The Republican journal., 1911-01-19
81. HELENA.
What a Maine Sea Captain Says of It In
Letter Home.
rFro,, .he Deer Isle Messenger.[

Deer Isle, but now OF west maven. ",
commander of the schooner Sylvia e.
Hall, has the editors thanks for copy
Of souvenir booklet of the island of st.
Helena, and also for copy of the st.
Helena Guardian, the weekly paper pub
lished at that isle of historic interest. 1t
is folio of three fifteen-inch columns,
the columns being nineteen ems wide
five and one-half ems wider than those
of the Messenger-and it goes without
saying that the sheet is all ''home print. I"
Besides it's local news, the little paper
contains an epitome of foreign news with
a distinctly English flavor, which is fur
nished by Reuters Telegram Co., and
has liberal quantity Of advertising.
Following is one of the advts.:
EN-. LAWRENCE & SON.
CARPENTER AND UNDERTAKEN.
Will take any funeral at very moderate price,
will also furnish hearse, carriages and saddle
horses, the best and cheapest on the shortest
notice.
The Sylvia C. Hall arrived at St. Helena
Nov. 9Th, having been seventy days on
the passage from New Bedford, and hav-
ing sailed by the route she took 7,645
niles. Not quick passage because of
much calm weather, but Captain Gray
writes the Messenger that it was pleas
ant one, with fine weather and a smooth
sea all the way.
In the Halls cargo out were supplies
and fittings for whaling ship, which
was to meet her at St. Helena. and Cap
tain Gray is to bring on to New Bedford
the whaler's oil and bone.
From letter written by Captain Gray
to his wife, who is now visiting relatives
in Brewer, the Messenger is permitted
to quote the following account of the
voyage out, and of the island,
II will write you few lines to tell
you that we have arrived, but you will
probably know that long before this
reaches you, as the next mail does not
leave here before the 29th of this month
'(Nov). The mail ship calls once in four
weeks at the island.
"We arrived on the 9Th of November;
were seventy days on the passage; had a
good deal of moderate and calm weather,
but sailed long distance in that time,
1856 miles, more than third the way
around the world. 1t was the finest sail
ing, though, | have ever done. For days
and weeks we carried all sail day and
night; had beautiful weather, butt
was so monotonous after while. For a
steamer, and hardly a sea-bird. From
the equator to St. Helena we didn tsee a
sail! Sometimes..a whale would show up
for while but that was about all. But
we arrived safe, sound and well.
This is wonderful island; words can
hardly describe it. At first sight, making
it from sea, it appears, as we saw it at
daybreak, like huge rock rising from
the ocean and reaching to the clouds. We
couldn't see the top of the mountains
then. Later, the sun coming up, the
clouds cleared away and it looked then
like what it really is, an island of noun
tains and valleys - great high peaks
everywhere and deep valleys.
1--WE are anchored in James Bay, the
only anchorage at the island, close IN
shore. jamestown, the only town here.
is right ahead of us. We lay head to the
shore, as the wind is southeast all the
time, and we are on the northwest side.
On either side of us are two high
mountains. One is called Ladder Hill;
because there is an iron ladder that starts
from jamestown and goes straight up
the side of the cliff to the top. 1t has
700 steps. At the top is a big fort.
Emery and went up that ladder and it
almost made me dizzy. The view from
it's top is something grand, and that word
doesn't half describe it. On the other
side of US is Munden's Peak, with an
other fort at it's top, and down in the
valley is jamestown.
"The houses are built of brick, nearly
all two story, and painted white or yell
low.
"There are four churches in the town.
1.-The roads are bull t along the side OF
the mountains, by cutting into the rock.
On the outside is wall about five feet
high, to keep from tumbling overheard
(?). These roads wind up the mount ain
side, and are very good, but pretty
steep.
emery and went out to Longwood,
Napoleon's home while a prisoner here,
and went through the house. No one
lives there, or has since he died. All
furniture is gone. The only thing in the
house now is a bust of Napoleon in the
room where he died. 1t was made after
his death from gypsum taken from the
island. The house stands on Level
plane, 1,750 feet above the sea, in the
midst of beautiful grounds, gardens
Astounding in all kinds of flowers, and
fine trees and shrubs. We saw his tomb,
also. 1t is almost exactly in the center
of a perfect square Of willows, in Sane
valley; there is an iron fence around this
square, Just outside is a little house,
just big enough for one to sit down in,
where Napoleon used to read and write.
"We have seen only little of the isle
as VT. They tell US the other side is
better still.
1.-The climate here is perfectly healthy
all the year. This month is the spring
month. They have not sheared the sheep.
There are vegetables of all kinds in
plenty; potatoes almost exactly like ours
''down east" and they use no fertilizer,
the ground is very rich. There is beet
at seven cents per pound, mutton, goats,
pigs, and canary birds, donkeys, cats,
dogs and chickens; you can have your
choice, or eat them all. Bal anas, or
anges, mangoes, guavas, and other fruit
grow in abundance.
II don't know when we shall be ready
to sail home; probably not before the
first of January, as the whaler we were
to meet here has not arrived yet.
GA cable was received later from the
whaler, the brig Sullivan, that she had
arrived at Ascension, and the New Bed
ford people cabled Capt. Gray to proceed
to that island. This he did, after having
waited a month at St. Helena. The
"Hall" will probably leave Ascension
an island in the South Atlantic, 700 miles
N. E. Of st. Helena-any day now. Ed.
MasSanuar