h h ;
i-! q • iiand
lioist up a new arrivai. A neat little clmrcli is
prominent in the middle of the town, and there is a
good machine-shop ; a water distillery, in case of the
supply on the island running short ; a harrack for
ahout a couple of Imndred marines; a street of
officers’ quarters—neat little square houses with trim
square gardens, and a full complement of ladies
and liealtliy-looking children, and showy subtropical
flowers ; a commodious hospital, and a large government
store.
All day one can see little parties of marines and
Ivroomen going to or returning from their Avork, or
calling at certain hours at the store for rations to
take home to their Avives; and officers strolling
ahout in their white tropical undress and ‘ puggeries,’
or snperintending fatigue-parties at Avork on the
roads or in the yard.
Everything trim and neat and precise, for Ascension
in one curious respect stands alone among all
the isles of the sea; it, or I suppose I should say
‘ she,’ is in commission as one of Her Majesty’s ships,
a tender to the ‘ F lo ra ,’ the guard-ship at the Cape
of Good Hope ; and is at present under the genial
and popular command of Captain East. All the
inliahitants of the island are more or less in connection
Avitli the service, and a feAV years ago discipline
Avas kept up as rigidly on shore as if th e island had
heen in tru th a ship on a foreign sta tio n ; smoking
Avas alloAved only at certain hours of the day, and
man-of-AA'ar routine AA'as enforced not only upon the
island staff, hut upon strangers also. Of late years
discipline seems to have been cveryAvliere to a certain
extent relaxed ; and in the Island of Ascension