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“...on Tuesdays and Saturdays, in
connection with the trains at San Fernando, Trinidad,
to Cedros and Icacos, calling at La Brea and Brighton
for the Pitch Lake, and returning the same day; and
on Sundays and Thursdays returning on the follow-
ing day. Trains run between Port of Spain and
Tacarigua at short intervals throughout the day, and
thrice a day to the termini at San Fernando, Princes-
town, Tabaquite and Sangre Grande. At the last-
named place a swift motor bus service connects with
each train, conveying passengers to and from the
beautiful stretch of coco-nut-lined and fóam-swept
beach of Manzanilla eight Piiles away.
Several of the coastal steamer services having been
modified, visitors are advised to consult the local
agents as to the hours of arrival and departure, &c.
A notablè addition to the clubs in the West Indies ciiibs.
is the Savannah Club in Barbacjos, which has its
headquarters in the clock tower on the Savannah,
and owns a polo ground, lawn-tennis courts, and golf
links...”
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“...GENERAL INFORMATION
T7
pay second-cabin rates. Special coaches are
attached to a convenient train leaving Padding-
ton on the day of embarkation, and are run along-
side the steamer at Avonmouth.
Fleet:—Port Kingston, 7584 tons; Port Hender-
son, 5167 tons; Port Royal, 4455 tons; Port
Antonio, 4458 tons; Port Morant, 2900 tons, and
Port Maria, 2900 tons. The s.s. Delta, belong-
ing to this company, has first-class accommodation
for travellers, and makes a trip round Jamaica
every week, fare ^3.
The Demerara and Berbice, Steamship Co. Ltd. From
(William Smith & Co., of 86 Leadenhall Street, London-
London, E.C.), London to Demerara and Berbice.
Fares, ^17, ios. and ^20.
The Direct Line (Prentice, Service & Hender-
son, 175 West George Street, Glasgow), and The
London Line (Scrutton, Sons & Co., 9 Grace-
church Street, London, E.C.), London to British
Guiana and all the West Indian Islands. Fares :
Barbados, Demerara, and Trinidad, ^17, ios.;
Antigua, Berbice (British Guiana), Dominica,
...”
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“...in rough
weather, leading inevitably to reference to the con-
certs, the fancy balls, and so on, which make the
eleven days between Southampton and Barbados
pass so pleasantly for the traveller who takes Kings-
ley’s advice, and towards his fellow-passengers is
“ To their faults a little blind,
And to their virtues very kind.”
The itinerary of the Royal Mail Steam Packet
Company is subject to variation, but at present
the vessels of this line leave Southampton punctu-
ally at midday. A special train from Waterloo
runs alongside the steamer at Southampton Docks,
which are reached in two hours. In an incredibly
short space of time passengers, luggage, and mails...”
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“...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...”
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“...Pension 6s. per day;
for a stay of over two months, £7, 15s. per
month. Hotel St. Lawrence, Pension 6s. 3d. per
day, £2, is. 8d. per week, £8, 6s. 8d. per
month.
The Crane.—The Crane Hotel is temporarily
closed at the time of writing, but good accom-
modation can be had at the Crane House Hotel,
on a cliff by the sea, fourteen miles from Bridge-
town. R., including “coffee” and use of sea and
fresh water baths, 3s. per day. Pension 7s. per
day.
Bathsheba.—Atlantis Hotel, beautifully situ-
ated. Train stops quite near the door. Pension
6s. per day, £2, is. 8d. per week, or £7, 10s. per
month. Special arrangements for families. Beach-
mount Hotel (close to the railway station), 6s. 3d.
and Ss. 4d. per day, £2, is. 8d. to £2, 10s. per
week. Children and nurseè half price. Private
houses can be hired at Hastings and elsewhere
for from ^5, per month and upwards.
Carriages are obtainable from Messrs. Burton
and Co., Pinfold Street; Messrs. J. G. Johnson and
Co., Rickett Street; Clement Browne, Marlhill...”
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“...distance. Cycles, 2s. 6d. Bicycles,
per day. A railway (2 ft. 6 ins. gauge) owned
by the Barbados Light Railway, Ltd. (Managing Railway.
Director, C. F. Burn, M.Inst.C.E.), runs under con-
tract with the Colonial Government from Bridge-
town, across the southern part of the island and up
the windward coast to St. Andrew’s (24 miles).
The whole journey takes two hours. On several .
days in the week there is an early morning train,
and every week day an afternoon train to St.
Andrew’s. Similarly on several days there is an
afternoon train, and every week day an early
morning train from St. Andrew’s to Bridgetown.
The following is a list of the fares (there are 1st
and 3rd classes, but no 2nd class) and stations,
with their distance from Bridgetown :—
Stations. Miles from Fares.
Bridgetown. 1st Class. 3rd Class.
Bridgetown . s. d. s. d.
Kingston Woods Halt. ... ...
