Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-04-11
lecture At ST. johns
DR.. Shreeve Takes His Audience
On a Delightful Journey
Lecture Last
Night.

1t is pleasant TO travel, TO see the
wonders of foreign lands, and of other
climes, to breathe the air laden with
the perfume of strange blossoms,
even to inhale the damp odor of the
impenetrable jungles, but as time is
fieeting and life. is short, it is very
comfortable, after all. to sit quietly
for an hour while wandering through
these scenes aud viewing enhancing
sights
Rather paradoxical Well. this was
the experience of those whose fortune
il was last evening to gaze upon the
beautiful island of Jamaica, unfolded
as panorama, and listen TO the verbal
description given by Professor Shreeve,
to climb with him to the highest peak
of the Blue Mountains. TO look down
upon the fieecy clouds which, during
the day, cast veil over all sublunary
things and as the sun rises to see the
shadow Of this mountain 1000 feet
above sea-level, cast its shadow for
forty miles, and though this last scene
was impossible for a camera, the vivid
description of the lecturer brought it
before the "mind's eve" as distinctly
as though it were depicted on the
canvas.
They saw and heard of the wonder
ful vegetation, the forests of air
plants, some of them large trees, liv-
ing parasitically upon other and larger
growths. They saw t. @ tree ferns and
those gloriously beautiful Royal
Palms, coffee plantations and botani-
cal gardens, of which there are seven
in that comparatively small island
They walked in the streets of Kings
ton, saw the public buildings of which
the most prominent perhaps is a thea
ire. where they we're told that one
play year is performed, and then a
subscription is taken up 70 send the
company on its way. The oldest build
ing, erected by tie Spaniards, has all
the marks of the architecture of that
day, aud under the dome, surrounded
by Coriuthian columns is the statue
of Columbus, the < eat discoyerer, and
the spot where he landed, inside of
one of the grandest harbors in the
world, was also visited.
A group OF negroes, very black they
we're, evidently married couple and
their mother, brought for inspection
the various products of the island
cocoa a-nuts. bananas, coffee, tobacco,
vans like in appearance TO immense
clubs, or a shoulder of bacon. The
younger woman appeared quite con-
scious of the many eyes bent upon her,
but the older and the man stood
stolidIy and silently, gazing out before
them, holding heir exhibits. A large
assemblnge of the inhabitants who
meet on stated times coming from
either side of the mountains, bringing
their different products for barter
were so busy chattering that they did
not take notice of the traveller.
There was apparently only one beast
of burden in the assemblage, but the
immense piles of wares the women
carry on their heads, precludes the
necessity for the use, TO large eX-
tent of horses and mules. The negroes
are of a distinct type. unlike our col
ored people. The coffee industry, con
trolled by England. was seen in all its
stages. The banana output is con.
trolled by the United States. The
planting. gathering and shipping OF
this product was watched with consid-
erable interest and cargo came bach
in the ships hold to America with the
itinerants. Altogether the evening was
most pleasant and profitable, notwith
standing that the storm ragged without,
and the lightning seemed veritably
enraged that within doors it was har'
messed and driven for the comfort
and pleasure of those interested III