1 |
 |
“...86 I 49 1 Nevis
WINDWARD ISLANDS AND DEMERARA ROUTE
Barbados
97 1 St. Vincent
181 1 | 84 | Grenada
561 I 464 1 380 1 Demerara______________________
pieet;—West Indian transatlantic steamers:
Atrato, 5347 tons; Orinoco, 4572 tons; Trent,
5525 tons; Tagus, 5545 tons, and La Plata,
4464 tons. Intercolonial steamers: Eden, 2145
tons; Esk, 2145 tons, and Solent, 1908 tons.
Coasting steamers: Arno, 607 tons; Spey, 470
tons; Yare, 299 tons; Taw, 180 tons; Tees, 180
tons, and Wear, 180 tons.
From The Imperial Direct West India Mail Service
Bristol. q0 jfj (Elder, Dempster & Co., Colonial House,
Liverpool, London and Bristol), Avonmouth (Bris-
tol) to Turks Island and Kingston, Jamaica, fort-
nightly. Length of voyage, ten to twelve days.
Fares: Saloon, single, ^18 to ^25 ; return, avail-
able for twelve months, £z2 £4°- Second
cabin, single, £\\ > return, ^25. Children 16
to 18 years old, £12; xo to 16, £8, 8s.; 3 to
under xo, £6. Female servants accompanying
passengers pay two-thirds of the maximum...”
|
|
2 |
 |
“...Drake and Norris in 1589; and,
on October 22, 1702, the combined English and
Dutch fleets attacked the French and Spanish
in the port. Several men-of-war and galleons
were taken and many destroyed, and an abund-
ance of plate and other valuable effects fell into
the hands of the conquerors. Vigo was taken
by Lord Cobham in 1719, but relinquished. It
was again captured by the British in 1809, but
was restored to its former owners. From Vigo
the transatlantic voyage begins.
The vessels of the Imperial Direct West India
Mail Service start from Avonmouth, Bristol, and
passengers embark overnight, leaving Paddington
by an evening train. Two days out the cold winds
begin to lose their sting, and on the third there
is felt an appreciable change in the climate, which
becomes sensibly milder, even if the weather is...”
|
|
3 |
 |
“...generally reached in the early morning,
when the sun rises over a scene of considerable
animation. The novelty of the surroundings will
never be forgotten. A string of lighters emerges
from the harbour and bears down upon the
steamer to tranship baggage. Boatmen jostle
each other about the gangways, while woolly-
headed diving boys of every shade of colour
paddle about in rude home-made boats soliciting
coins, which they retrieve from the water with
remarkable skill and agility.
In the case of the Imperial Direct West India
Mail Service the ocean steamer first touches at
Turks Island, arriving at Kingston, Jamaica, in
from ten to eleven days; but the main incidents
of the voyage are identical. If the steamer arrives,
as it generally does, at dawn, it well repays one to...”
|
|
4 |
 |
“...GENERAL INFORMATION
39
tract in 1905, visitors to the West Indies will find
postal facilities ample. There is mail communi-
cation with the United Kingdom fortnightly by
the steamers of the Royal Mail Steam Packet
Co., and in the case of Jamaica by those of the
Imperial Direct West India Mail Service Co., Ltd.
There are also frequent opportunities for posting
by private ships, letters in this case being marked
“ per s.s.---” or “ per first opportunity ”; but, as
a general rule, it is best to adhere to the regular
mail steamers. The prepaid rate of postage on
letters from the United Kingdom to the British
West Indies, and vice versa, is id. per J oz., and to
foreign possessions 2^d. per \ oz. On postcards
the rate is id. each, and on papers -|d. per 2 oz.,
whatever the destination may be.
In Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent, and Trini- Express
dad letters are accepted for express delivery in
the United Kingdom, the full fee of 3d. being
collected from the addressee; but if express
delivery...”
|
|
5 |
 |
“...BARBADOS
63
In 1834 the Legislature of Barbados passed an Act
repealing the duty; but it was not finally abolished
until 1838 by an Act of the Imperial Government.
