Mountain advocate., 1920-01-23
J. A. McDERaIOTT LIVES on
TIRE Fat" or THE LAND

that' we have secured a letter writ
ten by Mr.. McDermott to his wife
and have permission TO publish it..
As will be seen. our traveller greatly
enjoyed the foreign cooking which
reminded him of home-not.
"Since writing you this morning
have enjoyed CD two more meals
OF Spanish cooking. If there is any
thing moro unpalatable may it never
be served up to me! The coffee is
simply abominable and everything
else tastes as tho it we're cooked in
the same pot--all meats seasoned
with same kinds of herbs and the
vegetables IL thrown together and
run thru u colandcr, will look like
smell like and | imagine taste like
soft soap. No individual dishes are
used. You are first brought the soup.
A dish is set before you, aklnd of a
Vessel about the size of a half bushel
measure is brought around with u
dlpper in it, which will hold a quart
OF more and you help yourself
Soup served, you are then brought
something on a plate don't know
what il i5--it contains fish, vegeta-
bles and herbs all mixed up together
and fried in about as much grease
as you would use in frying dough-
nuts. Oh heavens, what Il mess!
After this comes meat with herb
seasoning and thin brown gravy
which only serves to increase the
agony of the victim. When you get
this far you begin to imagine it is
about over, but here comes some
kind of Ash steak which has the ap-
pearance Of having been boiled and
treated to Il greasy dressing with
brownish hue and more herbs, No
pastries are yet in evidence.
After four meals Of Spanish cook
ing I ain about all in
have Just returned from Il stroll
on the Plaza where | saw variety
of shades-all ages, and of appar-
emily all stations in life, and had it
not been for that awful load | had in
my stomach, | might have fallen a
victim to Spanish coquetry.
Our first stop was at Kingston,
Jamaica. We were met about eight
miles out by small boat that had
brought us a pilot, as the channel
leading around Port Royal and into
Kingston is very narrow and crook
ed At Port Royal we stopped and
doctors and revenue officers boarded
the ship---examined our passports,
etc This done, we passed Port Roy
al. British military port. where old
buccaneers drank port, got drunk,
and told fairy tales of submerged
bells that ring the requiem
OF the sunken city. and after about
two hours delay we tied up at Kings
ton, long known as the old sea dogs
kennel.
Here we saw ruins of many earth
quakes. oily faced natives at the
dock and on the streets selling fruit
Chinese peddling vegetables from
baskets and Hindu women selling
cheap jewellery. We visited the Eng
lish Cathedral and Myrtle Bank Ho-
.cl with It's wealth of palms, beach
nd fancy drinks, tarrying here long
enough for an elegant dinner. We
aeXt visited Spanish Town which
vas founded in 1880 and the Oldest
3ity on the island and there saw the
Old Kings house in the light pink
If propriety color, and the old Cath
lie Cathedral with its graves and |
ipitaphs OF some of Jamaica's Illus |
.riOuS and notorious men. Most Of |
Is former population dead and most |
u what. we saw should be. Not |
the populace. the views |
we're thrilling, with blue mountains
Il the distance. W2ye-lushed reefs
nj paradisaical profusiol OF palms,
er2s and flowers.
From here We sailed for Colon,
he north entrance to the Panama
Canal. Much CT the town was re-
emily burned and is now being re-
'uilt with concrete and that part
Known as Cristobal, and being in the
Zone, all Of which is owned by the
J. s. Government, looks more like a
botanical garden than any place
,yer saw.
One Of the largest buildings here
s the COmmissary store which has
wo cntrances--oac marked Cold"
or white employees and the other
Silver" for the colored. A polite
way of drawing the color line.
Just across the street from Cristo-
,al is Colon. the vilest place on