"That seems to be next to impossible; for though you have had great reverses, you could never so far forget what you had been as to feel and conduct yourself as a simple individual." "But why not let me remain in England upon my parole of honor?"

"You forget how many French officers violated their parole of honor, and that not only you did not express any indignation against them, but received them with particular distinction. Lefebvre Desnouettes is an instance of this."

Bonaparte made no reply, and the conversation

ended.

After waiting a few days for provisions and stores, the Northumberland sailed for St. Helena, and arrived there on the 18th of October.

Of his conduct here we shall have occasion to notice hereafter.

The island of St. Helena was discovered by the Portuguese in 1501, on St. Helen's-day, after whom it was named; and is said to have been the voluntary abode of a Portuguese nobleman, who had disgraced himself in India, so early as the year 1513. This gentleman, Fernandez Lopez, being left here with a few servants, and various useful animals, cultivated the resources of the island to a very considerable extent in a few years; until, recalled to his country, he communicated the valuable secret of its advantages to their East India trade.

St. Helena is situated in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,200 miles from the coast of Africa, and 2,400 from that of South America (lat. 15° 58' S. and W. !on. from Greenwich 5° 50'.) It rises, to the first appearance, a vast and rugged rock, promising very little of that refreshment to the navigator, or comfort to the resident, which has been afforded to thein for centuries under British management. Its greatest length is about ten miles three furlongs; its breadth, six miles two furlongs; containing about 30,000 acres of pasturage and garden-ground. Its circumference is twenty-eight miles.

The general appearance of the country, on a nearer approach, is fine and cheering. The mountains, as the eye gradually distinguishes them, being verdant to the top; and even the immense cliffs, having been made subservient to the security of the island, by fortifications pretty extensively disposed on them, contribute to the interest and respect excited by the plainer view. The anchorage presented is remarkably safe and commodious; from the south-east the approach is particularly smooth; and though the surfs have sometimes been dangerous in the immediate neighbourhood of so steep a shore, yet the inconvenience has been greatly remedied by the construction of a secure and extended landing-place. Rupert's Hill (part of which forms Munden's

1815.

tains-Ladder-Hill, the western, that surround, BOOK XVI, the town. On the sides of these run the roads into the country, and branches of these ridges of Chap. 14. hills divide the island. The highest part of them, is said to rise two thousand six hundred and ninety feet above the level of the sea. The whole country bears marks of volcanic origin, though with one slight exception, in the middle of the last century, the inhabitants have been undisturbed by any remarkable convulsions of nature, ever since the discovery of the island in 1501.

St. James's Valley, in which the town is situated, lies on the N. W. or leeward side of the island. The stranger feels on landing a continuation of the respect inspired by the military appearance of the place; being conducted between a line of heavy guns, and through an arched way into the town; the rampart or terrace of which is edged by a double row of evergreens, and the whole forms a fine parade. A handsome resi-. dence for the governor and officers, called the castle, now meets the eye, and is surrounded with a strong wall. The church is in front, and three streets of decent, commodious looking houses, form the town.

Upwards of one hundred and fifty ships, upon an average, were accustomed to make annually for this port, which of course produced great fluctuations in the consumption and price of provisions. Salt-meat from England is constantly supplied to the island, and constitutes with the Indian rice the principal support of the garrison; the fresh productions of the island, though very judiciously managed and economized, being by no means equal to the various demands upon it. it. The population of the island has been pretty stationary at two thousand for the last ten years, exclusive of the new establishment there, civil and military. Of this population eleven hundred are slaves, about three hundred free blacks, and the rest settlers, principally from England. Since the. prohibition of any further importation of slaves, and their kinder treatment, their numbers have been slowly increasing.

