Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-08-15
The beautiful Land at .IamairH.

tleld Jamaica lis royal ldI'nS NpNtu
40 the hreezes. bidding welcome to lis
1sho we're fortunate enough 90 visit its
shores As We slipped into our dock,
sbe black boys swan alongside, and
we threw coppers into the waters, and
sney dove down and fetched them up,
ILllir1y years ago ! had read the story
az af7ese boys who dive where sharks
ugiEn swim. and il was as though ! had
seen il all before. Say. sahN the
black rascals shouted as a signal for
coins. Down, down, they would go,
always finding the reward for their
labor. At times a dozen or more would
sing wierd, plaintiff native songs for
our entertainment.
One day in one of their dug-outs
which rowed beside our ship, we spied
IA happy, grnning jamaican, who sat
in the stern, clad in a hat, necktie,
land little else beside All eyes from
ahe ships side followed this strange,
fascinating creature, whose face and
body shone like dull copper. It's Bill
siken," discovered some one. Sure
enough. here was a living creature
that spread infectious merriment
among all who beheld.
Jamaica is British, and has $4,000
people, of whom perhaps less than 20
900 are white. Labor is worth from 25
TO 90 cents day, and the natives live
ON fish, rice, mangoes, cocoanuts and
other fruits. They are strong, swarthy
people. Kingston is clean, attractive
city, and there are occasional remind
ssrs of the earthquake of seven years
en who swarm about and beg you to
buy their fruit. Cab drivers follow
your footsteps if you are ambitious
enough to walk. The chances are that
you will ride, as you can hire your
transportation for a shilling, or ride
for a couple of hours for a dollar.
The British maintain great gardens
in which are displayed in luxuriant
splendor the trees, plants and flowers
of the tropics-and it is a wonderful
sight for northern eyes to behold the
cultivation of grape fruit, oranges, lem.
Ons, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, cof-
fee, spices, cinnamon, camphOr trees,
sugar cane. nase berries, star apples,
~ well as the royal ponciana, orchids,
orchid walks, arbors of roses, climbing
whose names have passed from men,
DRY. There are visions of Kingston
that will never dull, and the drives
along the country highways are recol-
tions of hours in comparative paradise.
Beautiful estates line the highways,
with comfortable buildings, grounds
for cultivation. Each bears name,
as for instance: Constance Springs
Retreat, Myrtle Arbor, etc. Here the
English whites live like kings, princes
and dukes; live quiet easy lives, as
their rich fields and plantations are
cared for by the blacks of Jamaica.
Why. IL l had few thousand dollars
and a desire to quit the active strug-
giles of existence, would hit the trail
for Jamaica and become one of the
lords of the land. But these tropical
roads have greater wonders than the
houses and the people alongside.
Gnrnonyhoro hoxyo coor v,iot,,ro ~
black Jamaica women, stretching as
far along the highway as the eye can
reach, bearing on their heads the pro
duce bound for market-great baskets
filled with mangoes, cocoanuts, and
other fruit. Evidently those accom-
pauied by a burro, likewise weighted
down. had attained a high state OF
prosperity, as these animals are worth
from So to SIS piece. The Jamaican
wUmn and their burros are the pack
trains of commerce and they pass like
pitGtlUes on screen along the high
WY 1t is told that when the Jamai
can faborers first were introduced to
nhem fiiil and then carried them off or
their heads.
Along the Constant Springs road oul
Hast msTning, our native rig was over
taken by q dashing turnout, and in 9
Hna1nent we were transferred to this
new vehicle occupied by our friends
Miss Farqnharson and her guest, Miss
Hut. who were on the way to town
10 meet our ship. There are tales OF
gods that ride in chariots across the
clouds. but that team of bays, hitched
To the two-seated carriage, ably man
aged by Jamaican Williams" in spot.
less white at the reins, with our
friends and the loads of beautiful
flowers and native baskets of freshly
picked fruit-ah, that indeed was a
clay of days-a touch of fairyiand.