News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-11-22
The LeeWard Islands.

place-The Inlands, st. Lucia and st.
Vincent.
BARBADOS, E. W. l., Oct. "a, '99.
Dear Folks
! believe my last letter was posted
at Martinique, and written during
the day att before We arrived there.
We arrived there about an hour be
fore shutdown Saturday night last,
Just at the right time and in the right
place to witness at least one of the
most magnificent scenic effects that
mortal eye ever rested on. AS we
swept into the beautiful bay at the
end of which lays the town of st.
Pierre the setting sun was just tint
ing the emerald mountains and the
little town at their feet, with spun
gold and the gorgeous natural beauty
ofland and sea made a picture which
/ will always remember as the most
delightful mental entertainment L
ever witnessed. The darkness soon
descended, however, and all too soon
the painting faded. Martinique is |
think the most pleasing in natural
beauty of any of the Islands. | in-
tend to be understood by this as
speaking of the scenic impression
from the ship. The town of st.
Pierre is about one-half way down
the island on the west side, while at
the south end is the large town of
Fort of France. The great and cher
ished memory of the island is of the
little Creole girl who afterward be-
came the Empress Josephine, the
greatest Queen of Modern Centuries.
Here park is dedicated to her name
and statue among the palms is a
constant reminder of the pride of
Martinique.
After dinner at 6, went ashore for
an hour to inspect the town, but it
was too dark to make an observing
tour, The town is built like all the
Others of the islands at the head Of
the harbor on q partial semi circle
and having very little depth because
of the mountains on the rear crowd
ing it into the sea. Pity they were
not all crowded so far in that decent
docks could be maintained. The
town has one good hotel, as has all
the islands and the accommodations
and service are excellent and the
prices quite reasonable. The water
supply is excellent, as a stream from
the nearby mountains rushes through
the cutters of every street. A mar
row-gauge street car track, apparent
ly less than two feet, passes through
the principal business streets. The
car is an abbreviated old wreck cut
off at both ends and drawn by an an
tiquated mule. The black Adonis who
acts as driver and conductor, blows
battered tin horn about once min
ute, apparently to prevent the popu-
lace from running into or over it,.
The houses, residences and business
places, make place which looks like
any and every other town on the is
lands alike as two peas in the same
pod. So much for Martinique, one
Of the most picturesque and interest
ing places in the world. A tourist
may we'll and most proftably put in
at least two weeks here and no Amer
Jean sailing South can possibly af-
ford to miss it.
From Martinique comes in order
the English naval port of the Cas-
tries, seaport of the island st. Lucia.
This is a natural Gibralter and the
English are terrifying it as rapidly
and effectively as possible. A range
of mountains almost encircle the har-
Dor and from the sides and top of
each are rising forts and masked bat
teries. st. Lucia is also the coaling
station of the West Indies, and the
immense docks are filed with sup
ply for any emergency. The town is
not large one and the great mass
of the inhabitants are-from the fact
that it is a coaling port and garrison
town What would be called in the
States "a hard lot" The great
steamers are loaded by women, long
lines of whom carry the coal on their
heads in baskets, from the yards to
the boat. These | believe are the
most beastly and utterly disgusting
types of humanity ever created in
the form of woman. The islands con-
tain 245 square miles and a popula.
tion of about $4,000. Only five per
cent of this is white, which per cent
will hold good throughout the islands.
At the head of the local government
is the English Administrator subor-
dinate to the Governor of the Wind
ward Islands aided by an Executive
Council. Sugar, molasses and rum
are the principal productions, with
something done in other small lines.
After stop Oing at the island for one
day we sailed for st. Vincent due
south and six hours away. We
reached the lower end of the island
as the sun was setting and observed
the wonderful natural phenomena of
the shadow of cloud rejecting dark
rays across the tinted sky. 1t was in
effect an eclipse of part of the at
mosphere caused by the cloud. Dur
ing this we passed what is known as