hiif he received from his mailer ; beibg defirous to know whether
the publifhed accounts were more to be relied upon,
than thofe of the inhabitants. In general, we obtained
fuch anfwers as were favourable to thefe happy iflanders,
and removed the blame which had formerly been thrown
on them. A few indeed complained that they were fpa-
ringly fupplied with food, but this is a difadvantage under
which. I am told, even their mailers fometimes labour,
being obliged to eat fait provifions at certain feafons. The
fituation of the foldiers appeared to be by far-more irkfome,.
they being confined to conilant falt-diet, of which the Eail-
India Company, it is faid, allows very fcanty portions. Their
pay is alfo very fmall, and made much lefs before it comes
from England. Thofe who-are moil induflrious, obtains'
leave at times to work for the inhabitants, and earn their
fubfiilence by carrying wood for fuel, from the mountains^
to the town. We faw fome old grey-headed men employed
in this manner, who feemed very chearful, till we prevailed
upon them to fpeak of their hardfliips, which they
could not do without emotion. All however mentioned
their governor with great affedtion, who is indeed generally
eileemed on the iiland, and has the good of the fettie-
men t much at heart.
We returned into the town, defeending along the ilope
of the hill, oppofite to that by which we went up, and
found ourfelves much refrefhed by our excurfion. The
horfes
horfes at St. Helena, are imported chiefly from the Cape of *?77*:
Good Hope, and a few are now bred on the iiland ; they
are fmall,.but travel well in this hilly country.
The next day after breakfaft, the governor invited to his Thurfd.y |®
country-houfe a numerous company, confining of the
captains and paffengers in our ihip-, and the Dutton. We
rode up the fame hill which I had afeended in the firil
ramble, and at the diitance of about three miles from the
town, arrived at the place appointed. We were elegantly
entertained at a fmall houfe, agreeably fituated in the midil
of a very fpacious garden, where we faw feveral plants o f
Europe, Africa, and America, and particularly a profufion
of rofes and lilies, interfperfed with myrtle and laurel. .
Several walks of peach-trees were loaded with fruit, which
had a peculiar rich flavour different from that of our
peaches; but all other European fruit-trees throve indifferently,
and if I was rightly informed, never bear any--
fruit. Vines have likewife been planted feveral times, but
have not fucceeded, on account of the climate ; and cabbages
and other greens, which thrive extremely well, are devoured
by caterpillars. We walked on all the neighbouring hills,
and faw fome fmall fpots which had been fowed with
barley ; but this, and all other kinds of corn, are generally
deftroyed by the rats, which are immenfely numerous on
the iiland. The ground is therefore laid out in pailures,.
of which the vivid verdure, in a tropical climate, was really
fur