The times., 1898-11-06

statues. laughing and shouting jokes at
one another as if it We're a merry Z Ole
TO coal a vessel on a blazing Summers
day. Planks are thrown at a steep in
cline between the ships deck and the
coal yard. Up one plank and down the
other they prance like young race horse s
under their heavy burdens. keeping up
the jolly clamor all day long, as ii weari-
ness were thing unknown. Seven Eng
lish shillings is the days wages fo- eacn
of these willing beasts of burden. and the
captain says that the earnings of NEST
of them will be spent by their lords ana
masters for rum. He did not say hus-
bands-for. although there Is a superfiuity
of clergyman in this British island, the
marriage institution does not greatly pre-
vail among the lower classes. Lords
and masters exactly expresses it, for
each Of these tractable, industrious ebony
females is owned, body and SOUL by some
lazy darkey whom she practically sup
ports. whether legally married to him or
not: and to their credit be it said that.
a rule, the couples thus informally
united remain faithful to each other
through life.
At first. judging by the numbers met
in the streets, the traveller is inclined TO
think that there are a great many more
census does not say so. The females are
much more in evidence. because here
abouts they are by no means "the gentler
sex," but do most of the work that re-
quires strength and physical endurance
They make decidedly more noise, too
and are jollity and politenes5 personified,
and 10 not seem to have a care in the
world
= Glimpse at the Market.
The principal landing place at King
ston leads into Victoria market, at the
foot of King Street, the main thorough
fare of the city. Directly in front is
handsome bronze statue of Admiral Rod.
ney-who achieved the victory over De
Grasse. in 1852. you remember. Tnis
market. built quarter of a century ago,
is the pride of the island. 1t is clean and
we'll ventilated, with stone floors and
stalls for meats and vegetables. Printed
placards are posted all around. warning
buyers against being cheated in weights
Among the heaps and cords of fruits and
vegetables, the yams for which Jamaica
is famous are particularly noticeable.
some of them being almost large enough
for baek-logs in an old-fashionsd fire.
place. The vendors are mostly women
fat, black and greasy, but topped with
the gaudiest turbans under the sun. SO
that a bevy of them, squatted on the
ground together, looks like bed of bril-
liant posies Occupants of stalls pay
certain fixed price per diem. proportional
to the quality of meat or vegetables sold,
those dealing in the best qualities paying
the highest rent-thereby, as it appears
to the unsophisticated. putting pre-
MUM on inferior food supplies.
Beyond the market place King Street
runs up the slope to the parade ground.
a good-siZed square, which Queen Street
crosses at right angles. Harbour Street
(spelled with an unnecessary -'u'' because
so English" you know runs parallel
with Queen Street but nearer the wat
er front, and is the chief retail business
section while Port Royal Street, further
up the hill, is the wholesale merchants
quarter. Not one of Kingston's public
buildings is worth visit, unless it be the
small public library and miniature mu-
scum on East Street The museum con-
tains fair collection of the animal and
plant life of the island, and few relics
and curiosities, Among the latter is the
cracked bronZed bell from the Port Roy
al Church tower, where its last dirge
was rung by the swaying of the great
earthquake which killed nearly all the in
habitants of that then fiuorishing city,
Another grewsome curio is an iron cage
with cruel spikes in it, such as plantation
overseers sometimes used in slavery
times. Refractory human chattels had
their hands and feet securely tied and
were then suspended inside the cage by
a spike thrust under the ribs; the door
was locked to prevent rescue and the