The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-03-27

I
from our friend and fellow town.man Dr.. VIM.
Torrey Thurston. who Is filing Consular post
in the Island Of St. Christopher, or st. Kits,
~ il is more commonly called. And, a. his
descriptions Of the scenery and natural features
of the Island, and Of its capital Town, are moro
than commonly interesting, 1t has occurred to
me that, with your indulgence, others Of our
fellow citizens might bear with me the pleasure
of reading these descriptions, and at the same
time receive valuable information in regard to
q portion of the world with which we have not
been very familiar. As the communication
was private one, the responsibility ofcommit.
ting 1t to the press is my own, and | think you
will agree with me, that although written with.
out any reference to the public, it we'll deserves
publication. We extract it as follows:
\ Yours, &c. T. Nv.
sr. KRIS. Jan. 3lst, 1856.
at occurred to me that you would not
think ne intrudipg If I should subjec,
you to Eve cent postage; and accord.
inyly determined upon giving you lit
Ito history Of matters and things trans
piring in this Isle Of the Sea-" A gem
Of .he ocean i. is, assure you, viewed
in its natural aspect. Art has not i'm
proved it in its bold mountainous, and
luxuriant valley seeuery-but certainly
the general appearance Of the Island is
not little beautiasd by the picturesque
and fertile condition Of the sugar plan
tations.
This Island Of st. Christopher, when
first discovered by the great Navigator
Columbus, in 1893, presented SO strik-
ing aud captivating an appearance. that
he conferred upon it bis own name -
The aboriginal possessOrs of the Island,
the Charib Indians, called it in their
language, the "bsau.iful land "-the
: Charib term I do net just now rcmen.
Der, though it is familiar to mo.
The center of the Island 10 eocspisd
BY range Of lofty mountains, running
through its entire length, the highest
peak Of which is nearly four thousand
fee. high, ,(3,7lD. On the north and the
south sides of the Island, vegetation
com mmences almost on the margin Of the
sea, and is continued to the very tops
Of the highest peaks; some sugar cane
fields are luxurian,ly growing within a
hundred yards OF tho belt Of sand mark
ling the limit between the fields aud tho
soa. On the southern and eastern
shore, particularly on the former, Oh
which tho principal town, Bassaterre
(my residence, is built, as you approach
the anchorage from tho south, the pros
pect is really most beautiful. The town,
,hough not as handsome and neat as
some Of our New England villages, pos
sesses an attractive appearance 1t looks
(likc most West India towns) much
better from little distance. cannot
say, upon landing and first seeing its
narrow streets and dilapidated building-,
that it is calculated to please or interest
\ stranger; but still in the entirs "tou'
ensemble" there is enough to attract
the attention and keep tho mind oocu-
pied. The town, I was about to say,
built on the very margin Of tho sea-
one Of the business streets being but
about twenty yards from the breaking
surf. nearly embowered in trees, some
Of stately and majestic growth. The
vast Csiba or silk cotton tree, tho Tam.
arinl, tho stately Palm, the tall and
bending Cocoa Nut Tree, and many
others of smaller sizs, the Mango, the
Orange, tho Lemon, the Oleandsr, which
here grows as high as fifteen or twenty
feet, and very pretty tree called the
Sand Box, all toni to make tho towa
lock quite rural. Just back Of the
town. perhaps a quarter Of a mile, tho
sugar cane fields commence, and mp
along the sides Of the mountains, ssve raj
hundred feet above the level of the sea,
the Saccharinc Plant, still present its
waving and cmerald.green beau'iss.--
The valley of Basseterre, viewed from
the anchorage some half mile from
the shore, far surpasscs any description I;
! il is most beautiful; it has the appear
auoe of beautifully laid out garden
The sugar plantation, with their varied
tints, according to the age Of the cane
plant, laid out aud divided into fields,
the marking out Of tho boundaries Of
the different estates BY plants Of what is
called the pride Of India (the Azclia,)