THE VOYAGE OF THE HASSLER 121 



question. Some of the ascents are provided with a 

 stair which brings you to a level terraced road cut 

 into the side of the hill; another stair to a road above, 

 and so on. Beyond the town we came into the wind- 

 ing path leading up the hill. The air was heavenly 

 w4th every kind of delicious fragrance from the earth 

 and trees; almost nothing was stirring. The Hzards 

 had not yet come out and even the birds had nothing 

 to say or sing, except some doves that were softly 

 cooing in the wood. We were half way up the hill be- 

 fore the sun had fairly risen, and though you always 

 say the sun spoils everything by his intruding pres- 

 ence upon a sunrise, I must say that this time he came 

 in beauty, gradually filling the great soft clouds on the 

 horizon with fight and pouring his radiance through a 

 blue window in the midst of the mass down into the 

 near vafiey, making it a vivid green while the hill be- 

 hind remained in shadow. When we looked out we had 

 just reached a point where the harbor with aU its 

 shipping and the many islands beyond lay just below 

 us. We kept on, meeting only a negro now and then 

 riding on a donkey between laden panniers in which he 

 was taking milk or vegetables to market, till we came 

 to the house on the summit. There I must say the 

 view is startling. You stand on the edge of the island 

 and look down to the sea on either side. Many beau- 

 tiful smafier islands break the view on both shores. 

 Just below us we looked down upon a crescent shaped 

 bay where hundreds of pelicans were breakfasting 

 upon shoals of fish. We sat for a long time on the house 

 terrace talking with an old negress who keeps the place, 



