m
OURNEWPOSSESSIOM
AND THE BEIUSH ISLANDS
t
!
THEODOOR DEBOOY
jujiri i«fiyyij
F
at^aca, Sfetn lark
BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME 0F THE
SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND
THE GIFT OF
HENRY W. SAGE
1891
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
OUR NEW POSSESSIONS
AND THE BRITISH ISLANDS
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By JOHN
T. PARIS
OLD ROADS
OUT OF PHHADELPHIA
117 ILLUSTRATIONS AND A MAP
DECORATED
CLOTH, OCTAVO,
$4.00 NET
The roads out of Philadelphia are the most historic
in America.
Such names as The Battle of Brandy-
vine, Valley Forge and Militia Hill suggest the
fascination of the roads leading from Philadelphia.
The author presents the past and the present of
ten of these highways: The King's Highway. The
Baltimore Turnpike, The West Chester Road, The
Lancaster Turnpike, The Gulph Road. The Ridge
Road, The Germantown Turnpike, The Bethlehem
Road. The Old York Road, and The Bristol Turn-
pike.
Profuse illustrations and a stimulating text
make the book a prize for the walker, the auto-
mobilist and the local historian.
THE ROMANCE
OF OLD PHILADELPHIA
IN PREPARATION
UNIFORM WITH THE ABOVE
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
OUR NEW POSSESSIONS
AND THE BRITISH ISLANDS
BY
THEODOOR DEBOOY
'
AND
JOHN T. PARIS
XUTHOB or "old BOAD8 OUT OF PBILADIILPHIA," "rBAL 8T0BUIS FBOIl OOB
HIBTORT," "UAK£Ba OF OUB HISTOBT," ETC.
WITH 97 ILLUSTRATIONS AND B MAPS
BaPBCIALLY PREPARED FOR THIS VOLVUB
PHILADELPHIA & LONDON
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
1918
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COFTBIQHT, XgZSt BT J.
B. UPPXKCOTT COUPAin'
PDSLIBHSD UAT,
I918
PBINTSD BT J. a. UPPINCOTT COHPAHT
AT THB WASHINGTON SQUABB PBS8S
PBILADBLPBIA, C. B. A.
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PREFACE
THE
authors of this volume have tried to
put into concise form the facts concern-
ing the story, the present conditions and
the possibilities of the Virgin Islands of the United
States
for the
tourist and the business man
as
well as for those who must be content,
for the
time being, at
least,
to make
their journeys to
the West Indies in imagination.
At the same time,
the attempt has been made to weave
into the
fascinating story something of the romance that
cannot be separated from the thought of the islands
in the mind of one who has had the pleasing experi-
ence of spending in these newest possessions of the
United States a winter that was the culmination
of a number
of seasons on other islands
of the
dreamy Caribbean.
The absorbing history of the Virgin Islands is
told in
sufficient
detail to enable the reader to
understand by what a devious road they came at
length into the possession of the country to which
they
logically
belong.
Without
this
historical
setting it would be impossible to tell also of the
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PREFACE
rise and decline of the commerce of the islands
and of the reasons for the conviction that there
is a great commercial future before them.
The
book
would
be
incomplete
without
a
chapter on the islands of the Virgin group which
are
under
the
flag
of
Great
Britain.
Then a
chapter of definite suggestions to those who are
planning a trip to St. Thomas, St. John and St.
Croix
is a needed supplement to the portions of
the book which tell in detail of the attractions of
the islands and of their great value as a resort for
visitors from the United States, while a chapter of
condensed agricultural, shipping and banking in-
formation, quoted from the government documents,
completes the volume.
A careful study has been made of such litera-
ture as has appeared on the islands.
These publi-
cations are described in the Bibliography.
Facts
gained frotoi these sources supplemented the careful
observations made by Mr. deBooy, who
spent
the winter of 1916-1917 on the islands while com-
pelling them to yield the
secrets
of a vanished
race which for centuries have been buried deep
in the earth.
The archeological work, of which
glimpses are given in the volume, was conducted
for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye
4
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PREFACE
Foundation, in which may be seen many specimens
secured from the kitchen-middens of the Virgin
Islands.
Kitchen-middens are responsible for the prepa-
ration of this volume.
Having become interested
some years ago in the waste heaps built up
at
pre-historic back
doors
which
the
archeologist
calls kitchen-middens, I welcomed the opportunity
to talk of these absorbing relics of the past pre-
sented when
I made
the
acquaintance
of Mr,
de Booy in the West Indies, where he has spent a
number of winters in scientific exploration.
His
fascinating stories of experiences in the islands of
the Caribbean led me to urge him to write this
volume.
He consented only on the condition that
the book should be prepared jointly.
The acknowledgments of the authors are due
to the writers and publishers
of the books and
papers named in the Bibhography, as well as to the
"Geographical Review," the "Scientific American
Supplement" and "Forward," for permission to use
illustrations which appeared first in these periodi-
cals, as well as for portions of the material which
accompanied the illustrations.
The courtesy of E. M. Newman
in
granting
the use, for the volume, of photographs taken by
5
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PREFACE
himself is acknowledged.
Mr. Newman,
at
the
time of the transfer of the islands from Denmark to
the United States, was in Charlotte-Amalia, gath-
ering material for one of his famous travelogues.
WilUam T. Demarest also has supplied a num-
ber of photographs which he took in October, 1917.
The authors thank him for his help.
With the exception of photographs otherwise
credited, all illustrations are from originals made
in the islands by Mr. de Booy.
Especial thanks are due to the American Geo-
graphical Society
of New York
for the interest
shown in the authors' undertaking.
The splendid
library
of
this
institution was
freely
placed
at
their disposal and the maps used in the volume
were made and compiled under its careful super-
vision.
And grateful homage is paid to the kindly
inhabitants of the former Danish West Indies, who
know so well how to make a visitor in their midst
feel at home, and to the Danish oJBBcials who ruled
the islands when the Dannebrog still waved over
them.
John T. Faris
PHiLA.DBLPniA, January, 1918
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER
PAGE
I. FROM DENMARK TO THE UNITED STATES
.
15
Nine nations in the West Indies—The story of the
elimination of Denmark—Why the treaty of 1867
failed—^The Dannebrog gives way to the Stars and
Stripes—^The
value
of
the American purchase
Provision for the government of the islands-/-Future
possible purchases and what they would mean to
the United States and the Panama Canal.
/
n. GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS
.
.
34
The story told by old pottery—^The naming of the
islands—^Natives attack the soldiers of Columbus
—^Extermination of the natives and the coming of
Europeans—^The emancipation of ther slaves.
III. ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
46
Ups and downs
of the
first
colonists—Governor
Iversen's
stringent
regulations—^When
sugar
dis-
placed tobacco—"On the way to every other place"
—^Bombarding a clifiF instead of a ship—^The color
scheme of Charlotte-Amalia—^The signalman's di-
lemma—^A healthy island's most fatal disease—^The
night of the hurricane.
IV. RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
.
70
Picturesque coal carriers—^Why English is the popu-
lar
language—^How
the
"reconcUing-court"'
dis-
courages litigation—Churches and schools—Streets,
gutters and
hills—^The fables
of four
hill tops
Buccaneers, Blackbeard and Bluebeard—Why the
guns were
fired—Hospitality and flowers—^Water
front activity.
7
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CONTENTS
V. THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
...
98
To
• "Ma
Folic"
on ponyback—Finding
hidden
treasures on the shores of Magens Bay—^What the
kitchen-middens
revealed—An
abandoned
sugar
estate and a ruined mission
station—^A hunters'
paradise—^More abandoned estates and a haunted
ruin—Curious cemetery ornaments—^The "grave-
'
yard of ships" and a ghostly array of figure-heads
—^Escaping slaves and picturesque "cha-chas."
VI. THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN ...
123
In the days of Company rule—^Adventures of the
first settlers—^Encouragements to growers of sugar-
cane—^The harsh measures
that
incited a
slave
insurrection—^A captured fort, a siege relieved, and
guerilla warfare—^The aftermath
of the
rebellion
—Increasing population.
Vn. AROUND
ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST
LINE
134
The physical features of St. John—Marketing by
sailboat—^The naming of K. C. Bay—^The mistake
of the Coral Bay boomers—^An attractive climate
—^An island whose prosperous days are in the future.
VIII. THE CINDERELLA OF THE
VIRGIN
ISLANDS
144
Reminders of former riches—Commercial and agri-
cultural
possibilities—The making
of bay rum
Cattle raising and fishing—^The story of the petro-
^lyphsT=:gcenery^and ruins toj[eli£ht_^sjidsitor
The cross at RedTBay—I^ends of slavery days
—^Treasures of old furniture—^The possibilities of
St. John.
8
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CONTENTS
IX. THE CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 172
Why
the
ixingues
of
Sir Walter
Raleigh's men
became "bigge"—A subtle method of poisoning
A joint occupation that led to murder—^A startling
succession of owners,
plots, and counterplots—^A
bluff that succeeded—^A visitor who died of morti-
fication—^A conflagration that promoted health—
An
abandoned
island
rescued by Denmark—^A
symbolic transfer of titles—Out of the clutches of
an exploiting company.
X. THE STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX ...
190
Slave insurrections—^Freeing the slaves—^The fight
for unconditional freedom—^Teaching the negroes
to work—Quieting
the
rioters
of 1878—Dealing
with
disgnmtied
laborers—Improving
industrial
conditions—^Prosperity and increased wages—Giv-
ing the natives their due—^Physical features of the
island—^Remarkable fertility of the soil.
XI. THE CHARACTER AND THE POSSIBILITIES
OF ST. CROIX
200
The
hurricane
of
1772—^Alexander
Hamilton's
famous
description—Sugar
cultivation
and
sea-
island cotton possibilities—Suggestions for increased
production—Cattle raising and fine horses.
XII. ON "THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
.
211
Frederiksted
and
Christiansted—^The
bustie
of
steamer day—^Island communication, steamers and
sailing vessels—^The romantic story of the Vigilant
—^Alexander Hamilton,
the Christiansted clerk
Roads and motor cars—^The ruins on the sugar
plantations—Why deer are plenty—Columbus' tree-
growing oysters—What the excavator learns from
kitchen-middens.
9
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CONTENTS
Xm. A VISIT TO THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 2S1
Buccaneers and rebels—^A ruler who is jack-of-all-
trades—^Tortola and the surrounding cays—^Why
the sailors of Jost Van Dyke drown—rVictims of the
proprietors—^The attractions of Tortola—^The
di-
verting
story
of Audaia—^Virgin Gorda and
its
peninsulas—^Anegada,"the Drowned Island"—^Men
who live on shipwrecks.
XIV. HINTS FOR THE TOURIST
247
The clothing a man shoidd carry with him—^What
the woman visitor needs—^Why silks are useless
Routes and
rates
of
fare—^Hotels and boarding
houses—Other advantages—^The land where
sou-
venirs are unknown.
XV. DETAILED
AGRICULTURAL.
COM-
MERCIAL. SHIPPING AND BANKING
INFORMATION
256
BIBLIOGRAPHY
284
INDEX
289
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ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
View of Chaklotte-Amalia
Frontispiece
United
States
Sailors
Landing
at
Charlotte-
Amalia
24
Landing Dock, Charlotte-Amalia
25
Cowell's Battery
30
Christian's Fort, Charlotte-Amalia
30
Christian's Fort, from the Harbor
31
Danish Cruiser " Valktrien"
31
Mosquito Bat, St. Thomas
40
Water Bay and Native
40
Aboriginal Pottery
41
North Coast of St. Thomas
41
St. Thouas Harbor and Charlotte-Amalia
52
Entrance to St. Thomas Harbor
53
Front Entrance of Christian's Fort
58
Signal Station, Top of Cowell's Battery
,
.
58
Battlements of Christian's Fort
59
Coaling Wharf of the West India Company, Ltd.
59
Canaan Estate House, after the Hurricane
68
Hamburg-American Line Offices and Dredge, "St.
Hilda"
68
Firing Time-Gun Battery, Charlotte-Amalia
69
Lutheran Church, Charlotte-Amalia
69
Blackbeard's Castle (wood-cut in text)
69
A Hilly Street, Charlotte-Amalia
72
Typical Coal Carriers, Charlotte-Amaua
73
Custom House and Post Office, Charlotte-Amalia
73
Reformed Dutch Church, Charlotte-Amalia
78
11
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ILLUSTRATIONS
Cheist Chxjrch, Wesletan, Charlotte-Amama
78
Memoeial Chuech, Moeavian, Chaelotte-Amalia
.
.
79
All Saints' Anglican Chuech, Chaelotte-Amalia.
.
79
Ballroom,
Governor's
Residence,
Charlotte-
Amaua
82
Residence of Goveenoe and Administeation Bitild-
iNG, Chaelotte-Amalia
83
Old Residence and Gateway, Chaelotte-Amalia
.
.
98
Panoramic View op St. Thomas Haebob
99
Mountain Path Leading to Ma Folie, St. Thomas
.
.
102
Panoramic View of Magens Bay, St. Thomas
103
Cross Section of Aboriginal Mound, Magens Bay,
St. Thomas
106
King Road, Near Magens Bay
106
Clearing Land by Fiee, Magens Bay
107
Laborers Excavating, Magens Bay
107
Ruins of Stairway, New Hernhut, St. Thomas..
.
110
Ruins of New Hernhxh:
110
Ruins of Mandal Estate, St. Thomas
Ill
Negro Fishing with Casting Net
Ill
A "Gut" and Street Made Like a Stairway,
St.
Thomas
116
Native Grave Ornamented
with Conch
Shells,
St. Thomas
116
Figure-Heads in Krum Bay Shipyard
117
KJBUM Bay with Shipyard and Coconut Trees De-
stroyed by Hueeicane
117
Ceuz Bay Settlement and Goveenment Station .
.
.
124
Moeavian Settlement of Emmaus, St. John
125
Ruin of K. C. Bay Sugae Estate, St. John
136
Fort Feedeeiksted, St. Ceoek
136
Coral Bay, Toetola (Beitish) in Distance
137
Ram's Head, South Coast, St. John
148
East End, St. John
149
12
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ILLUSTRATIONS
Bat-oii, Still, St. John
149
Hospitable Congo Cat, St. John
156
The Only Landing Place on Congo Cat
156
Phivateer Bat, St. John
157
Buildings on Caroline Estate and Bat-oil Still,
St. John
157
Petrogltphs on Congo Cat
164
The Caroline Estate, House and Pasture, St. John 164
The Cross That is Not a Cross, Reef Bat, St. John 165
Indian Petrogltphs, Reef Bat
165
Wharf and Old Fort, Coral Bay, St. John
170
Hermitage Estate, St. John
170
A Native Family
188
Danish Sugar Mill, St. Croix
189
A School in St. Croix
189
Street Scene in Frederiksted
201
Wharf, Christiansted, St. Croix
212
Wharf
with Cargo
from
Coaling
Steamer,
St.
Croix
213
Street in Frederiksted, St. Croix
218
Lutheran
Church
and
Adjoining
Houses,
Christiansted, St. Croix
219
Schooner
"Vigilant"
at Wharf,
Christiansted,
St, Croix
219
Reef at Mouth of Salt River,
St. Croix
226
Roots of Mangrove
Tree,
with
Oysters,
Salt
River
226
Aboriginal Pottery Vessel as Found in the Earth 227
Typical Old Watch House on Sugar Estate,
St.
Croix
227
Panoramic View from St. John of Jost Van Dyke
AND TORTOLA ISLANDS (BrITISH)
232
Bays on North Coast of St. John, with Thatch
Island and Jost Van Dyke (British) in Distance 233
13
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ILLUSTRATIONS
The British Island of Tobtola, fbom St. John
.
.
.
242
Ttten-out wirn Native Driver
243
North Coast of St. Thomas, with Thatch Island
AND
British Islands
of Tobago and
Little
Tobago in Distance
243
Bluebeard's Castle at Top of Luchetti's Hill,
Charlotte-Amalia, St. Thomas
248
The Barracks, Charlotte-Amaua
248
In the Market Place, Charlotte-Amalia
249
Governor's
Residence
on
Government
Hill,
Charlotte-Amalia
252
Grand Hotel, Charlotte-Amalia
253
The Main Street, Charlotte-Amalia
260
A Business Street in Charlotte-Amalia
261
On the Shore, Charlotte-Amalia
266
U. S. S. "Itasca," on the Floating Dock, St. Thomas 267
Street in Front of Government House, Charlotte-
Amalia
267
Water Front Entrance to Christian's Fort, and
Balcony of Residence in the Fort, Charlotte-
Amalia
272
Road in Front of Christlan's Fort and Typical
St. Thomas Cab, Charlotte-Amalia
273
Colonial
Bank
and
Main
Street,
Charlotte-
Amalia
273
The Market Place, Charlotte-Amalia
276
MAPS
FACINQ PAGE
The West Indies
15
The Virgin Islands
35
St. Thomas
47
St. John
I35
St. Croix
I73
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
CHAPTER I
FROM DENMARK TO THE UNITED STATES
NINE NATIONS IN THE WEST INDIES—THE STORY OF THE
ELIMINATION OF DENMARK—WHY THE TREATY OF
18S7
FAILED—THE DANNEBROG GIVES WAY TO THE STARS AND
STRIPES—THE VALUE OF THE AMERICAN PURCHASE—PRO-
VISION FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ISLANDS—FUTURE
POSSIBLE PURCHASES AND WHAT THEY WOULD MEAN TO
THE UNITED STATES AND THE PANAMA CANAL
UNTIL 1898 nine nations were represented
in the West
Indies.
Of
ttese,
Spain,
Great Britain, France, the Netherlands
and Denmark
were
European
nations;
Hayti,
Santo Domingo, Venezuela and the United States,
were American nations.
The latter two are
in-
cluded in this list, as the peninsula of Florida may
rightly be said to belong to the Antillean
area,
whereas Venezuela can
claim
to
belong
to
the
West Indies by the fact that it owns the islands
of Margarita, Coche, Cubagua, and a few other
unimportant cays, all of which lie in the Caribbean
Sea.
On
the
conclusion
of
the
Spanish-American
war, the United States took the place of Spain in
15
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Porto Rico, and a new nation, the Republic of
Cuba, was created.
By the ceding of its American
colonial
possessions,
Spain was
eliminated
as
a
European nation holding colonies in the American
hemisphere.
On March
31,
1917, the United States took
formal possession of the Danish West Indies, by
far the larger portion of the Virgin Islands.
The
history of the sale and the transfer of these islands
is somewhat involved.
During the Civil War in the United States the
lack of a naval station in the West Indies was a
serious hindrance to those who sought to prevent
the
blockade-running
of
the
Southern
States.
Consequently,
on
the
conclusion
of
the
war,
American diplomats sought to secure a stronghold
in the Caribbean.
The Danish West Indies were
chosen as a likely spot, partly because it was felt
that Denmark—owing to the reverses which this
small nation had undergone, and the losses which
she had suffered in her war with Prussia—^might
be induced to welcome the sale with open arms.
Mr. Seward, who was then Secretary of State of
the United
States, secured a preliminary survey
of the islands in 1866.
After a personal visit he
16
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FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
seemed
more
determined
than
ever
to
obtain
St. Thomas and
St. John for the United States,
and he was
prepared
to pay
for
these
islands
$5,000,000.
St. Croix was regarded as a separate
venture, and was offered
for
a
like amount, on
condition that the government of France, which
might object to the
sale owing to the conditions
of
a
treaty made
in
1733,
should
allow
the
transfer to take place.
At last, in October 1867, a treaty was concluded
for the purchase of St. Thomas and St. John for
$7,500,000,
subject
to the consent
of
both
the
Danish Landsthing (Senate) and the Senate of the
United States.
A popular vote was taken on the
islands to see
if the inhabitants were desirous of
transferring their allegiance to a new flag.
When
the returns were counted the inhabitants, by the
practically unanimous vote of 1244 to 22, showed
their
approval
of
the
proposed
transfer.
The
Danish Parliament then consented to the treaty,
and nothing was
required to complete the
sale
but a ratification by the United States Senate.
In
fact, the proposed
sale seemed
so certain
that on November 27,
1867, the following royal
proclamation appeared in the St. Thomas "Tid-
2
17
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
ende,"
the
paper
which
published
the
official
government notices:
We, Christian the Ninth,
By the Grace of God, King of Denmark, the Vae-
dals and the Goths, Duke of Sleswig, Holstein, Stom-
mam, Ditmarsh, Lauenborg and Oldenborg.
Send to
Our beloved and
faithful Subjects
in the Islands
of
St. Thomas and St. John Our Royal Greeting.
We have resolved to cede Our Islands of St. Thomas
and St. John to the United States of America, and We
have to that end, with the reservation of the consti-
tutional consent of Our Rigsdag, concluded a conven-
tion with the President of the United States. We have,
by embodyiag in that convention exphcit and precise
provisions, done Our utmost to secure to You protec-
tion in Your Uberty, Your religion. Your property and
private rights, and You shall be free to remain where
you now reside, or to remain, retaining the property
which You
possess
in the
said
Islands or disposing
thereof
and
removing
the
proceeds
wherever You
please, without Your being subjected on this account
to any contribution, charge* or tax whatever.
Those who shall prefer to remain in the Islands,
may either retain the title and the rights of their natural
allegiance or acquire those of Citizens of the United
States, but they
shall make their choice within two
18
Digitized by Microsoft®
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
years from the date of the exchange of ratifications of
said convention, and those who
shall remain on the
Islands after the expiration of that term without having
declared their intention to retain their natural allegi-
ance,
shall be considered to have chosen to become
citizens of the United States.
As "We, however, will not exercise any constraint over
Our faithful subjects. We will give You the opportunity
of freely and extensively expressing your wishes in regard
to this cession, and We have to that effect given the nec-
essary instructions to Our Conunissioners Extraordinary.
With
sincere sorrow do we look forward
to the
severing of those ties which for many years have united
You to Us, and never forgetting those many demon-
strations
of loyalty and
affection We have received
from You, We trust that nothing has been neglected
on Our side to secure the future welfare of Our beloved
and faithful Subjects, and that a mighty impulse, both
moral and material, will be given to the happy develop-
ment of the Islands, imder the new Sovereignty.
Commending you to God
!
Given
at Our
Palace
of Amalienborg,
the
25th
October 1867.
Under Our Royal Hand and Seal.
Christian R.
L. S.
Royal
Proclamation
to
the
Inhabitants
of
St. Thomas and St. John.
19
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
But the treaty was deliberately pigeon-holed
in the Senate, owing to internal dissent for which
Senator Charles Sumner was principally respon-
sible, probably
at
least
in
part, because
of
his
personal enmity towards President Johnson. Den-
mark granted an extension of time for the ratifi-
cation of the sale, but the matter was not again
taken up, despite the efforts of Secretary Seward
and of his successor. Secretary Fish.
Finally, on
April
14,
1870,
the
proposed
treaty
lapsed
automatically.
The Danish king made a dignified proclamation
announcing that the sale of the islands had fallen
through:
We, Christian the Ninth,
By the grace of God, King of Denmark, the Van-
dals and the Goths, Duke of Sleswig, Holstein, Stom-
mam, Ditmarsh, Lauenborg and Oldenborg, send to
Our beloved and faithful subjects in the Islands of St.
Thomas and St. John, Our Royal Greeting.
You are aware of the motives that actuated Us
at the time to give ear to the repeated and urgent
requests of the North American Government for the
cession of St. Thomas and St. John to the United States.
We expected that We,
in that manner, should have
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FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
been able to lighten Our realm of the heavy burdens
incurred by the then recently terminated war, and We
hoped that the annexation to the United States would
have afforded the islands advantages so important that
they could have contributed to soothe the pain which
a separation necessarily must cause in the Colonies,
no less than in the Mother Country.
You, for your
part, and the Danish Diet, on the part of the King-
dom, have
concurred in these views, and We
all met
in the
mutual readiness
to
accommodate
ourselves
to what appeared to Us to be recommended by the
circumstances.
Unexpected obstacles have arisen to the realization
of this idea, and released Us from Our pledged word.
The American Senate has not shown
itself willing to
maintain the treaty made, although the initiative for
it proceeded from the United States themselves.
Ready
as We were to subdue the feelings of
Oiur heart, when
We thought that duty bade Us so to do, yet We cannot
otherwise than
feel a satisfaction that circumstances
have relieved Us from making a sacrifice which, not-
withstanding the advantages held out, would always
have been painful to Us. We are convinced that You
share these sentiments and that it is with a hghtened
heart You are relieved from the consent, which only
at Our request you gave to a separation of the islands
from the Danish crown.
21
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
In, therefore, making known to you that the Con-
vention made on the 24th of October,
1867, for the
cession of the Islands of St. Thomas and St. John to
the United States of America, has become void. We
entertain the firm belief that Our Government, sup-
ported by your own active endeavors will succeed in
promoting the
interest of the islands and by degrees
efface
all remembrances of the misfortunes which,
of
late years, have so sadly befallen the islands.
To this
end We pray Almighty God to give Us strength and
wisdom.
Commending You to God
!
Done at Our Palace at Amalienborg, the 7th May,
1870.
Christian R.
L. S.
A writer in the "Review of Reviews,"
refer-
ring to the disappointing failure of 1867, said
:
"If we had purchased the islands at that time,
our influence in the West Indies would have grown
in such a way that it is reasonable to believe that
we could subsequently have purchased Cuba from
Spain, and thus averted two or three wars, and
much misery."
Not until after the Spanish-American war was
the purchase of these islands again seriously con-
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FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
sidered.
Once more the United
States had
felt
the need
of a naval
station
in
the
Caribbean.
Consequently, another treaty was negotiated,
in
January, 1902.
Owing to the efforts of President
Roosevelt and Secretary of State John Hay, this
treaty was promptly ratified by the United States
Senate.
The Folkething (Lower House) of Den-
mark readily gave its consent to the proposed sale
of the islands for $5,000,000, but the Upper House
of the Danish Parliament failed to vote in favor of
confirmation.
It has generally been thought that
German influence was responsible for the
failure
to
sanction
this
treaty.
Possibly
the German
government itself hoped, at some time or other, to
obtain a foothold in the West Indies.
While there were in 1911 and 1912 attempts
to renew interest in the purchase, nothing came
of these.
Not until the latter part of 1916 was
another
determined
effort made
to
induce
the
Danes to cede the islands.
For the three principal
islands and their outlying cays $25,000,000 was
offered.
A popular vote
of the Danish people
was taken in December, to see if it was their wish
to give up Denmark's only tropical colony.
As
the cost of governing these
islands had become
23
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
far greater than the revenues derived from them,
and as the Danes were forced to admit that the
inhabitants of the Dutch West Indies were them-
selves
greatly
in favor
of the
transfer,
283,000
voted
for
the
ratification
of
the
treaty
while
157,000 were opposed to the sale.
This favorable
vote was hailed with great joy in St. Thomas and
St. Croix.
The
islands
finally came
into the possession
of the United States on January
17, 1917, when
Secretary of State Lansing and Minister Brun of
Denmark signed the ratification of the treaty of
cession.
In this ratification
it was stipulated that the
islands would be taken over within ninety days.
The final act was staged on March 31, 1917, when
the Dannebrog
(the
official name of the Danish
flag) was replaced by the Stars and Stripes.
It
was the original intention that this change of flags
should take place with great ceremony, but the
exigencies of the international situation, and the
fact that the break
of the United
States with
Germany had
just taken place, made a popular
demonstration
inadvisable, and the plans made
by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy to assist
24
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FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
in the celebration with part of the United States
Atlantic Squadron were cancelled.
But, in spite
of the comparative lack of ceremony, the lowering
of the Dannebrog and the hoisting in its stead of
the Stars and Stripes was an impressive event, an
event
which
every
thinking
American
should
regard with pride.
Once again the adherents of
the Monroe Doctrine rejoiced
in the acquisition
of additional territory, needed to promote the peace
of the world, and one more European nationality
ceased to be represented in the complex political
scheme of the Antilles.
While the transfer of the islands was not viewed
with universal joy by their inhabitants, it can be
said safely that fully ninety per cent, of the natives
were only too glad to be adopted by the American
government.
They were not
dissatisfied by the
treatment that had been accorded them under
Danish
rule, for the government by the Danish
officials had been benevolent and
paternal; but
Denmark was
far away,
and'—especially
in the
last three years when regular communication with
Europe was hard to maintain—a long time was
required
to
consult
the home
government
on
matters of importance, and to bring about neces-
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
sary improvements in local affairs.
They felt that
under the rule of the United States any public
business could be attended to speedily.
Further-
more, practically all the commerce of St. Thomas
was with the United States, and the imports from
the mother country were but a negligible item.
The St. Thomians were more used to American
customs and manners than they were to those of
Denmark, owing to the frequent visits of American
ships to the shores of the island.
In St.
Croix,
also, it was felt that adoption by the United States
would give a new impetus to the sugar industry,
that there would be a new development of all her
latent resources, and that there would be an outlet
to Porto Rico for her surplus population.
It was of course a sad thing for the Danish
government to view the lowering of the Dannebrog
which, with but two short intervals in the nine-
teenth century, had proudly waved for two and
one-half centuries over the little group of islands.
Yet it was the wish of Denmark not to stand in
the way of the prosperity of its colonial dependents.
While there will undoubtedly be a few who will
regard
with
disfavor
the
innovations
that
will
be introduced by the United States, the majority
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FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
will be grateful that the uncertainty which began
in 1866 and lasted until 1917,
is now ended for
all time.
It was
left to the present inhabitants of the
islands to decide whether or not they wished to
become citizens of the United States.
Those who,
within one year of
the date of
transfer, should
signify their desire to do so, would remain subjects
of the Danish King.
All others would automatic-
ally become citizens of the United
States, having
all the rights and privileges of this i^tatus.
According to the National Geographic Society
of Washington, the total area of the three principal
islands acquired by the United States
is
132.47
square miles.
With the cays and rocks that form
part of the group, the area might possibly be as
much as 150 square miles.
The population has
been
variously
stated
as
being from
30,000
to
33,000,
of whom about ten per cent,
are white.
A study of earlier statistics shows that the popu-
lation has decreased greatly diudng the century.
In
1828
there were 46,000
inhabitants, but by
1841 this total had dropped to 41,000.
Because of their situation, the islands are the
logical distributing center for goods destined for
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
the Lesser Antilles and they have long been a
shipping point of some importance.
In the days
before
the European
war,
a number
of
Inter-
Colonial steamers called at the ports of St. Thomas
and
St. Croix and connected the towns of these
islands
not
only with the Leeward Islands but
also with Porto Rico, Santo Domingo, Hayti, Cuba
and Jamaica.
That this value of the islands as a shipping
center was well realized when their purchase was
considered,
is shown by the report of Secretary
of
State
Lansing,
transmitted
to
Congress on
January 22, 1917.
In this report he said:
"The commercial value of the islands cannot
be doubted.
Lying in close proximity to many of
the passages into the Caribbean Sea, the use of
St. Thomas
harbor
as
a stopping
station
for
merchant ships plying between the United States
and South America, and for vessels in other trades,
is of great importance."
Though the United States took over the islands
at a cost of about three hundred dollars per acre,
there
is no doubt that, from
all points of view
their value is incalculable.
It is more than prob-
able that the revenues derived from them
will
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FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
suffice to pay the cost of their goveniinent, and
none of these revenues are to be expended upon
matters not directly related tojthe local govern-
ment.
The act providing for the temporary gov-
ernment specifically states that debts and taxes
collected on the Virgin Islands of the United States
shall not be placed in the treasury of the United
States, but shall be used and expended for the
government and benefit of the islands.
The government
of
the
islands
will not be
expensive.
The form has already been fixed.
In
the language
of "an act to provide temporary
government for the West Indian Islands acquired
by the United States from Denmark," "all miU-
tary, civil and judicial powers
.
.
.
shall be vested
in a governor and in such person or persons as
the President may appoint and shall be exercised
in such manner as the President shall direct until
Congress shall provide for the government of said
islands."
The governor, who may be an
officer
of the army or navy,
is appointed by the Presi-
dent,
subject
to
senatorial
confirmation.
The
first governor appointed was an officer of the navy.
Rear Admiral James H. Oliver.
Election laws and local laws are to remain in
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
effect and
are to be administered by the
local
tribunals.
Judicial tribunals have their
jurisdic-
tion extended to cases in which the United States
or a citizen is a party.
Under the new customs regulations, no duty
is charged on articles coming into the United States
from the islands, providing they are native prod-
ucts or do not contain more than twenty per cent,
of foreign materials.
All other
articles pay the
same
duty
as
imports
from
foreign
countries.
Sugar pays an export duty of eight dollars per
ton, regardless of its ultimate destination.
The
elimination
of the Danish
nation
as a
power in the Antilles left the flags of but three
European
nations
in
the
Caribbean:
those
of
Great Britain, of France and of the Netherlands.
It
is
not inconceivable
that
Great
Britain,
at
some future time, may be induced to cede to the
United States some of her islands in the Caribbean.
The Bahamas,
for
instance,
are to-day
in very
much the same position as were the Danish islands
during the twenty years before the transfer.
They
depend upon the United States for the majority
of their imports and for a market for their exports.
The tourist resort of Nassau, on the Island of New
30
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COWELLS BATTERY AND ENTRANCE OP
ST. THOMAS HARBOR
CHRISTIAN S FORT AND THE HARBOR FROM GOVERNMENT HILL
CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
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L
CHRISTIAN'S FORT PROM THE HARBOR, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA,
ST. THOMAS
DANISH CRUISER
VALKTRIEN
IN
ST. THOMAS HARBOR
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FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
Providence, is visited almost exclusively by Ameri-
cans and would lose its only claim to importance
if the revenue from this source were cut ofiF.
This
condition
is well appreciated by the Bahamians
themselves; they would, in all probability, welcome
adoption by the United
States,
for
their
fruits
would find a duty-free market and thus the one
agricultural
possibiUty
of the
islands would be
given an encouraging impetus.
Jamaica,
while
having more intercourse with Great Britain, prac-
tically depends upon the United
States
for the
sale of her entire banana crop; where one steamer
communicates with England, ten seek the nearer
ports of the North American continent.
It must
be understood, however, that the sale of any of
the British West Indies is but a remote possibility,
although within the bounds of probability.
A far more probable purchase would be that
of the Dutch islands of the West Indies.
The pos-
sessions of the Netherlands in the Caribbean are a
loss to the government and a menace to the mother
country.
In the event of war between the United
States and one of the larger European nations, the
first hostile act on the part of the latter might
well prove to be the violation of Dutch neutrality
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
by the
seizure
of the
island
of Curagao, which
possesses an
excellent naval
station and a
well
protected harbor.
Such seizure would be a serious
menace to the safety of the Panama Canal, and
there might be far-reaching consequences.
If, on
the other hand, the United States had Curagao
in
its
possession,
the approach
to
the Panama
Canal, by way of the southern channels of the
Lesser Antilles, would be safeguarded.
This also
applies to the Dutch islands of St. Martin, Saba,
and
St. Eustatius
in the northern group of the
Leeward
Islands;
should
these come
under the
United States flag, the entire range of islands from
the Florida coast to the mainland of South America
would be dominated by the American navy.
A glance at the map
of the Caribbean
will
reveal the truth
of this statement.
The Guan-
tanamo naval base on the southern coast of the
eastern part
of Cuba can
control not only the
Florida
Straits, between Florida and Cuba, but
also the Windward Passage between Cuba and
Hayti.
A
fleet stationed at Culebra Island and
at St. Thomas could give battle to any squadron
that should try to force its way through the Mona
Passage, between Santo Domingo and Porto Rico,
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FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES
or through the Virgin Passage, separating Porto
Rico from the Virgin
Islands.
This same
fleet
would also be in a position to protect the passages
due east from the Island of St. John.
From the Island of Barbuda to the Island of
Trinidad, however, can be found some twelve deep
water channels, which, in the event of war with
a maritime nation, would require a patrol fleet of
almost
prohibitive
size
to
give warning
of
the
approach of a hostile fleet.
If,
therefore,
the United
States can
prevail
upon the Dutch government to sell her West Indian
possessions, not only would the
sale be
to the
advantage of Holland, since
it would relieve her
of her unproductive
colonies
in
the
Caribbean,
and would remove the menace
of having these
colonies seized by a European nation, but also the
strategic importance
of the naval
station to be
established by the United States on the former
Danish West Indies would be materially increased.
A chain of defenses could thus be thrown around
the Panama Canal
that would
afford complete
protection from all the Atlantic approaches.
83
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CHAPTER n
GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS
THE STORY TOLD BY OLD POTTERY—THE NAMING OF THE
ISLANDS—NATIVES ATTACK THE SOLDIERS OF COLUMBUS
—EXTERMINATION OP THE NATIVES AND THE COMING OF
EUROPEANS—THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SLAVES
THE
story
of
the Virgin Islands of
the
United
States may
be
told
in
three
parts.
First comes
their
record
until
their settlement by European natives in the seven-
teenth century.
Next is the period of European
settlement, until 1733, when, on the purchase of
St.
Croix from
France,
the
three
islands
were
joined imder one government.
From that date
the history of the islands can be described as a
whole.
Before the discovery of the Virgin Island group
by Columbus,
these
islands
were
inhabited by
a warrior nation of aborigines.
The Museum of
the American Indian, Heye Foimdation, of New
York City, was the first institution to devote itself
to an
archeological survey of the three
islands
under
discussion.
This museum has devoted a
large amount of
its energy to furthering archeo-
logical work in the West Indies.
34
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^
fS^
PORTO RICO-Vo.
Mo
r-
MRGlNOOnHA
O-^
THE yiBi^ut&^^ im^rndfrn^ »«'T"«
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GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS
It was found necessary to gather some data
and pre-Columbian specimens from St. Thomas,
St. John and St. Croix, in order to enable students
of the pre-Columbian occupation of the Antilles
to make a comparative study of the remains of
the primitive races that at one time inhabited this
re^on.
The researches proved that they had been
inhabited by tribes that made long voyages for
purposes of trading, or for purposes
of warfare,
practically throughout the West Indies.
In the excavations conducted by the museum
expedition, the finding of some
of the
so-called
"collarstones" proved that voyages to Porto Rico
were undertaken, for these highly ornamented stone
objects up to the present time have been found only
on Porto Rico and Santo Domingo, and assuredly
could not have belonged to the low cultural devel-
opment that must have existed on both St. Thomas
and
St.
Croix.
The presence
of
a
grotesquely
carved "swallowing-stick"
in the aboriginal
de-
posits
suggested
a
communication
with
Santo
Domingo, where the native priests used sticks of
this character in their ceremonies.
That voyages were possibly undertaken even to
Jamaica, was suggested by the finding in an aborig-
35
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
inal deposit on
St.
Croix
of a
cylindrical stone
ornament,
specimens
of
this
kind
being
more
typical of Jamaican culture than of the culture of
the other Antillean islands.
Again, some painted
postsherds typical of the South American cultural
area proved that pre-Columbian communication
had been held between St. Croix and either Trini-
dad or the northern coast of Venezuela.
It
is hardly likely that the tribes inhabiting
St. Thomas and St. Croix made these voyages for
purposes
of
barter
or
of
peaceful
intercourse.
Probably
they
undertook
extensive
voyages
in
order to wage war upon the more peaceful Arawak
tribes who inhabited the other Antillean islands,
and the specimens foxmd must have been secured
by force of arms rather than by trading.
