CLOVE GROUNDS. 



20 



with the rounded contours of the girl-negress, 

 and the brown-red tint age of its warm skin 

 showed through its gauzy attire of green. And 

 over all bent lovingly a dome of glowing azure, 

 reflecting its splendours upon the nether world, 

 whilst every feature was hazy and mellow, as if 

 viewed through ' woven air,' and not through 

 vulgar atmosphere. Most of my countrymen 

 find monotony in these Claude-Lorraine skies, 

 with the pigment and glazing on. I remember 

 how in Sincl they used to bless the storm-cloud, 

 and stand joyously to be drenched in the rain 

 which rarely falls in that leather- coloured land. 

 Zanzibar, however, must be seen on one of her 

 own fine days : like Eernanclo Po and Eio de 

 J aneiro, the beauty can look c ugly ' enough 

 when she pleases. 



As we drew nearer and vision became more 

 distinct, we found as many questions for the 

 pilot as did Vasco da Gama of old. Those prim 

 plantations which, from the offing, resembled 

 Italian avenues of oranges, the tea-gardens of 

 China, the vines of romantic Provence, the 

 coffee plantations of the Brazil, or the orange- 

 yards of Paraguay, were the celebrated clove- 

 grounds, and the largest, streaking the central 

 uplands, were crown property. We distinctly felt 



