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8 'sis W IS .rai Ml If ,1 *Hi A J()'», ) * aE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES A GENERAL REPORT BY THE GOVERNOR NAVY DfiPABTMENf WASHINGTON 1S& . /^ * , v > I*,"' ~ * f**f w V. . ... FT.. . ^^ >V. F 2/36 J926 y THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES A GENERAL REPORT BY THE GOVERNOR i nmrn i mf *$w* UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON 1928 r 2 / <t (a ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS U.S.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 25 CENTS PER COPY TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. — A general description of the islands: Page 1. Geographical location 1 2. Physical characteristics 1 3. Climate and rainfall 4 4. People 6 5. Population 8 6 . Industries 10 7. Agricultural pursuits — Sugar and vegetables 13 8. Flora and fauna 19 Chapter II. — Historical sketch: 1. Discovery by Columbus 22 2. Description of Carib inhabitants , _ _ 22 3. Indians driven from Islands -, 23 4. Occupation by various European nations 23 5. Occupation by Denmark 25 6. Taken by the English and restored 27 7. Retaken by the English and held eight years 27 8. Attempts made by the United States to purchase 28 9. The treaty of cession to the United States 29 10. The organic act of March 3, 1917 35 1 1 . The transfer to the United States — Ceremonies 46 12. List of governors 48 Chapter III. — The government of the Virgin Islands: 1. General description of 50 2. The executive 50 3. The legislative — Colonial councils 51 4. The judiciary T 51 5. Political status of inhabitants — Citizenship 52 6. Revenue laws and congressional appropriations 53 Chapter IV. — Government departments and activities: 1. The secretariat 55 2. The department of finance 55 3. The department of health 56 4. The public works department 57 5. The department of education 58 6. The department of public welfare 60 7. Department of agriculture, commerce, and labor 61 8. The police and prison department and the fire department 64 9. The St. Thomas Harbor department 64 10. The prohibition enforcement division 65 1 1 . United States quarantine and lighthouse services 66 12. United States customs service 66 13. United States post office .__. 66 Chapter V. — Banking, commercial, industrial, and social institutions: 1 . The National Bank of the Danish West Indies 67 2. St. Thomas and St. Croix savings banks 67 3. The West Indian Co. (Ltd.) 67 4. Cable companies 67 5. Sugar factories 67 6. Virgin Islands Products Corporation 67 7. United States By-Products Corporation 68 8. Bay-rum factories 68 9. The Red Cross 68 10. Religious denominations 69 11. United States Shipping Board 69 12. The St. Thomas (West Indies) Coaling Co 69 13. The Virgin Island Dock & Engine Works 69 14. Creque's maritime railway 69 in IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter VI. — Miscellaneous: Page 1. United States naval station 70 2. Communications 70 3. Transportation 71 4. Interisland transportation 71 5. Local newspapers 71 6. The broadcaster 72 7. Living conditions 72 Chapter VII. — Edward Teach, alias Black Beard 79 APPENDICES A. Temperature and rainfall 82 B. Rainfall (St. Thomas) 82 C. Rainfall (St. Croix) 82 D. Sugar production and exportation statistics 83 E. Birth rate and death rate 83 F. Censuses of Virgin Islands 84 G. Bay rum 84 H. Cattle exported from the Virgin Islands 84 I. Acreage of all lands in St. Croix 85 J. Sugar exported from St. Croix 85 K. Types of fish caught in Virgin Islands waters (according to local terminology) 86 L. Number of deaths and death rates from all causes (exclusive of stillbirths) per 1,000 population in the Virgin Islands and each island 87 M. School attendance in the Virgin Islands 87 N. Department of education budgets (in Danish West Indian dollars) . 87 O. Bunker-coal imports, St. Thomas; fuel-oil imports, St. Thomas 88 P. Table of ships entering the harbor of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (only those paying pilotage) during the fiscal years 1909 to 1927, inclusive 88 Q. Arrivals of ocean-going ships, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands of the United States 88 R. Trade of the Danish West Indies and the United States Virgin Islands with the United States 89 S. Imports and exports of the Danish West Indies and the Virgin Islands of the United States 89 T. Domestic and international money orders issued by post offices of the Virgin Islands 90 U. Savings deposits in the national bank of the Danish West Indies at St. Thomas, Christiansted, and Frederiksted 90 V. Statement of depositors' balances in the New Saint Croix Savings Bank on the last day of each fiscal year from 1901 to 1927 91 W. Savings deposits in the St. Thomas Savings Bank 91 X. Bibliography 91 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Frontispieces : Fig. 1. Map of the Virgin Islands. Fig. 2. The Virgin Islands of the United States (location with respect to the principal Atlantic trade routes) . The magnificent harbor of St. Thomas 2 St. Thomas view, looking west 3 Government House, St. Thomas 4 Government House, St. Croix 5 Fort Christian, St. Thomas (built 1671) 7 A tropical garden 12 A St. Croix sugar factory 13 A load of sugar cane, St. Croix 14 Hauling sugar to town for shipment, St. Croix 14 Loading sugar in Frederiksted harbor 15 A landscape view in St. Croix showing centerline highway 17 The George Washington Public School, St. Thomas 20 The Abraham Lincoln Public School, St. Thomas 20 The Grand Hotel, St. Thomas 28 TABLE OF CONTENTS V Page The public library, Christiansted. St. Croix 29 Main Street, Christiansted, St. Croix; schoolhouse in foreground 59 Physical examination of school children 60 The town of Christiansted, St. Croix 62 Street in St. Thomas decorated for reception of transatlantic flyer, Col. Charles A. Lindbergh 63 The Navy Building, St. Thomas 66 Store in St. Croix where Alexander Hamilton worked as a youth 68 A tourist ship in St. Thomas Harbor 70 Dock, St. Thomas, showing coaling crane 72 Tourist ship Reliance at coal dock, St. Thomas 73 Road scene in St. Thomas 76 Black Beard's Castle, St. Thomas 77 V I R GIN I SLAND S "«*» j. ^ '*», RufflingPt. ANEGADA Cockroach r^&£s^4$**t &?'<• ^** ST. CROIX EastPt ^Fredftriltstedj Southwefit PtY>-^~*V — 4* FlQ. 1. Taken from Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, publication "Census of the Virgin Islands of theJJnited States, November 1, 1917," printed by the Government Printing Office, Wash- ington, 1918 VII Government House, Virgin Islands of the United States, St. Thomas, May 1, 1928. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL From: Governor of the Virgin Islands. To: Secretary of the Navy. Subject: The Virgin Islands of the United States. 1. There is transmitted herewith, for publication, an article entitled "The Virgin Islands of the United States, A General Report by the Governor." W. Evans, Governor. IX THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Chapter I A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS 1. Geographical location. — The group of islands called the Virgin Islands of the United States comprises the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix (or Santa Cruz). They were purchased by the United States from Denmark for $25,000,000 in 1917, and ceded to the United States on March 31, 1917. Besides the three major islands mentioned above, there are about 50 islets or cays, mostly unnamed and uninhabited. The islands are situated on the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea and form a natural outpost of the Panama Canal as well as a natural port of call for vessels plying between Europe and the canal. The island of St. Thomas, where the seat of government is located, is the second largest of the group. It lies in latitude 18° 20' N. and longitude 64° 55' W., 40 miles to the east of Porto Rico. Here is located the harbor of St. Thomas, considered to be the safest and finest harbor in the West Indies. The port of St. Thomas is 1,400 miles southeast of New York, 1,000 miles east of Key West, and 1,000 miles distant from the Canal Zone. The island of St. Croix (or Santa Cruz) lies 40 miles south-southeast of St. Thomas, and is the largest of the group. It lies in latitude 17° 45' N. and longitude 64° 45' W. There are two seaports or towns, Christiansted and Frederiksted, the former on the northern shore and the latter at the western end. The island of St. John, situated about 3 miles east of St. Thomas, is the smallest of the inhabited group. It lies in latitude 18° 20' N. and longitude 64° 45' W. St. John is adjacent to the island of Tortola, of the British Virgin group and separated therefrom by the narrow strait named in honor of Sir Francis Drake. 2. Physical characteristics. — John P. Knox in his History of the Danish West India Islands, written in 1851, gives an eloquent de- scription of the physical appearance of the Virgin Islands in the fol- lowing words : On approaching this group by the Sombrero, or Virgin's Passage, there is much in the general appearance of the islands to excite the most pleasing and lively emotion. Their blue summits rising one after another out of the ocean; their picturesque outline, and still more picturesque grouping; their numerous channels, small bays, and rocky projecting points; these, with the rich tropical growth of trees and shrubs; the lovely green of the cultivated estates; the groves of palms in almost every valley, fringing the beach; the white rolling surf; and the varying lights and shadows from passing clouds, present views of extraor- dinary novelty, beauty, and even magnificence. The island of St. Thomas is of volcanic origin. It appears to be the top or ridge of a chain of submerged mountains. It has a range of rocky hills, running east and west, with branching spurs. The town of St. Thomas, formerly known as Charlotte Amalie, is built on A THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES three low spurs of this range of hills. Crown Mountain, on the west- ern part of the island, reaches an elevation of 1,550 feet. Flag Hill, in the eastern part of the island, reaches an elevation of 980 feet. The island is poorly supplied with water, though an absolute water shortage has not been known to occur. There are several springs on the northern side of the island, but drinking water is obtained entirely from rainfall collected in cisterns. There is only one stream and this loses itself in the hills probably by an outlet to the sea through a fissure in the rocks. Geologists state that the island is composed mostly of a mass of Trappean rocks of various colors and of various textures. Much of the surface of the rocks has undergone decomposition principally into reddish or yellowish clay. The rocks contain many veins of quartz. The rocks, in some places, also decompose into a whitish marl. There are few valleys of any size. Sandstone is formed all around the The magnificent harbor of St. Thomas island by the action of the sea. The soil of the island is very thin and is liable to be washed from the hill slopes, which are very sparsely covered with vegetation. The island of St. Croix is entirely different in physical aspect from the islands of St. Thomas and St. John. Only the northern part of the island is mountainous. The highest elevation, Mount Eagle, near the northwestern point of the island, has a height of 1,164 feet. Most of the island, however, consists of fertile plains of rich soil. The extreme southern part of the island is flat. On this portion there are many lagoons. There are several rivulets from the mountain slopes to the south and west. While in the rainy season these rivu- lets may become angiy torrents, in the dry season there is only a small pool, here and there, to indicate that the pebble bed is occasion- ally covered with water. The large sugar estates are found mostly in the southern part of the island which is composed of a low rolling country well adapted to modern agricultural methods. The island is composed of two distinct geological formations, namely, the older rock, which forms the eastern portion, and the THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES mountains of the northwestern portion of the island; and the newer formation which overlies the older in the central and southern por- tions of the island. The older rock is of volcanic origin but has been subsequently deposited into the sea and formed into sedimentary rocks. These older rocks are probably metamorphosed sediments, consisting of sandstone, shale or mudstone, and limestone. They are compacted and hardened to a very dense rock. The later formation probably consists of limestone, chalky beds, and marl. It is generally soft and contains sea fossils and corals. The island of St. John consists of a series of mountain peaks. The entire island is composed of hills and valleys with little level land. It is, therefore, quite similar in configuration to St. Thomas. Camel- St. Thomas view, looking west berg Peak reaches an elevation of 1,192 feet while Bordeaux Moun- tains reach an elevation of 1,220 feet. There are many small streams which empty on the south side into the sea. These streams, negligible in size, fed by small springs, in- sure a fairly good supply of water. Geologically the island is largely of the same formation as St. Thomas, but a greater quantity of coraline limestone is to be found here. The land is far more fertile than that of St. Thomas and the soil covering the rocks is found in far thicker layers. While the bays and inlets of St. John are not as numerous as those of St. Thomas, St. John has quite an indented coast line. The island is entirely with- out carriage roads, the only means of transportation being on horse- back over mountain trails. Coral Bay, St. John, contains possibili- ties for an excellent harbor, and engineers have stated that it might be developed to rival the famous harbor of St. Thomas. The island of St. Thomas is about 13 miles long with an average width of about 2 miles. Its area is approximately 28 square miles. The island of St. Croix is 22 miles long and about 6 miles wide in the center. Its area is approximately 84 square miles, just about three times the size of the island of St. Thomas. The towns of Christian- sted and Frederiksted, popularly known as Bassin and West End, are 15 miles apart. 4 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES The island of St. John is about 9 miles long. Its maximum width is 5 miles. Its area is approximately 20 square miles. The total area of the three principal islands is therefore, approxi- mately 132 square miles, or somewhat more than double the area of the District of Columbia and about one-fifteenth that of the State of Delaware. , Of the smaller islands, but few are inhabited. Lovango, close to the island of St. John, contains approximately 1 square mile. It has few inhabitants. Hassel Island and Water Island, in St. Thomas, are inhabited as is also Protestant Cay a part of Christiansted, St. Croix. 3. Climate and rainfall. — The climate of St. Thomas, as well as that of St. Croix and St. John, is remarkably fine and salubrious. During the winter months, particularly, the climate of these beautiful islands of the Caribbean is one of the best and healthiest in the world. While the islands are situated within the Tropics, the heat of the tropi- Government House, St. Thomas cal sun is tempered by the refreshing trade winds which blow con- stantly from the north-northeast and northeast during the greater part of the year. These winds vary in velocity from light to moderate breezes. The temperature is equable and while the climate is delight- ful for a winter resort, the heat during the summer months is not as prostrating as it is in some other places due, of course, to the influ- ence of the trade winds. Usually the greatest heat is experienced during the months of August, September, and October, but the thermometer rarely rises above 91° F. During the winter months the temperature, at nighttime, is between 69° F. and 74° F. The average temperature during the fiscal year 1926-27 was 80.5. (See Appendix A.) The Virgin Islands are constantly fanned by the invigorating sea breezes and these breezes are seldom, if ever, charged with the unhealthy and fever-instilling miasma. The islands, as a whole, present, from the viewpoint of climate, a most attractive invitation to persons who wish to get away from the extreme cold of the northern winter, or the extreme heat of the northern summer. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 5 Physicians who have visited and worked in these islands are unani- mous in unstinted praise of the health-giving qualities of the climate of the Virgin Islands. The rainfall in St. Thomas is not excessive. (See Appendix B.) This is likewise true of the sister island of St. Croix. In St. Thomas it averages about 47 inches per year. May, August, September, October, and November are usually the rainy months. In St. Croix the rainfall varies greatly. (See Appendix C.) This makes the raising of sugar cane, the principal product of the island, somewhat hazardous. (See Appendix D.) The records indicate that during the years 1852 to 1925 the average yearly rainfall in St. Croix was 45.92 inches. Periods of drought, running over a number of years, are of frequent occurrence and these cause untold damage to the Government House, St. Croix sugar crop. Such periods are usually followed by periods of exces- sive rainfall. The months of June to November are known as the hurricane season. In the former days, it was popularly supposed in the Virgin Islands that the " hurricane season" commenced on July 25, of each year, and ended on October 25, so much so that both these days were observed as legal holidays, the former known as Supplication Day and the latter as Thanksgiving Day. The United States Weather Bureau, however, commences its hurricane warnings and observa- tions on June 15 of each year and concludes them on November 15. Devastating hurricanes are not of frequent occurrence. For example, St. Thomas was visited by destructive storms in 1713, 1738, 1742, 1772, 1793, 1819, 1837, 1867, 1916, 1924, and 1928. These visitations usually occur on the other islands at the same time. Earthquakes are not common. The last earthquake of great importance occurred in 1867, when both St. Thomas and St. Croix were damaged. The hurricane of 1916, just before the United States took possession of the islands, was, perhaps, one of the worst ever experienced in the islands. Great damage was done in St. Thomas and in St. Croix though St. Thomas suffered very much more. O THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES The hurricane of 1924 was not as severe as that of 1916 but it caused considerable damage in all the islands. Thanks to the excellent services rendered by the Weather Bureau in cooperation with the various foreign islands in the West Indies, hurricane warnings are now displayed hours before storms approach the islands and thus the inhabitants are given ample time to take precautionary measures. The government of the Virgin Islands, with the cooperation and assistance of the Navy and Marine Corps personnel stationed in the islands, is prepared to offer great assistance to the inhabitants in protecting life and property during the hurricane season. 4. People. — The last official census of the Virgin Islands of the United States, taken in 1917, by the Bureau of the Census, Depart- ment of Commerce, classifies the people of the Virgin Islands of the United States, by color or race, into four main groups — white, negro, mixed, and all other. The term mixed is used to designate persons of mixed white and negro blood. According to this classification, the census recorded the following distribution of population by color or race: Per cent White 7. 4 Negro 74 9 Mixed 17. 5 All other - 2 The same classification, by islands, gives the following figures: Island White Negro Mixed Per cent 13.5 22.4 27.5 Other St. Croix : Per cent 4.2 Per cent 82.1 64.7 71.9 Per cent 0.1 St. Thomas St. John , 12.7 .4 .2 .1 The census, therefore, indicated that whites formed a larger pro- portion of the population of St. Thomas than that of St. Croix or St. John and explained it by the fact that two small marine camps and a large settlement of white fishermen, commonly known as Cha-Chas, who are of French origin, were located in the rural dis- tricts of St. Thomas. The census also showed that in the population of the Virgin Islands of the United States in 1917 there were 85.4 males to 100 females, and stated that this excess of females over males may be due to an excess of male over female emigration, and the different death rate for each sex. The people of the Virgin Islands, taken as a whole, are a quiet and law-abiding people. History shows that the insurrections of early years principally occurred in St. Croix, where laborers from the foreign islands of the West Indies entered freely. There are of course, now and have been in the past, even during the Danish regime, a negligible number of political agitators and these have, at times, attempted to lead others into disrespect for authority. Their efforts, however, have not been successful and respect for authority is shown everywhere. The inhabitants are exceedingly hospitable and visitors usually comment on their politeness and willingness to help. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES The Virgin Islanders are a music-loving people. On holidays many masquerade and dance in the streets dressed in quaint cos- tumes. They dress well, particularly on Sundays and holidays, when silks and satins are much in evidence everywhere. Illiteracy, never high, has practically disappeared through the improved educational methods. The congressional commission which visited the Virgin Islands in 1920 reported: The morals of these islands are at a very low ebb. Indeed, the amount of immor- ality is rather appalling * * * This goes back to the old days of slavery in the islands when men and women were regarded as chattels and they were expected to breed as many children as they could to secure laborers in the fields. Now many persons live together by mutual consent and without any legal or religious ceremony. There has been up to this time apparently little public sentiment against such unions. A very high percentage, estimated to be over 60 per cent, of the children born in the islands, are illegitimate. One of the great needs is the development of a sentiment against this form of immorality, and we believe there is some change taking place as the people are coming to understand American ideals. There have been more marriages in the last year than heretofore. Fort Christian, St. Thomas (built 1671) Illegitimacy still constitutes a great problem in the Virgin Islands, though efforts made by the Government to combat this menace are bearing fruit slowly. The cost of marriage has been lowered. Now a person may be married in the court for a total of $1.40. During the calendar year 1926 the percentage of illegitimate births for the Virgin Islands as a whole was 59.2. Distributed among the islands, we arrive at a percentage of 67 for St. Croix, 51.9 for St. Thomas, and 63.6 for St. John. Legislation to compel the support of illegitimate children by the acknowledged father is in effect in all the islands, and it is believed that, after a number of years have elapsed, progress in this problem will become evident. It is naturally a .delicate subject and one which has to be approached and handled with the utmost caution. The people are very religious and like to attend church. In St. Croix both men and women work on the plantations. In St. Thomas, the harbor has for years been the chief source of liveli- 1862—28 2 N 8 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES hood of the population, and the men and women alike work together as coal carriers. The fishing in St. Thomas is done almost exclusively by the inhabitants of. the French village. These colonists, called "Cha-Chas, " are extremely clannish and show but little ambition and initiative. They remain as the years pass a small, contented colony, frail and puny from years of intermarriage. They do not mix very freely with the colored population of the island. The English language is universally spoken. Many of the young people of the Virgin Islands are emigrating to continental United States in search of more lucrative employment. Even in the Danish days, when drink was plentiful, there were few habitual drunkards, and drunken natives are seldom, if ever, seen on the streets. The housing of the poor natives is still inadequate and this has been one of the principal causes of the low morals and high percentage of illegitimacy. 5. Population. — The population of the Virgin Islands, which has decreased steadily since the last official census taken in 1917, is at the time of writing showing indications of being on the increase again, due mainly to the influx of Porto Ricans into the Island of St. Croix. The census of the Virgin Islands of the United States, taken by the Bureau of the Census as of November 1, 1917, was the first census taken under the American administration of the islands. The total population of the Virgin Islands of the United States was, on November 1, 1917, according to this census, 26,051. The last Danish census was taken on February 1, 1911, and showed a population of 27,086. The census of 1917, therefore, represented a decrease during the period between 1911 and 1917 of 1,035 persons, or 4 per cent. The following are the figures for each island as indicated by the 1917 census: St. Thomas 10, 191 St. Croix 14,901 St. John 959 26, 051 The census of the Virgin Islands of 1917 carries the following table of interest which is copied here in full: It represents the total population of the islands, and of each of the three islands, as reported at each census from 1835 to 1917. Prior to 1917 the census was taken by the Danish Government while that of 1917 was taken by the United States: Census year St. Croix St. Thomas St. John Virgin Islands 1835 26, 681 25,624 24, 065 23,720 22, 862 23, 194 22, 760 18, 430 19, 783 18,590 15, 467 14, 901 14, 022 12, 776 13, 073 13, 666 12, 560 13,463 14, 007 14, 389 12, 019 11,012 10, 678 10, 191 2,475 2,555 2,450 2,228 1,715 1,574 1,054 944 984 925 941 959 43, 178 1841 40, 955 1846 39,588 1850 39, 614 1855 37, 137 1860 38,231 1870 .- ... . -. 37, 821 1880 33, 763 1890... 32, 786 1901 30,527 1911 27,086 1917 26,051 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 9 A careful study of the above table will reveal that with the excep- tion of the census of 1850 and that of 1860 there was a decrease in the population of the Virgin Islands at each succeeding census from 1835 to 1917. During the fiscal year 1926-27, an informal, house-to-house enu- meration of the inhabitants of the Virgin Islands was conducted by the local police by order of the governor. The results of this enu- meration, as compared with the last official census, that of 1917, are reflected in the following table : Island Census 1917 Informal enumer- ation 1927 Loss St. Croix 14, 901 10, 191 959 11,118 8,826 784 3,783 1,365 175 St. Thomas St. John . ...... 26, 051 20, 728 5,323 This unofficial count shows an apparent decrease of 20 per cent in the population of the islands. While its accuracy can not be entirely vouched for, it is believed that it is a fair indication of the approximate population of the Virgin Islands. That the population of the Virgin Islands has considerably decreased during the past 10 years of American administration can not be disputed. The figures show that beyond a shadow of a doubt. The figures also indicate that the population of the Virgin Islands had been decreasing steadily long before the United States purchased them. Thus it appears that the decrease in population during the period 1835 to 1917 amounted to 39.7 per cent. Compare also the decrease during the decade 1870-1880, a total decrease of 4,058, with the decrease during the decade 1917-1927, a total decrease of 5,323. The census of 1917 attributed the decline in the population of the Virgin Islands principally to the excess of deaths over births and the excess of emigration over immigration. The lure of continental United States and the opportunities pre- sented there for lucrative employment has taken its toll of the inhabit- ants of the Virgin Islands. This is true of practically every country in the world and this is the main cause of the stringent immigration regulations which are imposed by the Government of the United States. The fact that inhabitants of the Virgin Islands of the United States, not only the native inhabitants, but those aliens who are legally resident therein, possess the right of practically unrestricted entry into continental United States is conducive to the emigration of a con- stantly growing number of its inhabitants. The fact also that the natives have, during the last 10 years, enjoyed the benefits of educa- tional advantages to an extent never enjoyed in the past, must be taken into consideration in any determination or attempt at determi- nation of the cause of increasing emigration. The excess of deaths over births can not be considered to be a factor in the apparent decrease of population during the period 1917- 1927. During the calendar year 1919 to 1926, inclusive, a total of 5,560 births were recorded in the Virgin Islands as against a total of 10 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 4,751 deaths. The death rate per thousand has declined from 35.4 (which represents the average death rate per thousand for the years 1911-1917, inclusive, prior to the American administration of the Virgin Islands) to 19.1 the death rate per thousand of inhabitants during the calendar year 1926. (See Appendix E.) This is a remark- able tribute to the efficiency of the health activities of the islands, conducted under the supervision of medical officers of the United States Navy, which will be treated in full in a subsequent chapter. To return again to the census of 1917 (since the enumeration of 1927 was merely a total count in each island without subdivision into sex or race) the population of each of the three cities in 1917, as compared with 1911, was as follows: Christiansted, 4,574, as compared with 4,592, a loss of 18; Frederiksted, 3,144, as compared with 3,203, a loss of 59; and St. Thomas, 7,747, as compared with 8,247, a loss of 500. Subdivided by color or race we arrive at the following: White 1,922 Negro 19, 523 Mixed 4,563 All other 43 26, 051 In the population of the Virgin Islands in 1917 there were 11,999 males and 14,052 females. In 1911 there were 12,508 males and 14,578 females. (See Appendix F.) With the constant emigration of the laborers from St. Croix the planters have found themselves in great difficulty for replacements. Immigration regulations close the neighboring British Islands as a source of contract labor. In this dilemma, the planters have turned, and with great success, to the American island of Porto Rico — where there is a tremendous excess of population — and during the last year or more over 500 of these Porto Rican laborers with their families have been brought into the island. The Porto Ricans are apparently finding considerable business opportunities in the island of St. Croix, aside from the labor situation, and they are coming in increasing numbers. An increase in population from this source — to offset the decrease due to the emigration of the natives — may be confidently expected, and simultaneously with this influx of Porto Ricans will be felt a brightening up of the islands' industrial activities by the injection of this new blood. In conclusion, it may be definitely stated that the decrease in the population of the Virgin Islands is by no means a direct result of thf; change of sovereignty from Denmark to the United States. On the contrary, it is believed that had Denmark not sold the islands to the United States, a greater depopulation would have resulted since the gradual decline in importance of the islands is due mainly to economic causes uncontrollable by any human agency. The liberal appropri- ations made by the United States Congress for the support of the administration of the Virgin Islands have unquestionably helped to stem the tide of emigration. 6. Industries. — Aside from agricultural pursuits, which will be covered in a subsequent section, there are very few industries in the Virgin Islands. The manufacture of bay rum — a well-known and ex- cellent toilet preparation for which St. Thomas has long been famous — is the only industry of any importance in the island of St. Thomas. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 11 The essential oil of bay is obtained from the leaves of the bay tree which grows profusely on the island of St. John. Bay rum is made by mixing bay oil with rum or alcohol and water. This industry, which suffered a momentary depression during the early days of prohibition enforcement in the Virgin Islands, continues to expand, and this despite reports that prohibition had wrecked the bay rum industry of St. Thomas. Generally speaking the Virgin Islands are now exporting nearly three times as much bay rum as during the best years before the Amer- icans purchased the islands, and even during our possession, and sub- sequent to the sudden slump following upon prohibition, the Virgin Islands exported and sold a yearly increasing amount of bay rum. (See Appendix G.) It can not be said, therefore, that the national prohibition act has in the past, nor will in the future, adversely affect the bay-rum industry in these islands. This industry is in a very healthy condition. Four firms are engaged in manufacturing bay rum. While nearly all of the alcohol used is obtained from the island of Porto Rico, during the past year about 5,000 gallons were procured from St. Croix and the United States. Most of the bay oil is imported from Porto Rico but recently the St. John producers have made efforts to increase their production, with excellent results. Recently, a corporation has been organized for the purpose of man- ufacturing industrial alcohol in the island of St. Croix. While this busi- ness is still in its embryo stage, encouraging results have necessitated enlargement and improvements. The management reports an extremely optimistic forecast for the year. During the fiscal year 1926-27, 156,427.13 proof gallons of alcohol were produced. Of this 147,642.98 gallons were denatured while 4,833.79 gallons were sold pure. The United States By-Products Corporation has also very recently commenced operations in the island of St. Thomas for the purpose of commercializing the skin of sharks for use in the manufacture of shoes and other products. It is understood that this company intends to branch out into other lines at some future time. The chief industry of St. John is the manufacture of bay oil from the leaves of the bay tree. Cattle raising is also receiving some atten- tion in this island, it being admirably adapted for this purpose. Recently, a young American has settled in the island of St. John and is developing a bee industry which promises to be one of importance. In St. Croix, the raising of cattle, though still a minor industry, has made marked strides since the transfer of sovereignty, due to the open- ing up of the Porto Rican market to the people of these islands. This industry now ranks next to sugar in importance. (See Appendix H.) The native industries, not sufficiently large to rank among the more important manufactures, consist of the weaving of baskets, mats, and hats. The local market for these products is very limited and the people who are engaged in their manufacture do not fare well except during the tourist season. Their products are appreciated by visitors as being artistic, useful, and unique souvenirs. The local joiners make cabinet products of the wonderful mahogany wood which is native in St. Thomas. This industry is not on a large commercial scale. The native jellies, marmalades, sour-sop syrup, and honey are excellent products, but this industry has not been developed sufficiently to warrant export. 12 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES A tropical garden THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 13 In the harbor of St. Thomas, the West Indian Co. (Ltd.) offers to vessels fuels and fresh water. This company has also limited steam- ship repair facilities. Since the sinking of the dry dock in the harbor of St. Thomas in 1924, it has not been found possible to bring another dock to the island. Creque's maritime railway offers excellent docking and repairing facilities for ships under 1,000 tons, while the Virgin Island Dock & Engine Works, which formerly owned the dry dock, offers facilities for docking of small tugs and general engine and boiler repair facilities. The United States Shipping Board maintains an oil-fueling station in the harbor of St. Thomas for Government-owned vessels. 