USVI Public Records

Document text

This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world’s books discoverable online. It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that’s often difficult to discover. Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book’s long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you. Usage guidelines Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying. We also ask that you: + Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for personal, non-commercial purposes. + Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google’s system: If you are conducting research on machine translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help. + Maintain attribution The Google “watermark” you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it. + Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can’t offer guidance on whether any specific use of any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book’s appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. About Google Book Search Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world’s books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http://books.google.com/ t ne a —_. — | SA 11 6&-34 nto ob D G Bs Qs WV 2 (= . —<—— | Se —- (tam oH th ook ra , a AN Ty RO J} f ee y c \ wi) NY = | | = | AS Ee x F/] LD § co} {> Pr ke ey £0? gegll 1835 Mei, Su \\? i uF \ os i { i 4 WS oe A is { 4 ‘iy, wy | a uj! iN 1FSO, d ri = i Sn" vit iY] ew ln! ah — —— . .- te ae * | a . oa “e | 6 - A WINTER IN THE WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA; CONTAINING GENERAL OBSERVATIONS UPON MODES OF TRAVELLING, MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, CLIMATES AND PRODUCTIONS, WITH A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF ST. CROIX, TRINIDAD DE CUBA, HAVANA, KEY WEST, AND ST. AUGUSTINE, AS PLACES OF RESORT FOR NORTHERN INVALIDS. BY AN INVALID. NEW-YORK : PUBLISHED BY WILEY AND PUTNAM, 161 Broadway. 1839, te SF Fi 29 SAK ti 46.34 /850,j be / S064 ea (&-Clee, Yt) , Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1839, by WILEY & PUTNAM, In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the Southern Districs of New-York. J.P. Wright, Printer, 18 New Street, N. ¥. INDEX. Prerace. . . oe . . . Cuarrer I. Of Climate in general. oo. II. Author’sOwn Case. . .. —— III. The Voyagn . . . IV. Bassin, or Christianstadt, St. Croix. V. West End, or Frederickstadt. VI. Santa Cruz in general. VII. Voyage to Trinidad de Cuba. VIII. Trinidad de Cuba. . . IX. Voyage to Batabanné and Havana. X. Havana. 8 + XI. Key West. 6. ww, XII. Voyage to St. Augustine. . XIII. St. Augustine. * 8 XIV. Return Home... . . Indies and Florida. XVI. Preparations for going South. . PaGE . 1 - 25 - 29 ase EB - 106 - 110 «115 - 137 - 142 . 159 XV. General Observations upon the West - 168 - 190 PREFACE. Tue great and constantly inereasing number of pulmonary complaints in the United States, is happily beginning to excite the attention which the importance of the subject demands. The bills of mortality abundantly prove, that about one-fourth of the deaths in these States is caused by diseases of the lungs, in one shape or other, and the fairest and the best of the youth of our land are every day cut down around us, in the full flush of youthful hopes and ardent antici. pations ; discouraged by the almost equally unsuccessful application of patent quack-nos- trums end scientific medical skill, the friends and relatives of these unfortunate victims .of premature decline, have generally abandoned all hope of relief from the earliest appearance of this terrible disease; and, in many cases, they have been left to pine away by its slow and sure operation, with the consoling reflection that they were past all hope, and had nothing to vi ‘ PREFACE. do but wait patiently for death to end their mis- eries. For a time, it was supposed that much might be hoped from a winter residence in the southern States; and many a poor patient has been sent to Charleston or Savannah, St. Au- gustine or Pensacola, Mobile or New-Orleans, or some other equally unfit and improper place, to add to his other afflictions, that of dying in a strange land, without the consolation of his friends to stand around him in his last moments, or shed a tear over his untimely grave. So lit- tle benefit was found to result from a visit to the gouthern States, that many came to the conclu- tion that no change of climate could be of any avail, and refused to separate themselves from their friends in their days of desolation and de. spair: choosing, rather, to meet their unhappy fate at home, than to try so forlorn a hope as that afforded by going south. The enterprise ef our people had found out every nook and corner of every State in the Union where money could be made, and well ascertained the nature of the trade and commerce of every place; but, upon the nice and important question of the fit- ness of a climate for invalids, very little know- ledge was obtained, partly because the attention of the healthy was never turned to the subject, but more because no healthy man can be a com- PREFACE. vii petent judge of such matters; and invalids were unable to make the proper investigations, or to publish them when made. It is only within the last few years, that the idea has become preva- lent, even among physicians, that the southern States of this Union are the most unfit place on _ earth for invalids, and that the whole winter season there, is not unlike November and April in the north, which every-body knows, or ought to know, are the worst months in the year. So great is the ignorance upon this subject, that it is believed more. than five hundred from the northern and middle States are sent on & useless pilgrimage annually: the same patient scarcely ever going more than once, having learned by experience that it was merely changing from bad to worse. Within a few years past, many eminent physicians have been urging their patients to go to the West Indies, and many have pursued the advice with decided advantage; but the unwillingness of Americans to leave their own country, connected with their ignorance of the West India climate, have deterred thousands from going there who. would otherwise have gone, with the certainty of bene- fit, if not of perfect restoration to health. The author of this little volume, after having suffered the effects, of northern winters for aeve- viii, PREFACE.. ral years, and having tried the southern States with no advantage, was induced, by the strong recommendation of his physician, and the in- creased severity of his disease, in the early part of the winter of 1838-39, to visit the island of . St. Croix, which was supposed to be the best of the West Indies for climate, partly, perhaps, for want of sufficient acquaintance with other places. After spending several weeks at St. Croix, and being greatly improved in health, for the purpose of being able to judge for himself between different places of resort, he visited Trinidad de Cuba ; passed frem thence, through the island of Cuba, to Havana; from thence to Key West, the only tolerable place in the United States; and from thence to St. Augus. tine; stopping long enough at each place to form an aecurate conclusion, and, in the mean time, collecting all the information he could as to other places. The information thus obtained is so useful to himself, that he deems it his duty to publish it for the benefit of the community ; and, to insure the attention which the import- ance of the subject demands, it has been thought better to make a small volume by itself, than to put it in any public journal, which would be merely, read, thrown aside, and forgotten. In ' order to.enable the reader to judge for himeelf, PREFACE. ix it has been thought proper to give him an ac. count of the author’s own case, and some others that fell under his immediate observation; a detailed description of the situation, climate, and other material circumstances of St. Croix; the same as to Trinidad de Cuba, Havana, Key West, and St. Augustine; with observations upon other places, and the reasons of the healthiness or unhealthiness of each particular place. The invalid, knowing his own symp- toms, will then be able to decide at once which is the best place for himself, and act accord. ingly. By possessing the information herein _ contained, before leaving home, the author could have saved himself at least three hundred dol- lars in expenses, besides adding greatly to his comforts, during a single winter. He cannot doubt, therefore, that the work will prove ac- ceptable to the public, particularly to that un. fortunate class for whose benefit it is princi- pally intended. They will get here the dispas- sionate judgment of one who had no interest to lead him to prefer one place to another, and who has been willing to give as well the unfa- vourable as the favourable circumstances of each particular place. The following chapters contain a very concise statement of the results of my observation, and x PREFACE. information, during my tour; and, so far as regards the principal question that concerns in. valids, desiring to visit the West Indies, or either of the other places therein mentioned,—to wit, the salubrity of different climates, and accom. modations for invalids,—may be relied upon, as in all respects correct. As regards the matters of general information, and interest, not having the time nor feeling the disposition to acquire very precise intelligence, and without pretend. ing to look into books for aid, I have merely in. terspersed the work with such matters as fur. nished the principal topics of conversation, at the places through which I