The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-06-21
From the London Mail.

| From the London Mail.
Martinique, the scene of the terrible
volcanic eruption, has hitherto been known
as the Isle Of Romance But in future it
will be called the Isle of Tragedy. St.
Pierre was one of the most picturesque of
towns. In shape it followed the semi-cir-
cular form Of the shore, and its main streets
ran parallel with it. But there was so
little room between the mountains behind
the town and the sea that when it increased
| in size it had to climb the slopes behind.
THE VIEW OF MONT PELEE.
And so as you approached the town you
saw before you terrace upon terrace OF
picturesque houses, creamy tinted with red
tiled roofs, backed up against the palms
and dense foliage Of the tropics which
clothe the mornes with never fading green.
Away behind to the north stands the great
mountain called Pelee, lifting its head into
the misty veil of cloud which hangs above
it, the mighty forces of a volcano burning
within. It is this treacherous sentinel
which has burst forth, dealing death and
destruction, and turning the beauty of ma
ture into vast crematorium.
The windows of the st. Pierre houses
were without glass or frames, and had sim
ply heavy wooden blinds with movable
Stats, closed by shutters, which kept out
the driving rain. The houses along the
Rue Victor Hugo, the principal street, had
terraced courtyards at their rear, inclosed
/ by solid stone walls, overlooking the har
Dor, where the ships Of all nations were
wont to float. The depth of water close in
shore is so great that large ships could be
meored almost under the caves of the
houses. In these courtyards, which were
filed with roses and fruit bearing fig vines
trailing over trellis, were bathing pools filed
with the Gouyave water which came down
from the mountains and supplied St. Pierre
with pure drinking water also.
RUE VICTOR HUGO.
The end of the Rue Victor Hugo was
ignominious. After gradually narrowing
down, it became merely an alley, SO full of
all abominable smells that it won for itself
the name of the 'sStreet of Thousand
Smells. . All the streets of this i'll fated
town were narrow and very poorly lighted
at night by few ancient lamps, SO that
BY 8 O clock in the evening the town fell
into complete obscurity, and one might
well imagine himself in some medieval
French town.
But during the day the Rue Victor Hugo
was filed with what has been called "a
population of the Arabian Nights So
dazzling combination of color, barbaric IN
its intensity, could scarcely be found else
where certainly not in the Caribbee Is
lands. Yellow in all its vividness pre-
dominated in turban, foulard and gown.
Pink, green, purple, blue, in stripes, plaids
and figures, wrapped about the 1.-THE bodies
or gracefully wound about the well poised
heads-such was the first impression one
eyes received of the native population OF
Martinique,
DRESS OF THE PEOPLE.
Nowhere does that distinctive article OF
adornment, the turban, play SO important
role as among the creole women there.
A mere head covering in Barbados or
Antigua, in Martinique the stifly starched,
gaily colored madras becomes distinct
ly ornamental headdress, and it is worn
with certain grace which proclaims the
lingering trace of true French blood in the
dark current in the veins.
The beauty.of the creole is proverbial,
and even the common people share to a
certain extent in this beauty. The mu-
latresse capresse, or metisse, differs as much
from the negresses of Jamaica or Barbados
as the pure Caucasian type differs from
them. These people have in many cases,
in too many, curious mixture OF blood,
ranging from the ''saccatra, almost pure
negro, to the so called s'sang mele, al
most pure Caucasian mingling OF races
which lends to them the warm beauty OF
the tropics, together with the refinement OF
feature of their sisters The most beautl-
full of all, however, are those who have the
blood of the three races. Carib, negro and
white, the blending of the old Indian with
the two usurping races lending charm OF
color and feature as rare as it is beautiful.