The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1911-05-04
FROM FORT DE FRANCE
Interesting Descriptions of the
Island of Martinique.

position at Jerusalem. Mr., Wallace
is the father of Don Wallace, a popm-
lar student in Penn college. The let.
ter was written to Miss Rosa E., Lee,
who is missionary at Ramallah, near
Jerusalem, and was by Miss Lee for
warded to her uncle, DR.. j. w. Nor
gan, of Oskaloosa. 1t is as follows:
Fort De France, Martinique, F. w. 1.
February Il, 1911.
Miss Rose L. Lee,
Ramallah, Palestine.
Dear Miss Lee:-I believe that
wrote to Mr.. Rosenberger short de.
scription of our journey here and said
something descriptive OF the Island as
it first impressed me- shall not
again attempt that further than to
say that it has improved the longer
we have lived here and still appears a
beautiful place, with many lovely
views and fine landscapes. The
weather, too, has become all one could
desire, and Mrs. Wallace and l now
have the pleasure of an afternoon S
walk usually comemncing at five and
returning home at seven or after.
thought of you many times during
the walks, especially when we would
reach an unusually fine view, and
many of them occur during the walk.
One must follow the roads, or paths
unless difficulties are looked for to be
overcome. We were on a walk Sun,
day evening and after climbing up hill
for more than half hour we conclud.
ed to investigate branch road that
seemed but little travelled. After a
continuous climb of another half hour
through a shaded way with every now
and then an opening, presenting to us
the city below, the bay and it's many
harbors, and beyond, the sea.
never have been anywhere in which
the scenes are about the same, all OF
the time, while each new or fresh
view was one of pleasure. The trees
and vegetation are always of interest
and appear strange and novel, all OF
it of the deepest of green's, and nearly
all of the trees have thick leaves and
at the same time the leaves are thick
and heavy in appearance. You have
seen the rubber tree, no doubt, and
they are of the same character. -,
All of them are strange, and along
down the hill sides crop up palms OF
great variety, making a change in the
general contour attractive and pleas
ing. There are trees, too, that look
like big ferns, and the delicate appear
ance of these offer still another con
trast to the other strange forms that
grow in such profusion. Along the
habitable places, bushes and shrubs
grow. in abundance, with strangely
varigated leaves, about every coloring
is represented, and foliage plants ap
; pear in abundance. There is a palm
; here that is most surprising in its
E form; large bulky stems grow out
from common root, near the ground
and as the stems grow they spread
apart forming a perfect fan in shape
indeed, were the cOloring different
they would appear a perfect picture
of a peacock's tail when that gallant
of the yard is making a display They
grow about 30 to 40 feet high and the
fan is 20 to 40 feet wide, the shape
of a palm leaf fan. The fan com
mences to form from a few feet
above the ground to 20 feet, all de
pending on the age and size of the
trees. The leaves or stems of this
plant when broken exude water in
4 sufficient quantity to furnish a drink
. Every growing bit of vegetation is
different, and the season is also
= strange. Melons are now coming in.
to the market, as well as grapes, the
, first of the season. The yards, where
, they are cultivated, are blooming with
roses.
While the weather is moderated
greatly, and is now quite pleasant, 1t
is still warm, more from the excessive
the sun. Up to week ago constant
3 and continuous rains occurred they
we're as regular as time and one pc
culiar phenomena was presented us
I every evening that was peculiar at
1 least. We live on the second floor OF
lhC anu VII inc III oluC 10
5 a very good veranda; on this Mrs.
Wallace spends much time and | of.
ten join her there in the evening.
About six O'clock every day there
would appear in the same identical
spot the end of a rainbow, reaching
up short distance above the house
tops. Away to the southeast would
appear the other end of the rainbow,
: gradually the bows would unite, not
always, but very often a perfect bow
would be formed. We could look for
this formation about six o'clock as
regular as the bells rang out the hour.
We have had a number of American
visitors; this winter about two hun
dred tourists called on us from one
party, and many have since called.
Then, too, every two weeks a few
people come from America, travelling
among the Islands or going to some
part to spend the winter. A number
of American boats also stop here with
freight, and they afford us some com.
pany while they remain. Mr.. Straus
and his wife called about week ago;
he was formerly Ambassador to Con.
stantinople. We were both Ill for
some time not seriously, but still