If the intercourse with the islands to the west
had been of a peaceful nature, it is probable that
the
Indians
would
have
adopted some
of
the
technique of the potter's art from their neighbors.
As
it
is, the pottery from
St. Thomas and
St.
Croix—and the Museum of the American Indian,
Heye Foundation, has some six thousand specimens
in all from these islands—^bears not the slightest
resemblance to the pottery of Jamaica, Porto Rico,
36
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GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS
Santo Domingo or Cuba.
It is, in fact, the crudest
pottery from the West Indies and of a kind typical
of a nation of pirates and warriors, who found no
leism-e
to devote themselves
to an attempt
at
ornamentation of their household utensils.
There
is
another way
of
deciding
that
the
Indians who originally inhabited St. Thomas must
have been not only warriors but of the same race
as those on St. Croix, for the St. Thomas pottery
shows an absolute resemblance to the specimens
from St. Croix, and history says that the St. Croix
Indians were warriors.
Columbus found them so,
to his sorrow, for when he sent soldiers ashore for
purposes of exploration the Indians attempted to
repel the visitors by force.
When Columbus was on his second voyage of
discovery,
in 1493, he came to the island of St.
Croix,
after
first touching at a number
of the
Leeward Islands.
The story of the visit, as told
by Washington
Irving,
after an examination
of
the
letters and
diaries
of Columbus,
is
full
of
interest:
"The weather proving boisterous, he anchored
on the
14th
[of November]
at an
island
called
Ayay by the Indians, but to which he gave the
37
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
name of Santa Cruz.
A boat well manned was
sent on shore to get water and procure informa-
tion.
They found a village, deserted by the men;
but secured a few women and boys, most of them
captives from other islands.
They soon had an
instance of Carib courage and ferocity.
While at
the village they beheld a canoe from a distant part
of the island come around a point of land, and
arrive in view of the ships.
The Indians in the
canoe, two of whom were females, remained gazing
in mute amazement
at
the
ships, and were
so
entranced that the boat
stole
close upon them
before they perceived
it.
Seizing their paddles
they attempted
to
escape,
but
the
boat
being
between them and the land, cut off their retreat.
They now caught up their bows and arrows, and
plied them with amazing vigor and rapidity.
The
Spaniards covered themselves with their bucklers,
but two
of them were
quickly wounded.
The
women fought as fiercely as the men, and one of
them sent an arrow with such force that it passed
through and through a buckler.
"The Spaniards now ran their boat against the
canoe, and overturned it; some of the savages got
upon sunken rocks, others discharged their arrows
38
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GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS
while swimming,
as dexterously
as though they
had been upon firm land.
It was with the utmost
diflSculty they could be overcome and taken:
one
of them who had been transfixed with a lance,
died soon after being brought aboard the ships.
One of the women, from the obedience and defer-
ence paid
to
her, appeared
to be
their
queen.
She was accompanied by her son, a young man
strongly made, with a frowning broW and
lion's
face.
He had been wounded in the conflict.
The
hair of these savages was long and coarse, their
eyes were encircled with paint, so as to give them
a hideous expression; and bands of cotton were
bound firmly above and below the muscular parts
of the arms and legs, so as to cause them to swell
to
a
disproportioned
size;
a
custom
prevalent
among various tribes of the New World.
Though
captives
in
chains,
and
in
the power
of
their
enemies, they stiU retained a frowning brow and
an air of defiance.
Peter Martyr, who often went
to
see them
in
Spain,
declares,
from
his own
experience, and that of others who accompanied
him, that it was impossible to look at them without
a sensation
of horror; so menacing and
terrible
was
their
aspect.
The sensation was
doubtless
39
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
caused in a great measure by the idea of their
being cannibals.
In
this skirmish, according to
the same writer, the Indians used poisoned arrows;
and one of the Spaniards died within a few days,
of a wound received from one of the females.
"Pursuing his voyage, Columbus soon came in
sight of a great cluster of islands, some verdant
and covered with
forests, but the
greater part
naked and
sterile,
rising into craggy mountains;
with rocks of a bright azure color, and some of a
glistering white.
These, with his usual vivacity
of imagination, he supposed to contain mines of
rich
metals
and
precious
stones.
The
islands
lying close together, with the sea beating roughly
in
the
narrow
channels
which
divided
them,
rendered
it dangerous to enter among them with
the large ships.
Columbus sent in a small caravel
with lateen
sails, to reconnoitre, which returned
with the report that there were upwards of fifty
islands, apparently inhabited.
To the largest of
this group he gave the name of Santa Ursula, and
called the others the Eleven Thousand Virgins."
It has frequently been suggested that the Island
of Virgin Gorda
is the one originally named St.
Ursula, but it is more likely that either St. Thomas
40
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MOSQUITO BAY,
ST. THOMAS
Saba Island, and Dove Cay in Distance
WATER BAT AND NATIVE BRINGING IN TODDEK FROM THATCH CAT, ST. THOMAS
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NORTH COAST OF ST. THOMAS, OUTER BRASS AND INNER BRASS ISULNDS
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GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS
or St. John was the one named after St. Ursula.
In voyaging from
St.
Croix either of the
latter
islands would be first sighted by a navigator and,
as Columbus was on a voyage of discovery, he would
probably investigate and name the first island seen.
It should be noted
that,
geographically,
St.
Croix does not belong to the Virgin Islands, but
that from common usage it has been included under
this name.
It has frequently been stated that the encounter
between the soldiers of Columbus and the Indians
on St. Croix led to the first blood-shed in the New
World between the conquistadors and the aborig-
ines.
But an encounter took place during the
first voyage of Columbus in 1492, when he dis-
covered Samana Bay, on the Island of Hispaniola.
This bay, in fact, was named by the Admiral
the
Bay of Arrows, in commemoration of the
event.
St.
Croix,
therefore,
cannot
lay
claim
to
the
doubtful honor of having been the first battlefield
in the New World.
No trustworthy records have been discovered
of the ultimate fate of the aboriginal inhabitants
of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John.
Possibly
a statement made by the German historian, Olden-
41
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
dorp, may afford a clue. He says that, about 1555,
the Indians were driven away from the Virgin
Islands by Charles V of Spain, the Emperor having
ordered
that
they
be
treated
as
enemies
and
exterminated.
But was not Oldendorp speaking
of the Island of
St.
Croix, and not of the true
Virgin Islands group, when he made
this
state-
ment?
It
is much more likely that such inhabi-
tants as may have lived upon the Virgin Islands
after their discovery were taken
as
slaves, and
made to work the mines on Hispaniola after the
labor
supply
of
this
latter
island had become
exhausted.
But even if Oldendorp's statement
is
founded on fact, it does not necessarily imply that
the extermination of the Indians was completely
carried
out.
Nevertheless,
when
the
Danish,
Dutch and French settlers arrived on these islands,
at different times in the seventeenth century, no
Indians were found on them.
It was due to the efforts of the Museum of the
American Indian, Heye Foundation, that a few
of
the
problems
regarding
the
pre-Columbian
inhabitants
of
this
little group
of
islands have
been solved, and short mention will be made of
the archeological work done under the auspices of
42
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GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS
this
institution when the history of each island
is discussed.
After the visit of the Spanish squadron under
Columbus,
history
takes but
little note
of the
islands.
This silence continued through most of
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Probably
the dread in which they were held by the early
navigators had a great deal to do with the silence.
A sailing vessel caught in the strong currents which
eddy between the rocks and shoals of the islands,
might
find
great
diflSculty
in
extricating
itself,
especially in days when there were no charts
of
these waters.
An indication of the fear with which the seas
surrounding the Virgin Islands were regarded was
given by the Earl of Cumberland, who, in 1596,
while on his way to take Porto Rico, said that
"he would rather be the first to take Porto Rico,
than the second to pass through the Virgines."
The first to pass this way was Sir Francis Drake,
who, in 1580, sailed through what was later known
as the Drake Channel between the islands.
The
Earl of Cumberland mentioned at the same time
that the islands were "wholly uninhabited, sandy,
barren, and craggy."
43
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
The
first mention
of
settlers on any
of the
Virgin Islands was made in 1625, when St. Croix
was colonized.
St. Thomas remained iminhabited
for even a longer time, there being no record of
Europeans on this island until 1666.
St. John was
not colonized until 1684.
Each of these islands has its individual history
until 1733, when the Island of St. Croix was pur-
chased from France for the sum of seventy-five
thousand
pounds
by
the
Danish
West
India
and Guinea Company.
Holdings of this company
were sold to the Danish Crown in 1754, and a
commercial policy was
instituted which was
re-
sponsible for the new prosperity.
St. Thomas was thrown open as a free port in
1764 with certain restrictions to ships from Euro-
pean ports, though these restrictions were partially
removed in 1767.
In 1815 the trade of St. Thomas
and
St. John became
free from
all
restrictions,
and European
ships
were
allowed
to
enter on
equal terms with those from America.
St. Croix,
on the other hand, was not opened to international
commerce until 1833.
Little occurred to interest the student of inter-
national affairs until the British fleet under Admiral
d4
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GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS
Duckworth and General Trigg captured the islands
on April
1, 1801.
A
little before this time Den-
mark and Norway had
allied
themselves
with
France, and England was not slow in seizing the
Danish
colonial possessions
in
retaliation.
The
islands were held
until February
22,
1802, and
were restored to Denmark by the Treaty of Amiens.
In
1807
afifairs
between
Great
Britain and
France once more came to a crisis, and on Decem-
ber 22 the islands were captured by the British
underAdmiral Cochrane and GeneralBowyer. They
continued imder British rule until April 15, 1815.
They were then restored by Great Britain, which
took the Danish island of Heligoland in exchange.
Since 1815 the islands have not been involved
in international affairs, and their history is but a
record of fires, hurricanes and slave rebellions. The
chief events of this period came
in
1847, when
King Christian VIII passed certain laws for the
future emancipation of slaves, and in 1848, when
slavery was abolished throughout the Danish West
Indies after an uprising of the slaves of St. Croix.
Thus freedom came to the islands
fifteen years
before the Emancipation Proclamation put an end
to slavery in the United States.
45
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CHAPTER III
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
UPS AND DOWNS OF THE FIRST COLONISTS—GOVERNOR
rVERSEN'S STRINGENT REGULATIONS—WHEN SUGAR DIS-
PLACED TOBACCO—"ON THE WAY TO EVERY OTHER
PLACE."—BOMBARDING A CLIFF INSTEAD OP A SHIP—THE
COLOR SCHEME OP CHARLOTTE-AMALIA—THE
SIGNAL-
MAN'S DILEMMA—A HEALTHY
ISLAND'S MOST
FATAL
DISEASE—THE NIGHT OF THE HURRICANE
WHILE there areno trustworthy records
that tell of the first settlement of St.
Thomas, it is generally believed that
there was a colony on the
island
at some time
before 1647.
In 1647 a small company of French
settlers from the nearby Crab Island made their
way to St. Thomas, after the destruction of their
plantations and
the
burning
of
their
ships by
Spanish soldiers.
The perilous voyage was made
in frail canoes.
Upon their arrival on St. Thomas
these refugees found abandoned groves of lemons,
oranges and bananas, which helped to keep them
from starvation.
It is reasonable to suppose that
these groves were planted during the short occupa-
tion
of
St. Thomas by Dutch buccaneers, who
afterward settled on St. Martin and St. Eustatius.
46
Digitized by Microsoft®
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
St. Thomas next appears on the records
as
having been the burial place of one Erik Schmidt,
who arrived on the ship Eendracht, in 1666.
This
vessel probably brought supplies to Dutch settlers
who had taken up their abode there at some time
between 1657 and 1666.
Soon a niunber of these
people, learning of the great prosperity of the new
colony of New Amsterdam, now New Yprk, took
their departure for the village on the Hudson.
In
1667
the
remainder
were
forced
to
leave
St.
Thomas.
At that time St. Thomas,
St. Martin
and St. Eustatius were captured by the British,
and the captors insisted upon the removal of the
St. Thomas
colonists to the
latter two
islands,
owing to their greater fertility.
The
island once abandoned,
it was an easy
matter for the newly-formed Danish West India
and Guinea Company to claim
St. Thomas,
in
1667, as a trading-post, in spite of protests from
Great Britain, which claimed the island by right
of conquest.
This objection was not followed up
by any serious measures, and preparations were
made in Denmark to found a colony on St. Thomas.
J,
On August 31, 1671, the first ship, the Golden
ICrown, was dispatched from Copenhagen,
while)
47
^
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
less than three months later the Pharaoh followed.
On this vessel came Jorgen Iversen, the new gov-
ernor, to whom had been given full power to repre-
sent Danish authority. When the Pharaoh arrived,
on May 23,
1672, a few colonists were already
established.
These were principally Dutch planters
who had returned from the islands of St. Martin
and St. Eustatius to reclaim their former holdings
on
St. Thomas.
With them were a few negro
slaves.
It cannot be said that the early Danish colonists
firere of high character.
In fact, they resembled
he
criminal type
of
sailors,
who, upon
being
granted pardon for former ofifenses, were induced
/to accompany Columbus on
his
first voyage
of
/ discovery.
There were also among the first set-
'
tiers a number of Danes who, in order to settle
pressing debts and to escape imprisonment by their
creditors, had sold themselves for service in the
colony.
Men
of
this
class were hardly promis-
ing
material
for
the
founding
of a prosperous
settlement.
When Governor Iversen reached the scene of
his labors he was compelled to adopt stem meas-
ures to force his subjects to fulfil their contracts
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
and attend to their duties.
His
first
official act
was the building of a
fort, which was probably-/
commenced in 1672.
It became the residence not)
only of the governor, but
also of the Lutherai
pastor who accompanied the expedition.
Part o^
this fort is included in the present Christian's For
at Charlotte-Amalia.
That Governor Iversen ruled the new colony
with an iron hand is revealed by some of his proc-
lamations.
He commanded everybody to attend
service in the fort every Sunday, the penalty for
failure
to
attend
being
twenty-five pounds
of
tobacco.
There was also provision for a fine of
fifty poimds of tobacco
for the performance by
the servants of the settlers of imnecessary Sunday
work.
All householders were obliged to keep in
their homes arms for defense and a sufficient sup-
ply of powder and ball, there being a penalty of
onehimdred pounds of tobacco for failure to do so.
Specific warnings were to be given in case of attack
from an enemy.
Drills were held every Saturday
afternoon
in favorable weather, and there were
fines
for
non-attendance.
Departure from
the
island without permission of the governor was also
punished with a
fine, although the proclamation
4i
49
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The virgin islands
did not state how this fine could be collected, once
the transgressor had departed.
Servants must not
leave their masters, and
if they made a practice
of running away, they were to be held in irons imtil
they were broken of the habit.
The growing of tobacco was the chief occupa-
tion of these early colonists, and it is likely that
this commodity was the principal article of export.
The raising of cattle was an industry of such im-
portance that the
colonists
lived
in a constant
state of alarm because
of the raids made upon
their pastures by the Spaniards from Porto Rico
and the buccaneers of Tortola.
It is therefore not
strange that Governor Iversen provided for the
arming of his followers; the Danes had every reason
to guard themselves from molestation by inhabi-
tants of other islands.
Even the Spaniards from
Porto Rico took part in the campaign against these
early Danes, iand they succeeded in capturing Crab
Island, over which Governor Iversen first claimed
sovereignty in 1682. Two years later, the place of
Crab Island was taken by
St. John, which was
then added to the island realm of which Iversen
was governor.
St. Croix did not become a part of
the Danish possessions until 1733.
50
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
Difficulties of another sort were not lacking.
A labor shortage was soon felt.
The Danish ser-
yants proved unsatisfactory, and the
slaves who
belonged to Dutch landowners did_not supplv the
demand for workmen. Word of this condition of
affairs was sent to the home government in Copen-
hagen, an3" prompt measures were taken to meet
the colb^^ needs.
The Danish West India and
Giunea Company purchased
land
on
the Gold
Coast of Africa and erected two forts.
With these
forts as a base, the servants of the company con-
ducted operations which insured a constant supply
of slaves for the Antillean colony.
In 1685 the Danish West India Company found
its means too limited to furnish a sufficient number
of ships for the transportation of the necessary
slaves to
St. Thomas to supply the agricultural
needs of the landowners, and for the carrying of
the exports from this island back to the native
country. An arrangement was therefore made with
the Duchy of Brandenburg to operate a factory
on St. Thomas.
The result is what might have been expected,
for soon
after the erection
of the Brandenburg
Company's trading station, the Danish West India
51
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Company found that it was losing a large amount
of
its trade to the new enterprise.
As a conse-
quence there was much jealousy between the com-
panies, and the older organization longed to cancel
the rights given to the Brandenburg Company.
This could not be done, however, for the term of the
contract ran until 1716.
It was fortunate that a
period could not be put earlier to the new com-
pany's privileges, for it was due to the eflForts of
this company that sugar cane supplanted tobacco
plantations.
In those days the price of sugar was
extremely
high.
Thus,
while the Danish West
India Company was the loser by the transaction,
the island of St. Thomas was materially benefited.
At one time the
affairs
of the Danish West
India Company were at such a low ebb that in
1690 the Danish king was compelled to rent the
entire colony of
St. Thomas, with the exception
of the holdings of the Brandenburg Company, to a
man named Thormohlen,
probably
in
order
to
secure to him the liens which he held upon the
property.
The lease was for a period of ten years,
and Thormohlen was obliged by the terms of his
contract to maintain during this time a garrison.
The soldiers of this garrison arrived in 1692, and
52
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
these were the first regular troops to be stationed
in Christian's Fort.
St. Thomas
lies
in
latitude
18
degrees
20
minutes N. and longitude 64 degrees 55 minutes
W., and
is but forty miles from Porto Rico and
twenty-five miles from the island of Culebra. A
vessel going from
St. Thomas to Porto Rico
is
always sheltered by the cays lying between the
islands.
Even small
craft are generally
safe in
making
the
passage.
Owing
to
the
prevailing
easterly trade winds,
it
is easier to go from St.
Thomas to Porto Rico in a saiUng vessel than it is
to return by the same means; while it not infre-
quently takes but five hours to go from Charlotte-
Amaha to the port of Fajardo on the east coast of
Porto Rico, the return voyage has been known to
take from two to three days.
This difference
is
partly due to the strong currents running between
the islands which offer a serious impediment when
the wind is light.
The island is admirably situated for communi-
cation with other ports.
It is on a direct line be-
tween Europe and the entrance to the Panama
Canal.
Furthermore, vessels plying between the
Atlantic ports of North America and the Atlantic
53
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
ports of South America must pass directly by the
island, which
is situated fourteen himdred miles
from New York, one thousand miles from Colon
and five hundred miles from La Guaira, the chief
port of the Republic of Venezuela. Thus the enthu-
siastic traveler was not far wrong who said that St.
Thomas is "the place which is on the way to every
other place." He justified this descriptionby adding
:
"When the sailor lays his course for any part
of the Caribbean Sea, the tip of his homy finger
points to St. Thomas.
To call the little island the
gateway of the Caribbean is not poetic fancy.
The
shortest and
best
course from England to any
Central American port, for steamer or sail,
is by
St. Thomas.
For the liner from the United States
to Brazil, the most convenient port of call
is St.
Thomas.
To go from the Greater to the Lesser
Antilles, one goes by way of St. Thomas.
Nature
has given this half-way house of the sea a prestige
that even the commercial supremacy of Barbadoes
has not overshadowed."
St. Thomas is surrounded by seventeen islands
land cays and by an innumerable number of rocks.
|The islands and cays are mostly very small, the
' largest being Water Island, which is two and one-
54
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
half miles long and three-fourths of a mile wide,
and Hans LoUik, one and one-half miles long and
one mile wide.
Most of these cays are rocky and
elevated, and all are miinhabited, with the excep-
tion of Water Island and Thatch Cay.
Perhaps the most remarkable of the cays is a
small island called
Sail Rock,
so called because
this mountainous rock when viewed from the east-
ward has the exact appearance of a vessel under
sail.
There is a tradition that there was once an
engagement between a French
frigate and
this
little island.
In the night the commanding officer
of the frigate ran close to Sail Rock, which he took
for a privateersman. He hailed the supposed ship,
and the echoes from the rock returned the hail.
Receiving no satisfactory answer from the "pri-
vateersman," the commander gave orders to fire.
The echoes returned the noise of the cannonade.
As the frigate was very close to Sail Rock, some of
the cannon balls ricochetted and gave the impres-
sion that the adversary was giving battle.
It
is
said that the engagement continued for some hours.
Not until dawn did the commander of the frigate
realize his mistake and
retire from the scene in
mortification.
55
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
The length of
St. Thomas
is thirteen
miles,
while its average width is about two miles.
The
area is 28.25 square miles, or about eighteen thou-
sand acres, of which only about five hundred acres
are under cultivation, while possibly two thousand
acres are used for pasturage.
The island is really
nothing more than a range of hills running east
and west, with branching spurs.
There
is prac-
tically no level land.
The highest elevation toward
the western part of the island, is 1515 feet.
This
hill
is called West Mountain.
The next highest
peak. Signal Hill, in the center of the island, has
an elevation of 1500 feet.
While the island is not as well watered as St.
John—^which has the largest water supply of the
three islands, probably owing to the presence of
forests, which are absent on both St. Thomas and
St. Croix—^there are a number of springs on the
northern side.
An absolute water shortage, such
as is occasionally experienced on some of the smaller
Antillean islands, has not been known to occur
here.
There
is but one small stream, and
this
loses itself in the hills; probably it finds an outlet
to the sea through a fissure in the rocks.
According to geologists, the island is composed
56
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
for the most part of a mass of Trappean rocks of
various colors, and these rocks contain many veins
of quartz which can be observed wherever a cut
has been made in the rocks along the road.
Much
of the rock has decomposed, and is still decompos-
ing into yellow or reddish clay.
The aborigines
made their pottery from this clay.
In places the
rock also decomposes into a whitish marl.
With the exception of red ochre, there are no
known minerals on St. Thomas.
In a few places
can be seen the white coraline Umestone so typical
of the western Antilles.
While the agriculturist can obtain remarkable
results because
of the wonderful
climate and a
fairly equable
rainfall, the
soil in most places
is
thin and
it
is liable to be washed from the
hill
slopes on which it is found.
It is more than likely that St. Thomas at one
time was covered with dense forests, but none of
these remain
today.
The
trees were probably
felled by the earlier settlers and the valuable woods
foimd in them were sold or used for the local manu-
facture of furniture.
St. Thomas harbor
is located on the southern
side of the island, and
its entrance faces almost
57
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
due south.
The mouth is fairly narrow, although
its width of nine hundred feet is ample for large
vessels.
After passing through
the narrow
en-
trance, the harbor gradually expands into a large,
circular bowl some two
miles
in
diameter.
A
somewhat fanciful geological theory claims that
the harbor is formed by the crater of a submerged,
extinct volcano.
This theory has been suggested
more because of the shape of the harbor basin than
because of the evidence of geological formation.
For many years, navigators found
it diflScult
to locate the southern shore of St, Thomas during
the night, and they were compelled to wait for
daybreak before entering the harbor.
Since the
erection of a hghthouse on Buck Island, passage
in the night has become possible, but even now the
services of the pilot who meets ships outside the
harbor entrance are needed.
A traveler once gave the following true and
picturesque description of the first sight of Char-
lotte-Amalia by the tourist who enters the harbor:
"The view from deck, as the ship creeps into
the anchorage,
is the most charming in the West
Indies.
The bay lacks the great sweep of Algiers,
but
it has the same mountain background, the
58
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FRONT ENTRANCE OF CHRISTIAN S FORT FROM
COURTYARD INSIDE
SIGNAL STATION, TOP OF COWELL 8 BATTERY
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BATTLEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN S TOKT AND BLACKBEAHD S
CASTLE
ON
TOP
OF
GOVERNMENT
HILL,
CHARLOTTE-
AMAHA,
ST. THOMAS
COALING WHARF OP THE WEST
INDIA
COMPANY,
LTD.,
CHAKLOTTE-AMALIA
Destroyed October 9, 1916
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
same glorious blue of sea and sky.
The village,
blue
and
orange
and
yeUow
and
red,
recalls
some
of the coast towns
of
Italy.
The garden
walls
of the
hillside
villas
shine out
dazzlingly
white against the luxurious green of the tropical
foliage.
The
ruins
of Bluebeard's
castle above
the town—^a landmark
of the
old days
of
the
buccaneer—^present the only touch of gray.
The
rest is a riot of color.
Most striking of all is the
gaudy red Danish
fortress down by
the water
front.
I have never seen so red a building.
At
first it is glaring a,nd unpleasant, but after a time
one's eyes become accustomed to the new scale of
color values which the intense sun of the tropics
requires. And the bizarre glory of the fort—^which
would be imspeakably oflFensive in a gray mantle
—seems to be not out of place in the color scheme
of St. Thomas.
The town of Charlotte-Amalia
has taken the atmosphere of Algiers and the gor-
geous coloring of Venice, rolled them into one, and
reduced it to miniature."
On passing the harbor's mouth, one
is imme-
diately reminded by Cowell's Battery of the British
occupation of 1801 and 1802.
This battery was
erected by Colonel Cowell during this period.
It
59
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THE -VIRGIN ISLANDS
was
constructed upon
the
highest
elevation
of
Hassel Island.
Nearby lie buried the soldiers who
died during the occupation. On the shore, below
the hill, are the remains of an early Danish strong-
hold, which antedates the British
fortifications.
Near the old Danish fort is the gaily painted pow-
der magazine, which was used as a storehouse for
explosives during the
latter days of the Danish
occupation.
To-day, Cowell's Battery
is used
as a
signal
station, and it is from here that the inhabitants of
Charlotte-AmaUa learn of the coming of vessels
to St. Thomas Harbor. A mast with a yard-arm
serves to support the semaphore and a number of
wicker balls.
The positions of the balls and of the
semaphore arms indicate whether an incoming ship
is a sailing vessel, a steamer or a man-of-war, its
nationality and
the
direction from which
it
is
coming.
Without this signal station, a number of
the inhabitants of Charlotte-Amalia would be de-
prived of their chief interest, and their greatest
source of gossip.
The citizens say that at one time a Siamese
man-of-war called at St. Thomas in order to obtain
a supply of coal for its bunkers.
On seeing the
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
ship approach, the watchman on the signal hill did
not find in his signal book any instructions inform-
ing him what position to give the balls and the
semaphore for a man-of-war
of
this nationality.
In desperation, he rigged up his signal mast with
all the wicker spheres he happened to have on hand.
Naturally the people became greatly excited and
made
all sorts of hurried preparations for inter-
national festivities, for they thought that the com-
bined navies
of the world were coming to
visit
their little island.
One of the most interesting exciu:sions on St.
Thomas may be taken by rowboat to
Cowell's
Point, and thence up the
hill upon which the
battery
is
located.
The existence on the rocks
below the signal station of a large sign which adver-
tises the bay rum of a local manufacturer, does
much to spoil an otherwise perfect view.
Diwing
the hurricane of October, 1916, the sign was blown
down, but
this
offensive eyesore
to
all
visitors
approaching St. Thomas Harbor has imfortunately
been restored.
Directly opposite Hassel Island, on Muhlenfel's
Point, is the quarantine station.
This, happily, is
seldom needed for its intended purpose. When no
61
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
patients are residing there, it is occasionally rented
out to picnic parties from Charldtte-Amalia.
This
is a delightful spot for a temporary sojourn, for
the sea bathing here is the best on the island.
The harbor of St. Thomas presents little diflS-
culty to navigation.
The few obstructions beneath
the surface have been marked by buoys, while the
rocks which extend above sea level have been care-
fully whitewashed. A nimiber of range-lights also
protect the harbor and serve to keep the incoming
ship in
its proper channel.
The harbor
is land-
locked, and the safety of ships in the harbor
is
jeopardized only when the dreaded West Indian
hurricanes
strike
St. Thomas from a
southerly
direction.
But for the hurricanes St. Thomas would be an
earthly paradise.
The climate is healthy for new-
comers, even for those who are imaccustomed to
the tropics, and
it
is especially enjoyable during
the winter months.
The greatest heat
is
felt in
August, September and October, but even then
the thermometer seldom goes above 91
degrees
Fahrenheit, while the average temperature
is 84
degrees Fahrenheit.
In winter the temperature
occasionally drops as low as 67 degrees, and the
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
nights are so chilly that
it
is necessary to sleep
under a blanket.
The rainfall is not excessive; it averages about
forty-seven inches per year.
May, August, Sep-
tember,
October and November
are
the
rainy
months, but
it
is not unusual for a drought to
prevail for six or even nine months.
Such a pro-
longed drought is generally followed by severe rains.
Though this is not true of the majority of West
Indian islands, the air of St. Thomas
is bracing.
Probably this is due to the fact that the island is
directly exposed
to
the Atlantic Ocean on
the
north, so that
it feels the cooling
eflFects of this
large body of water rather than the tropical heat
radiated by the Caribbean Sea.
For invahds and
for people
of
delicate
constitution,
the equable
chmate is especially suitable, and many wonderful
cures have been credited to the island.
All that
is necessary in many cases
is simply to Uve long
enough in the bracing climate*
Aside from scorpions and centipedes, there are
no poisonous
animals, and no intending
visitor
need fear the presence of the usual venomous in-
sects of the tropics.
There are no snakes of any
variety.
Land
crabs
are
the
chief
annoyance.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Thanks to the efforts of the government, there are
few mosquitos in the town
itself, although occa-
sionally sand-flies and mosquitos make life a burden
in other parts of the island,
especially in the rainy
season.
Once the general sanitary conditions of Ghar-
lotte-Amalia were not
entirely
satisfactory, but
these have been greatly improved by the blasting
of a channel through the "Haul-over" peninsula
which connects Hassel Island with the mainland
of St. Thomas.
This channel permits a current of
water to circulate through the harbor.
Formerly
the waters which washed the shores of the town
became stagnant at times and the imperceptible
flow of the ebb and flood tide was not sufficient to
carry oflf the refuse which was emptied in the bay.
In consequence, there were a number of typhoid
fever epidemics.
Since the opening of the new
channel, there has been no more difficulty.
Nowadays there are no epidemics in Gharlotte-
Amalia, owing to the efficient medical inspection
and the stringent quarantine laws and regulations
made for vessels which enter from infected ports
and the
efficient medical inspection.
The death
rate of the island is remarkably low, and its inhab-
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
itants generally seem to die from one disease only,
a disease for which no cure has been found—old age.
Hurricanes will always be the principal draw-
back to
residence
in the West
Indies, and
St.
Thomas does not escape them.
Many times the
island has been visited by these destructive storms.
In 1713, in 1738, in 1742, in 1772, in 1793, in 1819,
in 1837, in 1867 and again in 1916, tropical storms
passed over the little island and caused an incred-
ible amount
of
destruction.
These
storms
are
regarded with such dread that it is the custom of
the people, at the commencement of the hurricane
season,
to
oflfer
prayers
that
their
island may
escape from the horrors of the tempests.
At the
end of the season, they betake themselves to their
churches and give thanks that the period of danger
has been safely passed.
The last hurricane, on the night of October 9,
1916, was perhaps one of the most destructive ever
experienced.
The smaller negro cabins were bodily
blown from
their
foundations and
smashed
to
pieces against other buildings or trees. Few houses
escaped without the loss of their roofs or damage
of some kind.
That Uttle loss of life accompanied
the hurricanes was a miracle, for the galvanized
6
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
iron sheets which formed the roof coverings of the
houses were hurled through the air like projectiles.
The rain which accompanied the hurricane in many-
instances did more damage than the wind
itself,
and the stocks
of a number of merchants were
totally ruined.
Trees which for many decades had
been the pride of the town were uprooted.
Elec-
tric light poles, branches of trees, pieces of gutter-
ing,
spouts and
tiles from the
roofs,
filled
the
public thoroughfares with a tangled mass of debris.
In the harbor the Danish bark Tkor was wrecked
on the rocks near Cowell's Battery.
The St. Hilda
dredge was taken up bodily and placed alongside
the landing wharf in three
feet of water.
The
Hamburg-American liner Calabria, which had been
anchored in the harbor since the beginning of the
European War, was thrown on the rocks east of
the
wharf
with
practically
her
entire
bottom
ripped out.
The Wasgenwald, owned by the same
company, was torn from her moorings and driven
ashore, but the vessel managed to pull herself off
with but slight injuries.
The motor ship AnhoU
was thrown high and dry on the beach. A number
of sailing vessels foundered in the harbor. Two large
electric conveyers of the Danish West India Com-
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
pany were reduced to a tangled mass of scrap iron.
On the morning of October 10, when the extent
of the damage caused during the night could be
perceived, the Danish
officials took prompt and
active steps, not only to give relief to the sufferers
but also to restore the town as far as possible to
its usual immaculate condition.
In many instances
money was given to the poor to enable them to
build new
houses.
In
other
cases money was
loaned without interest.
In addition to these means of bringing relief,
the government placed gangs at work on the moun-
tain
roads, which
in many
instances had been
completely
effaced, and
restored them
to
their
proper condition. A little park on the water front
which, until the night of the hurricane, had been
one
of
the
principal
attractions
of
Charlotte-
Amalia, and which was almost completely demol-
ished, was cleaned up and the uprooted trees were
replanted when this was possible.
Even after the
officials of the island were informed that the sale
of the Danish West Indies was a certainty they
did not in any way diminish their efforts towards
effacing the damage caused by the storm; they
seemed to think it a sacred duty to hand over the
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
islands to the United States in as good condition
as possible.
While, of course, the damage caused by one of
these hurricanes is enormous, one must take into
consideration the fact that tropical houses as a
general rule are but lightly built and easily blown
down.
No true West Indian will learn from the
last hurricane that he should prepare his new abode
in conformity with the demands that may be made
upon its strength by any subsequent storm.
For
this reason the inhabitants of the Antilles are fre-
quently a great deal to blame for the fact that their
homes have
suflFered the
effects
of a hurricane.
The damage done in the agricultural areas, while
large,
is not
noticeable
three months
after the
passing of a storm, as in the luxuriant climate of
St. Thomas practically all destroyed vegetation is
quickly replaced.
.
Earthquakes also sometimes occur, and these
are most frequent in the months of January, Feb-
ruary and March.
No intending
visitor to
St.
Thomas need, however,
feel any alarm on
this
score.
While, occasionally, plaster and loose stones
or bricks from old walls have been known to fall,
no instance has yet been recorded of so much as a
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CANAAN ESTATE HOUSE, AFTER HUKRICANE
HAMBUBG-AMEBICAN LINE OITICBS, AND DREDGE "sT. HILDA"
Driven Ashore by Hurricane
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riRlNG TIME-GUN BATTBBT ON WATERFRONT, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
LUTHERAN CHURCH, CHABLOTTE-AMALIA
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ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS
wall being thrown down.
Usually the shocks seem
to come from the south and pass
off toward the
north.
Rarely are there more than two shocks.
The earthquakes have but once been accompanied
by marine disturbances, such as tidal waves; they
appear to be nothing but
survivals
of stronger
shocks that may have taken place in South America
and been thence transmitted to St. Thomas.
An old wood cut of Blackbeard's Castle.
Charlotte-Amalia, St. Thomas, made by Dr.
Charles Taylor.
The pirate's
flag
is a con-
cession to popular sentiment.
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CHAPTER IV
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
PICTURESQUE COAL CABRIEKS—WHY ENGLISH IS THE FOPU-
LAK LANGUAGE—HOW THE "EECONCILING-COURT"
DIS-
COURAGES
LITIGATION—CHURCHES
AND
SCHOOLS-
STREETS, GUTTERS AND HILLS—THE FABLES OF FOUR
HILL-TOPS—BUCCANEERS, BLACKBEARD AND BLUEBEARD
-WHY
THE
GUNS
WERE
FIRED—HOSPITALITY
AND
FLOWERS—WATER-FRONT ACTIVITY
THE
smiling
little
town
of
Charlotte-
Amalia nestles among four
hills, which
branch southward from the main range
of
the
island.
No
stranger can
fail to
be im-
pressed by
the
beauty
of the
situation
of the
picturesque town and no native of St. Thomas can
return here after an absence, be it ever so short,
without being thoroughly content with his original
choice of residence.
Charlotte-Amalia was the seat of government
when Denmark
ruled, and the governor
of the
three islands spent six months out of the year here
and the other six months on the island of St. Croix.
The town was named after the consort of Christian
V, in whose time it was founded.
On the earliest
records the name of the town was Tappus, but why
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RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
this name was used is not known.
The population
is about eight thousand, though there
are only
about ten thousand people on the entire island.
That there are many more women than men
is
due to the fact that so many of the men have been
forced to leave the island to gain a living.
Fully ninety per cent, of the total population
is negro, but, despite this fact, the St. Thomian
negroes are far more polite than any other negroes
in the West Indies; they do not seem to wish to
be on a footing of equality with their white fellow-,
citizens.
This is imdoubtedly due to the excellent
and kind training given them during the Danish
rule, the results of which will show for many years.
If in the future the same treatment is accorded the
natives,
there
will be no
troubles between
the
whites and the negroes.
Because of hard times the negroes of St. Thomas
have been too frequently
forced
to
leave
their
beloved
little island and seek a living elsewhere.
These absentees from home make splendid servants.
Happy indeed does a housewife in the West Indies
coimt herself who possesses a St. Thomian for a
house-servant.
Her less fortunate sisters who have
to content themselves with an ineflBcient and at
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
times insolent servant from Barbadoes, or some
other British island, look upon her with envy.
The stay-at-home St. Thomian depends for a
living chiefly upon the ships that come to Charlotte-
Amalia, either to load or to discharge their cargoes.
He or she, as the case may be,—^for the women work
as hard as the men,—easily finds work as a steve-
dore upon one of these vessels, or else as a coal-
carrier on the wharves which supply ships calling
at this port in order to fill their bunkers.
The stevedore's wages are one dollar per day.
The coal-carrier is paid according to the amount
of work done.
Until January, 1917, the rate for
coal-carriers was a cent for every basket brought
on board.
By dint
of hard work some
of the
stronger laborers were enabled to make as much
as two
dollars a day, but
this was
possible,
of
course, for only a few days each week.
To earn
two dollars
it was necessary to
fill two hundred
baskets, each of which contained from eighty-five
to ninety-five pounds of coal, and to toil with these
from the coal heap up a steeply-inclined gangway to
the bunkers of the ship. A labor imion formed in
Charlotte-Amalia, in imitation of a similar organi-
zation founded two years earlier in St. Croix, has
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TyPICAL COAL CARKIEKS, CHAKLOTTE-
AMALIA
CUSTOM HOUSE AND POST OFFICE, CHAELOTTE-AMALIA,
ST. THOMAS
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RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
succeeded in raising the rate per basket from one
cent to two cents.
A few strikes occurred before
the coal companies agreed to this increase, but in
the
end
matters
were
settled
amicably.
The
workers took advantage of the fact that the large
electric
cranes, which had
bee(n erected by the
West India Company not long before, and which
were capable of handling one hundred and
fifty
tons of coal per hour, had been completely wrecked
by the hurricane of October, 1916.
Yet it is true
that the increased cost of living, and the fact that
few
ships have
called at
St. Thomas since the
outbreak of the European War, made higher wages
imperative.
At best, the lot of the faithful coal-carriers is
not enviable.
The work is hard and the workers
are exposed to weather of all kinds, from the in-
tense tropical heat of the waterfront to the drench-
ing downpoiu: of the rainy season.
In
spite of
these hardships, the laborers are a cheerful
lot.
They reside in a part of the town known as the
"Back-of-All."