7. Agricultural pursuits — sugar and vegetables. — For many years in St. Croix the growing of sugar cane and the manufacture of sugar — the major industry of the Virgin Islands — has been the chief source of support of its inhabitants and a principal source of revenue to the Government. There are three factories engaged in the manufacture of sugar in the island of St. Croix at the present time. These factories A St. Croix sugar factory own estates extensively planted in sugar cane and they also purchase cane grown by squatters or renters in various parts of the island. (See Appendix I.) Rainfall is the limiting factor in St. Croix's agricultural pursuits. Frequent droughts and irregular rainfall are at the root of all of St. Croix's agricultural difficulties. (See Appendix D.) A country in which the sugar production fluctuates from as low as 2,000 tons to as high as 12,000 tons — a normal annual crop being 7,000 tons — is usually beset with a great shortage of labor at one time, and a great excess at another. The consequence is a strong drift of labor away from the island. The population of St. Croix started to dwindle long, long ago, as mentioned elsewhere in this book, but the same influences that accelerated the movement of negro laborers from southern conti- nental United States to the northern States, have also beckoned the poorly paid laborers of St. Croix. They would prefer to remain if local conditions made it profitable. St. Croix would have discontinued the growth of cane during the World War had not the change of sovereignty occurred. At present, 14 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES with the occasional years of good rainfall, coupled with the protection of the United States tariff and the subsidy of the Federal appropria- tion in support of the local government, the growth of cane is profit- A load of sugar cane, St. Croix Hauling sugar to town for shipment, St. Croix able and each year it may be expected additional acreage will be placed in cane. The direct connection of the rainfall in St. Croix with the produc- tion of sugar is evidenced by the following table: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 15 1925-25.. 1925-26.. 1926-27. Tons sugar! „ . f .. produced I Rainfa11 10, 653 6,343 Inches 52 39 It is obvious that adequate rainfall in St. Croix is necessary before an average sugar crop can be planted, grown, and harvested. The rainfall must be so distributed during the several months as to insure consistent growth of the cane without undue periods of drought and the effects of the great evaporation from the rays of the sun. An average rainfall of 46 inches will, if fairly well distributed, insure the growth of a good sugar crop. The almost unprecedented drought of Loading sugar in Frederiksted harbor 1920-1923 caused a severe loss to sugar interests in St. Croix from which they are now recovering. This drought caused an unusual decrease in the acreage planted in sugar. In spite of the severe drought which prevailed in the early months of the year 1926, good rains in the spring of 1927 have resulted in the expectation of a bumper crop of sugar in 1928. In fact, it is esti- mated that sugar production in 1928 will equal 12,000 tons. Under the Danish administration all sugar exported from the island of St. Croix paid a 6 per cent ad valorem export duty and, in addition, $25 per ton import duty at the port of New York. By the act of Con- gress of March 3, 1917, known as the organic act of the Virgin Islands, the sugar shipped from the Virgin Islands was exempted from paying the 6 per cent export duty and the $25 per ton import duty, and in lieu thereof there was imposed a tax of $8 per ton, payable into the treasury of the Virgin Islands. 16 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Since 1917, it has been the constant wail of the sugar producers in St. Croix that the tax of $8 per ton was ruining the sugar industry in St. Croix, and consequently, after determined efforts*, the United States Congress during its last session reduced this export duty from $8 to $6 a short ton. The raising of sugar cane in the island of St. Croix is fraught with elements of risk and uncertainty. Small planters have difficulty in tiding themselves over the 18 months' period generally needed to har- vest a crop of sugar. The diversification of crops, especially in St. Croix, appears to be feasible and the local authorities are endeavoring to convince the small farmers of the wisdom of crop diversification to coincide with seasonal rainfall. Certain statistics on sugar production on the island of St. Croix are appended. (See Appendices D, I, and J.) In 1924, in the hope of discovering some means of alleviating the adverse agricultural situation incident to drought, the Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Interior, sent an engineer to St. Croix to investigate the feasibility of irrigation projects. His report indi- cated but two financially feasible projects. One of these would be of sole benefit to one sugar factory and the other of sole benefit to another. They would not irrigate a large area. This enginneer did not believe that the geological formation of the island is favorable to an artesian water supply, and this opinion is in agreement with that of other geologists who have visited St. Croix. The report stated that the major solution of the farming problem is the diversification of crops, the raising of crops that require less water than sugar cane, and the adoption of better dry-farm methods. To this end the agri- cultural experiment station has been experimenting several years, particularly along the fine of growing vegetables for sale in the New York market during the winter months. During the fiscal year 1925-26 experiments in the growing of Bermuda onions were made by a number of persons in different parts of the island of St. Croix with varying results. In practically all cases these experiments were made on a small scale, from half an acre to 4 or 5 acres being planted. While two or three persons were fairly successful, the majority failed to cover expenses. Investigations into the causes of these failures show that in most cases the experiments were made under very unfavorable conditions. The seeds were late in arriving and instead of being sown during the month of August, they were in most cases not planted until October. This meant that the harvest was delayed until April and May, by which time the yield from the main producing sections was on the market, causing a con- siderable drop in price. An unusually dry period was experienced during the period of growth, which probably contributed to the failure of the experiments. It is difficult to determine the extent to which the dry weather alone was responsible for the lack of success in grow- ing onions for, while it is a known fact that this crop requires plenty of moisture during the earlier stages, the agricultural experiment sta- tion states that experiments extending over a period of five years con- clusively prove that onions may be successfully grown in dry weather. During the fiscal year 1926-27 several very promising crops of Ber- muda onions were grown in St. Croix, but the seed was again planted too late to permit the matured product to reach the New York market in time to get the best prices. The result was that a considerable THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 17 quantity of immature onions were shipped to New York, with the result that they received less than the best market prices. Experiments in growing onions will be continued in St. Croix and St. Thomas for export to the New York and Porto Rican markets. Several planters in St. Croix attempted the growing of vegetables on a fairly large scale during the fiscal year 1926-27. Eggplants and peppers grew exceptionally well, and brought a good price in the New York market. Tomatoes did well also, but shipping opportunities were entirely too infrequent for this highly perishable product. With the view to demonstrating the commercial possibilities of vegetable growing in St. Croix, the colonial council on March 20, 1927, authorized the governor to utilize certain funds for the purpose of conducting a demonstration farm at the experiment station. A landscape view in St. Croix showing center-line highway About 12 acres of land will be used, upon which will be grown onions, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes and these products will be culti- vated, graded, packed, and shipped in an approved manner. Careful records will be kept and the results given wide publicity. It is hoped that this farm will be of considerable help to planters engaged in vegetable growing and will aid in diversification of crops. On July 1, 1926, the agricultural experiment station in St. Croix detailed a horticulturist to duty in St. Thomas for extension work, and his services, aided by the local department of agriculture, com- merce, and labor, have been efficient and fruitful. In St. Thomas experiments are now being conducted with a view to raising garden produce, principally tomatoes, eggplants, and pep- pers, for shipment to New York winter markets at a time when prices for these products are highest. The opportunities seem unlimited and results of small ventures have been encouraging. While, as stated above, such a project would give the much needed crop diver- 18 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES sification in St. Croix, it would create work for the unemployed in St. Thomas. A revolving fund has been appropriated by the colonial council for the purpose of assisting the local small farmers in the grading, packing, and shipping of these vegetables, and a municipal nursery has been started here for the purpose of raising and distributing tree seedlings. While this project is only in an experimental stage at the present time, the outlook is encouraging and great hopes are entertained for its success, for success would undeniably attract American farmers, a large number of whom are battling against tremendous odds on the mainland. A recent article by Mr. W. M. Perry, the horticulturist of the agricultural experiment station in St. Thomas, on this subject is believed to be of sufficient interest to be recopied here in full : VEGETABLE PROSPECT GOOD The experiments in raising and shipping certain vegetables to the New York market during the past three years have been so encouraging that the work is being put across this season in a small commercial way. The municipal author- ities of St. Thomas and St. John being encouraged by the success of the project, and desiring to encourage the stick-to-the-land movement, set aside a revolving fund to be used in assisting farmers in " raising and marketing garden produce; also for establishing a municipal nursery for raising plants for distribution in the Virgin Islands," the funds under this act to be administered by a board of control, subject to the approval of the Governor of the Virgin Islands. The nursery has been established on a well located piece of municipal property, and already several thousand plants have been sold, while the growing of ornamental and tree seedlings is under way. The vegetables that have been successfully shipped from the Virgin Islands are Bermuda onions, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. It was decided this year to specialize in tomatoes in St. Thomas, and onions in St. John. That interest thus was awakened among the rural populace is shown in the fact that some 20 farmers representing the various sections of St. Thomas have made plantings of tomatoes. Three school gardens, aggregating 3 acres, have also made plantings. In order to present the product on the market in the best pos- sible manner, attractive lithographed labels have been secured for the crates. The grading and packing will be under expert supervision. Unfortunately for St. John, the Bermuda onion seed proved worthless; hence she will lose a year's work. The school gardens there, however, not to be outdone, have planted their gardens in peppers and eggplants for export. To further the new industry and to awaken others to the possibilities, a tem- porary organization known as the Virgin Islands Vegetable Growers' Association has been formed. With the beginning of the next season the association will be permanently organized. From the present indications it seems that the movement is destined to emancipate the tillers of the soil from the hand-to- mouth existence under which they have been enthralled so many years. The limiting factors at present are poor roads and antiquated methods of culti- vating the soil. The interest being taken by the government in good roads for the islands will doubtless ere long remove this obstacle. As soon as it is actually demonstrated that there is real money in growing and exporting vegetables by the farmers themselves, better methods of cultivation will follow. One improved implement introduced this year has proved its worth and is making friends. Other implements will speedily follow. — W. M. Perry. Much space has been devoted in this section to the vegetable- growing industry in the Virgin Islands, for it is believed that in the development of agricultural pursuits lies the solution of the funda- mental economic problems of the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas's trade, so prolific during the latter part of the nineteenth century, has declined due to causes beyond human control. St. Croix's sugar history has been a tale of successive woes. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 19 Every effort is being made, therefore, by the insular authorities to solve the problem of getting the people of the Virgin Islands back to the land and every encouragement and inducement is being granted to industries that will furnish more employment and create more real wealth for the people of the islands. 8. Flora and fauna. — Dr. F. Borgesen, Ph. D., prefaces an article on the vegetation of these islands, published in 1898 at Copenhagen, by the following remarks : In consequence of their location, the islands have a tropical vegetation, but the comparatively scanty rainfail does not, as a rule, permit the development of as rich and luxuriant a plant life as is found in other places in the Tropics, where the precipitation is greater. In spite of this, however, the vegetation may be almost as rank as that of the jungle in valleys possessing a sufficient supply of moisture. As in all small islands with a relatively large population, man's intervention has left its stamp on the vegetation. The story goes that at the time of their discovery they were covered with thick forests, of which, however, hardly any- thing is left. During the period of colonization the forests were burned off, and the little that probably survived, along with what later grew up, has been partly destroyed by reckless cutting, a practice which is indulged in up to the present time. There is nevertheless some forest vegetation in the northwestern part of St. Croix, on the mountain slopes of St. Thomas, and especially in St. John, but most of it is of secondary growth. The original vegetation in all probability is best preserved in the mangrove swamps along the coasts and in the forests growing on the sandy beaches, where the quality of the soil gave no encourage- ment to cultivation. The fruits commonly grown on the islands, the supply of which is usually inadequate for local consumption, are the following: The plantain and banana, the avocado pear, commonly called the alli- gator pear, the belle apple, the pineapple, the mango, the guava, the pomegranate, the papaw (papaya), the cashew, the mammee, the sour sop, the sugar apple and the custard apple, the cocoanut, the genip (pronounced kinep), the seaside grape, the guva berry, the tamarind, the cocoa plum, the lemon, the muskmelon, the water- melon, the granadillo, and the lime. The most common vegetables are the sweet potato, the yam, the tanya, the pumpkin, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers. Botanical researches in St. Thomas have been numerous and quite a number of books may be found on this subject. The celebrated botanists West, Ravn, and Erenreich have all investigated the botany of the islands. Knox's History of the Danish West India Islands, published in 1852 contains an excellent description of plant life on the island of St. Thomas with an invaluable list of plants. Dr. N. L. Britton's "The Flora of the American Virgin Islands," contributed by the New York Botanical Garden in 1918, is replete with informa- tion on this subject. Insects abound in the Virgin Islands of the United States. Ants of varied species are, at times, a source of worry to housekeepers, particularly so in the case of the small sugar ant. The wood ant, white ant, or wood louse, commits great destruction to the wood- work of houses. There is also a species commonly known as the stinging ant. This is a small red ant whose bite causes severe pain. Butterflies and moths are not numerous. Mosquitoes of various species have been found from time to time, but the efforts of the sanitation service of the islands to screen all water containers have been highly successful. The scorpion and the centipede are found 20 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES throughout the islands but their stings, while painful, are not fatal, and such incidents do not occur frequently. Spiders are numerous but harmless. Cockroaches are plentiful. They are very annoying by their foul smell and their depredations upon clothing, books, and various other articles. Many are familiar with the old yarn of the Virgin Island cockroaches, but it will bear repeating. It runs to the ^^_^^^^^^_|^^^^___|^^^^^^^^^^^^^__— ^^^__^^_ "tellj i-JI ■ f ills- t The George Washington Public School, St. Thomas The Abraham Lincoln Public School, St. Thomas effect that when accounting was demanded from Denmark for the old cannon which had been carried away from time to time by various ships the custodian reported that the cannon had been eaten by the St. Croix cockroaches. After a while a further letter was received stating that the scientists of the mother country were rather incred- ulous and would like to have sent to them specimens of the cock- roaches which had such appetites. The incident was closed finally THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 21 and conclusively when the custodian of the missing cannon replied, impatiently, that he didn't see how he could with safety send to Den- mark in wooden ships cockroaches that were accustomed to eating brass cannon. The common iguana is found on all of the islands. Several speqies of lizards also abound, such as the common ground lizard, the slippery- backs, the red-throated moles, and the woodslave. Bird life is not plentiful in the islands. Among those found may be mentioned the sparrow, the black witch, the chinchirri, the ground dove, the mountain dove, the pigeon, duck, orioles, yellow breast, canary, the chicken hawk, pelicans, sandpiper, the booby, the snipe. Rats, mongoose, and bats are plentiful in the islands. A list of the types of fish usually caught in the waters of the Virgin Islands is appended. (See Appendix K.) Chapter II HISTORICAL SKETCH 1. Discovery by Columbus. — The Virgin Island Group was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493 and named by him "St. Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins." Columbus actually landed, so history tells us, on the 14th day of November, 1493, on the island of St. Croix (politically but not geographically one of the Virgin Island Group). He found that the Indian inhabi- tants called this island "Ayay" but he gave it the name of Santa Cruz, which name it still bears on the tongues of many of its inhabi- tants who prefer the Spanish form (Santa Cruz) to the French form (Saint Croix). Leaving St. Croix, Columbus proceeded to the Virgin Group, which was already in sight to the northward. On account of the roughness of the sea, the narrow passages between the islands and the possible hidden dangerous rocks, Columbus was compelled to anchor near the islands, but a small detachment sent by him returned with the report that there were upwards of 50 islands, apparently uninhabited. Inasmuch as Columbus is said to have named the largest of the group St. Ursula, it is considered probable that the island of St. Thomas was the one so named. 2. Description of Carib inhabitants. — Columbus found the island of St. Croix populated by Carib Indians, a race of fierce warriors and courageous travelers. Articles have been found indicating that they had intercourse with Jamaica, Porto Rico, Santo Domingo, and Cuba. Some of their carvings can still be seen on the rocks of St. John. The following interesting account of the fierce and courageous spirit of these Carib Indians is taken from Knox's History of the Danish West India Islands: It was whilst he lay at anchor at this island that Columbus was made fully aware of the fierce and courageous spirit of these natives. During the absence of the boat, which had been sent to the shore with 25 men to procure water and obtain information, a canoe containing 4 men, 2 women, and a boy, coasting from a distant part of the island, came suddenly in full view of the ships. Their amaze- ment at what they beheld, prevented them from seeing the boat, which was now returning from the shore, and making toward them in order to capture the men. At first they attempted flight; but this proving impossible, they took up their weapons and fearlessly attacked the Spaniards. The women, as well as the men, plied their bows with such amazing vigor and rapidity, that, although the Spani- ards were covered with their targets and other defensive armor, several of them were quickly wounded. To avoid their galling fire, their canoe was overset; still, it was with no little difficulty and danger that some of them were secured, as they continued to defend themselves, and to use their bows with great dex- terity while swimming in the sea. One of the Caribs died after being brought on board, having been transfixed by a spear; and a few days afterwards, one of the Spaniards died from a wound received from the poisoned arrows which the Caribs had used. Washington Irving, after examining the letters and diaries of Columbus, tells that — 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 22 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 23 of the New World. Though captives in chains, and in the power of their enemies, they still retained a frowning brow and an air of defiance. Peter Martyr, who often went to see them in Spain, declares, from his own experience, that it was impossible to look at them without a sensation of horror; so menacing and ter- rible was their aspect. The sensation was doubtless caused in a great measure by the idea of their being cannibals. 3. Indians driven from islands — It has bever been accurately deter- mined exactly how long after the discovery of these islands the Caribs continued to inhabit them. As a matter of fact it has never been definitely determined that the islands of St. Thomas and St. John were inhabited by Carib Indians, though subsequent archaeological investigations show that specimens of St. Thomas pottery show an absolute resemblance to the specimens from St. Croix, and history proves that St. Croix was populated by Indians when Columbus dis- covered that island It is interesting to note that when the Earl of Cumberland, on his way to capture Porto Rico, in 1596, passed the Virgin Group he de- scribed the islands as " wholly uninhabited, sandy, barren and craggy". Oldendorp, a German historian, claims that the Indians were driven away from the Virgin Islands in the reign of Charles V of Spain, about the year 1555, the Emperor having directed that they be treated as enemies and exterminated. Their ultimate fate is not definitely known but it is believed that they were either killed, driven out, or enslaved to work the mines of Hispaniola when the labor supply of that island had become exhausted. 4. Occupation ly various European nations. — Danish, English, Dutch and French settlers came to the Virgin Islands during the seventeenth century, the first recorded settlement being made on the island of St. Croix in 1625, the first recorded settlement on St. Thomas in 1666, and upon St. John in 1684. At the time these settlements were made there were no Indian inhabitants in the islands. The settlement upon the island of St. Croix seems to have been made by the Dutch and English jointly. Inasmuch as the Dutch had established their West India Co. as early as 1621, it is probable that they landed first upon St. Croix. In 1645 the governor of the English portion of the island of St. Croix was killed, whether designedly or by accident is not definitely known, in the residence of the governor of the Dutch portion. Immedi- ately a bitter struggle ensued which resulted in the departure of the Dutch for other West Indian islands. A small French colony resident at that time in the island o*f St. Croix sympathized with the Dutch in this quarrel and withdrew to one of the French islands. The English remained in sole possession of the island of St. Croix for about five years, and during this time many improvements were made in the island. The early history of the West Indies is known to be one of constant and bitter struggle with the ultimate survival of the fittest. In 1650 the Spanish governor of the island of Porto Rico, alarmed at the prosperity of this foreign colony so close by, sent an expedition to attack them. Many of the inhabitants of the island of St. Croix were killed, while those who were not taken prisoners were permitted to depart within three weeks. St. Croix was then claimed for Spain and a garrison of about 60 Spaniards were left to hold the fortress. This unsettled condition aroused hope among the Dutch who at- tempted to regain the island but were defeated and driven off by the 1862—28 3 24 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Spanish. The French in St. Christopher, who had also received infor- mation of the destruction of the English colony in St. Croix, sent an expedition almost simultaneously with that of the Dutch, to capture the island. This expedition was vanquished by the Spaniards, but a later expedition of the French succeeded in capturing St. Croix, and the French West India Co. then sent out a governor with colonists in an attempt to colonize the island. This occurred, very probably, late in the year 1650. In 1651 the French, having suffered severe losses, sold the island of St. Croix to the Knights of Malta. In 1665 the privileges and possessions of the Knights of Malta were pur- chased by the French West India Co., and the island of St. Croix thus passed, after 14 years under a religious order, into the posses- sion of a company once again. Here it is of interest to note that St. Croix passed successively under the power of three European nations during a very short space of time. In 1674 the new French West India Co. found itself in financial difficulties and King Louis XIV of France paid off their debts and took over the island of St. Croix as a part of the Crown dominion. Colonization was not the success that France had hoped and, as it was a great source of trouble, in 1695 the French abandoned the island, burned the houses, and sailed for Santo Domingo. The island of St. Croix thus remained without inhabitants for over 37 years and became a complete wilderness, though France continued to lay technical claim to the island. It is generally believed that there was a colony on the island of St. Thomas at some time before 1647, although the first recorded settle- ment was in 1666. In 1647 French settlers from the neighboring Crab Island (Viequez), having been driven away by the Spaniards, touched at St. Thomas and found there abandoned fruit groves and evidences of former cultivation. It is easy to conject that the safe and com- modious harbor of St. Thomas and its easy sailing distance of St. Croix must have attracted some of the inhabitants of St. Croix or, perhaps, even the Dutch buccaneers. St. Thomas next appears on record as having been the burial place of one Erik Schmidt, who arrived there in 1666, probably bringing supplies to Dutch settlers who had taken up their abode in that island. The Dutch settlers, however, soon learned of the great prosperity of the new colony of New Amster- dam, now New York, and between 1666 and 1667 many departed for that village. Others migrated to near-by West India Islands, and St. Thomas remained practically uninhabited until 1671. History does not tell the exact year in which St. John was settled. As early as 1684, however, the Danes took formal possession of the island of St. John. This section of the early history of the Virgin Islands would be incomplete without mention of the fact that it is the general opinion of many of the inhabitants of the island of St. Thomas that the island was at one time a pirates' lair, a haunt for the buccaneers. Three old towers, one within the walls of Christian's Fort,and the other two upon hills to the east and north of the city, have apparently given rise to this idea. The towers on the hills bear the romantic names of Black Beard's Castle and Blue Beard's Castle. It is generally be- lieved in the island that Black Beard's Castle was the stronghold of that well-known pirate, Edward Teach, alias Black Beard, who has the reputation of being "the mildest-mannered man that ever scuttled a ship or cut a throat," while Blue Beard's Castle is said to have been THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 25 the stronghold of the famous pirate Blue Beard of many wives. There is a local tradition, unverified, that there is a secret underground pas- sage between these two castles. 5. Occupation by Denmark. — The island of St. Thomas was the first of the Virgin group to come in the possession of Denmark. It will be remembered that record was made in the preceding section of the aban- donment of the island of St. Thomas by the English in 1667. In spite of protests from the British, who claimed the island by right of con- quest, the Danish West India & Guinea Co. immediately laid claim to the island as a trading post. The protests from Great Britain not being followed by any drastic measures, preparations were made in Denmark to found a colony on the island of St. Thomas. On August 31, 1671, the Golden Crown was dispatched from Denmark, and shortly after another vessel bringing to the newly acquired Danish territory, their first Danish governor, Jorgen Iversen. The first official act of Governor Iversen was the building of a fort. Fort Chris- tian as it was called, and is called to this day, became the residence of the governor and of the Lutheran clergymen who accompanied the expedition. It is recorded in Theodoor de Booy and John T. Faris's work "The Virgin Islands, Our New Possessions, and the British Islands " that the early Danish colonists were not of high character, and that Governor Iversen was compelled to adopt stern measures to force his subjects to fulfill their contracts and attend to their duties. His early proclamations, which are on record, revealed that he ruled the new Danish colony with an iron hand. The following extracts from his first order are of great interest: Every person who speaks Danish is bound to attend service every Sunday in Christians Fort when the drum beats, and on failure of doing so is to pay a tine of 25 pounds of tobacco. Persons of all other nations are bound to attend service every Sunday afternoon at the same place, under the same penalty. Every Saturday afternoon when the drum beats, all persons who can use a gun shall meet at the parade ground fully armed. Any person absent, in favorable weather, shall forfeit every time 25 pounds of tobacco, which is to be paid at the end of the year for the benefit of those who meet regularly. No person shall leave the island without permission from the governor, under penalty of 500 pounds of tobacco; and the person who aids another to leave shall pay 1,000 pounds and be responsible for the debts and other liabilities of the party leaving. Inasmuch as the growing of tobacco was probably the chief occu- pation of the early colonists, it is likely that this commodity was the principal article of export. It is also of interest to note here that, at the time of the occupation of the Danes, at least when Governor Iversen arrived, a few colonists were already established, principally Dutch planters who had returned from the islands of St. Martin and St. Eustatius. With them came a few negro slaves. Immediately after the settlement of the colony by the Danes, the Spaniards in Porto Rico began molesting them. They often descended upon the islands at nights, stealing negroes and cattle, and it is there- fore evident why Governor Iversen took such stringent measures for the protection of the colony. Buccaneers from the island of Tortola also were a source of considerable worry to the colonists. Shortly after 1671 the Danes claimed Viequez or Crab Island, but it was subsequently captured by the Spaniards from Porto Rico. Governor Iversen first laid claim to this island in 1682. Two years later, th'e sovereignty of Denmark was extended over the whole of the island of St. John by Governor Iversen, and in 26 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 1688 the governor of St. Thomas was directed to place from four to six men on the island of St. John and to encourage them to begin plant- ing. In' 1716, the governor of St. Thomas wrote his directors that a number of his colonists who were anxious to settle on St. John were afraid to do so because the British from Tortola would allow no one of another nationality to go there and cut timber. Subsequent English threats to dislodge the infant colony were without avail. The actual colonization of St. John, therefore, commenced about 1716, the directors of the company having sent instructions that the British claims to St. John were to be ignored. In 1685, the Danish West India Co., finding that it was financially unable to furnish sufficient transportation to St. Thomas for the slave trade to supply necessary agricultural labor, and for exporting the produce of the island, entered into an agreement with the Duchy of Brandenburg, authorizing a company of Brandenburgers to estab- lish themselves in St. Thomas for the purpose of carrying on commerce. The term of this contract did not expire until 30 years afterwards (1716) and though the success of the Brandenburgers jeopardized the interests of the Danish West India Co. and created severe jealousy, it was impossible to oust them, and, fortunately so, for it is claimed that the foundation of the subsequent commercial success of St. Thomas was laid by the Brandenburgers during this period. In 1690 apparently the affairs of the Danish West India Co. had reached a marked crisis. The Danish King rented the entire colony of St. Thomas, outside of the holdings of the Brandenburgers, to one Thormohlen, perhaps to secure to him the liens which he held upon the property. This lease ran for a period of 10 years and stipulated that Thormohlen should maintain a garrison in the island. The garrison arrived in 1692, and were the first regular troops to be stationed in Christians Fort. When the privileges of the Branden- burgers expired, the Danish King directed those of their number who wished to remain in the island to swear allegiance to Denmark. The number of slaves in the islands of St. Thomas and St. John had now so greatly increased that considerable anxiety was felt in the islands among the whites, and this resulted in the issuance of a placard by the royal council on January 31, 1733, imposing extremely cruel measures of discipline upon the slaves. It is but fair to record, however, that the slaves were ignorant and even savage and that the situation of the colonists, because of the growing power of the slaves, was indeed desperate. A bloody insurrection broke out in the island of St. John on November 13, 1733, and all the white colonists in St. John were brutally murdered with the exception of a few planters who escaped to St. Thomas. The island was left in the possession of the slaves for six months, and after aid from a vessel of Nevis and from the French in Martinique had been procured, the forces raised against the slaves became so powerful that the greater number of them either shot themselves or committed self-destruction by jump- ing over a high precipice upon the rocks below. A few were taken prisoners to St. Thomas and were made to undergo the greatest tor- ture. It was about this time that attention was turned to the pur- chase of the island of St. Croix by the Danish West India Co. It has been necessary heretofore to deal separately with the islands in regard to their early history, but from 1733, when St. Croix was purchased by the Danes, the history of the islands can be described as a whole. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 27 In the preceding section of this chapter, record was made of the abandonment of the island of St. Croix by the French in 1695, and that the island remained uninhabited for over 37 years. In 1725 there was a rumor in the West Indies that the British had their eyes on the island of St. Croix. This rumor caused the governor of St. Thomas to recommend the establishment of the Danish West India's Co.'s interest to the island of St. Croix, and accordingly negotiations were commenced which culminated in the purchase of the island of St. Croix by the Danish West India & Guinea Co., on June 15, 1733, from France. The news arrived when the insurrection in St. John was in progress, and it was not until 1734 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 instructed to take over the island of St. Croix. The islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, now the Danish West Indies, remained under company rule until the year 1754, when the company's shares were sold to King Frederick V, of Denmark, and the islands came under the direct control as royal colonies. Several minor slave insurrections took place at various times in St. Croix. All were quickly quelled until the one which many years later culminated in the complete emancipation of all slaves in these islands. It is stated in Knox's History that the slaves in St. Thomas never exceeded 3,500, in St. John 2,500, and in St. Croix 26,000. Anxious for the sweets of freedom, the slaves in St. Croix in 1848 plotted an insurrection. This happened just the year following the enactment of a Danish law proclaiming that at the end of 12 years slavery in the Danish West Indies should entirely cease, and that all children born of slaves in bondage . should be immediately free. This only incited the slaves to secure greater freedom. The insur- rection broke out on July 2, 1848, and word was sent to the Governor General in Christiansted that his presence was desired in Frederiksted. Thousands of slaves proceeded to the fort in Frederiksted the next day and demanded their freedom. This could not be granted in the absence of the Governor General. They then proceeded to destroy property and threatened to burn the town by 4 o'clock if they were not given their freedom. Finally the Governor General arrived and, to the amazement of the officers and citizens, proclaimed freedom for all the slaves in the Danish West India Islands. The slaves were thus emancipated in 1848 in the Danish West Indies, or 15 years before the emancipation of the slaves in the United States. 