The Portland daily press., 1895-05-04
TWELVE PAGES.

! twelve feet and pure, cool water from the
mountains Is constantly running in and
out. The swim in that tank after the hot
ride up from Kingston seemed to be the
most delicious experience had had on that
island of delicious experiences. from the
| eating of great luscious pine-apples, and
custard apples and star apples and
wild field strawberries on the top of Blue
Mountain Peak to the coasting of 20 miles
| from the TOP of Mt. Diabolo down to the
| ocean.
Mr.. Hatch evidently intends to make the
Motel popular place and the only reason
why there are not more guests is because
there are not enough visitors to the island.
Just as soon as Jamaica becomes the popu-
lar winter resort that it deserves to be (and
| that will be In few years, this palatial
hotel on the old sugar plantation, between
Kingston and the mountains will not be SO
quiet and almost lonesome as when I
strolled about it's great deserted rotnnda,
dance-hall and parlors.
l learned in Kingston that Mr.. Hatch
would probably receive $4,000. when Mica
ragua pays the indemnity.
The Myrtle Bank hotel, i'll Kingston, has
similar history to that of Constant Spring
and like il is subsidized by the government.
1t Is large brick structure and surrounds
thIee sides of an open court. When ar
rived there about the last oe March, it was
so crowded with guests that not bed was
obfa1nable. AS the manager remarked, dur
ing half the year this hotel is not half big
enough and during the other half, the rainy
season. it Ia twice too large.
This is the hotel whore all the swelldom of
the island and its visitors cong1egates dur.
ing the pleasant season. Here are to be-
seen all the types of the English traveller.
That young man with waxed yellow nous
taohios, coming to a needle point, about
four inches from his cheeks, with big.
heavy features and burly form, loosely
covered with suit of gray clothes, that
suggest the homespun of the pionser, OF
better the pajahmas of the bathroom, is
undoubtedly scion of the aristocracy, IL
one may judge by appearances. If you are
lucky you may catch a glimpse of a real
lord here. but you feel luokier still when
you see Brother Jonathan face and listen
to the intelligence OF has nasal uttslances.
But the most interesting guest at the ho-
tel. was dark. smooth-faced young man,
who wore white helmet and played bill
lizards most of the time. The attractive.
side the splendor of this young mans cog.
nomen prerogatiyes. for he was none other
than Robert Henry Clarence. the exiled
chief of the Mosquito Reservation, who fed
from Bluedelds when the Nicaraguan sold.
iers took possession and who is now protect
ed by John Bull, and given daily allow
ance of S22 by that generous individual, all
of which. however, he is pretty likely to
oil f,1r
interest.
There is nothing but the purest Mosquito
Indian blood in the veins of this young
chief. The fact that he is but half educa-
ted and can converse and associate and
play billiards with only the young Negroes
of the town with whom and by whom his
S22 day is regularly squandered. does not
diminish the attractiveness of his aristoc-
racy IN the least. In TACT that is wherein
such attractiyeness seems to exist
But this exiled descendant of bygone
native potentates is to be ritied after all.
His honors are empty and were SO before
Nicaragua took away the liberties OF bis
people. AS far as the governing was con-
cerhed ne was quite as much a fgure-head
as old Queen Vic heraelf. but he received
no respect or devotion. He was familiarly
addressed by his people MS Chief some-
times In good natured tolerance, sometimes
in ill-natured sarcasm. But since his exile.
he has not only been stranger in strange
land. with nothing of home or of fellow
sympathy in all the wide world to comfort
him, with no companions. but birds of prey.
covet1ng his money. but he has been in
danger of his life with a price set upon
his head, and more then one effort has
been made to secure it.
One of these efforts was brought to the
attention of the writer in the following
way. Unable to secure a room at the Myrtle
Bank hotel, was fortunate in being di-
rected to private house close by. 1t was
u large and typical Jamaica mansion with
one big. cool living room in the middle, sur
rounded by long narrow gallery in front,
looking on the street. bed rooms on the
sides and the dining room in the rear.
These rooms were on the second floor, the
first floor taking the place of cellar.
There were the kitchen. laundry, bath
room etc. In the third story were several
chambers. the best in the house, for they
were on leSel with the tops of the palm
trees that weIe growing all about.
The walls of all these rooms, both interior
and exterior, were partially made of large
shutters, that allowed the trade winds to
circulate everywhere. The furniture and
floors were OF mahogany. the latter always
polished till they shown like glass. by the
daily use of the cocoanut husk brushes.
Such was the home of Mrs. MGDougal, a
pretty little darkroom plexioned lady, who
had inherited the house from her Dutch
ancestors. whose husband, a handsome
young Scotchman, was the manager Of dry
goods store. just little way up the street.
who had two pretty children and three or
four black servants and who took few
boarders. not because she was obliged TO,
but because her house was so big, her faci-
tiles so good and her inolinations to make
use of them so strong. This thrifty inclina-
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