The port of San Juan on Porto Rico has of late
years become a serious rival of St. Thomas for the
coaling of ships.
A number of steamship
lines
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
which
for years
called
at Charlotte-Amalia
are
now going to San Juan, where coal
is cheaper,
owing to the greater proximity to the ports of the
United States and the better facilities which have
been provided
for the supplying
of
ships with
bunker coal.
It is thought that when the United
States establishes a naval base on the island, the
increased demand for laborers and the better pay
which they imdoubtedly
will receive
will go far
toward bettering their lot and the conditions under
which they live.
As a race the St. Thomians are far from indo-
lent.
They are hard-working and wiUing, but not
very
efficient,
judged
by
northern
standards.
Their employers find it advisable to cajole them,
instead
of using harsh words
to them.
If the
laborers are treated in a kind manner, they are
wilUng to go to all sorts of extremes to repay the
treatment.
Though,
of
course,
Danish was
the
official
language imder the rule of Denmark,
it
is rare
indeed to
find
a
native
of
St. Thomas who
is
acquainted with
it.
All government notices were
printed in both Danish and English, while the two
t-
local newspapers appeared in the EngUsh language.
74
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RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
But for the fact that the streets bear Danish names,
the visitor would not realize that he is in a former
colony of Denmark.
The Danish language was
never forced upon the inhabitants by the govern-
ment, and, as a matter of fact, they would have
had but little use for it, since their principal com-
mercial
relations
have
been
with
the
English-
speaking races.
OflFenses of a criminal nature are almost un-
known on the island.
A few instances of theft
were so severely pimished that grand larceny was
completely stamped out.
While a St. Thomian is
not above appropriating to himself or to his family
food from his master's table or any small
trifle
that happens to strike his fancy, it cannot be said
that predetermined stealing is part of his nature.
Little happens to disturb the quiet of the tropi-
cal dolce-far-niente of Charlotte-Amalia. A quarrel
between two jealous female
coal-carriers, or the
bibulous
noise made by a
convivial
laborer on
pay day, are about the only disturbances that call
for the interference of the few policemen neces-
sary on the
island.
The law courts are most de-
serted, and only one
professional lawyer resides in
Charlotte-Amalia.
7S
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
During the Danish rule,
St. Thomas boasted
of a system which the other West Indian islands,
where litigation at times proves costly, might do
well to adopt.
This
is the "reconciling-court."
If an employer, for instance, became involved in
a dispute with his clerk as to the wages due the
latter, the clerk was not obliged either to accept
his employer's
decision or to
hire an expensive
lawyer to defend his interests.
Either the clerk
or his employer could call on the two reconciling
judges of the court, who were appointed from the
people by the governor.
The plaintiff could then
state his case and request the judges to take the
matter up.
Both parties would then be summoned
and each would be allowed to tell his side of the
question at
issue.
The judges would give their
opinion ofiF-hand and attempt to effect a
settle-
ment
between
the
disputants.
Generally
this
would succeed, and the matter would be finished.
By this simple means many a costly lawsuit was
prevented and thus the long delays of northern
law courts were unknown.
If those who appeared
before the
"reconciling-court"
professed
them-
selves as being content with the decision of the
judges and did not carry out the stipulations of
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RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
this
decision
afterwards, they were severely and
summarily dealt with.
If, on the other hand, the
decision of the judges was not satisfactory to them,
and they stated that they wished to carry the
matter to the regular law courts, they were at
Uberty to do so.
Since the days of
its foundation,
Charlotte-
Amalia has always welcomed religious bodies of
all denominations.
The
official
religion
of the
Danish government was Lutheran, and ministers
of this creed were sent out by the Crown; but no
restrictions
were
placed upon
the
followers
of
other beliefs, and as a result the little town has a
diversity of houses of worship.
Perhaps the hand-
somest of these buildings is the Memorial Church
of the Moravian Brethren.
To-day the Mora-
vians are one of the strongest sects on the island,
and their missionaries take the most active meas-
ures to better the conditions of the St. Thomas
laboring classes.
At first the Lutheran congregation worshipped
in
Christian's
Fort.
In
1793
the new
church
building was consecrated and was used until 1826,
when
it was destroyed by
fire.
The church was
soon
rebuilt, and
it has been used
since
1827.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Until the hurricane of 1916, it was chiefly notice-
able because of the beautiful, symmetrical avenue
of royal palms which
led from the gate to the
steps of the building. These were totally destroyed.
It will be many years before this attractive feature
of the surroxmdings
of the
old building can be
restored.
Like
the Lutheran
Church,
the Dutch Re-
formed Church was founded in Charlotte-Amalia
on the first settlement of the town.
It is possible
even that it antedated the Lutheran congregation,
for
it
is more than
likely that the
first Dutch
settlers in 1666 had their own pastor with them.
The present building used by the congregation of
the Reformed Dutch Church was erected in 1846,
the two previous buildings having been destroyed
by fire.
There
is
also a
large and imposing Roman
Catholic church in Charlotte-Amalia.
This was
built
about
1844.
Either
Spanish
or
French
supplements
Latin in the services, owing to the
fact that the majority of the Catholics are natives
of the French or Spanish-speaking islands of the
Antilles.
Occasionally there are services in English.
The Episcopal
Church has many
adherents,
78
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Photograph supplied by Wiiham T
Deiiiarebt
REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
Organized IfiSg
Photograph by Clarence Taylor
CHRIST CHURCH, WESLETAN, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
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Photograph by Clarence Taylor
MEMOEIAL CHURCH, MORAVIAN, CHAKLOTTE-AMALIA
Photograph by Clarence Taylor
ALL saints' ANGLICAN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
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RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
and
services
are
held
in
a
handsome
building
which was erected some twenty or thirty years ago.
In addition to the other denominations named,
the French Huguenots and the Jews have places
of worship.
Good
public
schools have been founded
for
education
in
the
lower
grades, and
Charlotte-
AmaUa compares favorably in this respect with
towns of its size almost anywhere.
FaciUties for
higher education, however, are woefully lacking.
The more well-to-do of the people are obUged to
send
their
children to the United
States
or to
other
countries
for
their
final education.
It
is
also to be
regretted that
St. Thomas does not
possess
a well-equipped trade school where the
negroes can be instructed in the handicrafts.
The
Moravian missionaries have made successful efforts
to instruct their followers
in craftsmanship, but
otherwise the only manner in which artisans can
learn their trades
is by apprenticing themselves
to a master workman.
The town has but one level street of any length.
This
is the Main street and
it
is parallel to the
waterfront.
On this are the shops and warehouses
and
here
merchants and
shipping
agents
have
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
their oflBces.
All other streets run at right angles
to the main street and are quite precipitous, owing
to the fact that the greater part of the town lies
on four hills.
These hills are, from west to east.
Frenchmen's Hill, Delanois Hill, Government Hill,
and
Luchetti's
Hill.
Many
of the
streets
are
called streets by courtesy only, for they consist of
a series of stone steps which lead to the heights
above.
Parallel to these steps run stone gutters
which, in rainy spells, carry the water down hill
to the
sea.
These gutters are locally known as
"guts," and on St. Thomas a gut may mean any-
thing from a ravine to a small watercourse.
The
streets and steps are always kept extremely clean.
This work is done for the most part by the petty
oflFenders from the prison in the fort.
The houses,
many of which have most picturesque grilled iron
gateways, are painted in all colors and, with their
scarlet roofs, they give a gay touch of color to the
pretty town.
Charlotte-Amalia is lighted by electricity, and
good
service both
for
streets and
residences
is
given by the
electric company.
The town
also
has a good ice-plant and its markets for the selling
of produce and meat are well arranged.
In the
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- RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
fish-market a supply of fresh fish can always be
obtained in the mornings, and
fruit, brought by
small sailing-vessels from the neighboring British
islands, can generally be purchased.
Frenchmen's
Hill
is
so
called from the
fact
that, in the early days, the section of the town in
which is this hiU was chosen by the French Hugue-
not
refugees
as
their
abode.
The
hill forms
the extreme western boundary of the town.
The
next hill, toward the center of Charlotte-AmaUa,
Delanois
Hill,
is named
after one
of the
early
settlers.
Upon the crest are two beacdn
lights
which, when held
in
Une,
serve to
indicate
to
vessels
entering the harbor the proper channel.
Here also can be seen the former Delanois residence
and the house which, at one time, was occupied
by General Santa Anna of Mexico, who came to
St. Thomas, after being expelled from his native
country, to pass his declining years in the quiet
of
Charlotte-Amalia.
The
older
residents
still
remember seeing this noted warrior in their early
childhood, and enjoy telhng visitors of the general
and how he stumped about the town on his wooden
leg.
The
central
portion
of
Charlotte-Amalia
is
6
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
built upon Government Hill.
Here are the official
residence of the governor during the Danish rule
and the former Danish Government offices.
Few
colonies of the West Indies boast of a government-
house equal in quiet
splendor to that found on
St. Thomas.
Here the magnificent fimctions were
always held for visiting men-of-warsmen, and naval
officers of all nations counted a stay in St. Thomas
harbor one of the most pleasant
visits made by
them in the West Indies.
The large ballroom of
the residence, with
its enormous chandeliers and
wonderful
old
colonial mahogany
furniture,
is
especially handsome.
The making of mahogany furniture always was
a specialty
of
the craftsmen
of the
island, and
some of their finest pieces are to be foimd here.
Once visiting tourists were successful in discover-
ing antiques
of
this kind
in the
little carpenter
shops of the town, but so much has been carried off
that few specimens are obtainable to-day.
On
Government
Hill
is
also
Blackbeard's
Castle, named
after the celebrated John Teach,
alias Blackbeard. No proof has ever been brought
forward that this pirate, or any other pirate, ever
actually
resided on the
island,
although
in the
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RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
early
days
raids by
the
buccaneers
were
not
uncommon.
Furthermore, no
authentic
record
has ever been found that John Teach resided upon
St. Thomas.
It will be seen, therefore, that this
interesting old residence, one of the first built in
Charlotte-Amalia and one of the very few remain-
ing to-day that hark back to the settlement of the
island, cannot lay claim to having been the abode
of the interesting and notorious buccaneer.
The cold historical facts about the castle are
that
it was built by one Charles
Baggaert, one
of the more turbulent of Governor Iversen's col-
onists, probably in order to annoy the governor.
The "absconder from Middelburg," as Baggaert
is called in some of the early reports written by
Iversen, built himself a house upon the hill over-
looking the lately-erected Christian's Fort.
Iver-
sen complained bitterly about Baggaert's residence
that "it is not advantageous to the fort that Bag-
gaert
built
his house
so much higher than the
fort, in so much that everyone who comes to see
him can completely overlook
it."
This remark
of the governor gives one an interesting sidelight
on the strategic value of Christian's Fort.
One of the few authentic stories of the activity
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
of buccaneers in the Virgin Islands
is told in the
Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, America
and the West Indies.
In 1682 Jean Hamlin cap-
tured the merchant vessel La Trompeuse, refitted
her as a man-of-war, and made a piratical cruise
in the Caribbean.
For a time he made his head-
quarters at St. Thomas, whose governor not only
winked
at
his misdeeds but received him
as a
friend.
From St. Thomas, during the early months
of 1683, raids were made on a number of English
merchantmen.
Then came an expedition to Africa,
in which seventeen Dutch and English sloops were
captured.
On July 27 La Trompeuse returned to
St. Thomas.
The story of what happened next
is told by C. H. Haring in "The Buccaneers in
the West Indies in the XVII Century":
"They were admitted and kindly received by
the governor, and allowed to bring their plunder
ashore.
Three
days
later
Captain
Carlile
of
H. M. S. Francis, who had been sent out by Gov-
ernor Stapleton to himt for pirates, sailed into the
harbor, and on being assured by the pilot and by
an English sloop lying at anchor there that the
ship before him was the pirate La Trompeuse, in
the night of the following day he set her on
fire
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and blew her up.
Hamlin and some of the crew
were on board, but after firing a few shots, escaped
to the shore.
The pirate ship carried thirty-two
guns, and if she had not been under-manned Car-
Hie might have encountered a formidable
resist-
ance.
The Governor of St. Thomas sent a note
of protest to Carhle for having, as he said, secretly
set fire to a frigate which had been confiscated to
the
King
of
Denmark.
Nevertheless
he
sent
Hamlin and his men for safety in a boat to another
part of the island, and later selling him a sloop,
let him sail away to join the French buccaneers in
Hispaniola.
"The Danish governor of St. Thomas, whose
name was AdoU Esmit, had formerly been himself
a privateer, and had used his popularity on the
island to eject from authority his brother, Nicholas
Esmit, the lawful governor.
By protecting and
encouraging pirates—^for a consideration, of course
—^he proved a bad neighbor to the surrounding
English islands.
Although he had but three hun-
dred
or
three himdred and
fifty people on
St.
Thomas, and most of these British subjects, he
laid claim to all tibie Virgin Islands, harbored run-
away
servants, seamen and
debtors,
fitted
out
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
pirate vessels with arms and provisions, and re-
fused to restore captured ships and crews which
the pirates brought into his port.
The King of
Denmark had sent out a new governor, named
Iversen, to dispossess Esmit, but he did not arrive
in the West Indies imtil October, 1684, when, with
the assistance of an armed sloop which Sir William
Stapleton had been ordered by the English Council
to lend him, he took possession of St. -Thomas and
its pirate governor."
But even if St. Thomas is not celebrated in the
annals of the buccaneers, the
residents are not
slow to put forward claims to piratical distinction.
On Luchetti's Hill—^which was named after an
Italian
consul—is
another
so-called
buccaneers'
stronghold, Bluebeard's
Castle.
Again the cold
light of historical research has to dispel the haze of
romance.
Bluebeard's Castle was built in 1700
by the local government and served as an addi-
tional
fortification to defend the town.
It was
named Frederik's Fort, and did not pass out of
government hands until it was acquired by a Mr.
Luchetti in the
first part of the nineteenth cen-
tury.
Local
tradition
states
that
there
is an
underground
passage
between
Bluebeard's
and
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Blackboard's castles.
If so, the early colonists not
only were expert miners, but must have possessed
boundless patience, superfluous energy and a won-
derful lack of common sense to drill a useless tunnel
down a hill three himdred feet high, through about
a mile of solid rock, and up another hill two hun-
dred feet.
It would be hard indeed to say what
purpose such a passage could have served, and
there can be no doubt that this local belief has no
foundation of fact.
Christian's Fort, built on the waterfront, was
used during the latter days of the Danish occupa-
tion as a police station and a
jail for offenders
sentenced to
less than two years' imprisonment.
Although the fort was built in 1672 by Governor
Iversen, around the existing old Dutch
fortifica-
tions,
it looks today almost as
it looked in the
seventeenth century, though a clock tower has
been added and the main entrance has been some-
what changed.
It has, of course, no military value,
and only three small cannon defend its battlements.
At one time these were used for saluting purposes,
but
it was found that their recoil damaged the
roof of the apartment underneath, and the prac-
tice was discontinued.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
For many years the fort was the official resi-
dence of the governor and other
officials.
Here
the Lutheran clergyman had his quarters, and the
church
services were held
in one of the rooms.
The pastor, in fact, had to obtain a miUtary pass
from the governor before he was allowed to leave
the stronghold, so strict were the seventeenth cen-
tury regulations here.
The apartments, which are
built around an
attractively-tiled courtyard, served as
offices and
cells.
There is only one dark cell found, and this
is used solely to quiet obstreperous prisoners when
they become violent and abusive.
Incarceration
in this cell soon calms them; the gloom appears to
depress the spirits of men of a sunlight-loving race.
The prisoners are employed on road work, but they
are treated mildly and they have but short working
hours.
Until a few years ago, one of the rooms of the
fort also served as a depository for the currency of
the local bank, and the archives of the government
offices were also safeguarded here.
The most attractive aspect of the fort is from
the waterfront.
A small balcony in one corner,
decorated with potted flowers, ofiEers a curious con-
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trast
to
a
supposedly
frowning
fortress.
This
balcony was part of the residence of the assistant-
policemaster.
A
visit to the
fort
is well worth
while,
for
it
offers a great deal
to
interest the
tourist.
On the waterfront, under the fort, is a saluting
battery of twelve pieces.
From here are returned
the salutes given to the governor by visiting war-
ships on entering the harbor.
The time gun also
is fired here.
During the Danish rule this gun was
fired at five in the morning, at noon, and again at
eight in the evening.
No satisfactory explanation
for the firing of the gun at these hours has ever
been given.
No one thinks of getting up at five
in
the
morning
in
happy-go-lucky
Charlotte-
AmaUa, and no one thinks
of going to bed
at
eight
o'clock in the pleasure-loving town.
The
noon gun was noticeable only for
its inaccuracy,
its being sometimes five minutes fast and again
five minutes slow.
With gunpowder so high, it is
hard to understand why the formality of these
detonations was not dispensed with.
There
is also on the waterfront a
little park,
called Emancipation Park.
In its center stands a
noble bust of the beloved Danish king. Christian
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
IX.
Here the excellent
little native band plays
twice a week.
Yet another small park in the town
is known by a name more utilitarian than beautiful,
"Coconut Square."
This park also is most attrac-
tive with its native shrubs and bougainvillea trees.
Near Emancipation Park and Christian's Fort
are the large barracks of the gendarmerie, erected
in 1829.
These can house two hundred or more
soldiers, but during the latter days of the Danish
occupation
it was necessary to keep only about
sixteen gendarmes on the island.
There
is one theatre, the Apollo Theatre,
in
Coconut Square.
This is seldom used, for traveling
theatrical companies do not find
it profitable to
come to
St. Thomas.
Local entertainments are
held here, and it is probable that, since so many
American sailors and marines are to be stationed
on the island, the building will be used frequently
for motion pictures.
As
mentioned,
the
sanitary
conditions
of
Charlotte-Amalia as a whole are extremely good
and there is little disease.
An excellent hospital
was
built by the Danish Government, with
all
up-to-date appliances.
Nurses and physicians were
sent out from the mother country.
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Thfe large parade ground, which lies on the east-
ern limits of the town, is fringed with a wonderful
array of mahogany trees.
In former days, this was
used for the militaryparades of the garrison. To-day
games such as cricket and football are played here.
It is one of the pleasant customs of Charlotte-
Amalia to welcome its more popular returning sons
with the strains of
its
little band, which will be
assembled upon the landing-wharf on their arrival;
and this welcome is typical of the spirit of the kind-
ly, hospitable town.
In fact, there is no hospitality
like that found in Charlotte-Ainalia.
It is the de-
light of the inhabitants to welcome the stranger
within their gates, not only with words, but also
with gifts of the wonderful flowers that are raised
on the island.
Unpopular indeed is the lady visi-
tor, coming with proper introductions, who is not
greeted every
other morning
or
so by a dusky
servitor with an enormous bouquet of
roses
or
lilies such as a New York florist would envy, and
the
message:
"Mrs.
So-and-So's compliments."
The word "compliments" is extensively used by
these happy people;
it designates greetings, love
and thoughtful kindness such as is not often found
elsewhere.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Travelers may speak as they will of the delights
of the floral tributes of Hawaii; these cannot com-
pare with the offerings made by the St. Thomians
to their visiting friends.
The custom
is not re-
stricted to the upper classes, for it is no unusual
thing for the servants to bring flowers
to their
employers.
This
is not done
in any
spirit
of
sycophancy, but only from a warm-hearted desire
to please.
And then the dinners and festivities provided
for the visitor!
It is almost impossible to escape
from them, and the more formal affairs make one
think of the eighteenth century ceremonial ban-
quets.
Old wines are produced from the cellars,
toasts are drunk, and wonderful food is prepared
for these feasts by old negro cooks from whose
looks none would suspect an
ability to produce
the most Lucullean dishes without the aid of a
cook book!
Happy indeed is life in Charlotte-Amalia.
Any
right-minded
visitor cannot but
feel a
thrill
in
later years when memories come to him of days
spent on "the blessed island."
Curious old-time customs
still prevail in the
town.
On Christmas night carols are sung in the
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streets and native bands circulate through the town
with the
singers.
Most
of the singers
in these
bands play on the flute, the guitar or an instru-
ment called a "scratchy-scratch."
This latter in-
strument is made from a long calabash upon which
grooves have been cut which, when scraped with
a piece of wire, produce a weird soimd that does
not go badly with the other instruments.
The
voices of the negroes, while a
trifle melancholy,
are not unmusical.
New Year's Day is the great festival.
Singing
and dancing take place in the streets, beginning as
early as three in the morning.
At daybreak the
performers join in a body under the balcony of the
governor's residence and the
official in charge
is
supposed to appear and make a speech.
Then
eatables and drinkables are distributed among the
merry-makers, and a small amount of money
is
given to each.
Later in the day the streets are
filled with the so-called "maskers"—^natives who
have dressed themselves in carnival costumes, and
who, in small bands,
visit their friends and em-
ployers
to
wish them
the
compliments
of
the
season and,
incidentally, to receive some Uquid
refreshment.
The performers are well-mannered
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and not too noisy, and the police do not often find
it necessary to interfere with their merry-making.
Although of late years the trade of St. Thomas
has fallen off sadly, a number of steamship lines
still call at the port regularly.
The Quebec Steam-
ship Company's steamers arrive bi-monthly from
New York and on their retiu^ voyage from the
Leeward
Islands and the Guyanas
again touch
here.
The motor-ships of the East-Asiatic Com-
pany call on their way to Denmark from Oriental
ports by way of the Panama Canal.
The inter-
colonial steamer of the Compagnie Generale Trans-
ofZantigue,tradingbetweenMartinique, Guadeloupe,
Porto Rico, Santo Domingo and Cuba touches at
St. Thomas on both its outward and homeward-
bound voyage.
The Leyland Line ships put into
the port every six weeks on the way from England
to Jamaica.
The Bull-Insular Line comes here
every two weeks with a small steamer to obtain
freight for
its large cargo-vessels plying between
Porto Rico and New York and to bring passengers
to St. Thomas and receive passengers for Porto
Rico.
In addition to these, many cargo-ships call
in order to obtain coal for their bunkers. A small
motor-vessel also makes weekly trips to Fajardo
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from Porto Rico and
carries the
mail
in both
directions.
Before the outbreak of the European War a
far larger number of steamship companies made
St. Thomas a regular port of call.
The Hamburg-
American Line, which established
its chief depot
in
the
Antilles on
St. Thomas, had
as many
as fifteen steamers per month during the first six
months of 1914.
Accurate figures are not available
as to the niunber or tonnage of vessels now calling
at the port, but, in order to obtain an idea of the
facilities offered by this excellent harbor,
it may
be stated that in 1913 two hundred vessels called
here, while during the first half of 1914 this num-
ber was materially increased.
Since the outbreak
of the European War, a large percentage of the
St. Thomians have been thrown out of work and
have been forced to leave the island because of
the decrease in the nmnber of arriving steamers.
There are
six docks on the waterfront from
which coal can be suppUed to ships, or where cargo
can be
discharged or taken on
board.
Vessels
drawing up to thirty-one feet of water can moor
alongside these docks.
In addition to these facili-
ties an anchorage for an incredibly large number
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
of ships can be found in the harbor itself, and these
can be discharged by means of lighters owned by
private companies and steamship agents.
In 1867
a
floating dry-dock was launched.
This had a
lifting capacity of three thousand tons.
It failed
to wojrk, and was not repaired and put into active
operation until 1875.
Since then it has lifted over
eleven hundred large ships.
This dock is generally
used by the smaller steamers which ply around
the islands of Santo Domingo and Porto Rico, and
those in inter-insular service in the northern part
of the Leeward Islands.
The only other docks in
the West
Indies
are
at
Trinidad, Havana and
Jamaica.
For this reason, St. Thomas can depend
upon a steady amount of work of this character.
Various shipyards offer facilities for the dock-
ing of small sailing vessels and the repairing of the
machinery of steamers.
A cable comes to St. Thomas from Jamaica and
Panama and connects this island with the Leeward
Islands, so that there
is telegraphic communica-
tion with all parts of the world.
The two excellent
little newspapers published
in the island, one a
daily paper, the other and larger one a bi-weekly,
obtain their foreign news from the bulletins pro-
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vided by
this
cable
company.
Another
cable
connects St. Thomas with the island of St. Croix.
This cable was laid by the Danish Government and
was
used
principally
for
government
business.
There
is no telegraphic communication between
St. Thomas and St. John.
St. Thomas does a fair amount of inter-colonial
trade,
and,
since
its
acquisition by the United
States the local merchants look for a substantial
increase in their business.
In the year preceding
the sale of the islands, more of this island's foreign
trade of
St. Thomas went to the United States
than to any other country.
During the fiscal year
ending March 31, 1916, the total trade amounted
to $734,680.
In this amoimt the United States
shared to the extent of $332,286.
Imports at St.
Thomas constitute about seventy per cent, of the
total imports for all three islands.
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CHAPTER V
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
TO "MA FOLIE" ON PONYBACK—FINDING HIDDEN TREAS-
URES ON THE SHORES OP MAGENS BAY— WHAT THE
KITCHEN-MIDDENS REVEALED—AN ABANDONED SUGAR
ESTATE AND A RUINED MISSION STATION—A HUNTERS'
PARADISE—MORE ABANDONED ESTATES AND A HAUNTED
RUIN—CURIOUS CEMETERY ORNAMENT&-THE "GRAVE-
YARD OP SHIPS" AND
A GHOSTLY ARRAY OF FIGURE-
HEADS—ESCAPING SLAVES AND PICTURESQUE "CHA-CHAS"
TO
learn
thoroughly
the
island
of
St.
Thomas
one
must
either
be
a
good
pedestrian or obtain a sure-footed pony.
There are practically no carriage roads.
The only
roads which allow a fairly long drive lead from
Charlotte-Amalia to Brewer's Bay, about
three
miles west of the town, or from Charlotte-Amalia
to Water Bay, about five miles east.
This latter
road, however, is none too good, and it has some
stiff hills which make a strong horse a necessity.
But what St. Thomas lacks in carriage roads
it
makes up in attractive mountain trails and bridle
paths.
Perhaps the first excursion which a visitor with
plenty of time at his disposal should take is to Ma
Folic, an estate lying upon one of the crests of the
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THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
main mountain range of the island, on which can
be seen the stone obelisk erected by the Brazilian
astronomers when they established a station to
observe the transit of Venus in 1882.
The owner
of this estate seems to have been aware of the
futility of going in for agriculture on the precipi-
tous slopes of his land, and named it "My Folly"
in consequence.
The road leading to Ma Folie makes a
stiff
ascent from the town, but the view from the sum-
mit well pays for
all the labor involved.
It
is
always possible on
St. Thomas to obtain hardy
little ponies
suitable for and accustomed to the
mountain
trails, and they can be hired at small
cost.
It is well, though, to try out a hired animal
on a level stretch before using him on a steep path.
The summit of Ma Folie once reached, there
is spread out what
is perhaps one
of the most
wonderful views in the Antilles.
Directly below,
one
sees the town
of Charlotte-Amalia and the
harbor of St. Thomas with its variety of ships of
all nationalities.
In the far distance Buck Island
and Frenchman's Cap can be seen, and on clear
days the mountains of the island of St. Croix.
To
the west, Culebra and Vieques seem to beckon the
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
visitor toward the misty elevation of the mainland
of Porto Rico. To the north, the seas seem studded
with little islands.
Hans Lollik, Little Hans Lollik,
Outer Brass, Inner Brass, and the Cockroach and
Cricket resemble nothing so much as emeralds in
an azure setting.
To the east an even larger num-
ber of cays and islands are visible, and even Virgin
Gorda
of the
British
Virgin
Islands looms
up,
while Sage Mountian on Tortola
is a prominent
feature.
The bays and inlets on St. Thomas itself
astound with
their beauty the
visitor unaccus-
tomed to the blues of West Indian seas and the
cream-colored sands of the shores.
A road
leads both
east and west from Ma
Folic.
Following this road to the eastward the
tourist comes to the Louisenhoh estate and to a
road named the King Road which leads, by way
of the Canaan estate, to the wonderful Magens
Bay.
Of all the scenic splendors on the island, this
bay stands alone.
Its waters run through all shades
and variations, from a delicate green to a sapphire
blue, and its fringe of white beach forms a vivid
contrast to the brown and gray of the rocks on the
peninsula
of
Picara
which
forms
its
eastern
boimdary.
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THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
It was on the shores of this bay that the expe-
dition sent out by the Museum of the American
Indian, Heye Foundation, of New York City, was
successful in locating the remains of
the village
site
of
the
aboriginal
tribe
that
lived
on
the
island
previous
to
the comiug
of
the
Spanish
discoverers.
There can be no doubt that Magens Bay was
an ideal location for the Indian
village.
In the
first place the bay is well sheltered, with the excep-
tion of northerly storms, and
its
sloping, sandy
beach made
the hauling up
of canoes an
easy
matter.
Then
the presence of the
giant Ceiba
(cottonwood)
trees on
the
hill
slopes
near by
assured
the
Indians
of an
unfailing
supply
of
material for their dug-out canoes.
The waters of Magens Bay abound not only
with shell food but with fish of all kinds.
Birds
and bird-eggs and the now extinct Isolobodon por-
tortcensis (a mammal about the size of a rabbit)
helped to supply the Indian's wants for animal
food.
And the
hills and valleys to the back of
Magens Bay imdoubtedly served admirably for the
cultivation of cassava, yucca and the hundred and
one fruits that make Ufe delightful in the West
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
I
Indies.
Pools and springs furnished the Indian
household with the required water.
To fix the actual location of the Magens Bay
village site was a difficult matter, for the dense
brush' with which the shores of the bay was cov-
ered made
the
search
for low mounds
almost
impossible.
Minute pottery fragments were widely
scattered, but, as the water courses which exist
in the Magens Bay valley during the rainy season
imdoubtedly were responsible for the distribution
of these fragments, they did not serve as a guide
to the spot where excavations were to begin.
At last an uprooted tree solved the problem.
An examination of the cavity left by the roots of
a large "turpentine tree" which had been over-
turned by the recent hurricane, brought to light
many shells and several large postsherds.
Then
the realization came that, since the days of the
aborigines, the entire Magens Bay valley had been
covered by a two foot deposit of diluvium, and
that in consequence
it was of no use to look for
himimocks or mounds of pre-historic origin on the
surface of a valley covered and made almost level
by the decomposed humus.
Owing to the dense undergrowth, it was foimd
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THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
necessary to employ a gang of men to chop down
the brushwood and smaller trees and then to burn
them.
When the ground was cleared,
it became
possible to observe the presence of a ten foot high
mound which merged with the slope of a small
hill against which it lay.
Excavations were started in this mound by a
considerable number of workmen and a trench was
commenced which had a
semi-circular shape, a
width of about seventy-five feet and a breadth of
perhaps
thirty
feet.
The eastern
slope
of
this
mound was Umited by the slope of the hill, and the
western
slope was
terminated by
a
little path
which ran through the undergrowth.
The mound,
as has been stated, was almost
indiscernible;
it
was
impossible
to make out where the moimd
stopped and the hiU slope began until after the
excavations had been made.
In fact, had it not
been for the fallen tree, it might have been a long
time
before the
expedition would have
started
excavations
in
this particular
spot, because the
appearance of the ground made one think more of
a hill slope than of a pre-Colimibian deposit.
The process of digging for prehistoric treasures
of Indian pottery
is
interesting.
First a trench
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
some thirty
feet wide was made
in an
easterly
direction, toward the slope of the
hill.
Then a
hole some six feet wide was dug over the entire
length of the trench—in this instance thirty feet
and from this an excavation was made down to
the original bottom which existed before the form-
ing of the Indian mound.
While making such a
hole,
it
is
diflScult
to prevent breakage
of the
artifacts that may be foimd, as work with a pick
and shovel in a perpendicular direction is not con-
ducive to the preservation of specimens of a friable
nature.
Once the hole is made, however, the work-
men are able to proceed in a straight direction by
imdermining the wall of the trench in the lowest
part of the excavation.
It will then be found that
the earth, shells and ashes will fall down by their
own weight and it becomes an easy matter to pick
the Indian specimens from the debris.
The bottom
of the excavation is always kept as clean as pos-
sible so that smaller artifacts, such as stone beads
and amulets, can be the more easily discovered.
The formation
of an Indian kitchen-midden,
or refuse heap, is a curious process.
In the Magens
Bay middens, beginning on the surface, one finds
a deposit, about two feet thick, of diluvium.
This
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deposit
is somewhat
lighter in color than those
immediately below.
The diluvium or humus was
formed in the course of centuries, after the Indians
had abandoned the
site, by a decomposition
of
the leaves, branches, roots, et cetera, that fell upon
the surface of the mound.
The grasses growing
upon the surface formed a kind of sod, and, what
with this and the intertwining of the roots of the
trees and bushes, the first layer was quite tough,
and hard enough to dig in.
Under the first layer
came two others, both of these being about three
feet thick.
These latter layers were constituted of a mix-
ture of humus, ashes, charcoal, artifacts, shells and
the bones of such animals as were eaten by the
Indians.
Occasionally a burial was found in the
lower
of
the two
layers, but
fully
eighty
per
cent, of the burials were found in the sea sand di-
rectly under the two layers caused by the Indian
occupation.
While the majority of the artifacts found in the
two layers directly under the diluvial deposit were
the fragments of broken vessels, there were some-
times
entire
vessels.
In
the
majority
of
cases
these vessels accompanied burials, and, in conse-
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quence, Lad been buried
entire.
Probably they
were
filled with food
stuflfs which were to serve
the departed for his journey to the Great Beyond.
But sometimes a
vessel would
turn up
in the
Magens Bay deposits which was not accompanied
by a burial.
Probably
this had been discarded
by its Indian owner, owing to a flaw in the ware,
or else had been buried accidentally under a mound
of shells.
The Indians probably deposited their dead in
the original surface of sea sand some seven feet
below the surface
of the mound.
The practise
of burials in the floors of dwellings was not imcom-
mon on many of the West Indian islands, as has
been proven by the researches of other investi-
gators.
Of the nine burials that were found on
the Magens Bay
site, seven were of adults and
two of children.
Six of the burials were accom-
panied by mortuary vessels, but outside of these
vessels no other objects were found with the dead.
The
vessels
were
of
the
plainest
construction,
without decoration, and so were in great contrast
to the elaborately decorated vessels that are found
on the islands to the westward, Porto Rico and
Santo Domingo.
Judging from these and from
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CKOSS-SECTION OF ABOKIGINAL MOUND, MAGENS
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KING ROAD, NBAB MAGENS BAY,
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liABORERS EXCAVATING IN PRB-HISTORIC DEPOSITS, MAGENS BAT,
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other objects found in the deposits, the aborigines
of
St. Thomas were
decidedly
not
of Arawak
stock.
The only other
aboriginal
deposit found on
St. Thomas was an extensive shell-heap on Krum
Bay, on the south coast of the island.
No Indian
specimens were found in this, and the only plaus-
ible theory to account for the presence of these
shells
is that the Indians went from the north
coast over the mountain ridge to Krum Bay to
fish for these shells, opened them on the spot, and
then carried the mollusks to their homes at Magens
Bay.
An extensive and thorough survey of the
bays of the island convinced the expedition that
no other village site could be found on St. Thomas.
An exploration of the valley of Magens Bay
will reveal the ruins of the buildings of a forgotten
plantation, "Eenigheit," which was erected by the
earUest Dutch settlers.
These remains are known
to but few present-day inhabitants of the island,
and one has considerable difficulty in locating them.
They lie about half a mile inland.
Near the shore
is some other masonry, as well as
sLn old cannon
or two.
Evidently the canny Dutch settlers did
not
seem
inclined
to hve
here
without
taking
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
necessary precaution against the raids of sea rovers
and assaults from other enemies.
Another most attractive road, to the eastward
of Charlotte-Amalia, leads by the extensive ruins
of what once was one of the largest sugar estates
of the island.
What is now used as pasture land
for the herds that provide the town with its daily
supply of
fresh milk was at one time a waving
field of sugar-cane.
Here
is practically the only
level area
of any extent that can be found on
St. Thomas.
The remains of an abandoned wind-
mill speak of the days when the sugar-cane was
ground by the
rollers of a mill operated by the
sea breezes or by the mules which walked in an
unceasing
circle.
The
juice from the cane ran
into open kettles under which were enormous fires,
and the heat brought about the evaporation
of
the
sugar.
From a modern point of view
this
method would be considered wasteful and expen-
sive, but that
it was profitable in the eighteenth
century
is
proven by
the
ruins
of
the
hand-
some residence which
the planters were able to
erect.
Continuing along this road, one comes to the
Moravian
missionary
station
of New
Hernhut,
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THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
erected in
1737.
The history
of the estate and
of the Moravian Brethren on the island
is inter-
esting.
The
first
missionaries
sent
out
were
received on sufferance by the planters, who were
violently
opposed
to
the
Brethren's
efforts
to
improve the condition of their slaves.
A
tree
is
still shown on
St. Thomas under
which the Moravian services were held for a long
time, as the missionaries were too poor to erect a
building and no one on
the
island was
kindly
enough disposed toward their efforts to lend them
one.
Finally,
in
1737,
a
benevolent
planter
assisted them in purchasing a small estate, which
was named New
Hernhut,
after
the
Hernhut
Seminary whence the Brethren came.
Opposition to the Moravians grew, and the
planters finally forbade their slaves to attend their
services, fearing that the kindly treatment accorded
the unfortunate Africans might make them
dis-
contented with their lot and lead to future revolts.
In spite of this opposition and many other trials,
the mission of New Hernhut prospered and to-day
the Moravians are a power for good on the island.
One cannot but have great admiration for these
people, not only because they are earnest teachers
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
of religion, but because they teach the natives the
use of tools.
The
missionaries
have
always
i)ersonally
assisted
in
the
erection
of
their
buildings and
are as adept in the handling of tools as they are
in expounding a theological doctrine.
They owned
slaves for many years, but they liberated those
they held in 1844, four years before emancipation
became a fact by royal decree.
The New Hernhut station was severely dam-
aged by the hurricane of 1867 and was allowed to
fall
into
ruins.
Since
then
the
missionary
in
charge has contented himself with humblei* quar-
ters on the estate.
There is a fairly large church,
as well as a school which is well patronized by the
natives who live in the neighborhood.
Of the old
buildings,
the
ruins
of
the
large
kitchen
are
especially noticeable.
After passing New Hernhut, the road leads by
the
old Tutu
Estate, another landmark
of
the
days when
St. Thomas derived as great wealth
from
its
agriculture and
its
slaves
as from the
commerce that came to
its harbor.
The Tutu
Estate is situated on what is said to be one of the
healthiest spots on the island, and it is a favorite
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MISSION STATION,
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RUINS or OLD MORAVIAN MISSION STATION, NEW HEBNHUT,
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NEGKO FISHING WITH CASTING NET,
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THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
recuperating
resort
for
those worn
out by
the
summer heat in town.
The road finally leads to Water Bay, on the
east coast of the island, where
is a small settle-
ment of fishermen who live in somewhat precarious
poverty.
These natives pursue their calling in the
waters between St. Thomas and St. John and sell
their catch in the market of Charlotte-Amalia.
Water
Bay,
like
all
bays
of
these regions,
abounds with
pelicans, and
it
is
interesting
to
watch the graceful dives of these seemingly clumsy
birds, made in order to obtain their quota of food.
Their method of fishing differs froln that frequently
employed by the
local fishermen, who have be-
come expert in the use of a peculiar type of casting
net, shaped
like a parachute,
the
outside edge
weighted with leaden balls.
