Lewis & Clark College

we steer’d our Course for England under the Direction of Captn. Abercrombie of the Walpole who being the oldest Captain, was Commodore of the Fleet. Before we sail’d, there were several Accounts of several french Men of War being in the Bay, but these prov’d only Inventions to enhance the Premium for Insurance, which was twenty five Guineas when we left Calcutta. The Captains had private Instructions given them to open in the Latitude 19Nº Fortunately our Ship sail’d much better than she did outward bound, the Commodore being the heaviest sailor of the Four. I say fortunately for we had not occasion to crowd so much sail, wch would have distress’d us as the ship was badly Man’d, having but few Europeans on board & a Number of Lascars who were good for Nothing. We made a very great Passage, till we came off the Cape which we had orders to come no nearer to than the Latitude of 40Sº because of the french Cruizers, but a Gale of Wind coming on from the N.W. prevented our getting round the Cape so soon as we had reason to expect it being Summer Time . . When it first came on to blow, the Commodore laid his Ship to, under bare Poles, but the other ships were under a Mainsail, and Main or Mizen Stay Sail which they were oblig’d to keep out to prevent their rowling so violently as to carry any thing away. [end page 99]

The Consequence of which was that the next Morning the Commodore was out of sight a stern, & the Day following the True Briton started from us so that the Fox and us were left to round the Cape by ourselves. We had a fresh Gale And exceedingly cold Weather off the Cape, so severe as to knock up our poor Lascars who had never experienced any thing of the Kind before. This gave birth to some symptoms of the Scurvy, but as the fresh Breeze carried us every Day into warmer weather, its progress was not quite so rapid as it is generally found to be. On the 12th of March without meeting with any kind of ship or vessel we arriv’d at St Helena. There we found riding the Princess vessel from Bencoolen, who had been there seven weeks, & we there heard the disagreeable Account of our having lost five Indiamen one of which was a store ship for St Helena. By the Loss of this ship the Island was thrown into the greatest distress, being in the utmost want of Salt Provisions, and not having a naval store of any kind to supply the shipping. The Common Necessaries, such as Hats, Shoes etc., they had long expended, even the Soldiers could not muster a sufficient Number of Shoes to supply the Guard … [end page 100]

The Island of St Helena lies in Lat.__ Long:__ measures from East to West 11 Miles, and from North to South 12 It is a very lofty rock, bearing in many places not the least signs of vegetation or Herbage & rising every where in rugged points and irregular steep precipices. Its external appearance is beyond Description horrid from the frowning aspect of the Rocks, and in some of the internal parts of the Country, prospects equally intimidating present themselves. The Hills are in one respect regular, being like so many radii proceeding from a point, leaving in the Interstices very deep vallies. To form a Road up those perpendicular rocky Mountains has been a work of immense Trouble and Expence, yet they have so happily succeeded that there remains no part of the Island inaccessible. These Roads are cut in oblique directions on the side of the Mountain, doubling and redoubling in the form of the Letter Z till they reach the Top, and supported on the descending side by a strong stone wall rising more than Breast high above the Levell of the road to prevent Horses from taking fright at the incredible depth below them. Two Horsemen may ride a breast in these Roads with great Ease. All those Interstices call’d Vallies where an Enemy might land, are defended with a Line of Guns, and some of them with Forts on the projecting points of the Rocks. In one of these Vallies is the Town and Garrison, call’d St James’s Valley, where the Houses are built in [end page 103]

a regular method, forming the appearance of a small, neat, english Country Town. A very lofty Hill call’d Ladder Hill rises on the West Side, and one little inferior in point of Height on the East call’d Mundine’s, because on the extreme point of this rocky Hill projecting into the Sea Captn Mundine in 1673 landed a number of Men from his Jibb-Boom and retook the Island from the Dutch, who had taken it from the English the proceeding year. St James’s Valley at the Beach is about __ Yards broad (where there is an excellent Line of heavy Guns and preserves that Breadth for the distance of a Mile, where it contracts and takes a winding direction. A few Yards behind the Guns on the Line is a fine row of Trees, the whole length of the Line, which affords a very agreeable shady walk, and exhibits by its perpetual verdure a most striking contrast to the impending Rocks which frown horribly on either side. A wall immediately behind separates the Line from the Town adjoining to which are the Company’s Offices & Store Houses, the Governor’s House and Esplanade which occupy a space parallel with the Line of Guns about __ Feet Broad. The main Guard, Officer’s Guard room, & Court Martial Room stand immediately behind the Governor’s House; opposite to which on the other side of the Esplanade, are the Smith’s Shops & Jail. The street commences from the Espanade, one Corner of which is form’d by the Church, the other by a wall enclosing the Companies Garden. The Church is a small plain Edifice lately erected by Captn. Tippet, when [end page 104]

