Journal of a Voyage in the Indian Seas. 
of his interment a thunder-storm took 
place, the most tremendous that was ever 
recollected in that part of the country; 
and it seemed as though the elements 
themselves expressed their sorrow in loud 
accents. Tbe inbabitants of Calcutta, 
with their usual Hberality, are about to 
erect a monument to the memory of 
the departed hero on the spot where he 
ded. 
On the third of November his Majesty’s 
ship Medusa weighed anchor fromSaugur 
roads, in order to convey the melancholy 
tidings to England, and I became one 
of her company. ‘i shall not trouble the 
reader with a dull diary of “ winds and 
weather” on this voyage, but transport 
him at one gigantic stride, from the 
Ganges to the Cape of Good Hope, a 
distance of six thousand six hundred 
and forty-eight miles, which we traversed 
in forty-one days, On the fourteenth 
of December we passed in sight of the 
Cape, and shaped our course for St. 
Helena. As this is only a small island 
in the midst of a yast ocean, and distant 
nearly two thousand miles from tbe Cape 
of Good Hope, it would seem rather 
wonderful that ships have not frequently 
missed it, especially before lunars and 
chronometers were brought at their pre- 
sent degree of perfection. 
As we could depend on our caleu-. 
iations, we steered a direct course; and 
on the ninth day from the Cape, we 
saw the island at sun-rise, distant about 
fifteen leagues. 
"yen GRD approaching it from) the: 5S, E. at 
appears like a lofty irregular ridge of 
rocks; the northern extremity of which 
is very abrupt. and the southern more 
shelving: at a small distance from the 
latter, there are two rocks called the 
“ Needles,” one of which bears a striking 
resemblance to a large ship under sail; 
so much so, that the man at the mast- 
head gave notice of a ship in-shore. 
On drawing near the land, this island 
ap pears girt with a chain of i naccessible 
precipices, behind which, craggy and 
barren mountains shoot up to a great 
height, on ae summits are placed 
telegraphs, to give notice when ships are 
approaching. 
Some of the rocks that form this chain, 
are split down to their bases, disclose 
chasms which are hideous to behold; 
while others assume the most fantastic 
shapes, resembling castles, towers, &c. 
We now steered for a lugh promontory 
called Barn’s Point, which we passed 
at the distance of a cable’s length; it is 
669 
the most stupendous cliff 1 ever beheld, 
being nearly perpendicular, and fifteen 
or Shaan IIS feet high. From 
hence we steered close along shore for 
Sugar-loaf hill and point; on the peak 
of the former there is a telegraph, and 
ona jutting crag of the latter, about 
80 or 90 feet above the level of the sea, 
there is a sralt battery of three or four 
guns, to compel vessels to heave-to and 
** send their boats on shore.” °The latter 
words are painted in. large letters, on 
a black board, in a conspicuous part ef 
the battery, and written jn three different 
languages, 
The officer at this station has orders, 
when a ship draws near the point, to 
fire a gun at her with blank cartridge. 
If she disregards this, he is to fire a shot 
athwart her hawse, that is, a-head of 
her; if she still persists, he is to fire 
night into her: aiter which all the other 
batteries open in succession. 
Having hove-to, and sent a boat ashore 
to announce’ the name of the ship, we 
presently filled, and made sail for the 
anchorage; passing close to Rupert’s 
Valley and several ranges of batteries 
formed among the precipices, 
On rounding Rupert’s Hill, James-town 
and Vailey presented themselves, a-breast 
of which we anchored, at abouf a quarter 
of a mile from the beach. While the 
ship and fort were saluting each other, 
the reverberations of sound among the 
rocks and mountains, resembled the 
loudest peals of thunder, and, joined 
to the novelty of the surrounding pro- 
spects, formed a striking contrast to the 
monotonous scenery to which our eyes- 
had been accustomed since our depar- 
ture from India. 
James’: Valleyis formed by two craggy 
ridges, called Rupert’ s and Ladder-hill, 
which gradually receding from each other, 
as they approach the sea, at length 
terminate at its edge, in two stupendous 
and almost pe: pendicular cliffs; leaving 
an intermediate triangular space, about 
a mile and half in lensth, and two hun- 
dred and fifty yards broa xd at its base. 
This base is a fortitied line, extending 
from’ cliff to cliff, and mounting thirty 
pieces of heavy cannon, near ly level 
with the water’s edge. Immediately 
behind this line, the government-house 
and church are situated; from whence 
the town extends up the valley, which 
gradually decreasing in breadth, leaves 
at last only room for a single house. 
In-this small space, however, there 
are several litle gardens, groves. and 
shady 
