New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
KINGsIEY's CHRISTMAS IN THE WEST
INDIES

n
vst 10 the tropics was, for many years, a cher
hhed dream of the imaginative author of this vol
ume, hut il not until the December of 1869 that
be was enabled to carry his wish into execution.
Everything was presented in the most brilliant
eolors to his poets heart. The novelty and wonder
Of the natural scenes filed him with deep en-
Ausiasm. The strange aspects of social life with
which he came in contact were perpetual surprise.
He thus describes his emotions upon FIRST LANDING at
st. Thomass
As we leaned on shore on that white sand what feel
gs passed through the heart Of at least one OF rs VINO
hast are best perhaps ief untold here But II must be
confessed that had stood for two minutes staring
at the green wall opposite asonlSinent soon SWAT
iowed up for the time, all other emotions As9nIsh-
mont not at the vast size OF anytng ior oe so was
few nants or trees were flower but at the wonderful
v,ety the very length Of the young and still growing
sho0ts was wonder We tried, at first IN yaln 10 TX
aur ewes on some dominant or typical form, Whe
every form was camoIing, as il were, to be looked a.
and fresh Dryad gazea out OF every ou, anu . Win
& vjng along the sand in straight shoots thirty
feet long and growing longer, We fancied, While we
looked at H. with largo bobed green leaves at every
sS t ar dc Fez fn What we ew at once for the
grape" We had fanced il and correctlyl 10 be mere
low bushy with rOundish leaves But What push
with dropping boughs, aIched over and through eGn
other shoots already six feet long, leaves as s d" So o
hand shining like dark yeIveta erHsPn o9 ae ta
each, and tiled over each other moIle4tsu, as We
WOuld IN that 1a~llOn Wucu gives us
pecular soidty and richness Of light and shade TO the
foliage Of an Old sycamore aud among theSe n0Dle
sAeoIs ana nCole ~ cTe "pes This shore-grape
which the West IndiaT7 esteem as we might bTaIn6le
broad-leafod plant which we had ever seen. Then We
admired the Frangpan tai ana almost leaHess SrHo
flowers which have the fragrance peculiar 10 certain
white blossoms 10 the iesslmine, the tnberose, the
grange the Gardenia the nght-Aowering Cereus then
the Clc and AOes; then the first coconut. with its
last years pale yellow, its leaves deep green
and It's trunk ringing when struck like metal then the
sensitive plants then creeping lanes OF dozen differ
OF little swamp of foul brown water hacked up by the
sandornsb WITH trees N EYER sagg OF 8eG If b
spidcr-legged M0ngrOves rose on suited roots; We
s:de, and picked up-1md. alas wreck, everywhere
wreck-sheis-Od friends in the cabinets at home-as
prlckly Pinue "Noahsarks " in abundance great
stTomb their lips and outer shell broken away, dis
CLOSING the within and looking on the rough
beach pitlfuly Jder and fesh-lke; Jumps and frlg
nents OF coral lhnueioe ISuS Llama ~ IN ' So enV
secondary strata and then fastened board the boat
md from the woods on shore chorus Of frogs had com,
menced ohatterIng quaeklng squealng, WmstLng, not
"a cease till sunrise.
The luxuriance of tropical vegetation furnishes
hin with a subject for many striking pictures
from which we select description OF the interior Of
Trinidad:
Turn my chair and look into the wcedy den. The
ground on the opposite slope sl0pes are you must
true mountansl is covered WITH Grass IKE tal rye
grass which, introduced from Africa has spread over the
whole West Indies. Dark little COolie prisoners, one
gentle young fellow, with soft beseechng eyes, and
foon printed on the back Of his shirt cutting
for the horses under the guard OF muatto turnkey,
s rTo@ along tine ho tteT aetaSe pne
apples in the open air and low green tree Just IKE an
apple, which is GuaVa and tai STICK, thirty feet
high with fiat top OF gigantic curly hoTse-enestnat
them In the mountains round, but most Of them dead
from the drOuth and fires of last year. Beyond
It, again is "a roundheaded tree looking Ike huge Por
tgal laurel covered with racemes Of purple buds. That
e. an Angelim !" when ful[grown one of the finest
in the world And what are those at the top of the
brow rising out OF the rich green scrub Verify again.