Engineer of the Island. The Gardens are not worth mentioning. Houses are adjoin’d to each of these & running in a direct line up the valley from a very pretty street to the distance of 12 or 14 Houses, where it separates into two small streets forming an acute angle. The left Hand Street extends but a short distance, the right Hand one has a bridge immediately after its separation and extends a considerable way up the valley containing, Europe Shops, Punch Houses and People of the middle and lower class, and is call’d the upper valley, whilst that part below the bridge is the court end of the town and call’d the lower valley. At the extreme End of the right Hand Street is a fine row of trees, nearly half a Mile in Length, at about half the distance of which are Barracks for the Accomodation of the eight Junior Officers on the Island and for all the Soldiers, and at the upper End stands the Hospital which is no more than a dwelling House made use of for that purpose. The Governors House is a very neat building, as is the Lt. Governor’s, both furnish’d by the Company, & there are several other neat, but not large Houses in the valley. They are very dear as all materials for building must be brought thither by the shipping. I suppose they fetch as much money as Houses of an equal Goodness would in a frequented part of London. At the back of their Houses is a strong wall to stop any stones that may tumble from the mountains which hang frightfully over the valley. The Number [end page 105]

of Inhabitants of the Island are said to be 2100, 1200 of whom are blacks who are kept under the most rigid subjection by their Masters. The Appearance of the interior parts of the Country after gaining the summit of one of the Hills is in some parts very romantic, because one of the highest peaks will be cover’d with verdure, whilst the next, the much lower may not have a blade of Grass. The country has a number of Houses dispers’d throughout, the owners of the greatest part of whom, have Houses likewise in the valley, on account of being in the Company’s service. Which circumstance alone has been the Destruction of the Island, for planters (so farmers are call’d) for many having no reliance but on their Cattle and their land, were really industrious and indefatigable; but when once receiv’d into the service, they get a sinecure for doing nothing, and lapse into a state of Negligence and Inactivity. . As this Island was originally peopled and is now held for the sole purpose of refreshing the Companies ships homeward bound, principal attention is paid to the rearing and keeping of black Cattle. And as Herbage is so excessively scarce, to prevent a greater Consumption of it than is absolutely necessary, several Ordinations have been establish’d, whereby every planter must annually give in an Account of the numbers of black Cattle he feeds (which number is limited by the Govr. & Council) [end page 106]

and the reasons for any deficiency or superfluity, nor is it lawful for a Man to kill a Bullock of his own, without being first authorised by the Govr. & Council so to do. A Bullock is allowed to every three Acres, and the planters Names being constantly enroll’d in a List together with the Extent of the Farms, it is next to an impossibility for Cattle to be kill’d without its becoming public. They kill in rotation, every Planter having it in his Turn to kill in a regular Manner. It being lately imagin’d that the Number of Sheep fed on the Island destroy’d the feed of the black Cattle, an order was issu’d that every planter should keep such a number of sheep only, to such a number of acres, as the Island, (they said) was in danger of being overrun. There are a great Number of Goats running wild on the Island, who sometimes do Considerable Mischief by getting upon high precipices and tumbling down loose Pieces of Rock; these the soldiers are paid for killing when found in certain Situations. All kinds of poultry are scarce in this Island, owing to their being obliged to import all the Grain they give them. The price of provisions is Beef when permitted to be sold 5 PH Sheep 20[?] PHead. Goats 10[?] PHead. Lambs & Kids 10.[?] PHead grown Hogs 4[?] PH - fat D.o 6[?] PH. roasting D.o 5[?] PPig. Fowls 3[?] PCouple. Ducks 3[?] PCouple. Turkins 6[?]. Geese 5[?] Their Gardens never produce a sufficient Quantity of Vegetables to sell, indeed they can scarcely supply themselves when they have Lodgers. [end page 107]

