The herald., 1895-07-07
"A BOY in THE
WEST INDIES
Some of the Very Curious
Things He Saw
and Did
GOT UP BEFORE DAYLIGHT
To Study His Lessons..-What he Wore
in the Hot Sun...He Got Two
Breakfasts and Hunted
GOT UP BEFORE DAYLIGHT
By e. B. w.

the coast of Venezuela, instead OF in Del
aware. where be was born. Captain
Brown had been in the navy, and he used
to tell Charley about the strange, beauti-
full things he saw in these distant ports
during his long voyages, and after he had
gone on his last voyage, from which he
would never return, Mrs. Brown remem-
bered what he had told her about this
lovely island, and she and Charley picked
it out on the map and decided they
would try and winter there. For the
doctor said she must go where there was
not the slightest danger of encountering
any cold weather. and must stay until
she felt quite cured. That was three years
ago, and she didn't feel quite cured yet
so they were here still.
Charley oid lessons in the morning
with young curate who had Just come
from England, and morning lessons
meant very early rising indeed, because
every oody tries in the tropics to get. their
work of the day off their hands by IL
O'clock in order to be able to keep still
and do nothing after the day grows hot.
He tumbled out of bed at o clock. when
the sky was just growing. golden and
pink over the great green hills. He only
stopped to wash his face and brush his
hair, and slip on a pair OF loose, white
linen trousers and q coat-nOthlng else at
all but those two garments. HIS bare 1eet
went into pair of white tennis shoes,
he caught up his straw hat, and down.
stairs in front of the veranda the cootie
man, Yanna, was holding his pony.
Yanna had long black hair. twisted up
in a knot like a woman, he wore earrings
and q necklace and white cotton kapra
wound around his thin brown legs He
touched his forhead with his hand as
~ nd M
laam, sahib," by which he meant good
morning. Charley said "Saaam" in re-
turn and then cantered off toward the
curate's house. A beautiful fresh wind
was blowing off the tops OF the sunlit
hills; the big gray zebu cows i'll the
no horns, were beginning to eat their
breakfast, and the hook-nosed blackbirds
dragged their dusty tails about over the
grass, saying in loud important tone
I'm going to Arima-I'm gong to Ari-
ma - while q brown and yellow bird sit
anything out French, shouted with shrill
fiIppancy, "Que' est ce quiz il dit? Qui
est ce qui il dit?'
The curate lived on the other side of
the savanna in that part of the Port OF
Spain that is called Tranquility-and all
around his little house was veranda.
inclosed in close lattices, where the pink
corallla and the golden amanda made
perfect curtain of blossoms.
1t was in this veranda that Charley
found the curate. who was just out OF
bed and was in slippers and pongee pa
jamas. He was having his early tea,
and cup was brought for the boy, who
shared his bread and butter with a little
green and blue parrot who kept hooking
himself on to Charley's chair by the beak
and saving in his hoarse little snuffiing
way, CHARITY, gentlemen"
This seems pretty queer way to go
to school. sir." Charley said, laughing.
and the curate said:
1T is rather odd. Not much like the
sort of. thing We used to do at Eton, l
can promise you"
Then they began to study history. and
how Columbus came sailing through the
warm seas and found this green island
and named it Trinidad (The Trinity be-
cause of the tall peaks which are the first
thing one sees from the distance; and
how he found it peopled with handsome
brown Indians, whose name for the place
was The Island OF Humming Birds, be-
cause there were thousands of these tiny
jewel-coloied birds fitting about in the
trees. drinking honey from the orchids
and Towering vines. They were sacred
to the Indians who never killed them,
and so they multiplied till they were al
most as many as flies. Charley learned
how Raleigh came later-looking for Ell
island from the Spaniards, and how Sir
Ralph Abercrombie mad to come again
and conquer it tor the English the sec
ond time. They had a lesson together in
Spanish and Charley showed MIR. Leight
some botanical specimens he had collected
the day before in the mountains. and al
most before they knew it half past 10
struck and lesson hours were over.
BY this time the sun was very hot, and
Charley and his pony got home dripping
with sweat. He had plunge and a
shower bath and then, dressed for the
day in fresh white linen, sat down with
his mother in the cool little breakfast
room to have his real breakfast. All the
bread and butter eaten at the curate S
was just taken to stay matters until the
real meal came. While he was tucking in
fresh pineapple, sapodillas. mangoes, fish,
eggs, and chicken the black butler-who
wore white duck livery with silver but
tons brought on his finger Charley's two
favorite birds, tn, brilliant ame-colored
tropIon and the little black and gold mo-
richie. They were accustomed to break
fast with their master and mistress and
as soon as they saw Charley they flew
from Carter finger straight to the table
and pegan to sing with all their might.
They settled on either side of his plate
and ate fruit and bits of bread as he
handed it to them, and sometimes when
he forgot to attend to their wants thew
COOlly ncJHeu themselves lTOIli MS plate
for birds are very tame in the tropics and
every household has its little familiar
friends who are allowed every privilege.
After breakfast was over he and his
m other sat in the corridor and he arrang-
ed for his collection. He used TO be in
teIested in stamps, but after the director
OF pubic works persuaded Mrs. Brown to
let Charley go up into the high woods
with HIM on q surveying expedition he
had made collection of his own very
much more interesting than stamps.
| FIRST there was the skin OF boa -constric-
tor they killed while squeezing deer to
| death, which was nine feet long and filled
one whole drawer of his cabinet.
In another drawer was very cleverly
stuffed coral snake, the deadly little crea-
| ture that is sometimes called the German
flag, because its colors are like those OF
the imperial standard Of Germany, and
had has no separate head, only what looks
| like tiny mouth and two wicked little
! eyes on the blunt end Of its body. Mrs.
| Brown always shuddered when Charley
opened that drawer, the creature looked
so small and unnatural. and so poisonous.
One sAelf contained the skull of Q howl
ing monkey with the queer bone drum it
! carries in its throat, and with which it