Catoctin clarion., 1896-08-20
Under the Southern Cross.
From The United States Of America, II
The United States Of Columbia.
[FnoM THE PH1L1PsBURa Ledger ]


sailed on the steamer Alene from New York
for South America. Those Of you who ex-
pect a thrilling account Of scasickness will
be disappointed, as was only little sick.
Unfortunately, however, the little sickness
stayed with me all the way to South America
and one of my fellow passengers said 1t was
much better to be very sick for day or two
and then be done with it.
AT 5 o'clock ON the morning of June End,
we passed Fortune Island and l was out in
time to sec it 1t is long, low island, rath
er pretty, but not at all striking.
Tuesday morning We sailed past Cuba. A
Spanish vessel was hugging the shore, no
doubt on the lookout for American ships,
but as we sailed under the British flag we
were not molestcd. The long line of hills
and mountains with the clouds resting on
their tops looked very quiet and peaceful and
gave not the slightest hint of the confusion
and bloodshed at the other end of the island,
500 mile, away. The sunset over Cuba was
beautful-as lovely as our Pennsylvania
sunsets.
Old Port Royal.
Thursday morning the hills of Jamaica
were IN sight. All morning we sailed along
the island and about noon entered the beau
tiful harbor, at the entrance of which is the
ola town of Port Royal. 1t is little more
than collection Of poor little huts, but the
great number ofcocoanut trees make it pretty
in spite of its dilapidated condition.
We lay at Kingston from Thursday noon
until Saturday at 4p.m. Ibid not 60 ashore
as had been adyised not to, but some ofmy
fellow passengers brought me fruit from the
town. They seemed to enjoy eating 'pangoes
immensely but two or three bites satisfied
me- They are entirely too sweet. The Or
anges and bananas were very nice but not
much better than we get at home But the
pine apple, it was delicious! Rich, sweet
and juicy--sugar wond have spoiled it.
A Low State Of Morals.
Saturday afternoon we left Jamaica and
reached Puerto Colombia Monday morning
at O'Clock. Captain Seiders and the pas
sengers were as kind as could be, but they
told me many hard stories about Colombis
and ita inhabitants As l couldn't tell how
much was true and how much false
had some very green ideas about my new
home. Among the passengers on the Alent
were two Colombian gentlemen, polished
kind, courtly, and unconsciously, in spite Of
the stories had heard, had been forming
my ideas of all Colombians from these two
had been told that of all mean, low, dirty
contemplate, sneaking, thieving people In
the world. Colombans were the worst.
took the statement with a large share Of
allowance, but unfortunately nearly everyone
seemed to agree Every one of the Colon
bians, while not expressing himself SO strong
ly, gave the same idea. This same gentle
man told me little about his country and
his people. Monday when we reached PueetC
Colombia, and were met by rabble, shout
ing and chattering like monkeys, he came
and pointing to them with little smile, hall
ofpity and half ofcontempt, said, ALLOW me
to introduce my countrymen." Do you know
coudn's think Of one word to say. Those
ragged, dark-skinned, evil-looklng fellows
were what had been told to expect, but in
spite of all that the contrast gave me com
plete shock. In Puerto Colombia there are
perhaps dozen houses, certainly not more
and if you care to know what 1t looks like
hunt up a picture of an African village.
Nothing in the one picture need be left out
of the other low matched huts, half naked
men and women, naked children, chickens,
pigs, hungry looking dogs, even the color o.
the people was African.
south American Beauties.
In little more than al hour the train came
from Barranquilla, eighteen miles away
bringing Mr.. Montgomery to meet me. AT
9:45 we left Puerto Colombia. That railroad!
1t was so rough that we seemed to be rolling
over stones, and when Barranquila was
reached was more seasick than had been
on the ocean. We drove TO the home of Mr..
Ladd, an American in business in Barran-
quilla, whose wife is in charge of one of our
schools.
Mrs Ladd has charge of the school for the
high caste" girls. There are about thirty, l
thah, and never saw SO many really beau