Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-08
ISLAND OF ST. HELENA
How it Has Changed Since Napo-
leon Passed His Captivity There
Interesting Facts About tho Place and It's
People Recalled : In Bad Financial
Straits.
(From the New York Tr.hune.)

(F'rom the New York Tr.hune.)
All that has given the Island If st.
Helena its fame is the fact that it was
there that Napoleon spent the last six
years (1S15-1S2D of his life. So long
as his name continues to hold the place
1t does in human history, the little iso-
lated volcanic cone, Of forty-seven
square miles. with n population of
barely 4.0OO will not be permitted to
sink into oblivion. The transportation
of General Cronje and his men to that
lonely place, more than 1900 miles from
Africa and 500 miles from the nearest
serve TO add to it new interest and
bring 1t once more into prominence.
st. Helena was discovered in 1902 by
portuguese explorer. Juan de Nova
Castillo. 1t was then densely wooded,
with redwood and ebony. but the de-
struction of its forests has been fol-
lowed by a wasting away of the soil,
so that the slopes are now mostly bar
rem. Willows, poplars and other trees
from the temperate zone have been In
troduced. Apples, pears. grapes and
potatoes have been brought and now
grow side by side with coffee and tea
plants, sugar cane. cotton and ba-
nanas.
The island was first settled by Por-
tugese dcserterS, who were afterward
Joined by escaped slaves. Their Off
spring were a little later largely exter-
minated by the Portuguese. Some of
them, however. must have escaped the
general slaughter, for when Sir John
Cavendish, in his voyage around the
world, visited St. Helena in 1858 he
found 1t inhabited and containing a
small town. In 1645 the Dutch attempt
Ell to establish q settlement, but relin-
quished the island to the English in
1851. In 1868 the commander of n
hcmeward- hound East India fleet of
English vessels took formal possession
of 1t in the name of Charles H., who
Immediately made 1t over to the East
India Company. The Dutch again OBJ
tanned possession in 1872, but the next
year 1t was recaptured by Captain
Richard Munden with three ships.
Since that time the island has remained
n British possession.
The East India Company invited set
tiers to emigrate from England to st.
Helena, and numbers of families which
had been reduced to beggary by the
great fire in London took advantage
of the offer of free land. which was
assigned to them provided they would
cultivate 1t within six months. Slaves
were also introduced from Madagascar.
Being situated on the direct track of
vessels bound from the east to Eng
land around the Cape of Good Hope IT
soon became an important port of call
for large number of vessels. The
chief source of income OF the inhabi-
tants was derived from supplying
fresh provisions to the ships that put
In at the port. y large garrison was
also kept up. there being Mt one time
nearly 10000 men stationed there. Be
tween 1915 and 1921 the British Gov
eminent withdrew the island from the
East India Company. its chief use dur
Ing that period being ms Il prison for
Napoleon. In 1922 the East India Com
pany resumed Its jurisdiction over 1t,
but in 1884 1t became a crown colony.
The island continued to prosper until
the opening of the Suez canal. This
altered the route to the East Indies,
thus depriving the inhabitants of their
means of livelihood. The Introduction
of steam navigation also made 1t un-
necessary for vessels to touch at that
point.
in the reduction OF the garrison and OF
the naval squadron which had been
kept up for the suppression of the slave
trade. The inha bitants fell into power
ty. having nothing to depend upon but
the precarious sale of supplies of Amer
lean whalers which sometimes make st.
Helena a port of call. 1t is now Brit
ish admiralty coaling station, to which
the Cape and West African squadrons
sometimes resort. One battery of Roy
al Artillery and one company OF in
fantry are also stationed there.
Almost throughout It's entire circum-
ference of twenty-eight miles the ISL
and presents to the eye an unbroken
wall of cliffs. varying from 500 to 1000
feet in height. jamestown, the capt.
tai of the island, Is built in q ravine
which has almost vertical sides, the
height to the east being called Rupert's
Hill. and that to the west Ladder Hill.
These two mountains gradually recede
from one another until at the sea,
where they end in perpendicular cliffs.
The ravine Is $50 feet broad. This tri-
angular space is about one and a quar-
ter miles long. and is defended by for
tifications at the entrance of the ra-
vine. Ladder Hill gets its name from
the steep wooden steps known as
Jacobs Ladder which lead directly to
its summit, 500 feet in height.
One of the chief objects OF interest In
st. Helena is the house at Longwood
in which Napoleon passed his cap
tivity. The plateau OF Longwood Is
about 1000 feet above the level of the
sea and bounded by deep ravines It
Is on the Rupert Hill side of the RAJ
vine in which jamestown Is built. Here
are the long, low buildings in which
NAPOLEON lived and the new house
which he did not live to occupy. Here
also is Marshal Betrand's cottage. Ma
poleon's tomb is In Slanes valley,
about mile from Longwood. But the
body was rem owed TO France in a man.
of-war by the Prince de Joinville in
1910. and now lice under the dome OF
the Hotel dea IpvalIde. IN % ria