Rouen Valley Halt 0 3 0 1$
Bulkeley 0 6 0 3
Windsor 0 9 0 4
Carrington . 81 1 0 0 6
Sunbury 9Ï 1 3 0 7
Bushy Park . II 1 6 0...”
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“...66 GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES
at these places. Fares to and from the ■* Halts ” are the same
as those to and from the next station. Thus passengers from
Bridgetown to College Siding pay Bath fares. Same day return
trips from Bridgetown to Bathsheba can be made on Sundays,
and on the days on which the early morning train is run.
When the Crane Hotel is open, a branch line from Bushy Park
to the Crane can be worked for passenger traffic.
Boats. The tariff for boats in Carlisle Bay is: from
the wharf to any vessel, is.; with one or two
passengers and return, including a wait of a
quarter of an hour, is. 8d., or with detention of
half an hour, 2s. Between sunset and sunrise the
boatmen may charge double fares.
Sports. There are many Cricket Clubs, including the
Cricket. Wanderers, the Pickwick, the Windward, and the
Spartans. The Lodge School and Harrison s
College also have clubs. Nearly every house
in town and country has a well-kept lawn, where
Tennis, either tennis or croquet is played. There...”
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“...Nelson centenary on October 21, i9°S>
square was again the scene of great rejoicings.
The statue was decorated with flowers by day and
illuminated at night, and the populace celebrated
the event in a suitable manner. The Anglican
Cathedral, also built of coral rock, stands to the
east of the Public Buildings.
The excursions which can be made from Bridge-
town are numerous, and except for the Wind-
ward Coast, which merits a longer stay, all can
be done in a day or less. Bathsheba (19I miles
by train), a popular seaside resort, and Chalky
Mount, both on the Windward Coast, are reached
by the Barbados Light Railway. From Bath-
sheba the Potteries can be visited. There the
crude though picturesque earthenware “guglets,”
“monkeys,” and “conerees,” as they are called,
according to their shape, are fashioned by skilful
negro artificers at their very primitive potter’s
sheds. One of the most picturesque and at the
same time most interesting spots in the island
is Codrington College, which stands...”
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“...buildings was begun in 1716, and the
masonry was finished in 1721; but it was many
years before the college was completed, owing to
a debt due to the Society from the estates, which
was not cleared off until 1738. The stone used,
which is a conglomerate of limestone, was taken
from the hill behind the college, and the timber
was brought at Government expense, in ships of
the Royal Navy, from Tobago and St Vincent.
A walk of twenty minutes up the hillside from
Bath Station on the railway (i5§ miles by train
from Bridgetown) brings the visitor to the hand-
some college buildings. In front of them is a
broad lake, behind which rises a hill. On it is
situated the “ Society ” Chapel and a granite cross...”
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“...JAMAICA 123
military camp, and on to Hardware Gap, is a drive
well worth taking for the magnificent panorama
obtainable. The road continues down the Buff
Bay River valley to Buff Bay on the north side of
the island. Spanish Town, or St. Jago de la Vega, Spamsh
on the banks of the Rio Cobre (Jhourfrom Kingston own'
by train), was the former capital of the island. It
was once a town of considerable importance, and
the well-constructed group of Government Build-
ings round its central square testifies to its former
grandeur. Among the more notable of these are
the old King’s House, the official residence of
former Governors, on the west side. It was built
from designs by Craskell, the then engineer of the
island. The plans were approved during the
administration of Lieutenant-Governor Henry
Moore in 1759-1762, and the building was com-
pleted in 1762, after the arrival of the Governor,
William Henry Lyttelton. The expense of build-
ing the House, which was considered the “ noblest
and best...”
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“...deserves attention, was
erected to a distinguished barrister and former
Advocate-General of the island, who “ enjoyed the
uncommon felicity to be unenvied by any, the
delight and admiration of all.” Spanish Town
once had a monastery, an abbey, and two churches,
of which no traces now remain. Bog Walk (boca Bog Walk.
de agua, or water’s mouth), the very beautiful gorge
of the Rio Cobre, is a charming drive from Spanish
Town. A pleasant excursion can be made from 1
Kingston by taking the early morning train to
Spanish Town, and driving thence through the
gorge to the village of Bog Walk. After resting
the horses for half-an-hour, the tourist should
drive back to within three miles of Spanish Town.
Here he can leave the buggy and embark on a...”
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“...Spanish Town.
After luncheon at the Rio Cobre Hotel, he can
return to Kingston by train, the whole trip occu-
pying the best part of a day. To Ewarton by
train and by carriage over the Mount Diablo (io
miles) to Moneague. whence a drive may be made
through the famous Fern Gulley to Ocho Rios fl -
and the Roaring River Falls, is an excursion to be
recommended. This trip will occupy two days;
but quite a week can be profitably spent in St.
