‘An immense rock rising out of the sea.’
Charly continued her journal while on St Helena. ‘August 16th. We landed and went to the house, which Mr Doveton, the deputy-governor, lent us. He is cousin to Colonel Doveton. The town is a very small one, but the principal street is very handsome and the houses are very pretty. The Governor, Mrs Robson, and Mrs Doveton called on Mamma.’ ‘August 17th. We walked about the town, and went into a very pretty garden belonging to the Free Mason’s Lodge.’ ‘August 18th. After breakfast, we went up a hill on the left-hand side, by a very steep path, to see Mason’s fortification; so called, from having been taken by a captain of that name.’ ‘August 19th. After breakfast, we went to the Briars (a small house with a garden belonging to it). It is a mile-and-a-half up the valley. It rained very hard all the time and we were up to our knees in mud. The house belonged to a Mr Dun, and has a very pretty garden, full of all sorts of flowers – roses, camellias, quantities of blackberries growing wild all round the place, and mignonette in great quantities, which flower, we had not seen for a long time. Colonel Doveton had ordered cold refreshments for us that we were too happy to eat. We crossed a brook on our way home, or rather, we waded through it. There never was a more merry, or more dirty party, I believe, at St Helena.’ ‘August 20th. We went to the Plantation-house, where the Governor lives. I rode with Captain Hodson and Mr Blake. Mamma, Mrs Robson, and Signora Anna, and my sister came in a sort of sociable, drawn by six bullocks. Mrs Baker came in a sedan-chair and Mrs Hart in a tonjon.’ ‘August 21st. My sister and I rode with Colonel Doveton part of the way to Longwood and back.’ ‘August 23rd. We went to Church, but I was not well enough to go with Mamma and my sister to see Colonel Robson’s collection of curiosities.’ ‘August 25th. We went to Sandy Bay near Mount Pleasant, the only landing place on the island, except the anchorage at the port.’ ‘August 28th. We went to a ball at the Governor’s.’ ‘August 30th. My sister and I, and the rest of the party, went to Longwood. Signora Tonelli painted a watercolour of Longwood Ridge. It is a beautiful situation, much more so than the Plantation-House, placed on a hill, between two valleys. There is a road, which conducts from the house to the end of a hill, from whence you may see every ship that comes in. It is a small, but very pretty house, occupied by Major and Mrs Cox, who received us most kindly. Amongst other beautiful flowers, geraniums abound.’ ‘August 31st. We returned to the town. The Endymion, commanded by Captain Durham, had arrived to convoy the fleet home.’ ‘September 2nd. We went to Sandy Bay, and to see Mrs Doveton’s pretty house at the foot of a green hill, called Mount Pleasant.’ ‘September 3rd. We re-embarked on board the Castle Eden and weighted anchor. Our fleet consisted of 23 ships and each vessel had its appointed station. The setting sun had a beautiful effect as we left the island, showing its singular and abrupt form. The Church and other buildings, interspersed with trees, completing the view.
In Charly’s journal a pen-and-ink drawing of a fleet of ships, each numbered, gave the fleet and the order of sailing from St Helena.
The Castle Eden was on the port side of the line of three ships; the Edward Hughes and Prince William Henry immediately after the lead ship, the Endymion, the King’s ship. The lines of ships alternated with three or four per line.