6. Taken by the English and restored. — In 1800, Denmark, because of her inability to preserve neutrality in the struggles between England and France, became involved in a war with England and on the 1st of April, 1801, St. Thomas surrendered to Colonel Cowell (whose name is still preserved in the name of the fortifications where the present signal station is located). Fort Cowell was built during this time and named after the English commander. The island was held by the British for 10 months, until February 22, 1802, when it was restored to Denmark. During the period of English occupation the commerce of the islands suffered greatly. 7. Retaken by the English and held eight years. — On December 22, 1807, the Danish West Indies were again surrendered to the British, during the Napoleonic Wars. Fifteen hundred British troops were quartered in St. Thomas and the commerce of the islands again 28 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES dwindled. At length peace being restored, the islands were surren- dered to Denmark on April 15, 1815, in exchange for the Danish island of Heligoland. 8. Attempts made by the United States to purchase. — During the Civil War in the United States the need of a naval station in the West Indies became apparent. If there had been one the war might have been shortened considerably, as it might have helped to break the blockade running of the Confederate States. When the war was concluded an attempt was made by the United States to secure such a base. The Danish West Indies were most favored, partly because of the strategic position of the harbor of St. Thomas and partly because it was believed that Denmark would welcome the sale on account of her great financial losses in war. Secretary of State Seward secured a survey of the islands in 1866 and made a visit to the islands. In October, 1867, a treaty was negotiated for the pur- chase of St. Thomas and St. John for $7,500,000, subject to the con- Ifill^iffcm • .;- j-^V The Grand Hotel, St. Thomas sent of both the upper house of Denmark (Landsthing) and the Senate of the United States. A vote of the inhabitants on this transfer favored it, being 1,244 to 22. The Danish legislative body then ratified the treaty and on November 27, 1867, the King of Denmark issued a proc- lamation informing the inhabitants of the prospective sale Presum- ably because of enmity between Senator Charles Sumner and President Johnson of the United States, the treaty was not ratified by the Senate, and on April 14, 1870, it automatically lapsed, although efforts were made again before it lapsed to secure its ratification. During the Spanish American War the need of a West Indian naval base again became apparent, and another treaty was negotiated in January, 1902, for the sale of the islands to the United States for $5,000,000. This treaty was promptly ratified by the United States Senate, due to the efforts of President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Hay, but though it was ratified by the Folkething, or lower house of Denmark, it failed of ratification in the Landsthing, or upper house. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 29 In 1911 and 1912 attempts were made to ienew interest in the purchase of the islands, without success, and it was not until 1916 that a determined effort was made to induce the Danes to cede the islands to the United States. After a popular vote of the Danish people, 283,000 voted for the ratification of the treaty and 157,000 voted for its nonratification, which vote was hailed with great joy in the Danish West Indies. Secretary of State Lansing and Minister Constantin Brun of Denmark exchanged the ratifications of the treaty, transferring the islands to the United States for $25,000,000, on January 17, 1917. This treaty had been signed at New York on August 4, 1916. Its ratification was advised by the Senate of the United States on September 7, 1916, and it was ratified by President Woodrow Wilson on January 16, 1917. It had previously been ratified by Denmark on December 22, 1916. The ratifications hav- ing been exchanged at Washington on January 17, 1917, as noted above, the President issued a proclamation on January 25, 1917, The Public Library, Christiansted, St. Croix setting forth the treaty in full, and on March 9, 1917, the King of Denmark issued a proclamation announcing to the inhabitants the sale of the islands. It was stipulated that the islands would be taken over within 90 days. The formal transfer was effected on March 31, 1917, and termed Transfer Day and celebrated as a legal holiday. 9. The treaty of cession to the United States. — The treaty between the United States of America and Denmark providing for the cession of the Danish West Indies, signed at New York August 4, 1916, is of such historic interest to the islands that it is deemed well to quote it here in full: ITreaty series, No. 629] CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND DENMARK- CESSION OF THE DANISH WEST INDIES Signed at New York, August 4, 1916. Ratification advised by the Senate, September 7, 1916. Ratified by the President, January 16, 1917. Ratified by Denmark, December 22, 1916. Ratifications exchanged at Washington, January 17, 1917. Proclaimed, January 25, 1917. 30 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES By the President of the United States of America A PROCLAMATION Whereas a convention between the United States of America and Denmark providing for the cession to the United States of all territory asserted or claimed by Denmark in the West Indies, including the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, together with the adjacent islands and rocks, was concluded and signed by their respective plenipotentiaries at the city of New York on the 4th day of August, 1916, the original of which convention, being in the English and Danish languages, is word for word as follows : The United States of America and His Majesty the King of Denmark being desirous of confirming the good understanding which exists between them, have to that end appointed as plenipotentiaries : The President of the United States; Mr. Robert Lansing, Secretary of State of the United States, and His Majesty the King of Denmark. Mr. Constantin Brun, His Majesty's envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Wash- ington, who, having mutually exhibited their full powers which were found to be in due form, have agreed upon the following articles : Article 1 His Majesty the King of Denmark by this convention cedes to the United States all territory, dominion and sovereignty, possessed, asserted or claimed by Denmark in the West Indies including the Islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix together with the adjacent islands and rocks. This cession includes the right of property in all public, government, or Crown lands, public buildings, wharves, ports, harbors, fortifications, barracks, public funds, rights, franchises, and privileges, and all other public property of every kind or description now belonging to Denmark together with all appurtenances thereto. In this cession shall also be included any government archives, records, papers or documents which relate to the cession or the rights and property of the inhab- itants of the islands ceded, and which may now be existing either in the islands ceded or in Denmark, Such archives and records shall be carefully preserved, and authenticated copies thereof, as may be required shall be at all times given to the United States Government or the Danish Government, as the case may be, or to such properly authorized persons as may apply for them. Article 2 Denmark guarantees that the cession made by the preceding article is free and unemcumbered by any reservations, privileges, franchises, grants, or pos- sessions, held by any governments, corporations, syndicates, or individuals, except as herein mentioned.^ But it is understood that this cession does not in any respect impair private rights which by law belong to the peaceful possession of property of all kinds by private individuals of whatsoever nationality, by muni- cipalities, public or private establishments, ecclesiastical or civic bodies, or any other associations having legal capacity to acquire and possess property in the islands ceded. The congregations belonging to the Danish National Church shall retain the undisturbed use of the churches which are now used by them, together with the parsonages appertaining thereto and other appurtenances, including the funds allotted to the churches. Article 3 It is especially agreed, however, that — (1) The arms and military stores existing in the islands at the time of the cession and belonging to the Danish Government shall remain the property of that Government and shall, as soon as circumstances will permit, be removed by it, unless they, or parts thereof, may have been bought by the Government of the United States; it being, however, understood that flags and colors, uni- forms, and such arms or military articles as are marked as being the property of the Danish Government shall not be included in such purchase. (2) The movables, especially silver plate and pictures, which may be found in the Government buildings in the islands ceded and belonging to the Danish Government shall remain the property of that Government and shall, as soon as circumstances will permit, be removed by it. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 31 (3) The pecuniary claims now held by Denmark against the colonial treasuries of the islands ceded are altogether extinguished in consequence of this cession, and the United States assumes no responsibility whatsoever for or in connection with these claims. Excepted is, however, the amount due to the Danish treasury in account current with the West Indian colonial treasuries pursuant to the mak- ing up of accounts in consequence of the cession of the islands; should, on the other hand, this final accounting show a balance in favor of the West Indian colonial treasuries, the Danish treasury shall pay that amount to the colonial treasuries. (4) The United States will maintain the following grants, concessions, and licenses, given by the Danish Government, in accordance with the terms on which they are given: (a) The concession granted to "Det vestindiske Kompagni,, (the West Indian Co., Ltd.) by the communications from the ministry of finance of January 18, 1913, and of April 16, 1913, relative to a license to embank, drain, deepen, and utilize certain areas in St. Thomas Harbor and preferential rights as to com- mercial, industrial, or shipping establishments in the said harbor. (b) Agreement of August 10 and 14, 1914, between the municipality of St. Thomas and St. John and Det vestindiske Kompagni (Ltd.), relative to the supply of the city of Charlotte Amalie with electric lighting. (c) Concession of March 12, 1897, to The Floating Dock Co. of St. Thomas (Ltd.), subsequently transferred to The St. Thomas Engineering & Coaling Co. (Ltd.), relative to a floating dock in St. Thomas Harbor, in which concession the maintenance, extension, and alteration of the then existing repairing slip are reserved. (d) Royal Decree No. 79 of November 30, 1914, relative to the subsidies from the colonial treasuries of St. Thomas and Ste. Croix to The West India & Panama Telegraph Co. (Ltd.). (e) Concession of November 3, 1906, to K. B. Hey to establish and operate a telephone system on St. Thomas Island, which concession has subsequently been transferred to the St. Thomas Telefonselskab (Ltd.). (/) Concession of February 28, 1913, to the municipality of Ste. Croix to estab- lish and operate a telephone system in Ste. Croix. (g) Concession of July 16, 1915, to Ejnar Svendsen, an engineer, for the con- struction and operation of an electric-light plant in the city of Christiansted, Ste. Croix. (h) Concession of June 20, 1904, for the establishment of a Danish West Indian bank of issue. This bank has for a period of 30 years acquired the monopoly to issue bank notes in the Danish West India Islands against the payment to the Danish treasury of a tax amounting to 10 per cent of its annual profits. (i) Guarantee according to the Danish supplementary budget law for the financial year 1908-9 relative to the St. Thomas Harbor's 4 per cent loan of 1910. (5) Whatever sum shall be due to the Danish treasury by private individuals on the date of the exchange of ratifications are reserved and do not pass by this cession; and where the Danish Government at that date holds property taken over by the Danish treasury for sums due by private individuals, such property shall not pass by this cession, but the Danish Government shall sell or dispose of such property and remove its proceeds within two years from the date of the exchange of ratifications of this convention; the United States Government being entitled to sell by public auction, to the credit of the Danish Government, any portion of such property remaining unsold at the expiration of the said tetm of two years. (6) The colonial treasuries shall continue to pay the yearly allowances now given to heretofore retired functionaries appointed in the islands but holding no royal commissions, unless such allowances may have until now been paid in Denmark. Article 4 The Danish Government shall appoint with convenient dispatch an agent or agents for the purpose of formally delivering to a similar agent or agents appointed on behalf of the United States, the territory, dominion, property, and appurten- ances which are ceded hereby, and for doing any other act which may be necessary in regard thereto. Formal delivery of the territory and property ceded shall be made immediately after the payment by the United States of the sum of money stipulated in this convention; but the cession with the right of immediate posses- sion is nevertheless to be deemed complete on the exchange of ratifications of this convention without such formal delivery. Any Danish military or naval forces which may be in the islands ceded shall be withdrawn as soon as may be practi- cable after the formal delivery, it being, however, understood that if the persons 32 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES constituting these forces, after having terminated their Danish service, do not wish to leave the islands, they shall be allowed to remain there as civilians. Article 5 In full consideration of the cession made by this convention, the United States agrees to pay, within 90 days from the date of the exchange of the ratifications of this convention, in the city of Washington to the diplomatic representative or other agent of His Majesty the King of Denmark duly authorized to receive the money, the sum of $25,000,000 in gold coin of the United States. Article 6 Danish citizens residing in said islands may remain therein or may remove therefrom at will, retaining in either event all their rights of property, including the right to sell or dispose of such property or its proceeds; in case they remain in the islands they shall continue, until otherwise provided, to enjoy all the pri- vate, municipal, and religious rights and liberties secured to them by the laws now in force. If the present laws are altered, the said inhabitants shall not thereby be placed in a less favorable position in respect to the above-mentioned rights and liberties than they now enjoy. Those who remain in the islands may preserve their citizenship in Denmark by making before a court of record, within one year from the date of the exchange of ratifications of this convention, a declaration of their decision to preserve such citizenship; in default of which declaration they shall be held to have renounced it and to have accepted citizenship in the United States; for children under 18 years the said declaration may be made by their parents or guardians. Such election of Danish citizenship shall, however, not, after the lapse of the said term of one year, be a bar to their renunciation of their preserved Danish citizenship and their election of citizenship in the United States and admission to the nationality thereof on the same terms as may be pro- vided according to the laws of the United States for other inhabitants of the islands. The civil rights and the political status of the inhabitants of the islands shall be determined by the Congress, subject to the stipulations contained in the present convention. Danish citizens not residing in the islands but owning property therein at the time of the cession shall retain their rights of property, including the right to sell or dispose of such property, being placed in this regard on the same basis as the Danish citizens residing in the islands and remaining therein or removing there- from, to whom the first paragraph of this article relates. Article 7 Danish subjects residing in the islands shall be subject in matters civil as well as criminal to the jurisdiction of the courts of the islands, pursuant to the ordinary laws governing the same, and they shall have the right to appear before such courts and to pursue the same course therein as citizens of the country to which the courts belong. Article 8 Judicial proceedings pending at the time of the formal delivery in the islands ceded shall be determined according to the following rules: (1) Judgments rendered either in civil suits betweeen private individuals, or in criminal matters, before the date mentioned, and with respect to which there Is no recourse or right to review under Danish law, shall be deemed to be final, and shall be executed in due form and without any renewed trial whatsoever, by the competent authority in the territories within which such judgments are to be carried out. If in a criminal case a mode of punishment has been applied which, according to new rules, is no longer applicable on the islands ceded after delivery, the nearest corresponding punishment in the new rules shall be applied. (2) Civil suits or criminal actions pending before the first courts, in which the pleadings have not been closed at the same time, shall be confirmed before the tribunals established in the ceded islands after the delivery, in accordance with the law which shall thereafter be in force. (3) Civil suits and criminal actions pending at the said time before the superior court or the supreme court in Denmark shall continue to be prosecuted before the Danish courts until final judgment according to the law hitherto in force. The judgment shall be executed in due form by the competent authority in the territories within which such judgment should be carried out. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 33 Article 9 The rights of property secured by copyrights and patents acquired by Danish subjects in the islands ceded at the time of exchange of the ratifications of this treaty shall continue to be respected. Article 10 Treaties, conventions, and all other international agreements of any nature existing between Denmark and the United States shall eo ipso extend, in default of a provision to the contrary, also to the ceded islands. Article 11 In case of differences of opinion arising between the high contracting parties in regard to the interpretation or application of this convention, such differences, if they can not be regulated through diplomatic negotiations, shall be submitted for arbitration to the permanent court of arbitration at The Hague. i Article 12 The ratifications of this convention shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible after ratification by both of the high contracitng parties according to their respective procedure. In faith whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed and sealed this convention in the English and Danish languages. Done at New York this 4th day of August, 1916. [seal.] Robert Lansing. [seal.] C. Brun. And whereas in giving advice and consent to the ratification of the said con- vention, it was declared by the Senate of the United States in their resolution that "such advice and consent are given with the understanding, to be expressed as a part of the instrument of ratification, that such convention shall not be taken and construed by the high contracting parties as imposing any trust upon the United States with respect to any funds belonging to the Danish National Church in the Danish West Indian Islands, or in which the said church may have an interest, nor as imposing upon the United States any duty or responsibility with respect to the management of any property belonging to said church, beyond protecting said church in the possession and use of church property as stated in said convention, in the same manner and to the same extent only as other churches shall be protected in the possession and use of their several properties": And whereas it was further provided in the said resolution "That the Senate advises and consents to the ratification of the said convention on condition that the attitude of the United States in this particular, as set forth in the above proviso, be made the subject of an exchange of notes between the Governments of the two high contracting parties, so as to make it plain that this condition is understood and accepted by the two Governments, the purpose hereof being to bring the said convention clearly within the constitutional powers of the United States with respect to church establishment and freedom of religion"; And whereas this condition has been fulfilled by notes exchanged between the two high contracting parties on January 3, 1917; And whereas the said convention has been duly ratified on both parts, and the ratifications of the two Governments were exchanged in the city of Washington, on the 17th day of January, 1917; Now, therefore, be it known that I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, have caused the said convention to be made public, to the end that the same and every article and clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States and the citizens thereof, subject to the said understanding of the Senate of the United States. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this 25th day of January in the year of our Lord 1917, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty-first. [seal.] Woodrow Wilson. By the President: Robert Lansing, Secretary of State. 34 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES DECLARATION In proceeding this day to the signature of the convention respecting the ces- sion of the Danish West Indian Islands to the United States of America, the undersigned Secretary of State of the United States of America, duly authorized by his Government, has the honor to declare that the Government of the United States of America will not object to the Danish Government extending their political and economic interests to the whole of Greenland. Robert Lansing. New York, August 4, 1916- [Exchange of notes mentioned in proclamation] [The Secretary of State to the Danish Minister] Department of State, Washington, January 3, 1917. Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the Senate of the United States by its resolution of ratification has advised and consented to the ratification of the convention between the United States and Denmark, ceding to the United States the Danish West Indian Islands, with the following provisos: "Provided, however, That it is declared by the Senate that in advising and con- senting to the ratification of the said convention, such advice and consent are given with the understanding, to be expressed as a part of the instrument of ratification, that such convention shall not be taken and construed by the high contracting parties as imposing any trust upon the United States with respect to any funds belonging to the Danish National Church in the Danish West Indian Islands, or in which the said church may have an interest, nor as imposing upon the United States any duty or responsibility with respect to the management of any property belonging to said church, beyond protecting said church in the possession and use of church property as stated in said convention, in the same manner and to the same extent only as other churches shall be protected in the possession and use of their several properties: And provided further, That the Senate advises and consents to the ratification of the said convention on condi- tion that the attitude of the United States in this particular, as set forth in the above proviso, be made the subject of an exchange of notes between the Govern- ments of the two high contracting parties, so as to make it plain that this condi- tion is understood and accepted by the two Governments, the purpose hereof being to bring the said convention clearly within the constitutional powers of the United States with respect to church establishment and freedom of religion." In view of this resolution of the Senate I have the honor to state that it is understood and accepted by the Government of the United States and the Govern- ment of Denmark that the provisions of this convention referring to the property and funds belonging to the Danish National Church in the Danish West Indian Islands shall not be taken and construed by the high contracting parties as imposing any trust upon the United States with respect to any funds belonging to the Danish National Church in the Danish West Indian Islands, or in which the said church may have an interest nor as imposing upon the United States any duty or responsibility with respect to the management of any property belonging to said church beyond protecting said church in the possession and use of church property as stated in said convention, in the same manner and to the same extent only as other churches shall be protected in the possession and use of their several properties. I trust that your Government will in a formal reply to this communication accept this understanding as to the meaning and construction of the provisions of said convention in accordance with the foregoing resolution of the Senate. Accept, sir, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration. Robert Lansing. Mr. Constantin Brun, Minister of Denmark. [The Danish Minister to the Secretary of State] The Danish Legation, Washington, D. C, January 3, 1917. Sir: In reply to your communication of this day concerning the relation of the United States to the rights of the Established Church in the Danish West Indies and to the provisions referring to this point in the convention between the United States and Denmark ceding to the States the Danish West Indian THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 35 Islands, I have the honor to state that it is understood and accepted by the Government of Denmark and the Government of the United States that the pro- visions of this convention referring to the property and funds belonging to the Danish National Church in the Danish West Indian Islands shall not be taken and construed by the high contracting parties as imposing any trust upon the United States with respect to any fund belonging to the Danish National Church in the Danish West Indian Islands or in which the said church may have an interest nor as imposing upon the United States any duty or responsibility with respect to the management of any property belonging to said church beyond protecting said church in the possession and use of church property as stated in said convention in the same manner and to the same extent only as other churches shall be protected in the possession and use of their several properties. It will be evident from the above that the Danish Government accept the understanding as to the meaning and construction of the provisions of the said convention in accordance with the resolution of the United States Senate con- cerning the question of the rights of the church in the islands. I have the honor to be, sir, with the highest consideration, Your most obedient and humble servant, C. Brtjn. The Hon. Robert Lansing, Secretary of State of the United States. 10. The organic act of March 3, 1917 . — The act of Congress of March 3, 1917, providing for the temporary government of the Virgin Islands, recently acquired by the United States, and familiarly known as the organic act of the Virgin Islands, is, also, here quoted in full because of its importance in any consideration of the early history of the islands under American occupation: THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF MARCH 3, 1917 AN ACT to provide a temporary government for the West Indian Islands acquired by the United States from Denmark by the convention entered into between said countries on the 4th day of August, 1916, and ratified by the Senate of the United States on the 7th day of September, 1916, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled: That, except as hereinafter provided, all military, civil, and judicial powers necessary to govern the West Indian Islands acquired from Denmark shall be vested in a governor and in such person or per- sons 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 : Provided, That the President may assign an officer of the Army or Navy to serve as such governor and perform the duties appertaining to said office: And provided further, That the governor of the said islands shall be appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate: And provided further, That the compensation of all persons appointed under this act shall be fixed by the Presi- dent. Sec. 2. That until Congress shall otherwise provide, in so far as compatible with the changed sovereignty and not in conflict with the provisions of this act, the laws regulating elections and the electoral franchise as set forth in the code of laws published at Amalienborg the 6th day of April, 1906, and the other local •laws, in force and effect in said islands on the 17th day of January, 1917, shall remain in force and effect in said islands, and the same shall be administered by the civil officials and through the local judicial tribunals established in said islands respectively; and the orders, judgments, and decrees of said judicial tribunals shall be duly enforced. With the approval of the President, or under such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe, any of said laws may be repealed, altered, or amended by the colonial council having jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of the judicial tribunals of said islands shall extend to all judicial proceedings and controversies in said islands to which the United States or any citizen thereof may be a party. In all cases arising in the said West Indian Islands and now reviewable by the courts of Denmark, writs of error and appeals shall be to the circuit court of appeals for the third circuit, and except as provided in sections 239 and 240 of the Judicial Code, the judgments, orders, mid decrees of such court shall be final in all such cases. 36 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Sec. 3. That on and after the passage of this act there shall be levied, collected, and paid upon all articles coming into the United States or its possessions, from the West Indian Islands ceded to the United States by Denmark, the rates of duty and internal revenue taxes which are required to be levied, collected, and paid upon like articles imported from foreign countries: Provided, That all articles, the growth or product of, or manufactured in such islands from mate- rials the growth or product of such islands, or of the United States, or of both, or which do not contain foreign materials to the value of more than 20 per cent of their total value, upon which no drawback of customs duties has been allowed therein, coming into the United States from such islands shall hereafter be admitted free of duty. Sec. 4. That until Congress shall otherwise provide all laws now imposing taxes in the said West Indian Islands, including the customs laws and regula- tions, shall, in so far as compatible with the changed sovereignty and not other- wise herein provided, continue in force and effect, except that articles the growth, product, or manufacture of the United States shall be admitted there free of duty: Provided, That upon exportation of sugar to any foreign country or the shipment thereof to the United States or any of its possessions there shall be levied, collected, and paid thereon an export duty of $8 per ton of 2,000 pounds irre- spective of polariscope test, in lieu of any export tax now required by law. Sec. 5. That the duties and taxes collected in pursuance of this act shall not be covered into the general fund of the Treasury of the United States, but shall be used and expended for the government and benefit of said islands under such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe. Sec. 6. That for the purpose of taking over and occupying said islands and of carrying this act into effect and to meet any deficit in the revenues of the said islands resulting from the provisions of this act the sum of $100,000 is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropri- ated, and to be applied under the direction of the President of the United States. Sec. 7. That the sum of $25,000,000 is hereby appropriated, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be paid in the city of Washington to the diplomatic representative or other agent of His Majesty the King of Denmark duly authorized to receive said money, in full consideration of the ces- sion of the Danish West Indian Islands to the United States made by the con- vention between the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Denmark, entered into August 4, 1916, and ratified by the Senate of the United States on the 7th day of September, 1916. Sec. 8. That this act, with the exception of section 7, shall be in force and effect and become operative immediately upon the payment by the United States of said sum of $25,000,000. The fact and date of such payment shall thereupon be made public by a proclamation issued by the President and published in the said Danish West Indian Islands and in the United States. Section 7 shall become immediately effective and the appropriation thereby provided for shall be immedi- ately available. Approved March 3, 1917. The Danish Colonial Law, No. 124T1906, published at Amalienborg, Denmark, on April 6, 1906, and mentioned specifically in the forego- ing act of Congress, is also quoted in full, because it was the funda- mental law of Denmark for the government of the Danish West Indies, adopted after over 200 years of experience in colonization, and con- . tinued, in conjunction with the act of March 3, 1917, to be the funda- mental law of the Virgin Islands of the United States. [Translation] COLONIAL LAW (NO. 124-1906) FOR THE DANISH WEST INDIA ISLANDS Amalienborg, April 6, 1906, We, Frederik the Eighth, by the grace of God King Of Denmark, the Vandals and the Goths, Duke of Slesvig, Holstein, Stormarn, Ditmarsken, Lauenborg, and Oldenburg, make known by virtue of section 17 in law of this date concerning alterations in the colonial law for the Danish West India Islands of November 27, 1863, We have issued the following colonial law for the Danish West India Islands : THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 37 Section 1. The supreme authority of legislating for the Danish West India Islands in all matters exclusively relating to affairs within the boundaries of the islands, including their harbors and maritime territory, rests with the legislative power of the kingdom. Excepting questions concerning the matters dealt with in sections 49 and 50 of this law and the exceptions mentioned in sections 57 and 84 of this law, this authority may, however, provided no reason be found for issuing a law in the ordinary manner, be exercised by the King and the respective colonial council conjointly, by ordinances. If reason be found for issuing a law the draft of such law shall be laid before the respective colonial council for its report, unless par- ticular reasons should render an exception necessary. All the ordinances thus issued shall be laid on the table of the Diet in its approxi- mate session. Sec. 2. In all other matters relating to the colonies, the respective colonial council shall, before any law containing provisions specially relating to the West India Islands be given, be afforded opportunity of giving its opinion in the matter, unless particular reasons render an exception necessary. Sec. 3. The ordinances passed by the colonial council and sanctioned by the King are to be promulgated by the governor. In particularly urgent cases the governor may provisionally sanction those ordinances that have been adopted by the respective colonial council, and thereby put them in force until the King's resolution be obtained. Sec. 4. In extraordinary circumstances the governor has authority to issue provisional laws or ordinances. They shall, however, always be laid before the respective colonial council at its next meeting, and, in case the matter requires to be decided by a law, also before the respective legislative assembly in the mother country during its first sitting, or, in case the colonial council shall not then have finished its deliberations on the matter, during the second ordinary session of the legislative assembly subsequent to the emanation of the law in question. Sec. 5. The government of the Danish West India Islands rests, under the superior direction of the responsible minister concerned, with the governor in accordance with the instructions given by the King. Sec. 6. The judiciary authority pertains to the courts of justice. The supreme court in the kingdom is the supreme tribunal of justice for the islands. The courts of justice are authorized to pass judgment on any question relating to the extent of power vested in the administrative authorities. The person who moots such a question is not, however, by doing so, exempted from obeying the orders of the authorities. II Sec. 7. The King can, either directly or through the respective authorities, grant such licenses and bestow such immunities, as are either customary according to existing regulations, or as may in future be warranted by law or ordinance. Sec. 8. The King can pardon offenders and grant amnesties. The authority now vested in the governor of modifying certain penal judg- ments may be extended or altered by ordinance. Sec. 9. The appointment of all officials rests with the King, to the same extent as heretofore. Alterations in this respect can be effected by ordinance, so that the appointment to certain offices under the administration be left to the gov- ernor. No one without the right of nativity can be appointed to an office. The King can, with the exception mentioned in section 69, dismiss officials appointed by him. Pensions for such officials shall be fixed by the colonial pension law or ordinance. An official who is removed elsewhere against his will, has the right of demanding his dismissal with a pension according to the general rules. Sec. 10. The Danish West India Islands comprise two districts of adminis- tration, viz: The island of St. Croix and the adjacent islets and the island of St. Thomas with St. Jan and their adjacent islets. »'- The governor is the superior authority for both districts. He may entrust, on his own responsibility, the daily current business of administration in the district in which at any time he is not personally present, to the government secretary or the despatching secretary. Sec. 11. The governor shall see that the laws are obeyed, and that all the officials and their assistants fulfill their duties, and he is entitled, whenever he considers it necessary, to cause their official protocols to be laid before him for examination. 