Sail for England—Crowned Pigeons—Straits of Dryan—Banca
Straits—Zutphen Islands—Escape and re-capture of a crowned
pigeon—Death of one of those birds—Dissection—Pass the
Cape of Good Hope—Fine weather—The trumpet weed—Volcanic
rocks—St. Helena—Buttermilk Point—James’s Town—Ficus
Religiosa—Over-population of James’s Town—Visit to the late
residence of Napoleon.
On the 15th of December, I sailed from Singapore for England, having
on board three of those magnificent birds, the Crowned or Dampier’s
pigeons, the _Columba coronata_ of Linnæus, which I took under my care
for my friend, T. Rawson, Esq., of Dulwich. The bird is nearly as large
as a turkey; the body is of a leaden hue; scapulars ferruginous, with a
white band on each wing: the head is adorned with a crest of delicate
and beautiful feathers, expanded in a crescentic form, which, although
always erect, the bird has the power of still further elevating and
bringing down to the base of the bill: the irides are bright red; feet
and legs speckled with black.
These birds inhabit the Eastern Archipelago, and the present specimens
had been brought from the island of Ternate. I saw at Batavia two living
specimens, which had been just brought in a vessel from Amboyna; but they
were regarded as a very delicate bird, and difficult to keep alive; yet I
observed, in a newspaper, (April 15th, 1832,) that a pair of these birds
had been landed in England from the _Kingsdown_: they had been brought
from New Guinea. “It was the mournful notes of this bird,” as therein
stated, “that greatly alarmed the crew of the _Bougainville_, on landing
at some of the Molucca Islands, which they took to be the cries of
distress of the human species.” It was further stated, that they had been
presented to the _Surrey Zoological Gardens_, by Captain Underwood.
“At Tomoguy,” says Captain Forrest, “I bought three of the large crowned
pigeons, very well represented by Dampier. The Molucca people call them
_Múlutu_, and the Papuas _Manipi_. My pigeons grew tame, and eat Indian
corn called _Jaggon_. They strike hard with their wings, on which is a
kind of horn. One of the three escaped at Dory Harbour; (New Guinea;)
the other two I carried to Mindanao, where they died.”[79]
We passed through the Straits of Dryan, with a fine breeze from the
north-east. On the morning of the 20th, we spoke the Honourable Company’s
ship, Marquis of Huntley, about the entrance of the Banca Straits, from
China, bound to the Cape, and England. We passed the Banca Straits, and
Lucepara Shoals, and entered the Java Sea on the 22nd, having experienced
much rain during our passage from Singapore.
On the 26th, we passed the beautifully picturesque and umbrageous
_Zutphen Islands_; the adjacent coast of Sumatra had also a rich wooded
appearance: the grand and majestic peaked mountain of Rajah Bassa rose
from the forest land, towering to the clouds, and clothed in verdure,
but was sometimes concealed by the fleecy mists which passed over it,
as well as over the lower land, discharging themselves in occasional
light and refreshing showers. The moisture of the atmosphere occasioned
a delightful fragrance to visit us from the shore. The island of
_Thwart-the-way_ was passed about eight A.M.; and in the afternoon we
were becalmed off the lofty-peaked _Crokatoa Island_, which was densely
wooded from the base to the summit; and, from the very close view we had,
displayed a rich and beautiful appearance.
On the 30th of December, we had the commencement of the south-east trade,
being then in lat. 8° 49′ south, and long. 101° 20′ east. On the 31st of
December, I nearly lost one of the _Crowned pigeons_, from some of the
bamboos of the cage in which they were confined having been broken. This
accident was not perceived at the time it occurred: it was even fortunate
that the bird was seen to escape, and the cause discovered, previously
to the whole of them coming out. The bird, now at liberty, got upon
one of the quarter-boats; and from the motion of the ship throwing it
occasionally nearly off its balance, I was fearful every moment of seeing
it meet with a watery grave. As it stood upon the edge of the boat,
surveying the expansive ocean before it, the bird seemed, as the vessel
gave an occasional lurch, to be in danger of falling into the waves; or
by mistaking the _field of sea_ for a large plain, might have plunged
itself, unconsciously, into destruction: fortunately, however, the second
officer of the ship succeeded in capturing and returning it to the cage
it had forsaken. As the bird stood upon the boat, it had a very graceful
and elegant appearance, gazing upon the wide view before it, with its
beautiful bright-red eyes, and delicate crest; uttering at the same time,
whilst gently bending its head, the usual humming, mournful sounds, which
resembled those of a person suffering bodily torture.
