, 1872-04-13

~ ANAS 'OI
and old.
The general plan Of Americans appears
to have been to locate themselves within
the towns, but I see every reason why the
visitor should avoid these and seek lodgings
in the country. The latter has the like ad-
vantages over the former in St. Crolx as
it has elsewhere in the wide world, and,
with the easy access to and fro and the
well-Settled estates, it has few of these dis
advantages, for the society In all parts IS
good and the people are very hospltable
and always ready with q glad welcome tor
the stranger. Houses can be had to rent
furnished for the entire season in town or
in the country, particularly in the latter,
where not few vacant mansions or sugar
estates could be found offering. But, as
housekeeping here is altogether different
from that in the North, mainly owing to
the uniyers Il negro labor and the dlIatory
habits it iuherits from slavery, which the
unwisdom of the Danish labor act Of lS4S
has done much to foster, it would be very
preiudicial to ones entire comfort to IN
dertake it in any form here. Excellent
lodgings can be had either in West End
or Basin, as we'll as on some of the estates,
and to the latter | would decidedly give
the preference iii arranging for a months
residence for in the country will betound
more healthy home, as we'll as greater
recreation. The general rates Of board
and lodging everywhere are $40 (gold) per
week, and horse and carriage hire are quite
moderate in terms. With an abundance of
poultry and tender mutton and good milk,
in addition to the great variety OF whole
some fruits native to the soil, there is no
reason to find fault with the fare spread
before one. But the making OF good but
ter seems forbidden by the climate. The
bread is fine and excellent, and this 'seems
to be a rule without exception throughout
the island. Thereisno production in which
the negro women succeed better than in the
baking Of their good, sweet, and white
bread rolls.
There appear to be no diseases peculiar
TO the island, and the ages to which many
Of the inhabitants attain, white as wei! as
black, attest It's great heaithfulness. Of
course, the stranger cannot omit the ordi-
nary precautions for personal care; one be-
comes easily heated, and in this condition
a cold will surely result from exposure to
draughts in the cold and airy houses. Be-
yond the necessary care in this direction,
and avoiding undue exposure to the night
air, there need be no soIicitude on the part
of the invalid as to what is required on bis
part to prevent sickness.
I should like to describe some of the nat
ural features of this lovely island, but my
attempt to do so would do as little Justice
to the subject as it might faiIin interesting
you. The island lies east aud west and is
about twenty miles long, by a general
width of five miles. The northern half Of
the island presents a succession of beauti.
ful hills, from the SUBMITS of any of which
can be commanded views as extensive as
beautiful of land and sen. Blue Hill rises to
about LOO feet, and is the highest point
of the island. The southern half is mainly
rolling, becoming quite level on the south
ern shore. I must deem the western por-
ton of the island as, probably, the healthi-
est section, and this may be accounted for
partly by the prevailing winds which blow
from the eastward and come over the hills
and cane-felds, thus uniting the merits of
both land and sea air in this section and
strangers will generally prefer this, for