THE RETURN

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1920, Page 4

THE RETURN

AN ACCOUNT OF THE VUYAUE J HOME. i (Continued.) \ On nearing Norfolk wc could see , nil enormous bridge-like structure of j tiie coaling-pier. This “plant” is , worked by electricity and by gravity. The coal is loaded from the railway trucks into the elevator trucks by the former, being picked up and turned over. The great elevator, or lift, then carries tile full truck up the level of the “ bridge,” where, the trucks arc propelled along to the mouths of the shoots which lead down, to the hunkers of the ships. The cars are side dump-- • ing, and when they arc empty they arc switched off the outside, to the one in the centre, which runs down it long ihCline to the lift. Landing at Norfolk, we sought out a typically American restaurant' where wc had a real Yankee feed. The salad was composed of ham, turkey, lettuce, tomato, potato, as: well as other tilings such as cream, oil, vinegar, etc. Iced i water was on every table, but all sorts • of iced-furit drinks could be ordered, if j desired. Taking a car, after hiiicli, we | went out to Crnnby. • Fortunate was I i to have such ii lady as Miss Dryden as !, m escort, for I have no doubt but that j many would have preferred to leave ! their more or less crippled ch.ngc mi j hoard ship, while they enjoyed themj selves ashore. j The country around Norfolk was even ! prettier than that near Newport News. 1 The public gardens were beautiful, but • the fine avenues along the streets imi pressed me more. The absence of 1 fences is a usual feature' of American i settlement, but while it aids the landi scape gardener it cannot be conducive 1 to homo life, for tnerc is no privacy. It i must be awkward for the mothers to I watch their children. Among the trees ' the little grey squirrels were numerous, j and very tame. | Th'efb fire filany lino- buildings in the i city, which is apparently a far busier piace than Newport News. On every hand are- drug stores where you can ! escape the heat and glare of the street, j and, while sipping an iced drink, can ! ' cool yourself in the draught of the cleci ' trie fans. In these places are sold a variety of things, patent medicines, post-cards, Kodak supplies, and not to forget, temperance drinks. Returned - in time for dinner on the Remuera, tired 1 but happy, for I’d enjoyed myself. F I On the 17th we departed from Yir-

ginnia, thus completing the first lap of our journey. While steaming down the broad muddy river to Chesapeake Day, 1 mused on the changes* that hau occurred since Sir Walter Raleigh first attempted to form a settlement on Roanoke Island. How the first party bad become discontented as they -found no gold. How just when their food began to run short, Sir Francis Drake happened to come along, and took them all home. What a change! In those days the river was deserted, and the water was clear; while all along the shores the thick woods came down to the brink of the water. The Red Indians in the forests hunted for scalps, as, apparent-

ly, Raleigh’s next settlers found to their cost, for they entirely disappeared. Nobody really knows what happened to them;- hut years later the Indians told the people of Jamestown (the first successful English Settlement) that they had been killed by the savages. Chesapeake Bay is interesting ns being the scene of the fight of the English ship Shannon with the American ship Chesapeake. We gained the victory in spite of all the enemy could do, such as trying to blind our men with quicklime. Two days of steadily steaming south brought us in sight of the San Salvador islands, which belong to the Bahama Group. The island now known as Watlings Island was the first landfall made by Columbus, in 1492. There are over .‘IOOO rocks and islets in the group; and out of these only 29 are inhabited. Before 9 o’clock next morning we sighted Bird Rock, which is guarded by a lighthouse. Though it was 5 miles away the palm trees which, grew there could be seen clearly. Keeping it on the port side, we entered the Crooked Island Passage. This deep-water channel lying between Long Island, on the west, and Crooked Island, and Adding Island on the East, is 40 miles wide, and has become of importance owing to the opening of the Panama Canal. In 1647 these islands were first settled by the Bermudians, the inhabitants of, as Shakespeare calls them, the Vex’t Bemoothes, or the Islands of Devils, on account of the storms which so frequently occur there. Soon after the founding of the colony it became the favourite haunt of the buohaneers, who degenerated into pirates, and made the islands the base of their marauding expeditions. The Spanish, in revenge, destroyed the English settlements. By the way, the name buc-aneer, has an interesting derivation. In those days many obtained a living by hunting for meat in the South American plains. They dried the flesh on wooden grills, called ” boucans.” When they Joined the “filibusters ” (as the pirates were named from their Dutch “ fly-boats” in which they made their expeditions), they wore all termed buchaneers. A couple of hours later we passed t Fortune Island. The light-house was some three miles away on our port side. \Vo then sighted anti passed Mira Pro Vos. These reefs were hidden by the curvature of the earth, so that the palm

trees appeared to be growing out of the water. Late that night we passed on our starboard side, a light which was said to be on Point Maisi, on Cuba.This place has had a varied and interesting history. In 1492, Columbus discovered and called it Juana, after the daughter of Isabella Ferdinand, his patrons. After the latter’s death, it was named Ferdinand. Then ,it was called Santiago, and afterwards Ave Maria. Finally it reverted to its old native name of Cuba. Nearly twenty years later Diego Valasquez formed settlements there. Havana, the capital, was afterwarids frequently attached by pirates and buehaneers. In 1762 it wns captured by Lord Abermarle and Sir George Pocock. After much trouble between the natives and the Spanish, the insurgents were finally successful in 1895. The Yanks backed up the “ reeoncentrados,” but did not officially interfere, until the Mains was blown up. That night I slept on deck, and though it was much fresher than down in the cabin, my clothing soon became soaked through with sweat. However, I slept better than I’d been able, to do for some time. Of course, sleeping on