The fisherman wades
into the water and detects a school of small fish.
With an indescribably quick motion he then throws
the
net—^which
has
been
carefully
folded
into
small compass—^in such a manner that
it opens
out and drops on the school of fish. The fish, becom-
ing entangled in the meshes, are the fisherman's
property.
In this region and in the Red Hook district the
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
followers of Nimrod and Isaac Walton can find
ample opportunity to satisfy their desire for sport.
European fallow-deer were imported by some of
the early European settlers and can still be found
and hunted, although there are so few
left and
they have become
so
wild
that
hunting them
becomes
an
arduous
sport
indeed.
At
certain
times of the year pigeons abound and make excel-
lent shooting,
especially at dusk when they
fly
from the woods, where they have been gathering
berries,
to
their
nests
in
the mangrove
trees.
Ducks are also found on some of the small ponds
and lagoons.
At any time of the year one can
hunt a large variety of the delicious wood-dove,
which is found in considerable numbers.
Because of the importation of the East Indian
mongoose other birds have become scarce.
This
supposedly useful animal,
after finding that the
rats he was to destroy did not offer as easy a prey
as the young birds and that the birds' eggs were
quite to his Uking, turned his attention to these.
Soon he was successful in annihilating the greater
part of the bird life of the island.
One occasionally
sees the agouti
{Dasyprocta
agouti) on the island. A few of these small Brazil-
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THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
ian mammals, which resemble an overgrown guinea
pig, must, at some forgotten time, have been set
loose on the island by a practical joker.
They
have multiplied wonderfully.
To the south of Water Bay the
entire east
coast of St. Thomas is barren and dry.
But little
water is found here, and the vegetation resembles
that
of an
arid
tropical
region.
Those
of the
people who keep cattle or horses are obliged to go
elsewhere for fodder.
It is their usual practice to
procure grass for their animals on Thatch Cay,
bringing this home in their canoes.
There are in circulation many stories regarding
the presence of piratical treasure on Thatch Cay,
and every once
in awhile some enthusiastic
St.
Thomians
will
repair
here
and
spend
time in
arduous excavations of parts of the cay.
Up to
date, however, these efforts have not been crowned
with success, and
it is more than probable that
the treasure will forever remain lost to posterity.
Another charming excursion that can be taken
to the east of Charlotte-Amalia
is a trip to the
old Windberg Estate, with a further trip to the
summit of Windberg
itself.
Windberg was well
named "Windy Hill" by the
first planter who
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
owned land here, as even on the most sultry days
there
is upon
its
crest a constant
chilly breeze
But little remains of the old building, which was
one
of the
first and most important plantation
houses on the island.
The walls and upper stories
of the "Great House,"
as the owner's residence
was always called in slave times, have been blown
down by the successive hurricanes since the estate
was left uncultivated after the abolition of slavery.
But a tesselated floor of imported marble speaks
volumes
for the
ease and luxury
in which
the
old-time settlers lived, and the ruins of an enormous
bake oven alongside the kitchen
tell of the hos-
pitality for which St. Thomas was famous.
After examining the remains of the house, the
traveler does well to make the precipitous ascent
of the
hill
itself.
Elevated perhaps twelve hun-
dred feet above sea level, its crest offers a view to
the eastward over St. John and the British Virgin
Islands that rivals in beauty the seascape observed
from Ma Folic.
And even if the little trail is hard
to ascend, and one lives in fear that one's pony
may sUp while clambering upward, every visitor
to the island should make the climb; it will prove
a never-to-be-forgotten experience.
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THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
After visiting Windberg, instead of returning
by the same road, it is possible to take a road to
the north coast and to return by the King Road to
Magens Bay.
This route leads past the Mandal
Estate,
where
the
unusually
large
ruins
of an
ancient sugar factory again speak of the former
agricultural resources of St. Thomas.
It is popu-
larly believed by the natives that these ruins were
at one time inhabited by an unfortunate sufferer
from that dread tropical disease, leprosy, and that
he died here in solitude and still haunts the spot.
One cannot hire a St. Thomian of the lower classes
to pass this road after nightfall, and even in the
hght
of day those who are
really
superstitious
unconsciously hasten their footsteps and show a
desire to pass this spot as quickly as possible.
In this district the hill slopes are covered with
large forests of turpentine trees, perhaps the least
attractive of West Indian trees, and certainly the
most worthless of the flora of the Antilles.
They
have gawky, brown
limbs and
trunk, and one
wonders to what use they can be put, or why an
attractive landscape should be
spoiled by
their
presence.
The wood contains too much resin to
make the
tree
of use
for lumber, and yet
the
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
quantity is not enough to make the extraction of
turpentine profitable.
Furthermore, wherever for-
ests of these trees are found, other vegetation seems
to languish.
The presence of these trees is there-
fore
rather
undesirable and
a detriment to an
estate.
Before
reaching
the
road
leading down
to
Magens Bay, the visitor passes an estate named
Lovenlund, which
is now used for the raising of
cattle.
In addition to the routes named, a multitude
of
small
trails
over
the
hills
offer
interesting
excursions to the visitor to the eastern part of the
island.
Each trip he takes makes him eager for
the pleasures that can be found in further explora-
tions of the bypaths with a good horse.
The excursions to be made west on St. Thomas
are
also
of great
interest.
On leaving the out-
skirts
of the town, the traveler
first passes the
three different cemeteries that are kept in order
by various congregations.
Perhaps one of the most
curious customs
of the island
is the manner in
which the graves are ornamented.
No rocks are
found locally that are suflSciently hard and durable
to serve as tombstones, so a St. Thomian makes
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AND STREET MADE LIKE A STAIHWAT
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NATIVE GBAVE ORNAMENTED WITH CONCH SHELLS,
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THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
use of conch shells to ornament the graves of his
dear ones.
These shells, the mouths of which are
a vivid pink, are set in the concrete edge surround-
ing the grave and they form a decoration that is
attractive even
it
if
is somewhat unusual.
On
someWest Indian islands a cemetery is synonymous
with a thicket which has the appearance of an
abandoned jungle, but on St. Thomas the ceme-
teries indicate loving care.
Even upon the most
humble grave may be seen a small bunch of flowers,
sometimes
placed
in
a
broken
bottle.
These
flowers show as much thought as the most elabo-
rate floral tribute on the graves of those whose
families are endowed with more worldly goods.
After passing these burying grounds, the road
branches to the north and to the south, and the
southern and more
level road
leads by another
Moravian missionary station named Niesky.
This
is of somewhat later date than the New Hemhut
station, but is in far better preservation and to-day
is of more importance.
Here is a very pretty little
church and an imposing three-storied residence for
the missionary in charge.
There is also a school
of some one hvmdred and fifty pupils under direct
supervision of the missionary.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
The next point of interest on this road is Knun
Bay, where is the important supply station of the
West
India
and Panama
Telegraph Company.
This station was practically totally destroyed by
the recent hurricane.
Several of the smaller build-
ings were completely turned over and storehouses
with their valuable contents were greatly damaged.
A plantation of coconut trees suffered a like fate,
the tops of the trees being damaged to such an
extent that they will never again bear fruit.
The tanks in which the submarine cables are
kept in sea water, to prevent deterioration of their
rubber coverings, are an interesting sight.
It
is
a strange fact that rubber, which fibads its origin
in tropical countries, does not withstand the cU-
matic conditions of the tropics once
it has been
prepared.
In
consequence,
cable companies
in
these regions are forced to keep their spare cables
constantly submerged.
Directly across from the station of the telegraph
company
is the wrecking-yard which has made
Krum Bay famous
to dozens
of
marine
insm:-
ance
companies,
and
is
of
prime
interest
to
all visitors to the island.
For years, whenever a
ship was forced to put into St. Thomas harbor in
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distress,
in a dismasted or leaking condition,
it
was necessary for the agent of the underwriters to
decide whether the vessel was worth repairing by
the insurance companies, or if it should be written
off their books as a total
loss.
It
is whispered
that on most occasions
the
inspectors found
it
necessary to condemn a disabled Vessel.
The ves-
sel then was put up at public auction and sold for
a mere song.
The next procedure was to take the
ship to Krum Bay, where
it was stripped of
its
valuable parts, such as rigging, wiijches, anchors,
masts, yards, et cetera.
Then, if the ship was of
wood,
it was burned in order to save the copper
nails and sheathing
in
its huU.
Xrum Bay,
in
consequence, has often been named "the grave-
yard of ships," and for many years it was held in
bad odor by the insurance companies.
Of late years, however, these conditions have
been changed, and the wrecking-yard pursues the
legitimate calling of providing missing parts for
storm-tossed ships which come to St. Thomas for
repairs.
The owner of the shipping yard has a small
museum of curiosities which he at different times
saved from
ships, such
as
old
style compasses,
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
barometers,
signal cannon, and a thousand and
one other articles found on ancient wind-jammers
before the advent
of steam made navigation a
matter of exact science.
Here also
is a strange
collection of figure-heads from old
sailing
ships.
The owner has around
his
dwelling house and
repair shops perhaps eighteen or twenty of these
curious relics. On one side is Joan of Arc, a gaudily
dressed female who once was the pride of a sailing
vessel
of
that
name.
Then
a
respectable
old
gentleman ini'a. white choker collar calls to mind an
old whaling captain, who not only gave his name
to the ship he owned but found
it necessary to
embellish his command with his own effigy.
An
American eagle speaks of the days when the fame
of clipper ships was undimmed, and a Pocahontas,
in conventional Indian dress with buckskin moc-
casins, brings to mind the picture of a staunch old
sailing vessel from a southern port.
The owner of the yard
is inordinately fond of
these figure-heads and will not part with them at
any price.
Every year he decorates his charges
with coats of paints of many hues, and he is only
too glad to relate their history to visitors who call
at his establishment.
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The road to the westward leads on to Mosquito
Bay, where there is opportunity for excellent sea
bathing.
Beyond this comes Brewer's Bay, one
of the most charming inlets on the island.
The
road then ascends the mountain range, and, after
passing a few small settlements consisting of two
or three houses, finally comes to Botany Bay on
the extreme western end
of the
island.
From
Botany Bay, in plantation days, escaping slaves
made their way to Porto Rico by way of the small
cays which lie between St. Thomas and Porto Rico.
They made the dangerous journey in canoes, which
they either stole from their owners or found oppor-
tunity to manufacture.
The returning of these
escaped slaves was always a matter of controversy
between the Danish or Dutch owners and
the
Spanish authorities on Porto Rico, since the latter
claimed that the slaves came to Porto Rico, to be
baptized in the CathoUc religion.
This was their
excuse for retaining the valuable property.
While
the slaves went to Porto Rico to escape the cruelties
of. Danish or Dutch owners, history does not state
that they received any kinder treatment from the
Spaniards, who were never noted for their gentle-
ness toward those they held in bondage.
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Throughout St. Thomas are small patches of
cultivated land which are tilled by the so-called
"cha-chas."
These patches are frequently located
on the precipitous slopes of the mountains and it
is a wonder that the
roots
of plants can
take
hold
there and that the
agriculturists can keep
their
balance while engaged
in
tilling the
soil.
These cha-chas are white settlers who came origi-
nally from the Dutch and French Leeward Islands.
They have not intermarried with the negroes and
they
live
to
themselves,
resenting any
outside
interference with their
affairs.
They are a hard
drinking race, yet they are iamong the most indus-
trious people on the island, and are especially good
canoemen.
Their canoes are not much better than
boxes made from scraps of wood, but they manage
not only to get about in them but also to prevent
themselves
from
getting
drowned.
With
their
ruddy faces, stiffly starched blue shirts, tight white
trousers and broad-brimmed straw hats of their
own manufacture, they
present
a
curious and
unusual appearance.
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CHAPTER VI
THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN
IN THE DAtS OF COMPANY RULE-ADVENTUEES OF THE
FmST SETTLERS—ENCOURAGEMENTS TO GROWERS
OF
SUGAR-CANE—THE HARSH MEASURES THAT INCITED A
SLAVE INSURRECTION—A CAPTURED FORT, A SIEGE RE-
LIEVED AND GUERILLA WARFARE—THE AFTERMATH OF
THE REBELLION—INCREASING POPULATION
HISTORY does not
tell the exact year in
which St. John was settled.
As early as
1687 the Danish West India and Guinea
Company seems to have laid claim not only to St.
Thomas but also to St. John and Crab (Vieques)
Islands;
at any rate the appointment papers
of
Governor Adolph Esmit, who succeeded Governor
Milan in that year, included all these islands under
his charge.
This may, of course, have been an
idle claim on the part of the company and an
unwarranted assumption of authority over islands
to which they had no right.
Three years earlier,
in 1684, with the aid of two merchants from Bar-
badoes, an attempt seems to have been made to
set up an establishment of a sort on St. John, but
Governor Stapleton of the Leeward Islands sent
two sloops and drove away the forty odd men that
had established themselves there.
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In 1688 the Governor of St. Thomas was in-
structed by the directors of the West India Com-
pany to place from four to, six men on the island
of St. John and to encourage them to begin plant-
ing, but it was not until 1717 that these plans were
actually carried out.
In
1716
the
governor
of
St. Thomas wrote his directors that a number of
his charges were anxious to settle on St. John, but
that they were afraid to do so because the British
from
Tortola
would
allow
no
one
of
another
nationality to go there and cut timber.
In reply
the
directors
sent
instructions
that the
British
claims to St. John were to be disregarded.
Con-
sequently,
in
1717, Governor Erik Bredal took
passage on an armed vessel with twenty planters,
sixteen negroes, five soldiers and one oflScer, and
landed on St. John in Coral Harbor Bay.
The governor afterwards reported the adven-
tures of the expedition, as follows:
"I have planted there the flag of our most gra-
cious king, and fired a salute, and then we feasted,
and drunk the health,
first of our sovereign, and
then of the Company.
Later, I selected a place
on which to build a fort and a level place beneath
it on which a village can stand.
The harbor here
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THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN
is quite secure and when a person is in it, he sees
land all about him.
I have permitted the planters
to indicate which pieces of land they preferred and
have selected a place for the Company's plantation
just a cannon-shot distance from the fort which
is to be
built
there.
Later,
the
planters have
returned because of their fear of the Enghsh and
are simply waiting cautiously to see what the latter
will attempt."
Although the planters returned to St. Thomas
in trepidation, fearing an invasion by the British,
the
little garrison sent by the governor seems to
have been made
of
sterner
stuff.
The
sixteen
negroes, helped by the five soldiers and commanded
by the Danish oflScer, cleared ground around the
site selected for the fort and made a road through
the brush on which to drag the nine-pounders that
were to be mounted on the redoubts.
When the discovery ;svas made that the Danes
really intended
to
claim
St. John and
that,
if
necessary, they were ready to defend their claim,
the governor of thei- Leeward Islands dispatched a
man-of-war to
Charlotte-Amalia to remonstrate
with Governor Bredal and to intimidate him with
threats of an armed descent upon the infant colony.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Bredal returned a message to the British authorities
that he was but following out the directions given
him from Copenhagen.
Forthwith he notified his
directors of the threats that had been made, at
the same time pleading for the sending from Den-
mark of a reioforcement of a hundred men.
Hav-
ing additional forces, he seems to have considered
that any
British attempt
to
dislodge the new
settlement on St. John was doomed to failure.
St. John soon attracted other settlers from the
neighboring
island
of
St.
Thomas,
as
can
be
gathered from the fact that by 1720 thirty-nine
planters had
received
deeds
to
estates on
the
island.
Exemptions from taxation were granted
for the first eight years of residence and settlers
were allowed to take as much lime and woo4 as
they wanted free of cost in order to enable them
to erect their buildings.
They were requested to
set up their sugar mills within five years after the
land grant was made, and, in the event that they
did not carry out this stipulation, their property
was to revert to the West India Company.
Not only did the new plantations prove to be
more
productive than
those on
less
fertile
St.
Thomas, but grants of land to each settler were
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THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN
also fifty per cent. larger, so that it was not long
before prosperity began
to show
itself and
the
island became a large sugar producing center.
The settlers were of
all nationalities, but the
majority were of Dutch stock.
Evidences of Dutch
blood on the island are not lacking to-day, as many
of the place-names
are
in the Dutch language.
In 1733 St. John had a population of two hundred
and eight whites and ten himdred and eighty-seven
negro slaves.
On November 13, 1733, a serious revolt of the
St. John slaves took place.
This revolt was indi-
rectly due to the harsh measures adopted by Gov-
ernor Gardelin, who, in order to stop the escapes
of Africans
to the neighboring
island
of Porto
Rico, published a proclamation which imposed dire
penalties for the punishment of offenders.
The
leader of runaway slaves was to be pinched thrice
with red hot irons and then hung.
Every runaway
slave was to lose one leg or one ear, or he was to
receive one himdred and fifty stripes in case his
owner preferred that he be given the latter punish-
ment.
Any slave who knew of a plot to escape
and did not inform his master was to be punished
with a brand on the forehead as well as a hundred
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
stripes.
On the other hand, any slave who gave
information
of a plot was to be rewarded with
ten dollars for every slave who proposed to take
part in the plan to gain liberty.
Any slave who
lifted his hand against a white person was to be
hung, in case the white person made this demand;
if not, he was to lose his right hand. A slave who
attempted to poison his master was to be pinched
thrice with a red hot iron and then broken on the
wheel.
The proclamation that told of these penal-
ties was to be repeated thrice a year to the beat of
the drum.
The slaves resented these terrible measures, and
soon an open revolt broke out.
Secret prepara-
tions were made by them to surprise the garrison
of the little fort overlooking Coral Bay, which was
built in 1717.
Here were stationed but eight sol-
diers, commanded by a sergeant, and one oflBcer.
On the morning of November 23, 1733, the sentinel
observed at the entrance of the fort a small band
of negroes, carrying fagots of wood.
When they
were challenged they said that they were coming
with wood for the soldiers.
But as soon as the
negroes were
inside
the
gate they dropped the
fagots and massacred the garrison with the large
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THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN
cane-knives which had been hidden in the bundles.
Only one soldier, who had hidden himself under a
bed, escaped.
Having disposed
of the garrison,
the victorious negroes gave the signal for a general
massacre by firing three
shots from the cannon
on the fortifications.
The murderous rebels then
proceeded to the Caroline Estate, where they killed
the judge of the
island and
his daughter, with
twenty-five other men, women and children.
In the meantime many of the planters, together
with their families and such slaves as remained
faithful to them, had betaken themselves to the
estate of Peter Duerloo,
called Little Cinnamon
Bay, now known as K. C. Bay, on the northwest
corner of the island.
As the estate was built on an
eminence and defended by two small cannon, the
refugees
felt that they could defend themselves
there against the embittered slaves.
Another ad-
vantage was that they were within easy reach of
St. Thomas.
The women and children were sent by
canoes to places of safety on nearby cays, while the
men put their defenses in order and sent an urgent
plea for assistance to the governor of St. Thomas.
A number of revolting slaves soon arrived at
the Duerloo
estate, but
they
suffered
severely
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
from a discharge of grapeshot which killed a num-
ber of them.
Noting the preparations which had
been made for defense, they could not summon
enough courage to attempt to rush the improvised
fort.
Not long afterwards a boat with some eighteen
soldiers arrived from St. Thomas.
The governor
also dispatched a larger body of troops to Coral
Bay, on the other end of the island.
After travers-
ing the island these troops relieved the siege of
Little Cinnamon Bay.
For a time the revolting slaves were in com-
mand
of the
situation.
With the exception
of
Duerloo's estate, the entire island of St. John was
at their mercy.
There was much pillaging and
burning of estate houses and sugar factories; prac-
tically every estate suffered.
Two attempts were
made by the St. Thomas govemmenT; to put an
end to the uprising and to restore St. John to its
legitimate owners.
The authorities
first secured
the services of the captain of a British man-of-war
that was just then paying a visit to Tortola.
Land-
ing forces from this frigate were ambushed by the
negroes and were forced to withdraw with the loss
of four wounded.
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THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN
Early in 1734, another British force of volun-
teers from the island of Nevis attempted to dis-
lodge the
rebels, but these troops
also
suffered
defeat with a
loss
of three men
killed and
five
wounded, and left theisland quicker thantheycame.
During
all these months, the slaves were
in
possession of the Coral Bay fort, which they seemed
determined to hold at all odds, in spite of the fact
that their supply of gunpowder was running low
and that they had no means of obtaining a fresh
stock.
Becoining desperate, the colonists
finally ap-
pealed to the governor of the French island of La
Martinique.
This governor was informed that his
men would be allowed to keep four-fifths of all the
rebels captvu-ed, while the Danes would retain the
remainder in order to punish them as an example
and a warning to the slaves on St. Thomas in case
they felt incUned to attempt a similar revolt. Two
French barks were promptly dispatched with a
body of two hundred and twenty men.
To this
force was added a Danish contingent, made up of
the majority of the local soldiers, numerous planters
and seventy-four loyal slaves from St. Thomas.
After a landing was effected in Coral Bay, a
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
guerilla warfare was begun, for the negro forces,
abandoning the fort and splitting up into separate
bands, were pursued in all directions.
So desperate
had the situation of the revolting slaves become
that some of them were forced to arm themselves
with bows and arrows, owing to the lack of gun-
powder.
It was
not
long
before
the
pursuers
were
successful in their grim
task.
Niunerous
small
bands of slaves were overtaken and
killed
after
offering an
unsuccessful
resistance.
Finally, on
May 24, a small band of some twenty-four negroes
was found dead in the jungle.
Evidently the men
had committed suicide when they found that their
last hope of escape was gone and that the Hberty
for which they longed was forever out
of
their
reach.
It was then thought that
all
revolting
negroes had been accounted for.
Twenty-seven captured slaves who had taken
part in the revolution were summarily executed as
a warning to possible future wrong-doers.
About two months after the departure of the
French
it was reported that a party of fourteen
slaves were still at liberty.
These also soon gave
themselves up, relying on the promise of uncondi-
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THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN
tional pardon.
This promise was not kept, how-
ever, and they were all put to death.
Of the ninety-two plantations on the
island
forty-eight had been damaged by the rebels, some
of
these
having
been
totally
destroyed.
But
another sad consequence of the afiFair was a quarrel
between the planters and the Danish West India
Company.
The planters claimed that the original
insurrection had
been
started on
the
Caroline
Estate of the Company, by laborers belonging to
the company.
They also said that the fort had
been left in an insecure condition and that it was
not properly garrisoned, so that it had been easily
surprised.
For these reasons the planters refused
to pay one-third of the expenses incurred in quel-
ling the rebellion which the St. Thomas authorities
wished to charge up to them.
While the rebellion was the cause of a great
deal of loss to the planters, some of whom were
forced to leave the island and settle on Tortola in
order to escape their debts,
St. John must have
speedily recovered
its
prosperity.
At any
rate,
records show that in 1789 the island had a popula-
tion of 2383, of whom 167 were white, while 16
were free negroes and 2200 were slaves.
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CHAPTER VII
AROUND ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE
THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF
ST. JOHN—MARKETING BY
SAILBOAT—THE NAMING OF K. C. BAY—THE MISTAKE OF
THE CORAL BAY BOOMERS—AN ATTRACTIVE CLIMATE—
AN ISLAND WHOSE PROSPEROUS DAYS ARE IN THE FUTURE
ST.
JOHN
lies
in
latitude
18
degrees, 20
minutes N. and longitude 64
degrees, 45
minutes W., and it is but three miles from
the extreme western point of the
island
to the
extreme eastern point of St. Thomas.
Numerous
cays
lie between
St. John and
St. Thomas, but
with the exception of Lovango Cay and Thatch
Cay these are uninhabited.
Strong currents
set between the
straits that
divide the islands and the smaller cays, and navi-
gation for large vessels is dangerous iu the extreme
unless a local pilot is on board to inform the com-
mander as to the way in which the variable currents
set at different times.
St. John, unlike St. Thomas, is not surrounded
by cays of any
size.
It approaches the British
territory closely in the strait named The Narrows,
where but one mile
divides
the United
States
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ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE
island of St. John from the British Thatch Island.
St. John
is nine miles long, while its breadth
is
irregular; at the widest point
it
is
five miles
across.
The area is 19.77 square miles, or nearly
12,700 acres, of which not over 400 acres are under
cultivation.
If the baytree groves are included,
the total cultivated area might amount to about
1600 acres.
The
island
consists
of a
series
of mountain
peaks, which lie in no particular order; the entire
island is made up of hills and valleys, with almost
no level land.
The only regular mountain range
runs along the north coast, but this is not continu-
ous and cannot rightly be named a range.
The
highest elevation is Camel Mountain, about 1300
feet high.
The next highest, Bourdeaux Mountain,
is 1270 feet high.
There are a number
of small streams which
empty on the south side into the sea, so that St.
John is far better watered than the other islands
of the group.
While these streams are of no great
size, they are sufficient to insure a supply of water
at all times. A multitude of springs help to promise
success to future agricultural efforts.
The island is in large part of the same geological
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
formation as St, Thomas, though a larger quantity
of coraline limestone is found here.
Copper- and
iron-bearing rocks also are said to exist, and the
presence of greenish and reddish stones at Reef
Bay, in which copper can be detected, seem to
bear out this statement.
Yet
it
is not thought
that the ores contain a sufficient quantity of metal
to make the working of the deposits
profitable.
The land of the island is far more fertile than that
of St. Thomas and the soil covering the rocks
is
found in far thicker layers.
No ships called at St. John, with the exception
of an occasional schooner which puts into Coral
Bay to load cattle for the neighboring islands, and
the only regular communication with St, Thomas
consists
of the bi-weekly
trips of a small sloop
which carries the mail from one island to the other.
All inhabitants of any consequence own their little
sailing boats which they use not only for fishing
but also
for the transportation of their humble
products to the St. Thomas markets.
The bays and inlets of St. John are not quite
as numerous as those of St. Thomas, there being
thirty-one on the former island and forty-five on
the latter.
Yet the entire. island of St. John has
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KUINS OP K.
C. BAT SUGAK ESTATE,
ST. JOHN
FOB! FKEDEBIKSTBD,
ST. CROIX
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ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE
an indented
shore
line.
Beginning on the west
coast one finds Cruz Bay, where is one of the two
fairly large settlements.
This bay has for the last
hundred years been the
site of the government
oflSces and the residence
of the
local
official
in
charge of the island. A large building which was
fort, jail, court house and residence of the police-
master in one,
testifies to the former importance
of what is now an almost deserted island.
To the north of Cruz Bay, one finds K. C. Bay,
where the large ruins of Duerloo's estate call to
mind the heroic defense of the settlers against the
revolting slaves in 1733.
The origin of the name
"K. C. Bay" is curious.
In the days of the first
colonization a Hollander who started a plantation
on the north coast of the island found a large cin-
namon tree on the shores of the bay included in
his land grant.
He named his property "Caneel-
boom,"
or Cinnamon
Tree.
In
later
years he
owned
another
estate which he named
"Klein
Caneelboom,"
or
Little Cinnamon
Tree.
This
name proved too much for the linguistic attain-
ments of the other settlers, and in the course of
time the abbreviation. K. C. Bay foimd popular
acceptance.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
After beautiful K. C. Bay one comes to Dennis
Bay.
The next bay to the north is Cinnamon Bay,
and Maho Bay comes next.
Finally, Francis Bay
lies to the west of Mary's Point.
On the other
side of the point, still on the north coast, is found
Leinster Bay, the estate house of which atone
time boasted the presence
of the one Masonic
Lodge on the island.
The entire upper part
o|
this "great house" which was situated on a
hill
overlooking the bay, was demolished by the hur-
ricane of October, 1916, and the majority of the
owner's effects were blown down the hill into the
sea.
Brown's Bay and Mennebeck Bay are also
found on the north coast toward the eastern part
of the island.
On
the
extreme
eastern
peninsula
is
found
Privateer Bay, named
after the sea rovers who
used to put in here to careen their ships.
Reports
are current in the East End settlement—^the second
of the two most important settlements of St. John
—^that there is pirates' gold in the sands surround-
ing this bay, and many a futile search has been
made for this.
Then comes Coral Bay.
Extending inland from
Red Point on the east to Ram's Head on the west,
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ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE
this bay has numerous
inlets,
of which Hansen
Bay, Watercreek Bay, Hurricane Hole and Coral
Harbor Bay are the most important.
Coral Bay
is by far the best harbor in the Lesser Antilles,
and even boasts of many advantages which surpass
those of the wonderful bay of St. Thomas.
It is
less exposed to the south and
is absolutely pro-
tected from
all other points of the compass,
so
that, in case of a hurricane, ships lying in the bay
would have but to
shift
their anchorage to any
one of the deep indentations of Hurricane Hole in
order to be able to ride out the storm in perfect
safety. The shores of the bay are steep, and vessels
of large draught can come quite close to the shore.
The numerous peninsulas serve admirably for
the erection of warehouses and piers.
Of late years
a number of St. Thomians, hearing rumors of the
possible acquisition of the islands by the United
States, bought up several of the abandoned estates
lying upon the bay.
Their idea was that the naval
authorities might decide to use Coral Bay for a
base instead of the harbor of Charlotte-Amalia.
A
little reflection on the part of the speculators
might have convinced them of the impracticability
of this idea, for the mountains of the neighboring
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
island of Tortola completely overlook the bay and
are but four miles removed from the inlets, as the
crow
flies.
It would, of course, not be wise to
build a naval station on the shores of a bay that
could be controlled completely by an eminence on
an island belonging to another nation, upon which
the mounting of guns of heavy calibre would be
an easy matter.
The harbor of St. Thomas does
not have a like drawback.
It
is not conceivable that Coral Harbor will
ever be able to supplant the harbor of Charlotte-
Amalia
even
in
commercial
importance,
since
steamers would not here
find the
facilities
for
loading and unloading their cargo and for filling
their bunkers with coal which they at present have
on St. Thomas.
The south coast of the island is precipitous and
has but few bays that are easy of approach.
The
promontory of Ram's Head, which forms the west-
em boundary of Coral Bay,
is usually given a
wide berth by local sailors; the seas run high in
this neighborhood, and the
cliff-like rocks make
landing an impossibility.
After passing this dangerous spot, one comes
to Lamesure Bay and then to Reef Bay, a reef-
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ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE
girdled
inlet formerly
of importance
as a sugar
shipping
center.
Continuing
to
the
westward.
Fish Bay and Rendezvous Bay
are found,
the
latter so named because it was the favorite meeting
place for certain privateers who assembled here to
prepare
for
their
piratical
raids upon
the
St.
Thomas shipping.
The last bay, on the southwest
coast, is Great Cruz Bay.
No statistics are available as to the cUmate of
St. John.
In general,
it can safely be said that
the average temperature here is fully five degrees
lower than on St. Thomas, even on the areas lying
at sea level. A stay at Cruz Bay or on the north
coast will speedily convince the traveler that he
must sleep under a blanket, and
if he spends a
night in the mountains he will find the air quite
bracing.
The
rainfall
has
never
been
systematically
mea,sured, but
it
is undoubtedly far
larger here
than on any other island
of the group.
In
all
probability this
is due to the forests which
still
cover the hilltops.
This island also lies in the hurricane belt, and
it did not escape from damage during the disaster
of October,
1916.
In fact, the storm was more
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
destructive here than on St. Thomas, although
owing to the comparatively few settlers on St. John
—^the material damage was not gr^at.
The Mora-
vian missionary station and settlement of Emmaus,
on the shores of Coral Bay, was among the worst
sufferers and the church, living house and school-
house were totally wrecked.
Practically aU the
lime and coconut trees were destroyed
a,nd the
baytrees were stripped of their leaves and badly
damaged.
The forests were devastated and the
ruins of many an old and forgotten plantation-
house, which had been hidden by the jungle, came
to light with the removal of the larger trees.
No snakes or poisonous insects other than the
usual centipedes and scorpions are found on the
island.
Mosquitoes are few, but sand-flies generally
herald the approach
of a coming rain by
their
vicious bites.
In this respect the island is not so
different from the other Antilles, where some kind
of
similar
affliction
is
always
foimd, reminding
the visitor that even the happy existence of the
tropics has a few drawbacks.
It is needless to speak of the sanitary conditions
of the island.
Since there are no settlements of
any size, epidemics do not take place and malarial
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ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE
fevers are unknown.
The natives sometimes suflFer
from fevers which are attributed to malaria, but
an investigation will show that these were brought
on by exposure and carelessness.
During the last
two years of the Danish rule no physician was
stationed on the island.
A
St. Thomian doctor
came here every month or two for a short
visit,
staying just long enough to relieve the ailments of
the few patients to be found.
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CHAPTER VIII
THE CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
REMINDERS OP FORMER RICHES-COMMERCIAL AND AGRI-
CULTURAL POSSIBILITIES—THE MAKING OF BAY RUM-
CATTLE RAISING AND FISHING—THE STORY OF THE PETRO-
GLYPHS—SCENERY AND RUINS TO DELIGHT THE VISITOR
—THE CROSS AT REEF BAY—LEGENDS OF SLAVERY DAYS-
TREASURES OF OLD FURNITURE—THE POSSIBILITIES OF
ST. JOHN
ST.
JOHN has a population of not over nine
hundred.
Possibly
the number
is
even
smaller, no census having been taken for
a considerable period.
Of this
population
fully
ninety-nine per cent, are colored.
Like the St. Thomas negro, the St. John negro
is noted for his politeness.
Added to this virtue
is friendliness toward strangers.
The negroes are
very accommodating, without a thought of recom-
pense
for
their
services,
as many a
visitor has
learned during a stay on the island.
For instance,
should one get lost on one of the mountain trails
he would need only to tell of his predicament to
the first native he meets.
At once the native would
accompany the stranger and show him the right
road.
He will expect no reward, nor will he think
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CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
of the possibility of reward, even though he be
suffering from the pangs of hunger and though he
may have gone far out of his way to be of service.
There is much misery and want on the island.
This is due to the lack of work and the very small
wages
which
the
planters-^-who themselves
are
forced
to
lead
a
hand-to-mouth
existence—are
able to pay.
Unlike a St. Thomian, a native of
St. John
is too fond of his
little island to wish
to seek employment
elsewhere;
He may
occa-
sionally sign on as a sailor on some local vessel,
but the ties which bitid him to his own island are
too close to alloW him to remain content with a
prolonged
absence.
He
is ready to eke out an
existence on the wages of whatever work he can
obtain
here,
rather than
try
for
higher wages
elsewhere.
The inhabitants make their living principally
by the collecting and selling of the bayleaves to
the owners
of the
stills which manufacture the
essential
oil
of bay rum.
They
are paid
eight
cents
fojT a bag of leaves weighing
sixty-five to
seventy pounds.
This opportunity
is presented
only during certain seasons.
The natives are also
experts at the building of small sailing boats; poor
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
indeed is the man who does not own a small craft
of some kind with which he can go out and obtain
his supply of sea food.
The two
principal villages
of the island are
at Cruz Bay, where perhaps a hundred and fifty
natives reside, and at East End, where there are
not more than a hundred.
Still another
settle-
ment is the Moravian station of Emmaus in the
neighborhood of which about twelve families, con-
sisting of some sixty persons, have settled.
These
three
villages have
schools
with a
fairly good
attendance.
In recent years the Moravian mis-
sionaries have made attempts to teach the chil-
dren and the women to make baskets of a wiry
kind of grass that grows here in abundance.
It
is quite possible that ultimately the sale of these
baskets to
visiting
tourists on
St. Thomas may
become the means of providing many a St. John
family with pin-money.
There is no reason why
brooms should not be made of this same grass,
for it is well adapted to the purpose.
The scarcity
of broom com in the United States and the high
price of labor there would help in the development
of a profitable industry.
The ruins of sugar estates everywhere convince
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one of the former importance of this island and
of the riches that are lying idle in its fertile fields.
Of late a number of planters have made attempts
to
raise on these abandoned
estates lime
trees,
from whose fruits the citric acid and the lime juice
of commerce are manufactured.
With slight in-
vestment this venture should become profitable.
Machinery could be installed to crush the fruit,
and the old sugar kettles could be employed to
evaporate the critic acid from the juice.
Yet
another
industry
of
the
island
is
the
manufacture of charcoal, which commands a ready
market on St. Thomas.
Practically all cooking in
the West Indies is done over charcoal stoves, for
charcoal is always available on the wooded islands
and this fuel does not heat up the kitchen as would
a coal-burning range.
There
is a great deal of
timber on the abandoned estates of St. John, so
the inhabitants are never at a loss for wood which
can be manufactured into charcoal.
The smoke
arising from the charcoal pits is a familiar feature
of the landscape.
The commercial and
agricultural
possibilities
of St. John are great.
In the first place, the bay-
tree {PimerUa acris) flourishes on the little island.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
It has been found by actual experience that this
bay tree is somewhat erratic and is most particular
as to
its habitat.
Attempts have been made to
grow
it on
various
islands, and
practically
all
attempts were failures.
Even on St. John, small
as
it
is,
it seems that the trees do well only in
certain parts and are unable to gain a foothold in
other parts.
Why this is so has never been satis-
factorily explained.
But even with this drawback
there are to-day many regions of St. John where
an extensive cultivation of the baytree would be
highly
profitable.
The
trees
are
not
regularly
planted or set out at the present time, and prop-
agation
is
entirely due
to natural agents, such
as
the
birds and
the
winds, which
scatter the
seeds.
The
leaves
of the baytree
are gathered by
breaking small twigs from the tree and afterwards
separating them from
these
twigs.
Instead
of
harming the tree, this breaking off of the smaller
branches seems to improve
it;
several branches
will sprout from the break made by the removal of
a single branch.
The leaves are then distilled in
copper
stills of the usual type.
This distillation
results in the collecting of the essential
oil, the
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ST. JOHN
BAT-OIL STILL,
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bay-oil, which is contained in the minute cells of
the leaves.
The bay-oil is sent to St. Thomas and
is there mixed with white rum or alcohol in the
ratio of about one quart of
oil to
five hundred
quarts
of rum,
the
resulting product being the
bay-rum of commerce.
If cheap alcohol or rum
is used the product does not have the
delicate
odor which
is found when better grades are em-
ployed.
The
essential
oil, which
is worth from
five to seven dollars per quart, has a strong acrid
odor.
Occasionally bay-rum is made by distilling the
bay leaves directly in the rum, but this method is
slower and far more expensive.
It has practically
been discontinued, although bay-rum made in this
manner
is superior in
quality and commands a
higher price.
The bay industry, therefore, presents one of the
possibilities of St. John.
While various proprietors
are at present engaged in the cultivation of the
trees and the distilling of the oil, there can be no
doubt that development of this industry would
result
in
material
benefit,
especially
if
a more
modem type of
still for the collection of the
oil
were employed.
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Again,
St. John offers great possibilities as a
cattle raising center.
While the ground is gener-
ally steep and
hilly, the slopes are covered with
excellent grass of all
varieties and
offer feeding
grounds for thousands of herds of cattle.
At the
present time
cattle
raising
is
neglected by the
majority of landowners, there being but two real
stock farms on the island, with a total of about
six hundred head of
cattle.
Because of the in-
creased population that will come to the neighbor-
ing island of St. Thomas through the prospective
establishment of a naval station there, and because
of the fact that no duty would have to be paid on
cattle exported to Porto Rico since the two islands
are imder the same government, a ready market
would be found for all cattle raised on St. John.