Barbados possesses representative institutions Constitution,
without responsible government. The Govern-
ment consists of a nominated Legislative Council
of nine members, presided over by the Governor
and a House of Assembly consisting of twenty-
four members, elected annually by the people
on the basis of a moderate franchise. At general
elections to the latter body there is frequently no
contest, a fact which speaks volumes for the con-
tented state of the inhabitants, who prefer to
devote their time to the development of the island
rather than to political strife, an example which
might with advantage be followed elsewhere. Next
to the House of Commons and the House of
Assembly in Bermuda, the Barbados House of
Assembly is the most ancient legislative body in
British dominions.
Bridgetown.—The Marine Hotel, Hastings, two Hotels...”
|
|
6 |
 |
“...In 1906 a
memorial stone was erected by public subscrip-
tion to mark the place where the remains of
Paleologus were interred. The memorial, made
of Portland stone, represents the porch of a Greek
temple, with Doric columns and with the cross of
Constantine in the centre. It bears the following
inscription, the wording of which was borrowed as
far as possible from the monument of Theodoro
Paleologus in Llandulph Church, Cornwall:—
HERE LYETH YE BODY OF
FERDINANDO PALEOLOGUS
DESCENDED FROM YE IMPERIAL LYNE
OF YE LAST CHRISTIAN
EMPERORS OF GREECE
CHURCHWARDEN OF THIS PARISH 1655-1656,
VESTRYMAN, TWENTYE YEARS. DIED
OCT. 3. 1678.
From Hackleton’s Cliff (rf hours by carriage
from Bridgetown) the view over the hilly Scot-
land District of the island is even more attractive.
Dealing with it in his “ History of Barbados,” the
Rev. G. Hughes quoted Glover’s description of
Thermopylae:—...”
|
|
7 |
 |
“...JAMAICA 113
the island may be obtained by taking a trip in Round
one of the two coastal steamers of the Royal services.
Mail Steam Packet Co. or the Imperial Direct
West India Mail Service Co., which start from
Kingston, and take about four days to perform
the journey. The following is the itinerary of
the steamer of the R.M.S.P. Co., but it must
be understood that the hours are only given to
indicate the time taken between each port, and
inquiries as to the times of departure should be
made at the offices of the company, 8 Port Royal
Street:—
Leave Kingston . Monday evening.
Arrive Alligator Pond . 6 a.m. Tuesday.
» Black River 10 A.M. „
99 Sav.-la-Mar 3 p-m- .»
99 Lucea 6 a.m. Wednesday.
99 Montego Bay IO A.M. „
99 Falmouth . 2 P.M. „
99 Dry Harbour 6 P.M. „
99 St. Ann’s Bay . 11 a.m. Thursday.
99 Port Maria 2 P.M* ,,
99 Port Antonio 7 P.M. „
99 Morant Bay 6 a.m. Friday.
99 Port Morant Noon „
Leave Port Maria 8 a.m. Saturday.
Arrive Ocho Rios Noon „
99 St. Ann’s Bay . 2 P.M. ,,
‘99...”
|
|
8 |
 |
“...114 GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES
Arrive Montego Bay
2 p.m. Monday.
4 p-m. „
„ Lucea
„ Sav.-la-Mar
,, Black River
i p.m. „
5 P-M- n
io a.m. Tuesday.
„ Alligator Pond
„ Kingston .
Noon Wednesday.
The coastal steamer of the Imperial Direct
West India Mail Service Co. follows the same
route, leaving Kingston every Tuesday at 7 a.m.
The agent of the company in Jamaica is Mr.
E. A. H. Haggart, who has an office in Kingston.
The fare round the island is only £3, first class.
Sports. Cricket is king in Jamaica, and the cricket
Cricket, dubs include Kingston, the Garrison, Melbourne,
Fbotball. an<^ Lucas. Football also has its votaries in the
Tennis, cooler months, and lawn tennis and croquet are
played all the year round. Tennis tournaments,
open to strangers if introduced, are held at the
Polo. St. Andrew’s Club, at the Cross Roads. Polo is
very popular, and is played weekly at the Camp
and on the ground of the Kingston Polo Club.
