ST. S E L E N A .
pruning knife of retrenchment. I t is true that the Civil Establishment
was very much larger than need be, but to reduce it without
injuring its efficiency required much care and judgment, and after
he had spent a year or two in endeavours to lessen the expenditure,
the Home Government considerably reduced the salary, and appointed
the then Colonial Secretary, Hudson Ralph Janisch, Esq., to succeed
him as Governor of the Island.
Twenty years ago St. Helena was left, so far as communication
with Europe was concerned, quite outside of civilization; five months
at a time elapsed without its inhabitants hearing a word of home
news, or even seeing a newspaper; but now the great strides of
oceanic steam navigation have brought it, as well as other places, so
to speak, nearer to England, and by mail packet from Southampton
it may be reached in from seventeen to twenty-one days. The first,
week of the voyage is occupied in reaching Madeira, by which time
the sea-sick voyagers, about whose sufferings so many accounts have
been written, have sufficiently recovered to enjoy the enchanting
break afforded by a few hours ashore in that lovely island. The
next few days are occupied in steaming down amongst the beautiful
islands of the Canarian Archipelago, with, generally, a fair view of
the renowned Peak of Teneriffe towering high above the clouds. A
sight of Cape Verde, on the coast of Africa; and a day or two, by
way of change, of that intolerable damp, steamy, hot atmosphere so.
inseparably associated with equatorial regions; and then a week or
ten days amongst the fresh South-east trade winds, the deep blue
seas of the South Atlantic, with bright sunny skies, and St. Helena
is reached; the voyager looking back with pleasure to what has been
in reality nothing more than an agreeable yachting trip, instead
of the much-dreaded long sea voyage. The arrival of the
English mail, the greatest event of the month, was formerly announced
with a great display of bunting and firing of guns, hut, the.
spirit of economy having extended to that remote spot, much of this
has passed away. Even the long familiar boom of the morning and
evening gun has ceased to gladden the ears of the people by reminding
them that theirs is a garrison town; and the most striking announcement
of important arrivals is the reverberating shouts and screams
of “ St-e-e-e-e-a-mer ! M-a-n-o-o-w-a-r which the street boys and,
the whole out-door population send forth on the occasion. The dark,
barren cliffs of the Island, rising from six to seven hundred feet