The birds have a very healthy appearance, and feed well upon paddy; and
on some maize being given to them some time afterwards, they refused it,
preferring the former grain. After this accident occurring to their cage,
to prevent a recurrence, they were removed into an empty and spacious
turkey-coop, which, from its construction, shelter them very well from
the weather.
On the 15th of January, I had the misfortune to lose one of the birds:
they had all the semblance of being in excellent health on the evening
previously; but when the decks were washing, one was seen to run about
the cage two or three times, and then fell dead. This bird, I had
observed when it first came on board, had a film over one of the eyes,
(which diseased eye has been preserved in spirits,) but it did not appear
at all to affect its general health.[80]
From the very sudden death of the bird, I felt some degree of interest,
in examining the body, to ascertain the cause of so sudden a mortality;
fearing that the other birds might be affected in a similar manner, and
thus all my hopes of taking them to England in a living state would be
frustrated.
On taking the dead bird from the cage, a quantity of gruelly liquid was
discharged gradually from the bill: there were no external appearances
to account for the death of the creature: the plumage was rubbed in some
places; the wing and tail feathers were broken, but not more than may
be expected from birds in a state of confinement, although they had an
abundance of space in their coop to roam about.
On examining the interior of the bird, the appearances of disease that
presented themselves were sufficiently clear to account for its death:
the skin, considering the size of the body, was very thin; but this I
believe to be invariably the case in the pigeon tribe: the bird was
very muscular; but the pectoral more particularly, as well as also the
other muscles, were extremely pallid, and could be readily torn asunder,
having a closer resemblance to the muscles of a fish than to those of the
feathered tribe. On examining the crop, I observed that it was, both in
its external as well as its internal appearance, very vascular: it was
nearly empty of food, having only a few grains of paddy mingled with some
quantity of mucus; some scattered grains of paddy were also seen in the
mouth and gullet, so it appears the bird had died whilst in the act of
feeding. There was much yellowish fat about the crop, as well as other
portions of the body.
Between the skull and the integuments, there was much secretion of a
serous fluid; but I could observe no muscular apparatus for raising or
depressing the crest. But underneath the crest, between the skull and the
integuments, was much fat; a thickening, as if of cellular membrane; and
glands secreting the elegant and delicate feathers forming the crest.
The eyes and corresponding orbits were very large; indeed, I may say
remarkably so, considering the size of the skull, the posterior portion
of which was very thick, and the brain of a small size, in proportion to
what would have been expected from the external appearance of the cranium.
The lungs were soft and readily broken, as well as the liver, although
neither of them had an unhealthy colour in their external appearance.
Upon the under surface of the latter organ, there was a small and nearly
oval body, in some degree resembling a clotted piece of blood.
On tracing down the alimentary canal, no disease or obstruction could be
met with, until, on arriving at the second stomach or gizzard, I found
it distended to the utmost with food, and for rather more than an inch
above the cardiac orifice, the alimentary canal was also distended, as
if some cause prevented the natural passage of the food; the intestines
below the gizzard (except at a very short distance from the pyloric
orifice, which was also distended with food) were empty. Here, then, I
was led to expect some explanation of the cause of obstruction, which had
no doubt occasioned the death of the bird. I laid open, with my scalpel,
the slightly-distended intestine just below or about the pyloric orifice.
The cause of the obstruction was made evident, by the appearance of a
_polypus_, which came out, being situated just below the part which was
distended, evidently forming the cause of obstruction to the passage of
the digested food. This _polypus_ measured, in length, two inches and
six-eighths; and in its greatest breadth, three-eighths of an inch. It
was rounded at one end; tapering almost to a point at the other. Part was
of a bright vermillion, and the remainder of a dirty or yellowish white.
Upon a further examination of the interior of this portion of the
intestine, there was a thickening of the villous coat, with much
secretion of mucus, and also of coagulable lymph. The whole of
the remainder of the alimentary canal had its external coats very
vascular.[81]
The specimen was a female, and, from the similarity of plumage, the
others must also be females. The plumage accords with the description
given in our works of natural history of this bird. Some bird-fanciers
observe, that they can distinguish _male_ from _female_ birds by the
sub-scapular feathers near the base; the male birds having always an
odd number—as five, seven, nine, eleven; and the females always an
even number—as six, eight, twelve, &c., according to the species. But,
examining, on a subsequent occasion, a male specimen of this bird, I
found no difference of plumage, so as to form a sexual distinction.
