St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-02-18
BY REV. F. l.. PIPER.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA, Feb. l, SO.

others whom ] am not personally ac-
quainted with. 1t seems but a few
days ago that | was at home in st.
Johnsbury, though now | find myself
nearly two thousand miles away, and
down in the tropics.
With many regrets Mrs. Piper and
myself left st. Johnsbury, and many
dear friends on Dec. 18th, but with no
thought of ever finding IA prettier
place ar more cOngenial people. In
two years both town and people be-
came endeared to us, aud we assure
the friends who remember us that we
often think and pray for them.
After few weeks spent with friends,
came to New York enrOute for the
West Indies. Accompanied by Mr..
Howard recently from st. JOhnsbury,
| called on Mr.. Sage whose face and
name is so well remembered there.
As he was sick with the humps chose
to send in my regards rather than take
the chances of exposing myself to the
disease. His kind assistant, however,
an old student at st. JOhnsbury, show
ed It's over the rooms and we found it
a spacious, attractive building, which
nnder Mr.. Sage's care gives good prom
Use of being great blessing to this
wicked portion of the city.
On the afternoon of January Goth, |
sailed for Kingston, Jamaica. The
land was covered with snow, the river
filled with ice, and in the chilly even
ing air, took il last look of the land
and turned my face Oceanward. After
five days of watching ocean and sky
on the 25th a view of some of the Ba-
hamas and the east coast of Cuba was
a welcome change. The following af
ternOOn we sighted the mountains of
jamaica, and on the morning of the
9th were at Port Royal.
From this point magnificent view
of the Blue mountain range Is obtain
ed. As an admirer of New Hampshire
scenery it was difficult for me to con-
ceive that this comparatively small
Washington, yet | have splendid
view of the highest peak which rises
1850 feet above the sea and there is
another about 5000 feet high; three
others that are over 5000, and not less
than nine others that are above 5000
feet. The range is simply magnificent
Port Royal is the naval station of
the island and situated on fiat mar
row neck of land, is quite pretty, be-
meath the graceful palms that rear
their tufted heads above the town.
In earthquake history, Port Royal
takes first rank for in 1862 it had IL ter
rible experience. The town was al
most destroyed being nearly swallow
ed up in the terrible CONFUSION. Out
of three thousand houses only two hun
dred were left standing whole streets
were swallowed up in the earth, or
sunk out of sight in the harbOr. For
days the corpses of many of the un-
fortunate people were floating about
the harbor unburied, for the burying
place itself had sunk into the ocean.
Our steamer passed near the spot
where the old church was sunk, and
from which was afterward taken the
old bell which is now to he seen i'll the
Kingston museum.
After brief examination by the
health officers, we proceed on our way
and IL run of six miles brings us to
Kingston. This is a city of some more
than forty thousand inhabita an is,
though one would not think it as the
many palm trees everywhere give
much of the town the appearance of
forest. The wharf reached, our bag
gage inspected, the crowd of wretched
darkies passed, we mount crazy old
wagon and ride away to the Myrtle
Bank. Our first impression of the city
is not pleasant, for its buildings look
ancient and neglected, and the style of
architecture is unexpectedly odd. We
find nearly all colOred people, many
well dressed and tidy, many others
dirty, tattered, and wretched.
The streets are we'll laid out and the
land sloping gently to the sea, one is
struck with the novelty of running
water coming down nearly every
street ; in some of them it runs in the
middle in others on either side next to
the very narrow sidewalk. This is the
only system of drainage which the
city possesses. We learn that in rainy
weather the water comes down from
the mountains and rushes through the
streets making passing quite difficult
for foot people. But this could hardly
discOmmOde most of the inhabitants
for they go barefoot. The majority of
creatures here travelling the streets go
barefoot or scufiing along in the most
dilapidated old shoes Imaginable, aud
nearly every one has IA bundle ON his
head
A strange thing among the cOlOred
female population is their objection to
the term woman" They often feel
insulted if this term is applied to them.
but "persOn," or Creature" is not at
all Objectionable. AS we have watched
some of the specimens we have thought
the latter term not out of place. A
novel yet disgusting spectacle of the
degradation of female labor is seen in
the loading and unloading of coal
steamers. Nearly all this work is done
by these women, and they may be