A rich mould, to nearly ten inches deep, forms the general soil of the country, and nourishes a variety of plants of every clime and origin; but the cabbage-tree, gum-tree, and red wood, are said to be peculiar to the island. The first of these plants is a species of palm, and generally crowns the interior up-lands; it is found very useful as an article of fuel, and has lately been applied to the purposes of building, being very durable. The red wood also, (a kind of ebony) is used in building, but is not so valuable as the cabbage-tree for rafters, and other larger pur poses. The gum-wood is almost exhausted. Vegetation increases, as you remove from the shore, to perfect luxuriance in the heart of the

BOOK XV1.

1815.

The lands are almost wholly devoted to pasturage, (as connected with the large demand for CHAP. IV. live stock) and the gardens to culinary roots and vegetables. Utility has here taken the universal precedence of mere taste; and though various experiments have been made, and with some success, upon the capabilities of the soil, the sugar-cane, the cotton-tree, indigo, &c. being occasionally introduced, the great purpose of rearing cattle and useful herbs of every sort has always been first and closely regarded. Not even the cultivation of corn has been much promoted. The vegetables and climate have been said to be peculiarly adapted to scorbutic complaints.

The country was found, in the first instance, one entire wood. Gradually some of its peculiar productions have given place to more useful ones. The wire-grass of India, samphire, and a wild celery abounded here; the wire-grass is now found principally in the low lands, and our English vernal grass upon the heights. The British oak has also made its appearance here during the last forty years. It grows remarkably quick, but has never attained any great promise of perfection. Figs, oranges, and pines, are found in the valley by the shore, and but few English fruits have failed here. The apple-trees are very abundant. The potatoe has beer successfully introduced, as also a useful species of yam from Madagascar.

Large yam plantations, indeed, abound, but were much more exclusively the object of the farmer's care formerly than at present, our potatoe having become a very powerful rival, and meeting so much readier a sale. The yam, like the potatoe, is a watery root, (it is frequently called the waterparsnip) and was once extensively used as the only substitute for bread. Our English kitchengarden is almost entirely to be found around the town, with its pease, and beans, and cabbages. The myrtle flourishes particularly well on the island, and the fern-tree to an unusual size.

The hills abound with springs, which are so widely apart, however, as to furnish no large stream of any kind to the island, and many of them dry up in the long absence of rain. 'I'wo of them are said to be a happy exception to this, and rather to enlarge than diminish in the dry season; that at the Briars and Fisher's Valley. A botanical garden at the country-house of the governor is watered by one of the richest of these springs.

The water thus yielded becomes more valuable at times than a literal stream of silver would be; for once in about seven or eight years, severe drought has visited the island. In 1760-1, and 2, an extensive mortality ensued amongst the cattle from this cause, preceded by the most dreadful madness. Every expedient that the skill or

ар

anxiety of the inhabitants could suggest, to ar rest the progress of this fearful malady, was in vain-nearly all the cattle perished. Great prehensions were entertained some years ago in the extensive diminution of the woods, that the welcome visitation of clouds, attracted by the would be also diminished: this seems, however, by no means an established theory. Rising heights, woody or barren, appear more uniformly to attract the clouds than the lowlands, but be. yond this no certain experience appears to lead us respecting the point. The rain descends here more in the regular method of the temperate cli mates than of the tropical ones.

The climate of this island is so unusually mild and free from storms, that the most common thurder-clouds are rarely seen. Perhaps there is not a spot upon the earth more nearly suited to the ordinary feelings of our nature, nor a sky at once so serene and temperate. The thermometer is seldom higher than 80°; and in the remarks of Sir Joseph Banks, before alluded to, he observes, "from this it appears, that the summer is not so hot as in England, 72° being the highest point at which the thermometer was observed in 178, while 76 is marked as the point of our summer heat. The winter is also much milder than ours, ranging between 55° and 56° of Fahrenhen's scale; a temperature in which the vegetation of leaves proceeds with more equability, perhaps, than any other." The neighbourhood of the sea always furnishes a refreshing breeze to the island, nor are we to suppose the characteristic mildness and shelter of its barbour render its namerous visitants likely to be becalmed here. One instance only has occurred of any ship being weather-bound; the wind was at N. N. W. for three weeks early in the last century, and being accompanied with great drought, produced much disease amongst the inhabitants, particularly the blacks. Fogs and damps are found in the mous tainous parts of the islands, it is but fair to add, and have become the apology for a considerable consumption of spirituous liquors, particularly in wet seasons. Small quantities of the ore of va rious metals have occasionally been discovered at St. Helena; but none have yet been worked in any success.

