Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-10
home of nearly every planter but they CO
her Mana"
Devoted Servants.

|
| her Mana
Devoted Servants.
| Many of the house servants were born
slaves the plantation, and have remain
| ed there all their lives. although they were
| liberated from bondage by 'Missis Queen
| Victoria" over sixty years ago. l know one
| planters family in which the great-grand-
| mother, grandmother. mother and daugh-
| ter are all servants, and when the daugh-
| ter'S baby was born it was adopted into
| the family with the rest.
The planter always tells you that things
| are going to the dogs. AS he fills your glass
| with rare old wine laid down by his grand
| father when Queen Victoria came to the
| throne, and hands you cigar you could
not buy, he explains that he is a ruined
man, and he wonders what will become
| of his poor wife and family. The sugar
cane hardly pays to cut, the bananas cost
| more 10 ship than they are worth, and cof-
fee spells bankruptcy.
But you see no outward signs of grinding
poverty. There are six courses for dinner,
and the hostess is dressed in a gown that
would serve for any fashionable function in
New York. If you told your host that
your remittances had not arrived he would
take out his check book and ask how much
you wanted. Like the negroes on his es
tate, he never seems to worry himself I'M
duly about work. The bananas may need
cutting, but he can always spare time to
take you out for ride or game of polo
or tennis.
A Medley of Peoples.
Even if the tourist does not have the
single introduction which will enable him
to enjoy this delightful life on the plantae
tons he still have an excellent time
down in. the West Indies. Life in the other
islands is quite as interesting as in ia
naica. Trinidad, nesting under the shadow
of the South American continent, is per-
feet dollhouse of tropical vegetation, and
has more interesting medley of races than
any other colony in the West Indies The
East Indian coolies, who have been i'm
ported by the thousands from Calcutta and
Bombay, have created a miniature of India
in Port-of-Spain. They rub shoulders in the
crowded streets with negroes and muattoes
from all parts of the Caribbean; Venezue-
Ian generals out of a job because their
latest revolution proved a fizzle; stolid
Dutchmen from Curacao: Portuguese from
the Cape Verde Islands, Spaniards from
Madeira, fiery Coombians from Cartha-
gena, who are ready enough to stick a
knife into their hated neighbors from Ven
ezuela. and clean-shaven. athletic, young
Englishmen, fresh from oxford, to whom
is intrusted the task of ruling over this
hotch-potch of races.
A Forgotten Isle
Grenada, Dominica, St. Kits Barbados,
Antigua, st. Lucia and dozen other
islands. are almost well worth visiting.
But perhaps the most delightful of all is
forgotten little islet called Barbuda The
entire Island belongs to the ancient and
wealthy CodringtOn family, who have lived
in Barbados from the days of Cromwell.
The family have house there, which they
rarely visit. The only permanent inhab-
itants few negroes. who have squat
ted on the.island, like a lot of black Rob
inson Crusoes. There is no regular govern
ment or civilization of any kind The peo-
pie are simply savages-or rather barba-
rians Of a peaceable and benevolent dispo-
sition. OF course, "Marse" Codrington is
an object of worship whenever he visits his
little kingdom His word is law, and he
sits down under a palm tree and decides
off-hand any disputes that may have arisen
during his absence.
There is excellent sport on Barbuda and
the hospitable owners of the islands are
always pleased to let tourists enjoy It,
Horses and oxen run wild there, and chas-
ing them proves very exciting work There
is also a great variety of birds to shoot
and the sea fishing is superb. as, indeed, it
is all through the West Indies -