On September 5th Charly resumed her journal: ‘My sister’s birthday: General de Meuron gave her a fete in his cabin and surprised us all with the sweetmeats and cakes his servant Francois produced. I believe the General himself did not know he possessed such a store.’ ‘September 8th. The weather became much hotter. Some of the fleet saw the Island of Ascension.’ ‘September 11th. We went on favourably till this day, when a gale arose, and the Endymion lost her bow-sprit and top-gallant-mast.’ ‘September 12th. My birthday: Mr Torin presented me with a copy of verses. Captain Durham, Mr King, and Mr Shipley Conway dined with us.’ ‘September 13th. Mr Thomas as usual read the prayers. We crossed the line with a fine breeze and the weather continued fine and favourable.’ ‘September 18th. We went on board the Endymion, a beautiful frigate in the highest order.’ ‘September 21st. A strange sail in sight. Captain Durham spoke to her and came to tell us that she brought good news.’ ‘September 22nd. Quite a dead calm. The Commodore sent us some Newspapers. This weather continued.’ ‘September 24th. A poor man in a fit of delirium jumped overboard. Happily one of the sailors saw him, as quickly followed, and saved him.’ ‘September 25th. A fine breeze decided to be the North-east-trade wind.’ ‘September 26th. The Walsingham so far to seaward, we were obliged to bear down to her. She informed us a strange sail had been hovering near her, three nights running. She suspected her to be an enemy and had pursued her, as we had discovered. The Commodore desires, if she appeared again, that she should be attacked.’ ‘September 27th. Captain Durham came on board; he had seen a strange ship in the night and supposed her to be a homeward-bound. The weather calm till September 30, when we had a fine breeze, but we were often delayed by the bad sailing of the ships.’ ‘October 1st. A rough night.’ ‘October 2nd. The Endymion again took the Thetis in tow. The Harriet sprung her topmast, and was nearly out of sight. Mr Thomas read the service.’ ‘October 5th. We crossed the tropical line.’ ‘October 7th. The Commodore let the Thetis go in the evening.’ ‘October 8th. A very fine breeze.’ ‘October 10th. The Commodore made a signal in the evening for the Hawke to take the Thetis in tow, and then the City of London.’ ‘October 11th. Captain Durham and Mr Shipley Conway came on board. A breeze got up, but it did not prevent Mr Thomas reading prayers.’ ‘October 12th. We went on delightfully till the Walsingham lost her foretop and make a signal of distress. The Commodore then bore down to her. The weather squally at night and a great deal of swell and unpleasant tossing.’ ‘October 14th. Rain all night.’ ‘October 15th. A stormy night and the ship rolled amazingly. The Commodore made a signal to lie to (as there were only 17 ships in company), to wait for the others. The water came in at all the ports, and we were obliged to put in our dead-lights. We were all wet through. At one o’clock a signal was made to make sail again. As the Commodore passed us, he just said “How do you do.” At 5 o’clock a signal to lie to again, and in an hour, we again went on.’ ‘October 16th. The sea and wind as high as the day before. Signal to wait. All the ships in company but one.’ ‘October 17th. A good deal of swell in the morning, less in the evening; variable winds, or rather Zephyrs. The Commodore sent a boat on board.’ ‘October 18th. Quite calm. Captain Durham and Mr Shipley Conway dined here. A fine moonlight night.’ ‘October 19th. We had to form the ships, and then went on again.’ ‘October 20th. Missed two ships, but as the wind was fair, soon overtook them.’ ‘October 21st. A strange sail, which proved to be an American from Philadelphia; she told us the French had evacuated Egypt. We spoke to the Commodore, the Prince William Henry, and the Dane. The wind was not very fair.’ ‘October 23rd. A strange sail to leeward. Captain Durham dined with us and told us it was the Ploughboy, an American ship. Her news was that the people of Liverpool had made peace with the French, which we thought was a fable.’ ‘October 25th. The Herculaneum was in company.’ ‘October 26th. The Commodore spoke to a ship from Cape Clear, who on October 9 had spoken with the Sir Edward Hughes and the Earl Spencer.’ ‘October 28th. Spoke to the Commodore. He had seen a ship from Lisbon who had heard nothing of the peace.* A rainy and foggy day. Spoke to the Commodore twice in the course of the day. At night one of the ships fired three or four guns. Some put up blue lights. We had to light twelve of them. It cleared up and we heaved the lead in 82 fathoms of water.’ ‘October 29th. Two strange sails: one, a ship from Hamburg. The Commodore went to look out for land.’ ‘October 30th. The Commodore at 12 signalled, “Land in sight”.’
* Peace of Amiens, not signed until 1802. This peace treaty signed by France, Spain and the Batavian Republic, on the one hand, and Great Britain on the other. England was to give up most conquests made in the French Revolutionary Wars and France was to evacuate Naples and restore Egypt to the Ottoman Empire. The peace lasted barely a year.