ASCENSION ISLAND. 1752. 83 



three fathoms long, which was provided with 

 the neceflary ropes for hoifting a flag. From 

 the pole hung two crofTes, the lower of Which 

 was wooden, and had the letters I. N. R. L 

 carved on it. Scarce a fathom above thd 

 wooden crofs was a brazen one, at the bottom 

 of which we could fee 1748, the 15th of iVo- 

 vember ; and higher up a French Infcription^ 

 which could not be read, it being too high. 

 On the pole and the wooden crofs feveral dates 

 of years, and feveral names, were carved. 



The country hereabouts looks like the rocks 

 about our mines. The birds retted here and 

 there without being frightened, after they had 

 filled themfelves with fillies in the fea, Id 

 fome places they had ftained with their dung 

 the heaps of Hones quite white, which then 

 looked like ruined towns, of which nothing 

 but fome white-wafhed chimneys remained,; 



The affiftant Thollander, a friend and pro- 

 moter of fcience, parted from me a little while, 

 and found in the mean time the fcarce Arijlida 

 Adfcenfion'u. It is faid there is a fpring, or ra- 

 ther a cave, where the rain water gathers, on 

 the fame mountain : but it was dried up at 

 this time* 



G 2 Ths» 



