The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-04

quate TO the entertainment OF host of
thirsty sea-farers. But this consul did
no such disreputable thing. He WIS jovial
by nature and withal o first-class poker
player.
Into the south we steamed, bearing with
us pleasant memories and pursued by
fragrant breezes- Down among the chain
OF islands. wrapped in mist and standing
sentinel on either hand, with -cloud-wrap-
ped mountain tops and slopes clad in
vivid green's. their shores bathed by opa-
lescent waters, seuthwardiy then easterly
we bore. until OF morning We came TO
Martinique. 4 towering. oud-piercing
mountain rose before US. its summit
wreathed in gloom. but its leewad slopes
smiling with bright forests and fields
of sugar cane. Almost at its base nestled
that city. since obliterated. now become
merely a memory, ST. Pierre. Into its
ere scentic roadstead we steamed and tied
up to gigantic buoys, almost within stone
throw of the bluffs, which. fringe<l with
cocoa palms and guarded as well as DOM
mated by an immense statue OF the Viz
gin. threw their shadows across the bay.
After a brief stay at Saint Pierre, which
was then recovering from disastrous
hurricane that had unroofed hundreds of
houses, we steamed along the beautiful
coast OF Fort de France. there to find that
the islands capital had been recently
swept by fire and food. We paid an Of
fetal call on the governor, took in the
warm baths. the ''bains chaudeS. in the
bills, inspected the grim old fortress that
guards the entrance to For -.~el Bay.
then sailed away again. this time for Saint
Lucia. Beyond the bay lies the plantation
La Bagerie, birthplace of the Empress
Jc sephine and down the coast a bit rises
that unique pinnacle known in British
naval annals as His Majesty's Good Ship
Diamond Rock" Standing isolate out at
sea, yet within short distance of the shore.
this rock was seized and fortified by a
British admiral, toward the end of the
eighteenth century. For more than a year
il was manned by gallant tars, who all
but starved before they were rescued by
a passing ship. Trough a portfolio of the
Philadelphia the writer took a snapshot at
the Diamond Rock as we glided past and
close to it, before crossig the channel TO
Saint Lucia.
Castries is a pleasant place to look at,
but hot and unhealthy The native points
formed for improving the sanitary con-
dition of the place; but it is recalled that
just before down, when the local sewage
system was in operation, orders were
given on board ship to up anchor and seek
another station further from the town
The standing attraction of Saint Lucia is
its ''Soufriere" or sulphur deposit in an
old crater and those natural pyramids,
the Pitons, 5000 feet in height and clad
with verdure to their SUBMITS Both
attractions are situated near the southern
end of the island and reached from Cast
ries by a few hours are down the lee
ward coast. AS the admiral contempla
ted a stop-over at Saint Lucia until the
following midnight, when he intended to
steam for Saint incent. expedition
was planned to the Soufriere and the
Pitons. steam launch was chartered
and the trip made as planned. We inspec-
ted the steaming sulphur vents. the fern
banked streams that led to the higher
hills and the symmetrical Pitons. and late
in the afternoon returned to Castries,
after a very enjoyable outing. Whit was
our surprise as we rounded the last
point to see the ship with its flag
her tunnels, evidently ready for departure.
Fastening alonside, we were greeted by
the stern command: "All aboard, no time
to loose" And as we reached the deck.
after a rather trying climb by a swinging
ladder of robe. the writer was addressed
by the admiral. who was nervously pacing
up and down:
Mr. Commissioner. I can give YOU just
ten minutes to get your tunnage ashore;
otherwise you must return with us TO
Saint Thomas"
The unlucky Commissioner was. of
course taken by surprise; but he recOg-
nized the futility of attempting to get
ashore within the limit set so he respect
fully saluted and said: with your per-
mission. sir, I'll return with you 10 Saint
Thomas.
To Saint Thomas. then. we sailed direct
ly. the admiral having received orders 10
report at that port for Instructions, as
important developments were expected in
a matter that might call for a display of
our naval forces in aid OF international
diplomacy Extreme measures were finally
aVerted: but all the same, the peremp-
tory order from Washington delayed the
writer's trip to Saint Vincent by nearly
two weeks. He only reached it in round
about way by the regular steamers via
Barbados And this after having sighted
the peaks of Saint Vincent from the hill
slopes near the Pitops. the day before
he had expected 10 sail into the hsrbo-
OF kingstown. The return voyage. how
81 err was in its very nature compensatory.
for ne had an extended stay with his
generous hosts aboard the ship. one
more sail over the seas sun-kissed by day.
starlit by night and a share in the well
ccme bestowed by the good people ot
Charlotte Amalia. who had so recently
wished their Yankee guests Godspeed and
a quick return. F. A Ober.-New York
Evening Post.