HELENA, ST, generally ranked by geographers among the islands of Lower Guinea, is situated in 15° 55' South Latitude, and 49' 4e West Longitude from Greenwich. It is 600 miles from Ascension Island, the nearest land, 1200 from the coast of Africa, and nearly 2000 from that of America. In sailing from Europe, it is generally neces sary, in order to make the island, to stretch along the Bra zil coast quite out of the tropics, till it can be gained by the aid of the south-east trade winds; but of late years the inner or easternmost passage has frequently been followed, and has not uncommonly been made in 7 or 8 weeks from England. A bird, called the St Helena pigeon, which is seen only to the windward of the island, generally indicates its vicinity to the navigator, long before the land can be discerned by the telescope.
St Helena was discovered by the Portuguese commander John de Nova, on St Helen's day, May 21st 1501. It was then inhabited only by seals, sea-lions, sea-fowls, and tur tles. The .interior of the island was one entire forest, and even many of the rocky precipices on the coast were co vered to the brink with the gum wood tree. Its first set tlement and improvement are ascribed to the following in teresting occurrence : Several Portuguese noblemen, who had deserted in India to the native princes, were punished by Albuquerque in the most cruel manner, by having their noses, ears, and right hands cut off; and in this mutilated condition, were put on board the ships returning to Europe. Fernandez Lopez, one of the sufferers, preferring a volun tary exile to a life of ignomy in his native country, was at his own request, landed on the island of St Helena in the year 1513, with a few negro slaves. Many of his country men, commiserating his sufferings, exerted themselves to contribute every comfort and convenience which his forlorn situation would admit. Hogs, goats, and poultry, were landed for his sustenance. Pat tridges, pheasants, guinea fowls, peacocks and other wild fowl, were let loose in the woods. Figs; oranges, lemons, peach trees, and various vegetables, were planted in the infant soil. By his skill in botany and gardening, the fruit trees were brought to great perfection ; and the live stock and feathered tribes increas ed so abundantly under his protection, that in a short time they entirely overspread the face of the country. After a
residence of four years, Fernandez was removed from the island by orders from the court of Portugal ; but the spots which he had cultivated continued to supply the ships of his etaintry with seasonable and abundant refreshments in their Indian voyages.
The Portuguese succeeded in concealing the situation of St Ilelena from other European nations till the year 1588, when it was descried and visited by Captain Cavendish on his return from a voyage round the world. It soon became well known also to the Dutch and Spaniards ; and the crews of the different nations are accused of having wan tonly laid waste the plantations, and destroyed the live stock, as if grudging to succeeding visitors any participation of the benefits which themselves had enjoyed. After the Portuguese had acquired so many ports on the eastern shores of Africa, they removed entirely from St Helena, which remained for a long time in a desolate condition ; but, according to other accounts, they were expelled from it by the Dutch, by whom it was again abandoned upon tile establishment of their colony at the Cape of Good llope in 1651. Upon their departure, the English East India Com pany immediately formed a settlement upon St Helena ; and about ten years afterwards, obtained a charter for its possession front Charles II. Many settlers were induced, by the offer of lands, to emigrate thither from England ; and slaves were imported front Madagascar to work in the plantations. In 1665, the Dutch succeeded in an attack up on the island, but in a few months were obliged to give place to the English ; and after the destructive fire in Lon don in 1666, numbers of the ruined families, who sought relief in distant countries, removed to the new settlement on St Helena. It was once more retaken by the Dutch in 1672, through the treachery of one of the planters, but was almost immediately recovered by an English squadron un der Captain Munden, and again restored to the East India Company. The first fortification was erected by the Eng lish in 1665, and a few lines formed across the valleys, and batteries, slightly elevated above the level of the sea, were at different times constructed ; but more than a century was suffered to elapse before its impregnable heights were employed as posts'of defence.