Thehistoryofthechanges，whichtheelevatedplainsofLongwoodandDeadwoodhaveundergone，asgiveninGeneralBeatson’saccountoftheisland，isextremelycurious。Bothplains，itissaidinformertimeswerecoveredwithwood，andwerethereforecalledtheGreatWood。Solateastheyear1716thereweremanytrees，butin1724theoldtreeshadmostlyfallen；
andasgoatsandhogshadbeensufferedtorangeabout，alltheyoungtreeshadbeenkilled。Itappearsalsofromtheofficialrecords，thatthetreeswereunexpectedly，someyearsafterwards，succeededbyawiregrasswhichspreadoverthewholesurface。[3]GeneralBeatsonaddsthatnowthisplain“iscoveredwithfinesward，andisbecomethefinestpieceofpastureontheisland。”Theextentofsurface，probablycoveredbywoodataformerperiod，isestimatedatnolessthantwothousandacres；atthepresentdayscarcelyasingletreecanbefoundthere。Itisalsosaidthatin1709therewerequantitiesofdeadtreesinSandyBay；thisplaceisnowsoutterlydesert，thatnothingbutsowellattestedanaccountcouldhavemademebelievethattheycouldeverhavegrownthere。
Thefact，thatthegoatsandhogsdestroyedalltheyoungtreesastheysprangup，andthatinthecourseoftimetheoldones，whichweresafefromtheirattacks，perishedfromage，seemsclearlymadeout。Goatswereintroducedintheyear1502；eighty-sixyearsafterwards，inthetimeofCavendish，itisknownthattheywereexceedinglynumerous。Morethanacenturyafterwards，in1731，whentheevilwascompleteandirretrievable，anorderwasissuedthatallstrayanimalsshouldbedestroyed。Itisveryinterestingthustofind，thatthearrivalofanimalsatSt。Helenain1501，didnotchangethewholeaspectoftheisland，untilaperiodoftwohundredandtwentyyearshadelapsed：forthegoatswereintroducedin1502，andin1724itissaid“theoldtreeshadmostlyfallen。”Therecanbelittledoubtthatthisgreatchangeinthevegetationaffectednotonlytheland-shells，causingeightspeciestobecomeextinct，butlikewiseamultitudeofinsects。
St。Helena，situatedsoremotefromanycontinent，inthemidstofagreatocean，andpossessingauniqueFlora，excitesourcuriosity。Theeightland-shells，thoughnowextinct，andonelivingSuccinea，arepeculiarspeciesfoundnowhereelse。Mr。Cuming，however，informsmethatanEnglishHelixiscommonhere，itseggsnodoubthavingbeenimportedinsomeofthemanyintroducedplants。Mr。Cumingcollectedonthecoastsixteenspeciesofsea-shells，ofwhichseven，asfarasheknows，areconfinedtothisisland。Birdsandinsects，[4]asmighthavebeenexpected，areveryfewinnumber；indeedIbelieveallthebirdshavebeenintroducedwithinlateyears。Partridgesandpheasantsaretolerablyabundant；
theislandismuchtooEnglishnottobesubjecttostrictgame-laws。I