There would be no rivalry in cattle production on
the other islands of the group,
for
St. Thomas
cannot compare with
St. John for pasturage or
for water supply and practically all of St. Croix
is given up to sugar cultivation.
The water surrounding the numerous small cays
that encircle St. John literally swarms with fish of
all species.
Perhaps no better fishing grounds can
be found in the Antilles than those between St.
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John and the cays to the westward—Congo Cay,
Lovango Cay, Mmgo Cay, and Grass Cay.
Yet
there
is always an unsatisfied demand
for fresh
fish in Charlotte-Amalia, and
this demand must
increase in the future.
What then could be a more
profitable investment than a suitable fishing boat
with a motor auxiliary?
It can find a safe harbor
in any one of the numerous bays of St. John and,
with this island as a center, can fish the surround-
ing waters and carry the catch to the St. Thomas
market.
From the point of view of a tourist anxious to
try his piscatorial luck, a visit to the
little cays
between the two larger islands is well worth while.
Lovango Cay is inhabited by a Danish fisherman
who rents the
little island from the government
and who would be ready to show the visitor the
best location for fishing.
By either troUing or rod
fishing success
is certain as soon as the bait has
been in the water for the briefest possible time.
No better place for rod fishing can be found
than on Congo Cay, which is located due north of
Lovango Cay and
faces the wide
Atlantic.
A
visit to this rocky island is an event.
It consists
of nothing but a collection of boulders which give
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the impression that they must have been piled
one on top of the other by some giant who wished
to amuse himself.
Congo Cay presents a forbid-
ding appearance.
Vegetation is noticeable by its
absence.
The island resembles the upstanding fin
of a shark.
But one landing place is found here,
and that
is a mere ledge about two feet above
water level and not more than six feet wide and
twelve feet long.
The visitor who
is desirous of
fishing here must be quick of eye and nimble of
foot as he takes a hurried jump out of the rowboat
which
carries him to his
destination.
Should a
heavy sea be running
it would be inadvisable to
attempt to make the landing, for not only would
there be danger of smashing the boat on the rocks,
but, even
if a landing
is made,
it might prove
impossible to embark for the return journey.
The best rod fishing is to be had on the extreme
eastern point of Congo Cay.
Fish of all varieties
seem to congregate directly under the rocks, which
are some twenty feet above sea level, and to show
an eager desire to be caught.
The visitor is reminded here also of the abo-
rigines of St. Thomas in pre-Columbian times, who
must have come here for the fishing, for in the rocks
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there
are a number
of small
cavities,
perfectly
rounded, in which l^e Indians evidently pounded
the
salt used to preserve the
fish they caught.
There is evidence that, while not engaged in fish-
ing, they were employed
in carving a
series
of
apparently meaningless figures upon a large,
flat
boulder
on
the
eastern
extremity
of
the
cay.
Carvings of this character are named pictographs,
or petroglyphs.
"Petroglyph!"
Unless one should happen to
be a
professional
archeologist, he may have
to
consult a dictionary to find out the meaning of
this word.
And yet
it
is rather
simple:
Petro
means stone, and glyph means a sign, so that the
complete word merely means
a
sign carved on
stone.
So there you are, and the next time that a
passing gypsy carves a cabalistic sign upon the
stone
pillars
of your
front
entrance,
signifying
that you keep a savage dog on your estate, and
that your property had
best be
left unvisited,
remark it well, for you will then actually be the
proud possessor of a bona fide petroglyph.
And so the Indians of the Antilles, in the days
before the coming of the Spanish conquistadors,
had an amusing habit of carving signs upon rocks
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
in certain of the islands inhabited by them.
This
habit not only provided the carver with the whole-
some satisfaction that accompanies honest toil, but
it has since provided countless
archeologists and
amateur archeologists with the joy of attempting
to decipher the meaning of the carvings.
This is
especially true in the case of amateur archeolo-
gists, who see the most wonderful significance in
the
humblest
carving,
so
that
the
Simon-pure
archeologist not only has the original pleasure of
trying to xmravel the mystery of the petroglyph,
but is permitted the additional joy of scoffing at
the attempts of the amateur.
Thus the circle
is
completed, and the shade of the Indian chuckles
with glee at the problems bestowed by him upon
those who have come after him.
Chalk
is the principal weapon of the petro-
glyph hunter and
is used by him to make the
marking
of the carvings more
distinct,
so that
they will show up more clearly in the photographs.
There
is nothing to prevent an enthusiast from
adding a carving or two of his own, not necessarily
by hewing grooves in the living rock, but by the
more simple and
direct method
of adding with
chalk such lines as his fancy dictates.
But that,
of course, is another story.
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CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Petroglyphs are to be found on many of the
islands
of the West
Indies.
In
fact,
they
are
found from the northern limits of North America
to
the
southernmost
point
of
South
America.
Naturally, many of them have become obliterated
by the action of the weather on the rocks.
In
addition to this, numerous rock carvings must still
be hidden by the undergrowth of the primeval
forests, or be in such inaccessible places that their
very
existence
is
unsuspected.
When they
are
found in the open, the rocks with carvings upon
them are generally near running water.
It
is one of the favorite theories of the local
historians of the West Indies that the presence of
these petroglyphs indicates the existence of a pre-
Columbian place of worship.
Using this theory
as a base, the local authors as a rule begin to write
of "Carib
sacrifices," "Carib orgies," and what
not, and make good copy out of the bloodcurdling
yells of the unhappy victims of this fierce warrior
tribe.
But probably posterity will never know the
true significance of these rock carvings, nor will
it ever understand the vagaries of the Indian mind
which made them.
The carvings on Congo Cay are on the rock at
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the extreme eastern part of the island.
The rock
lies almost horizontally and faces, to the eastward,
a small island named Caravel Rock.
There
is a
large cavity in the center of this rock, and one
visitor suggested that this cavity was artificial and
might have been used to store the blood
oit the
victims of the Carib sacrifices.
But here is another
chance to see what a difiference there is between
cold
facts and charming
theories.
In the
first
place, no proof ever has been brought forward
that
the
islands
of
St. John
and
St. Thomas
were inhabited by Caribs.
In the second
place
Congo
Cay,
bleak,
barren,
hard
to
land
on,
and
with
no
place upon
which
to hold
sacri-
ficial ceremonies, would be too
exposed
to
the
neighboring islands to allow qne to suppose that
a marauding tribe of piratical Caribs would have
selected this place for the cannibal feasts.
Third,
the cavity in the rock was undoubtedly caused by
the decomposition of the stone, and there are sev-
eral rocks on Congo Cay that have cavities of this
order.
It is true that the opening of the cavity is
somewhat smaller than the area of the lower sur-
face of the hole, but one can readily see that the
cavity would
fill up with sea water whenever the
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HOSPITABLE CONGO CAT,
ST. JOHN
^S'^^^iiteiiS;
THE ONLY LANDING-PLACE ON CONGO CAT
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PRIVATEER BAY,
ST. JOHN
BUILDINGS ON CAROLINE ESTATE, AND BAT-OIL STILL,
ST. JOHN
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CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
waves
broke
over
Congo
Cay
during
stormy
weather and that
this water would
attack
the
sides
of the cavity and make itMarger without
necessarily enlarging the mouth.
But to return to the mainland and to the sub-
ject of sugar, St. John is not well adapted to the
cultivation of cane and the manufacture of sugar,
under modern conditions.
Because of the present
cost of labor this island, with its steep roads and
hills, could not compete with sugar plantations on
islands where flat areas make the gathering of the
cane an
insignificant item
of expense.
Even in
the days of long ago the collecting of the sugar
cane
at the
mill was done with a considerable
expenditure of trouble and labor.
Wooden troughs
led down the incline to the level roads, and the
cane was shot down these inchnes and loaded on
wagons when it reached the road.
Many stories
have been told of slaves who were decapitated or
who lost a leg or an arm when they were struck
by a heavy piece of sugar cane which escaped from
the trough and came hurtling with
terrific force
through the
air.
On some estates
it was found
necessary to arrange some sprt of cable tramway
to convey the cane to the mill.
On the summit of
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some of the hills immense lignum-vitae posts are
still found to which these cables were attached.
But
if the production of sugar would not be
profitable, undoubtedly truck farming would am-
ply reward one who undertakes it on a large scale
and the raising in the West Indies of all sorts of
vegetables is a possibility which is frequently and
strangely overlooked.
The consumption of canned
vegetables by the well-to-do in these regions
is
quite large, and the small quantities of fresh vege-
tables that are raised are in demand at good prices.
It is a common mistake to suppose that the tropics
are not suited to the production of garden truck.
As
a matter
of
fact,
tomatoes,
lettuce,
beans,
melons,
et
cetera,
not
only
thrive
when
well
watered, but bear more abundantly than in north-
ern climates.
The raising of these vegetables on
St. John would give employment to many, and a
profitable market in St. Thomas would be assured.
Another possibility
is the erection
of
tourist
hotels on St. John.
The acquisition of the island
by the United States should make these popular
with the tourist.
St. John should be even more
popular than St. Thomas, for while St. Thomas is
attractive because it has a busier outlook on ac-
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count of the many ships that enter its wonderful
harbor, and because of
its magnificent scenery,
St. John excels in scenery, and scenery attracts
the tourist.
Climb any hilltop in St. John and
look
north,
east,
south
or
west, and
unrivaled
views delight the eye.
The surrovmding islands of
vivid green serve only to make more pronounced
the contrast between the pale blue sky and the
dark
blue
sea.
Surely no
other
island
in
the
Antilles offers views that can compare with this in
natural beauty.
.
But St. John has other attractions for the tour-
ist than
its scenery.
If one
is searching for the
picturesque, it may be found in abundant measure
in the ruins of the old plantation buildings whose
walls and quaint staircases still exist in the tropical
undergrowth.
What can be more interesting than
the exploration of an old mill with kettles for the
boiling of syrup still intact, and of the remains of
a "great house" with its imposing avenue and slave
quarters and kitchens nearby?
Is the visitor in-
terested in boating, bathing, hunting, or riding?
The forty odd bays of the island will repay a sys-
tematic exploration with a small yacht, and will
astound one with the
variety
of
their
scenery.
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Sea bathing here is equal to any in the West Indies
and excels that at many of the resorts that are
famed for this attraction.
Then pigeons and doves
are foimd
at
all
seasons;
these make
excellent
shooting and good eating.
There is no road on St. John that is more than
a bridle path; but also let it be said that there is
no road that does not have features to delight the
visitor.
The road most commonly used by the
inhabitants
leads
from
Cruz Bay
through
the
center of the island to Emmaus, and from there
to the East End settlement.
Directly after leav-
ing the Cruz Bay landing one ascends the
hill,
passing, in turn, Herman Farm with its extensive
ruins, and Adrian,
another
forgotten
plantation
which is almost entirely obliterated by the jungle.
At Esperance a road branches off to the south coast
and to Reef Bay.
This branch road leads over the
summit of Camel Mountain, the highest peak on
the
island, and then dips toward the
sea at
a
precipitous angle.
Some half mile inland from the shores of Reef
Bay one obtains a distant glimpse of the Reef Bay
waterfall.
A searching glance
is necessary, as
it
is hard to mak,e out the thin thread of water that
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comes tumbling from the
heights
above.
The
rocks back of the waterfall are plainly to be seen,
however.
It
is said that this waterfall
is never
dry.
Occasionally
it becomes so small as to be
almost negUgible, but
it never seems
entj^rely to
vanish.
One
is privileged to surmise,
therefore,
that in pre-Columbian days, when the wbods of
the island were still intact and fulfilled their pur-
pose in drawing water from the clouds, the volume
of water passing over the rocks must have been
considerably larger.
There are in reality two
falls, but the higher
fall is difficult of access.
The lower fall is about
forty-five feet high.
As the crow
flies,
it
is not
over one and a quarter miles from the sea and
not more than half a mile from the road.
In order
to
visit
it,
it
is necessary to follow a dried-up
watercoxu-se, and then cut a way through a some-
what
dense
thicket.
Before
the
hurricane
of
October, 1916, there was a small footpath follow-
ing this water course, and the ascent to the falls
was^far easier than it is to-day.
The lower fall empties itself into a pool some
five feet deep and about twelve feet in diameter.
This pool empties its contents into a second pool
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about seven feet lower than the first.
The second
pool, in which the water is quite tranquil, is about
six and one-half feet deep, fourteen feet wide and
nine feet broad, and makes an excellent bathing
place.
The water, filtered during its long passage
through the hills, is excellently adapted for drink-
ing purposes, and
it
is possible that the Indians
inhabiting the south coast of St. John must have
come here for their supply of drinking water.
Around this pool, in which bathing is a pleas-
ure—a
cold
pleasure—one
finds
huge
boulders
upon which are more of the aboriginal carvings
known as petrogljTphs.
There really are three sets of rock carvings on
the stones surrounding the pool, and it is impos-
sible to get all three sets in one picture.
The most
elaborate set is foimd just above the edge of the
pool and the Indians seem to have designed the
carvings so that their reflection would show clearly
in the water. A few of the figures seem to depict
a very crudely drawn human face, consisting of a
circle
for the
face, with
smaller
circles or just
dots for the eyes, and a line for the mouth.
In
one or two instances some extra lines below the
large circle may represent arms and legs.
But the
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reader
is
at
liberty
to
scoff
at
this
suggestion.
The largest figure of all, in appearance somewhat
like a figure eight, or like a sand glass, is perhaps
the most inexplicable.
In order to give one some idea of these carv-
ings, it may be said that from the figure on the
extreme left side of the rock, just above the water
line, to the figure on the extreme right hand side,
just above the water line, is a distance of ten feet
four inches.
On the same large rock, a little to the left, but
at a much higher point above the pool, one can
find another series of petroglyphs even more enig-
matical than
those
just above the water
level.
This group consists of six
figmi-es, two of which
represent somewhat simply designed human forms
—strongly reminiscent of the pictures chalked by
children on wooden fences—and two simple faces.
On the extreme western
side of the pool
is
another
rock upon which
are
seen
three more
carvings.
This
rock may
well
be named
the
" Archeologist's Delight." No doubt every person
who ever has seen it, excepting of course the origi-
nal Indians, has evolved some deep theory regard-
ing
the
carvings on
this
boulder.
Almost any
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meaning may be given to two of the three figures,
the one on the extreme left of the photograph and
the
one
directly above
the
carving
that
looks
exactly
like a
cross.
It
is therefore possible to
eliminate two carvings at the very
start, which
is far more than would be done by seriously minded
amateur archeologists who would deem it their duty
to explain fully these two problematical carvings.
But
there
still; remains
the
crosslike
figure.
Can it be that the teachings^of Christianity had
penetrated to the New Worid before the discovery
of St. John and the Virgin Island group in 1493?
This
is to be doubted.
Then were the Indians
converted to Christianity by the piously inclined
conquistadors?
Considering that these same con-
quistadors were responsible for the total extermi-
nation of the Indian race some thirty years after
the discovery of the West Indies, this also is to be
doubted.
Then why the cross?
Perhaps the most
ingenious explanation is the one found in an early
history of the Danish West Indies in*which the
author states that the Spanish monks saw the other
carvings on the rocks and deemed them to be the
work of the Devil.
In order speedily to overcome
the
evil
influence, the earnest
friars carved the
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PETROGLYPHS ON CONGO CAT
Caravel Rock in Middle Ground
THE CAROLINE ESTATE HOUSE AND PASTURE,
BT. JOHN
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ST. JOHN
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CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
sign of the cross on the rock, thereby neutralizing
all other influences.
But the carving of the cross appears to be of
the same age as the other figures on the same rock.
And the suggestion
is made that the sign of the
cross has been found in many places to which it is
positively known that
Christianity never pene-
trated.
Yet the sign is there, and has been found
in many forms, perhaps one of the most common
of which
is
tlje swastika sign.
This sign repre-
sents nothing more than the four cardinal points of
the compass, east, south, west and north, and by a
process of evolution first became a figure resembling
two interlaced S figures and finally a simple cross.
But when
challenged on the
subject, we must
withdraw this explanation of the cross figure at
Reef Bay.
The
carving
representing the
cross
stands seventeen inches high, and the length of
the cross arm is eleven inches.
It
is time to turn from the mysterious petro-
glyphs and follow the south coast, by the Parforce
Estate, once the property of one of the richest
planters on the island.
Rather than use ordiuary
plaster
for the
finishing of his
walls,
this land-
owner had them decorated with ground rice mixed
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
with some adhesive substance; he claimed that
this gave the walls a smoother appearance.
He
lived to regret his extravagance, when the abolition
of slavery changed his former prosperous position
to one of dire poverty.
The road now mounts again, and after an ardu-
ous climb the traveler reaches the summit of Bor-
deaux Mountain, the second highest peak of
St.
John.
From here one seems almost able to touch
the crest of Sage Mountain on Tortola, so near
does
this
elevation appear to be
in the
bright
atmosphere of the tropics.
The best view of Coral
Bay can be had from this peak, and the white
buildings of the Emmaus settlement form a promi-
nent feature of the landscape.
Descending toward the bay,
the
first
estate
reached
is the Caroline property, famous in the
annals of the slave insurrection.
Here, it is said,
the murdered daughter of the St. John judge still
haunts the rooms of the "great house."
Emmaus
is reached next and one had to admire the industry
of the Moravian Brethren who, in the eighteenth
century, despite opposition and poverty, were able
to erect the large buildings that were found here
previous to the hurricane of 1916.
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A little further along, on the road which leads
to the East End settlement, the extreme eastern
inhabited point of the island, one passes the re-
mains of the fort whose garrison was massacred
in 1733. A cannon or two is still embedded on the
hillslope.
Then the road continues along the south
coast, up hill and down dale, and one has every
opportunity of admiring the extensive inlets which
form part of Coral Bay, whenever the road rises
to any height above sea level.
The pretentious
farm of Hermitage, with its numerous buildings,
is passed.
This estate, like the Caroline Estate,
is devoted to stock raising.
Finally, one gets to
the East End settlement, whose inhabitants Uve
their quiet lives far removed from the bustle of
the outside world.
The explorer must return by the same road
until he again reaches Hermitage.
There he can
take a branch road leading to the north coast of
the island.
The road to the westward along the
north coast offers even more scenic splendors than
does the south
coast
road,
since the
island
of
Tortola presents a succession of views that delight
the eye.
The first estate one copies to on going west is
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Leinster Bay, where an excellent boarding house
for use by occasional visitors was once kept.
The
storm of 1916 blew this house down.
The wonder-
ful old mahogany furniture that was the envy of all
who came to stayherewas scattered in all directions.
Near by are the remains of the building occu-
pied by the only Masonic Lodge on
St.
John.
One can almo^ picture the banquets held by the
Masons when they assembled here in the olden
days, when feasts were of first importance in the
life of the West Indian planters.
Annaberg,
also called Brim Bay,
is the next
estate.
Report has it that when the slave revolt
oi 1733 was being put down, three hundred of the
rebels were found upon a precipitous
cliff that
can be seen on this estate and, rather than suffer
capture, dashed themselves on the rocks below.
While an act of this kind might actually have been
committed by one or two of the slaves, the story
can hardly be
true
of such a
large number as
three hundred, for the entire number of the rebels
at large did not amount to this total.
There
is an excellent view from this road of
Mary's Point, a square peninsula which reaches
out toward the British Thatch Island.
The Nar-
.
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CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
rows between Thatch Island and the mainland of
St. John are only a mile wide.
In former days
slaves who thought they might meet with kinder
treatment on Tortola than they had experienced
from their Danish owners, used to defy the numer-
ous sharks found in these waters and swim across
the strait.
It must be remembered that slavery
was abolished on the British islands of the West
Indies in 1838 but that the institution continued
its
existence on the Danish
islands
until
1848.
Thus if any slave held on St. John between these
dates
managed
to
reach
British
territory,
he
immediately became free, so long as he remained
there.
Even after the days of fleeing slaves there was
excitement
in The Narrows.
Smugglers
did
a
thriving trade across The Narrows, so the British
government was obliged to erect a custom house
and fort upon the isolated Thatch Island.
These
have long since been abandoned.
After crossing the peninsula of Mary's Point,
the wayfarer arrives at Maho Bay and afterwards
at America Hill.
The estate house on this latter
property is a noticeable feature of the landscape,
for it is built upon the very summit of a hill which
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
has the appearance of a sugar
loaf.
The hill
is
some six hundred feet high, and the ascent to the
house must have furnished needed exercise to its
former owners.
Cinnamon Bay and Dennis Bay come next.
Both were in former days the sites of important
sugar factories.
From here the way leads across
the island.
At K. C. Bay are the largest sugar
factory ruins on the island.
Here also is a coconut
grove in which the damage done by the late hurri-
cane was tremendous.
On the hilltop, before the
beginning of the descent to Cruz Bay, may be
seen the almost
obliterated remains
of another
Danish fort, whose history no one seems to know.
To the tourist who is interested in old colonial
furniture,
St.
John
offers
interesting
hunting
grounds.
In the most ramshackle negro cabins
one is liable to run across the dilapidated remains
of the most wonderfully carved mahogany four
poster beds.
These antiques may be marred by a
century
of
neglect, but the wonderfully
skillful
cabinet makers of St. Thomas can easily
restore
them to their former beauty.
Not only bedsteads,
but sewing
tables,
claw-foot
serving
tables and
interesting looking chairs are scattered over the
island.
These were probably given to the negro
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WHARF AND OLD FOET, COHAL BAT,
ST. JOHK
HBKMITAGB ESTATE,
ST. JOHN
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CINDERELLA OF THE VIEGIN ISLANDS
laborers on the estates when the planters departed
on account
of
the waning
of
prosperity.
The
visitor who picks up one or two of these pieces
will be able in future years to boast of them to
admiring friends.
It will be seen, therefore, that
St. John, the
Cinderella of the Virgin Islands, has her charms
and that the exploitation of the island would well
repay
the
original
outlay.
A
suitable
tourist
hotel, built to entertain the traveler who is content
with what the country offers and does not insist
upon imported
food, would be
well
patronized.
Let a few young and energetic men, accustomed
to the handling
of West Indian
laborers,
start
produce farms on the rich soil of St. John and they
would
be
certain
of
large
returns.
Let some
capitalist stock a farm with a
large number
of
cattle of a breed that will thrive in this chmate,
and he would be sure of a profitable investment.
Let the bay tree industry be encouraged by having
expert men
advise the
planters
as
to the
best
methods of increasing the groves.
When
all
this
is done, it
will be found that
St. John, now only a name and a small speck on
the map,
will become as important as
its more
prosperous sisters to the west and south.
Digitized by Microsoft®
CHAPTER IX
THE CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
WHY THE TONGUES OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH'S MEN BECAME
"BIGGE"—A SUBTLE METHOD OF POISONING—A JOINT
OCCUPATION THAT LED TO MURDER—A STARTLING SUC-
CESSION OF OWNERS,
PLOTS
AND
COUNTERPLOTS—
A
BLUFF THAT SUCCEEDED—A VISITOR WHO DIED OF MORTI-
FICATION—A CONFLAGRATION THAT PROMOTED HEALTH
—AN ABANDONED
ISLAND RESCUED BY DENMARK—
A
SYMBOLIC TRANSFER OF TITLES-OUT OF THE CLUTCHES
OF AN EXPLOITING COMPANY.
NO
record has been discovered of a visit
to St. Croix between the time of its dis-
covery
in
1493 and
the day
in
1587
when Sir Walter Raleigh touched here.
There is,
however, assurance that the Indian inhabitants of
St. Croix made a few visits to Porto Rico during
this period and instilled a lively fear in the early
Spanish settlers of the latter island.
It was the
practice of the St. Croix Indians to go to Porto
Rico to manufacture
their sea-going
canoes,
as
the Porto Rico forests bore trees of greater size
than those of St. Croix.
On one of these occasions
a Porto Rican chieftain demanded that seven of
the
St.
Croix cannibals remain on
his island in
order to be kept as hostages in case of attack by
other Indians from the same island.
When the
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64145'
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FREDEIUIvSTl
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10,2
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CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
companions
of the
luckless seven departed, the
Borinquen
chief promptly put
his
hostages
to
death.
Upon their return the St. Croix Indians
speedily avenged the death of their fellows.
To
quote from an early historian:
"They cut the King with his fanulie in peeces
and eate them in the revenge of their seven work-
men; and then they made faggottes of their bones
to cany to the wives and children of their slayne
workmen,
in
witness
that
the
bodies
of
their
husbands and parents lay not unrevenged, and
therewith shewed the faggottes
of bones to our
men
[the Spaniards], who being astonished with
their
fiercenesse and
crueltie, were
enforced
to
dissemble the matter and holde their peace, quar-
reling no further at any time."
The narrative of one of the men who accom-
panied
Sir Walter Raleigh on
his expedition to
Virginia, which paused on St. Croix, tells only of
the discomforts suffered by some of the colonists
who ate inadvertently
of the manchineel apples
that are found in quantities on the shores of the
island:
"Some of the women and men, by eating a
small
fruit
like
a
greene
apple
were
fearfully
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
troubled with a sudden burning in their mouths
and swelling of their tongues so bigge that some of
them could not speak."
It was fortunate for Raleigh's companions that
some of them did not suffer worse effects from their
lack of caution in eating these poisonous
fruits.
Tales are told in the West Indies of people who
have died after eating the manchineel or who have
lost their eyes because the juice of the fruit touched
the pupils.
Many negroes, especially in the Ba-
hama Islands, have attempted to do away with
their enemies by means of this juice. A favorite
practice of the would-be poisoner
is to place a
little of the sap taken from a broken twig of the
manchineel tree on the point of a knife and to
insert this point in a raw potato.
The potato is
then cooked and
given to the
victim.
In the
course of a short time a mysterious slow poisoning
results which ba£Bes
all medical
skill,
since the
presence of the acid of the manchineel cannot be
detected in the stomach when
it
is given in such
small doses.
Unless the victim keeps a close watch
upon the preparation of his food, he will ultimately
succumb to the effects of this subtle method of
poisoning.
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CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
From 1587
until
1625,
St.
Croix appears
to
have been unoccupied by either natives or visitors
from Europe.
History does not tell how the fierce
tribes
that
lived
here
were
exterminated.
In
1625 Dutch, English and French settlers seem to
have occupied the island jointly.
As early as 1645
the island sustained some six hundred settlers, who
were governed by general oflScers appointed by the
respective countries from which the settlers origi-
nated.
This
peaceful
Uving
together
on
one
island of three different nationalities was not to
last long, for in 1645 war broke out between the
Dutch and
the
English
colonists.
The Dutch
governor's residence witnessed the killing in this
year of the governor of the British part of the
island, while he was on a visit.
It is a matter of
doubt whether
this
killing was accidental or by
design.
In retaliation, the British planters flew to arms,
gave battle to their neighbors, and wounded the
Dutch governor so severely that he died a few
days later.
The Hollanders now elected another
govemof, who, under promise of protection, visited
the British part of the island in order to attempt
to arrange matters amicably with the planters of
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
that
nationality.
The
latter, however,
still
in-
censed over the loss of their chief, saw fit to vio-
late
their promise
of safe conduct and had the
Dutch governor shot publicly.
Finding
that they were unable
to
continue
living on the same island with the British without
being constantly
subjected to
hostile
raids,
the
Hollanders
departed
shortly
afterward
for
the
islands
of
St.
Eustatius and
St. Martin, which
they then colonized.
The French
settlers, numbering perhaps one
himdred and fifty, most of them deserters from the
island
of
St.
Christopher,
having
sympathized
actively with the Dutch during their quarrel with
the British, now considered discretion the better
part of valor and followed the example
of the
Hollanders by
leaving
St.
Croix.
Upon asking
permission from
the
English
government,
they
were allowed to depart.
Passage was engaged on
a British privateering vessel which carried them to
Guadaloupe.
On
their
arrival,
the French not
only refused to pay the captain of this vessel for
their passage but complained
of the treatment
they had suffered at British hands.
The governor
immediately seized the ship and declared her a
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CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
lawful prize, on the pretext that she was an armed
vessel without the necessary government papers.
This left the British in undisputed possession
of St. Croix from 1645 to 1650.
In the latter year
the Spanish governor of Porto Rico, noting the
prosperity
of the settlement and jealous
of the
riches that were found so close to his own colony,
decided that it was better to claim St. Croix for
Spain than to have it remain a possession of Great
Britain.
So he sent an expedition of twelve hun-
dred men to the island.
They landed at night and
fell upon the unprepared inhabitants,
slaying a
large number of them before the alarm could be
given.
On the following day two British prisoners were
sent to their compatriots who had taken refuge
in the woods and moimtains, to inform them that
they were given three weeks in which to leave the
island.
The refugees promptly dispatched a vessel
to the governor of St. Christopher with an urgent
plea that he send a fleet and take them and their
possessions
off the
island.
Upon the
arrival
of
the ships the planters departed, leaving the Span-
ish in possession.
Learning of the
disaster that had overtaken
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
the British
colonists, the original Dutch
settlers
thought they could return to their old plantations
on
St.
Croix.
When they landed, thinking that
the Spanish forces had long since departed, they
took no precautions to discover
if the island was
still inhabited.
This rashness cost them deaf, for
a Spanish garrison of sixty soldiers had been left
behind.
These soldiers gave battle to the invaders
and killed most of the party, taking the remainder
prisoners.
The French on St. Christopher also had heard
of the defeat of the British colonists, and thought
the time ripe to regain their former possessions.
They accordingly fitted out a large expedition of
two ships and one hundred and sixty of their brav-
est men under De Vaugalan.
Orders were given
to kill or take prisoners any Spaniards who might
be foimd on St. Croix.
The smaller vessel arrived
before the other ship, and from this about forty
men landed.
These men were ambushed by the
Spanish garrison and
all but three or four were
killed after a brave and desperate defense. A day
or two
later the second vessel anchored.
After
waiting three days
for
its convoy. Commander
De Vaugalan, ignorant of the disaster that had
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CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
overtaken the men from the first ship, determined
to lay siege to the Spanish fort.
He surrounded
it and summoned the garrison to surrender.
The
Spanish chief, thinking that he had to do with a
company of adventurers or pirates who might be
in need of provisions, sent a cow and a supply of
wine to the besiegers.
This peace offering had no
other effect than to provoke another demand for
a surrender of the fort in two hours, with a threat
that
if this command were not obeyed a general
assault would be made and no quarter given to the
garrison.
Being under the impression that the
strength of the French was larger than
it really
was, the Spaniards surrendered and embarked for
Porto Rico on a vessel that had been put at their
disposal, together with their arms and baggage.
Upon entering the
fort, De Vaugalan found
here a few prisoners who had survived the ill-fated
expedition of the Hollanders.
These he sent to
their own island of St. Eustatius,
A
sequel
to these various operations on
St.
Croix between 1645 and 1650 was that the expelled
British planters complained to their home govern-
ment, and Cromwell, noting the hold which Spain
was attempting to get on the West Indies, decided
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
to declare war against that country.
In 1655 he
succeeded in depriving her of the important island
of Jamaica.
When the French were once more in possession
of St. Croix, it was determined by the home author-
ities
to
lose no time
in
colonizing
the
island.
Three hundred men, imder command of Auger,
who was appointed governor, were dispatched for
this purpose.
This appointment so grieved De
Vaugalan, who thought he would be rewarded for
his gallant services, that he died of grief and morti-
fication shortly afterward.
The new settlement proved to be so unhealthy
that three governors died in quick succession, as
well as two-thirds of the colonists.
It was reasoned
that this high rate of mortality was occasioned by
the dense forests with which the island was cov-
ered.
Accordingly, fire was set to the woods and
the colonists took to their ships until the woods
were
burned.
The
conflagration
was
a
great
advantage in two ways, for not only did the island
become healthier but the wood ashes decidedly
increased the fertility of the soil.
Shortly
afterward
measures
were
taken by
France which went far toward nullifying the efforts
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CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
of the planters to make
St. Croix a prosperous
colony.
Oppressive taxes were levied and trade
was restricted to the other French West Indian
islands.
In consequence the revenues from
St.
Croix became negligible.
In 1651 various French islands, including St.
Croix, were sold for 120,000 livres to the Knights
of Malta, a French religious order at whose head
was Louis XIV.
But it was not imtil 1653 that
this
organization
took
possession
of
St.
Croix,
"in order to form an establishment in the West
Indies for the service and defense of Christianity
and for the conversion of the savages to the Catho-
lic religion."
On what island these savages were
to be foimd, history does not state.
It
is more
than
probable
that;
the
statement
was
made
only to give an air of religious endeavor to an en-
terprise which had for its sole object the aggran-
dizement of France.
The Knights of Malta were
to hold the island for the crown, and were not
allowed to appoint anyone but a Frenchman for
governor.
In
spite
of
this change of ownership,
affairs
remained in a precarious state.
So bad did the
situation become that a reUef ship, loaded with
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
merchandise and farming implements, had to be
sent out
in
1657.
When
this
ship
arrived the
colonists, who had become completely disgusted
with conditions, seized the vessel, forced the sailors
to do their
will, and proceeded to Brazil, where
they established themselves.
A new governor, Du Bois, who was appointed
in 1659, accepted the post on condition that he
be allowed to remove all restrictions as to the com-
merce of the island and that he be given a force of
400 men to defend the island in case of an invasion
by the Spanish or the Porto Ricans.
Du Bois
arrived in 1659 and found conditions even worse
than they had been pictured.
He
fell sick here
and was
obliged
to
return
to
St.
Christopher,
where he remained until 1661 to recuperate.
Then
he returned with another company
of
colonists.
Prosperity was renewed, thanks
to, his
untiring
efforts.
The wise Governor Du Bois continued in power
even
after
1665, when
the French West
India
Company
purchased
the
privileges
and
posses-
sions of the Knights of Malta for 500,000 livres.
But even he was not able to prevent the French
West India Company from enforcing its rule that
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CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
commerce was to be restricted to French islands
and to France.
Thus it was not long before evil
days again beset the colony.
In 1670 only about two hundred
settlers, to-
gether with their slaves, remained on the island.
By 1674 affairs of the French West India Company
were in such a bad condition that Louis XIV was
obliged to take
St.
Croix over as a part of his
dominions.
For a while longer the settlers con-
tinued
their
existence
under
these
unprofitable
conditions.
Many of them gave up their holdings
and went
to
other
colonies.
Finally,
in
1695,
when
the
population was
147
whites and
623
slaves,
it was decided to abandon the island en-
tirely and
to
join
the French
planters on
St.
Domingue.
The French government, feeling that
St. Domingue would benefit by this influx of agri-
culturists, gave orders to abandon St. Croix and
to burn all the houses on the island.
The harbor
works were to be destroyed, and such planters as
might refuse to leave were to be compelled to do so.
Yet the French government continued to lay
claim to the island and resented any efforts on the
part of other nations to get control of it.
In 1725
a report was current in the West Indies that the
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
British had in mind an occupation of the island,
and
this report induced Governor Moth
of
St.
Thomas to urge the Danish West India Company
to attempt to
forestall the British and
join
St.
Croix to the existing Danish colony.
He had also
heard that some private individuals in Denmark
had offered to buy the island from France, and he
voiced his fears that
if St. Croix should become
the property of
individuals,
rather than
of the
Danish West India Company, the islands of St.
Thomas and St. John would promptly be ruiued
through the granting of free trade to St.
Croix.
He also urged that if St. Croix were joined to St.
Thomas and St. John, both islands would be the
gainers.
In 1733 France was urgently in need of money
to carry on the wars she was waging in Poland
and she consented to sell St. Croix to the Danish
West
India and Guinea Company.
The exact
sum for which the
island was sold
is doubtful.
According
to Bryan Edwards,
it amounted
to
seventy-five thousand pounds, but Abb6 Raynal,
a French historian who had every opportunity of
being
better
informed
than
Edwards,
named
758,000 livres as the price agreed on.
Half of the
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CHECKERED fflSTORY OF ST. CROIX
price was to be paid on the exchange of the rati-
fications, and
the
balance
in
eighteen months.
The Danish West India and Guinea Company was
at the same time
reorganized
in order to raise
fmids to pay for the island and to make arrange-
ments for its exploitation.
It was not mitil 1734, when the company's ship,
Unity, arrived, that the governor of St. Thomas was
informed of the acquisition of St. Croix.
Governor
Moth was named governor of the three islands,
and he was directed to take over St. Croix.
Preparations were made at once to go to the
new possession. A number of the settlers on St.
John who had suffered the almost total loss of their
property through the slave insurrection of 1733,
were only too glad to accompany the governor
and attempt to restore their
lost fortimes by a
venture on the
richer
island
of
St.
Croix.
On
August 31, 1734, services were held in the churches
of Charlotte-Amalia for the benefit of those who
were to leave.
On the following day the governor,
together with the prospective
settlers, embarked
on four vessels for the island to the south.
On
reaching what
is now the
site of
Christiansted
they found the fort in a comparatively good state
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
of preservation, but the shore was so covered with
a dense jungle that the party had to remain on
board
their
vessels
until the
slaves had cleared
land enough for them to live on with any degree
of comfort.
On September 6 the royal standard
of Denmark was
hoisted
over the
fortifications
and the new governor's commission was read in
the hearing of all.
Not until the beginning of 1735 did the French
officials arrive from Martinique to turn the island
over to Denmark.
Imposing
official ceremonies
marked this event.
Governor Moth held a parade
of his forces, and fired a salute of nine shots for
the Danish flag.
The remainder of the program
included the snuffing out of a candle and its re-
lighting,
the
pulling
of
plants
and
herbs,
the
breaking of branches from the trees, the tasting of
water from the brook, and the throwing of stones.
In this symbolic manner the governor indicated
that he took possession of the island for the king
of Denmark.
The
first settUng of
St. Croix was naturally
attended with a great deal of expense.
A costly
survey had to be made, and transportation for
new colonists had to be provided.
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CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
In 1734 a new charter was granted to the Dan-
ish West India and Guinea Company to take the
place of the temporary charter made two years
previously.
In this new charter it was stipulated
that Danish merchants were to buy sugar only
from the islands belonging to the Danish West
India Company.
Thus a
trade monopoly was
given to the company which prohibited ships of
other nationaUties from calling at the company's
possessions.
There were other concessions which,
while of benefit to the Danish stockholders, proved
to be a decided detriment to the planters.
The Company's first care was to obtain planters
for the three himdred estates which
it wished to
lay
out on
St.
Croix.
English
colonists
from
Tortola and Virgin Gorda, who were acquainted
with the
greater
agricultural
possibilities
of
St.
Croix, were
easily persuaded
to move.
Efforts
were also made to get the better class of settlers
from the Island of Barbadoes.
The Company also
sent to Germany
for a few
families; but these
proved, in the words of Governor Moth, "anything
but satisfactory, the men being drunkards and the
women dirty, lazy and immoral."
The directors of the Company proposed to send
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
refugee debtors from Denmark to St. Croix, but
the
local
authorities
of the
islands were much
against this step; they did not think that this class
of colonists would prove satisfactory.
The survey of the island was almost finished
in
1735, but the
fort at
Christiansted was not
completed
until
1740.
The plantations,
as
sur-
veyed, were generally 3000 feet by 2000 feet, and
were sold at from 500 to 600 rix-dollars, for sugar
plantations, and at from ISO to 240 rix-dollars for
land suitable for the raising of cotton.
The latter
land, owing to its dryness, was, of course, of less
value.
Soon there was bitter discontent on the part
of the
colonists because
of the
restrictions and
monopolies
enjoined
by
the
Company.
The
planters
resorted to
all kinds
of subterfuges to
sell
their
sugar
to
ships
of
other
nationaUties.
