The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-03-26
AMERICAN BOY WRITES OF
TRIP THROUGH WEST INDIES
. By Ed johnson. Mate u. S. S. Dixie.

J. A. Jones, Of this city. Is In receipt
Of q lengthy but interesting letter
from Edward johnson. chief machin-
ist's mate abard the q. 8. s. Dixie,
which has just completed q cruise
through the West Indies. The writer
describes infinitely the ports Of call.
including the desolated Island OF Mar
Unique. Copious extracts from the let
ter follow:
viii say TO begin with that It was
an enjoyable one TO the writer. Every
place called at with one exception was
new territory to me besides there Is
q glamour of romance associated with
these islands that always make them
interesting.
st. Thomas.
This little town is built on three
ridges in the shape of three triangles.
Seen from distance they remind you
Of the pyramids Of Egypt. A quaint
little tropical town Is St Thomas
rich In sea lore and associated with
pirates and buccaneers. It was here
The notorious "Bluebeard" came, built
8 fort and took the town BLUE
boards Castle" as 1t Is called, Is still
standing and Is one Of the features OF
the place It IS seen as you enter the
harbor standing up the hill back OF the
town. A noted character was old
eBluebeard." On the high seas. as bold
& pirate as ever harried commerce and
cut a troat On land, . most gallant
sknight Grant" For Is It not written
that he took unto himself nineteen
wives? Whews The average man
these days considers himself lucky II
he can take care Of one and that right.
But please bear IN mind that Blue
beard" lived in the good old days be-
fore excessive tariffs and high cost of
living. I should like to see him tackle
the Job today. OF course they had the
traditional customs duties In his day
also, but he enjoyed absolute free trade
whenever some unlucky merchant
trader had to lower colors to the black
nag OF his pirate craft wonder why
the dickens he did not take one
more just to make it an even twenty.
Perhaps he was believer in odd num-
bers
Trinidad. British.
In legends this is an island Ia Do
RADIO" a king is supposed to have
lived midst mountains OF diamonds
surrounded by golden hills who
smeared his body in turpentine and
rolled In gold dust every year. (What
do you think Of that for a lucky cuss?) /
An important island. with a growing
commerce. Famed the world over on
account Of it's asphalt lake. and said to
be rich in mineral deposits Of iron and
copper. Sugar cane Is the principal |
agricultural product and good deal of
fruit appears to be raised there. The
island has a large Hindu p pulation. |
engaged in the cane industry. Good
public schools are established with |
adncatinp IN EnKlisa. hui the -Kreat |
az = 80. - .hase islands. is the popuia
tfor. It is for the most
monereI variety.
Martinique, French.
- = the birthplace Of Empress
a.s.s also as the home OF the
S =. 49, - ,s,ce,, the most venomous OF
-. - Aha. here we r1ve again
seps'.ss' 80 : serpent. Now the writer
Eoi.ao,, =. ,,,tend to make any invidious
$3.50 ss,o, oh. dear. no. With nor
- - frst last and all the time II
IS the woman r-.rce we
-.sr,ad at Mount Pelee. just TO iooA
~ - -,,lns Of St. Pierre. 1t was on
= -. lovely day that we arrived eo,
here and as we approached was .ve s.s,
,s,,ch impressed by the very PREV
landscape that met the eye On inc
huis back of what had once Deen :
-as,s eanId be seen green fields OF wav-
to- snrar-cane and pieces OF ne"iy
.,-I,,vsted land. To the left stooo
Sso,,nt Pelee, majestic in appearances
and power, with q mantle OF Mni.s
eescv clouds hiding its summit oa. oI
fts side could be seen the river OF iAs =.
that had spread terror ana oeaen =
the dweilers Of St Pierre OUT Oh
nopulation OF about $4,000 only ON
man escaped death A lifetime conslo
confined in q dungeon 80 lar unoer