‘ T
indeed 1 believe ;di the birds have been introduced \vitlun
late years. Partridges aud pheasants are tolerably al)undaut:
the island is inucli too English, not to be subject to strict
game-laAvs. I was told of a more unjust sacritice to such ordinances^
than I ever heard of even in England. The poor
people formerly used to burn a plants which grows on the
coast rocks, and export soda; hut a peremptory order came
out prohibiting this practice, and giving as a reason, that the
partridges would have nowhere to build !
In mv walks, I passed more than once over the grassy plain,
bounded hy deep valleys, on which Longwood stands. Viewed
from a short distance, it appears like a respectable gentleniaiTs
country-seat. In front there are a few cultivated fields, and
beyond them, the hill of coloured rocks called the Flagstaff,
on d e c ay e d v eg e ta b le m a t t e r ) a u d tw o sp e cie s o f P h a nm u s , c om m o n in
su c h s itu a tio n s . O n th e o p p o s ite s id e o f th e C o rd ille ra in C h ilo e ,
a n o th e r sp e cie s o f th is g en u s is ex c e e d in g ly a b u n d a n t, a n d i t b u r ie s tb e
d u n g o f c a ttle in la rg e e a rth e n b a lls b e n e a th th e g ro u n d . T h e r e is
r e a s o n to b e lie v e t h a t th e g e n u s P h a nm u s , b e fo re th e in tro d u c tio n o f
c a ttle a c te d as s c av en g e rs to m an . I n G r e a t B r ita in th o s e b e e tle s, wh ich
fin d s u p p o r t in th e m a tte r , wh ich h a s a lr e a d y c o n tr ib u te d tow a rd s th e life
o f o th e r a n d la rg e r an im a ls , a re so n um e ro u s , t h a t I s u p p o s e th e r e a re a t
le a s t o n e h u n d r e d d iffe re n t k in d s. C o n s id e rin g th is , a n d o b se rv in g wdiat
a q u a n tity o f fo o d is th u s lo s t o n th e p la in s o f L a P l a ta , I im a g in ed I saw^
a n in s ta n c e w h e re m an h a d d is tu rb e d t h a t ch a in , b y -which so m an y a n im a ls
a re lin k e d to g e th e r in th e i r n a tiv e c o u n try . T o th is view, h ow ev e r, Van
D iem e n ’s L a n d offers a n e x c e p tio n ( in th e s am e m a n n e r as S t. H e le n a
doe s in a m u c h lesse r d e g re e ), fo r I fo u n d th e r e fo u r sp e cie s o f O n -
th o p h a g u s , two o f A p h o d iu s , a n d o n e o f a th ir d g e n u s, v e ry a b u n d a n t
u n d e r th e d u n g o f cows ; y e t th e s e l a t t e r a n im a ls h a d th e n b e e n in tro d u c e d
o n ly th ir ty - th r e e yeai-s P re v io u s ly to t h a t tim e , th e K a n g a ro o a n d som e
o th e r sma ll a n im a ls w e re th e o n ly q u a d r u p e d s ; a n d th e i r d u n g is o f a
v e ry d iff e re n t q u a lity from t h a t o f th e i r successors in tro d u c e d b y m an .
Tn E n g la n d th e g r e a te r n um b e r o f s te rc o v o ro u s b e e tle s a r e co n fin ed in
th e i r a p p e t i t e s ; t h a t is, th e y d o n o t d e p e n d in d iffe re n tly o n a n y q u a d ru p
e d fo r th e m ea n s o f su b s is ten c e . T h e c h an g e, th e re fo re , in h a b its , w h ich
m u s t h av e t a k e n p la c e in \ 'a n D iem e n ’s L a n d , is th e m o re r em a rk a b le .—
I am in d e b te d to th e R e v . F . W . H o p e , who, I h o p e , will p e rm it m e to
c a ll h im my m a s te r in E n tom o lo g y , fo r in fo rm a tio n re sp e c tin g th e fo reg
o in g , a n d o th e r insects.
iuid the square black mass of tho Barn,
view is rather hlcak aud uiiiritcrcstiug.
The scrupulous degree to wliich the coast must formerly
have been guarded, is quite extraordinary : there are alarm
houses, alarm guns, and alarm stations on every peak. I
was much struck with the number of forts and picket house.s,
on the line leading down to Prosperous Bay. One would
have supposed tliat this at least was an easy descent: I
found it however a mere goat-path, and in one spot the use
of ropes, which were fixed into rings in the cliff, were almost
indispensable. At the present day two artillery-men are
kept there; for what use it is not easy to conjecture. Prosperous
Bay, although with so flourishing a name, has
nothing more attractive than a wild sea-beach, and black
utterly barren rocks. The only inconvenience I suffered in
my walks, was from the impetuous winds. One day I
noticed a curious circumstance : standing on the edge of a
plain, terminated hy a great cliff of about a thousand feet in
depth, I saw at the distance of a few yards right to windward,
some tern, struggling against a very strong breeze,
whilst, where I stood, the air was quite calm. Approaching
close to the brink, I stretched out my arm, which immediately
felt the full force of the wind : an invisible barrier of
two yards wide, separated a strongly agitated from a perfectly
calm air. The current meeting the bold face of the
cliff, must have been reflected upwards at a certain angle,
■within which plane there necessarily would be either an
eddy or a calm.
I so much enjoyed my rambles among the rocks and
mountains of St. Helena, that I felt almost sorry on the
morning of the 14th to descend to the town. Before noon
I was on board, and the Beagle made sail for Ascension.
We reached the anchorage of the latter place on the evening
of the 19th (July). Those who have beheld a volcanic
island, situated within an arid climate, will be able at once to
picture to themselves the aspect of Ascension. They will
imagine smooth conical hills of a bright red colour, with