passed, and, there- fore, am unable to vouch for their accuracy in every particular ; but, believing that they would relieve the reader from the monotonous tone of mere descriptions of climates, &c. &c., I have given them according to my best information; and I have generally distinguished between mat- ters within my own knowledge, and those de- rived from others. I might have gone into detail, and made a larger volume; but, as my object is not to make others read, but to convey useful intelligence, conciseness has been my principal aim ; and, it is humbly hoped, that the reader will not deem the brevity of the work a | demerit. I might, by bestowing a little more PREFACE. xi attention upon the subject, have swelled the work, by giving a more scientific and historical account of the places before-mentioned, but am very far from aspiring to the reputation of an erudite author, or from claiming any literary merit for this production. Knowing that thou- _ sands were in want of the information herein contained, and that, from peculiar sensitiveness, and attentive observation, I have been enabled to judge of all the places in question with great accuracy, and to present at one view more use- ful knowledge upon the subject, than has ever before been published, I have been induced to write, and offer to the public, this little volume, hoping that it may be instrumental in restoring ‘to health, those who are unfortunately afflicted with complaints similar to my own; may, in some degree, aid physicians, in advising their patients what place to prefer for their particu. lar complaints; and, on the whole, may prove interesting and acceptable to the general read. er. If these expectations are realized, I shall be amply satisfied ; if not, it will not be the first well intended effort that has failed of accom. plishing its object. A WINTER WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA, CHAPTER L Of Climate in General. Noruine is more telked of or less under- stood than the healthiness of climates. When= ever it becomes difficult to temove disease, and the friends of the patient become alarmed, or the physician gets sick of experiments, a ’ change of climate is resorted to, as a kind of patent panacea for all maladies; by means: ‘whereof the patient, if not helped in any other: way, is at least helped out of the way of his friends and physician. In cities they are sent. to the country; in the country, to the city ;~ inland, they are sent to the sea-shore ; on the coast, to the interior; from the, mountains: to the. plains, and from the plains to the moun-. ~ 2 a 14 A WINTER IN THE tains; from warm weather to cold, and from cold to warm; from dry to moist, and from moist to dry: in short, any thing for a change, from good to better, or from bad to worse. There is nothing more difficult to define, ac- cording to the common use of the term, than a good climate. It means a place where the well are robust and hardy, or where few vio- lent diseases are known, or where the yellow fever does not rage, or where not more than half the people have the fever and ague: in fine, almost any place that has any resources, and where lands or lots will sell in market. For however people may express themselves as to the salubrity of places in their vicinity, they never acknowledge their own place to be unhealthy as long as any body has life enough left to deny it. Let any one deny this who has travelled through our western eountry if he can. Let him refresh his recol- lection as to the number of places that have been resolutely pronounced healthy by one half, while the other half their inhabitants were sick. : St. Louis has been declared healthier than Boston, Cincinnati than Albany, Utica than New-York, and, to cap the climax of false- SS anf WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 15 hood, New Orleans has been claimed to be. healthier than any northern city. The inhabitant# of Kentucky and Virginia have removed to Upper Missouri; those of New England and New-York to Ohio, Illinois, Michilimackinac, and Green Bay; those of the western States to the New England sea- board ; and those of the northern and middle States to Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louis- iana, and Texas; and all on account of their health. This has arisen in part from the restlessness of those afflicted with chronic cemplaints, but mostly from the temporary benefit experienced by almost every one by the mere change of climate and scene, through the influence of the nerves, without regard to the effects of a continued residence in the par- ticular climate. Because the immediate ef- fect is agreeable, it is hastily concluded that the newly tried. climate is good, and every sacrifice is made to remove to it: with what results let the thousand: disappointed wander- ers after health answer. Having omce made the experiment without success, the unfortu- nate patient concludes that nothing can help him, and, without further expense or trouble, settles down into a calm state of despondency, 16 - & WINTER IN THE and drags out the residue of a miserable ex- - istence. Instead of vainly asking opinions as to climate, let us, in the first’ place, carefully consider what are the causes of a fine and what of a bad climate, and where they are found; and, secondly, what cases of disease are most affected by climate. 1. The causes of a good climate are few and simple: an even temperature, toarm or cool ; an atmosphere at once dry and pure. Those of a bad climate, extreme heat or cold, variableness, humidity and impurity of atmosphere. In proportion as the former or latter preponderate, the climate will be good or bad as a general thing. Now, apply this principle to our own country. New England has dryness of atmosphere in general, because the soil is dry, and the growth of vegetation not rank. To the sound in constitution, there-. fore, it is a good climate. But it is subject not only to severe cold for a great part of the time, but also at times to extreme heat, and, what is worse than either, to the most sudden transitions from one to the other. Therefore, though a great proportion of the healthy may keep so, when disease has once got foothold in the system, it is almost impossible to get WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 17 rid of it. The cold wind of an hour will blow . away the improvement of a week: and even in the summer, when the feeble patient will almost suffocate with heat in the middle of the day, he finds perspiration suddenly checked ‘at night, and requires three blankets covering to sleep warm. In the western part of New- York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, the same evils prevail; in some places perhaps not to so great an extent; but here there is an additional evil of greater magnitude. The soil is rich and moist; the growth of vegetation rank ; and, what is worse yet, there are plenty of fresh lakes, ponds, swamps, sluggish rivers, &c. &c. on almost every side; and there are no sea breezes to give even a temporary purity to the atmos- phere. However well located a particular place may be, therefore, as to causes in its immediate vicinity, its inhabitants must breathe the great moving mass of air that has passed over hundreds of miles of land imbued with moisture and covered with decaying vegetable matter, from which a most noxious malaria is constantly arising. Because, in particular places certain malaria has pro- -duced a particular disease only within a short 2° 18 A WINTER IN THE distance of the plage where it originated, it has been inferred that effluvia from marshes, swamps, moist soil, &c., could not affect the salubrity of the atmosphere, except in its im- mediate vicinity ; and the idea that the inju- rious effects may extend hundreds of miles, has been treated as visionary and absurd, but is none the less true. If a damp floor will affect a whole house, will not a soil of many feet in depth, saturated with water, and ex- posed to the rays of the sun, extend its va- pours miles in height? It must be so; or clouds and rain would never be. If an un- wholesome vapour is constantly arising miles in height from the whole surface of a country hundreds of miles in extent, will it not move in a mass in the shape of wind, for hundreds of miles, without becoming much diluted by the mixture of other air, as the warm water of the Gulf Stream makes its way northward without being cooled by the surrounding wa- ters? And if this effluvia does not every ‘where produce specific diseases, is it any more strange that it should affect the general health and constitution of mankind, than that the water of one river should affect the quality of the fishes that live in it, differently from that WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 19 of others? ‘Two rivers may each have what is called pure water, and still the shad of one be superior to those of the other. If fishes are affected by the water they breathe, must - not we be equally affected by our element of respiration,—and is not the general liability to diseases in proportion to the humidity and impurity of the atmosphere? 