I INTRODUCTION 17 



see (and happily not alone), the West Indies 

 and the Spanish Main. From childhood I 

 had studied their Natural History, their 

 Charts, their Romances ; and now, at last, I 

 was about to compare books with facts, and 

 judge for myself of the reported wonders of 

 the Earthly Paradise." 



No doubt there is much to see everywhere. 

 The Poet and the Naturalist find '■ tropical 

 forests in every square foot of turf." It may 

 even be better, and especially for the more 

 sensitive natures, to live mostly in quiet 

 scenery, among fields and hedgerows, woods 

 and downs ; but it is surely good for every 

 one, from time to time, to refresh and 

 strengthen both mind and body by a spell of 

 Sea air or Mountain beauty. 



On the other hand we are told, and told 

 of course with truth, that though mountains 

 may be the cathedrals of Nature, they are 

 generally remote from centres of population ; 

 that our great cities are grimy, dark, and 

 ugly ; that factories are creeping over several 

 of our counties, blighting them into building 

 ground, replacing trees by chimneys, and 



