The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-05
A CRUISE IN SOUTHERN SEAS
FREDERICK IT. WALDRON TELLS OF
 AN INTERESTING TOYAGE.

|
 Women as Laborers in St. Lucia
 Puerto Rican Attitude Toward the
 United states.
 Frederick H. Waldron, who has re-
 gently returned from a six weeks
 cruise in southern waters, was seen at
 his residence 1O5 Howe street. last
 night, and talked most interestingly Of
 the customs conditions and prospects of
 the gulf islanders and others. The par
 ty comprised seventy-six members, ot
 whom Mir and Mrs. Waldron were the
 only ones from New Haven. The first stop was at Bermuda where the boat
 met such severe hurricane that the
 captains bridge, with a fine electrical
 steering apparatus, was swept away.
 MT. and Mrs. Lightbourne left the party
 here.
 The next stop was at the Danish isl
 ands where the people are very poor,
 but are most anxious to be granted l United States citizenship. At St
 Thomas the party enjoyed concert by the band of an East Indian regiment on
 it's way home from the Boer war. q | At St. Kits the members of the party
 were most cordially entertained aboard Russian man-of-war. They saw all
 that was to be seen aboard, but could of course understand nothing of what was said to them. An American war
 vessel the Dixie, with a crew of 500,
 was spoken en route from Hampton
 Roads to the Mediterranean. The sugar industry was in tolerably thriving state Here, as in many other places visited. a large part of all the work is done by women. The schools are four ishing and are open from 10 to 1 and , to 5.
 Near Antigua, the vessel passed so near to a leper island that the lepers were plainly visible from the deck. About seventy of these unfortunates are comfortably kept in strict isolation by the government on the island de- voted solely to this use.
 | Guadalupe received the party hospit- ably and the only difficulty experienced was in changing American money to French money, which difficulty was ob- viated by the services of a twelve-year- old negro interpreter who spoke both French and English fuently and was more conVerSant with comparative money valuations than were the shop keepers. In Guadalupe the beggars are allowed only one day In the week on which to beg. Elsewhere they beg al- ways and everywhere, constituting nuisance. Here, too the women worked harder than the men. They are always ho .ofn box oxra fir1a prpnt fipl1rnS probably due to the habit of carrying burdens on the head. All the market women bring baskets of vegetables to the market. where they pay tax each day for the privilege of selling.
 At Dominique, historically interesting because discovered by Columbus in 1493, the party saw very few whites, but found much kodak material in the charming scenery. Forte de France, in Martinique, was interesting as the pres ent residence of the exiled ex-king of Dahomey. Here were to be seen mar vicious feats of swimming. In water forty-fve feet deep diving boys would catch silver coins whether dropped from the deck or thrown far out before the coins reached bottom. They use frail boats, seldom over fourteen inches wide. and when water gets into one of these 1t is not baled out but the owner jumps overheard and spills out the water. At Martinique were seen many women serving as car conductors.
 A liner preceded the party into St. Lucia and was coaled by about 300 wo- men, tall and strong, each capable of carrying on the head the coal basket, ;pip oh nf pnaI with no perceptible fatigue. For carry ing thirty such loads into the liner the bearer receives twenty-four cents. The party passed so near volcanic moun- tain that sulphur and smoke were quite perceptible to the senses. Countless porposes and flying fishes were seen here, as were several whales.
 Barbados appeared more thickly popu lated than any other section visited. Of 100000 inhabitants, only per cent. are white. old wind mills furnish much of the motive power. The people are very religiously inclined, the Church of Eng land being most popular. In an old church built in 1734 the party saw eight | negro children baptisad by a white clergyman. The houses contain usually only one low room, about 10 by IS, in which whole family, usually large, | lives, moves and has it's being. Leav- ing here the party went to Georgetown, British Guiana, where they saw a con- ! Signment of coolies from southern Asia. l These coolies are imported at govern ment expense, each for period of ten years, after which they are returned | whence they came at government ex- pense. The men receive a shilling a | day and the women eight pence, and all | contrive to save money from this wage. The first five years they must remain with the first employer and thereafter may work where they like for five years, then returning home under compulsion They are hardly darker than Mexicans and are tall and 1.-the. some possessing unusual personal attractions.
 Puerto Rico was next visited and it's seemed without exception loyal to the United States. Goods were piled high at all transportation stations awaiting some definite statement of in- tention regarding tariff No complaint was heard of 15 per cent. schedule, out the people were eager for something stable and definite and an opportunity 10 show loyalty.
 In Santiago and Havana, however, the nha bitants, both Spanish and native, had little liking fo- the United States.