But the Chief Dependance of the Islanders is on the sea, as most of them live upon Fish of which there is great vanity. Every Housekeeper on the Island has a slave continually out in a boat, who when no ships are there entirely support their Master’s Families. Very few Families eat Bread, substituting in its Room a Root call’d Yam which when boil’d bears some resemblance to a Potatoe. On these and Mackarell their slaves subsist, tho they get fish of a better quality viz. YellowTails, Albicores, Cavallies, Bonettoes, Bream, Conger Eels, an excellent kind of spotted Rock fish call’d Jacks, soldiers, Rockfish, Bull’s Eyes, soldiers, fivefingers, silver Eels, leather Coats, Green Fish, Gurmets[?], Old Wives Cunning Fish, Parrotfish, Ink Fish, Trumpetters, Silver Fish & many others. The Soldiers live upon Salt Provisions, & Biscuit which they get from England, or the Cape. The Island abounds with excellent water cresse and every Hill is cover’d with an antiscorbutic Herb, Purslaine, which when boil’d becomes Mucilaginous. These Circumstances, added to [illegible] Temperature of the Climate, prevent the Scurvy from appearing. There are Rabbits, Pheasants, & Partridges on the Island, but not in abundance, as they will not allow them Time to encrease; several kinds of small Birds which have been let fly, have multiplied exceedingly. Here is one Species something resembling the Pidgeon and call’d St. Helena Pidgeon. The Vegetable productions of the [end page 108]

Island are by no means numerous, altho with care, I believe they might raise any thing. They have all the european Gardenstuff & the peach, pear, & apple Trees, the Former of which I think produces peaches equall if not superior to the English. They have no large Timber, but a Considerable Quantity of Underwood & Tirzes of flowers they have the Rose, Pink, Narcissus, Geranium, & a few more, (I omitted when speaking of Fruit to mention, oranges, Lemons, plantains & Grapes,) Mertle grows plentifully in every Hedge. The following eight Lines were written from Report before I had visited every Part of the Island, when I found this assertion erroneous. . There are no venomous Creatures on the Island, & only one, wild one, call’d the Wild Cat, partaking nearly of the Nature of that Animal. Few if any Minerals have been discover’d on the Island. I have heard repeatedly that there were evident marks of Combustion, on the Rocks, with burnt stones resembling pummice, which would seem to tell us that the Island was originally thrown up by some violent commotion below, but altho’ such a suggestion may have its probability, I must confess I never saw any Trace of what is alluded to; the rocks are hard and solid, without any apparent mixture of ore or Metall, rising regularly, stratum super stratum to a great Height. There is a common Notion that under Major Bassets’ House is a Vein of Gold; but I am apt to think that the first fabricator of this Tale, meant that the Vein of Gold, was in that House, the Bassets being the the richest Family on the Island. [end page 109]

The Affairs of the Island are conducted by a Council compos’d of five viz. the Governor Lt Governor & the three senior civil officers, who meet every Monday. The Governor is Commander in Chief of the Forces which are 500, tho’ upon an alarm every Man is on Duty. The Civil Servants & Planters at that Time form Two parties call’d Scouting Parties station’d upon the Hills to roll down stones upon the invaders Heads, by which Means they would certainly be able to do great Execution. An Alarm House is station’d upon the Weathermost Point of the Island & when a Ship is in sight they communicate to the valley by signals. If four sail are seen a general alarm is beat, and should they be in sight at sunset the Garrison is obliged to remain under arms all Night. This the Dutch, Danes, & Swedes, often oblige them to, as they always make the Island, but seldom come in. St. Helena is by nature, peculiarly defended against an Enemy. The __ Trade Wind blows constantly over it, and St James’s Valley is in the leewardmost part of the Island, where the only Anchoring Ground that is to leeward, runs out scarcely three Quarters of a Mile. If an Enemy lands to windward, there is a Strong Battery to receive them at Sandy Bay, from whence their ships will not be able to get out, but be in Danger of going on shore. If they attempt to attack to leeward, they must [end page 110]

necessarily keep very close in shore, where there are several Batteries mounting 32 Pounders, Howitzers etc. over their Heads, who would pour Destruction on a Ship, when no Ships Guns could reach them; And if she is once driven off it will take her several Days to work up again. But I should imagine it would never be worth an Enemy’s While to attempt taking it, since it could be with no other view than to secure the Indiamen as they come in, & which service would be more successfully perform’d by cruizing to windwd. They would meet with nothing but private property on the Island, which must be very inconsiderable; I think it would be a lucky Circumstance for the English E.I. Company, if this Island were taken from them, for every Body knows, the service it does the Company is very inadequate to the 30,000£ PAn.[?] it costs them … Let us place against this 30,000£, the Benefit that the homeward bound ships recieve. When we in Company with the Fox and the two other ships arriv’d we found the Pss.[?] royal, who had been there seven weeks, and notwithstanding she was return’d from the most unhealthy Part of India, they had not been able to procure one Bullock for their People. Upon our remonstrating, we were order’d six Bullocks each during our Stay, but when from the Length of Time it was found absolutely necessary to encrease the allowance, the Planters were reduced to the Necessity (and to them a cruel one) of killing their [end page 111]

