Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-30
saint Helena in 1877,
BY AN ENGLISH TRAVELLER.

See the land there, slr-about point
on the port bow? That's st. Helena, sir,
that isl Ofcourse 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
the horizon, and / went down to break
fast in confident hope OF seeing the ISL
and on my return to the deck. Nor was
l 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 reliable southeast 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 by 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 1
have known instances where these letters
would not have been SO readily presented
had tbs laundress been able to read Eag-
lish One such letter ran-'Never had
my things so badly washed IN my life
Another -"The woman only expects you
to pay half what she asks
Taking one of the many boats that
were fighting for precedence at the foot
of the gangway a few vigorous strokes
from the swarthy oarsmen brought us to
the stone steps OF the landing place and we
were in st. Helena. Our first greeting was
from small boy, vigorously ringing
bell, and now came forward and gave the
bell into our 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 in
deed was a surprise. Upon this island,
the whole population or which would
hardly I'LL 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 by
terribly long flight 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 We'll
1ington, when Sir Arthur Wellesley, also
passed night on his return from India.
J 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 go to q few favored residen:s
and to the barracks We were to have
brought bullock for them from the