The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-04-19
ISLAND OF ST. HELENA.
How It Has Changed Since Napo-
leon Passed His Captivity There.

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INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TIE PLACE
AND IT'S PEOPLE REcALLED-IN BAD
FINANCIAL STRAITS.
New York Tribune.
ALI that has given the island of St.
Helena its fame is the fact that
it was there that Napoleon spent
the last six years QS15-182l) of
his life. So long as his name contin-
ues to hold the place it does in human
history, the little isolated volcanic cone
of arty-seven square miles, with pop
ulation of barely 1000, will not be per-
mitted to sink into oblivion. The
transportation OF General Cronje and
his men to that lonely place, more
than / 200 miles from Africa and 800
miles from the nearest island (Ascen-
stony would, OF course, serve to add to
1t new interest and bring it once more
into prominence.
St. Helena was discovered in 1902
by Portuguese explorer, Juan de Noya
Castillo. 1t was then densely wooded
with redwood and ebony, but the de-
structlon of Its forests has been fol-
lowed by wasting away of the soil, so
that the slopes are now mostly barren
Willows, poplars and other trees from
the temperate zone have been intro
duced. Apples, pears, grapes and po-
tatoes have been brought and now
grow side by side with coffee and tea
plants, sugar cane, cotton and bananas.
The island was first settled by Portu-
gese deserters, who were afterward-
Joined by escaped slaves. Their off
spring were 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 it inhabited and containing .
small town. In 1915 the Dutch at
TEMPTED to establish settlement, but
relinqulshed the island to the English
in 1861. In 1868 the commander OF
a homeward- bound East India feet oi
English vessels took formal possession
of it in the name OF Chas. H., who i'm
rnediately made it over to the East
India Company. The Dutch again
obtained possession in 1872, but the
next year 1t was recaptured by Captain
Richard Munden with three ships
Since that time the island has re-
mained British possession.
The East India Company invited
settlers to emigrate from England to
st. Helena, and numbers of families
which had been reduced to beggary by
the great fire in London took advan
tage OF the offer of tree land, which
was assigned to them provided they
would cultivate it within six months
Slaves were also introduced from Mad
agascar. Being situated on the direct
track of vessels bound from the East to
England around the Cape of Good
Hope it soon became an important
port of call Tor large number of YES
sells. The chief source of income OF
the Inhabitants was derived from sup
plying fresh PROVISIONS to the ships
that put in at the port. A large gar
rison was also kept up, there being at
one time nearly $4,000 men stationed
there. Between 1916 and 1921 the
British Government withdrew the
island from the East India Company,
its chief use during that period being
as prison for Napoleon. In 1892 the
East India Company resumed its juris-
diction over it, but in 1884 it.-became
a crown colony.
The island continued to prosper un-
til the opening of the Suez canal. This
altered the route to the East Indies,
thus depriying the inhabitants OF their
means of livelihood. The introduce
ton of steam navigation also made 1t
unnecessary for vessels to touch at that
point.
The island also received another
blow in the reduction of the garrison
and of the naval squadron which had
been kept up for the suppression Of
the slave trade. The inhabitants fell
into poverty, having nothing to de-
pend upon but the precarious sale of
supplies of American whalers which
sometimes make st. Helena q port OF
call. It is now a British admiralty
coaling station, to which the Cape and
West Indian squadrons sometimes re-
sort. One battery of Royal Artillery
and one company OF Infantry are also
stationed there. Almost throughout
its entire circumference of twenty.
eight miles the island presents to the
eve an unbroken wall of cliffs, varying
from 500 1000 feet in height. James