of the Boiling Spring. The gas I presume to be carburetted hydrogen.

The wood became the next object of our inspection, and while threading its many mazes, we saw and admired the fine trees and beautiful plants it contains. Miss D. was good enough to call our attention to a beautiful specimen of the tree-fern (cyathea arborea) the palm-like stem and leaves of which must have been over twelve feet high. In our perambulations through the wood, and in the course of conversation, Dr. Maycock's botanical work was mentioned. The Flora Barbadensis is certainly useful, as a book of reference for synonyms; but is in some respects defective, inasmuch as there are many indigenous plants, and these too, not unfrequently met with, which have no place in the work.

"The author," observed Seagrave, "was no doubt much indebted to the labours of Dr. Collyns for his catalogue of native plants, although in the introduction to the Flora Barbadensis, the doctor's name occurs only in a note! Dr. Collyns, however, deserved more honourable allusion, for he was a man of great research, particularly in his botanical pursuits; and I

recollect to have once seen some valuable papers of his on botanical subjects, as well as a large collection of dried specimens of native and other plants, upon which he seemed to have bestowed much pains in collecting and preserving."

The doctor's remains lie in the Quaker's burial ground near Speights; for he was a member of the Society of Friends. A plain white marble slab marks the spot and informs the reader of his epitaph, that

BENJAMIN COLLYNS,

Died April 26, 1826,

Aged 68 years.

A poetical effusion follows, and eulogizes his merits as a "son of genius" and a botanist; but as it is not a very creditable composition, I refrain from inserting it here.

CHAPTER VII.

The East Coast-Barbados Tar-Reminiscences of the Coast -The Duel-Round Rock-Melancholy occurrence of Drowning-Cole's Cave.

THE east, or windward coast of the island, is inaccessible to vessels, the sea rolling in upon the sandy shore over a rocky bottom in long and curling breakers, which create a constant and stunning noise, often heard during rough weather at great distances in the interior, while the spray rises in thin veil-like clouds, and sails away as a vapour through the adjacent valleys of Scotland. The atmosphere, too, besides being loaded with the sea spray, is highly impregnated with a bituminous odour, which found to be an exhalation from the petroleum, Barbados, or green tar, as it is here commonly called. This bituminous liquid exudes from the clay masses or strata about the hills in this region, and is either deposited on the surface of natural pools of water, or collected in holes'

dug for the express purpose of procuring the tar, which is used internally and externally as an antispasmodic, and given to both man and beast it usurps likewise the place of oil in the lamps of many of the boiling houses in Scotland.

We cantered our horses lightly along the shore, keeping as near the wash of the water as possible, in order to have the benefit of the firm sand, as well as to avoid the danger of the quicksands, which are frequently met with on this coast, and stopping occasionally for a moment or two, as my companion would point out to me some spot that recalled to his memory any incident or story of which it happened to have been the scene. These stoppages were by no means unfrequent; for the Scotland coast is pregnant with recollections of an interesting nature; and some of these, no doubt, sad and painful to many persons now living.

Near the base of Greenhill-I think it is Greenhill--there lies a large flat stone, or rather a reddish argillaceous flake of the hill itself, which at some period has fallen from its side: this marks the place where occurred a duel of so startling a nature, from the peculiar circum

stances that led to the fatal transaction, that our readers unacquainted with the details, may probably feel an interest in its recital. The story is by no means uninstructive, and inculcates a moral of much import. For the sake of better distinguishing the parties, as well as for the obvious reason of omitting, or rather of concealing names, Charles and George are here substituted for those of the real actors, who figured in the tragic drama I am about to relate.

There are men, who seem to experience no greater gratification than when some individual sensitive to ridicule is presented them, against whom they may point their shafts of personal satire and wit. The more the butt of their ridicule is pained and his feelings outraged― the more he winces under the galling remark, or evinces displeasure at the practical joke—the higher is the enjoyment of the tormentor. Regardless of the feelings of the sufferer, and reckless of the consequences that may probably ensue from this indulgence of his humour, he thinks only of gratifying his own selfish display of wit. That there should exist in our nature this propensity to pain, and to inflict on another