Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-22
Our Correspondent Visits the
 Island of Martinique.
A DESCRIPTION OF ST. PIERRE
He Got Good Ducking, But Didn't Save the Snag-The Fer-Des-lance-Jardin
 des PlanteS.

seated III the DOllOIu Ol Sllicl Sd'AC15 Di "dug-outs," looking like collins cut in two. These little negroes had fruit to sell and also wanted to dive after silver coins which we were asked to throw overheard for them. We threw few coins over board and were treated to a good exhibi- tion of diving as well as an exhibition of water color studies in African anatomy. Like Trilby, they posed for the all oVer. These little niggers would catch the coin every time before it would reach the bot tom.
 Being given pratique we soon had the small boat overheard and the captain and I and two sailors started ashore to attend to business. When about fifty yards from shore the boat struck a Snag as she rose on the crest of a wave, and when the wave passed on "the boat set tied on the snag and overheard went all of us, the boat turning bottom up. waited to see if the others were all right and could swim and started for shore. In few moments a dozen small boats had started to our rescue, but before they got to me I thought of good story had once heard and began to laugh. came near drowning myself, for every time I opened my mouth it would fill up with salt water and choke me
 The story was first told on Columbus and an ancestor of mine who came over with Christopher; but it seemed to inn prove with age. It is a mother-in-law story, but it will bear telling. Columbus being asked should his boat strike snag and turn over which he would save, his mother or his wife, he answered promptly that he would save his mother. Said he: "I could find another wife, but where could I find another kind, good old moth er?' Columbus then asked my distin- guished ancestor which he would save, his wife or his mother-in-law. He an- swered that he thought he could find a better wife and knew that he could find a much better mother-in-law, so he thought he would save the snag for where could he find another kind, good old snag?
 I didn't try to save the snag for I haven't a mother-in-law; but I did save myself. The incident brought us into prominence immediately, but when I ap- peared the next day on my bicycle the first ever seen on the island became quite celebrated parsonage, and was received either with open arms or super StitiouS fear wherever I went.
 As I expected, I sold all but 50000 feet of the cargo for good price, and while it was being rafted ashore I spent my time taking in the sights of the beautiful and fertile island.
 The West India islands are sometimes known as the Antilles, Columbus, on his arrival here, was supposed to have reached Antilla, a fabled country. said to lie far to the westward of the Azores, which found vague and uncertain place on the maps and charts of that time. The Archipelago is subdivided into the Greater and Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles are subdivided into the Leeward and Wndward groups.
 Martinique is the largest of the Lesser Antilles and most important of the French West India islands It is over 30 miles long, and contains about 150, 900 Inhabitants about 10000 of whom are white. It has two towns of importance, St. Pierre, the commercial port, and Fort de France, the capital, where there is a naval station and a garrison of sol dierS. St. Pierre is built along the sea- shore, with spur of inhabitants creep ing up in the mountains. along the bank of a river which flows direct to the sea. On an eminence overlooking the town is a large statue of the blessed Virgin. standing as protecting guardian, robed in white, a sacred figure, benig- nant and serene. The houses of St. Pierre are of gray stone, with brown roofs, which have pretty effect viewed from the water The streets are narrow and clean, and well paved with Belgian blocks. Water runs through the gutters on both sides, affording efficient surface drainage but there are no sewers Light refuse of all kinds is thrown into these convenient cleansing rivulets. One must keep a sharp lookout, for the in habitantS do not always take the trouble lO BO lO lHt SulltIS lO uepOSIl ClOdCeiI contributions, but project them from the windows.
 There are no chimneys and no glass windows to the houses, simply wooden shutters, for, be it remembered, they have no cold weather down here, the mean temperature being about so de- grees. It rarely ever gets above 90 de- grees and seldom below 70 degrees. The scarcity of drinking places and the num- Der of saloons bear evidence that water is not the favorite beverage. Ice is worth about $40 per ton and can't always be had at that price. On one occasion when there was no ice to be had, yankee here who .1onged for the cooling liquids of his native land, utilized a kite for the pur- pose of obtaining ice. He filled a can with water and sent 1t to the height of three miles, where it promptly froze. Af- ter a sufficient interval the kite was hauled in and the cake of ice was secured The inventor was so pleased with his ex- pertinent that he built and sent up a kite 15O feet long, secured with steel wire cable. Under the kite is suspended pull ley, over which runs an endless chain bearing cans attached to hooks. The cans are filled with water and the speed of tho belt upon which they run is regulated so that the topmost cans are converted into ice sufficiently hard to stand the downward journey. This is certainly the most original ice machine I have evep seen.
 odiOonS are plenll1ul ana anybody can get license who will pay for it. There are no nonsensical restrictions, no Park hurstS and no drunkards
 St. Pierre contains several churches one venerable cathedral; but few, if any, protestants live in Martinique. It seems strange to be in a place where the Inhabitants are most all negroes all speak French and worship in the Catho- lie church These negroes are far supe- rior to the negroes in the English islands. Whether it is due to the priests and re- ligion, or to some other cause, Is a prob lem for some one to solve.
 There are some Jews here, for much business is done. Where you find com merce. there will the children of Israel be gathered to have controlling share in it's management.
 There is a telegraph line from here to the states, the toll being about $2 per word. including the address: but such a thing as a railroad is unknown.
 My bicycle seems to be the swiftest l and most wonderful thing they have ever | seen
 St. Pierre boasts of a nicely paved |