Once ashore on the “nature island” of Dominica, we boarded coaches for our trip to Morne Diabolotin (the “Devil Mountain,” at 4775 feet), which the Amer-Indians called Waitikubuli (“the woman whose body is so long”). The natives saw the forest as a nurturing female, while the French colonials saw it as a threatening force. We passed small farms growing coffee, citrus, twelve species of bananas, yams, dasheen (a type of taro), nutmeg, papaya, and corn. The rain forest averages 200 inches of rain each year — and we must have had 5 inches in just the hour we were there! The canopy was so dense one could not see the sky.
After lunch, we visited the 18th-century Fort Shirley. Though it never saw actions against the French, this was the site of the first mutiny of the African 8th Indian Regiment who revolted in April of 1782 because of the unjust behavior of the governor Andrew Cochrane. At its height the fort housed 700 enlisted English troops. Dr. Lenox Honeychurch, who is personally responsible for restoring the fort, led us on our trek through the grounds.
Our final stop was Purple Turtle Beach for our introduction to snorkeling; here the sand is almost black because Portsmouth is volcanic.
