lo ST. HELENA 



In the year 1502, when the island was first discovered by 

 Juan de Nova Castella, the commodore of a Portuguese 

 fleet, the interior was a huge forest, even some of the preci- 

 pices overhanging the sea being covered with gum wood 

 trees. The day of its discovery was the anni\ersary of the 

 \ birthday of Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, 



so the island by the Portuguese was called St. Helena, a 

 name which it has always retained. In the first record the 

 word is, however, spelt Hellena. 



These early navigators, always on the outlook to find 

 islands which they could use as watering places for their 

 vessels, and which would generally supply them with 

 vegetables, meat, and fruit, were eager to stock and colonize 

 them. On the occasion of the discovery of St. Helena, we 

 find they were prepared, for they left at the island 

 some goats, asses, and pigs; but at this visit there is no 

 mention of colonization. Eleven years after, a Portuguese 

 fleet called on its way home from India, and left here the 

 first human inhabitant. He was Fernandez Lopez, a noble- 

 man who, having incurred disgrace through desertion, was 

 condemned, and punished to the extent of having his nose, 

 ears, right hand and the little finger of the left hand cut off. 

 We can well imagine he preferred to be left here, rather than 

 to endure the reproach and ignominy which awaited him at 

 home. Thus, he was the first Governor of St. Helena, and, 

 according to the records, was provided with a few negro 

 slaves, pigs, goats, poultry, partridges, guinea-fowl, phea- 

 sants, peacocks, vegetables, roots, fig, orange and peach 

 trees. (It is a mystery how the small vessels of that date 

 were able to keep on board all these animals, poultry, and 

 food.) Here he spent four years, being then recalled by 

 Portugal. That nation, however, continued to use the 

 island as a place of call for vessels homeward bound. 



Captain Cavendish in 1588 anchored off Chapel Valley 

 (Jamestown), and an interesting account of his visit will be 

 found in a later chapter. There were then a few good 

 buildings, and a Roman Catholic Church. He found that 

 the Portuguese had been very successful in introducing 

 useful trees and plants, and that fig, lemon, orange, pome- 

 granate, shaddock, and date trees, as well as parsley, sorrel, 

 mustard, and radishes were plentiful ; there were also 



