St Helena 1815: A Poetic Description

WRITTEN BY AN OFFICER IN THE HON. EAST INDIA COMPANY'S SERVICE.

Rugged rocks and lofty mountains,

Interspers'd with crystal fountains,

Here and there a grove of trees,

Are all the wandering stranger sees;

The tradesmen, imitating fops,

With heads as empty as their shops;

The girls, drest out from top to toe,

Like painted dolls in puppet-show;

Unsocial wretches here reside,

Alike their poverty and pride,

Throughout this Isle, there's scarce a creature

With either breeding, or good nature:

For rugged rocks, and barren fields,

Are all that St. Helena yields*.

*Except an abundance of water-cresses and plenty of fish.

I think that neither Mme Bertrand nor Napoleon would have found much to disagree with here!
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From The News , August 13th 1815.
The Image, of Friars Rock, is from G.H. Bellasis, Views of St Helena 1815.