Morris tribune., 1902-05-17


mountains.
The water front of the town extend
ed for nearly two miles along the gen
tly curving coast. All the space back
to the hills that shut in the town was
filled with the low white houses Of
the people. Some twenty OF twenty
five streets ran down from The hills
to the water front. These were cut by
Irregular cross streets.
The Rue de Victor Hugo was the
principal thorouShfare. All of the
best shops were located on it, and it
served as a parade for the fashiona-
bles when they made their appearance
In the cool of the evening arrayed in
the white ducks, panama hats and low
cut patent leather shoes and the wom-
en- either in the year old fashions Of
Paris or in the striking gayly colored
native garb.
French was the common language
spoken, and nearly all of the white
people were Of French extraction. 1t
was a lively little place, and it's people
had some of the light spirit and gay
ETY. of their Gallo kinsmen. Always
On coming into the harbor passengers
noted the apparent freshness and
cleanliness Of the place. The white
houses with their green blinds and til
ed or matched roofs, the gay striped
awnings and vivid green of the back
ground, made cool, pleasant picture.
| Ashore the bright costumes of the ma
| tive girls, the movement Of the street
life and the strangeness Of the new
! scenes were a source Of constant in
terest to tourists.
Through every street ran an Oren
gutter of water from the hills, and
early in the morning, just when the
cool dawn wind was coming down from
the mountains, these cutters would be
alive with people, The native women
would bring out their tall earthen jars,
/ called welsh hats" by the resident
) Englishmen, to be filled with the cool
flowing water. Babies were brought
/ out ana allowed to disport themselves,
| while their mothers cleaned the house
hold utensils. The streams being fed
. from mountain lakes, cleanliness in
dress and habitatiOn was common, even
among the lowest classes.
Back from st. Pierre about eight
! miles, on winding mountain road,
was the fashionable native resort,
; Morne Rouge. Here the rich residents
! had their country homes, and it is prob
able that when the food Of fire, lava
and ashes came down from Mont Pelee
these were among the first houses de-
stroyed. In the season which began
about June l, there were usually 1900
or 5000 persons at Morne Rouge
When the head Of Mont Pelee blew
Oft, the inhabitants in the town below
had no chance Of escape. The burning
lava, the ashes and mud and the fire
came down the hills as the water had
been coming for hundreds of years.
and the people below were caught as
fish in a net. The only open way was
tie sea, and that offered nothing but
death by drowning. On the side of the
town away from the volcano the trop-
zeal underground came to within few
yards Of the houses, and the beach
ended at the city limits.
Lafcadio HearD in his sketch ga Mid
summer Trip to the Tropics Copy
right, Harper Bros, 1900) describes
the people Of St. PIERRE who are a
race of half breeds, the finest mixed
race in the West Indies, as follows:
"Straight as palms and supple and
tall, these colored women and men i'm
press one powerfully by their dignified
carriage and easy elegance of move
ment They walk without swinging of
the shoulders; the perfectly set torso
seems to remain rigid, yet the step is
a long, full stride, and the whole
weight is springingly poised on the
very tip Of the hare foot. Al or nearly
all are without shoes, the treadtng Of
many naked feet over the heated pave
ment making continuous, whispering
sound.
perhaps the most novel impression
Of all is that produced by the Singh
larity and brilliancy Of the women's
costumes, especially their headdress.
1t is merely an immense madras hand
kerchief, which is folded about the
head with admirable art, like turban,
one bright end pushed through at the
top in 'front.' being left sticking up like
a plume Then this turban, always
full of bright canary color, is fastened
with golden brooches, one in front and
one at either side.
GAS for the remainder Of the dress.
it is simple enough-an embroidered,
low cut chemise with sleeyes, a skirt
or jupe very long behind, but caught
up and fastened in front below the
breast, Sc as to bring the hem every
where to a level with the end of the
long chemise. and finally foulard or
silken kerchief thrown over the Shout
ders. These jupes and foulards, how
ever, are exquisite in pattern and col
or-bright crimson, bright yellow, bright
blue. bright green, lilac, violet, rose
sometimes mingled in plaidings or
chickering's or stripings, black with