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THE ISLAND OF DOMINICA
As most white men have to ride a great deal, it is of the greatest importance to take one or two pairs of pigskin puttees of the best quality. They are invaluable for protecting one’s legs, either in the forest or when climbing mountains, and may save broken limbs. Boots should be strong and watertight, and one pair at least should be shooting boots, with tackets in the soles and heels. Another thing that it is better to bring from the Old Country is a good pony saddle, which is likely to be in constant use. It is doubtful if it is worth while to bring a gun, unless for natural history purposes. SUNSTROKE is so seldom experienced in the island that ordinary straw or felt hats with good broad brims are sufficient in most cases, but a pith sun-hat may be used with advantage.
WASHING
It is one of the blots upon the good name of Dominica that all laundry work should be so badly done. Sometimes your clothes come back from the laundress dirtier than when they go away, and most new garments are disgracefully destroyed—at least that was my experience. I suspect there are no proper wash-houses, and that all garments, whether white or coloured, are merely rinsed out in the river, thumped against a stone to their ruin, and then laid out upon the gravel and mud to dry. As to starching, the less said the better, but I may remark that if the colour of one’s linen was of no consequence, and it was requisite that your shirt fronts should be turned into something as hard as millboard, then the laundresses of Dominica might,