The two other birds are perfectly healthy in appearance; but as the dead
one was so in its external appearance, it is difficult to judge of their
health, if suffering from an obstruction similar to that just described.
We lost the south-east trade in south latitude 29°, and east longitude
39° 40′ east.
On the 4th of February, in the afternoon, the high land about Cape
Delgado was seen, bearing north-north-east by compass about forty miles
distant. We sounded on the bank in seventy-three fathoms, with a bottom
of sand and broken shells: the latitude, at noon, being 34° 57′ south,
and longitude 22° 42′ east. On the 6th, at six P.M., Cape L’Agulhas was
seen bearing north-north-west by compass, distant about ten miles; and
at noon, of the 7th, the Cape of Good Hope was seen, bearing north-east,
about forty miles distant. We passed the Cape, with a fine south-east
wind, having experienced remarkably fine weather during the whole of this
portion of our homeward voyage.
We had a continuation of fine weather and strong south-east winds, which
led us to hope that it would carry us at once into the trade-wind, and,
by that means, expedite the passage; but in this we were disappointed:
for although it carried us until the 14th, on that day in latitude 24°
56′ south, and longitude 4° 00′ east, we had light and variable winds
and calms; wind varying from south-east to north-west, very light. This
continued until the evening of the 18th, when, in latitude 21° 57′ south,
and longitude 1° 5′ east, we had a fresh trade-breeze.
About nine A.M., when in latitude 23° 45′ south, and longitude 2° 50′
east, on the 16th of February, having fine weather and calms, and light
airs from south-west, a large piece of the _Laminaria buccinalis_, or
trumpet-weed of the Cape, measuring, probably, twelve or fourteen feet
in length, floated by the ship. It is one of that species of the marine
flora, which may justly be considered as giants. This specimen appeared,
covered with various kinds of crustacea, which made me regret I could not
procure it. The long, tuberous stalk was nearly stripped (I suppose by
the action of the waves) of its long, flat, and expansive fronds. This
is in favour of the current, which is stated to set to the north-west,
between the Cape and St. Helena. We, however, have not experienced any
since the first day we left the Cape, when we had on that day sixteen
miles of current during the twenty-four hours.
On the following day, (17th,) another piece of the same kind of weed
was seen at a short distance from the ship; and this was the last we
discerned, having seen two specimens, one in the morning, the other in
the afternoon of the previous day. On the 17th, we were in latitude 22°
58′ south, and longitude 1° 56′ east. We saw no more of the weed after
this day.
From the 18th we experienced a very light trade wind, so that we did
not make the island of St. Helena until the 23d at noon, when it was
seen bearing north-west-by-west by compass, and distant about thirty
miles. We drifted a short distance to leeward during the night; we
however soon beat up, passed high, rugged, volcanic rocks, towering and
gloomy, descending in abrupt precipices to the water’s edge; and passed
_Buttermilk Point_, about which every ledge either was fortified by small
batteries, or by a solitary gun, on the sides of mountains of a towering
height. After opening this point, the anchorage and town appears to the
view; and by 8 A.M. we had anchored off James’s Town (February 24.)
The first approach to this island is far from being attractive to the
visitor, consisting of lofty, sterile precipices, without a speck of
verdure to relieve the eye. The summits of the highest around the
island are occupied by signal stations, and are almost in constant
requisition, from the number of vessels continually arriving at this
“Rock.” Small batteries, mounting several guns, occupy every ledge of
rock where defence seems to be required; and in some places a solitary
gun is perched; so that the island is rendered perfectly impregnable
both by nature and art. On advancing toward the anchorage, the barren
cliffs, which before alone met the eye, are both varied and contrasted
by mountains covered with verdure, rising from the inland part of the
island, about which a few white houses are also seen scattered.
The castellated building, called High Knowle, has a pretty and
picturesque effect, perched on the summit of a very high eminence,
and reminding one of the castles in similar situations seen on the
picturesque banks of the Rhine.
James’s Town is a small, neat town, built in a vale, or glen, which
gradually recedes as it proceeds inland; and the town is confined on each
side by volcanic cliffs of a great elevation, and of the most barren
aspect. The neat church is readily distinguished by its tower; and the
green foliage of vegetation in the gardens adjoining the houses charms
the eye by the agreeable contrast.
