52 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 

 we proceeded in slow fashion, planting our feet 

 firmly in the crumbling earth, not daring to hold 

 on by the long grass, which would have torn 

 away at once, till at length a broader stretch of 

 land opened in front of us. The ground was still 

 very brittle, but it offered a good foothold. In 

 front of us, at a distance of a few hundred feet, 

 we could see the top of the island covered with 

 low bushes resembling lauristinus, amongst which 

 was a clump of trees bearing shining leaves. In 

 these trees numbers of gannets were sitting on 

 their nests, and they seemed to be considerably 

 astonished at seeing us approaching their home. 

 We quickly scrambled to the trees, and a few 

 minutes later the summit of South Trinidad was 

 gained. 



I shall never forget the magnificent view which 

 now lay revealed. Behind us was the " Cascade," 

 on each side deep valleys filled with tree-ferns, 

 while to our front the whole of the windward side 

 of the island was exposed to view. Immediately 

 below a precipice fell sheer down for several 

 hundreds of feet, and then the land gradually 

 sloped away to the green undulating country 

 which borders the windward side of South 

 Trinidad. In the distance, and close to the water's 

 edge, the remains of a Portuguese convict 

 settlement was to be seen. There appeared to be 

 little of it standing, but the foundations of the 

 houses, deserted for many years past, could be 



