Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-28

BanaRa Tree on the North Allan
tic. But the water is as smooth as goose
pond, except in the hurricane season, which
lasts from August to October, and is at its
height at the time of the autumn equinox.
st. Thomas, st. Christopher or st. Kits,
as the island is famiIiarly called ''for
short, /" Eustatia. Nevis. Montserrat, and
some others, are simply masses of volcanic
rock, without springs, rivers or any other
source Of water, except the rains, which
must be caught before the drops touch the
ground, for the bottom seems to have fallen
out and no moisture remains upon the sur
face for more than few moments after the
heaviest rainfalls. But notwithstanding
this they are gardens of the most prolific
vegetation, of which one can have no idea
until he has seen it. The trees
seem to live upon air, as their
roots are often out of the soil and
cling to the rocks like creepers. The
branches are covered with the most beauti-
full of air plants, which feed upon the at
mosphere and require nothing but place
to cling to while they inhale the breeze.
One of these air plants which Providence
has provided for the comfort of man upon
almost all the volcanic islands where there
is no water, is q vine whose eup-like leaves
are always full of the purest and sweetest
liquor, refreshing and invigorating to the
tired mortals. But great drawback to the
pleasure of existence is the multitude of
creeping things that infest all the islands,
reptiles, lizards, spiders and vermin of
many kinds with poisonous fangs. Their
number is legion. and their variety is great
al 1frrnS 70 hp 4la hu
A DUTCH COLONY.
ST. Eustatia is a Dutch colony under the
pr otectien of Holland, and looks as if a
lit lie fragment of Rotterdam or Dortrecht
hscl been dropped into the sea. The princi-
pal port is Basse Terrae, which was once
called the Gibraltar of the West Indies, be-
cause of its formidable fortress. When the
Dutch were in fighting trim it bristled with
destructive guns and impregnable works,
but in these piping times of peace the
bomb-plroof easements are leased to the
lizards and eentipedes, and the parade
ground is oEergrown with underbusb.
ST. kits is an English colony of $4,000
or more people, nine-tenths of whom are
intelligent, industrious and temperate
negroes. A great difference is to be noticed
in the several islands regarding the condi-
ton Of toe backs. In the English islands
IleY 81 CA -aOtG duNdESSu III C1fl4lLd-
ton than in those under the control of
France or Sp ain. The staple product of st.
Kits is sue ar, and there are some fine
plantations. b u the island has always been
unfortunate arl6 has suffered severely from
EARTHQUAKES, urricanes and other natural
disasters.
The water in this part of the sea is an in
tense blue-a tiki no painter has ever sue
cessfuIly imitatted-which betokens great
depth; and its temperature is qnite warm,
as it catches the fun influence of that mys-
terious current called the Gulf stream.
There are persons on every vessel who are
willing to tell you all about 1t; but the
Tisest men, even the captain of our vessel,
of whose learning We all stood in awe, con-
fess that the problem so far has not only
Texed but puzzled sci ence, and the theories
OF its origin and existence are simply guess
work The boundaries of its ink-blue wa
tiers are so well defined down here that they
can be easily distinguished from the rest of
the sea- even by one who has no expectation
ofwitnessing the phenome non, and In the mar
row straits where the nor Inward and south
ward currents pass they divide the channel
with the most accurate imI 1artiality, and the
ripple which fringes the line where they
meet can be at once detected
A MYSTERIOUS ST REAM.
The Gulf Stream has vc 'lume of water
larger than all the rivers of the world COM
bined; deep, warm, and intensely blue, its
tepid waters refuse to mingle with the rest
of the ocean; but where 1t fin ds its source,
and what mysterious grayitatiou causes its