THE PALISADES. 23 



same moment the captain's gig was lowered to convey 

 himself and the passengers across the beautiful broad 

 harbovn-, to the thriving city at its head. But it was 

 as a naturalist that I was there, and the sea-beaten 

 shore promised me greater gratification than a visit 

 to Kingston ; hence I availed myself of the boat only 

 to -be put ashore at Port Royal Wharf, whence I 

 speedily found my way to the long sandy beach of 

 the Palisades. 



It is true there was little of the luxuriance or 

 beauty that we associate with tropical scenery, here. 

 It is a low bank of sand nearly nine miles in length : 

 but scarcely any where more than a few hundred 

 yards in breadth, forming a natural breakwater that 

 separates the broad lake-like harbour of Kingston 

 from the Caribbean Sea. I found it barren enough ; 

 but it was all strange, and to feet which for nearly 

 two months had not felt the firm earth, even a run 

 along the beach was exhilarating. The graceful 

 Cocoa-nut Palm sprang up in groups from the water's 

 edge, waving its feathery fronds over the rippling 

 waves that dashed about its fibrous foot. Great 

 bushes of Prickly-pear and other Cacti were growing 

 on the low summit of the bank, covering large spaces 

 of ground, with their impenetrable masses, presenting 

 a formidable array of spines : as did also a species of 

 Acacia, that grew in thickets and single trees. All 

 along the line of high water lay heaps of sea-weeds 

 drying in the sun, among which was particularly 

 abundant a species of Padina, closely resembling the 

 pretty "Peacock's tail" of our own shores, though 

 less regularly beautiful. Sponges of various forms, 



