The Lesser Antilles 335 



the gulf. At the prow of the ship we could see how the 

 water is racked as it pours between the islands. Its 

 surface was free from waves, but broken by tide-rips. 

 Many porpoises raced with the ship as she stood* out to 

 sea. I strained my eyes to see whether by some lucky 

 chance I might not catch a glimpse of one of the huge 

 devil-fishes which are said now and then toward evening 

 to leap up from the water, but none of these darlings of 

 the deep obliged me by letting me have a peep at him. 



A number of additions had been made to our ship's 

 company at Port of Spain. Some of these were to 

 remain with us to the end of the voyage, others were 

 only to bear us company as far as Barbados, where 

 they would reembark on vessels going to Europe, or to 

 other parts of the West Indies and South America. 

 Among the latter was an English gentleman, who 

 informed me that he had come out to the West Indies 

 u to escape the beastly winter-climate of London," 

 and that, after having visited in succession all of the 

 Lesser Antilles, it was his purpose to go to Para and 

 ascend the Amazon as far as possible. He was arrayed 

 in an immaculate suit of white duck, a solar topee, and a 

 formidable monocle, so that it was evident he was fully 

 equipped for life in the tropics. 



With a good motor-boat it would be possible to go 

 from Trinidad to Florida by way of the Antilles, sleep 

 on shore every night, and never be out of sight of land 

 for more than an hour or two at any time. The Lesser 

 Antilles, or Caribbees, form a semicircle which extends 

 from near the coast of Trinidad eastward and northward 

 nearly as far as Puerto Rico. The Greater Antilles 

 continue the chain of islands, stretching westward in the 

 direction of Honduras. The Caribbean Sea is thus 

 partially enclosed on the east and the north by a long 



