Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-26
ISLAND SUPPLIES
TURTLES GALORE
GRAND CAYMAN AB0UNQS IN
SHELL FISH
WEST INDIAN ISLE FORMERLY
SHELTERED PIRATES
Isolated Tropical Land Inhabited by
People of Hermit Nature, Who
Pass Time in Hunting
and Fishing

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Dec. 25.-Of
all the spots in the West Indian Islands
the Cayman group of three is probably
the only land Whereon the foot of tour
list has not yet trodden. No steamers
piled to these islands, no cable con-
nected them with the outside world.
while no haring posters announced
their attractions TO the globe trotter.
Only occasional, irregular schOoners
offered means of communication.
The Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman,
Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, are
set in the Caribbean sea some 200 miles
south of the Island of Cuba and about
equidistant directly west of Jamaica.
Grand Cayman is about twenty miles
long, seven wide and has a population
of about 5000 souls. DiscoY cred by CO.
lumbus on his return voyage from
Puerto Bello to Hayti, their history
is full of interest. Probably considered
by tine great discover6r unworthy of
occupation, they were for years the
rendezvous of piraticaI crews and ma
rauders.
The famous buccaneers of that period
established a stronghold on Grand
Cayman on the spot on which today is
founded the town of Georgetown. The
ruins of the fortress may yet be seen.
covered over with ivy and moss. To
this spot, after their piratical raids.
they would repair with spoiis and Viz
TINS, anchoring their ships in the snug
little sounds or harbors and giving
themselves over to reckless reyelry
and debauchery Safe they considered
themselves in this retreat, for vessels
avoided the Caymans as they would
the plague; squat on the waters the
islands lay, with no perceptble reefs
about and the ship mariner or the
steamboat captain often discovered the
nearness of the dreaded isles and the
sunken reefs when his vessel was upon
them--when it was too late. No light
house signaled its warning rays to
keep off, no bells or buoys offered eau
ton.
And so wrecks often piled up, and the
inhabitants, or, more correctly named.
"wreckers," waited for what was sure
to come; what God put beneath their
hand to take they took, ofttimes as
sisting the unsuspecting ships to their
doom by exposing lights stuck on the
top of long poles. And the unwary
went to certain destruction. What
loot was theirs-gold and powder and
wine from Spain, clothes and rope and
flintlocks from England, silks and laces
and liquors from France.
Even today no lighthouse Is to be
found at Cayman, and those vessels
which of necessity must approach the
coasts time their arrival by light of
day; If night finds them in the vi
cinity of the islands they promptly
change their course.
No mention of the first colonization
of the islands is on record prior to
1874 when Gen. D'Oyley, at that time
governor general of Jamaica, resolved
10 attempt to dislCJge the pirates and
establish law and progress and order.
Whether Britain had a right TO SOW
ereignty over the islands or not is
doubtful Probably no opposition to
their occupation other than that on
che part of the pirates was offered.
the islands were then of little or no
value and being contingent to Ja-
maiCa, ii seemed but natural that they
should fail under the dominion of that
government. At any rate. the bucca-
neers were driven out, while those
who remained, and those who after
ward settled on Cayman, diverted their
attention from wreckng and piliage to
shipbuilding and turtling.
Grand Cayman is today the center
of the turtle-hshing industry H the
West Indies, even, perhaps, Of the
western hemisphere. A fleet of forty
five vessels schOoners and slOOps, We're
this season actively engaged in the
service A hundred years ago turtle
abounded in the waters surrounding
Cayman. At present few are euCouu-
tered. Thirty years ago sailing ships
called irregularly at Cayman for tur-
tie, which were shipped in water tanks
directo to London.
Two months was no unusual time
for such ships to occupy IN reaching
destination, so that often 80 per cent
or more Of the turtles died on the NOy-
age. Later, steamers en- route to the
Mexican gulf ports would occasionally
stop for turtles. Records show that
between eighteen and nineteen years
have passed since the last visit.
Today the waters of the east coast
Of Central America are the fishing
grounds. From Nicaragua clear down
TO Panama hundreds OF turtles are to
be found, the reefs, keys and banks
off the Mosquito coast and shores OF
Guatemala abounding in them. What
eplcure does not smack his lips at the
thought of green turtle soup and fresh
turtle steak In 1907 between 1000 and
5000 turtles were brought TO Cayman
to be crawled 0anked), about one
third going later to New York and the
balance to London. Shell To the value
of nearly $4,000 was exported.
The riches and charm OF the land
was remarkable. A fertile soil and
delightful, healthy climate. Fruit in
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES wild, rotting
on the ground under the trees Trop-
ical and sub-trOpical vegetables IN
great Insurance. Oranges lemons,
lines, citrons and guavas i'm every
garden, and along the borders of the
public roads.
Without care or cultivation, growing
everywhere, We're bread-fruit, muusos
alligator pears and cirons. Long. i'm
Vltlng avenues OF shade eDrpad nv
giant almond leaves, led along the
shores. faced by beach of sand and
shell such as one sees i'm the Channel
islands or the north coast of France. I
Here were 5000 people living happily
on the island, nearly 2OU0 i'm George .
town alone, They were satisfied. they
had houses to live i'm, fruit and fish in
abundance 10 eat their guvorunenf
was excellent and the majority had
money ma away under the shelving
roots or the houses or tied up i'm a
stocking stuck away i'm some corner.
Why should they want "a change
Why be disconnected? life slipned
along so gently and easily. II
No British garrison u.r.siae The is-
lands. The entire police force consists
of one sergeant major, two police COM
stables and eight district constables
and the constables, at the order of the
commissioner perform postal. customs
or other duties. A nice, clean ial has
recently been built, but it has no occu-
pant. The Caymaniaus do not fight
among themselves; they take their
troubles TO the court, and the court
fines them sometimes as little as a
shilling.
The Caymanians are excellent carpen-
ters, and turn out many splendid
schooners and slOops. At the time of