104 THE ATLANTIC. [chap. ii. 



tent, in the conditions of the other isolated Atlantic groups, 

 and yet, as we were well aware, in all its biological relations 

 mainly a South American colony, it presented features of spe- 

 cial interest to European naturalists ; and it seemed to be of 

 a size which made it possible in a few days to exhaust, at all 

 events, the main features of its natural history. Accordingly, 

 we arranged parties of civilians to take up different depart- 

 ments, and the officers of the naval staff who were not occupied 

 in surveying volunteered to join tiiem and hel]) them in col- 

 lecting. 



In the centre of the village, in an open space with a few fine 

 bread-fruit- trees, there is a solid building, forming a hollow 

 square, which seems to be used chiefly as a prison for convicts 

 guilty of offenses on the island, and partly also as a market. 

 Near this building a few irregular but rather neat -looking 

 houses lodge the governor and the Government officials. 



We found the governor a grave, rather saturnine Brazilian, 

 silent, partly because he spoke no foreign language and we 

 could only communicate with him through an interpreter, and 

 partly, I think, by nature. He asked a number of questions 

 which surprised us a good deal from a man in his position. He 

 inquired repeatedly what port in England we had sailed from, 

 and to what English port we meant to return. He did not 

 seem to understand our flag nor the captain's uniform, and 

 asked if the ship had a commission from the British Govern- 

 ment. He did not seem to be quite able to grasp the idea of a 

 man-of-war for scientific purposes, and without her guns. He 

 was very civil, however, gave us coffee and cake, and told us 

 that we might do what we liked on the island in the way of 

 shooting, making collections, putting up marks for surveying, 

 etc., and offered us horses and all the aid in his power. We 

 left him with the understanding that we were to get guides 

 from him on the following morning, and regularly to begin our 

 work. After our interview, Captain Nares and I wandered 



