CHAPTER VI. 
WEST INDIES AND SOUTH AMERICA, 1906-7. 
Barbados, lat. 13° 5' NT. 
December 18th, 1906. 
There is nothing specially impressive or romantic about the 
appearance of Barbados itself as seen from the sea. But the way in 
which the lusty negro boatmen urged the coal-lighters against the 
Trade-wind was a sight to be seen, as they are fine specimens of 
humanity, and showed to advantage in bending to the great sweeps. 
The Barbadian negro is the best of his kind, and boating seems to 
bring out his best qualities. I had some years before seen something 
of the Bermuda boatmen, and to see was to admire. The negro will 
not put forth his strength without a spur, and such a spur is supplied 
by wind and waves. 
Having breakfasted on flying-fish in the approved fashion, we 
resolved to devote the very short time at our disposal to visiting the 
Belle Estate. It was the end of the rainy season; a shower had 
fallen early that morning. We were told that there had been a 
great deal of rain in November; the Trade-wind was blowing strongly, 
the usual “ Christmas winds ” as the Barbadians call them. A drive 
of 2J miles to the north-east of Bridgetown, through cultivated 
country, where we saw on every hand little save sugar-cane, brought 
us to a small wood and a winding gorge or gully near the estate build¬ 
ings, which could not have been more than 150 or 200 ft. above 
the sea. 
Here I saw my first Neotropical butterflies, but Precis lavinia , 
Cram., and Callidryas eubule , Linn., f. sennae, Linn., might have 
been Oriental forms, lavinia being a characteristic Precis , and Calli¬ 
dryas being extremely closely allied to Catopsilia. Of the former I 
managed to secure two examples, both males, one “ wet,” the other 
“ dry.” The species appeared to be rather common, settling on the 
ground, or very near it, with wings spread out but often flapped. It 
was too windy to judge of orientation. The Brimstone was also 
