358 



Plantation House. Jamestown. 

 Population of St. Helena. 



CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 



Zodiacal light. Passage to the 

 United States. 



soon after left it, glad to escape from the mist and 

 driving wind that enveloped it. 



From Longwood we took the road to Plantation 

 House, which leads across the island, making 

 numerous turns as it ascends and descends the 

 gullies. Many pretty dells were occupied by neat 

 cottages, in whose gardens were cultivated potatoes 

 and other vegetables. Of the former, two crops 

 are obtained within the year, and a ready sale is 

 found for them to the vessels that visit the 

 island. On our arrival at the porter's lodge of 

 Plantation House, we were informed that the 

 governor, Colonel Trelawny, had gone to James- 

 town, and that the ladies of the family were not 

 visible. We therefore, so far as time permitted, 

 examined the grounds, which are laid out with 

 taste, and contained a good collection of foreign 

 trees. Some of these were very flourishing, and it 

 was curious to see many trees of European species 

 growing side by side with those of Australia. 



Our botanists were of opinion that the tradition 

 which prevails, of the island, at the time of its dis- 

 covery, having been covered with wood, is erro- 

 neous; and that the story of the destruction of this 

 forest by goats, is equally so. The barrenness of 

 this island is well illustrated by the difficulty with 

 which jroung trees are preserved from the ravages 

 of sheep or goats. Pasture is so scarce, that but 

 few cattle are kept, and these are chiefly importa- 

 tions from the Cape of Good Hope. Their scarcity 

 may be judged of from the price of beef, which sells 

 for twenty-five cents a pound; and it may be as 

 well to state, that to strangers the prices of all other 

 eatables are equally exorbitant. 



From the road near Plantation House, we had a 

 good view of the gully in which Jamestown is 

 situated, together with the ravines extending into it 

 from the interior of the island. Descending, we 

 passed over a portion of the island which is little 

 better than a barren rock. Yet in some places 

 comfortable- looking houses were seen, and here and 

 there a beer-house, or tap-room, quite in the Eng- 

 lish style, and, from all accounts, as great nuisances 

 as low taverns are in any country. We finally 

 reached the fortification on Ladder Hill, and made 

 the descent of the zigzag road on the side of the 

 cliff, passing a place called Colonel Pearce's Re- 

 venge, where the road is completely overhung by 

 large masses of rock, which seem ready to fall. 

 The rapid pace of the horses, the frequent sharp 

 turns, and the overhanging cliff, excite some alarm 

 in those not accustomed to them; and 1 must con- 

 fess that I was quite satisfied when we passed 

 the last turn, and were safely landed at the con- 

 sulate. 



The population of the island is about four thou- 

 sand. It consists of whites, who, if the garrison be 

 deducted from their numbers, form the smallest 

 portion of the inhabitants ; of negroes and their 

 descendants of the mixed blood, and some few 

 Chinese. The negroes were brought by the East 

 India Company from Madagascar, and, with their 

 descendants, now form the largest portion of the 

 population. The number of vessels that touch 

 annually at the island is now about eight hun- 

 dred. 



We embarked in the afternoon, regretting that 

 our time was so limited, and that no opportunity 

 was afforded us to return the kind attentions be- 

 stowed upon us by the consul and his family. 



As we were getting under way, it became evident 

 that many of the seamen had obtained supplies of 

 grog from the shore, in spite of all the precaution- 

 ary measures that had been taken. One, in con- 

 sequence, fell from the main-top, but, fortunately 

 for him, while falling, struck a portion of the rig- 

 ging, and was thus canted into the sea, from which 

 he was picked up uninjured. When the anchor 

 was up we bore away to the northward, under all 

 sail, with a favourable breeze. 



As we passed through the tropics, many oppor- 

 tunities were afforded us for viewing the zodiacal 

 light, both in the morning and the evening. Its 

 general appearance was that of a well-defined cone, 

 whose height, as marked by the stars, remained 

 nearly constant at 40 elevation, and at the base 

 15. Its first appearance after sunset was like a 

 broad semicircular band of light, the brightness of 

 which increased as the evening closed in, when its 

 shape became that of a well-defined cone. The 

 light was sometimes equally diffused, and at others 

 appeared as if radiating through the cone. Its 

 intensity varied from a light equal to that given by 

 a bright aurora to that of a comet, the centre of the 

 cone being often the least brilliant; and during a 

 partially cloudy evening it was sometimes so bright 

 as to obscure stars of the second magnitude. Its 

 appearance in the morning was better defined than 

 in the evening, and the light was more of a blue 

 than a yellow tint; the altitude of the cone was 

 greater, and its base of less extent. As we changed 

 our latitude, the position of the apex of the cone re- 

 mained stationary, but its inclination varied. For 

 further information on these phenomena, 1 must 

 refer the reader to the volume on Physics. 



On the 9th of May, we crossed the magnetic 

 equator in latitude 9 20' S., and in longitude 16 

 40' W. 



On the 2nd of June, we had reached latitude 

 29 N., and longitude 68 W.; and the wind, which 

 had been gradually hauling from the northward 

 and eastward round to the south-south-west, began 

 to fail us. We had light and variable breezes 

 from this day until the 8th, when we reached the 

 neighbourhood of the Gulf Stream, and expe- 

 rienced the weather that is peculiar to it. The 

 lightning was very vivid, and the rain fell in tor- 

 rents ; its temperature was 63. In the latter 

 part of the day it blew a strong gale from the 

 eastward. I regretted this much, as it was my 

 intention to make full experiments on the deep 

 temperature and the velocity of the current in the 

 stream; but the roughness of the sea and violence 

 of the wind prevented it. The close proximity to 

 our port also, and the increasing impatience of all 

 on board to reach their homes, forbade all unne- 

 cessary delay. The experiments we did make 

 gave a difference of three degrees of temperature, 

 between the surface and one hundred fathoms 

 depth. The highest temperature of the surface 

 experienced while crossing the stream was 79; 

 when we entered, it was 77. We were seven 

 hours in crossing it, and found, as in our first pas- 

 sage, that the inner edge was the warmest. During 

 the next half hour after leaving the Gulf Stream, 

 the surface temperature fell twelve degrees, and so 

 continued .until we got on soundings, when it rose 

 again some three or four degrees. The morning of 

 the 9th was foggy, which rather tried our patience, 

 but by firing guns we attracted the attention of the 



