National Republican., 1883-01-02
HELENA'S LONELY ISLE.
An Interesting Sketch Of the Spot NapoleOn's
Death Made Famous.
How Steam and the Suez Canal Have
Turned it Into Desert
Famous Slave Market Turned Into a Refuge iol
Escaping Bondmen,
A Love story, with Triple Tragedy
and Phantom Attachment
Special Letter.

ISLAND or SAINT HELENA, Dec, 9, 1882
Perhaps a brief sketch of the history of this
little island might be acceptable to the read
ers of the REPUBLICAN, so / will begin this
letter with few words in that connection.
There are two or three accounts concerning
its discovery, but the one which is most gem
orally accepted is that commodore of the
Portuguese fleet, named Juan de Nova Cas-
tella, sighted IL on the 2ist of May, 1901
(which his calendar taught him was the day
set apart for Saint Helena, the mother Of the
Emperor Constantine), So after q little trip
over the island that convinced him 10 had no
inhabitants, he called il Saint Helena, in
honor Of the saintess of the day SGT it down
on hls chart, and went on toward Lisbon,
with several casks Of pure, spring water,
which caused his crew to cherish II grateful
remembrance of the saint, and of the rock
that thenceiorth bore her name. Several
navigators returning from India visited the
island, but the first settlement was not
formed till 1913, when Fernandez Lopez, n
Portuguese nobleman, brought hithcr q iow
African slaves, and founded colony. Tho
English first visited the island in 1883 but ii
was then hold by the Portuguese, who aban-
doncd IL in 1915, mt which period the Dutch
stepped in, but tiring of their bargain SUR
rendered it willingly tothe English East India
Company in 1851. This company made some
main, and had organized quite an establish
ment when the Dutch took the island sud
denly in 1872. 1t was soon ufterward retaken
by tho English who have held it continually
since, except when il has been in the hands of
adventurous mutneers, who have sometimes
amused themselves by the slaughter and
abduction Of the civil officials, for the sake of
q brief sway, which has always ended dis
astrously TO the mutineers.
In 1876 DR. HALEY visited the island for
astronomical purposes, but was greatly disap-
pointed by the vaporS, which constantly
overhang the island, obscuring the heavens
from his view. As late as 1894 COnspiratOrs
and rectionists-which means to great
extent men who were tired Of oppression and
wrong-were hanged, drawn, and quartorcd
| for the ediiication of the public, while Others
were hanged alive in chains and starved to
death. Opposition TO authority, no matter
how arbitrary or despotiC became romarka-
bly, rare after that, as two generations heard
the dying agonics Of those victims, and that
brought them down to better times slave
market and harbor for slave dealers for al
most n century, IL became refuge for liber-
ated slaves in the beginning of this century,
and several establishments wero erected and
splendidly maintained for the training and
education of tho young Africans whom mod
| ern law released from bondage.
| During the whole period, from 100 60 about
! 1870 the island wasin n tlourishing condition,
| hundreds of vessels of every class calling here
yearly for supplies and taxing to the utmost
! the islands powers of production. Splendid
farms, orchards, and gardens then spread over
every foot Of arabic land, and, fruits, meats
and vegetables brought high phces and found
a ready market at all seasons. Old captains
! will tell you that II was no unusual sight to
see as many rs fifty or sixtw American ves-
! sels bound home from India and the east
coming into the roads in one day. Now there
are scarcely so many in five years, barring
| the whalers Steam and the SucZ canal killed
| st. Helena almost as dead as it was when
| the ancient Juan came across it on that
May day in 1901, and now the people are
| getting away fast rs they can, rs
! if from wreck that was liable to sink at any
moment, Day after day and week after week
| the firm that has monopoly of everything
| looks out for lame ducks rs vessels in dis
! tress are termed in local parlancc, and the
| poor devil of II duck may thank her stars If
she gets away with a feather worth the pluck
| ing. The government establishment Is now
| cut down to mere Corporal's guard, and the
| poor natives (half casts between various raccs)
| find agriculture too laborous and unremuner-
ative for their tired habits, SO thoy join in
the usual occupation Of the people, looking
for "lame ducks"
Ofcourse such q people is necessarily igno-
rant and superstitious, and their belief in
haunted houses and ghost stories in general is
| so strong that two or three fine properties
| have been entirely deserted, are Stunned like
pest houses, and are entirely valueless, as no
laborer could be induced to remain on the
premises. One of these is located in the
western portion of the island, and has
well-authenticated legend and group of ghosts
which came about in the following manner;
| 4 very cruel old fellow had among his slaves
| a handsome young mulattO boy, of whom his
daughter, " wayward lass, became deeply
| cnamOred. AS she was closely watched she
1I.I4
gems TO enjoy the society Of her lover, and one
fatal day was caught by the cruel old man
pouring n long love yarn into the mulatto's
cir, and some of the old gents best wine
down the infatuated slaves throat
The ire OF the boys owner was
kindled in moment. He seized the
fragile form of the youth and bound il fast
to a tree near the barn door, at the same mo-
ment calling another slave to hold the muiden
Then taking up u heavy oXwhip that lay near
he pronounced n sentence of death and pro-
coed to whip every breath Of life out of the
mulattO. The maiden screamed piteously for
n few moments, when she swoOncd and fell
unconscious at the feet of the caititI who held
her. The muatto expired in great agony
under the lash, and when they tried to re-
store the maiden TO consciousness they dis
covered that she had broken a blood vessel
and died also. At this the old man went into
fits and died in madhouse
u
solitary visitor TO the spot may see the whole
tragic scene rehearsed by phantoms hear the
heartrcnding screams Of the victim aud his
love, and at last see the old cruel Shaver rush
: away raving maniac. Wagers have re-
Gently been laid by officers Oh the garrison
and those Of British mon-of-war stopping
here that they would ride TO this old barn ut
midnight and witness the ghostly spectacle ;
but as the betters proceeded thitheralter for
tifying themselves with big dinners and
strong potations of hot rum, besides being
accompanied by bull dogs and hoy with II
lantern, it is needless to say the performance
did not como OF
What may be termed the last scene in this
islands prosperity is the period during which
Napoleon was here, alive and dead As re-
prisal was liable TO be attempted at any time,
splendid garrison was kept up, and hum
dreds Of visitors came to the island each year
To catcha glimpse of the august prisoner. Tho
only visitor since, except certain scions of
royalty, including the sometime Empress
Eugenic, is of a very destructive and unwcl-
come character, viz white ant from the
African coast, that looks like q miniature
scorpion, and eats up all wood that is softer
than teak, and has destroyed as much property
as o days bombardment could affect.
Z MACK.
e
Almost a Severe Accident.
About $50 o'clock last evening, as eN-Secre.
| tarv Blainc Mrs blaine and their son Walker