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“...xiv
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
The Blue Hole ...
From a photograph by E. Wells Elliott
Zebu Cattle on a Jamaica " Pen ”
From a photograph by E. Wells Elliott
The Savane at Fort-de-France, Mar-
tinique ...... .
From a photograph by the Author
The Centaur Landing Munitions on
“ H.M.S.” Diamond Rock . .
From a coloured engraving by J. C. Stadler after
J. Eckstein, 1805
A Part of St. Thomas . . ■ .
From a photograph by the Author
The Morro Castle, Havana . . .
From a photograph by Frank Oldrieve
The Kaieteur Fall, British Guiana
From a photograph supplied by H.M. Trade
Commissioner for British Guiana
H.M.S. Renown in the Gaillard Cut,
Panama Canal . . . . .
PAGE
facing 28.6
„ 290
„ 312
V» 318
„ 322
» 348
„ 390
„ 426...”
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“...through the water, and, rising from it, is carried for-
fward and skims the surface, gaining momentum each
kime it touches the waves. The size of the fish is that of
a small herring; and there are always many old travellers
iwho will tell one how they have seen them fly on board
‘the ship, though really this can only occur on sailing
i ships whose gunwale is near the water—as described by
j Jeaffreson in 1676 (see page 23)—unless, perhaps, the fish
iwith unerring aim flies gaily through the port-hole....”
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“...kinds
of fantastic shapes. A stalagmitic bust of Shakespeare
is shown among other curiosities.
I The South Road round the Sound passes many points
of interest, the most notable of which perhaps is the
Devil’s Hole, now the property of the Trott family
■'his pool, which is also known as the Grouper’s Grotto
and Neptune’s Grotto, is stocked with fish whose every
movement can be plainly seen in the remarkably clear
[Water, which rises and falls with the tide, being connected
with the sea and not with the Sound. At the eastern
corner of the Sound is the old property known as
f’aynter’s Vale, and above it rises Paynter’s Hill,
which is very well worth climbing for the sake of the
superb views that it affords of the Sound on one side '
and Castle Harbour on the other. Near by is Shark’s
Hole, another interesting cave over which the road
■èse^s, and proceeding farther one comes to the famous
■valsingham Caves, which well repay a visit. It was
itWalsingham that Ireland’s poet, Tom Moore, resided
Pr...”
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“...58 POCKET GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES
Fern Caves, the Blue Hole, and Castle Grotto, all of M
which should be inspected. I *
The South Road eventually joins the North in the P1
neighbourhood of the Causeway. Until 1871 com- »
munication with the island of St. George’s could only
be effected by ferry from Coney Island to the mouth of »
Castle Harbour, and in bad weather the capital was often 1'
cut off from the other islands for days at a time. In #
that year, however, St. George’s was connected with J I»
the Main Island by means of a causeway, which was »
begun in 1867 under the direction of Lieutenant Hime, j «
R.E., and opened amid the rejoicings of the inhabitants H
in 1871. The length from the spot called Blue Hole at j «
which it starts is one mile and 1,430 yards, and the cost j"
of its construction was £32,000, towards which the t
Imperial Government contributed £8,500. For the first M
part of the distance the Causeway crosses the open'
harbour like the bridges from Mestre to Venice...”
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“...(1836), and Henry Hall Hayward,
laged seven months (1833). The epitaph ends :
Heaven gives us friends to bless the present scene
Resumes them to prepare us for the next
All evils natural, are moral goods,
All discipline, indulgence, on the whole.
j Many pleasant walks and expeditions can be enjoyed
'(from St. George’s, notably to the Barracks, which com-
pand a very fine view, and to St. David's Island.
Returning to Hamilton, the South Road can be joined
either at Tucker’s Town or at the Devil’s Hole. At
(Tucker’s Town the road traverses the Mid-Ocean Golf
jCourse (see page 48). The beach and natural arch at
I Tucker’s Town merit inspection. The first place of
interest reached is Peniston’s Pond (2 miles), a brackish
lake apparently separated from, but, really communi-
icating with, the sea by underground channels. Near
;by is the historic Spanish Rock inscribed :
F +
1543
H which is shown to prove that the Portuguese Ferdinando
(jCamelo, to whom reference is made above (see page 45),
.factually...”
