The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-11
HOLLAND IN THE WEST INDIES
Green and yellow and Red Curocoa
ad Its Quaint Inhabitants.


The appearance of the island of Cur
acoa is disappointing to the tourist
who expects TO find there the tropical
beauty for which many of the West
Indian islands are famous. He sees in
stead. as his southward-bound steamer
skirts along its shores. a succession
of 1at-topped hills, brilliantly green,
with a low growth OF vegetation, above
which rises here and there a solitary
dwarfish, twisted tree growing on the
sloping hillsides and looking like a
gnarled apple tree. The monotony of
the scenery is occasionally broken by
a glimpse of red-tiled houses or a
Write church steeple rising above n
mass of foliage in a distant valley.
Now and then, in niche of rocky
coast line n little Sleepy Hollow viii
lage parades its gayly painted fishing
boats on its strip of sandy beech.
The town of Willemstad, or Cura-
Goa, is built on both sides of a narrow
channel connecting the sea with the
lagoon which forms harbor. The en-
trance to this passage is defended by
a low-walled white fort on either hand;
it's banks are bulkheaded, and form
quays lined with old gable-ended lime
stone Dutch warehouses. Here ship
ping is moored and the business of the
port conducted. This part of the town
is an exact reproduction of a small
Dutch seaport. Its houses and ware
houses are Colored, like child's toy
city, green and yellow predominant
ing, and green and yellow are many
Of the Dunts that skim over the clear
bluish-gr green water which rejects a
sky of the same hue. The tail, 1.-the
figures of the negro boatmen, in SOM
breros and wide scarlet sashes, stand
out in strong relief against the glow
ing background.
Flocfs of white pigeons flutter and
| coo over the weather-stained tile roofs
of iridescent hues. Plump Dutch
maidens in white dresses, human coun-
| terparts Of the pigeons, gather in the
| evening upon their high stoops to en-
| JOY the cool breeze blowing at night
| fall over the low hills of the island.
| Often the buXom mother of the family
makes one of the party, and little
| later the father, goOd-naturcd and
| slow moving, brings his chair to the
| door to join the group which sits chat
ting in the gathering shadows, a pic
| ture of domestic peace and content
mont.
Knots of negro women gather on the
| quays in the brief, crimson afterglow,
waiting for the boatmen to answer
their signals to be rowed across the
channel. The old women are coarse in
| form and feature and are often as
black as ebony; but the younger ones
have tall, willowy figures, smaller feat
ures, and compilations of the hue of
bronze. They wear a dress of light
blue, or pink preferably, with re-
bOZO of contrasting colors thrown
across their shoulders. Large gold
| hoops hang in their ears and two OF
| three necklaces and silver and bead
bracelets are part of their customs. A
cigarette stuck between their lips gives
them an air of admirable nonchalance
They talk and laugh continually, show.
ing even, white teeth.
| The streets of the city are for the
| most part narrow and winding, but
owing to the Dutch population they
| are more cleanly than in other West
| Indian towns. BY far the greater par-
| of the inhabitants are of black ol
| mixed blood, yet the indication seems
to be that they are continually grow
| ing whittier. A little way back from
| the street which winds up the hill
side back of the town stand, here ant
there, the old square Dutch houses
of the wealthier inhabitants, surround
| ed by towering trees and shrubs ant
| inClosed by limestone walls. Grotes
que carved heads appear above the
heavy wide-panelled doors of some o.
| these houses. During the day the!
are closed against sunlight and dust
giving the street an air of sombre and
rigid exclusiveness. In the moonlight
| they wake to vague sort of life. The
quaint ornamental heads leer in thu
riffs of light which fall between bios
soming olearders. Through doors ant
windows, left open to the cool nigh
air wide, lofty rooms with pieces o
heavy antique furniture and orna
ments of byGone days are seen. Occa
sionally the faint tinl;le of a piano /!
heard, but the quiet is almost oppres
s!ve.
In the negro part of the town there
is always life and noise. The sharl
squeaKing of a fiddle comes from a lit
tie dance hall where ball is in pro
gress, and crowd is gathered arounc
the open doorway and in front of th
|
window.
Spanish or dialect Of that Language
is generally spoken in Curocoa, bu
many of the natives have picked VI
enough English from the American sea
men who visit the port to make them
selves understood. Gayly colored bas
kets which the negroes weave for sal
seem to be the most characteristic sou
venir of the island. These are mad
of different sizes. some of them a
large as barrels, and are sometime
used in travelling as a substitute 70
trunks. If you are once suspected o
o weakness for mementos you will b
beset with Venders of all sorts, ant
EoXes, baskets, corals, shells AM
cages Cf screaming paroquets will b
thrust under your nose at every ster