Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 46.djvu/96

86 to a half dozen of these "suckers" clinging to them. When a barbed spine became imbedded in the flesh it produced a sore unless removed at once, and it was usually necessary to cut it out in order to remove it. The phosphatic soil and hot sun seemed peculiarly fitted to its growth, and it formed the principal vegetation of the eastern slope. Ordinary domesticated plants of the temperate zone rushed to a speedy maturity under the same conditions.

The remainder of our stay was spent in collecting and preparing specimens of the phosphate, and also of the plants and animals. The negroes brought us many lizards and some big land crabs, and were especially requested to procure us some centipeds and an iguana which were said to be occasionally seen among the rocks. They failed, however, to bring us any during our stay, though subsequently an iguana was sent to Prof. Hitchcock by Captain H.

The glorious Fourth came while we were there, and Captain H favored us in the evening with a display of signal fires and rockets. The compliment was highly appreciated by us, and also by the workmen, who sent up a vigorous shout from their quarters below as each rocket went off.

On Sunday morning, after breakfast, the workmen were summoned by the bell to meet in front of the house and answer to their names. In order to have better control over his men. Captain H had devised the arrangement of dividing a man's weekly wages into seven portions instead of six, and obliging him to report at roll call on Sunday or forfeit his weekly earnings. This method put them on their good behavior during this day as well as the others, whereas they had previously claimed Sunday as their own in which to do as they pleased. It was an interesting sight to see the line of black faces, varying in intelligence from refinement to brutishness. The foremen and skilled workmen were dressed in neat white shirts and trousers, serge or linen coats, and polished shoes, and had bright, strong features. Nearly all the men had changed their working garb of shirt and overalls for clean shirts and trousers, and had their usually bare feet covered with shoes, to which they seemed painfully unaccustomed.

As the roll was called I was astonished to hear the names Michael and Patrick coupled with Sweeny and Burke, names very familiar to my ears, but there responded to by men with shining, ebony faces. On inquiry I learned that these men belonged in Montserrat, which was settled over a century ago by Irish refugees, whose family names had descended through their slaves to these miners.

The men were mostly procured from Montserrat and St. Martin's, and were engaged for a term of three months, at the