34 I N A G U A 



the trees which grew in these holes were a shade greener than 

 their brothers. But even these were dull and ghostly in hue. 

 For a tropical land Inagua is remarkably drab. In Haiti and 

 Cuba, but a day's sail away, the vegetation is lush and brilliant; 

 on Inagua grays, silvery whites and pale greens predominate. 

 Only the flowers are vivid. 



With a sigh of relief, I saw that the trees were commencing 

 to thin, permitting the wind to steal through. The breeze cooled 

 my hot body and allayed the feeling of fatigue that was start- 

 ing to steal over me. The musical rocks became scarce, the 

 ground began to be covered with a thin layer of light silt 

 which was slippery and wet. Obviously the soil was only a 

 fraction of an inch or so above sea level; there was no place 

 for the water to drain. The crystals of salt became more com- 

 mon; the trees were smaller and more stunted; only one species 

 resembling the quivering aspens of northern countries still 

 grew to any height, about twenty feet. Even these were sparse 

 and straggly. The leaves of these trees were pure silver, touched 

 only lightly with a suggestion of chlorophyll; they had a bur- 

 nished look which caused them to glint metallicly as they 

 danced in the wind. 



A burst of air hit me in the face as I rounded the last cop- 

 pet of trees; the landscape had suddenly become empty. As 

 far as I could see there was not a sign of life nor any evidence 

 of vegetation other than a sparse layer of yellow grass growing 

 between puddles of stagnant water. Near the fringe of trees 

 from which I had just emerged a half dozen tall thatch palms 

 were making a brave stand against the elements; beyond these 

 was utter desolation. Mile upon mile a level plain stretched 

 away into the heat waves. Far in the distance the glint of sun 

 on a large body of water loomed in a bronze flare above the 

 horizon. This would be the great inland lake which the natives 

 had told me covered the entire central portion of the island. 



