The drama of Saint Helena . of vegetation : not asingle shrub or tuft of grass ! The brows of all on board the Dorak had growndark, when the transport, sailing beyond a projectionhollowed by casemates, entered an opening in thecoast—a narrow bay further defended by a parallelcounterfort, armed also, and crowned with in the background, on a short strip of beach, ascore of green trees gave a bright note of colour. Behind the trees, rising above a mean church witha square tower, stretched a street of whitewashedEnglish-looking houses, without verandahs or anyof the picturesque arc


The drama of Saint Helena . of vegetation : not asingle shrub or tuft of grass ! The brows of all on board the Dorak had growndark, when the transport, sailing beyond a projectionhollowed by casemates, entered an opening in thecoast—a narrow bay further defended by a parallelcounterfort, armed also, and crowned with in the background, on a short strip of beach, ascore of green trees gave a bright note of colour. Behind the trees, rising above a mean church witha square tower, stretched a street of whitewashedEnglish-looking houses, without verandahs or anyof the picturesque architectural features of colonialdwellings. Before the travellers eyes was Jamestown,a township of fifteen hundred souls, the port andunique community of Saint Helena. Jamestown is seated in a cleft between two steepmountains, as if it was placed at the bottom of anenormous V ; and their nearly perpendicular sides,fourteen or fifteen feet high, are studded with hugerocks jutting out frightfully, and threatening destruction. THE ISLAND OF EXILE 19 to the houses and everything at the bottom. Infact, there is great danger, and accidents do occuroccasionally from a small stone becoming casuallydetached at the top and setting more formidable onesin motion in the course of its descent. Henry only made a short stay in this not very re-assuring spot. Hardly had the troops conveyed bythe Dorah disembarked, when they received ordersto make for Deadwood, on the opposite coast, close toLongwood, where Napoleon resided. They were obliged to cross the entire northernpart of the island from west to east. On leaving Jamestown, the road immediatelyclimbs one of the rugged partitions which enclosethat place. Although narrow, it was practicable forcarriages. Hewn with great difficulty out of themountain-side, its construction had formerly cost thelives of innumerable slaves. On the left of the high-way, the ochre-coloured rock reverberated the tropicalheat, rendered by this further aggravation un


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectnapoleo, bookyear1910