Five Years' Residence in the West Indies (Volume 2) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1852. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... FIYE YEARS' RESIDENCE WEST INDIES. CHAPTER I. JOURNEY ROUND THE ISLAND--IMPRACTICABLE ROAD--MILITARY VILLAGE -- MORNE CALEBES8E PERILOUS RIDE--PLAGUE OF GRASSHOPPERS MADEMOISELLE JOSEPH BANDE DE I.'este RIVER SCENERY--MR. C. POINT MAYORO THREADING THE QUICKSANDS M. ST. FERRIER. I Left Port of Spain, on Friday, April 14th, to make what is called the tour of the island, that is, to go from the western coast to the Bande de FEste, or eastern side, and from thence to the extreme south, crossing again directly to the north. From a variety of circumstances, this is a journey of considerable fatigue and some risk. The first stage is to Arima, sixteen miles. I was on horseback, having as a guide a trustworthy, clever, coloured man, on foot, who carried my sac de nuit on his head, for which service, to Nariva, forty-five miles, he was to receive six dollars, or one pound five shillings. From St. Joseph's the mountains gradually dwindle VOL. II. B in height and boldness of form to Arima, where they subside into merely high ridges or spurs. We passed Tacarigua and Arouca, two small villages, each having its church, and forded several rivers, composed of about a couple of feet of water running over a hard, gravelly soil, though in the rainy season they become impetuous torrents. Near the last we saw a wooden cross, where, a few years ago, a planter, en route, was hacked to pieces by a negro footpad. A great number of ananas, or wild pine-apples, were growing by the road-side; but as these are invariably cut by the passing negroes a day or two before they are ripe, travellers like ourselves had no chance of improving the occasion. They are said, however, to be exceedingly well-flavoured. About four miles from Arima, we entered the woods by a broad, rustic road, exactly like...