, 1884-09-06

0th) had got the place CledTeu, where inc
guns are to be, and had planted them, and
that on the 9th Of said month, after
Divine Service, His Maiesty's Flag was
hoisted on the point q. of that land &c.
in consequence of which we congratulate
you...... not doubling, that we in your
next shall receive further information OF
formal possession, i'll which the French
according to the Contract have to place lis
by Surrendpring to us this island and vindi-
eating us i'll possession of it.'-There is
here enough both 10 give lis the real date
of occupation and to remind lis of the
stately ceremony which followed"
If we 90 back in imagination to the date
when His Majesty's Flag was first hOiSted
in this island we have to conceive Of Il very
different state of things from what now
exists. To paint the ceremony with any
resemblance to the actual scene would
require not only a skiltul pencil but also
an intimate acquaintance with the history
of costume and Of military matters. The
flag and its staff certainly would resemble
what would be used now, but the guns
which we are told were planted on the
ground would differ considerably from
modern pieces, the uniforms would be
different, and the dress ofthe civil officers
would probably bring Il smile to the lips
Ol lIc llIDtlCI lS IO VII NC III ~ lhO
Governors reception to-day only the
Pastor, who had just concluded Divine
Service, would he dressed like his success
sOrs of the present time. The Governors
reception to day would doubtless appear
equally strange to that small knot of
gentlemen assembled around the flag at
Point c., could they only bring themselves
back for a while to the island which on that
occasion doubtless excited their interest,
their hopes and their fears.
Since Columbus had discovered and
named Santa Cruz in 1903, two hundred
and forty years had passed without any
great use being made OF the place. In the
earlier years after the discovery the
SpaniardS were too much occupied with
c0lonizing the larger islands to pay any
attention to st. CrOiX, and for one hun
dred and thirty years it lay in the cOndi-
ton in which it was found by the great
discOverer. During the next 20 years or
so it was occupied by small Dutch and
English colonies, against whom the
SpaniardS, however, more than once
violently asserted their claim. In 1860
the French Governor of st. C~hriStophpr's
took possession Of the island, and after
Furnishing for a short time under the
French it sank again, till in 1888, when it
was bought by the Danish Crown, it
appears to have had only 500 or 600
inhabitants. The object Of the purchase
was to assist the West India Company,
which had been founded i'll Copenhagen
in 1911, and had col0nized the islands Of
st. Thomas and st. John; and the
delay in taking possession is said to
have arisen from a slave instruction in
st. John. Governor Moth and the officers
who assisted him were not surrounded by
very pleasing prospects. AS there were
only about 500 inhabitants in all, the area
cultivated must have been very limited,
and the greater part of the island must
have been either in its primitive
state or grown over with bush since
the abandonment of their estates by
the French planters. However, the new
government set about improving matters,
and the island gradually increased i'll pros
perity till nearly all the available land was
under cultivation either in sugar, or cotton
or tobacco, and the population increased
forty fold. OF late years st. Cr0iX has
seen a great falling off in population and
in general prosperity. 1t has, like all the
West Indian islands, felt the disturbing
influences of emancipation and latterly OF
the beet root competition. There IS
nothing, however, in the present position
of st. Croix which should lead us to fear
that it is worse placed than the other small
islands in these seas, and of whatever hope
there is for the sugar cane industry i'll these
islands In general, we in st. CrOiX may rea-
sonably lay claim to a share. May
our best hopes be justified and the
:11o.,I hn FouOI Qo,~;oI;,~ -, ,oOy,x- c,1nnao-