24 ST. HELENA 



We find by the list of guns fired, sent us by Captain Beale, 

 three hundred and odd guns which is so strange a waste that we 

 could not think our Governor would have been guilty of ; especially 

 considering that island cost us forty thousand pounds, without one 

 penny profit, hitherto, more than refreshment to our ships, which all 

 strangers have had as well as ourselves. But most impudent it was 

 to salute interlopers ; and as vile for our Minister, Mr. Church (if 

 our information be true) to be first on board the interloper Pitts 

 that came in last voyage, and to entertain him at his house. 



As taxes, every English vessel trading to Madagascar had 

 to leave a negro slave on the island and also to pay a duty 

 of 2s. 6d. for every ton measurement, 55. anchorage, the 

 latter being paid by all ships. This charge, however, was 

 not levied on Dutch ships, as long as a similar exemption 

 was allowed to English East Indiamen at the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Ships in the Company's service were obliged to 

 deliver a barrel of gunpowder. The orders of the East 

 India Company were that ships of interlopers were not to 

 be supplied with water or refreshment until they paid in 

 money or goods to the value of 205. per ton. No refresh- 

 ment was allowed them unless they agreed to resign ship 

 and cargo to the Company's disposal and until each sur- 

 render was made, all traffic and communication between 

 them and the inhabitants was prohibited, under a penalty 

 of 20 from a member of Council, and 10 from any other 

 person in the island, who should disregard these orders. 

 Many ships under Ostend colours were refused stores of any 

 kind, and scarcely allowed water sufficient to preserve the 

 lives of their crews, and were often fired upon either 

 to prevent their entry into the roads or to hasten their de- 

 parture. 



A constant succession of showers is more necessary for the 

 process of vegetation in a hilly country like St. Helena 

 than on flat ground, and from the idea which prevails, that 

 trees on the summits of mountains have an attractive in- 

 fluence on the clouds, as well as from consideration of the 

 value of timber, the preservation of wood was at these 

 early times deemed an object of great importance, and 

 regulations were formed for its preservation. A great 

 quantity of wood was used for the distilling of spirit from 

 potatoes a manufacture in which many stills in the island 

 were employed, and which doubtless occasioned many 



