310 DESCRIPTION OF ST. MICHAEL'S. 



then anchored off the town^ or rather city of St. 

 Felippe, which has a very pretty appearance 

 from the sea, the houses and churches all being 

 built of stone, and whitewashed, with red tiled 

 roofs. The land being high, gave us a full view of 

 all the cultivated spots separated by stone walls, 

 having all the appearance of a coloured map, 

 from their different tints of verdure ; on nearing 

 these walls on shore, they have a gloomy appear- 

 ance, which is rendered very striking by the 

 want of timber. This island, although only 

 thirty-five miles long, and in many places not 

 more than eight broad, contains eighty thousand 

 inhabitants. It appears, while passing along it, 

 one mass of cultivation, not a spot to be seen 

 but what is walled in for that purpose. The city 

 contains about tv/enty thousand inhabitants, and 

 I should imagine it must be a very healthy place 

 to live in. I ascertained that the temperature 

 was seldom above 84** or below 60*". 



Remaining here only sixteen hours, gave me 

 no time for observation. The peculiarity of the 