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“...THE BAHAMAS
65
[factory, owing to the shortage of labour. This shortage is due
t to the high wages paid for agricultural labour in Florida. An
(American company has secured concessions for cutting pine
Humber in Abaco, Andros, and Grand Bahama. It employs
cover 500 labourers. Bahamas pitch pine is the hardest and
(the heaviest known in the world. For flooring it is unequalled,
( but carpenters object to it as it is impossible to drive a nail
[into it without first boring a hole. An endeavour to establish
; a Sea Island cotton industry has met with success. The pine-
: apple industry has languished, partly owing to the keen com-
f petition of Cuba and Hawaii, whose fruit is protected by the
(United States tariff, and partly owing to depreciation of the
■soil and the need for fertilisers. There is one factory at Nassau
;operated by an American company, and one at Governor’s
[Harbour, Eleuthera. On Exuma sheep flourish, and salt is
, produced by the evaporation of the water from brine on Ragged...”
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“...from an ever-increasing number of proprietors.
I, There is a Government wireless station near Fort Charlotte ;
but the " out islands ” as yet have no telegraphic system.
SPORTS. The favourite pastime in Nassau is lawn-tennis,
which is played on grass and " dirt ” courts, numerous tennis
f tournaments being held in winter, notably under the auspices
j of the Nassau Lawn Tennis- Club. The Florida East Coast
Hotel Company has picturesque g-hole golf links and a small
Club House (subscription $25 for the season) near the New
[Colonial Hotel, and there is an 18-hole course a little to the east
! of the town. Clock-golf, played over a miniature course with
putters and irons only, was originated in Nassau by Dr. Cassel-
|berry. There are several Cricket Clubs and Rugby Football
is played during the winter. Duck shooting can be indulged in
fon Lakes Cunningham and Killarney from November to April;
Sand wild pigeon afford good sport in the summer months. The
1 sea fishing is varied and excellent and...”
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“...London
merchant, hearing glowing accounts of Barbados from the crew
of one of hi* vessels, which was compelled, through stress of
weather, to touch there on the way from Brazil, decided to equip
an expedition and send out settlers to it. this he did under
the protection of the Karl of Marlborough, who revived the
promise of a patent which covered Barbados. Sir William
Courteen's ship, the William and John, reached Barbados in
1626 with about forty emigrants, who landed and founded
Jamestown or Hole town, near the spot where the first landing
was made. Though authorities have hitherto given Hie end of
1624 or the beginning of 1625 as the date of tne arrival of the
party, a search of the island records has made it sufficiently
clear that 1626 is actually the year from which the settlement
of Barbados dates. ...
On September 13th, 1625, if16 island was included in the com-
mission given to Warner, the coloniser of St. Kitts, his patron
being the Earl of Carlisle, who, two years later, obtained...”
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“...True and Exact
History of the Island of Barbadoes,” published a year
later, he says:
The runaway negres, often shelter themselves in these Coverts,
for a long time, and in the night range abroad the Countrey,
and steale Pigs, Plantins, Potatoes, and' Pullin, and bring it
there ; and feast all day upon what they stole the night before ;
and the nights being dark and their bodies black, they scape
undiscern'd.
These thieves, it appears, used to be hunted down
successfully by " Liam Hounds.”
The Hole or Hole Town, St. James (7 miles; \ hour by
motor-car, f hour by carriage), is noteworthy as being
the spot where the English in the Oliph Blossome first
landed in 1605, and as being the landfall of Sir William
Courteen’s settlers, under Richard Deane, in 1626. The...”
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“...INSCRIBED ON A TREE THE WORDS
JAMES K. OF E. AND THIS ISLAND,”
I THUS -CONSTITUTING POSSESSION FOR THE CROWN OF ENGLAND
IN WHOSE UNINTERRUPTED POSSESSION
THE ISLAND HAS REMAINED.
THE CORNER STONE
WAS LAID ON THE 30TH NOVEMBER 1905,
BY HIS EXCELLENCY SIR GILBERT T. CARTER, R.N., K.C.M.G.
THE GOVERNOR OF THE ISLAND
IN THE PRESENCE OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE
AND A LARGE CONCOURSE OF THE INHABITANTS.
THE COST OF ERECTION WAS DEFRAYED
BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION OF THE INHABITANTS
St. James’s Church, Hole Town, boasts an old bell in-
I scribed “ God Bless King William 1696,” also a font
I dated 1684, and very old communion plate. The bell was
I brought away by General Sir Timothy Thornhill from
I Martinique after a successful attack on that island.