'T’o-be-sure, the effects are not immediately felt by the robust and hardy, except in particular sections, and the country is therefore, in common parlance, called. healthy; but as often as the system becomes prostrated by some sudden attack of disease, the slow recovery in some, and the remaining chronic diseases in other cases, plainly demonstrate the badness of the cli- mate. In New England a person has a fever, and in two weeks is entirely well again. In the western country it takes six or eight weeks to get up at all, and then, in more than half the cases, the patient is not entire- ly well in a year, and in many cases finds permanent chronic disease remaining after all that can be done. It is therefore madness to keep'a patient here at least during the fall, winter, and spring months; and even the summer is bad enough. The mountainous 20 A WINTER IN THE regions of the southern States furnish a pretty good summer residence for invalids; but in the winter, the whole of our southern States are similar to, or worse than November and April in New-York, subject to dampness, cold, and sudden changes, making, on the whole, about as bad a place-as could be ima- gined for invalids. The cold is not quite as severe ; but as the preparation for it is not as good, it is as much realized as at the north. When it is considered that these States are situated to the north of the Tropie, and that consequently the wind must be almost con- . stantly blowing from the cold regions of the north during winter, sweeping nearly a whole continent, and bearing onward its accumu- lated vapours, is it at all surprising that inva- lids should fare worse here than almost any where else? ‘The southern people are open- ing their eyes upon this subject; and notwith- standing the general idea at. the north, that there is no consumption at the south, nume- rous patients afflicted, or at least threatened with that complaint, are now sent from thence to. the West Indies, or to the south of Europe, annually. It is only between the Tropics that the requisite uniformity of temperature can be ‘WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. . 21 found. The West India Islands are the miost accessible to us on account of ptoximity, and are, in many other respects, the best resort on earth for those afflicted with chronic diseases. They have the pure ocean on the north and east, from whence the wind always blows, and it is only necessary to avoid immediate local causes of disease to have as healthy a climate as the earth can afford. Let those who are enamoured with the idea of southern Europe read. the journal of Lord Byron, or any body else who has kept one there, and they will be satisfied. They will soon per- ceive that rain, mud, hail, sleet, and snow, are not so pleasant things as to compensate for going three thousand miles, especially when we have enough of them at home to be had gratis. Clark on Climates and Diseases gives a particular description of all the places of re- sort in southern Europe, and shows them all far inferior to Madeira as resorts for invalids ; and from his description of the latter, it will be seen that in winter cold is a serious evil there. The thermometer falls at times as low as fifty degrees, and rainy days are frequent. At page 160-1, he cites the opinion of Dr. Hei- 22 A WINTER IN THE neken, who resided at Madeira on account of a pulmonary complaint, that the summer there is far more favourable than the winter, and that pulmonary invalids had better spend the winter in the West Indies, and the summer in Madeira. At page 164, (note,) Dr. Clark says, that he intended to have given some account of the climate of the West Indies, believing that they would afford a better winter resort than ~ any he had described, but that he had been unable to obtain sufficient information to satisfy himself upon the subject. The fear of yellow fever in the West Indies, which has deterred many from going there, is altogether unfounded. In summer or winter, with ordinary care, there is no danger. The cases of yellow fever generatly occur on board vessels, and about particular ports, which are known from local causes to be unhealthy, sum- mer and winter. An invalid will of course keep away from such places, and be safe. If he does not, it is his own fault. In all other places there are no fevers without great expo- sure to the heat of the sun, and the cure is easy in case of an attack—much easier than similar attacks at the north. Afler reading the following chapters, the reader can judge WEST INDIES AND PLORIDA. 23 for himself as to the correctness of these observations. . 2. There is scarcely any disease but what is more or less affected by climate; but it is only chronic affections that afford an oppor- tunity for benefit by a change. In fevers, acute inflammations, and such like violent ’ diseases, of course the patient must combat the enemy wherever he meets with the at- tack, as he cannot get away; but in almost all cases of sub-inflammation of the lungs, bronchial tubes, stomach, liver, or any part of the mucus membrane, producing catarrh, asth- ma, stricture of the chest, coughs, dyspepsia, &c. &c., and particularly in all cases threat- ening consumption, the most decided advan- tage is. gained by a good climate, where, in- stead of burning with heat and. sweltering with perspiration at one hour, and shivering with cold and wrapped in an overcoat the next, with perspiration entirely obstructed, the patient can at all times freely expose him- self to the air without the burthen of heavy clothing, and can keep up a uniform action upon the surface, thereby promoting a healthy action of the mucus membrane and all the secretory organs of the system. To almost +. ea aM ates ce inte. | 24 A WINTER IN THE every such patient, the relief afforded in a single week is enough to compensate for a voyage to the West Indies and back again. In cases of confirmed tubercular consumption, however, it is worse than useless to send the patient to a strange land for the sake of a climate which can do him no good. WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 26 CHAPTER II. My Own Case. In January, 1831, at the age of 23, I was af- tacked with an inflammation upon the lungs, so violently as to require copious bleeding, &c., &c. After the disease had subsided, to the great surprise of my physician as well as myself, the first particle of food on the return of appetite produced extreme distress at the stomach, flatulency, violent eructations, and other distressing symptoms of dyspepsia. ‘The whole nervous system became irritated in the highest degree, and after having been confined in my room till May, as the warm weather came on, I was able to get to Sara- toga Springs, where the waters were tried with trifling advantage; and from thence to the sea-shore, where greater benefit was per- ceived, insomuch, that travelling, instead of fatiguing too much, began to afford relief. __ In the fall, the advance of cold weather seemed to obstruct all the functions of the system, and apprehensive for the result, and 3 26 A WINTER IN THE anxious to do something, it was resolved to try the relaxing effect of a southern climate. The worst symptoms somewhat abated on going south, but others appearing at New- Orleans, resulting from the olimate, a Missis- sippi steamboat was a natural resort; and before the first of December I was at St. Louis. To my great disappointment, that place was found to be about as cold, and, if possible, more damp and chilly than west- em New-York. Despairing of any relief from climate, I returned home by way of Ohio, and arrived there in the severest winter weather, somewhat improved by all these journeys, voyages, and changes of climate together. Severe dyspepsia, however, re- mained, and no hope of recovery was per- ceived unless time should afford relief. . In the fall of 1834, severe symptoms of catarrh appeared, and, for the first time, the lungs began to show symptoms of revolt. Severe attacks of stricture across the chest, with a violent cough, occurred occasionally at intervals of two or three weeks. In November, 1836, in the hope of obtain- ing benefit from a residence on the sea-shore, I removed to the city of New-York. But WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 27 before the winter had fairly commenced, the strong, bracing, cold sea air, together with the gas from coal fires, gave me a severe attack of bronchitis, which rendered respira- tion distressing beyond description. Think- ing the sea air and coal fires the immediate causes of difficulty, I returned to the coun- - try, where, instead of being relieved, every symptom was aggravated to such a degree as to render it impossible to go south, which now plainly appeared to be the only availa- ble remedy. On returning to the city in the spring, however, the air from the ocean appeared very favourable ; and during the summer, the improvement was so great that I was enabled to endure the mild winter of 1837-8 in New- York with but slight difficulty: During the hot summer of 1838, the worst symptoms of catarrh, asthma, and dyspepsia made a combined attack upon the system. The nerves became very irritable; pains be- came severe and constant ; and every thing seemed to indicate a fatal termination of my miseries. The first cool wind in September brought back the stricture across the chest with a severity before unknown. Instead of 28 4 WINTER IN THE coming occasionally, and only at night, it now became constant day and night. Down to the first of December I had three attacks, each lasting about a week; during which there was scarcely a moment’s cessation of the severest distress, or an hour that would admit of a reclining posture. The cough was terrible, the expectoration copious, and there was no reasonable ground to believe that I could survive the winter. At the earnest solicitation of my physician, as a last experiment, it was resolved to visit St. Croix, which was then much resorted to by inva- lids from New-York, and was considered the best place for them in the West Indies, or indeed anywhere else. The expense, to be sure, was double what it would have been to Key West; but it was now too strong a case to think of that. Accordingly, with hasty preparation and drooping spirits, I