98 THE VOYAGE: PASSING IMPEESSIONS 
At that particular elevation (about 700 feet, 1000 feet 
being the average elevation of the interior of the island) 
there is hardly a trace of the original plants in the soil, they 
having been completely destroyed by tne introduction of 
pigs and goats into the Island, which eat up all the young 
trees, leaving the old ones, which are invariably succulent 
Compositae, to perish, or else tearing off their bark which 
is soft and loose. In addition, the soil and cUmate is so well 
adapted to the growi^h of forest trees, which when once they 
have formed a shelter sow themselves, that there remains 
no opportunity for the native trees to recover the soil, which 
is now dry and not adapted to their habits, the rich vegetable 
mould which they formed being swept by torrents into the 
valleys subsequent to their destruction. On the northern 
slope of Diana's Peak I have seen a broad belting of trees 
put a stop to the descent of the Cabbage trees (a name given 
to the six or eight species of native arborescent compositae) 
which cannot exist along with any other vegetation that 
overtops them, nor can they grow singly. Another tree 
is said to be completely extirpated— the Ebony. Large 
masses of the wood are still found in some of the valleys, 
though I was unable to procure any specimens. 
Though the introduced trees have adapted themselves 
to this soil and chmate, the Animal Kingdom and other 
indigenous vegetation are not to be found under their shelter. 
The insects and birds which I observed among the native 
trees were not to be found in these plantations ; of the 
birds in particular I observed this. It is also the case with 
the Lichens and Insects, two species of Usnea and another 
Lichen being found on the firs and oaks only, whilst only 
one species of plant, Bubus ipinnatus (an indigenous species), 
grows indifferently on open banks and in the wood — never 
in native wood. 
Longwood, with its associations of fallen grandeur, was 
less to him than the wonders of nature ; nevertheless, he 
writes in his Journal on February 6 : 
So very much is talked about Napoleon's tomb, that 
though I felt very little interest in seeing it, I was deter- 
mined to be no more called a Goth, which name I had 
earned from my previous indifference, and to go to this 
