CHAPTEE XL
' Long on the wave the morning mists reposed,
Then broke, and melting into light, disclosed
Half-circling hills, whose everlasting woods
Sweep with their sable skirts the shadowy floods. '
Samana and the South Coast—Cape Samana—Balandra Head
—The Bay of Samana—Santa Barbara—General Account
of Samana Bay—The Caves of San Lorenzo—Savanna la Mar
—Voyage round the South Coast.
TiAY had hardly broken when, turning out on deck, I
¦*-' found we were just rounding Cape Samana, a bold
high headland with apparently a terraced front, an appear-
ance produced by its being a double cliff, the upper of
which rises a short distance within the summit of the
lower. The face of these cliffs appears steep and gloomy
at this early morning hour, but an occasional gleam of
light shows their general colour to be red, the levels of the
terrace being covered with vegetation.
Although this point is considered as the beginning of
the bay shore, with its other or southern point at Cape
Eafael, a glance at the map will show that Samana Bay
proper begins at the south-eastern point of the peninsula
of Samana known as Balandra Head, of which, as day
fairly opened, we caught our first sight, as also of this
noble bay.