bid adieu to New-York, and embarked upon a winter’s ocean, with every thing to apprehend and but little reasonably to hope. At least, such ‘was my own impressions. The sequel will show how agreeably I was disappointed. WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 29 CHAPTER III. The Voyage. Many are deterred from going to any place beyond seas by fear of sea-sickness; and hence seek out the best place they can find in their own country as a resort during win- ter. Hundreds, no doubt, visit our southern States every winter, who are fully aware of the superiority of the West India climate, because they have not the moral courage to endure a few days at sea, when all who have tried it acknowledge the benefits after it is over, whatever may be their opinion while the distress remains. I have been to sea sev- eral times ; with one exception, have always been sick as long as the sea has been rough ; and although while at sea I have always de- termined never to go again, have uniformly thought the reverse as soon as it was over. And why? Because conscious of the great benefit to health derived from it. On the fourth of December, in the severest of winter weather, with a constitution suffer- 3* 30 4 WINTER IN THE ing under the combined influence of catarrh, asthma and dyspepsia, all aggravated by the severities of a northern winter, with great pain of body and depression of spirits border- ing on despair, I abandoned my foothold on terra firma, and committed myself to the mercy of the winds and the waves. My own case was bad enough ; but a worse one was before my eyes, and it did not become me to complain. A fellow-passenger, a man in the prime of life, and but six weeks be- fore perfectly healthy, was brought on board, being unable to walk; and accompanied by his mother, took his leave of his brothers, while the tears of all falling thick and fast, plainly indicated their belief that it was a final separation. He had an attack of he- morrhage at the lungs, and was then under the full influence of a hectic fever, and pro- bably could not have survived two weeks ‘at New-York. After four days of fair wind, but rough sea, during which I was unable to leave my berth, I crawled, for I was unable to walk, to the deck, and stretched myself at full length in a sun-shine as cheering as the smiles of friendship. We had now passed WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 31 the Gulf Stream, and saw no more of cold weather. My improvement, in spite of con- tinued sea-sickness, was truly surprising — far beyond my most ardent anticipations. ‘The pains about the spine and chest, the stricture of the lungs, catarrhal and asth- matic symptoms, all subsided ; and long be- fore eating anything I could walk the deck without pain, and respire the pure air with perfect ease. The winds became light, as well as adverse, and kept us fourteen days in making from lat. 28° to 23°, about three hundred miles. During this time sea-sickness subsided, appetite returned, and well did I im- . prove it, insomuch that it was difficult to make passengers believe the story of my sufferings at home. My fellow-invalid also improved enough to enable him to walk the deck, though his symptoms remained bad. We finally got a strong trade-wind from the south-east, which brought us up before St. Thomas on Christmas morning. A merry Christmas in- deed, to find ourselves alongside the pictu- resque landscape of St. Thomas, after a dreary voyage of three weeks, with the monotonous roar of the ocean for our only musie. The city of St. Thomas is situated on the 32 . A WINTER IN THE south side of the island of that name, 18° 20’ north latitude, at the head of a fine harbour, running up about three miles from the ocean, to the foot of a ridge of round-topped hills, shooting up as regularly as though they had ° been forced up by some volcanic eruption. A smaller range of hills bounds the harbour on either side, making the distance to the town, when viewed frem a vessel lying at its mouth, appear less than half a mile. The buildings, painted with various colours, rising gradually one above another upon three separate eleva- tions, with the deep green leaves of cocoa-nut and palm trees interspersed among them, to- gether with the majestic elevation in the rear, presented a landscape picturesque and beauti- ful beyond description. My impressions of the place were of course decidedly favourable, and would have remained so had I not gone on shore and seen the town as it really is. The streets are narrow; the free circulation of air is obstructed on either side; and the sun beats down with everpowering heat, ren- dering it an unhealthy as well as unpleasant place. The first information we got about the place, was that many of the inhabitants were down with fevers, and that there were three WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 33 cases in the family of one of our fellow-passen- gers from New-York. This was of course satis- factory evidence that St. Thomas was no place for invalids; and the fact that old inhabitants afterwards visited St. Croix for their health, and that sea-captains generally complained that their men always got sick there, confirmed me in the opinion. At night we made sail for St. Croix, about forty miles to the south-east, and the next morning, December 26th, found our- selves in the harbour of Bassin, or Christian- stadt. A word of advice to invalids about passages shall conclude this chapter. I have observed that whenever most passengers go, the price is highest, because it becomes an object for the proprietors of vessels to combine to keep it up. As for a few years past many have gone to St. Croix, I found that packet ships asked one hundred dollars, and brigs, é&c. seventy-five to eighty, for a passage of only fifteen hundred miles, which is usually performed in twelve or fifteen, and sometimes in eight or ten days; whereas very good transient vessels were glad to take forty or fifty dollars to any of the West India islands. Many passengers suppose that they will be much more comfortable if they go 34 A WINTER IN THE in the vessel that charges highest. This is a mistake. ‘Those vessels are generally filled to overflowing, which renders them extremely uncomfortable in case of bad weather; and besides, when there are so many, it becomes almost impossible to get the requisite attention from stewards, &c. &c. Secure a passage in a good, strong, fast-sailing vessel, where there are few passengers ; and, above all, keep clear of a lower cabin when there is an upper one, and the sufferings of a voyage will be greatly diminished. There is a bad air in lower cabins, especially in sugar vessels, that renders them almost intolerable. I preferred sleeping on the floor, for want of a better place above, the three last nights of the voyage. These may seem trifles to some, but not to those who. have been or expect to go to sea. If any should doubt the correctness of these remarks, let them try it, as I have, ¢ and they will then be satisfied. WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 35 CHAPTER IV. Bassin, or Christianstadt. Te view of the town from the harbour is picturesque, but not as beautiful as that of St. Thomas. It is situated near the north end of the island, at the foot of a range of hills seve- ral hundred feet high, which extends along the whole north-westerly shore. A consider- able elevation projects out from the main range, forming the easterly boundary of the harbour ; but on the southerly side, the eleva- tion is gradual, affording a fine view of several sugar plantations. The rich cane-fields on the right, the deep foliage of the cocoa-nut and palm trees in the distance, the windmills of the sugar-houses crowning the summits of several beautiful hills, with the town in front, and the lofty mountains in the rear, rising with all the stern and rugged majesty of Na- ture’s wildness, altogether presented a scene variegated and delightful in the extreme to one who had but just escaped from the ice- bound regions of the north. Highly delight- 36 A WINTER IN THE ed as I was, there was one thing which struck me unfavourably before going on shore, to wit : the great humidity of the atmosphere. Every thing appeared dripping with moisture, and the physician from the town soon in- formed us, that it was what they call the sick- ly season, but that it was about over; that some were now sick with fevers, and others with fever and ague. This was rather un- pleasant news to one who shuddered at the idea of a damp climate. I had seen several persons well acquainted with the island, and had read some published descriptions of it, but never heard of this humidity of atmosphere, or one word about fever and ague abounding there. However, we all went ashore, re- solved to make the best of it. The signs of moisture now became more and more appar- ent, two or three showers happened while we were getting on shore, with bright sun-shine intervening between each: The moisture of the ground, the mouldering appearance of the brick and stone walls, and the decaying state of the wooden buildings, all eloquently be- spoke the dampness of the climate. I could think of nothing but the idea of visiting a city a week after the flood. However moist, the x WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 37 atmosphere was warm, bland, and of even tem- perature, inducing a very comfortable and se- dentary feeling. Sea-sickness for the last three days of the voyage had caused a tempo- rary suspension of appetite, which returned with double force, and the first meal showed conclusively that the climate was favourable to digestion ; and for several days, fearless of dyspepsia, and all its