THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. 217 



canals among the plantations. A multitude of little 

 islets are scattered around on the surface of the sea, 

 on many of which the cattle are grazing on the rich 

 and succulent pasture. Some of them, however, 

 are little more than accumulations of sand, formed 

 of powdered coral and sea-shells, and affording sup- 

 port only to some coarse sedges, and to mangrove- 

 trees. The latter, indeed, delights in such situa- 

 tions, flourishing at the very edge of the sea, and 

 even where the ground is continually liable to 

 inundation. The contorted roots of this tree grow 

 to a considerable extent above the soil, so that the 

 base of the trunk is elevated on a cone of matted 

 roots, through which the water washes, while from 

 the branches young twigs are perpetually shooting 

 downward, till, reaching the soil, they take root, 

 and send forth other shoots : thus, in a few years, 

 a single plant will spread into a grove, and cover 

 a large space of land. As we sail with tortuous 

 course through these delightful groups of ever- 

 verdant isles, fresh scenes of beauty are continually 

 rising before us. Now a conical hill, of regular 

 form, arrests the attention, clothed with thick foliage 

 from the water's edge to the summit, where the white 

 clouds appear to rest : then we admire the irregular 

 surface of another isle, whose dark ravines seem 

 to acquire additional gloom from the glowing sun- 

 light that plays upon the surrounding eminences: 

 here a little islet of bright green looks in the blue 

 sea like an emerald set in sapphire; there the bold 

 cliffs and black precipices of a larger island an- 

 nounce a very different formation. Now and then 



