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Show 7fi DOMINICA· been in other hands, and had been falling into de-cay- almost t l1 e on 1y tight place on the property b'lboes Now, under freedom and being these very ' · . . . f B 11 t the estate was rapidly 1mprovmg, the care o e 0 • the pro d uce o f 1't ha' d increase.d £200 per cent. and the b1. 1 1 Joes were t n rned into a pt.g sty ! Who can deny that h ere was a delightful proof of the advantage and efficiency of freedom ? After partaking of needful refreshme.nt, we foll~~ved l · ·o·td to •t higher elevatwn, and VISited t 1e tnountaJn t ' ' ' . l t t also in the hands of a colored planter, anot 1er cs a e, w h ere we .,t g,.1 1•11 found the laborers working well. Several of the people gathered around us, and a woman who could speak English came forward on behalf of the company, to beg for a school. ",We are h ungry for a school' " said she, "w.e are tmd o f wa1' t'm b"' "''o r it ·" Nor were these tdle words; for the people on this and a neighboring property had agreed to subscribe eight dollars per month m part payment of a teacher. Nothing indeed can be more eager, than the desire of the neg:oes of Dom.lnica for education-they seem determmed to obtam it; and it is gratifying to know that the efforts now making for the purpose are at once considerable ~nd successful. There are nearly 700 scholars in the f~ur Mico schools, which are ably conducted, and, bcmg quite clear of any peculiar religious bias, are accept· able to the whole population. George Clark, the laborious and exemplary minister of the parish ch;':ch at Roseau, has four schoo Is un de i. 1li ·S car e · lhe Methodists have five mission establishments;l017 members of. thei. r chore h , amI e 1e ven sc 11 00] s ' besides DOMINICA. 77 two held only on the First day of the week. Thus the cause of Christian instruction is now making rapid progress, and will, I hope, ere very long, pervade this island, as it docs Antigua. The quantity of provisions raised in Dominica, is stated, in a late official report, to have increased 50 per cent. in the year 18:3!). The soil makes generous repayment for a little cultmc; and, as we rode along, the fi·uitful provision grounds, either of the independent settlers, or of free laborers on the estates, met our eye in every direction. The oranges, and other kindred fruits, are peculiarly fine, and we shaH not soon forget the refreshment of some ripe and juicy "forbidden fmit," which a nrgro shook from his tree, and kindly bestowed upon us, in the comsc of our mountain ride. On our return home, we overtook a peasant with an agouti in his hands. It is a small, hairy animal, which seems to unite the natures of the pig and the rabbit. We bought it, and our "Methodist mother" afterwards cooked it for our breakfast. The zoology of Dominica is quite interesting. The wild boar is found in the woods ; a species of boa constrictor is also met with, and not unfrequently pays a fatal visit to the ponltry-yard. Parroqueets are numerous, and several kinds of humming birds abound. Immense numbers of land crabs, at certain seasons, afford excellent food for all who take the trouble of catching them. The same may be said of 'the crapeaus, very large frogs, which frequent the pure, running waters, and are, as we can testify, an excellent article of diet -the meat tasting like that of a chicken. But it is |
