Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: II TRINIDAD green slopes of Tobago, where -- the shipwreck of the real Alexander Selkirk inspired the " Robinson Crusoe" of Defoe, have been left behind in the dark mists of the Caribbean. Ahead lies a shadowy range of mountain peaks, growing every moment more clear as the dawn lights up their densely wooded sides and outlines the trees that crown their crests. A rush of crimson heralds the sun. The hills to the east slowly separate as the steamer forges on, and a narrow strait, the Dragon's Mouth, opens out. In the distance, to starboard, stretch Venezuela and the South American mainland. The 50 island of Trinidad, now close at hand, lies to port. The dazzling brilliance of the tropic sunrise sows the dark sea with glittering flame points. We go always nearer to the land. Suddenly a narrow passage, the Boco de Monos, appears, bending sharply to the left. Into it the " Marrowijne" turns. Through this channel the tidal current sweeps with a force that has piled many a ship upon the impending cliffs. The red-bearded Dutch captain and the first officer keep anxious watch, one on each side of the bridge. The crew stand alert at their stations. Gaunt black crags pierced by wave- hewn caverns, festooned with vines which droop to the water's edge, threaten on either hand. Madame Tetteron's Tooth, a jagged rock, rises close to the channel. Multitudes of birds swarm out from the little island to the right and surroundthe ship with raucous cries. A pelican, resting on the water, takes alarm, awkwardly rises a stone's-throw distant, and flaps heavily away. A few moments and we are through the strait and into the placid calm of the projected bay. The ocean swells sink into ripples; the tension of the crew standing at their stations slackens into the relief of a voyage virtua...