, 1894-12-22

wei, you S66, ufSG VI I'LL CU6I0 is Tile rama"
ma Canal; that has made a much greater diff
ference ttlan you and I, old fellow, used to
anticipate. Some of the stNamers'bound there
make This a stopping station; not only for
supplies, but because it is a convenient depot
for collecting an | distributing articles from
the islands, or for the islands, to or from the
Pacific Coast, China and Japan. Then again
when a storm grts'among the fleet Of sailing
vessels now constantly on this track, We get
q good many lame ducks to look aft y. Yes
SAID |, "but Of course the owners send out
pumps, and tug boats, and take them north
wards" Not now" sam he, "Our merchants
have learnt wisdom fro41 experience, and they
now have. the repairs made SO reasonably
that the owners find it cheaper to have
the work done here" "O!' said
], I'm glad to hear il" Pushon continued,
Then besides the canal, We have the large
commercial houses, both English and Ameri-
can, that have established branches here,
and supply goods at a profit equal only to
q small commission !. they get a large bust
ness from the Furnishing islands to the west
Of US, because orders eau be filed 50 much
more quickly than if sent to commercial
centres more remote 'AIl this is Very
interesting, old friend said !, 'but | hear
the whistle blowing on board the "Cuha. and
4 h4OCb HULL J 4 tt1A SOAhA Oh " OOAkN
Cruz, 30 good bye.1 We reached Frede1ik-
sted at 4 o'clock, having run: over lin about
three hours. Several boats |wsrs alongside
as we anchored, and I noticed chat they were
numbered, as in ST. Thomas, ana that the
boatmsn also carried numbered badges on
their hats. In one of the boats. was my old
friend Hopeton, with whom | was to spend
the Christmas in Basin. AS soon as he got.
on board he gave NE q hearty welcome, and,
after mutual enquiries about our respective
families, | got my baggage together. and we
started for the shore. oh prospect from
here was always beautiful l remarked.
"but now it is more beautiful thai ever.
Instead Of q fear Of the hills being covered
with grass and dotted with trees, az formerly,
see that they are all now cultivated in the
same way and whose are those pretty
little cottages along tina shore both north
and south Of the town ~ Those" said he
"are mostly occupied by Americans who
come here during the cool season, some Of
them staying only q compile Of weeks and
then passing on to other islands, others
remaining till warm weather sets in again in
Che States" "That must he good for the
town" said I. "Certainly,' said he mot
only for the town but fol- the country too
AS we landed / noticed near the Custom
House, a large shed. which my friend said
had been erected chiefly for protecting bags
Of sugar awaiting the steamer. / saw that
there we're now o good many barrels and
boxes stored in it. These, my friend ex.
planned contained coffee, cocoa, lines and
oranges. from the North Side estates, await
ing shipment to New York by tlie'"Jamaioas@
another large steamer which was expected
by daylight the next day. As. we stood
there, waiting fer my luggage to'be passed, l
saw many people h%urrYing up to post letters,
and on one of these happened to catch sight of
the name Barbados. | remarked this to my
friend and asked him by what opportunity the
sender expected it to 90. "By the same
steamer that brought you, Of course "Non-
sense said ], "you know it is impossible to
get a letter posted by these steamers to any
place except Now York" Ny friend laughed.
1T used to be so in Your day, know, l" he
said. "but we have changed all that 20,
said I I'm very glad to hear it." While we
were waiting fer Hopeton's carriage. which
was to take US to Basin, two carts drove up
filed partly with baskets and partly with Z
es made of lathes fixed 80 as to leave narrow
intervals. What do these contain?" | asked.
Through the openings in Ene boxes | could
sec that thea were packed, apparently,
with some kind of fruit, eaak fruit wrapped
in tissue paper. They were tomatoes, my
friend said, for shipment by .the Jamaica"