136 
Hellard, R.E. This was on the Morne at an elevation of about 800 
feet. 
December 21.—After lunch the АН was good enough to 
ride with me along the main road across the island from Castries to 
Dennery. This road passes aiong high narrow ridges, spurs of the 
central mountain system of the is sland. It dips under the high peak of 
Piton Flor, and then ру descends into the Mabouya valley at 
the back of Devnery. Its highest point of elevation is about 1,200 feet. 
balisier M Numerous species of small ferns clothed the 
anks, also opodium ее and Selaginella PAN tain 
There were large fate: of excellent forest land at the head of the 
Mabouya valley, and cultivation was nu brie spreading in thie direction, 
which, although on the windward side, was ply by the numerous 
ridges extending from the Piton Flor and Sor 
It was evident that in these interior valleys p» land is well suited for 
оок. At present there аге no roads to reach them ad 
projected from the Cul-de-Sac valley into the Mabouya valley, known 
the Goldsworthy Trace, would have opened up one of the most 
fertile portions of the island from coast to coast. ‘This road, unfortu- 
г, was never completed. Cacao is grown in numerous call patches 
in the Mabouya Valley. 
We met parties of peasants carrying half-cured cacao оп their 
heads to Castries, as Kaaro ss no other opportunity offered for dis- 
posing of their produce. A few coffee bushes still lingered in patches 
at high elevations, үе. that the soil and climate were suitable for 
the plant, but apparently that other circumstances of capital and labour 
were not favourable for its extended cultivation. ‘The hot huwid valleys 
of St. Lucia could grow Liberian coffee to almost any extent. 
December 22,—'This morning I started at 5.30 to accompany Mr. 
Chastanet on a ride to the northern portion of the Meu through Choe 
and Union Estates to the Marquis section, This rt of the country is 
almost entirely denuded of forest. The Тай э ker long been in 
cultivation under sugar, but the area is becoming mor “restricted 
than fo ТАШУ and the т are being turned into pasture. ‘The 
sugar industry in St. Lucia has become depressed flrs to over- 
speculation just before the es prices of 1884-86. Much money was 
then lost in connexion ‘with the usines as well as on small estates. Under 
astanet and others who t. Lue ia vail a system of ` 
Credit Foncter similar to that in МА at Mauritius would be the 
means of giving a great impetus to the agricultural pisei of the 
island. The vegetation of the northern portions of St. Lucia, where the 
climate is dry and the soil is т ely poor, differs greatly from 
that met w vith in the central portions. Plants of Furcrea cubensis, 
and these, as well as the Gommier (Bursera gummifera), the white 
Jedar (Tecoma ум and Coccoloba uvifera are sufficiently 
indicative of a smaller rainfall and a diminished fertility of soil. 
e robin to Castries about mid-day, 
