1904.] LECTURE. . 81 



the laiulscapc. \\'h('n seven or ('i<!;ht years old they he^iji to 

 hear and continue to do so for sixty or eighty years, sometimes 

 l)earin<>; from eighty to one humhvd coeoamits. It is very 

 interesting to see tlie natives cHnih u\) the trunks on all fours 

 as it were, and gather them with their indispensable tool tlu; 

 machete. They cut the end off and allow you to drink the 

 cocoanut milk, which is the safest beverage for th(> tourist to 

 indulge in. 



The wealth of troi)ical foliage discloses the hibiscus in its 

 bright colored blossoms, which the natives call '''shoel^lack." 

 The ])oinsettia which adonis our conservatories in the holiday 

 season is found here growing by the roadside. The bougain- 

 villea runs riot over buildings and trees, and there assumes 

 a brighter color than with us. The jessamine in all its sweetness 

 is frequently found. As we ride along, the i)icturesque houses, 

 primitive in their construction, with their thatched roofs all 

 more or less hidden by foliage, are dotted all over the island. 



The drive from Bog Walk to Spanish Town as we pass the 

 Cobra River has many attractive features. The hillsides 

 are clad with a jungle of beautiful plants, and the limestone 

 rocks seem to be a hiding-place for the maidenhair fern. The 

 canal, carrying the water to Spanish Town with its row of 

 cocoanut trees on either side, is a very cool and attractive 

 scene. As we approach Spanish Town the country is less 

 interesting and the road very dusty. Spanish Town, a former 

 capital of the island, is rich in historic interest. The English 

 cathedral, the monument erected to Admiral Rodney for his 

 loyalty to the people, and the public buildings, are the most 

 important objects of interest. There are a few attractive 

 estates, probably laid out by officials in her majesty's service. 



Kingston, the present capital of the island, is a busy place 

 and has the only electric car service on the island. The public 

 buildings and stores are not attractive on the outside, although 

 some of them are cjuite so on the inside. The residences of 

 the better class show a type of English life and are very pleasing, 

 with their walls or fences and forecourts, fountains and formal 

 gardens. 



