1825.] Journal of a Voyage from the Isle of France to England, 
licly bought and sold, and all money 
transactions of any amount settled, 
bills of exchange negociated, in short, 
the greatest part of the commercial 
business of the colony is carried on at 
this place. 
At the Cape, there are no inns or 
taverns, as in England, for the better 
sort of passengers or travellers—only 
boarding-houses; but these are on a 
grand scale, and the living uncommonly 
cheap. The passengers in the Resolu- 
tion went to Morrison’s, on the Parade: 
each had a large bed-room; we had for 
breakfast, tea, coffee, chocolate and 
wine, with meat, eggs and fish. At 
noon, for tiffen, cold meats, sallads, and 
as much wine as we pleased. Dinner 
at four o’clock—every thing the town 
could produce served up in very good 
style, with fruit and wine in abundance ; 
and at night, cold meat for supper; bed 
and all for five rix-doilars per day (or 
about seven shillings and sixpence ster- 
ling)—the wine, however, always being 
Cape: those that drank other wine paid 
for it in addition. 
I should have observed that the 
Exchange, Library, the Coffee-rooms 
and buildings attached to them, were 
built by subscription, in shares, which 
were again sold out: and they are 
now supperted by ‘subscription. It 
is, therefore, necessary for strangers to 
be introduced by a subscriber. I had 
the good fortune to meet a friend 
from Portsea, from whom I had my 
ticket. 
The ship having been anchored in 
4 the outer part of the bay, and at a very 
_ considerable distance from the landing, 
_ had not made good her defects before 
the 14th; being, by that time, in some 
measure refitted, we weighed and pro- 
ceeded to sea, with a fine breeze at 
south-east, and passed Robin Island at 
2 p.m. of tlt day. Having now the 
_ south-east trade wind, the weather was 
uncommonly fine and pleasant. Owr 
rate of sailing from five and a half to 
six and a half knots an hour; not a 
cloud to be seen, all above was clear 
and delightfully serene, the temperature 
_ stich as it might be wished; the sea as 
- smooth as a mill-pond—indeed, for an 
_ open sea, I never saw any thing like it. 
_ In this manner we glided on to Sunday, 
_ the 27th of February, when, at 5 a.m., 
_we made the Island of St. Helena. 
This island, situated in lat. 15° 55’, 
~ ahd Jong. 5° 43’ west, celebrated as the 
_ place to which Napoleon Bonaparte 
_ was exiled, is, in appearance, from the 
“Mostury Mac, No. 417. 
401 
seaward, without exception, the most 
barren, desolate, black-looking, frightful 
place I ever beheld. I have seen many 
descriptions of it, and several views 
and drawings, attempting to represent 
its appearance, but it is beyond the 
power of pen or pencil to describe it in 
such a manner as to convey an ade- 
quate idea of it to a person that has 
not seen it. It rises at once abrupt, 
steep and terrific, almost perpendicular 
from the bosom of the deep, to the 
height of 2,700 feet, and is inacces- 
sible in almost every part, without the 
smallest appearance of tree, shrub, 
plant, or vegetation. It has been, by 
some dreadful volcanic shock, split in 
every direction from its top to its base, 
forming ravines and valleys, some of 
which cannot be looked into, from the 
tops of the adjoining hills, without hor- 
ror, leaving immense rugged craggy 
rocks, whose heads are frequently hid 
in the clouds—this description holds 
good all round the coast, and for a mile 
or two into the interior, with the ex- 
ception of a valley here and there, 
which serves to carry off the water from 
inland. 
At 9 a.m. we stood into James’s 
Bay, bitt did not anchor; I went on 
shore at James’s Town, situated in a 
valley of the same name, surrounded ‘on 
either side by high, and utterly barren 
hills, from whence apprehensions are 
instantly excited of masses rolling to 
the destruction of the houses and their 
inhabitants beneath. The entrance to 
the town is over a handsome draw- 
bridge, and through a strong gate ; but 
it is so overhung and enveloped by 
mundens and ladder-hills, that it is 
completely hid from view, until you 
are fairly within the walls. The church, 
governinent house and gardens, some 
public stores, an excellent inn, and 
some other good buildings, form.a hand- 
some little square, at the entrance, and 
are kept in excellent order and repair, 
and have a pleasant effect. The town 
is about a mile long, and may contain 
about 200 houses: itis built of stone, 
and covered in with shingle: it is di- 
vided in two by a deep narrow ravine 
(over which are three neat stone bridges) 
which serves to carry off the filth and 
superfluous water ; and is the means of 
keeping the place remarkably clean and 
healthy. In the main street, which 
runs from the north-end of the square, 
are some very good handsome houses, 
principally used as lodgings for passen- 
gers returning from India, and for the 
3r COUN) ALY” 