Smuggling was carried on to such an extent that
the company was obliged to erect a fort at Fred-
eriksted to put a stop to the
illegal exportation
of produce.
The unrest of the planters was increased by the
severe hurricanes of 1738 and 1742 which caused
an enormous loss of property.
In 1748—^the year
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CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX
wheii
seiparate governors were appointed for
St.
Thomas and
St.
Croix,
St. John being included
with St. Thomas—^John Schopen was sent by the
planters to Copenhagen to inform the king of the
hardships which were laid upon them by the strict
rule of the Company.
Finally,
in
1754, King
Frederick V became,
convinced that the prosperity
of
St.
Croix was
likely to be entirely ruined by the methods em-!
ployed by the Danish West India Company, and
he resolved to take over the colony and put an
end to the existence of the Company by purchasingj
its holdings.
These were surrendered for 2,239,446
rix-doUars.
At this time there were 7,566 slaves
on the island.
From then
until
1917
St.
Croix was imder
direct rule of the Danish king, except during the
two short periods when the British occupied the
Danish West Indies.
It will be seen,
therefore,
that the earlier history of St. Croix was turbulent
and kaleidoscopic and that its prosperity cannot
be said to have begun until 1754.
Since then the
wise
regulations put
in
force by the
successive
Danish kings were responsible for making St. Croix
take rank as one of the richest islands in theAntilles.
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CHAPTER X
THE STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX
SLAVE INSURRECTIONS—FREEING THE SLAVE&-THE FIGHT
FORjUNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM—TEACHING THE NEGROES
TO WORK—QUIETING THE RIOTERS OF
1878—DEALING
WITH-DISGRUNTLED LABORERS—IMPROVING INDUSTRIAL
CONDITIONS-PROSPERITY AND INCREASED WAGES—GIV-
ING THE NATIVES THEIR DUE—PHYSICAL FEATURES OF
THE ISLAND—REMARKABLE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL
11 LTHOUGH the
planters on St. John suf-
/ %
fered in 1773 from the consequences
of
^
JLthe stem measures
in force against the
oflFenses of negro slaves, the settlers of
St. Croix
do
not seem
to have
profited by
this
lesson.
In 1746 an incipient revolt broke out on the latter
island, but
this was
quickly put down, mainly
through the efforts of a free negro who was instru-
mental in subduing the rebels.
In 1759, however,
a more serious affair took place when a larger num-
ber of Africans made plans for wholesale desertion.
This revolt was also brought to a speedy conclu-
sion when the conspiracy was discovered, and the
most agonizing tortures were inflicted upon those
who had taken part.
Some of the negroes, and
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STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX
these
the
more
fortunate,
were
hujig;
others
sufifered torture for from one and a half minutes
to ninety-one hours.
It must be remembered,
however,
that
the
treatment given to the Africans on the Danish
islands was no worse than that meted out to slaves
on the islands belonging to other nationalities, and,
further, that -this cruelty reflected the times.
As early as 1792 the king of Denmark declared
further slave trade unlawful.
For a time the edict
did not put a stop to the traffic, but it was not
long until importation of slaves was ended.
In 1847 laws were passed for the future eman-
cipation of
all slaves in the West Indiei^
These
laws were modeled after those passed in 1838 in
the British colonies.
Their substance was that all
children born
of slave parents were to be
free,
and that all who were slaves at the time of the
publishing of the law were to become free after
a number of years, when they had passed through
"an apprenticeship period."
In the Danish West
Indies the fact that this period was to last twelve
years was the cause of great discontent among the
slaves,
for they
naturally wished
to gain
their
freedom immediately.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
To voice their discontent the St. Croix Africans
planned a revolt throughout the island.
On July
2, 1848, at an understood signal, the laborers on
the estates rose in arms and most of the terrified
inhabitants of the towns took refuge on vessels
in the harbors.
A body of some three thousand
.
slaves marched to
Christiansted and demanded
their unconditional freedom.
Upon being told by
the commander of the fort that the governor of
the island was absent, and that he had no authority
to grant
their demands,
the
rebels sacked and
destroyed a number of government offices, but left
private residences untouched. The governor finally
arrived, and, after a short delay, proclaimed to the
assembled negroes from the battlements
of the
fort that the unconditional freedom they sought
would be given them.
A
general
dispersal
fol-
lowed and the Africans retired to the estates of
their former owners.
At a late hour the following night the rebels,
drunk with
their new-found freedom, made an
attempt to enter the town.
They became
dis-
orderly, and
it was found necessary to discharge
into their midst a cannon loaded with grapeshot.
The shot caused the death of several of the former
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STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX
slaves.
The
negroes
were
so
angry
that they
scattered
over
the
entire
island
and
began
a
systematic destruction
of the estate houses and
factories and a wholesale plunder of their contents.
No murders were committed, thanks to
thie fact
that the planters had sought refuge, with
their
families, in the protected towns of Christiansted
and Frederiksted;
if the whites had been in the
country-side, it is more than Ukely that a general
massacre would have followed.
The
authorities were now forced to send to
St. Thomas for aid.
This was promptly dispatched
and
Frederiksted was
soon
defended by
three
hundred men, while a thousand soldiers and militia
were
stationed
at
Christiansted.
Upon
seeing
that the total destruction of
all the estates was
imminent, the leaders decided to march on the
rebels
and
end
the
insurrection.
Because
the.
negroes were scattered over the entire island,
it
was feared that it would be a difficult matter to
carry out the program.
But the junction with
the Danish forces of a body of five hundred Span-
ish troops, sent over from Porto Rico, simplified
the problem.
Later a junction was
eflFected be-
tween
the
troops from
Frederiksted and
those
13
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;
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
from Christiansted.
The leader of the rebels was
captured and a number of negroes were shot.
For a long period the liberty of the Africans
proved to be an unsettling factor in the economic
life on the Jsland.
It was ;iecessary to pass laws
to force the former slaves to work, for apparently
they were imder the impression that work was no
longer
necessary and
that
their former owners
were now obliged to provide them with
all the
necessities of life.
\ When the governor announced
the freedom of the slaves one of the stipulations
of the proclamation was that
all old and infirm
negroes were to be provided for by their late owners.
This
stipulation did not apply to those
of the
younger generation who were able to work, though
it was not an easy matter to persuade them of
the fact.
In time, however,
all these
diflSculties
were
overcome.
The
little
plots
of
ground,
which had been allotted to the freed negroes on
the
estates
of
their
owners,
were
taken away
from them when they refused to till them, so that
the
Africans came
to
reaUze
that
imless
they
worked starvation stared them in the face.
But the unfortunate island of
St.
Croix was
not yet to enjoy a peaceful existence.
In 1852
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STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX
another riot broke out, this time in Christiansted
itseK.
The beginning of the trouble was that the
negroes, for some reason, were forbidden to hold
their customary dances at Christmas time.
When
this order was disregarded, an over zealous officer
of militia saw fit to order his men to fire a volley
into the midst of the rebels, a number of whom
were killed.
The governor did nojt find it easy to
convince the laborers that the act was unauthor-
ized.
The officer was severely punished and the
miUtia corps was disbanded.
From 1852 to 1878 there were no differences
of moment between the planters and their former
slaves.
During this period of quiet a labor act,
which provided for the proper treatment of the
workmen, was responsible for increased prosperity
both for the estate owners and for the; laborers.
But in 1878 a rumor was circulated in the agri-
cultural districts of St. Croix that the act was to
be repealed and that other laws to the disadvantage
of the laborers were to be put
into
effect.
In
consequence
of
this
riunor,
there was
another
revolt.
The result was the almost total destruc-
tion
of
one-third
of
the town
of
Frederiksted.
Stores and houses were looted and then set on fire.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
After a night
of
rioting an
ineffectual attempt
was made by the
laborers to capture the
fort.
Next the rioters sought the agricultural districts,
where they began a systematic destruction of the
estates west of Christiansted.
Five days
later the
riot was
suppressed by
troops from
St. Thomas.
Assistance was offered
by the commanding officers of war vessels of the
United States, Great Britain and France, and aid
was also tendered by the governor of the (then)
Spanish island
of Porto Rico, who said that he
was ready to send three hundred men with two
mountain guns; but this help was not needed.
A few Danish soldiers were caught by the rioters
and
were
brutally
murdered.
Twelve
of
the
laborers were subsequently
court-martialed,
and
were sentenced to be shot. Many others were jailed.
Soon quiet was once more restored to the
island.
Since 1878, no further riots of this character
have taken place on St. Croix, yet conditions have
always been troublesome and even to-day there is
great
unrest among
the
laborers
of
St.
Croix.
Until the last day of its rule over the island the
Danish government found it necessary to maintain
a considerable body of men in the forts of Christian-
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STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX
sted and Frederiksted, and to patrol the island with
an
efficient corps
of
gendarmerie.
Strikes
have
taken
place on
different
occasions, and the
St.
Croix laborer has always been ready with veiled
threats to burn the properties of the sugar planters.
"What these threats meant can only be
realized
by those who know that the owner of a cane field
is in a constant state of anxiety because of
its
inflammability.
A
cigar
inadvertently dropped
along the edge of the field may result in the de-
struction of thousands of dollars' worth of sugar
cane before the fire can be checked, especially on
a windy day.
"ip
During recent years the editor of one of the
local papers formed a labor union on
St.
Croix.
This editor is seeking to better the conditions of
the negro and hopes soon to start an industrial
school on
the
island modeled
after Booker T.
Washington's
Tuskegee Normal and
Industrial
Institution.
There is a great opportunity for such
work as is planned by him, for it must be admitted
that, in spite of the contentions of the planters
to the contrary, the lot of the laborer on St. Croix
is not an enviable one and there are many condi-
tions which need a remedy.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Until January, 1916, the prevailing wage was
twenty cents per day, but the last strike resulted
in the increase to thirty-five cents per day for nine
hours'
work.
The
percentage
of
increase may
seem
large, but
it
should be remembered
that
many
benefits
which
before
the
estates
were
obliged to furnish, such as a plot of ground, the
privilege of keeping a horse or a cow, and medical
attention, are now withheld.
When sugar was low in price, as it was during
the
years
immediately
preceding
1914,
the
St.
Croix planters found it impossible to pay adequate
wages to their men.
These men would work but
five days a week, and, in the height of the sugar
crop, when everything depended upon constant
work, they had to be coaxed to work even this
length of time.
Since the increased price of sugar
has enabled the planters to continue the manufac-
ture
of
this product with a
better prospect
of
making a profit on their investment, the laborers
will probably be paid more for their work—^that
is, if they give better services for the money they
are supposed to earn.
It
has become
habitual
with many
of
the
planters to give their laborers a sinister reputation,
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STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX
but it should be stated that the latter are some-
times blamed for vices which were brought here
when the planters, desperate for laborers to save
their sugar crops, imported a lawless element of
negroes from some of the British islands to the
south.
The result was the acquisition of all the
rifif-raff who were too worthless to make a living
on
their
native
shores.
Naturally
they
have
helped to give the St. Croix native-bom laborer
a bad name.
Yet
it must be admitted that the
native of St.
Croix, imlike the St. Thomian and
the laborer on St. John, is not a good worker and
that he is apt to desire pay for work which he has
but half performed.
Digitized by Microsoft®
CHAPTER XI
THE CHARACTER AND THE POSSIBttlTIES
OF ST. CROIX
THE HURRICANE OP 177»-ALEXANDER HAMILTON'S FAMOUS
DESCRIPTION-SUGAR CULTIVATION AND SEA-ISLAND COT-
TON POSSIBILITIES-SUGGESTIONS FOR INCREASED PRO-
DUCTION—CATTLE RAISING AND PINE HORSES.
ST.
CROIX
lies
in latitude
17
degrees, 45
minutes N., and longitude 64 degrees, 45
minutes W.
The
island
is about
forty
miles due south from St. John.
The meridian of
64 degrees, 45 minutes W., cuts both St. John and
St.
Croix
almost
exactly
through
the
center.
Small
sailing
vessels trading between the
three
islands
are always
apprehensive
of the passage
between the two northern islands and St. Croix,
as unaccoimtably high seas will occasionally rise
without warning and these prove a decided menace
to craft of small tonnage.
Only one island lies off
St. Croix, Buck Island, a rocky cay with an eleva-
tion of about four hundred feet.
The island is twenty-two miles long and about
six miles wide in the center.
It supports a popu-
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CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX
lation
of about
fifteen thousand inhabitants,
of
whom fully ninety-five per cent, are colored.
Its
area is 84.25 square miles, so that it is more than
four times the size of St. John and about three
times the size of St. Thomas.
Only the northern part of St. Croix is moun-
tainous.
Mt. Eagle, near the northwestern point
of the island, having a height of 1164 feet,
is the
highest elevation.
The greater part of the island
south of the mountain range
is rolUng and the
extreme southern part
is quite
flat.
On the flat
portion there are a number of lagoons.
Several
rivulets find their way from the mountain slopes
to the south and west, while but one water-course
empties itself into the sea on the north coast.
In
the rainy season these rivulets become angry tor-
rents which seem only too anxious to break their
bounds and damage the crops upon their banks.
In the dry season they are hardly more than a bed
of pebbles, with here and there a small pool to
indicate that the bed is occasionally covered with
water.
But, even with these streams, the island
cannot be said to be well watered and a large part
of the south coast presents at all times a barren
appearance,
cacti forming the prevailing vegeta-
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
tion.
The rainfall averages 31.26 inches per year,
and the rainy months are May, September, and
October.
According
to
Dr.
Taylor's
work,
"Leaflets
from
the
Danish West
Indies,"
the
geological
formation of St. Croix is almost the same as that
of St. Thomas, although less of the blue-bit stone
and more of a fine grayish stratified slate is foimd
here.
The western part of St. Croix is formed of
tertiary
limestone.
The
southern
part
of
the
island consists principally of large limestone plains.
In spite of the somewhat scanty rainfall the
soil of St. Croix, throughout the island, is remark-
able
for
its
fertility,
with the exception of the
area bordering the south
coast.
The mountain
tops, which in pre-Columbian days were covered
with large forests, were burned bare during the
French
occupation
of
the
island and
are now
mostly covered with grasses of different varieties
which serve as fodder
for the herds that graze
there.
There are no harbors on
St.
Croix, and the
island
suffers greatly because of this lack.
The
contour of St. Croix includes practically no bays,
and there are dangerous reefs along the north and
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CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX
south coasts.
There
is no east coast, owing to
the fact that the south and north coasts meet in
a point, and the west coast is exposed to northerly,
southerly and
westerly
storms.
Thus
no
safe
anchorage for vessels can be foimd.
The climate is good, but
is warmer than that
of St. John and St. Thomas.
The statement has
been made that this
is due to the fact that
St.
Croix
lies
further within the
tropics; but
it
is
to be doubted if forty miles could account for the
variation.
It
is more
likely that the
profile
of
the
island and the
fact that
it
is not
directly
exposed to the north Atlantic, as are the islands
of St. John and St. Thomas, has a great deal to
do with this increase in temperature.
In former
days, because of its climate, St. Croix was a Mecca
for American tourists, and it should be a favorite
with them to-day.
Undoubtedly the climate
is
even better and more equable than that of the
famed Bermudas or Bahamas.
There are few mosquitoes on the island.
The
ubiquitous
sand-fly occasionally proves to be a
pest, but the attacks of this insect do not occur
often.
There
is but one variety
of snake, and
this is of a non-poisonous variety.
The sanitation
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
of the two towns is good, and of later years there
have been no epidemics.
Like the other Virgin Islands,
St.
Croix has
been frequently a sufferer from hurricanes.
Even
the
earlier records speak of these
disasters.
In
1772 no less than four hundred and sixty houses
in Christiansted and all the houses in Frederiksted,
with the exception of three, were destroyed.
The
sea rose seventy feet above its usual level, and all
shipping was driven ashore.
This was the hurricane which was so well de-
scribed by Alexander Hamilton in a letter to his
father.
The future aide-de-camp of Washington
and
Secretary
of the Treasury in Washington's
administration, was
at the time a
clerk
in the
counting house
of a merchant named
Nicholas
Cruger in Christiansted, and, though he was but
fifteen years
old, he was a marvel of ingenuity
and ability.
The letter attracted so much atten-
tion from admiring friends and
relatives that
it
was decided to give him the chance he longed for
to go to the United
States to secure a
college
education.
The letter
is worth quoting here, for
it gives a more vivid word picture of a West Indian
hurricane than does the average narrative:
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CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX
St. Croix, Sept. 6, 1772.
Honored Sir,
I take up my pen, just to give you an imperfect
accoimt of one of the most dreadful hurricanes that
memory
or any
records whatever can
trace,
which
happened here on the 31st ultimo at night.
It began about dusk,
at
north, and raged very
violently
till ten o'clock.
Then ensued a sudden and
unexpected
interval
which
lasted
about
an
hour.
Meanwhile the wind was shifting round to the south
west point, from whence
it returned with redoubled
fury and continued
till nearly three in the morning.
Good God ! what horror and destruction—it's impossible
few me to describe—or you to form any idea of it.
It
seemed as
if a total dissolution of nature was taking
place.
The roaring of the sea and wind—fiery meteors
flying about in the air—^the prodigious glare of almost
perpetual lightning—the crash of falling houses—and
the ear-piercing shrieks of the distressed were sufficient
to strike astonishment into Angels.
A great part of
the buildings throughout the island are leveled to the
ground—^almost
all
the
rest very much shattered
several persons
killed and numbers
utterly ruined
whole families wandering about the streets, unknowing
where to find a place of shelter—^the sick exposed to
the keenness of water and
air—without a bed to
lie
upon—or
a
dry
covering
to
their
bodies—and
our
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
harbors entirely bare.
In a word, misery, in its most
hideous shapes, spread over the whole face of the coun-
try. A strong smell of gunpowder added somewhat to
the terrors of the night; and it was observed that the
rain was exceedingly
salt.
Indeed
the water
is
so
brackish and full of sulphur that there is hardly any
drinking it.
In 1867 an earthquake devastated
St.
Croix
and caused enormous damage on St. Thomas.
The
town of Frederiksted on St. Croix was the prin-
cipal
suflFerer and the U.
S.
S. Monongahda, a
woodea cruiser with auxiliary steam power, was
taken up bodily by a wave which lifted it over the
tops of some coconut trees and deposited it a con-
siderable distance inland.
Later it was necessary
to dig a canal in order to float the ship to the ocean.
The last hurricane, that of October 9 and 10,
1916, did not do one-tenth as much damage on
St.
Croix
as
it
did on
St. Thomas, though
it
destroyed a number
of the
smaller houses and
unroofed some of the larger ones.
No shipping
was lost with the exception of the schooner Vigilant,
which was sunk in
Christiansted harbor, and a
few small sloops,
St. Croix
is essentially an agricultural island.
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CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX
Of the
total
acreage
of
51,913,
about
thirteen
thousand acres are devoted to the cultivation of
sugar and about two thousand to the raising of
sea-island cotton.
Grass, fodder and other kinds
of miscellaneous products are produced on about
thirty
thousand
acres.
Without
irrigation
or
fertilization the island can' raise eight to ten tons
of sugar per acre, thus equaling what is produced
in Hawaii with
irrigation
or
in
Louisiana with
fertilization.
Should the estate owners become convinced of
the wisdom of using imported fertilizers on their
land and the government arrange for a system of
irrigation which could be installed at small cost
by damming existing water courses and digging
small canals, there is every reason to believe that
St. Croix would soon equal the record of the island
of Porto Rico by producing twenty-five to thirty
tons of sugar per acre.
Incidentally, the irrigation
system, if installed, would convert into land capa-
ble of
raising large crops of
this product great
areas which are now unsuitable for cane culture.
Another improved method to which little attention
has been paid, and which would prove of incal-
culable benefit to the
soil, would be a system of
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
crop rotation.
This would restore the fertility of
land worn out by too long use in raising but one
kind of produce.
There are three large sugar mills in operation.
These are the St. Croix Sugar Factory near Chris-
tiansted, the West End
Mill, half way between
Christiansted and Frederiksted, and the La Grange
Mill, two miles from Frederiksted.
These three
mills produce seven-eighths of all the sugar made
on the island, eight smaller estates manufacturing
tile remainder.
It has been estimated that, with
proper machinery and increased
cultivation,
St,
Croix would be capable of producing 100,000 tons
of sugar per year.
Yet in 1916 the sugar crop
amounted only to about 16,000 short tons.
In
1903, a record year, the total crop came to but
19,275 short tons.
Formerly St. Croix was famed throughout the
West Indies for the rmn produced in the
distil-
leries which were run in connection with the sugar
estates, and "Santa Cruz" nun commanded a
higher price than any other on the market.
But
of late it has been found unprofitable to continue
distilling, and attention is paid solely to the manu-
facture of sugar.
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CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX
Before the United States took over the islands,
the exporters were obliged to pay to the Danish
government
five per cent,
export duty on their
sugar.
In
addition to
this they had to pay a
considerable import duty when sugar was sent to
ports of the United States.
Now that the islands
have come under the American flag, a flat rate of
eight dollars per ton export duty is to be imposed
on all sugar sent from the island.
Of course when
the sugar
is shipped to New York or any other
United States port, no import duty has to be paid.
Thus the planters who export their sugar to the
United States pay much less duty than they did
before.
In
addition
to enormous
possibilities
of
St.
Croix for the increased cultivation of sugar-cane,
the
island
also
is
capable
of
greatly
increased
cotton production.
To-day the 2,000 acres devoted
to this valuable plant produce the finest cotton in
the
market,
the
long
staple
sea-island
cotton,
whose present value
is from forty to
fifty cents
per pound.
Cotton cultivation has been tempor-
arily abandoned owing to the diflBculty of shipping
the prodiict and the appearance of insect pests,
but it is thought that if the fields are permitted to
14
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
rest idle for a few years this last diflBculty will be
conquered.
Attempts have
recently been made
to grow
sisal (hennequin) on the drier parts of St. Croix.
Very likely this venture will prove successful, as
it has been found in other parts of the West Indies,
such as the Caicos Islands and the Bahamas, that
this fibrous plant appears to thrive best in the
less fertile districts and in sections where rainfall
is scant.
Efforts to raise bananas and other fruits
are also being accompanied by a fair measure of
success.
Many cattle are raised on the island.
Most of
these
are
used
for
drawing
the wagons
which
transport the sugar-cane from the
fields
to the
mill.
Thirty thousand acres are devoted to the
raising of fodder and for the pasturage of herds.
The island is also especially noted for the good
quality of the horses raised and a number of these
are exported to neighboring islands.
Thanks to
the importation of staUions from the United States,
the breed is constantly improving.
The influx of
a large number of automobiles has not succeeded
in making the St. Croix planter lose his pride in
his saddle or driving horses.
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CHAPTER XII
ON "THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
FBEDERIKSTED
AND
CHRISTIANSTED—THE
BUSTLE
OF
STEAMER DAY—ISLAND COMMUNICATION, STEAMERS AND
SAILING VESSELS—THE ROMANTIC STORY OF THE VIGILANT
—ALEXANDER HAMILTON. THE CHRISTIANSTED CLERK-
ROADS AND MOTOR CARS—THE RUINS ON THE SUGAR
PLANTATIONS—WHY
DEER
ARE
PLENTY—COLUMBUS'
TREE-GROWING OYSTERS—WHAT THE EXCAVATOR LEARNS
FROM KITCHEN-MIDDENS
THERE are two ports of entry on St. Croix,
Frederiksted and Christiansted.
Of these
two towns the former represents the com-
mercial interests of the island and the latter the
governmental interests.
Naturally, then, there is
more bustle around Frederiksted than one ever
sees around Christiansted, especially on "steamer
day," when the Quebec Line steamer calls on its
way
to
islands
farther
south
or on
its
return
voyage to New York.
Frederiksted, or West End as it is more popu-
larly called, has a population of about three thou-
sand.
It cannot, therefore, be said to be a large
town.
Yet, as it is the depot of eighty per cent, of
all the
island's imports and
exports,
it
does a
considerable amount
of
business and
the
large
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
warehouses
attest to the prosperity of the mer-
chants.
All cargoes and passengers have to be
landed here in lighters and in rowboats, for there
is no harbor, and the steamer must remain about
a half mile off shore.
The roadstead is exposed to storms from three
directions, the west coast giving protection from
easterly
winds
only.
In
consequence,
steamer
captains who anchor here are always prepared to
depart at a moment's notice.
They are especially
cautious in the hurricane months.
There are few ojd buildings in the town itself,
the
majority
of the
larger houses having been
destroyed in the laborers' riot of 1878.
There is,
however, a fort in which, until March 31,
1917,
a company of Danish gendarmes was quartered.
It
is only on steamer days that one realizes
the importance of this little town.
The one pier
of which the water front boasts
is then covered
with a swarming mass of laborers, boatmen and
lookers-on, anxious for a glimpse at the arriving
tourists with the
latest
styles from the North.
The
pier on the water-front suddenly seems
to
become one enormous warehouse with bales, bags,
barrels,
crates and trunks scattered everywhere.
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
But whereas, in
St. Thomas, a visitor
is greeted
by a grinning boatman and a porter who makes
up in willingness what he lacks in efficiency, the
atmosphere
in
St.
Croix,
generally
speaking,
is
charged with surliness.
No pleasant greetings are
given; indeed, the negroes one meets seem to scowl
at the stranger and resent his presence.
However,
their looks do them an
injustice,
for
it
will be
generally found that the native-bom inhabitant
of
St.
Croix
is
at heart good natured, and the
discourtesy one meets with
is due more to the
resentment of the people because of their condition
than to any evil intentions toward the visitor.
At the present time but
this one steamship
line,
the Quebec
Steamship Company,
calls
at
Frederiksted.
Vessels of this company
also
call
at
Christiansted
in
the
sugar
season, but
only
when the weather
is very favorable, so great are
the dangers incident to touching at the latter port.
There
is daily communication between Frederik-
sted and Christiansted by an automobile service
which transports the mail and carries passengers
for
six
dollars
the
round
trip,
Various
small
sloops lighter the goods landed at Frederiksted to
Christiansted and call at different places along the
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
coast.
These sloops also make occasional
visits
to St. Thomas.
The mail between St. Croix and
St. Thomas is always brought to Christiansted by
a small sloop which has a contract for this service,
except when
it is carried on the steamers of the
Quebec Line.
An
electric
light plant
is being
installed
in
Frederiksted and the little town will soon be illumi-
nated by
this means and the kerosene lanterns
which are now used will be abolished.
There
is
an ice-plant, but, as it has not been found profit-
able to run this, all ice is brought from the Chris-
tiansted factory by the automobile which carries
the mail.
Christiansted, or Bassin as it is more generally
known, is the oldest settlement on the island, and
has a population of about forty-five hundred.
The
town is built around a curving water-front with an
amphitheatre of hills in the background.
It has a
picturesque appearance, and this is heightened by
the old forts and churches which still remain.
Successive
hurricanes,
wars,
rebelhons
and
riots of the negroes are responsible for the fact
that only a few of the old residences are standing
to-day.
During the latter days of the Danish rule,
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
the governor spent six months of each year on St.
Croix and a handsome gubernatorial residence
is
found here, which
is said to be larger than any
similar house in the Lesser Antilles.
There are two forts in Christiansted, the Sophia
Prederika Fort, which is built upon a small island,
Protestant Cay,
in
the
harbor,
and
the Luisa
Augusta Fort, located on the mainland.
It was
to this latter stronghold that an intending traveler
who desired a passport was obliged to go when
Denmark ruled the island.
For his passport he
had to pay thirty-two cents
if he wished to make
a voyage to
St. Thomas,
while one
dollar was
required
if he planned to go beyond the jurisdic-
tion
of the Danish government.
Although the
amoimt demanded was so small, the tax on pass-
ports brought a considerable sum
of money to
the treasury, and incidentally prevented emigra-
tion of absconders or negroes who were in debt to
the estate owners.
Steamers seldom call here.
When captains do
decide to risk the dangers of the roadstead,
it is
always in fear and trepidation.
A circle of reefs
makes the entrance diflScult.
Even when a fair-
sized steamer has safely navigated the tortuous
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
channel of the reef,
it
is necessary to anchor by
bow and stem,
since there
is not enough room
between the rocks and the reefs to allow a vessel
to swing with the tide or wind.
Experts say that
it would be quite possible to blast away some of
the obstructions which make this anchorage unsafe
and to widen and straighten the entrance through
the outer reef.
If this should be done, Christian-
sted would undoubtedly become commercially the
more important port and the trade conditions of
St. Croixwould be bettered to an astonishing extent.
There is regular communication by sailing ves-
sels between Christiansted and Charlotte-Amalia.
Perhaps one of the most interesting of these vessels
is the old schooner VigUarU, wMch makes Chris-
tiansted her home port.
This ship, which is always
pointed out to visitors, has had a turbulent his-
tory.
"When built in Baltimore, in 1800, she was
named
the "None-such," and
sailed under the
American
flag.
She was
first employed
for the
carrying of slaves.
Local history still tells of the
days when the ship carried human cargoes and of
the
miseries
suffered by
the unhappy ^Africans
when some two hundred of them were confined
at one time in the small holds.
When slave trad-
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTH^LES"
ing became illegal, the schooner was sold to a St.
Croix merchant.
For some time it was a privateers-
man,
with
letters
of marque from
the Danish
government.
In 1825 the vessel was used as a man-of-war.
A Spanish privateer had caused considerable loss
to shipping by cruising in the waters around the
Virgin Island group and capturing many merchant
vessels.
The Danish government was unable to
stop this practice with the man-of-war that was
stationed here; the deeper draught of this vessel
made it impossible to pursue the small privateer
into the shallow channels in which it took refuge.
The
Vigilant, as the historic None-such had by
this time been named, was chartered by the Dan-
ish government and a crew of thirty soldiers was
hidden on board.
She cruised about in the waters
surrounding the
islands
until the privateersman
perceived
her.
Thinking he had found an easy
prize, the captain of the enemy vessel made ready
to
capture
the
schooner.
But
as
soon
as
he
grappled with her the thirty soldiers who had been
hidden in the
Vigilant's hold suddenly appeared
and turned the tables, killing the Spanish captain,
his officers, and a number of the crew.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Next the Vigilant was used as a mail schooner
between the islands.
She changed owners many
times.
Originally she was a topsail-schooner, but
was changed to a fore-and-aft schooner.
In the
hurricane of 1876 she struck the
reef
of
Chris-
tiansted harbor and sank, but was raised again
and was later used as a government packet.
Fi-
nally, in the destructive hurricane
of October
9,
1916,
the
Vigilant
was
again
sunk
inside
the
Christiansted
reef.
She was once more
raised.
To-day she serves in the humble capacity of a
cargo carrier in the inter-island trade.
A visitor to the island after hearing this long
story,
naturally wonders how
the
vessel
could
have existed for more than a hundred and seven-
teen years in West Indian waters, where the teredo
worm works quick destruction to all woods exposed
to the sea.
The owner of the Vigilant,
if closely
questioned,
will admit that parts
of the
vessel
have occasionally been renewed.
If he
is hard
pressed
he
will
frankly
confess
that
the
only
original part
of the vessel remaining
is a small
eight-foot piece of oak keel!
Christiansted prides itself upon having been the
home of Alexander Hamilton and the house where
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SCHOONER
VIGILANT
AT WHAKF, CHBISTIANSTED,
ST. CKOIX
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
he resided
is
still pointed out to visitors.
When
but twelve years of age he began to work as book-
keeper and general assistant to Nicholas Cruger,
who soon found that he had in him a helper on
whom he could depend.
Yet the clerk was not
satisfied, as appears from a letter which he sent
to a friend who went to America to study.
In this
letter he said:
I contemn the grovelling condition of a clerk, or
the like, to which my fortunes condemn me, and would
willingly
risk my
life, though not my
character,
to
exalt my station.
I am confident, Ned, that my youth
excludes me from any hope of immediate preferment,
nor do I desire it; but I mean to prepare the way for
futurity.
... I shall conclude by saying I wish there
was a war.
Less than a year after this letter was written
Mr. Cruger went to New York, leaving his business
in the hands of the young clerk.
He had been
absent only a few weeks when the boy wrote to
the captain of the sloop Thunderbolt a letter which
showed that Mr. Cruger's confidence in his clerk
was well merited:
Herewith I give you all your despatches, and desire
you will proceed immediately
to
Curacoa.
.
.
. You
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
know
it
is intended you shall go from thence to the
main for a load of mules, and I beg if you do, you'll
be very choice in the quality of your mules, and bri^g
as many as your vessel can conveniently contain—^by
all means take in a large supply
of, provender.
Re-
member, you are to make three trips this season, and
unless you are very diligent you will be too late, as
our crops will be early in.
... I place an entire reli-
ance upon the prudence of your conduct.
The
persistent
seeker
after old
furniture on
St. Croix is sure to be rewarded with valuable finds.
Here, as on St. John, the cabinet maker of former
days seems to have taken a delight in his craft
and turned out pieces which could vie with those
from any
part
of the
world.
The
objects
are
generally made of Santo Domingan mahogany and
are
exquisitely carved.
Many a piece of rare crystal also may be dis-
covered
in
the
dilapidated
negro
cabins.
A
specialty of the island
is the old liquor case, a
polished mahogany box with compartments for a
number of square cut glass bottles which speak
eloquently of the rare old wines imbibed by the
forefathers of the present planters.
It would be difficult to say whether St. Croix
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTH^LES"
would appear more attractive to a visitor than
St. Thomas or St. John.
While St. Croix lacks the
magnificent grandeur
of the
seascapes and
the
wild beauty of the mountains possessed by
St.
Thomas and
St.
John,
it
presents a
far more
orderly appearance, with
its straight roads and
its vast areas
oif cultivated land.
The island
is
laid out with parallel roads, intersected by other
roads running at right angles, and the more level
portions
present
the
appearance
of
a
checker
board.
Excellent
macadamized
roads
provide
good facilities for motoring and are fringed with
coconut trees.
In all, there are about one hun-
dred miles of good roads on the island.
There are
also a few short lines of narrow gauge railroads,
which are used to collect sugar cane and to carry
this to the mill.
Of late years this transportation
is being done on one estate by motor truck, and
it is likely that this sort of vehicle, so much more
eflficient than the ox-carts now in use, will speedily
come
into
popular
favor.
Motor
cars
can
be
hired at the rate of twenty cents per mile, and
there
are a
large nimaber of these conveyances.
But
a
visitor who
would
see
the
island
well
should hire a good horse and trap, for these
will
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
give him a better opportunity of taking
in the
varied scenes.
Noticeable in the landscape are the solid stone
watch-houses with roofs made of the same material,
resembling sarcophagi.
In these the guardians of
the fields were stationed day and night to prevent
the setting of fires to the cane fields, and to give
warning to the estate owners when fire broke out.
At the sound of the alarm all laborers on the estate
would come together to extinguish the fire before
the
entire crop should be destroyed.
Only the
proprietor of a sugar-estate can tell most effectively
of the dangers of fire in a field of sugar-cane. Where
avisitor to a plantation sees onlya peacefullywaving
field of green and brown
stalks, the owner
will
have mental visions of an all-devouring fire, going
through his agricultural wealth with the speed of
an express-train, jumping from one field to another,
transforming live plants into charred stumps with
but a mocking semblance to their former luscious
stalks.
Sugar-cane, when
ripe,
is
one
of
the most
inflammable things in the world.
Under the stalks
there is always an accumulation of trash and dried
wisps of the blades of the cane, which act
like
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
tinder when a spark falls on
it.
For this reason,
throughout the West Indies, all locomotives, when
passing through areas where cane
is
cultivated,
are
provided
with
spark-arresters
upon
their
funnels.
If a
fire, once
started,
is not checked
immediately,
there
is
little hope
of saving the
field
in which
it
originated, and there
is every
possibility that
it
will spread throughout every
cultivated area of the
estate and even through
those
of
neighboring
properties.
Sometimes
a
disgruntled laborer
is responsible for such a
fire,
and woe betide him
if he
is caught in the act of
setting fire to a field.
Dire indeed are the penalties
for this crime.
Strange to say, the laborers of
St. Croix are
well pleased when a sugar-cane
fire takes place.
The reason for this is two-fold.
In the first place,
cane that has been damaged by fire still retains a
certain amoimt of juice, and if it is cut and taken
to
the
mills
for
grinding
within
three
days,
a
reasonable amount of juice can still be extracted.
After three days, the juice begins to ferment in
the stalk and is valueless.
The laborers, knowing
that the cane must be cut immediately, generally
take the opportunity of demanding extra pay, and
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
the owners of the
field are obliged to grant the
increase or else lose the entire crop.
The second
reason for the laborers* satisfaction in case of fire
is that a burned stalk of sugar-cane is far easier to
cut than a green, live stalk.
The
watch-houses
provided
for
the
use
of
those who guarded against fire in the cane fields
were supplied with loop-holes for muskets, so many
of them proved a good defense against revolting
Africans in the days of rebellions and riots.
Brick
chimneys of former sugar estates and the remains
of old wind-mills also remind the visitor of the
fact that sugar at one time was king of the island.
Very few "great houses" remain on St. Croix,
although ruins of these are plentiful.
Biilowminde
and Havensicht still exist to tell of the pomp and
circumstance in which the former planters lived.
These
houses
are
beautifully
located about
six
hundred feet above sea level.
Other large plan-
tations
are Concordia and the Princess
Estate.
An excursion to any one of these will well repay
the tourist who seeks for information as to the
manners and customs on the island
in
the
eigh-
teenth century.
There is good hunting on St. Croix for fallow-
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
deer, which are found here in large numbers.
In
fact, there are so many of these animals that they
do a great deal of damage to the produce patches
of the humbler class of agriculturists.
For this
reason deer are not protected, but may be hunted
at all seasons.
Venison
is sold almost every day
in the local markets.
The animals have multiplied
rapidly since they were first introduced.
They are
found in larger numbers on the north coast than
elsewhere.
The unprepared visitor who happens
to be walking through a field is sometimes startled
by the sudden appearance of a deer which, upon
seeing the
intruder,
will beat a hurried
retreat.
There is also good pigeon and duck hunting, while
splendid fishing and bathing may be enjoyed by
the lovers of these sports.
On the north coast of St. Croix extensive Indian
remains are found on village sites which were at
one time occupied by the savage aborigines.
There
are so many mounds near the mouth of the Salt
River that
it seems
certain the pre-Columbian
inhabitants had here a village of considerable size.
These mounds are located at the very edge of the
sea, due south from the reef which
is some half
mile distant from the shore line.
They consist for
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
the most part of the large conch and oyster shells
which are so typical of these islands.
When
Columbus
reported
to
his
Spanish
masters upon the wonders of the West Indies, he
laid special stress upon the fact that he had seen
oysters
growing on
trees.
The
explanation
of
this seemingly incredible phenomenon
is simple,
as any
visitor to the West Indies knows.
The
shores of brackish lagoons in these latitudes are
always fringed with mangrove trees, whose over-
hanging branches take root in the water until the
bush finally resembles the leaf-covered ribs of an
umbrella.
Upon these branches the young oysters
(Ostrea Virginica) find a hold.
At length the parts
of the tree that are submerged at high tide are
completely
covered
with
the
moUusks.
The
Indians who
inhabited
the
Salt
River
district
seem to have been especially fond of this sort of
food.
The work of excavating in the St. Croix deposits
was
far
easier than
in the
similar
deposits on
Magens Bay on St. Thomas.