38 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES The governor is authorized to suspend officials appointed by the King. In such cases, however, there shall, within 14 days after, be either instituted a suit against the official for the forfeiture of his office, or legal investigation be insti- tuted regarding his conduct, or a representation be made to the minister for effect- ing his final dismissal. In case of the death of any official holding royal appointment, or in case of an official's absence from the islands, or his temporary appointment to another office, or in case of his suspension, the governor shall, temporarily, appoint another person to the office. Sec. 12. The governor is commander in chief of all the armed forces in the islands. In case of emergency the governor has authority, on his own responsibility, to declare the islands either entirely or partially in a state of siege and to exercise unlimited power. Whenever this has taken place, and after good order and tranquility has been reestablished, it is incumbent on the governor to make a statement thereof to the respective colonial council at its next meeting. This statement together with the remarks of the respective colonial council must be communicated by the home Government to the Diet in its approximate meeting . Ill Sec. 13. Each of the two districts of administration shall form a separate municipality. For each municipality a colonial council shall be established, which council, besides exercising that part of the legislative authority vested therein, shall also, in the manner hereinafter prescribed, partake in the admin- istration of the economical affairs of the municipality. Sec. 14. The colonial council for the island of St. Croix shall consist of 13 members elected by popular elections, and of 5 members nominated by the King. The colonial council for the island of St. Thomas with St. Jan shall consist of 11 members elected by popular elections, and of 4 members nominated by the King. Sec. 15. The island of St. Croix is divided into four elective districts, viz: (1) The town of Christiansted and suburbs, which district shall elect three members; (2) The country jurisdiction of Christiansted, which district shall elect four members; (3) The town of Frederiksted, which district shall elect two members; (4) The country jurisdiction of Frederiksted, which district shall elect four members. Sec. 16. The island of St. Thomas and St. Jan is divided into three elective districts, viz: (1) The town of Charlotte Amalia, which district shall elect eight members; (2) The country jurisdiction of St. Thomas, which district shall elect one member; (3) The jurisdiction of St. Jan, which district shall elect two members. Sec. 17. The members are elected for a term of four years. Half of the number of the members withdraw every second year, the first time by the drawing of lots. For Christiansted's elective district withdraw the first time two members and of the Crown members for St. Croix the same number. For the elective district of the country jurisdiction of St. Thomas together with the elective district of St. Jan withdraw the first time two members. The members who withdraw may be reelected. Sec. 18. The franchise or right of voting is vested in every man of unblemished character, who has the right of nativity or has resided in the Danish West India Islands for five years, who has attained the age of 25 years, who has not been legally deprived of the management of his property, and who either owns a prop- erty in the municipality that is calculated likely to yield a yearly rent of at least 300 francs in St. Croix and St. Jan and of at least 700 francs in St. Thomas, or in the preceding year has had a clear annual income of 1,500 francs. He must, moreover, have resided at least two years in the municipality and six months within the elective district in which he sojourns at the time the election takes place, and his name must be on the list of persons entitled to vote. A person hav- ing residence in several elective districts can determine in which of them he will exercise his right of voting. No person can be considered of an unblemished character who by judgment of the court has been found guilty of an act ignominious in the public opinion. Within 10 years from the entering into operation of this law the provisions concerning franchise contained in this section are to be revised. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 39 Sec. 19/ Every person who has the right of nativity and who besides possesses the qualifications on which the right of voting is based is eligible as a member. During the first 10 years after the entering into operation of this law the absence of the right of nativity, however, will not cause any person, who at the time of its entering into operation was eligible, to forfeit his eligibility. It is not, however, necessary that he shall have resided permanently in the elective district, or that his name shall be on the list of persons entitled to vote. The governor, as well as the government's secretaries, as also the officials and assistants in the secretary's, the bookkeeper's, and treasurer's offices, are not eligible. Sec. 20. The elections in every district are to be under the superintendence of a board of directors, consisting of the judge in the jurisdiction as chairman and of two inhabitants of the municipality, the one appointed by the superior authority, and the other by the respective colonial council. In case of no one being appointed by the colonial council, or any one appointed being prevented from officiating at the election, the chairman must appoint another qualified inhabitant to act temporarily as a member of the board. A protocol, duly authorized by the superior authority, must be furnished the elective board, to which all communications and the election lists are to be produced. In this protocol the most essential points of the proceedings of the board and the result of the elections are to be entered. The protocol must be signed by the directors at the close of each meeting, and remain in the charge of the chairman. In case of a diversity of opinion between the members of the board, the majority of votes decides the question, but the minority has the right of entering their dissenting vote in the election protocol. Sec. 21. The elections are to take place according to lists containing the names of the persons entitled to vote, which lists are to be drawn up every year. As one of the bases for framing these lists, the tax commission of each munici- pality shall, in the month of December, furnish the chairman of each elective board with a list of all such persons who own properties in the district, which, according to the latest assessment of yearly rent for the calculation of the rent tax, are considered likely to yield the amount of yearly rent mentioned in sec- tion 18, as also a list of such persons who possess property in the district not assessed for the rent tax, but which according to an estimate based on the same principles and made by the tax commission in unison with two competent men, appointed in the usual manner, are calculated likely to yield at least the said amount of yearly rent. The list, besides the names of the owners, must also state the number of each separate property, and the calculated amount of yearly rent. If a property is owned by several persons conjointly, the amount of yearly rent shall be calculated for each of the owners in proportion to his share in the property. Sec. 22. The chairman of the elective board shall, in the beginning of the month of December, by a public notice, and, if considered necessary, also by . sending round printed schedules, request all those persons who may have the yearly income fixed in section 18, and are otherwise entitled to vote, to furnish him within the end of the month with the necessary information thereof in writing. The correctness of these statements is to be decided by the board. Furthermore the elective board shall enter on the lists of electors all such persons as to whom the board knows, or has reason to suppose, that they are entitled to vote. In calculating the amount of clear yearly income, all charges connected with each of the several sources of income are to be deducted. Consequently, when calculating the revenue of a landed property, not only the taxes and expenses for repairs and cultivation are to be deducted, but also the interest of the mort- gages that may incumber the property is to be subtracted; from the revenue of an industrial profession, the expenses for carrying it on must be deducted; from the revenue of an office, the expenses for stationery, etc., must be deducted. For the rest not only the pecuniary income must be taken into consideration, but also emoluments in natura, free dwelling and such like after being computed in money. In calculating the amount of income it is furthermore to be observed, that it is not sufficient, that any one during the past year has had a clear income of the requisite amount, but this income must also proceed from such sources, as to justify its being considered annual or likely to amount to about the same every year. Sec. 23. After the chairman has obtained, during the month of January, such further elucidations as may be requisite to decide whether the parties named 1862—28 4 40 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES possess the right of voting, the elective board shall meet in the fifist days of February, and must, within eight days, frame the election list. The election list shall contain several columns furnishing statements of the full names of the individuals, their age, vocation, whether they are natives or have resided in the Danish West India Islands for five years, the period of their sojourn within the municipality and in the elective district, and whether they own a property calculated to yield the stipulated amount of yearly rent, or if they have the requisite amount of yearly income. The names of those individuals by whom the qualifications as regards age, residence in the islands or in the elective district, are not yet attained, but who are expected to attain them in the course of the year for which the list is drawn up, are to be stated in a supplemental list, with an express statement of the date when the qualifications will be attained. Sec. 24. The election list thus framed must be exhibited at the courthouse of each respective district from the 15th to the 28th of February, both days inclusive, for general inspection six hours each week day. The time when as well as the place where the list is to be exhibited must be promulgated or made known in the man- ner customary for public notices at least three days previously. Sec. 25. Any person who thinks that his name has been wrongfully omitted in the election list, or who finds that the name of another person is on the list, who does not possess the qualifications that entitle him to vote, has within three days previous to the expiration of the time, during which the list is exhibited for inspection, to make a request in writing to the chairman of the elective board to have his name placed on the list, or demanding that the name of the other per- son erroneously entered on the list be struck out, giving a brief statement of the reasons on which he bases the request. The objections thus made against the list are to be decided by the elective board at a public meeting, which is to be held in the course of the next 14 days, after the chairman has obtained, in the promptest and simplest manner, the nec- essary elucidations for deciding the objections. To this meeting must be sum- moned the person by whom the objections have been made, as well as the one to whom such objections refer, and to whom the chairman must send a copy of the written request. According to the documents produced by the parties and the depositions of the witnesses brought forward, together with the elucidations obtained by the chairman, the questions mooted are to be decided, and a brief award to be entered in the election protocol. The list after having been thus corrected must be signed by the whole elective board. Sec. 26. Whoever is dissatisfied with the decision of the elective board by which the right of voting is denied him, can demand a copy of the award without fees, and may bring the matter before the courts for judgment. Such suits are at once to be prosecuted in the West India Upper Court, and the parties are exempt from all fees in this court as well as in the lower courts, when affidavits or evidence are taken in these latter for the elucidation of the case, and they shall also be exempt from using stamp paper; a lawyer must be appointed to defend the elective board in the suit. Should the party concerned obtain a judgment warranting his right of voting, his name shall be entered on the list on his present- ing a copy of the judgment. Sec. 27. The lists of those entitled to vote, which must be corrected and com- pleted every year in the manner prescribed, are valid from the 1st of April to the 31st of March ensuing. According to these lists all elections during this interval are to take place, but it must be observed that those persons whose names appear on the supplemental lists (sec. 23) are only entitled to vote provided they, previous to the day on which the election is held, have attained the requisite qualifications as regards age and residence in the islands as well as in the district. Sec. 28. The day as well as the place of the election is to be fixed by the supe- rior authority, and unless circumstances prevent it the courthouse in the dis- trict shall be fixed as the place for holding the election. Whenever general elec- tions in the municipality are to take place the elections must be held, as far as possible, on two succeeding days, according as the use of the courthouse will admit. The chairman of the elective board gives public notice at least eight days previous to the meeting of the place where the election is to be held, as also of the day and hour when it is to commence. The public notice must in St. Croix and in St. Thomas be inserted in the newspaper wherein public notices are usually inserted, but in St. Jan it shall be promulgated by placards at Cruzbay and Coral- bay and by a circular to the electors. Sec. 29. The chairman of the elective board opens the proceedings at the time fixed and sees that the elections are conducted in proper order. The election protocol and the election list for the elective district shall be produced. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 41 The voting is secret and in writing. The minister fixes the detailed rules for the proceedings on the basis of the rules contained in law No. 16 of February 7, 1901, concerning elections to the Rigsdag. Sec. 30. The receiving of votes can not be ended until three hours have elapsed from the commencement of the election proceedings. When, at the expiration of this time and notwithstanding the invitation of the chairman, no one demands to take part in the election the members of the elec- tive board, in so far as they are voters, record their votes and sign the election protocol. When the votes for each one of those that have been voted for have been counted, the result is made known to those present. Those who have obtained the greatest number of votes are declared to be elected. If two or more persons should have obtained the same number of votes the election is decided by the drawing of lots which is done by the chairman. Sec. 31. The persons thus elected are immediately to be notified thereof in writing by the chairman of the elective board. Every person who is eligible in the municipality is bound to accept election as a member of the colonial council, unless he has a valid ground of exemption. Any person who is 60 years old or who during the period of the last six years has been a member of any of the colo- nial councils established by this law, and has served for at least four years, may refuse to accept election. The same is applicable to all officials. If the person elected does not within eight days after the election, provided he at the time is on the island where the election has taken place, or else within a period to be fixed by the board in each case, state in writing his reason for exemption, he shall be regarded as having accepted the election. But if a reason for exemption be stated in due time, the board is to decide in a meeting held for this purpose whether the reason given can be considered satisfactory, and if this be admitted to be the case a new election must take place in conformity with the prescribed rules. When the election has been accepted or the reason of exemption given by the person elected has been rejected by the board, a letter of election for him shall be drawn up and forwarded to him. A report thereof in writing is at the same time to be given to the superior authority. The letters of election are to be drawn up according to a form prescribed by the governor. Sec. 32. If any person should neglect to perform his duties according to sec- tions 20-31, he shall be liable to a penalty not below 50 francs and not exceeding 1,000 francs unless the existing laws should subject him to a higher penalty. Sec. 33. When the popular elections are ended, the King will determine whom he will nominate as Crown members of the respective colonial councils, accord- ing to section 14. Should the King think proper to do so, he may authorize the governor to nom- inate the Crown members. With regard to the obligations to accept nomination as Crown members, and with regard to reasons of exemption, the same rules as for the popular elections shall be applicable, but the governor shall decide whether the reasons of exemp- tion are admissible, the right of the persons nominated, according to section 46, being, however, reserved. Sec. 34. If any person, who has been legally elected as member of the colonial council, be afterwards placed in such circumstances as to cause the loss of his eligibility, he must withdraw from the council, with exception, however, of such cases where he ceases to be owner of a property yielding the requisite amount of rent or where he no longer has the requisite yearly income. Departure for a longer period than four months or other temporary hindrance which lasts beyond this period, shall likewise cause the withdrawal of the member. Whenever a seat in the council becomes vacant, a new election shall imme- diately take place. Such new elections as may be necessary for filling vacancies that may occur during the three last months previous to the general election, may, however, be postponed until the general election, unless there are more than three vacancies at the same time. Sec. 35. The general elections shall take place regularly every second year for the half of the number of members of the colonial council. In this case, as well as when a council has been dissolved, the elections, both those that are held first, as well as the subsequent new election, shall be valid from the day of the general election. When an election takes place in consequence of the withdrawal or of the demise of a member, the new election shall be valid for the same period during which the withdrawn or deceased member, according to the ordinary rules, would have held his seat in the council. 42 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES IV Sec. 36. Each colonial council is to assemble for ordinary meetings on a certain day of every second month, which day is to be previously fixed by the governor for the whole year, and for extraordinary meetings whenever business makes it necessary, or whenever the governor convenes such meeting. The seat of administration of the superior authority shall be the place where the respective colonial council shall meet. In extraordinary cases the governor may convene the colonial council at another place in the district of administration. The governor can postpone the meetings of the council but not for a longer period than 14 days. The governor has authority to dissolve any of the colonial councils. In this case new elections shall be held as soon as possible, and the new assembly shall be convened within two months after the dissolution. More than two disolutions can not take place during a period of two years. Sec. 37. The governor may either personally attend the meetings of the colo- nial council or may depute another person to represent him at such meetings, and he or the person so deputed may address the council as often as they may think proper. They may likewise summon persons to be present at the meetings in order to give such information or explanations as the matters under consid- eration may require. All communications between the home government and the councils shall be carried on through the governor. Sec. 38. Each colonial council elects from among its members a chairman for the year, who shall conduct the proceedings in the council, also a vice chairman, who has to officiate in the absence of the chairman, and one or more secretaries. The council appoints such assistants as may be required for these their officials. No resolution can be adopted by any of the colonial councils, when less than half of its members are present. Sec. 39. The members of the colonial council may during the debates make use of the Danish or the English langrage at their own option. The protocol of proceedings is to be kept in both languages. In the same manner are the reso- lutions of the colonial councils to be drawn up, but when doubts arise the question is to be decided according to the tenor of the Danish text, and only this latter shall be laid before His Majesty for sanction when such sanction is required. The rules of business, which shall also determine to what extent and in what manner the council's proceedings are to be published by printing, are to be adopted by each colonial council and approved of by the governor. Sec. 40. The meetings of the colonial council are public, under such conditions of access as may be adopted for the maintenance or order by each council with the approval of the governor. The governor is, however, entitled to demand that a matter be discussed within closed doors, and the colonial council may resolve the same at the proposal of the chairman or of such a number of mem- bers as prescribed in the rules of business. Whenever a proposal is made to this effect, the auditory are to be excluded, and the question shall then be discussed by the council and decided by plurality of votes. Sec. 41. Drafts of ordinances maybe laid before the colonial councils by the governor, according to instructions from the home government or from the gov- ernor, or by one or more members of the council. No ordinance can be finally adopted before it has been discussed three several times in the colonial council. At the first discussion the general contents of the draft is to be discussed. At the second discussion the governor as well as any member of the council, may propose amendments. At the third discussion only the governor may propose amendments. No money bill or grant can be finally passed before it has been discussed twice in the colonial council. Sec. 42. At the proposal of the governor the two colonial councils may, in cases concerning laws in common or such matters of mutual interest as may be con- sidered to require such proceedings, refer the same to a joint committee of both councils, consisting of an equal number of members separately nominated by each council. The matter recommended for such proceeding must, however, first have been laid before each council, and the final decision thereon be taken by each council as far as it is concerned. Sec. 43. Each of the colonial councils has the right of making petitions regard- ing alterations in the laws or institutions of the islands, or complaints of the manner in which the laws are administered or the institutions are governed, either to the governor^ or, through him, to the minister or to the King. Petitions or complaints from private individuals are to be referred to the respective authori- ties, unless a member of the colonial council adopts such a memorial as his own. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 43 Sec. 44. No memorial can be presented to any of the colonial councils except through its chairman or one of its members. Sec. 45. Any member of the colonial council can with its consent bring any matter relating to the affairs of the municipality under discussion and request explanation from the governor on such matters. Each colonial council decides the validity of the election of its members as well as of those reasons for declining to accept an election, which a newly elected member might request to have finally settled in this manner, after they have been rejected according to sections 31 and 33. The colonial councils shall likewise decide questions regarding the withdrawal of its members according to section 34. Sec. 46. No member can be dismissed from any of the colonial councils against his will, except in such cases as are mentioned in section 34, or those to be stated in the rules of business; the colonial council must, however, with the vote of two- thirds of the members voting, propose to the governor the dismissal of the mem- ber, and this must be approved of by the governor. The dismissal of a member appointed by the King himself can only be decided by a royal resolution. Sec. 47. Each newly elected member of the colonial council, assoon as his election has been declared valid, must sign a declaration in writing, binding himself on oath to perform with conscientious fidelity all the duties that are incumbent upon him in that capacity. Sec. 48. The members of the colonial council are only bound by their convic- tion, and not by any directions from their electors. They can not without the consent of the colonial council, be called to account outside the council for statements made in the council. Sec. 49. The state treasury shall pay the expenses for the central administra- tion and the colonial audit office in the mother country. Sec. 50. The state treasury shall also pay the expenses for the government, for the military force (Gendarmery Corps), for the school director for all the islands, for the congregations of the national church in the islands, as also for the pensions and supports of the officials and functionaries of these institutions and their widows and children. Sec. 51. The public buildings, and the real and movable property, including articles of inventory, etc., which serve for the purposes of the government, the military force, and the congregations of the national church, are transferred to the ownership of the state treasury. In case of a dispute as to what, in accord- ance herewith, becomes the property of the state treasury, the question shall be decided by the King. Sec. 52. The unpaid balance of the loan of 600,000 Kroner which was granted to the municipality of St. Croix in accordance with law No. 86 of June 16, 1876 concerning a temporary loan granted to the municipality of St. Croix with the interest accrued, shall be remitted. Sec. 53. The municipality of St. Croix is to pay into the state treasury as a contribution to the general state expenses, a yearly sum of 75,000 frans; until further no such contribution is to be paid by the municipality of St. Thomas. Latest within the expiration of 10 years from the time of this law coming into force the above provision shall be submitted to revision, in order to fix the amount of the contribution from St. Thomas and eventually to regulate the contribution from St. Croix. Sec. 54. Each of the two municipalities of the islands has its separate colonial treasury the revenues and expenses of which, with the alterations springing from the above provisions, shall be fixed in the same way as heretofore or by later laws or ordinances. s Sec. 55. Should any dispute arise between the colonial councils on the question as to which treasury a given income or expense belongs, the case, when it has not been possible to reach an agreement in the way laid down in section 42, shall be decided by the King. Sec. 56. Should it appear that a municipality is unable, from its ordinary revenues, to cover a deficit that has shown itself in the accounts, it shall be decided by the ministry of finances, on the proposal of the government, that the covering of the deficit shall be brought about by a temporary increase per cent in the import duty for the following financial year, or, when an agreement thereon is arrived at with the colonial council, by a property and income tax, the rules for which shall be fixed by legislation. Latest before the end of 10 years after this lawr shall have come into force, these provisions are to be submitted to revision. 44 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Sec. 57. The obligations originating from the issue of the bills of credit circu- lating in the islands will as hitherto rest on the finances of the mother country. The amount of such bills of credit can only be altered by law. Those amounts in cash belonging to the state treasury in the respective chests in the islands are to be withdrawn successively, the minister of finances being, however, authorized to allow that an adequate portion of such amounts be retained in each of the colonial treasuries until sufficient cash of their own has been accumulated. The minister of finances is authorized to cause such outlays as may be required in the mother country for account of the colonial treasuries to be defrayed, as hitherto, from the state treasury, so that said outlays be properly charged in account with the colonial treasuries. The governor may likewise cause sums of money to be received or paid, as also coins or bills of credit to be exchanged by either of the colonial treasuries for account of the other, such transactions to be duly noted mutually. Sec. 58. The superior authority shall every year communicate to the colonial council a draft of a budget, containing an estimate of the revenue and expenditure of the respective colonial treasury for the following financial year. With regard to those items in this draft, that are not posted in conformity with existing laws, ordinances, royal resolutions, or according to other rules that must be considered binding until they are repealed by the legislature, the requi- site drafts of ordinances or money-bills shall be laid before the colonial council to be voted on. After the last-mentioned drafts and bills have been discussed in the council, the draft of the budget shall be rectified by the council, in so far as may be necessary, according to the vote passed in the council, and then be transmitted to the superior authority within the time stated in the rules of business. If during the financial year question arises of any expenditure for the colonial treasury, not provided for in the budget, an extra grant will be requisite. The yearly budgets, as well as the extra grants, are to be laid before the King for his sanction, and when this has been obtained, they shall be promulgated and are to be laid on the table of the Diet in its approximate session. Sec. 59. No tax can be imposed, altered, or relinquished, except by a law or an ordinance. Sec. 60. No measure concerning the economical affairs of the municipality can be effected by the governor, nor any disbursement be made from the colonial treasury, without the sanction of the colonial council, either by grants in conse- quence of the yearly budget or by an extra grant, unless the measure or the dis- bursement is warranted by laws, ordinances, ro^yal resolutions, or other existing rules that must be considered binding until they are repealed by the legislature, or unless circumstances render it necessary that such a measure be effected before the vote of the colonial council can be obtained. In this last-mentioned case, the matter must be laid before the colonial council at its next ordinary, or at an extraordinary meeting, in order to obtain the necessary extra grant. Sec. 61. In accordance with section 60 none of the properties and invested funds belonging to the capital stock of the municipality can be disposed of, nor any loan be raised, without the consent of the colonial council, but in matters of more than general importance, for instance, relating to the disposal (either by sale, exchange, gift, or agreement) or to the mortgage of any property belonging to the municipality, or to the lease of any such for a longer term than once fixed or in any other manner than by public auction, or to the raising of loans of larger amounts or for a longer period than can be repaid from the annual revenues, or to the renewal or prolongation of terms of payment of such loans, or to the pur- chase of immovable property, or agreements by which the municipality takes over certain obligations or renounces certain rights, the sanction of the governor, or, according to circumstances, that of the minister, must also be obtained to render such resolution valid. Sec. 62. Should any of the colonial councils refuse to vote an expense, which in consideration of its duty towards the state or towards the municipality it ought to have granted for the proper discharge of the administration according to existing laws, ordinances, and other rules, the governor may protest against such a reso- lution, and if the colonial council does not then alter its resolution, the governor may through the minister lay the matter before the King. Until a decision is given by royal resolution, the customary rules or the provisions in the preceding budget are to be observed. Sec. 63. Until otherwise prescribed by ordinance, the colonial councils shall appoint such members of the school commissions, the hospitals commissions, the quarantine commissions, and other commissions on municipal affairs, as before the colonial law of November 27, 1863 were appointed by the Burgher councils. In THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 45 case of the dissolution of a council the seats in the commissions here mentioned that have been filled by members of the council are temporarily to be filled by other citizens to be appointed by the governor. Each of the colonial councils shall appoint from among its members a standing committee of five members which under the name of the municipal committee shall exercise supervision over the management of the economical affairs of the municipality and take part in same, according to by-laws to be adopted by the council and confirmed by the minister of finances. The municipal committee for St. Croix shall consist of one elected member from each of the electoral districts and one Crown member; for St. Thomas and St. Jan of three elected members from the electoral districts of St. Thomas, one elected member from the electoral district of St. Jan and one Crown member. In case of a dissolution of a council the municipal committee is to continue to act until the new council has assembled and in its first meeting has elected new members for the municipal committee. On the occasion of a vacancy in the municipal committee the vacant place is to be temporarily filled, if the council is not sitting and has not elected substitutes beforehand, by another member of the council appointed by the committee and if possible from the same electoral district as the member whose seat has become vacant. Sec. 64. With regard to the bookkeeping and cash transactions at the colonial treasuries the rules hitherto observed shall be applicable, until otherwise pre- scribed by ordinance. Each of the colonial councils shall appoint yearly two of its members whose duty it shall be to frequently examine the cash in the prin- cipal colonial chests and in the hands of the treasurer and to compare the amounts with the account books. The amount of security to be given by the collectors of public revenue is to be fixed