the vast Conorrhee Hills on our left; whofe fpiring tops then touched the Clouds, and feemed to rife to that height in an almoft perpendicular Line. 9. Next Morning we bufied ourselves with an agreeable Diverfion, viz. catching a good Dish of Cray-fishes out of Chianne River (or more properly speaking Brook, it being not above four or five yards wide, and shallow, but wondrous clear and limpid,) which we poisoned with green Tobacco pounded, and mixed with unslacked Lime. N. B. We have no River Cray-Fishes at Nevis, Antigua, or Montferrat. The Poison was fo strong, that several of the Cray-fishes actually crept out of the Water to fhun it, which I own furprized me not a little; but my Friend affured me, that it was a common thing. We afterwards dined upon them (with several other more fubftantial Dishes) under the fhade of a spreading Tamarind-tree, enjoying with the highest gust the cool Breezes that blew from off the Sea, which was there, scarce a mile from us. Clofe by were fome Calabash-trees, that served to make a fmall Grove. The Calabash-tree is full as big and as spreading as a large Apple-tree: The Fruit is pretty near the size of a man's Head, round like a Boy's Marble, and of no use but for Punch Bowls, after the infide (which is not eatable) is carefully scooped out, when it is almost as thin and light as the thickest Brown Paper: I fent your University one of them along with my Shells. Spoons, Bowls, and other Utenfils for Slaves to eat out of are made of them, as I hear, at Barbadoes. 10. I went the following Day to the next Parish on a Visit to another Acquaintance who lived about a quarter of a Mile or better from the Sea Shore, on the fide of the great Mountain, which just there rose up very gradually; and after a fhort Pause, I found that it (as well as our Nevis Mountain) did in a good measure refemble Milton's Description of the lofty Hill which served as a mound to Paradife; vid. book iv. line 131. So on he fares, and to the border comes Now nearer, crowns with her Enclosure green, Cedar, and Pine, and Firr, and branching Palm, Of ftatelieft view. Yet higher than their tops Which to our general Sire gave profpect large 11. Now in order to prove this resemblance, I must acquaint you, that very early the next Morning we mounted our Horses, and rode up to the Wood Sides, that are above a mile distant from the Sea Sands; where we alighted just as Phabus in his bright Car fprung forth out of Thetis's Lap to gild the Mountain Sides with his welcome Beams, being ten of us in number, viz. four White Men and fix Negroes, well armed with Pistols and Cutlaffes to defend us in case of need, against run-away Slaves. 12. Being stripped to our Waftecoats, our Afcent thorough the thick Woods (which swarm with wild Monkies who venture down in the dark Night to steal Potatoes and other Provifions with so much cunning or craft as to give rise to several strange incredible Stories about them;) our Afcent I say, from being more gradual, soon became very steep indeed, and I took notice that the higher we travelled up, the steeper it was; and not only fo, for the large Trees began to dwindle and grow fhorter. Some time before we had passed by the last of these Trees, we entered among the Clouds, which felt raw and cold, not unlike to an English Fog in a Winter's Morning. 13. From C 2 13. From these Woods quite to the top (that is to fay, the space of almost half a mile) were no Trees at all, and very rarely a Bush, the Ground being fo moist and wond'rous floping that it would bear nothing better than wild Pines, and other fuch unprofitable Plants, or Weeds: By the term wild Pines, I mean a fort of Anana alias Pine-Apple-Plants that never bear Fruit. We were now in the thickest of the Clouds, and the Wind blowing somewhat fresh, it took off my Hat, which was however foon retaken by a nimble and as I thought, venturesome Black Fellow. Somewhat higher up we discovered at a little distance a Hut that undoubtedly belonged to some run-away Negroes; there was a small Gut or Gully between it and us, but to speak truth we were too weary to go out of our way to vifit it. We could plainly discern a few Foot-steps of some cloven-hoofed Beafts, and gueffed them to be young Heifers that had been ftolen, and drove thither by the run-away Negroes; though by the by let me tell you, I can by no means conceive how Heifers could poffibly clamber up a Precipice, where we ourselves were very hard put to it to afcend for steepness, even by helping up each other: In short, there must be some other and much easier way for them to clamber up, though unknown to us. 14. After 14. After having refted us about two or three times from the Woodfide where we quitted our horses, we at last with fatigue enough arrived at the top. Many clouds were at least half a mile beneath our feet then, and as soon as they blew away, was opened to us a lovely view of the lower Woods, Plantations, Houses, and Gardens; besides an unbounded Profpect of the Atlantick Ocean, and the English Island of St. Bartholomew at a great distance. The top was a small Plain not three hundred yards wide, that befides long deadifh coloured Grafs, produced nothing at all but here and there a diminutive Bush, whose Boughs we found upon trial to be wondrous brittle and inclining to Rottennefs, and having its Leaves of a dull and faded green; all of which was no doubt occafioned by the Inclemency of Air, and Coldness (and of course Badness) of Soil in that upper Region. Upon the other fide of this top (which we could not for a reason given in Paragraph 17. come at in our journey up that fide of the Mountain) may be distinctly seen in a clear day the Islands of Nevis, Montferrat, Euftachia, and Saba, which had almost made me conceit myself feated upon that fuppofed Hill of Eden whereon Adam had a vifionary view of the whole Earth as described book 11. line 385. His eye might there command whereever flood |