The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-23
First Impressions of Jamaica

First Impressions of Jamaica.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND CouRIER:
 When one makes his first appearance on deck after a tempestuous voyage in December during the entire period of which he has suffered the Horments cf nal de mer, the scene that is unfolded to him, on this his first introduction to the world as it were, greets him like a revelation. Instead of the chilling storms and wintry winds of his late ex- perience, he is sailing along peacefully in southern waters. Warm trade winds blow freshly in his face and bring returning strength and vigor in their wake. The noble vessel which but now was tossed about and nearly engulfed by mountain pillows, glides along tranquilly at last over quiet seas. Such a delicious sensation of peaceful ness pervades him, and he is so much in harmony with himself and all the world beside, that he would be quite content to sail, and sail on forever.
 For miles along the Palisadoes, the coast is lined with graceful cocoanut palms that toss their graceful heads on high as they sport in the morning breeze. So near are we to Port Royal the entrance to Kingston's most i'm pregnable harbOr-that we hear the voices of happy children as they frolic in the cool shade of the spreading trees A cOlored collector of customs in Her Majesty's service, courteously informs us that torpedoes are sub merged here for the destruction Of alien vessels that may arrive from an antagonistic country
 Port Royal is aglittle village by itself and boasts of a history. Formerly a city of much wealth and importance, it was the rendezvous of buccaneers who spent here their unlawful acquisitions, and added to the vices of it's lawless population. Suddenly, in the twinkling of lan eye, nine tenthsof the doomed city were engulfed in an earthquake which occurred in sixteen hundred and ninety-two. In the space of two min utes, an agitated sea surged over the ground which had been so recently oc- cupied by fine dwellings and places of merchandise, Thousands of tue ctti~ zcns. who had escaped the earthquake perished from an epidemic caused by the putreraction of dead bodies for whom burial was impossible. To-day the peaceful green island tells no story of it's sad fate. Only on fine days, it is said when the sea is without ripple, the spire of the Church of St Anne can be seen distinctly where it was sunk fathoms below the blue waters so many hundred years ago.
 Before us in the distance is beautiful Jamaica, an emerald gem in the bluest of turquoise settings. Nestling against a luXuriant, wooded background, and embraced by the blue Caribbean, lies Kingston, the capital city. Quaint red roof trees peep out from among em- Lowering vines, while the fragrance of strange, tropical blossoms is waited to us on the SumInery air. It is like a dream of heaven On nearer approach, however much of the illusion VanisheS. As we reach our port, hundreds of na- tives, clothed in rags and filthy beyond description, swarm to the vessels side. With many contortions and gibberings they assail us, begging for "gills, '' "coppers" and "quatties" in an un- known, bewldering patois,
 Driven away repeatedly, they return again, and yet again, to the charge So miserable and loathsome are these creatures, it is difficult to realize that they are human beings endowed with reasoning faculties like ourselves.
 Kingston was originally laid out ir | the form of a cross; King street, which | extends north and south. being the | body; and Queen street, running in ar easterly and westerly direction, con. | tributing the intersecting arms. AS | the city has extended its boundaries however, other streets have been add. | ed, which have destroyed the origina { design. The streets are narrow. witt i few exceptions and have rather unu i sual names; as for instance, Paradise street Rum Lane, etc.
 Harbor street is the principal thor i oughfare Of the city, on which the ma | iority of the stores or shops are loca 1 ted. As sidewalks are an unllnoWr quantity, one is obliged to walk in tht road, jostiing elbows, perchance, witt
 the negroes, in imminent danger of be
 ing trodden underfoot by the furiousl!
 driven traps, drays and donkeys tha
 congregate there. Indeed, it requires
 certain degree of eXpertness to be abl
 to thread ones way through this laby
 rinthian maze.
 | Kingston is said to be the third hot
 test city in the world. However tha
 may be, it surely is warm enough eve,
 in the winter season. With the sun q
 zenith, the heat must necessarily be in
 sufferable. Were it not for the cool
 delightful breeze which comes up iron
 the sea about ten o'clock every morn ing-which is called "the doctor for it peculiarly life-giving qualities-an,
 the equally cool and delightful breez
 which sweeps down from the noun
 tains in an opposite direction abou
 four in the evening, life would be intol
 erable In this hottest of cities. Tn l mountain breeze is termed the "Jamai
 can." It is also jocosely called tn