I passed en route the wireless station, which has been abandoned. Its six immense poles are cemented and stayed in such a manner as to make the removal of them not worth the labour. The track led up a gentle slope over sandy ground that supported a few low-lying shrubs but very little else. Farther towards the summit the vegetation increased a little, with cactus plants and a few aloes. Still farther up an attempt had been made to plant trees along the sides of the track, and, considering the dry, hard nature of the earth, they were growing not badly, but gave little impression of greenery. I continued along the main track till I reached eventually a point marked by the two halves of a boat which had been set up on either side of the road. The gentle slope was now replaced by a more steeply rising mountain face, up which the main track zigzagged so much as to make the total distance a very long one. I accordingly left it for a steeper but straighter track. The air was now fresher, and the higher one climbed the more abundant became the vegetation, which included trees—palms, pines, firs, eucalyptus—and a tree with bright yellow flowers which I did not recognize. There were ferns of several sorts, small flowering shrubs, thistles with a yellow flower, and, higher up the mountain, a species of scarlet hibiscus.
Grasshoppers were numerous. They hopped off the ground in much the same manner as an English grasshopper, but were capable of a certain power of flight. I saw also a number of beetles, rats and land-crabs, but animal life generally is scarce.
Near the top of Green Mountain there are a few little residences situated in very pretty gardens. Indeed, the whole of the island above a certain level is very beautiful and a paradise as compared with the hot, dusty garrison at the base.
Near the summit I came to a house surrounded by a picturesque garden containing many trees and shrubs with bright blossom. I learned that it belonged to the “Farm Superintendent.” At this point a corporal of marines approached me, and remarking that I looked hot, asked me if I would like a glass of beer. I was hot, and the suggestion was too alluring to be refused, though I had doubts as to the wisdom of it, seeing that I had still many miles of hot walking ahead of me. There is a small signal station here, and the corporal took me to his quarters, from where I had a magnificent view of the slopes of the island and of the sea, covered with twinkling points, stretching like a flat board to a far distant horizon. There is a small farm which supplied the station with fresh meat, milk, etc. I had a look at the cowhouses, which literally swarmed with rats of enormous size. There are also some hen-runs and pig-sties, and a number of sheep graze on the hills.
Thanking the friendly corporal, I pushed on over a grassy slope dotted about with trees, and finally reached the summit, where there is a thick plantation of bamboos, the stems of which rattled in the strong south-east trades. In the middle of it there is a pond of very stagnant water. The view from the top is wonderful, every part of the island being clearly visible. All about the upper slopes are asphalted watersheds leading to storage tanks. All the water for the garrison and the other buildings at the base of the island comes from the summit, and is conducted there by pipes.
Descending the farther slopes, I came to the entrance to a long narrow tunnel cut through the hill. It had been dug by the military detachment many years before, quite for what purpose I did not learn. It is low, narrow and pitchy black, but there is a hand-wire by using which as a guide one can go steadily forward. It emerges in a corner of the farm superintendent’s garden.
I had lunch on the summit with Mr. and Mrs. Cronk. They have two pretty children. Mr. Cronk has been farm superintendent for twenty-five years. It must be a funny life in this remote spot. He is responsible for all the vegetation, and takes a great pride in his work—certainly he has made his mark on the world. The whole garrison is being removed, and is due to leave in a few months. He goes too, and regrets that no one is being left to carry on the work he has so carefully inaugurated. He has had to overcome many difficulties, and is disappointed that the labour of so many years will be thrown away. The big plants grow all right and do not require much attention. The young ones must be shaded from the fierce sun, and unless this shade is provided artificially the only seeds that flourish are those which fall beside the parent plant and derive shade and a certain amount of moisture from it. The summit of the island, being often clouded in mist, is very damp, and those who live there for any length of time suffer considerably from rheumatism.
I descended towards “Wideawake” Plain again, visited the circular crater of a volcano, and crossed it to enter a belt of loose, broken pieces of cellular lava. The inside was covered with sand, was bare of vegetation, and had round it a circular track which gives it the name of the “Devil’s Horse-ring.”
On my way back I passed again over a sandy plain, where I saw a number of small rabbits. I enjoyed my day immensely and was pleasantly fatigued after my climbing. I suffered badly from sunburn, which will probably get worse in the next few days. My neck and legs are chiefly affected. Marr, who had spent the day with Douglas on a geological expedition, was also badly burned, and had a temperature of 103° F. I had to put him to bed....
The coaling was completed during the afternoon.