58 
BLUEFIELDS. 
make no small noise ; and the white teeth were per- 
petually shining out in the sable faces, as the merry 
laugh — the negro’s own laugh — rose continually. 
The figures of the women, many of them not ungrace- 
ful, though plump and muscular, were picturesque, 
clad in short gowns of showy colours, and wearing 
the peculiarly set handkerchief for a head-dress, in 
form of a turban, often also of bright hues, though 
in most cases white as snow. They moved about 
amidst the bustle, crowding up to the canoes to stow 
their ware ; tucking up their frocks still higher as 
the depth of water increased, regardless of displaying 
their bronzed legs. At the edge of the water, on 
whose mirror-like surface the mounting sun began to 
pour torridly, the little children sat, sucking cane or 
oranges, while the elder ones played around them, 
helping to augment the noise. 
As I was in no hurry, I quietly waited, enjoying 
the novel scene, until, at last, the canoe being loaded, 
I took my seat in the prow among the garden-stuff, 
and the men launched her into deep water, climbing 
in over her gunwales as she floated. They paddled 
swiftly along ; and as we glided over the reefs and 
shallows, the bottom of the sea in many places was 
distinctly visible. On the snowy coral-sand lay 
hundreds of Echini^ very conspicuous, like great 
black spots ; while here and there a large Star-fish 
of bright orange hue varied the character of the 
spotting. The ripple of the canoe’s motion pre- 
vented clear vision, notwithstanding the calmness of 
the air ; but once or twice I caught sight of other 
objects still more interesting. On later occasions. 
