Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-15

DOWN I'M A CRATER
A Visit to One ofrthe Queerest Towns
in the World.
In The DUTCH WEST INDIES
4 N
Features Of Life at the Bottom of
an Extinct Volcano.
VAST STORES OF SULPHUR
VAST STORES OF SULPHUR
Written for The Evening Star

Written for The Evening Star
IL the American eagle ever should con-
ciude TO extend it's protection to the is
iands south Of us known as the West In
oies' probably among the first to scramble
neatn the shelter Of it's wing would be
those at present owned by the Dutch. Not
that the Hollanders do not bestow upon
them the best sort of paternal government
out Tor the same reasons that the Danes
are anxious to dispose of their own West
indian possessions - economic considera-
lions. 1t is almost pathetic to observe the
tenaclty with which these once-powerful
governments still cling to their tropical
holdings in America. But it is possibly for
the same reason that the hunter held on
to the tail Of the wild cat-that nobody
would help him let CO.
The Dutch possessions of the West In
dies are comprised in the Islands of Cura-
Gao, Bonaire and Aruba, off the South
American coast; Saba, st. Eustatus and
part of ST. Martin, in the northeast Carib-
bean sea. Their aggregate area is only
4O3 square miles, their population $4,000
and the annual deficit in their revenues is
about 10000 guilders, which is made good
by the mother country. The seat of gov
eminent is at Curacao, where the chief
land is under an officer appointed by the
sovereign, entitled the gezaghebber.
Curacao is the largest, 210 miles in area;
Bonaire next, %; Aruba, 80: the moiety of
San Martin, II; st. Eustatius, Z, and little
Saba last with only five square miles to its
credit, and about 1900 inhabitants.
NnpOleon's Cooked Hat.
1t is of this least of the Dutch islands,
Saba which in olden times was known as
''Napoleons Cooked Hat" that this ar
ticle treats. Hardly more than a mountain
peak shot up from the depths of the sea,
Saba is the northernmost volcano of the
Caribbee Isles, which stretch in a semi
circle from Porto Rico to the South Amer
lean main. 1t lies about $50 miles easterly
of our American Island of Porto Rico, ana
more than five hundred to the northeast OF
Curacao so it will be only natural that
when the redistribution takes place Saba
shall become a dependency OF ours.
Should this happen, one thing Is certain:
We should hold no quainter possession than
this same Speck of an island in the Card
bean sea, which forms one of the links In
the chain connecting North and South
America. Sweep the map with glance,
and you would be likely to overlook it en-
tirely, so snugly is 1t sandwiched in be
tween the others; but it has its own at
fractions, nevertheless. A friend OF mine,
a geographer andDaman of learning, once
congra tulated me as the only man he had
ever met who had visited Saba, and de-
clsred that the first thing he should do
when he had leisure would be to follow In
my footsteps Be that as 1t may, can re-
call that no land ever set foot on caused
me to thrill with such satisfaction ana
pleasure as when at last / found earth be-
meath me in cSaba's only settlement. Not
SO much on account of the quality of the
earth, from thedfact that it was EARTH
and not bounding pillows tumultuous
seas. For 1 had been two days tossing UP
and down in.a small "drogher' plying be-
tween st. Thomas and st. Kits. and was
sick nigh unto death when we sighted
Saba's peak piercing the gloom of tropic
twilight. >
Landing on the Island.
The trade wind blew fiercely through the
mountain gorges, and beat US off from the
island again and again; but at last we got
in near enough to launch boat, into which
1 was tumbled, together with my belong
ngs Two stalwart black men pulled it
within hail of the shore and then, instead
of landing, they split the darkness with
shouts for help, yelling to some invisible
person in the clouds to come DOWN. 1t
was nearly an hour before a response was
waited out to the boat, and quite another
ere some one shouted a welcome rom the
base of the frowning cliffs. He, she, or it,
u whoever or whatever, might have been a
disembodied spirit for all we knew, for
nothing could be seen but the foaming
breakers on the shore and huge powders,
dim and indistinct; but in we went, in
obedience to the sirens call.
The boat shot ahead with terrific speed
straight for the rocks. and just as the
shock of the impact with those rocks sent
ne tumbling heels over head a strong arm
seized me yanked me out unceremoniously
and set me upright at the base of the cliff.
The process had been materially assisted
by humping wave, which had whelmed
the boat and Sn1acked me in the back at
the same time setting my luggage all
ahoat. Other strong arms pulled the boat
upon the rocks, emptied her of my effects
and sent her back again On the breast of a
wave, before + had wiped the salt water
from my eyes. So there I was, alone with
several strange folk, number and sex I'M
determined until a lantern was lighted,
when it was reduced from a multitude to
two.
They were black, both of them, and evil
IDENTIFY friendly, for after piling my lug
gage at the foot of the precipice they took
they called the Ladder" which was a
narrow trail up the side of said precipice
1t was fortunate for my shattered nerves
that the darkness hid the dangers of that
trail from sight. for when / afterward saw
it by daylight no money would have tempt
ed to essay it, But up we went. nv
guides climbing like goats and never MAX
Ing a misstep, until at last we reached
path which was not quite so steep as the
side of house, and sat down to breathe.
Sea is Always Rough.
My sable friends assured me that the
dangers were passed. and they told me
that of the two landings which the island
Possessed this was the worst When the
wind was west they used the eastward
landing, called the Fort, and when it was
east they used the Ladder; but whichever
was used, and whatever the weather or
wind, the sea was always rough
Here, however, the sturdy Dutch sailors
OF Saba, many of whom are descended from
men who had sailed with Van Horne and
Won Trompe, when these seas were in
tested with pirates and buccaneers, had
resided all their lives. 1t was lucky for
Saba that most of them met their ends Mt
sea. for really there is not soil enough
there to bury them in. Still, no other place
in the world had the attractions for them
held by this,smaii, islet. and If perchance
any removed to other parts they always
came back being ihomesick for their he
loved mountain and its crater
Faint from hunger and tottering with
weakness I was piloted to the harbormas-
ter's house, for, though Saba had no har-
Dor, yet it had an Yhicial who drew pay as
captain of the port. and by him, after 1
had satisfied his curiosity as TO my bust
ness my birM andany responsibility. I was
permitted oasleeg, on his floor. Strangers
seldom landed in Saba, and the last one. a
dozen yearssbeforG had come by daylight
and with pfeper credentials. l. satisfied
h ;v,,f tor