The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-04-08

eAIracIS ol Some Vi the tnlnSS ne saw Wnlle
the party were in Jamaica:
A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY.
On Monday morning our Consul, Mr.. T.
II. Pearne, in cooperation with Mr.. Ralph
Nunes, the Vice Consul invited Mr.. Wade,
Professor White, Frederick Douglass, and
Messrs. Hit and Conard, and your CORES
pondent, to take a drive in the country.
On reaching the Office Of the Consul we
found two open barouches, with liveried
drivers, in waiting for us, and were soon
speeding our way beyond the city through
succession of elegant country seats, or,
as they are here called, opens" The
fencing was nearly all hedges Of penguin
cactus, from five to eight feet high, planted
so close, in straight rows, that squirrel
could scarcely pass through them. The
entrances were of stone or brick, and the
gates of iron, carriage drive lined with
palm trees leading to the dwellings. The
passing view showed everywhere the
brightest ornamentation of the surrounding
grounds, with flowers, rare shrubs and
fountains. Each seemed to be a charmed
spot, arrayed in all the glory of perpetual
tropical verdure; the flowers intertwined
with orange trees, blazing with the luscious
fruit, whilst plantains, bananas and cocoa
palms met the eye on every side. Arbors
laden with grapes and Towering vines were
artistically arranged, adding beauty to the
scene, whilst fountains of sparkling water
threw their sprays into the air.
VISIT TO PRESIDENT GEFFRARD.
Our first stopping place was at the coun-
try residence of ex-President Geffrard, of
Hayti, who, although he may be termed
decidedly black with a snow white head,
received US with all the calm and dignity
of the most polished gentleman. 1t was
the first private residence we had entered
upon the island, and we were somewhat
surprised at the rich elegance of the furni-
ture, paintings, and general adornment of
the interior. The floors were of polished
red wood. In the centre of the drawing
room Turkish mat was spread, upon
which was large Carrara marble centre
table, in jet and guilt, which correspondent
with the remainder of the furniture of the
room. The tables were laden with rich
and rare articles Of rertu, such as would
have been highly priced even in such col
lection as that possessed by Senator Sum-
ner. On the walls, intermixed with family
portraits, were a number of fine oil paint
ings. Rich lace curtains festooned the
windows, and, take it all in all, few gentle
mems residences III the most civilized sec
tions of the world could present a better
combination of all that was beautiful to
the eye or pleasing to the senses. Like all
tropical residences, it was large and spaci-
Gus, with broad halls and lofty ceilings,
but as much as we admired it at the time,
the opens" that we subsequently visited
threw it entirely in the shade.
The veteran President received us at the
door, and escorted us to the drawing room,
and subsequently answered the Commits
sioners number of questions relative to
the Haytien boundary. During the con-
versation Mrs. Geffrard entered the room
and was introduced to the party. She is
quite large woman, very nearly white,
and very lady-like in her manners. She
withdrew in few minutes, and the daugh-
ter, aged about twenty years, entered
bowed gracefully and quietly ritired. She
is so nearly white that it would require
South Carolinan to discover the trace of
negro blood in her veins. In form, feature,
and carriage she is regarded by Mr.. Wade
as the handsomest woman he met on the
island, and she certainly did in this brief
glimpse, strike the eye as beautiful and
graceful in the extreme. She was arrayed
in pure white, without an effort at orna-
mentation.
VISIT TO MoNEH.
After leaving President Geffrard's we
drove about eight miles through thriving
sugar plantations, on each of which was an
elegant mansion, surrounded by spacious
and highly ornamented gardens and no.
where was there any evidenc of the Grace
degenerating into unthrift." We finally
reached Moneh," the open" or country
seat of Mr. Lewis Verley, brigh mulatto,
who once vended oranges from basket in
the streets of Kingston, subsequently he
started a small bakery, and is now the pro-
proprietor of six sugar plantations, one of
which, on which he resides, is Moneh
We were met at the door by servant in
livery, and invited to enter passing up
flight of stone steps to the lattice verandah,
which always surrounds tropical dwell
ing. We found the whole of this floor of
the mansion divided off into parlors and
drawing rooms, and Mr.. Verley not being
at home we took the liberty of strolling
through and examining the rich and rare
furniture, fine painting, and engravings,
and the articles of rertu which graced the
tables. and gave some idea of a cultivated
taste on the part of the proprietor. A free
current of air and light passed through
the room from the windows on every side,
and from the windows on two sides of the
house elegant flower gardens opened to
the view, with fountains cooling the air by
lHelF spray. ole Oh IneSC gardens was
arranged in small flower beds, the walks
being made of minute white and black
pebbles set in cement, and worked into
diamonds and flowers, in close imitation
of the mosaic pavement Of ancient Rome.
The effect was most pleasing, and gave the
place and its surroundings quite charm
ing aspect.
From the residence we drove to the
nearest sugar mill, about mile distant,
and found it in full blast, wagons momen-
tarily arriving from the fields, each pro-
PEELED by six cows or oxen, loaded with
fresh-cut cane. A crushing mill driven by
water, caused steady stream of saccharine
juice to flow to the pans, and the boiling
process was going on with great vigor,
being kept up night and day during the
cutting season. The molasses is all made
into the famous Jamaica rum, the amount
turned out this season by the distillery
attached to the sugar mill amounting to
two hundred puncheons. However, there
is nothing new about sugar plantation or