72 ST. HELENA 



as a destroyer of insects, made its appearance. These must 

 have died out many years since, as there were none when 

 Miss Moss a few years ago let some free to propagate ; these 

 seem to be increasing and flourishing. It was hoped that 

 these minas would have caused the destruction of white 

 ants, but unfortunately these pests increased on the island 

 to such an extent that many houses became unsafe, and at 

 last Government made ordinances compelling the owners 

 to cut down and burn any trees containing white ants. This 

 was a check, and the substitution of teak and other hard 

 woods for the soft wood which is so quickly devoured by 

 these termites, together with the use of iron wherever it 

 could be used in building, has considerably lessened their 

 numbers. 



To Governor Dallas was due the building of barracks in 

 the town for the infantry. He also sank a well to the depth 

 of eighty-three feet in Rupert's Valley, and obtained a strong 

 spring of water which was most useful in fertilizing that 

 part of the island. In 1901 another well was sunk in Rupert's 

 Valley by Mr. H. Miller, constructing engineer of the con- 

 densing works erected by the Imperial Government, for the 

 purpose of supplying the troops and prisoners of war camped 

 at Dead wood. 



During the Government of General Dallas the Government 

 schooner St. Helena left the island March 3, and on April 6 

 she was captured by a pirate felucca Despedago. Captain 

 Harrison and Doctor Waddell, with eleven of the crew, 

 were murdered, but the pirate was afterwards caught on the 

 coast of Africa. 



In 1831 the theatre in Jamestown was destroyed by fire, 

 and at this time fire-plugs were laid throughout the town. 



Now occurred the liberal act of the East India Company 

 in the abolition of slavery in the island. The valuation of 

 the 614 slaves in St. Helena was computed at over 28,000, 

 and their freedom was the end of slavery except for the 

 liberated Africans, who a little later were brought here from 

 the slavers captured by British cruisers, an account of which 

 is given later. Advertisements of this kind were frequent. 



St. Helena Monthly Register. 



At the same time will be let for five years two women servants, 

 two girls, and a good fisherman. 



