Excepting From These Points, The
Scene Is Extremely Limited; Following The Level Pathways,
On Each Hand, Only Glimpses Into The Wooded Valleys Below
Can Be Obtained.
The houses I may add, and especially the
sacred edifices, are built in a peculiar and rather fantastic
style of architecture.
They are all whitewashed; so that
when illumined by the brilliant sun of midday, and as seen
against the pale blue sky of the horizon, they stand out more
like shadows than real buildings.
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.
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