ST. HELENA. 
1$ 
August ^0.— At early dawn St. Helena was visible; we made it 
to a mile by our time-keepers, and arrived in the bay, after a 
passage of two months ; the quickest ever made, excepting by one 
ship about eleven years ago. She however sailed single : had we 
not been encumbered for the first fortnight by the Lord Eldon, we 
should have made the island in much less time. We came the 
inner or easternmost passage; which probably will become the most 
usual track, as, latterly, ships have made it in less time than by 
stretching out for the coast of America. Captain Weltden and 
Mr. Salt went on shore before me ; I however soon followed, in 
consequence of a very polite invitation from Colonel Patton, the 
Governor, who sent Captain Hudson, one of his aides- de camp, 
immediately on learning my arrival. He apologized for the small- 
ness of his house, which, with the largeness of his family, prevented 
his offering me a bed ; but begged, in other respects, I would use 
his house both in town and country as my own. Mr. Salt, Captain 
Weltden, and I dined with him that day, and we retired to Mr. 
Doveton's, where we took up our residence. 
August ^2 - — Mr. Salt and I set out in the morning to walk up 
the hill to the Government plantation, which we preferred to riding, 
as it gave us the opportunity of collecting plants. When we had 
proceeded half the distance, the violence of the squalls, accom- 
panied by rain, baffled our plans, and obliged us to proceed with 
the utmost expedition in our power. Wet and weary, we arrived in 
about an hour and a half. Fortunately it cleared up for a short 
time, when we walked round the gardens, which are interesting 
from the contrast which their verdure presents to the bleak barren 
iTiountains around, and from the mixture of plants of different 