by the governor. Sec. 65. The yearly colonial accounts are to be classified in accordance with the budgets, and to be laid before each respective colonial council, and an extract of these accounts shall be published in print. After a general revision of the accounts by a committee appointed for that pur- pose, which committee has the right of demanding all the elucidations that may be requisite, the colonial council may through a memorial to the King complain of such errors in the accounts, which in its opinion can not be decided by a recti- fying remark of the council itself. Sec. 66. The administrative revision and decision of the colonial accounts shall, until otherwise prescribed by ordinance, be effected according to the rules hitherto observed. VI Sec. 67. The common and statute law of Denmark shall as hitherto be appli- cable in the colonies, as more accurately defined by the laws and ordinances. Sec. 68. The exercise of the judiciary authority can only be regulated by laws or ordinances. Sec. 69. The judges are in their calling only to be guided by the laws. They can not be dismissed except by a judgment; neither can they be removed against their wish, except in such cases where an alteration of the courts of justice be effected, or where they are also entrusted with administrative duties. A judge who has attained his sixty-fifth year may, however, be dismissed, but without loss of his income. VII Sec. 70. The Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is the Danish national church, shall be supported from the public funds. Contributions toward the ecclesiastical institutions of other denominations may be granted by ordinances. Sec. 71. Citizens have the right to assemble in congregations to worship God in accordance with their convictions: Provided, however, That nothing be taught or practiced contrary to morality or public order. Religious sects whose doc- trines must be considered dangerous for the state or to the public welfare may be prohibited by ordinances. Sec. 72. No person can on account of his religious persuasion be deprived of the enjoyment of civil or political rights, nor can any person on this account refuse to discharge any of the general duties incumbent on a citizen. VIII Sec. 73. Every person who is apprehended for any breach of the laws shall within 24 hours after his apprehension be brought before a judge. If it be found that the person apprehended can not immediately be discharged or released, the 46 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES judge shall give an award, deciding whether the person is to be imprisoned or if he may be released on baiJ, stating the nature and amount of bail; this award shall be given as soon as possible, at farthest within three days after the appre- hension, and shall be accompanied by a statement of the reasons on which it is based. The award passed by the judge can immediately and separately be appealed by the party concerned to a court of higher instance. The appeal shall be pros- ecuted in the manner as a private suit, with summons, however, as for an extra court, and the plaintiff shall be exempted from using stamp paper as well as from paying court fees. He must be given an opportunity to consult a lawyer regard- ing such an appeal, and fresh evidences may be produced in the upper court. No one can be committed to custody for an offence that could only warrant punishment by fines or simple imprisonment. Sec. 74. The dwelling is inviolable. House inquisition, seizure and examina- tion of letters and other papers, can, where no law or ordinance warrants a special exception, only be effected in virtue of a warrant emanating from a court of justice. Sec. 75. The right of property is inviolable. No person can be compelled to cede his property, except when the public welfare demands it. This can only be effected according to a law or an ordinance, and full compensation must be given. Sec. 76. Any person who is not in a position to support himself or his family, and whose support does not devolve upon any other person, is entitled to receive support from the public funds, subject, however, to those obligations which the laws and ordinances on this head prescribe. Sec. 77. Children, whose parents have not the means of providing for their instruction, will receive instruction in the public schools. Sec. 78. Every person has the right to publish his thoughts in print, under responsibility, however, before the courts of justice. Sec. 79. Citizens have the right without previous permission to establish societies for any lawful purpose. No society can be dissolved by an order from the authorities. Societies may, however, be temporarily prohibited, but an action shall be immediately instituted against the society, so as to have it dissolved. Sec. 80. Citizens have the right to assemble together unarmed. The police has the right of being present at public assemblies. Assemblies in the open air may be prohibited when danger to the public peace may be apprehended from them. Sec. 81. In case of a riot, the military force must not interfere unless assaulted, before the multitude has been thrice fruitlessly summoned, in the name of the King and of the laws, to disperse. Sec. 82. Every man capable of bearing arms is bound in person to contribute towards the defence of the islands, provided his ties of allegiance to a foreign state do not excuse him, as well as towards the maintenance of public peace, according to the enactments contained in the laws and ordinances. Every person is bound to aid in the protection of property against fire, in the manner prescribed by the ordinances. Sec. 83. .The enactments contained in sections 73, 79, and 80 are only appli- cable to the military forces with such restrictions, as accord with the clauses con- tained in the military code of laws. Sec. 84. Alterations in or additions to this colonial law can only be effected by law, in the manner prescribed in section 1 or in section 2. Sec. 85. This, the amended colonial law for the Danish West India Islands of November 27, 1863, comes into force on a day to be fixed by the King, at the latest the 1st of April, 1907. To which all concerned have to conform. Given at Amalienborg, the 6th of April, 1906. Under our royal hand and seal. Frederik R. [L. S.] 11. The transfer to the United States — Ceremonies. — Although the Danish West Indies were sold to the United States on January 17, 1917, the date of the exchange of ratifications of the treaty between the United States and Denmark providing for the cession of the West Indian Islands, the formal transfer did not take place until 4 o'clock in the afternoon of March 31, 1917. Coincident with the ceremonies of the actual transfer in the islands, simple ceremony was observed in the State Department, Washington, when a United States Treasury warrant for $25,000,000, the pur- THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 47 chase price, was handed to the Danish minister to the United States, the Hon. Constantin Brun. The U. S. S. Hancock, bearing Commander Edwin T. Pollock, United States Navy, the officer commissioned by the United States Government to receive the transfer of the islands as acting governor, ad interim, until the arrival of the duly appointed governor, Rear Admiral James H. Oliver, United States Navy, entered the harbor of St. Thomas on the afternoon of March 30, 1917. In the harbor of St. Thomas was the Danish cruiser Valkyrien, whose commanding officer, Commodore Henri Konow, had been the acting governor of the Danish West Indies for several months. The following terse publication in the local papers announced, to the inhabitants of the Danish West Indies the fact that the actual ^transfer was about to be made: PUBLICATION It is hereby brought to public notice that the formal delivery of the islands to the United States of America will take place this afternoon at 4 o'clock. The ceremony will be at the saluting battery. Government of the Danish West India Islands, St. Thomas, the 31st day of March, 1917. /s/ Henri Konow /Baumann. Accordingly, thousands of persons gathered on the ramparts of King Christian's Fort and on the surrounding hills to witness the final act of more than 50 years effort to bring the Danish West Indies under the flag of the United States. A guard of honor from the Danish cruiser Valkyrien, with the band on its right wing, drew up in front of the marine barracks, and the American guard of honor from the U. S. S. Hancock, opposite, faced the Danish guard. The men designated to lower and hoist the national flag of their respective countries took their stand at the flagstaff, and nearest to the King's wharf assembled the officials and members of the colonial council, the consular corps, and other invited guests. The representative of the United States, upon leaving the U. S. S. Hancock, was saluted with 15 guns from the Danish cruiser Valkyrien, and a similar salute was accorded him from the fort upon his landing. He was received by the acting Danish governor and, passing in front of the Danish guard of honor and before the American guard of honor, he proceeded to the barracks, where the protocol of the transfer was signed in the presence of witnesses. When this was accomplished, the Danish governor assumed a position immediately in front of the Danish guard of honor, and the United States repre- sentative, Commander Pollock, assumed a similar position in front of the American guard of honor. In the name of His Majesty King Christian the Tenth, the Danish acting governor, Commodore Konow, proclaimed the islands transferred to the United States of America, upon which the guards of honor presented arms, the Danish national flag was lowered, while the Danish band played the Danish national anthem, and a salute of 21 guns was fired from the saluting battery and the two warships in the harbor. The Danish flag descended at 12 minutes to 5. The guards of honor then changed places, the American guard of honor lining up in front of the marine barracks with the Danish guard of honor facing it. Commander 48 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Pollock then announced that the islands were taken into the possession of the United States, and at 7 minutes before 5 the American national ensign was hoisted while the American band played the Star Spangled Banner and a salute of 21 guns was fired from the saluting battery -and the two warships in the harbor. The retired governor, with his guard of honor, then marched out of the inclosure. The newly appointed acting governor returned to his ship, whereupon a salute of 17 guns was accorded to him as acting governor of the Virgin Islands of the United States of America. In the island of St. Croix a detachment of gendarmery and a detach- ment of marines from the U. S. S. Olympia were drawn up on the King's wharf. In the presence of thousands of persons and the commanding officer of the Olympia the government secretary announced that at the request of the governor he now transferred the island to the United States, whereupon the Danish flag was lowered and the United States ensign hoisted amid the strains of the two national anthems and the boom of guns. In St. John the changing of the flag was effected by the local Authorities. And thus the Danish West Indies passed into history and the Virgin Islands of the United States were born. Commander Pollock remained as acting governor of the Virgin Islands but a few days. He was relieved by Rear Admiral James H. Oliver, United States Navy, duly appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate as the first governor of the Virgin Islands of the United States. Since that time the governor has always been a naval officer of the rank of rear admiral or captain. 12. List of governors. — A list of all the governors of the Danish West Indian Islands and of the Virgin Islands of the United States, with their periods of office, follows: GOVERNORS OF THE DANISH WEST INDIAN ISLANDS Joergen Iversen 1672-1679 Nicolai Esmit 1679-1682 La Vigne 1682 Joergen Hansen 1682 Adolph Esmit 1682-1684 Gabriel Milan 1684-1687 Adolph Esmit 1687-88 Christopher Heins 1688-1690 Johan Lorentz 1690-1702 Claus Hansen 1702-1706 Joachim von Holten 1706-1709 Michel Krone 1709-1716 Eric Bredal 1716-1723 Otto Jacob Thambsen 1723-24 Friderich Moth 1724-1728 HenrichSuhm 1728-1732 Philip Gardelin 1732-1736 Friderich Moth 1736-1740 Jacob Schonemann 1740-1744 Chr. Schweder 1744-1749 Chr. Suhm 1749-1756 Baron C. L. von Proeck 1756-1766 Maj. Gen. Peder Clausen 1766-1771 Lieut. Col. U. W. Roepstorf 1771-1773 Maj. Gen. P. Clausen. 1773-1785 Maj. Gen. H. C. E. Schimmelmann 1785-1787 Maj. Gen. E. F. von Waltersdorff 1787-1796 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 49 Maj. Gen. T. von Malleville 1796-1799 Generalkri&skommissaer W. A. Lindemann 1799-1802 Maj. Gen. E. F. von Waltersdorff 1802-03 Maj. Gen. B. F. Miihlenfels 1803-1807 Counsellor Lillienschiold 1 807 (The islands were occupied by the English 1807-1815.) Maj. Gen. v. Oxholm 1815-16 Counsellor Bentzon 1816-1820 Commodore C. A. Rothe 1820-1822 Admiral J. F. Bardenfleth 1822-1827 Maj. Gen. P. C. F. v. Scholten 1827-1848 Counsellor of State P. Hansen 1848-1851 H. D. F. Feddersen 1&51-1854 J. F. Schlegel 1854-1861 Wilh. L. Birch 1861-1872 Rear Admiral J. A. Garde 1872-1881 Gen. C. H. Arendrup 1881-1893 Col. C. Hedemann 1893-1903 F. Nordlien 1903-1905 Commander C. M. T. Cold 1905-1908 P. C. Limpricht 1908-1912 L. C. Helweg-Larsen 1912-1916 Capt. H. Konow : 1916-1917 GOVERNORS OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Rear Admiral James H. Oliver, United States Navy 1917-1919 Rear Admiral Joseph W. Oman, United States Navy 1919-1921 Rear Admiral Sumner E. W. Kittelle, United States Navy 1921-22 Capt. Henry H. Hough, United States Navy 1922-23 Capt. Philip Williams, United States Navy 1923-1925 Capt. Martin E. Trench, United States Navy (retired) 1925-1927 Capt. Waldo Evans, United States Navy (retired) 1927 Chapter III THE GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 1. General description qf. — The act of Congress of March 3, 1917, quoted in full elsewhere in this report, specifically continued in effect all local laws that were in force at the time of the transfer to the United States and which were not incompatible with the changed sovereignty. The government of the Virgin Islands, therefore, com- menced to function on March 31, 1917, under American sovereignty, in precisely the same manner as it had been functioning under the Danish regime. The organization of the government of the Virgin Islands falls roughly into the three divisions, the legislative, executive, and judi- cial. In this respect it closely resembles the organization of the Fed- eral Government of the United States. 2. The executive. — The act of Congress of March 3, 1917, vests in the Governor of the Virgin Islands all military, civil, and judicial powers necessary to govern the West Indian Islands" acquiredjti^mr Penmarkiio be^exercised in suchlnanner as the Presid^t^air^irectr^ The Governor of the Virgin Islands is, therefore, responsibls~to~thlT' President alone for the proper administration of the islands under his care. Since the policy has been in the past to assign naval officers to duty as Governor of the Virgin Islands, the custom has developed to handle, through the Navy Department in Washington, all correspond- ence with other departments of the Federal Government, but the Navy Department exercises no control over the governor in his capa- city as such, nor does it have any jurisdiction over the government of the Virgin Islands. The-Governor of the Virgin Islands has his parma^ nent residence in the Government, House, St Thomasf whichjs the . jcSpital of tjie_ virgin Island^and the seat of government. It is customary foFthe governor to visit the island of St. Croix frequently, and while there he resides in the Government House at Christians ted. The governor isreprgs.enlad in St. John hy r rjvilTRn; who lives at Cruz ~Bay, St.Tohn, and is designatedu|ts_J^i£--dis^ jor S^Johiu In St. Croix the governor is represented by a dispatcK- ing secretary, usually an officer of the Supply Corps of the United States Navy. The governor's principal assistant is the government secretary, who is usually an officer of the Supply Corps of the United States Navy. In additiomj^ieraisan aj3sisiai*t-gQ^^ in direct charge of the (^aafl^^tegartmeniLp StT Tho mas/lmii~"W~ assj^stanj^dispjaLtching secretai^Miuphargeof the finance^d&partment in^St. Croix ^a medical aide, whois head~of the healthactrvrtles^oT the entire group of islands, with a chief municipal physician in each island in charge of the municipal hospitals, and a chief sanitation officer in charge of the sanitation services; a public wTorks officer with an assistant in St. Croix; a director of education with an assist- ant in St. Croix; an aide for public welfare, who also acts as director of agriculture, commerce, and labor; a director of police in each municipality; a prohibition director and a legal aide. The director of education and his assistant and the directors of police are civilians, while the directors of the other executive departments are officers of 50 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 51 the Navy or Marine Corps. The terms of office of the naval and Marine corps personnel coincide with their respective tours of duty in the Virgin Islands. The officers of the Navy and Marine Corps serving with the government of the Virgin Islands receive no compen- sation, allowances, nor emoluments other than the pay provided by law for officers of the Navy and Marine Corps. The government of the Virgin Islands does not compensate any officer of the Navy or Marine Corps for service in the civil government. The civilians are appointed or reappointed annually or biannually. 3. The legislative — Colonial councils. — The legislative branch of the government of the Virgin Islands consists of two colonial councils, one for the municipality of St. Croix, and the other for the munici- pality of St. Thomas and St. John. The St. Croix colonial council consists of 18 members, 5 of whom are appointed by the governor and 13 elected by the people. The colonial council of St. Thomas and St. John consists of 15 members, 4 of whom are appointed by the gov- ernor and 11 elected by the people. These colonial councils pass all the laws governing the island^ubject to jv^tQ^Jn_whole or in part, by _the_j£Cive^rncjL^ tc^jjie^naljy^ of the_President whenever he deems it necessaryTo~e^ercise thatTrlF" served right. The colonial council for the municipality of St. Thomas and St. John convenes every second month in the Administration Building in St. Thomas, and the colonial council for the municipality of St. Croix convenes every second month in the Government House, Christiansted, St. Croix. Both colonial councils hold extraordinary sessions at the call of the Governor of the Virgin Islands or the respec- tive chairmen. The government is entitled to have a representative present at each meeting, and this function is usually assigned by the governor to the government secretary of the Virgin Islands. The government secretary not only introduces such bills as may originate with the executive but also expresses the viewpoint of the governor on matters which come before the colonial councils. The members of the colonial councils are elected for a term of four years in such manner that half of their number retire every second year. They receive no compensation for their services. Each council has a stand- ing committee, known as the municipal committee, which considers all financial measures before presentation to the colonial councils and also acts in an advisory capacity to the Governor of the Virgin Islands. The Governorofth^ empowered by colonial law to dissoIv^T^^ rcian two dissolution*^ TETright has been ^exercised twicesince tfiie Amenc^HadrnmstraTion* of the islands, the colonial council for St. Thomas and St. John having been dissolved by Governor Sumner E. W. Kittelle in 1922 and the colonial council of St. Croix having been dissolved by Governor Philip Williams in 1925. 4. The judiciary. — yhejnghes^cqurt is the D^rict_Cau^_^Lthe_ Virgin Islands, presided over by ajiidge of the district court who holds sessions in the three townships. There are, in addition to the district court, four police courts, viz, one in the town of St. Thomas, one in St. John, and one each in Christiansted and Frederiksted, St. Croix. These courts are presided over by police judges. The police judge for the island of St. Thomas and the police judge for the town of Fred- eriksted, St. Croix, also serve as government attorneys for the respec- 52 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES tive municipalities. Appeals may be taken from the police courts to the district court and from the district court to the third circuit court of appeals at Philadelphia. There are two district court clerks, one in St. Thomas and one in St. Croix. The personnel of the judiciary are all civilians. 5. Political status of inhabitants — Citizenship. — On February 25, 1927, nearly 10 years after the transfer of the Virgin Islands to the United States, the President approved an act of Congress granting United States citizenship to certain inhabitants of the Virgin Islands. The following classes of persons were granted full United States citizenship by this act: (a) All former Danes who were residing in the Virgin Islands of the United States on January 17, 1917, and in the Virgin Islands, continental United States, or Porto Rico on February 25, 1927. (6) All natives of the Virgin Islands who were residing in the Vir- gin Islands of the United States on January 17, 1917, and in the Virgin Islands, continental United States, or Porto Rico on Febru- ary's, 1927. (c) All natives of the Virgin Islands who were residing in conti- nental United States on January 17, 1917, but in the Virgin Islands on February 25, 1927. Natives of the Virgin Islands who were residing in the United States on January 17, 1917, and on February 25, 1927, were given the privilege of naturalization within one year on petition, without the necessity of making a declaration of intention. This privilege was also accorded to all aliens who were residing in the Virgin Islands on both dates above mentioned. This act also conferred upon the District Court of the Virgin Is- lands the power to naturalize aliens in the Virgin Islands. The enactment of this legislation has done much to quell the dis- satisfaction which existed in the islands since the transfer to the United States, because of the anomalous position in which the people of the islands were left prior to this legislation. Article 6 of the convention between the United States and Den- mark providing for the cession of the Danish West Indian Islands provided, in part, that — Danish citizens * * * who remain in the islands may preserve their citizen- ship in Denmark by making before a court of record, within one year from the date of the exchange of ratifications of this convention, a declaration of their decision to preserve such citizenship; in default of which declaration they shall be held to have renounced it, and to have accepted citizenship in the United States * * *. The phrase "and to have accepted citizenship in the United States' ' was hailed with joy by the inhabitants of the islands, who construed it to mean that they were granted full citizenship in the United States. The State Department decreed, however, that citizens of the Virgin Islands should be classified, until further action by Congress, as "in- habitants of the Virgin Islands entitled to the protection of the United States." This created much dissatisfaction in the islands, the islanders feeling that as the Virgin Islands were acquired by purchase, and not captured in war, their inhabitants should have been given the privilege of enjoying full United States citizenship. No pro- vision was made for those citizens of the Danish West Indies who were permanently residing abroad at the time of the transfer and it. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 53 was held that such persons automatically retained their Danish nationality. With the enactment of the act of February 25, 1927, mentioned in the first part of this section, the status of the inhabitants of the Vir- gin Islands has been definitely cleared, and the action of the Sixty- ninth Congress in this matter has been greatly appreciated by the people of the islands. 6. Revenue laws and congressional appropriations. — Approximately 50 per cent of the funds required to maintain the government of the Virgin Islands is derived by means of local taxation, while the re- maining 50 per cent is contributed annually by direct Federal appro- priations. During the Danish administration of the islands, the Danish State paid the expenses of the central administration of the islands and of the military force stationed in the islands. Under American administration, not only is the cost of the central adminis- tration defrayed direct from Federal appropriations, but also any deficits which may occur in the treasury of the municipality of St. Thomas and St. John and the treasury of the municipality of St. Croix. Local revenue is raised by means of real and personal property taxes, trade and lamp taxes, horse, carriage, and boat taxes, income tax, customs dues, inheritance taxes, court fees and fees from the police offices, stamp dues, fees on steamer tickets, fees for grants and licenses, from patients at the municipal hospitals, collection from night soil removal service, passport fees, fees from the municipal tele- phone services, corporation license fees, ground and building taxes, automobile taxes, and many other minor forms of taxation. The tax laws are not identical in both municipalities so that while some of the sources mentioned above are common to both municipalities, others are in force in one municipality and not in the other: The major source of revenue in St. Croix is the $6 per ton export duty on sugar, while in St. Thomas the principal source of revenue to the colonial treasury is the real and personal property tax. The St. Thomas Harbor Board, which administers the activities of the harbor of St. Thomas, is an independent organization, with a separate treasury. This institution is entirely self-supporting. Under the present temporary government in the Virgin Islands the governor and most of his assistants are naval officers. They receive their regular pay from the Navy and no compensation nor emoluments from the government of the Virgin Islands. In addition to this the Congress appropriates approximately $300,000 a year toward the support of the Government of the Virgin Islands. This is not a continuing appropriation but is intended, as stated above, to pay the cost of the central administration and to cover deficits in the municipal treasuries. Since the transfer of the islands in 1917 the following sums have been appropriated by Congress for this purpose : 1917-18 $100,000 1918-19 200,000 1919-20 200,000 1920-21 343,440 1921-22 343,440 1922-23 343,440 1923-24 $324,000 1924^25 270,150 1925-26 270, 150 (Water supplv) 125, 000 1926-27 " 280,000 1927-28 280,000 54 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES The expenses of the central administration are defrayed direct from the Federal appropriation, upon budgets approved by the governor. These expenses are audited by the General Accounting Office in Washington. The colonial council for St. Thomas and St. John passes annually a budget for the operation of the activities of the municipality of St. Thomas and St. John, subject to the approval of the governor. The colonial council for St. Croix likewise passes an annual budget for the municipality of St. Croix. The total expendi- tures in these two budgets ordinarily greatly exceed the estimated amount of revenue to be collected from local sources during the year and the resultant deficits are defrayed by the Federal appropri- ation. Should the actual revenue collected during the year exceed the amount estimated at the commencement of the year, then less of the Federal appropriation is required to make up the deficit. The accounts of the two municipal treasuries are audited by auditors appointed by the respective colonial councils. The accounts of the harbor board are audited by an auditor appointed by the board. It will be seen from the above that the Virgin Islands are by no means self-supporting, nor have they been self-supporting at any time. So long as the United States Government continues to main- tain in these islands the excellent health, sanitation, educational, and other welfare institutions in their present standards, it will be neces- sary for the Congress to contribute annually toward their support. Chapter IV GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND ACTIVITIES 1. The secretariat. — The office of the government secretary of the Virgin Islands is the principal executive jpffice in the Virgin Islands. The government secretary is charged, under the direction of the governor, with the duties appertaining to correspondence with the home government, with foreign consuls and other foreign officials, and with all other persons having business with the government. Under the direction of the governor he coordinates the work of the various departments of the civil government. He is the custodian of the seal of the Virgin Islands and countersigns and affixes such seal to all executive proclamations and other executive documents. He is charged by the governor with the issuance of passports. He pub- lishes the laws of Congress which pertain to the Virgin Islands as well as all the laws enacted by the local legislatures. He is charged with the duty of attending all meetings of the colonial councils as the representative of the governor. He is a member of the police commission and acting chairman of the harbor board. He is charged by law with the duty of vice chairman of the board of educational review and chairman of the board of review and equalization of taxes. He is charged with the duty of registration of patents and trade-marks in the Virgin Islands; keeps the records of service of all government employees in the islands; and grants leave to those in the municipality of St. Thomas and St. John. He has general supervision of the work of the dispatching secretary in St. Croix and the dispatch- ing secretary in St. John. He is in charge of the government printing office and is the custodian of the archives of the government. He is charged with the duty of administering the United States immigra- tion laws in so far as they are applicable to the Virgin Islands. For this purpose he holds the title of commissioner of immigration for the Virgin Islands. He is the financial adviser to the governor and commissioner of internal revenue for the Virgin Islands. He has administrative control of the department of finance. In the absence of the governor of the Virgin Islands the government secretary becomes, by law and the President's authority, the acting governor of the Virgin Islands. 2. The department of finance. — The department of finance is oper- ated by the assistant government secretary in St. Thomas and by the assistant dispatching secretary in St. Croix, under the supervision of the financial adviser to the governor. This department is charged with the purchase of supplies, the payment of obligations, the collec- tion of revenues, and the necessary accounting therefor in the munici- pality of St. Thomas and St. John and the municipality of St. Croix, the St. Thomas Harbor Board, and the central administration. The department of finance also administers the various trust funds for which the government of the Virgin Islands is custodian. The assistant government secretary, in his capacity as collector of internal revenue, administers the income tax laws. In the absence of the government secretary the assistant government secretary acts in his stead. This department was inaugurated in St. Thomas on July 1, 1862—28 5 55 56 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 1927, and in St. Croix on January 1, 1928, in order to centralize the collection of revenues and all purchasing, disbursing, and accounting. 3. The department of health. — The Virgin Islands of the United States can now boast of a health organization that is a source of pride to the islanders and to continental Americans who visit the islands. A municipal hospital, with a small insane asylum, and a sanitation service in the island of St. Thomas; a large hospital in Chris tiansted, a smaller one in Frederiksted, a leper asylum and an insane asylum, and a sanitation service in the island of St. Croix, comprise this efficient organization which has done so much for the good of the islands and their people since their transfer to American sovereignty in 1917. Approximately 30 per cent of the islands' budgeted funds are devoted to health and sanitation in the Virgin Islands. The hos- pitals in the Virgin Islands are well equipped for the care of the sick. Every patient requiring treatment, study, or observation may secure, free of charge, medical and surgical treatment. Moderate fees are charged for medical service. A day and night service is also main- tained so that the citizens may secure, at any time, medical assist- ance, even in the country districts. The department of health main- tains dispensaries, training schools for nurses, infant clinics, surgical service for those requiring operations, a clinic for venereal diseases where treatment in many cases is compulsory, a clinic for mental and nervous cases, and a laboratory service. In both municipalities there is a municipal dentist who is required to examine and to treat, free of charge, the school children of the municipality and such poor hospital patients who are unable to pay for dental services. These activities exert a profound and beneficial influence upon the com- munities they serve. Due to the lack of modern sewage disposal systems in St. Croix and the fact that the sewage system in St. Thomas does not, at present, cover the entire town, the sanitation services maintain night-soil removal services with excellent results. An appropriation has recently been made for a sewer system for the town of Frederiksted, St. Croix. Sanitary inspectors conduct rou- tine examinations of all cisterns, pools, privies, etc., in the islands, and insanitary conditions when found, are instantly corrected. The death rate per thousand of inhabitants during the calendar year 1926 attained the lowest record, being 19.1 as compared with 19.2 for the calendar year 1925. (See Appendix L.) The average death rate per thousand for the years 1911-1917, inclusive, prior to the American administration of the islands, was 35.4 For the years 1918-1922, the average was 25, while for the years 1923-1926, the average was 21.5. This is a remarkable tribute to the efficiency of the health activities of the islands conducted under the supervision of med- ical officers of the United States Navy. The department of health is administered, in general, by the medical aide to the governor. The municipal hospital in St. Thomas is administered directly by a. chief municipal physician assisted by two municipal physicians and a corps of naval and civilian nurses. A chief sanitation officer administers the sanitation service in the municipality of St. Thomas and St. John. All the health activities in the island of St. Croix are under the supervision of a chief municipal physician who also acts as chief sanitation officer. He is assisted by municipal physicians in both towns and naval and native nurses. In St. John there is one civilian THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 57 municipal physician and a district nurse. With the exception of one civilian municipal physician in St. Thomas and one in St. John, all municipal physicians, including the chief municipal physicians, are medical officers of the Navy. In general it may be stated that health conditions in the Virgin Islands are excellent. The sanitary supervision is good. All cisterns, water containers, and privies are well screened and mosquito propa- gation is limited. These insects are rarely troublesome although few houses are screened. With reasonable care, it is possible to avoid most of the diseases prevalent in semitropical and tropical countries. Yellow fever does not exist. Malaria is practically negligible. Physicians are unanimous in their praise of the health- giving qualities of the climate of these wonderful islands. 