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ASCENSION

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 716 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ASCENSION , an See also:

island in the See also:Atlantic Ocean, between 70 531 and 8° S., and 14° 18' and 14°26' W., Boo m. N.W. of St See also:Helena, about 71 M. in length and 6 in breadth, with an See also:area of 38 sq. m. and a circumference of about 22 M. The island lies within the immediate See also:influence of the See also:south-See also:east See also:trade-See also:wind. The See also:lee See also:side of the island is subject to the visitation of " rollers," which break on the See also:shore with very See also:great violence. Ascension is a volcanic See also:mass erected on a submarine See also:platform. Numerous cones exist. See also:Green See also:Mountain, the See also:principal See also:elevation, is a huge elliptical See also:crater, rising 2820 ft. above the See also:sea, while the plains or table-lands surrounding it vary in height from 1200 to 2000 ft. On the See also:north side they sweep gradually down towards the shore, but on the south they terminate in bold and lofty precipices. Steep and rugged ravines intersect the plains, opening into small bays or coves on the shore, fenced with masses of compact and cellular See also:lava; and all over the island are found products of volcanic See also:action. Ascension was originally destitute of vegetation See also:save on the See also:summit of Green Mountain, which owes its verdure to the mists which frequently enshroud it, but the See also:lower hills have been planted with See also:grasses and shrubs. The See also:air is clear and See also:light, and the See also:climate remarkably healthy, notwithstanding the high temperature—the See also:average See also:day temperature on the shore being 85° F., on Green Mountain 75° F. The average rainfall is about 20 in., See also:March and See also:April being the See also:rainy months.

Ascension is noted for the number of turtles and turtle eggs found on its shores, the See also:

season lasting from See also:December to May or See also:June. The turtles are caught and kept in large ponds. The coasts abound with a variety of See also:fish of excellent quality, of which the most important are the See also:rock-See also:cod, the See also:cavalli, the conger-See also:eel and the " soldier." See also:Numbers of See also:sheep are bred on the island, and there are a few See also:cattle and See also:deer, besides goats and See also:wild See also:cats. Feathered See also:game is abundant. Like St Helena, the island does not possess any indigenous vertebrate See also:land See also:fauna. The "wideawake" birds frequent the island in large numbers, and their eggs are collected and eaten. Beetles and land-shells are well represented. Flies, ants, mosquitoes, scorpions, centipedes and crickets abound. The See also:flora includes See also:purslane, rock See also:roses and several See also:species of ferns and mosses. The island was discovered by the Portuguese navigator, Joao da Nova, on Ascension Day 15o1, and was occasionally visited thereafter by See also:ships. In 1701 See also:William See also:Dampier was wrecked on its See also:coast, and during his detention discovered the only See also:spring of fresh See also:water the island contains. Ascension remained uninhabited till after the arrival of See also:Napoleon at St Helena (1815), when it w'as taken See also:possession of by the See also:British See also:government, who sent a small See also:garrison thither.

A See also:

settlement, named See also:George See also:Town (locally known as Garrison), was made on the north-See also:west coast, water being obtained from " Dampier's " springs in the Green Mountain, 6 m. distant. The island is under the See also:rule of the See also:admiralty, and was likened by See also:Darwin to " a huge See also:ship kept in first-See also:rate See also:order." It is governed by a See also:naval See also:captain See also:borne on the books of the See also:flagship of the See also:admiral See also:superintendent at See also:Gibraltar. A See also:depot of stores for the See also:navy is maintained, but the island is used chiefly as a See also:sanatorium. Ascension is connected by See also:cable with See also:Europe and See also:Africa, and is visited once a See also:month by See also:mail steamers from the Cape. Formerly letters were See also:left by passing ships in a crevice in one of the rocks. The See also:population, about 300, consists of See also:seamen, See also:marines, and See also:Krumen from See also:Liberia. See Africa See also:Pilot, See also:part ii., 5th ed. (See also:London, 1901) ; C. Darwin, See also:Geological Observations on the Volcanic Islands visited during the Voyage of H.M.S."Beagle" (London, 1844) ; See also:Report of the Scientific Results of the Voyage of the " Challenger," vol. i. part 2 (London, 1885) ; and Six Months in Ascension, by Mrs Gill (London, 1878), an excellent See also:sketch of the island and its inhabitants. It was at Ascension that Mr, afterwards See also:Sir, See also:David Gill determined, in 1877, the See also:solar See also:parallax.

End of Article: ASCENSION

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