Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-01-29
TRIP TO THE ORIENT
Clarence E. EdwUrds Touring the
Eastern Countries.
he IS OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
INTERESTINGLY WRITTEN IN WEEK
LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL AP.
PEAR IN THE RECORDER.

approached this island was the
great central chain of mountains,
and they are as bidding as is the
reputation of the country. The
French seized this island IN 1898
and ten years later converted 1t IN
to a penal settlement. Thenatlyes
are repulsive looking, of deep chloe
olate color, and with almost demon
lac faces. Their greatest pleasure
is hunting down escaped convlcts,
and they conduct their man hunts
with all the Joy of their savage,
man-eating forefathers. AS we
approach the harbor we pass the
horrible islet of misery, lie Nou,
and with our glasses we can see the
convicts working under surveillance
of their hard task masters. 1t Is
aptly named the elsie OF Despair. "
Noumea boasts of numerous no.
tells where one can live fairly well
on two dollars a day, barring all
luxuries. Everything seems to be
extra" when you call for it, and
even your bath is two francs.
There is no place here for sea bath
ing, for the shore is infested with
sharks and those ugly, yellow sea
snakes that make bathing a terror.
Gangs of convicts passing along the
road, the chains clanking and their
wizened and drawn faces showing
their terrible condition, are
not pleasant things to look upon.
The native Caladonian refuses
mental work of any kind. He
makes his women do everything OF
this sort that is needed. Some
times, if fate be kind to him, he is
enlisted in the "natiye soldiery, y
whose chief occupation is chasing
down such convicts as prefer the
woods with their lonesomeness to
the work in the chain gang. The
native soldier hunts down these es-
capes, and beats them frightfully
with clubs. They also watch over
them while at work and beat them
for the slightest infractions of the
rules. | shall tell more of this in a
future letter.
Probably the most to be pitied per-
sons on this island are the ticket
of leave" men. These are convicts
who have been parolled or who
have received their liberty, but
without permission to leave the is
Hand. Some of them have been
permitted otill a little ground, and
these are comparatively happy,
but the majority Of. them are al
ways suspects, on the general rule
that once a convict always a con-
vict. They are not permittodi to
90 into any of the hotels, nor to
drink at the bars of the town, ano
are stunned by everybody. There
is nothing for them to do, anc
some of the most desperate crlml'
nails of the convict gangs are mer
who were driven to additional
crime in order that they might
have the companionship of thelI
fellows even if that companlonshiE
was in the prison.
| had an experience the othel
night that made me feel deeply to1
those poor unfortunates. l stroll
rd out after dark to look at tht
town and see what the night llft
might be. As | passed along | was
accosted by a man of gentlemanly
appearance, and we stroll along to-
eether. He is we'll read and seems
in every respect gentleman. Oh
reaching my hotel | invite him il
to have parting glass OF cognac
He hesitates at first, but finally tol
lows me to the bar. To my sur
prise the bar maid accosted hin
with, Here you beast. Leave tn
hotel Immediately. Do you hearT
He looked at me wistfully, and thel
with an air of detection turned ant
left the hotel. l turned for an eX
PLANTATION which was Quickly forth
ecming.
If you respect yourself, sir,
said the bar maid, "you wont b
seen speaking to that man. He
a ticket of leaye man, and has n
business coming into this house. "
I could not help thinking tina
this system was all wrong. {
coure there arc many desperat