"most dreadful surf that can be conceived, or covered with blood "and grease, killing and preparing for use the marine animals "which assembled round the island, it could not be expected that "their manners or appearance should partake much of elegance "or refinement." The scene, however, was altogether novel, and we are not surprised to learn that Earle took infinite delight in hearing them relate their different adventures in their own phraseology. Glass was a married man, and had a numerous rising family. One of the settlers, White, had also the consolations of a female partner, in the person of a half-caste Portuguese from Bombay. They were both very exemplary housewives, devoting all their care to their families.

The personal history of these settlers is not without its interest. Glass was one of the garrison which the British government had sent some years ago to Tristan d'Acunha from the Cape. The idea of retaining the garrison was soon given up, when Glass and his wife requested and obtained permission to stay. When the garrison first landed, the only persons they found on the island were an old Italian named Thomas, and a wretched-looking halfcaste Portuguese. These persons gave out that they were the only survivors of a party of Americans, who had settled here under Lambat, · a name not unknown in the history of maritime misfortunes, and they reported further, that their former companions had all perished together, as they were crossing in a boat to one of the neighbouring islands. But it was believed that these two survivors had in fact despatched their comrades by some unfair means. The Portuguese made his escape in one of the ships that came with the garrison, but the Italian, who remained behind, seemed to be possessed of a great deal of money, which enabled him to get drunk every day at the military canteen. In his moments of intoxication he frequently threw out dark allusions to the fate of Lambat, which showed that he knew more upon that subject than in his sober hours he would wish to acknowledge. He told every body that he was possessed of immense treasures, which he had buried in a spot known to nobody but himself. He thus secured general attention, as he flattered those who behaved kindly to him with the hope that he would remember them in his will. One day, after a course of more than ordinary intemperance, he died suddenly, without explaining to anybody where his treasure lay concealed." A universal search, says Earle, "was commenced after his death; "but neither money nor papers have ever been discovered: and "even I, when not better occupied, used to examine every cranny "and hole in the rocks about the houses, in hopes of finding old "Thomas's treasure; for Glass said it must be near the houses, as

as he used to be away but a very short time when he visited his "hoard for money. I once thought I had really made the discovery; for in a cleft of the rock, in a very remote corner, I found an old kettle stuffed with rags, but, unfortunately, with no other "treasure. Glass well remembered the kettle belonging to

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"Thomas, by the remarkable circumstance of its having a wooden "bottom!"

Glass's motives for remaining on the island, after the garrison was recalled, were marked by the usual prudence of his native land. "Why," he used to say, "what could I possibly do, when "I reached my own country, after being disbanded? I have no "trade, and am now too old to learn one. I have a young wife, "and a chance of a numerous family; what could I do better than "remain?" The officers gave him every article they could spare ; among the rest, a bull, a cow, and a few sheep, and with his economy and care, he promised soon to become the possessor of numerous flocks and herds. His "second in command" was a man of the name of Taylor, who had formerly served in the squadron stationed at the Cape, which, during the time the garrison occupied the island, paid it an occasional visit. Taylor and a comrade of his took a fancy afterwards to join Glass, and obtained permission for that purpose from the Admiralty. The third man, White, was a cast-away from an Indiaman, which was wrecked in the neighbourhood. He had formed an attachment to one of the servant girls on board, and it so happened that they were among the persons.saved. The circumstance bound them still more closely together, and "no two people," observes the author, "could be "happier."

The island is filled with wild cats, and at one time abounded with poultry, of which the different species also became wild, on account of the rapid manner in which they had multiplied. But the cats have since thinned their numbers. Goats are found on the sides of the mountains, but they are so shy and swift of foot, that it is difficult to get a shot at them. The mountains, which occupy a great part of the island, are nearly perpendicular. The only arable soil is a slip of land at their foot, which slopes towards the sea, about three quarters of a mile in width, and five or six miles in length. Wherever it has been cleared of the underwood, it is capable of produciug any vegetable, and is particularly favorable to the growth of potatoes, producing, Earle asserts, the finest he ever tasted. "From the Peak," he adds, "in the centre of the "island, to the sea-shore, the earth is cut into gullies, apparently by torrents. Those in the plains are deep, and cut straight to "the sea, Two of these gullies, which are near our settlement, are, I should imagine, fifty feet wide, and as many deep, filled "with huge masses of black lava. All the rocks of the island are "of the same dismal hue, which gives a most melancholy aspect "to all its scenery."

