New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-06
ST. THOMAS.

ST. THOMAS w l., Thursday, Dec. L., 1855
IfyOu are having your customary December weather
il may the maginaons Of your readers, parttcu
ary in the country costly ensconsed by their cheer
full evening fires from the blasts which abroad, they
take up The Daily Tribune from their loophoe oil re-
treat to look at the world 10 hear word from one who
has tried them recently, concerning the strange con
tTasts that await who leaves your shores az TINS
season and comes to the West Indian tropics No ex
perences to which Dame Nature subjects her children
bewilder like these, which meets in the sudden
transition, az this OF the year. rom the temper
ate TO the tOrrd One is constantly fam to doubt
bis personal identity, difficult is It to retain sense
of it, The decisive premont0ns OF winter one has ex-
perenced the sere and falling, and fallen leaf seem
mystery like remembered dream-a halucinstion-
and the of the year to be all at once turned oack
TO midsummer.
Two or three days only of good sailing from yonr
City brings one into and most agreeable breezes
The heavy Oyereoat which hardly sufced for your com
fort as YOU left the coast presently becomes hrst un
necessary then oppressive Each succeeding day shows
the increasing power of these changes in the style of
the wearing apparel until all jndicious fears and tho
sense of the ncOngruity OF thin clothing IN winter are
reluctantly overcome and one dos the garments OF
chill ATTITUDES dOns full summer rig and comes iorts
as to q bright June gala day.
As we entered the caribbean Sea butterflies dsp0red
along our decks and humming bind. from the yirgiH
Isles dimly seen along the distant horizon, blurred
awhile over our ship and then glanced away TO battle
\n his native perfumes.
Here everything wears the appearance Of midsummer
All vegetation is green and OF lts kind luxurant WA
and cultivated flowers all sides meet the eye and per-
ume the breeze The thermometer rises in the middle
of the day to between so and 90 The people are in
the thinnest kind of summer clothes while some Oh ho
native coOred population can scarcely boast what mhs
be an apology for clothing The evening air IL hiied
with summer noises as I sit writing by my open win
dow the chrp of the cricket the note OF the treeoad
the barking of dogs the laughing talking Jabberng AMI
tramping Of people in the streets.
n. .tKxyh aah
The appearance OF the Virgin Islands, Oh when
oroup ST. Thomas il second in size Santa Cruz being
6rst is unique and interesting. They are but masses
of precipitous mountain ridges rising abruptly from
the sea Seen from the SOmbrero or Eastern Passage
through which into these waters, and AZ as
lance of from thirty to forty miles their highest pons
only being visible they resemble what We may imagine
the appearance of long line Of camels and dromeds-
ries trayersng the desert AS approach them more
nearly and sail along the base OF ruia 81 johns,
and ST. Thomas, they present rough conhguratlon-
an outline of sharp peaks, rising from zen 70 nipeen
hundred feet sharply deneated against the say inc
sides steep almost to perpendicusrty, or swelling OUT
into ridges sending down spurs to the very watef WIN
deep rayines and beautiful sayannnhs between Inc
whole is covered with thick mass OF short yegetaton
too dense to conceal the rocks, there are any AMI
too stuDted to appear the product Of human culture
This ia Of quite peculiar yerdure In the morning
twilight in Which first beheld 1t, and IN broad DAY
LIGHT il looked as though these long mountain
ranges were thrown covering OF hight green veiVe'
and gracefully draped down tneI goyer ncto anu
by the effect Of the light gradually shading into deeper
! hue. q,
! The town of St. Thomas, or Charlotte Amalia,
which il its proper Danish designation, is situated ON
The south sde othe island about midway from east tn
west II stands at the head Of most romantic little
harbor securely embraced by mountain ridges OF mod
crate hight extending on either side from the town
around TO the sea- distance Of from a mile TO mile
and half you approach il from the sea- together
with its surroundings, its appearance il altogether
singular and extremely picturesque IL Is built on
three hills parallel and equidstant from one another
which are as many spurs Of the high mountain which
rises directly behind the city. making broad sweep
ing course following the line of the harbor itself he
tween these hills are graceful valleys which are aiss
occupied with dwellings, principally OF the lower
classes The hills furnish airy and commanding SUES
for residences rising they do to an elevation oil go
feet from the sea in greater distance than ono
fourth Of mile The inhabitants seem 10 ahect ongnt
color in painting their houses, yellow with red rocis
being the prevailing color. These contrast very
strangely with the deep green % the mountain oasA
! ground From the harbor the brilliant coiorne, inc
style and arrangement OF the houses reminds one o.
those mimic towns which we see ranged along The
blves Of the toy-shOp, arranged according 70 the
f.ntsstic fancy Of childhood upon the floor OF the mar
seFy. ~ IL 49,.
/ ,bonts propose to furnish you with such news a.
NAV he al importance interest to your readers win
occasional reference to such general topics 40 ma,
go m instruct or auuse them Yours, DC.