all other English towns in the colonies, contains nothing worth looking at!" It is built upon uneven ground, and some of the streets are so steep as to render the descent in a carriage impracticable. One tolerably good inn was found here: but the rainy season prevented any excursions. The harbour affords good anchorage to a number of ships; but it is open to the west.

The islands called the Virgin Gordas are the most barren in the whole West Indian archipelago, but they nevertheless exhibit some strange and romantic scenery. No name, it is observed, could be more appropriate than that of "The Fallen City," given to some rocks here. The general aspect of the Virgin Gordas is black; but there is a vast series of white rocks upon them, arranged with such regularity in ridges, as to exhibit to the eye a resemblance of streets, squares, and ruined buildings. The passage between these islands to Tortola is extremely narrow, having on one side a rock which, at a distance, exhibits a figure resembling a sphere, whence it has obtained the name of the round rock. Tortola is among the least interesting of the Leeward Islands; its surface appears black and naked. But though the exterior of the town was unpromising, the hospitality of the inhabitants was found such, that all the houses of the merchants were converted into taverns, just before the sailing of the convoy for England, where no introduction was requisite, nor any compensation thought of. A huge bowl of punch, holding two or three gallons, stood all the forenoon upon the sideboard, with a number of tumblers about it. Any person walking in may help himself, and no question is asked.

The town of St. John, in the island of Antigua, is more regular and handsome than any of the English towns in these islands, and the island itself is the most considerable, being of much greater extent than Bar

badoes, and is highly cultivated. To arrive at Marie Gallante, it is sometimes necessary to pass through the channel between the island of Guadaloupe and the little island of Petit Terre, an appendage to the former. This is a flat sandy soil, covered with wood, having a fresh-water lake in the middle of it, with plenty of fish. Marie Gallante much resembles Barbadoes, and is of nearly the same dimensions. This island has many beauties of landscape. The hills, though not very high, abound in wood and rich foliage; the ascent is in general easy, and a verdant plain of some extent is generally found on their summits The ravines, though in a state of nature, present all the striking features which in Europe are produced by art. Some of these ravines would vie with any in the Alps in their sharp and rugged sides; they also abound with fruit-trees, which grow without culture, particularly the lemon, a species of Seville orange, the mammy-apple, the custard-apple, the soursop, sappadrille, and the guava.

Most of the ravines, after entering them from the bottom, branch off in various directions. Their bottoms are covered with a verdant carpet which may vie with any park in Britain, and form the most delightful rides imaginable. Sometimes the amphitheatre overhead begins to contract by degrees, till two horses abreast can no longer gain admittance. The ripe guava now and then leaves the mark of its exuberant pulp upon your clothes, or even upon your face. The road becoming steeper, yon emerge unexpectedly into daylight, and again feel the full benefit or the refreshing breeze. Towards the north end of this island, the prospect becomes more diversified; the hills exhibiting a variety of romantic forms, whilst many extensive tracts appear in all the rude majesty of nature, unadorned by the hands of man. Here are some families, said to be the remnant of the aboriginal Caribbees. These people are or a dark cop

per-colour, with long black hair, flat faces, and a countenance most hideous; filthy in their persons, and nearly naked; they did not understand the common negro French, of course very little information respecting their origin could be obtained, only that some families of them lived in the highest hills in the uncultivated parts of the northern district. Another race here seem to be a mixture of Caribbean, African, and French, and are handsomer than any descended on either side from Africans, and are besides much fairer in complexion than those of any other mixture. A lake in the northern part of Marie Gallante is called Lagoon; this appears to have been formed by a number of ravines emptying themselves into one valley. This, after meandering over a space of eight or ten miles, approaches within twenty or thirty yards of the sea, near the bay of St. Louis, from which it is separated by a bed of sand, which the inhabitants occasionally cut open in order to allow a free passage to the waters. A more beautiful sheet of water than this is seldom seen: it abounds with fine prawns, &c. Unfortunately, the inhabitants are more exposed to agues than those of any other island.

To the west of Marie Gallante is Guadaloupe, and nearly opposite the town of Grandbourg appears the volcano called by the French, Souffriere. From its point, the highest in Guadaloupe, the smoke is continually issuing; and in the night, especially in the hurricane season, a luminous vapour is seen to rise, The same mountain, in the rainy season, exhibits a number of considerable cascades.

The loftier mountains of Dominique appear on the southern side covered with verdure. In rainy weather they are, of course, enveloped in clouds; they are supposed to be the highest mountains in the Antilles, and afford shelter to a few Caribs and Maroon negroes, so that this unfortunate race is not yet quite extinct, as is generally supposed in Europe.