The dangers of the coast are chiefly caused by the tremendous and sudden swell of the sea, which, without any apparent cause, rushes in upon the beach in immense rolling waves. These rollers, as they are called, generally precede a storm. The navigator is also often in peril of being caught in a squall, which sometimes hurries him off to sea, whether he be or be not prepared for such a

trip. Mrs. Glass once went off to pay a visit on board a ship, but one of these squalls arising, the ship was obliged to stand off, and it was ten days before the lady could return to her disconsolate husband. A similar accident occurred to Mrs. White. The author gives the following account of his situation and proceedings towards the end of May.

"Our house is (and all are built nearly after the same model) a complete proof of the nationality of an Englishman, and his partiality for a comfortable fireside. Though the latitude is temperate, each room is furnished with a noble fire-place; and in what we call The Government House,' we meet every night, and sit round a large and cheerful blaze, each telling his story, or adventures, or singing his song; and we manage to pass the time pleasantly enough.

"Looking out from my abode, no spot in the world can be more desolate; particularly on a blowing night. The roar of the sea is almost deafening; and the wind rushing furiously down the perpendicular sides of the mountains, which are nearly nine hundred feet high, and are masses of craggy rocks, has the most extraordinary and almost supernatural effect. No sooner does night set in than the air is full of nocturnal birds, whose screams are particularly mournful; and then comes the painful reflection, that I am so many thousands of miles from every human haunt, and separated from all my friends and family, who are in total ignorance of where I am, or what has become of me. But I force myself to struggle against dismal thoughts, unwilling that my comrades (who do every thing in their power to console me) should suspect how much I suffer; so I take my seat by the fire, shut out the night, pile on a cheerful log, and tell my tale in turn. I must confess that, amongst my companions, I never see a sad or discontented-looking face; and though we have no wine, grog, or any other strong drink, there is no lack of jovial mirth in any of the company.

"Fortunately for me, when I came on shore, I brought with me some of my drawing apparatus, which now, in my forlorn state, has been the source of much amusement and improvement; making the time not hang so heavily on hand as it otherwise would do.

"20th. For the last ten days we have had a succession of wet, cold, uncomfortable weather, which has kept me much within doors; but constantly looking out, most anxiously, for the sight of a sail; yet, being winter, I fear there is but slight chance of such an event; and if we even do see one, should the wind be blowing high, she will not be able to approach the island.

"A few days ago, it blowing a strong easterly wind at the time, Glass and I went to the east end of the island to burn the underwood and grass, in order to make pasturage for the cattle. This grass grows astonishingly fast, and if not burned occasionally would soon cover every thing. It is from eight to ten feet high, and so thick that it is almost impossible to get through it. We set fire to it in several places, and the wind catching the flame, it spread with dreadful and astonishing rapidity, ranning up the sides of the mountain with a roar like that produced by volleys of musketry; and it was accompanied with so much flame and smoke, as to make the spectacle truly sublime.

"28. Yesterday being a fine morning, accompanied by two of the men, I determined to ascend the mountain. As several parties had before gone up, they had formed a kind of path, at least we endeavoured to trace the same way; but it requires a great deal of nerve to attempt it. The sides

of the mountain are nearly perpendicular; but, after ascending about two hundred feet, it is there entirely covered with wood, which renders the footing much more safe; but in order to get to the wood, the road is so dangerous, that it makes me almost tremble to think of it; slippery, grey rocks, and many of them unfortunately loose, so that when we took hold, they separated from the mass, and fell with a horrid rumbling noise; here and there were a few patches of grass, the only thing we could depend upon to assist us in climbing, which must be done with extreme caution, for the least slip, or false step, would dash one to atoms on the rocks below. By keeping our eyes constantly looking upwards, and continuing to haul ourselves up by catching firm hold on this grass, after an hour's painful toil we gained the summit, where we found ourselves on an extended plain, of several miles' expanse, which terminates in the peak, composed of dark grey lava, bare and frightful to behold. We proceeded towards it, the plain gradually rising, but the walking was most fatiguing, over strong rank grass and fern several feet high, with holes concealed under the roots in such a way, that no possible caution could prevent our occasionally falling down into one or other of them, and entirely disappearing, which caused a boisterous laugh amongst the rest; but it frequently happened, while one was making merry at the expense of another, down sunk the laugher himself.

