NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 189 



which is difficult at this season of the year, as the southwesterly monsoon sometimes 

 reaches the island. The town is clean, and has a good supply of water, brought in by an 

 aqueduct from the foot of the hills. Coal is stored on Quail Island, and can be procured 

 if necessary, but it is not so cheap as at St. Vincent. 



The country rises inland in a succession of terrace-like steps often remarkably flat at 

 the top, and formed by successive flows of lava. The flat table-land nearest the sea was 

 parched and had very little green upon it. Behind rises a succession of small conical 

 hills and higher table-lands, which were brilliantly green. 



There is a large Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) near the town, which has been 

 mentioned by travellers. Its stem is irregular in transverse section and short ; it 

 measured 42 feet in circumference at the time of the visit, when it was in full flower 

 with no fruit as yet of any size. An excellent photograph of it was obtained (see PI. II.). 



Quails were not at all plentiful, being only migratory visitors to the island, and not 

 having as yet arrived in numbers. The Kingfisher {Halcyon erythrorhyncha), men- 

 tioned by Darwin, is common ; it is peculiar to the island, though very closely allied 

 to an African species, and is a beautiful bird, brilliant blue and white with a red 

 beak. Like many other kingfishers it is not aquatic in its habits, but feeds mainly on 

 locusts and other small terrestrial animals ; it has a terribly harsh laughing cry, a feeble 

 imitation of that of its congener of Australia the Laughing Jackass. Birds of prey are 

 very abundant in St. Iago ; large falcons and hawks were very common, and eagles were 

 seen in San Domingo valley. Bavens and crows were also very plentiful. It is difficult 

 to understand on what so many predaceous birdscan feed ; possibly the falcons and hawks 

 frequent the island in numbers only in the quail season. The Gecko, Tarentola dela- 

 landii, which had been found in Tenerife, was obtained here, as also a Skink (Euprepes). 



An excursion was made by Mr. Moseley to the San Domingo valley, in the hopes that 

 it would be found possible to ascend the highest mountain of the island, called San 

 Antonio, 7400 feet in altitude, in search of the plants growing on its summit. The 

 journey to the base, ascent, and return to the harbour in twenty-four hours was stated 

 to be feasible by the townspeople, but it proved that such is by no means the case. The 

 road led directly inland, and as the successive terraces were ascended the hills became 

 greener and greener, being covered by a continuous carpet of seedling grass and other 

 herbs as yet only two or three inches in height. The guide said that it would be a 

 foot or eighteen inches high later on, and that then the quails would abound and the 

 guinea fowl breed, so that the breeding season of these birds here appears to be in 

 the autumn, and determined by the rainy season. 



The valley of San Domingo into which the road at length led is deep, with precipitous 

 cliffs and steep mountains on either side, rising 1000 to 2500 feet above sea level. 

 The valley is broken here and there by lateral offsets and backed towards its head by 

 irregular mountain masses. The view up the valley is very beautiful. Beneath the 



