1894
April 7
(No 2)
Trinidad, B.W.I.
Caura to Tacarigua
  The sun had just risen above the mountains
and begun to flood our little world with its cheering
rays when after a hurried breakfast I said goodbye
to Chapman and Lickfold and I mounting our mules
rode down the valley. Its beauty impressed me even
more than when I drove up from Tacarigua four
days ago. Then it was late afternoon with a lowering
sky. Now we had the freshness of early morning and
the contrast of sunlight and shadow. The only
drawback was the lack of time for of course we had
to press steadily on. One should have weeks to spend
along that road, studying and drinking in the
beauties of each stretch of river, or group of palms
or bamboos, or wild mountain side hung with
vines. As it was one succeeded another in rapid
succession until my brain fairly reeled with the
numberless vivid impressions which it tried in
vain to classify and store away for the future.
It was in a way like seeing the whole of Europe
in an hour, if such a thing were possible.
  Lickfold accompanied me for the first four miles
and then turned back leaving me to make the
rest of the distance alone. I reached Tacarigua at
eleven o'clock and took the 11.20 train for Port of Spain.

  During this ride I heard and saw innumerable birds
but nothing of peculiar interest except a Toucan which
was calling steadily near the 2 mile post (2½ miles
up the valley from Tacarigua) and a Cycloris which
took a long broad blade of green grass into the
top of a tree where it doubtless was building its nest.