consequences, I ate more. at a meal than I could have with safety eaten in a whole week at New-York. There was not a sign of cough, asthma, or catarrh, and scarcely any of dyspepsia, remaining. So rapid was the improvement, almost all my clothing soon became too small, and after a few days, every body would smile, when any- thing was said about my being an invalid. During the summer of 1838, which was cer- tainly hot enough, I had not a moment of such health as I now enjoyed. So great was the contrast between present comfort and past misery, that I walked forth in perfect ecstacy, as though I had suddenly passed “from death unto life.” But what of the place? It con- tains about three thousand inhabitants, less than three hundred of whom are whites, the residue of every shade from jet black to light 4 38 A WINTER IN THE yellow, perhaps one quarter of them slaves, the rest free, and without any apparent differ- ence in manners; customs, dress, circum- stances, or feelings, between them. Of course, it is seldom that a white man, and much more seldom that a white lady, is met in the street. The houses are built with basements for store-rooms, &c., &c., level with the street, and one story above to reside in, with a gal- lery, as it is here called, or kind of piazza, the whole length in front. There are no side- walks to the streets, and no pavements, the soil making a hard, clean surface in spite of rain. , To one accustomed to view the throng of exquisitely dressed ladies and gentlemen, constantly rushing along the sidewalks of Broadway, and hear the deafening rattle of carriages and carts, to find himself all at once in a city where he sees only a crowd of bare- foot, half naked negroes, straying carelessly along the middle: of the street, like so many cattle, without a cart or carriage in motion, or a sound heard except the gabble of the negroes,-——the contrast is at once striking, novel, and amusing. In general, all ‘move, and speak too, as deliberately as if Time had WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 39 folded up his wings. But there‘is now and then an exception. For instance: occasion- ally, a strapping bare-foot negro would run through the street at the rate of seven knots, with a bucket of water or a bundle of wood on his head, balanced as well as though he were standing perfectly still. During the ten days I remained there, it rained, on an average, four or five times a day. The showers were short, and as a scorching sun generally intervened, it was never safe to go out for a.moment without an umbrella. It was generally considered, and I have no doubt correctly too, that exposure either to the sun or rain was dangerous even to the inhabitants, and productive of certain ‘injury to strangers or invalids. The night air was also damp and injurious; and a current of air at any time was studiously avoided by everybody. The ladies of the place had - generally a pale, aguish countenance, and the children were extremely subject to croup, &c., &c.: a sure indication of the humidity of the atmosphere. The heat in the day- time was generally oppressive, the tharmome- ter ranging from 82° to 86° in the shade ; and as it was unsafe to go out in the evening, 40 A WINTER IN THE there was but a little time for exercise, to wit, about two hours in the morning, and two more towards evening. This was generally improved in riding ; the roads here being the finest in the world. No such thing as mud or dust is ever known ; and the rolling of the carriage-wheels upon the hard smooth surface, makes music for the ear, and gives a pleasure to riding unknown anywhere else. Every invalid of course avails himself of such a fine, healthful recrea- tion; as a horse and gig may be hired for thirty dollars per month, kept, harnessed, and brought to the door whenever wanted, and a saddle-horse for half that sum. The scenery along the way is delightful beyond description. At one moment you “wind around between two ranges: of lofty hills, and the next, rich level fields of cane break upon your view, with the white walls of a sugar-works and mansion-house upon the summit of a hill in the distance, and a wind-mill above the whole, swinging its long arms like a mighty giant, inviting some val- orous Don Quixote to mortal combat. On the way-side are.clusters of lime trees, with ripe yellow fruit, contrasting finely with the deep WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. ‘Al green foliage; and the whole is adorned by rows of palm trees, or mountain cabbage, as they are here called, on each side, standing as straight and true as so many architectural columns of the most skilful workmanship and finest proportions. ‘The rides about this place are considered by many more romantic. and variegated than those about West End, or any other part of the island. It will be perceived, that however benefi- eial the climate may prove, with proper care on the part of invalids, still, without the greatest caution, there is constant danger in so many particulars, that the requisite care is burdensome and sometimes tedious. The heat is much of the time oppressive, and al- ways relaxing, and but little exercise can be endured without great fatigue. Notwith- standing all these incenveniences, however, during the ten days passed here, I continued rapidly to improve ; and, therefore, speaking in general terms, ought to say that it was a good climate for me at least. It was so, compared with any I had ever before known. The ‘bad, however, must be stated as well as the good, so that invalids may judge for them- selves, 4* 42 _4 WINTER IN THE There were only ‘six or eight invalids at this place, including my .fellow-passengers — mest of the Americans, on the whole, preferring West End, a village about fifteen miles distant. This is the capital of the island; the government-house and public offices are of course here. There is nothing splendid in any of the public edifices, and contrary to my expectations, the gardens were indifferent, and almost destitute of - fruit. Scarcely a bundred oranges could be found upon the trees in all the city and suburbs. There are several churches—a Lutheran, Catholic, and Episcopalian. The Lutheran is the national religion of the Danes; but a " mild. system of tdleration is adopted as to other sects. . The English language is spoken here by all the inhabitants, except some of the Danish soldiers. There are almost as many English and American inhabitants as-Danes, and the latter are generally more civil and polite te visiters than the former. On the birthday. of his Danish majesty, a ball is always given. at the government-house, to which the American visiters are invited, and every disposition appears to be manifested to make WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 43 the place a pleasant resort for invalids. There are two boarding-houses here, but they are not well supported, on account of the general preference for West End. The inhabitants of the place are very much sur- -prised at this strange perversion of taste in the Americans, in preferring a place, accord- ing to their accounts, the very worst on earth. They are almost indignant at any one who attempts to speak favourably of West End, and use every effort to prevent others going: there, telling strangers on their arrival that the other place is without aceommeda- tions, &c. I was told on my arrival, that it was impossible to get lodgings at West End, but, to my surprise, found plenty of room there after twenty more: passengers had arrived. If invalids wish to avoid dif ficulty, they had better form their own opin- ions upon several little local matters, but not by any means express them, as, in a small community, every thing affecting the inter- ests of the inhabitants is tad from one end of the island te the other in an incredibly short time. One accustomed: te the style of furnishing in the boarding-houses of our cities, may at 44 A WINTER IN THE first be somewhat surprised at the appear- ance of a boarding-house in St. Croix. A house white-washed outside, with a single covering of boards, washed or painted with- in, without ceiling overhead, except the roof, with old shutters, and no blinds or glass to the windows, with decaying boards for floors, without carpets or other covering, and furni- ture of the simplest and cheapest kind, —a ta- ble, some chairs, and a calico-covered sofa, in the dining room,—a bed, chair, and wash- stand, in sleeping rooms,—might not at first seem exactly whaf he would wish, and lead him te suspect that he had not found the best place. But after becoming better ac- quainted, and finding all other places about the same, he will soon become perfectly satis- fied, and in a short time feel disposed to laugh at the extravagant superfluity of fine furniture at the north. At New-York I had boarded for five dollars per week, at a house rented at twelve hundred dollars a year, and furnished-at an expense of several thousands ; here I paid ten dollars per week at a house which could be bought, lot and all, for twelve hundred dollars, and coritaining altogether scarcely three hundred dollars’ worth of fur- WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 45 niture. The reason of the high price of board is not the expense of provisions, for they are generally low, nor of servants, for slaves are bought at from one to three hun- dred dollars, and hired for from two to four dollars per month ; but because there are no boarders to be had for one half of the year, and the loss must be made up on the other. A family wishing to spend the winter here, and live economically, would do well to bring out such articles of furniture as they might want, take apartments, and keep