4. ST. JAGO—CAPE DE VERD ISLANDS. [Cuap. L 
inhabitants. The black children, completely naked, and looking 
very wretched, were carrying bundles of firewood half‘as big as 
their own bodies. 
Near Fuentes we saw a large flock of guinea-fowl—probably 
fifty or sixty in number. They were extremely wary, and could 
not be approached. ‘They avoided us, like partridges on a rainy 
day in September, running with their heads cocked up; and if 
_ pursued, they readily took to the wing. 
The scenery of St. Domingo possesses a beauty totally unex- 
pected, from the prevalent gloomy character of the rest of the 
island. The village is situated at the bottom of a valley, bounded 
by lofty and jagged walls of stratified lava. The black rocks 
afford a most striking contrast with the bright green vegetation, 
which follows the banks of a little stream of clear water. It 
happened to bea grand feast-day, and the village was full of 
people. On our return we overtook a party of about twenty 
young black girls, dressed in excellent taste; their black skins 
and snow-white linen being set off by coloured turbans and large 
shawls. As soon as we approached near, they suddenly all 
turned round, and covering the path with their shawls, sung with 
great energy a wild song, beating time with their hands upon 
their legs. We threw them some vintéms, which were received 
with screams of laughter, and we left them redoubling the noise 
of their song. 
One morning the view was singularly clear ; the distant moun- 
tains being projected with the sharpest outline, on a heavy bank 
of dark blue clouds. Judging from the appearance, and from 
similar cases in England, I supposed that the air was saturated 
with moisture. The fact, however, turned out quite the con- 
trary. The hygrometer gave a difference of 29°6 degrees, 
between the temperature of the air, and the point at which dew 
was precipitated. This difference was nearly double that which 
I had observed on the previous mornings. This unusual degree 
of atmospheric dryness was accompanied by continual flashes of 
eee Is it oe tienes case, thus to find a re- 
markable deere a 
sae re gree or aerial transparency with such a state of 
Generally the atmosphere is hazy ; and this is caused by the 
falling of impalpably fine dust, which was found to have slightly 
