The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-26

kept from starving BY the visitors who
mock there & the winter months from tbs
country. Fer. While the Bermaeas are hut
20 niles from New York. they are $50
mics distant from the mother country."
and mails are fourteen DAYS n transit A
eaols connects with America. and a fine
Ine OF steamers makes regular trips De-
tween the Be-mudas and New York This
hns IS British one. though with head
quarters IN New York and but little Brit
isn travel goes over =. Americans. and
Americans solely, keep the Ire alive. and
furnish the ssneys OF war 20 this eeIicoss
rite colony Of BritonS at our very doors
AZ distance OF so niles from New York
les small island. hardly big enough 10
make respectable fly speck on a map Of
the world This is Nassau. the capital OF
ne bahamas, which. Ike its sister isles Of
the Bermudas. thrives best and only when
the winter tourist comes along.
Excellent steamers. belonging to tbs Ward
me connect with New York and with
cuba. and form the only reliable means CT
communication with the outside world. The
passage 10 Nassau consumes but three or
Tour DAYS, and IS one OF the pleasant
est OF voyages. taking one to the most
charming Of Islands. AS in the Bermulas,
ths most conspicuous objects here are the
forts but they are al old and antiquated,
raining into ruins and without garriSons or
guns. Nassau Is the seat OF government.
out there IS at present no military garrison
anywhers in the Bahamas. and the Island
cannot be called either a military or naval
station IN the strictest sense. The harbor
entrance Is not wide enough for large 81 rs
10 SO up TO the docks, although the har5or
Itself Is land-locked and well protected
EXCEPT Tor It's Importance as strategical
base IN operations against our southern
coast Nassau Is OF little value, aside from
It's actual advantages as healthy winter
resort During the late war between the
states. Nassau was a great resort for the
blockade runners, and in case OF war with
England doubtless its old industries, now
SO langusning. would be revived.
Ii Is related OF the 'Mudian children that
they were anciently taught 10 pray, every
night before going 10 bed: GOD bless para
ana mamma; and. dear God. do send US
good fat wreck in the morning." One can
not much blame the jewellers in these isl
anus, where they are so much dependent
upon the fotsan and jetsam OF the sea, II
they do look upon the prospect Of wrecks
and war with feelings akin to satisfaction.
1t doesn't matter much whose war il il,
nor whose wreck ii is. If only II bring them
sufficiency Of pluader.
The garrisons having been withdrawn
from Nassau. a native constabulary have
taken their places. The old forts. Char
lotte and FincaStle, have been dlsmaniled,
and thus Nassau, and indeed all the Ba-
hamas, are left defenSeless. Still, as the
British have held the Bahamas SO hong. and
are much attached TO them. they might
make some effort for their defense, even
though their capital is 1000 miles distant
from England and mails are fourteen days
on the way thither.
OF the thousand and more OF isles and
!slets in the West miles. there is none more
beautiful than jamaica II is also the larg-
est and most valuable OF any in those parts
belonging to Great Britain. In going from
New York TO Jamaica, as well as in going
from Nassau TO the south coast OF Cuba,
one passes through the mldchain of the Ba-
hanlas and within sight OF Cape Maysi, the
easternmost end of Cuba. Jamaica IS IA
miles In length and 40 in breadth, with
mountains rising to a height OF over 900
feet, from which numerous streams descend
to fertilize the valleys and create the glori-
GUS vegetation for which the island is so
famous.
Although the climate is tropical. yet the
contiguity OF the mountains 10 the coast
towns gives cooling breezes and affords
means OF retreat from the burning heat 4
the lowlands.
The jamaica naval station IS at Por.
Royal, at the entrance to the harbor OF
Kingston, the capital, and terminates a
long peninsula of sand, covered with cocoa
nut trees, which shuts out Kingston from
the open sea. At one time, say 200 years
ago, Port Royal was the busiest city in the
West Indies. for IL was headquarters for
the buccaneers. who brought here all their
plumber Of rich galleons and fought with
one another and squandered their iN-got-
ten gains. But In the year 1852 just at the
time the witches were playing the mischief
IN New England, Port Royal was destroyed
by an earthquake. The ruins OF the ancient
city can still be seen, II is said, when the
water Is calm. beneath the surface OF the
sea.
Port Royal IS quiet enough today. end
aside from being the residence OF the com
motfore and his aides. Is place OF no I'M
portance. The navy yard Is here, the dock
yard and machine shops, together with
some more or less obsolete guns and equip
rnent The port has always been a fayorits
place OF call with naval officers and many
mighty fleets have rendeZvoused here.
Within the blight OF the peninsula any
number OF ships can find shelter from ordl-
nary gales, while the water Is deep enough
10 carry large men-of-war clear up TO the
wharves OF Kingston. where they can coal
The defenses OF Port Royal and Kingston
are not very extensive, consisting OF ROCKY
Point. Fort Augusta and the Apostles bat
terry, and a system OF torpedoes planted
arrnss the harbor mouth. While there is q
large garrison in the immediate vicinity OF
Kingston. there Is another cantonment at
tha more salubrlous station OF Newcastle,
from :. so to $500 feet above the sea. The
distance OF Jamaica from England Is reck-
oneA at 5000 miles. and the time OF transit
sixteen DAYS. against 1 $50 miles from New
York and four TO FIVE days steanng.
In order not 70 omit mention OF any pos
sible station for the assemblage OF Meets CT
+roons we VII note the town OF Belize. the
canitai os British Honduras. which is $40
miles from England and seventeen days
vovaging IL can hardly be dignified with
-he tide OF naval or military station: but
as II is a British colony and has within
itself the potentiality for harm In case OK
war u should not be entirely disregarded.
SIN nearer the equator than any island
wa have mentioned lies the latest or Eng
lands possessions 70 te fortified and put n
a state OF defense. This - ct Lucia. in
latitude Il north. an island only twenty
forr miles in length, ana with an area Of
less than go miles. Although for centuries
a hone OF contention between France and
England. and a spot where thousands OK
their best soldiers have been buried IN the
past century. yet IL Is quite unknown 10 the
world at large. Il is one OF the most pc
ttIresoue OF the Caribbean Islands. haV+ng
a central mountain chain rising 70 height
~ above 4 90 feet and covered with mag
utf-ant tropical vegetation. Its bays ara
harf,ors are numerous and sheltered and us
value as military possession has long been
known.
It's mort OF Castr'es. at the northern end
~ she ISLAND. ia one Of the finest IN the
world. and has been elevated 10 the rank CT
.H~ora naval station in the British empire
In .nis part % the world The British gov
srr-nent has expended half million Coz
lars IN improving the harfsor and prooaoly
anr.her million tn erecting new defenses,
SIS scheme % fovtifcations embracing 81
rs