We landed, without inconvenience, at the steps near the watering-place,
on the left of the anchorage; but it often happens that the surf and
eddy renders a landing extremely inconvenient, and even dangerous. A
broad causeway led to James’s battery, heavily mounted with cannon, and
situated in front of the town. Here I observed a grove of trees, the
_Ficus religiosa_, whose presence afforded an agreeable shade: it is a
tree usually seen planted in India about the Hindoo temples, and held
in veneration by the natives. Passing through a gate, we entered the
esplanade, in which the government-house and garden and the church are
situated. The principal streets and shops of the town, and some very neat
houses in the English style, attract the attention of the visitor.
The extent of the town (from being built in a narrow, receding valley)
cannot be seen until the ascent of the Longwood road is gained, when it
gradually opens,—and the barracks, hospital, and houses, surrounded by
neat gardens, in the villa style of architecture, have a very pleasing
effect, more particularly by contrast, as the towering, rugged rocks, on
each side, are destitute of any verdure.
Although buildings, language, manners, customs, &c., are all English, yet
the number of black and tawny people gives a foreign appearance to the
place; nor was our surprise lessened, by walking in the evening about the
town, to observe the incredible number of children, of all the variety of
tints between white and black, playing about. It would excite Malthus,
after viewing the comparative sterility of the island, and seeing its
incapability of providing for a surplus population, to rail against such
an astonishing increase of the human race.
Over-population is not the only complaint in the town. The streets are
not so well paved, and the rugged stones impede the pleasure which the
stranger would derive from a walk, after he had been for some time
confined in the limited space afforded by a ship. Of fruit, some large
pears, peaches, grapes, and figs, were abundant, and could be purchased
at very reasonable prices. Excellent vegetables, consisting of carrots,
turnips, French-beans, cabbage, water-cresses, and cucumbers, were to
be readily procured, forming refreshment to visitors after a protracted
voyage, and excellent stock for shipping.
The great object of attraction, however, to the visitor, and the
interest, both on the first appearance, and on landing, is naturally
directed towards _him_ who was an exile on this barren rock—the hero of a
“——thousand thrones,
Who strew’d our earth with hostile bones.”
Formerly the ruler of kings, he died and reposes in the place of his
exile, affording a lesson to posterity of the uncertainty which hangs
over human affairs;
“——it will teach
To after warriors more
Than high philosophy can preach,
And vainly preached before.”
The whole island may be viewed as the gigantic mausoleum of him, whose
ambition raised him from a humble station to a palace, and, at last
consigned him to a miserable rock, laved by the boisterous waves of the
Atlantic, and which now contains all that remains of his former splendour
and greatness.
“The desolator desolate!
The victor overthrown!
The arbiter of others’ fate
A suppliant for his own.”
The number of French vessels that arrive every year at this island,
almost solely for the purpose of visiting and weeping over the grave of
him who formerly ruled France, and at one time almost held the destiny
of the world in his grasp, is considerable. At this period of our
visit, several French vessels, consisting of a brig of war, and others,
were lying in the anchorage; and on the road to Longwood, parties of
the crews of the several vessels were seen, and vehicles and horses
of all descriptions were in requisition to convey the male, female,
and infantile arrivals of that nation, to visit the reposing place of
all that is mortal of “Le Grand Napoléon,” and to see the residence,
or rather the prison, of the late emperor. To view this place, in its
present degraded state, used as stables and barns, ought to cause an
Englishman to blush at the want both of the finer feelings and generosity
of his nation towards the departed greatness of the ex-emperor, whose
terror terminated with his death. And who would not feel for the visitors
of a nation who idolize his memory, when they view a spot, so sacred to
them, so degraded by us? What their sentiments are at the time, none but
those who feel like them can imagine.
I cannot refrain from quoting an American author, who makes the following
observation when on a visit to St. Helena. “Who has not admired the
power of genius that raised him to his glory? Who did not feel some
sympathy, at least, in the depth of his fall? Who did not commiserate
him in the distance and desolateness of his exile? And who, with the
vivid impressions of the wretchedness and discomfort of his captivity,
forced upon them by the scene in the midst of which we now were, would
not be disposed to believe every charge of unkindness and oppression
that has been preferred against his keepers? However different the state
of the establishment might have been when inhabited by Napoleon, all the
associations of a visitor, with his situation during the time, take their
colour from what is seen; and the rooms should have been preserved in the
condition in which they were left, or the whole should have been razed to
the ground.”