National Republican., 1882-12-07
A LONELY ISLE.
Some Good Reasons Why People Keep
Away From st. Helena,

Away From st. Helena.
ISLAND OF SAINT HELENA, Nov. 5.-This
poor little island is entirely delivered up, sur
rendered and simmered down to a nero men,
DRY of the past. Had it ever any significance
as political benefit, that significance has
passed away since the use of steamships and
the construction of the Suez canal. Had it
ever any claim to the worlds attention !?
When Bonaparte lived and died here, yes
but even the bones of that hero have been
taken away. When was there any enterprise
and prosperity here? When the island was
port of call for the merchant navies of Europe
and America, and from twenty to fifty large
vessels might be seen lying in the roads at
any season of the year. But now scarcely
one American vessel besides the whaling fleet
stops here in month, and though the island
is in the very center of the route from India
to England and the United States, hundreds
of vessels steer shy of it to one that anchors
in the roads, and owners tell the masters of
their vessels when giving them sailing or
ders "lf you have one mast standing after
you get around the Cape of Good Hope keep
clear of ST. Helena" And why is this? Ask
the marines, for it won't do for landsman to
narrate their grievances. Still
THE WATER is EXCELLENT
here, the climate is salubrious, and sup
plies are to be had-if one has deep
enough purse to pay for them. The port
Is free now, and the island has civil
| instead of military government but the
population is chiefly engaged in doing moth
ing, and is consequently frugal enough in its
| diet and apparel. One thousand two hundred
miles from the nearest land, and having news
from the civilized world barely once a month
the views and ideas of the people are not only
insular, but insulated and prescribed like the
| horizon of their island.
| Ahnut Nnnl, bn h,no or;o ,xl,o olnr
Hercules came into port infected with the
! smallpox, her crew having landed at
| Fish Bay, on the African coast, where that
pest had been raging for three or four months
| When the first case appeared the captain, Mac.
| lnnis, ordered the crew out of the forecastle,
and did all he could to prevent the spread OF
| the disease by having the well men sleep in
in due time, and the captain had hopes that
no more would occur, when his hopes were
| blighted by the most unexpected occurrence
| A dish of rum had been used for rubbing the
sores ON the convalescent, and as it was sci
down moment, n negro, cspying it, thought
| he would have free drink, and
SWALLOWED THE HORRIBLE DOSE.
In few days he died, and six other cases
broke ont. The Hercules now lies anchored of
| to the leeward of the island, and, except benl
| supplied with fresh provisions and necessary
medicines and disinfcctants, Captain MacIn
mis- and his crew of twenty eight men are left
to their fate There is only one doctor OF
the island at present he being young mill
tary surgeon. Death and resignation have
removed three doctors in three months, and
recruit cannot arrive till the 25th instant
Under such circumstances it is highly desira
bic that the Hercules malady should not ge
ashore, for there are people who would bt
liable to spread it after the manner it wa
spread on board. Some years ago there wa
an invalid gentleman here who was or
dered by his physician to take bath in a tub
of wine. After he had performed his ablu
tiOns in the said bath the servants were or
dered to empty it, which they did by drink
ing the whole of it. Another incident, which
is convincing evidence that rum will be takeI
wherever found by some people, occurred
here recently. The corpse of a gentleman
who had died at sea had been preserved in
large case in a hogshead of rum. Case, rum
and corpse were given into the possession o
an undertaken, who, after proper sepulchra
proceedings, was found to possess good stool
Of rum at a remarkably low price He sol
it all to good judges, who pronounced it a.
excellent article,