Such Are The Elements Of The Scenery, But It Is A Hopeless
Attempt To Paint The General Effect.
Learned naturalists
describe these scenes of the tropics by naming a multitude of
objects, and mentioning some characteristic feature of each.
To a learned traveller this possibly may communicate some
definite ideas:
But who else from seeing a plant in an herbarium
can imagine its appearance when growing in its native
soil? Who from seeing choice plants in a hothouse, can
magnify some into the dimensions of forest trees, and crowd
others into an entangled jungle? Who when examining in
the cabinet of the entomologist the gay exotic butterflies,
and singular cicadas, will associate with these lifeless
objects, the ceaseless harsh music of the latter, and the
lazy flight of the former, - the sure accompaniments of the
still, glowing noon-day of the tropics? It is when the sun has
attained its greatest height, that such scenes should be
viewed: then the dense splendid foliage of the mango hides
the ground with its darkest shade, whilst the upper branches
are rendered from the profusion of light of the most brilliant
green. In the temperate zones the case is different - the
vegetation there is not so dark or so rich, and hence the
rays of the declining sun, tinged of a red, purple, or bright
yellow color, add most to the beauties of those climes.
When quietly walking along the shady pathways, and admiring
each successive view, I wished to find language to
express my ideas. Epithet after epithet was found too weak
to convey to those who have not visited the intertropical
regions, the sensation of delight which the mind experiences.
I have said that the plants in a hothouse fail to communicate
a just idea of the vegetation, yet I must recur to it. The land
is one great wild, untidy, luxuriant hothouse, made by
Nature for herself, but taken possession of by man, who has
studded it with gay houses and formal gardens. How great
would be the desire in every admirer of nature to behold,
if such were possible, the scenery of another planet! yet
to every person in Europe, it may be truly said, that at
the distance of only a few degrees from his native soil, the
glories of another world are opened to him. In my last
walk I stopped again and again to gaze on these beauties, and
endeavoured to fix in my mind for ever, an impression which
at the time I knew sooner or later must fail. The form of the
orange-tree, the cocoa-nut, the palm, the mango, the tree-fern,
the banana, will remain clear and separate; but the
thousand beauties which unite these into one perfect scene
must fade away: yet they will leave, like a tale heard in
childhood, a picture full of indistinct, but most beautiful
figures.
August 6th. - In the afternoon we stood out to sea, with
the intention of making a direct course to the Cape de Verd
Islands.
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