294 REMINISCENCES OF A VOYAGE TO AND FROM CHINA. 
We were also fortunate in being invited to the country house of one 
of the principal merchants of the place, who had obtained a grant of 
land about half a mile beyond the Governor’s house, which he was beauti¬ 
fying by loosening the rocky surface, and planting it with trees and 
shrubs, for the sake of having shady walks, so necessary and refreshing 
to the eye, on the summit of an almost naked rock. A conical hill, 
within the boundary, was already nearly clothed to the top with thriv¬ 
ing trees and shrubs. At this place we resided for a week or ten days, 
giving our advice about the amelioration of the rugged soil, and obtain¬ 
ing depth for the reception of the trees, as well as pointing out the 
best way of disposing them. 
James Town (the only town on the island) is situate at the mouth 
of a deep valley or ravine, open towards the north-west. It consists 
of one principal street of good respectable houses. The Governor’s 
house, offices, guard-house, barrack, and extensive store-houses for the 
use of the whole population, are built across the lower end of the 
street; and on the outside of these is the parade, or esplanade, the sea¬ 
front of which is bristled with heavy guns, forming a battery extending 
across the mouth of the valley. There are also flanking batteries on 
the heights to the left, and a strong one on Ladder Hill to the right, 
mounted with heavy artillery on carriages of an unusual construction, 
allowing the muzzles to be so depressed as to fire through any ship’s 
deck that comes upon soundings. 
The other public buildings are, a church, and not far from it a small 
theatre ; there is also a barrack and hospital, and a black town in the 
interior. The whole government is military; and, as all depend on 
the public stores, so all are subjected to garrison duty when required. 
All except the soldiery follow their own occupations however, whe¬ 
ther as merchants or artificers; but they are every one liable to be 
called on military duty at the command of the Governor. 
Mr. Porteus, though the Governor’s gardener, also held some mili¬ 
tary rank, and a most intelligent man he was. A principal topic of 
our conversation was the fate of the plants we had brought from 
China; and he gave it as his opinion that they had been “ killed with 
care,” because he had learned from experience that plants can hardly 
be kept too dry while on the voyage ; and therefore all our anxiety in 
keeping them duly watered and sprinkled, as we would have done in a 
British conservatory, was labour lost. Mr. Porteus added that, in such 
cases, the parching effects of a vertical sun are never so fatal to lig- 
* A group of low huts, where servants of colour, labourers, Sec., reside. 
