St. Helena island, an isolated British dependency where Napoleon spent his final years in prison, is facing a grim Christmas and millennium New Year's after its only supply ship broke down this month off France. A spokesman for St. Helena/Curnow Shipping Ltd., which has operated the service since 1977, said the RMS St. Helena - the RMS stands for Royal Mail Ship - was in Brest, a western French port and naval base, awaiting repairs that could last into next year. "This is the only ship to the island and without it the island is in a crisis. It's a lifelink for the island," spokesman Tony Bownes said. Press reports from St. Helena said there was already alarm.
