45 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



sparkling stream that followed in the ship's wake. Disturbed by 

 the motion of propeller and rudder, millions of minute phospho- 

 rescent organisms were thrown to the surface like brilliant, spark- 

 ling gems. Now and then large ctenophores emerged from the 

 depths, displaying rich halos of light for a moment, then disap- 

 peared in the surf. In no other place did we notice such rich dis- 

 plays of phosphorescence. 



After a six-days' voyage we landed safely at Port Henderson, 

 on the north side of Jamaica. Here we took carriages for a drive 

 of sixty miles across the island to Kingston, its capital. The road 



Fig. 1. The Vicinity of Kingston. 



we traveled was a well-built public thoroughfare, fully equaling 

 the American "gravel road." It followed the coast line prettj' 

 closely for twenty-eight miles to Annotto Bay, then extended into 

 the interior by way of the Wag Water River. Reaching the 

 " divide " of the Blue Mountains, the road rapidly descended by a 

 circuitous route into the broad valleys of the south side of the 

 island. This drive across Jamaica affords the tourist a fair idea 

 of its life and scenery. The majestic cocoanut palm, the luxuri- 

 ant banana plant, and the feathery bamboo grace the landscape in 

 every direction. The primitive bamboo cabins, with their dusky 

 occupants, the barefooted market women, " John Crow" the buz- 

 zard, and " Old Joe" the pelican, soon become familiar objects to 

 the tourist in the West Indies. On reaching Kingston we found 

 our way through its narrow streets to Market Wharf, where we 

 took passage on the steam launch Firefly for Port Henderson, 

 our final destination. This is a little village of a dozen or more 



