CHAPTER XLVIII.
DEMERARA, TRINIDAD, BARBADOES, AND ST. LUCIA.
From Venezuela to Demerara. The Hotels of Georgetown, Demerara. The United States Consul at Georgetown. A Visit to a Coffee Plantation. A Cooly murders his Wife. Excitement in the Streets of Georgetown. The Products of Demerara. Fort Spain, Trinidad. A very dirty Town. Bridgetown, Barbadoes. Having a good Time among old Friends. A Drive to Speightstown. St. Lucia. The old Homestead. Reminiscences of Childhood. The Past, the Present, and the Future. The Family Burying-ground.
HE schooner Isabel, in which I sailed for Demerara, had a rather unsavory cargo in the shape of cattle ; but being an experienced traveller, and accustomed to roughing it, I did not permit myself to be annoyed by my surroundings; and as the weather was fine, I greatly enjoyed this brief cruise along the tropical South American coast.
There were two lady passengers besides myself, whose companionship I found very agreeable; and I had with me a number of pets, whose capers and gambols afforded all on board much amusement. These pets were two monkeys, a young South American tiger, two parrots, and a dozen paroquets. One of the monkeys was named Bob Lee, while the tiger was called Joe Johnston. One of our chief diversions was to get up contests between these animals over their meals. The monkey, being of more mature age and of superior cunning, almost invariably got the better of his antagonist, although the tiger would make a good fight. This tiger was very tame and very gentle, and he liked nothing better than to be taken in my lap and petted.
On landing at Georgetown, we were beset by negroes, offering us sapadillos for sale; but, disregarding them, I bade adieu to my travelling companions, and went to the Prince of Wales Hotel, and asked for accommodation. The sapadillo, I may remark here, is a small fruit, shaped something like a pear;
553