4. The public works department. — The public works department is administered by an officer of the civil engineer corps of the Navy, whose title in the civil government is public works officer. He is assisted, in the municipality of St. Croix, by an officer of the civil engineer corps of the Navy, known as the assistant public works officer for the municipality of St. Croix. This department repairs and maintains roads and streets; repairs and maintains all plants and structures owned by the municipalities; operates the municipal telephone services in both St. Thomas and St. Croix and, in general, handles all public-works projects. It undertakes work for private parties under certain specified conditions. Highways in the island of St. Thomas are difficult of construction because of the hilly contour of the island. At present there are few good roads on this island, although Congress has recently authorized an appropriation for the construction of good roads which may open up the beauties of the island for tourist travel. The present roads are ballasted with rock and, consequently, suffer tremendously during the rainy season. The maintenance of roads is a tremendous strain on the finances of the island. Recently, small sections of improved macadam roads have been built to reduce maintenance costs and more recently experiments have been conducted with oiled surfaces to prevent erosion from rainfall. It is the effort of the government to maintain in the hillsides open trails for agriculturists to bring their products to the markets. In the island of St. Croix there are approxi- mately 100 miles of road built across the island. These roads might be classed as good. Some stretches are in excellent shape, other stretches are in fair condition. These roads are maintained by the property owners with the assistance of the government. The center- line road connecting the towns of Christiansted and Frederiksted is now in very good condition. The water supply system, consisting of four units, in the island of St. Thomas, was completed in December, 1926, to the extent of available funds. Each unit, complete in itself, consists of a reinforced concrete tank and a paved area for the catchment of ramfall, which is conducted into the tank for storage. The four units constructed pro- vide a total storage capacity of 1,600,000 gallons, with commensurate catchment areas, and these four tanks, at this time, are full of water. One unit, intended to supply the central portion of the city, was beyond the scope of the appropriation and, therefore, could not be constructed. The water supply system in St. Thomas is intended to be a reserve supply for periods of extreme droughts, the water in storage to be 58 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES reserved for issue to the populace at such periods to alleviate the hard- ship and suffering which have previously existed during long periods of insufficient rainfall. In St. Croix, there has been recently completed a dam, known as Creque Dam, with a capacity of 9,000,000 gallons. In the city of Frederiksted a 10,000-gallon reservoir was completed and connected to the impounding basin. The reserve water supply for Christian- sted will consist of wells leading into storage reservoirs from which the water will be piped, through the city, along lines considered most convenient for the issue of water. This system should be com- pleted during the calendar year 1928. For the purpose of obtaining water for stock, and thus enhance the cattle industry, the public works department in St. Croix owns and operates a well-drilling outfit with which wells are driven for private parties at cost. The water derived is local rainfall which has perco- lated into the comparatively porous top soil and rock fissures and has been retained by impervious strata. 5. The department of education. — The department of education is administered by a director of education for the Virgin Islands, whose principal office is in St. Thomas. He is assisted by an assistant direc- tor of education with office in the municipality of St. Croix. By local law, all children in the Virgin Islands are compelled to attend school from the beginning of the school year nearest their sixth birth day until the close of the school year after their fifteenth birthday. Pupils may, however, be released from attendance at school before attaining the age of 15 years if they have completed the course of study. In addition, children 4 and 5 years old and persons over 15 years of age are entitled to receive public instruction so far as facil- ities are available. The teachers in the public schools of the Virgin Islands are regu- larly employed in the service of the government of the Virgin Islands. They are appointed and may be dismissed, for cause, by the director of education subject to the approval of the governor. Teachers are classified as assistant graded, graded, principal, and special teachers. The salary of an assistant graded teacher is from $10 to $25 per month; of a graded teacher from $25 to $50 per month; a principal teacher from $50 to $75 per month; while the salary of a special teacher is at the discretion of the director of education. No teacher, however, is paid less than $20. An educational board of review is provided by law in each munici- pality for the purpose of receiving appeals and hearing complaints or criticisms. In the island of St. Thomas there are, at the present time, 9 public schools, 2 private schools, and 2 parochial schools. In St. John there are five public schools. In St. Croix 9 public and 3 parochial schools. The school system throughout the Virgin Islands is organized on the 6-3-3-plan, i. e., six years of primary and grammar school work and three years of junior high school, and three years of senior high school. The courses of study for the primary and elementary schools are based largely on the course of study for New Mexico, while the course for the junior high school is based on the Utah course. The school attendance during the fiscal year 1927 was 3,083. (See Appendix "M.") One hundred and twelve teachers were employed. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THEUNITED STATES 59 60 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES In conjunction with the educational activities, the American Red Cross conducts a school nursing service and this has developed into one of the most important features of the school program. Physical defects are immediately treated and physical examinations are con- ducted each year for all the children, this including dental inspection. The agricultural educational work conducted by the department of education seems to be bearing fruit. Stenography and bookkeeping are a part of the regular curriculum of the tenth grade in the public schools of St. Thomas. Some manual training is given in the schools but it is not sufficient, due to lack of funds, for the proper development of skilled workmen. Though there is much to be desired which only ample funds could supply, yet the system of education as a whole is believed to be satis- factory for the needs of the youth of the Virgin Islands. >* ,' ^ fill Hip - '* WSm fVBK Bl ' '^H tif^BHi gK^SyiHpi UP jr^SS p ' >-«aPll ^^^Hjj|^P l HB^ W^^m ^"«&'v^M H^E^fJ^ w *| :'' f'H HBP" ** ^^v\ ' *u H * ' " . v BR^4'* 4 %6 /* * Navy doctor and nurse making physical examination of school children There is need for an agricultural and vocational school. Such a school is a vital necessity for the economic progress of the islands. The young people are constantly emigrating to continental United States in search of employment. Some are unfitted for lucrative employment; so that an industrial school would be of great benefit in training them for employment. It is hoped eventually to provide native teachers, trained in the United States, to teach in the schools of the Virgin Islands. American teachers are now engaged in limited numbers to conduct the high schools. (For information as to funds budgeted for education, see Appendix N.) 6. The department of public welfare. — The department of public welfare is administered by an officer of the Chaplain's Corps of the United States Navy, designated as the aide for public welfare. This department of the civil government of the' Virgin Islands is concerned primarily with the care of the poor, their welfare, and the distribution of pensions and accrued interest from several legacies, in addition to THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES* 61 moneys annually appropriated by the colonial council for the benefit of the poof. Admissions to the poor farm in St: Croix are decided by the aide for public welfare upon recommendation of the poor commission in St. Croix, and upon his own recommendation for St. Thomas and St. John. The average number of persons in King's Hill Poor Farm during the fiscal year 1926-27 was 97 for St. Croix and 10 for St. Thomas. Funds budgeted in aid to public libraries in the islands are admin- istered by this department, though there is a library commission in each municipality having direct supervision of the respective libraries. There are three public libraries — one in St. Thomas, and one in Chris- tiansted and one in Frederiksted, St. Croix. The current circulation of these libraries is as follows: St. Thomas, 15,307; Christiansted, 5,889; Frederiksted, 4,329. At Leinster Bay in the island of St. John there is a boys' home to which institution delinquent boys in the three islands are committed by order of the juvenile court. There is a public-school teacher regu- larly assigned to this home, in addition to the matron of the institu- tion. This institution is most beneficial in its effect upon the boys after they are discharged. There is great need for a girls' home, but funds, at this time, are not available. Generally speaking, it is believed that the poor in the Virgin Islands receive a consideration and treatment not elsewhere accorded them in the Caribbean, and poverty is not widespread nor acute. 7. Department of agriculture, commerce, and labor. — On February 7, 1924, the colonial councils of St. Thomas and St. John and the colonial council of St. Croix, in joint session assembled, adopted a resolution containing several recommendations for the betterment of the eco- nomic situation in the islands, the first of which was as follows: That there be established under the civil government of the Virgin Islands a department of agriculture, commerce, and labor, to be headed by a director, whose duty it shall be to investigate and advise on the fundamental economic problems of the entire Virgin Islands. Agriculture: The island of St. Croix, the largest of the group, has always been agricultural, the main industry being the growing of sugar cane. This industry is a highly technical one and therefore requires the most expert advice obtainable regarding the most modern methods of cultivating, processing, and marketing. It is generally conceded that St. Croix might easily grow many other marketable agricultural products if it were known definitely what could be grown and where they could be marketed. The island of St. Thomas was in past years largely agricultural, but has almost ceased to be so, the inhabitants having come to depend almost solely upon the activities of the beautiful harbor for their livelihood. Depending entirely upon the commerce of the harbor is too uncertain, and ways and means of getting the inhabitants, at least partially, to a dependence on the soil should by seriously considered. Commerce: In addition to the activities of the harbor of St. Thomas, which are considerable, there should be possibilities in both islands of manufacturing exportable articles as evidenced by the fact that there are at present small quantities of articles manufactured from mahogany. This industry appears fully capable of expansion. There must exist other similar possibilities of develop- ment. Labor: Labor problems are real and vital. On the island of St. Croix the question of labor for the cultivation and harvesting of the sugar crop is always a matter of serious concern, mainly for the reason that, when it becomes evident that a given crop will yield below the normal output, the tendency is for labor to migrate, and if in the succeeding year the crop is normal or above, there would apparently result a shortage of labor. Again, on the island of St. Thomas, when the commerce falls off to any considerable extent, the tendency is towards emigra- tion and when business picks up, a shortage of labor is likely to occur. These 62 -THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES three fundamentals of agriculture, commerce and labor might very materially be assisted by the establishment of a department for dealing with them and the establishment of such a department is accordingly earnestly recommended. In accordance with the above recommendation, the Governor of the Virgin Islands, on September 16, 1924, created a department of agriculture, commerce, and labor, in the civil government of the Virgin Islands, and appointed an officer in the Chaplain's Corps of the Navy as its director. The department at once commenced the compilation of data required for a preHminary study of the economic conditions of the Virgin Islands; the preparation of graphs tending to facilitate the comprehension of the trend of the several phases of trade, commerce and industry in the islands. It is also conducting a detailed agri- cultural survey of the islands. Investigation of the economic condition of the Virgin Islands has led, among other things, to the conclusion that improvement therein The town of Christiansted, St. Croix is, to no small extent, dependent upon a campaign of advertising in the hope that the islands may be made more of a tourist resort than they have been in the past, and incidentally, in the hope that some of the visitors may see advantages for investment of capital and the stimulation of industry. Prominent among the matters successfully sponsored by this department during the past year was the organization of the St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce on January 12, 1927. This chamber of commerce has been accepted as an organization member in the United States Chamber of Commerce. The progress made since its inception is most gratifying and particular efforts are being made, at the present time, to interest local capital, as well as outside capital, in a plan for a large and modern tourist hotel in the island of St. Thomas, which would satisfy a long felt need. This department sponsors yearly, in St. Thomas, a tourist exhibit. Products of the islands are exhibited for the benefit of the tourists who come here in thousands during the months of December to March, and the exhibit is usually most interesting and successful. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 63 The agricultural experiment station in St. Croix has detailed a horticulturist to duty in St. Thomas for extension work and his services have been efficient and fruitful. As emphasized elsewhere in this article, it has been felt, for some time, that vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, onions, etc., could be profitably raised in the Virgin Islands for export to the New York winter markets at a time when prices are highest. The opportunity seems unlimited and results of small ventures have been encouraging. Such a project would provide work for the unemployed in St. Thomas and give the much needed crop diversification in St. Croix, thus making that island less dependent on the production of sugar. A small nursery in St. Thomas to raise and distribute tree seedlings for the reforesta- tion of the Virgin Islands and a demonstration poultry farm have been started. It is believed that in the development of agricultural pursuits lies the solution of the fundamental economic problems of the Virgin SB AfjtMzr'- '''^^^^^^^^1 MB M , pm^M^'f 4'^T^ "'..'.**' '"SHU * "*~V* ITT > Street in St. Thomas decorated for reception of transatlantic flyer, Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, January 31, 1928, on his Central American Good Will Flight Islands. Every effort is being made, therefore, by the insular authori- ties to solve the problem of getting the people of the Virgin Islands back to the land and every encouragement and inducement is being granted to industries that will furnish more employment and create more real wealth for the people of the islands. In St. Croix, the raising of cattle, still a minor industry, has made marked strides since the transfer of sovereignty, due to the opening up of the Porto Rico market to the people of St. Croix and this industry now ranks next to sugar in importance.- It is believed that the work of this department in conjunction with the agricultural experiment station maintained in St. Croix by the United States Department of Agriculture, will, in time, be productive of good results. Funds have recently been appropriated by the colonial council in St. Croix for the establishment of a demonstration farm in that island with the purpose of encouraging the farmers to diversify their crops. 64 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES In St. Thomas and St. John a revolving fund has been appropri- ated by the colonial council for the purpose of assisting the local farmers in the grading, packing, and shipping of vegetables. The governor has recently appointed a committee in St. Thomas to study ways and means to maintain the existing plant life in St. Thomas, to encourage the planting of trees and flowering shrubs in the parks and other public places, and generally to beautify the city of St. Thomas and make it more attractive for tourists. Flowering shrubs for this purpose will be distributed free of charge from the municipal nursery and great hopes are entertained that the work of this committee will be of great benefit to the community. Tree surgery will be accomplished where necessary. 8. The police and prison department and the fire department. — The municipal police force of St. Thomas consists of a director, 1 inspector, 3 sergeants, and 10 patrolmen, while 2 patrolmen are stationed in the island of St. John, reducing the number of patrolmen in St. Thomas to 8. In St. Croix there is a director, 2 district chiefs (1 in each town), 4 inspectors, 4 sergeants, and 17 patrolmen. This force, particularly in St. Thomas, not only does actual police work, but assists the government in the collection of taxes, taking of censuses, making investigations, etc., and despite the smallness of the force and the work it is called upon to perform, its duties are most satisfactorily performed. The Richmond Penitentiary in St. Croix confines the major offend- ers against the law. It has accommodations for 127 prisoners, but on June 30, 1927, there were only 51 prisoners in the penitentiary. Smaller prisons exist at St. Thomas and at Frederiksted but these are used for transitory and minor offenders. At the Richmond Penitentiary in St. Croix ample acreage enables the prisoners to cultivate vegetables either for sale or for consumption. Good food is served and the discipline, though strict, is enforced with considera- tion. Good discipline and order seem to prevail at all times and the morale is excellent so that few instances occur where punishment has to be administered for disobedience of the prison regulations. The fire department is under the supervision of the director of police in each island. The salt-water pumping system, an installa- tion of recent years in St. Thomas, gives sufficient pressure for small conflagrations confined within the town limits, while the cooperation rendered by the marine fire brigade has proved to be of great value when needed. Fires are infrequent and the greatest danger is the possibility of cane fires in the island of St. Croix. 9. The St. Thomas Harbor Department. — The beautiful harbor of St. Thomas, the island's greatest asset, is operated by the St. Thomas IJarbor Board, of which the governor is the chairman and the govern- ment secretary the acting chairman. This institution is an inde- pendent, self-supporting branch of the government of the Virgin Islands. It has its own treasury. The active head of this depart- ment is known as the harbor master, who is a pilot of years of experi- ence. He is assisted by three pilots and a competent force of boat- men, engineers, signalmen, etc. Two power pilot boats are provided in addition to a number of small rowboats. The port of St. Thomas is a natural port of call for vessels sailing between the Panama Canal and Europe and between the east coasts of North and South America. St. Thomas virtually a free port, was a transshipment center of considerable importance. When methods THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 65 of water transportation were slow, St. Thomas was the favorite port of call in the West Indies for vessels awaiting orders by mail and later by cable. With the natural development due to economic causes, i. e., the use of radio, the longer cruising radius of modern ships without the necessity of frequent refueling, the constantly increasing use of oil instead of coal as fuel (see Appendix O), the port of St. Thomas has declined in commercial importance. During the World War the weekly Hamburg American Line service was withdrawn as well as that of the Compagnie Generate Transatlantique. Even before the war their interests had been seriously affected by world- wide changes in shipping, so that it was only a question of time before the expected decline would set in. However, moderate harbor dues, advertising, and other facilities rendered to vessels calling at this port for bunkers have all combined to make the port of St. Thomas more and more popular in recent years. During the fiscal year 1926-27, 429 vessels, with a gross tonnage of 1,711,163 visited the port of St. Thomas. During the previous fiscal year, 1925-26, 432 vessels, with a gross tonnage of 1,657,213, entered the harbor of St. Thomas, while during the fiscal year 1925, 428 ves- sels with a gross tonnage of 1,472,242 were recorded. It will be noted that while there has been but little variation in the number of vessels which called at this port during the past three years, the gross tonnage has consistently increased. (See Appendices P and Q.) During the month of December of 1927 and the first two months of the year 1928 more ships have entered the harbor of St. Thomas for bunker coal and oil than at any time before or since the transfer of the islands in 1917. The increased harbor activities are, undoubtedly, due to the attractive harbor dues and quick dispatch. Taken as a whole the outlook is bright and there are great hopes for the future of the port of St. Thomas. The harbor of Christiansted, St. Croix, is difficult of access, due to a reef. Sailing vessels and the interisland steamer Catherine call at this port regularly, but the shipping activities in St. Croix are principally handled through the harbor of Frederiksted, St. Croix, which is an open roadstead, but seldom dangerous by reason of weather conditions. One pilot is regularly assigned duty in the harbor of Christiansted. The harbor of St. Thomas can safely accommodate vessels 600 feet long and drawing 30 feet of water. For larger vessels excellent anchor- age is provided just outside of the harbor. The harbormaster in St. Thomas is weather observer for the United States Weather Bureau. 10. The prohibition enforcement division. — The prohibition division of the government of the Virgin Islands is administered, under the supervision of the prohibition administrator (the governor), by an officer designated as prohibition director. In addition to the enforce- ment of the national prohibition act, the director of prohibition is charged with the responsibility of acting upon all orders for narcotic drugs for use in the Virgin Islands. Determined efforts have been put forth to prevent the illegal entry of liquor into the Virgin Islands. Considering :he extent of coast line, the many sources whereby liquor may be smuggled into these islands from nearby foreign islands, and the limited amount of equipment and personnel available for enforcement, the prohibition situation is most satisfactory. Cases of intoxication are rare and violators of the prohibition laws are promptly prosecuted in the local courts. 66 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 11. United States Quarantine and Lighthouse Services. — The Quar- antine Service in the Virgin Islands is administered by the United States Public Health Service. A chief quarantine officer of the Public Health Service is stationed in St. Thomas, while a naval medical officer looks out for quarantine matters in the island of St. Croix. There is a quarantine and isolation station at East Point in St. Thomas. This service is most efficiently handled. The lighthouses in the Virgin Islands are operated by the United States Lighthouse Service, through its superintendent in San Juan. Regular inspections of all lighthouses and lighted buoys are made by the tenders of the United States Lighthouse Service. Neither the Quarantine Service nor the Light- house Service is responsible to the governor of the Virgin Islands, but hearty cooperation exists between these activities of the Federal Government and those of the civil government. k 12. United States customs service. — There are three customs houses in the Virgin Islands, one in St. Thomas, administered by the collector The Navy Building, St. Thomas of customs for the entire district; one in Christiansted, administered by a deputy collector and one in Frederiksted similarly administered. A peculiar situation exists with respect to this service. It was especially provided in the act of Congress of March 3, 1917, that the customs laws of the Virgin Islands should remain in full force and effect until repealed by Congress, so that while the customs service of the Treasury Department of the United States took over the administra- tion of the customs houses in the Virgin Islands, and appoints its personnel, yet the local laws are administered and the revenue from the services, less the cost of collection, is paid into the local treasuries of the Virgin Islands and not into the Federal Treasury. (For infor- mation as to imports and exports, see Appendices II and S.) 13 . United States post office. — The United States Post Office Depart- ment maintains a second-class post office in the island of St. Thomas; a third-class office in Christiansted, St. Croix; a third class office in Frederiksted, St. Croix; and a fourth-class office in St. John. There are no separate issues of postage stamps for the islands, the regular United States stamps being used. Some statistics on money orders issued and paid are appended. (See Appendix T.) Chapter V BANKING, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS 1. The National Bank of the Danish West Indies. — In the conven- tion relating to the cession of the Virgin Islands to the United States, the United States Government agreed to maintain a concession granted in 1904, by the Danish Government, to the National Bank of the Danish West Indies for a period of 30 years. This concession will, therefore, expire in 1934. This bank has the exclusive right to issue bank notes in terms of the 100-bit franc. The National Bank of the Danish West Indies conducts a general banking business and is the only medium of financial intercourse between the Virgin Islands and the outside world. Its main office is in St. Thomas, with branches in Christiansted and in Frederiksted, St. Croix. This bank makes loans against mortgages on real estate as security. The currency situation will be treated fully in a subsequent section. The National Bank of the Danish West Indies is the official depositary of the government of the Virgin Islands. Savings deposits statistics are appended. (See Appendix U.) 2. St. Thomas and St. Croix savings banks. — There are, in addi- tion to the National Bank of the Danish West Indies, a local savings bank in St. Thomas and one in St. Croix. Both these banks do a strictly savings business and not general banking business. Loans are made by these banks against real property as security. Savings deposits statistics are appended. (See Appendices V and W.) 3. The West Indian Co. (Ltd.)— The West Indian Co. (Ltd.), a joint-stock company, is practically the largest concern in St. Thomas. It has extensive harbor works, coaling station, etc. This company supplies coal to vessels at the rate of up to 300 tons per hour along- side its 3,000-foot pier in the harbor of St. Thomas. Vessels drawing up to 30 feet of water can be accommodated alongside this dock. Coal is supplied by means of an electric crane as well as by native workers. This company also supplies fuel and Diesel oil from its pipe lines and fresh water from pipe line and by barges. It has limited repair facilities for vessels. 4. Cable companies. — The West India & Panama Telegraph Co. (Ltd.), with head office in St. Thomas and a branch in Christiansted, St. Croix, offers rapid and accurate service with all parts of the world. It connects with the Western Union Telegraph Co. Its head office in the West Indies is at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. 5. Sugar factories. — There are three sugar factories in St. Croix. The largest, the West Indian Sugar Factory, commonly known as Bethlehem, is a Danish concern. It owns extensive sugar land in the island of St. Croix. The other two sugar factories, the St. Croix Sugar Factory and the La Grange Sugar Factory, are both domestic companies. Sugar production tables are appended. (See Appendices D, I, and J.) 6. Virgin Islands Products Corporation.— The Virgin Islands Prod- ucts Corporation, but recently organized, is engaged in the manu- facture of industrial alcohol in the island of St. Croix. During the 67 • 68 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES fiscal year 1927, this company produced 156,427.13 proof gallons of alcohol. Of this 147,642.98 gallons were denatured while 4,833.79 gallons were sold pure. This business likewise appears to be in a healthy condition. 7. united States By-Products Corporation. — This corporation, also recently organized, is engaged in St. Thomas in the commercializing of the skin of sharks. It has its factory at Red Hook in St. Thomas. It is understood that, in the near future, this corporation will extend its activities to other lines. 8. Bay rum factories. — There are four concerns in St. Thomas engaged in the manufacture of bay rum. They are: Messrs. D. O. Bornn & Sons, the St. Thomas Apothecary Hall (A. H. Riise), the Saint Thomas Bay Rum Co., and the Virgin Islands Bay Rum Co. (See Appendix G.) 9. The Red Cross. — The American Red Cross has done much to aid the people of the Virgin Islands since the purchase of the islands Store in St. Croix where Alexander Hamilton worked as a youth by the United States. When the hospitals were taken over, the Red Cross generously contributed hospital equipment. There are local Red Cross chapters in both St. Thomas and St. Croix. The head- quarters of the American Red Cross in Washington maintains, on active duty in the Virgin Islands at all times, a field representative in St Thomas with an assistant in St. Croix. These Red Cross workers are active in the welfare of the poor and the sick and also the school children of the Virgin Islands. The Red Cross is of great assistance to the department of public welfare in the determination of the degree of poverty of applicants for pensions or temporary monetary relief. After the hurricanes of 1924 and 1928, the Red Cross was active in assisting the sufferers of the catastrophe. At Christmas time, the Red Cross makes extensive donations of toys to the school children in the islands. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 69 10. Religious denominations. — The following religious denomina- tions maintain places of worship and organized work in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas: Moravian, Reformed (Dutch), Anglican, Roman Cath- olic, Lutheran, Wesleyan Methodist, Seven Day Adventists, Pilgrim Holiness, Christian Mission, and Orthodox Jewish. St. Croix: Anglican, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Moravian, African Methodist Episcopal. 11. United States Shipping Board. — The United States Shipping Board operates a fuel-oil station in the harbor of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Its vessels are bunkered alongside what is known as the Navy Wharf on Hassels Island. 12. The St. Thomas (West Indies) Coaling Co.— The St. Thomas (West Indies) Coaling Co. is engaged, as its name implies, in the coaling business. At the present time it does not have a dock of its own but uses the docks of the West Indian Co. (Ltd.) for this purpose. 13. The Virgin Island Dock and Engine Works. — The Virgin Island Dock and Engine Works owned the dry dock which sank in the harbor of St. Thomas in 1924. Its attempts, since that time, to purchase another dock for the harbor of St. Thomas have not been successful. It still owns a dockyard in the harbor of St. Thomas with considerable equipment and material for machine and engine repairs. 14. Creque's maritime railway. — Creque's maritime railway in the harbor of St. Thomas offers facilities for the dry-docking of vessels, on its slip, of not over 1,000 tons. Chapter VI MISCELLANEOUS 1. United States naval station. — The Governor of the Virgin Islands is also commandant of the United States naval station, St. Thomas. This naval station includes the navy yard, the radio station, the naval hospital, and the marine barracks. There are small detachments of marines in St. Croix and of Navy personnel at the radio station in San Juan, P. R., and the power station at Cayey, P. R. All the activities included in the above are under the jurisdiction of the commandant. The commandant's principal assistant is an officer of the line of the Navy, designated the chief of staff. A mine sweeper is attached to the station as the station ship. 2. Communications. — (a) Cables: The West India & Panama Tele- graph Co. offers cable service to all parts of the world. The present , ? ™ i Ijjflf4** ... 7 <**M F^taTj^H A tourist ship in St. Thomas Harbor rate between St. Thomas and the United States, east of the Missi- ssippi River, is 50 cents a word. To points west of the Mississippi, the rate is 55 cents a word. (&) Radio: Officers of the Navy and Marine Corps are permitted to use the radio under prescribed Navy regulations. Residents of the islands are not permitted the use of the radio to places where communication may be had by cable, but commercial messages to ships are, of course, accepted at the rate of 20 cents per word. (c) Mails: Two mails a week are received and dispatched via New York and San Juan. These mails are received in St. Thomas on Sat- urday and Tuesday mornings and outgoing mails are regularly dis- patched on Sunday and Tuesday evenings. Ships of the Furness Bermuda Line and the Ocean Dominion Steamship Co. carry direct mail between New York, St. Thomas, and St. Croix. Occasionally extra service is provided via other vessels plying between these islands and ports of continental United States. 70 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 71 3. Transportation: The Navy Department provides the usual Gov- ernment transportation for officers and their immediate dependents. Transports leave the base at Hampton Roads frequently, traveling via Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the ports of Haiti and San Juan. St. Thomas is usually the last stop on this route and is made in approxi- mately 12 days. The return to the States ordinarily occupies about five days. It has been the practice of the Navy Department recently to send the U. S. S. Kittery into these waters at intervals of approxi- mately six weeks. The steamship Dominica, a freight and passenger steamer of the Furness Bermuda Line, leaves New York about every four weeks for St. Thomas, St. Croix, and the islands to the south, returning north via St. Croix and St. Thomas. During the winter months this com- pany places a more commodious vessel, in addition to the Dominica, on this route to take care of the increased tourist travel. The Ocean Dominion Steamship Co. operates a freight line with somewhat limited passenger space and facilities, which touches at St. Thomas and St. Croix, with sailings about every four weeks. These ships also return north via the Virgin Islands. The New York and Porto Rico Steamship Co. operates a semiweekly passenger and freight service between New York and San Juan, P. R. Persons using this route may come to St. Thomas and St. Croix via a comfortable steamer, the steamship Catherine, operated by the Bull Insular Line, making a weekly mail trip between Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands or by airplane; the Catherine leaves San Juan each Fri- day evening. Special arrangements can be made for air transporta- tion. The traffic over the New York and Porto Rico Line at all times, and over the Furness Bermuda Line during the winter months, is ordi- narily heavy and it is advisable for prospective passengers to secure reservations well in advance of the date of sailing. 4. Interisland transportation. — The station ship, a mine sweeper, and various small craft attached to the station, are the means of official interisland travel. The station ship makes a regular weekly trip to St. Croix and at such other times as the necessity arises. Aside from these, transportation is by mail schooners and the regu- larly scheduled commercial steamships indicated above. Very recently the Aerial Express Co., of Porto Rico, has extended its airplane service to the Virgin Islands. This company maintains air- plane connections with Haiti, San Domingo, and Santiago de Cuba., It is planned to extend its service to Kingston, Jamaica, and as far south as Trinidad. A comfortable 12-passenger biplane and a 4- passenger monoplane provide quick transportation for emergency at moderate rates. The steamship Catherine, of the Bull Insular Line, leaves St. Thomas every Saturday morning for Christians ted and Frederiksted, St. Croix, with mail, passengers, and freight, and returns to St. Thomas on Sunday afternoons. 5. Local newspapers. — Three newspapers are published in the is- land of St. Thomas. They are: The St. Thomas Mail Notes, the Bulletin, and the Emancipator. In St. Croix there are two newspa- pers in the town of Christians ted, viz, St. Croix Tribune and St. Croix Avis, and one in Frederiksted, the West End News. These papers have a fairly large local circulation. 1862—28 6 72 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 6. The Broadcaster. — The Virgin Islands Broadcaster, published oc- casionally by the government of the Virgin Islands, is a nonpolitical, nonpartisan publication of the government of the Virgin Islands of the United States of America, issued in behalf of public welfare in every phase, and for the dissemination of news, facts, and information for the people of the Virgin Islands. It is distributed without charge to the inhabitants of the islands. The editor in chief is usually the director of agriculture, commerce, and labor, with the heads of all governmental activities, the chairmen of the colonial councils and the agronomist in charge of the agricultural experiment station in St. Croix, as associate editors. 