Practically no roots
of destructive trees were found, as the vegetation
around the mouth of the Salt River was
scant,
owing to the intense heat and the saline moisture
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REEF AT MOUTH OF SAI/T HIVDK,
ST. CEOIX
HOOTS OF MANGROVE TREES, WITH OYSTERS, SALT HIVER,
ST.
CROIX
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ABORIGINAL POTTERY VESSEL AS FOTJND IN
THE EARTH, SALT HIVEE,
ST. CROIX
TYPICAL OLD WATCH HOUSE ON SUGAR ESTATE,
ST. CROIX
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
of
the atmosphere.
In
fact
one wonders why
this region should have been chosen for a residence
by the aborigines, since it is one of the portions of
the island where the most intense heat is found.
The expedition sent out by the Museum of the
American Indian, Heye Foundation, of New York
City, was
especially fortunate
in excavating
in
these deposits a number of entire vessels which
were found buried in the debris of the mounds.
It was necessary to use the utmost care in removing
a vessel from the trench, so that the uncovering
of one of these was generally undertaken only by
the leader of the expedition.
It was impossible
to tell beforehand if the roots of the smaller bushes
here had developed cracks in the vessels during the
centuries that the fragile specimens had awaited
the coming of the archeologist.
Frequently a bowl
would
fall
into numerous pieces on being lifted
from
its
matrix.
But
the
accident was by no
means irretrievable; the pieces would be packed
together carefully and upon their arrival
at the
Museum in New York they would be cleaned and
put together in such a manner that the breaks
became practically invisible.
Not only
are
pieces
of
entire
vessels
saved,
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
but
the
hundreds
of
postsherds
found
in
the
deposits are "matched" as far as this is possible
and are afterwards mended.
At times surprising
results are obtained.
Occasionally the excavator
wiU find a fragment in one place and a piece of
the same bowl some fifteen feet away.
The expla-
nation is that when an Indian woman broke one
of her cooking pots she would throw the pieces in
the refuse heap back of her hut.
Naturally, the
pieces would fall in different places.
After years
of
practice,
the
archeologist
develops
a
good
memory for the fragments he excavates.
He men-
tally classifies these by their color and the thick-
ness of the ware, and often he is able to reconstruct
a bowl out
of perhaps twenty
different
sherds.
This "matching" should be done first in the field,
and once again after the museum is reached.
The
Virgin Island sherds were washed as they came
out of the kitchen-middens and then were placed
in the sun to dry.
Not only are postsherds found
in
the
deposits,
but broken
stone
implements,
stone beads, shell and bone pendants, bone awls,
et cetera, are among the hundreds of objects that
enable the archeologist to gather his data on the
aboriginal inhabitants.
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"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES"
Perhaps the most important item of all is the
examination and
identification
of the
shells and
animal bones that are found.
All animal bones
are preserved and are sent on to various zoological
experts for identification.
The shells also are saved
and ultimately are identified by conchologists.
After all this has been done,
it
is possible to
tell
quite
accurately
just what
constituted
the
diet of those who
lived
in the ancient
villages.
It was found in St. Croix that the principal shell
food of the Indians consisted of the oyster (Ostrea
Virginica) and the conch (Strombus gigas).
In all,
more than
twenty-five
varieties
of
shells
were
foimd.
Of mammals, there were the bones of a
small, extinct animal, the isolobodon portoricensis
and a species of trichechus (sea cow) were found.
Of birds, the Indians appear to have consumed the
puffin, the booby, the yellow-crowned night heron,
the
gallinule, the crow, and a species of extinct
and
hitherto imknown
rail.
The bones
of
the
green turtle were also found, as were the remains
of eight diflFerent varieties of fish.
A number of
claws
of
the common,
light-colored
land
crab
proved that the aborigines did not despise these
animals in their dietary.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
But not only are the shells and bones found
in the kitchen-middens important as evidences of
the food of the Indians; frequently they are of the
highest
zoological
interest,
if they
belonged
to
animals now extinct.
There can be no doubt that St. Croix supported
a large aboriginal population.
There are village
sites like that of Salt River in many other parts
of the island.
Then the stone axes and other pre-
Columbian implements which had been picked up
by tillers of the fields, and are to be seen in almost
every laborer's cabin on the island, add to the
evidence that the population in pre-historic days
must have been far more dense than it is now.
To the tourist, as well as to the archeologist,
St. Croix offers pleasant possibilities in the way of
excursions.
The
island
has
been
aptly named
"the Garden of the Antilles," because of its lux-
uriant
vegetation.
The
wilder
element of
the
scenery of the other Virgin Islands
is noticeably
lacking, but St. Croix, with its myriad shades of
verdure, is a constant delight to the eyes of Uiose
unaccustomed to tropical vegetation.
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CHAPTER XIII
A VISIT TO THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
BUCCANEERS AND REBELS—A RULER WHO IS JACK-OF-ALL-
TRADE&-TORTOLA AND THE SURROUNDING CAYS—WHY
THE SAILORS OP JOST VAN DYKE DROWN—VICTIMS OP THE
PROPRIETORS—THE ATTRACTIONS OF TORTOLA—THE DI-
VERTING STORY OP AUDAIN—VIRGIN GORDA AND
ITS
PENINSULAS—ANEGADA. "THE DROWNED ISLAND"—MEN
WHO LIVE ON SHIPWRECKS
THE
early
history
of the
British
Virgin
Islands is shrouded in darkness.
There
is brief mention of the fact that these
islands were
first settled in 1648 by Dutch buc-
caneers who made them a base from which they
carried on
their
piratical
raids upon merchant
shipping.
It seems certain that Great Britain laid
claim to the islands as early as 1666 and has owned
them without interruption ever since.
But how
the sea-rovers came to lose these possessions to
the
British and what
class
of Englishmen
first
came to the islands, is not definitely known.
From 1666 until 1793 the islands appear to have
existed without any definite administrative organi-
zation.
Not
imtil
1773 was a court of
justice
created with a civil governor.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
In 1831 a plot was formed by the negroes to
murder the male whites, plunder the islands and
seize such ships as might be found in the harbors.
Their intention was to carry oflf the wives of their
former masters to Hayti, where they wished
to
join the citizens of this negro repubhc.
As in 1733
the government of the British Virgin Islands had
helped the St. Thomas authorities to suppress the
rebeUion on St. John, the Danes now reciprocated
by dispatching a man-of-war to Tortola in order
to intimidate the
rebels.
The presence
of
this
ship was suflBcient to subdue the negroes.
In 1867 a
legislative coimcil was given to the
colony.
Finally an ordinance, dated May 1, 1902,
placed the islands under the authority of the gov-
ernor
of
the Leeward
Islands,
they
forming
a
separate presidency.
The commissioner in charge
is usually a physician, as the presidency is too poor
to support a resident physician as well as a com-
missioner.
Besides being administrator and physi-
cian, he holds the offices of chief judge, recorder of
deeds, et cetera.
The line between the British and the American
islands runs from the north between Little Tobago
and Hans
Lollik; from
thence
to
the
channel
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VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
between Thatch
Island,
Tortola and
St.
John,
around the eastern end of the latter, and thence
through Flanagan Passage.
The total area of the British islands is about
fifty-eight square miles, and they consist of over
forty cays and islands.
They support a population
of a little over five thousand inhabitants, though
the number is constantly decreasing.
But few ships
call here and the only communication with the
outside world
is by
sailboat and by motorboat
from
St. Thomas.
Those who man these boats
are the finest seamen in the West Indies.
Their
familiarity with the currents in the channels be-
tween
islands, with the
reefs and other hidden
dangers, and with the baffling winds caused by the
surroimding moimtain tops, makes them the best
of boat-handlers.
The climate of Tortola and of the other British
Virgin
Islands
is
especially
good.
At
times
the
days
are
quite
cool, for
the
temperature
frequently
ranges
as
low
as
sixty-five
degrees
Fahrenheit.
That the trade of the islands is of httle conse-
quence may be judged from the fact that in 1914
the
only
export
worth
mentioning was
35,201
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
pounds of cotton.
The imports in 1915 amounted
to $41,132, and the exports to $32,805.
The origin of the name of the island of Tortola,
meaning
"turtle-dove,"
is unknown.
It seems
more than likely that the early Spanish discoverers
gave it that name, but it is difficult to understand
how
it survived from 1493, when the island was
first seen, imtil 1666.
Tortola lies in latitude 18 degrees, 25 minutes
N., and longitude 64 degrees, 40 minutes W.
It
is extremely mountainous, the highest elevation.
Sage Mountain, domiuating
all the surrounding
land with an altitude of 1780 feet.
It is shaped
irregularly, and is ten nules long by three and one-
half miles wide.
Of its 13,300 acres, one-fifth were
under cultivation
in
1815, but
it
is doubtful
if
to-day more than one-twentieth
of the land
is
tilled.
The island is surrounded by a number of cays
of which the largest are Jost Van Dyke, Norman
Island, Peter Island, Beef Island, Guano Island,
Great Camanoe Island and
Scrub
Island.
Jost
Van Dyke, which was named for one of the leaders
of the Dutch buccaneers who first settled here, is
the most prominent of these cays, having a peak
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with an elevation of 1070 feet.
It is inhabited by
some three hundred and
fifty
settlers, who
are
even better boatmen and fishermen than the other
inhabitants of the British Virgin Islands.
It
is
said
locally that they
are ^o confident of
their
abiUty as sailors that they have never taken the
trouble to learn to swim.
So, whenever there
is
a mishap
to any boat from
these
islands,
the
members of the crew who are natives of Jost Van
Dyke are the ones drowned.
Tortola has the same geological formation as
St. John.
It
is very
fertile in parts, but
is not
well watered, there being but one rivulet.
Limes,
oranges, and other fruits are grown.
The vendors
of these products go to the markets of Charlotte-
AmaUa.
There the local merchants, knowing that they
are obliged
to
sell
their
fruits
before
these
be-
come
spoiled and that
Charlotte-Amalia
is
the
only place where a sale can be made, offer them
very low
prices
in comparison
with
the
prices
given for the same products raised on St. John and
St. Thomas.
The unfortunate Tortola islanders
are bound
either
to
accept these
prices
or
to
throw their produce away.
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Other products which find a ready sale on St.
Thomas are charcoal, which is burned by the men,
and
is carried to market in small sailing boats,
and drawn work, in the making of which the women
are quite expert.
Another industry
is being developed by the
planting of coconut groves, and it is possible that
these groves may prove to be a saving factor ia
the economic
life of the island.
In 1904 experi-
ments were conducted
for
the growing
of
sea-
island cotton, but for some reason these experi-
ments were not very successful and the expecta-
tions of an island-wide cultivation of the cotton
plants did not materialize.
There are a number of bays, of which Koad
Harbor is the most important.
While this bay is
exposed to the southeast,
it is protected from all
other sides by an amphitheatre of lofty hills.
Here
as many as three or four himdred sailing vessels
used to assemble to await the coming of a convoy
of men-of-war to protect them on their homeward-
bound voyage, and in those days, Tortola was a
place
of considerable
traflSc.
A number of old
forts still bear evidence of those days of prosperity,
when it was found necessary to protect the ship-
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ping that took shelter here from the raids of buc-
caneers and privateersmen.
Some four thousand people live on the island.
Most of these are scattered through the moun-
tains, only about four hundred being found in the
settlement
of
Roadtown.
This
village,
which
stands on the southwest shore of the bay,
is sur-
mounted by the ruins of Fort Charlotte, situated
on a spur of the main mountain range, 940 feet
high.
But for the commissioner's residence and
the custom house, the place would be nothing ipaore
than a
collection
of fishermen's huts with here
and there the ruins of large houses to tell of the
former importance of the town.
At one time Roadtown was the scene of many
condemnation proceedings of captured privateers
and
freebooting
craft.
Such
vessels
were
fre-
quently brought to Tortola by British
cruisers.
These sales contributed in no inconsiderable degree
to the resources and prosperity of the town.
An
attempt to add to this prosperity was made when
the British proclaimed Tortola a free port, in the
effort
to
keep
pace
with
the
development
of
Charlotte-AmaUa on St. Thomas.
The only regular communication between Road-
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
town and the Virgin Islands of the United States
is by a small sloop which goes to Charlotte-Amalia
once a week to get the mail.
A voyage on this
sloop can be recommended heartily for those who
are not afraid of roughing it and who care to enjoy
a pleasant trip through the channels among the
islands.
Directly across Road Harbor Bay, on the east-
ern
side,
lies the small and scattered settlement
named Kingston.
A short distance from Roadtown are the Bo-
tanic Gardens, as well as the Experiment Station
where
attempts
are
being made
to exploit
the
agricultural
possibilities
of
the
British
Virgin
Islands.
At the west end of the bay are seen the
interesting ruins of Fort Burt. A number of other
ruined fortifications may be seen along the coast.
Ruined sugar estates are everywhere,
for on
this island, as on the Virgin Islq,nds to the west-
ward, sugar cane was at one time extensively cul-
tivated.
Good ponies are for sale or for hire on Tortola
and pleasant
rides and excursions can be made
all over the island.
The roads over the mountain
paths are of wonderful scenic interest and often
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VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
lead by precipitous
ravines.
No
visitor should
fail to take the road which leads by "Anderson's
Leap," named
in honor
of
one Anderson who
managed to land at the bottom of a ravine without
breaking his neck.
The hunting on Tortola
is very good, and a
yachting trip around its shores would be a source
of
great
delight.
A voyage
to Norman Island
will remind one of the days when buccaneers had
their hold on the Spanish Main.
On this cay are
a few
interesting
caverns,
called
the
"Pirates'
Caves," in one of which a chest of treasure was
once found.
No visitor to Tortola can escape without hear-
ing the story of a man named Audain who at one
time lived here.
Audain began life as a midship-
man in the British navy, but, finding this profes-
sion unprofitable, he became a clergyman on the
Virgin Islands.
Later he broadened his activities
by obtaining a license as an auctioneer and also
by building a schooner with which he engaged in
the profitable business of privateering.
If half of the stories told of Audain are true,
he must have combined courage with
cupidity
and hypocrisy with heresy.
It is said that at one
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
time he was conducting services in church when
he noted from his pulpit that a British man-of-war
was
pursuing a
privateersman.
Hurriedly
dis-
missing his congregation, he boarded his own vessel
in order to give chase.
The wind being light, he
made use of the large oars with which his schooner
was
provided
and
succeeded
in
capturing
the
privateer before the man-of-war could approach.
He was a great duellist.
It is said Jthat at one
time, after he had fired twice without success, and
while he was waiting for the pistols to be re-loaded,
he walked up to his antagonist, saying, "Some-
thing
between,
something
between,
good
sir;"
then promptly knocked him down with his
fist.
He finally wound up his varied life as a trader in
Hayti.
The
island
of
Virgin
Gorda,
or
the
"Fat
Virgin," as it was called by the early Spanish dis-
coverers, has never been able to lay claim to the
slightest importance.
It lies in latitude 18 degrees,
30 minutes N., and longitude 64 degrees, 25 min-
utes W.
The main part of the island is a rectangle,
two and one-half miles long by one and
three-
fourths miles wide.
One peninsula runs out from
the northeast coast in a direction almost due west.
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This peninsula is a half mile wide and four miles
long.
Another peninsula runs due south from the
southwest coast and
is three and one-half miles
long and a half mile wide.
The main body of the
island has one high mountain, the Virgin Peak,
with an elevation of 1370 feet.
The eastern peninsula ends in Pajaros Point,
a remarkable pinnacle rock.
The eastern coast of
the southern peninsula has been broken up by
some violent action of nature into immense granite
blocks
which
are
scattered
along
the
shores.
Between some of these bowlders there are large
pools which have the appearance of baths and are
erroneously attributed to Indian handiwork.
They
are, however, nothing but natural formations. A
continuance
of
this peninsula
is a small
island,
Fallen Jerusalem, which, because of the presence
of these same granite blocks, presents the curious
appearance
of a ruined
city,
this
illusion being
especially noticeable from a distance.
Many of
these blocks are from sixty to seventy feet square.
They appear to have been hewn out by giants and
rest the one upon the other in the haphazard order
so often found in such freaks of nature.
The
island
is
very
close
to
Tortola, Drake
16
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Channel being but four and one-half miles wide
between Virgin Gorda and Reef Island, the latter
lying oflF Tortola.
It is badly watered, there being
but two
small
wells
on
the
entire
island
and
absolutely
no
rivulets.
An
abandoned
copper
mine is pointed out to visitors, and there are said
to be gold and silver on the island.
The
total number
of
inhabitants
of
Virgin
Gorda is but 417.
The majority of these people
live in the small settlement called Spanishtown.
They make a precarious
living by raising vege-
tables and stock and the producing of charcoal
for the St. Thomas market.
Owing to its unpro-
ductiveness.
Virgin
Gorda
was
never
densely
populated, though
it was
at one time
fortified
because of its strategic position,
controlling as
it
does
the
channels
leading
to
the
other
Virgin
Islands.
The island of Anegada, the loneliest outpost
of
the
Caribbean
Sea,
lies
14
miles
due north
of Virgin Gorda.
It is situated in latitudelS degrees,
45 minutes N., and longitude 64 degrees, 20 minutes
W., and has a length of nine miles and a breadth
of from one to two miles.
The total area is thirteen
square miles.
In most places it has an elevation
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NORTH COAST OF
ST. THOMAS
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of but thirty
feet, and
its highest point
is only
sixty feet above sea level.
The Anegada coast has always been known as a
most dangerous spot for ships.
In the days when
St. Thomas was one of the busiest ports of the
West
Indies, Anegada had more wrecks
in two
years than those two dreaded
localities on the
American coast. Cape Race and Sable Island, can
now claim in thirty-six months.
Tides and currents
are nowhere in the West Indies as swift as they
are here and in few spots in the Seven Seas are
there so many reefs and hidden dangers.
Occasion-
ally mariners can hardly see the island owing to the
mist caused by spray which forms when the great
waves dash against the
cliffs.
This mist hangs
over the island and often hides it completely.
It
is from this fact that Anegada derived its Spanish
name, "Drowned Island."
Anegada
is
of
tertiary
limestone
formation,
over a core of volcanic origin.
It is covered mostly
with brushwood.
The numerous large salt water
lagoons are visited at certain seasons by thousands
of flamingoes, which come here during the rainy
season when their accustomed haunts on the Ori-
noco
River
in
South
America
are
inundated
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
and they must go elsewhere
in search
of food.
There are no rivulets on Anegada.
Water
is
obtained from two
curious water
holes named
"The Wells" on the northeast coast of the island,
but the inhabitants prefer to drilnk the rain water
which they catch in their
cisterns.
They make
use of the fresh water from The Wells for the cul-
tivation of crops.
These curious water holes have
a mouth from ten to twenty-five feet in diameter
and a funnel-shaped formation.
They are very
deep, and the surface rises and falls with the tide.
The water in them is not only fresh, but it is also
colder than the sea water.
Anegada was the first settled of all the Virgin
Islands and was a favorite resort of buccaneers
and filibusterers.
These imdesirable subjects were
driven oflf by two successive naval expeditions sent
out by Henry Morgan when this former buccaneer
became governor of Jamaica and waged relentless
war upon
his
erstwhile companions.
The buc-
caneers were then replaced by settlers who lived
on the booty saved from the ships wrecked here.
In fact, they made so much in this way that they
gave but scant time to
agricultiu-e or to stock-
raising.
In earUer days these wreckers did not
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VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
hesitate to murder the crews of the unfortunate
ships that struck on the island and they made no
effort to rescue the drowning.
These conditions have now changed, for severe
penalties are meted out by the Tortola govern-
ment.
The Anegadians
still have a tendency to
lay pilfering fingers on any unfortunate ship that
goes aground here, but there is no actual violence.
The island has poor agricultural
possibilities.
The four hundred and fifty-nine inhabitants are
all of them black or colored.
They raise a certain
amoimt of stock and vegetables, but spend their
time mostly in an anxious lookout for shipwrecks.
Most of their houses and huts are built from the
timbers and other remains of vessels that found a
last resting place on the island.
Numbers of the
wrecks are still to be seen on the surrounding reefs.
There
are
said
to be copper and
silver
ore
deposits on the island, but none of these are worked.
A quantity of buried pirate treasure
is also sup-
posed to exist here.
Many snakes and a poisonous variety of wasp
disturb
the
otherwise
peaceful
existence
of
the
inhabitants.
It is an interesting archeological fact that even
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Anegada supported a large aboriginal population
Numerous
deposits
of
large
extent,
consisting
mostly
of conch
shells, are found upon the east
end of the island and around the
shores of the
lagoons.
These
deposits
go
to prove that
the
Indians, even
if they did not come here for any
permanent settlement, at least
visited the place
to obtain a supply of shell food.
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CHAPTER XIV
HINTS FOR THE TOURIST
THE CLOTHING A MAN SHOULD CARRY WITH HIM—WHAT
THE WOMAN VISITOR NEEDS—WHY SILKS ARE USELESS-
ROUTES AND RATES OF FARE-HOTELS AND BOARDING
HOUSES-OTHER ADVANTAGES—THE LANP WHERE SOUVE-
NIRS ARE UNKNOWN
THE
tourist who intends to pay a visit to
the Virgin
Islands
naturally
desires
to
learn a number
of
facts
pertaining
to
them before beginning his voyage.
Perhaps the first matter on which information
is desired
is suitable clothing.
The male tourist
need have little difficulty here.
If he will provide
himself with the same underwear he is accustomed
to wear
in summer
in the United States and a
number of Palm Beach suits, he will find himself
comfortable under all circumstances.
Pith helmets
are not needed, as the heat of the sun is not great
enough to warrant the use of these clumsy contriv-
ances.
An
ordinary
wide-brimmed panama or
straw hat will
fill every need.
Stiff collars are, in
the daytime, out of place; the use of soft collars or
of shirts with rolling collars is recommended.
In
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
the
evening
warmer
clotlies
should
be
worn.
Either light flannels or light serge will oflFset the
chill which sometimes is felt at night.
The
tourist
should, by
all means,
take
his
evening clothes with him, as he will have many
opportunities
to
use
his
diimer
jacket
or
his
formal dress suit.
As to footwear, it will not be
found necessary to carry along anything more than
the usual supply.
White canvas shoes with rubber
heels will be found more satisfactory than buck-
skin shoes, for they are cooler and they are less
apt to be spoiled by the well-meaning but often
imskilful shoe-cleaners at the hotels and on ship-
board.
Leather soles will be found more durable
and less heating than rubber soles.
Another need
is a
light cravenette raincoat,
for this will be useful on rainy days.
A rubber
coat
is not recommended, since this
is
liable to
crack after a short sojourn in the tropics; all pre-
pared rubber goods have a short life south of the
twenty-third degree of latitude.
The tourist who visits the islands with the idea
of going in for hunting, boating or riding should
by all means bring light khaki clothes, which will
be found serviceable and will give good wear.
For
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BL.DEBEAHD S CASTLE AT TOP OF LUCHETTI S
HILL, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA,
ST. THOMAS
THE BAHBACK8, CHAHLOTTE-AMALIA
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IN THE MARKET PLACE, CHAHLOTTE-AMALIA
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HINTS FOR THE TOURIST
these sports, heavy boots are also recommended,
as the thorns and sharp stones will quickly destroy
the
lighter kind.
Bathing
suits should not be
forgotten if the visitor is a lover of this sport, for
which he can find every opportunity.
It
is more
diflScult to advise women tourists
as to the clothes they ought to carry with them,
but one word of advice may not be taken amiss.
Do not bring gowns made of silk.
Dresses of this
material will look all right for a time, but after a
few weeks they
will suddenly
split everywhere
they have been folded.
This
is another of the
mysteries of a tropical climate which many a visitor
has found out to her cost.
Plenty of washable
gowns and dresses, of linen and other like material,
will be found best for daytime wear.
Laundresses
on the island are experienced, careful and inexpen-
sive.
For the evenings gowns made of crepe de
chine, organdie, et cetera, will be best.
The next important question
is how to reach
the islands.
The Quebec Steamship Company has
a
fleet of three steamers under the British
flag
which
call,
approximately,
bi-monthly
at
St.
Thomas and
St.
Croix on their way from New
York to ports of the Leeward Islands.
The fare
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
from New York to St. Thomas
is $70 each way,
and the passage takes from five and one-half to
six days.
The largest ship of these three vessels,
the Guiana,
is quite comfortable.
The food sup-
pKed is good, while there are ample cabin accom-
modations and plenty
of deck room.
The other
two
vessels
of
this
line
are not recommended,
except to travelers who have no objection to rough-
ing it.
This is the only steamship company which
sails from New York direct to the islands.
Another way to reach St. Thomas is by taking
one of the two steamship lines which sail from New
York to Porto Rico.
Of these two lines, the New
York and Porto Rico Steamship Company has
larger steamers than the Red D Line.
Both are
under the American flag, and the vessels of both
are very comfortable and their owners take the
utmost pains to satisfy their patrons.
The New
York and Porto Rico Steamship Company has
three vessels on the New York to San Juan route
which leave New York on Saturdays and reach
San Juan Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morn-
ing.
The fare depends upon the accommodations
one selects, varying from $45 to $65.
In San Juan
one can connect with the inter-island steamer of
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HINTS FOR THE TOURIST
the Bull-Insular Line which makes a fortnightly
trip to
St. Thomas, leaving San Juan Thursday
night and
reaching
Charlotte-Amalia
the
next
Friday morning at daybreak.
The fare on this
little steamer for the night trip is $15.
While the
accommodations are somewhat cramped, they are
clean dnd the trip is of but eight hours duration.
The Cmrmen, a small motor vessel which has a
contract for the carrying of the mails, also con-
nects
Porto Rico
with
St. Thomas.
It
leaves
Fajardo
every
Friday
morning
for
Charlotte-
Amalia. A line of motor buses connects San Juan
and Fajardo, so that one
is not obliged to spend
the night in this village.
The entire trip does not
take over eight hours in all, being two hours from
San Juan to Fajardo and
six hours at sea from
Fajardo
to
Charlotte-Amalia.
This
cannot
be
recommended,
however,
as accommodations
for
passengers
are
limited to benches
in the
cabin.
Tke fare on this vessel is $10; but $5 extra must
be paid
for
the motor
trip from
San Juan to
Fajardo.
Two of the steamers of the Red D Line are on
the New York-San Juan route.
They leave New
York every other Wednesday and reach San Juan
251
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Monday afternoon.
From San Juan to St. Thomas
the same connections as those noted above have
to be made.
The other two ships of this company
leave New York on the intervening Wednesdays
and go direct to Mayaguez, on the west coast of
Porto Rico.
From there one can take the raiboad
to San Juan to make connections for St. Thomas
and the other Virgin Islands.
The fare on the
Red D
Line
is from $45
to
$55,
according
to
accommodations.
There
is a noticeable
lack
of
suitable com-
munication between the
diflFerent Virgin Islands.
One
is
occasionally fortunate enough
to
secure
passage on one of the Quebec Line steamers from
St. Thomas to St. Croix.
Failing this, it is neces-
sary to depend entirely upon sailboats and motor-
boats
for travel between
St. Thomas,
St. John,
and
St.
Croix.
It
is to be hoped that a small
steamer or motorboat will soon be placed in service
between the islands, with a government subsidy
for the carrying of mail.
Such a vessel should be
a profitable venture.
As recuperating resorts for invalids the Virgin
Islands unquestionably offer incomparable oppor-
tunities.
The climate in many ways is far superior
252
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HINTS FOR THE TOURIST
to that of the Bermudas and the Bahamas, and the
quiet life of the islands should be a favorable ele-
ment in the treatment of patients who go there.
The man who builds a large sanatorium on
St.
John should have a remunerative investment,
if
the place is well advertised and well managed.
The tourist will find two hotels in Charlotte-
Amalia and a number of boarding houses.
The
Grand Hotel, with about twenty-five rooms,
sit-
uated
directly
opposite
Emancipation
Park,
is
considered the better, although the Hotel Italia,
with abotit twenty rooms,
is also well spoken of.
Both hotels charge alike, according to accommoda-
tions, and are on the American plan.
The meals
at the Grand Hotel are served on a large covered
balcony which overlooks the
little park and the
wonderful harbor, and the mild climate and the
absence of mosquitoes make dining here a constant
pleasure.
The cooking in Charlotte-Amalia is renowned,
and the tourist is advised to come here prepared
to like the Creole dishes.
It may be said in general
of West Indian cooking that the native dishes are
far more wholesome and delightful than the con-
coctions that are sometimes provided by tourist
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
resorts with the claim that they
are American
dishes.
There
are,
of
course,
imported
meats,
camied salmon and many other canned
edibles.
But if the visitor is content with fish that was ahve
in the sea not more than one hour before it comes
on the table, with fresh native lobster more deUcate
in flavor than the far-famed coast-of-Maine variety,
with vegetables which, even
if unfamiliar to his
eyes and taste, are as toothsome as the kinds' he
s accustomed to eat up North, he cannot fail to
be pleased.
St. John has
practically no accommodations
for visitors.
For some time a boarding house was
kept in an historic old estate house at Leinster Bay,
but this was destroyed by the hurricane of 1916,
and
it
is doubtful
if
it will be rebuilt.
Limited
accommodations
for
visitors are to be had in a
small bungalow belonging to one of the inhabitants
of Cruz Bay.
While these are quite suitable for
the temporary stay of two or three guests, they
are not sufficient for a party of any size.
Both in Frederiksted and Christiansted there
are good boarding houses for visitors, with ample
accommodations and good
cooking.
Numerous
owners of the smaller estates are also willing to
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HINTS FOR THE TOURIST
take in boarders who care for the country
life of
the island.
There are excellent shops in St. Thomas, whose
prices
correspond
favorably
with
those
of
the
United States.
There
is also a good drug store.
In fact, a visitor will be able to secure practically
all he needs.
This is true also of St. Croix; but on
St.
John
nothing
is
obtainable.
On
both
St.
Thomas and St. Croix there are experienced physi-
cians, and trained nurses are available.
Practically no tourist souvenirs are obtainable
on the islands with the exception
of the native
baskets that are now produced on St. John.
This
lack
is perhaps one of the chief charms of a stay
there.
Elsewhere in the West Indies vendors of
rubbish and trash make life a misery to the tourist
by their clamorous solicitations.
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CHAPTER XV
DETAILED AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, SHIP-
PING AND BANKING INFORMATION
THE
facts presented
in
this chapter
are
quoted from government documents, in-
cluding
United
States
Commerce
Re-
ports, the United States Naval Medical Bulletin,
and the Special Agents' Report made to the De-
partment of Commerce on December 14, 1916, by
H. G. Brock, Philip S. Smith, and W. A. Tucker.
FOREIGN TRADE
Imposts
The
total value
of the
St. Thomas imports
during the fiscal year ended March 31, 1916, with
the exception
of machinery and material worth
$19,165 that was brought in for use at the harbor
works at Longbay, was $734,680, which was shared
as follows by the chief coimtries of origin: United
States,
$332,286; West
Indies,
$91,748;
Great
Britain,
$88,411;
Denmark,
$50,778;
France,
$13,286; the Netherlands, $12,601; and Germany,
$1,195.
Imports at St. Thomas constitute about
70 per cent, of the imports for
all three islands.
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DETAILED INFORMATION
Figures for the shipments to St. Croix, either direct
or via St. Thomas, are not shown separately.
The value of the principal
articles imported
into
St. Thomas
during the
fiscal
year
ended
March 31, 1914 (the year preceding the war), and
1916
(a
whole
year
under war
conditions),
is
shown in the following table:
Articles
1914
1916
Articles
1914
1916
Ammunition
.
.
. $6,718 $2,102
Breadstuffs
:
United States 6,562
1,919
Com
4,098
3,715
Apparel
9,470
5,575
United
United King-
States.
.
.
4,094
3,415
„-°"^<;
•
•
t'^»?
«'«l!
Com meal
.
.
.
7,437 10,153
United States 3,966
2,764
United
Beverages:
States...
7,43710,028
Coffee
3,818
2,863
pi„_.
West Indies
(a)
2,468
Wheat
^^}}^^
,io
^n^
(practicaUy
^Sijdl,!
1.840
jf"-'- iS"!?^
Geraaany..
861
^1""»"j
'
*
Boats, etc
2,935
1,338
^L^}^^ r,^c^
« «.,«
UnitedStates 2:000
599
^. ^^^-
' l'T„
I'lTL
Boots and shoes 14,632 14,504
R»ce
6,247
5,420
UnitedStates 13,751 11,662
Oemiany.
.
4,064
United King-
Nether-
dom
283
1,034
lands....
1,303
Breadstuffs:
United
Cereals, n.e.s.
1,314
1,634
Kingdom
815
4,770
United
United
States...
543
1,106
States
342
(.)
Not separately itated.
All Other
4,848
4,023
17
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Articles
1914
1916
Breadstuffs,
all other:
United
States
2,876
2,439
United King-
dom
1,262
1,450
Cement
3,671
6,339
Denmark....
2,269
5,626
United States
238
31
Chinaware,
crockery,
etc
3,075
1,671
Germany....
920
United King-
dom
865
951
United States
675
578
Coal
262,805 83,214
United
States.
.
. .262,805 82,013
Confectionery,
chocolate,
cocoa, etc..
4,792
5,548
Denmark
2,033
123
United States 1,217
1,612
United King-
dom
1,204
1,116
Dairy products:
Butter
17,98212,979
Denmark.. 14,871 10,408
United
States...
1,937
2,660
Cheese
7,308
5,072
United
States... 4,041
4,437
Germany..
2,049
129
Drugs
and
chemicals..
6,735
4,282
United States 3,907
2,534
United King-
dom
1,302
875
Germany
1,204
258
Articles
1914
1916
Fancy goods... 11,237
7,750
United States 6,296
6,625
United King-
dom
3,138
1,096
Fish,
dried,
salted,
etc. 8,080
5,840
United States 5,349
4,475
Denmark....
2,395
1,143
Fruits and vege-
tables, fresh:
Beans and
peas
6,651
7,308
United
States...
6,483
7,230
Other
32,43312,364
United
States... 28,921
5,064
West Indies 2,279
7,300
Fruits and nuts,
dried
2,317
1,506
France
2,080
36
United States
1,256
Glassware
12,799
6,800
Germany .... 10,831
United States 1,102
3,817
Denmark....
66
2,200
Gold, silver and
plated ware 1,443
526
United States
310
289
Hats and caps,
n.e.s
1,420
606
United King-
dom
1,263
420
United States
17
185
Lard,
animal
and
vege-
table
1,926 10,124
United States 1,706 10,122
Live
stock
(West Indies) 14,409 12,397
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DETAILED INFORMATION
789
274
474
Articles
1914
1916
Margarine
9,083
5,781
United States 7,212
5,043
Meats, smoked,
salted, etc. 1,667
7,807
Denmark
1,351
130
United States
7,652
Metalsandman-
ufactures of:
Machinery
.
.
1,765
United
States..
1,103
Denmark
.
187
Wire,pipes,
plates,
etc
18,984 10,364
United
Kingdom 7,918
2.899
United
States..
7,791
All other.... 21,957
United
States.. 14,817
3,787
United
Kingdom 4,749
Germany
.
.
1,405
Oils,
mineral
and vege-
table
21,136149,850
UnitedStates 10,253
7,286
Paints,
Colors,
etc
17,223
7,291
UnitedStates 10,955
1.453
United King-
dom
6,052^
5,430
Paper and paper
goods.....
8,996
7,627
United King-
dom
2,939
1,187
UnitedStates 2,497
3,688
France
1,446
816
6,741
8,250
2,681
185
Articles
1914
Perfimies, toilet
soaps, etc..
7,410
France
3,025
United King-
dom
1,413
UnitedStates
1,665
Preserves
12,646
United King-
dom
3.806
UnitedStates 3,271
Soap, common.
1,341
UnitedStates
1,123
United King-
dom
Spirits,
wines
and liquors:
Beer,
porter
and malt
extract.
. 15,104
Denmark.
. 10,743
United
King-
dom
2,783
United
States. . .
223
Brandy
1,552
United
King-
dom
527
France ....
420
Germany,
.
602
Gin
12,602
Nether-
lands.... 12,109
Liqueurs
1,341
France....
781
Rum
(West
Indies)
1916
3,207
2,096
491
505
7,524
1,340
4,262
7,471
739
6,465
10,145
9,353
683
107
1,150
807
343
10,099
9,662
427
268
5,848
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Articles
1914
1916
Articles
1914
Spirits, wines
Textiles:
and liquors:
Mixtures
3,689
Whisky (prac-
United
tically
all
K i n g -
from United
dom
8,657
Kingdom)
.
7,101
3,632
France
Wine
11,807
4,797
Tobacco,
and
France....
4,342
2,526
manufac-
United
tures of:
States...
63
401
Unmanufac-
Other spirits. 23,704 20,171
tured
7194
Westlndiesl7,06719,150
United
'
Germany .
. 4,403
States
5 230
Starch
3,050
2.029
Westlndies
(a)
Umted States 2,988
2,015
Cigarettes...
7,776
Straw and straw
United
goods (hats,
K
i n g
-
baskets,
dom
4,069
etc.)...... 28,986
7,772
United
United King-
States.
.
.
160
dom
5,173
3,542
Westlndies
(a)
United States
297
744
Cigars
8,851
Sugar
38,232
4,130
United
United States 6,133
4,023
States...
1,388
Textiles:
Westlndies
(a)
Cotton,
.
.
. .70,006 39,398
Wood and manu-
Uni.ted
factures of:
J"^°^"-.oQacoAnno
Lumber
34,783
utTted
United
States.
.
. 13,798 11,517
y^
, ^}^^-
'
' ®?'^S
Germany
4 614
101
Matches
1,005
Woollen.:.":
5,949
678
^P''"^^^--fl
United
Staves.
6,090
King-
United
dom....
5,473
664
,„
States...
265
Silk
2,432
829
^11 other n.e.s 1,555
United
United
King-
States.
. .
441
dom.
.
.
.
1,231
181
(a)
Not Hpsntely itated.
260
1916
1,670
639
992
14,461
4,027
10,434
5,268
2,577
45
2,501
5,029
158
3,926
4,707
4,334
2,224
772
4,846
4,213
8,873
3,292
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DETAILED INFORMATION
Exports
Complete statistics of exports from the Danish
West Indies were not obtainable.
Exports to the
United States in 1915 amounted to $273,625.
To
Porto Rico there were shipments worth $1,956,
For the preceding year the total to the United
States was $278,437, to Porto Rico $2,700.
Ship-
ments to the United States are shown, by articles,
in the following table:
Articles
1914
1915
Articles
1914
191fi
From St. Thomas
From St. Croix
Bay rum
$125
$146
Hides
$365
Cacao
107
Household
Hides and skins 6,723
6,641
efiPeets
421
Metal, old
663
MeUl. old.
.
$93
3,086
Margarine
375
Rum
2,449
1,511
Paper, straw.
.
.
900
Skins,
goat
Rum
167
70
and sheep
875
322
Sandalwood....
500
Sugar
262,736
259,963
Sugar
1,380
Tamarinds.
.
136
118
All other articles 1,978
212
Total.
. .$266,289 $265,786
Total.... $12,148 $7,839
Grand Total. $278,437
$273,625
MARKET FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
By far the largest number of the shoes worn
in the Danish West
Indies
at present
are the
products of American factories.
Before the war
in Europe stopped the regular
visits of
British,
261
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
French, and German traveling men, many shoes
were purchased from these countries.
