The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-04
LIFE I'M JAMAICA.
The Decay, Dirt and Degradation of King.
stOn, w. u.
tian faith
fLondon Hpectator.l

lLOndOn SPECTATOR
On either side Of the street, low one-storied
wooden houses line the road; once painted
white, with bright green jalOuses, but new
dingy gray In general hue broken by win
dows Of dull olive blinds. The roofs scarcely
stick on their Wondering beams, the dirty
weeds, and give shelter to spurious vulture
looking birds-the John-crow Or turkey buzz
Yard OF the cOlonsts-and the whole town has
an air Of neglected decay, which seems ten
times more evident through the blinking star
ing sunlight that falls in full force on every
back for many miles in unshaded
hideousness; while in the far background
masses Of hot basking mountains close the
view, their clear-cut peaks Swallowed by no
cool or heecy cloud, but standing out in naked
contour against the blazing sky overhead.
Squalor dust, sunlight in abundance; but no
trees, no birds, no flowers, no scenery-in
short, no tropics, Iput up my white umbrella
and landed on the quay Ragged, half-clad
negroes in tatters and dust stood along the
pathway to the custom house; / passed my
luggage, waiting meanwhile under the fierce
sun; and when tn, the peRpery officer had sat.
isfied himself that l dId not wish 8 to en- cheat
his interchangeable climate and the use OF
capsicums seem to exert q sort Of direct
reactive influence on the human temper
In these Western isles-I turned into the
"omnibuses" were near In numbers. In en-
gagged one for myself and my portmanteau,
and, leaving my heavy goods to follow on
in rckety dray, betOok myself to Colonial
Hall, the leading hostelry OF the metropolis
In which I stood. A Jamaica omnibus is q
unique vehicle after It's kind. The main por-
ton consists Of square box, surmounted by
g. Chinese canopy in American leather, and
stuck upon four wheels by the Intervention OF
some antedliuvian springs. Between the
In llyGr ,ytxy MI
until blow from the butt-end Of the whip
thongs appear to be mere survivals Of q once
useful structure) rouses him for moment
into q furious canter, subsiding Immediately
into the original dead march arc Over un
ways, and diversified by occasional
hollows known under the graphic
title of butter-bowls," the negro
driver jolts his luckless victim with undimin-
ished composure,. observing with grin after
each unusually heavy jump, 'Massa from
Englan' doan't custoned yet to Jamaica
road; dat muffin after massa larn to know
him "a pleasing prediction which massa
shortly recognizes as no more than the truth
to another, past groups OF chattering ne
groes, past long rows Of shabby houses with
no trottoir in front, until at last we draw up
at the broken door and shaky wooden steps
Of Colonial Hall. I am not writing an
account of Jamaica, but merely exposing the
GfeaL tropical allacy, anu SO Will not
try to describe the transcendent horrors Of
that unrivaled house of entertainment.
have Travelled in Spain and J. thought I'M
derstood dirt; but, believe me- I only knew as
yet the first rud1ments of that extensive SUBJ
ject. The floors Of Colonial Hall might have
been converted into a thriving flower gard en-
The servants might have sold their rags to
an enterprising manager as properties" for
Joe Or Oliuer TWist. The loaves of bread
might have been transported entire to the en-
tomological cabinets Of the British Museum.
The whole house might have been indicted for
a nuisance by the righteous Indignation OF
the New Cut will not dwell upon
it, lest I should seem to ezagger-
ate, but will pass on to my after ex-
perienees Of the country at large, so far