ST. HELENA 103 



bed was a stone club about eighteen inches long and three 

 inches in diameter. The walls of the cave were shelved 

 with flat slabs of stone supported by spikes, driven into 

 the rock, and near by was another cave evidently used as 

 a kitchen. 



In September 1897 the island was subjected to a very 

 high wind, which it is said travelled at the rate of forty miles 

 an hour, its force being eight pounds to the square foot. 

 Fortunately this rate is unusual, or St. Helena would in all 

 probability be denuded of trees or placed on a par with the 

 Falkland Islands, which possess very few trees taller than 

 furze bushes. Many trees were uprooted by the wind, one 

 especially deserving mention. It stood in a field at Long- 

 wood called the Black Field, and for nearly twenty years it 

 had, by the kindness of Mr. Deason of Longwood Farm, been 

 fenced in. This tree is referred to by Mr. J. C. Melliss, 

 C.E., in his admirable work on St. Helena, at page 286, and a 

 plate respecting it given between pages 294-5. The quota- 

 tion is under the heading "Esiadia Jacq," as follows : — 



P. rotundifolia, Hk. f., Solidago rotundifolia, Roxb. Only one tree 

 of this species is now known to exist in the world, and that grows 

 in a field to the left of the entrance gate at Longwood, called the 

 " Black Field." Roxburgh states that the islanders called it 

 Bastard Gumwood or Cabbage-tree. After a careful search, extend- 

 ing over a year or more, the plant above mentioned was discovered 

 in the year 1868. It is a tree about twenty feet in height and 

 apparently very old. It grows side by side with the gumwood, 

 and without close examination might be mistaken for that species ; 

 indeed I discovered it only by riding up to it to look for the blossoms 

 of the gumwood, and was surprised to find it covered with small 

 white flowers of a different plant. It is much to be desired that a 

 plant of such singular interest should be propagated before it is 

 entirely lost. It flowers in May and June. 



The advice given by Mr. Melliss was followed by Mr. 

 Deason, who tried to propagate the species by planting the 

 seeds ; some were also sent to Kew and were planted ; but 

 all have turned out failures. The tree from its appearance 

 was very old, and for a long time was hollow, leaving merely 

 a decayed woody fibre covered by a thick bark ; in all prob- 

 ability to this cause the sterility of the seeds is due ; the 

 species being now entirely lost. 



A thunder-storm at St. Helena is a thing almost unknown, 



