DOMINICA. 3 



crest of the mountain-ridge that showed in the dis- 

 tance cool and misty ; but as day advanced, and the 

 hour of noon arrived, the cool hours of morning were 

 more than compensated for by the intensity of the 

 heat radiated from the glassy sea, — a heat that made 

 itself felt with a glare that caused every one on board 

 to seek earnestly a shady spot. 



And this was the " tropic sea " on which we were 

 drifting, — the sea so often sung by the poet, the sea 

 we had often contemplated in our fanciful dreaming 

 in more northern climes. Like many an object of 

 the poet's adoration, it is far pleasanter to look upon 

 through his eyes than through visual organs of your 

 own. Though the sun and sea made it painful to 

 look abroad, there was nothing offensively new and 

 glaring about the little sloop, that wearied the eye 

 with bright colors. The prevailing color, in fact, 

 was that of the wood of which it was built, the native 

 wood of the island. The knees were of the natural 

 twist and bend of the native trees ; the deck planking 

 and sheathing were likewise of the native wood ; the 

 mast, the boom, and the bowsprit were of the native 

 woods of the island ; and captain and crew, doubt- 

 less, also from the woods, — natives fresh from the 

 native woods of Dominica. There were more than 

 twenty people of color lounging in various attitudes 

 about the deck. They seemed wholly indifferent to 

 the fact that the vessel was drifting with them away 

 from the island ; and when I suggested to the cap- 

 tain that he utilize this material at the oars, there 

 was a general howl of indignation. The captain 

 also gazed at me like one who had heard informa- 

 tion of a character novel and startling, and informed 



