Trinidad 319 



taken. The rafts have no rail and seemed always to be 

 awash, and the waves, as they were crossed, sent their 

 spray over the sail and over the men, of whom each 

 craft carried two. The xangadas are practically un- 

 sinkable, and their occupants, who seemed to be jolly, 

 round-faced negroes, appeared not to fear the dangers 

 of the deep, but to be having a nice cool time out on the 

 water. The sea, however, was only moderately stirred 

 by the winds as we came up the coast. There must be 

 times when no one would dare to venture forth upon it 

 in such flimsy constructions as these rafts. That the 

 ocean is able to take, and does take, toll of the shipping 

 in these waters, was testified by the sight here and there 

 upon the reefs -of the wrecks of sailing vessels and of 

 steamers, from the rotting and rusting remains of which 

 the green sea-weeds flaunted their growths. 



We did not call at Pernambuco, but our steamer 

 passed close enough to the shore to enable us to get a 

 very good view of the water-front of the city. The 

 roadstead is quite open to the sea, and only recently has 

 the construction of breakwaters and docks been begun. 

 There appear to be many large warehouses in the 

 place, and some manufacturing plants, from the tall 

 chimneys of which clouds of black smoke were streaming 

 away before the south-wind. A large steamer put out 

 of the harbor just ahead of us and stood away to the 

 northeast, evidently bound toward Europe. There is 

 a very extensive trade carried on at Pernambuco, the 

 principal exports being sugar, molasses, and cotton, in 

 the order named. 



After rounding Cape St. Roque we stood away to the 

 northwest, heading directly for Trinidad. From this 

 time forth we were out of sight of land until shortly 

 before we dropped anchor in the harbor of Port of Spain. 