7. Living conditions. — (a) Housing facilities: Though the number of desirable properties available for rent in the several communities is somewhat limited, the supply ordinarily is sufficient for the demand. Navy and marine officers frequently make arrangements with the Dock, St. Thomas, showing coaling crane officer being relieved and are thus enabled to move into either fur- nished or unfurnished quarters with but little delay. Others take temporary quarters at a hotel until suitable quarters can be found. Options on houses with prospective vacancies are not infrequent. Rents range from $25 to $65 per month. Houses as a rule are roomy and comfortable. The most desirable are now supplied with modern plumbing, including shower baths and modern toilet facilities. All are electrically lighted. Cooking can be done by electricity, though the cost is high. Usually oil stoves or charcoal fires are used, the native cooks preferring the latter. Some of the houses are furnished. (6) Hotels and boarding houses: At present there are two hotels in St. Thomas, the Grand and the American. The Grand Hotel is spacious and well equipped and is considerably patronized by officers and their families as well as by other permanent residents and tran- sients. The American Hotel has recently been reorganized andcon- THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 73 siderably improved and is at the present time well patronized by officers and transients. There is great need in St. Thomas for a modern hotel to accomodate the tourists who would come to this island to enjoy the benefits of its healthful climate and tropical diversions. This need has been recognized by the local chamber of commerce and efforts are being made, at the present time, to interest local and United States capital in the construction of a hotel on one of the many attractive sites in St. Thomas. Although there are no regular hotels in the island of St. Croix, visitors may be accommodated at several boarding houses and private residences provided arrangements are made in advance. The need of a hotel in the island of St. Croix is also evident and it is hoped that the construction of a modern hotel in that island may also eventualize in order that the beautiful island may be enjoyed by the American tourist. (cX Furniture, furnishings, etc.: Those who have wicker furniture will do well to bring it with them if they are coming for an extended Tourist ship Reliance at coal dock, St. Thomas stay. The forwarding of heavy or expensive furniture is not recom- mended. Such pieces of furniture are liable to damage or destruction by tropical insects. Those who prefer heavy furniture can purchase in the islands, generally from residents, some excellent pieces of mahogany furniture. Local merchants do not deal in furniture to any considerable extent, but it is possible to purchase secondhand household equipment of all kinds. Inexpensive but very serviceable and attractive wicker furniture in vogue here is made in Haiti, and supplies of this may be obtained from there, although usually con- siderable delay in delivery may be expected. San Juan, which is quite accessible, offers a fairly good market for the purchase of furni- ture and household equipment, though prices, including freight and delivery charges, preclude economical purchases. Books, pictures, carpets and fine draperies do not stand the Tropics well. They are liable to damage from insects unless they are carefully protected. Woolen clothing should be given careful and frequent attention in the Tropics. Mosquito-proof canopies are universally used for beds. 74 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES The most effective netting is- the fine, hexagonal-mesh variety. This may be procured locally, but it is economical to purchase a sup- ply before leaving the States. Woolen bed covering is unnecessary and only light cotton coverings are required. (d) Clothing: Only summer-weight clothing is worn in the Virgin Islands. Navy and Marine Corps officers on duty with the civil gov- ernment wear civilian clothes except on official military occasions. Mess jackets are used for formal evening wear. Organdies, voiles, linens, pongees, and ginghams are most suitable for women's dresses. Evening dresses of tulle, satin, and georgette are preferable to those of taffetta. Silks deteriorate in the Tropics. Materials for clothing can be secured at the local stores and in the neighboring market of San Juan, Porto Rico. Though no heavy clothing is used here, it is well to bring a small quantity along for use when returning to the States in the winter season. (e) Money: The official money of the islands is that issued by the National Bank of the Danish West Indies. In the treaty of transfer it was provided that this bank's concession from Denmark would be protected until 1934. Hence the anomaly of a foreign currency as legal tender in an American possession. United States currency is acceptable anywhere in the islands as a medium of exchange, but the official unit coin is the franc. The franc's value is stabilized at 19 3^ United States cents or 20 Danish West Indian cents. The United States dollar is worth $1.04 Danish West Indian currency. The common coins in circulation are the 5 bit (1 cent), 10 bit (2 cents), 25 bit (5 cents), 50 bit (10 cents), 1 franc (20 cents) and 2 francs (40 cents). Notes are issued in denominations of 5 francs ($1), 10 francs ($2), 20 francs ($4), and 100 francs ($20). (f) Stores and supplies: In the Virgin Islands the duties usually levied in the United States against foreign imports do not apply. In lieu of this there is a local ad valorem duty of 6 per cent on all foreign imports into the Virgin Islands. This makes many European and other foreign materials and manufactures much cheaper here than in the States. Included in this category are fine French per- fumery and excellent Chinese and Japanese manufactures. Articles of this nature taken into the States are subject to the payment of the usual duty if valued (in total) over $100 and if not owned previously for over a year. Articles of local origin or manufacture containing 80 per cent native materials are not dutiable on entry at ports of the United States. The above rule with reference to foreign goods makes several kinds of cloth, china, pottery and other things very reasonable in the Virgin Islands. On the other hand, articles of United States manufacture are higher in price here than in the States on account of the carriage costs to the Virgin Islands. Persons coming to the islands will do well to anticipate their needs. The stores in the three towns of the islands offer a well-selected stock of general merchandise. Every necessity can be secured locally. There are available, for the service personnel only, the privileges of the naval commissary store and the marine post exchange. The commissary store keeps a stock of groceries, provisions, fresh meats, green goods, candies, toilet articles, and sundries. The post exchange carries, in addition to the usual stock, various European novelties at attractive prices. Local tailors and dressmakers are plentiful. Their charges are reasonable and their workmanship extremely satisfactory. It is usual for the THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 75 ♦customer to furnish materials which can be obtained locally. Opti- cal requirements can be attended to in St. Thomas, but those who require glasses and who are accustomed to patronize one oculist will do well to remember the time required to get shipments from the States and will bring extra eyeglasses. Glasses with tints to exclude strong sunlight are widely used. (g) Servants: There is a plentiful supply of native servants. The usual wage paid for all kinds of household labor is from $6 to $12 a month plus an allowance for board or meals. (h) Electricity: Electrical energy is available in all three towns. In St. Thomas the cost is 25 cents per kilowatt-hour. In St. Croix the cost is 30 cents per kilowatt-hour. The current is 220 volts, direct current. This is at variance with the usual 110-volt circuits of the United States, and electrical appliances constructed for the latter voltage can not be used on this circuit. Proper lighting fixtures, bulbs; etc., can be purchased here, and other appliances, if brought, should be adapted before use. (i) Automotive vehicles: Light cars are best adapted to the roads of St. Thomas and, at present, Fords and Chevrolets predominate, but there is a distinct tendency now for use of the higher priced cars, especially in St. Croix, where the flat terrain and good roads are an incentive to travel by motor. Many of the St. Thomas roads are so steep and rough that they are difficult to negotiate with any type of car, but the roads are being improved from year to year. Within the town limits and to the bathing beaches, country club, and over an increasing amount of the island, there are roads main- tained in good condition, and a private car is very useful and enjoyable, if not a necessity. The island of St. Croix offers a hundred miles or more of good roads passing through very picturesque regions. Spare parts for Dodges, Buicks, Chevrolets, Studebakers, etc., may be obtained in' St. Croix, but, as a rule only Ford parts are available in St. Thomas. Taxicabs may be hired in St. Thomas at fixed rates. At present there are two taxi services in St. Thomas and a number of independent taxicabs. The rate is 15 cents for the first person and 10 cents for each additional person within the city limits. The rate per hour is $3 for the first hour and $2 for each additional hour. In St. Croix two bus services operate between the towns of Chris- tiansted and Frederiksted regularly. For this 15-mile trip a charge of 50 cents per person is made, or 75 cents for the round trip. Stops are made at convenient points. (j) Schools: The public school system is good, offering instruc- tion in all grades up to and including the junior high school. A large majority of the pupils are colored. There are some private schools attended by bothcwhite and colored children. (See Depart- ment of Education, Ch. IV, sec. 5.) (fr) Libraries: There are public libraries in St. Thomas, Chris- tiansted, and Frederiksted, which make available without charge about 15,000 volumes. A private fiction library in St. Thomas is well patronized by the American colony. (I) Hospitals: There is a naval hospital in St. Thomas and munic- ipal hospitals in St. Thomas, Christians ted, and Frederiksted. The staffs of these municipal hospitals consist principally of naval medical officers and naval nurses. There are drug stores in each of the towns well equipped to supply medical and surgical necessities. 76 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES (ra) Amusement and recreation: There are excellent beaches in all the islands on which bathing may be indulged in throughout the entire year. The weather, the crystal clearness of the water, and the beautiful stretches of white coral sand combine to make this probably the most popular recreation in the islands. Fishing, sailing, and motor boating are also popular. Horseback riding is a favorite sport throughout the islands. Good mounts may be had at very reasonable rates. The roads and scenery of St. Croix are especially inviting for automobiling. There is good shooting in both islands and St. Croix offers limited deer hunting. The St. Thomas Tennis Club maintains three excellent courts and a club- house. There is a small tennis club in Christiansted. The St. Thomas Country Club, at Lindbergh Bay, has a fine clubhouse and a good nine-hole golf course. In St. Croix there has been recently organized a golf club. The Deep Sea Fishing Club, with a clubhouse in the island of St John, offers excellent facilities for fishing and week-end parties. The naval band stationed in St. Thomas provides concerts %,;':^JII & 1* *' ■ -V vi ■ *|Bp> ■ to fjfe- v.a ^ ;\$t. ./ 1 -Wr'" ■ * ! «£ -', ' "-""f ^^^|4%i Sal | % ■ Road scene in St. Thomas of unusual merit. It is composed of locally enlisted native musicians. There is an excellent community band in St Thomas, a native band in Frederiksted, and two in Christiansted. There are navy motion pictures in both islands and also motion-picture theatres, operated by private individuals, for the benefit of the public. (n) Holidays: A list of the legal holidays in effect in St. Thomas follows: Every Sunday, January 1 (New Year's Day), February 12 (Lincoln's Birthday), February 22 (Washington's Birthday), March 31 (Transfer Day), Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day), July 4 (Independence Day), July 25 (Supplication Day), the first Monday in September (Labor Day), October 25 (Thanksgiving Day), the last Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day), December 25 (Christmas Day), the day after Christmas Day, the second and fourth Wednesdays, commencing at noon, during the months of May to October, inclu- sive; and such other days as may be designated by the governor. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 77 St. Croix has its own holiday ordinance and the following legal holidays are observed on that island: Every Sunday, January 1 (New Year's Day), February 12 (Lincoln's Birthday), February 22 (Washington's Birthday), March 31 (Transfer Day), Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day), Whit Monday, July 4 (Independence Day), the First Monday in September (Labor Day), the day declared by the President as Thanksgiving Day, December 25 (Christmas Day), December 26 (Second Christmas Day), and such other days as the President or the governor may by proclamation declare to be a holiday shall be legal holidays in St. Croix for all purposes. A bibliography of the Virgin Islands of the United States, formerly the Danish West Indies, is shown in Appendix X, page 91. 78 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Black Beard's Castle, St. Thomas Chapter VII " EDWARD TEACH, ALIAS BLACK BEARD 1. No write-up of the Virgin Islands would be complete without a description of the pirates who frequented their shores during the early part of the eighteenth century. Black Beard's Castle, in St. Thomas, is supposed to have been the haunt of Edward Teach, alias Black Beard, and the following description of this famous pirate, copied in full from The Cradle of the Deep, An Account of a Voyage to the West Indies, written by Sir Frederick Treves, Bart., published in 1920, is exceptionally interesting: Memoirs of Edward Teach, mariner: On the respective summits of two of the hills of Charlotte Amalia (now St. Thomas) there stands a castle. The larger is called Blue Beard's Castle, the smaller Black Beard's. It is claimed that they were the strongholds of pirates distinguished by those names. St. Thomas was certainly a favorite haunt of the buccaneer, and, although the sea rover had little leisure for building castles, he was not above occupying premises erected by others. The two strong places in question are round towers of undoubted antiquity, each with a maximum of wall and a minimum of window. Blue Beard's Castle has the appearance of a fortress or refuge of the block-house type, but the castle of Black Beard is singularly suggestive of a stone windmill deprived of its wooden caps and sails. It would be little short of profanity to hint that this pirate's lair is no more than a discarded mill, for the people of the island, although hazy in their details, are firm in the belief that the tower was the fastness of Black Beard, the corsair. Of Blue Beard nothing whatever is known, nor do even the sellers of postcards suggest that he was in any way connected with the famous autocrat of the nursery tale. Black Beard, however, was a definite character, a pirate of pirates, who in the early part of the eighteenth century was the terror of the Caribbean Sea. I can find no evidence that he ever held the mill-like tower which keeps green his memory in St. Thomas, but it would be rank heresy to suppose that such evidence is not forthcoming. Black Beard's nonprofessional name was Edward Teach. He was a native of Bristol, and a mariner. In the pursuit of his calling he came to Jamaica, where, it may be assumed, he was led astray by evil companions, picked up in the taverns of Port Royal. Anyhow, in 1716 Master Teach took to pirating. It is claimed that when a man adopts a calling he should strive with all his might to excel in it. Edward was evidently influenced by this teaching, and acted upon it, with the result that he attained to the very highest distinction in his profession. Indeed, such were his ability and application that in two short years he rose to the position of the world's greatest pirate. In this anxious and dangerous vocation he is without an equal. The stage pirate with black ringlets and a belt full of knives, who sits on a gunpowder cask and scatters murder aimlessly around him, is a mere babe and suckling to Edward Teach. This highly depraved mariner was no mere cutthroat, however, he was the Napoleon of scoundreldom. There is a portrait of him in Johnson's History of the Pirates. He is here represented as a large man whose repulsive face is almost hidden by a mane-like beard, the hair of which, black as coal, grew up to his very eyes. So long was this beard that he twisted it into small tails tied with ribbons, "after the manner of our Ramilies wiggs," and turned the ends over his ears. Hehad a head like a brindled gnu. Under his hat, which was of felt and of the Dick Turpin pattern, he stuck lighted matches or fuses which, when he was at work, would glow horribly on either side of his eyes. He is depicted in a long-skirted coat with immense cuffs to the sleeves, and in breeches, stock- ings, and shoes. In his hand is a cutlass, while in his belt no less than six pistols are stuck. It is to be noticed that he avoids the open jack boots, the hat feather, and the immense belt buckle of the common stage villain. Teach was an execrable and unholy rascal, who was a shuddering horror to everyone with whom he was associated. He occasionally robbed and murdered his own crew. Once, when in a blithesome mood, he marooned 17 of his men on a desert island. Here they would have starved to death, as he hoped they would, had not Maj. Stede Bonnet, the amateur freebooter of Barbados, come 79 80 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES to their rescue. It was just about this period that Teach married as his four- teenth wife "a young creature of 16." It is not stated how it came about that. she was drawn to Teach, or by what charms he won her budding affection. Black Beard was a man of resource, who could be relied upon to invent means for relieving even the monotony of a dull voyage. Thus one bright afternoon, when the sloop was lying becalmed and rocking to the lazy roll that makes the ocean in the Tropics appear as if it breathed, the pirates found the time pass heavily. They had polished their weapons until they shone like silver. They had gambled until half the company were penniless. They had fought until there was nothing more to fight about, and it was too hot to sleep. Indeed there was nothing to be done but to lean over the rail and throw bits of rotten beef at the sharks. In this dilemma the ready-witted Teach, hatless and shoeless, and "a little flushed with drink/' stumbles upon deck, and, holding on to the shrouds, makes this happy proposal to his bored companions. "Come," says this genial soul, "let us make a little hell of our own, and see how long we can bear it." Whereupon he and two or three others, helped by suggestive kicks, drop down into the hold and, having closed the hatches, sit on the stones of the ballast. Here in the reeking dark they set fire to "several potsfull of brimstone and other inflammable matters," and so produced a replica of the atmosphere of the pit. The captain's playmates, livid with asphyxia and with faces stream- ing from the heat, soon made a rush for the sunny deck, but Teach's ugly head was the last to come up the hatch, and it was always a pride and a pleasure to him to remember that he held out the longest, while he was always gratified to hear that his face, on emerging, was as the face of a half-hanged man. This distinguished pirate had, besides his ready wit, social qualities of quite a rare order. For example, one night he was entertaining in his cabin two friends, Israel Hands, the master of the sloop, and the pilot who had brought the ship into harbor. The entertainment seems to have consisted mainly in the con- sumption of tobacco and rum. The small cabin, lit as it was by a solitary candle, was probably close. During a pause in the conversation Teach, with a smile on his face, cocked two pistols carefully, then, blowing out the candle, he crossed his hands and discharged the weapons at his company. As the outcome of this unexpected attention, Israel was shot through the knee and lamed for life. " The other pistol," the chronicle says, "did no execution." When the candle was relit, the captain's guests very naturally asked him what he meant by this des- play of musketry. He replied by damning them both to eternal fire, and, after cursing them at sufficient length, he explained, in a friendly way, that "if he did not kill one of them now and then they would forget who he was." Probably Hands as he lay on the floor, watching the blood spurt out of his knee, may have muttered that he did not believe in artificial aids to memory. Edward's end was not peace. He and his allies had so harried the American main, that in 1718 the lieutenant governor of Virginia offered a reward of £40 for the capture of any pirate captain, and the special prize of £100 for Edward Teach, alive or dead. Black Beard at the moment was resting from his labors. He had hit upon a green sheltered cove at the mouth of the Ocracoke inlet, a romantic spot that pleased his fancy. His whereabouts was revealed to a certain Lieutenant May- nard, of H. M. S. Pearl, who lost no time in manning a sloop and starting for Teach's quiet haven. Now Teach was informed that Maynard was after him, but the pirate declined to stir. He had no regard for Maynard and, moredver, the placid scenery of the creek comforted him. Indeed he prepared to meet the man-o'-war's-man by drinking all night with a merchant skipper who chanced to have dropped in. As the morning dawned Maynard crept up the inlet, and there to his joy was the pirate craft lying at her anchor, a picture of peace. As the Pearl's sloop approached, Black Beard seized a hatchet and cut his cable, with the result that his vessel, on which was now hoisted a black flag, drifted ashore. This was a nimble move, for the buccaneer saw that the sloop drew too much water to come near him, and Maynard, realizing that fact also, anchored within half-gunshot of his quarry. Neither vessel carried any ordnance. Maynard was determined to get alongside the pirate, so with desperate haste he began to throw his ballast overboard, together with the kedge and every spar and scrap of iron he could spare. More than that, he staved in every water cask until feeling that he had freeboard enough he slipped his anchor, set his mainsail and jib, and bore down upon the stranded sea robber. As he came on Teach, with the fuses glowing under his hat, "hailed him in a rude manner," cursed him and defied him in fact, and standing on the taffrail drank to his speedy damnation in a goblet of liquor. The man-o'-war's-man now THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 81 sent off a boarding party in small boats, which same Teach met with such a volley of small shot that he killed and wounded 29 men, leaving scarcely crew enough to row back to the sloop for shelter. After this incident Teach's ship "fell broad- side to the shore," with her deck all aslant. Maynard sailed slowly nearer with his canvas hanging slack, for the wind was very light. He sent all his men below so that he and the helmsman, who was lying down "snug," were the only people on the silent deck. Teach, surrounded by his sullen and villainous gang, shrieked out the chorus of a sea song as the sloop drew near, and when she had drifted close enough he pelted her deck with grenadoes. At this moment the two vessels touched, whereupon Teach and his crew, with hiedous yells and a great gleam of cutlass blades, leapt upon the sloop's deck, they leapt through the smoke with which the ship was still smothered, and out of the cloud the awful figure of the bucanneer emerged, making for Maynard. At the same time the men hidden in the sloop scrambled up from the hold, and the riot of the fight began. As Teach and Maynard met they both fired at each other point blank. The lieutenant dodged, but the robber was hit in the face, and the blood was soon dripping ffom his beard, the ends of which were, as usual, tucked up over his ears. There was no time to fumble with pistols now. So they fought with cutlasses. Teach, spitting the blood out of his mouth, swore that he would hack Maynard's so\il from his body; but his opponent was too fine an adept with the sword to be easily disposed of! It was a fearful duel; a trial of the robber's immense strength against the officer's deftness. They chased each other about the deck, stumbling across dead bodies, knock- ing down snarling men, who clutched together, were fighting with knives. Ever through the mirk could be seen the buccaneer's grinning teeth and evil eyes; ever above the hubbub and scuffling rose his murderous war cry. Both were wounded, both breathless. At last Maynard, in defending himself from a terrific blow, had his sword blade broken off at the hilt. Now was the pirate's chance. He aimed a slash at May- nard. It fell short and only hacked a few of his fingers off, for as the blow fell one of the sloop's men brought his cutlass down upon the back of the buccaneer's red neck, making a horrible wound which might have been done by an executioner's ax. Teach turned upon him and cut him to the deck. For the moment the current of the fight changed. The decks were very slip- pery from blood. Teach kicked off his shoes so as to get a better hold of the planks. Half a dozen of the sloop's men were against him now. He stood with his back to the bulwarks, a scarcely human figure. Panting horribly, he roared like a maddened bull. His dripping cutlass still kept those he called dogs at bay. He had received 25 wounds, 5 of which were from bullets, Blood was streaming down his hairy chest. Blood clots dangled from his fantastic beard in place of the bows of ribbon. The muscles of his neck having been cut through, his head fell forward hideously, but there was still a defiant smile on his lips. At last he drew a pistol and was cocking it at arm's length, but before the trigger was drawn, and before a man touched him, his beastlike eyelids closed and he fell back on the railing, dead. His few remaining men dropped overboard and the little creek became still once more. Lieutenant Maynard cut off Teach's head (it was already nearly severed at the back) and hung it up on the "boltsprit end" of his sloop. With this strange ornament swinging from the bows, and with 13 pirates safe in the hold, Maynard set sail for Bath Town in North Carolina. Here the 13 were promptly hanged. The only one of Black Beard's men who escaped was Israel Hands, who was ashore at the time, nursing a pistol wound in his knee. 82 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Appendix A Temperature and rainfall The year. January. February March April May June July August September October November December St. Croix (Christ- iansted) Average tempera- ture for 28 years (degrees F.) 79.3 76. ~76. 76. 78. 79. 81. 81. -82. 81. 80.1 79.; 77. i Average rainfall for 28 years (inches) 47.56 2.32 1.93 1.22 2.91 4.49 4.61 3.94 4.49 5.75 6.02 5.71 4.17 St. Thomas Average tempera- ture for 3 years (degrees F.) 81.0 80.2 78.4 78.0 79.5 79.5 80.6 82.9 83.3 83.8 84.0 83.3 81.9 Average rainfall for 10 years (inches) 8.23 2.87 2.24 .75 2.56 1.50 2.99 3.35 2.32 2.99 5.83 6.42 4.41 Appendix B Rainfall (St. Thomas) Fiscal year Inches Fiscal year Inches Fiscal year Inches 1917-18 38.85 42.50 51.77 47.41 1921-22 41.91 33.99 1924-25 51.59 1918-19 .- 1922-23 1925-26 40.98 1919-20 1923-24 ... .. . 41.35 1926-27.. 48.47 1920-21 ! Appendix C Rainfall (St. Croix) Year Inches Year Inches Year Inches 1900 _ 45^ 67 61 45 37 53 56 38 45 52 1910 43 45H 37 39 37^ 65^ 59 39 46 1919 51^4 1901 1911 1920 n 34^ 1902 1912 1921 1922.. .. . 30 1903 1913 26% 1904 1914 1923 i 1924 33 1905 1915 39H 1906 1916 1925 1926 1927.. 52 1907 1917 39 1908.. 1918 ... 48H 1909 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 83 Appendix D Sugar production and exportation statistics Year Acres taxed for cane Rainfall (inches) Total sugar crop (short tons) Total value of crop Total sugar exported (short tons) 1900 16, 298 16, 441 16, 428 15, 820 15, 704 15, 194 15,068 • 13,986 13, 550 14, 007 13, 901 13, 710 13, 397 12, 744 11, 898 12, 474 12, 220 12, 627 12, 718 12, 498 12, 847 11, 854 9,662 9014 9,208 9,585 9,196 9,250 45^ 67 61 45 37 53 56 38 45 52 43 45^ 37 39 37H 65H 59 39 46 51H 34^ 30 26^ 33 39H 52 39 48^ 8,614 15, 111 15, 937 9,419 11,231 4,978 8,541 7,940 4,859 6,444 7,516 7,209 4,831 4,203 3,653 3,037 15, 334 7,725 5,841 9,723 13,329 0) 6,345 1,948 2,385 ' 10,653 6,343 6,860 $395, 543. 00 553, 639. 00 357, 850. 00 712, 057. 00 1,108,524.00 533, 177. 00 809, 836. 00 600, 301. 00 375, 326. 00 500, 734. 00 773, 383. 00 681, 227. 00 372,884.00 308, 903. 00 299, 154. 00 280, 817. 00 1,901,121.00 1, 054, 428. 00 969, 105. 00 1, 429, 244. 00 4, 086, 671. 00 2 1, 791, 549. 65 2 549, 833. 76 2 618, 781. 00 2 191,187.97 2 464, 544. 78 2 942, 281. 97 2 462, 862. 82 8,184 14, 520 14, 624 1901 1902 1903 17,354 11, 665 13, 856 1904 1905 1906 6,281 12, 190 1907 1908.. 5,834 1909 2, 010 1910. ._ 5,505 1911 , 5,332 1912 1. 5,016 1913.. 3,032 6,432 1914 1915 5,293 15,000 6,000 1916 1917 1918 5,400 9,000 1919 1920 . 12,000 4,700 6,275 1921 1922 1923 5,940 1,466 1924 1925 4,763 1926 11, 228 1927 5,166 1 Not available. 2 Total value of crop for these years not available. Figures given represent the value of sugar exported. It will be noted that in some years the amount exported is greater than the amount produced. This is on account of the fact that the fiscal year ends June 30, whereas the sugar crop for one year may not be sold until the next fiscal year; i. e., after June 30. Because of this the figures vary somewhat, in certain years, between the crop produced and the sugar exported. Appendix E Birth rate and death rate, Virgin Islands Year 1910 1911 1912. 1913. 1914. 1915. Birth Death rate rate 32.4 34.7 28.9 36.2 28.3 37.3 29.5 36.7 29.6 36.2 26.1 31.0 Year 1916. 1917 1918. 1919. 1920. 1921. Birth Death rate rate 26.9 29.0 24.6 41.5 26.1 28.4 29.1 20.7 29.9 25.0 27.9 25.4 Year Death rate 1922. 1923. 1924 1925. 1926. 1927. 84 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Appendix F Censuses of Virgin Islands Year St. Thomas St. Croix St. John Males Females Total Males Females Total Males 1,220 1,274 1,184 1,079 814 760 Females Total 1835 5,895 5,181 5,280 5,536 5,091 5,439 8,127 7,595 7,793 8,130 7,469 8,024 14, 022 12, 776 13, 073 13, 666 12, 560 13, 463 14,007 14, 389 12, 019 11,012 10, 678 10, 191 8,826 12, 365 11,713 10, 932 10, 834 10. 229 10, 485 14,316 13,911 13, 133 12, 886 12, 633 12, 709 26, 681 25, 624 24, 065 23, 720 22, 862 23, 194 22, 760 18, 430 19, 783 18, 590 15, 467 14, 901 11,118 1,255 1,281 1,266 1,149 901 814 2,475 1841 2, 555 1846 2,450 1850 2, 228 1855 1, 715 1860 . 1,574 1870 1,054 1880 - 944 1890 4,627 4,339 4,495 4,357 7,392 6,673 6,183 5,834 9, 535 9.258 7,563 7, 133 10, 248 9,332 7,904 7,768 517 445 450 509 467 480 491 450 984 1901 1911 925 941 1917 959 19271 .-- 784 ! Total, Virgin Islands Year Males Females Total 43, 178 40, 955 39,588 39, 614 37, 137 38,231 37, 821 Year Males Females Total 1835 . 19, 480 18, 168 17,396 17,449 16, 134 16,684 17,284 23,698 22, 787 22, 192 22, 165 21,003 21,547 20,537 1880 14, 889 14, 679 14, 042 12,508 11,999 18, 874 18, 107 16, 485 14, 578 14, 052 33,763 1841.. 1846 . 1890 1901 32, 786 30, 527 1850 1911 27, 086 1855 . .. . 1917 26, 051 1860 1927 i .. 20, 728 1870 1 The figures for the year 1927 represent the result of an informal house-to-house enumeration of the inhab- itants of the Virgin Islands. Appendix G Bay rum Fiscal year Gallons sold and exported Fiscal year Gallons sold and exported Fiscal year Gallons sold and exported 1909-10 15, 866 19, 975 8,068 13, 650 15, 399 14, 107 1915-16 32, 839 47, 208 28,719 52, 519 89, 105 79, 415 1921-22 73, 859 1910-11 1916-17 1922-23 65, 524 1911-12 1917-18.. 1923-24 74, 574 1912-13. 1918-19.. 1924-25.. __„ 1925-26 79, 730 1913-14 1919-20. . 85, 148 1914-15. 1920-21 1926-27 74, 277 Appendix H Cattle exported from the Virgin Islands Year St. Thomas St. Croix Total Number Value Number Value Number Value 1920 75 77 263 953 486 205 673 746 $2, 010 4,821 5,941 20, 381 10,411 10,995 27,823 11,211 1,298 440 1,302 1,166 868 341 1,099 1,263 $66, 847 17, 586 73, 529 72, 743 32, 029 19, 986 44, 539 53,006 1,373 517 1,565 2,119 1,354 546 1,772 2,009 $68, 857 1921 22, 407 1922 79. 470 1923 93, 124 1924 42, 440 1925 30, 981 1926 72, 362 1927 64, 217 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 85 Appendix I Acreage of all lands in St. Croix Years Cane acreage Cotton acreage Pasture acreage Useless land acreage Total 1909 1910 14,007 13, 901 13, 710 13, 398 12, 744 11,898 12, 474 12, 220 12, 627 12, 718 12, 498 12, 847 11,854 9,662 9,014 9,208 9,586 9,196 9,250 1,421 1,705 1,662 1,999 2,147 1,439 408 55 62 182 177 450 14 31, 255 31,098 31, 362 31,351 31, 867 33,423 33, 878 34,484 34, 072 33, 973 34, 269 33, 648 35, 052 37, 258 37, 737 37, 687 37, 401 37, 789 37, 737 4,744 4,724 4,693 4,679 4,669 4,667 4,667 4,668 4,666 4,554 4,483 4,483 4,508 4,508 4,508 4,447 4,447 4,447 4,447 51, 427 51,428 1911 51, 427 1912 51, 427 1913. . . . 51,427 1914 51, 427 1915 - 51,427 1916 51,427 1917 . 51, 427 1918 -- 51, 427 1919 51,427 1920 51, 428 1921 . -, 51,428 1922... 51,428 1923 . 169 100 2 27 25 51,428 1924. 51, 442 1925 51, 436 1926 51, 459 1927 51, 459 Note.— 1927 figures are estimated. Appendix J Sugar exported from St. Croix Fiscal years Frederiksted Christian- sted Total United States tons (short) Export duty (gross) 1917-18 Pounds 14, 913, 285 11, 947, 926 16, 512, 087 6, 126, 700 12, 389, 080 9, 227, 420 2, 538, 120 8, 436, 983 16, 824, 293 8, 830, 500 Pounds 4, 266, 187 3, 609, 250 4, 588, 227 3, 662, 360 160, 760 2, 740, 260 393, 760 1, 088, 500 5, 631, 750 1, 502, 250 Pounds 19, 179, 472 15, 557, 176 21, 100, 314 9, 789, 060 12,549,840 11,967,680 2, 931, 880 9, 525, 483 22, 456, 043 10, 332, 750 9, 589. 74 7, 778. 59 10, 500. 16 4, 894. 53 6, 274. 92 5, 983. 84 1, 465. 94 4, 762. 74 11, 228. 02 5, 166. 37 $76, 717. 92 1918-19 62, 228. 72 1919-20 84, 001. 28 1920-21 39, 156. 24 1921-22 50, 199. 36 1922-23 47, 870. 72 1923-24 11, 727. 52 1924-25 38, 101. 92 1925-26 89, 824. 16 1926-27 37, 301. 19 86 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Appendix K Types of fish caught in Virgin Island waters (according to local terminology) OCEAN OR DEEP SEA FISH THAT ARE FOUND ON THE SURFACE Ocean gar. King fish. Barracuda. Dolphin. Bone fish. Chub. Grunt. Ballahou. Cutlass gar. Spanish mackerel. Abrecca. . Salmon. Bars or bass. Sanite. Snooks. Grass fish. NET OR SEINING FISH Karang. Hard nose. Sand cuvalley. Black jack. Alewives. Schuballys. Sprat. Pinchers. Frys. Yellow tail. Sweet fry. Laggerhead fry. Queen mullet. Anchovey. Norse eyed. Green back. Leather coat. Herrings. Mulatto cuvalley. High head cuvalley. Ballahou. Cobbler cuvalley. Bonito. Amber cuvalley. Spark head fry. Nay cuvalley. Jacks. Mullet FISH CAUGHT IN POTS Dog teeth snapper. Doctor fish. Mutton grouper. Angel fish. Gremanic grouper. Pig fish. Yellow hinds. Redman fish. Yellow grunt. Wipsters. Margate. Yellow tail. White margate. Flat blare eyed. Sheephead shellfish. Suck fish. Red guttu. Plate fish. Mackaw guttu. Whitening fish. Sling parrot guttu. Guinea bird shellfish. Black doctor fish. Rock fish grouper. Bastard angel fish. Rock hinds. Goat fish. White grunt. Tacks-tacks. Ivory grunt. Gold lace fish. Spanish hog fish. Red blare eyed. Nugent porge. Cat fish. Roundhead shellfish. Sting ray. Rainbow guttu. Jew fish. White guttu. Hairy gut shellfish. Sago guttu. Spanish hog fish. Blue doctor fish. Mange snapper. Swede angel fish. Pet snapper. Shoemaker old wife. Burnt tail snapper. Wenchman fish. Red snapper. Red silk fish. Hog fish. Bon kanaps. Red mouth margate. Round robbins. Honey shellfish. Sun fish. Bastard hog fish. Silver fish. Blue guttu. Butter fish. Black knight guttu. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Appendix L 87 Number of deaths and death rates from all causes (exclusive of stillbirths) per 1 ftOO population in the Virgin Islands and each island Virgin Islands St. Croix St. Thomas St. John Calendar year Num- ber of deaths Death rate Num- ber of deaths Death rate Num- ber of deaths Death rate Num- ber of deaths Death rate Annual average: 1911-1917 940 744 540 652 661 658 651 639 601 501 499 594 35.4 28.4. • 20.7 25 25.4 25.3 25 24.5 23.1 19.2 19.1 22.8 581.6 477 352 459 422 418 425.6 387 361 270 303 354 38.3 32 23.6 30.8 28.3 28.1 28.6 26 24.2 18.1 20.3 23.8 338.7 248 176 185 220 223 210.4 240 221 224 186 236 32.5 24.3 17.3 18.2 21.6 21.9 20.7 23.6 21.7 22 18.3 23.2 18.7 19 12 8 19 17 15 12 19 7 10 4 19.7 1918 19.8 1919 12.5 1920 8.3 1921 19.8 1922 ,. 1918-1922. _>_ 17.7 15.6 1923 12,5 1924. 19.8 1925 7.3 1926 10.4 1927.. 4.2 Appendix M School attendance in the Virgin Islands Of Fiscal year l,Thomas St. John St. Croix Total | i Fiscal year St. Thomas St. John St. Croix Total 1917-18... J 2,136 253 201 207 2,502 2,044 2,024 4,891 ! 4,062 : 4, 149 ! 1924-25 1,371 1,423 1,400 190 182 196 1,454 1,459 1,487 3,015 3,064 3,083 1922-23.. ! 1,817 1925-26 1923-24 1,918 1926-27 i Appendix N Department of education budgets [In Danish West Indian dollarsl Year Salaries Equipment Mainte- nance Total 1910-11.... : . . 18, 100. 00 16,637.00 17, 756. 00 17, 109. 60 17 379 20 1911-12. _■ ... 1912-13 1913-14 1914-15 1915-16 17, 161. 20 16,932.00 19, 606. 00 53, 967. 00 63,000.00 73, 540. 00 102, 490. 