The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-03-26
INTHE TROPICS.
A Northern Man in the Abode 80 .
and Indolenca 10y

| sailed from New York Janparrs -
on the Atlas, with the ~intent;os
spending afew weeks rusticatino - -
picturesque island of Jamaica na,
remark here that, the island bair.
little larger than the State ofConna,s
lcut, months instead Of weeks m;sh.
be spent to advantage, and n co,,s
still find something new and intera.t
ing. Our course lay directly south
from New York, and the frs4
sighted was Watling's island. ono e
the Bahama group, on January *
We made the city of Kingston IN ~
Island OF Jamaica on the mornino
the 9th. Kingston is the largest FL
on the island, containing IS, O00 -
habitants. 1t is laid out on the ph;i
adelphia plan, with streets at ,;rhs
angles, intersected with lanes inst bals
the width of the streets. Al oradnai
rise OF 80 feet to the mile insures good
drainage. Like all tropical Cities
Kingston is built almost wholly 20
wood, and the streets are lined with
beautiful trees-the palm OF co1rSa
predominating. The green monnt.
aims overshadow the city and present
a grand and picturesque background
Remained at Kingston a week, with
the mercury at so deg. in the shade
and having so recently left a zero
climate the change was not ai,;ta
agreeable. Fortunately a more con
genial climate vas within easy reach.
Rising at 6 o'clock on February 8
INDUCED in coffee and toast, and then
took a carriage for The mountains
There are no steep hills to climb
nothing but a gradual ascent for nine
miles to the little village of Gordon
Town, situated in a notch in the
mountains 1000 feet above the sea.
This place is the terminus OF all car.
riage travelling, and from here ex.
cellent and easy grade bridle-paths
branch out in zig-zag routes to All
points of the mountains.
Early next morning coffee and toast
and off again, with a little black boy
for a pilot, with my valise on his head.
Most people ride doqkey-back from
this point, but / preferred to walk.
All transportation is confined to
donkeys and the heads of the negroes,
and it is astonishing to see Che enor-
nous loads they 1.-THE negroes) win
carry with perfect ease. A sight
for Northern eyes any morning
i. Kingston is to see the swarms
of men, women and children CEN
tering towards the city, bringing fresh
fruits and vegetables to market.
Many come from a distance Of fifteen
miles, and if they realize one or two
shillings-twenty-fve fifty cents-they
are satisfied.
Three hours tramping brought me
to the summit OF Port Royal Mount-
ain, six miles from Gordon Town,
and four thousand feet above the sea-.
Here | found O. beautiful little cottage
which had been recommended as q
boarding house. The landlady, q
stout Englishwoman, was very glad
to see me, and remarked that | must
be very hungry, and then added calm
ly that she had not an eatable thing
In the house-not even q slice oil thread.
1t was a mystery to me how she and
her pretty 8-year-old daughter lived
perhaps on air. / was not disposed
to be ~inquisitiye, but knew that 1
could not exist on any such ethereal
fare, so I at once wrote an order for D
supply of provisions and sent the lit
tie black pilot down to Gordon Town,
At / P. M. the provisions arrived m q
large hamper on the boys head.
This is q beautiful sEot, with a day
temperature of 70 deg. and at night
so deg. The view, of course,is magnli-
icent. Kingston lies below, apparent
" two or three miles distant, but
really fifteen miles by the shortest
path. Where any soil exists the
mountains are cultivated from base
to summit, while little thatched COT
cages are everywhere visible. A rev
miles north is Blue Mountaisr peak.
1t is the highest on the island, 7s5oV
feet, about 1000 feet higher than Mt.
Washington, New Hampshire. There
is q bridal path to the summit. !,
A little to the left on Port Royal
Mount is a cinchona plantation, car
ried on by the Government Of Jamaica
Like most Government undertakings
it does not pay, and they are trying %
induce private capital to invest IN the
enterprise. The population OF "a
maica in 1881 was $4,000, an ID
crease OF $4,000 in ten years. Inc
proportions to each 100 persons ere
two coolies, three whites, twenty mu-
lattoes and seventy-fve blacks. Wages
are very low, and the blacks VIII noo
work unless compelled to by starva.
ton. For health, recreation, cllmag0
and scenery this islesnd is unsurpasseo'
but trade and las,r are at q stano'