The Creoles of the country are a poor degenerate race, and die out in the fourth generation.

It is only by intermarriage with Europeans, and continual supplies of emigrants from Europe, that the white population is kept up.
On the morning of our departure we climbed a high lull of limestone, covered in places with patches of a limestone-breccia, cemented with sandstone, and filling the cavities in the rock.

All over the hill we found doubly refracting Iceland-spar in quantities.

Euphorbias, in Europe mere shrubs, were here smooth-limbed trees, with large flowers.
From the top of the hill, the character of the savannahs was well displayed.

Every water-course could be traced by its narrow line of deep green forest, contrasting with the scantier vegetation of the rest of the plain.
As we steamed out of the river, rows of brilliant red flamingos were standing in the shallow water, fishing, and here and there a pelican with his ungainly beak.