54 ST. HELENA 



Robert Brooke, 1787. St. James' church was built on a site 

 adjacent to the present church (now occupied by three 

 niihtary quarters). 



A serious accident occurred at tlie laboratory near the 

 Castle. A rocket took fire whilst driving ; two men were 

 killed and three wounded. 



In the first year of Colonel Brooke's Government, pine- 

 asters were introduced; they have nourished ever since. At 

 this time the island had gained a name for the acclimatizing 

 of troops on their way to India. So reinforcements came 

 for infantry and artillery, and improvements went on. 

 Ladder Hill was adopted as a military fort, and water was 

 conveyed there in an open drain of cutstone. The lower 

 wharf and crane were constructed, and in 1791 the founda- 

 tion of Plantation House was laid. On the other side of the 

 country improvements were also being made, for we read 

 that " water was conveyed to Longwood in an open drain." 



In 1792 the terrible curse of slavery was partially removed 

 from the island, for tiie further importation of slaves was 

 interdicted. 



In 1795 intelligence was received of the Dutch joming in 

 the war against England, and very soon after, eight richly 

 laden Dutch ships homeward bound came in for provisions. 

 H.M.S. Sceptre was in harbour, and with it and the assist- 

 ance of the crews of several of the Company's ships, Brooke 

 succeeded in capturing and making prizes of them all. He 

 then sent off troops from the garrison, about 400 men with 

 guns and ammunition, £10,000 in specie and a quantity of 

 provisions, to assist in the reduction of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, for he knew the garrison there was not sufficiently 

 strong. 



He was highly conmiended by the Company, and in 

 recognition of his services he was presented by the Marquis 

 Wellesley, Governor-General of India, at tlie head of the 

 garrison of St. Helena, with a sword taken in the palace of 

 Seringapatam. The presentation was made by Honourable 

 Henry Wellesley. 



Brooke retired owing to ill-health in 1800, and Lieutenant- 

 Colonel Robson took his place for a short time, until Gover- 

 nor Patton could arrive. Just at this time the Mary 

 whaler arrived in charge of two of her ofhcers, who whilst 



