14 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



refer you lo her account of her trips in the " Sunbeam" for par- 

 ticulars of very interesting voyages in those waters. 



While on the voyage, at times when the weather is pleasant, one 

 often recalls the words of the old song, — 



"A life on the ocean wave, 

 A home on the rolling deep," — 



and uuiler auspicious circumstances it seems beautiful, aiul one 

 can see a vast deal of comfort and enjoyment in it, but when we 

 get on shore and away from the haunts of men we recall the other 

 good old song which says — 



" Some love to roam 

 O'er the dark sea foam, 

 But a life in tlie woods for nie," — 



a life wliieli seems to me, as compared with a life on the ocean 

 ■wave, much more suggestive of the acme of human enjoyment in 

 this world of ours. 



As we approach the coast of the tropics, we arc pleased to notice 

 the great dili'ereuce in the forests from those we are accustomed to 

 see. All along the coast the cocoanut palm rears its beautiful head, 

 and on nearer approach we notice an abundance of its fruit in all 

 stages of rii)ening. The forests are unlike any we are familiar 

 with in our ow^i country, presenting a diflerent foliage, and a more 

 dense appearance down to the water's edge. 



Our first landing was at Balize, in T>ritish Honduras, tiie most 

 important city on the coast, and probably the most enterprising. 

 The principal portion of the inhabitants arc Spaniards, negroes, 

 Hindoos, and tlie native Indians, which, with all sorts of interme- 

 diate strains, make up a motley population peculiar to this coun- 

 try, and not such as we are accustomed to see at home. Our stay 

 at Balize at this time was limited, and we therefore had no chance 

 to study the people, but learned afterwards that they are in gen- 

 eral lazy, indolent, and very fond of intoxicating drinks. The 

 hire of an able-bodied man is $1.25 per day ; but it is wortli more 

 than that to get a day's work from some of them. 



The next port we made was Livingston, in Guatemala. The 

 town consists principally of a considerable number of mud huts ; 

 all thatched with palm leaves. As it sits on quite an eminence, it 

 Iiresculs Uu' appearance of a thrifty little town, and this idea is not 

 dispelled ou lauding. Livingston is situated at the mouth of the 



