The Tomahawk., 1917-06-28

~ URING a sojourn on the French
West India island Of Marti-
niQue, where Theodore de
49, BODY was engaged in making
an archaeological reconnaissance In
the interest Of the Museum Of the
American Indian (Heye foundation) of
New York city, he was enabled, thanks
to the kindness of Mr.. Simon Hayot,
a resident Of this island, to visit the
birthplace Of Josephine Tascher de In
Pagerie, who subsequently became the
wife Of Napoleon Bonaparte and en-
press of France.
The great events in the life Of the
unfortunate empress are too well
known to students and historians to
need recital in this short paper, says
Mr.. De BODY in the French edition Of
the Bulletin of the Pan-American
Union. The writer thinks it may be
of interest to Americanists, however,
to have some record Of Josephine's
birthplace. Due to the various politi-
cal changes that took place in France
after the fall Of the first empire and
to the republican form Of government
which was subsequently adopted, no
efforts were made to preserve the
buildings in which Josephine spent her
childhood. At the time of writing n
movement has been started by the gov
ernor of Martinique, NJ. Camille Guy,
an historian of note, to preserve what
ruins still remain of La Pagerie and to
erect within the walls Of what once
was the plantation residence fitting
monument to the empress.
Famed for Its Hospitality.
The property Of La Pagerie, ances-
trail home Of Josephine Tascher, sec
ond daughter Of Messire J. G. Tascher
de In Pagerie, lies some two miles west
Of the small village Of TrOis 1slcts, on
the southwest coast of the island of
Martinique. No record can be found
as to how long this La Pagerie prop
erty had been in possession Of the
Tascher family. That it was famed for
hospitality, even in the days when Gre
ole hospitality in the West Indies was
at it's zenith, is cherished TRADITION
Sugarcane was extensively cultivated
at In Pagerie, and there can be no
doubt that, with large number OF
slaves, and with the high price that
sugar commanded in those days, Mon
sleur Tascher was well-tO-dO planter.
There still remains on the plantation
the ruin Of the old sugar house, where
the cane was ground by the windmill
process and the juice boiled In the open
copper kettles.
Local traditions have it that Jo-
Sephine was born in the old sugar
house, instead Of in the plantation res
idence. It seems that the island OF
Martinique was visited by one Of the
typical, all-destructive hurricanes
which are such a common occurrence
in this region; the family, anxious Tor
it's safety, took refuge in the more sub
stantially constructed factory, and 1t
was here that Madame Tascher's Sec
ond child was born on the oath Of June,
1868.
Not Much OF Residence Left.
But little remains of the Tascher res
ldence. Successive hurricanes sue
.eeded but too well in effaclng the hand
work Of man, and one can now find
but the low, three-foOt-high walls or
the residence proper. These walls are
so overgrown with tropical vegetation
that it Is well-nigh impossible to pho
tograph them. 1t is the plan of the
commission headed by Monsieur Guy,
the governor Of the island, to remove
this vegetation and the debris inside
the walls, and to erect therein the mon
ument to Josephine.
Strange to say, the best-prcserved
ruins on the La Pagerie estate consist
Of the kitchen walls. What higher trlb-
ute can the writer pay to the delights
Of the far-famed Martinique cuisine
than to say that he considers 1t q Mt
ting tribute to the hospitality OF Jo-
sephine's parents that Of all the plan
tation buildings, this should be the one
70 be the best preserved? One can
even see the old fireplace, where the
Tascher cook prepared her delicious
creole connections.
Local tradition has it that 1t was
young JosephiDe's custom to daily BE-
take herself, accompanied by faithful
old negro NANNY" to certain pool
on the property to indulge N bath IN
the refreshing waters Of limpid rivu-
let. This ''mammy," named Euphemia,
was an old family slave, and was gen.
orally credited as Icing prophecies
Ut mo- mean order. 1t seems to have
been her custom to allow herself to 60