XII 
A BEAUTIFUL VIEW 
157 
It was too tempting a night to go to bed, and we 
sat in airy costumes listening to the roar of invisible 
breakers as they broke on the long line of coral reef, 
and I drank cocoa-nut milk, and, unmindful of night- 
mare, ate the nut itself afterwards. While the nuts 
are young and green they are soft and can be eaten 
with a spoon. How soundly we both slept ! Even 
Snap had nothing to grumble at, and did not, as he 
usually does, whine softly to himself. 
We were awakened at six next morning, when a 
buxom maiden came up the hill with gourds of water 
for our baths. I had mine in a very primitive dish. 
The sun had just risen, but the landscape was still 
drowned in vapours, while the heavens above were 
roofed with a sapphire blue ; as the mists rolled away 
the view each moment grew more beautiful, and how 
often I wished that some fairy godmother, by reason of 
her wand, could have wafted you to me. Each leaf 
sparkled with dewdrops, the sea without a ripple lightly 
spreading over shallow sands was of that peculiar shade of 
green that is only seen in tropical waters. 
The coast-line was fringed with cocoa-nut trees. In 
front of us was a species of india-rubber, a large tree 
with dense green foliage and a long plum-coloured fruit 
which the natives cut into strips and dry, and from 
which they make a splendid crimson dye. Beside it 
was a flame tree, one blaze of scarlet blossoms. Beyond 
that again stands a tree with the whole trunk and 
branches clothed with masses of white flowers. Out of 
the hot, moist ground I could almost fancy I saw the 
plants grow, all nature seemed to revel in the exquisite 
beauty that she unfolded in never-ending blooms of 
brightest hues and vivid contrasts. Dusky figures of 
women were busily going to and fro, under the bright 
green foliage, carrying water in yellow and brown 