deck has its draw-backs for those who, | like myself prefer to turn in early, can’t do so, and those who, on . the other hand, are “ late birds ” can’t indulge in their accustomed “ morning snooze.” when the sailors come round with the salt - water hose, to swab down the docks. Sleepy protests avail neither Prelate nor Jiidge: for it’s “Get up or get wet!” About 4 a.in. 1 saw the shadowy outline of a high mountainous island. As it was on the port side, and as I had seen the light said to be Cuba, on the starboard side, -I reckoned it must be liaiti. By the way Haiti is a word meaning mountainous country. Dawn was just breaking behind tile land so the silhouette of the mountains • was very distinct. The sky became very beautiful, being lit up by a rosy glow and crossed with bars of brightest crimson, The sea was calm and a wonderful deep blue, while the little waves were tipped with the red of the sK,c - Further ahead a light-house flashed and winked. The West Indies are noted for their wonderful sunsets : but file sun rises seem to surpass them in grandeur. After Haiti faded into the distance and dropped below the horizon, a few more islands hove into view on the sameside, but they were too far off to see anything of them beyond the outline. Before lunch on the 20th October, ne sighted Morant Point, the most easterly part of Jamaica. We sailed along the beautiful coast line, until 4 o clock, When we anchored off Port Royal. Inliiaica, or Naymiica, as the Indians termed it, means well-wcoded and wellwatered: and well it deserves its nu 1 ' In 1494, Columbus discovered it and tailed it St Jago, When be died, li s ■son, who had become the Govern, r of liaiti, sent Esquimel to protect h“ l ights there. St Jngo de la Vega (now known as Spanish Towiij, became Hit

capital and was raided in 1596 by Sn Arthur Shirley. The Buccaneers, who .were of all nationalities, and were bitterly opposed to Spain, made Jamaica one of their headquarters. Their chief centre was at Port Royal, which became a town of immense wealth, and perhaps the richest port in the West Indies. Strange to say, Morgan, one of their most successful and most daring leaders, became, eventually, Lieut-Gover-nor of Jamaica. The Spaniards called him a pirate, and Esquemeling describes him as a friend who did not hesitate to sanction, or to commit aiiy crime however vile or bloody. In fact, he made him out to be a ruffian surpassed only by such fiends as Teach and Kidd.

He may have been “the mildest inanncr’d man that ever scuttled a ship, oi cut a throat,” hut his private life shews him in a much.more favourable light than his enemies would’ have allowed. His history, at any rate, makes a most romantic story: but more of him later. In 1692, after Port Royal was destroyed by an earthquake and a tidal wave, Kingston was founded. It was in a beautiful day in June, when the terrible disaster occurred. Towards noon it became oppressively hot, and then was felt a faint tremor. This was followed by a stronger one, and the air seemed to be filled with a moaning sound coining nearer and nearer, ending

in a fearful crash. Then followed the destruction of Port Royal. To quote Bridges’ Annals of Jamaica : “Screams of anguish, inarticulate c-vies of horror, were as quickly drowned by the rush of waters. The earth opened, swallowing | men and buildings, wharves laden with merchandise sank out ol sight; the sea first breached and then poured over the fortifications, overwhelming multitudes of people, and tearing from their graves the buried dead: Giant billows rolled over the harbour, snapping the cables of ships, and driving to destruction vessels there lying at anchor; a frigate was dashed over the tops of submerged houses and left stranded but uninjured on dry land. The face of the earth was rent asunder, gaped wide and engulfed to the neck, terror-stricken men; then closed, crushing to death the despairing wretches, leaving offtimes a limb or a head exposed. And those who did not perish shared the fate of Jezebel. A few persons, less unfortunate, were snatched from the grip of the land by the advancing sea, and did not perish. A remarkable instance of this is recorded by the inscription on a tombstone. Underneath the motto “Dieu Sill' Tout” is this interesting inscription:—“Here lies the body of Lewis Galdy, Esquire, who departed this life at Port Royal, the 22nd December, 1736, aged 80 years. He was horn at Montpelier in France, hut left tlic country for his religion and came to settle on this island; where lie was swallowed up in the great earthquake in 1692; and by the Providence of God, was by another shock thrown into the sea and miraculously saved by swimming, until a boat took him up. He lived many years after in great reputation, beloved by all who knew him, and much lamen ted at his death.” Day after day for three weeks the earthquake bellowed and rumbled and shook the whole island, so that the very landscapes changed. “Thus vanished,” Says Bridges, “the glory of the most flourishing emporium of the New World.” And for more tlmn a century could be seen in calm weather, the ruins of Port Royal where they lie deep beneath the clear waters of the bay. Port Royal to-day is hardly more than a quarantine station. When we anchored there the glow of the setting sun lit up the scene with a startling

brilliance seen only in the Tropics. The bright red roofs of the bungolows showed up in contrast with the luxuripgreen of banana plants and palms, while the sea set off the whole. Presently a swarm of natives paddled tlieir canoes out, and brought with them bas•kets of fruit, shells, beads, and other curios. They asked very high prices, and passengers were advised to wait till they reached Kingston, before spending their money. Permission to'go ashore was given, on the understanding that those who went would have to stay the night on land. (To be continued).