Ann’s Parish. Hollymount House on Mount
Diablo is itself well worth a visit; the,views
from it are of exceptional beauty. There are
pretty walks through the forest amid orchids and
ferns, and many butterflies, also parrots, parakeets
Mandeville. and other strange birds are seen. Mandeville
I LCj (2000 feet) is reached by carriage (5 miles, 1 hour)
from Williamsfield, which is 2 hours and 20 minutes
Montpelier. Troiq Kingston by rail. From Montpelier (si hours
from Kingston by train) a drive can be taken to Fal-
Malvern. mouth. In the Santa Cruz Mountains at...”
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“...ascent" is made on ponies from tiordorTTown by
a riding road. At Whitfield Hall, about two hours’
ride from the peak, the visitor will find comfort-
able accommodation for the night, the start for the
summit being made at daybreak on the next day.
A small hut has been erected for the benefit of
those who wish to spend the night on the peak to
witness the sunrise. Chester Vale is another
boarding - house in the neighbourhood. Port Port
Antonio, on the north side of the island, 75 miles Antomo-
by train from Kingston, is the headquarters of the
United Fruit Company of Boston, Pa. It is
situated on the shore of a magnificent harbour,
divided into two parts by a promontory on which
the Hotel Titchfield stands. Sea trips can be
made round the island in either of the small coast-
ing steamers which leave Kingston and stop at
nearly every port, taking four days for the trip (see
above). The scenery on the north side of the
island is particularly beautiful.
For those interested in the agricultural...”
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“...St. Joseph.
Government
Stock Farm.
Montserrat.
146 GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES
finer than the Blue Basin, but the expedition to
it requires a full day. It is reached by train to
St. Joseph (7 miles), and thence by carriage (7J
miles), through very characteristic scenery and
many cocoa plantations in the direction of El
Tucuche, the highest peak in Trinidad. The
sleepy little town of St. Joseph, the former capital
of the island, was the scene of the mutiny of
free black recruits of the West India Regiment
under Donald Stewart or Daaga on 17th June
1837, of which a graphic description from the
pen of Mr. M. Thomas is given in “ At Last.”
Many of the mutineers were shot on the spot
where the convent now stands. The town has
several churches, that of the Roman Catholics
being noteworthy on account of some very old
stained-glass windows. Near by is the Govern-
ment Stock Farm at Valsayn. In the drawing-
room of the residence on this estate, Don Josef
Maria Chacon, the last Spanish Governor, signed...”
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“...Tortuga. It is a commonplace wooden figure
of the Madonna with the child, and, though her
features are not those of a negress, her face and
hands are quite black. There is another Black
Virgin in Trinidad, at a church in Siparia, near
La Brea, and it is said that she was taken into
Port of Spain by a priest, but that, like the Bam-
bino of the Ara Cceli in Rome, she found her
way back to her original home.
San Fernando, the second town of the island San
(35 miles from Port of Spain, two hours by train),Fernando-
is situated on the slopes of a hill of volcanic
formation, which stands out by itself near the
sea in the undulating Naparima district, the prin-
cipal sugar-growing part of the island. From this
centre several sugar estates and factories may be Sugar
visited. They include the Usine St. Madeleine Estates-
of the New Colonial Co. Ltd. (4 miles from
San Fernando), La Fortunée estate, belonging
to Messrs. Charles Tennant, Sons & Co., and
Palmiste, the property of Messrs. John Lamont and...”
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“...which, it must be admitted, are,
however, rather disappointing. Prior to a visit
of Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of
Wales, during their cruise in the Bacchante in
1880, the town was known as the Mission, having
formerly been, like Arima, a spot where the
missionaries worked among the original Indian
inhabitants. The trees planted by the young
Princes in the churchyard are pointed out to
visitors.
Pitch The Pitch Lake at La Brea is reached by Gulf
Lake. steamer from Port of Spain or by train to San
Fernando, and thence by steamer, the expedition...”
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“..., f50 GUIDE TO THE WEST INDIES
peculiarly subject to sudden showers of cold rain.
The employes of the company reside on Brighton
Pier, which consequently resembles a lake village,
ƒ and they "beguile their leisure moments by fishing
«' for sharks and other monsters of the deep. A
peculiarity of the spot is the presence at it of a
' 'singularly unattractive breed of pelicans.
Manjak The Manjak Mines, near San 'Fernando (35
Mmes' miles by train from Port of Spain), will interest
many. They are said to contain the largest
deposits of this mineral yet discovered. Manjak
is a form of asphalt in a solid and very pure form.
It is used principally for electric insulation, and
in the manufacture of varnish and enamel. The
The Guaya- Guayaguayare Oil Fields should also be seen if
Fuels'6 011 time permits. They can be reached by the con-
tract coasting steamer of the Royal Mail Steam
Packet Co., which proceeds round the island once
a week. The north-east trade-wind, fresh from
across 2500 miles of...”
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