The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-25

/ rampage, and pep7ered the whole Island
and surrounding sea until the soil Of rhe
former was nearly hidden from sight ard
the latter made 10 boil like a vrttch.s
caIdron- The Saba people ought 10 Know
what volcanic rock and scortae ara of =
| surety. FOR they have had painfully ciezr
| their lands Of both before planting rhA
| neat little gardens that surround their
houses.
Indubltabie evidence Of volcanic action
I they viii tell you. * to be found in ,hs
vast depths ~ cruds sulphur which i
mined out OF the cilss hundreds 81 fer
/ above the sea and sent down to vessels
! holds By means OF a wire trauwav. Tbc
/ highest point occupied BY human hebita-
ton IS about I-zes feet above the sea
level As there IS no harbor n Sab. 80
/ their Is 10 roadway for vehicle or beast
/ OF burden. al the freight arriving thers
/ and all the produce shipped thence car
! red On the hacks OF men and women.
The men are always nearly az sea. be-
/ ing the best sailors in the Caribbean
} and in their absence the women. girls
and boys work the provision grounds"
and attend 10 the gardens
Next neighbor 10 Saba is the Dutch
island OF Saint Eustatius better known in
that region as Statia- Il has seen better
days but could not be more beautiful
al least 50 far as its mountain cone is
/ concerned, which is about 100 feet IN
heighth and perfectly symmetrical The
writer once passed night on the crater
brim Of Statia's volcano. in order TO
study the nocturnal phenomena. and the
next morning descended 10 the floor Of
the crater. which is covered with gigantic
forest trees. Statia was once very
wealthy, but is now poor and forgotten.
though is celebrated as the first place
in which foreign power saluted the
American flag II has no harbor. only
q roadstead.
Where every island is perfect gem. a
gigantic emerald. embraced by bIuest
OF waves and caressed by silvery clouds. |
II is most difficult to select that which
might be termed the finest; but there is
none more attractive from the sea than |
Saint Kits. named by the modest Co
lnm5us. after himself. Saint Christopher. |
He discovered it, as indeed all these is |
land Of the northern Caribbees. in the !
year 1883. The highest peak in the is
land, about 1000 feet high is Mount Mis- |
cry, which eonceaIs a fine crater in its 1
bosom-a crater that has sent out no 1
thing worse than steam and sulphur 4
fumes within the memory OF man. Brim- 1
stone Hill, a detached peak 100 feet in 4
height, was once fortified by the British 4
and called their West Indian Gibraltar,
a name now borne by Saint Lucia. u /
the south OF Martinique Saint kits
possesses the richest soil in the West
Indies hardly excepting Cuba. yet its
planters are now in the doeful dumps be-
cause we viii not take them under cur
protecting wing. and sturdy black men
are going begging at a shilling a day.
The island was the original home or
the buccaneers. OF its leeward coast
a great naval battle was fought between
the English and the French. Across q
narrow channel crosses the symmetrical
peak OF Nevis. like Mount Misery. forest
clad and with fertile. verdant belt
around it. Nevis was the birthplace OF
Alexander Hamilton and here Lord Mel
son was married. Next south OF Nevis
lies Montserrat. smaller yet and between
the two islands the great rock Of Re
dona, a pinnacle shooting out of the
sea Montserrat has 4 fine crater OF
soufriere." and before it was devas-
tated by hurricane a few years go
was covered with groves OF lines Nevis
Ia. no well defined crater. but has num-
erous hot and mineral springs.
The three islands last named are Brit
ISL. but the island next southeriy Quad
eloupe is French. and the largest OF the
volcanic chain. II really consists CT two
Islands, one mountainous. with a sou
friere" about as high as Mount Misery.
and the other low and level. great sug-
reproducing country. our consul at
this island Col. l. H. Ayme. who went
so promptly 10 Martinique at the first
call for assistance. was formerly consul
at Yucatan. is an old traveller. speaks
French and Spanish iuentiy and Is much
more worth worthier post than the
one he has occupied for the last three
years. GuadeIoupe was discovered by
on his second voyage, in 1893,
and he. ike all voyagers who have come
after him. was enamoured Of its scenery.
speaking enthusiastically OF its maguin-
cent forests and waterfalls. The town of
the commercial port. has
a fairly good harbor.
Dominica, about thirty miles scouth Of .
IS the most picturesque Of
the chain, containing grand and gloomy !
mountains. deep zorges. extensive for
ssts. waterfalls, hot springs. boil ,
Ing lake in its crater and many won
iers Of the faunai and botanical wirid.
The writer was the first 10 photograph !
the boiling lake which IS reported again ,
In ebuilitfon after period OF quiescence
and was perhaps the first North Ameri- I
,an 20 I've among. and 10 photograph thef
Cari5 Indians OF Doniuica. last vestiges
= the caunft7lS discovered bv Colrsra tsss
only good harbo-, that OF
Prince Ru2erts. IS unused on account q .
ne insalubrity % the adjacent country.
While Roseau. the commercial port. Is an
lpen roadstead- .
The same may be said Of ST Pierre n
Martinique 50 recently overwhelmed BY !
he lava food. for IL was the countrv !
that drew commerce thither.
sorne Dia5Iotia n Dominica Is TIRE high !
st peak Of the chain exceeding 5ase
Get while Montague Pelee. the volcano .
n Martinique that has caused such wide
-pread destruction and the loss q rsrs
han see0 lives. il slightly over 400
'eet These data. however. and also
ID the details of the recent eruption /
nd the country devastated. have becu
opiorslv set forth % late ard need not
,e repeated.
Martinique Is TIE home II the west II :
les of French culture ard refinement
-he home. but sncientivs 1or. alas. within
he past generation f. has fallen from e
nee. proud position TIE white i1hshltants I
ave steadily dNi-tleS-ss iusteed. Fhsy
ave f. al TIE islands q TIE West Indies
and today cuIv re scant remains = the Z
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