Till the beginning of the 18th century, the history of the settlement contains little else than a succession of pet ty contentions, insurrections, and mutinies. A general spirit of insubordination appears to have infected all ranks on the island, planters, soldiers, and slaves ; and though every attention was paid by the Company to support the interests of good order, morality, and religion, yet two causes chiefly seem to have defeated all the good effects of their regulations, viz. the injudicious conduct of the governors in failing to check the first symptoms of disaf fection, and the profligate character of the persons who presided over the religious instruction of the inhabitants. An abundant distillation of spirits from potatoes was no in considerable auxiliary to the spirit of disorder ; and this source of depravity became at length so great a nuisance, that,in the year 1700, all the stills were suppressed by an or der from England. But, by the wise and vigorous measures of Governor Roberts, from 1708 to 1714, and by the pious exertions of Mr Tomlinson the chaplain, a degree of tran quillity hitherto unknown was established in the settle ment, and a new aera commenced in the history of the island. The Company's lands were brought into a promising state of improvement ; planting and inclosing encouraged among the settlers ; the culture of vines and sugar canes in troduced ; lime quarries discovered and wrought ; a manufactory of bricks and tiles set on foot ; a code of the existing statutes arranged and published for the informa tion of the inhabitants ; and the exercise of martial law in a great measure abolished, except in times of alarm or attack.
From the year 1727 to 1731, great encouragement was given under Governor Byfield to the planting of furze fen ces, both with a view to afford protection to the lands, and to secure a supply of fuel. The increase of trees also was greatly favoured by a resolution to withhold the liber ty of keeping sheep and goats, which were so injurious to the young plantations ; and in place of the general privi lege, grants were given to individuals of keeping goats on certain parts of the Company's waste lands, called goat ranges. About the year 1749, the Scotch and spruce firs were introduced by Governor Ilutchinson ; and acorns were at the same time planted, from which oaks have grown to the size of 8 or 11 feet in circumference. The same gen tleman succeeded, after repeated attempts, in introducing the coffee plant, which is now regularly cultivated. The importance of St Helena became daily more manifest, as i the trade and prosperity of the East India Company n creased ; and, in the year 1759, many important regula tions were introduced into both the civil and military esta blishments. Towards the close of the year 1783, the tran quillity of the island was seriously interrupted by an ex tensive mutiny among the soldiers, occasioned by a few trilling regulations respecting their punch horses, which appeared to them of an insulting and degrading tendency. Alter a slight skirmish, the insurgents were reduced, and the ringleaders executed. The mutinous disposition of the garrison was afterwards entirely suppressed, and the whole character of the troops highly improved, under the judicious management of Governor Brooke. The place became even a nursery of excellent recruits for the East Indies ; and during his government, from 1788 to 1800, more than 12,000 soldiers were scot to India. The same gentleman made great additions to the defences on the heights, established a code of signals, built a new and safer wharf for the shipping, improved the regulations relative to the treatment of the slaves, gave encouragement to many useful suggestions for the improvement of agricultural operations, and, by his active enterprizes at the commence ment of hostilities with the Dutch in 1795, rendered the little island of St Helena peculiarly sei viceablc to Great Britain. His successor Colonel Patton evinced a similar
zeal and ability, in whatever concerned the welfare of the settlement. He particularly erected telegraphs, rendered the guns on the heights more efficacious for annoying an enemy, introduced the use of terra puzzolana in the forma tion of aqueducts, and applied his attention, by means of honorary rewards and religious instruction, to improve the character of the slaves. Many important agricultural improvements were introduced by Governor Beatson, and particularly the use of the plough in the tillage of the soil. In a volume of tracts relative to the island, he has minute ly pointed out its various capabilities, and suggested divers plans for its better administration and culture. The great est want wider which the settlement labours is the scarci ty of fuel, and coals have actually been carried thither from England. But the last mentioned writer maintains, that with ordinary care, the island might be made to produce in a few years a sufficiency of wood for its own consump tion in fuel, and for all the other purposes of life.
The island of St Helena, when first seen at sea, presents the appearance of a naked and rugged rock, extremely ab rupt at its ilorthcrn extremity, but more shelving towards the south. Upon a nearer approach, the central eminen ces are perceived clothed with verdure, and towering to the clouds. Upon drawing still nearer, these are again shut out from the view, and nothing is beheld but a girdle of in accessible precipices overhanging the ocean, some of them exhibiting the most fantastic shapes, and others rent down to their base, disclosing the most hideous chasms. These rocks are principally basaltic ; and the strata are observed to lie in every possible variety of direction. The whole mass has every appearance of having been produced by a sub marine volcano ; or, what some consider more probable, being the summit of a great submarine mountain, which had formerly been a volcano. The sea around the coast is of an un fathomable depth, and vessels may piss within a cable's length of almost perpendicular cliffs i 6t.0 feet in height. The only anchorage is in Chapel Valley bay on the north-west and leeward side of the island, where ships may lie in smooth wa ter from 8 to 25 fathoms deep. The tide rises sometimes to the height of fi ve feet; and the surf upon the shore, especially about the season Of Christmas, is very tremendous. Many lives were lost in approaching and leaving the land in boats, till the new wharf was constructed by Governor Brooke in 1790; but there is only one instance of a shipwreck upon the island, which happened at the time of its discovery ; and only one also of a vessel being Nvindbound in the roads. The variation of the compass on the coast, in 1768, was 12° 47' west ; in 1777, 13° 15' ; in 1796. 15° 47' 30" ; in 1802, 16° 30'. The principal inlets, by which the island can be approached, are James's Town, Rupert's B.ty, Lemon Val ley on the north-west side, and Sandy Bay on the south east ; all of them regularly and strongly fortified. There are likewise several ravines, where it may be possible, though with great difficulty, for individuals to effect an entrance ; but even these are either protected by batteries, or easily defended by rolling stones from the heights. The island is 10} miles at its greatest length, 61 in breadth, about 28 in circumference, and contains 30,000 acres on its surface. There are only two plains in the whole of this extent ; the largest of which, at Longwood, comprises 1500 acres of fine land, sloping gently to the south-west.