Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-11-30
isle OF BARDADOES.
HARRIS WRITES OF ITS CLIMATE,
SCENERY AND PEOPLE.

Little Variation in Temperature
How England Took Possession
Soil a Pow dered COral.--Burial
Place of Last Greek king.--Com-
mercial Development. --PO0r Cook
ing Spells the Fish.--Need of a
Prohibitory Law. --Little Consider
alton as to Dress.
Barbados, BritishWest Indies. Nov.
9th.
DEAR FRIENDS: | suppose Thanks
giving has been appointed by this time,
while | am vet so far from the home .tur-
KEY. These are bright summer days
in November, away down here on a
tropical island in the middle of the sea,
and the inhabitants know no more OF
the meaning we attach TO the terms,
spring. fall and winter than Nicode-
mus knew of the second birth. And,
/ If Won remember, he didn't clam TO
know anything about ii whatever. |
] am writing this in the evening with
my window open 10 get breath OF
fresh air and no more clothes on than
! would have on in good corn weather
in old Vermont. II is p. m. and the
monkeys in the yard have stopped their
chattering and gone 10 bed. Even the
blackbirds are hushed and except for
the baying of dog at the new moon
and the braying of a lonesome jackass
nothing is TO be heard except the eter-
nal boom Of the surf on the beach.
The only way the residents here can
I tell Of the approach OF what we call a
winter month, unless they consult the
almanac, is that the prevailing winds
shin a little and there is liable to be a
little more rain Think Of an endless
succession Of DAYS. weeks, months and
years. every DAY and week and month
alike | know | would become despeI-
ate and seek suicide or even worse
cigaretteS-as a relief.
believe ! have referred very briefly
TO the island before, but in this
want TO give YOU some particular in
formation and details of one of the
most interesting spots-to one who
doesn't have TO live here-on earth.
Sometime soon after Columbus blum
dered onto America, gang of Portu-
guese missionaries or PIRATES or some-
thing of that kind fell in with the is
land, and seeing the long webs of
moss hanging from the tamarind trees
at once called the island Barbadoes.
Portuguese for beard. The name has
stuck so has the moss. | saw both
today. In 1908 party of King James
OF Englands pious assassins bent on a
policy OF benevolent assimilation
and the annexation of anything that
they might fancy and were strong
enough TO digest. happened along and
carved the kings name and claim on a
tree. From that hour to this Barba-
does has been an English colony with
varying fortunes.
The island is p miles long, IA wide,
contains l66 square miles and popu-
lation of about $4,000. This makes
more dense population than in any
other country in the world. BY the
square mile, excepting China. There
are LOG, 900 acres in the island, over
100, 600 being under cultivation. The
other 5000 odd acres are nearly all
covered by buildings, highways or i'm
provements of some kind. so there is
hardly foot of unoccupied land. OF
this 1872, 900 population, all but about
10000 are more or less colored. This
tact will give You an idea ofth So
ciety. Another fact that viii give you
a further idea OF it is that 90 per cent
of the births are Legitimate. Owing
TO the value of the land no wood Is
raised for fuel and the only firewood is
sort of brushwood brought by
schooneTs from the island OF Tobago.
There are no streams, brooks or rivers
as in many OF the other islands. but an
excellent quality and quantity of nice
fresh water is available. Wech coal,
shipped from Wales, is delivered any,
where for s6c0per ton. What is called
"Pocahontasn coal, brought from Phil
adelphia, is sold for $3.50.
Although many of the troops are be-
ing removed to St.Lucia. which is being
made garrison town, Barbados has
long been the headquarters of the Brit
ish army among the British West In
dian colonies and the military post
here is covered, elaborate and extern
sive. A large part of the southwest
end of the island is occupied by the
barracks, storehouses, various offices
and drill grounds. The forces now
consist of the Royal Leinster regiment
and a part of the West Indian black
regiment There are three negro regi-
ments, regulars, in the British service,
one on the west coast of Africa. one at
st. Helena and the other scattered
among these islands. They are a fine
looking body of men dressed most pic
turesquely.
The present governor of Barbados.
appointed by the Crown, is Sir John
Shaw Hay, a scholarly and most cour-
teous gentleman His salary is q 600
pounds, or Sl4, 200 yearly.
The soil of the island is of a coral
formation, white and hard when dry
grey, sticky and slippery after show
en- A coralline limestone is auarried
anywhere and sawed INTO blocks for
building purposes and all the public
buildings and some business blocks and
a few private residences are built of
TINS material. The soil. in fact i
powdered coral, sort of calcareous
mari with seams of bitumen and strata
! OF volcanic ashes. An occasional