Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-04-18
THE WEST INDIES.
ST. THoMAS-PoRT-AU-PRINcE-THE
 BEAUTIES OF JAMAICA.
Picturesque Hills and Mountains of En- chanting Besuty-Dirt and Degrada- tion of the People Of Kingston
 Rich Tropical Vegetation
Kingston Cor. New York Sun.

Kingston Cor. New York Sun
 The hills of SL Thomas are not st striking as those of some other islands il the West Indies. but they are still suffi ciently picturesque. and the situation O the town is quite peculiar IL is built oI three low hills which lie side by side alon. the waters edge. Behind them is tht higher range which runs through th, island The three hills are SO steep thal you see each house distinctly as it mount. above it's neighbors; and at night, wheI they are lit up. the three glittering pyra mids have fairy like effect
 We left St Thomas on Monday after noon. and early an Tuesday morning wer, sailing past the sshores of Hayti Wher We came on deck We had reached thI western coast Its mountains were higher than any we had previously seen. and the range more continuous and sleeper toward the sen. About midday We came to | Ort au- Prince. and very impressive was the sail up the noble bay on which it stands. The appearance of Hayti IS so full of charms. and her natural resources, accord ing to the guide books. so rich and varied. one can not help wondering that the white race should have indulged the cruelty and stupidity which caused it to fall into the hands of an inferior people
 Although the beauty of the approach to Port au-f frince can scarcely be surpassed. the appearance of the place itself is most urattractive A few boats put out from il 10 bring some passengers On board: one brought oranges and bananas IT sale. a dilalidated lighter took some boxes ashore, passengers and boatmen being all alike Iet black. and all their appointments alike inadequate and wretched. Having left boxes and mail, we started again for Ja- maiCa and watched the mountains Of Hayti grow dim behind us with vague regret
 shr next morning early we were in sight 0f the equally beautiful mountains ol Jamscia. still higher and of finer out lines than those of Hayti This whole re- sion is certainly the chosen abode of beauty. lt IS a constant surprise feel the warmth and delicious sOftness ot the air. Co see the brilliant sky. and 10 watch the succession of ve-dUre clad noun tains on these eXquisitely picturesque isl andS. which are perpetlally caresSed by the restless sea on whose bosom they are set. lt is a painful surprise. though tO see that such enchanting natural lOvcll- ness has become the home of such an unsat- D isfactOry phase of human life The ship comes D anchor before the town of Kings ton. landing at the foot of plain which slopes downward from the magnificent hills 10 a blue and shining seq.
 As soon as you disembark you find the streets filthy. lined with wretched novels and poorly built houses. the black inhab- itan s. dirty. with torn clothes. loungins along the streets. yet laughing and con f.r svt h. af d Tar,r...Fa ton Even the white people who have lived here long seem 10 have become affected with the prevailing spirit or to be unable to cope with 1t. for they are con tented to have such disorder aroun' them as they never would have submitted to in their native countries. No one expects to have orders exactly carried out or any thing done at the time set At the best hOte universally SO considered, the food Is wretch the tablccloth dirty, the com pany extremely mixed. and the walters seem 10 get along as well as they can without brains. The whole appearance of the city and it's inhabitants is depressing You wonder if such a fOrlOrn condition of affairs is the necessary result of life in hot climate, or whether it may be owing to errors of gov ernment or Co the reputed exhaustion of the soil of Jamaica. and consequent decay of the islands prosperity, or even to the enormous prepOnderance of the black race. For here. as in the other islands white faces are the exception; the mass of the population are black. with certain proportion of colored people. as those of mixed blood are called. On the whole island by the last census. there were fl, 432 whites, 1O9, g+5 colored people, nd IA. lS6 blacks Whatever the cause may he. the result is repellent. and the aspect of humanity here does all it can C offset the attractiveness of the land.
 But that attraCtiveness, at any rate in the winter season. is wonderfully great After few days at the best hotel. we de- cided that. in order tO spend winter in Jamaica with any comfort. it would be necessary to keep house. and so went to look as furnished houses in the mOuntaino back of kingston. To do his We had first 10 drive to the foothills. and then go on horseback over the narrow bridle paths which led to the summit of the mountains We wound about through the mountdin gorses. thickl~ planted with broad leaved bananas and occasional orange groves Perched above them on the steep sides we saw solitary negro huts. matched with palm, with sides woven of rude wicker wO~l-
 I bad read SO often of travellers who felt a thrill of delight at the flrst sight of tropical vegetation that had cvme 10 dis trust them, and was amazed 10 find that there really was something Il filing in the sight of even such mildly tropical vegetation as we saw that day. There were myriads of hibiscus tubs with glowing scarlet blossoms. piIlasettias waved across the way like red flags pur. pie passion flowers twincd along the path. and strange orchids and ferns nodded from its sides Long. tain cacti Craw!cO over the rocks like green snakes. and near them grew immense clusters of pink begonia. which the boy with II, called rock bush. It Was no. that the vegetation, least in the part of the mountains which we raverscd. wa- den>cr or finer than in some damp nor Icru forest. or the flowers more plentiful Tut that they were either new or that such az We arc aCCus- toned Co see cherished l hO IOuses here grow wild. After Ia~sing for two hours through scenery Ct the widest and most picturesque beauty Te finally rcacL Inc summit. where the view was superb The mountains below us looked ike an angry ocean. and beyond them we saw Kingston harbor and the Caribbean sea h spite of all tine practical drawbacks to living here. it is quite a mistaken theory that either an artlst or botlnist has com pleted his education if he has not been 70 Jamaica
 Teaching Out We,t.