ST. HELENA 237 



" Where from ? " was demanded. 



" Calcutta, and bound to London," replied our captain. 



" Do you intend calling at the island ? " 



" Yes." 



" Then send a boat on board His Majesty's frigate The Blossom 

 for instructions," was demanded in tones that left no doubt what 

 would be the result of a non-compliance. An interchange of visits 

 speedily followed between the frigate and the Indiaman, and soon 

 after they were sailing side by side in the direction of the land, 

 keeping company until the Free Trader had received such sailing 

 directions as enabled her to stand in for the island alone. The 

 frigate then took up her cruising ground as before. 



It would require but a slight stretch of the imagination to convert 

 the perpendicular cliffs of St. Helena into the enormous walls of a 

 sea-girt castle. There is an air of stern and solemn gloom stamped 

 by nature upon each rocky lineament that reminds one of the 

 characteristics of a stronghold. Not a sign of vegetation is out- 

 wardly visible. Headlands appear each in its turn looking more 

 repulsive than those left behind. The sea-birds, as they utter 

 their discordant screams, seem afraid to alight, but wheel about 

 the lofty summits of the bald rocks in a labyrinth of gyrations, 

 while an everlasting surf, as it advances in incessant charges at 

 their base, rumbles upon the air in a hollow ceaseless roar. 



It was during the operations of working the Free Trader round 

 one of the points of the island that the heavy booming sound of a 

 large gun was heard, slowly borne up against the wind over the 

 surface of the sea. As the sun was just then dipping in the bosom 

 of the Atlantic, it was generally thought on board to be the evening 

 gun. But again the same solemn heavy sound floated by on the 

 wind. Again, and again, it came in measured time, when at length, 

 as we cleared the last projecting headland, the roadstead and the 

 town came suddenly into view. At the same time the colours 

 of the fort on Ladder Hill, and on board the Admiral's ship, the 

 Vigo, of seventy- four guns, were seen fluttering at half-mast, denot- 

 ing the death of some person of distinction. 



While sailing into our berth, and after the anchor had fixed us 

 to the land, the report of the cannon came upon us at intervals. 

 Their sounds seemed bodeful of some great event. We all looked 

 inquiringly for some explanation, but before any positive intel- 

 ligence had reached the ship from the shore, surmise after surmise 

 had given way to a settled conviction ; for by one of those inscrut- 

 able impulses of the mind, every man in the Free Trader felt assured 

 those island guns announced the death of Napoleon. 



Our suspense was brief, for soon after the anchor was down a 

 shore boat came alongside, containing an official person, to demand 

 the nature of our wants, and he confirmed our suspicions. This 

 intelligence, although anticipated, created a feeling of disappoint- 

 ment, as every individual in the ship had speculated during the 

 voyage upon the chance of seeing Napoleon alive. However, by 

 an easy transition, now that he was dead, we wondered whether 



