VERDANT PLANTATIONS. 21 



the animals were sleek, and in tolerable condi- 

 tion ; we therefore came to the conclusion that 

 they were turned out to feed, or, what was 

 much more likely, to view the country and fast 

 during the day, and driven home to feed at 

 night. 



We pursued our dreary path, occasionally 

 passing a few negro huts, and refreshing our- 

 •selves with some delicious goats' milk. As we 

 came upon the fertile portion of this valley, the 

 change of scene was certainly most agreeable ; 

 the brown-parched soil which we had been so 

 long previously alone regarding, now gave place 

 to the verdant plantations of sugar-cane, manioc,, 

 and various European and tropical esculent 

 vegetables, which gave a rich and animated 

 character to the scene. The plantations were 

 also interspersed with a great variety of tropical 

 fruit trees, such as orange, lemon, guava 

 plantain, tamarind, custard apple, &c. The 

 tamarind trees were stunted, compared with the 

 luxuriant and elegant growth of those trees in 

 India ; they were, however, laden with ripe 

 fruit, whose powerful acid soon set the teeth on 

 edge of such of our party as were induced to 

 partake of them. 



Several trees of the Boabab, or monkey bread- 

 tree, (Adaiisonia digitata,) were now seen, and 



