Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-11-12
PANAMA EDITORIAL TRIP.
Letter No. 3.

OuUd came IN SlgDG TO our ldrOOdTu
Twas the utmost jutting of the Pinar
Del Rio province of the Pearl of the
Antilles that we were passing,
cape dubbed Antonio which curved
away in an irregular tangent inland
and Southwark We were leaving
the Gulf of Mexico and passing
through the Yucatan Channel. Soon
the fringe of the tree line and the
tall poles of the Wireh's; station and
the white tower of the light house
proclaimed clearer vision and then
the Cuban Coast began to recede as
we dashed on, ever on, South in our
bourse to the Caribbean Sea. The
greenish hue which displaced the
picturesque blue of the Gulf; the
greyish cliffs and yellowiSh floating
seaweeds were optical memories
which we will carry in mind of that
once unhappy island until Providence
if ever, permits US to inspect it at
closer range.
We had so far recovered now
from our seasickness as to be able
to resume eating sparingly and be
out on deck lolling in our steamer
chairs, reading and gazing with
scarcely firing wonder at the beauti-
Gus blue waves, entranced as it were
by the much wrote-of witchery of
the sea. AS we would occasionally
hang over the deck-railing and
watch the breaking of the pillows
cleft by the mighty prov of our
stout ship, we could not help but
appreciate the sentiment which in.
spired the poets to write in immor
tai muse of this selfsame charming
thing. The swirl of the dived wave
as 1t passed from the knife-like
front of the steamer alongsides and
broke with great slapS and spray.
in which the most inimicable and
delicate shades of blue las indigo
ever got to be) and white, all con-
tributed to the grandiloquent effect
on mind and heart. We do not believe
ever artist lived that could transfer
this picture to canvass without
some loss to it's sublime beauty
nay those colors are beyond hum
an brush to reproduce absolutely
perfect, Only the hand of God in
the Sun and on the reflections OF
water, could put together such raw
ishing com bination of light.
The ra n bow IS the only sue
cessful rival we can conceive OF
| to it, and it comes from the same
Divine painter. But enough rhap-
| sodizing over the Ieaping waves OF
we will never get on; this though
was a tribute to the Creator we felt
must be paid.
The next afternoon TUESDAY Oct
19) at about half past 2 o'clock, we
began to run down Swan Island
which lies pretty near on our course
and at which we were to heaye t.
and put off some freight and mail in
to the boat of the owner of this three
mile long and much narrower piece
of dirt. Its possesSor landed there
several years ago, and after eievating
Old Glory to the heavens, took pos
session in the name of Uncle Sam
and himself and so far no nation MOI
individual has disputed the claim, =
so far as we are concerned he's safe
on that score. This island is one o.
those that are too small to be on the
ordinary maps, and lies $50 miles
Southwark from New Orleans. just
in tie edge OF the Tropics and seem
ingly out of the paths of the hurri-
canes which sweep those seas ano
sometimes devastate the little islands
as it has never so suffered and is
thought to have too much elevation
for such calamity anyway, The
United Fruit Co., has a Wireless
Station on this island, which in con-
junction with the others they main
tain on adjacent coasts and on board
its steamers to keep pretty close
track of their boats when out at sea,
which is very assuring feature in
deed for passenger steamers to nave
in their equipment. 1t engenders a
confidence that nothing less can sup
ply. Our fist glimpse of tropical
birds was had as we drew near this
island, brilliant yellow canaries dash
ed out as convoy of welcome. while
seafowls cavorted in and out and a.
bout. Flylng nSneS TOO rose mystic
riously from the waters and as mys-
tically disappeared beneath them af
ter short fly.
The next letter will be largely de-
voted to description of the various
interesting parts of TIE ship 1--WE
made a pretty thorough inspection,
and we hope then to take you with
US to the landing at the wharf in
Colon. AS but little space will be
given the return voyage. we are ma
king the description pretty thorough
on the trip down, and hope we will
not have wearied you before coming
to the Panama proper part of the
trip.
Some editors in this state seem
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