ST. THOMAS'S AG A IX. 299 



talker as lie doubtless is a sailor; and the charm of his 

 conversation, about all matters on earth, and some above the 

 earth, \Aill not be soon forgotten by those who went up with 

 him to St. Thomas's, and left him there with regret. 



We transhipped to the Xeva, Captain Woolward to 

 whom I must tender my thanks, as I do to Captain Bax, of 

 the Shannon, for all Ivinds of civility. We slept a night in 

 the harbour, the town having just then a clean bill of health ; 

 and were verv olad to find ourselves, duriiifr the next few 

 days, none the worse for having done so. On remarking, the 

 first evening, that I did not smell the harbour after all, I 

 was comforted by the answer that " When a man did, he 

 had better go below and make his will." It is a pity that 

 the most important harbour in the Caribbean sea should be so 

 imhealthv. Xo doubt it offers advantag^es for traffic which 



/ o 



can be found nowhere else : and there the steamers must 

 continue to assemble, yellow fever or none. But why should 

 not a hotel be built for the passengers in some healthy and 

 airy spot outside the basin on the south slope of Water 

 Island, for instance, or on Buck Island where they might 

 land at once, and sleep in pure fresh air and sea-breeze ? 

 The establishment of such an hotel would surely, when once 

 known, attract to the West Indies many travellers to whom 

 St. Thomas's is now as much a name of fear as Colon or the 

 Panama. 