A death-like stillness prevailed in these high regions, and, to my ear, our voices had a strange, unnatural echo, and I fancied our forms appeared gigantic, whilst the air was piercing cold. The prospect was altogether very sublime, and filled the mind with awe. On the one side, the boundless horizon, heaped up with clouds of silvery brightness, contrasted with some of darker hue, enveloping us in their vapor, and passing rapidly away, gave us only casual glances of the landscape; and, on the other hand, the sterile and cindery peak, with its venerable head, partly capped with clouds, partly revealing great patches of red cinders, or lava, intermingled with the black rock, produced a most extraordinary and dismal effect. It seemed as though it were still actually burning, to heighten the sublimity of the scene. The huge albatross appeared here to dread no interloper or enemy; for their young were on the ground completely uncovered, and the old ones were stalking around them. This bird is the largest of the aquatic tribe; and its plumage is of a most delicate white, excepting the back and the tops of its wings, which are grey; they lay but one egg, on the ground, where they form a kind of nest, by scraping the earth round it; after the young one is hatched, it has to remain a year before it can fly; it is entirely white, and covered with a woolly down, which is very beautiful. As we approached them, they clapped their beaks, with a very quick motion, which made a great noise. This, and throwing up the contents of the stomach, are the only means of offence and defence they seem to possess; the old ones, which are valuable on account of their feathers, my companions made dreadful havoc amongst, knocking on the head all they could come up with. These birds are very helpless on the land, the great length of their wings precluding them from rising up into the air, unless they can get to a steep declivity. On the level ground they were completely at our mercy; but very little was shown them, and in a very short space of time, the plain was strewn with their bodies, one blow on the head generally killing them instantly." - pp. 322–328.

The object of this expedition was to obtain some goats, in which they succeeded, and the feathers of the albatross. Earle was sufficiently paid for his toil by the sublime scenery which was every

where spread around him. On the following day, he experienced the mortification of seeing a brig pass the island; but although the weather had been remarkably calm, it happened suddenly to change, and the wind blew so violently while the vessel was in sight, that he was precluded from every chance of attracting her attention. It was still the winter season, when the winds were remarkably changeable and boisterous. For a week together, sometimes, they were prevented from even stirring out of the house, by a succession of tempests, which followed immediately one after another with unabating fury. It is at this period, when the shore is perfectly inaccessible from the sea, that the sea-elephants are found strewed about the beach, where they will lie for many days without stirring. They are most shapeless creatures.

"The face bears some rude resemblance to the human countenance; the eye is large, black, and expressive; excepting two very small flippers or paws at the shoulder, the whole body tapers down to a fish's tail; they are of a delicate mouse color, the fur is very fine, but too oily for any other purpose than to make mocassins for the islanders. The bull is of an enormous size, and would weigh as heavily as his namesake of the land; and in that one thing consists their only resemblance, for no two animals can possibly be more unlike each other.

"It is a very curious phenomenon, how they can possibly exist on shore; for, from the first of their landing, they never go out to sea, and they lie on a stormy beach for months together without tasting any food, except consuming their own fat, for they gradually waste away; and as this fat or blubber is the great object of value, for which they are attacked and slaughtered, the settlers contrive to commence operations against them upon their first arrival, for it is well ascertained that they take no sustenance whatever on shore. I examined the contents of the stomach of one they had just killed, but could not make out the nature of what it contained. The matter was of a remarkably bright green colour. They have many enemies even in the water; one called the killer, a species of grampus, which makes terrible havoc amongst them, and will attack and take away the carcase of one from alongside a boat. But man is their greatest enemy, and causes the most destruction to their race: he pursues them to all quarters of the globe; and being aware of their seasons for coupling and breeding (which is always done on shore), he is there ready with his weapons, and attacks them without mercy. Yet this offensive war is attended with considerable danger, not from the animals themselves, they being incapable of making much resistance, but the beaches they frequent are most fearful and dangerous; boats and boats' crews are continually lost; but the value of the oil, when they are successful, is an inducement to man, and no dangers will deter him from pursuing the sea-elephant until the species is extinct."- pp. 332, 333.

The anxiety of mind which the author suffered during his detention on the island, is painted in lively colors, in the following passage, which is under the date of the 26th June, the weather having then undergone a considerable change for the better, though a tremendous swell was still upon the sea.

"At ten o'clock A. M., saw a sail, which appeared to be standing towards the land: all employed making signal fires. She fell to leeward of the