Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-09

tentlous mansions-all gray and white
with deep yerandas and green jealous
ies-~relics Of the old time French re-
glmei but most OF the modern dwellings
are as common place and unpicturesque
as can well be imagined They are
mere wooden boxes sixteen by twenty
feet with bonnet roofs and glassless
Windows one need not be told that
the ugly structures We're brought over,
ready made. from the step-mother
country, Tor the convenience Of her coli
onists. Many OF these flmsy houses
give evidence of long desertion, and
all are more or less delapidated--door
hanging by one hinge or refusing TO
hang al all, and bald on top IN patch
es where the shingles have disappeared.
nut over each giant tamarind. or
mango, or pepper-tree spreads IT'S pro-
tecting arms In perpetual benedictlon,
lhe more pretentious mansions of gray
stone have queer little Frenchy courts,
paved with black and white pebbles set
on end In patterns, like patchwork
quit. In these courts the master
smokes his intefrinable cigarettes and
entertalns his friends; the mistress
brings her embroidery or guitar, and
the children play The whole town is
like one great green orchard, and over
broken roofs and walls Of rudest ma
sonry hang lines and paw-paws or
anges, aguacatts. sapadilos and other
strange tropica fruits, amid a Wilder
ness OF iIowers.'Fhe market square near
the south end Of the town. Is surround.
ed by shops aid stalls and permeated
with vile odor OF sailed fish. Just be-
y0nd the market. on high blum, Is the
quaintest OF stone forts, commanding
the roadstead and harbor-in which.
nowadays, there is seldom any craft but
sugar sloops and an occasional trading
vessel, besides the regular weekly
steamer, There Is a government house
and courthouse bo.h low and yellow.
and surrounded by flower gardens. Ros-
eau Itself has only about 5000 inhabi-
tants. and the whole island less than
| 10000, not more than 500 of whom are
whites. Though Dominica has belonged
! To- England since 1914 and most OF its
| citizens are black as the typical ace OF
| spades, II is still intensity French in
Keeling, manners, customs and religion.
! In spite Of fine new English church.
! with a modern clock in lis tower and
four imposing figures standing near IT'S
entrance-the dingy old Romsh cathe-
dral continues to absorb all the audi
ences, except handful Of British OFF
cials who perfunctorlly attend service
on Sunday mornings. Were not The
Episcopal clergy maintained out Of the
! public funds, they would certainly get
a scant maintenance In Dominica.
For the last quarter century this ISL
and has been member OF the I.eeward
colony, and sends representatives to
the general legislative assembly at
Barbados; but has It's own local legls-
lature and treasury, and resident lieu.
tenant governor. Although England
controls things political here she is not
In high favor socially Dominican arts.
tocracy Is French to the core led by a
\ few old Creole families of wealth and
measureless pride, who maintain al
most patrlarchal rule on their estates
in the hills. They are delightfully."- hos
pitable, In quaint, old world fashion
which savers a good deal OF feudal dis
play As there Is no hotel In Roseau,
no roads for riding at ease around the
island, and no carriages to be hired
even If there were boulevards over the
mountains, the stranger would better
make up" to the planters without de-
lay. Unless one has friends In Roseau
or brings letters of Introduction. he
has no alternative but to spend his
nights aboard ship.
Through the kindness Of acouain-
tances, we made horseback excursion
up the valley back OF Roseau and a
little way into the hills--just far enough
10 get q glimpse Into the interior OF
this volcanic Eden In the first half
dozen miles we forded the Roseau river
twice, besides crossing II several times
on bridges, az the erratic trail climbed
up and up the sides OF the mountains
that seem gathered together like
woven garment and shaken into deep
falling folds" Never were seen such
ferns as grow In Dominica. There are
great forests Of them in the cool moist
recesses Of the hills many OF the sep
arate fern trees standing 20 feet or more
IN height, yet as daIntily angled and
pennated as the smaller ones Of the
north. Groves Of Wild bananas are very
conspicuous In the dense mass OF
greenery, with their enormous. pale
green leaves thick punches Of fruit,
and the scarlet seed receptacles hang
ing down the stem OF the tree as by q
twisted rope. Tiny cane and coffee
| plantations. hedged With cocoa
palms. are met In the most
unexpected and almost inaccessl-
bic places: and upon every de-
clivlty too steep 10 be planted, cascades
burst through the close natural vegeta-
ton, keeping all incomparably fresh
| and green.
Everybody has heard OF Dominica's
boiling lake. away up In the wild heart
Of the central mountains. We did
! not succeed In getting 10 II: but We
! went far enough to see its ascending
steam. and the smoke from two other
"soufrleres," as volcanic craters.
whether extinct or active, are called by
| the French I'm the West Indies. The
whole island Is highly volcanic and as
| late as 1880 there was q tremendous
| eruption from one OF the soufrieres.
| The boiling lake was undoubtedly once
| n geyser, the violence and volume OF
| whose flow deepened and Increased the
| aperture by which Il escaped. until
| IL reached its present dimensions-a
great boiling caldroun, 400 feet across,
surrounded by walls from so 10 100
feet high It's rim Of ferruglnous
earth. with stones and rocks Embedded
| Is as nearly perpendicular az Its con-
sistency will allow As the banks are
constantly cavlng In. no amount Of
curiosity should induce the traveller 20
lessen very respectful distance" he.
tween himself and this inferno. Tho
water I'm the so-callled lake varies In
temperature from 80 20 200 degrees.
Sometimes II is in violent commotion,