house for themselves. They can then live exactly to suit them, which. will net always be the case at a boarding-house. Five to ten dollars per month will hire a comfortable house, and there are plenty to be had: A good living may be procured at small expense. The meats of the island are pretty good, and the fish are fine beyond comparison, and almost beyond de- scription. Plantains and bananas are at once healthy and palatable, and the sweet potato is far better than any we ever get at the north. The oranges of St. Croix, though not abun- dant, are unsurpassed in excellence. The ’ above mentioned articles, with plenty of good bread, which can always be had, constitute - 46 A WINTER IN THE not only a wholesome but luxurious diet. Let no one be deterred from eating freely of these, _ because the same or similar things have pro- duced injurious effects at the north. The ef fect is quite different when eaten here. At New-York I could only eat hard bread, and a little roast or broiled meat, without vegetables or fruit, and. of those but a small quantity, without severe indigestion and asthma. Here I could eat to the extent of my appetite of meats, vegetables, and fruit, with perfect impu- nity. There are many other things which may be acceptable to others, though not to me. The yam and casaba root are used a8 a substitute for the common potato, but I like the plantain better; the forbidden fruit and shattuck for oranges: they resemble the orange in colour,.are much larger, but are bitter to the taste, and to me unpalatable. The messi- ple, or apple of Venus, is liked by many; the mango, by some; and the belle apple, when just ripe enough, by almost every body. Muskmelons are plenty, and rather better than at the north, but are not a healthy fruit anywhere. ; These are a few of the novelties, at least in winter, which the northern invalid has gained WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 47 by the exchange of climate. The living, how- ever, at boarding-houses, does not generally suit Americans. Danish flour, a little musty, is sometimes preferred to American, because, forsooth, there is twelve and a half per cent. difference in the price, 7. e. the amount of du- ties. Danish butter and lard are perseveringly pronounced better than American for the same reason; and because we ignorant Yankees dif- fer with them in taste, and will not eat butter resembling goose-oil and molasses, when set upon the table, we are finely punished by having it plentifully poured into all gravies, worked into all sorts of cake and almost.every thing else. No allusion is had to any particu- lar house, my intention being merely to men- tion an. evil which is quite common. ‘There are some exceptions. Much of the cake baked at St. Croix, and which looks very finely too, is a compound of old flour, bad lard, and worse butter, well sweetened, stuck together, and half baked. Fresh butter is made upon the island, which many like because of its scarcity; but almost every one abandons the use of butter altogether after a few days; and if they could keep it out of the cake and gravies, would be satisfied withal. American butter might be oA] A WINTER IN THE brought here very sweet, but there is no mar- ket for it, and therefore it does not come. This particular detail of living is given to en- able invalids to judge for themselves whether to come prepared to keep house or rely upon boarding-houses. On this subject my remarks are founded upon observations at West End, as well as at Bassin, and met the concurrence of many boarders at both places. With these evils enough of good was mixed, however, to en- sure a pretty good living at any of the board- ing-houses, i. e. after a little experience in se- lecting. The oranges, sweet potatoes, &c. &c. could not be spoiled, but were sometimes not found in sufficient quantity to supply the demand. WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 49. CHAPTER V. West End, or Frederickstadt. AFTER becoming pretty well acquainted with the particulars of Bassin, it was natural to pay a visit at least to West End, the general resort. of Americans. On leaving Bassin, which is situate nearly on a level with the ocean, and passing over the plantations situate under the lee of the hills, and still elevated several hun- dred feet from the shore, it was immediately observed from the appearance of every thing, that it was impossible the frequent showers we had lately had in town could have reached here. ‘The air was pure, dry, and elastic,. beyond any thing before observed. Gentle breezes found their way through all the val-. leys, and over all the plains, banishing exces- sive perspiration, increasing the strength and enlivening the spirits, and giving a brisk mo- tion to the. windmills stationed on almost every hill-top, like so many valorous defenders of the high places; the heavy rich growth of cane was gently waving in the breeze, with a 5 50 A WINTER IN THE slight rustling murmur; beautiful rows of or- namental trees bordered the splendid road we were passing; the warbling of birds was heard among their branches; small fleecy clouds were floating in the heavens, alternately vary- ing every view, from the brightest sunshine to the deepest shade ; and every thing combined to impress me with the idea of passing through some enchanted land of the wildest romance, rather than any reality of the earth. After a ride of two hours and a half through scenes constantly varying, but everywhere beautiful, with a range of cultivated conical hills on the right, and a view of the ocean over miles of cane fields and groves of palm trees on the left, the village of West End suddenly burst. upon the view. One of those slight momen- tary showers which are common here, was hanging over the village, throwing al} the colours of the rainbow over a scene which is always surpassingly beautiful. The effect ‘was at once beautiful and sublime beyond de- seription. The imagination of Mahomet could not supply its equal with which to adorn his Paradise. This village is situate on open ground, gra- dually rising from the shore, not hemmed in WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 51 by hills, like Bassin, but with plenty im per- spective, to give grandeur as well as beauty to the scenery, and is bounded on every side, ex- cept the shore, with highly cultivated sugar plantations. The streets are wider than those of Bassin, and the buildings less compact, in a better state of preservation, and more in Ameri- can taste. ‘There are also more gardens and shrubbery about town; and, what is observa- ble at the first view, neither the buildings nor the soil show such strong indications of fre- quent rains. As near as I can judge, there are about one thousand inhabitants in the village, nearly half whites. The amount of mercan- tile business is as niuch or more than that of Bassin, and the number of vessels in the har- bour about the same. Like almost every other American, I at once fell into the notion that this place was far superior to the other, and determined to change my quarters. From five or six weeks’ residence here, visiting Bassin occasionally, and making particular inquiries of others, I was confirmed in the opinion that there was not half as much rain, dampness of atmosphere, or actual sickness, here as there. Almost every body who left here in fair weather, found it rainy or damp there, and ee 82 A WINTER IN THE those who left it wet there, found it dry here. The account of the weather above given, there- fore, is not accurate in application to West End or the island in general. The frequency of showers, however, was a general subject of complaint even here. Although there were some days when it did not rain at all, still two or three showers a-day were very common, and sometimes there were ten or a dozen, with bright sunshine intervening. ‘These showers generally last but a few moments, and extend but little distance; it being no uncommon occurrence for one estate to get plenty of rain while the next is parching with drought. This frequency of rain, together with the rank -growth of vegetation, would make a very un- healthy climate were it not for the nature of the soil, (which does not retain the water, the elevation of the land keeping it always dry,) and the fine cultivation of almost every acre of ground, except some of the steepest and roughest hills. The rain washes away every impurity. There is no low land or stagnant ’ water; and there is scarcely any sickness, ex- cept from direct exposure to rain, night air, or sunshine. With proper care, therefore, it is a good climate for invalids from the north who WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 63 need only evenness of temperature and elasti- city of atmosphere. With all the beneficial effects I experienced, however, it was difficult to become reconeiled to the idea of closing windows the moment the sun set or a shower arose, of keeping close in the evening and through all the middle-of the day. An attack ef catarrh and asthma at night was sure to follow exposure to the evening air; and on several occasions, during the month of Janu- ery, my old difficulties came upon me with sufficient severity to cause restless nights, with a severe turn of asthma and cough towards morning. In spite of all this, however, my _general health kept improving, and my weight increased seven or eight pounds in a month. Many others found themselves daily increasing tn weight and substance, as well as in health and spirits, and there was a general expression. in favour of the climate: some, however, con- sidered it very bad. In regard to the moisture. and frequent showers, it is fair to state, that so rainy a winter had not been known thete for several years, if the-statements: of the in- habitants’ are to be relied upon. As to medical attendance; the very best can » - 6 ; 54 A WINTER IN THE be precured at St. Craix; several eminent physicians residing there, one of whom, Dr. Steadman, of West. End, had a hemorthage at the lungs at the age of eighteen, came there for his health, and now looks hardy and re- bust at the age of about sixty. The charges for medical attendance are moderate. - There were six boarding-houses here, en- tertaining in all abowt seventy American boarders, about one half of whom were inva- lids, and the residue their husbands, wives, er companions : of course, every house was filled . to overflowing. The board of the whole at ten dollars per week amounts to two thow- sand eight hundred dollars per month, and in six months, to nearly twenty thousand dollars: a considerable little revenue for a small village. The inhabitants may well feel disposed to encourage American visiters to come here, and try to please them when they get here. Rent is very low, and keeping boarders must be profitable. One establish- ment, which cost only three thousand dollars, kept seventeen boarders. 