314 
CRUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER, 
palms and sugar-cane, interspersed with native huts, 
each surrounded with its little plantation of bananas 
and other fruit, suggesting the boundless liberality 
of nature. 
During our stay it was a daily treat to stroll along 
the shady streets, and out through, the pleasant 
roads, particularly on Saturdays, which seemed a sort 
of gala day, when the roads were usually thronged 
with natives of both sexes on horseback, riding 
up and down at full gallop, and seeming perfectly 
at home in the saddle — the women even more so than 
the men : they sit astride barefooted, with their 
bright-coloured riding-dresses, like banners, stream- 
ing behind them ; all apparently happy and reck- 
less : their bright eyes flashing, their long black 
hair, encircled with garlands and wreaths of flowers 
— making a gay and graceful spectacle. The men 
looked hardly less attractive, for they had wreaths 
of bright flowers round their hats, and garlands 
around their throats. 
Sometimes a crowd of these careless riders came 
galloping in from the plains, full of fun and laughter, 
accompanied by a lot of blue-jackets on leave from 
the Challenger , rushing on, helter-skelter, upsetting 
everything and everybody they came in contact 
with ; bestriding their horses as they would a topsail- 
yard in a breeze ; hanging on to manes and saddles, 
and evidently enjoying themselves to their heart’s 
content. 