Breeding Stock. Vegetables, those most essential Articles for Men sick of, or recovering from the Scurvy are not procurable, except the wild kind. As the Island is annually supplied with Stores, Provisions, etc. from England, if the Store Ship is taken or lost, they are plung’d into the utmost Distress. What then is this Island, without Provisions of either kind, but a kind of Rendezvous, where ships might assemble in order to save the Enemy the Trouble of cruizing for them. . There are many spots of the Company’s Land on the Island admirable calculated for a Garden, where Cabbages, Coleworts and every kind of culinary stuff, might with ease be rear’d to supply the shipping at such a regulated price as might indemnify the Company from Expence, nor would such a step deprive the Cattle of their Pasture if proper spots & corners were chosen. But since the Company have impolitically permitted individuals to engross the Land no Improvements will be made, as they have not spint sufficient to expend a present small sum notwithstanding there is the fairest prospect of its becoming of Advantage to them, and of utility to the Community. I have long deferr’d speaking of their Characters, and I am sorry that it will not redound to their Honour. A Man must be very partial indeed to give them such an one as would not distinguish them from all the world besides for innate and hereditary vices of the Heart. Yet as amongst Thorns, a rising flower will here & there attract our attention, so on the Island of St Helena there are a few, unpolluted by the general Corruption, and who observe the [end page 112]

actions of their fellow Islanders with an attentive eye, in order to preserve a quite different path. Yet those Men are neglected, and perhaps obnoxious to the Generality for their Virtues, on which and on their own Industry they alone have Dependance. . I suppose that on the Face of the Globe there is not an Island, Kingdom or province so distracted by perpetual contentions, and animosities. They whose good Fortune, or the Industry of their Forefathers have plac’d them above the common people, seem to fix their summum bonum in devising new Oppressions for their Inferiors, whilst they on the other Hand, use every artifice, to procure the power of oppressing likewise. Cozenage, Deceit, lying, Stealing, in short Murder, and every other Crime how atrocious soever, pass unnotic’d. When by themselves they study to deceive each other, but the Moment a ship arrives, a cessation takes place, and all turn their attention to pick the pockets of the unwary strangers. . . . . The mean, low, dirty Methods practis’d on this Island to get Money are astonishing. The Idea of one Counsellor’s letting Lodgings, & another’s keeping a Billiard Table, are so irreconcilable with our European Notions of Decorum and Prosperity, that one cannot expect any better Behaviour from them than what I have just mention’d. Had I not been an Eye Witness to it, I should scarcely have believ’d, that the sons of Englishmen would have so degenerated. [end page 113]

Amidst the many Improprieties that are crept into the E.J. Companies Affairs, none I think call louder for attention than one at St Helena, I mean the permitting so great a sale of Liquors to the Soldiers of the Garrison, the consequence of which is, that all subordination is remov’d from amongst them, They are continually unfit for Duty, negligent and ignorant of Discipline, and Lives are frequently lost by their falling in a state of Drunkeness from Rocks over which they must necessarily pass. Scarcely a single Guard is relieve’d, without some being under Confinement for Drunkeness, or for Crimes committed under its Influence. . And whilst Liquor is procurable it is impossible to prevent their using it immoderately For a Flogging is of Effect no longer than it is felt, and its Impression on the Mind is effaced before that on the Back. This Evil is severely felt and complain’d of, by the officers, who are no longer obey’d, than their orders are enforc’d by the Drummer’s Hand. An indifferent Person would wonder why an Establishment so easily eradicable, as this appears to be, should resist the strong remonstrances of reason, but he will suspend his wonder when told that by an express order from the Court of Directors, the power of landing and disposing spirituous Liquors is lodg’d in a Society establish’d for that purpose and in them solely. . . . [end page 114]

