XXV111 INTRODUCTION 



able and instructive work on tin* geology and zoology. 

 His works on the living and fossil coral reefs, such as 

 "The Florida Reel's," "The Cruise of the Wild Buck? and 

 oue on the Bahamas, arc of greatest interest. To Professor 

 Agassiz's desire fco advance the knowledge of the Wes1 

 Indies the writer is indebted for the opportunity of several 

 years 1 travel, whereby he was enabled to study their geog- 

 raphy and geology, to observe their social and economic 

 conditions, and to obtain experiences which have made 

 this book possible. 



The author cannot hope to present in the present work 

 a better description of the West Indies than has been given 

 in fragments by these earlier writers. He believes, how- 

 ever, that there is need for a comprehensive book on the 

 region as a whole, and one which will treat its conditions 

 as they appear to-day, giving the essential facts concerning 

 the physical geography, climate, economic geology, agri- 

 culture, commerce, and social conditions of these islands, 

 as well as the possibilities of their future development. 

 While the work will be chiefly based upon the results of 

 his own personal examinations, the scattered and in some 

 instances almost inaccessible observations of others will 

 be freely used. When statistics are given they will be 

 presented as the best obtainable figures concerning a 

 region where the arts of collecting and classifying such 

 data are by no means the favorite occupations of the 

 inhabitants. 



