Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-20

a
habitants. but it seems that the warm climat,
does not agree with them. especially thu
women who look worn and faded after few
years in the colony. The children are quite
often deformed or weakly, which is. according
to the statement of a medical friend of mine, q
conclusive argument that the hot climate does
not agree with the colonists from temperate
countries.
WHO THE CREoLEs ARE.
In Barbados, as in the French colonies, the
term ''creole" is rightly used to mean the chill
dren and descendants of French and Spanish
settlers in the islands. Some of the creoles are
exceptionally pretty and their dark beauty
seems not to suffer from the heat of the tropi-
cal climate, but really think that some of the
quadroOh girls are rather prettier than the
"creoles. whom they resemble in many WAYS.
The divisions OF the Barbadia society are quite
plainly marked, as. in fact. they are nearly
every place in the West Indies. except in Trini-
dad. where white and mulatto are brothers
bred and too often brothers born"
OF course the English and American resi-
dents form a complete set of their own which
only occasionally breaks over into the bounds
OF the next clrcle-the creoles. After these
comes the better class of the negroes, and then
the great common, gathering horde OF igno-
rant. semi-civilized negroes Among this great
lower class Of the natives there is little sem
remnants of the French occupation two CEN
turtles ago. and the English church." as the
Episcopal church Is known in the West
Indies and South America, has a few
converts; but the ranting ceremonies OF
the Salvation Army have more charm for
these e1citable people and the police are tre-
quently called upon to break up the midnight
meetings of the Salvationists. While some
credit must be given to the jealous mission
aries In the colonies, it is an undeniable fact
that little good is accomplished by them.
MISSIONARY WORK NOT VERY EFFECTIVE.
The American Bible Society has scattered its
agents over the island and done much to in.
crease the civilization Of the islands, but of all
Christian endeayOrs nothing has been attended
with greater success than the Iaborers under
the banner of the White Cross, who have tried
to show the natives that marriage is necessary
to civilization. and that women are more than
the bond slaves of men.
large number of coolies have been trans.
planted to the island from the English posses-
sions in India. and with their queer d-ess and
tall. 1.-the bodies they seem like the dwellers OF
another strange land.
Some OF the coolie girls are in a sense quite
pretty. They have graceful well-rounJed
bodies and shaDely heads and their long wayy
black hair around their dUsky faces forms a
strange contrast to the kinky locks of their
neighbors, the negro. The coolie girls decor
ate their arms and necks with silver bands.
from which they hang strings of queer old
coins They wear tight-fitting bodices with
quite low necks and no sleeves and short skirts
that show their round bare legs with their
decorations of silver anklets and knee straps.
sometimes connected by chains, from which
hang pendants of coins from India the old
and India the new.
THE PEOPLE AND THEIR HoUsEs
Here, as In the other islands, the negro
women always carry their bundles ON their
heads, and in the old part of tine city the mar.
row, unpaved streets are thronged with women
selling fruit from the baskets that thew carry
balanced on their heads in spite Of the jostline
and rushing Of the crowd Rushing through
this chattering crowd of negro women. regard
less of life and limb. the huge two-wheeled or
carts, with their shouting drivers. add to the
general confusion The low-ceilinged houses
that line the streets generally have overhanginp
balconies that sometimes reach nearly 10 t6ose
on the opposite houses. and thus form tunnel
like alleyw ways, in which the crowd rush and
push, with every one apparently irving to
make the most noise. In the early mornings
the milk vendors, with droves OF goats. pa a.
through the streets from house to house. and
when any one wishes milk he selects one from
the herd anu milks IT in the doorway while
crowds OF mischlevous children tease the other
goats In the herd. When one sees the crowds
Of children he cannot but wonder where
they are all to live on the island when
they grow, and in what manner they are to win
a livelihood. and one cannot but be IMPRESSED
with the number of negroes that live in ap-
parent ignorance. Yet the crowd. as a rule. is
well dressed and apparently well fed, though il
takes less to sustain life in a warm country
than in cold one, and clothes are an orns-
ment not a necessity
In the curio shops one NAV buy calabasb
gourds and cocoanut shells made into vases
and jewel cases by the natives and quite taste
fully carved, and stuffed flying fish with their
wingllke fins and sharp noses, and grea,
branches OF white coral that would be wonders
to the people in the states; but the shopkeepers
are money makers and ever ready TO impose upon
a foreigner One of the most thriving places
In the island is the ice House." a sort Of a
club where excellent ice cool drinks both
strong and mild. may be obtained, and from
whose cool latticed porticos and balconies one
may watch the crowds below that 60 to make
up the most thriving town in the English West
Indies. N w