VEGA   REAL.                              291
villages sprang up, the word in its meaning became more
contracted, being applied to the land at or near the place
called La Vega. Now it means aU that level tract lying
between the Monte Cristo range and the Cibao or Cordillera
ranges of mountains, extending west from Samana -to the
Haytian frontier, near Monte Cristo.
In this immense valley are comprised the best agricultural
lands and the principal towns of the island, including
Cotuy, Macoris, La Vega, Mocha, Santiago de los Cabal-
leros, Guayubin, and Monte Cristo, and though there is
abundant tableland, it must not be imagined it is all flat
prairie soil, for even many of the prairies are very rolling
in their nature, while ranges of hills break up the level at
various points. But here to-day in the " Vega," in the
" Cibao," as it is indiscriminately called, is the principal
agricultural wealth of the island ; and though thus far on
our journey we had met with few houses, we began to find,
as we approached the region where the character of the
country changed so much, more signs of cultivation and
habitation.
We had some peculiar experiences of the weather of this
island, for though the day was bright, we were constantly
subjected to a series of showers, none of which lasted over ten
minutes, and then it would be perfectly clear, until we really
all became tired of being fooled so often, and vowed neither
umbrella should be hoisted nor poncho put away. In one
of these pleasant showers the temptation of making a pic-
ture of the Commissioner was too great to be resisted, and it
was deemed so characteristic, that I promised it should form
the subject of my dedication page. Crossing a number of
savannas, we reached at length the banks of the Cevico
river or creek, which we quickly forded, and rode through
a grassy, green avenue lined with palm, cocoa, and banana
trees, into the village of the same name, where we put up
in the usual fashion at the hut of a negro citizen. Cevico
is simply a congregation of thatched huts around an open