It  is  a  most  pleasant  duty  to  add  that  in  P""ather
Perry's  numerous  expeditions  he  always  met  with
the  greatest  kindness  from  the  officers  and  men
cf  Her  Majesty's  navy,  of  whom  he  was  wont  to
speak  in  the  most  enthusiastic  terms.  To  proceed
with  the  story.  On  the  arrival  of  the  Forward
at  the  Isles,  Brother  Rooney  .selected  a  site  for  the
observatory  on  the  Royal  Island,  where  the  prison


To  face  page  77.
THE   "CORONAGRAPH"   AT  SALUT,  WITH   FATHER   PERRY,
CAPTAIN  ATKINSON,  AND  LIEUTENANT  THIERENS.
Last  Journey.  73

for  the  convicts,  the  hospital,  and  the  chapel  were
situated.  Four  rooms  were  prepared  for  the
observers  in  the  hospital,  and  everything  was
done  on  behalf  of  the  French  Commandant,  who
had  received  instructions  to  this  effect  from  his
Government,  to  further  the  success  of  the  expe-
dition. The  lies  du  Salut  are  situated  off  the
coast  of  French  Guiana,  about  twenty-two  miles
from  Cayenne,  and  twelve  miles  from  the  main-
land. They  are  used  by  the  French  Government
as  a  penal  settlement  for  their  convicts.  Three
islands  constitute  the  group,  Royal  Island,  on
which  the  commandant  and  chief  officials  reside,
St  Joseph,  where  political  prisoners  are  detained,
and  the  Devil,  to  which  the  poor  lepers  are  rele-
gated. On  Royal  Island  there  are  two  large
hospitals,  one  for  the  military  and  the  other  for  the
convicts,  these  latter  numbering  .seven  hundred,
one  hundred  and  fifty  being  Frenchmen,  and  the
rest  Arabs  and  Chinese.  They  are  guarded  during
the  day  by  forty  warders,  who  are  armed  with
loaded  revolvers,  and  at  night  by  sixty  soldiers.