I A curiously worded inscription on a monument to
I the wives of Sir John Gay Alleyne, whose family
I resided for generations at Porters (see below), should be
I read.
Porters Wood (8 miles ; f hour by motor-car, 1 hour by
I carriage from Bridgetown)...”
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“... the deep blue of the water, dotted
jwith the trim little white sloops which ply to St. Vincent
land the Grenadines, completes a charming picture.
[ 0n November 18th, 1867, a very remarkable oc-
fcurrence took place in the Carenage. Between 5 and
i.20 p.m. the water suddenly subsided about 5 feet, expos-
ing a reef, and the water over the “ Green Hole,” a spot
Between the Spout, the old watering-place for ships,
ind the opposite shore on the north, began to bubble
furiously and to emit sulphurous fumes. The sea then
lose 4 feet above its usual level and rushed up to the
ikead of the Carenage. This was repeated several times,
ind the Green Hole, which was very deep, was completely
Wled tip. The wave rushed up the northern coast as
®r as Gouyave, and at Dougaldston the bridge at the...”
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“...ST. VINCENT 187
SPORTS. Cricket is played in the Victoria Park, and a game
can generally be enjoyed by visitors. There is a lawn tennis
club with courts in the Government Office grounds, to which
visitors are admitted. The St. Vincent Golf Club has a 9-hole
course on the Carenage, 3J miles from Kingstown, which can be
reached by-a good driving road or by boat. Visitors are ad-
mitted on payment of is. per day. Sea bathing can be indulged
in at several spots, notably off the Villa estate, about two miles
from Kingstown. Good deep-sea fishing is obtainable off Kings-
town and other places near by, and suitable tackle can easily
be hired.
. CLUB. The Kingstown Club, founded in 1891, with premises
in James and Middle Streets, welcomes visitors who are intro-
duced by members.
SIGHTS. Kingstown, which nestles at the foot of the
mountains at the head of a magnificent bay on the
south-west of St. Vincent, is one of the most picturesque
spots in the West Indies. Froude likened it to a
Norwegian...”
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“...the seashore. The old military barracks in the
upper town are now used as a school. Formerly a village
of modest dimensions, Port Antonio has been raised to
a position of importance through the development of the
banana industry. During the Spanish-American war of
1898 it was the headquarters of the war correspondents
and Press representatives.
Many pleasant drives can be taken from Port Antonio,
the more notable being those to Moore Town—the site of
a Maroon settlement (see page 293)—the Blue Hole,
a lagoon of exquisite beauty, and the Swift River.
From Port Antonio, Montego Bay, the second town of...”
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“...THE BLUE HOLE
This exquisitely beautiful lagoon is near Port Antonio, Jamaica....”
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“...COMMUNICATIONS. St. Thomas is the first port of call of
passenger steamers from New York (see Appendix I). Steamers
lie alongside the wharves and there is no landing fee. Motor-
cars for hire at reasonable rates are plentiful, as well as horses
for riding.
SPORTS. There are two lawn-tennis clubs to which visitors
are welcomed, and the boating and bathing to be enjoyed are
above the average. Good sea-fishing can be had in all the bays.
The roads are excellent for cycling. The Country Club has
a 9-hole golf course available for the use of visitors.
SIGHTS. Entering the harbour of St. Thomas by
the narrow bottle-necked entrance under the shadow of
Cowell’s Battery (left) passenger steamers usually lie
alongside a wharf immediately opposite the town. St.
Thomas, known until January 5th, 1921 (when its name
was changed by the United States Geographic Board) as
Charlotte Amalia, after the consort of King Christian V
of Denmark, has a population of 7,747. It straggles over
three spurs of the mountains...”
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“...pleasant route to the beach is by motor-car through
Vedado and Almendares, now beautiful suburbs.
Between Almendares and Marianao is the Parque
Japones, which wtll repays a visit. The Casino has an
excellent restaurant and is well equipped witn devices
for gambling. Evening dress is not de rigueur, but
sports clothes are banned. Close by Marianao is the fine
Oriental Park Race Track where races are held periodi-
cally from December to April. Near the beach the
palatial Havana Country Club with an 18-hole golf course
is situated. The headquarters of the Havana Yacht Club
Eire cdso at the Beach.
An excursion train leaves HavEina daily on the
Havana Central Railroad for the Providencia Sugar
Factory (36 miles). A trip to Guanajay by trolley-car
(31 miles), through country devoted to tobacco and
pmeapple cultivation, is also recommended.