Excellent fish, to the extent of upwards of se venty different species, are taken on the coast The lobster, mackarel, oyster, a fish called the coal-fish, and much like the salmon in flavour. are found in different quantities. The last is said, indeed, to possess the very superior rela of being exceedingly scarce. The others abound Sea-fowl deposit immense quantities of eggs around the island, which are collected in the ta of the year, and form an agreeable article d food. There is said to be a fantastic assemblag

of them, generally, on a rock at some distance from the shore, that has been mistaken for a ship under sail.

The cattle, of course, are of English origin, and complete the epitome of English productions to be found here. Sheep and beasts are seen grazing is every direction, and in no respect degenerated by their change of climate. Their increase has sometimes been too abundant; and the sheep, in particular, were once ordered to be destroyed for a period of ten years, allowing an intermediate two years for the reduction of the flocks. Goats had at this time (1730) so increased

upon the island, as to become wild animals, and BOOK XVI. a sort of common property.

The origin of the island of St. Helena has been the subject of occasional speculation among philosophical visitants, and of apprehension to its inhabitants. Practically, we have seen that little fear can be entertained for the future fate of this interesting spot, from its past experience. But various productions and appearances every where found on it, certainly afford strong reason to suppose, that some eruption of a volcanic character gave it birth.

CHAP. IV.

1815.

FROM the affairs of France it is now time for us to turn our attention to the proceedings of the Congress of Vienna, which broke up in June, before the commencement of hostilities. No person will be of opinion that the result of the Congress, possessed only temporary interest, and therefore might be dismissed with a brief and cursory notice, who reflects that by this Congress the whole aspect of continental Europe is changed; nearly the whole of the smaller states, and some of the larger, being, as it were, cast in a new mould. By the wonderful successes of the French the old system of continental Europe had been overthrown, and those changes introduced which the successive rulers of France, and especially Bonaparte, thought would, most directly and effecually, tend to consolidate their power, and to ac quire and preserve for France an ascendancy over the continent. As soon as the reign of Boraparte was at an end, the allied powers resolved o new-model the continent. Their professed object was two-fold: in the first place, to do away all vestiges of French dominion, of revolutionary principles, and their effects; and, in the second lace, so to arrange the different states of the continent as to make a proper and just balance of political weight.

The official papers, in which the result of the abours of the allied powers is laid before the world, consist of the general treaty of Congress igned at Vienna, and of seventeen acts of a par icular nature. As this treaty is of the highest

importance, and will be consulted by the present and succeeding generations, we shall insert it entire. The following is the treaty :

The powers who signed the treaty concluded at Paris, on the 30th of May, 1814, having reassembled at Vienna, agreeably to the thirtysecond article of that act, with the princes and states in alliance with them, to complete the dispositions of the said treaty, and to add to it other arrangements, rendered necessary by the condi tion in which Europe was placed at the conclu sion of the last war, desiring now to comprise in one common transaction the different results of their négociations, that they may be sanctioned by their mutual ratifications, have authorised their plenipotentiaries to collect into a general instrument the dispositions of greater and permanent interest, and to join to this deed, as integral parts of the arrangements of Congress, the treaties, conventions, declarations, regulations, and other particular acts, which are found cited in the present treaty. And the aforesaid powers having named, as plenipotentiaries to congress, viz.-[Here follow the names and titles of the plenipotentiaries, arranged in the alphabetical order of their courts.] Those of the plenipotentiaries who were present at the close of the negociations, after having exhibited their full powers, which were found to be in good and due form, have agreed to place in the said instrument, and to sanction with their com¬ mon signature, the following articles :—›