The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-28
WINDWARD ISLANDS
AN AND DELIGHTFUL
 "TRIP IN THE TROPICS.

Most Impressive Scenery Viewed by an Ob-
 serving TraveIer-St. Pierre is Small
 But Charming City-Finest Climate in the
 World is to be Found in the Barbadoes-
 Bathsheba Is an Excellent Place For In-
 valids.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER;
 All travellers to the West Indies agree that among the many trips to these islands, there is none so interesting or so delightful as that made by the steamers of the Quebec Steamship line down the Windward islands to Barba- does or Trinidad. It is so, because on no other regular line to the West Indies does the traveller pass through such a wonderful variety of beautiful scenery or see such striking contrasts, both in nature, in the character and the habits of the people.
 Everybody will remember that the Windward islands run in an almost reg ular curve from the Greater Antilles al- most to the South American coast, Trln- idad being only fifty miles from the coast of Venezuela. The well known steamships, "Caribee" and "Madiana" carry down to these islands their sup ply of breadstuffs from the United States, and bring back cargoes of sugar. So that in going down and returning, both of these vessels stop in the prin- cipal ports of the larger WindWard 1s- lands from half a day to two or three days, enabling passengers to go ashore and visit the most important places of interest. It is a voyage of more than ], 400 miles from New York to St. Thom- as, the first in this wonderful crescent. March is the month of severe and tenn pestuous winds in the northern ocean, but in forty-eight hours the passenger sails into calmer seas, and in three days overcoats steamer rugs and wraps dis appear, and he is able to sit on deck in what is practically a summer sea.
 Charlotte-Amelia Is the curious name of the quaint little port of St. Thomas, which is the capitol of the Danish gov ernment in the West Indies, It lies at the end of long narrow deep harbor, which winds in among mountains. In deed St. Thomas is Tn itself, like al- most all the Windward Islands, the LOp Ol d IlOuuldlIlI lIlt SI6etLSA pat O1 which is submerged. The houses in Charlotte-Amelia are all of the same form and pretty nearly all the same color, white, or a cream color, and uni formly with red roofs, and are huddled together in three little groups built on steep side hill. When seen from the opening of the long narrow harbor, it has peculiarly set and fixed look, so that I remember a fellow passenger likened 1t to the pictures on the old fashioned clocks. There is nothing in St. Thomas that will detain the travel CT long. It is quaint and interesting when seen at distance, but the inter- est fades away when one gets to 1t. The buildings, the best of them, are poor and mean. The streets are narrow and the shops altogether uninviting. The only interesting thing that I recall, were the negroes about the quays, keep up din in four or five different lan- guages. It is no uncommon thing in St. Thomas to find a negro who can speak Danish, English and French indiffer- entity we'll Charlotte-Amelia was once one of the most thriving ports of the West Indies. Her greatness arose from the fact that she was free port, but l her day has gone by. There are no plantations. or estates, of any great value on the island. There remain the | ruins of few of the residences of the old Buccaneer pirates, but even these are without interest. But the scenery | as one passes into and out of the har- bor is fine beyond description. Noun tains, about the height of the Berkshire | hills, rise perpendicularly out of the |