The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-19
In SLEEPY PORT ANTONIO.
1NTEREsTIEG sOBNFS IN TH1 PI0-
TURESOUE OLD TOWN.

the Newcomer the Kegnete of the lifs Of
che Lasy. pashins. Devil-n1ay-Care Ssusni.
can city = Cnrieun People sna Boiiefs.
As the ship hauls alongside the pier In the
beautiful bay Of Port Antonio In the dim dawn,
the first sound which greets her passengers IL
tho vociforous cock-crowing which shril1s from
the surrounding hills. There IL o defiant bra
vado ring about tho notes Of these Jamaican
chandeliers, q ~rowdyish swaggor and chal'
lege which give tho keynote to his lazy, dash.
ing. devil.may.care brown town. Presently
tho rafting of steam winches on the ship be
gins, mingled with . jargon Of voices on tho
pier. A crowd of negroes, clad in scant odds
and ends Of clothing, help to discharge the
cargo, and later bring on their heads largo
green punches Of bananas, one or two at q
time, to the ships side. some stcadying them on
. fantastic headrcst of bristling banana or
pn' III leaves.
As tho sun swings clear of the horizon the
curtains OF mist rise from tho palm-crowned
hills, revealing breezy stono cottages perched
on their submits. Above a zigzag road, climb
ing through bright verdrre from the valley, the
walls of q ruined church stand in gray loneliness.
Half way up the hill one afternoon two little
brown girls, chatting busily, camo mp with me.
i asked them to direct ne to the old church on
the hill.
'oh, It isn't mp thoro.'' replied one. ''The
church lie down there pointing to tho valley.
"Up there ID where tho dead folks are"
1 told her that / wished to visit tho dead
folks" and she showed me an opening In the
broken wall beyond, which led, through long
dry, trampled grass, to the little cluster OF
ancient storm-blackened brick tombs which
surround the church. Their solid masonry. no
doubt, has kept the shades OF the dead safely
below ground. whence they could not return to
torment the living. for tho negro believes that
e. - z1NrA AzwA knht-l . H,A@l a~trt m WA
licious shadow or "duppy" that win terrorizo
the neighborhood unless the most careful pre-
cautions are taken In the beginning to keep
that offensive sprite within bounds. Perhaps
the disintegration Of these tombs will allow the
long pent-up wraiths to escape. l do not know.
Most OF the tombs have yielded to tho over
growing vegetation, and some have sunk level
with the earth. All but the most turbulent Of
shades should DO content to remaini In 30 peace
In the centre of the town all is noise and con-
the more noise he makes the more like q Yam
kee he becomes. The shouting mule, driver
W the his ys slss'e OF K. se naqr oTSw road inc sR Rda sSs un.
wary traveller receives many shouted warn
ings to look out and not get run over" EQues.
down the hiliy roads. Now and then q spring
risty q barefooted pedestrians. graded from
black through all shades of brown and vel
low, uN the ar WIFI Lu6lE iAukuItE uuu uhttS
Little groups gather in front Of the stores, ali
as idle as the summer day. Here and there
ssT0P face the se lNnnser and 4 n RE 4 hto old sna nsni
parchment. bordered 6y patches Of Gray wool,
and q Sat framed i,j In hat 3 9 sTIe as S9s9 tSat hap somssimas
old crone,, her basket Of gorReously colored
truits beside her. W%tsttnlly watching for a pos
dressed in gay coIors. boldly gaze at you In
fattered, urchins shout, incomprehensibly, At
you until sternly ordered by their polite elders
Women sat look 7 iaushinslsy down from open win.
dow with often a Growing baby well TO the
ff ss,ss S E sHld sSs eSub listls Se ]SesssHssI S Edsh ring
Nesting close to the hillsides are the white,
washed huts of the negroes. 9 tangle Of tropical
s@scuIdeSs in the dot Of a clearing behind tho
hut, where the meals. are cooked in the open
White VII s ssssSn s%s s s.sS j s EN- ss y PEEP % S S$sEis ssS
eyed Sgsora from every point Ih Of vantage tag h,d D,rs snd
color convert the ugly into the picturesque.
My room In the corner OF a delightful rambling
old house on a breezy hill above the eastern snaa BAY z
this unconventional land. Beside the messy
honeycombed rocks which, formed It's southern
wall, stood the storm-stained wreck OF an an
posed to wind and rain. On the end of the piano
doves, dainty little natives which looked as II
they would be glad to get back to the sunny air II
freedom. Above. among the brilliant red bios.
s0ms Of and a dsh ss.bIsaz R sTse; at tns hs rfnaing. birds
Toward nightfall the creole girls iiutter out In
their white dresses. making and exchanging
blondes, showing only faint traces Of the darker
blood; others are short, plump and brown; . be-
WHICH laSale set OF n their rleS.. dark Iis CONSUMES. These
more attractive than their fairer sisters; Their
full lips have winsome curves and little white
One tsrsnny Of civiiizatien to which the glrl
unused to town ways Ia 10th TO submit, is the
wearing Of shoes. Her He white VI st,f dress g. s somsti nnd
sSyiy beerafaed; but her feet are usually bare,
As the shadows creep to the hiiitops ths
the pandemonium Of mingled barking. brayinG
and shouting gFadGelly . esaSe The With %.ns. dd eI,psa
sss,ls 9'S"A akl Rss1S1S %ssi n S4 9,h If IF. Ss5.S ! T S.i Y;
room S softly hented. What appssred 70 20 ]
live ,HY S coal sl e. ID. in : the aE PssR 81 the w sGSt s1 SSt
darkness without; that darkness ar6'1fas which which,. il
fEr diSPRiifS COLLINS WITH Fiery eyes and clanEins
chains-and heaven knows what other terror'
spqperstitions to a foreigner; IN N4 ho tth,S and, 3 (
acknowledge them would be to make himsel
ridiculous in the eyes Of the nnsympaiheti
% !dappie @"n; of f tRs m maz % SS sS5ESSnG sort. T Su
you will never get a word of friendly warning
The "duppy" performs the most monkeyisha am
impish tricks. The branches of the towering
slik.cotton tree. mysteriously clothed with para
site growths. are his favorite haunt. A DO,
was once SO reckless as to throw q stone int
one of these trees. The stone was hurled bedl
with such precision by a "duppy", lurkiT
his side. causing his death two days later; ~
hess which ID traced to "duppies" Is very lkel
10 prove fatal, for not only does the patient rt
linquish all hope but friends and relatives Will
HID their aid for fear Of turning the wrath 9
night some poor wretch will be 80 pestered b
the FRANKS of the ,"duppies' thai he cann3
sleep, and through the thin partition M MS smell neigt
ors to leave him In peace.
The Obi man, who was once such a menace I
the white people of the island, Is now con
PEELED to be very guarded In his practices, ov
Ing to the watchfulness OF the law. Yet belle
in his methods ~ still strong, and he has man
followers. The fact that that primitive witcl
craft does not succeed with the white man hu
III 49,. ,,a-.ana a. nIyaaxrlAIy n TINT tthn xyhit