4 ST. JAGO CAPE DE VERD ISLANDS. [CHAP. i. 



The scenery of St. Domingo possesses a beauty totally unex- 

 pected, from the prevalent gloomy character of the rest of the 

 island. The village is situated at the bottom of a valley, bounded 

 by lofty and jagged walls of stratified lava. The black rocks 

 afford a most striking contrast with the bright green vegetation , 

 which follows the banks of a little stream of clear water. It 

 happened to be a grand feast-day, and the village was full of 

 people. On our return we overtook a party of about twenty 

 young black girls, dressed in excellent taste; their black skins and 

 snow-white linen being set off by coloured turbans and large 

 shawls. As soon as we approached near, they suddenly all turned 

 round, and covering the path with their shawls, sung with great 

 energy a wild song, beating time with their hands upon their 

 legs. We threw them some vintems, which were received with 

 screams of laughter, and we left them redoubling the noise of their 

 song. 



One morning the view was singularly clear ; the distant moun- 

 tains being projected with the sharpest outline, on a heavy bank 

 of dark blue clouds. Judging from the appearance, and from 

 similar cases in England, I supposed that the air was saturated 

 with moisture. The fact, however, turned out quite the contrary. 

 The hygrometer gave a difference of 29 - 6 degrees, between the 

 temperature of the air, and the point at which dew was pre- 

 cipitated. This difference was nearly double that which I had 

 observed on the previous mornings. This unusual degree of 

 atmospheric dryness was accompanied by continual flashes of 

 lightning. Is it not an uncommon case, thus to find a remark- 

 able degree of aerial transparency with such a state of weather ? 



Generally the atmosphere is hazy; and this is caused by the 

 falling of impalpably fine dust, which was found to have slightly 

 injured the astronomical instruments. The morning before we 

 anchored at Porto Praya, I collected a little packet of this brown- 

 coloured fine dust, which appeared to have been filtered from the 

 wind by the gauze of the vane at the mast-head. Mr. Lyell has 

 also given me four packets of dust which fell on a vessel a few 

 hundred miles northward of these islands. Professor Ehrenberg* 



* I must take this opportunity of acknowledging the great kindness 

 with which this illustrious naturalist has examined many of my specimens. 

 I have sent (June, 1845) a full account of the falling of this dust to the 

 Geological Society. ,. 



