway few vigorous strokes
from the swarthy oarsmen brought us to
the stone ste ps of the landing place and we
were in ST. Helena. Our first greeting was
/ from small boy, vigorously ringing a
bell, and now came forward and gave the
4 bell into cur hands. Examining it, we
found pasted upon it an announcement
that, by special request, "The School for
Scandal" would be performed that eve
ming at the Old Rock Theatre. Here inss
deed was surprise. Upon this island,
| the whole population OF which would
hardly fill the theatre in Drury Lane or
| in Covent Garden, was theatre, and In
that theatre was to be acted no less dis
tinguished comedy than the master
piece of Sheridan. We naturally thought
with some fear and trembling of what the
result might be in the hands of the st.
Helena stock company, but nevertheless
mentally determined to see for ourselves.
Following the quay for about one hun
dred yards, we came to the gates OF the
town. The inhabitants seem hardly alive
/ to the fact that their illustrious prisoner
is no longer with them, and accordingly
the gates are closed every night at half
past nine o'clock, and no one can leave
the town after that time without an order
from the governor.
Passing through the gates we enter the
main street, of jamestown. The town,
indeed. consists of one main street, which
follows the winding of the valley. On
the right, Immediately on entering the
town, is Ladder Hill, on the top of which
are barracks, and which you ascend b y
terribly long fight of steps. On the left
is the garden attached to the governors
town house, which is open to the public !;
and adjoining the garden is the site of
the house, recently destroyed by fire, in
which Napoleon passed his first night IN
st. Helena, and where the Duke of Wei
lington, when Sir Arthur Wellesley, also
passed night on his return from India.
The island is very barren CT vegetation,
and the fruits produced are not many.
Dates, bananas, grapes, mangoes, guavas,
and figs are perhaps the most abundant.
Meat is very scarce and dear, the lnhabi-
tants relying a good deal on Australia
for the supply. When an OK is killed,
the Joints 90 to few favored residen s
and to the barracks We were to have
brought a bullock for them from the
Cape, but the animal unfortunately broke
its neck coming on board.
In the evening we set out for the Old
Rock Theatre, the ladies walking down
in evening dress, without any need for
shawls or hoods, although, as we were in
the month of June, it was the middle of
the ST. Helena Writer. The room dig
nifed by the title of the Old Rock
Theatre is reached by very shaky flight
of steps, dimly lighted by an ancient lar
tern, The stage, very diminutlye one,
is at one end of the room, and raised
about foot from the floor. The band,
by wise arrangement, plays In the yard.
} We found the room well filled; and learnt
Ethat the comedy was to be played by
ladies and gentlemen from the principal
families in st. Helena, with reinforce
ments from the garrison stationed there
Of the performance. suffice say that it
equally surprised and pleased us, though
had the ghost of Sheridan been present,
it must have been gretly puzzled when
two of his characters sat down to exam
ire an albtim Of photographs.
The following day we devoted to the
object of our stay upon the island-a visit to
Lonowood. To the stranger, anxious to
visit Longwood from jamestown, there are
three courses open. He may drive, or
rather, he may sit in basket pony-car-
rage, with man walking at the pony's
head; or he may ride, in which case he
will be accompanied by small boy, who
fearlessly holds on to the animals tail;
or, thirdly, if he is energetic enough he
NAV walk. The distance is probably not
more than three or four miles, but the
read is a continual ascent, and the walk
is fatiguing TO any but the robust. The
horses of the island are rather sorry
crew. and some have vicious habit OF
pounding the riders legs against the wall
Of rock that skirts the road. 80 we de-
cided for the pony-carriage, ana, IN
leisurely way, started on our journey.
When the winding road has brought you
about half way to the summit OF the clfi:
you see, on the right, "The Briars,
a substantial looking house, with pavll-
ion adjoining it, which was placed at Ma
poleons service by its owner whilst the
furnishing of the house at Longwood was
being completed. Leaving on the left
the footpath leading to Napoleon's grave,
YOU reach little colony of houses,
amongst them Rose and Crown hotel,
primitive little establishment at which
prudence suggests your ordering some
lunch, which May await you on your re-
turn.
This ACCOMPLISHED, another mile Of
level road brings yoa to the gate OF
Longwood. However thorough Brihn
- g l. ka fnalirnct O.