INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



1 HE Island of St. Helena being extremely remote from all con- 

 tinental land and other islands,* and so very singular in its 

 appearance and structure, has been justly considered a proper 

 subject for philosophic investigation. 



Of its primary formation different opinions are entertained. 

 Some ascribe its elevation above the surface of the ocean, wholly 

 to subterranean operations : whilst others contend, from the 

 striking dissimilarity between the exterior and interior parts, 

 that it is the remnant of a large island, of which the greater part 

 has been sunk under water by the force of earthquakes and 

 volcanoes. 



Although conjectures of this sort are sometimes founded upon 

 rather a superficial view of things, and without that knowledge 

 of facts which can alone lead to probable conclusions, yet, froi^ 

 all I have observed, during a residence of five years, it seems to 

 me that the last of these conjectures, which is that adopted by 

 Mr. Forster, is the most plausible. 



If this conjecture could by any means be satisfactorily verified 

 from the facts I am about to relate (some of which have hitherto 

 wholly escaped notice) it seems to me that it would be highly 



* St. Helena is distant 1200 miles from the Coast of Africa; 1800 /rom South America ; 

 600 from the Isle of Ascension j and 1200 from Tristan d'Acunha and Gough's island. 



b 



