The Washington herald., 1909-03-21

arrangement was made by and between
the government and the owners by which
the slaves were freed, the owners re-
eeIying compensation for them. so In 1898
the last OF the slaves were freed. Nine
eight per cent OF the population are
negroes and 2 per cent are whites and
coolies II IS really a coiOred mans
country. They respect the white people
and look upon them as their superlors.
They were taught this when they were
freed by the English.
The island Is IS miles wide and las
miles long. Port Antonio Is on the
east coast. and Kingston, the capital.
and the most important city on the
island. Is on the west coast. Here. you
remember. two years ago there was a
very disastrous earthquake. The town
Is stiH in ruins. only a few buildings
having been recently rebuilt. They have
quite a variety Of fruits. among which
are the cocoanut. orange, grapefruit,
and mango. Some OF the fruit. Ike
the foliage. is perpetual The trees
shed their leaves. but you do not
notice Il. as It is done so gradually,
and new leaves are growing all the
time I saw on cOcOanut trees the
bloom and little cocoanuts OF various
sizes from the size OF a hens egg up
TO maturity. The fruit Is gathered by
boys and paid for by the hundred The
trees are from thirty % forty feet high
in some cases and the crop Is said 10
be one Of the most profitable on the
! island, as the trees do not have 10 be
cultivated Each tree yields from 900
20 30 eCcoanuts IN twelve months. and
VIII net about sI25 per tree You can
see that this IS a profitable business, as
there are thousands OF trees on one
plantation % four or FIVE hundred acres.
4 was very much interested in the
country people, or peasants as they are
sometimes called here. % see them going
to market with their baskets on top
Of their heads and sometimes leading
a donkey with a basket on either side
OF him
II Travelled on the island with ac-
/ quaintances / had made on the ship
/ Our party broke up in squads. as II IS
more economical 10 travel that way.
IN Kingston one OF our party, q Mr..
I Norris. OF Baltimore. and myself, went
I 10 the Parish Church. the Church OF
/ England. II Is an interesting old struc-
ture. We read the inscriptions On the
! tablets on the walls. and some OF them
were quaint and interesting When We
were about ready 20 so out OF the
church two colored women came in with
baby 20 be baptized. One OF the
women was TO be its godmOther. The
minister was also cOlored. He proceeded
with the ceremony. and AZ the proper
I time asked what the name OF the baby
was % be- He had received a note from
the parents stating that the childs name
would be Iris Louise. but had forgotten
the name. When he asked what the
name was 10 be the sodnaother gave him
a name which he said was not the name
given in the note. They had quite a
/ parley about g. and finally tire minister
I refreshed his memory and decided that
the child's name should be Iris Louise.
and Iris Louise IL is. During this time
the child was quite impatient and cried
a good deal The minister tried 20 quiet
+ IL by shaking IL. but could not. so finally
I be slipped his finger IN SIS mouth. which
had the desired effect. II got busy.
/ concluded that human nature is about
/ the same the world over