186 



THE AMEKICAN MONTHLY 



[October, 



we soon became well acquainted. 

 He is not only the custom-house col- 

 lector, but also resident magistrate, 

 postmaster, health officer, superin- 

 tendent of schools, and the general 

 representative of the government. 



As soon as we received his per- 

 mission to land, a party started off in 

 the yawl, which we had brought 

 fi-om Baltimore on the deck of our 

 little schooner, to visit an abandoned 

 house which w^as pointed out to us 

 upon a hill-side at a distance from 

 the town. 



The boat soon reached the man- 

 groves, and, pushing in as far as pos- 

 sible, we found ourselves surrounded 

 by the life of the tropics. As the tide 

 was out we could reach up from the 

 boat and gather over our heads the 

 oysters which were growing in great 

 clusters on the roots and branches of 

 the trees. The clear water was filled 

 with fishes of strange forms and bril- 

 liant colors, and they were perfectly 

 fearless, so that they could be exam- 

 ined without difficulty as they chased 

 and captured their food among the 

 submerged roots. The bottom was 

 thickly covered with beautiful sea- 

 anemones, and everywhere, on the 

 bottom, and on the roots and branches 

 of the trees, and on the rocks at the 

 water's edge, we found a wealth of 

 molluscs and Crustacea, which soon 

 taught us to regard the mangrove 

 thickets as rich collecting grounds. 

 We were, however, unable to pene- 

 trate through it to the land until we 

 discovered a little cove where the 

 bushes had been cut down. Pushing 

 the boat into this, we reached an 

 open, grassy landing-place, shaded by 

 two or three cocoanut trees and sur- 

 rounded by a dense forest, except at 

 one point where a narrow path led up 

 the hill to the house. 



The front was at first a stronger 

 attraction than the house, and one of 

 the first objects to catch the eye was 

 a great mass of epiphitic orchids on a 

 dead branch close to our landing- 

 place. The species is not one that is 

 prized by orchid cultivators, but the 



plant, which was much inore luxuri- 

 ant than those which are seen in 

 green-houses, and in full bloom with 

 flowers which diffused a delightful 

 fragrance through the woods, was 

 gathered just before our return to 

 Baltimore, and was safely carried 

 home, and is now here in full vigor 

 and beauty, a living memento of our 

 first landing on a coral island. 



The house proved to be a one-story 

 frame building without windows or 

 floor, but out of doors the surround- 

 ings were all that a naturalist could 

 wish. The exposed side commanded 

 a view of the island and harbor, while 

 the other three sides were surrounded 

 by a dense growth of shade and fruit 

 trees which had been planted by the 

 absent owner. We also found a large 

 stone cistern, shaded by palms and 

 tamarind trees and orange bushes, and 

 filled with good water. 



We had been informed that there 

 were no vacant houses in the town, 

 and although this one was very small 

 and not at all suitable for work with 

 the microscope, a residence in this 

 cool and elevated place in the heart 

 of the forest seemed so attractive that 

 the discovery that it swarmed with 

 mosquitoes did not dampen our en- 

 thusiasm, and even after the fine 

 general view of the island, which we 

 obtained from the hill behind it, had 

 shown us that we were separated 

 from the town and from the nearest 

 house by a long winding sound, and 

 should be compelled to go three or 

 four miles for our supplies, we still 

 felt that the attractions of this retired 

 spot would overbalance all the dis- 

 advantages in case no better house 

 could be found in the town. 



When the excursionists returned to 

 the schooner, however, they found 

 that another member of the party, 

 who had also been house-hunting, 

 had found one in the town which 

 was much better fitted for our use. 

 The owner and occupant was willing 

 to vacate and rent to us, but he could 

 not talk business on Sunday. The 

 next morning a satisfactory bargain 