The repre-
sentative of a British house still visits St. Thomas
and St. Croix on his way to St. Kitts, Dominica,
Guadeloupe, Barbadoes, and the other islands of
the Lesser Antilles, but for the most part the ab-
sence of commercial travelers from the Continent
and the prevailing high freight rates and scarcity
of bottoms have left the field almost entirely to
American shoe manufacturers.
Only one American firm, however, a New York
manufacturing
shoe
wholesaler,
is
aggressively
going after this business, and as a result this firm
sells practically
all the shoes that are being im-
ported to-day.
A few orders are placed through
New York commission houses by means of cata-
logues
sent out by
different
factories or whole-
salers in the United States, but there is scarcely a
store in either St. Thomas or St. Croix that does not
carry in stock a certain quantity of shoes bought
from this particular manufacturing shoe wholesaler.
There
are
without doubt
opportunities for other
American manufacturers to sell shoes in this market.
There are no
stores
selling shoes
exclusively.
Dry goods, notions,
shoes,
clothing,
furnishings,
262
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DETAILED INFORMATION
and, in some cases, groceries are all sold in a single
" general store."
With two exceptions they occupy
small one-room
buildings,
with no windows
in
which to display goods and with no modem inte-
rior
fittings.
Very
little
distinction
is made
in
stock arrangement, goods of one kind overlapping
into the next.
At present the stock in most lines
of merchandise is very low.
In St. Thomas espe-
cially every store possesses a heterogeneous
col-
lection of broken lots of shoes which were bought
a year or two ago.
In Frederiksted every one of
the
five
stores
that handle
boots and
shoes
is
owned
and
personally managed by
a woman.
Some idea of the extent of the business done by
individual retailers can be obtained from the state-
ment that two typical stores in the towns of Fred-
eriksted and Christiansted bought American-made
shoes in 1915 to the value of $3,000 and $3,400,
respectively.
These figures are somewhat higher
than the average for the
retail shoe business in
the Danish West Indies.
MARKET FOR TEXTILES
The imports of textiles amount to sUghtly less
than $250,000 annually, cotton piece goods form-
ing 75 per cent, of the total and wearing apparel
263
Digitized by Microsoft®
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
about 10 per cent.
The remainder is made up of
mixed
goods,
largely
cotton and
worsted
dress
fabrics of British manufacture, woollens, hats, and
caps.
Silks form a very unimportant part of the
imports, amounting to less than one-half of one
per cent.
The low earning power of the mass of
the population prevents the
sale of any appre-
ciable quantity of high-priced goods, and most of
the imports are the cheaper grades.
The United Kingdom
supplies most
of
the
cotton goods required on the islands, the customs
returns for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1914,
showing that 63 per cent, of the cottons used were
imported from that country.
The United States,
the leading competitor
for the
trade,
furnished
about 30 per cent., leaving a very small amoimt
for
other
nations.
Practically
all
of
the
finer
grades of white goods are purchased from British
manufacturers, as are the prints, while the United
States
furnishes
a
considerable
portion
of
the
ginghams, domestics, and khakis, and nearly
all
of the denims.
Next in importance to cotton piece goods
is
the
item
of
ready-to-wear
apparel,
the United
Kingdom and the United States supplying about
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DETAILED INFORMATION
90 per cent, of the total, with British goods lead-
ing by a slight margin.
Included in this classifi-
cation are all types of ready-made clothing, under-
wear, and hosiery.
The men's clothing is almost
entirely khaki and
drill, most of the
fine white
suits being made to order by
local
tailors.
In
women's wear suits are a very small part of the
dealer's imports, the native women making most
of their own garments and the white women pur-
chasing in the United States on their trips north,
through
friends,
or
from
catalogues
issued by
various firms specializiag in mail-order business.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICAN TRADE
One of the principal reasons for the relatively
small sale of American-made goods is the fact that
there has been no consistent and sustained effort
to secure the trade.
No American house sends a
traveling man to the islands, nor has there been
adequate representation of any sort.
During the
past two years
the
scarcity
of European-made
goods has forced importers to seek new sources of
supply, and attention has been directed toward
fabrics made
in the United
States.
In
several
instances connections have been established with
265
Digitized by Microsoft®
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
a New York commission house that acts as pur-
chasing agent for the importer, receiving the orders
and searching through the market for the mer-
chandise required.
This method works out very
satisfactorily in the buying of standard goods in
which the price factor
is the dominant
feature,
but is very undesirable in the purchase of colored
goods and fancies, in which color, style, and pat-
tern are the prime considerations.
That American manufacturers have not given
this market the attention it deserves is evident to
anyone who makes the most perfunctory investi-
gation of trade conditions.
Lines of American
goods
that
have
been
introduced
have
been
successful and are now accepted
as
standards in
their class.
TARIFF
In St. Thomas the import duty on all kinds of
commodities
is the same, namely, 6 per cent, of
the invoice value of the goods placed on board the
ship for exportation.
In St. Croix the tariff on boots and shoes
is
nominally 123^^ per cent, of the invoice value, but
certain other charges have been imposed, includ-
ing an "exchange tax" of 4 per cent, and an extra
266
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Photograph by William H. Bau
ON THE SHORE, CHAKLOTTE-AMALIA
Digitized by Microsoft®
Photograph by William T. Deniarest
TJ.
S.
S.
" ITASCa" in the floating dock,
ST. THOMAS
8THEET IN FRONT OF GOVERNMENT HOUSE, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA,
ST. THOMAS
Looking East from Government Hill towards Luchetti's Hill
Digitized by Microsoft®
DETAILED INFORMATION
tax of 25 per cent., based on the invoice value plus
the "exchange tax." A shipment of shoes with an
invoice value of $100 would thus pay a duty at
the St. Croix custom houses of
123^^ per cent, of
$130 ($100 plus $4 plus $26), or virtually an im-
port duty of 163^ per cent.
Whatever the country
of origin, all shoes enter at the same rate.
DOCKS AND OTHER PORT FACILITIES
St. Thomas Harbor
There are
six docks from which coal can
be
taken or upon which cargoes can be discharged.
Vessels drawing up to 31 feet can lie alongside any
of these docks.
There
is a
floating dry dock measuring 250
feet long and 70 feet wide.
Its maximum lifting
capacity is 3,000 tons.
Vessels which are not over-
weight and drawing 23
feet, with a keel of 300
feet or less, can be taken up.
The charge for dock-
ing varies from 60 cents to 90 cents per ton the
first day and for succeeding days it goes as low as
10 cents.
There
is also a repairing slip on which small
vessels (not over 250 tons) are taken at the same
rates.
The
facilities for general repairing are excel-
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
lent, there being many competent ship carpenters,
sailmakers, and riggers.
There is also a very good
machine shop and foundry.
Rock or sand ballast can be obtained for $1
per ton f.o.b.'
There
are many
lighters, owned by
various
companies, and the usual charge for a Kghter of
10 to 15 tons capacity, without labor, is $5 per day.
There
are many
stevedores who
are always
ready to make tenders or estimates for discharging
or loading vessels.
On account of the low rate of duty (6 per cent.)
ship's
stores
are obtainable
at nearly the same
prices as in the United States.
The principal im*-
ports at
St. Thomas
are
coal,
fuel,
oil, lumber,
and
general
provisions.
The
chief
suppliers
of
coal
are the West Indian Company
(Ltd.), the
St. Thomas Dock, Engineering & Coaling Com-
pany (Ltd.), and the Hamburg-American Line.
There
are many
large
warehouses,
both on
the wharves and in the town.
At the present time
a warehouse in the town can be rented for $25 to
$50 monthly.
This includes the store in front and
the private wharf in the rear.
All warehouses run
from the principal
street to the water, and the
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DETAILED INFORMATION
rent varies with the size.
They may be had from
about 100 to 400 feet long and with an average
width of 40 feet.
Water can be supplied either at the docks or
from water boats in the harbor, from which it is
pumped into the ship's tanks.
Rain water is used
exclusively, except by the West Indian Company
(Ltd.), which recently has drilled three wells, the
water from which
will be pumped
into
storage
tanks at the dock.
The price at present charged
for water is $1 per ton of 250 gallons (September,
1916).
The West Indian Company
(Ltd.), a
joint-
stock company with a capital of $1,680,000, with
domicile originally in Copenhagen,
is the largest
concern dealing intimately with the affairs of St.
Thomas.
Its new harbor works, coaling station,
and complements in Longbay promise to be, when
fully completed, the finest in the West Indies.
Formal annoimcement was made in the early
part of 1916 that the first large section of the com-
pany's extensive harbor works had been completed.
This covered the construction of new wharves to
the extent of 970 meters in length and the dredg-
ing of the water in Longbay Basin to a depth of
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
9.5 meters.
The wharves are provided with
all
modem
conveniences
for
fastening
a
vessel
alongside.
Ports on St. Cboix and St. John
In Frederiksted, the port at which
all boats
stop in
St.
Croix, there
is no protected harbor.
The boats anchor about a half mile from shore in
the open roadstead, and freight
is lightered each
way.
Passengers
are
transferred
by
rowboat,
operated by natives.
The wharf
is a substantial concrete structure
about 30
feet wide and extending 50
feet from
shore.
At this distance out, the water has a depth
of some 12
feet.
A hand-operated crane
is con-
veniently mounted on the wharf and
is
capable
of lifting one ton.
Wharfage
is charged
at Frederiksted
at
the
following
rates:
Hogshead,
10
cents;
tierce,
17
cents; barrel or bag, 4 cents; case, from
1 to 3
cents, according to size.
The crane may be used
free of charge.
The harbor in Christiansted
is well protected
from heavy seas, but the entrance is so filled with
coral reefs that the channel is tortuous and danger-
ous.
The boats of the Quebec Steamship Com-
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DETAILED INFORMATION
pany
usually enter the harbor during the sugar-
shipping season, but they avoid it at other times.
Since most of the
traflSc between the islands
is
carried on in small sloops, the harbor is adequate,
although
if a portion of the reef were removed a
greater degree of safety would be assured them,
as well as larger boats.
The
steamers
entering
Christiansted
anchor
some
distance out
in the
harbor,
lightering
all
freight.
The sloops, however, can tie up to the
wharf, which
is constructed along the same lines
as the one at Frederiksted and equipped with a
similar crane.
There are no wharfage dues at Christiansted,
but for the use of the crane there is a charge o'f two
cents a bag or barrel.
As the island
of
St. John has no commerce
except that which can be carried on in small sailing
boats, no harbors
or ports have been
built up
there.
This is a thing which could be done with
great ease
if commercial conditions warranted
it,
as there are many natural harbors that have deep
water and
are
well protected from
storms.
In
this respect, St. John
is perhaps better
off than
either of the other islands.
The most attractive
271
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
of
these
natural
harbors
is
Coral Bay,
which,
according to reliable authority, can be developed
into a harbor larger than St. Thomas and superior
to it in many respects.
The largest settlement on St. John is at Cruz
Bay, where there
is a wharf about 12 feet wide
and 30 feet long.
The water is 8 feet deep at the
wharf.
The bay is situated in the part of the island
nearest to St. Thomas and would afford an excel-
lent harbor for small craft, which might ply be-
tween the islands
if
St. John should ever again
become as populous as
it once was, or
if it were
to be developed as a tourist resort, for which it is
so well suited.
Teueoiiaph, Newspafehs, and Teixpronb
St. Thomas
is the headquarters of the West
India and Panama Telegraph Company
(Ltd.),
whose duplicate cables cover all the West Indies
and the west coast of South America, and connect
at Jamaica
with
cables
from
Europe
and
the
United States.
The cable rate between New York
and
St. Thomas or St. Croix is 50 cents a word.
Between the two islands the rate is 4 cents a word.
All the outside news comes over these wires, and
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g
ROAD IN FRONT OF CHRISTIAN S FORT AND TYPICAL ST. THOMAS CAB
CHARLOTTE-AMALIA
PhotoErrapIi by William T. Demarest
COLONIAL BANK AND MAIN STREET, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA, ST. THOMAS
Digitized by Microsoft®
DETAILED INFORMATION
the company receives approximately $4,000 yearly
for issuing a daily news bulletin both in St. Thomas
and St. Croix.
This is copied in the papers, and
consequently the people are posted briefly regard-
ing world affairs as promptly as any metropolis.
In St. Thomas there are two newspapers which
are published daily except Sundays and holidays
and one which
is published twice a week.
The
latter, the " St. Thomas Tidende," is also the official
government organ or gazette.
In St. Croix there are three daily papers, Sun-
days and holidays excepted.
One is published in
Frederiksted and two in Christiansted.
All the
papers are nearly the same size, consisting of four
pages about 10 inches by 12.
The French Cable Company has a cable hut
on St. Thomas but does not give service there, as
the West India and Panama Telegraph Company
has
the
exclusive
right
in accordance with the
terms of its agreement with the government.
St. Thomas and St. Croix are provided with
ample
telephone
service.
A
private
company
operates the system in St. Thomas, and the local
government operates the system in St. Croix.
In
the
latter
island there
are
three
central
offices,
18
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THE VIEGIN ISLANDS
one at Frederiksted, one at Christiansted, and one
at Kings Hill, which is midway between the other
two and serves the sugar estates and the country
district in general.
This system
is in charge of
the building inspector at Christiansted.
There are no wireless stations on either of the
islands.
BUSINESS CONDITIONS
Banb:s and Banking
There
are two
banks
in
the
Danish West
Indies—^the. National Bank and the
St. Thomas
Savings Bank.
Until very recently there was a
third—^the
Colonial
Bank
a
British
banking
institution established in 1836.
Owing principally
to the decline in business due to the efiFect of the
European war on
the
shipping
in
St. Thomas
Harbor,
this branch
of the
Colonial Bank was
discontinued by the home office in London.
The National Bank of the Danish West Indies
is a strong institution with a main office at Char-
lotte-Amalia, on
St. Thomas, and
branches
at
Frederiksted and Christiansted, on St. Croix.
It
held from the Danish Government the sole right
to issue bank notes for use in the islands, notes
tothe value of $250,000 .00 being in circulation in
274
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DETAILED INFORMATION
1916. A general commercial business is carried on,
and
loans
are made
against mortgages on
real
estate
as
security.
The
subscribed
capital
is
$1,000,000.00 and the reserve fund amounts
to
$15,089.72.
The bank
has
connections on
the
Continent and in the United States and may be
utilized
for
collection
purposes
by
American
manufacturers.
The
St. Thomas
Savings Bank
received
in
deposits during the year ending October 20, 1915,
the sum
of
$13,323.00.
These comprised
1,133
accounts.
The total number of accounts carried
by this bank ia 1916 was 1,644.
Insxibanck
With one
exception
there
are no
agents
of
American insurance companies or associations of
underwriters actively engaged
in
soliciting busi-
ness.
The
National Board
of
Marine
Under-
writers
of New York forms the exception,
this
organization maintaining an office in St. Thomas.
In St. Thomas there are also agencies representing
British, Canadian, French, German, and Danish
companies.
Only British, Canadian, and Danish
companies are established in St. Croix.
Practically
all well-known forms of insurance—^fire,Ufe, marine,
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
damage to property, accident, cyclone, and tidal
wave—are written.
St. John risks are covered by
agents in St. Thomas, no local offices being main-
tained
in
the
former
island.
Approximately
$100,000 of life insurance is in force at present in
St. Croix, with a lesser amount in St. Thomas and
practically none in St. John.
In St. Croix, where the raising and grinding of
sugar-cane
constitutes
the
principal
business, a
great deal of fire insurance is placed on the buildr
ings
and
property
of
the
sugar
estates.
The
premium receipts collected from this source alone
by
the
largest
insurance
agent
in
the
island
amoimted to $6,000
for the
six months ending
June 30,
1916.
Since November,
1915, when a
strike of sugar-estate laborers took place, lasting
for several months, a certain amount of protection
against damage from riot and civil commotion has
been put on by estate owners.
Several years ago an American life-insurance
company established an
office in
St.
Croix, but
withdrew shortly afterwards before much business
had been placed.
With this exception no attempt
seems to have been made by American companies
to enter the
life insurance
field.
No mortality
276
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DETAILED INFORMATION
statistics
are
available.
Sanitary
conditions
in
both St. Thomas and St. Croix are decidedly better
than those
existing
in many
tropical
countries.
Epidemics are practically unknown, although there
are no pubhc sanitary works of any description.
It is believed that there is an opportunity for
at least one strong life-insurance company and at
least one strong fire-insurance company from the
United States to establish an agency at St. Thomas
and St. Croix, the latter offering the most attrac-
tive field at the present time.
Monopolistic Drug Stores
Some of the most curious facts connected with
business on the islands have to do with the phar-
macies.
C. S. Butler and E. G. Hakansson write in
the United States Naval Bulletin:
"There
are
three grades
of diplomas
issued
from
the
Danish
College
of Pharmacy.
Only
pharmacists
rated one
or two
are
qualified
for
the privilege of running a drug store.
The grade
of diploma, number of years of experience, pro-
fessional merits and scientific work done are the
main factors to determine a choice.
The privilege
of having a drug store is granted for a lifetime to
the successful candidate.
He pays no tax for this
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
monopoly and is independent of the Government
in his business.
He may resign at any time, with
the permission of the authorities, and his successor,
appointed in a similar maimer,
is obliged to buy
his stock and place of business.
This form of drug
store is called 'real,' and
is the only kind estab-
lished since 1830.
Before this year the privilege
of leasing drug stores did not return to the Govern-
ment until the death or resignation of the appointee,
but the privilege was his personal right, which he
could sell at any time to any qualified pharmacist
for any price he could get.
These drug stores are
called 'personal' and were not changed to 'real'
when the new law went into effect.
"There
are
three drug
stores
in
the
Virgin
Islands, one in each of the three towns.
The ones
in Charlotte-Amalia and Christiansted are 'real;'
the
one
in
Fredericksted
is
'personal.'
The
history of Apothecary Hall, in St. Thomas,
illus-
trates the system.
It was established about 1830
and kept by the successful pharmacist until 1883,
when he transferred it to his two sons and retired,
spending the remainder of his days in a suburb of
Copenhagen, in his magnificent villa, 'St. Thomas,'
entertaining royalty and nobility.
His sons man-
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DETAILED INFORMATION
aged the business up to 1913, when the present
owner bought it for $76,000."
CLIMATE AND RAINFALL
For the year ending June 30, 1915, the records
furnished in the annual report
of
Dr. Longfield
Smith, director of the colonial agricultural experi-
ment station in St. Croix, show that the coolest
weeks during the period were January 18 to 31,
with a maximum temperature
of
83°
F. and
a
minimimi of 65° F.; and March 8 to 14, maximum
82° F. and minimum 66° F.
The hottest weeks
were August 31 to September 6, maximum 91° F.,
minimum 76° F., and September 7 to 13, maximum
92° F., minimum 74° F.
No records of rainfall are available for any of
the
islands
except
St.
Croix.
On
that
island,
according to the report of the experiment station,
the average rainfall for the previous 63 years was
375.1
lines
(31.26 inches), and the records show
that there has been no diminution or alteration
of distribution during that period.
The heaviest
rainfall occurs
in May and again in September
and October.
There are periods when the rainfall is less than
a maximum
sugar
crop
requires and
irrigation
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
would be desirable.
Abundant opportunities exist
for the impounding of water for this purpose by
the construction of dams across the narrow en-
trances of some of the small valleys debouching
on the fertile plains of the south.
The relatively
small expense involved would be well repaid by
the assurance of sufficient water during the occa-
sional diy periods and the resultant more uniform
yield of cane.
AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED INTERESTS
SnOAB-CANE
The
largest amount of sugar that has been
exported in the last 15 years was in 1903, when
19,275
short tons were taken from the
islands.
The amount for 1915 was but 4,500 tons, though
in 1916 the total was much larger.
The
director
of
the
agricultural
experiment
station has been endeavoring to develop a cane
that will be better suited to the soil and climatic
conditions than any
of the
varieties now being
grown.
Much progress has been made in this direc-
tion, though it is too early yet to publish the results.
Ck>TTON
In 1913 there were some 2,000 acres devoted
to sea-island cotton, but owing to the appearance
of insect pests in the
fields, and more especially
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DETAILED INFORMATION
to the various
difficulties experienced as a result
of the European war, financial loss was threatened,
and since that year cotton raising has been tem-
porarily
abandoned.
That
it
will
ultimately
become next in importance to cane, however,
is
the
belief of
all who have been connected with
it in the past.
GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION
Under
the
rule
of Denmark
the
executive
power was
in the hands
of a
colonial governor
appointed by the Crown.
The executive resided
on the island of St. Thomas for six months of the
year—^from October
1 to March 31—and in the
sister colony of St. Croix for the other six months.
The islands were divided into two political parts,
the
first consisting of St. Thomas and
St. John,
and the second of St.
Croix.
Legislative power
was vested in two distinct colonial councils, the
seat of one being in Christiansted, the capital of
St. Croix, and of the other in Charlotte-Amalia.
In the latter island the council was composed of
11 members—4
nominated by
the Crown and
7 elected, 4 from the town of Charlotte-Amalia,
2 from the
island
of
St. John, and
1 from the
country
district
of
St.
Thomas.
The
colonial
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
council of St. Croix was made up of 18 members
5 nominated by the Crown and 13 chosen by the
electorate.
The qualifications for voters were based on two
cardinal
points:
First, the applicant must own
real estate yielding a monthly income of $5, or
else his personal income must be $300 per year;
and, second, he must be of unblemished character.
The government revenues were raised largely
by import
duties, export duties on sugar, trade
and lamp
taxes,
vehicle
taxes, boat
taxes,
real
estate taxes, tonnage fees, and a head tax on
all
persons leaving St. Thomas for other countries.
Education is compulsory from the ages of 7 to
13.
Under
the
able
supervision
of
the
school
director,
Mr.
O.
Rubner-Peterson, the
school
system was
gradually extended
during the few
years before the transfer of the islands, new build-
ings opened, and new courses instituted.
Instruc-
tion
is free in all cases, and all but a few of the
textbooks
are
furnished
by
the
government.
During the later years of instruction the .aim
is
to teach subjects of a decidedly practical nature.
Both
English and Danish
are
taught,
but
the
latter has never been made compulsory, and the
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DETAILED INFORMATION
native preference for English has not been inter-
fered with.
Except among
officials and
soldiers
and for street signs and notices, Danish
is
little
used.
In 1916, 3,500 pupils were enrolled in all grades.
Two sessions were held six days in the week, the
first session from 8 to 11 in the morning, the second
from
1 to 4
in the afternoon.
The high-school
masters in St. Croix were Danes, the remainder
of the teacher^ in
all three islands being natives
who have been given a course of training in Danish
at Copenhagen, or, in some cases, teachers obtained
from the neighboring British
island
of Antigua.
The salary
of grammar-school teachers was $30
per month and that of high-school teachers was
$60 per month for 12 months in the year.
Twenty
teachers made up the regular staff, and these met
different
classes
at
the morning and
afternoon
sessions.
Digitized by Microsoft®
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following works have been consulted by
the authors in the preparation of this volume:
Anonymous:
"West Indian Sketch Book."
London,
1834, 2 Vols.
A sketchy and highly interesting nar-
rative of the life and customs of the British Virgin
Island of Tortola
in the early nineteenth century,
with a brief mention
of some of the other Lesser
Antilles.
Aspinall, Algernon E.:
"Pocket Guide to the West
Indies."
London, 1914. A general guide to the West
Indies which at times is very inaccurate.
Booy, Theodoor de:
"Archseological Investigations in
the Virgin Islands."
Scientific American Supplement
No. 2180, October 13, 1917.
Tells of the problems
of the archeologist in search of
Indian remains on
the Virgin Islands of the United States.
Booy, Theodoor de: "The Virgin Islands of the United
States."
Geographical
Review,
Vol.
iv.
No.
5,
November, 1917.
A general account of the newly
acqiured Virgin Islands of the United States.
Brock, H. G., P. S. Smith, W. A. Tucker:
" The Danish
West Indies, Their Resources and Commercial Im-
284
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
portance."
Department of Commerce of the United
States, Special Agents Series, No. 129.
Washington.
D. C,
1917.
Contains valuable information as to
the resources and trade possibilities of these islands
and a good description of the harbor.
Butler, C. S. and E. G. Hakansson: "Some First Im-
pressions of the West Indies."
The United States
Medical Bulletin, October, 1917. An informing article,
written from the medical point of view;
Cleland, Herdman F.:
"Curagao, a Losing Colonial
Venture."
Bulletin of the American Geographical
Society, Vol. xli, No.
3, 1909. A description of the
island of Curasao with figures showing the cost of
this colony to the Netherlands.
Dupontes, P. C. : "Les Petites Antilles."
Paris (N. D.).
A book containing general geographical and political
information of the Lesser Antilles with data pertain-
ing to their resources, imports, exports, et cetera.
Edwards, Bryan : "History of the British West Indies,"
fourth edition, London, 1807.
3 Vols.
An oft-con-
sulted history of the West Indies and of the Island
of Santo Domingo.
Emerson, Guy:
"Virgin Islands of the United States."
South American, Vol,
v. No.
8, New York, June,
1917.
Contains economic information on the Virgin
Islands.
Hakluyt,
Richard:
"Historic
of
the West
Indies."
285
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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
London
1625.
Of prime interest to the
historical
student of the Antilles.
Harris,
Garrard:
"The West
Indies
as an
Export
Field."
Department of Commerce of United States,
Special Agents Series, No. 141, Washington, D. C,
1917.
A compilation of trade figures on the West
Indies.
Irving, Washington :
"Life and Voyages of Christopher
Columbus."
The best general work on the discovery
and conquest of the West Indies.
Knox, John P.:
"Historical Account of St. Thomas,
W. I."
New York, 1852.
Probably the most com-
plete general description of St. Thomas published.
Martyr, Peter:
"Letters to AscaniusSphorcia."
Early
narratives of the newly discovered West Indies.
National Geographical Society: "An American Gibral-
tar."
National
Geographic
Magazine,
Vol.
xxx,
No.
1.
Gives measurements of the Virgin Islands of
the United States.
Taylor, C. E. :
"Leaflets from the Danish West Indies."
London, 1888.
An interesting guide and hand-book
of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
Vaux, Patrick:
"A Forgotten West Indian Island."
United
Empire, Vol.
viii, N.
S.
February,
1917.
One of the few descriptions that can be found of the
Island of Anegada.
Verrill,
A.
Hyatt:
"A Book
of
the West
Indies."
286
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
New York, 1917.
A valuable and well-written guide-
book of the West Indies.
Westergaard, Waldemar:
"The Danish West Indies
Under Company Rule." New York, 1917.
The only
scholarly work which goes into the history of these
islands during the period from 1671 up to 1764 in
full detail.
U. S. Hydrographic Office:
"West India Pilot," Vol.
ii. No. 129.
Washington, D. C, 1914. A guide to
mariners, which contains a great deal of geographical
information.
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INDEX
Aborigines, S4, 152
Amiens,
treaty
of,
restores
Virgin
Islands to Denmark, 45
Anegada, 248, 244
Annaberg, 168
Arawak tribes, 36
Archeological investigations, 84-36,
102-107, 152, 153, 164, 163, 225-
230. 244
Audain, the story of, 239
Ayay, Indian name for Santa Cruz,
37
Banks and Banking, 274, 275
Bassin (Cliristiansted), St. Croix, 214
Bay rum, 145, 148, 149
Blackbeard's Castle, 82
Bluebeard's Castle, 59, 86
Bourdeaux Mountain, 135
Botany Bay, St. Thomas, 121
Brandenburg, Duchy
of,
operates
factory on St. Thomas, 51, 52
BredaU Governor Erik, 124, 125
Brewer's Bay, St. Thomas, 121
British Virgin Islands, history, 231;
area and population, 233; climate,
233; Jost Van Dyke. 834; trade,
233; Tortols. 234; geology, 235;
products,
235;
coconut
groves,
236; Boad
Harbor,
236; Road-
town, 237; communication with
Charlotte-Amalia, 237; excursions
onTortola,239-240; VirginGorda.
240; Anegada, 242
Broom-corn, opportunity for, 146
Brun,
Minister,
si^is
transfer
of
Danish West Indies, 24
Buccaneers, 59, 83-86, 231, 237, 244
Buck Island lighthouse, 58
BUlowminde, St. Crobc, 24
Burials, Indian, 105, 106
Cable, submarine, 97, 119, 272
Camel Mountain, 135
"Caneelboom," 137
Caroline Estate,
St. John, 129, 133
Cattle raising,
150
Cemeteries,,care of, 116
Charles V of Spain, 42
Charlotte-Amaiia approach
to,
58;
signal
station,
60;
servants,
71;
population, 71; Moravian Church,
77; Lutherian Church, 77; Dutch
Reformed Church, 78; Huguenot
Church,
79; Jewish Church,
79;
Roman
Catholic
Church,
79;
schools,
79;
streets,
80;
govern-
ment o£Sces, 82; Christian's Fort,
85; Salutmg Battery, 89; Christ-
mas and New Year's Day, 92, 93;
steamship
lines,
94;
docks,
95;
telegraph and
cable,
96;
hotels,
252, 253; cooking, 253
Christian
IX, King,
Proclamation
announcing
failure
of
treaty
of
1867, 20-22
Christiansted, St. Croix, 211; Sophia
Frederika
Fort,
215;
dangerous
navigation, 45
Churches in Charlotte-Amalia, 77-79
Citizenship,
provision
as
to,
for
inhabitants of former Danish West
Indies, 27
Climate, 62, 278, 279
Coconut groves, 236
Collarstones, 35
Columbus,
Christopher,
34,
37-40.
226
Conch shells as
grave
ornaments,
117
Congo Cay as a fisherman's resort,
152
Cooking, native, 253
289
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INDEX
Coral Harbor Bay, St. John, 124
Ck>ral Bay, St. John, 128, 130-132,
136, 138, 139, 166
Cotton, 209, 280
Crab Island, 50, 124
Cniger, Nicholas, employer of Alex-
ander Hamilton, 204, 219
Cruz Bay. St. John, 137, 141
Cuba, 16, 22
Curagao and
the Panama
Canal,
32
Danish West Indies, history of trans-
fer,
16; date of transfer.
16, 24;
treaty
of
1867
for
sale
of,
17;
proclamation
of sale of
in
1867.
17-19; lapse of treaty of 1867, 20;
Germany and, 23; treaty of 1902,
23; offer of 1906 for, 23; vote of
inhabitants,
24;
ceremony
of
transfer, 24
Danish
West
India
and
Guinea
Company, purchase St. Croix, 44;
claim
St.
Thomas,
47;
supply
slaves to St. Thomas, 51
Danish West India Company,
51.
133, 184, 187. 189
Dannebrog,
replaced by Stars and
Stripes, 24-26
Denmark
takes
possession
of
St.
Croix, 186
De Vaugalan, Commander of French
expedition to St. Croix, 178
Docks at Charlotte-AmaUa. 96
Drake, Sir Francis, 43
"Drowned Island"
(Anegada). 243
Drug stores, 277
Duerloo, Peter, 129
Duerloo Estate, St. John, 129
Earthquake, 69, 206
East End settlement, 167
Education. 281-283
Eleven thousand Virgins, 40
Emancipation
of
slaves
in
West
Indies, 45, 191
Emmaus,
Moravian
Mission
Sta-
tion, 142, 166
Excursions on St, Thomas, 98
290
Figure-heads at Erum Bay, 120
Fire in a cane field, 197, 222
Fishing, 111, 150. 151. 159
Flanagan Passage. 233
Frederiksted, 211
French West India Company, 183
Furniture, antique, 82. 168, 170, 220
"Garden of the Antilles," 231
Government, 281
"Graveyard of ships," 119
Great Britain in the West Indies, SO
Guadaloupe, 176
Guantanamo, Cuba, 32
Hamilton, Alexander, 204, 218
Hans LoUik, 237
Hassel Island, 60, 61, 64
Havensicht, on St. Croix, 224
Heligoland,
exchanged
for
Virgin
Islands, 85
Hotel opportunities, 158,
171, 253,
254
Hunting, 112, 159, 224, 239
Hurricanes, 61, 65-68, 115, 138, 141,
161, 168, 204, 206, 218
Imports, 256-261
Insurance, 275, 276
Irving, Washington, quotation from,
37
Iversen,
Jorgen,
Governor
of
St.
Thomas, 48, 49, 50
Jamaica, 31, 35, 36
K. C. Bay, 137. 170
Kitchen-middens, 104
Krum Bay, 107, 118, 119
Labor difficulties on St. Cnnx, 190-
199
Labor Union at Charlotte-Amalia,
72; on St. Croix, 197
Limsing,
Secretary
of
State,
signs
transfer
of Danish West
Indies,
24; reports on islands, 28
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INDEX
Leinster Bay, 168
Leeward Islands, 128, 237
Littie Cinnamon Bay, St. John, 129,
ISO
Lovango Cay, 184
Lutheran pastor resides in
fort, 49
Luthenm, the official Church of the
Danish Government, 77
Magens Bay, 101. 102, 103, 104, 106
Mahogany furniture,
82,
168,
170,
221
Malta, Knights
of, buy
St.
Croix,
181, 182
Manchineel apples, 173, 174
Masonic Lodge, 138. 168
Martinique, 131
Monopolistic drug store, 277, 278
Monroe Doctrine and the
transfer
of Danish West Indies, 25
Moravians, 77, 117, 141, 146, 166
Muileum of
the American
Indians,
34, 36, 42, 101, 227
Narrows, the, 134
Naval base in the West Indies, 32
Navigation, dangerous, 134
Negro insurrection, 127, 194, 232
Netherlands, possessions of, in West
Indies, 30. 31, 32, 33
Nevis, 131
Newspapers, 76, 273
Niesky Mission Station, 117
None-such ("Vigilant"),story of, 216
Oldendorp
and
the
aboriginies
of
Virgin Islands. 41
Oliver, Rear Admiral James H., first
governor of the Virgin Islands, 29
Oysters, growing in trees, 226
Panama Canal, safeguarding the, 32,
33
Parforce Estate, 166
Petroglyphs,
153-166,
162-166
Pirates, 39, 86, 239
Porto Rico, 26, 28, 36, 106, 122, 172,
182; journey to St. Thomas from,
64
Pottery, pre-Columbian, 86
Primitive races of the Virgin Islands,
36
Primitive sugar mill, 167
Privateer Bay, 188
Privateers, 141. 217, 237
Rainfall, 63, 141, 202, 279
Raleigh, Sir Walter, 173
Reconciling Court. 76
Reef Bay, 140, 160
Roadtown, Tortola, 237
Roosevelt, President, and treaty of
1902, 23
Sail Rock and the French frigate, 65
St. Croix, sentiment as to transfer,
26;
aboriginies,
34;
purchase by
Dutch West
India and
Guinea
Co., 44; opened to commerce, 44
colonization, 44; history, 172-189
came into possession of Denmark,
186;
slave
revolutions,
194-197
labor
union,
197;
location,
201
physical
features,
201;
rainfall,
202;
geology,
202;
climate,
203
hurricanes, 204-206; earthquake,
206; agriculture, 207; sugar mills,
208;
cotton,
209;
Christiansted,
211; Frederiksted, 211; roads. 221
hunting,
224;
"Garden
of
the
Antilles," 231; forts, 270
St. Christopher, 176. 177
St. Eustetius, 177
St. John, aborigines, 86; trade, 44;
colonization, 44; Caroline Estate,
129,
133;
Littie Cinnamon Bay,
129,
130;
slave
revolt,
127-133;
Coral
Bay,
128,
130,
131,
138;
Duerloo
Estate,
129;
dangerous
navigation,
134;
location,
134;
geology, 135; drainage, 186; Camel
Mountain,
135;
area,
135;
ship-
ping,
136; Cruz Bay,
187,
146;
£. C. Bay, 187; Cinnamon Bay,
137; Dennis Bay, 138; East End
settlement,
188,
167;
Privateer
Bay,
139; Masonic Lodge,
138,
168;
Reef
Bay,
140,
160,
166;
291
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INDEX
temperature,
141;
rainfall,
141;
health
conditions,
142;
popula-
tion, 144; bay rum, 146; charcoal,
147,
148,
149;
fishing.
150-152;
petroglyi>hs, 153, 162; sugar, 157;
possibiUties,
158,
171; Reef Bay
waterfall,
161;
Annaberg,
168;
Leinster Bay, 168; sugar factory,
ruins, 170; forts, 271
St. Martins, 177
St. Thomas,
' sentiment as to trans-
fer, 26; aborigines, S5; trade, 44,
97;
first Europeans, 44, 47;
first
colonists,
48;
Charlotte-Amalia,
49;
location,
53,
64;
physical
features, 65; area, 56; harbor, 57;
Cowell's Battery, 59, 60; climate.
62;
newspapers,
74;
courts,
75;
characteristics
of
people,
75;
Moravian Brethren, 77; churches,
77-79;
Blackbeard's
Castle,
82,
108, 109. 110; Bluebeard's Castle,
87; Ma Folie Estate. 99; excur-
sions on,
98; Magens Bay,
101,
102,
103,
104,
106; "Eenigheit,"
107; Krum Bay.
107,
118,
119;
New Hemhut Mission, 108-110;
Tutu Estate, 110; Water Bay, 111;
Windberg,
114; Mandal
Estate,
115; graveyard,
117; Lovenlund,
116; Niesky Mission station, 117;
submarine cable, 118; the "grave-
yard of ships," 119; figure-heads at
Krum Bay,
120; Mosquito Bay,
121; Brewer's Bay,
121; Boteny
Bay, 121; "cha-chas," 122; settle-
ment, 124; ports, 267
San Juan, Porto Bico, 74
Santa Anna, General, 82
Santo Domingo, 36, 107
Schmidt, Erik, 47
Seward, Secretary of State, 16, 20
Siamese man of war, greeting to. 60
Signal Station at Charlotte-Amalia,
60
Slavery. 45. 52,
116, 122, 127-133,
169. 190-194
Smugglers, 169
Sophia Frederika Fort.
Christian-
sted, 45
292
Stevedores at Charlotte-Amalia, 72
Steamship
lines touching at Char-
lotte-Amalia, 96
Stars and
Stripes
replace Danne-
brog, 24, 25
Sugar-cane, 63,
109,
146, 207, 208.
238, 281 ; watch houses, 222; fire in
a cane field, 222; production, 280
Sumner,
Charles, defends treaty of
1867, 20
Swallowing stick, 35
Tariff, 267
Tappus
(early name of Charlotte-
Amalia), 70
Teach, John (Blackbeard), 82
Telephone. 273
Telegraph and cable, 96, 272
Thatch Cay, 113. 135, 168
Thormohlen. rents St. Thomas from
Denmark, 52
Tobacco on St. Thomas, 60
Tortola, 124, 130, 133, 140, 169. 187,
234,237
Tourist, hints for the, 247; clothing.
247-249; transportation. 249-252;
invalid resorts. 252
Trade of St. Thomas, 97
Transportation between the islands,
28, 262; to the islands, 249-252
Turpentine tree, 116
Van Dyke, Jost, 234
Venezuela's
islands
in
the
West
Indies, 15
"Vigilant." story of the. 217
Virgin Gorda, 40, 240, 241
Virgin Islands, area and population,
27;
commercial
value
of,
28;
temporary government,
29;
cus-
toms,
30; history, 34; named by
Columbus, 40; captured by Brit-
ish, 45
Virgin Passage, 33
Watch houses in cane fields, 222
Windward Passage, 32
Yachting, 239
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