Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-08-16
BEERS AT ST. HELENA
Quarters Of CrOnje's Soldiers On the
Little Island.
Population and Features of IN. Place
Where Napoleon spent the
Last Six Years of
His Life.

undoubtedly a great event for the
people living on that isolated rock.
They seldom see strangers now, saws
the New York Sun. Before the Suez
canal was built jamestown was of
great Importance as a coaling and
supply station, but now it is far of
the route of vessels. If il were not
for an occasional whaler which drops
into port for a fresh supply of water
and provisions the island would be al
most abandoned by the world.
Thirty years ago there were over
e,0o0 people living on the island; but
many hundreds Of them, failing to
earn a living there, have gone to Cape
Colony, and when the Beers landed
they increased the population fully
one-third. So large an influx has
never been seen before.
When the prisoners entered the har-
Dor they saw a little town, only a
quarter of a mile wide and less than
a mile in length, squeezed into a mar
row valley between two hills that rise
TO a height of about GOO feet on either
side. The hin on the west slopes
steeply 70 the town and a fight of
nearly 700 steps, cut in the face of the
rock, leads TO the fat plateau above.
This emiuence is known as Ladder
hill, on account of the flight Of stone
steps The plateau is three-quarters
OF a mile wide near the sea and mar
rover as IL penetrates the mountains
on either side. The seaward part Of
il is covered with military buildings
and the plateau is known as Dead
wood plain This is where the Beers
were sent into camp on 81. Helena
jamestown lies at their feet on the
east, and in front they have = beauti-
full view Of the sea from a point of
vantage 600 feet above the ocean. All
the year round the southeast trades
blow steadily, but the hill range
through the center of the island shell
ters the prisoners from the winds,
which are sometimes violent, though
always warm. They have arrived,
however. in the early days Of the aus
trial winter. and are probably witness
ing a larger rainfall now than they
ever saw before. The heaviest rains,
however, will soon pass, and as far as
weather and climate are concerned,
the prisoners could hardly wish for q
more agreeable abiding place.
Looking directly across the hills
and the intervening valleys the Beers
NAV perhaps be able TO catch
glimpse of Longwood, 3M miles from
their camp, which is famous as the
home in which Napoleon, prisoner Of
England. passed the last six years OF
his life. Longwood stands on another
plateau, extending nearly 70 the sea
on the east, and with two or three
long arms running up into the noun
tains. II was on this nearly fiat plat
eau that Napoleon took his daily
strolls, enjoying, in some sort, the
period of calm that succeeded the long
Years Of war aud political CONFUSION
in which he was the commanding tg-
ure. If the Beers are permitted TO
stroll inland as far as the plateau they
occupv extends, theS will be within
two miles of Longwood and a mile and
a half from the Valley OF the Tomb
where Napoleon's body reposed under
a clump of willows until it was re-
moved 10 Paris in 1870; and now II
rests under the dome Of the lnvalides'
From Deadwood plain, however, II Is
NOT likely that the lower portion OF
the Valley of the Tomb can be seen,
and 30 the willows under which the
great Corsican was buried are hidden
from view.
From the Boer camp there is no
road leading TO Longwood or the
famous valley near it, but to reach
the SPOT where Napoleon spent his
lest yenrs il is necessary to climb Ru-
rert's hill by the steep road which
sprrnoupts it on the east side Of
Jamestown and leads TO the valley
and the little house where Napoleon
lived and died.
jamestown is the only town on the
;slond. II has never been thought
,,orth while to build a town on the
soutb coast. for no vessels could safely
yisit a town there, as the waves ralseu
nv the southeast trades break on that
seen shore with great fury. On the
nth side of the island in the lee OF
The winds. where the Beers are kept
the surface Of the sea is usually calm
Perhaps many Of the Beers will NOT
mind the isolation of their prison
bome as much as the people Of other
aces might do, for most OF them are
,ccustomed to the comparative silence
= ,bagr great cattle ranches, where
~ seldom see strangers and do not
80 70 meet them, though all corners
are Hospitality welcomed when they
ar,e,r OF course. none Of the pms
- can escape from st. Helena, as
r,,uber of them did from Their
nm near Simon Town, Cape colony
the sea around them hens the cap
.;res in more etTcctually than an!
prison wall.
Studying n Prodigy o.,