286 Timehri. 



expressed our intention of walking to them, our landlady in vehement 

 language and with much gesticulation said we were " like all the English, 

 too hard-headed,'' but we would learn, (i Oui, oul" We have learned. But 

 oh ! the memory of that first walk under a tropical sun, it abides with me. 

 My husband forgot manners, courtesy and everything else in the wonder 

 and delight of it ; he gazed spell-bound into windows, boldly trespassed 

 into private gardens, and at times seemed scarcely able to believe the 

 evidence of his eyes — plants he had thought wonderful when tenderly 

 cherished in hot-houses were to be seen growing in the open in wild 

 luxuriance. Every few steps brought a fresh surprise. I w r as glad when 

 we reached the Savannah, but even there he suddenly exclaimed, "Do 

 touch that mimosa on the ground ; it's the true sensitive plant. Why ! 

 it's growing like a weed, poor little ' shame bush.' ' He soon found it a 

 troublesome weed ! 



All that came before was as nothing to the wonder and glory of 

 the Gardens. We forgot we were hot and tired as we passed from one 

 surprise to another. To see cloves in bunches on trees, or crunch them 

 unfittingly under our feet, nutmegs with their apricot looking husks 

 split open shewing the crimson mace wrapped round the nutmeg itself, 

 cinnamon with its spicy bark, coffee trees full of fruit and many other 

 things we had seen only in spice boxes or shop windowa ! 



The Botanist (Mr. Prestoe) went round with us, kindly explaining 

 everything. The greatest surprise of all was when seeing something on 

 the ground like a cannon-ball I asked what it was. ;< Oh ! that's a Brazil 

 nut,' he said, " or as you know they have many nuts in that hard shell, I 

 will have it broken." He did, and the marvel of seeing how the nuts were 

 packed inside took away all power of speech. I still think it one of the 

 most wonderful things in nature and love to show it to strangers. 



We also tasted a mangosteen, which had fruited for the first time 

 in Trinidad. I cannot describe its exquisite flavour. It was a great 

 pleasure to see in the flow^er garden so many -home favourites. No 

 wonder we got back to the hotel in the dark, very tired and late for 

 dinner. 



It was well there was so much to interest us, for there were many 

 disillusions. True, the income was larger, but it did not take long to 

 realise that a dollar in Trinidad was not worth more than a shilling was 

 in England. The free house was there, a terribly delapidated " little 

 wooden hut," free also to huge tarantulas and other spiders, roaches, 

 lizards and occasionally snakes. 



But the large garden, ah ! there was no disappointment there. Our 

 predecessor had planted in and round it all that was good for food, only 

 1 was so lamentably ignorant of how to use it. I learnt principally from 

 the old women who came to sell eggs, fowls and farine. But how they 

 laughed at my attempts and the names they called " la pauvre Madame 

 Anglaise." '"'Imbecile was the mildest and most frequent, but what ! 



