THE HURRICANE SEASON. 163 
all needful pills and potions, to a most worthy suc- 
cessor, Dr. Nicholls, a young Englishman, full of 
love for his profession and energy in the practice of 
its duties, and with the aged doctor’s botanical pre- 
dilections. These two gentlemen, then, active in 
everything pertaining to the welfare of the island, 
cultured and with scientific tastes, are of inestimable 
value to the inhabitants, and a blessing to strangers. 
Dr. Imray is devoting all his time to the reintroduc- 
tion of coffee into the island. Years ago it was cul- 
tivated to such an extent that it acquired a name and 
reputation ; in the latter part of the last century there 
were over two hundred coffee plantations, giving an 
annual yield of three hundred thousand pounds; but 
with the abolition of slavery its culture languished, 
valuable coffee estates were abandoned, and at pres- 
ent the island does not produce sufficient for its 
own consumption. About forty years ago there 
appeared a blight upon the coffee-plant that ruined 
whole crops and aided in the abandonment of its 
culture. This was in the shape of a coccus, a scale 
insect that fixed itself upon the leaves and buds, 
causing them to shrivel. This undoubtedly came of 
neglect, and increased until it acquired the mastery 
over the entire island. In Guadeloupe they have the 
scale insect, but it has never gained ascendency over 
the planters, as more attention has been paid to the 
trees. Acting upon the theory that the leaf of the 
Mocha variety was too tender to resist the attacks of 
the insect, Dr. Imray has successfully introduced the 
Liberian variety, the epidermis of the leaves being 
thicker and tougher. At the time of my visit he had 
a little plantation of trees about three years old, some 
of which were in flower and bearing. 
