CHAPTER XV. 



GRAND CAYMAN ISLAND. 



AFTER leaving Jamaica on 8th March, 1904, we 

 laid our course for Grand Cayman, the largest 

 of the three islands of the Cayman group, which 

 lies to the west of Jamaica. 



The Cayman Islands have been but rarely 

 visited by naturalists, and as they are inhabited 

 by many species of land-birds which are found 

 nowhere else, we looked forward to spending an 

 interesting time there. 



Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman 

 Brae form part of the Colony of Jamaica, and 

 are said to have been discovered by Columbus on 

 his return voyage from Portobello to Hispaniola 

 (now Hayti), and were named by him Las 

 Tortugas, owing to the number of turtles which 

 abound on the coast. The present name is 

 supposed to be derived from caiman an alli- 

 gator, which Grand Cayman somewhat resembles 

 in shape when viewed from the east. 



Grand Cayman is about seventeen miles in 

 length, and from four to seven miles in breadth. 



