, 1872-04-10

his northern winter, apart from the per-
haps secret influence prevailing in al! our
minds of a desire to remain within the bor-
ders of ones own country.
The trade between the States and Santa
Cruz was formerly very large, and the
communication for tourists was frequent
and good. Philadelphia had at one time
the control Of the trade from this island
but where is it now? Steam has ~revoIu-
tlonlzed the ordinary mode of travel in the
West ladies' as well as elsewhere. But
two or three smiling packets leaving New
York are prepared to accommodate pas
sengers, when formerly the owners sought
to gill their cabins. 1t was our good for
tune that Our arrangements last autumn
conceded with the sailing from New York
Of the good and comfortable bark "Carib,''
Captaiu Townsend, Of which we avail our
selves. We paid penalty for starting some
what early in the season by e%ncountering
much stormy weather and many head
winds, which Iengthened ont our voyage
to fifteen days. The quickest and most
certain mode as to time of reaching the
island is by the Brazil steamers, than which
there are no better differed vessels on the
sea, which, leaving New York on the 23rd
OF every month now, and soon, I am in
formed, to leave fortnightIy, which will
bring one In six days or less to St. Thomas,
and thence by steamer direct to Bassia
(ChristianSted) or West Eud (FrederIksted)
In four or five hours. One need not land
In st. Thomas, although if DESTROYS of do
ing so there will be found a good hotel in
the town. IfOne has no motive to spend any
time at that busting and active seaport he
can be transshipped from the one steamer
to the other. Responsible parties in Santa
Cruz have undertaken to maintain this
steam communication between the two is
lands, and their new steamer may be look
ed for here about the end Of this month.
Thirty to forty years ago Santa Cruz
was the principal resort of Northern inva-
lids, compelled to avoid the cold blasts of
their winters, and the coming of three or
four hundred Americans every autumn, for
many successive seasons, was hailed with
satisfaction by the hospitable islanders,
Now, it is quite different, and in the whole
island we may not find a hundred Ameri-
cans wintering here. And yet Nature be-
slows the same attractions, and promises
the same benefits as those of former years.
The great equabillty of the temperature
may be considered to be the source of the
greatest benefit to the invalid. Granting
an early, pure atmosphere, as we know it
at home, what greater charm can one ina
CINE, who has been wearied and broken by
sickness, than 10 AVE such weather con-
tinuously for six or seven months? No
great changes of the temperature are here
known, as may often be the case in even
our extreme Southern States, and which
prove the cause of much danger too often
to the invalid. The thermometer will
range, from the middle of November to
about April first, from about seventy-six to
eighty-two degrees, and during the month
of April the average will not reach eighty
five degrees, and this is so slight an increase
that the Northerner may remain on the is
land until the middle of May or the first of
june without the slightest discomfort, and
then return direct to his home with no fear
Of contracting colds. This is quite differ
ent from our Southern spring seasons, as,
for instance, in Florida the latter part of
March and all the month of April become
so warm as to compel the Northerner to
seek thus early a more bracing climate,
who does not want to lose the benefit of
his winter stay there, aud yet is fearful of