Smyrna times., 1895-01-23
4 WINTER IN The TROPICS.


Correspondence to the Smyrna Times"
On the evening of Oct. 2Oth we
steamed away from New York on the |
steamer SagamOn, on of the Clyde line |
steamers, bound for the West Indies.
We sailed along pleasantly until the
third day out, when a hurricane struck |
our steamer. The passengers did not |
feel any too pleasant while the storm |
was raging, for West India hurricane |
is not very pleasant thing to en-
counter on a steamer at sea. On the |
evening of the fourth day the storm
had passed and we were all on deck |
enjoying ourselves
Our first port was Grand Turk. a
small town on Turks Island, so called
from cactus plant that grows there
by that name. The island is noted for
its number of salt beds. From this !
island great quantities Of Turks Island |
salt is exported. Our next port was
Cape Hayti, town of some note in the
Haytian Republic. Here the black
man rules and is lord of all he surve\s
On entering the port the scenery is
grand; the town is situated on a low
piece OF land on the bayshore. Back
Oftbe town, high mOutains arise covered
with palm cOcOanuts, bananas, mahog.
any and lOgwOod trees.
Monte Crista, town in the San
Domingo Republic, was our next port:
the steamer dropped anchor within two
miles of the town for it is 80 shallow
here that steamers and vessels can not
anchor any nearer the town. Here. as
in all ports on this island, steamers dis
charge their cargo by means of boats or
lighters, and such noise the natives
maka with their Spanish speaking
tongues as their boats come along side
of the steamer. They all want to get
their boats near the side Of the
steamer so as to loaded first. Rain
seldom falls on this part of the island.
Many OF the houses look like large dry
goods boxes with a door cut in one end
| and a window in the other. They have
railroad from the bay shore to the
town, about two miles, with only one
locomotive and one car. Mahogany is
the principal export
! From Monte Crista we set sail for
! Porta Plata. This is one of the prettiest
and cleanest towns in the Republic of
|
the port the scenery is beautiful. We
pass the old Spanish fort that the
Spaniards erected when they governed
the island. They have electric lights,
| large business houses, railroad, that
runs from the town to Santiago, dis
tance of forty miles, owned By the
American and San Domingo Improve
ment Company. Milk is carried here
on the back of a burro, with large sacks
on each side. In them are placed milk
cans not unlike those we have in the
States. Perched on the burrO's back is
a small boy yelling milk. The burrO is
nsed for conveying all kinds of mer-
chaudise in the interior country and
and towns. Often can be seen large
man on the back Of a burTO with the toes
touching the ground and the burrO trOt-
ting lastly along as time is no object in
this climate of one continual summer.
1t never makes any difference to the
average citizen what time he arrives at
his destination.
Soon our steamer cleared her anchor
and the next morning we were In the
beautiful bay of SamarlA. AS we
steamed up the bay here and there
could be seen dOtting the hill sides,
little huts surrounded with cOcOanuts.
bananas, oranges, lines or lemons. and
other tropical fruit trees We soon ar.
rived at Samaria, pretty little town
on the bay. This was settled by cOlored
people several years ago from the
United States. Here, unlike all the
other ports we had entered, the Eng
lish language was spoken, for the ma
tiVes of San Domingo use the Spanish
language.
In the evening we said adeu to
Samaria and its beautiful scenery, and
steamed away for MacOris, our stopping
place. We were not struck with the
beauties of our town, for fortunately
for us, our destination was mile and
half up the MaoOriS river on a sugar
plantatiOn, and here we are enjoying a
Christmas day in the tropics, with
tropical fruits OF various kinds on the
trees in plenty around US. This
season of the year Is one of the finest
climates it is possible for man to enjoy.
While people in the north are wearing
winter clothing and sitting around
bright coal fires to keep warm we are
ENJOYING the pleasure of 8 summer eli
mate, not the warm, sultry weather we
so often have in the north that some
times we think it makes life q burden.
We have the sea breeze through the day
aud the land breeze at night, and for
that reason here can be found one of the
finest and healthiest climates that any
one can wish to enjsy. The summer
straw hat aud linen clothing are never
out of style here.
As we sit on tbs piazza or porch we
can see the natives padding up and
down the river in their dug-Outs or
canOes"the same kind the Indians used
centuries ago" singing their Spanish
songs. The women with their naked
babies cit in one end of the canoe and
man in the other padding along with
one paddle, first on one side OF the
canoe and then the other. Tugs steam.
ing by with loaded lighters or boats or
. with the lighters crowded with natives
going to and from work on the sugar
estates farther up the river, and then
occasionally q sail boat will glide by.
, Often at night can be seen on the river
fishermen with their boats aud lighted
,, torch, rowing up and down the river
spearing fish, of which there are great
quantities. Wild ducks swimming within
! gun shot distance. As they are seldom
mOlested by the hunters rifle, they be.
|, come quite tame. Doves, cranes and
birds OF various kinds abound in great
numbers.
The planters mAnslOn is situated on
! . high hill from which we can view the
, orange grove full of its lucious fruit,
and to the north, south and west IS far
: as the eye can see, fields of sugar cane
soon ripe for the knife of the cane
I cutter.
! A winter on one of the islands Of the
West Indies with its healthy climate
tropical fruits, fragrant flowers, songs
of beautiful birds is something of @
, paradise to one used to a frigid climate
l H.
. There Is good reason for the popular