Lower casements alone could be opened, so that by far the largest amount of air-spaces in the rooms contained vitiated air, comparatively stagnant."

The agricultural régime in the islands was accordingly kept relatively stagnant as long as Spain preserved her full West Indian domination.

The sky was darker than ever, and though the air was singularly stagnant, I could hear among the uppermost leaves of the tall trees that stealthy rustling that generally precedes a storm.