VISIT TO TOMB OF PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 301 



by the various Hindoo tribes, representatives of the 

 other East India colonies belonging to Great Britain ; 

 and next the Chinese, the Malay, the Creole (a pro- 

 duction of the amalgamation of some one of these 

 races with the European) ; then, lastly, there were 

 the French and English, intermingled with people 

 from every civilized country of the globe : and hcncf* 

 it may well be imagined, from these incongruous 

 features of the populace, that the commingling of all 

 their different languages must produce a most Babel- 

 like confusion. Then the donkeys, too, which at all 

 times of day are about the docks in great numbers, 

 added their harmonious voices to the confused din. 

 At the moment of landing, I was struck with the 

 sparsity of the white population. It was only at rare 

 intervals, as I penetrated into the city, that an Euro- 

 pean face could be seen ; and I have walked for 

 hours in utter ignorance of my whereabouts ; for, 

 although I frequently inquired of whomsoever I met, 

 I was unable to find one who could speak English 

 enough to direct me. 



After a short walk through the macadamized 

 streets, feeling that I was utterly out of my element, 

 (all sailors, who have been a long cruise at sea, are 

 poor walkers,) and inquiring for some time as to the 

 direction of Paul and Virginia's grave, (the hero and 

 heroine of the beautiful French novel, which desig- 

 nates this island as Cypress,) we succeeded in finding 

 an English chaise-driver, who soon had us stowed 

 away in his vehicle, and bowling along over a good 

 road into the country. Our ride extended for seven 

 miles, through a populous and fertile country : the 

 inhabitants being of the same class as in the city. 

 26 