Golf. The links of the St. Andrew’s Golf Club adjoin
the Constant Spring...”
|
|
9 |
 |
“...ST. VINCENT
181
It also contains a large collection of plants of
economic interest, besides those of an ornamental
nature. It is one of the institutions under the
control of the Imperial Department of Agriculture
for the West Indies, and it serves as an efficient
centre for the propagation and distribution of
important industrial and other plants to local
planters. To visitors from temperate climes,
trees and plants, such as arrowroot, banana,
cannon-ball, cinnamon, cocoa, clove, black pepper,
bread-fruit, india-rubber, mango, mahogany, nut-
meg, pine-apple, teak, traveller’s palm, vanilla, and
various palms and ferns, can scarcely fail to be
of interest. The Government Central Sea Island The Cotton
Cotton Ginnery is situated within five minutes’Glnnery'
walk of the landing-stage, and should certainly
be visited. It is one of the best of its kind in
the West Indies, being capable of ginning and
baling upwards of 4000 lbs. of cotton lint per
working day of nine hours. On application to
the...”
|
|
10 |
 |
“...182 GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES
experimental plots. There is also a small Stock
Farm attached to it, where pedigree animals are
kept. The pupils of the school, about twenty-five
in number, receive a sound education in practical
agriculture and applied sciences free of cost to
their parents. Visitors can inspect this institu-
tion also on application to the resident master in
charge. Both the Cotton Ginnery and Agricultural
School are under the control of the Imperial
Department of Agriculture.
Soufrière. If time Permits> an expedition should be made
to the Soufrière, the volcano (3500 feet high)
situated at the northern end of the island, which
suddenly burst into violent eruption on 7th May
1902, a day in advance of La Montagne Pelée in
Martinique, after being quiescent since 1812, and
continued in a state of activity until March 1903.
The following account of the eruption, which re-
sulted in the loss of 2000 lives, was given by the
Rev. J. H. Darrell of Kingstown, who was an
eye-witness...”
|
|
11 |
 |
“...the excessive infant mortality among the negroes.
Columbus discovered Antigua on his second History,
voyage in 1493, and christened it after Sta.
Maria la Antigua, a church in Seville. In 1629
D’Esnambuc made an abortive attempt to settle
the island, but he was driven away by want of
water, and it was not settled until 1632, when
some English from St. Kitts established themselves
there. During the Commonwealth it remained
Royalist, and was included with Virginia, Bar-
bados, and Bermuda in the Imperial Act of 1650,
which prohibited trade with those dependencies
on account of their rebellious attitude towards the
home Government. Lord Willoughby of Parham,
lessee of the patent left by Lord Carlisle to his
son, visited the Leeward Islands from Barbados
in 1650, and encouraged them to resist the
Commonwealth. He was compelled to relinquish
the government of the islands in 1652, but
he returned in 1663 after the Restoration, and
governed until 1666, when he was lost at sea,
and was succeeded by...”
|
|
12 |
 |
“...in the middle of the island. At this part, the
range resolves itself into undulating country of
some 20,000 acres, varying from 200 to 1500 feet
in height, called the Layou Flats. This district,
which is very fertile and admirably adapted for
the cultivation of cocoa, coffee, limes, rubber,
spices, oranges, and almost every kin^of tropical
produce, has undergone rapid development since
it was rendered accessible by the Imperial Road,
which is 18 miles in length and extends to
Bassinville. The road was begun in 1899, the
cost, which was ^15,000, being defrayed by an
Imperial grant. When properly bridged and
reduced to a suitable gradient for carts, it
will be of more use to settlers for getting their
produce to the coast than it is at present.
Roseau, the capital (population 2764), on the
leeward side of the island, has only an open
roadstead, but Prince Rupert’s Bay, on the west
coast, near the north of the island, is a very fine
natural harbour which would make a splendid coal-
ing station...”
|
|
13 |
 |
“...DOMINICA
245
while periodically the whole of the lake is
emptied by means, it is presumed, of some sub-
terranean channel. A ride should be taken along
the new Imperial Road, so named because it was The Imperial '
a gift to the island from the mother country. The Road'
views from Sylvania of the mountains, and from
Lancashire through the valley to the sea, seven
miles distant, are indescribably beautiful. A few
miles farther on is Riversdale, situated at the ex-
treme height of the Layou Flats. A ride or drive
■for a few miles along the Coast Road to the north The Coast
or south of Roseau conveys to the EuropeanRoad-
visitor a good idea of the dwellings and of the
manners and customs of the West Indian peas-
antry, which are a never-ending source of interest.