This society is made up of seven Members whose profits annually amount in the whole at a moderate compensation to £2500. . Which sum is divided as follows. The third and fourth in Council have one third of the whole £833[?].6[?].8 The fifth in Council, Secy. Store Keeper, Parson, & Surgeon divide the remaining ⅔d. having each £333.6.8. ……….
1666.13.4 / 2500 • “ • “
(The Governor, and Lt Governor are excluded from the society) ...
By this Society are licens’d five Punch Houses who are allow’d each sixty Gallons PWeek, and are honour’d with the Title of the Company’s Punch Houses. They buy their Arrack from the Cellars at 6.s 6.d PGallon and retail it to the Soldiers etc. at 12.s 12.d, so that exclusive of the oportunity all people of that Tribe have of adulterating their Liquors The Punch House keepers have a clear annual Profit of £936. It is surprising that in so small an Island (where there are only a Garrison of five hundred Men & that number not compleat) so great a sum as £4680[?] should be clear’d annually by Punch Houses, but it is most strictly true. All the Inhabitants of the Island whether civil or military except the Society are prohibited the Importation of Liquor, but are allow’d a certain Quantity Monthly, paying the Society 6d PGallon above prime cost, and so great is the quantity thus expended as to bring them in nearly [end page 115]

a profit of £500 PAn. The Slaves have seldom the Powers of procuring Liquor, so that all the Punch Houses vend, may be said to be drank up by the Soldiers. As an Instance that what I have said respecting their profits is founded on Fact A Servant of Mr Cornielle Lt Govr. having been a few Years ago appointed thro’ the Interest of his master to one of these Houses, return’d to England lately with £7000. And the present Keeper of one who five Years ago was a servant to the Governor is worth as much if not more. Another Man quitted it whilst I was there having made a handsome Fortune, and four different Families applied for the Vacant Place. Thus are the Lives of a Number of Men sported with in order to advance the Fortunes of a few Individuals, and I fear that whilst 2, or 3000£ is realized by the leading people, no step will be taken to stop such irregularities. Several Schemes have been propos’d, but all rejected, because they were detrimental to their Purses. The Divine and Physician had formerly no Share in this iniquitous Business, and the Islanders relate a very pretty Tale concerning them. These Worthy Personages had for some Time a Salary, very insufficient to support them in a becoming stile, and seeing the vast Income of the Society (which then consisted of five Members only) each had a Hankering for a Share. In pursuance of the General Rule of Politicians they thought the only way to gain admittance, was by commenc [end page 116]

=ing Hostilities with them. Accordingly the Parson inveigh’d bitterly from the Pulpit against Intemperance, and denounc’d God’s Judgements against Drunkards, whereby he became formidable. The Æsculapean Gentleman was as ready to condemn its Effects on the Body, as the other was on the Soul; so that by the one’s pretending to strive for the spiritual, and the other for the temporal Interest, they made a shift to pave a Way to their own; and in a short Time got safely lodg’d in the Society.
Charity and a respect for the Fair Sex prevent me from speaking about what the World speaks of them, or in other Words what they speak of one another. Calumny I will allow is no where so industrious as at St Helena, where an Angel could scarcely be free from consorious Tongues. But at the same Time I must acknowledge that they are destitute of those little winning acts, which endear them to our Sex, and fix a Lustre on Their Character, tho not for want of attention on their part; for being over anxious to please, they set out on an erroneous path, and lose themselves in the Wilds of Coquetry. Besides, their persons being always at the Disposal of perhaps an avaricious parent, and their Charms put up at public Sale to be purchas’d by the best Bidder, are motives sufficient to extinguish the kindling Flame of a generous passion, & make them subservient to a parents selfish Disposition . . [end page 117]

We lay at St Helena twenty weeks in the Course of which Time Twelve ships arriv’d from China, and one from Madras. In the Beginning of July the Shark Sloop who had been detach’d from Johnstons’ Fleet to cruize off the Cape, arriv’d but brought no news we having learnt from a store ship who arriv’d a week before the most remarkable occurrences in Europe and America. In the latter part of July the Renown 50 Gun Ship arriv’d who had been sent to the Brazils for five Chinamen, (who had come to St Helena) but not finding them there after remaining six weeks she came away for St Helena. On the 29th of July 1781 The signal was made for sailing, when we all got under way & proceeded to sea, making together a Fleet of two and twenty sail of which two were Men of War, eighteen Indiamen, and two Whalers, who had been Fishing on the Coast of Brazil, but had been lying at St Helena waiting for Convoy upwards of four Months. We sail’d in two regular Lines having nine Indiaman on each of the Commodore’s Quarters, two of the oldest Captains were order’d to wear Flags, to deceive the Enemy should we be so unfortunate as to fall in with them by our formidable appearance. ––––– [end page 118]