The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-06-22

avs Ut nature in this regard seem opposed
to keeping the supply of humanity down
to a reasonable demand, and any limita-
tons upon production would, Of course,
be leading to such, apparently, desirable
conditions
From Martinique we sailed for Grand
Turk. There are two OF more pathways
of equal length between these points
one, the most common and natural one to
take,-is 10 pass from the Caribbean out
through the Anegada Channel and then
run down to the open sea another way is to
run down the Caribbean, along the south
side of Porto Rico, and out through the
Mona Passage | had desire to see how
an old Spanish island may now look under
the American flag, and 50 we kept straight
away from st. Pierre for Porto Rico-fol-
lowing down along the south side and up
| the west end-not going very closely, be-
| cause these parts are dangerous and not
even well surveyed. The mountains look
ed dull and blue in the distance, and the
nearer lanos appeared lonesome and grey
the same as Of old, was little disap-
pointed had somehow nnleasonably fan
ced that the island would look more fresh
and smiling under the benign rule of it's
stepmother.
ON arrival 1t Grand Turk we were or
deled to Salt Cay for cargo. In all of the
Turk Islands also resides a fusion race
OF the oman and brother" | had loaded
at Salt Cay il the Nantasket, some thir-
teen years ago. and was now 1attered by
seeing how well and kindly 1 had been re-
membered, through all Of this time, by
my c0lored brethren here. On that f rmer
occasion we had come over from the Azores
and, on a roundabout voyage, were racing
against time and passing all the quarter
posts neck or more ahead. While loading,
the end of a week was drawing danger
ously near, and in order to be finished and
cleared before it had passed, every soul
with influence, down to every laboring
hand, was bribed to further that end.
That cheap and successful movement was
now remembered only as generosity, and
again helped along on the lines of despatch
These people are very poor; few shil-
lings and a few cigars, little salt beef
and few plays of tobacco, d free table,
with kindness and sociability, completely
conquer them and bind them each as
your friend and servant. 1t may be cyni-
cally said that such policy is ''stooping
! through natural kindness Be it is so,
but it fairly well serves the double pur-
pose and it must be admitted that we 90
to sea rather for gain than chances to scat
/ ter seeds Of kindness, though we hope to
do our part Of the latter.
These islands are English, and under the
government of Jamaica. Their manage
ment would seem unique TO us. There is
no municipal government, as we know it,
and no direct taxation whatever; imports
and an export taxation are the sole sources
Of revenue for all purposes. This govern
mcnt builds the public roads supports the
schools and courts and does all things
that our municipalities or State attend
to. The collector of customs is police
justice, his deputy is the clerk of the
court (and happens to be also the Wesley
an preacher), and all of the customs Of
ficers are also police, while the custom
house is the police court room, and the
Jail is in the basement of the same little
public building. This all works well ano
judciously-one set of officers can wei
attend to all things that the government
supports and is responsible for.
All of these islands are exceedingly low
and barren, with no industries whatever
excepting the production Of salt. Since the
United States has again placed duty upor
foreign salt, the islands have become more
impoverished than before. They have t.
compete with our abundant free home
product, and the price they must sell TO-
goes lower and lower. Our present cargo
was furnished and put on board for tn
incredibly low price of five cents bushel
and from that paying their own govern
ment an export duty of ten per cent. upol