Six months in the West-Indies, in 1825

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DOMINICA.

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principle, but, as I have found, justifiable upon particular occasions. The situation was a clean terrace jutting out from the breast of the mountain which rose to a great height above it. Palm trees stood around, coffee bushes flourished upon the declivities, and cascades of water burst through the close vegetation on the ground too precipitous to be planted. Below lay the valley, the silver waterfall gleamed through an avenue in the hills, and magnificent piles of rocks, sometimes black and bare, sometimes green with countless traceries of creepers, formed the scene right opposite. As I have said before, planters are not poetical; but, my heart! if I possessed this place, methinks while young morning blushed, or high noon slept, or gentle dewy evening made nature think and pause, I would stroll upon my terrace, or sit, three parts recumbent, on one of those old oak chairs with Hastings' coronet on it, and forget the world of strife and penury and pain, till I lapsed into a citizen of the other world of peace and plenty and joy!

Beautiful islands ! where the green Which Nature wears was never seen Neath zone of Europe;—where the hue Of sea and heaven is such a blue, A s England dreams not; where the night Is all irradiate with the light Of stars like moons, which, hung on high, Breathe and quiver in the sky,


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