The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-27
FROM THE Barbados
Ensign Barnes Writes of the
Colonial BritiSher
AND HIS HOSPITABLE WAY
Something of Trinidad and its
Lake of Bitumen.

| l9uler from Ills son, t@LSlSn DdiASS, "41'
is on board the gunboat Vicksorg, en-
route to Trinidad, particularly that fea
ture descriptive of the friendly feeling
now existing between the Americans and
English. He writes:
1--WE left Barbados yesterday. not &C
cording TO schedule, and will vtry likely
make Trinidad tomorrow. That island Is
in plain sight now, over fifty miles away
my first peep al South America While
in Barbados we were very handsomely
| treated by our British friends, army s-i.d
| naval officers, and civilians also. That
was the first of the West Indies which
the Oregon entered on her wonderful
cruise around the continent. The people
of the island seemed glad to see our bat
tleship and cheering could be heard from
the shore while she was entering the port.
But when Captain Clark, with his usual
knack of hitting the nail on the head,
hosted both the British ensign and the
stars and stripes together and fired the
national salute, the whole city of 100000
inhabitants broke forth in wild cheers
which lasted all day. All over the city
while we were there could, be seen the
stars and stripes and the union jack en-
twined, clearly demonstrating that an
alliance IS hoped for and openly advo-
Gated by the British West Indians. We
were all invited out number of times
for drives, tennis and dinners ashore and
on the four British nlen-of-war lying in
the harbortg1e slarSbor. The senior of the
four British ships is III. NJ. S. Talbot, the
vessel of the cruiser type which thrice
raised the hopes of Havana biockaders
for a fight during the war by entering the
port to take out British refugees. 1 had
the pleasure of spending an afternoon at
tennis at the army barracks. Every Eng
lishman and woman can play tennis, and
does. Between the tennis courts was
erected a mulu-colored booth wherein
were served tea and cake to those who
preferred that kind of refreshment; but
Scotch whisky and soda served at the
same booth seemed much better patron
led by men and women alike. One no
ticed here the English custom which I
have written you of before-that of never
introducing anybody, although it is
known that at least one IS an utter stran-
ger. 1t is taken for granted that any per-
son attending such function is perfectly
entitled to be there and he receives the
same courteous treatment from all that
is givn to one of their own number. A
young captain of the Second West Indian
regiment, who was in command of the
battalion at that place, was exceedingly
kind to me. He was one of their number
who made their official cali upon this ship
and it fell to my lot to entertain him. At
the end of his visit ne invited me to ten
mis- that afternoon at the barracks and
MISSED that I come. Notwithstanding the
fact that We had not as yet returned heir
official cain. I shouldered my racket and
went, after obtaining the necessary per-
mission from our commanding officer.
That afternoon he invited me to what
they call mess dinner the ensuing Friday
evening. Mess dinner occurs once each
week, though the night differs according
to the wish of the regiment. This night
at dinner every officer of the regiment
drinks the queens health, so that every
officer in the British army toasts Her
Majesty once each week. The queen pro-
vides for this purpose through the adj
miraIty three kinds of wine. sherry, port
and marsalla, and none other is allowed
for this toast During the dinner We were
served with sherry and champagne for
ordinary drinking purposes. When dinner
was finished. unless the English custom
of a two hours chat and smoke at table
after eating DE called dinner, three de-
canters exactly alike were brought IN and
placed before the president of the mess.
These contained the three wines for the
queens toast. After choosing his wine
nH fbaIof7,.or s1s-17raIf ra rAaSca@ aocf daoop
ter TO tho officer on his left in order
sherry. FORT and marsha This continued
until every officer had been served, or
rather helped himself; then the president
OF the mess arose and said to the vice
president, sitting at the other end of the
table: Mr.. Vice, the queen The vice
president then arose and said: Gentle
men, the queen. AT this all at the table
arose and each said: The queeni God
bless aler,' and drank 10 the toast Quite
a pretty function and done in a somewhat
different spirit from that usually shown
on Her Majesty's ships, where the senior
officer of the mess rapS on the table with
a knife or anything he may have a. hand,
al any time during the meal and without
rising. says: Gentlemen, the queen At
this mess dinner IN our honor the presi-
dent was also toasted, and then an Anglo
American aIliance-both drunk with fer
vent spirit, and staining. After dinner
about II O'Clock. we az adjourned 10 the
billiard room and played several games
Of their peculiar Billiards.
''Barbadoes, as l said, has 90 90 inhab-
itants. not counting those killed by the
awful West Indian hurricane which VS.
tied II about two months ago Of these
17,0oo are not negroes. L IS rather a
cheap market for almost everything. On
the island there grows a peculiar wood
called lace wood BY peeling down the
bark a layer IS found between the bark
and wood Of the most perfect lace, per
fecsly woven and much Ike mosquito net
ting. Ths. when made ID over silks wiki
some peculiar, prtt-y. small. Indigenous
ferns. makes beautiful psoture frames.
lamp shades, etc. But You viii have a
chance TO see this for yourself as bought
two OF the lamp shades, twelve shaMnss
tach. On THAI island also grows tha.
sxfuliy poisonous tree, virich II any one
sit under Us branches so poison MIN that
his head swells pso an enormous size
ard he dies IN the acutest agony.
The Enanasr IL which naEnre provides
wafer FOR tht whole is1a1d ! one q her
most crazy freaks. There 4 4 fresa We -
river running underground a. s1Cs1 = RAPID
speed tnss. sinking a TlQe 90 L and simply
zf1ording an outlet Tor ga. NzS-- CAUSES
i u 14s- snaag s-et ard oy rars gtlsalss
!. Is conveyed ~ SINE distance - fn~
Enoufaz The Aars5og Is = y-gy exp1-=<-s
ore; ~ thls snrsG open. 5sg - !. = o.
he lrexarc SIDE - toe i-lsna verg -
1ae EnsA - 4-s las preparing 90 e. zeg-
lts thss - al - many csh=r Wssg r.
dan LSi.sn6ss - regards z-srri-sns- Th~v
~ fsrf3fsfssS - IsaCiz strongly ard IN