The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-07-21


idea that some foreign power might seize
the Island of Asce nsion, and sfford op-
portunities to one Of the emperor's broth
ers or sisters to plot and mauuvre with
view to comprising his escape and re-
turn to France.
The British government had made up
their minds that no such opportunity of
evasion should arise. They were well
aware of the intrigues, brides and ma
chination by which his sister Pauline
the wife of Prince Borghese, had con-
trived to rescue her brother from his
custodians at Elba, and were firmly re-
solved that they should not be repeated
at st. Helena. Among many steps taken
by Lord Liverpool's ministry to insure
the safety of their prisoners, the Island
of Ascension " IS seized and held by an
English man-of- war and its crew in 1915.
From that day to tLis it has remained
under the custody OF the British admir-
atty, who have always appointed naval
officer to the command of the island,
which has been treated as though it we're
one of the war ships of the royal navy.
Upon it the board of admiralty caused
steam factory and naval and victualing
yards to be established, to which small
cosling depot was subsequently added.
Seeing that many sick sailors we're
brought to the island Il want Of medical
relief during the protracted voyages of
sailing ships returning from India, some
excellent hospitals we're built there for
their accommodation. On the craggy
upland rabbits and wild goats have al
ways abounded, and few pheasante,
guinea fowls, and cartridges afforded
amuseme mt to an occasional sportsman.
From January to May in each successive
year the island is visited by shoals OF sea
turtle which lay their eggs in the sandy
beach, and sometimes attain an enor-
nous size. 1t is said that fifty or sixty
turtles, some OF them weighing 700
pounds, are occasionally caught in one
night and transferred 10 ponds close
| to Georgetown, the only station on
the island. The little town is protected
by single fort, with about as much
power to resist the big guns Of modern
iron-clads as is possessed by the Martello
towers, which in 1903 the third Duke of
Richmond, then master of the ordnance,
scattered along the coasts of Sussex,
Hampshire. Kent and Essex. Little
surprise will therefore be felt at the an
nouncement that the admiralty have re-
solved to abandon Ascension and to with
draw from it the small naval station
| which has been established there since
1916.
In Ascension there are said to be at
this moment no more than $50 inhabit-
ants, all told, consisting Of English Off
GERS, seamen and marines, with few
Kroomen interspersed among them. The
chief exports Of this tropical island are
turtles and birds eggs, and being within
the influence of the southeast trade
winds, the area of it's thirty eight square
miles is blessed with dry salubrious
climate. Yet on the entire surface of the
island there are less than ten acres under
cultivation, and, according to humor-
Gus American traveller, who recently Wis
| tied ST. Helena and Ascension, the pro-
duct in which they most abound is rats
of extraordinary and amazing impudence.
1t is notorious that Longwood, Napo-
Icons residence at St. Helena, swarmed
with these ubiquitous rodents, which
made such noise at night that sleep
was almost impossible. The British en-
pire will not moult single feather of it's
size and strength by reason of it's sur
render of the island of Assertion as a
naval station. The tiny islet will still have
its placid life, snd the waste of waters
with smaller population and even quiz
eter and less noticed career.