HELENA. 
handsome and well-builtedifice, erected in 1792. Its 
environs, by the combined efforts of nature and art, 
have been rendered: the most beautiful spot in the 
island. Besides the indigenous productions of the plead, 
the pine of the north, the mimosa of New South Wales, 
the coffee plant of Arabia, the banian and bamboo of 
India, the African aloe and prickly pear, the apple, 
peach, and mulberry of Europe, with various o' 
plants and trees, from the most ite and distant 
climes, are to be found wiithin: the inclosures. Long- 
wood, the country residence of the lieutenant-governor, 
on the opposite side of Ladder Hill, and < w about 
three mi ane ~ town, is’ situated om elevated 
in, or rather gently rising g d, on the summitof 
mnie isa fi ‘stall, from “which: thé place takes its 
name. The adjoining ae was once nearly covered 
‘with gum-wood trees, which, upon the opening of ave- 
nues among them, were gradually destroyed by the 
south-east wind; but young trees ‘which have been 
since planted are thriving well, andthe whole scenery 
bears a greater resemblance to that of England, than 
any other spot on the island. There are here. about 
1500 acres of good meadow land, of excellent soil, and 
capable, if supplied with water, of’ proving highly. pro- 
ductive: ‘From Sandy Bay, which is’ about an; hour’s 
ride from Plantation House, by a winding road along 
the declivities of little gréem hills, a still more romantic 
and beautiful scenery opens:to the view, of which ac- 
tual observers have given the most enraptured descrip- 
tions: “ Though in’ general,” says: ‘Mr’ Brooke; “a 
bird’s eye view lies before the spectator, hills rise above 
him to-an elevation much greater than the spot'on which 
he stands, Those on the left, richly clothed with trees 
to the very summits, display a wonderful: contrast to 
the wild and grotesque nakedness that triumphs on the 
right, where shelving cliffs, surmounted by huge per- 
ndicular and spiral masses of rock, are multiplied un- 
‘der’ every shape and aspect. The downward view 
consists of a variety of ridges, eminences, and ravines, 
. converging towards the sea into one’ common valley. 
Among this scenery are interspersed’the dwellings of 
planters, the different forms of gardens and plantations, 
and the pasturing of cattle; the prospect closing with 
‘the distant sea, a between: two black craggy 
cliffs, which the surf whitens with its spray. The infi- 
nite diversity of tint that overspreads the whole of this 
extraordinary picture, the majesty of one part, the*re- 
posing beauty be another, andl the horror of a third, ean~ 
not fail to delight and astonish every observer of na- 
ture.” “ One feels,” says Mr Johnson, ‘ as if transport- 
ed into a new planet, where every object strikes by its 
novelty, and is altogether unlike any thing which he 
had ever before seen, All the surrounding hills, cliffs, 
rocks, and precipices, are ar fashioned, and so 
fantastically “mixed ‘and blended, that they ‘resemble 
‘more the aerial’ shapes which we see among the clouds, 
‘than any thing composed of denser materials.” But: it 
is from the summit of Diana's Peak, which is nearly in 
the centre of the island, that the most complete view of 
St Helena is brought under the eye. Nothirig inter- 
cepts the horizon; and all the detached scenes’ and 
prospects are at once, forming a picture incon- 
‘ceivably diversified, and full of the most interesting 
‘oups. 
The climate of St Helena is remarkably temperate 
and salubrious, and peculiarly adapted to the constitu- 
tion of Europeans. In James's town, the thermome- 
ter seldom rises above 80° ; but, in calm weather, the 
699 
oppressive. 
ild and uniform ; scarcely so hot, and never so cold, 
as in England. In some seasons, the highest point of 
the thermometer, during the summer, has been only 
72° in the interior of the island ; and the ordinary range 
of Fahrenheit’s. scale, during winter, is from 55° to 
56°. The average temperature through the whole year 
is. from 66° to 78° of Fahrenheit: at James's town; 
from 61° to 73° at the Plantation-house; and» from 
56° to 68° at Longwood. The rains also fall more 
equally through the whole year than in most ical 
Naseer “8 most:abundantly in the month of Febru« 
ary. In the vicinity of some of the higher points, espe= 
cially:of Diana’s Peak, which; by being wana with 
trees, is supposed to attract the clouds, scarcely a day 
passes without a shower. Cloudy days are more nu- 
merous.than those of clear scorching sunshine; a cir 
cumstance which has: been remarked as propitious to 
the growth of trees‘and pasturage, but unfavourable to 
the ripening of European fruits.’ Thunder and light- 
ning are scarcely éver experienced ; and the denabaphert 
is generally so clear, that a ship may be descried ‘at the 
distance of 60 miles. 
The ‘soil is of a clayey nature, and well suited both gov, . 
for European and Indian productions. It is in many 
places of considerable depth, and: always’ most produc. 
tive in.spots which are’ most: elevated; and farthest re~ 
moved'from the sea. |) Even on-the summits of the in- 
terior hills; the grasstis. oftén'so ‘hrxuriant, ‘as to reach 
the kneesof the oxen. Clear and’ wholesome springs 
issuc {rons the sides of almost every heiglit; but they 
form only very inconsiderable®rills; A few of these, 
especially those:at’ Fisher's: Valley and the Briars, are 
not observably: diminished in ‘dry weather ; but, ‘in ge- 
neral, they are wholly dependant on the rains, or the 
clouds, which are: almost. perpetually in contact with 
the tops of the mountains. 
Tron ore has been‘found ‘in some of the island ; 
but the scarcity of fuel prevents it being brought 
to the furnace. Appearances of gold and copper have 
‘been observed, and: some stones capable of taking a 
beautiful polish. Limestone is plentiful ; and some of 
it, a concretion of ‘sand and shells, is of an excellent 
quality ; but the cement used in ordinary buildings is 
mud or‘earth, which is found to answer the purpose 
extremely well, perhaps from its containing a mixture 
of) terra puzzolana. This last. mentioned. substance, 
which ‘abounds on the: island, forms, in conjunction 
with lime, a cement. remarkably retentive of water, 
and acquiring, from the contact ‘of that fluid, the soli-« 
dity of rock : hence it is muchused in the construction 
of aqueduets, 
‘Fhe summits and sides of the interior hills are co- Vegetable 
vexed! with furze; of which the seed was brought from preductions, 
England, and. with various indigenous trees and shrubs. 
Of these, the most abundant used to be the gum-wood, 
of which there are three kinds, all evergreens, the com- 
mon, the bastard, and the dwarf gum-tree. ‘The last is 
generally called scrub-wood, and seldom grows higher 
than three feet ; but the common kind has ts come 
straight stem from 20 to 30 feet in height, throws 
out its branches and leaves in the form of an umbrel- 
la. ' The bastard ‘species has less’ of the gummy tex- 
ture, and is farther distinguished by having a smooth 
leaf, and bearing its blossoms in small bunches. All 
the kinds contain a highly aromatic gum, which ren- 
ders the wood extremely pleasant as fuel, for which 
heat reflected from the sides of the v veo St Helema, 
In the country, the se ens ao wr 
? Minerals, 
