28 CAPTAIN TUCKEY’S NARRATIVE. 
which are watered by rills from the mountains. In the 
upper and wider part of the valley of Trinidad, we first met 
with plantations of Indian corn, cassava, sugar cane, Arum 
esculentum, and pine apples. Cotton and indigo had also 
been formerly planted in some spots of the valley, but being 
neglected, a few plants run wild are now only to be seen. 
On the sides of the brooks grow luxuriantly the fig, lemon, 
orange, papaw, (Anona triloba,) custard apple, (Anona 
africana,) the tamarind, guava, plaintain, and banana, 
(Cassia fistula, ) and prickly pear (Cactus opuntia). Near 
one of country houses we saw some Ailanthus glandulosa 
Ximenia americana, and a few grape vines. Besides the date 
palm, which grows in abundance in the sands near Porto 
Praya, some tall cocoa palms are scattered here and there, — 
and bear ripe fruit at the elevation of 800 feet above the sea. 
A single palmyra ( Borassus flabelliformis ) was seen. 
On some spots of the elevated grassy hills, roots and 
vegetables are cultivated with great success; we saw no 
traces of other Cerealia than Indian corn, but were told that 
wheat succeeds perfectly when sown in the dry plains in the 
rainy season, as does rice in the lowest and wettest grounds ; 
but the islands being supplied with corn from America, in 
return for their salt and mules, the indolent inhabitants do 
not think of cultivating either. The inhabitants we con- 
