56 THE HUMMING-BIRD OF 



barren appearance. But as he approached, 

 the prospect improved : the mountains 

 were clothed with trees ; and there were 

 fertile valleys, watered by crystal streams. 

 And here and there a cascade bounded 

 from rock to rock, and glided along like a 

 thread of silver. 



All kinds of tropical plants and trees 

 grew on the sheltered parts of the island. 

 Here were palm-trees, and the cotton, and 

 the pepper ; and here were myrtle-trees of 

 great size, so that the trunks could be 

 sawed into planks forty feet long. 



A tall grass, as high as a man, covered 

 these fertile spots, and looked like a crop 

 of oats. And there were ferns, and creep- 

 ers, and clover, and many other familiar 

 plants. The island had no human inha- 

 bitants ; but birds and insects were met 

 with. Here were great spiders, that wove 

 gigantic webs from tree to tree. And 



