NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 243 



Tristan, like the other islands of the group, was, when first discovered, uninhabited. 

 Its first inhabitant was Captain John Patten of the ship " Industry" of Philadelphia, 

 who landed with a part of his crew in August 1790, and remained on shore until April 

 1791, collecting seal skins, in which he was very successful, shipping in that time no less 

 than 5G00 for the China market. At that time there were goats on the island, but how 

 they got there is unknown ; most probably they were landed by a passing vessel, but 

 it is quite possible that they may have swum ashore from a wreck, for Captain Patten 

 saw the remains of different wreck, such as the bowsprit and mast of a cutter, several 

 spars, some of which were worm eaten, some iron hoops and other pieces of iron, but no 

 remains or traces of huts or habitations. If they were landed purposely it seems strange 

 that there should be no record of the fact. 



From 1790 Tristan Island appears to have been deserted until about 1810, when three 

 men landed and took possession of the island, intending to remain some few years there 

 for the seal and sea elephant fisheries, and trusting to be able to dispose of their labours 

 to passing vessels. By a singular and curious edict, Jonathan Lambert, an American, one 

 of the three men, declared himself, on the 4th February 1811, the sovereign proprietor of 

 the group, and set to work to clear the land on the northwest side of Tristan, planting 

 about 50 acres with various kinds of seed, some of which were sent to him by the 

 American minister at Rio Janeiro, but although some of the seeds sprang up and the 

 settlement appeared prosperous, Lambert shortly after abandoned his possessions, leaving 

 only one man behind, viz., Thomas Currie, a native of Leghorn, who had landed in 

 December 1810. 



In November 1814 Currie was joined by a Spaniard, Bastiano Poncho Comilla, a 

 native of Mahon, but there appears to be no record of the vessel from which he landed. 

 At this time there were numerous flocks of goats on the island and some wild pigs, but 

 by whom these latter animals were landed does not appear. 



Such is a short account of the history of the island to the time it was taken 

 possession of by Great Britain. 



In 1816, after the Emperor Napoleon had been incarcerated in St. Helena, it was 

 deemed advisable to send a guard to Tristan, to prevent its being made a base of opera- 

 tions against the former island. Accordingly Rear- Admiral Sir Pultney Malcolm, K.C.B., 

 despatched a frigate to take possession of the group and to land a detachment. On the 

 14th August 1816, Captain Festing, of H.M.S. "Falmouth," arrived at Tristan Island, 

 and proceeding on shore annexed the islands to Great Britain with all the requisite 

 formalities, and constituted, by Sir Pultney's orders, Lieutenant David Rich, R.N., as the 

 first Commandant. The only people on the island were Thomas Currie and Bastiano 

 Comilla. 



On the 15th August 1816, the "Falmouth" landed a lieutenant of marines, four 

 midshipmen, and thirteen men under the orders of Lieutenant Rich. This detachment 



