244 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



matter which species of palm I look upon, I am 

 tempted to say, this is the most beautiful ! 



But to return to the groo-groo and gris-gris. The 

 former rises straight up, with a gray trunk, scarred 

 all the way up with little circles left by former 

 leaves, fusiform, swelling out in the middle like the 

 main-boom of a ship, supporting a solid head of leaves, 

 which are curled like the heated feathers of an ostrich 

 plume, and form a dense ball almost circular in shape. 

 At the base of these leaves springs out a branching 

 stem covered with the seeds which, when ripe, are 

 black, like small grape-shot, and sheltered by a 

 spathe shaped like a shield. Both trunk and leaf- 

 stalks are covered, especially in young trees, with 

 black spines ; which detract from its beauty some- 

 what in the estimation of one who has stepped upon 

 them. The seeds are made into a variety of chate- 

 laine ornaments, as they are black and hollow, and 

 take a fine polish. The wood is black as ebony, and 

 is also susceptible of a high degree of polish. 



Scarcely had these observations on the palms been 

 written down when my retreat was invaded by a 

 buxom Indian girl of fourteen or fifteen, carrying a 

 cutlass. She stood by the stream for some time, 

 wondering, perhaps, what " buckra " was doing there : 

 comely features, black braids of hair, shapely limbs, 

 short and ragged dress. She was even more pictu- 

 resque than all the palms. And if there could be a 

 more attractive picture, it was when she returned, an 

 hour later, bearing on her head an immense bunch of 

 plantains, and stood poised upon a rock, where she 

 lingered for some time gazing at her image in the 

 stream. 



