NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 245 



Two attempts were made by Lieutenant Kich to cross the mountain ranges, but they 

 both failed, as the rugged nature of the ground rendered it necessary to pass the nights 

 on the hills ; and he found it so cold and damp, that without some shelter he con- 

 sidered it unadvisable to pass more than one night away from the tents, and the difficulty 

 of transport prevented his taking a tent with him, besides which the clouds hanging 

 over the mountain envelop it in fog, so that there is great danger of losing the way. 

 A few goats and numbers of wild pigs were seen by Lieutenant Rich in these mountain 

 excursions ; but their capture was difficult, owing to their frequenting the least acces- 

 sible parts of the island. 



From a register kept during Lieutenant Rich's stay, it appears that from the 15th to 

 the 31st August 1816 the mean temperature was 56° and the extremes 82° and 42°. On 

 14 of the 17 days rain fell, on 5 days gales of wind or strong breezes blew, landing was 

 safe in Falmouth Bay on 13 days, and the direction of the wind was S.W. for 7 days, 

 W. 5 days, N.W. 2 days, E. 1 day, and variable 2 days. 



During September 1816 the mean temperature was 55° and the extremes 80° and 40°. 

 Rain fell on 25 days, and strong breezes or gales were registered on 15 days. On 16 days 

 the landing was safe, and the direction of the wind was S.W. for 17 days, N.W. 4 days, 

 N.E. 2 days, N. 1 day, E. 1 day, W. 1 day, and variable 4 days. 



During October 1816 the mean temperature was 58°, the extremes being 80° and 47°. 

 Rain fell on 17 days, and strong winds or gales were registered on 13 days. Landing 

 was safe on 17 days, and the direction of the wind was N.W. for 9 days, S.W. 7 days, 

 W. 4 days, N.E. 2 days, N. 1 day, S.E. 1 day, and variable 7 days. From the 1st 

 to the 27th November 1816 the mean temperature was 56° and the extremes 74° and 

 43°. Rain fell on 16 days, and strong winds or gales were registered on 12 days. 

 Landing was safe on 17 days, and the direction of the wind was S.W. for 8 days, 

 N.W. 5 days, W. 4 days, E. 1 day, S. 1 day, and variable 8 days. The temperature was 

 registered four times a day — at sunrise, 8 A.M., noon, and sunset ; occasionally also at 2 p.m. 

 The register of the landing refers to the beach in Falmouth Bay. 



During Lieutenant Rich's period of command only two vessels were sighted from the 

 island before the " Falmouth" came to take them off on the 26th November 1816, having 

 on board a detachment of troops, under the command of Captain Cloete, amongst whom 

 were several men of the Royal Artillery skilled in various trades. The detachment, about 

 100 in number, was accompanied by 17 women, wives of the soldiers, and was well 

 provided with horses, cattle, sheep, poultry, and pigs. 



The " Falmouth" having landed the troops, embarked Lieutenant Rich and his party, 

 and left Captain Cloete as Commandant or Governor of this military colony. The troops 

 only remained in occupation of the island for a year, for, finding by the reports of the 

 various men of war who visited the group that its want of shelter for ships, and the diffi- 

 culty of communicating with the shore, rendered it almost impossible to make any island 



