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VOYAGE TO
judging from these specimens, are very ill constructed for the purposes of health in such a climate. Most of the vessels we have seen have been sloops bringing supplies of cattle and mules from Porto Rico to the French and English islands. Barbados is the only considerable English colony which raises provi sions and stock enough for its own consumption and for export ; and to this its superior prosperity is main ly owing. St. Lucia and most of the other islands, notwithstanding their boundless fertility, are depend ent to a deplorable extent on imported supplies ; so that one or two successive seasons of short crops and low prices of produce occasion a general depression ; as the out-goings of the planters are large and con stant. 16th.—Martinique is in sight of St. Lucia. We passed the celebrated Diamond rock about sunset. This morning when we came on deck, we were in full view of the beautiful bay and town of St. Pierre. Martinique is one of the finest of the lesser Antilles. Its mountains are higher than those of St. Lucia, and it possesses also a considerable extent of fine table land, which, with the sides of the ravines, and every accessible and many apparently inaccessible spots, is brought into cultivation. We could distinguish seve ral very numerous gangs of negros at work in the cane fields. The town of St. Pierre has an aspect of com fort and opulence. A line of tamarind trees runs along the beach. The streets are built in two or three long ranges parallel with the shore. They are shaded by the height of the houses, and kept cool by a stream of water perpetually gurgling down a stone channel in the centre. The town is abundantly supplied with this luxurious element. It is built on a narrow strip