we are in the Tropics. They palms, doubtless,
thirty feet high each, with here and there Young one
springing like gigantic crowL Of malefern The old
ones have straight S&y stems IitSn plGE enough ana
ing down featherng round the top crclng plume
these are not cocos The Last years leaves Of the
rich yellow aud IT'S stem Is cured These are gToo
the Tropics, and as thing of beauty and joy for
For it is 10Y forever sight be forgotten to
have once palms, breaking through and, IL wcre
defy,ne the soft rounded forms of the broadeaved
etaon by the stern grace Of their simple lines the i'm
movable pjllar-stem looking the more 1nmoyable be-
eath IN. oss aud lash aud flicker OF the long leaves
fhev awake out of their sunlt sleep, ana rage tmpa-
tjenty Tor while before the mountain gusts, and fan
asleep again. Like Greek statue IN luxurious draw
Inc rdoul sharp cut, cold virginia.; shamng, by tho
grandeur Of mere form, the voluptuousness of mere
Color however rich and HARMONIOUS; 30 stands the
!oSS'eedd. 'r' '''''' - "
His rortraitures of animal life are no less'vivid
making the reader IdluuldI Wlln every variety Ol
strange beast bird, and insect, that haunt the
dant spaces OF the prolific cline. Here is an account
of the domestic visitors which freely give you their
company in the house:
One look round al the smaller wild animals and fOw-
ers Butterflies swarm round OF every hue Beetles,
SSont Ines and Tsts as they do at home. But the
wasp and bees. black and brown, are innumerable
That huge efeolbluc armor, booming straight at
you-wlOl some Que compared TO the Lord Mayors
man u arlIOr turned into cherub and broken loose
knaf0 n of
mo- ABLY WOOD bogCr, whose work you may read IN
az Woods Homes without Hands" That long black
war, commonly called Jack SpaniaTd, builds penslle
fapeT nests under every roof and shed. Watch, now
fh more delicate brown wasp, probably one OF the Pc
Iopoi Of whom have read IN Ar. GOsse Naturalist
Hhe has made uBder shelf mad nest OF three long
cei4 AID filed them one by one with small spiders and
Tho ~ Which, WI Matched Is 10 feed on Them
One hundred and eight spiders we nave counted IN Sill
Gle nest ac s; and the wasp, much OF the shape
A. the Jack Spanaru, but smaller, works. unlike him.
sloc az ~ least OF Is with her husbands help The long
pOt or panel aud always edded 20 ana entered FROM
below with q joyful hum she files back 10 II all day
ION with her pellets al mud, and spreads them out with
her mouth INTO pointed arcu"s one u on tHe 0Jner'
fnat a side o. the arch out OF each lee ana sing
ng low bat cLcery over her WORK. as h9 wViAs aoWh
wall. sLe parts of The tube OF e most WIN HOIi@Ohu
moo of liner aud harder mud, aud inside each story
place some spiders. ana among tieih he precious
egg egrs, when is 10 ieed on tielh "ion ~ ~
y.s'. u the spiders gone aud the cavity tlcd tahd,
strange . say. exactly f.cD by brO"HcQaled WASP.
pupa, cnycOped u Inc skcA sLOud ~ Ihc o.,iDo t
beOw perhaI,s, we shall lEd the grub iuI'Er0wh ano
finishing his SPIDER and 20 Oh, dOWn FIX OF eigi
stories TN the lowest holds nothing but spiders 1achtu
close but not yet acd up. These spiders, De IcelD
knows exactly where pierce them with her sting, sOas
90 stnp not 70 kiIl Jast as The sand%a s oi our
ba - b"Ht stdcy no l9isS "ec!!a WHICH 'heJ s'VIo
- Ebeii burrows IA food tey Their grubs.