noon
From every habitation that I passed I had pressing invitations to enter and refresh myself . These I declined . At length I arrived at a beautiful wood , evidently under the care of man ; for the different trees were so arranged , as to produce a romantic effect . The shade that the lofty mahogany-trees afforded was very grateful , for it was now a little after noon ; and in this grove I paced slowly up and down , nursing my pride with all manner of conceits . At length , in the distance , and much below where I stood , I heard voices in violent altercation ; among which the '' ` vast heavings , '' `` blow me tights , '' `` a stopper over all , '' with other such nautical expletives , were predominant . I broke from my cover , and found myself immediately on a slope , before a very respectable habitation , nearly surrounded by boiling-houses , and other out-buildings necessary to a sugar and coffee plantation . The group before me consisted of a small , energetic , old , and white-haired Frenchman , neatly dressed in a complete suit of nankeen with his broad-brimmed straw hat submissively in his hand , speaking all manner of fair and unintelligible French words to two Jacks , not of my ship , between which two , now pulled this way , now plucked that , was a timid and beautiful girl , of about fifteen years of age .