THE HURRICANE SEASON. 167 



the case of the M pink curlew," I have recognized when 

 mere specks in space. 



At dark we entered a crescent-shaped bay and ran 

 the boat upon a pebbly beach, which was pierced by 

 two rivers as they entered the sea. Overhanging them 

 were cocoa palms, shading them almost to the sands, 

 while sea-side grapes hung above wave-worn rocks 

 and rounded pebbles, and a forest of lime-trees filled 

 a narrow valley enclosed between high cliffs. The 

 manager of the estate welcomed us with a good 

 dinner and comfortable beds in the doctor's own 

 house, which always remained ready for his occu- 

 pancy, though he rarely visited it. The next morn- 

 ing we whipped the streams with poor success, and 

 attacked the sea-birds with scanty returns ; in the 

 afternoon, my fever returning, and the doctor continu- 

 ing his journey, both fish and birds had a rest. 



The valley of Battalie is one great field of lime-trees 

 — a smooth sea of verdure — hiding beneath its sur- 

 face golden fruit that is constantly dropping to the 

 earth, and being carried to the stone mill beneath the 

 cliff. Twenty years ago Dr. Imray conceived the 

 plan of converting a poorly-paying sugar plantation 

 into an orchard of limes, and he thus made of a nar- 

 row valley, riven from gigantic rocks and strewn with 

 volcanic bowlders, a garden of profit and delight. 

 The majority of the trees are fifteen years old ; they 

 first bear at three years of age, and yield good crops 

 at five years. Since the first full crop he has re- 

 alized a large income from these trees, his manager 

 informing me that during two seasons the returns 

 amounted to two thousand pounds sterling each. 

 The trees are thickly planted so as to shade the 



