Evening star., 1898-08-06


customs from the East to the West Indies.
group of them seen in the village street
IN the midst of a multitude of Jamaica
blacks did not need an ethnologist to ex-
pain That the brown or black AryanS are
not or kindred race with the Africans.
Ihelr 1.-THE, arrow-like figures and their
aquliine features and straight black hair
are too pronounced for any resemblance to
De found. Yet there was some incongruity
In the men carrying umbrellas, blue ging-
nam or green, when they came into the
town market day. 1t disturbed reflections
incident to finding these representatives Of
the old Indies which Columbus sought to
discover in the new Indies which he did
discover. The umbrellas looked If they
mad all come from a secondhand store in
Boston.
The Thrifty Coolies.
The coolies or Hindus are as thrifty as
the Jamaicans are shiftless. They are
fond of ornaments, and the long folds of
linen which by skillful twist two
wound into garments are worn with grace.
The trim little brown women comely
and neat in their appearance. The trans
planted custom which causes all the wealth
OF household to be turned into silver jew
cry and worn on the person has its COM
merclal si1e. The Jamaican if he finds
rare piece of coral may pick it up and by
the offer of special inducements may hunt
up carved gourd or cocoanut shell which
VIII pass for native curiosity. But the
eXeft1on is not one that he seeks. The
iiiiIVu IL just Tue opposite. Inc dfiRlelS,
necklaces, bracelets, earrings. nose-rings
and other quaint silver ornaments fashion,
ed by the Hindu silversmith and worn by
MS wife and children can always be had
tor consideration. To an American trav-
eler the consideration is usually eight times
the bullion value of the English shillings
that are used, with something extra for the
workmanship and a little added for the
privilege of knowing that the ornament was
genuine and not made at some factory in
connecticut. Yet the gold standard is max
ing headway even among these people. An
Intelligent coolie showed me with much
pride an American double eagle which he
Wore suspended from string of beads The
beads were worth fifty cents On my ask
ing how much he wanted for beads and
gold coin he replied in good English, One
hundred dollars" - bargain was not
struck.
An English gentleman who rode with me
ABOUT the neighborhood said most of the
HlnduS were Mohammedans. They looked
down on the blacks of Jamaica, while the
latter dlSliked them. Nevertheless there is
no race conflict and no fear of one The
coolies We're first brought to the island to
work on the sugar plantations, but when
sugar raising began to decay they quickly
adapted themselves to the labor cf fruit
raising 1t was while looking at the moss.
covered and vine-grown ruins of a sugar
mill at the Hindu settlement of Godenvale
that the same gentleman told me sugar
raising was doomed industry in jamaica
Beet roots began the downfall" he said
then DountieS and tariffs completed the
rum. L don't believe we will ever get our
sugar raising on a profitable basis again
ana Tor one | am not trying. But it wasn't
the right thing to let my cane fields run
back into junSles, and l went into fruit
ialslng. 1t is a pleasant business The
fruits grow in the night without your hav-
ing TO stay awake to watch them. while
with sugar 1t night and day Watching
and then never certain of profit
This English planter has more wisdom
than many of his fellows who cling to the
nope that something may be done for them.
Riding through the cOcoanut groves and
the banana fields it did seem as though
there was means of securing compensa-
uon for the loss OF the cane fields. The
Grange groves did rot look so we'll though
| was assured that this crop was becom-
ing marketable, and therefore profitable
But even in the tropics nature does not
harvest her own crop, and the wild banana
trees on the mountain sides yield no fruit
without cultivation. The cocOanuts are less
eXaCting, though they, too REQUIRE care 1t
seems TO be a popularity that the cocoanut
gives sustenance to all living animals
mac always doubted Mark Twain's detailed
and clrcumStantial narrative of cats eat
ing cOcoanuts, but here the evidence was
given me- Hereafter l am ready 70 sup
port the statement that cats eat cOcoanuts
Ruined Fort.
Port A lto nio has one attraction which
makes it unique in the West Indies This
is ruined fcrt which is not a ruined Span
ish fort. 1t is an English colonial ruin a
stone stockade with rusty cannons a CEN
tury old commar ding the narrow channels
which lead from the sea into the two
bays. AT its front the abandoned bar
racks apd the fort itself is a playground
for children. and refuge for strolling
lovers who want to wander by the sea and
imagine they have all creation to them
selves. The place fell into dsuse because
1t came to pass that the pirates disappeared
from the Caribbean waters, and England
had no enemies TO repuse in the West
Indies. fine light house on the headland
across the east bay is of more benefit to
commerce than the fort was in its day |
ard the wooded island across the other |
channel is a pressing invitation to dream
ing away days and weeks, when weary of |
the talk of cocoanuts and bananas.
Something has tC be kept behind at Port |
Antonio for the next conner. At present it |
is a choice bargain in a sealskin sacaue
or cloak, something of the kind that
American women throw over their should |
ers when the first cold snap comes so that |
their husbands may have timely warning |
of the Ned of a new by Christmas. |
An entcrprising London shopkeeper sent |
this fur garment out as a sample to |
country where the thermometer registers |
midsummer heat all the year round. There |
being no local demand for this class of |
luXuries, the sealskin is offered to travel |
ers from northern countries at reduced |
rates. No one who was there this summer |
being familiar with the war tariff schedule
sale has not been made. |
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER. |