'There are plenty of small houses, suitable for single private fami- dies, to be had at about eight dollars per month ; . WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 65 . and although it might cast some e trouble, Ican . but think many would prefer keeping house to boarding, if they could come from home well -prepared. Besides the objections to boarding before mentioned, ‘there are some others, more apparent here than at Bassin. The great number of invalids makes it seem more like a hospital than a boarding-house, and nervous people are not at all benefitted by having’so many patients before their eyes, hearmg the. stories of their sufferings, and sympathising in their despair. A person, how- ever, who is not alarmed at beholding hard eases of disease, will find some, if not all, of these boarding-houses very-comfortable, in res- pect of rooms, settees, &c. &c.. Another objection that weighs with some, is that ten or fifteen Americans, especially from the same city, cannot spend six months. together in the same house, and with nothing else to. do, without getting up some petty mis- chiefmaking scheme or other, or without some of them attempting to show their supe- riority over others, either in point of wealth, . standing, etiquette, or extravagance, in such manner as seriously to annoy any one who 66 A WINTER IN THE has too much sense to participate in such con- temptible efforts. A sly, cunning, knowing, sort of a fool, that tells all news, and knows everybody’s business in advance, and always gets it wrong ; ajesting fellow, always dealing in inuendoes and putting everybody to the trouble of deciding whether jesting, or in earnest ; a dandy clerk, with a‘salary of three hundred .a year, strutting in ruffles, and ridi-. culing every body behind his notions of fash- ionable dress; or what is worse than either,. one of Nature’s little great men, eternally in- sinuating that nobody can be anything who does not come up to him, in eating and drink- ing according to fashion, or amount of expen- ditures, when perhaps his creditors at home are wondering why he does net pay his debts;. or some other equally disgusting and unen- durable bore, is almost sure to be found at a public boarding-house, and to be a greater cause of annoyance than any one can imagine before he has tried it. To set off against evils of this sort, however, almost every place affords an acquaintance with some who are at once talented, intelligent, and polite, and whose valuable society would be lost, or at WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 57 least but partially enjoyed by one who should avoid a boarding-house. These are small Matters, but it is better to consider them in advance, as they are sure to be thought of at some time. Of the invalids here, three died during the months of December and January, being hopeless cases of consumption, from their first start from home ; two or three other cases of far-gone consumption derived but little advantage from the climate. Some five or six others were much improved, and their sufferings much alleviated, without any very encouraging appearance of ultimate recovery ; five or six had every appearance of perfect health, after severe attacks of hemorrhage at the lungs at the north; and four or five cases of asthma were now, as they had before been, entirely reheved, while remaining in a tropical climate, but had found the disease return on going north heretofore, and no doubt will find the same. result again. The effect of the change of climate upon persons afflicted with catarrh, asthma, and bronchitis, is at the same _ time so certain and beneficial, that those who have been thus afflicted for any considerable 68 A WINTER IN THE length of time, had better abandon the north at once, and keep themselves between the tropics, where they can enjoy a good degree of health and comfort, in lieu of a life of severe affliction, and premature death, in the damp, chilly regions of their own country. It is hard to quit all, and go, but harder still, to stay and suffer. It was probably not the fault of the cli- mate in some cases which prevented the im- provement of invalids; but merely their own carelessness and imprudence, in ex- posing themselves to the evening air, dining out, staying late, and eating extravagantly, drinking champagne, &c., &c. Some who were almost daily expectorating blood, in- dulged themselves in such imprudent experi- ments. The ordinary hour of dining with the Danes is 5 o’clock, p. m., consequently, no one dines out without making an evening affair of it. It may seem strange that an in- valid should think of such a thing ; but feel- ing so much better here than at home, and | the strong desire to do something to break in upon the dull monotony of the life he is liv- ing, naturally lead him to venture upon WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 59 indulgences he would never think of at home. . The first three or four weeks at West End passes off pretty comfortable. Picking up shells upon the shore amuses for a while ; riding affords a recreation not quite so soon worn out. T'wo hours’ ride, in two or three different directions, earries one over the best roads and through some of the finest scenery on earth. In a carriage, you may ride three or four miles along a clear little creek, wind- ing about between hills from 500 to 1000 feet high, rising precipitately on each side, and still covered with cane to the very summit; - with clusters of limes, oranges, shattucks, and forbidden fruit, scattered along the banks of the stream and margin of the way, almost within reach; with a thick growth of wild and fragrant flowers scattered beneath ; or on horseback, you may ascend at once the loftiest summits, Mount Washington and Signal Hill, nearly a thousand feet high, with not only roeds, but rows of ornamental trees across them, and look down upon the whole island, spread out below, like a beau- tiful and highly cultivated garden. Scenes 60 A WINTER IN THE like these are delightful, but the novelty soon wears away, and it seems dull and mo- notonous to be always riding over the same ground. Dullness was a very genuine com- plaint, especially among those who were well, much more so than it would be under similar circumstances at the north ; because here the climate predisposes to a kind of mental indolence, which renders it almost impossible to read. The attention and mem- ory both fail, and the book is soon thrown aside for something more exciting, if it can be found. As to the climate, however, al- ‘though some dislike it, a majority of the visi- ters considered it decidedly the most favour- able for invalids of any within their know- ledge. As to myself, however, my health growing worse along the latter part of January, I determined to make the trial of some others during the winter, if dn oppor- tunity should offer; and, accordingly, en- gaged a passage for Trinidad de Cuba, early in February. I have now given all the material circumstances of my residence at the two villages, and a brief general description of the island will close my re- . WEST INDIES AND PLORIDA. 61 marks upon St. Croix, and enable every reader to see the whole before him, precisely as he will find it if he ever goes there: the good and the bad, fairly and faithfully de- tailed, without fear, favour, affection, or the hope of reward. Those interested may give a more flattering account, but I can only give it just as I found it. 62 A WINTER IN THE CHAPTER VI. Santa Cruz in General. Sr. Crorx is an island, about eighteen miles long, situated in latitude 17° 45' north, lon- gitude — west of Greenwich. It is al- most exclusively devoted to the cultivation of sugar-cane, and the manufacture of sugar, molasses, and rum. In a good season it pro- duces from fifty to sixty thousand hogsheads of muscovado sugar of the best quality. It is generally calculated that the molasses and rum will pay all the contingent expenses of the estates ; leaving the sugar for clear in- come, which at seventy-five dollars the hogs- head, for which it is generally sold there, in a good season, amounts to three millions seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This great revenue is produced by the care- ful cultivation of almost every inch of the soil, the estates generally consisting of but one hundred and fifty to three hundred acres each ; and nearly one hundred negroes being employed upon each one hundred and fifty WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 63 acres. The soil is dry and sweet, producing the best cane, and consequently the best su- gat known. I had heard much of filthiness in the manufacture of sugar and molasses, but the first view of a St. Croix sugar-works contradicted. it. The kettles, the vats in which the sugar is cooled, the hogsheads in which it is drained, and even the molasses vats under them, are so perfectly neat and clean, that no-one who has seen them can feel any squeamishness in eating St. Croix sugar, or molasses either. 