JAMAICA. 203 



great promontory of Tiburon, the ancient province of 

 Xavagna, once the happy domain of the beautiful and 

 unfortunate Princess Anacaona." On the following morn- 

 ing, when he came on deck, the Avon was putting off mails 

 in the land-locked harbour of Jacmel, in Hayti. " There 

 had been rain in the night, and the shaggy hill-tops were 

 partially robed in fragments of cloud, undefined and 

 changing, which contrasted finely with the dark surface of 

 the forest. Inland the mountains in the morning sun 

 looked inviting ; and I noticed that they displayed the 

 same singular resemblance to crumpled paper, as those in 

 the eastern part of Jamaica." 



The Avon steamed across to Puerto Rico, and ran, all 

 through the 13th, along the northern shore of that island, 

 " the land thickly strewn with cultivated estates, spotted 

 with clumps of trees, and presenting a very beautiful 

 appearance, contrasting in this respect with both Jamaica 

 and Hayti, whose forest coasts display little trace of culti- 

 vation, and look rude and uninviting." Soon after noon, 

 the Moro, or fortification which protects the town of San 

 Juan, was in sight, like a white wall projecting into the sea, 

 and four hours later the steamer moored under it. 



" The town, walled and strongly fortified, reminded 

 " me, with its turret-like houses, and little balconies to 

 " each window, of engravings of Spanish cities ; and 

 " when I went ashore and wandered through the streets, 

 " ladies in black mantillas, opening and shutting their 

 " fans as they walked, solemn priests in black robes and 

 " shovel hats, the children, the men, the posadas (taverns), 

 " everything had such a novel character as I had never 

 " before seen. For, in all my travels, I have never before 

 " set foot in any other country than such as are inha- 

 " bited by the Anglo-Saxon race. After partaking of a 

 " little nicety in a posada, and seeing the paved parts of 



