250 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

against the little brig, were now working in her favour,
and more than once during these three days which elapsed
before making Ascension Island, did Bob state as his posi-
tive conviction that it was all owing to the fact that there
was no longer on board the fatal number of thirteen
persons.

From the time the young captain regained possession
of his vessel until the 15th of the month, it was not
necessary to start a single rope, the trade-winds carrying
her steadily onward, until at half-past five on the afternoon
of Tuesday, Ascension appeared east, one-half north, dis-
tant twenty-five miles.

Darwin describes the island as follows :

“A solitary island in the Atlantic Ocean, in latitude 70° 56’
S. and longitude 14° 24’ W. about seven and one-half miles in
length, and six in breadth, with an area of thirty-four square miles,
and within the immediate influence of the southeast trade- wind.
The whole character of the island is volcanic, and its surface is
broken into mountains, hills, and ravines. The chief productions
of the island are green vegetables. Ascension has long been noted
for the abundance of turtle and turtle eggs found on its shores, the
season lasting from December to May or June. The coasts abound
with a variety of fish of excellent quality. The island was discov-
ered by the Portuguese navigator, Juan de Nora, on Ascension day,
1501; but remained uninhabited till after the arrival of Napoleon
at St. Helena (1815), when it was taken possession of by the British
Government. The garrison, with their retainers, resided in George
Town, on the northwest coast, which is abundantly supplied with
fresh water from a magnificent cistern capable of containing 1700
tons of water, supplied by means of iron pipes from springs, in the
Green Mountain, six miles distant, which were reached by boring, in