'T'o look at a vat- full, a foot deep, just chrystalizing over the surface, and perfectly transparent to the bot- tom, would satisfy the most scrupulous upon this point. There is about twenty-five thou- sand black, and three thousand white popu- lation. Of course, it is seldom a white man is seen in riding through the island. Many of the blacks are free, and the slaves, by.the protection afforded them by the Dan- ish. laws, are about as well satisfied with stavery as they would be with freedom. No slave can be taken from the island without security for his or her return ; masters ean- not inflict punishment without the interven- tion of public authority; no slave can be 64 A WINTER IN THE sold against his or her consent, except with the estate ; and cheap and easy provisions are made for emancipation. Such is the ex- pectation of a general abolition, that the prices of slaves are only about one fourth as high as in the United States. In the vil- lage of Christianstadt, a large proportion of the retail trade, and nearly all the mechan- ical labour, is in the hands of the free blacks and mulattoes ; and the politeness, in- telligence, and ability of some of these, would surprise those who think their race by Nature unfit for freedom. Many of them have good countenances, are well behaved, and appear to evince as much discretion and judgment as whites under similar circumstances. Some of them hold commissions in the militia ser- vice; one has been promoted to the distin- guished situation of Governor’s aid-de-camp ; and instead of considering the race as on a level with brutes, many of the white inhabit- ants deem them nearly, if not quite, on a level with themselves. I listened for a whole evening to a very warm discussion of the question, whether a lady would be justified in refusing to dance with a negro or mu- WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 65 latto at a ball; and the negative was not wanting in supporters. It is almost surprising, that so small a num- ber of proprietors should have had the public spirit and perseverance to make such costly fine roads, not only as public highways whenever needed, but should also have made a good private road around almost every es- tate; beautifully ornamenting both with palm and cocoa-nut trees, which cut the whole into squares, and add much to the beauty of the scenery. On each estate there are generally a fine mansion, a sugar-house, windmill, and plenty of negro-houses, all sit- uate upon an eminence and interspersed with fruit and ornamental trees. Little attention is given, however, to the cultivation of fruits, and, in many places, not an orange will be seen for miles. Sugar-cane seems to have engrossed the whole attention of the inhabi- tants, and crowded out almost every thing else. The fact, that sugar-houses are worked by wind-mills, is good evidence that there are plenty of breezes. They almost always blow from nerth-east to south-east; and such is - the evenness of temperature, that the ther- — 6* 66 A WINTER IN THE Mometer varies but about four degrees from calm to breeze, and viee versa. The varia- tion is seldom greater between night and day, and there is, on an average, less than ten degrees difference between winter and sum- mer; during the former ranging from 82° to 86°, and the latter from 88° to 93° or 94°. The inhabitants have their fevers in the winter season only, and never very severely. It is a very common thing to hear one ob- serve, “such a one got the fever the other day, but he is up again.” American visiters, in some instances, had a slight attack, but very seldom. On the whole, therefore, it - must be pronounced a very good climate, not- _ withstanding the frequency of showers, and other evils before mentioned. Upon careful examination, I eoncluded that the fever and ague scarcely ever: occurred, except in situa- tions about level with the sea, where little creeks from the ocean set up into the land, with a rank growth of vegetation along the shore, as at and about Bassin ; and that stran- gers were not subject to it, even there, with- out unnecessary exposure. Near Bassin is an estate called Richmond, beautifully situated, where invalids. have oc. WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA. 67- -casionally been entertained. The mansion- house is finely situated on a gentle elevation of ground, at a distance of forty or fifty rods from the street, with a fine private road adorned with columns of Thibet trees, leading to it ; is surrounded by a fine growth of fruit, and other ornamental trees, furnishing several shady walks; commands a fine view of the harbour, and the ocean, on one side, and the mountains on the other; and on the whole, has a very fascinating appearance to stran- gers. Learning that an American family was stopping there, I called forthe purpose of - procuring accommodations, in what I con- sidered the most beautiful situation in the vicinity of Bassin ; but could not obtain the situation, on account of the sickness of its proprietor. He was under the influence of a severe attack of ague, and his countenance was as. pallid and woe-begone as any I ever witnessed, in the worst fever and ague re- gions in Illinois and Ohio. It occurred to me, at the time, that his disease. must be ow- ing to the moisture caused by the rank growth of plants and trees about his house, and a little creek near it, along which was a growth of trees with foliage of that deep 68 A WINTER IN THE green that indicates richness and dampness of soil. Upon inquiry, I ascertained that al- most every family of Americans that have stopped at the house, have been visited with similar attacks, and in some cases with severe fevers. In the winter of 1836-7, Mr. Blake, of Boston, took lodgings there, with his wife and several children, every one of whom had fevers, or fever and ague. This is enough ‘to show the great importance of se- lecting a dry situation. Humidity should be avoided as the invalid’s worst enemy, not excepting cold. With a knowledge of all these particulars, invalids and their friends ean judge upon the propriety of their visiting St. Croix. The difficulty of getting accommodations in some, and of foreign languages in others, of the West India islands, has in a great measure prevented a fair trial of other places ; and this being best known, and most accessible, has very naturally been preferred, and whatever may be the advantages of other places, will, no doubt, by many, continue to be preferred to all others. The currency of St. Croix consists of bank notes and base coin, with as much gold and WEST INDIES AND -FLORIDA. 69 silver as they can get. The standard of value is pieces of weight, of sixty-four cents each, without any coin to represent it; sti- vers seventy-five to the dollar, made of pew- ter, or something like that, and old bits of five stivers each, of the same coin. This does not much concern an American, except to have none of their money on leaving, as it is good no where else. But one thing is worthy of the traveller's attention, 7. e. the kind of money he brings from home. A Spanish doubloon passes for no more thana ~ patriot, whereas there is generally a dollar difference at New-York. There is generally a gain on the latter of twenty-five to fifty cents, on coming here, whereas on Spanish there is a loss of seventy-five, or thereabouts, as they pass here for only sixteen dollars, and generally cost sixteen seventy-five in New- ‘York, and are always worth seventeen at Havana. One word as to passports, and I shall have done with St. Croix. The Danish authorities require no passport from Americans on their arrival ; but only that passengers should call at the police office, and report themselves. There is no necessity therefore for a passport, from 70 A WINTER IN THE our Government, or from the Danish consul in our country. Iunderstood the Danish consul at New-York gave several passports at two dollars and a half each, telling passengers that it would be necessary to have one, or would preclude the necessity of paying for one on leaving the island; but they were of no use whatever, because not required. On leaving the island, however, a passport must be taken out here, for which the fee is nine dollars sixty-four cents, to the United States, two dol- lars and a half to St. Thomas, and four dollars to Porto Rico. This is a contrivance to raise money, and as it is imposed upon their own citizens, as well as foreigners, we ¢annot so much complain. It is, however, at once un- just towards the Americans, and impolitic in the Santa Crucians. Eight or nine hundred dollars ~ was extorted from us this year, whereas, Danish subjects may freely come to, go through, and depart from our country, without passport, or paying fees. The Go- vernment will probably find it for their inter- est, if not to dispense with the passport, at least to reduce the fee. Although not ne- cessary, it is always advisable for every Ameri- can, on leaving his country, to obtain a pass- | 1 nnn — This book should be returned to the Library on or before the last date + stamped below. A fine of five cents a day is incurred by retaining it beyond the specified . time. Please return promptly. . 1 t I <= -oo