33 To the River Plate and Back 



was excellent. Trinidad has in recent years come to 

 be a resort for English gentlemen who are lovers of 

 piscatorial sport. A very readable book has been 

 written by a member of the fraternity, who describes 

 the adventures he had in successive seasons while 

 fishing in the Bocas for tarpon and other denizens of 

 these seas. The devil-fish, that colossal batlike mon- 

 ster, which haunts the reefs, and sometimes towards 

 dusk rises with a great flying leap from the surface of the 

 water, is graphically described by the writer of the 

 volume. 



After luncheon we visited the market-place and a 

 number of the shops. Port of Spain is a very cosmo- 

 politan town, as much so as any in the West Indies. We 

 found that many languages are spoken by the people, 

 though English is universally understood. There are 

 many there who still employ Spanish, the lingua franca 

 of South America; others speak French. The negroes 

 speak the English of the West Indies with its peculiar 

 drawling accent. There is a lingering suggestion of the 

 old days of slavery in the constant use of the terms 

 'Master" and "My Lady," employed by the blacks in 

 addressing the whites. Multitudes of East Indians, 

 young and old, were encountered. These people retain 

 the garb and the customs of the Orient, from which they 

 have come. One section of Port of Spain is known as 

 'Coolie-town." We encountered ' Bombay-wallas" 

 and 'Calcutta-wallas" everywhere. 



But it was time to be making our way to the landing- 

 stage. We had barely arrived there, when it began to 

 rain as it only rains in the tropics. We huddled 

 together under the narrow roof of the shelter which is 

 provided at the landing-stage. Fortunately the Cap- 

 tain was one of the waiting company, and we felt at ease. 