The expedition to Matanzas (58 miles, 1 hour 55
minutes by train) and back can be made in a day,
special personally conducted tours being arranged during
the tourist...”
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“...capital with Stann Creek, Punta Gorda, El Cayo,
Benque Viejo, Corosal, and Orange Walk. A cable laid under
the Rio Hondo connects British Honduras with Payo Obispo,
Mexico, and a wireless station is established at Belize.
SPORTS. Lawn-tennis is played on concrete courts of the
polo and golf clubs, and there are also several private courts.
Cricket is played from May to October, and there are several
native cricket and football clubs. The Belize Golf Club, which
was established in 1900, has' a nine-hole course (subscription
$1.25 per month and $10 entrance fee). Polo is played on
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from October to March,
by the members of the Belize Polo Club founded in 1895 (sub-
scription j per annum and $7.50 entrance fee), under Hurling-...”
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“...SOME WEST INDIAN INDUSTRIES 445
I Cotton is planted in August and September, just before the
rains, in order that dry weather may be obtained during the
1 period in which the crop is picked. It is best planted 20 inches
apart in rows which are 5 feet apart, four seeds being planted
in each hole, 6 lbs. of seed per acre being thus used. As soon
as the plants are a fortnight old, the weakest ones are pulled
jout, leaving the two strongest in each hole, and a fortnight
[later the weaker of the two remaining plants is removed, lhis
fis the critical period, as heavy rains or high winds may damage,
lif not ruin, the crop. The picking is conducted by men, women,
and children, and expert labourers are able to pick about 100 lbs.
of seed-cotton per day. They hold the boll firmly with the left
hand and remove the seed-cotton with the right, the price usually
paid for this operation being \d. to \d. per lb. gathered. The
cotton is then sunned until it is thoroughly dry, any that is
stained—and immature...”
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“...Antonio, 134
Berry Islands, 63
Berthon, Mr. C. T., 137
Beterverwagting, 376
“ Big Ditch,” 426
Big River Falls, 151
Bimini, 63, 73
Bindley, Canon T. H., 94
Bishop, Hon. William, 84
Blackbeard Castle, 323, 326
Black River, Jamaica, 256, 258
Black Rocks, 223
Black Virgins, 139, 140, 144
Blairmont, 377
Blanche, H.M.S., 308
Blanchisseuse, 144, 145
Blankenburg, 376
Bligh, Captain, 188, 189, 190
Bliss, Baron, 396
Blome, Richard, 108, 216, 219,
231
Blue Basin, 132, 133, 138
Bluebeard Castle, 323, 326
Blue Hole, 286
Blue Mountains, Jamaica, 255,
257, 262, 279, 288
Boaz Island, 53
Boca Chica, 405
Boca de la Serpiente, 113, 115,
144
Boca Grande, Cartagena, 405
Boca Grande, Trinidad, 121
Bocas del Dragon, 113, 115
Boddentown, 301, 303
Body Ponds, 200
Boeraserie, 376
Bog Walk, 260, 285
Bogle, Robert, 268
Bogue Islands, 292
Boiling Lake, Dominica, 245
Bois Immortel, 140
Bolivar, Simon, 401, 409
Bonaire, 339
Boqueron, 363
Borde, Mr. H., 122
Boreas, H.M.S., 211, 232, 249
Botanical Gardens, Bermuda,
59
— Dominica...”
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“...378
Demerara River, 372, 373, 377,
37ft. 386
de Micoud, Baron, 182
de Nicuesa, Diego, 400, 418
Dennery, 169, 178
D’Ennery, Count, 178
de Ojeda, Alonso, 400, 418
de Orufia, Don Josef, 134
de Ovanda, Nicolas, 333
de Pass, Mr. E. A., 262
de Ponti, 401
Désirade, 311
D’Esnambuc, M., 156, 200, 217
de Soto, Hernando, 354
Dessalines, General, 367
d’Estaing, Count, 156, 163,
171, 176, 178, 180
D’Estrées, Count, 148, 170
Deveaux, Colonel, 66, 71
de Velasco, Don Luis, 349
de Villanueva, Count, 353
Devil’s Hole, Bermuda, 57, 61
Diablo, Mt., 288, 289
Diadime, the, 248
Diamond Island, 155
Diamond, Plantation, 386
Diamond Rock, 182, 319
Diamonds, 373
Dickson, George, 132
Diego, Martin, Ï31, 132, 133...”
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