THE HURRICANE SEASON. 163 



all needful pills and potions, to a most worthy suc- 

 cessor, Dr. Nicholls, a young Englishman, full of 

 love for his profession and energy in the practice of 

 its duties, and with the aged doctor's botanical pre- 

 dilections. These two gentlemen, then, active in 

 everything pertaining to the welfare of the island, 

 cultured and with scientific tastes, are of inestimable 

 value to the inhabitants, and a blessing to strangers. 



Dr. Imray is devoting all his time to the reintroduc- 

 tion of coffee into the island. Years ago it was cul- 

 tivated to such an extent that it acquired a name and 

 reputation ; in the latter part of the last century there 

 were over two hundred coffee plantations, giving an 

 annual yield of three hundred thousand pounds ; but 

 with the abolition of slavery its culture languished, 

 valuable coffee estates were abandoned, and at pres- 

 ent the island does not produce sufficient for its 

 own consumption. About forty years ago there 

 appeared a blight upon the coffee-plant that ruined 

 whole crops and aided in the abandonment of its 

 culture. This was in the shape of a coccus, a scale 

 insect that fixed itself upon the leaves and buds, 

 causing them to shrivel. This undoubtedly came of 

 neglect, and increased until it acquired the mastery 

 over the entire island. In Guadeloupe they have the 

 scale insect, but it has never gained ascendency over 

 the planters, as more attention has been paid to the 

 trees. Acting upon the theory that the leaf of the 

 Mocha variety was too tender to resist the attacks of 

 the insect, Dr. Imray has successfully introduced the 

 Liberian variety, the epidermis of the leaves being 

 thicker and tougher. At the time of my visit he had 

 a little plantation of trees about three years old, some 

 of which were in flower and bearing. 



