Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-04-21
been worth having, but it was also the one
picture that nobody could get.

We saw in Jamaica ten successive days
of perfect weather, without spoonful of
rain save for an occasional shower in the
night, but shall always believe that we
saw the tropical light and air and sea and
mountain effects at their very best one
afternoon when we sailed down the coast
on the Admiral Sampson from Port Anto-
MO to Bowden, and then around to Kings
ton, the capital city of the island. The
bright, hot sunshine was tempered, as it al
ways was, by delightful breeze from the
water. All around and as far away as the
eye could reach the sea was of that intense
tropical blueness which no Northerner
can comprehend, or believe that it exists,
until he has seen it with his own eyes.
Along the shores, where the waters covered
the coral reefs, they showed those still
more wonderf color effects in brood lanes
of violet, purple, light and dark green aud
blue, impossible to describe. Schools of
flying fish went skimming overEthe water
on either side. Some porpoises appeared
playing their school-boy antics. Suddenly
two of them made a rush for the ships
prov. There was a short contest, and
then one of them dashed away while the
victor "led the ship" The vessel was
going a IA knot gait. For full five minutes
he swan straight before her, his tail not
foot from her cutwater. He rollicked
about, rolling first on one side and then on
the other. Every now and then he leaped
clean out of the water to blow, and then
on he went again. 1t was as if he said,
Come on, old man, this is the day to have
some fun" And when he had had fun
enough he darted jauntily to one side and
was gone AS we turned into the beautiful
harbor at Bowden the sun was setting be-
hind a wealth of clouds in gold and fiery
crimson. Shoreward rose the misty noun
tain ranges, and in the far distance the
sharply-defined apex of Blue Mountain
peak showed above rosy cloud 1860 feet
above the sea level.
The stop at Bowdeu was only long enough
to take on board 100 colored men to stow
away %, 900 punches of bananas in the
ships hold that night, and then we steamed
away again, now in the light of a full
moon and in the softest and most delicious
of summer evening airs, along the coast,
around Point Morant, its tall white light
shining in the near distance, and then an
hour later into the broad, land-locked har-
Dor of Kingston. The night wore along
with its strange sights and sounds Grad
ualy the ships deck was deserted, and to-
ward the small hours Of the morning
final view of the scene. On the wharf was
the endless procession of negro women
totiug bananas; from the ships hold came
the strange, monotonous singing of the
stevedores as they slowed the fruit away;
in broad sem-circle cleaned the lights of
Kingston and Port Royal; on the ships
starboard side, stretching in long line w
through the harbor, lay the ships of Admi-
raj Simpsons Atlantic squadron-the
white" squadron we all said to lone an
other next morning with a significant EN-
phasis on the "whte;" high overhead the
full moon looked down; Orion had set, but
the Great Dipper kept its watch in the
north just as it does at home. Low down in
the southern heavens lay another constella-
ton, clear and distinct; at first it reclined
partly on its side, but, gradually, as the
meridian was reached, it rose and stood
erect One of the wishes of lifetime had
been realized. l had seen the Southern
Cross.