Henry James, the great novelist of the American expatriate experience, made a ten-month return visit to the United States in 1904-05 and described his impressions in "The American Scene."

In Chapter 14, he describes tourists at Palm Beach traveling "by means of a light perambulator, of 'adult size,' but constructed of wicker-work, and pendent from a bicycle propelled by a robust negro."

And where were they going? To visit a citrus grove -- or, as James calls, it, a "jungle."

For all that ocean, and all those bathing suits, somebody should be getting wet, yes?

I don't know why half of them aren't dying of heatstroke. Especially the men in dark three-piece suits and hats. And in that salty and sandy environment... makes me itch just to look at them.

[It's winter, or thereabouts. - Dave]

The crowd down by the water's edge is looking at something. The only thing we can see are the two guys in the rowboat and a few guys between them and the beach. Was something dangerous happening? Or does Alligator Joe have a new exhibit in the water?

Someone call Horatio Kane - from the looks of the beach strollers, the remains of a homicide victim have been discovered off the boardwalk behind the wall. It's going to take the whole forensics team and trite dialogue to solve this case.

They may not have been permitted on the beach, but at least they got to enjoy the sun and breeze while propping up signs and peddling velocipede-chairs.

Is the person to the left of the umbrella actually wearing a tie in the water? I didn't realize Palm Beach was so dressy back when.