centre. Soon after we go ashore in a _dug out_. propelled by Kru boys to
the town of Banana, which is built on this sandy peninsula and is thus
guarded by sharks on one side and crocodiles on the other. We land at a
wooden pier used chiefly for loading canoes. On each side are
magnificent palms, some being more than fifty feet high and all bearing
many cocoa nuts at this season about half ripe. These palms are not
indigenous, but flourish here. The main highway of Banana is a path of
clean yellow sand about ten feet wide, shaded by an avenue of these
palms and crosses at intervals small tidal streams by rustic wooden
bridges. Many tropical trees and shrubs grow on each side of the avenue,
and in the bright sunshine the whole forms a very beautiful picture. It
is unfortunate that the effect reminds one somewhat forcibly of a
transformation scene of a pantomime and thus appears artificial although
in reality, it is absolutely natural. The resemblance is still further
strengthened by the numerous ladies of the ballet who leisurely stroll
along clothed in nature's ebony black. No one seems to know the origin
of the name of the town, for the Banana palm is not found here at all.

At the extreme end of the point, and extending inwards for several
hundred yards, are the grounds of the Dutch Trading Company, which has
been established here for more than fifty years and ships many of the
products of the country. The wooden sheds painted white are very
picturesque amid the vivid green foliage. Beyond this area is the house
of Dr. Carre, the Commissaire of the District of Banana, which like all
the other houses in the town is raised on piles above the level of the
sand, for the double purpose of ensuring a current of air beneath and of
keeping it dry when the peninsula is flooded. It faces the sea and
behind is a small garden in which are many meteorological instruments.
Among these are an anemometer slowly revolving in the light air, maximum
and minimum bulbs in the shade, on the ground and beneath it, a most