177 



in proportion to its limbs, that nothing can be more 

 curious or admirable than the machinery by which it 

 is enabled to fold them up instantly on the slightest 

 alarm. They inhabit the mountains, but regularly 

 once a year travel in large troops down to the sea- 

 side to spawn and change their shells. If I recol- 

 lect right, Goldsmith gives a very full and enter- 

 taining account of this animal, by the name of 

 " the soldier crab." They are seldom used in 

 Jamaica except for soups, which are reckoned de- 

 licious : that which was brought to me was a very 

 small one, the shell being no bigger than a large 

 snail's, although the animal itself, when marching 

 with his house on his back, appears to be above 

 thrice the size ; but I am told that they are fre- 

 quently as large as a man's fist. Mine was found 

 alone in the public road : how it came to be in so 

 solitary a state, I know not, for in general they 

 move in armies, and march towards the sea in a 

 straight line ; I am afraid, by his being found alone, 

 that my soldier must have been a deserter. 



February 14. 

 To-day there was a shower of rain for the first 

 time since my arrival ; indeed, not a drop has 

 fallen since the 16th of November; and in conse- 

 quence my present crop has suffered terribly, and 

 our expectations for next season are still worse. 



N 