About two miles to the south of the town is the
fishing village of La Pointe Michel, which is
fringed with graceful cocoa-nut palms. Many of
the residents are refugees from the Martinique
villages which were destroyed by the eruptions...”
|
|
14 |
 |
“...America, was in the habit of taking back to
his native town a few bunches of bananas, and
he found that they stood the journey so well, and
were so much appreciated by his friends, that he
decided to extend a business in this direction;
and from such small beginnings has arisen the
United Fruit Company with its large fleet of
1 steamers, one or more of which sail from Jamaica
every day to American ports with a full comple-
* ment of bananas.
The industry received an impetus in 1900,
■*** when the Imperial Direct West India Mail Service
Company was formed, and granted a subsidy of
^40,000 per annum for ten years to buy and carry
20,000 bunches of bananas every week from...”
|
|
15 |
 |
“...was followed by
wild speculation, and prices rose very rapidly.
There was a serious cotton famine in Lancashire,
and the British Cotton Growing Association was
formed in Manchester to promote the growth of
cotton in British dominions, and consequently to
render Great Britain less dependent on foreign
countries for its cotton supply. To the credit
of the West Indian planters be it said, they very
readily experimented with cotton seed imported
from the United States, and, with the help of the
Imperial Department of Agriculture, the cotton
industry has been successfully re-established in...”
|
|
16 |
 |
“...included).
Antigua.
The Antigua Standard (weekly).
St. Kitts.
The St. Christopher Gazette (weekly). The
St. Kitts Daily Express (daily).
Dominica.
The Dominica Guardian. The Dominican.
The Leeward Islands Free Press. (All weekly.)
Grenada.
St. George’s Chronicle (weekly). The Federalist.
St. Lucia.
The Voice of St. Lucia (weekly). The St Lucia
Guardian (weekly).'
St. Vincent.
The Times (weekly). The Sentry (weekly).
British Honduras.
The Clarion (weekly). The Colonial Guardian
(weekly).
The Imperial Department of Agriculture, of 1
which the headquarters are at Bridgetown, Bar-
bados, issues The Agricultural News, a weekly
journal devoted to Agriculture, and a monthly
Bulletin. The Botanical Departments of Jamaica j
and Trinidad also issue agricultural and scientific
Bulletins periodically, and for those interested in j...”
|
|
17 |
 |
“...voyage, 303
Hope Bay, hi
Hope Gardens, Kingston, 120
Hotels — Barbados, 63 ; British
Guiana, 84 ; Jamaica, 107;
Trinidad, 135; Tobago, 157;
Grenada, 166; St. Vincent, 177;
St. Lucia, 194 ; Antigua, 207;
St. Kitts, 221; Nevis, 227;
Montserrat, 233; Dominica,
239; Guadeloupe, 252; Marti-
nique, 254; St. Thomas, 264 ;
St. Croix, 270; Puerto Rico,
281
Huevos, 131
Hugues, Victor, the French re-
publican, 165, 171, 193, 238
Hurricanes, 5, 71, 133, 155, 164,
175» 180, 223, 231, 236, 249,
252, 274, 280
Imperial Direct West India
Mail Service Co., Ltd., 16,
31, 34,113, 294
im Thum, Sir E., 79, 97-99
Indigo, 253
Industries, 984-300, 58, 79, 102,
*32» 153» 162* 174* 189» 2°3.
217, 226, 231, 236, 248, 250,
253, 262, 269, 271, 274, 280
Infectious diseases, 6
Ipswich, in, 128
Irish brogue in Montserrat, 50
Irish prisoners as settlers, 46
Jackson, Colonel, 105
Jamaica, 2, 100-199, 292, 294
Jamaica, books on, 53
Jamaica Institute, 117, 120
Jamaica Tourist Information
Bureau, 115, 128
Jamestown, 61
Jerningham...”
|
|