The eye and the fancy strain vainly into the green abysses, and wander up and down over the wealth of depths and heights, compared with which European parks and woodlands are but paltry scrub and shaugh.

No books are needed to tell that.

The eye discovers it for itself, even before it has learnt to judge of the great size of the vegetation, from the endless variety of form and colour.

For the islands, though green intensely, are not of one, but of every conceivable green, or rather of hues ranging from pale yellow through all greens into cobalt blue; and as the wind stirs the leaves, and sweeps the lights and shadows over hill and glen, all is ever-changing, iridescent, like a peacock's neck; till the whole island, from peak to shore, seems some glorious jewel--an emerald with tints of sapphire and topaz, hanging between blue sea and white surf below, and blue sky and white cloud above.
If the reader fancies that I exaggerate, let him go and see.

Let him lie for one hour off the Rosseau at Dominica.