La Junta tribune., 1898-10-22
Notes of Il Cruise
Taken There by
John G. Shortall.

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With Porto Rico an American de-
pendency and Cuba substantially in
the same situation maugre the objec-
+ tions OF the patriots and non-annex-
ationists; with the adult public once
] more taking lessons in the science of
typography. 1t is not strange that great
interest should have been developed
in the Lesser Antilles.
Under the protocol of terms for
peace between Spain and the United
States probably the most desirable of
the great Antilles will become an
American colony. This island conti-
nent-it is almost such-is the eastern
4 and northern barrier to the great
Caribbean sea. Porto Rico holds the
ikey to the position in these seas and
is near neighbor to the Danish is
lands of St. Thomas, one of the vir-
gin group, which has caused American
statesmen more loss Of sleep than any
other piece of land surrounded by wa
ter on the globe. With one of these
! already in Americas grasp It is but
natural that the people sh4uld wish
TO know more of the neishbors who
5form the eastern fringe to the Carib-
q Bean.
4 The Lesser Antilles consist OF the
three groups known as the Virgin is
lands, the Leewards and Windwards,
in order from north to south. The
Virgins sweep from the eastern bor-
j ders of Porto Rico east and south to
near where the Leewards commence.
These overlap the Windwards, which
IL ~
continent. forming a broken. jagged
Z barrier to the Caribbean sea.
Something over 1s months ago,
when war with Spain was a mere rum
Bile, John G. Shortail accompanied by
. party of ladies and gentlemen, made
trip through the archipelago. As the
tropical seas and climes are not desir-
able neighbors In summer when
storms and the ever-present yellow fe-
yer abound. while the heat Is sitting.
the trip was taken in the early
months OF the year The party left
Brooklyn in February and cruised d.
rectly to st. Thomas. the real start
Il jng point. Thence the steamer went
81 zig-zagging through the Leewards and
Il Windwards to Venezuela.
Mr.. Shortall describes ST. Thomas
es one of the most interesting of all
the islands near the western continent.
AShis Is not only because OF its native
attractiveness. but because America
3 has fiirted with it so much. As he
recollected 1t was during Grants time
& that proposal to purchase the island
II was made. The king OF Denmark hes
itated because 1t was scarcely con-
sistent with the royal dignity to sell
4 colony. His dignity was frightfully
i shocked when congress refused to rat
Il fly the deal after the royal assent had
been indicated.
But st. Thomas possesses something
very rare in the groups of islands;
that is. good, well protected harbor
The bay Of the city is large. well
III sheltered one. amply provided with
large dry dock and wharfing facilities,
u The island also has one other advan-
4 tage: There are fewer negroes there
than In the others. The island is not
ed for the beauty Of the scenery. the
beauty of the bay and the sport OF the
natives In diving for pennies from
\ open boats in the bay. The water is
Z DO clear that the skillful fellows are
able to plunge to the bottom and res
4 cuA the coin tossed In by visitors in
search of amusement.
The various groups are almost de-
void Of harbors, although engineers
might be able to remove this objec-
tion at considerable cost. A slight
] indentation in the shore line is about
v all that any of them can boast in the
u way of harbors. Piers thrust out into
Il the bay serve to land boats from the
\ ships, but only two or three of the
limited harbors are furnished with
docks. This, Of course, makes calm
weather necessary for comfort in max
ing visits.
THE population OF these islands,"
seid Mr.. shortall. 'is largely negro.
Some authorities say in the proportion
of twenty to one. Naturally the DWELL
ings are such as might be expected
with such population. Sugar has
been and still is the chief product. It
AxH6 made many great fortunes. but