38 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
instant and without debate. He and the writer were fellow 
passengers on. the trip from Barbados to St. Kitts in 1917, and 
I came to thoroughly respect and admire him as a very excep- 
tional man, solid and trustworthy in any emergency. The police 
officers in all of these islands are invariably colored men, and 
I would match them in soldierly bearing and military discipline 
against the best of policemen anywhere. They seldom, if ever, 
attain a rank higher than Sergeant Major, but that is an office 
of dignity and importance in the British service. 
We visited St. Kitts on Sunday, and all of our party went 
ashore, some to church and others to stroll around in the Botani- 
eal Garden and other places of interest. Professor Thomas, 
Wehman, and Ensign took the day to make the ascent of Mount 
Misery, the highest mountain on the island and the first voleano 
that we had seen, although it is not in eruption save for the 
emission of sulphur fumes and hot springs. On the way they 
passed through forests of tree-ferns and many other new and 
strange trees and tropical plants. At the top they attained a 
magnificent view, but the look into the crater was somewhat 
disappointing as nothing was to be seen but steam, which 
brooded like a fog over the great cup in. the mountain’s top. 
As evening drew on and the hour for our steamer to sail 
approached, we became anxious about this party, but they made 
their appearance at eight o’clock, tired and hungry, and greatly 
pleased with their excursion; but wroth with the man of whom 
they had hired an auto to take them to the foot of the mountain 
and return, and charged them an outrageous price therefor. 
That evening His Excellency, Governor T. A. V. Best, Acting 
Governor of the Leeward Islands, came on board to go to 
Antigua, which is the administrative capital of these islands. 
It was at this time that I first met him, although destined to 
become well acquainted and greatly indebted to him for many 
courtesies and favors both official and personal. He was accom- 
panied by his secretary and aide, Captain Nicholson, another 
man we were to come greatly to appreciate and admire. In 
this our first interview, the Governor, with whom I had already 
corresponded, expressed himself as desirous of aiding our ex- 
pedition in every way in his power; a promise that was more 