00 94, 660. 00 104, 282. 00 93,650.37 90,160.83 83, 718. 36 1916-17 1917-18 1918-19 39, 600. 00 43, 040. 00 48, 620. 00 77, 750. 00 77, 180. 00 82, 192. 00 77, 259. 33 71, 727. 03 71, 862. 40 2, 025. 00 8, 960. 00 12, 620. 00 13, 000. 00 1, 250. 00 800.00 927. 72 3,441.00 634.82 12, 342. 00 11,000.00 12, 300. 00 11,740.00 16, 230. 00 21, 290. 00 15, 463. 32 14, 992. 80 . 11, 221. 14 1919-20.. ... 1920-21 .... 1921-22 . .. 1922-23 1923-24 1924-25 1925-26 1926-27.. 1862—28- 88 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Appendix O Bunker-coal imports ST. THOMAS Year Tons Value * Year Tons Value 1918 21, 579 15,346 42, 531 23, 720 16, 166 $133, 037 105, 162 402, 973 131, 897 84,873 1923. _. 40, 970 61, 325 44, 019 85, 181 98,811 $279, 872 1919 1924 1925 1926 295, 441 1920 199, 140 1921_ . 511,390 1922 1927 625, 285 Fuel-oil imports ST. THOMAS Year Gallons Value Year Gallons Value 1918 17, 534 7, 076, 932 26, 335, 910 6, 525, 440 5, 726, 729 $2, 182 208,647 1, 008, 644 400, 225 256, 790 1923. 4, 700, 000 2, 051, 374 $84, 600 1919 1924 149, 993 1920 . 1925 1921 1926 1927 6, 933, 327 10, 574, 441 211,571 1922__ 465, 938 Appendix P Table of ships entering the harbor of Si. Thomas, Virgin Islands (only those paying pilotage), during the fiscal years 1909 to 1927, inclusive Fiscal year Number of ships Pilotage paid Fiscal year Number of ships Pilotage paid 1909 409 443 524 455 577 261 268 299 226 303 $6, 652. 20 7, 404. 80 8, 830. 20 7,580.80 6, 313. 20 4, 087. 90 4, 276. 70 4, 638. 80 4, 021. 50 7, 820. 91 1919 438 590 281 175 302 351 297 299 309 $14, 804. 38 1910 1920 20, 343. 24 1911 1921 11,295.25 1912 1922 5, 718. 60 1913 1923 9, 895. 45 1914 _ 1924 11,695.00 1915 1925 9, 639. 75 1916 1926 10, 008. 00 1917 1927 9, 703. 00 1918 Appendix Q Arrivals of ocean-going ships, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands of the United States Warships American mer- chant ships Foreign mer- chant ships Total Fiscal year Num- ber Tonnage Num- ber Tonnage Num- ber Tonnage Num- ber Tonnage 1920 32 27 63 41 85 30 22 18 108, 350 112,819 184,633 199, 397 273, 460 84,192 64,858 47,942 297 412 159 210 188 171 149 159 1, 171, 465 1, 783, 698 467,037 608, 548 553, 641 480,581 388, 740 453, 329 147 170 162 198 276 227 261 252 407, 599 514,296 516, 271 665, 075 986, 926 907, 469 1, 203, 615 1, 209, 892 476 609 384 449 549 428 432 429 1, 687, 414 1921 2, 410, 813 1922 1, 167, 941 1923 - 1, 473, 020 1924 - --. 1, 814, 027 1925 1, 472, 242 1926 1, 657, 213 1927 1, 711, 163 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Appendix R 89 Trade of the Danish West Indies and the United States Virgin Islands with the United States Imports Total trade with United States Fiscal year ending June 2 1900 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1918 (July-December) . Calendar year: 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 $568, 935 478, 262 394, 948 734, 020 422, 307 400, 994 366, 361 440, 855 592, 292 221, 457 405, 926 135,117 489, 689 48,031 29,374 350, 822 63, 496 , 259, 607 , 542, 222 302, 085 , 593, 120 1, 540, 386 734, 674 734, 476 657, 501 394,000 ,062,534 745, 301 $624, 524 692, 150 704, 259 646, 206 649, 960 699, 569 726, 810 777, 577 727, 193 693, 681 749, 174 810, 537 924, 700 894,087 890, 966 703, 354 850, 377 1, 438, 904 1, 807, 344 817, 942 1,804,117 3, 993, 478 2, 622, 396 1, 647, 353 1,617,625 1,668,000 1,661,417 2, 034, 083 $1, 193, 459 1,170,412 1, 099, 207 1, 380, 226 1,072,267 1, 100, 563 1,093,171 1, 218, 432 1, 319, 485 915, 138 1, 155, 100 945, 654 1, 414, 389 942, 118 920, 340 1,054,176 913, 873 2,698,511 3, 349, 566 1, 120, 027 3, 397, 237 8, 533, 864 3, 357, 070 2, 381, 829 2, 275, 126 2,062,000 2, 723, 951 2, 779, 384 Appendix S Imports and exports of the Danish West Indies and the Virgin Islands of the United States Imports Exports Fiscal year St. Thomas- St. John St. Croix Total St. Thomas- St. John St. Croix Total 1900 $733, 000 832,000 726,000 772,000 983,000 907,000 834,000 774,000 1, 083, 510 872, 387 909,883 1, 104, 153 955, 350 976, 387 980, 440 762, 350 707, 345 $931, 000 814,000 742,000 652,000 684,000 886,000 781,000 699,000 796, 413 638, 811 386, 891 620,688 727,803 671, 061 721,663 556, 419 515, 264 $1, 664, 000 1, 646, 000 1, 468, 000 1, 424, 000 1, 667, 000 1, 793, 000 1, 615, 000 1, 473, 000 1, 879, 923 1,511,198 1, 296, 774 1, 724, 841 1, 683, 153 1, 647, 448 1, 702, 103 1, 318, 769 1, 222, 609 1, 892, 429 2, 276, 512 2, 923, 660 4, 529, 685 2, 277, 662 1, 670, 529 2, 070, 358 1, 887, 462 2, 531, 404 $629,000 446,000 495,000 507,000 365,000 488,000 212,000 394,000 430, 415 256, 239 469, 908 543, 488 584,983 282, 164 331, 188 378, 859 260, 045 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 _.. 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1918 $1, 249, 346 1, 919, 525 3, 293, 131 2, 275, 264 870, 405 888,896 1919 1920.-- 1, 662, 296 2, 851, 078 1, 406, 366 1, 093, 912 1, 465, 013 1, 166, 633 1, 717, 520 1, 261, 364 1, 678, 607 871, 296 576, 617 605, 345 720,829 813,884 $346, 705 264,099 203,695 155, 234 155, 310 157, 557 86,520 2,946,426 2,011,165 666, 710 733,662 244,842 532, 134 1, 033, 186 1921 1922 . 1923___ 1924 _ 400,152 689, 691 1925 1926 1,119,706 90 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Appendix T Domestic and international money orders issued by post offices of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas St. Croix Year Domestic Interna- tional Christiansted Frederiksted King's Hill, do- mestic Total Domestic Interna- tional Domestic Interna- tional 1921 $285, 951. 12 286, 039. 90 257, 623. 10 318, 231. 75 292, 333. 00 308, 061. 88 330, 090. 74 $3, 617. 20 1,588.66 2, 672. 11 3, 058. 63 1, 748. 97 2, 798. 74 2, 690. 39 $90, 631. 59 83, 660. 49 65, 628, 80 71, 897. 10 77, 045. 93 77, 741. 35 79, 776. 04 $8, 933. 01 3, 969. 89 1, 656. 69 1, 126. 36 2,404.60 1, 545, 47 819. 11 $74, 589. 20 44, 955. 41 36, 189. 54 49, 626. 21 48, 125. 72 46,173.85 43, 962. 94 $3, 523. 36 3, 101. 33 3, 371. 14 3, 936. 71 2, 150. 88 2, 988. 72 1, 500. 03 $467, 245. 48 1922 423, 315. 68 1923__ 1924 1925 1926 1927 i $493. 93 6, 225. 64 14, 119. 93 11, 736. 20 10, 933. 04 367, 635. 31 454, 102. 40 437, 929. 03 451, 046. 21 469, 772. 29 1 November and December, 1923. • Domestic and international money orders paid by post offices of the Virgin Islands . St. Thomas St. Croix i Year Domestic Interna- tional Christiansted Frederiksted Tr. , Total King's Domestic Interna- tional Domestic Interna- tional Hill, do- mestic 1921 $35, 235. 53 40, 954. 94 54, 090. 93 57, 871. 86 60, 879. 55 63, 948. 04 68, 698. 69 $1, 227. 36 70.79 113.68 165. 23 213. 17 435.86 513. 01 $17, 084. 38 15, 831. 97 22, 695. 64 23, 327. 40 27, 643. 69 29, 426. 69 33, 864. 74 $136. 27 81.48 84.02 44.72 31.94 139.23 256. 90 $11,772.10 17, 787. 31 20. 740. 52 15, 537. 84 15, 488. 52 27, 737. 81 23, 716. 23 $202. 93 159. 03 277. 49 468. 20 184. 80 312. 27 273. 64 '_ . $65,658.57 1922 74,885.52 1923 98,002.28 1924 $273. 39 97, 688. 64 1925 717.21 ' 105,158.88 1926 860.90 | 122,860.80 946.72 ; 128,269.93 1927 Appendix U Savings deposits in the National Bank of the Danish West Indies at St. Thomas, Christiansted. and Frederiksted Calendar years 1909. 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913. 1914. 1915. 1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. 1921. 1922. 1923. 1924. 1925. 1926. 1927. St. Thomas $115, 646. 78 126,924.09 144, 319. 89 165,343.22 180,490.02 198, 002. 43 196,371.80 224,415.46 226, 895. 87 276,119.24 319, 573. 14 380,284.58 364, 567. 55 330, 215. 18 352, 028. 47 375, 806. 02 377, 743. 52 . 406, 936. 24 409, 252. 72 Christian- sted Frederik- sted Total Number of accounts $32,838.89 1 $28,789.94 $177, 275. 61 ^ 30,321.32 25, 013. 03 182, 258. 44 33, 544. 88 30, 170. 75 208, 035. 52 37, 770. 32 30, 656. 16 233, 769. 70 3,273 39,482.02 36,412.04 256,384.08 3,508 44, 522. 83 34, 526. 25 277, 051. 51 3,757 50, 819. 44 55, 961. 30 303, 152. 54 3,873 56,931.33 76,420.57 357, 767. 36 4,001 79, 210. 32 76, 055. 94 382, 162. 13 4,182 77,475.67 78,456.27 432, 051. 18 4,333 103, 372. 40 119, 679. 99 542, 625. 53 5,236 238, 764. 89 188,691.80 807, 741. 27 6,468 190, 935. 95 180, 464. 21 735,967.71 6,602 174, 240. 46 167,460.62 671,916.26 6,907 192, 235. 65 145, 528. 41 689, 792. 53 6,962 210, 884. 94 159,607.53 746,298.49 7,290 176, 855. 23 182,814.57 737,413.32 7,680 198,681.67 176,342.44 781,960.35 8,167 190, 549. 75 199, 944. 35 799, 746. 82 8,434 Note.— In addition to the above, which represent "savings deposits" only, it is noted that the national bank carries two other forms of deposits i. e., "checking accounts" and "time deposits." In these two accounts, the following funds were on deposit at the end of the year 1927: Checking accounts $232,550.71 Time deposits 379,278.83 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OP THE UNITED STATES 91 Appendix V Statement of depositors' balances in the new St. Croix Savings Bank on the last day of each fiscal year from 1901 to 1927 Fiscal year Balance Fiscal year Balance Fisca 1 year Balance 1901. $63, 388. 38 60, 905. 69 65, 541. 73 74, 725. 10 97, 475. 42 0) 75, 035. 75 64, 812. 89 50, 118. 01 1910 _ $47, 189. 62 47, 399. 49 51, 070. 33 53, 164. 70 59, 885. 83 59, 480. 88 63,344.11 69,231.36 70, 535. 77 1919 $69, 470. 25 1902 1911 1920. 77, 064. 40 1903... 1912 1921 96, 120. 85 1904 _ _... 1913 1922.. 88, 436. 45 1905 1914 1923 76, 012. 28 1906 1915 1924 68, 639. 73 1907... 1916 1925 53, 355. 64 1908 _ --. 1917 1926 64, 785. 22 1909 1918 1927 64, 843. 75 i Mining. Appendix W Savings deposits in the St. Thomas Savings Bank Calendar year Amount Number of accounts Calendar year Amount Number of accounts 1909. $36, 597. 10 33, 928. 26 36, 247. 41 36, 828. 10 38, 387. 51 40,956.93 40,345.98 44,144.96 46, 444. 25 52, 751. 09 728 692 720 721 618 796 763 721 727 745 1919 $65, 163. 23 65, 919. 34 61, 428. 01 63, 572. 70 62, 036. 30 54, 680. 31 66, 613, 88 66, 809. 59 67, 667. 23 823 1910 1920--. 857 1911._ 1921 ._ : 939 1912. 1922 981 1913 1923 974 1914 1924 1,002 1915. __ 1925 _ 1,062 1916 1926 1,101 1917 1927 1,142 1918-. Appendix X A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES FORMERLY THE DANISH WEST INDIES A. General Works on Danish History 1. Friderica, Holm, Steenstrtjp, and others. Danmarks Riges Historie. Copenhagen. 1897-1907, 6 volumes and index. "This cooperative history of Denmark is an authoritative summary by modern Danish scholars, each of whom is a specialist in his particular field. Volume IV (1588-1699) is by Prof. J. A. Fridericia and Volume V by Prof. Edvard Holm. The latter has paid considerable attention to the East and West India companies and has not hesitated to make use of their records in his study." — Dr. Waldemar Westergaard. 2. Holm, Edvard. Danmark-Norges Indre Historie under Enevolden, fra 1660 til 1720. Copenhagen, 1885, 2 volumes. "All of Professor Holm's work is based on a careful study of first-hand material. His treatment of economic problems is especially thorough." — W. W. 3. Same author. Den Danske Norske Stats Historie fra 1720 til 1814. Copenhagen. B. General Works on the West Indies i. in english 1. Aspinall, Algernon. Guide to the West Indies. Chicago and New York, 1914. Rand McNally & Co. 2. Edwards, Bryan. The History, Civil and Commercial, of the British Colonies in the West Indies. London, 1793. 2 vol. 92 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 3. Fiske, Amos Kidder. "The West Indies" in the Story of the Nations Series. New York, 1902. Putnams. 4. Froude, James Anthony. The English in the West Indies. New York, 1908. 550 p. 5. Johnston, Sir Harry. The Negro in the New World. New York, 1910. 430 p. 6. Haring, Clarence Henry. The Buccaneers in the West Indies in the XVII Century. New York, 1910. 298 p. 7. Keller, Albert Galloway. Colonization. New York, 1908. 499 pages. Ginn & Co. "Although based mainly on secondary works, this is the most recent and reliable summary in English on the Danish islands (pp. 497-508.) The book is provided with a bibliography. " — W. W. 8. Rodway, James. The West Indies and the Spanish Main. London and New York, 1896. 371 p. 9. Trollope, Anthony. The West Indies and the Spanish Main. London. ii. in french 10. Bonnassieux, Jean Louis Pierre Marie. Les grandes compagnies de commerce. Paris, 1892. 562 p. 11. Dessalles, Adrian. Histoire generate des Antilles. Paris, 1847. 3 vol. 12. Ledru, Andre Pierre. Voyage aux ties de Teneriffe, la Trinite, Saint-Thomas, Sainte Croix et Porto Rico, execute" par ordre du gouvernement francais depuis le 30 septembre, 1796, jusqu'au 7 juin, 1798, contenant des observa- tions, etc. Paris, 1810. Folded map. "Pages 160-188 of the German translation of 1812 contains a description of the Danish West Indies." — W. W. III. IN GERMAN 13. Schutz-Holxhausen, Damian und Springer, R. Cuba und die ubrigen Inseln Westindiens. 14. Scherzer, Karl von. Die Westindischen Inseln St. Thomas, Haiti, Porto Rico und Cuba. Vol. II. pp. 467-495. C. Virgin Islands of United States — General Description I. IN ENGLISH 1. De Booy, Theodore and Farris, John T. The Virgin Islands of the United States. New York, 1918. 2. Parton, James. The Danish Islands. 3. Smith, James. The Winter of 1840 in St. Croix with an Excursion to Tortola and St. Thomas. 4. Zabriskie, L. The Virgin Islands of the United States. New York, 1917. Putnams. The author spent some time in St. Thomas as American vice consul. II. IN DANISH 5. B0GGILD, B0RGESEN, MORTESSEN, AND OTHERS. De Danske Atlanterhavs0er, Part IV. Dansk Vestindien: Naturforhold, Befolkning, Hjaelpekilder og Naeringsveje. Copenhagen, 1908. 300 p. Maps. A copiously illustrated, collaborative work, with brief resumes of early history and excellent articles on the resources, climate, flora and fauna, agricultural and commercial possibilities, social life, etc. Special attention has been given to the commercial and economic development. Lists of authorities are appended to many of the articles. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 93 6. B0RGESEN, F., AND ULDALL, F. P. Vore Vestindiske J3er. Copenhagen, 1900. 55 p. 7. West, Hans. Bidrag til Beskrivelse over Sainte Croix, med en kort Udsigt over St. Thomas, St. Jean, Tortola, Spanishtown og Crabeneiland. Copen- hagen, 1793. 363 p. "An enlarged edition appeared in a German translation in 1794."— W. W. III. IN FRENCH 8. Catteau-Calleville, J. R. G. Tableau des Etats Danois, considered sous le rapport du mecanisme social. Paris, }802. 3 vol. D. Virgin Islands of United States — Historical I. IN ENGLISH 1. Knox, John P. A Historical Account of St. Thomas, West Indies * * * and Inci- dental Notices of St. Croix and St. Johns. New York, 1852. 271 p. Scribners. "This book has long been practically the only available book in English. The first part of it is really a faulty translation of H0st's work (q. v), the last a loose compilation. The author was a minister in St. Thomas." — W. W. 2. Taylor, Charles Edw~in. Leaflets from the Danish West Indies descriptive of the social, political, and commercial condition of the islands. London, 1888. 228 p. " One of the few writers who has made use of archival material for the early history of St. Thomas. The author was a physician and book- dealer in St. Thomas and had access to the company's archives before their removal to Copenhagen." — W. W. 3. Westergaard, Waldemar. The Danish West Indies under Company Rule (1671-1754) with a Sup- plementary Chapter (1755-1917). Introduction by Prof. H. Morse Stephens. New York, 1917. Macmillan. Maps and illustrations. "The most thorough study yet made of the early period of the history of the Danish West Indies. The author is an American scholar of Danish descent and fills the chair of assistant professor of history at Pomona College. The work is based on a careful study of the docu- ments in the Bancroft Collection at Berkeley, Calif., consisting of orders issued by the first governors, official correspondence, etc., checked up and supplemented by researches in the state, municipal, and university archives at Copenhagen, where the author spent a whole year collecting materials for his history. Two other volumes were promised which should bring the narrative up to our time, but these have not yet appeared." — F. McF. 4. Woodson, Carter G. (Editor.) The Journal of Negro History. Volume II. Nos. 3 and 4. Washington, July and October, 1917. "The July number contains a brief sketch of the Danish West Indies with interesting extracts from documents relating to the islands. The October number contains the petition addressed by the planters to the Danish Government asking for com- pensation for the loss suffered by them consequent to the emancipa- tion of the slaves in the Danish West Indies." — F. McF. 5. Tooke, C. W. "The Danish Colonial Fiscal System in the West Indies." Economic Associations Report for 1900. ii. in danish 6. Haagensen, Richard. Beskrivelse over Eylandet St. Croix i Vestindien i Amerika. Copenhagen, 1758. 72 p. "Probably the earliest printed book describing St. Croix. The University and Royal libraries in Copenhagen each have MS. as well as printed copies." — W. W. 94 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 7. H0st, Georg Hersing. Efterretninger om den Sanct Thomas og dens Gouverneurer, optegnede der paa Landet fra 1769 indtil 1776. Copenhagen, 1791, 203 p. " This is the first attempt at a chronological history of the Danish West Indies. The author had access to the company's archives and used some of the documents for his book. From 1769 to 1776 he lived in the islands, first as a member of the privy council of St. Thomas and St. John, and later, on the death of his father-in-law, Gov. Jens Kragh, as governor ad interim for a few months. During 1760-1767 he had served as an employee in the Danish factory in Morocco, and on his return he became a secretary in the department for foreign affairs under Guldberg. He died in 1794."— W. W. 8. Paludan. Capt. C. F. " Blade af de dansk-vestindiske 0ers Historie " * in " Museum." Copen- hagen, 1894. 341-366. "An account of the St. John slave insurrec- tion, illustrated by unpublished documents from the St. Thomas archives, copied before their removal to Copenhagen." — W. W. 9. Petersen, Bernhardt von. En historisk Beretning om de dansk-vestindiske (Z)er, St. Croix, St. Thomas og St. Jan. Copenhagen, 1855. "Mainly a translation of Knox's work, checked up by some reference to H0st." — W. W. It contains supplementary information concerning the insurrection of 1848 and the subsequent labor legislation. 10. Werfel, Johannes. Efterretning om de dansk-vestindiske £)er, St. Croix, St. Thomas og St. Jan. Copenhagen, 1801. 11. West, Hans. Beretning om det dansk Eiland St. Croix i Vestindien, fra Junimaaned 1789 til Junimaaneds Udgang 1790" in Maanedskriftet Iris for Juli 1791. Copenhagen. Pp. 1-88. "An article on plantation economy in the Danish islands, based on a brief stay there as rector of a school. This article was expanded into the book Berskrivelse over St. Croix * * *» w. III. IN FRENCH 12. Du Tertre, Le R. P. Jean Baptiste. Historie gen&ale des Antilles habitues par les Francais. Paris, 1667- 1671. Four volumes in three. "Contains a map of St. Croix under the French (1671); a valuable work for the history of the Danish Islands previous to Danish occupation." — W. W. 13. Labat, Jean Baptiste. "Nouveau voyage aux iles de TAm^rique. A la Haye, 1724. 2 vol. "The author was a cheerful, if not very accurate, Jesuit priest who visited St. Croix after its abandonment by the French in 1695 or 1696, and St. Thomas in 1700. He gives a lively description of the Dan- ish and Brandenburg factories." — W. W. iv. in german 14. Schuck, Richard. ^ Brandenburg-Preussens Kolonial-Politik * * * (1647-1721). Leip- zig, 1889. 2 vol. "A minute exposition of the colonial policy of the Great Elector and his immediate successors, based on an extensive study of the archival materials in Berlin, Emden, and Aurich." — W. W. 15. Rohr, Juluis Philip Ben.amin von. Anmerkungen iiber den Cattunbau. Mit einer Vorrede von P. G. Hensler. Altona und Leipzig, 1791-1973. 2 parts. Part 1: Zum Nutzen der Danischen Westindischen Colonien auf Allerhochsten Koniglichen Befehl geschrieben. E. Virgin Islands of United States — Church History i. in english 1. Hutton, ( — ) History of the Moravian Missions. London.. 2. Lohse, Emil Valdemar. The Lutheran Church in the West Indies. St. Croix, 1887. 6 p. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 95 II. IN DANISH 3. HOFFMBYER. HeNRIK. Vor Kirke i Vestindien. Copenhagen, 1905. 4. Koch, Hans Ludvig S. P. "Den danske Mission i Vestindien" in Kirkehistoriske Samlinger, series 5, vol. 3, 144-181. Copenhagen, 1905. "An account of those missionary efforts begun by the government in 1755." — W. W. 5. Lawaetz, H. Br0dremenighedens Mission i Dansk Vestindein 1769-1848. Copen- hagen, 1902. 256 pp. "An interesting account of the Moravian mission in the Danish West Indies based on a study of materials in the archives at Herrnhut, Saxony, and Christiansted, St. Croix. The work won for its author the degree of Licentiate of Theology from the University of Copenhagen." — F. McF. "The main account is prefaced by a good summary of the early Moravian missionary efforts in the Danish West Indies." — W. W. 6. Lohse, Emil Valdemar. "Folkekirken paa St. Thomas" in Kalkars Theologisk Tidsskrift. 265-297. Copenhagen, 1878. 7. Same author. "Kort Udsigt over den danske lutherske Missions Historie paa St. Croix, St. Thomas og St. Jan" in Nordisk Missions Tidsskrift, I., 1-37. "This account, 'according to Pastor L. Koch,' is the most authoritative one dealing with the history of Danish missions in the West Indies. 8. R0RDAM, HOLGER FREDERIK. "Kirkelige Forhold paa St. Croix i 1741 og danske Prsester paa de vestindiske 0er i Midten af det 18de Aarhundrede" in Kirkehistoriske Samlinger, series 4, Vol. II., 55-100. Copenhagen, 1891. "This arti- cle includes an interesting letter from the Lutheran minister H. J. O. Stoud to President C. A. von Plessen of the West India & Guinea Co., dated January 11, 1741, and biographical sketches of the Danish Lutheran ministers on St. Croix, 1735-1769, and of the ministers on St. Thomas and St. John, 1732-1765."— W. W. III. IN GERMAN 9. Dewitz, A. VON. In Danisch Westindien. Anfange der Briidermission in St. Thomas, St. Croix, und St. Jan von 1732-1760. Herrnhut, 1899. 322 pages. "This work begins with the departure from Germany and the arrival in the island of St. Thomas of the first two Moravian missionaries, Dober and Nitchmann. It gives a detailed description of the planting of the mission in the newly acquired island of St. Croix. It has been trans- lated into Danish by the Danish Lutheran minister, Pastor J. Bache- vold. Rev. H. Lawaetz says it is a far more readable account of the early days of the Moravian mission in the Danish Islands than the more voluminous work by Oldendorp." — F. McF. 10. Same author. In Danisch Westindien. Hundert und funfzig Jahre der Briidermission in St. Thomas, St. Croix, und St. John. Niesky, 1884. 374 p. 11. Oldendorp, Christian Georg Andreas. Geschichte der Mission der evangelischen Briider auf der carabaischen InselnSt. Thomas, St. Croix und St. Jan, Barby, 1777. 2 vol. "Still the most accurate and comprehensive account of the early history of the Moravian brethren in the Danish Islands." — W. W. " Parts of it have been translated into Danish." — F. McF. F. Virgin Islands of United States — Slave Trade I. IN DANISH 1. Trier, C. A. "Det dansk-vestindiske Negerindforselsforbud af 1792" in Historisk Tidsskrift, series 7, vol. 5, 405-508. Copenhagen, 1904-1905. "A scholarly study of the edict abolishing the slave trade in the Danish dominions and of the circumstances leaidng up to it." — W. W. 96 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 2. Alberti, C. Den danske Slavehandels Historie in "Nyt historisk Tidsskrift," vol. 3,201-245. Copenhagen, 1850. "A valuable account based on printed primary and secondary material. The author was not permitted to inspect the State archive materials." — W. W. II. IN GERMAN 3. ISERT, P. E. "Reise nach Guinea und den Carabaischen Inseln" in Columbien, in Briefen an seine Freunden beschreiben. Copenhagen, 1788. 376 p. "Although inclined to exaggeration, the author, who had been chief physician in the Danish factory in Guinea and had served on slave ships, presents a valuable picture of the dark side of the slave trade. Letter 12 is headed "Reise von Guinea nach Westindien. Zustand eines SklavenschifTes. Rebellion der Sklaven. Beschrei- bung von St. Croix. " — W. W. G. Virgin Islands of United States — Sale Question I. IN ENGLISH 1. Curtiss, W. E. "The United States and Foreign Powers." Pp. 28-51. 2. Dixon. (— ) "The History of the St. Thomas Treaty." 3. Executive Document No. 31, Thirty-seventh Congress, second session, House of Representatives. 4. North American Review, Vol. CLXXV., 501. 5. Schuyler, ( — ) The St. Thomas Treaty. 6. Seward, William H. The Diplomatic History of the War for the Union. Vol. V, pp. 28-29. 7. United States. Twenty-first Congress, second session. House of Representatives. Report No. 117. 8. United States. Fifty-seventh Congress, first session. House Document, vol. 47, 2767- 2847. Washington, 1902. 9. Wharton, Francis. A Digest of the International Law of the United States. Vol. I, 416-417. ii. in danish 10. Knudsen, Johannes. Industriel Negeropdragelse. Copenhagen, 1905. 11. Ramsing, Capt. H. U;. Vore vestindiske Oers Fremtid under dansk Flag. Copenhagen, 1901. 12. Richelieu, Admiral A. de. Dansk Vestindiens Skaebne og de danske i Udlandet. Copenhagen, 1902. 13. Rigsdag, den danske. Debates in on the sale of the Danish West Indies, with testimony of the West Indian Delegation. 14. Rothe, Dr. C. Lidt om Vestindien. Copenhagen, 1900. 55 p. "A patriotic appeal against the sale of the islands; a brief but fairly accurate historical summary is included." — W. W. 15. VED EN TlLSKUER. Dansk Politik og Dansk Vestindien. Copenhagen, 1902. H. Virgin Islands of United States — Economic I. IN ENGLISH 1. Annual Reports of the Agricultural Experiment Station in St. Croix. Co- penhagen, 1912, et seq. 2. Congressional Commission, Joint. Report of. Washington, 1920. 3. Department of Commerce: Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. The Danish West Indies: Their Resources and Commercial Importance. No. 129. Washington, 1917. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 97 4. Same department. Commerce Reports: "The Virgin Islands, a small market for auto- mobiles." Washington, July, 1919. 5. Same department. Commerce Reports, No. 177: "Cable Facilities and Rates, Virgin Islands, etc." Washington, July, 1920. 6. Same department. Supplement to Commerce Reports: "The Virgin Islands of the United States." Washington, September, 1920. 7. Government of the Danish West Indies. Bulletins containing statistics concerning sugar production in St. Croix, 1862-1889; 1890-1902. 8. LlGHTBOURN, JOHN N. St. Thomas, an island of the Danish West Indies. New York, 1909. 9. Lightbourn, John N. (editor). The West Indian Annual and Commercial Directory, 1897-1921. 10. Sixto, Adolph. Time and 1 or Looking Forward. New York, 1902. II. IN DANISH 11. Aarsberetninger fra A. S. St. Croix Sukkerfabrik. 12. Aarsberetninger fra A. S. Den Vestindiske Sukkerfabrik. 13. Aarsberetninger fra Den Dansk-vestindiske Nationalbank. * 14. Aarsberetninger fra A. S. Den Vestindiske Kompagni. 15. Aarsberetninger fra Plantageselskabet, 1903, et seq. 16. Andrae, P. De dansk-vestindiske Per. Copenhagen, 1875. . 17. Betaenkning over Forholdene paa de dansk-vestindiske 0er, afgiven af den ved allerh0jeste Resolution af 18 November, 902 anordnede Vestindiske Kommission. (Report of the Royal Commission of 1902.) Copenhagen, 1903. A verv useful work. 18. Fugl, U. N. Oplysninger angaaende de dansk-vestindiske Oers nuvaerende commer- cielle Forhold. Copenhagen, 1840. 19. Heilbuth, E. A. Danmark og St. Croix i deres commercielle Forhold til hinanden. Co- penhagen, 1841. 20. Melchior, Moses. "Handelen paa vore vestindiske Oer." Atlanten, 8th year. Copen- hagen, 1911. 21. Moller, H. V. C. "De dansk-vestindiske Oers Havneforhold. " Atlanten, 7th year. Copenhagen, 1910. 22. Oxholm, Peter Lotharius. De dansk-vestindiske Oers Tilstand i Henseende til Population, Cultur, og Finance-Forfatning i Anledning af nogle Breve fra St. Croix. Co- penhagen, 1797. 84 p. "A careful study of the sugar industry in St. Croix, based on personal observation; contains four plans and an appended statistical table." — W. W. "Avery reliable account." — Lawsetz. 23. Reply to Oxholm (anonymous). Berigtigelsen ved Hr. Major Oxholms Skrift om de danske Oers Tilstand. Copenhagen, 1798. 30 p. 24. Oxholm, Peter L. Urigtighedern i de saakaldte Berigtigelser ved Afhandlingen om de danske- vestindiske Oers Tilstand. Copenhagen, 1798. 23 p. An answer to No. 23. 25. Ramsing, Capt. H. U. Kander ved Reformer skabes Balance paa Dansk Vestindiens Budget? Til Overvejelse i ellevte Time. Copenhagen, 1902. 98 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES I. Virgin Islands of United States — Geological I. IN ENGLISH 1. Cleve, P. T. On the Geology of the northeastern West India island. K-sv. Vet- Akad. Handl. Vol. 9, No. 12. 2. Hovey, S. American Journal of Science, vol. 35, p. 64, 1839. 3. Quin, John T. The Building of an island, being a sketch of the geological structure of the Danish West Indian island of St. Croix or Santa Cruz. Christian - sted, 1902. "An interesting account of the different formations, their composition, position, etc." — F. McF. II. IN DANISH 4. HORNBECK, ( ) "Nogle Bemaerkninger over St. Thomas' Geognosie." Skandinaviske Naturforskeres 2det Mode, 1840. P. 64. 5. Boggild, O. B. "Om Dansk Vestindiens Geologi." Geografisk Tidsskrift, vol. 19, p. 6, 1907. There is a short article on the geology of the Danish West Indies by the same author in "De daske Atlanterhavsoer," pp. 586- 597. III. IN GERMAN 6. H0GBOM, A. G. "Zur Petrographie der kleinen Antilles" Bulletin of the Geological Institute of Upsala, Sweden. 7. SCHOMBURGK, R. "Die Jungfrau Inselm in Geologische und Klimatologische Hinsicht." Berghaus Almanach fiir Erdkunde, p. 366, 1837. J. Virgin Islands of United States — Botanical I. IN ENGLISH 1. B0RGESEN, Dr. F. "A Contribution to the Knowledge of the Marine Alga Vegetation on the Coasts of the Danish West Indian Islands." Botanisk Tidsskrift, No. 23. Copenhagen, 1900. 2. Eggers, Baron H. F. A. "A flora of St. Croix and the Virgin Islands.' ' Bulletin of the United States National Museum, No. 13. Washington, 1879. 3. Millspaugh, C. F. "Flora of the Island of St. Croix." Field Columbian Museum. Publi- cation No. 68. Chicago, 1902. ii. in danish 4. Berg, Carl. A Catalogue of the Trees in the Danish West Indies with an Introduction by the Naturalist, Baron H. F. A. Eggers. St. Thomas, 1888. ^A hectographed copy in the Government archives. "The author who spent several years in the Danish West Indies has accounted in this work for 246 species of trees. The pages are divided into three col- umns, one for the botanical name (in Latin), one for the local name, and one for a brief description of each tree. The work is being trans- lated into English by direction of Government Secretarv Gaffney." — F. McF. 5. B0RGESEN, Dr. F. Om Vegetationen paa de dansk-vestindiske f)er. Copenhagen, 1898. 6. Eggers, Baron H. F. A. "St. Croix's Flora." Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra Naturhistorisk Forening. Copenhagen, 1876. 7. Same author. "Naturen paa de dansk-vestindiske 0er. " Tidsskrift for populaere Fremstillinger af Naturvidenskaben. Series 5, vol. 5. Copenhagen, 1878. 8. Lassen, Holger. "Monumenter af Vestindiens Geografi. " Geograflsk Tidsskrift, vols. 12 and 13. Copenhagen. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 99 9. Ousted, Anders Sand0e. "Dansk Vestindien i physisk-geografisk og naturhistorisk Henseende" in Bergs0e's Den danske Stats Statistik, vol. 4, Copenhagen, 1849. K. Virgin Islands of United States — Zoological I. IN ENGLISH 1. Agassiz, A. " Three Cruises of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer Blake. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard College, vol. 14-15. 2. Bland, Th. On the Geographical Distribution of the Genera and Species of Land Shells of the West India Islands. 1861. 3. Same author. "On the Relations of the Flora and Fauna of Santa Cruz, West Indies. " Annals of the New York Academy of Science. Vol. II., p. 117. 1881. 4. Clark, A. H. "Birds of the Southern Lesser Antilles.' ' Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. 1905. 5. Same author. "The Migrations of Certain Shore Birds. The Genus Conurus in the West Indies. The West Indian Parrots." The Auk. Vol. XXII, pp. 134, 310, and 337. 1905. 6. Duerden, I. E. "The Marine Resources of the British West Indies." West Indian Bul- letin, II. 1901. 7. Evermann, B. W. and March, M. C. "The Fishes of Porto Rico." Bulletin of the United States Fish Com- mission. Vol. XX. Part I. 1900. 8. Gunther, A. "On the Reptiles from St. Croix, West Indies." Annals of Natural His- tory, series 3, vol. 4, p. 209. 1859. 9. Newton, A. and E. "Observations on the Birds of St. Croix, West Indies." Vol. I-IV. The Ibis. 1859. 10. Wtallace, Alfred Russell. "The Geographical Distribution of Animals." Vol. II., p. 60. 1876. 11. Wilcox, William A. "The Fisheries and Fish Trade of Porto Rico." Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. Vol. XX. Part I. 1900 ii. in danish 12. Hagemann, Gunnar. "Dvreliv og Jagt i Vestindien." Dansk Jagttidende. Nos. 4 and 5, 1907 and Nos. 4 and 5, 1908. 13. Lutken, Christian F. "Additamenta ad Historiam Ophiuridarum" II. Videnskabernes Sel- skabs Skrifter, series 5, vol. 5, 1861. 14. Same author. "Nogle Traek af Vestindiens Krybdyrliv." Tidsskrift for populaere Fremstillinger af Naturvidenskaben, series 2, vol. 5, pp. 259-295, 344-384. Copenhagen, 1863. 15. Same author. "Om Vestindiens Pentacriner." Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra Natur- historisk Forening. Copenhagen, 1864. 16. MORTENSEN, Dr. Th. AND BORGESEN, Dr. F. "Vestindiens Betydning for Dansk Naturforskning." Det ny Aar- hundrede. Vol. I, No. 7. Copenhagen, 1904. 17. Same authors. "En biologisk Station i Dansk Vestindien." Atlanten. Vol. I, No. 6. Copenhagen, 1904. 18. MORTENSEN, Dr. Th. "Om Fiskerierne paa vore vestindiske Oer." Alanten. Vol. IV, Nos. 43 and 44. Copenhagen, 1907. 19. Same author. " Fra de dansk-vestindiske 0er." Geograflsk Tidsskrift, vol. 19. Copen- hagen, 1907. 100 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 20. Same author. " Insektangreb paa Bomulden i Dansk Vestindien." Atlanten. Vol. V., No.53. Copenhagen, 1908. 21. Morch, G. A. L. "Oversigt over Vestindiens Scalarier." Videnskabelige. Meddelelser fra Naturhistorisk Forening. Copenhagen, 1874. III. IN FRENCH 22. DUCHAISSAING, P. Animaux radiaires des Antilles. 1850 23. Morch, 0. A. L. "Contributions a la Faune Malacologique des Antilles Danoises." Jour- nal de Conchyliologie. 1863. IV. IN GERMAN 24. Morch, O. A. L. " Synopsis Molluscorum marinorum indiarum occidentalium." I-Iv. Malacozoologische Blatter. Vol.7, 1885. 25. Pfeiffer, L. "Beitrage zur Molluskenfauna Westindiens." Malacozoologische Blat- ter, vol. 7, 1855. 26. Reinhardt, I. T. Bemsekninger om Redebygningen og Forplantinngsforholdene hos "Crotophaga-Slaegten." (A study of the "Blackwitch.") Trans- lated into Danish. Videnskabernes Selskabs Forhandlinger, 1860. 27. Reinhardt, I. T. and Lutken, Christian F. Bidrag til det vestindiske friges og navnligen til de dansk-vestindiske 0ers Herpetologie. Translated into Danish. Meddelelser fra Natur- historisk Forening. Copenhagen, 1862. 28. Ruse, A. H. "Om nogle udd0de Landsnegle fra St. Croix. " Skandinavisk Natur- forskermode, vol. 7, 1856. 29. Rohr, J. Ph. B. von. Anmerkungen iiber den Cattunbau. I-II. 1791-1793. L. Virgin Islands of United States — Fiction i. in english 1. Atherton, Gertrude. The Conqueror. New York. Macmillan. "A story of Alexander Hamilton. A few chapters are devoted to his boyhood in St. Croix." — F. McF. ii. in danish 2. H0rlyk, Fru Lucie. Fra Generalgouverneurens Dage. Copenhagen. Gyldendal. "One of the characters is Governor Peter von Scholten who issued the proclaT mation declaring all slaves in the Danish West Indies free, as from July 3, 1848".— F. McF. 3. Same author. Den gamle Plantage. Copenhagen. Gyldendal. M. Virgin Islands of United States — Statistical i. in english 1. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Census of the Virgin Islands of the United States. 1917. 2. Budgets for the municipality of St. Thomas-St. John, 1917-1922. 3. Budgets for the municipality of St. Croix, 1917-1922. 4. Commerce reports issued by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES 101 II. IN DANISH 5. Statistisk Aarbog, 1895-1922. Published by the Bureau of Statistics, Copenhagen. 6. Budgets for the municipality of St. Thomas-St. John, 1863-1917. 7. Budgets for the municipality of St. Croix, 1863-1917. 8. Statistiske Oplvsninger om de dansk-vestindiske Oers Forhold i forsellige Retninger, 1911-1917. N. Virgin Islands of United States — Catalogs and Indexes i. in english 1. Griffin, Appleton Prentiss Clark. A List of Books on the Danish West Indies. Washington, 1901. "The only special bibliography on the subject, limited to books in the Library of Congress." — W. W. II. IN DANISH 2. Bergsoe, A. Fr. Den danske Stats Statistik. Copenhagen, 1852. Volume VI. Contains a comprehensive and instructive article on the West Indian colonies and a bibliography. 3. Thaarup, Frederik. Vejledning til det danske Monarkies Statistik, 2d edition. Copenhagen, 1794. 767 p. "This work appeared in a number of editions during the next quarter century. It presents a considerable body of biblio- graphical, statistical, and descriptive material. Pp. 420-433." — W. W. In Volume VI, edition of 1819, is a bibliography of books dealing with the Danish West Indies. o THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GRADUATE LIBRARY DATE DUE $&- .#£** NOV 19 Kurm 9 584 W96 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN llllllllll 3 9015 03582 6513 DEC 21 192 S :U1.