lish ships, one from Sweden, and a Dutch sloop-of- war, at anchor. The island of St. Helena is nothing but a large, barren rock, uprisen from the sea, and so steep that only a short distance from the shores soundings cannot be obtained with a deep-sea line. The only landing place was Jamestown. The population, at this time, including the garrison, some English gentlemen, negroes, a few Chinese, and many quadroons, numbered about four thousand, and all lived in the Valley of Jamestown. Meats, vegetables, and fruits we found very scarce and extremely dear. Rum, however, was plenty, and quite cheap. It was not made here, but was sent out from New England, America!
St. Helena is celebrated only because of its being the place of Napoleon Bonaparte’s confinement and death.
The following verses about Napoleon I learned when before the mast:
"Come all ye nations, both far and near,
And listen to my song and story,
For by these few lines you soon shall hear
How man’s deprived of fame and glory.
"Ambition will have its flight,
Fortune is often backward twirled,
Old Boney could not be content
Till he was master of the world.
"Oh! Wellington, he took the field,
And brought those British boys to Buffon,
When old Boney he was forced to yield,
And go on board the Bellerophon."
One afternoon a boat’s crew of us ascended Ladder Hill, and visited Longwood, the late residence of Napo-
